• Music

    The Gaslamp Killer meets The Heliocentrics – LEGNA

    March 28, 2024 - By 

    This collaboration between Los Angeles’ The Gaslamp Killer and Britain’s funkiest band, The Heliocentrics, is one of those lucky finds you stumble into every now and then, and I say this as someone who isn’t too big a fan of hip-hop.  From the release’s Bandcamp site: “The stars would align a few years later, as The Heliocentrics would go on to tour with the GLK Experience as his backing band. This laid the groundwork for a monumental collaboration that was recorded at Quartermass Sound Lab, and would take many years to complete. The resulting album is a testament to the…

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    Brotha Lok – True Lai : Flèches contre Balles

    February 15, 2024 - By 

    Brotha Lok is a French producer and DJ of Vietnamese extraction, and he has produced a wild album with no solid focus, but it listens are more of a travelog.  Bits of hip-hop, ethnographic recordings, field recording, spoken interludes (including a bit of laughter here and there) are brought together into a very personal album.

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    Yussef Dayes – Black Classical Music

    September 13, 2023 - By 

    Over the past 10 years or so, something incredible has been happening in London.  Jazz has come back into fashion, and has taken in influences from all over, be it hip hop or world music.  Yussef Dayes is, arguably, the leading light in this Nu Jazz movement.  This is his debut album after scores of incredible singles and remixes, and so far, the album is living up to the hype.

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    Farhot – Nowroz 1401

    April 30, 2023 - By 

    Farhot is a musician based in Germany who also happens to run the rather incredible Kabul Fire record label.  This release is in honor of the Persian New Year (Nowroz) 1401.  From his Bandcamp site: “In celebration of the Persianate new year usually taking place on March 21st Afghan-German producer artist Farhot announces his follow up project “Nowroz 1401” which translates into “New Year 1401” – the number marking the year according to the solar calendar which is used in countries like Afghanistan and Iran. While Nowroz is being celebrated in several additional regions like Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan or Kirgizstan and…

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    Various Artists – Keb Darge & Cut Chemist Present The Dark Side: 28 Sixties Garage Punk And Psyche Monsters

    March 12, 2023 - By 

    Legendary Scottish Northern Soul DJ Keb Darge teams up with Jurassic 5 DJ and producer Cut Chemist to release 28 magnificent tracks of classic garage punk and psychedelic rock.  From the release’s Bandcamp site: “Picking up where they left off on the 2007 compilation ‘Lost & Found – Rockabilly & Jump Blues’, Keb Darge & Cut Chemist join forces once again, this time to explore the wonderful world of 1960s Garage music. While Rockabilly could be defined as a DIY emulation of the music of Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran and others by young American artists, Garage was heavily influenced by…

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    Inkswel & Colonel Red – Holders Of The Sun, Vol. 1

    September 23, 2022 - By 

    Inkswel & Colonel Red hail from Australia and the United Kingdom respectively, but have been writing music together for over 10 years.  They blend a pretty heady mix of funk, soul, hip-hop and a touch of acid jazz in their stew, and the tracks on this upcoming dish are both enjoyable listening to deep music fans and those looking for more radio-friendly pop hooks.  The track Save Ya Self is the jewel of the album, being a timeless percussion-heavy dance track that would get people moving no matter the year. For those of you who need an introduction to both…

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    Don Leisure – Shaboo Strikes Back

    April 11, 2022 - By 

    Don Leisure is a Cardiff based producer and DJ whose latest work, dedicated to his legendary uncle, the Bollywood actor Nasser ‘Shaboo’ Bharwani, left me wondering how I didn’t hear about him before.  From his Bandcamp website: “‘Shaboo Strikes Back‘ is a much-awaited sequel to the 2017 smash, and again features a modest 25 tracks. Psychedelic fuzzy samples and phat beats aplenty, Don Leisure once again takes us on a far-out trip across soundscapes. A real tapestry of flavours, from jazz to reggae, and from the soulful to the spiritual, this time round he’s invited a few special guests to…

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    Freyja Garbett – MAYA

    April 3, 2022 - By 

    Freyja Garbett, a Berklee graduate has made a remarkably innovative album.  From her Bandcamp website: “Garbett’s heady compositions draws influence from a vast range of styles and musicians. A graduate of the Berklee College of Music, she lists pianists and composers such as Fred Hersch, Gerald Clayton and Maria Schneider as critical influences to her music, along with the likes of Flying Lotus, J Dilla and Snarky Puppy. “The pieces from my debut album are an exploration of an electro-acoustic approach to jazz composition and improvisation,” begins Garbett. “These compositions are springboards for improvisation and creativity. An added element to…

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    Nkom Bivoué – Zeun Ya Yop

    December 9, 2021 - By 

    This one came as an unsolicited pleasant surprise.  I love Afrobeat and am slowly developing a healthy respect for Afro-House, and if I delve further into the genre, it’ll be because of artists like Cameroon’s Nkom Bivoué. What is best about the disc is the absolutely sharp percussion of the album.  This is dance floor-ready material that you can also appreciate on its own merits.