Review: Images And Anthems - Book I is an album by Lars Bartkuhn from back in 2008. The artist who is also known for his work in Passion Dance Orchestra and as Laurentius is a master of super cool jazz and laid-back lounge electronics that have hints of 80s nostalgia without being too slavish. Originally this one came only on CD and digitally and now it makes its first foray onto vinyl thanks to First on Vinyl out of Japan. Tracks like the lush 'Pulse' are gloriously airy and spring-like montages while there is a little woozy romance to 'Before It Enters My Mind'.
Make My 45 The P Funk (feat Abstract Rude - cuts By Deejay Toby Gee) (3:56)
Jazz Crimes (Deejay Katch 7" edit) (3:00)
Review: DJ Katch is a core part of the Resin Dogs and a mainstay of Australia's hip-hop scene. He pops up here to mint the new Members Only label with Abstract Rude. A-side jam 'Make My 45 The P Funk' is classic old school boom-bap with tight bars and cuts By Deejay Toby Gee. It's playful and booty-shaking and sure to get any floor full. On the flip, Katch gets deep on a more jazzy and late night number as he edits The Resin Dogs's 'Jazz Crimes', especially for this 7".
As He Fell Through The Sunrise (feat Olivia Lincoln)
Aurora (Siren Song Of A Counter Culture)
Let Go
Truffle Magic
Rise & Funk (feat Olivia Lincoln)
Cloudlifter
Lift Off (part 2)
Comedown Cosmonaut
Review: Theo Conrad (better known for his work under the Paxton Fettel alias) has long been one of Greta Cottage Workshop's most intriguing artists. His first album for the Devon imprint, Everything Stays The Same, inhibited similar territory to the classic deep house/downtempo/soul/jazz fusion of fellow West Country dwellers The Rurals. Described by the label as "instrumental contemporary jazz-funk", Nothing Stays The Same sees Conrad combining loose jazz breaks and jazzy synths with the kind of rich grooves, fireside chords and dreamy electronics more often found in vintage deep house productions. It's a formula that results in a string of hugely impressive tracks.
Review: Stone's Throw has never really made any wrong moves in our opinion, and here the label puts its full force behind a deceptively powerful album. Taking us to places that are deeper than perhaps what the imprint is best known for, this is immersive, hypnotic, otherworldly stuff made from a variety of plugged in machines, analogue and otherwise, including a semi-modular synth. The result is a journey-style collection packed with atmosphere but one that's also painstakingly detailed and textured. Sound waves are rendered almost visible by the movements, drones, tracks and other pieces here, drum and effects machines producing the kind of noises that mesmerise and suck you in further as time passes. Tunes to get lost in, the only remaining question is whether anyone will ever want to return.
Review: Ishmael Ensemble's third album, Rituals, marks a major evolution for the Bristol-based group. While often associated with the 'new UK jazz' scene, their fusion of live instrumentation and electronic elements extends far beyond that label in truth and now this release pushes their sound further than ever. It blends spiritual jazz, dub, experimental, and electronic styles into powerful, swirling soundscapes that work as well on the head as they do heel. The tracks are more notably song-focused and accessible but still deal in a psychedelic mix of textures, colours, and moods. Rituals is a truly boundary-pushing work of great ambition and is this vital group's best work to date.
Review: Papa Romeo's debut LP, Late Night Load Out, encapsulates their journey through dreamy indie rock, ambient jazz and post-punk influences. Chronicling their formative years gigging across Ireland, the album reflects the highs and lows of late-night gear hauls after shows. Now based in London, their music has garnered support from DJs and broadcasters, with singles gaining traction on BBC 6 Music and NTS. With appearances at prominent festivals and sold-out shows, Papa Romeo has established themselves as a versatile act, earning recognition as an Artist to Watch for 2024 by Hot Press Magazine. Late Night Load Out not only showcases their musical range but also their ability to captivate audiences, making them a promising addition to the indie scene. A very exciting debut album to check out.
Review: The Reel Estate label is back with another limited slab of clear wax and two devastating outsider-disco cuts. 'Shape The System' has crashing hits and dark, chugging drums, with plenty of sleazy guitar lines king out of the mix, effects and delay adding tension and a bulbous bassline bringing the weight. On the flip, 'River Art' is less dense but no less out there with its twanging riffs, muted jazz horn motifs, broken beat drum tumbles and organic percussion. It's controlled chaos that makes you shake your limbs loose. An essential leftfield cut.
Review: Oakland's SNDTRAK dropped his long awaited debut album back in 2021. It was a big hit right off the bat and now it gets a welcome reissue. These are snappy beats with rolling drums, deep hip hop instrumentals that bring the best of the dusty school to fresh new school thinking. Delicate melodies are buried within, soulful vocal smears drift in and out of ear shot and well played bass slowly rotate sunder the tunes to bring languid funk. Sunny and heart aching, heat damaged and stoned, this is a warming soundtrack on many different levels.
Review: Numero's Cabinet of Curiosities series hits double figures here with a 10th essential outing packed with musical treasures. L80s: So Unusual is a brilliantly broad mix that heads to all corners of the world with a sublime mix of downtempo sounds that reach into "icy hot coldwave, Sausalito seafood jazz, Glaswegian goth, makeshift Madonna, Sade spoofs, and Brat Pack balearic." All 12 of the songs here are beguiling and beautiful in equal measure, as is often the way with this great label, with highlights including Nika Rejto's 'More Than Just A Dream' (Edit) and Elisa Waut's 'Being Strong.'
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