Leonard Charles | Basement Donuts
Down in scenic Auckland, New Zealand, tucked in a small basement studio, musician Leonard Charles & his friends paid tribute to J Dilla’s ’06 “Donuts” release by re-recording the entire 31-track album on live instruments. Charles gives the tracks a modern funk reinterpretation on live bass, drums, clavinet, Rhodes & synths – sans any sampling […]
Hidden Orchestra | Wingbeats
Hidden Orchestra is the solo studio project of multi-instrumentalist composer/producer Joe Acheson. The album features drummer Tim Lane and Jamie Graham, pianist/violinist Poppy Ackroyd and long-time collaborators including harpist Mary Macmaster, cellist/saw player Su-a Lee and Czech bass clarinettist Jiri Javurek. Although written for sampling, the pieces included on the “Wingbeats” EP stand on their own […]
Myele Manzanza | One Point One
First Word Records present ‘OnePointOne’ from Myele Manzanza, recorded live at the legendary Blue Whale in Los Angeles. The son of a Congolese master percussionist, New Zealand born Myele first gained international attention as one third of NZ soul act, Electric Wire Hustle. After six years of performing, recording and touring with the band that […]
John Ellis | Evolution: Seeds & Streams
John Ellis was a founder member of legendary The Cinematic Orchestra and contributed heavily to their albums “Everyday” and “Man With The Movie Camera”. He has also worked with the likes of Corinne Bailey Rae and Lilly Allen and led his own trio and big-band. His Gondwana Records debut “Evolution: Seeds & Streams” is a […]
josef leimberg | astral progressions
Trumpeter and composer Josef Leimberg released his debut full-length “Astral Progressions”. Leimberg gained a unique level of traction with his work on the multiple Grammy Award winning Kendrick Lamar LP “To Pimp A Butterfly”. Credited under the LoveDragon moniker with Terrace Martin, his time with “To Pimp A Butterfly” only represents a small fragment of his accomplishments. […]
yussef kamaal | black focus
The borders between London’s musical tribes have always been porous. For Yussef Kamaal, the sound of the capital – with its hum of jungle, grime and broken beat – has shaped a self-taught, UK-tipped approach to playing jazz. In the states, the genre’s long-running to-and-fro with hip hop – from Robert Glasper to Kamasi Washington […]
shabaka & the ancestors | wisdom of elders
“Wisdom of the Elders” was recorded in Johannesburg in 2015 on one of many trips Shabaka Hutchings took there to immerse himself in the country’s rich musical heritage. The album is a psalm in nine parts. An episodic unfurling of a sonic journey across the Atlantic. “The grand scheme of this album is to present […]
darkhouse family | solid gold
First Word Records introduce the new EP from their latest signings Darkhouse Family. The production duo consisting of Don Leisure and Metabeats have previously released music through Fat City and Earnest Endeavours, building up a dedicated fanbase that includes Gilles Peterson, Gaslamp Killer and Lefto. The “Solid Gold EP” is the start of a new chapter […]
favourite things | 6.16
Our soundcloud-selection for june 2016, „favourite things 6.16“ holds 1,5 hours of new music. The Set features tracks through various styles of music, by artists and producers such as Jonwayne, Sigmund Washington, Black Milk, Snoop Dogg, A Country Called Earth & Yassin Bey, Jeedo, DJ Shadow featuring Nils Frahm & Matthew Halsall, Kuba Kapsa Ensemble, Jono McCleery by Anthony Valadez, […]
sarathy korwar | day to day
The extraordinary debut album from percussionist, drummer and producer Sarathy Korwar – “Day To Day” – fuses traditional folk music of the Sidi community in India (combining East African, Sufi and Indian influences) with jazz and electronics. It’s a collaborative release by Ninja Tune with The Steve Reid Foundation – a charitable trust established by […]
badbadnotgood | IV
BADBADNOTGOOD has just released news that they are following up their 2014 project “III” with “IV” out on record label Innovative Leisure on July 8th. “IV” is the Young Canadian Jazz groups fourth studio album. Last year, they released a collaboration with Ghostface Killah entitled “Sour Soul”. On their upcoming release they feature guest appearances by Colin […]
30/70 collective | cold radish coma
30/70 is a nine-piece exploratory soul collective from Melbourne, Australia. The band with singer Allysha Joy released “Cold Radish Coma” in late 2015. Their 15-track deep debut is best described as polyrhythmic time structures, astrological explorations of 1970s funk and generally good vibes polished with strange electronic flourishes. Stream the entire album below “Cold Radish Coma” is out on Moontown Records, […]
melanie de biasio | blackened cities
After her second release “No Deal” back in 2013, Belgian singer Melanie de Biasio is back with her new EP “Blackened Cities”. “Melanie de Biasio’s 25 minute-long track “Blackened Cities” is already attracting whispers suggesting it could be ‘her masterpiece.’ Inspired by the post-industrial landscape of her home-town Charleroi, Blackened Cities finds unexpected hope rediscovered in cities such […]
favourite things | 4.16
The soundcloud selection ‘favourite things 4.16’ holds two hours of brand new music. Including songs and productions by artists such as Jameszoo featuring Arthur Verocai, Sarathy Korwar, BADBADNOTGOOD, Braxton Cook, ThisIsJBird, 2LATE, Stro Elliot, Ding, Mecca:83, KA-YU, Little Simz, Remi with Sampa The Great, Syd from the Internet, The Invisible with Reginald Omas Mamode IV, Barney […]
mammal hands | floa
The new Mammal Hands album, “Floa” will be released on Gondwana Records on May 27th. Produced by Matthew Halsall and recorded/mixed/mastered by George Atkins at 80 Hertz Studios in Manchester the album also features string players from The Gondwana Orchestra on tracks ‘In The Treetops’ and ‘The Falling Dream’. You can catch the band live […]
jameszoo | fool
Inspired by classic albums by Steve Kuhn, Arthur Verocai, and Robert Wyatt, Van Dinther aka Jameszoo released his debut album “Fool” on the Brainfeeder label. » With “Fool”, Van Dinther has created an album that doesn’t follow any direct rules. An album composed and arranged “on purpose” that still retains a wonderful naive quality. “It bothered me at first […]
carlos niño & friends | flutes, echoes, it’s all happening!
“Flutes, Echoes, It’s All Happening!” is the fourth in an ongoing series of highly collaborative records by Carlos Niño & Friends, and features Madlib, Kamasi Washington, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Iasos, Luis Pérez Ixoneztli, Dexter Story, and more. Los Angeles’ Carlos Niño is the exalted producer, composer, percussionist, DJ, ensemble orchestrator, and mentor who has traversed the […]
favourite things | 3.16
The ‘favourite things’ playlist for april 2016 holds 25 new tracks. The collection includes songs by Terrace Martin feat. Kamasi Washington & Rose Gold, Nicholas Payton feat. Butcher Brown, Taylor McFerrin feat. Robert Glasper and Thundercat, Flying Lotus feat. Thundercat, Yusef Lateef, Moses Boyd Exodus, Sigmund Washington, Satsum, Iamnobodi, Kaytranada feat. Karriem Riggins & River Tiber, […]