Here we
New Releases
Bahir – Dexter Story (2019)
Dexter Story immersed himself into african culture in a way barely any musician would: he actually went back to school and is now finishing his master’s degree in African studies at UCLA. Bahir doesn’t only incorporate musical elements from East-African countries such as Ethiopia, Sudan, and Somalia but also west coast electronic, hip hop, soul and jazz.
Powder in Space – DJ mix by Powder (2019)
Cool eclectic IDM mix, elegantly navigating between atmospheric landscapes, head bobbing tracks and more complicated stuff. Favorite tracks are the water margin by Vertigo Inc (on the head-bobbing side) and the closing Forever by Cos/Mes (on the atmospheric side).
Yves Jarvis – The Same But By Different Means (2019)
Yves Jarvis (formally known as Un Blonde) of Faux Fur brings his second album The Same But By Different Means which combines Psychedelic Folk, Neo-Soul, and Neo-Psychedelia to make these beautiful sounding songs with trippy guitars, haunting vocals, and decay organs which form into these never-ending lush soundscapes. One of the only ways I can describe this album is if D’Angelo took acid and collaborated with Folk musician Donovan and this record was the result of that experimental sound. Every song on this album flows really well with each other making it sound like one long continuous song that’s constantly changing throughout the whole album and combined with the genres it’s just a really amazing project and one of my favorites if not my favorite albums from 2019.
Umut Adan – Bahar by Umut Adan (2019)
An homage to 70s Turkish psych, while never falling into pastiche territory. A new release although feels it could have been released in 1973.
Little Simz – GREY Area (2019)
This album easily deserves a mention, as Little Simz is really making her mark in the hip hop Area. It’s got a good mix of different styles that merge well together under the monotone voice of Simz. While Venom is an aggressive trap-ish banger, and Offence’s simple but catchy beat opens the album strongly, my personal favorite has to be Selfish, a collab with Cleo Sol, another artist who never disappoints.
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah – Ancestral Recall (2019)
Scott is back with an epic sound in his new album Ancestral Recall. While I have to admit I personally did not find it outstanding, it is definitely worth a mention. The song Before featuring Elena Pinderhughes will please your ears with six minutes of spiritual floots.
Shafiq Husayn – The Loop (2019)
Newest Shafiq Husayn album with features including Robert Glasper, Haitus Koyte, Erykah Badu, Fatima, and Anderson “Puppy Lounge” .Paak….need we say more?
Discovered this month
Campo de Vampiros – Los Holy’s (1968)
Latin, From Peru, amazing surf/psychedelic riff, garage rock. The whole album is very pleasing. Favorites tracks were “Alguien Canto” and “choque de vientos”.
Israel Suite / Dominante En Bleu – Rupture (1973)
French 70s vocal jazz funk. I love the composition and especially the alternation of vocal-heavy sections and strong instrumental parts throughout the record. I wish I knew french though. The title track Israel Suite is a real lanker and definitely my favorite. (But I guess I’d put Alice Aux Miroirs in the playlist if it’s too long.)
Second Hand – Reality (1968)
Second Hands Second Studio album Reality is a Psychedelic Rock and early Prog Rock record from 1968 from the UK. This album is unique from other Psychedelic Rock albums with it’s Prog Rock influences in songs like A Fairy Tale and Dennis James the Clown. It also has usage of stringed and woodwind instruments in a song like Reality which uses Stringed Instruments as the main part of the song and combines both Classical and Psych to make a beautiful Rock Ballad. It also has a heavy Hendrix influence in a song like Rhubarb! being a Heavy Psych Rock song with crazy playing from each member.
Bert Myrick – Alive ‘n Well (1974)
Recorded at the student union of the University Of Michigan back in 1965 for the record label Strata Drummer Bert Myrick led a group of talented Jazz musicians and played an impeccable performance that was recorded and released almost a decade after it happened to leave it to be forgotten by most but only the most of hardcore jazz collectors to know of this amazing album.
With intense yet light Hard Bop style of playing Bert Myrick brings out the best of the musicians with is intense styled of playing that he learned from drummer Elvin Jones, (who’s most famous for playing on the album Giants Steps by John Coltrane), This underrated Jazz album features the likes of Kenny Cox on Piano, Will Austin on Bass, Ronnie Fields on Sax, and George Bohanon on Trombone who were all at height of their skill when this concert happened. This album should not be overlooked as it is one astounding jazz album.
Caterina Barbieri – Born Again in the Voltage (2018)
Discovered in the lineup of Terraforma festival, Caterina Barbieri is an Italian progressive electronic and drone music producer of high caliber if not particularly well know. I would advise everybody interested in the genre to check her out. She navigates intense and ambient with great sensitivity, shaping sounds which just got me hooked at first listen.
Garotas Suecas – Futuro do Preterito (2017)
Funk/Rock band from São Paulo. Heavily influenced by funk scene in 70s Brazil. Can certainly hear later career Os Mutantes and Tim Maia throughout the album.
V. A. – Flipper Psychout (2010)
Italian psych from the early 70s. A brilliant blend of cinematic sound landscapes, space-age bachelor pad music (Italian style) and atmospheric fuzzy psych-grooves. Obscure early 70s tracks from cult labels such as Canopo, Deneb, Flirt and Octopus, most reissued here for the first time.
Floots galore.
International Soleil Band – Ta Lassa – Hide & Smile Edit (2016)
Two competing melodies intertwine to keep the groovy beat moving in this afrobeat jam.
The Scorpios – The Scorpios (2017)
Having fled from the fundamentalists in their home country of Sudan, the original members of the psychedelic group The Scorpios established themselves in London during the 80s. Once there, they built a growing friendship with guitarist and community worker Adam Bulewski, who quickly became a permanent member of the band. Inspired by traditional Sudanese music and 60s and 70s pop, The Scorpios create an elated mix of Arabic rhythms, raw Eastern funk, and vintage psychedelia.
The Kyteman Orchestra – The Kyteman Orchestra (2012)
A pop-rap-jazz album epic enough to be remembered. Despite the variety of sounds brought it (strings, brass, electronics, drums, male and female singing, chorus, rapping), there is an excellent coherence in this release which in the end resonates with great intensity. And if you like the more jazzy aspect of this, check out the jam sessions – I actually hesitated a long time between the two.
Natasha Agrama – The Heart of Infinite Change (2017)
A very smoth soft jazz album. Agrama is my new favorite soothing voice since Natalia Lafourcade and Julie London.
Los Porcos – Porc Noise Complaint (2015)
A perfect track for walking down the street with purpose and determination.
