The cult Japanese exploitation actress Meiko Kaji never planned to be a singer but with a push from her film studio she discovered a natural talent. 'Hajiki Uta' is the first of five albums that she made for Teichiku in the early 70s and is being comprehensively reissued by the always excellent WEWANTSOUNDS label. The record is a stunning collection of torch ballads and funky-orchestral-psyche grooves propelled by the slasher queen’s achingly melancholic voice; Tarantino created ‘Kill Bill’ around Meiko’s character in ‘Lady Snowblood’ and this album also contains ‘Urami Bush’ from Tarantino’s soundtrack. Read / Listen
Read More
Woxow 'Solid As A Rock' (Little Beat More) - single premiere!
Woxow, the Italian producer, DJ and label boss of Vienna-based label Little Beat More has an incredibly strong E.P. coming out on his label in June called ‘How Many Ancestors Do We Have’ . We are hyped to premiere the first single - 'Solid As A Rock' - from the record. A tough, jazzy collision of hip hop and dancehall featuring Reggae Roast MC Natty Campbell, fans of folks like Roots Manuva or Fat Freddy’s Drop will LOVE this! Read / Listen
Read More
The Jazz Room Vol. 2 compiled by Paul Murphy (BBE) - a review
Legendary DJ and record man (and our guest at this year’s Houghton Festival!) Paul Murphy has curated a second volume of global jazz hybrids that share a keen focus for the dancefloor! With tracks from Japan to Mali, France to Venezuela, The Jazz Room Volume 2 is an exceptional ride! Read / Listen
Read More
Yandl Shyr 'EAD Vol. 1' (Phlexx Records) - a review
Yandl Shyr’s new album for Nottingham’s Phlexx Records is a sprawling and surprising record of psychedelic-indie-electronica initiated by a 6 month journey across Europe and the entwined connections that revealed themselves to him. Not an artist easy to pigeonhole, fans of Tame Impala, Beta Band, UMO, Deerhunter et al will surely find something here to love. Read / Listen
Read More
Alex Figueira 'Mentallogenic' (Music With Soul) - a review
Considering the amount of other projects he has headed, it is surprising how it is only now that we have a debut solo album from the Tropical-Punk auteur Alex Figueira! Written, performed and recorded over a nine day sleepless session, the Venezuelan Amsterdam-based one-man bandito has created an hallucinogenic funk album that draws as much from African, Caribbean and South American music as it does weirdo European cinematic and krautrock ingredients. Read / Listen
Read More
Ilario Ferrari 'Be Yourself' (Cadiz Music) - a review
The Italian pianist and composer Ilario Ferrari has collaborated with Naples’ Ondanueve String Quartet and produced this jewel of an album that flawlessly traverses Indian and European classical idioms, improvisational jazz and experimental Baroque moods - creating two suites of deep emotion and intoxicating moments of high drama. A really special record. Read / Listen.
Read More
Maxine Funke 'River Said' (Disciples) - a review
Maxine Funke is a wonderful singer/songwriter from New Zealand and here on her fifth album, she has delivered two very different sides to her artistry. One side of the record is made up of intimately recorded lo-fi folk-inspired songs that are reminiscent of Vashti Bunyan or Sybylle Baier at their sparsest, side two contains organic sounding atmospheres that Eno would be proud of. Read / Listen
Read More
Moreira Chonguiça 'Sounds of Peace' (Morestar Entertainment) - a review
The wonderful Mozambican musician and bandleader Moreira Chonguiça (and collaborator with the late Manu Dibango) released an incredible album of thirteen inspirational songs of sublime funky jazz last November, so we asked global music expert, veteran DJ and compiler extraordinaire John Armstrong to share his perspective with us all. Beautifully produced, packed full of joy and drawing on many strands of Mozambique’s rich musical culture, this is African jazz of the highest order! Read / Listen
Read More
Lorenzo Morresi & Le Isole 'Pop Flop' (Space Echo Records / Dialogo Records) - video single
Italian musician, producer and DJ Lorenzo Morresi follows up his revered and sought after ‘Cosmica Italiana’ LP with a fresh collection of infectious, funk heavy, jazz-fusion jams that pay homage to the 70s Library Music sound. Vintage synths, slick drums and atmospheric moods for those who want to live a groovy life. Check the video as well for ‘Pop Flop’ featuring 22a’s Tenderlonious! Read / Listen
Read More
Luke Beats 'Knobs E.P.' (Little Beat More) - a review / label focus
With this impressive 5 track E.P. of musically rich instrumental beats, Italian bassist and producer Luke Beats (possibly not his real name) has showcased his mastery and deep knowledge of hip hop beatmaking. These sonic vignettes may be short in length but they are packed with emotion and serious production chops. Out now on Little Beat More! Read / Listen
Read More
Les Abranis 'Amazigh Freedom Rock 1973-1983' (Bongo Joe) - a review
Bongo Joe have curated a banging compilation of the Berber (Amazigh) expats Les Abranis’ journey from garage rock to disco and beyond. A melting pot of Kabyle traditional sounds and western influences, this is no ordinary tale. Read / Listen
Read More
LILAMORS 'Home' (Hout Records) - Video Premiere!
We are pleased to premiere the video of the lovely debut single ‘Home’ from the Basel-based modern compositional-jazz-not-jazz trio LILAMORS. Haunting yet comforting, the monochromatic video directed by Blaž Rojs is a slow moving waltz into the depths of the sea; a perfectly paced response to the music’s hymn-like beauty. Read / Watch / Listen..
Read More
Jay Phelps 'Finding Centaurii' (Platoon) - Single Premiere!
We are delighted to premiere the first single from Jay Phelps’ forthcoming album ‘The Now’ on Platoon. ‘Finding Centaurii' is a rollercoaster of a tune; the UK based trumpeter, DJ and producer has created a majestic collision of the progressive UK, Detroit and L.A. jazz-house-beats scenes and it works beautifully. Imagine the energetic dread of Moses Boyd’s ‘Rye Lane Shuffle’ x Thundercat x FlyLo x Brainfeeder and you’d be close. This is a big tune. Read / Listen
Read More
Thabo Tonick 'Mama' (Stay True Sounds) - PREMIERE!
Stay True Sounds is one of the best South African house labels out there and on the eve of the release of their latest compilation, we are pleased to premiere 'Mama' by Thabo Thonick - a gorgeous slice of super deep house reminiscent of Pépé Bradock’s ‘Deep Burnt’.. Read / Listen
Read More
Tagua Tagua 'Tanto' (Wonderwheel Recordings) - a review
Tagua Tagua is São Paulo’s Felipe Puperi and his first LP for Nickodemus’ label Wonderwheel Recordings contains ten love songs of sun-drenched, hook-laden gloriousness. “Imagine Marcos Valle, D’Angelo, John Carroll Kirby, Eddie Chacon and Bobby Caldwell in full lush mode, loved up and subsisting on a diet of Philly Soul and the orchestral ambition of SAULT’s Inflo and you’re nearly there.” Read / Listen…
Read More
Tell No Lies 'Hide Nothing' (Aut Records) - a review
Tell No Lies are an Italian avant-jazz outfit led by pianist and composer Nicola Guazzaloca and they have a new studio album that traverses modal, free and South African inspired jazz with ease, fire and substance. We asked our friend Mauro Ferreiro, a producer and writer from Dominican Republic to share his thoughts on this excellent new recording. Read / Listen.
Read More
Artwork by Lewis Heriz
Insólito UniVerso 'Ese Puerto Existe' (Olindo Records) - a review
For their second album for Olindo Records, the Venezuelan trio Insólito UniVerso have gone deep into their country’s musical heritage, exploring rhythms and musical strains whilst adding their own psychedelic, experimental vision. With guests including Stereolab’s Lætitia Sadier, the trio have produced a brilliantly written and produced record that is our favourite album of the year so far and one likely to stay in our boxes for a long time. Read / Listen
Read More
Gabriel da Rosa 'É o que a casa Oferece' (Stones Throw Records) - a review
Created in the late 1950s, the bossa nova genre never seems to fade away and here on Peanut Butter Wolf’s Stones Throw Records label, a new and fresh addition to the canon has been unleashed. Featuring Pedro Dom and Azymuth's Ivan Conti Mamão, Gabriel da Rosa has delivered a sparkling, lushly orchestrated tribute to the genre and to his childhood memories. Read / Listen.
Read More
J Littles x Zoutr 'Out The Way feat. Alex Mighten' - PREMIERE!
We are hyped to premiere the first track from a brand new E.P. from Nottingham MC veteran J Littles. Produced by fellow Notts hip hop Don, Zoutr from The Elementz, 'Out The Way’ is a soulful but direct stare into the struggles of our times. Also featuring the singing and rapping skills of another local legend Alex Mighten, the universal message of hope against despair goes beyond the city limits. Read / Listen.
Read More
EMAMKAY 'When The Sun Rises' (STY TRU BTS) - single premiere!
Need some warmth and sunshine? Voila! We have the pleasure of hosting the premiere of 'When The Sun Rises' from South African MC & producer EMAMKAY . A sunlit dose of positive conscious vibes on a bed of beautifully played live jazzy hip hop with vocals from himself and the soothing soul voice of Bokang Ramatlapeng. The first single from his forthcoming album on Kid Fonque’s STY TRU BTS label is what we need right now. Read // Listen
Read More