having established itself with innovative releases from the likes of lucy, blawan and roots in heaven, the experimental zehnin label now looks to paleman for four more fierce tracks. now often releasing on his own plmn label, this classically and jazz trained artist has previously won plenty of fans and plaudits for heavyweight rollers on labels like swamp 81, 81 and school records. emerging from the ashes of dubstep to come up with his own deep techno sound, he is a rinse fm regular with his experimental show ‘trenches and mirrors this exploration with tracks full of texture, modular synthesis and visceral percussion. opener ‘2068 is a dark and foreboding bit of economical techno. monolithic kicks set a forceful groove below as they rock back and forth, and factory floor sounds, scurrying little sonic details and rattling hits all peel off the groove as it powers on

jaars other people is pleased to present a new solo record of guitar and live custom electronics artist patrick higgins, an american avant-garde composer and producer from new york city. higgins is known for his work in experimental and contemporary classical music, playing guitar and composing in the mythical avant-noise-jazz ensemble zs. his solo work as a composer unites european avant-garde forms with the post-minimalist howl of new york. his upcoming release on other people, dossier, is a four-movement piece performed live without overdubs or edits. all of the samples and synthetic patches were custom built and specifically engaged to become elements of live guitar manipulation. the sound world is post-apocalyptic in spirit but builds to an intimate and reflective end. the material was developed over a two-year period and finalized at the end of 2016. cover art is by alfredo jaar.

fresh on francis harris kingdoms imprint comes rasmus junckers ‘ophold - six tracks of sublime atmospheres and textures. the danish musician, sound composer and dj fits perfectly with the labels aesthetic, joining the dots between ambient, leftfield electronica and modern classical. juncker has a background in studying jazz drumming and has been playing improvised music within the jazz domain for many years. he also started to dj at the age of 14 and was introduced to the world of electronic music production at the same time. when rasmus started to think about his debut album he spent several months trying to find his own way to combine his favourite musical influences, improvisation, electronics and classical music. almost a year later, juncker says, i went to a sensory deprivation floating tank in copenhagen while researching for another performance and while i was lying there, floating in the water, deprived from most of my senses, i got the idea to do something drastic in my musical process. philosophers like immanuel kant describe this deprived state as a mental cesura, which became some sort of guideline for the album.

k15 returns to wotnot after more killer releases on eglo & wild oats, a collaboration with henry wu, and remixes for nubya garcia, colm k (on tiffs joints) and wotnot s own william florelle, not to mention the beautiful record earlier this year under his culross close alias. we re all creative but somehow, being creative has become a class within itself, often defined and measured by the whims of popular culture and monetary gain, which leads us to devalue what we create if we are not successful by those metrics. we are all creative, we all use our experience, talent and feeling to shape and we should be glad we create anything. this ep holds onto this mantra tightly throughout, reflecting both the meditative and joyful effects of unimpeded creativity. the title track begins with k15s signature introspection, deep washes of jazz-inflected textures before exploding into a rapturous syncopated synth groove. b1 communion explores the spiritual angle with a devotional piano cadence over bouncing drum pattern, with interlocking bass and synth rhythms adding to the hypnotic mood. wrapping up the release is a warm, deep-soak hip hop instrumental titled you re alive (theres still time), a message to self but also a beacon of hope to those who have maybe not created as much as they would have liked, or have strayed from the path the intended to take.

de:tuned proudly presents the return of one of the uk’s pioneering drum & bass producers, peshay. “reflections” is peshay’s first new drum & bass album in more than 10 years that looks back while pressing forward. jazzy and acoustic flavours combined with deep bass and rolling drums will have you grooving from the get go. it’s that classic fusion sound that peshay does so well, fully updated for present times and 100% future proof. the accompanying cover and label art was designed by openmind (aka strictly kev, dj food, ninja tune) and captures the warm and funky vibes perfectly. the tracks have been mastered by matt colton at alchemy mastering to ensure the highest playback quality. this album will be available as a triple 12” pressed on 180 gr vinyl. paul, it’s been an honour and a real pleasure working with you. stay tuned!

max loderbauer, who has so far made consistently engaging contributions to the arjunamusic family, is back to lend his unique interpretive skills to the master recordings for the brightbird album by joão paulo esteves da silva, mário franco and samuel rohrer. loderbauer has set himself up for a challenge, since the original album’s completely improvised flow of small-ensemble, conversational jazz feels complete enough without outside intervention. however, loderbauer’s role as electronics operator in the similarly attuned ambiq trio has already shown that, through his mastery of tone color, he has a talent for teasing out the additional hidden details within an apparently ‘complete’ sonic environment. it’s a task he manages to accomplish without ever overriding or contradicting the cohesive message provided by his collaborators.

mamas gun are masters of modern soul music. their blend of classic and contemporary influences have sparked millions of streams worldwide and garnered praise from the sunday times, billboard, the guardian, and uncut magazine. collectively, the london-based group’s first three albums, routes to riches (2009), the life and soul (2011), and cheap hotel (2014), spawned top 10 hits on four continents, including #1 singles in japan and hong kong, propelled by the band’s sold-out tours and funky, full-tilt performances at the billboard music awards (tokyo), plus global music festivals like womad, greenroom, java jazz, and pentaport. with the release of golden days (2018), mamas gun have delivered their defining masterpiece.

following his celebrated fusion (broadcast mix) 12inch, will dimaggio returns to future times with debut lp, at ease. recorded 2016-17 at the now-illustrious fairview ave spot alongside roommates dj python, anthony naples, and the exotic dance crew, at ease is equal parts dizzy street beats and live keyboard action.

the mar-keys is the first house band from the label stax records. during the 60’s they recorded many songs and with their first single “last night” they made it to the top of the us charts. years after this massive success they released the album “the great memphis sound”, with the support of artists like isaac hayes and booker t. jones. guitarist steve cropper shows his skills in the jazz and soul sound from the music on the album. the instrumental tracks including song classics like “the girl from ipanema”, “in the mood” and “philly dog”.
the group started in the late 50’s as the royal spades and became known as the band where a lot of musical talents marked their first step in the industry. as a backing band they worked together with artists like otis redding, wilson pickett and carla thomas.
pressing on 180 gram audiophile vinyl.

fina records welcome jad & the for a new ep that shows off the australian-born, berlin-based producer’s majestically melodic house sound. a special dub from 6th borough project makes this another essential release. before now jad & the has served up tracks of the year (‘strings that never win’ - mixmag 2017), fronted four piece live act mitzi—who played alongside the likes of nile rodgers—and also produced as jad & the ladyboy, all the while picking up fans like moxie and bradley zero. sonar kollektiv and toy tonics have put out his charming sounds before and this new one is another joyous offering. the feel good ‘2 getha (4 eva mix)’ kicks things of with old school drum breaks and loved-up vocals. big smeared pads, a new age melody and classic bassline line finish it off and carry you away to summery house heaven. ‘twist club’ then drops into lush deep house with a long legged bassline tumbling beneath organic drums. it’s a dreamy and romantic cut before ‘disco hold down’ has live sounding jazz drums, choppy vocals and rough edges that take you to the heart of a vibe-fulled basement party. delusions of grandeur’s 6th borough project serve up a dub that’s more stripped back and built on a big rubber bassline. jacking drums and a more rapturous vocal make it a truly steamy jam.

black vinyl repress - remastered and resissued double a sider for soul aficionados, b boys and jazz funk lovers. both instantly recognisable across the generations, the a side sees a reissue of one of the most feel good records out there in express yourself. most famously sampled by the mighty n.w.a. in 89 whatever you do, do it good. on flip you get pure funk destruction in the form of the meters just kissed my baby. an insatiable, groove laden intro which has been prime sampling material throughout the years most notably in public enemys timebomb.

im basement des legendären westlondoner flamingo clubs gab es den weniger bekannten americana club, wo jimi hendrix 1966 erstmals in england live auftrat, paul mccartney seine spätere ehefrau linda eastman kennenlernte und mitte der 1950er jahre ein mod-allnighter mit r&b, blues, jazz, calypso und ska stattfand, dem dieser gleichnamige lp-sampler mit 16 erfrischenden tracks gewidmet ist.

across the ‘hidden paradise’ lp demuja showcases his powerful and emotive production style with dusty, jazz-tinged cuts like ‘still do’, ‘hang on’, ‘you smile feat. ainy’, ‘hear that bassplayer’ and ‘my jazzy wung’ employing the producer’s signature style via soft rhodes, hooky horn samples, organic bass grooves and soaring vocal samples. ‘still do’ and ‘keep doing’ also explore a more dropped- tempo disco aesthetic on the project with funk-infused bass, infectious guitar licks and shuffled, loose drums.

recorded in philadelphia in 1969, the deirdre wilson tabac’s sole album is a beautiful blend of funk, jazz and soulful pop. possessing the complex grooves, thrilling breaks and ethereal weirdness that the rotary connection pedalled so brilliantly, the lp failed to connect with audiences upon its original release.
in the decades since, it has deservedly attracted a considerable cult following. however, almost inevitably, it has become increasingly tricky to pick up a copy in good condition for anything less than eye-watering sums. as such, we’re delighted to present the first officially licensed vinyl reissue of this undoubted masterpiece of freaky funk-rock, limited to just 500 copies.

sphonica’s white label series returns with a real deep house excursion by chilean producer massiande in the form of his ‘freedom ep’. massiande is an artist of multicultural roots. he was born in santiago, chile, yet he has lived most of his life alongside us american people and has dutch family roots, which has greatly affected the way he perceives and lives music. growing as a big fan of us soul, jazz and disco, he found his way into music production through house and his biggest influences have been artists such as larry heard, ron trent and chris brann (aka wamdue project).

elysia crampton’s self-titled album marks her 4th official release. the amerindian musician draws on various andean styles such as kullawada, huayño, tarqueada, quirqui / tundique, khantus, & morenada, together with genres like metal, psychedelic, & jazz fusion, to tell a story of her movement in the world - performing her history, both sonically & corporeally, as a means to gain economic access & agency.

lord tusk has associated with acts like klein, john t. gast, dean blunt, yasiin bey aka mos def, and released on jon rusts levels, funkinevens apron, soul jazz records and low income $quad. communiqué is made of breathy, glossy sci-fi electro, bitcrushed drum samples and minneapolitan funk feng shui, the hits and stabs of new jack swing and fm boogie, all pieced together with a one-take energy but a meticulous attention to detail. it’s songwriting for a miscellaneous kind of soundsystem music, body music, flamboyant across tempo, from the yearning thump of shyne eyed gal to the puffed-up strut of champion lovers (sounding like a home-taped electrifying mojo opener), the staggered slink of beyond limitation’s unfiltered tones to the 4x4 uptempo skid of don’t be shy or the veering slap-bass groove of elevation. it’s a record that shoots around corners, conjuring lazy romances and smokey vistas, lit by the nocturnal shimmer of an electrified city, streaked with gargantuan, shrill, birdlike call-and-response riffs and visited by the astral bodies of teddy riley, gerald donald, prince.

“firenze! l’assassino e ancora tra noi” is one of the last big italian giallo / slasher horror movies.
released in the mid 1980’s the movie telling the story of a murder series which really happened during that time in florence. a psycho killer was hunting down woman and the police had no idea at all who’s the person behind the cruel crimes. the whole case also delivered the idea for hanibal lecter and the silence of the lambs movie from 1991. detto mariano produced this wonderful completely unreleased score on the hight of his success when he was also producing stars as for example adriano celentano.
very dope horror themes for the soundtracks collectors and a lot experimental electronics, score and ambient meeting jazz, pop, space disco,… is what you’ll get on all in all 35 songs.
record 1 continuing our „film sonoro“ idea and is mixed down as if you would be „in the movie“. record 2 provides audiophile mastered songs and bonus tracks. remastered by 1970’s/1980’s spanish cult producer josep llobell.

new jamal (hieroglyphic being) moss presents allonymous & the hamitic building society. a release on another level with serious musicians as tony allen & many others featured on this jazz fusion record with a special remix by obsolete music technology. futuristic vibrations with special musi

the mythical liquid pegasus returns - this time on clandestine boogie, firmly setting out his stall as one of the best around when it comes to modern synth boogie. ‘makin it hot opens up proceedings, synth stabs and squelchy basslines a plenty, married with layers of intricate melodies and a vocoder transported straight from the 80 s. matt hughes takes on remix duties converting that squelchy bass synth into a more straight up funk bass guitar, adding shuffling high hats and weaving in a little jazz flute for added effect. on the flip side it s prime low rider cruising courtesy of sparkle combining a full-bodied bass, cosmic pads and woozy synth flurries to create a soundtrack perfect for late night coasting. to close out the e.p. dave allison adds his own sparkle to the track, upping the tempo, adding a range of hazy arps and sweeping synthesis alongside a perfectly executed bass breakdown, taking sparkle from midnight cruiser to boogie bomb.

second up on sour edits is the polish sample wizard marcin krupa with three breezy summery house jams for sweaty basements and sun drenched terraces worldwide..

mad dancer ep is freda’s second offering through sydney imprint moonshoe records - the record maintains the raw crunchy nature of his debut whilst he progresses into more dissonant atmospheres. wobbling jazz loops guide the a side through 2 up-tempo yet calming house tracks. the title track mad dancer is kept alive by crunchy, swinging hi-hats and bouncy synth melodies. smoking causes is a slow burning take on disco. on the flip (breakfast) is the curveball of the 3 tracks. a darker mood is established before a syncopated break drives the ep home, exemplified by a sliding dissonant synth melody.

parisian djs duo cléon & jazzy pidjay are back as last bongo in paris, with a hot new 7inch filled with latin & brazilian soul-funk vibes... with raw drums, heavy breaks and jazzy flavor, these 2 new tracks should please all groove lovers for christmas!! cléon & jazzy pidjay have been united through their love of music and hip-hop culture for a while. dj cleon is one of the finest producers in france for breakdance battle breaks, also known as a fine wax digger, mixing all kinds of music together, such as disco, funk, soul, jazz, break-beat, hip-hop and more old and new records. alongside his mate jazzy pidjay and his great production and mixing’ skills, they give a new dancefloor life to hidden and forgotten musical treasures, through funky uptempo tracks.

parisian dj & producers duo, cleon & jazzy pidjay, are back as last bongo in paris, with a hot new 12inch filled with latin & brazilian soul-funk vibes. with raw drums, heavy breaks and jazzy flavor, these 5 tracks ep should quickly become a hit for all groovers and dancefloors!! cléon & jazzy pidjay have been united through their love of music and hip-hop culture for a while. dj cleon is one of the finest producer in france for breakdance battle music, also respected as a fine wax digger, mixing all kinds of music together, such as disco, funk, soul, jazz, breakbeat, hip-hop and more old and new records. alongside his mate jazzy pidjay and his great production and mixing skills, they give a new dancefloor life to hidden and forgotten musical treasures, through funky uptempo tracks

the chisa years: 1965–1975 (rare and unreleased) is a compilation album by south african jazz trumpeter hugh masekela. the album consists of 14 rare or forgotten tracks recorded by stewart levine and hugh masekela from 1965 to 1975 when they ran their own chisa records label. thom jurek of allmusic wrote “in sum, there isn’t a weak moment on this entire collection. it’s appeal is wide and deep and one can only hope this is the first of many volumes of this material to appear. bbe records has done a stellar job in making this slab available.” dan nishimoto of the prefix magazine stated “the compilation focuses on masekela’s original idea of “african american music.” from the early experiments of the zulus (a group featuring m’bulu) in mixing doo-wop, rhythm & blues and south african gospel and the mbaqanga/”grazing in the grass”-style work of the generically named johannesburg street band to the clearly fela-influenced ojah (masekela’s band in the mid-’70s, consisting of players from ghana and nigeria) and the readyfor-primetime belting of m’bulu, each track reveals a multi-pronged effort to find and challenge the notion(s) of how african and american cultural forms could interact.”

2022 repress - discover le deltaplane, fifth album by andre solomko, and third produced on favorite recordings, pursuing a collaboration that started more than 5 years ago. born in ukraine in 1965 and now based in finland, andre solomko is primarily a rich and engaging personality, but above all, a brilliant saxophonist, composer and engineer, whose contagious passion cannot leave anyone indifferent. between 2012 and 2014, he and favorite recordings released 2 albums, où es-tu maintenant ? and le polaroid, hailed by many tastemakers and meeting notable success in japan. following le premier disco sans toi, an acclaimed single unveiling two new compositions with disco flavors, andre solomko and favorite recordings also proudly present le deltaplane. fully composed and arranged by andre solomko, the 6 tracks of the album are deeply infused with his longtime passion for jazz-funk and movie-soundtracks, this time also injecting more influences from westcoast and modern-soul music. andre solomko, an artist who spreads love like in the good old days!

next up on apollo is a stunning double header lp between crate-digger, dj and producer glenn astro and cologne dj and producer hodini aka hulk hodn. boasting out electronic explorations and jazz patterns, turquoise tortoise‘ is a masterful, unique concotion that infuses future soul experiments into detroit influenced house, broken beat and even technoid up tempo percussions rounded up with classic boom bap sounds.

ltd 100 copies, yan tregger can be considered as one of those composers and instrumentalists who have successfully explored various musical styles during their career, a true experimentalist with a motley repertoire, including pop, soul, jazz, rock, and even disco, he remains a must-have for connoisseurs. from the 1960s to the present day, whether as a composer, arranger or conductor, he is the author of more than 25 albums intended for the library music. the majority of his timeless works, coveted by -diggers- around the world nowadays, set his uncommon productions well apart. with their singular arrangements and rhythms which have the particularity of -sticking- to each musical era, his music continues to delight dj s and other beatmakers. this reissue of catchy, allows the listener to rediscover musical moments from an era full of inventiveness. a spirit of creativity very hard to match again today...

‘lillygood party!’ is the brand new bbe compilation from highly respected swiss dj alex attias. taking its name from a party he runs in his native lausanne, lillygood has gradually evolved into a radio show and even a label, now on its 4th release. refecting the music he plays at the clubnight, ‘lillygood party!’ is packed with funk, disco, deep house and boogie bullets from across the globe. “the idea is to present not only rare or difcult tracks to fnd, simply good grooves for people to play out, or listen to at home.”
from rare japanese disco gems, through spiritual jazz, to genre defying sounds from broken-beat cohorts kaidi tatham and dego, ‘lillygood party!’ takes a unique trip inside the musical mind of one of dance music’s true nonconformists.
alex attias got his start in back in ’88 playing funk, house, jazz, and disco, as well as producing under various monikers such as mustang, freedom soundz or beatless. moving to london in ’97 he started his ‘visions’ label and found himself at the epicentre of the emerging west london ‘broken beat’ scene which grew around his studio at goya. releases on people, planet e, ubiquity, neroli, archive and compost followed, as well as remixes for incognito, 4hero, ennio morricone, sun ra, art blakey, roni size and laurent garnier among others.

bruno patchworks hovart is one of the top producers of todays groove music scene. after playing as a bassist and guitarist for various bands, he started producing in the mid-nineties and has kept on mixing todays technologies with the raw spirits of house, electronic, disco, funk, soul, reggae & jazz musics golden years since then. following the trail of success left by his various projects as patchworks, and under many aliases, hes proved his musical ubiquity and unexpectedly stroke in various genres. today, hes back under the edr records umbrella, following up to his various ep for the label, and meanwhile pursuing a comeback to his early love for house music. many house music diggers would indeed remember that before favorite recordings was launched in 2006, patchworks and pascal rioux produced many deep-house tracks on the rotax disques imprint. besides since the late 90s, patchworks has also collaborated with labels such as q-tape, or still music, delivering many clubbing hits such as million toes, sugar, or minautor. on this 5 tracks ep, he delivers 4 killer tunes again, inspired by the michael jackson’s classic hit, rock with you.

bruno “patchworks” hovart is definitely one of the top producers of today’s groove music scene. after playing as a bassist and guitarist for various bands, he started producing in the mid-nineties and has kept on mixing today’s technologies with the raw spirits of house, electronic, disco, funk, soul, reggae & jazz music’s golden years since then. following the trail of success left by his various projects as patchworks, and under many aliases, he’s proved his musical ubiquity and unexpectedly stroke in various genres. for this new ep, he’s back under the edr records’ umbrella, following up to his acclaimed eps called give my love (edr019) and dedications (edr021), and meanwhile pursuing a comeback to his early love for house music. many house music diggers would indeed remember that before favorite recordings was launched in 2006, patchworks and pascal rioux produced many deep-house titles on the rotax disques imprint. besides since the late 90s, patchworks has also collaborated with labels such as q-tape, or still music, delivering many clubbing hits such as “million toes”, “sugar”, or “minautor” to name just a few. on this 4 tracks ep, he again delivers 4 dancefloor killers, ready to convince any listener from old-school “footstomping” aficionados, to detroit house heads. for the occasion he also invited his long time mate eric duperray aka mr day, who brings his soulful vibes to the mix.

2017 saw cesar merveille & ryan crosson deliver their second long player in the shape of cerulean, drawing on their modern classical, jazz, ambient and abstract influences to create yet another unique listen featuring collaborations with a classical pianist, trumpet, guitar and double bass players. here we see those original parts eschewed into something entirely fresh from friends and close associates of the duo. leading on the release is cadenza boss lucianos sous le sol interpretation of arp, which twists and turns through the hypnotic chimes and emotive piano chords of the original whilst stirring in luciens signature modulating and intricately evolving rhythmic style. following is a collaborative rework from new yorks phil moffa and seth troxler which employs ethereal synth drones and stuttering vocal cuts alongside a bumpy percussive drive and pulsating subs. perlons bruno pronsato steps up next to remix even tides, delivering his typically raw and emotive style via glitched out, mind-bending percussion, elongated bass drones and cleverly reshaped cuts of the originals cinematic elements. l.as clovis then closes the package with his remix of nordic bummers, employing shuffled hats, lumpy subs and crunchy claps at its core whilst horn swells and aiy atmospherics ebb and flow throughout.

the producer crew around footjob completes catalogue number 12 with the first ever label-sampler, highlighting their love for a variety of styles. le rubrique starts the journey with an afro disco banger, followed by a funky piano piece from phonk d and the jazz formation triorität for all the old school lovers out there. the flipside continues with an extraordinary dancefloor filler by lukas lehmann and the labels own supergroup pallaspeople. on the last track sascha ciminiera takes us into the deepness of meditative house music with a sexy sax line. you better cop that!

taking inspiration from music, nature and the elements that surround them, jukka hänninen and mika hanka aka shuffless have quickly garnered the attention of many within house and techno since making their production debut in 2016. written at the vislampi studio, located in ruutana city, finland, using a combination of hardware gear from the likes of roland, korg and arturia, here we see the duo reveal their latest work with four diverse and expansive cuts set for release this spring as they return to syncrophone s in-house imprint. opening up the ep, hänninen and hanka fluently introduce chi , a complex and evolving cut that effortlessly fuses deep, rich chords, and delicate, skipping hi-hats, before easing into the flowing groove of lahti with its jazz-tinged melodies and heady tones guiding the production into lighter territories. on the flip, nime Ñvailla introduces a matrix of hazy textures amongst crunchy percussion licks and dubbed out atmospherics as the duo return to deeper, darker realms, before title cut puollaskel punctuates the package in classy fashion, laying down gritty analog percussion, resounding kicks and subtly programmed nuances to conclude an excellently worked ep.

wolkenbett ep is brought to you by claude steiner and yannick sardi. together they form elektro baboushka, a music project born as a result of the duo s close friendship and joint discovery of electronic music. inspired by bands like yello, kraftwerk, and depeche mode, elektro baboushka developed their own style: a blend of ambient and downbeat spiced with jazz grooves and minimal. musically trained in guitar and piano, claude plays the guitar and builds loops while yannick accompanies him with vocals and keyboard. wolkenbett ep features two massive originals and an intricately deep remix by sleep is commercial s andrea ferlin.

future retro have selected four of the finest future thinking drum & bass artists that are around right now to bring us the “future sounds ep”. villem & mcleod kick things off with the deep rolling vibe of “burners”. next up the super soulful duo roygreen & protone are joined by robbe to bring us jazz infused “arbitrary”. macca goes solo and effortlessly rolls out the hands in the air most uplifting “what you need”, which is exactly what you do need on a great night out. rounding off the ep nicely, phase delves deep into his subconsious and gives us a little glimpse of what goes on in a produers mind with “subconsious thinking”.

the third vinyl outing from lossless music’s leftfield off-shoot label features the return of elementz of noize with a stunning dj shadow meets drum & bass track called “the grand escape”. it’s 10 minutes of emotionally charged breakbeat unlike anything you’ve heard before. on the the b side label boss soul intent offers up two half-time slices of emotive electronica. “the fire” includes the amazing voice of jazz singer sula mae while “it’s ok to be sad sometimes” demonstrates yet deeper levels from the talented lossless music founder.

born in cameroon, vicky began banging the drums at the age of 9. by 13 he had moved onto bass and within a couple of years he was playing every night from 10pm to 5am in the castel douala cabaret. at the age of 19 vicky moved to paris to study banking and commerce and cram in even more music. he took classes at Épinay-sur-seine conservatoire music school and it was here that he met bandmates of his dikalo project. word spreads and he soon becomes one of the most sought after bass players in the afro arena. his session work features on many scenes stars, manu dibango, eko tala am, kemayo, sammy massamba, toto guillaume and many more. a chance meeting with the gibson brothers also see him play on two of their hit albums. in the 80s vicky moved to the us for spell and excels as a session bassist and touring musician. we pick up the story in 1981. with his stature as a musician and bass player riding high he takes a detour to nigeria to record with the afrodisia label in lagos. the thank u mamma album is the result. it is repressed for the first time, here in 2018 on the revitalised afrodisia label. musical proceedings open up with the heartfelt ode to his mother thank u mamma, smooth pop meets afrobeat boogie. marina driv slows things down with its smoldering jazz. side two opens with its not serious a catchy vocal number underpinned with funky guitars and striding basslines. stormy rain is lazy guitar jazz swansong. we close off the album with the ever so funky you. slick funk grooves powered along with a dose of slap bass. as a side note vicky actually plays left handed but with a upside down right handed bass. this upside-down precursor making his effortless slap playing even more impressive. vicky went on to record a two other albums and still tours and plays as an ever-in-demand session musician.

independently released album of 80s influenced / new era boogie, disco and jazz fusion performed and recorded by skymark. great songwriting and drum programming skills are on display throughout while he deftly works an array of synths (arp, prophet, moog, roland and korgs). big tip!

the youthful jazz iconoclasts of schntzl are undoubtedly among that much-talked-about new wave of belgian jazz.this brand new ep paper, wind is a moving collection of melancholic snapshots in which they keep flirting with minimalism and subtle electro.

the 2000black collective return to bring their very own brand of boogie,funk & jazz. production from kaidi tatham, mr mensah & dego evolves into the driving theme sunday avuncular the dance vibes of bauxite,gypsum & limestone and the steady pacing mononymous persons . always forward thinking whilst tipping a hat to that past 2000black keeps on keeping on.

this ill little 10- release from ukokos got two reworks (not edits) that flips a classic steely dan track and a rare polish jazz-funk gem from krystyna pronko. watcha got twists steely dan into a fierce breakbeat nugget with a strong dance floor appeal while saison blends eu jazz-funk and funked up electronic layers that sparks memories of old school carl craig productions. just wait for the disco breakdown... bad ass!

glyn bigga bush has been producing electronic and sample-based music since the early 90s when he formed rockers hi fi, going on to release numerous albums. since the turn of the century he has produced and dj d as biggabush as well as various side projects such as lightning head (sonar kollektiv), the dandelion set (buried treasure) and the magic drum orchestral (tru thoughts). biggas latest project sunken foal stories represents a departure from much of his other work in that it is not primarily based on beats. instead, his working method was to go with fascinating samples, accidental juxtapositions and irregular loops inspired by pioneers of sound such as faust and the audio experiments of julian house as well as early stereo test records, soundtracks and library music.

emapea, the renowned beat-maker from poland, burst upon the scene with multiple compilation appearances on cold busted, an inclusion on mark farina’s mushroom jazz 8, and his stunning debut album seeds, roots & fruits. fans and headz worldwide have been clamoring for a follow-up, but all emapea wanted to do was just zone out. and that’s what happened, with the release of emapea’s twenty song album zoning out, volume 1.

das debütalbum des multitalentierten keyboarders, komponisten und produzenten joe armon-jones, mitbegründer des ezra collective, zeichnet sich durch unverwechselbare tiefe, wärme, freude und virtuosität aus. mit jazz als ursprung, verarbeitet er vielfältige inspirationen aus dub, hiphop bis soul. an den aufnahmen beteiligt waren weitere mitglieder der jungen londoner jazz-szene wie moses boyd, nubya garcia und oscar jerome, auf tour geht er mit künstlern wie ata kak und pharoahe monch.

vienna-based producer sam irl popped up on our radar a couple of years ago following stellar releases on jazz & milk, but honestly we should have been paying far closer attention as this guy has been making the best crunchy, mpc-driven jazz-infused house music dating right back to 2006. ep’s for s3a’s sampling as an art and collaborative projects with patrick pulsinger and dusty have won him fans including gilles peterson (leading to a release on brownswood), mr scruff and session victim amongst many others. his live sets have also seen him perform at the hallowed grounds of panorama bar and sonar festival. for his debut ep here on freerange sam has delivered four tracks which perfectly showcase his production skills and knowledge of what makes a dance floor tick, kicking off with title track rain technique. quirky keys and a playful groove help build a warm and charming vibe, light and bouncy yet deep and driving enough to get your dance on to. trust follows with loping, lopsided percussion forming the basis of the groove, sparse rhodes pads punctuating the beat and adding just the right musical element to the mix without cluttering the beats or compromising the sense of space. flipping over we have all thats left which sees sam utilising his trusted tr606 for some lovely snappy snares and sizzling hihats. chiming arpeggios join the repeating chord riff creating another simple yet uplifting and playful mood which cant fail to get under your skin. closing the ep we have a wonky, shuffling house track which once again shows sam proving less is more, sampling his key elements into the mpc and jamming out the arrangement in a live and improvised way which brings a fresh, somewhat naive appeal to the production.

since the early 1990s, keyboard player jessica lauren has been a familiar part of london s alternative music scene. jessica s keyboard skills have augmented the live performances and studio recordings of world renowned artists such as jean carne, tom browne, dexter wansel and james mason, japan s united future organisation, and uk soul diva juliet roberts. her previous freestyle album jessica lauren four (2012) highlighted jessica s minimalist approach, something rare and refreshing in the jazz world: she instills her compositions and playing with a refined sense of space which makes her music as much about what she doesn t play as what she does.

the palm tree needs no introduction to anyone who has visited this part of town. diamond boozer and blitz survivor, it stands solitary on the regents canal between mile end and the roman road, quietly resisting the urge to move with the times. on weekend evenings you can enjoy the jazz standards of the great american songbook played by the musicians who feature on the album, no ticket required. tom oldham (@tommyophoto) is a london-based portrait photographer, shooting portraits of musicians, sports stars and talented folk all round the world. his work has been widely recognised by the taylor wessing photographic portrait prize, the open series in the aop awards and most recently the sony world photography awards 2018. andy gangadeen is a drummer of international renown, playing with bands as prominent and diverse as duran duran, massive attack, spice girls and chase & status. he a true pioneer of live dance music drumming and has been known to pick up the sticks at the palm tree from time to time