Hamburg-based drummer and composer Silvan Strauss has created a debut album of ten short but dazzling micro-instrumentals. With fifteen collaborators in total, his creations veer between Madlib style jazz cut-ups to filmic beatscapes that showcase his brilliant drumming chops, never taking the focus away from the audience. “I wanted to make it so that people love to listen to it. It’s a little wonky, sure a few imperfections but fuck it, it’s fun and alive!”. Read / Listen
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Photo: Justin Turford
Abdullah Ibrahim at The Barbican (EFG London Jazz Festival 2022) - a review
A remarkable and emotional evening with South Africa’s greatest living jazz musician, Abdullah Ibrahim. A Cape Town legend with the entire story of his life and country at his fingertips, played the piano without amplification to a sold out Barbican Centre for the 30th edition of the EFG London Jazz Festival and it was a singular experience that will live with me forever. Read / Listen
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Felix Laband 'The Soft White Hand' (Compost Records) - a review (& track preview!)
South African producer and artist Felix Laband’s new album for Compost Records is a unique combination of 4/4 grooves, cut-up techniques and social commentary. Blessed with bright as day production and a visual artist’s eye for the obtuse, it’s an exceptional listen. Includes the first play of ‘7 Rise 7 House’! Read / Listen
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Photo: Ash Knotek
ChicagoXLondon at The Barbican (EFG London Jazz Festival 2022) - a review
An extraordinary musical and human encounter that started at the Barbican Centre and ended the next day at the Total Refreshment Centre. An all star cast from the Chicago label International Anthem and some of the brightest talents from the UK’s jazz and improvisational music community came together for a celebratory musical communion that will be long talked about. Read / Listen
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Hamish Balfour 'Running Colours' (Shapes Of Rhythm) - title track premiere!
We are super pleased to showcase the title track from Hamish Balfour’s forthcoming album for Shapes of Rhythm! Exquisitely played brukish jazz fusion and a stunning vocal from Hospital Records’ Elsa Esmeralda makes this something special. Read / Listen
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Mauskovic Dance Band 'Bukaroo Bank' (Bongo Joe Records) - a review
The Amsterdam based outfit known for their hard-hitting tropical-fused grooves have returned to Bongo Joe with an album that sounds like an updated soundtrack to a night at The Hacienda circa 1982. Post-punk scratchy funk, cracked dub and all kinds of retro-future experimental sounds galore that will wobble the floor as well as your head. It’s great…. Read / Listen
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Agile Experiments 'These Are Times For Mind And Spirit' (DDR Records) - a review
Probably my fave Agile Experiments record to date. Spacious, abstract experimental jazz with krautrock, funk and electronica in the mix played by a trio of exceptional improvisational musicians that include bandleader Dave De Rose, Jon Scott (Go Go Penguin) and George Crowley (Melt Yourself Down. Read / Listen
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Jackson Mathod 'Come On Now EP' (Bridge The Gap x New Soil) - a review
Check this brand new EP from the UK trumpeter and composer Jackson Mathod. Five tracks that explore tight as a rubber band jazz-funk, bossa, abstracted hip hop and more with a host of standout guests from the UK’s relentless conveyor belt of contemporary beats and jazz talent! Read / Listen
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Edrix Puzzle 'Deep in Dionne' (On The Corner Records) - Single Premiere!
We present the PREMIERE of Edrix Puzzle’s second single from their forthcoming collision of cosmic jazz and heavyweight dub-funk - ''Coming Of The Moon Dogs” - released on On The Corner Records, the single is a militant yet loose drum and free violin number, a march to the cosmos through burning stars. Read / Listen
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Gyedu-Blay Ambolley 'Hi-life Jazz' (Agogo Records) - a review
On his 35th album, the great Ghanaian bandleader Gyedu-Blay Ambolley has masterfully carved out a record half full of original highlife gems, the other half containing superb interpretations of standards from the modern jazz playbook. Coltrane, Shorter, Monk and Miles get the treatment and the results are something else. Vibey, funky and a masterclass in rearranging a song into your own vision. Read / Listen here
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Edrix Puzzle 'Coming Of The Moon Dogs' (On The Corner Records) - album announcement
A heavyweight collision of ‘Mwandishi-era Herbie Hancock meets space-weight electronics, classical violin & instrumental analogue noir’ is contained in this forthcoming album from the Planet Battagon spin-off Edrix Puzzle. Nathan “Tugg” Curran and his London-based outfit have dropped an interference in the order propelled by cosmic dread and serious improvisational chops. This is heavy post-punk-jazz-dub Juju. Read / Listen / Pre-order
Alabê KetuJazz 'Kan' (Poeira Music / Memória Discos) - a review
The inspirational São Paulo-based DJ, producer and compiler, Tahira, has set up a new label and the inaugural album release by the labels is ‘Kan’ by the Brazilian/French duo Alabê KetuJazz. The record is an exceptional blend of Pharaoh Sanders-esque lyrical saxophone and the intricate ritualistic rhythms of the Candomblé religion. Both are practitioners of the Brazilian faith and their sensitive and deeply felt beliefs make this a truly ‘spiritual jazz’ record. They are spinning the tales of the Orixás into new shapes and it is seriously good. Read / Listen here
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Guinu 'Palagô' (Razor-N-Tape) - a review
Known mainly for their underground housey/disco dancefloor projects, this could be a surprising album release from New York’s Razor-N-Tape label. Though maybe it’s not. Brazilian musician, songwriter and producer Pedro Guinu has delivered his own respectful exploration of Rio de Janeiro’s musical heritage with great original songwriting that takes inspiration from 50 years of Rio’s musical treasures. Touching on MPB, AOR, Brazilian Boogie, Samba, Bossa and more contemporary genres, it’s complimented with a rock solid dancefloor-ready bottom end that makes this much more than a tribute. Read /Listen / Buy
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Sandy Barber 'I Think I'll Do Some Stepping (On My Own)' Remixes (BBE) - a review
Two KILLER remixes here from the Don John Morales and OPOLOPO of Sandy Barber’s brilliant 1978 disco-funk workout 'I Think I'll Do Some Stepping (On My Own)' out now on BBE! Read / Listen / Buy
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DJ Firmeza live in London (photo credit Marta Pina)
Jamaica Mnanda 'Kama Ipo Ipo (What's Yours is Yours)' (DJ Firmeza Remix) - a review
The informal settlements of Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam keeps pouring out some of the most interesting contemporary genres and sounds and Mchiriku is one such genre. Jamaica Mnanda are one of Mchiriku’s finest proponents and on this brand new release they have enlisted the remix skills of Lisbon artist and alumnus of the brilliant Príncipe label. DJ Firmeza, to rework their Casio keyboard fuelled street mayhem into a tough Luso-Afro dancefloor burner. Read / Listen
Read MoreEmpanadas Ilegales 'Luna Modular (Creepy Mambo Single Version)' - T&L PREMIERE!
We are pleased to premiere an exclusive single version of ‘Luna Modular’ from the Vancouver based psychedelic cumbia and salsa outfit - the hilariously named Empanades Ilegales. On the eve of the release of their second album, ‘Creepy Mambo’, it has that infectious psyche-surf-cumbia abandonment of acts like Meridian Brothers and is sure to shake those hips hard! Read / Listen / Buy here..
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“Pierre Barouh and the Saravah Sound” (WEWANTSOUNDS) - a review
Saravah was one of the most influential French labels of the 60s and 70s, and Pierre Barouh, singer, composer and producer extraordinaire, was a master at harnessing disparate talents, creating one of the best musical catalogues anywhere. Out there jazz and French underground pop collide with Brazilian and African flavours that sound as exciting now as when they were created. In partnership with Barouh’s son, Benjamin, WEWANTSOUNDS have given us the first ever retrospective of the revolutionary Saravah sound on vinyl and it is immaculate. Read / Listen
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Leoni Leoni 'Leoni' Leoni' (Bongo Joe) - a review
Leoni Leoni is a Swiss artist whose strangely woozy music is a mesmerizing mix of dreamy odd pop and subtle electronic beauty and the always top notch Bongo Joe have collated this release from four of her homemade cassette releases. It is a lovely trip indeed. Read / Listen
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Hidden Waters: Strange & Sublime Sounds of Rio de Janeiro (Sounds and Colours) - an interview
Our good friend and editor of the ace Latin culture magazine Sounds and Colours, Russ Slater, has teamed up with Joe Osborne to bring us Brazilian music nerds a comprehensive look at the wonkier end of the contemporary music scene in Rio de Janeiro and it is a sprawling feast of sounds that only Brazil can offer. We asked co-curator Joe Osborne for some of his thoughts on the curatorial process and here they are! Read / Listen
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The Paxton/Spangler Septet 'Ugqozi' (Eastlawn Records) - a review
With over thirty years of studying and playing the uniquely joyful jazz of South Africa, RJ Spangler and T-Bone Paxton once again take their septet on a beautiful trip through the music of some of SA’s greatest composers. Compositions from Miriam Makeba, Abdullah Ibrahim and Brotherhood Of Breath have new dimensions explored and there’s even a fresh take on Fela’s ‘Water Get No Enemy’ that sounds like Brian Jackson is jamming with the King of Afrobeat. A great release. Read / Listen
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