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
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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
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Artwork by Issaya Mellors
Lakiko 'What To Do, How To Live' (Lakiko Records) - a review
This new album 'What To Do, How To Live' from the Bosnian cellist, singer and composer Lakiko is one of the most emotional musical experiences that I’ve experienced in some time. Sung in the ancient Balkan Sevdalinka tradition, she stares unflinchingly into the face of uncertainty and the horrors of the world, her otherworldly vocals and classical-folkloric-experimental cello playing unlike anything I have heard. Can’t recommend this enough really. Read / Listen / Watch
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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
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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
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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..
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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
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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
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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…
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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Nick Walters 'Udaipur' (D.O.T. Records) - single premiere!
We are mightily pleased to premiere ‘Udaipur’ from Nick Walters’ forthcoming album ‘Padmāsana’! Built up from field recordings of a trip to India and transformed into a funky modal composition with stellar contributions from collaborators 22a’s Tenderlonious and Kieron McLeod. Read // Listen
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Seljuk Rustum 'Cardboard Castles' (Hive Mind) - a review
Indian musician and multidisciplinary artist Seljuk Rustum has an astonishing album coming out in Feb on the brilliant Brighton label Hive Mind Records. Playful, surprising and joyful, alongside his fellow first take collaborators and musical freedom travellers, he explores some very strange tales. Traditional sounding Indian techniques are abstracted and repainted with sweet electronics colliding with Indian strings, guitars and synthesisers, field recordings and more. It’s brilliant. Read / Listen.
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Bantu Spaceship 'Bantu Electro Sungura' (Nyami Nyami Records) - SINGLE PREMIERE!
The brilliantly named Bantu Spaceship have a brand new single out on 20th Jan and we are pleased to offer the PREMIERE of this unique creation that harnesses the guitars and vocal harmonies of the classic ‘Jit’ sound of 1980s Zim bands like the Bhundu Boys and throws it into the future with the addition of speaker-busting electro drum machine rhythms. Read / Listen.
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Sababa 5 'Sababa 5' (Batov Records) - a review
Late last year, Tel Aviv based outfit Sababa 5 released their debut album for Batov Records and it is instrumental funk of the highest order. Touching on the melodic and rhythmic traditions from across the SWANA (South West Asia and North Africa) region, we can hear the reflections of East Africa segueing into Turkish and Afro-Disco vamps, their influences never cloaking their own melodic and rhythmic talents . Fans of Daptone Records and Khruangbin should be all over this! Read / Listen.
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Silvan Strauss 'Facing' (Kabul Fire) - a review
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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