Hip-Hop News

TONICO 70'S SOULFUL SIDE SHINES THROUGH IN NEW ALBUM CO-PRODUCED WITH PEPPE MAIELLANO (BANDA MAJE)

The cover of the new album by musician, rapper, DJ/producer and Banda Maje's co-founder Tonico 70 features an honest, unfiltered photo his mother took of him with a disposable camera – a photo that is as blunt and sassy as hip hop, but at the same time filled with the sweetness of soul music. The style of Antonico is all there, in that shot of a nine-year-old kid that was just beginning to discover and love music – a passion that, as he says now, "has been driving me for over thirty years."

Coming after many years of songwriting, beatmaking, MCing, live performances and collaborations, this new album, his first released on Four Flies Records, connects the dots between past, present and future, presenting Tonico 70 as a fully-rounded artist rather than just a rapper, and one aware of his own many facets.

Co-produced with Peppe Maiellano, Banda Maje's other founder, Antonico offers an intimate portrait of Tonico 70, who has put his 'tough-music-smuggler' persona aside to let his soulful side shine through, giving us a warm, funk-inspired and very original take on the so-called 'Napoli power' sound.


Lyrically too, the album takes us deeper into his world. Here, Tonico 70 evaluates his personal history, speaking about his joys and disappointments, his highs and lows, and the friends and lovers who are or were in his life.

Sometimes his flow is confidential and nocturnal – in "Vic'l", for instance, where the sound is smooth and sweet, rife with contrapuntal notes and harmonies that are clearly reminiscent of 70s soul, but also in the bluesy rap of "Doppia Chance" and the prayer-like song "For For". Other times he gets bolder and brasher, like in the reggae-inspired in "Quaqquara Qua", or in "The Revolution Will Not Be Telefonin", which is obviously a (cheeky) tribute to Gil Scott Heron.

A number of tracks feature long-time friends and collaborators: rapper Morfuco in "Italia 90" (a funky uptempo song with powerful gospel vocals in the chorus), the Funky Pushertz crew in "Sai Com'è" and, perhaps most importantly, the Salifornian soul-funk collective Banda Maje, who give new life to three songs from the artist's previous discography: "Vir Buon", "Gente Antica" and "Fantasie".

This album shows that Tonico 70 has reached a stage of maturity in his career, one where his music extends beyond rap and hip-hop to incorporate rich instrumentals and multiple genres that carry the echoes of his experiences and encounters in the lively alleys of Salerno's historic district, and of the people whose lives unfold there, in the heart of the Mediterranean.

TEVIE sounds ever so fresh and updated on the A side's bass heavy piece of funky 4-on-the-floor neo-soul, "WISH". This will surprise a few people. THE ROLLING STONES disco classic gets reworked on "I MISS U" with ultra groovy beats, a funky bass line, and a few gorgeous breakdowns.

Blige wrote “Good Morning Gorgeous” with D’Mile, H.E.R., Lucky Daye, and Tiara Thomas. H.E.R. also produced the single with D’Mile and contributes guitar and background vocals.
“Amazing,” featuring DJ Khaled, was written by Blige, Denisia Andrews, Brittany Coney, Khaled, Streetrunner, Tarik Azzouz, Willie Cobbs, and Ellas McDaniels. In addition, Khaled produced the song with Streetrunner and Azzouz.

Good Morning Gorgeous is Mary J. Blige’s follow-up to her 2017 album Strength of a Woman. “Working on this new album has been so much fun,” Blige stated in a press release. “I’m excited for my fans to hear these first two songs to give them a taste of what’s to come. I’m grateful to all my collaborators and partners who have walked with me through this process and even more grateful to my fans who I hope have a blast with this new music.”
“I finally said ‘I’m amazing’. Because God said I’m amazing. When I was going through bad shit in my life, I started waking up and saying ‘Good Morning Gorgeous’. No matter what I was going through I would look in the mirror and say ‘Good Morning Gorgeous’. This person would chip me down, tear me down and made me look at myself like I was nothing. I would look at myself and say ‘I Love You, I Got You’. I never in my life was able to love myself so hard the way I love myself right now. Now I can say God loves me with conviction. The relationship I have with God is not church. The relationship I have is something that has opened the skies and allowed me to forgive my worst enemies and pray for my worst enemies. It makes me feel beautiful to be able to say Aight, that's cool and move on. I’m able to see beauty past hair color, fingernails and that shit. I wake up in the morning and I see myself for real. I’m not deceiving myself. I try hard to be my own best friend. No matter how many mistakes I made , I love the good, the bad, the ugly, all that Mary because I beat her up so bad because of what people said and thought about me. Because I beat little Mary down and I got older Mary overseeing us. I’m not beating us down anymore. No disrespect to anyone else, but we gotta take care of ourselves”

Next on Extra Soul Perception, we're very proud to welcome a new artist to the label, Paddy Fred, with three tracks of antipodean psych soul for his 'Spells' 7".

Paddy Fred is a musician based on the south coast of Wellington, New Zealand, where he grew up. He's played guitar since he was a teen, and went on to study music performance, and toured with a number of bands throughout his twenties. When these bands dissolved in 2011, he began beat making and music production of his own, losing himself in the freedom of making music on his terms.

Inspired after hanging with Flying Lotus & the Brainfeeder crew and clubbing at Low End Theory in Los Angeles, Paddy created his first release, 'Laminate', which dropped in 2013; the same year Paddy entered fatherhood.

After emerging from the "survival zone" of the first five years of parenting, Paddy emerged a little lost, separated from the momentum of his musical career. There then followed a period of self-reflection. As he ran up and over the same coastal path repeatedly, he slowly but surely rekindled his passion for music making, and the work began again…

Paddy came to the attention of the Extra Soul Perception crew courtesy of fellow New Zealander, Mara TK (who provided the label's highly acclaimed 2021 album 'Bad Meditation'). When the guys heard the demos, they signed him on sight.

The lead track 'Spells' consists of big sludgy drums, a growling synth bass, ethereal guitars and spacey vocals, mixing the washed-out slow-mo beat construction of Toro Y Moi with the heady psychedelic soul of Tame Impala and Mildlife. On the flipside 'Found You' is a more tranquil affair, with languorous drums befitting DJ's Khruangbin rhythm section, whilst closer 'Kids' (digital only) offers a robust yet airy finish with an uptempo instrumental akin to the sound palette of late 00s Four Tet.

'Spells' is the first taste of Paddy's new material. Inspired by lost love, babies feet, social fatigue and universes held within rock-pools, this is Paddy Fred at his most true to self, and just a small sample of what's to come.

Creating an album doesn’t always start off with the thought of making one. Instead, it may begin as a form of self-expression: producing records simply to process the pure emotion that surges in challenging times like these. In the case of Maxim Lany, it’s most definitely the latter. And his debut album, ‘Closer, You’re Not Alone’, has come to express his feelings during lockdown and his hopes for a positive world where people can dance together again.

NNAMDÏ has never been able to stay in one place. The Chicago
multi-instrumentalist and songwriter set a blistering pace in 2020
with his critically acclaimed genre-fusing LP, ‘Brat’, a punk EP,
‘Black Plight’, and ‘Krazy Karl’, a full-length tribute to Looney
Tunes composer Carl Stalling. Add in his role as co-owner of label
Sooper Records, as well as recent tours with Wilco, SleaterKinney and black midi, and it’s an overwhelming schedule.
 However, his latest album, ‘Please Have A Seat’, is the result of a
much needed pause. “I realized I never take time to just sit and
take in where I’m at,” says NNAMDÏ. “It’s just nice to not be on
‘Go, Go, Go!’ mode, and re-evaluate where I wanted to go
musically.” This period of reflection allowed him to take stock of his
life and his relationships. “I wanted to be present,” he says. “Each
song came from a moment of clarity.” ‘Please Have A Seat’ serves
as an invitation to listen. It’s a request to sit down, be present, and
take in a moment. With this quiet introspection, NNAMDÏ found
inspiration in silence and nuance.
 While making the record, he decided to stretch the limits of his pop
songwriting: every track had to be hummable. Though he’s written
earworms throughout his career from playing in bands in
Chicago’s DIY community or releasing goofy raps as Nnamdi’s
Sooper Dooper Secret Side Project, here, his shapeshifting hooks
are undeniable. Each of the album’s fourteen songs, which
NNAMDÏ wrote, produced, and performed entirely himself, are
relentlessly re-playable, careening into unexpected and
disorienting places. With NNAMDÏ’s singular vision, ‘Please Have
A Seat’ is yet another leap from Chicago’s hardest working
musician. By taking a minute to sit down and catch his breath, he
re-emerged with the most ambitious, accessible, and nuanced
work of his career.
 Coloured vinyl LP format pressed on Walnut Brown vinyl.

Delayed.

A Fully Licensed release of the Cenco Rarity on 7" vinyl for the first time since its original release and fully licensed from The Resnik Group.

The Vanguards led by James Davis were Lamp Records only top 100 Billboard Charting group and gave the band plenty of touring and concert appearances in the 1970s. “Good Time Bad Times” along with the flip “Man Without Knowledge” is arguably their rarest and most sought after outing for the label and so with the help of Now & Again with the Blessing of Herb Miller Soul Direction bring you these tracks fully licensed and ready for your turntables

Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios), the second album and first Spanish-language project from Grammy and Latin Grammy-nominated artist Kali Uchis. Executive produced by Tainy, the album features previously released tracks “te pongo mal (prendelo)” with Jowell and Randy, “La Luz” with Jhay Cortez—praised by Hyperbeast as a “dreamy mid-tempo Latin groove”—and “Aquí Yo Mando” with Rico Nasty—which Uproxx called “sultry and smooth”—in addition to a collaboration with PartyNextDoor, “la luna enamorada” and eight new tracks.

Raised between Virginia and Colombia, Kali Uchis rose to prominence with her project Por Vida in 2015. Uchis’ 2018 debut album, Isolation, received widespread critical acclaim and was featured on Best Of lists in Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, NPR, Vulture and many more. Uchis has collaborated and shared stages with Gorillaz, Jorja Smith, Juanes, Diplo, Major Lazer, Tyler, The Creator, Daniel Caesar, Bootsy Collins, Snoop Dogg, Kaytranada, Leon Bridges and more.

The hits driven Space Jam soundtrack features music inspired by & included in the film. Artists include; Seal, Coolio, Quad City DJ, B-Real (from Cypress Hill), Busta Rhymes, Coolio, LL Cool J and Method Man (from Wu-Tang Clan) amongst others. This double-LP release will be pressed on red and black vinyl. There is a remake of the film in production starring LeBron James.












l 6. R. Kelly – ‘All Of My Days’ Feat. Changing Faces and Jay Z
m 7. Spin Doctors – That’s The Way (I Like It)’ Feat. Biz Markie

Crystal Shards is the debut full-album release from Hamilton Canada
based blackwinterwells
This twelve- track collection of songs was built over the course of two years,
comprising of previously released songs such as darkkmagician and useless,
while also introducing a more eclectic musical evolution in the form of tracks
such as vivisect and sulfur (featuring guest artists 8485 & Emotionals).

NNAMDÏ has never been able to stay in one place. The Chicago
multi-instrumentalist and songwriter set a blistering pace in 2020
with his critically acclaimed genre-fusing LP, ‘Brat’, a punk EP,
‘Black Plight’, and ‘Krazy Karl’, a full-length tribute to Looney
Tunes composer Carl Stalling. Add in his role as co-owner of label
Sooper Records, as well as recent tours with Wilco, SleaterKinney and black midi, and it’s an overwhelming schedule.
 However, his latest album, ‘Please Have A Seat’, is the result of a
much needed pause. “I realized I never take time to just sit and
take in where I’m at,” says NNAMDÏ. “It’s just nice to not be on
‘Go, Go, Go!’ mode, and re-evaluate where I wanted to go
musically.” This period of reflection allowed him to take stock of his
life and his relationships. “I wanted to be present,” he says. “Each
song came from a moment of clarity.” ‘Please Have A Seat’ serves
as an invitation to listen. It’s a request to sit down, be present, and
take in a moment. With this quiet introspection, NNAMDÏ found
inspiration in silence and nuance.
 While making the record, he decided to stretch the limits of his pop
songwriting: every track had to be hummable. Though he’s written
earworms throughout his career from playing in bands in
Chicago’s DIY community or releasing goofy raps as Nnamdi’s
Sooper Dooper Secret Side Project, here, his shapeshifting hooks
are undeniable. Each of the album’s fourteen songs, which
NNAMDÏ wrote, produced, and performed entirely himself, are
relentlessly re-playable, careening into unexpected and
disorienting places. With NNAMDÏ’s singular vision, ‘Please Have
A Seat’ is yet another leap from Chicago’s hardest working
musician. By taking a minute to sit down and catch his breath, he
re-emerged with the most ambitious, accessible, and nuanced
work of his career.
 Coloured vinyl LP format pressed on Walnut Brown vinyl.

"BOOH Tales" is a one story seen and heard from different parts of the room. It's the memories focused on some vanishing details of the same party. The soap bubble of "BOOH" splits into many pieces just to spread around the people and have a glimpse of the good time.

All the original track written by Sarmacja and taken from the BOOH EP (released by Byrd Out).

Sarmacja is Aleksandra Szalinska, Pawel Bartnik & MIchal Kolowacik.

//

The vinyl version features remixes from the tales of Lazy Snail, Sam Ruffillo, Roberto S, Pepe., Revisq, Relative. Plus a digital version with Freeze, Teielte, DJ Rocca, My Friend Dario and Baby Meelo remixes included.

Limited edition of 7500 picture disc copies. Spirituals is Santigold's first full-length album since 2016's 99¢, and was mostly recorded during the 2020 lockdown. "All of a sudden there I was with three small children out of school_just-turned-two-year-old twins and a six-year-old_I was cooking, cleaning, doing laundry and changing diapers from morning to night, with three little kids coming in and out of my bed throughout each night like musical chairs. I was losing touch with the artist me, stuck in a part of myself that was too small. I felt the other parts of me were shrinking, disappearing." Santigold struggled but succeeded in defining a space in which she could center herself and collaborate virtually with producers and contributors: Rostam, Boys Noize, Dre Skull, P2J, Nick Zinner, SBTRKT, JakeOne, Illangelo, Doc McKinney, Psymun, Ricky Blaze, Lido, Ray Brady, and Ryan Olson. "Recording this album was a way back to myself after being stuck in survival mode. It wasn't until I made the space to create that I realized I wasn't only creating music but a lifeline," she says. California was on fire, we were hiding from a plague, the social justice protests were unfolding. "I'd never written lyrics faster in my life. After having total writer's block, they started pouring out. I decided to create the future, to look towards where we are going, to create beauty and pull towards that beauty. I need that for myself, but it's also there for whoever else needs it."

Repress!

Condition is the 2019 debut, full-length album from Natty Reeves. 11 tracks painting internal monologues and complex feelings across mesmerising groove-driven melodies and brightly coloured guitar soundscapes.

“I wanted to create an honest musical reflection of my past year. Condition is an attempt to balance my perfectionist approach and the imperfections in day-to-day life. The album was made in my bedroom with some help from close friends.”

All music throughout is written, performed, mixed and mastered by Natty, with the exception of Living Lonely & Living Lonely (Reprise) in which he brought in his good friend and long-time collaborator, Simon Jefferis. As well as being an expression of himself as a musician, it was also an opportunity for Natty to show off his artistic side with a paintbrush – Using paintings he has created himself as the artworks throughout.

- - - - - -

Natty Reeves is a multi-instrumentalist, producer and singer-songwriter currently residing in Brighton, UK. Taking inspiration from the likes of Chet Baker, Blake Mills and Antonio Carlos Jobim, Natty produces music riddled with charm and honesty that blurs the lines between Soul, Jazz and Hip-Hop. Drawing from real-life events and human interactions, Natty's song-writing is simple but potent, often cutting straight to the core of an emotion with a single turn of phrase.

Neon Finger once again pays tribute to the figure of the great Roger Troutman with the second part of the compilation entitled “We Love You Roger”. Some of the most respected names in the modern funk scene show his love for a key figure, who still remains a huge influence today.

Repress incoming...


Soul Flip Edits #14 is surely worth the wait! A different kind of vintage Soul to what you might have come to expect, as the Soul Flip duo deconstruct then lovingly reconstruct The Jam's unreleased but genuinely brilliant early recording(s) of, "A Solid Bond In Your Heart" - a song that was later a hit for The Style Council.

Back to Soul Flip basics on the flip, where The Capitols' more traditionally vintage 1966 R&B stomper "Cool Jerk" gets broken down, stretched out, and freshened up for more modern dance floors. Early support from Craig Charles, The Allergies, Smoove & Hong Kong Ping Pong Club.

"Party people hold onto your hats!" Ugly Duckling presents their fifth full-length album Moving at Breakneck Speed. After more than a decade in the music business, Young Einstein, Andy Cooper and Dizzy Dustin are well accustomed to the recording process. For their latest LP, the boys dug deep into their bag of tricks to create what they feel is their most dynamic and complete release to date. Moving at Breakneck Speed is an exciting and musically exotic adventure story that has our desperate heroes circling the globe to outrun an evil gang of super-criminals determined to put an end to UD once and for all. The record is made up of 14 power packed tracks that showcase Ugly Duckling's classic production sound as well as the flavorful and humorously soulful vocal styles of Dizzy and Andy. "By the time you work on your fifth record, you ought to know how to do it, right?" asks Andy, "I think we put all of the pieces together to make a really, really good album".

2022 Repress

LP+MP3 - Carefully ReEdited, 100% Original

Lady of Mine is the 1989 debut LP by self-made Italian-American Joe Tossini. An astoundingly honest, passionate record of cosmopolitan lounge music, he willed this charming suburban oddity into existence without any formal musical training.
Special remarks : LP with digital download card

Lady of Mine is the 1989 debut LP by self-made Italian-American Joe Tossini. An astoundingly honest, passionate record of cosmopolitan lounge music, he willed this charming suburban oddity into existence without any formal musical training.

Sicilian by birth, Tossini drifted around the world between Italy, Germany and Canada, before finally settling in New Jersey. After the passing of his mother and the breakdown of a second marriage, an anxious and depressed Tossini took to songwriting as a form of therapy, crafting disarmingly candid lyrics from his extraordinary life and loves. Whatever industry savvy or musical virtuosity he lacked was made up for by unflinching resourcefulness and infectious charisma. Befriending bandleader Peppino Lattanzi at local club The Rickshaw Inn, he was encouraged to animate his singular songs with an ambitious cast of 9 players and 5 backing vocalists, sincerely credited as his Friends.

The Atlantic City basement sessions are a low budget, high romance testament to Tossini's character and the power of positive thinking. From the defiant, Casiotone samba of If I Should Fall In Love, to Wild Dream's dizzying escapism and the native tongue croons of Sulla Luna and Sincerita, Lady Of Mine hums with the inimitable magic of a true original. Piercing the heart with an effectively sparse combination of humming keys, CompuRhythm drums, horn flourishes and backing divas, ample room was left for Tossini to frankly deliver his much-needed life lessons.

Underperforming commercially at the hands of short lived label IEA Records, Lady Of Mine has since earned a place in the outsider music canon. Recently peaking interest as a cornerstone of the Sky Girl compilation, the private press trades for inordinate sums, typically with no financial benefit to its creator. Lady Of Mine is now finally reissued on the artist's own terms via Joe Tossini Music, in partnership with Efficient Space, restored from original master tapes with unseen photos, extensive liner notes and Tossini's trademark wisdom.

Devoutly independent, Tossini has previously self-released the 2015 instrumental album When You Love Someone as well as two books - a new fiction novel The Devil In White and his autobiography The Account of My Life.

1. Sophisticated Cissy
2. Sehorns Farms
3. Cissy Strut
4. Here Comes the Meter Man
5. Ease Back
6. Ann
7. Dry Spell
8. Little Old Money Maker
RECORD ONE
Side B
1. Look-Ka Py Py
2. This Is My Last Affair
3. Chicken Strut
4. Hey! Last Minute
5. Hand Clapping Song
6. Joog
RECORD TWO
Side A
1. A Message from the Meters
2. Zony Mash
3. Stretch Your Rubber Band
4. Groovy Lady
5. (The World Is a Bit under
the Weather) Doodle-Oop
6. I Need More Time
7. Good Old Funky Music
8. Sassy Lady
RECORD TWO
Side B
1. Do the Dirt
2. Smiling
3. Cabbage Alley
4. The Flower
5. Chug-Chug-Chug-A-Lug
(Push ‘N’ Shove) Part I
6. Chug-Chug-Chug-A-Lug
(Push ‘N’ Shove) Part II
RECORD THREE
Side A
1. Hey Pocky A-Way
2. Africa
3. People Say
4. Loving You Is on My Mind
5. They All Ask’d for You
6. Running Fast (Long Version)
RECORD THREE
Side B
1. Disco Is the Thing Today
2. Mr. Moon
3. Trick Bag
4. Find Yourself
5. Be My Lady
6. No More Okey Doke

Dansu Discs are back with another instalment to their vinyl-only white label series. Dafs steps up delivering 6 edits and remixes. R&B heavy, from new school to old school and everything in-between. It’s BIG!

In a genre belonging to crooners like Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, James Brown and Otis Redding, authenticity is a requirement.
Enter Anduze, a unique vocalis whose riffs evoke the retro sounds of the aforementioned artists, but reverently done his way
– a fresh brand, re-imagines and crefted into a modern depiction of the era.

Anduze was raised on his father’s native land of St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands. His distinctive upbringing still lines the
threading of his creative fabric, which continues to expand into all corners of taday’s musical landscape.

It’s been over a decade since Anduze last released a full album. A lot has changed and progressed since then. He left behind the LA/Hollywood nights in exchange for a better quality of life in Athens, Greece. Also, during this span, he’s been a multi-featured artist on collaborations with producers such as Satin Jackets, Art of Tones, LTJ Xperience, Gramatik, and more…

However, his most noteworthy ascent is as lead singer (and songwriter) of Austrian act, Parov Stelar, with whom he tours
worldwide. Still, with all his accomplishments within the electronic world, it was time for Anduze to get back to his own sound – SOUL.

Using the pandemic as an opportunity, instead of a crutch, Anduze recorded “Aura,” a nine-song album that blurs the lines of
soul, funk, pop, folk, and R&B, with 20 contributing musicians.
If you like Prince, Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Lenny Kravitz, Terence Trent D’arby etc…this album takes influences from
all their best moments and combines them into one mighty explosion that is simply, ANDUZE.
These days he is also living the new life of his song in collaboration with LTJ Xperience entitled Bad Side which has been
included in the new game update for Play Station GTA 'Los Santos' starring the DJ producer Moodyman and in the soundtrack of the new series And Just Like That, a popular follow-up to Sex And The City, which aired worldwide.

Brandneue 6-Track-Vinyl-only-EP von Kelela, eine der stärksten Vertreterinnen des Future-R&B, frisch gesignt auf Warp Records, z.T. produziert von Arca. Die "Hallucinogen EP" - von den Meinungsmachern bei Pitchfork als "sinnlicher, feinfühliger Hi-Definition R&B-Ansatz" bezeichnet - erzielte bereits mehrere "Album Of The Week" Platzierungen in den Trendmedien (Spin, Stereogum) und besitzt laut Guardian "mehr Ideen in den 6 Songs als manche Künstler in 6 Alben haben". Auch das Radio hierzulande zeigt sich sehr aufgeschlossen.

Previously known for his underground party starters Dancer and Boys Cry. This debut LP by Local Artist takes us further towards the intimate end of the radio dial, recording music as a way to process the emotions of watching his father and partner battle cancer pre-pandemic. Themes of love, loss and living life emerge in a moody brew to help you through. Don’t miss this!

NNAMDÏ has never been able to stay in one place. The Chicago
multi-instrumentalist and songwriter set a blistering pace in 2020
with his critically acclaimed genre-fusing LP, ‘Brat’, a punk EP,
‘Black Plight’, and ‘Krazy Karl’, a full-length tribute to Looney
Tunes composer Carl Stalling. Add in his role as co-owner of label
Sooper Records, as well as recent tours with Wilco, SleaterKinney and black midi, and it’s an overwhelming schedule.
 However, his latest album, ‘Please Have A Seat’, is the result of a
much needed pause. “I realized I never take time to just sit and
take in where I’m at,” says NNAMDÏ. “It’s just nice to not be on
‘Go, Go, Go!’ mode, and re-evaluate where I wanted to go
musically.” This period of reflection allowed him to take stock of his
life and his relationships. “I wanted to be present,” he says. “Each
song came from a moment of clarity.” ‘Please Have A Seat’ serves
as an invitation to listen. It’s a request to sit down, be present, and
take in a moment. With this quiet introspection, NNAMDÏ found
inspiration in silence and nuance.
 While making the record, he decided to stretch the limits of his pop
songwriting: every track had to be hummable. Though he’s written
earworms throughout his career from playing in bands in
Chicago’s DIY community or releasing goofy raps as Nnamdi’s
Sooper Dooper Secret Side Project, here, his shapeshifting hooks
are undeniable. Each of the album’s fourteen songs, which
NNAMDÏ wrote, produced, and performed entirely himself, are
relentlessly re-playable, careening into unexpected and
disorienting places. With NNAMDÏ’s singular vision, ‘Please Have
A Seat’ is yet another leap from Chicago’s hardest working
musician. By taking a minute to sit down and catch his breath, he
re-emerged with the most ambitious, accessible, and nuanced
work of his career.
 Coloured vinyl LP format pressed on Walnut Brown vinyl.

The meaning of Vārua, soul or spirit in Tahitian, is also the root of the word Vārua'ino, designating both evil spirits and celestial phenomena (thunder, rain, meteorites and rainbows), and helps shed a new light on the true essence of this new EP. Its changing nature naturally encourages the connection between the tracks and the variety of genres they conjure. The whole project articulates itself around a DNA formed by traditional percussive instruments, Ori deck, a bravado carried by the young Tahitian underground scene, and ancestral ōrero (Polynesian oratory art).

Often swaying between stellar coherence and astral wandering, the seven tracks of the EP see QuinzeQuinze highlighting personal feelings and paradoxes which make for the backbone of human experience through an archipelago of fables with mystical allegories.

With the band's first single pressed on wax, Rocafort Records and Say It Loud join forces to bring the sound of Barcelona's finest street brass band to the dancefloors.

'Thunder' is a fresh and energetic tune with jazz and funk arrangements based on a groove that hip-hop music lovers will quickly recognize.

On the B-side, "Marathon Runner" takes the form of a modern New Orleans brass band and its raw sound with all the groove and horn solos you would expect.

The 4-track "Lex On The Beach" is a balearic funk-soul EP by the Estonian group. In favor of a fresh flavor, we see Lexsoul drop the Dancemachine for a moment. To come up with these soulful, jazzy and R&B jams, the 6-piece channeled yacht rock and silky Miami Vice scenery. Pirouetting away from making people dance, Lexsoul manifests visions of summer. As your close personal advisors, we suggest you use this music in your slow living, dog days' playlist.

"Lex On The Beach" doesn't only treat the listener with the sweet and smooth aural experience produced by Solid Gold Sound. It also appeals to the visual senses courtesy of digital painter Estookin. We saw her aesthetics on the band's previous "Lexplosion II" LP. She returns with artworks that accompany the EP released digitally and on vinyl.

Lexsoul's EP "Lex On The Beach" will be out digitally via Funk Embassy Records on June 10th, vinyl will follow soon.

Tartelet are proud to introduce the blissful, psychedelic electronic soul sound of ABUNAI on his sophomore album Chrysalis out May

20th. Across 11 songs the Oakland, CA-based multi- instrumentalist lays down a dreamlike style which should chimewith fans of Tame Impala, Khruangbin and James Blake alike. As well as the sun-soaked surrounding of his Californian home, ABUNAI’s family connection to Hawaii casts its influence over an album which has all the makings of a crossover success. Look no further than early support from the likes of Gilles Peterson, Don Letts, and Wayne Snow for further proof this album is set to blow up.

“My sound is definitely influenced by the live music I grew up with in the Bay Area,” says ABUNAI. “There's plenty of musical legacy here, including the '60s psychedelic and counterculture movements, the '90s rave scene, and the hyphy movement. "I'm always trying to connect the dots and blend all of my influences.

Chrysalis was, like so many recent albums, a project made largely in isolation during the pandemic, although ABUNAI did reach out to close collaborators Gravity and Raquel Marie to contribute some guest vocals, Kevin Farzad from Sure Sure for the acoustic drum parts and a few additional production touches from Tartelet regulars Glenn Astro and Max Graef. He bills the songs as an exercise in therapeutic self-care through lockdown as much as a balm for others. “It's music for healing,” ABUNAI explains, “for the listener to be able to marinate in the slow tempos, the dreamy textures, the swirling vocals, and the lush synthesizers. It’s very much about growth, re-emergence, and dreaming of a better future.”

As well as dealing in ear-catching pop melodies and sweet vocals, there’s an underlying theme of the ocean, which stems from his coastal surroundings and his family roots in the Pacific. “I think the album is aquatic,” he reflects, “and it feels like a voyage to me, or like a long shower, being reborn in the water. I played the album for my grandpa, who's a veteran sailor and pilot from Hawaii, and he said it was the perfect music to play when you're sailing on the open ocean at sunset.” Cast in nostalgic, soft-focus tones and endlessly soothing for the soul, Chrysalis is your new favourite record for tender moments, hazy days and starry-eyed reveries alike.

Knucks takes the Hip Hop world by storm as he gears for the release of his highly anticipated new project "Alpha Place"'.Following the release of his unorthodox visuals, Knucks delivers heartfelt messages through addictive rap compositions

A dynamic new face to the genre, "Alpha Place" focuses on the feelings and thoughts that the artist and producer has been experiencing growing up in London, channeled through the stirring essence of music. Highlighting important narratives and revitalising the Hip Hop genre, with a composition which is both soulful, moving, and memorable, the rising new artist is changing the rules of the
game.Knucks is taking his artistry to new heights in Alpha Place, with soulful samples and distinctive production styles paired with some of the UK's biggest names in the rap game. The project is more than just an ode to the neighbourhood Knucks grew up in Alpha House but a representation of life and culture on all sides of the capital. Giving a voice to many experiences shared by young people growing up. Knucks makes his mark on the industry with this new body of work pushing boundaries and channelling his authentic flow and flair.

From selling out headline shows and opening for the likes of Wretch 32, Knuck's approach and unorthodox style has garnered over 150 million streams across all platforms independently as well as earning critical acclaim from outlets such as GQ Style, Wonderland, Notion and many more. Boasting a range of noteworthy features including contributing show-stealing verses on collaborations like "Beg To Differ" with Emil, "Ting Tun Up, Pt. II '' with Montreal's Skiifall.

Repressed! There are few musicians – let alone beat–makers - in the world whose output in its raw form provides his listener with a full on musical experience before anything is added. Madlib is such a talent. Hip hop is his canvas, but he creates the most wondrous things with it. Before a microphone is switched on, before a rhyme even uttered, a Madlib beat stands alone as a complete thing.

Since the issue of the collaborative album with rapper Freddie Gibbs - Piñata, already being hailed as contender for rap album of the year - we’ve been asked countless times to issue the beats Madlib created for the project as instrumentals. And we've conceded. Piñata put Gibbs in the spotlight, one that a growing audience is finally acknowledging that he deserves. On Piñata Beats, though, it’s Madlib, quietly spinning on the center stage. Through seventeen cuts of arcane film snippets, dusted funk and soul, psych and prog rock musical diversions, Madlib proves to live up to what Gibbs once said of him: “Madlib quite simply, is music.”

NEW 45 BY DEEP-FUNK PIONEER LUCKY BROWN RECORDED DURING THE MYSTERY ROAD SESSIONS!

"Funk is a living, breathing, creative and generative entity and The New Lucky Seven celebrate its life with a mysterious and authentic sonic snapshot from the iconic Mystery Road sessions: WOODHEAD!"

Woodhead is a steady medium groover built around an acute chanky guitar part that Joel Ricci aka Lucky Brown composed while living in the "Woodhood" district of Bellingham Washington, USA in the fallout shadow of an industrial area on the outskirts of town. The Woodhood was so named because the streets were all named after different kinds of trees; Cottonwood, Alderwood, Birchwood, etc. Though members of the band had been performing Woodhead since as early as 2004, it had never been officially committed to tape. So during the 2013-2014 span of living room "Magik Carpet" sessions at drummer, Oliver Klomp's house in West Seattle, the combo dubbed by Lucky as "The New Lucky Seven" casually hit the head a couple times before calling it a night as Lucky rolled tape.

Opening with the now world-famous guitar player, Jabrille "Jimmy James" Williams dropping deftly into his rhythmic part, Lucky chants in the background the words "don't stop" as the tension builds up into the moment the whole band comes in. With Bob Heinemann on bass, Marc Hager on Rhodes and Oliver Klomp on drums, the thick but honest groove is instantly palpable. Trombone player Mars Lindgren and Sax player Thomas Deakin, along with Lucky on Trumpet lay down the 'head' to the tune right off the bat with everyone in the band giving that hard hit on the 4 count of the last bar of the repeated figure. This 'hit' returns again to form the breakpoint between soloists Jimmy James, Marc Hager, and on side B, Thomas Deakin, and Lucky Brown on the flute. The horn section microphone was situated on the dining room table and Lucky just had to lean over to reach it with his instrument! Michael Iris of Bell Creek Studio transferred and mixed these two tunes from Lucky Brown's cassette machine.

This tune was left off of the Mystery Road compilation album but comprises one of the last tracks created during those sessions therefore the concept, vibe, style, and intention should resonate and be interchangeable with the rest of the 45s from that epic Box Set TR-9043 released by Tramp Records on May 4, 2015.

As you spin and interact with the Mystery Road recordings, you are invited to allow Woodhead to take its rightful place specifically alongside the other "The New Lucky Seven" recordings and generally as a part of the suite of crude and naive living-room "Magik Carpet" funk of the rest of the Mystery Road.

As illuminated before in Lucky's artist statement regarding the Mystery Road sessions, the music contained therein was always intended to put emotion, vibe, feeling, and spirit before technical, spatial, or even performance constraints and to serve as a gift of discovery to lovers and aficionados of the deep funk idiom and the rare 45rpm format. Funk is a living, breathing, creative and generative entity and The New Lucky Seven celebrate its life with a mysterious and authentic sonic snapshot from the iconic Mystery Road sessions: WOODHEAD!

WITH VOCALS FROM THE LATE DETROIT SOUL GREAT BELITA WOODS ON THE A AND HIS LATE SISTER-IN-LAW LENI MAY ON THE B, THESE MID 80S CUTS FROM THE FRETLESS BASS BOOGIE VIRTUOSO LAMONT JOHNSON HAD BEEN THOUGHT FOR DECADES TO BE LOST TO TIME.

BUT THE MASTER TAPE FOR “BURNIN’ PART 2” AND “BURNIN’ PART 3” HAS REDISCOVERED AND BOTH TRACKS ARE BEING RELEASED AS A LIMITED 7” FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER ON ANY FORMAT.

ON THE A-SIDE, “BURNIN’ PART 2” PERFECTLY ENCAPSULATES LAMONT AND BELITA’S MUSICAL PARTNERSHIP - ONE THAT DATES BACK TO THE BRAINSTORM DAYS - WITH LAMONT’S CONFIDENT BASS GROOVE AND BELITA’S SMOLDERING MULTI-TRACKED VOCALS TAKING CENTER STAGE.

THEN ON THE B-SIDE, “BURNIN’ PART 3” FINISHES WITH A MAXIMAL FUNK CUT. WHILE LACKING THE CLARITY OF ITS A-SIDE, IS A SWEATY LOST BOOGIE CLASSIC EVEN WITH ITS BIT OF TRUE DETROIT GRIT.

VINYL LIMITED TO 500 COPIES

Confunktion Records very own Mr. Confuse returns with a cover version of Carmen's 80s Boogie/Electro funk classic "Time To Move" in true organic funk style. The songs kicks off with heavy funk drums, an incredible horn section, funky guitar sound and soulful vocals by Houston / Texas soul singer Alicia Cibola.

On the flip side you have the Instrumental of the track with feature of Hammond C3 player Hakan Türközü who plays the lead vocal line on his organ.

Don't miss this release on Confunktion Records as the 7 Inch vinyl version is limited to 300. Be quick on this one!

A unique longplayer by Germany's Funk champions The Mighty Mocambos: 'Scénarios' is a wild journey through iconic performances captured on 8-track tape, including celebrated versions of breakdance favourites like 'Axel F.' And 'Let The Music Play' as well as brand new original material composed especially for recordings in unusual settings.

Hamburg's deep funk chefs are known for their intuitive recordings that capture the energy of a live performance, and with this record they go all the way.

Just before the pandemic, the group recorded an in-store live session at legendary Hamburg record shop Groove City and taped an impromptu performance at JAM PDM! breakdance battle in Potsdam. Both were released on vinyl 45s, quickly sold out and became secret weapons for DJs. While most bands shifted their stage to the studio in 2020, producing an abundance of isolated lockdown-inspired material, the Mighty Mocambos – never shy of an antidote - took the mobile version of their recording studio on the road.

With no audience allowed at the Pitt Hopkins Music Session charity concert, the group used the occasion to compose meditative folk-soul instrumentals to be performed exclusively on stringed instruments. Sweaty funk does not work via video stream, but the format provided a welcome opportunity to create something entirely different. Even without electricity and drums, the cinematic "Four Two Three" and "Silent Heroes" are unmistakably recognizable as Mocambo themes.

When you follow Nina Simone's credo that an "artist's duty is to reflect the times", it became evident that once the world slowly started opening up again, further concerts would be captured on the group's portable Fostex R-8 tape machine. Luckily, restrictions fell on the very evening that the band hit the open air stage at the Import Export in Munich on September 11th 2021. The extended afrobeat-inspired jam on J.J. Cale's "Carry On" witnesses people celebrating and dancing together again for the first time after a year and the manic "Munich Psycholympics" unleashes all bottled-up energies that had being lying dormant.

The slightly kafka-esque "Ghost Walk" was taped during a soundcheck for a concert that was eventually called off for safety reasons, reflecting once more the uncertainty of the time. The last scénario sees the Mighty Mocambos returning to a packed indoor venue, playing "Let The Music Play" to a audience of b-boys and -girls – a testament to the sheer power of music. Featured as an encore here, an acoustic version of "Where Do We Go From Here?" (originally recorded with Lee Fields) closes the record and its restless voyage through unusual recording situations.

"Scénarios" differs drastically from other live albums as it does not seek to replicate existing material from studio albums. All songs were written or arranged especially for the live recordings in order to combine the group's DJ-friendly trademark sound with added vibes and momentum from the audience. Most of them were recorded while they were performed in public for the first time ever.

Comes in gatefold sleeve & includes download voucher.




d 04: Theme from Beverly Hills Cop (Axel F) Live