Hip-Hop News

Slugabed has been releasing music on labels such as Planet Mu, Ramp and Ninja Tune for a few years, but has just now decided to do his own record label. Despite being a very new label (only announced about a week ago) it has already gained some exposure and had fantastic feedback all round.
The first release comes from Deech. Hailing from Minsk, 22 year old Deech is creating fun and unique bass music inspired by (in his words) "90s teen TV shows, hip hop and russian pop".
The "Urnite" EP consists of four tracks topped off with a Slugabed remix. It is half slo-jamz, half dance-trax, and has already gained support from names such as Brackles, Dizz 1, Chrissy Murderbot, Om Unit and more.

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Once in a while young artists get together to form a new project and magic happens. Studio chemistry falls in place and leads the creative process into unexpected results. W//ATEVER music emerges from that explosion and free will to just give space to intuitive creation.

W//ATEVER is an iberian force that resulted from a fortuitous RBMA Madrid 2011 class encounter between Jorge Caiado (Lisbon) and Clip! (Barcelona). Sympathetically they decided to join forces and test their collective skills on making music together. The first produced tracks were so good that the duo booked a few more studio sessions and managed to finish an entire album. Along their very productive journey they successfully met singer Marta Plantier that was completely open to contribute with great vocals to some of their tracks. The final result is... mind blowing. The symbiosis between studio wizardry and live instrumentation creates the perfect balance for W//ATEVER music to be played at home, in clubs or at live shows as they will do throughout the year.

W//ATEVER represents the perfect configuration of our contemporary digitized world. Makes good use of technology but also of analogue equipment too. Stands apart from the average modern day trend but manages to incorporate excerpts of the new musical languages. It can rock a club or play for a big festival crowd. It's quite portable too. Looks immaculate really.

Ultimately what Jorge and Clip! want is W//ATEVER's music being able to speak for themselves further than anything else. The first single 'Looking back' is already gaining considerable buzz both on radio and clubs. Plus their live premiere happened in a dreamy context: RBMA's curated stage at NEO POP Festival (11.08) also shared by legendary Detroit icon Moodymann and other big names like Cobblestone Jazz, Scuba or Julio Bashmore among others.

W//ATEVER were born under a good sign. They're ready to surprised the world and we're really excited that you're about to get to know them well.

It 's been almost two years since 2010, when Cayetano returned to his motherland (Greece) physically and musically with 'Back Home' after years traveling around the world, performing and releasing his work through Parov Stelar's Etage Noir label. This period seems too small for all these that have taken place worldwide in general but especially in Greece. In an uncertain and socially troubled environment, where economic recession is an every day's fear (and which would be better circumstances for romance and artistic creativity), his new album 'Once Sometime' is here to state that being stuck is no kind of solution. In a time when everything is all but ideal, he seeks and discovers the antidote to all this anger that comes from the streets. Cayetano gathered a 'Dream Team' or better said his 'Dream Team' of musicians, and each one of them gave his best into what resulted as 'Once Sometime". Firstly great friends and then amazing collaborators, managed to give a unique freshness and optimism to the final project. All working for him but actually with him, a team that for the last couple of years have traveled numerous miles, performed in numerous venues, saw changes in it 's members, blended together and when finally the time was right, created a project that has no thing to be jealous of. With a 400 mile distance between him and the band, the whole procedure would not be the easiest thing in the world. Full instrumentation in Cayetano 's studio in Athens, then the band takes over and changes the sounds with the physical instruments in Thessaloniki and back to Athens again for the final mix. Only bound friends and great professionals like them could make this sound so easy. The mix is over, here comes mastering. Enrico Mercaldi 's magic ears help the project to reach the stars for one more time and 'Once Sometime' is ready...... ........ And now the magic begins. 'Tower Of Power", the intro or better a summary of the album.

Bio:  Solange is an American singer-songwriter, actress, model, dancer, andDJ. Knowles was born and raised in Houston, Texas along with her older sister singer Beyoncé. Showing an interest in music recording at an early age, she eventually broke into the music scene at 16. She has released two studios albums: Solo Star in 2003 and Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams in 2008, which peaked at number nine in the US Billboard 200 chart. *The single "Losing You" was recorded with Blood Orange (Dev Hynes) and the B side "Sleep in the park" was co-written by Kevin Barnes of of Montreal.  There will be an EP of songs recorded by Blood Orange andSolange later this year.

S3 are Miles Bonny (Voice + Horn) and Brenk Sinatra (Beats). Supa Soul Sh*t made in Kansas City and Vienna. Both have been part of the inner circle here at MPM for a minute.

Fresh on the heels of Solange's critically acclaimed single and video for 'Losing You' (2 Million + hits on YouTube ) comes her hotly awaited new mini album , TRUE, a collaborative effort with Devonté Hynes (Blood Orange).
'a remarkable song in its own right, with a breezy fusion of singer-centric R&B, 1980s pop, and lanky, mid-tempo hip-house beats... it feels like one of those moments when something lurking just below the surface of the zeitgeist breaks through in a big way..."Spin.com
*Released on U.S. Label Terrible Records (owned by Chris Taylor from Grizzly Bear), 'Losing You' has picked up Singles Of The Week in the UK from Annie Mac and Nick Grimshaw's Breakfast Show on Radio One.
*Solange and Devonté Hynes met in the Spring of 2010 and are joining forces once again for TRUE.  "There was an instant, musical chemistry,' says Solange.  After becoming good friends, and frequent collaborators ("Flying Overseas" by Theophilus London), Devonté and Solange created "Losing You," the latest release on Terrible Records and mixed by Ariel Rechtshaid with additional mixing by Terrible's own Chris Taylor (Grizzly Bear)
*Press & tastemakers have hailed the Melina Matsoukas-directed video for 'Losing You,' with The Huffington Post stating, 'the duo have created a visual feast that is fully feeding our sartorial souls.'  Entertainment Weekly praised the song for its 'paradoxical blend of resignation and hope - that moment when the sun emerges after a downpour.'

Limited To 300 This Time!! Very First Time On Vinyl 45!! The B Side Is An Exclusive Never Before Released!!

Ivy Jo Hunter in collaboration with William 'Mickey' Stevenson formed one of the most formidable song writing teams of the Motown stable during the 1960's. Ivy's writer's credits can be found on a multitude of songs that achieved a top 100 status both in the USA as well as around the world.
Towards the end of his tenure with Motown Ivy was placed with the company's V.I.P subsidiary. Here he recorded two 45's 'I Remember When (Dedicated To Beverley) / Sorry Is A Sorry Word (V.I.P 25055) and 'I'd Still Love You / I Can Feel The Pain' (V.I.P 25063). An album release was also planned and although given a release number (V.I.P.S 406) with the title of Ivy Jo's 'In This Bag' no release ever materialized.
Some of the highlights from his eight year association with Motown include such timeless classic's as The Four Tops 'Just Ask The Lonely', The Spinners 'I'll Always Love You', The Marvelettes 'I'll Keep Holding On' and the Martha Reeves & The Vandellas seminal anthem 'Dancing In The Street'.
After leaving Motown Ivy joined forces with his brother John Maxey to form the Independent Detroit based Probe 1 Production Company. Throughout the 70's and into the 80's the brothers continued to produce and record releases on many Detroit groups and solo artists which appeared on several of their labels.
Ivy himself recorded several solo outings such as 'Ain't No Black & White In Music / When Does The Loving Start' (Red Line PRL-01) and ' Everytime I See You It's Hello / Anthem (Midwest 011087) as well as singing lead vocals on North By Northeast's 'Pain Of City Living/Slave Of Society (Probe 1).
Their only releases to break out of Detroit nationally were the mellifluous 'Two On A Cloud / Grown Up Fairy Tale' (Buddah 556) recorded by Curt Darin (a.k.a Curtis Gadson) but this release coincided with 20th Century's buy out of Buddah records and the record failed to make any major impact. Followed by ex Dramatic Willie 'Weegee' Howards local Detroit hit for Ju-Par Records 'Hold On To Your Dreams' which was later picked up by the major Cottilion label. Ivy eventually hit paydirt when in 1985 David Bowie and Mick Jagger covered 'Dancing In The Street' as their contribution to the Live Aid Appeal.
And so to the present, for this release Soul Junction have selected two previously unissued tracks from circa 1979 that Ivy Jo cut for Probe 1 productions. The excellent mid paced dancer 'See You Around' b/w the sublime ballad 'Yea, Yea, Yea' which showcases Ivy's vocal talents to perfection.

Girl group The Demures recorded this gem of a record for Brunswick in 1965. Although not commercially successful the recording not only turned out to be a fantastic record but a huge spin on the northern soul scene in the UK. Rarity and demand has driven the price of this coveted rarity well into three figures on a regular basis. But sometimes it’s not always about crazy rarity, just 100% quality – flip it over and that’s what we have right here! Chicago soul vocal group The Lost Generation had their biggest hit with The Sly, Slick and the Wicked, a mellow ballad that hit number 14 R&B and number 30 pop in the summer of 1970. This perfectly executed beat ballad with fantastic psychedelic echoes is perfect in every way – and this new remastered version from the tapes sounds even better than the original.

After collaborations with Triad and Manuel Tur for his latest longplayer, as well as having taken part in the label compilations of Farside and supafeed.net, it's finally time for the debut EP of Elina Monova

2x12" prod. by Max Herre (Freundeskreis)

A stunning fourth studio album from the Grammy-nominated Atlanta singer-songwriter - a personal favourite of President Obama and Michelle Obama. For the second album running he duets with Atlanta female vocalist Algebra, and also excels on a beautiful lovers rock track 'Livin' It Up' with features from Sonni King and 'Gramps' Morgan of Morgan Heritage.
01. Aspiracy Theory
02. Love Out Loud
03. Can't Look Down
04. So Jaded
05. Livin' It Up (feat Sonni King and Gramps Morgan)
06. Official (feat Algebra)
07. Sweet Pain
08. Movie Night
09. Control Freak
10. On My Way To Crazy
11. A Way For Me

Limited edition vinyl release of these two RnB remixes from a firmly established UK artist working under the secret alias of Animal Youth. Stripped back, club reworks of Aaliyah and Destiny's Child that have been hammered by the likes of Jackmaster, Loefah and Ben UFO.

Two songs taken from the essential Gitano Real album by the exciting Banda Achilifunk on luscious, limited edition 7" vinyl! "Feelings" is an original rumba tuen by the boys from Barcelona, while "Bad" is, of course, an instrumental rendition of the MJ classic. Can you say "Par-tay"
"This has not been off the decks since I first got it and have been hammering it to death on the show. One of the ESSENTIAL albums of 2011. Perfect in every sense and totally irresistable.

The last in the current series of the mysterious Mr Eddie's R&B mash-ups. This time it's the return of the ladies; one slow and one fast.

The 7inch single containing Just A Chance In Life' and - You're All I Need from 1983 was the only record Errol Jackson ever released. As there was no label willing to put it out, Errol did it all by himself.
Today this single is a serious collector's item with funky/modern DJs around the globe. You will hardly find an original mint copy under 150$, if you are lucky to find one at all.

Mambo style R'n'B rocker backed with excellent guitar blues

After the success of their debut single, "Figo" b/w "Keep Running", Darlington-based jazz and funk combo Weekend Sun return to Hero Records to release their hotly anticipated follow-up single "You're Good To Me" b/w "Her Name Escapes Me".
The new single show's us the funky side to the band with the incredible "You're Good To Me" first up. Heavy beats, driving bass, funky guitar, frantic percussion and powerful horns combine with Esther Taylor's sweet vocals to bring a masterpiece in jazzy funk that is impossible to sit still to. The flip shows a mellower side to the band mixing Esther's vocals with a groovy latin-flavoured backing to create another infectious dancefloor-bound track.

Hear that sound Raw, loose and nasty funk, recorded straight to analog tape. It's just like the old days, but so new it's sporting a badass teenage moustache. Now that Melbourne funk sensation The Cactus Channel have graduated high school, they're taking their own brand of high-octane, instrumental car chase funk and smooth soundtrack soul to the people with their debut, Haptics. On the road and on the airwaves, 2012 is the year The Cactus Channel come of age.

Harmonica Paul's real name was Alton Paul Alexander. Alexander recorded this song completely alone. He played guitar and had a piece of tin that he tapped on with his feet to help him keep rhythm. Later two musicians come in, a drummer and rhythm guitar player, to fill it out some. They did not use any overdubbing by Alexander. His guitar amp was miked and went to one track and his vocal mike went to another track. Later the drummer's mikes went to a third track while the new rhythm guitar went to the 4th track. The raw and unpolished sound of 'Motherless child' definitely comes from how it was recorded. In those former days, when music was recorded in analogue it sounded warmer, and much more importantly, you were able to feel and not only hear the music. Take time and listen closely to this tune, it only lasts for two minutes and 42 seconds, but man it's full of power!

Remastered double-CD edition of the first of DJ Muro's celebrated Tropicooool Boogie series of in-demand summer tapes, unfolding opulently over 'beach side' and 'pool side.' Style-wise this goes far and wide, from 20th Century Steel Band, Bobby Rodriguez and Stanley Cowell to De La Soul, Stephen Simmonds and Slum Village.

On this dope double-sider of classic hip hop, Manchester producer Matt 'Frameworks' Brewer is joined by no-less than legendary New York MCs QNC (aka Q-Ball & Curt Cazal of J.V.C. F.O.R.C.E. fame) to bless his dope beats with their amazing lyrical skills and microphone techniques. Featuring the funk-filled 'Ain't No Use' and the heavier head-nodder 'Classic' on the limited edition 7 vinyl as well as the added bonus of the instrumentals and acapellas on the digital release, this single is a must for fans of proper hip hop the way it should be done.

!!! Limited Run - Only 500 copies pressed !!!