Pop & Rock News

ollowing her previous two long players, Baden-Baden and Los Angeles on monika enterprise F.S.K. bassist and visual artist Michaela Melián now continues the theme of geographically titled albums with Monaco. Again the record is rich in hypnotically woven sounds with a resolute mood reminiscent of film music. In keeping with the previous two albums, the instrumentation is made up of largely classical acoustic instruments which are layered in loops to create mesmerising soundscapes and are originally composed as part of her art exhibitions. In addition to the traditional instruments such as Violoncello, Spanish and Electric Guitar and Banjo all played by Melián herself, the album also features synthesizer and even a Mellophonium played by guest instrumentalist Ching Ying Hsieh. Once again Michaela has been assisted on the production by fellow Freiwillige Selbskontrolle band member namely the drummer Carl Oesterhelt. And as with her former albums on monika, Baden-Baden and Los Angeles, Melián plays tribute to a musical hero - this time David Bowie, in the form of a cover song with her renidition of Scary Monsters. This rendition at the end of side one is the only lyrical relief on an otherwise instrumental album. Otherwise the compositions explore the realm of soundart and ambience, drifting pieces with a dark and melancholy beauty. The music is atmospheric, brooding and contemplative. Such are the conceptual similarities between this an Melián's previous two albums on monika that this could easily be seen as sides 5 and 6 of a triple album. In any case Monaco now takes its place with the earier LPs to form a powerful trilogy. Anyone who enjoyed Baden-Baden and Los Angeles is guaranteed to love Monaco too.Following her previous two long players, Baden-Baden and Los Angeles on monika enterprise F.S.K. bassist and visual artist Michaela Melián now continues the theme of geographically titled albums with Monaco. Again the record is rich in hypnotically woven sounds with a resolute mood reminiscent of film music. In keeping with the previous two albums, the instrumentation is made up of largely classical acoustic instruments which are layered in loops to create mesmerising soundscapes and are originally composed as part of her art exhibitions. In addition to the traditional instruments such as Violoncello, Spanish and Electric Guitar and Banjo all played by Melián herself, the album also features synthesizer and even a Mellophonium played by guest instrumentalist Ching Ying Hsieh. Once again Michaela has been assisted on the production by fellow Freiwillige Selbskontrolle band member namely the drummer Carl Oesterhelt. And as with her former albums on monika, Baden-Baden and Los Angeles, Melián plays tribute to a musical hero - this time David Bowie, in the form of a cover song with her renidition of Scary Monsters. This rendition at the end of side one is the only lyrical relief on an otherwise instrumental album. Otherwise the compositions explore the realm of soundart and ambience, drifting pieces with a dark and melancholy beauty. The music is atmospheric, brooding and contemplative. Such are the conceptual similarities between this an Melián's previous two albums on monika that this could easily be seen as sides 5 and 6 of a triple album. In any case Monaco now takes its place with the earier LPs to form a powerful trilogy. Anyone who enjoyed Baden-Baden and Los Angeles is guaranteed to love Monaco too.

This is the Icelandic award-winning composer's second solo-album and third release on Bedroom Community.


This is the Icelandic award-winning composer's second solo-album and third release on Bedroom Community, hot on the heels of his Sólaris collaboration with labelmate Ben Frost. Bjarnason's critically acclaimed debut album Processions was hailed by Time Out NY as 'coming eerily close to defining classical music's undefinable brave new world'. On Over Light Earth the intensity of Bjarnason's orchestral voice is captured through meticulous close-micing and multitracking, a recording process that sets this recording radically apart from that of conventional orchestral recordings.This album is very much the fruit of Bjarnason's ongoing and intimate symbiosis with Bedroom Community's Valgeir Sigurðsson. Here, with engineer Paul Evans and the newly formed Reykjavík Sinfonia, they have produced a suitably unconventional symphonic recording. As much at home in the recording studio as he is on the conductor's podium, it's no wonder Bjarnason is equally effective in collaboration with other sonic architects, whether it's the band Sigur Rós or his Bedroom Community labelmates.Over Light Earth comprises three major works. The title piece was commissioned and premiered by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and is Bjarnason's sonic nod towards the work of painters Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock. The second - the aptly titled 'Emergence' - suggests a vast, preexisting form just coming into view with steady harmonies manifesting in a range of unstable attacks, hesitations and anticipations. The final piece - 'Solitudes', - is an early work that is in fact Bjarnason's first piano concerto, here reworked with electronics by Sigurðsson and Frost, demonstrating Bjarnason's mastery of more complex harmonies and melodies. It's between the simple elements and more abstract materials - between harmonic motion and pure gesture - that we can hear Daníel Bjarnason's compositional voice itself beginning to emerge.

'Perpetual Surrender' is a beautiful, basically flawless slice of soft-focus dance-pop and it comes backed by a remix by Four Tet. This is a grower, if ever there were one, building from its asphyxiating beginnings into blossoms of bass-twang heavy, sweet synths.

The deep underground jazz scene that existed in Detroit in the 1970s has proved to be a rich mine - full of hidden gems, lost classic recordings, small collectively run record labels, and spiritually aware and conscious music and artistry.

The Detroit Jazz Composers Ltd's album was originally released locally in Detroit in 1976, the album has been digitally re-mastered here and made available on Universal Sound for the first time ever on CD - cased in deluxe bespoke original artwork exact reproduction hardboard Japanese-style box case CD limited to 1500 copies worldwide.

The similarly deluxe limited vinyl edition (1000 copies worldwide) comes as an expanded 2xLP (pressed at 45rpm) super-loud, super-heavy 180gm audiophile vinyl edition. The vinyl also comes with a free download code.

Alongside the Tribe Records musicians' collective of Phil Ranelin, Wendell Harrison and Marcus Belgrave, Detroit was also home to Kenny Cox and Charles Moore's Strata Records, who released music by Maulawi, Lyman Woodard and Kenny Cox. There were also many other tiny bespoke labels releasing radical and progressive music from the city's underground scene. The Detroit Jazz Composers Ltd's Hastings Street Jazz Experience is one such classic lost deep spiritual jazz album.

Detroit jazz musical artistry and identity in the 1970s found a path that connected Chicago's Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, New York's Strata-East, St Louis's Black Artists Group and Los Angeles' Pan-Afrikan People's Arkestra.

Perhaps more significantly Detroit jazz music connected to the city's own musical bag, be it the soul of Motown or the proto-punk of the MC5 or The Stooges - Strata Records' Charles Moore played with MC5 and White Panther/MC5 manager John Sinclair was a key figure in the Detroit Artists Workshop for jazz musicians in the 1960s.

3 tracks taken from Sun Ra's Cosmo Earth Fantasy album. The A-side features an amazing track filled with African rhythmns and percussion called 'The World of Africa' followed by 'Love Is Always' a beautiful downtempo Jazz composition. The B-side contains a wild version of 'Space Is The Place' full of chanting and free improvisation.

A new selection of discoveries by Heavenly Sweetness crew through the worldwide web (Blog, website, Bandcamp, Soundcloud...). For many artists, the web is the only way to spread their music, without the help of any records label. So we dig deeper in the blogosphere to find new artists....

LP version of the KIKA Dvd issued in 2012... Solid musical Orchestration there !

Originally released in 1975 via Sonny Roberts Orbitone label, Miliki Sound is an album by Peter King, Nigerias most talented multi-instrumentalist, highlighting his unique blend of Afrobeat, Highlife, jazz and funk. As King remarked in later life Miliki Sound was his attempt to escape being tied down following a string of albums for the label by delving into his own Afrojazz fusion. Making little impact in his homeland, the album was particularly well received in America and Europe, increasing Kings popularity.

As with his other releases from the same period, Miliki Sound was entirely composed, written and arranged by King. Upbeat and funky the albums six tracks feature plenty of impressive displays of Kings saxophone skills, the instrument for which he was perhaps best known, alongside a talent for arrangement that plays the funk of the groove against the accompanying instruments and Nigerian chants. You only need to listen to Jo Jolo, Ijo Olomo or Gyinmi Komo to see why Kings Afrojazz approach, a blend of modern jazz with highlife as the basis, has proven so popular and continues to endure for over three decades.

Miliki Sound is part of a series of Peter King reissues on Mr. Bongo s Classic African Recordings series.

One of Dance european queens is back with her new Album. ArtMediaMusic, the wellknown team of producers / musicians, realized this new project. Joy loves Soul & R'n'B , and these influences are present in all the tunes of this project. All texts are by Joy. Great Album !!!
01. A lifetime With You
02. Break Free
03. Something You Wanted
04. Picture
05. Starlight
06. Wash The Hurt Away
07. Time To Say I Love You
08. You
09. You Can't Stop My Heart
10. You Take MyBreath Away

BGP's 45 series returns the most sought after funk titles.

After the universally well received 'Under The Influence Vol.1' compiled by Red Greg and 'Vol.2' compiled by Paul Phillips ZR returns with 'Vol.3' this time compiled by James Glass.
James Glass grew up in London and was exposed to Top of the Pops and John Peel's venerable radio shows both of which turned him onto the fresh sounds of punk and new wave. His affinity for soul, jazz funk and disco, however came from listening to the rapidly growing pirate radio stations such as LWR and Horizon.
These influences were heightened further when he decided to move to New York in the late 80's, an area long associated with limitless possibilities for anyone with a passion for underground dance music. For the last 20 years though he's called the San Francisco Bay Area home where the rock/dance hybrid has once again captivated his ears.
During his time in San Francisco James Glass has been instrumental in helping to define the uniquely eclectic sounds of the early 90s's club scene. He provided a more soulful, grounded alternative to thump-thump rave beats and inadvertently exposed dancers to the origins of 90s club music. During these nascent years, he also travelled many times to Tokyo to play alongside Nick the Record at the seminal LifeForce parties, which influenced his high-quality approach to creating an epic dance floor experience.
His intricately assembled DJs sets are mixed with rare seventies soul, disco and early house-the gritty, raw sounds that inspire his production style and obsessive dedication to genuine music that has no expiration date.

Stim is the eclectic music project formed by musicians who works as key person of Jazz, Rock, scene and ,there's no border line between underground and major .

Having wowed tastemakers across the board with her debut album, 'Barefoot In Your Kitchen', in 2012 (Gilles Peterson made it his Album of the Week a year ago) saucy songstress and culinary linguist Bev Lee Harling returns with a one-off single covering one of her favourite songs of all time.
The Peggy Lee classic, 'Why Don't You Do Right', was recorded by many artists in the 1950's and 60's, including Della Reese, whose version provided the inspiration for this take, but seemed to have become a bit of a forgotten gem for contemporary recording artists, that is, until now.
This limited edition 7-inch release features a pair of cracking mixes from two of Europe's finest production outfits with an ear for a classic tune and a touch of jazz.

Hi Note contains eleven new compositions plus the cover of Harrington's 'Beyond The Moon'. The album represents an evolution of the personal Latin jazz sound that makes this artist's productions so distinguished. Differently from his previous album, "Ad Lib" , here there is a larger number of contributions by many musicians. First and foremost Luigi Bonafede, with Gerardo since the times of the 'Neos' project; Andrea Dulbecco (already present in 'Ad Lib'); Emanule Cisi (on sax). The presence of these very proficient jazz players coincided, in a cause and effect relationship with the progressive dismissal of the easy listening/lounge stylist elements in favor of the recovery of the warmth of Latin jazz.

Two cool dance floor packers from the early 60s back to back. And here in the UK we can be proud of our own Dick Jordan, a singer who hailed from Yorkshire and forged a decent career as a laid back crooner / teen idol just as the 60s began to really swing. And if there's one adjective that would summarise 'I Want Her Back', it would certainly be 'swinging'!
On the flip-side, we find New Orleans ex-pat Jack Hammer, who after moving to Europe in the late 50s fashioned himself as a 'twist' specialist, cutting several sides for the Belgian based Ronnex label in tribute to the most widespread dance craze of them all. Beginning with a slow and quietly delivered vocal refrain before exploding with a snappy, jinking drum patter, 'Twist In The Morning' is surely Hammer's best 'twister'.

Song-oriented tracks, embracing a minimalist post-rock, slowcore style & featuring different guest vocalist.

Mr. Slowhand ist zurück: Eric Clapton veröffentlicht sein neues Album - Old Sock' am 22. März auf
Polydor Records ++ Das 21. Studioalbum der Gitarrenlegende beinhaltet neben Coverversionen
zeitloser Klassiker auch zwei brandneue Songs.
Bald ist schon das zweite Dutzend voll: Am 22. März 2013 meldet sich Eric Clapton mit seinem neuen
Werk - Old Sock' zurück und legt damit bereits das 21. Studioalbum seiner inzwischen fünfzig Jahre
umspannenden Karriere vor. Nachdem die Gitarrenlegende zuletzt im Herbst 2010 das gleichnamige
Album - Clapton' veröffentlicht hatte - die LP landete in Deutschland wie in diversen anderen Ländern
in den Top 3 und war hierzulande sogar in den Top-100 der erfolgreichsten Alben des Jahres vertreten
(#69) - hatte Mr. Slowhand erst kürzlich seine nächste Welttournee angekündigt, die ihn im Mai und
Juni auch für mehrere Shows nach Deutschland führen wird. Auf dem von ihm, Doyle Bramhall II,
Justin Stanley und Simon Climie produzierten neuen Longplayer, der über sein eigenes Label
Bushbranch erscheint, sind mit - Every Little Thing' und - Gotta Get Over' auch zwei brandneue
Kompositionen des 67-Jährigen vertreten.

Both known for giving the opportunity to French emerging talents to rise, Inrocks Lab and Because Music decided to work together in order to create a necessary take off platform highlighting those artists coming from the online and live scenes. This association aims to release every year a compilation of young artists who represent the future of the french indie-electro scene : The Inrocks Lab Compilation. Signed on record labels since their participation to this compilation, Christine and The Queens (Because), Granville (Eastwest), TotalWarr (Savoir Faire) and Owlle (Sony) are the perfect examples of how efficient this lab is as they are currently in studio, preparing their first album. From this music lab will come out for sure the hits of tomorrow! French Infosheet: Les Inrocks Lab et Because Music font trinquer les éprouvettes. Ces deux laboratoires connus pour avoir révélé tant de jeunes musiciens français unissent leurs forces avec cette première compilation. Laboratoire de sons neufs, inRocKs Lab est né d'une nécessité : il fallait offrir une plateforme pour suivre, sélectionner et mettre en lumière les jeunes artistes que l'équipe des Inrockuptibles dénichait sur le net ou en live. Depuis dix ans, à travers CQFD puis inRocKs Lab, le magazine a ainsi aidé et encouragé une scène riche et vivace.

The fourth volume in our Luv N'Haight Edit Series features a re-work of Harry Whitaker's Black Rennaisance classic 'Magic Ritual' by GB (Gifted & Blessed). The deep spiritual vibe of the original is present in the edit/remix but is transformed into an electronic, percussion-heavy beast.

Harry Whitaker's Black Rennaisance "Body, Mind, and Spirit," album is considered a holy grail amongst collectors of soul-jazz and rare groove, and an album so rare it's virtually a myth to many. Luv N'Haight's re-issue of the album in the early 2000's brought much needed attention and focus to this legendary piece of work.

Widely known for his work using the pseudonym GB, Gabriel Reyes-Whittaker is a producer, composer and electronic musician with a particular enthusiasm for analog electronics. Though his music ranges wide stylistically, he classifies his work under the umbrella term technoindigenous studies; the integration of the technological with the spiritual and ancestral. Armed with this concept, he transforms 'Magic Ritual' into a brooding, techno-afro dance tune that borders on meditation with it's repetitive, hypnotic percussion.

GB finds himself in the unique position of being an early champion of the Los Angeles beat movement as well as being at the forefront of the current underground house and techno scene, all while keeping a low profile. Reyes-Whittaker has collaborated with a long list of creative minds, among them J*DaVeY, Spacek, Airto and Flora Purim, Jody Watley and many others.

Limited eidtion LP includes full album CD in cardboard sleeve with full artwork and bonus remixes by Renegades Of Jazz & Paprika !

'A gritty rhythm section of old school drums and Fender or upright bass, alongside funky Hammond and Rhodes, with some sweet George Benson-ish jazz guitar licks on top.' From the quiet tropical suburban back streets of Australia's 3rd largest city (Brisbane) comes a young all instrumental ensemble called Kerbside Collection, creating a mixture of some forgotten rare groove sounds - good times instrumental jazz funk with a touch of soul.

The sound of Ravi Welsh (Guitar), Jason 'Paprika' Bell (Drum & percussion), Chris Poulsen (Hammond & Fender Rhodes) and Jeremy O'Connor (Fender 'P' & double bass) harks back to the 60s and 70s Californian West Coast music of artists such as Wes Montgomery, George Benson, Chico Hamilton, Joe Sample and The Crusaders, whilst tipping its' hat to today's contemporaries keeping the 'feel' alive (Soulive, Bobby Hughes, James Taylor Quartet, Eddie Roberts & The New Mastersounds, The Menahan Street Band, The Stance Brothers, Frootful etc).

This is a proposal to come together and celebrate the instinctive movement that is inspired by listening, and responding to music. Simply put, this is a jazz album, but still containing the strong afro-cuban influences that are distinctive to all Gerardo Frisina productions.

Multi instrumentalist Gregor Schwellenbach took 20 label classics and re-recorded them as chamber music. Comes in a 2xLP mediabook with 44 page booklet.


In 20 Jahren KOMPAKT ist so ziemlich niemandem langweilig geworden; stets wusste das Kölsche Label seinen Platz zwischen den Stühlen geographisch wie stilistisch zu behaupten. Das verdanken wir all jenen großartigen - und vor allem äußerst unterschiedlichen - Künstlern, welche ihren Weg in zwei aufregenden, manchmal aufreibenden, immer inspirierenden Dekaden zu uns gefunden haben. Aus dem Grenzland zwischem gefühltem Pop und fröhlicher Wissenschaft stößt nun auch der Kölner Multi-Instrumentalist GREGOR SCHWELLENBACH hinzu, der 20 Label-Klassiker aus dem Tanzgestein herausgelöst und sie unter kammermusikalischen Bedingungen neu eingespielt hat.

Die raffinierten Arrangements, die der studierte Komponist GREGOR SCHWELLENBACH für alles schreibt, was klingen kann, schmückten bis dato vor allem die Theater-, Film-, Funk- und Fernsehlandschaft. Nun hat der Herr über 1000 Instrumente eine populär-experimentale Expertise zum KOMPAKT'schen Repertoire erstellt und einige der sich dort zahlreich verbergenden elektronischen Evergreens radikal umgetopft. Nicht nur Liebhaber der musikalischen Synthese dürften sich verwundert die Ohren reiben, wenn landein, landaus eifrigst betanzte Technokracher wie etwa Voigt & Voigt's 'Vision 03' oder Mayer/Voigt's 'Unter Null' plötzlich als melancholische, beatbefreite Piano-Miniaturen das Frequenzspektrum umgarnen.

Dabei gehen dem Multitalent ebenso versierte Gastmusiker zur Hand, die ihre Persönlichkeit und Virtuosität in den Dienst der etwas anderen Sache stellen:
Mit Star-Flötistin DOROTHEE OBERLINGER etwa ist regelrechter Klassik-Adel vertreten, aber auch der Gitarrist CHRISTIAN BUCK oder die Harfespielerin JANE BERTHE sind anerkannte Größen ihres jeweiligen Gebietes und sonst zu hören als begnadete Interpreten von Steve Reich oder Claude Debussy. Von Instrumentenseite wird ebenfalls Verblüffendes vermeldet, z.B. die Verwendung eines seltenen DDR-Tasteninstruments namens 'Weltmeister Basset' für Kaito's 'Everlasting', das hypnotische Raunen eines alten Studio-Harmoniums auf Closer Musik's 'One Two Three (No Gravity)' und die epische Wucht des im Kölner Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum befindlichen Gamelanorchesters 'Kyai Sabda', welches für Voigt & Voigt's 'Gong Audio' zum Einsatz kam.

Kompakt's Waffe der Wahl war zumeist die gerade Bassdrum, ihre minimalistische Schönheit unsere Dialektik. Doch strenge Diskurshüter eines imaginierten Grals, das wollten wir nie sein und das hat auch Gregor erkannt, der jedem der ausgewählten Track eine neue Stimme gibt, um neue Geschichten erzählen zu können. So stellt er mit überraschend umformulierten Akustikversionen, etwa von Jürgen Paapes 'Triumph' (für präpariertes Klavier), Justus Köhnckes 'Was Ist Musik' (für Streichquartett) oder Closer Musik's 'Maria' (für Klavier) gewagte Behauptungen auf, zieht unerwartete Schlüsse und schafft es doch jedes Mal wieder des Pudels ursprünglichen Kern - die Melodie, die Hookline, das Gefühl - in neuem Glanz erstrahlen zu lassen.

In Demand Original Acid Jazz Tunes Available Again!