Jazz / Soul / Funk

Blank Forms, a curatorial platform and non-profit organization dedicated to the presentation and preservation of experimental performance, is proud to announce the arrival of its latest collection of works by Catherine Christer Hennix and Masayuki Takayanagi. Don Cherry (1936-1995), a pioneer of free jazz as the right-hand man of Ornette Coleman, and his wife, Swedish visual artist/designer Moki Cherry (1943-2009), have been attracting attention for their collaborations with Coltrane. Don's music, Moki's art, and the family's life in the Swedish countryside of Tågarp were integrated into one comprehensive entity in the miraculous reissue of Organic Music Theatre. This reissue features the historic premiere of the piece at the 1972 Festival de Chateauvallon in Chateauvallon, southern France, mastered from tapes recorded during a live broadcast on public television. It is a mastered reissue of a tape recorded live on public television. The performance marked the beginning of a communal and "mystical" period that would culminate in soundtracks and other works. Performing in this outdoor amphitheater were such luminaries as Moki Cherry, Christer Bothén, Gérard "Doudou" Gouirand, and Naná Vasconcelos, as well as Swedish friends who accompanied them on their trip to France, and Copenhagen Christiania A dozen or so adults and children participated, including Swedish friends who accompanied me on my trip to France and Det Lilla Circus (The Little Circus), a Danish puppet theater based in Copenhagen Christiania. It was truly a breathtaking sound world!

Released shortly after Wonder completed his 1972 tour with the Rolling Stones, and peaking at #3 in the US, it is the second release in what is widely regarded as his classic period, a period in which Wonder broke completely with the Motown sound and philosophy. Despite the strong initial disapproval of label execs, Wonder forged ahead and was rewarded with phenomenal success, forcing Motown to grant him complete artistic freedom over his work and proving to the music industry that R&B artists could find widespread appeal with rock audiences. Featuring #1 pop and R&B hit, “Superstition”. Track listing – Side A: 1. You Are the Sunshine of My Life 2. Maybe Your Baby 3. You and I (We Can Conquer the World) 4. Tuesday Heartbreak 5. Youve Got It Bad Girl Side B: 1. Superstition 2. Big Brother 3. Blame It on the Sun 4. Lookin for Another Pure Love 5. I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever.

Doc Lloyd Miller returns with his signature and timeless Spiritual Jazz and World/Cultural Music trademarks, as well as inviting a few contemporary sensibilities contributed by himself and collaborators Ian Camp and producer Adam Michael Terry. Expanding upon Miller's distinctive Academic, Persian and Far-Eastern Jazz Fusion into territories of New Age, Minimalism, Modern Classical, Ambient, and even hints of Psychedelic Folk with the opening song "The Summoning". Proudly extending Lloyd's already unique and massive music pallet that has been documented on his esoteric 60's records and self-released CDs over the decades, we anticipate his fans around the world will be pleased to hear familiar stylings as well as some evolved ideas.

Recorded late summer 2019 down in Lloyd Miller's basement, "At the Ends of the World" is a prophetic expression of the social and cerebral atmospheres that Miller personally predicted for the pestilence of 2020. The album reflects a moody dichotomy between the increasingly doomed world and the musician's attempts to heal with divine music and cultural beauty
credits
releases November 6, 2020

On the occasion of RT 30 (the celebrations of Right Tempo's thirty years of activity) the Italian record company has decided, among other things, to publish a new volume of this successful series. The Easy Tempo series, born in 1996, aimed to disseminate a sound linked to black culture (in its broadest meaning and most varied forms) with contaminations ranging from psychedelia to vintage electronics through soul, funk and jazz. Having drawn from the world of soundtracks did not arise from a specific passion in this area, but from the simple fact that that universe offered a vast repertoire, however submerged, of music suitable for the 'groove' vocation of Right Tempo, as well as a distinctive sign of national identity, considering the caliber of the composers and musicians involved in writing and performing the music featured in the different tracking lists of the series. To this respect, starting from Volume 11 that you are holding in your hand, Easy Tempo will expand its editorial horizons, including tracks taken from obscure, underrated and/or hard to find records that transcend the congested world of soundtracks. It should also be emphasized that, given the label international vocation, the repertoire from which we will draw will no longer be limited to Italian record production, but will have a global perspective. The sound journey you are about to embark on is steeped in soul, funk, jazz, Latin, psychedelia, with a pinch of electronics at times. Travelling flutes, tight and driving rhythm patterns and rich and colorful arrangements perfectly indicate Easy Tempo series new direction. The most intriguing and ubiquitous aspect is particularly incisive thanks to the "cinematic" cut given to the selection. We believe, upon a first check of the musical content, that this new chapter will meet the expectations of all those who have enjoyed the ten previous volumes of this collection of sounds and emotions over time. Enjoy Easy Tempo Volume 11. Features Roberto Pregadio, Soul's Soul, Orchestra Mustang, Genius, Gianni Marchetti, I Raffazzonati, Brooklyn Bridge Group, Hugh Bullen, Carlo Cordara e i Waterloo, Les Chakachas, Le Streghe, Ninety, Lara Saint Paul, Ivano Fossati, Sandro Brugnolini, Gianni Basso Quartet, Enzo Scoppa, Gino Marinacci, and The Gypsy-Gershwin Medley.

A raid on the values of oriental jazz master and pioneering ethnomusicologist Lloyd Miller. As we’ve said before on the rare encounters we’ve had with Miller’s work, he’s quite a unique figure within the worlds of jazz, traditional Middle-Eastern folk and musicology. Few in history seem to be so heavily embedded within local music scenes and have been capable of absorbing so much from their surroundings. His original works (almost all self-released) are extremely hard to find and are pretty much out of reach for most. This double LP ‘Orientations’ is really what we’ve been longing for though. With unrestricted access to Dr Miller’s archives, local Utah label FOUNTAINavm have combed through previously unreleased recordings from the early 60’s to the early 00’s, capturing the breadth and scale of this unique artist. The cultural clash between east and west underpins each piece, where Miller’s astonishing dexterity on at least 15 different non-western instruments is infused with European Jazz standards. Like listening back in time, the fragrant humid air of the old orient hangs heavy in the atmosphere, capturing a time of great change in the area where the osmosis of culture between East and West would really take off, not without its problems. But these are recordings we keep coming back to, like the lilting romance of piano piece ‘Shahin’ recorded in early 70’s Tehran, or the hypnotic South Indian inspired Carnatic Clarinet from 1960’s. Miller’s work exists at an interesting historical intersection where jazz, folk, spiritual and documentary aspects of music all overlap. (Mint / New - heavy 2LP gatefold). This double LP album is sourced from Lloyd Miller’s personal archives of masters and personal recordings. Archival, Curation, and Tape Transfers by Adam Michael Terry.

The recording date of this solo outing by pianist Bill Evans has been listed as both September 1968 and December 1969; the latter seems the more logical entry. This is Evans' final Verve album. He plays five long solos (including a fourteen-and-a-half -minute exploration of "Never Let Me Go"). The repertoire includes "Here's That Rainy Day," "A Time for Love," "Midnight Mood," and "On a Clear Day." This set is recommended to Bill Evans completists who already have many of his other recordings.

Limited Japanese edition inc the insert. KNOWER FOREVER credits

(1.) Knower Forever (Louis Cole)
*All strings
*All Brass
Extra synth: Louis Cole

(2.) I’m The President (Louis Cole / Genevieve Artadi)
Genevieve Artadi: Vox
Louis Cole: Drums
Sam Wilkes: Bass
Jacob Mann: Keyboard
Paul Cornish: Keyboard / Piano
*All Brass
*All Flutes
*All Choir
*All strings

(3.) The Abyss (Louis Cole / Genevieve Artadi)
Genevieve Artadi: Vox
Louis Cole: Drums
Mononeon: Bass
Rai Thistlethwayte: Keyboard
Sam Gendel: Saxophone

(4.) Real Nice Moment (Louis Cole / Genevieve Artadi)
Genevieve Artadi: Vox
Louis Cole: Drums
Mononeon: Bass
Rai Thistlethwayte: Keyboard
Paul Cornish: Keyboard / Piano
Sam Gendel: Saxophone
*All Choir

(5.) It’s All Nothing Until It’s Everything (Louis Cole / Genevieve Artadi)
Genevieve Artadi: Vox
Louis Cole: Drums
Sam Wilkes: Bass
Jacob Mann: Keyboard
Rai Thistlethwayte: Keyboard / Piano
*All Strings
*All Horns

(6.) Nightmare (Louis Cole / Genevieve Artadi)
Genevieve Artadi: Vox
Louis Cole: Drums
Mononeon: Bass
Jacob Mann: Keyboard
Rai Thistlethwayte: Keyboard

(7.) Same Smile, Different Face (Louis Cole)
Genevieve Artadi: Vox
Louis Cole: Piano
*All Strings

(8.) Do Hot Girls Like Chords? (Louis Cole / Genevieve Artadi)
Genevieve Artadi: Vox
Louis Cole: Drums
Sam Wilkes: Bass
Jacob Mann: Keyboard
Paul Cornish: Keyboard
Adam Ratner: Guitar

(9.) Ride That Dolphin (Louis Cole / Genevieve Artadi)
Genevieve Artadi: Vox
Louis Cole: Drums
Sam Wilkes: Bass
Jacob Mann: Keyboard
Paul Cornish: Keyboard
*All Choir

(10.) It Will Get Real (Louis Cole / Genevieve Artadi)
Genevieve Artadi: Vox
Louis Cole: Drums
Mononeon: Bass
Rai Thistlethwayte: Keyboard
Chiquita Magic: Keyboard
Sam Gendel: Saxophone

(11.) Crash The Car (Louis Cole / Genevieve Artadi)
Genevieve Artadi: Vox
Louis Cole: Drums
Sam Wilkes: Bass
Jacob Mann: Keyboard
Paul Cornish: Piano
Adam Ratner: Guitar
David Binney: Saxophone
*All Brass
*All Choir
*All strings

(12.) Bonus Track (Louis Cole)
Genevieve Artadi: Tambourine Robot Holder
Louis Cole: Drums
Mononeon: Bass
Rai Thistlethwayte: Keyboard
Chiquita Magic: Keyboard
Sam Gendel: Saxophone
Tambourine Robot built by Louis Cole and Daniel Sunshine


*Strings:
Leah Zeger (vln)
Lily Honigberg (vln)
Megan Shung (vln)
Yu-Ting Wu (vln)
Chrysanthe Tan (vln)
Sabrina Parry (vln)
Nora Germain (vln)
Tylana Renga (vln)
Tom Lea (vla)
Ethan Moffitt (vla)
Daniel Jacobs (vla)
Lauren Baba (vla)
Isaiah Gage (clo)
Chris Votek (clo)
Niall Ferguson (clo)
Emily Elkin (clo)
Karl McComas-Reichl (bs)
Logan Kane (bs)

*Brass:
Robert Murray (tuba)
Corbin Jones (sousaphone)
Kyle Richter (sousaphone)
Jon Hatamiya (tbn)
Vikram Devasthali (tbn)
Mariel Austin (tbn)
Nick Platoff (bass tbn)
Aidan Lombard (tp)
Aaron Janik (tp)
Andris Mattson (tp)
Chris Clarkson (tp)

*Flutes:
Rob Sheppard
Amber Navran
Henry Solomon

*Choir:
Kathryn Shuman
Mikaela Elson
Dyasono
Micaela Tobin
Jessica Freedman
Rayah Clarkson
Alexandra Domingo
Sharon Kim
Linnea Sablosky
Katharine Eames
Glynis Davies
Michael Kohl
Jeff Eames
VJ Rosales
Brett McDermid
Luc Kleiner
Sean Fitzpatrick


All production by: Louis Cole
All songs mixed and mastered by: Louis Cole
Audio Engineer: Daniel Sunshine
Cameras: Daniel Sunshine, Richard Thompson, Chiquita Magic, Max Zemanovic
Special thanks for Alliz Espi at Songololo Music, and publishers Because Music

Over a year since the release of their exhilarating debut Could We Be More, Kokoroko present a new collection of remixes of tracks from their first album. The record brings together a dizzying, globe-spanning array of contemporary music’s most forward-thinking artists, each bringing their own unique identity to the project while maintaining the immersive sound-world of the original. Could We Be More Remixes is due 10th November 2023 via Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings. All the remixers share a common approach with the band, filtering global influences and backgrounds through the lens of their hometown. As a result, each remix explores and stretches the core elements of the debut in different ways. Home-grown London talents Eun and Demae, both associates of the Touching Bass collective that sprouted from the same scene as Kokoroko, turn in a spaced-out version of ‘Tojo’ that manages to be introspective and driving at the same time, reminiscent of some of the best work on Moodymann’s imprints. The talents of Could We Be More’s producer are called upon next. Miles James continues where ‘Something’s Going On’ left off, turning the synth-funk up several notches. To call anaiis’ version of ‘Home’ a remix would almost be an understatement. Anaiis uses the original as a launchpad, her soaring vocals taking the song’s sentiments to dizzying new heights. The toe-tapping Highlife groove of ‘Ewà Inú’ is twisted into a lurching Batida stepper by Vanyfox that skews expectations and stumbles the listener into a blissful trumpet-led ambient outro.This is followed by Washington-native dreamcastmoe’s take on the track. His version defies genre, scattering fragments of the original, soulful vocals and chords over a heavy 808 bass chug. ‘We Give Thanks (KeiyaA Remix)’ sees the Chicago-based multi-hyphenate mining the depths of the sparse skittering cyber-soul elements that were a feature of her own debut. Kokoroko’s organic vocals and instrumentation are tied down to a bedrock of icy drum machines, handclaps and electronics resulting in a scintillating frisson. The final two artists on the record submit remixes along more traditional lines. Ash Lauryn and Stefan Ringer twist and reform the angelic vocals and Afrobeats sentiments of ‘Dide O’ into a driving deep house banger; the floating melodic refrain suspended over a rolling synth bass and propulsive drums. Finally, London producer of the moment Hagan does what he does best. In his hands, ‘War Dance’ transforms into a dark and moody afro-house dance floor weapon. Ominous pads, a monstrous bass-line and hectic percussion combine with the song’s fiery brass culminating into a climactic breakdown built around Sheila Maurice-Grey’s explosive trumpet solo. Could We Be More was an ambitious and expansive album. Stretched out over 15 tracks, Kokoroko’s debut release wove together Afro-beat jam-outs, funk grooves, psychedelic flutters, brass stabs and soaring soul with dub-echo, astral electronics and introverted interludes. All combining to create an immersive experience evoking the band’s multi-faceted notions of home. This is a beautiful sister release to Kokoroko’s Could We Be More. The remixes treat the source material with care but imbue them with a potent energy, strangely reminiscent of seeing the band perform live. This collection follows the album and achieves what few remix albums are able to; creating a headphone listening experience while at the same time drawing out the dance music elements for the club. Could We Be More Remixes is due 10th November 2023 via Brownswood Recordings.

The ethereal melody fluttering in the strong groove. This is the quintessential and culmination of new hard music that pursues the possibilities of the big band sound.

Since the release of "Perspective" in 1969, New Hard, led by Toshiyuki Miyama, one of Japan's leading big band musicians, has been exploring new horizons in big band jazz with its cutting-edge sound. This work "Niou to Hato" is one of the representative works of New Hard released in 1972. Kozaburo Yamaki wrote and arranged all of the music, and deeply pursued one of his long-standing themes, "Japan. The elaborate and multi-layered arrangements and performances express Japanese customs, traditions, and scenes. The melodies are profound and dynamic, with an ethereal Japanese sentiment. The songs are full of deep flavor and great stimulation, led by the strong groove of "Seijinshiki" (Coming of Age Ceremony). This is the true essence of new hard music at its best.
text by Yusuke Ogawa (universounds/Deep Jazz Reality)

Enter the captivating realm of Pratt & Moody as they unveil their new deep-as-the-oceans single, ‘Creeping Around’. This dynamic duo – consisting of Pratt and Moody – have honed their craft channeling their collective prowess into a singular fusion of dark soul and haunting melodies. Their previous sleeper hits “Lost Lost Lost” and “Wheels Turning” still resonate in spaces where contemporary soul ballads are treated as a valuable commodity. With ‘Creeping Around’, Pratt & Moody dive deep into the shadows, crafting a sonic narrative about infidelity that transcends boundaries. The velvety vocals of Pratt wrap themselves around Moody’s evocative guitar, creating a timeless soundscape that resonates with raw emotion. As the instrumental version gracefully embraces the absence of words, the music is left to speak volumes. Accompanied by the rock-solid artistry of Cold Diamond & Mink, ‘Creeping Around’ transports you to the hazy realm of late-night introspection, where each note carries the weight of longing and desire. The track immerses you in a David Lynch like world where melancholy, darkness and passion coexist.

Sun Ra's legendary 1978 Italian studio sessions, now available together for the first time ever on vinyl!

This record shows many different places, from some electronics, SambaJazz, Batucada, etc. Surprise. Perhaps almost unknown by many friends at Loronix. This is a work of a serious Jazz Band. This cover edition is sponsored by Varig Airlines that gave this album as a gift to their DC-10 passengers.

Hermeto's first album recorded in Brazil, and his second solo album (the first one was recorded and released in the USA). Performs as composer of "Bebê" "Plin" and "Serearei", arranger, conductor and instrumentalist. The most experimental record of the master where he shows from beautiful themes like the choro Bebê, which is already a classic of his authorship to deconstructions of well-known themes like Asa branca and Carinhoso. On the track Sereiarei you can even hear an "orchestra" of pigs, geese and other animals. The opener track Bebê was sampled in 1994 by Japanese acid-jazz group United Future Organization.

Written and recorded with the goal of creating a one-movement suite in the least amount of time possible, "Succo di formiche" reflects the archetypal joy of music making, the spontaneous impulses underlying its formation, and a love of the record album form.

Before coming to Europe, in 1970, pianist Manuel Villarroel was a vet in his native Chilli. A few years later, as leader of the Machi Oul Big Band, he returned to the animal kingdom. A very specific kind of animal, for sure, the Quetzalcoatl, also known as the Feathered Serpent. What is behind this title (also the name of one of the three original compositions on this album released on the Palm label in 1976), is first and foremost a sort of homecoming… After discovering the jazz of Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Miles Davis and John Coltrane, Villarroel was taken by the free jazz which was all the rage at the time in America and Europe, and this would inspire the first version of his Machi-Oul, project. This was a septet, with which the pianist would record, in 1971, the tremendous Terremoto (re-released by Souffle Continu FFL085). After this masterstroke Villarroel was invited to record with Perception (Perception & Friends) and with Baikida Carroll (Orange Fish Tears). While these were notable contributions, Villarroel was already looking into other combinations. “I had to deal personally with my situation as an expatriate, without disavowing it. I tried not to betray my roots, I tried to translate into my music what was essential to me, to reflect my origins – Latin America, its musical and above all human feelings – while remaining faithful to jazz, which is the mode of expression of the musicians in the group”. This then is the ‘homecoming’ we mentioned, which would incite Manuel Villarroel to compose what he would call “structured free music”. In January 1972 the pianist enlarged his formation to reach the size of a real big band: the Septet became the Machi-Oul Big Band. Three years later in January 1975, with producer Jef Gilson at the helm, fifteen musicians including those from the old Septet (Jef Sicard, François and Jean-Louis Méchali, Gérard Coppéré) worked on a rare form of jazz. From togetherness to dissonance, we danse to it “Bolerito” then shake it up on “Leyendas De Nahuelbuta”. As for the concluding serpent, it is a piece which is impossible to pin down: “Quetzalcoat” is as impressive as it is difficult to grasp. To remind ourselves of this, lets listen to it again.

To abandon animals for music – and avant-garde jazz at that –, could seeming shocking to some people. However, it is exactly what Manuel Villarroel did, as he was a vet for three years before leaving his native Chili for Europe and a career in music. And though the animals may have suffered, the world of music can be grateful. Born in 1944, Manuel Villarroel lent an ear to the best pianists from North America: Oscar Peterson and Erroll Garner then Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner and Cecil Taylor. Manuel left Santiago in September 1970 to participate in the Contemporary Music Workshop in Berlin. To pursue his musical career, he rapidly decided to remain in Europe. The following year in Paris, Manuel began a quartet with saxophonist Jef Sicard (who would also play with his brother Patricio, in the Dharma Quintet). But the group would rapidly expand: Villarroel and Sicard added Gérard Coppéré (saxophone), William Treve (trombone), François Méchali (bass) and Jean-Louis Méchali (drums). And with the arrival of Sonny Grey, a Jamaican trumpeter heard ten years earlier with Daniel Humair, the Matchi-Oul Septet was complete. Complete and ready: on May 8th, 1971, Matchi-Oul was in the studio for Gérard Terronès’ Futura label. The septet recorded seven of the pianist’s compositions. A succession of tracks which flow magically from one to the next: from the first drum strokes to the last deep notes of the bass, the successive waves roll over the piano and whistle through the wind instruments. And when they all come together it gives even greater force to Villarroel’s beautiful songs. Terremoto is a masterpiece of collective expression: but what else could we expect from a “supergroup’’ of this stature?

The sublime, seductive sound of the smooth & sultry songstress: melancholy & mournful jazz, popcorn & blues "Sometimes me and the opposite sex just don't get along. I mean, we do and we don't. Take this last one. She and I were getting on just fine. We went to the movies, I took her to shows, I took her out to fancy restaurants. The whole works. I treated her real good. She was a class act too. Blonde hair, blue eyes. A smile to die for. Then all of a sudden, she went cold on me. Cut me off. Why do they do that? What gives?" "I mean, I'm an OK guy. I'm clean, smart, I shave every day. I wear the best suits, I use the best Cologne. OK so I don't have what you'd call 'a regular job', but I got plenty of dough, and I know how to spend it. I like the finer things in life. Restaurants, Cuban cigars, fancy cars. The whole caboodle. What's not to like?" "I'll tell you what. These dames don't know a good thing when they see it. They meet a guy like me and they don't know what's hit 'em. I take them out, I wine them and dine them and they just can't handle it. They'd rather go for some kinda Joe Schmoe than a classy guy like me. And that's what I don't understand. So what gives?" Greasy Mike in an interview circa. 1958 with jazz jock Slim Jenkins

This is a best-of cassette release by Midnight Express, a fantastic funk unit from the 80's that has been popular since the early days of PPU, known for their classic Danger Zone. The cassette contains 11 tracks, including excerpts from the previously published Tri-Fire Volume One and Two compilations, plus one previously unreleased track. The funk groove and sound quality are just right.

Precious musical legacies may not be forgotten. Therefore, ReGrooved makes sure that one-of-a-kind records receive a well-deserved re-release. God’s Prescriptions, Camille Doughty’s sole solo effort, is a prime example of a soul/gospel album that earns the right to be heard, time and time again. Born in mid-January 1944, Camille Doughty the singer proved to be gifted at age 10 when she joined the Green Spiritual Singers and performed with them throughout her home state, Ohio. At 12, she was six years shy of the minimum 18 years age limit to join the Young Adult Choir. However, her extraordinary vocal qualities warranted an exception in her case. Two years later she was recruited by her uncle, Rev. Shellie R. Doughty Senior into the Inspirational Choir of the Mr. Herman Baptist Church, a renowned ensemble in Doughty’s hometown of Columbus. 1972 marked the year in which Camille finally went solo, urged on by numerous admirers of her singing capabilities. Since then, she has appeared in several concerts, radio programs and television shows in the United States. In many of her appearances, she had the opportunity to perform with celebrated professionals of the gospel genre. All these efforts culminated in the release of her only solo record, God’s Prescriptions. Released in 1978 on Gospel Roots, it was never reissued… until now! ReGrooved is proud to present a beautiful, supreme quality remaster of the original album, first released by the Gospel Roots label. It features her famous rendition of the traditional spiritual ‘Elijah Rock’ and several other standards, including ‘I Trust in God’, ‘It Don’t Cost Very Much’ and ‘I Asked the Lord’. Our third release is a wake-up call to those who have been touched by Doughty’s voice back in the day, as well as a beautiful introduction to new fans.

Released in 1980, ‘Mysteries Of The World’ was the final studio album from MFSB (standing for ‘Mother, Father, Sister, Brother’), the highly influential soul ensemble of around thirty session musicians and whose ‘TSOP’ single was influential in forging disco. The project ended with a bang, with producer Dexter Wansel helping the group achieve a dazzling blend of Philly soul, jazz-funk and orchestral flourishes.

'BATSUMI’s 1974 classic. Repressed at Pallas in Germany on 180g black vinyl. Cover printed on reverse board and includes printed inner sleeve with liner notes from Francis Gooding. Initial copies shipped with exclusive 30cm x 30cm print of Batsumi performing in 1974.

Batsumi is a masterpiece of spiritualised afro-jazz, and a prodigious singularity in the South African jazz canon. There is nothing else on record from the period that has the deep, resonant urgency of the Batsumi sound, a reverb-drenched, formidably focused pulse, underpinned by the tight-locked interplay of traditional and trap drums, and pushed on by the throb of Zulu Bidi’s mesmeric bass figures. The warm notes of Johnny Mothopeng’s guitar complete a soundscape that is at once closely packed with sonic texture and simultaneously vibrating with open space, and in whose shimmer and haze Themba Koyana and Tom Masemola soar. A sonorous echo emanating from an ancient well, reverberant with jazz ghosts and warmed by the heat of soul and pop, Batsumi is nothing short of revelatory.

Many groups from this period did not issue recordings at all, and Batsumi are unusual in even having left an official recorded legacy. Out of print since the 1970s, and never issued outside of South African in its entirety, Batsumi is a landmark South African jazz recording, and a key musical document of its time.'

Pure Wicked Tune is a mixtape-style collection of extracts & cut-ups, taken from DIY cassette recordings featuring rare groove and "soul blues" soundsystems playing at early morning house parties and blues dances - mostly in South & East London - between the mid 1980s & early 90s. Sounds like Funkadelic, Touch of Class, Latest Edition, JB Crew, Manhattan, 5th Avenue (and the many more featured on this tape) originally began to form in the mid-1980s. With lovers rock dwindling, and the reggae scene becoming dominated by harder digital-style dancehall, these sounds provided a tight but loyal crowd with a potent alternative - playing a mixture of killer rare soul, funk and boogie records in an inimitably reggae soundsystem style, complete with toasting, sirens and effects aplenty. They were most well-known for playing at house parties and blues dances, typically in small flats or warehouses, with timing of such events generally running from the early morning hours until late the next afternoon. Though the popularity of the sounds faded following the dance music explosion of the early 1990s, there has been continued demand for revival sessions ever since. Whilst the influence of key British reggae & dancehall soundsystems on subsequent UK sounds like hardcore & jungle is relatively well documented, a similar line can just as easily be drawn from these sounds and the aforementioned styles' tendency toward sampling popular rare groove cuts, particularly well evidenced in the work of Tom & Jerry, 4hero, Reinforced & LTJ Bukem among others. This represents the first outing in a series of collections exploring the sounds of UK soundsystem culture, via extracts from archival DIY cassette recordings of blues parties, dances & clashes made between the late 70s and early 90s. Often duplicated and shared widely, these ruff and ready "sound tapes" provided keen ears with music that wasn't otherwise readily available on the airwaves or in the record shops, and would go on to leave a deeply-rooted but too often overlooked influence on the UK's musical landscape. The first work of a new series that explores the sound of change.

Shidaiqu literally means “songs of the era”, a term used to describe a hybrid musical genre that first began permeating through the cosmopolitan city of Shanghai in the late 1920s. Blending western pop, jazz, blues and Hollywood-inspired film soundtracks with traditional Chinese elements, the shidaiqu represented a musical and cultural merging that would go on to shape a golden age of Chinese popular song & film in the pre-communism interwar period. Waiting for Your Return brings together a wide collection of recordings for an anthological overview of the style. Taking in it's early beginnings in the work of the pioneering composer Li Jinhui - whose 1927 song "Drizzle", featuring the vocals of his daughter Li Minghui, is often referred to as the first shidaiqu record - through to more polished 1930s & 40s examples, when China's western-influenced popular music & movie industry reached it's golden age with the prevalence of the Seven Great Singing Stars (Bai Hong, Bai Guang, Gong Qiuxia, Li Xianglan, Wu Yingyin, Yao Lee and perhaps most prolific of all, Zhou Xuan). Included in the collection are tracks recorded right up until the music's demise in Shanghai in the early 1950s - during which time the Chinese Communist Party denounced shidaiqu as "yellow music", outlawed nightclubs and pop music production, and destroyed western-style instruments - following which, much of these singers would decamp to Hong Kong where many saw further success throughout the 1950s and into the 1960s.

New Orleans-based African-American producer/composer, ÌFÉ feeds Afro-Caribbean hand percussion through digital synthesizers and drum machines as he delivers explosive lyrics tackling life, death and the world we live in today to create a 21st century soundsystem experience on 0000+0000 -- the follow-up to ÌFÉ's acclaimed 2017 debut LP IIII+IIII. Otura Mun -- working under the conceptual alias ÌFÉ -- wrote, performed, and produced the entire album feat special guests: Bill Summers (of Herbie Hancock's Headhunters), Lex (a gifted, vocalist from the New Orleans underground), French MC Robby The Lord, the soulful Yoruban guitarist Saint Ezekiel, the London Lucumi Choir, Polish American singer Lavoski, who as a steady ÌFÉ collaborator, contributes vocals to the majority of the album's eleven songs. 0000+0000 was mixed in Austin, Texas by engineer Stuart Sikes, known for his work with Cat Power, Jack White, and Loretta Lynn, Sikes functions as a crucial collaborator on the album, bringing his own unique analog warmth to the electronic landscape created by ÌFÉ. For fans of: Rosalia, C. Tangana, Popcaan, IBEYI, Dengue Dengue Dengue, Sampa The Great