Aloe Blacc - Rock My Soul: Volume 1

Tracklist:
1. Black Hole Sun
2. Lithium
3. Don't Speak
4. Under The Bridge
5. When I Come Around

Sandman Project - Where Did You Go?

Sandman Project’s long awaited debut album Where Did You Go? is a borderless amalgam of brass heavy sounds, a document of a band whose musical tendencies mimic their open-minded ethic where Ethio- jazz, Afrobeat, American soul music and psychedelic, Mediterranean funk traverse.

Led by guitarist and composer Tal Sandman, Tel Aviv based Sandman Projects’s last release was in 2018 on their debut EP, their only existing recording. Six years later and it is no surprise this expansive work is positively brimming with an ocean of ideas, rooted in jazz, exceptionally crafted and boasting a myriad of musical pivots with a subtle but crucial production and synth touch by producer Tomer Baruch.

Absolutely key to this new recording and Tal’s adult musical upbringing and education is the ongoing influence of saxophonist Abate Barihun, sometimes known as the Ethiopian John Coltrane who is an Ethiopian Jew who emigrated to Israel in 1999. Whilst he doesn’t feature directly on the record, Tal has long been mentored and stewarded by him and she affirms that “his inspiration continues to play a crucial role in my creative process.”

And so, to the album’s title track Where Did you Go which oozes film- noir with Tal’s omnipresent Tizta sound using the Tezeta scales from Ethiopia dictating the mood whilst synths transcend and build an immersive soundscape something akin to Mulatu Astake jamming with the Fleet Foxes with Brian Eno-esque electronic manipulation.

The Sandman project line up comprises of 5 core musicians with Tal Sandman on electric guitar, Tal Avraham playing trumpet, Tal Eyal on percussion, Noam Cherchie on drums and Ariel Harrosh on bass. Additional synth and organ provided by producer Tomer Baruch and guest vocalist Dafna Shilon joins on the album closer The Other Side. The group all live in Tel Aviv with Tal living in the Jaffa neighborhood for 12 years and the official birth-place of the Sandman Project. Jaffa is a diverse urban region where Arabs, Jews, Christians and many more live harmoniously together and it’s here where Tal has been active in building community ties and where she has recently started learning Arabic. The recent and shocking violence and war in Israel and Palestine has strengthened the bonds within the Jaffa community and a sense of unity and desire for peace has pervaded echoing Tal’s wish for peace, for real and imagined boundaries to dissolve and war and survival to be replaced with compassion and humanity. Jaffa is also Tal’s place of respite and spiritual place of being, where she returned to after significant musical and creative excursions to Goa in India (where she formed the Goa Afrobeat Band) and to London where she created a branch of the Sandman Project.

Tal’s recent trip to Goa is effectively soundtracked on the album opener Karnataka, which borrows from the east, both the spirit and it’s drumming, inspired by a South Indian wedding ceremony. Trumpets and Tal’s incessant but measured guitar riffing using Indian scales transcends into a beautiful soundtrack of jazz and psychedelia energized with a propulsive funk. Temptation & Figs reverberates with a sly groove, an organ filled and chilled groove given a life affirming vibe with it repetitive and harmonized vocal pass building to a trumpet crescendo.

The cine flavoured edge of Sandman Project goes wide screen on The X Files as bizarre electronic gurgling remiss of early BBC Radiophonic recordings intertwine with horn stabs and a percussion solo. Further vintage synth excursions repeat on Cauda Equina, with Tal’s heavy fretting giving the track a funk feel, and a dreamy one as the trumpet builds. Dafna Shilon’s entrance at the end of the album on The Other Side is unique in that it brings a skank to proceedings and is the only lyrical song from the collection.

Six years in the waiting, and with plentiful personal and collective transformation giving Where Did You Go? a deeper sense of geography and global nuance, the new sound of Sandman Project is rich, porous and dreamy and essentially, full of hope.

Tracklist:
1. Karnataka
2. Intro Based On Fire
3. Based On Fire
4. Where Did You Go?
5. Cauda Equina
6. Chinese Box
7. Temptations & Figs
8. The X Files
9. Before The Storm
10. The Other Side

Finn Rees - Dawn Is A Melody

“Fans of Alice Coltrane and Arthur Verocai will find succour in his ancient/modern arrangements.” 4/5 - Mojo

“An effective snapshot of the talent and versatility of the young Melbourne jazz scene, and positions Rees as a bandleader, composer and musician whose profile, like that Tasmanian sun, is guaranteed to rise." - Jazzwise

Mr Bongo proudly presents the debut album from Tasmania-born, Melbourne-based, Finn Rees. Gliding across a swirling palette of saturated hues, Dawn Is A Melody feels vintage yet vibrant, new but familiar at the same time. A spiritual, deep and textured jazz record, tipping its hat to greats from the past, capturing memories and reformulating them into new ideas with the help of some of Melbourne’s finest talent.

Expert keys player for the likes of 30/70 and Allysha Joy, alongside one-half of Close Counters, this debut LP was Finn’s conscious departure from the realm of groove-based jazz. Instead, Dawn Is A Melody places the piano and arrangements centre stage, giving Finn and his fellow Melbourne crew freedom to explore the spaces in between, new emotions and alternate soundscapes.

In Finn’s own words: “My intention with Dawn Is A Melody was to create a world; a microcosm of colour. Something rich and beautiful that allowed the melodies and compositions to reach their full potential. It was driven by hope, curiosity and the search for beauty and reassurance in this ever-changing world. The emotion behind the music is really about the journey of life, growing up and changing, as well as my relationship with Tasmania’s natural landscapes where I grew up, a part of the world that is incredibly unique and beautiful.”

The album arcs between opening, middle and end. Beginning with the optimism of ‘Looking Up’ and ‘Lagoon’, the former a celestial, string and harp marbled slice of positivity, the latter a spiritual journey of exuberance and hope, Finn’s fingers dancing across the ‘70s Yamaha grand piano. From there the songs blossom outwards with the cinematic soulful journey of ‘It’s Behind Me Now’ and Brazilian-inspired ‘Expansion’, as the divine ‘Crossing’ signals a transition to a new realm. The energy is transformed from the rich cosmic textures to a more intimate and personal feeling with ‘Ablaze’, ‘Between Spaces’ and ‘As It Passes’ which blissfully fades down to simply piano and strings to close out the record.

Recorded at Rolling Stock in Collingwood, Melbourne, Henry Jenkins was drafted in as recording and mix engineer, his minimal vintage mic setups giving a live aesthetic and warmth to the arrangements. Lucky Pereira and Blakely McLean Davies form the rock-solid rhythm section, with a hand-picked line-up of other Melbourne talent on display, including Cheryl Durongpitikul on tenor sax, Siwei Wong on harp, Audrey Powne on trumpet and Allysha Joy on vocals to name only a few.

Plotting a course from Alice Coltrane, through Herbie Hancock, to Arthur Verocai, this is a debut nourished by the past but firmly made in the present. A record unable to be age-stamped, casting ambiguity as to when, what era and by whom it has been crafted. Like a vintage lens capturing a current scene, Dawn Is A Melody is warm and familiar yet focused on the here now.

Tracklist:
1. Looking Up
2. Lagoon
3. Horizons
4. It's Behind Me Now
5. Expansion
6. End Of The Line
7. Crossing
8. Ablaze
9. Between Spaces
10. As It Passes

VA - Entangled Grounds - The Sound of XJAZZ! Berlin

This one of a kind compilation united the brightest minds of the Berlin music community on one record to represents the DNA of the local jazz scene. Recorded over five wintery days in 2023 at Brewery Studios, unique collaborations were made alongside individual artists to showcase the sound so often experienced each year at XJAZZ!. Featured artists included Szabolcs 'Szabi' Bognár (Àbáse), Moses Yooffee, douniah, Sera Kalo, Sofia Efty, Z.F.E.X, Wayne Snow, Sonic Interventions, Sofia Efty, Petter Eldh and a specially commissioned suite featuring A Song For You with string arrangements from Zacharias Falkenberg.

Tracklist:
1. Group 26.11 – Follow Me (feat. Wayne Snow, Petter Eldh, Szabolcs Bognár, Ori Jacobson, Lukas Akintaya & Àbáse)
2. Zuza Jasińska & Moses Yoofee – Still Waiting
3. Zacharias S. Falkenberg – I Declare Maximum Boredom
4. Sera Kalo, Marius Max, Nick Dunston & dylan greene – AFENI
5. douniah – In the middle of the night
6. Sofia Eftychidou – sunflower
7. Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange – Lady in Scarlet
8. Àbáse – Ohm Eleven (feat. Petter Eldh, Ori Jacobson & Lukas Akintaya)
9. Sonic Interventions – Can't Uproot Me
10. Moses Yoofee, Petter Eldh, Szabolcs Bognár & Zacharias S. Falkenberg – The Brewery Suite (feat. Ori Jacobson, Monica Mussungo & Paulo Cedraz)

Delta - Lost Dubs 1

Tracklist:
1. Anemophobia
2. XYZ Cannon
3. Xerxes
4. Tenko VIP
5. Swanton
6. Nothing Here
7. Jagged Edge Instrumental
8. Force One
9. Flutez
10. Armed Response

Robert Glasper - Let Go

“My whole career, everybody’s been saying my music is meditative,” Robert Glasper tells Apple Music. “People say they study to my music, they pray to my music, they do yoga to my music, they just zone out. People have wanted me to do this for a long time.” The Grammy Award-winning pianist and composer is talking about the direction of his latest album Let Go, a project he created in partnership with Apple Music with the express intention of helping listeners recalibrate mentally. “I wouldn't call it the ‘meditation project’ or nothing like that,” Glasper says. “But it’s something you can put on that helps you find your center. It's just something that quiets the world and allows you to see what’s within.” Let Go may be the first Glasper project with an overtly meditative direction, but it’s hardly the first time the man has approached creating from an altruistic angle. Glasper says that his last proper release, 2022’s Black Radio III, was concocted in an effort to uplift some of his favorite voices, an undertaking that yielded collaborations with names like Q-Tip, Meshell Ndegeocello, Gregory Porter, Killer Mike, and Esperanza Spalding, artists who exist across the jazz, hip-hop, and R&B spaces he so regularly traverses between. “I wasn’t going to do a Black Radio III,” Glasper says of the beloved series in which previous installments have also played out like pitch-perfect Grammy-week jam sessions. “I didn’t feel like it was needed—and then I don’t want to become a broken record with this shit. But then when COVID hit, I felt like a musical first responder. I felt like I could really help people with that record—and it could help me. It’ll give me something to do and it’ll give other artists something to do.” Two years out from that project, what the world needs now—according to Glasper—is peace, sweet peace, a mission that requires a particular kind of instrumental support. Here, that means cherished Glasper collaborators like drummer Kendrick Scott, bassist Burniss Travis, and guitarist Chris Sholar, players Glasper knew would bolster this album’s very particular energy. “The musicians are very, very important because they have to have that same flow and that same center,” he says. “The drummer that’s on here, he’s a water sign. Everything he plays is water. He feels like water. And that’s what I wanted for this. I wanted it to be liquid.” Coincidentally, esteemed singer and bassist Ndegeocello guests on a song called “Breathing Underwater,” one of the album’s few vocal moments. Otherwise, we’re hearing from Glasper directly, serving to further articulate why he needed to deliver Let Go in this moment. “Every year I make a record, I'm more of myself,” Glasper says. “I’m growing up, I’ve lived more life, I’m really telling my story. The way you find your sound is you write music—and anything you write, it’s going to be the only thing like that in the world.”

Tracklist:
1. Breathing Underwater (feat. Meshell Ndegeocello)
2. Your Eyes
3. Let Go
4. Inner Voice
5. Round ‘bout Sunlight
6. Going Home
7. That One Morning
8. Awakening Dawn (3:34)
9. Luna’s Lullaby (feat. Burniss Travis)
10. Deep Down
11. Enoch’s Meditation
12. I Am
13. Truth Journey

Big Bud, Furney & A Sides - Pioneers, Legends & Icons Of Liquid Drum & Bass Music

Liquid Drum & Bass 4 Autism presents: Pioneers, Legends & Icons of Liquid Drum & Bass Music Like fine wine that improves in flavor and increases in value over time, this unprecedented musical release featuring 30-year pioneer drum & bass producer Big Bud teamed up with the legendary Furney and drum & bass icon A Sides, will last the tests of time as not only a classic but as one of the most memorable drum & bass compilation albums of its time. Fittingly and in remarkably similar spirit, the beloved drum & bass MC/lyricist Tali makes a musical appearance in a cross collaboration with A Sides, singing her smash hit 'Rise To The Top'. So, put on your most comfortable dancing shoes, open that bottle of wine you've been saving, set the EQ/bass levels to your liking and enjoy this musical masterpiece. LDNB4Autism is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Please know 100%% of all sales and streams donated to students and teachers for autism research. Your support is deeply appreciated. What are some people saying about this release? LTJ BUKEM: 'Wicked tunes' Grammy-nominated artist Jay Cappo a.k.a. DJ Stunna - 'Another great album of refined DNB'

Tracklist:
1. A Sides – Delicate Beginnings
2. Big Bud – Look Deeper
3. Furney – Destiny Unfolding Within
4. A Sides & Tali – Rise To The Top
5. Big Bud – Eva
6. Furney – The Way To Get To You [The Glory Tribute Remix]
7. Furney – Fantastic Passion
8. Big Bud – Purple People
9. A Sides – Heatwave
10. Furney – Carson
11. Big Bud – Green It Was
12. A Sides – A Portrait Ending

Chop - MILS013: Glass Cathedral

Entry #13: Chop, engineer/producer/synthophile and sample source to the likes of DOOM and Ye, brings clerestory electronic and psychedelic grooves. Featuring Malcolm Catto.

Tracklist:
1. Out to Lunch, Pt. 1
2. Oscillo
3. Mutant
4. Monolith
5. Trigger
6. Omilation
7. Glass Cathedral
8. Strange Dream
9. Out to Lunch, Pt. 2
10. Patchwork
11. Leuterisms
12. Flip
13. XYZ
14. Tub
15. Rioflection
16. Psycho Bubble
17. The End

Greg Foat & Gigi Masin - The Fish Factory Sessions

Fresh off the heels of their critically acclaimed collaboration album "Dolphin", UK jazz metro Greg Foat and Venetian electronic luminary Gigi Masin join forces once again for The Fish Factory Sessions, an exclusive release for Record Store Day 2024.

This mesmerising studio session was recorded during a live performance at Antonio Feola’s beloved Fish Factory Studios in London, in August 2022. The ensemble that enchanted listeners on "Dolphin" reassembles, featuring the talents of Greg Foat, Gigi Masin, Moses Boyd on drums, and Tom Herbert on bass.

Within this ambient, somewhat Balearic journey, you'll find alternate renditions of Masin's poignant tribute to his late wife, 'Sabena,' and the atmospheric 'Viento Calido,' both of which graced the original "Dolphin" release. In addition, the album introduces two fresh compositions: the uplifting 'Jubilation' and the extended freestyle opus 'Three Piece Suite,' representing some of the most inspired recordings from their collaboration to date.

Released as a limited single LP, The Fish Factory Sessions is pressed on translucent sky blue vinyl housed in an untreated card sleeve with spot varnish. Mastered by Mark Ashfield at Cosmic Audio.

Tracklist:
1. Jubilation
2. Sabena
3. Three Piece Suite
4. Viento Calido

Homeboy Sandman & Mono En Stereo - Rich II

Tracklist:
1. Don’t Even Think About It
2. People
3. Every Day
4. Need A Woman
5. Mayor Koch
6. Leave Me Alone
7. Win Win
8. Summertime
9. Thank You
10. The Place I Want To Be
11. Dream Come True

The Brkn Record - The Architecture of Oppression Part 2

Introducing "The Architecture of Oppression Part 2" - the highly anticipated follow-up to Jake Ferguson's critically acclaimed debut album - Part 1. Ferguson is recognised as the ‘other half’ of The Heliocentrics, producing his solo work under the moniker, The Brkn Record. Effortlessly merging the realms of music and activism, he has created a groundbreaking album, which is set to be one of the most important bodies of work that illustrate ongoing systemic racism this side of the millennium.

Ferguson takes the listener to a world where artistry and social consciousness intersect. Crafting an array of captivating soundscapes and themes. This album showcases the vocal talents of both established artists and hidden gems discovered through Ferguson's day-job as a former charity CEO and community activist.

While Part 1 served as a rallying cry to dismantle oppressive systems, Part 2 offers a compelling soundtrack of a Pro-Black world reclaiming its destiny. This thought-provoking art piece invites listeners to envision alternative paths while avoiding the pitfalls of past paradigms.

Unlike a broken record, this The Brkn Record album keeps pushing boundaries—

By enlisting the voices of The Global Majority, The Brkn Record creates a platform for genuine expression through sound. Renowned for his production skills, Ferguson has captured the admiration of industry heavyweights including Nas, Madlib and Kanye West. However, rather than seeking popular features, he chooses to amplify the authentic perspectives of the talented youth he collaborates with in Hackney.

One such initiative supported by Ferguson, Account Hackney, introduced him to two gifted artists showcased on this album – Great Okosun and Yolanda Lear.

‘This album serves as a visceral demonstration of my anger at the racially founded status quo in this country and globally. The continued oppression of people on the basis of their race is beyond evil, it's common place and needs to end. Simple as.’

The album also sees Ferguson joining forces with award winning laureate Anthony Joseph and legendary hip-hop MC Percee P - their dynamic and thought-provoking lyrics seamlessly intertwine with expertly produced musical landscapes.

"The Architecture of Oppression Part 2" is not just an album; it is a transformative journey that challenges the listener and wants you to ‘feel’. It’s Art. A musical experience that inspires, compels, and empowers. Over to you!

Tracklist:
1. Black Gold
2. Cut the Cheque
3. Skull Tax
4. We Need Freedom
5. Believe
6. Indifference
7. Why Do They Fear Us
8. Intensity in Five
9. Prison of Skin
10. The Walls of Jericho

Kaidi Tatham - Fusion Moves (The Instrumentals)

Reel People Music breathes new life into its gleaming vault of back catalogue classics with brand new series Fusion Moves. The series will offer talented music-makers the opportunity to remix and reinterpret label releases of their choosing, kicking off with soulful progressive Kaidi Tatham in the hot seat.

Tatham’s modus operandi is clear from the get-go. Opening selection Sebb Junior feat. Paula’s All Of My Life flows dreamily upon that trademark Tatham mix of organic beats, polished horns and immersive keys. As Paula rightly sings, “the beautiful can happen.” And keep happening…. Reel People feat. Mica Paris’ reworked I Want To Thank You gains elegant funk and boogie bounce, a bubblin b-line and those upweighted backing vocals adding new urgency and depth, whilst some extended bass-end manoeuvrings on the collective’s 2020 hit Save a Lil Love provide a hugely effective counterpoint to Eric Roberson’s super-smooth vocals.

Tatham switches things up for his re-take of The Realm x Atjazz x Kelli Sae’s deep afro-house burner On The Road, adding wonderfully carefree jazz-funk flow ‘n’ feeling replete with sweet synth solos and guitar licks. The snappy syncopated rhythms propelling Daz-I-Kue feat. Hadiya George’s Pedigree and Monkey Brothers feat. Sean Escoffery’s stunning Losin’ My Head align to the rich broken beat heritage for which most admirers associate him but, true to form, he continues to glide compellingly between mood and moves….

From the loose bass-guitar groove of Eric Ericksson & Reel People feat. Debra Debs’ Don’t Hold Back On Love and sultry strut and swagger of AAries’ Don’t Give It Up to Sebb Junior feat. Muhsinah’s infectiously jammin’ Special – lovingly framed by nimble jazz-piano play – and the liberatingly upbeat dressing applied to Tony Momrelle’s seminal Fly, Tatham’s sonic upholstery right across Fusion Moves is as skilful as it is impactful. One expert body of work built upon another.

“I know Reel People Music’s discography so well that I had a pretty immediate sense of the tracks I wanted to work with once they gave me the keys to their kingdom,” Tatham explains. “For each song I closed my eyes, imagined playing them live on stage and let the chords and musicality fire from there. My sound incorporates so many different styles, from hip-hop and broken beat to soul and disco. It’s a perfect fit for Fusion Moves. The Reel People team share my mission statement to make people dance, smile and think.”

Based in Belfast, Kaidi Tatham is the multi-instrumentalist, producer and DJ who helped to define West London’s iconic broken beat sound during the late Nineties but who has continued to operate beyond genres and pigeonholes – be that via albums including In Search Of Hope, Bandana and Don’t Rush The Process, his dance music-focused pseudonym Agent K and a raft of collaborations including those with Bugz In The Attic, 4Hero, Amp Fiddler, Amy Winehouse and Slum Village.

Reel People Music is a label borne out of the soulful success of acclaimed collective Reel People but representing so much more. Launched in late 2009, the imprint has built a fiercely loyal international fanbase through its passion for artist development, musicianship, song-craft and soulful groove. Label alumni include Tony Momrelle, Portia Monique, The Layabouts, Kelli Sae, Sebb Junior, Opolopo, Angela Johnson, Emmaculate and Mothers Favorite Child.

Expect to hear further Fusion Moves in the coming months. Fresh twists on quality songs and sounds. Always with soulful authenticity at the heart.

Tracklist:
1. Sebb Junior – All Of My Life (Kaidi Tatham Instrumental Remix)
2. The Realm – On The Road (Kaidi Tatham Instrumental Remix)
3. Reel People – I Want To Thank You (Kaidi Tatham Instrumental Remix)
4. Daz-I-Kue – Pedigree (Kaidi Tatham Instrumental Remix)
5. Eric Ericksson – Don’t Hold Back On Love (Kaidi Tatham Instrumental Remix)
6. Reel People – Save A Lil Love (Kaidi Tatham Instrumental Remix)
7. Aaries – Don’t Give It Up (Kaidi Tatham Instrumental Remix)
8. Monkey Brothers – Losin’ My Head (Kaidi Tatham Instrumental Remix)
9. Sebb Junior – Special (Kaidi Tatham Instrumental Remix)
10. Tony Momrelle – Fly (Kaidi Tatham Instrumental Remix)