Ezra Collective - Dance, No One's Watching

'Dance, No One's Watching' is an ode to the sacred, yet joyous act of dancing, an album that musically guides you through a night out in the city, from the opening of possibilities as a new evening spans out ahead, to dawn’s final hours as the night comes to a close.

Written during a blistering 2023 which saw Ezra Collective tour the world, and become the first jazz act to win the Mercury Prize, Dance, No One's Watching is a documentation of the many dance floors they encountered. From London to Chicago, Lagos to Sydney, dance and rhythm connect us. These songs are a testament to that spirit.

The album was recorded at Abbey Road studios, where the band was surprised by a group of close friends and family, turning the sessions into a live communal celebration of love, music, and dancing.

'Dance, No One's Watching' is a record that speaks to the unifying power of dance. Set for release in September 2024, it is a powerful and distinctive addition to a catalogue that continues to blaze a bold new trail in contemporary British music.

Tracklist:
1. Intro
2. The Herald
3. Palm Wine
4. cloakroom link up. (Act 1)
5. God Gave Me Feet For Dancing (feat. Yazmin Lacey)
6. Ajala
7. The Traveller
8. in the dance. (Act 2)
9. N29
10. No One's Watching Me (feat. Olivia Dean)
11. our element. (Act 3)
12. Hear My Cry
13. Shaking Body
14. Expensive
15. Streets is Calling (feat. M.anifest and Moonchild Sanelly)
16. lights on. (Act 4)
17. Why I Smile
18. Have Patience
19. Everybody

VA - If Music presents: You Need This! An Introduction to The Handson Family

This BBE released compilation is seriously a must have in any Black Music lover's collection.

Compiled by the London DJ and promoter duo of husband and wife team, the Handson Family, as part of the massively important If Music presents: You Need This series and released on the UK's foremost independent Black Music label, An Introduction to the Handson Family has Black Music heritage coursing through it's tracks.

With a tracklist that includes music from Emanative, the much missed genius of south London's Ty, Cecilia Statin, Xantone Blacq and more, the album that Cyndi and Christian have put together is one that sheds light on the high quality and considered variety of selections in their DJ sets (Including Cross the Tracks, Southport Weekender and We Out Here), their hugely influential Off The Shelf radio show on Soho Radio and their south London residencies.

If you are looking for knowledge in what is the sounds and styles of Black Music genres in recent years then this is a compilation that will be an education in absolute brilliance, if you are aware of these artists and tracks then this is a release that brings them together in a DJ set style of the highest order and if you are so far unaware of the Handson Family and their undoubted influence on south London place in the capital's (and the Uk's) club culture then here is their calling card.

Releasing as both digital and a double vinyl LP, If Music presents You Need This: An Introduction to the Handson Family is simply superb and is unapologetically Black Music selected by Black DJs for everybody.

Tracklist:
1. Emanative - We Travel The Spacebeats
2. Ty - Dreams
3. MckNasty - Sundown (feat. The Mac SiStars)
4. Cecilia Stalin - CPW
5. The Nabatean - Hangers On
6. Souled - Dancing on Holiday
7. One51 - Bring Me to Your Life (feat. Heidi Vogel)
8. P'taah - Staring at the Sun
9. Xantone Blacq - Search for the Sun (Platinum Remix)
10. Ian O'Brien - Love Beams
11. Outside - Moodswing (feat. Cleveland Watkiss)
12. Jazz Chronicles - Bologna
13. Shur-I-Kan - Bedtime Stories
14. Tommy Rawson - Illusions

VA - Mr Bongo Record Club, Vol. 7

Optimo - "Epic Collection - thank you as always."

Hunee - "real music!"

Laurent Garnier - "TOP QUALITY MUSIC as always. Full support from me”

It's a pleasure, a labour of love and a yearly highlight to present a new volume of the Mr Bongo Record Club series. In this collection, we have curated new finds alongside old, treasured tracks that hold a special place in our hearts, selecting music inspiring us from the Brazilian, Latin, soul, disco, gospel, cosmic, dancehall and downtempo genres. We have chosen a diverse array of artists, including Os Panteras from Brazil, stomping underground disco by Claude Jay, the Danish soul sounds of Gitte & Inger and the gospel excellence of Truth & Devotion, to name a few.

Most of the selections in this volume are older vintage productions, however, there is one very special contemporary production, recorded exclusively for Mr Bongo Record Club 7. For ‘Spring Has Sprung’, we linked three of our cherished musical family together; the legendary cult artist Asha Puthli, the wondrous band SOYUZ and Swedish maestro Sven Wunder. The result, as you’d expect, is completely breathtaking.

Reflecting on Volume 7, it now feels like a record comprised of two themes. Firstly, we have gone quite heavy on the Brazilian selections. This saw us searching further afield and digging into other areas of the endlessly rich Brazilian musical tapestry. The reflection of a more folk / Afro-Brazilian sound than presented in previous volumes in the series, can be heard in the songs of As Sublimes, Romeu Fernandes and Conjunto de Percussão Dora Pinto. The second theme is a representation of the tracks that we have been playing in our club DJ sets and are aimed more at the dancefloor. Disco tracks such as 'Come Inside' by The Shades of Love and The Duncans' 'Too Damn Hot' have been firmly tested favourites in recent years.

We hope these songs, by the sensational artists on display, inspire you as much as they do us. Music is the gift that keeps giving and there is so much more to learn, find, and share.

Tracklist:
1. Dudu Moraes - Eloiá
2. Big Boss Vette - Upa Neguinho
3. As Sublimes - Mangueira É Canção
4. Os Panteras - O Espaço
5. Chico Evangelista - Frutas & Línguas
6. Roman Andrén - Captain's Sword
7. Romeu Fernandes - Nagô Naê
8. Conjunto de Percussão Dora Pinto - Noite de Temporal
9. Gitte & Inger - Ud Af Buret
10. Truth & Devotion - Bless My Soul
11. Judson Moore - Everybody Push And Pull
12. Willy Chirino - Africa
13. Chain Reaction - Search For Tomorrow
14. Claude Jay - Find Your Light (Read the Signs of Time)
15. The Shades Of Love - Come Inside
16. Thandi Zulu & The Young Five - Love Games
17. Tony Wilson - Hangin' Out In Space (Dub Mix)
18. Jc Lodge - In Between The Sheets
19. СОЮЗ - Spring Has Sprung (feat. Asha Puthli & Sven Wunder)

Thee Sacred Souls - Got a Story to Tell

The highly anticipated follow-up to Thee Sacred Souls's breakout 2022 self-titled debut, Got A Story To Tell, features 12 all original new songs, a soaring statement of exquisite craftsmanship from this young band from San Diego whose story grows bigger by the day. Recorded and produced by Gabriel Roth at Penrose Recorders, in Daptone’s Riverside, CA studio, and written in the throes of supporting their 2022 album - which was met with significant excitement and major touring that brought them across the world.

What swirls together on Got A Story To Tell is an appreciation of decades of soul music, and beyond - a sound and feel that is timeless, lived in, and very much in the now. Album opener “Lucid Girl” champions independent women, set to some of the toughest sounding drums and bass the band has yet to put to tape. “Waiting On The Right Time” slinks with a touch of slow-burning psychedelia. A plea for empathy punctuates “One and the Same,” with Lane singing: “We’re one and the same, I feel one day / We learn to live with each other / In love, not fear / Just for a moment, why can’t we be together.” “On My Mind” is a sweeping orchestration, with Lane navigating the complexities of finding happiness while balancing the good with the bad. The album is punctuated with strings and squelching guitar, trundling piano, pops of conga, horns - it makes for a thrilling, layered listen that rewards with multiple spins.

Tracklist:
1. Lucid Girl
2. Price I'll Pay
3. Live For You
4. On My Mind
5. Waiting on the Right Time
6. Losing Side of Love
7. Somebody Knew
8. My Heart is Drowning
9. Stuck in the Mud
10. In the Mirror
11. One and the Same
12. I'm So Glad I Found You, Baby

Alix Perez - Entanglements

Acclaimed electronic music producer Alix Perez announces the release of his latest long player, Entanglements. This eagerly anticipated project showcases his innovative approach to the drum & bass genre, blending soulful melodies, intricate rhythms, and atmospheric soundscapes. Known for his ability to push the boundaries of electronic music, Alix Perez has once again delivered an album that resonates with both long-time fans and new listeners. Entanglements features a collection of tracks that seamlessly intertwine elements of hip hop, R&B, and ambient with the driving beats and deep basslines characteristic of drum & bass.

Entanglements revisits my love for sampling and sample manipulation. Tinged in soulful tones, it is a melange of intertwining compositions that highlight the musical side of my production - Alix Perez

Tracklist:
1. Entanglements
2. In Your Eyes
3. Elastic Soul
4. R2R
5. Kauri (feat. Visages)
6. False Promises
7. Dark Pulse
8. Continual Emotion

VA - Jazz Dispensary: The Golden Hour

Get ready to immerse yourself in a world where the soundscapes of sunbaked sands and the cold sea breeze blend together seamlessly to create one dank groove blast. We proudly present The Golden Hour: a new compilation of sizzlers that evoke the feeling of floating on a cool, lone wave while soaking in the last sunbeams of the day, with tunes from renowned groove masters Johnny Hammond, Sonny Rollins, Chico Hamilton, Vince Guaraldi, Catalyst, and more. Coming to participating record stores all over the world on November 29th for RSD Black Friday and available to stream now, the artwork for The Golden Hour features artwork from acclaimed visual artist Kamil Czapiga, who filmed special color inks reacting to songs from the album with microscopic cameras to create the cover art.

The Golden Hour compilation opens with “Web,” an energizing, yet laid-back cut off pianist Hampton Hawes’ 1974 LP, Northern Windows. The recording, led by the great David Axelrod, features drums and bass by legendary session players Spider Webb and Carol Kaye, respectively. Next is “Soul Talk,” the uptempo title track off organist Johnny “Hammond” Smith’s 1969 LP, followed by Sonny Rollins’ funky “Newkleus.” The track, which appeared on the saxophonist’s 1975 album, Nucleus, was composed by frequently sampled R&B star James Mtume, who also delivers a heady dose of standout guitar licks. Cornetist Nat Adderley closes out the set with the hard bop–infused “Fortune’s Child,” off his 1978 album, A Little New York Midtown Music.

The breeze picks up on side B with “Cántaro,” a bold and sultry number (penned by Axelrod) off saxophonist Gene Ammons’ 1974 LP, Brasswind, followed by Vince Guaraldi’s “Little Birdie,” a hip 1973 cue for Peanuts sidekick Woodstock (and featuring a rare vocal performance by the best-selling pianist/composer). Drummer Chico Hamilton chills down the vibes with “Gengis,” a soulful and languid instrumental off his 1973 collab with Little Feat, The Master. Rounding out the album is “Suite for Albeniz,” a seductive Eastern-influenced selection from Philly fusion pioneers Catalyst, off 1976’s A Tear and a Smile. Don’t get lost in the weeds!

Tracklist:
1. Hampton Hawes – Web (Remastered 2024)
2. Johnny "Hammond" Smith – Soul Talk–1970 (Remastered 2024)
3. Sonny Rollins – Newkleus (Remastered 2024)
4. Nat Adderley – Fortune's Child (Remastered 2024)
5. Gene Ammons – Cántaro (Remastered 2024)
6. Vince Guaraldi Trio – Little Birdie
7. Chico Hamilton – Gengis
8. Catalyst – Suite For Albeniz (Remastered 2024)

Bilal - Adjust Brightness

Tracklist:
1. Adjust Brightness
2. Sunshine
3. Evr Chngin Nrml
4. The Story
5. Tell Me
6. A2Z
7. Lay Around
8. Who We R Now
9. Quantum Universe
10. Conditional
11. Micro Macro

Black Artist Group - For Peace and Liberty, In Paris dec 1972

INCREDIBLE LONG-LOST PERFORMANCE BY THE MYTHICAL BLACK ARTIST GROUP RECORDED LIVE IN PARIS, 1972. THESE RECORDINGS ARE BAG'S FIRST OFFICIAL RELEASE IN 50 YEARS AND ONLY THEIR SECOND ALBUM - ISSUED IN COLLABORATION WITH THE GROUP AND INA.

Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the release of BAG's first album since 1973, "For Peace and Liberty", recorded in Paris in Dec. 1972 when the musicians had recently arrived from St Louis. BAG only released one album during their existence, the cult classic "In Paris, Aries 1973". This long-lost performance, recorded at Maison de l'ORTF in optimal conditions just a few months previously, was thought lost until recently unearthed from the vaults of INA (Institut National de l’Audiovisuel). Here the group unleashes an incandescent 35-minute set mixing free improvisation and spiritual jazz with funk grooves. Released in partnership with the band and INA with audio remastered from the original tapes.

Tracklist:
1. For Peace and Liberty Part 1
2. For Peace and Liberty Part 2
3. For Peace and Liberty Part 3
4. For Peace and Liberty Part 4
5. For Peace and Liberty Part 5
6. For Peace and Liberty Part 6

Fred P - Life Becomes Better When You Spend Your Private Time with Deep Music

Fred P, a pioneering force in underground dance music, unveils his latest LP, Life Becomes Better When You Spend Your Private Time with Deep Music. Far from being just a compilation of tracks, this album is a meditative experience for the true connoisseur, offering an immersive journey into the heart of global nightlife. Composed of unreleased material, the LP encapsulates the spirit of the underground, seamlessly blending the distinct vibes of New York, Berlin, and Tokyo.

Fred P, often hailed as a futurist in deep music, recorded much of this album in the intimate confines of his hotel rooms, transforming fleeting moments into lasting, immersive soundscapes. Each track embodies the spirit of the city where it was born, yet they all resonate with Fred P’s signature depth, offering a profound connection to the dance floors where the night is sacred, and the music is a shared journey.

Life Becomes Better When You Spend Your Private Time with Deep Music is not just for casual listeners—it's for those who truly appreciate the depth and introspection that define the underground. This album serves as both a personal reflection and a collective experience, a reminder that the future of deep music is being shaped by an artist who continues to push the boundaries, inviting us all to join in this meditative exploration.

Tracklist:
1. In To The Night
2. Uncertain But Sure
3. Euphoria
4. Accept With Gratitude
5. Glad To Be Early
6. Back To Paradise
7. Shine
8. The World Of Myth
9. Better Than Expected
10. When The Sun Rise
11. Walking In The Day

Dr Rubberfunk - Ectopic Beats Volume 1 (Limited Edition Casette)

‘Ectopic Beats Volume 1’ is the first in a series of newly arranged unreleased recordings from the archive of UK producer and multi-instrumentalist Simon Ward - aka Dr Rubberfunk. His first solo music since releasing ‘My Life At 45’ in 2020 - an album lauded by BBC 6 Music (UK), Bandcamp Daily and awarded a prestigious Sélection FIP on FIP Radio (FR) - the origins of the music presented here span the entire 25 years of his music producing career and are firmly rooted in his love of sampling and the mesmeric qualities of a good loop.

Discussing the new project, Simon elaborated on the thought processes behind Volume 1. “After moving studio in 2021, I was doing a lot of sorting & clearing, both of gear and files on hard drives, and I realised that the large number of tracks had been sat in a folder marked TO BE FINISHED was really starting to get me down. Sitting there reminding me that in some way I’d failed by not completing them. So, in 2022 I began sorting them out, rediscovering what was there, and I found that plenty were far more complete than I remembered. A handful were already full instrumental ‘songs’, others still existed as simpler beats with nothing more than a hypnotic 2 bar loop, they’d just never found a home. I felt that with a bit of cutting and pasting they could form a cohesive album, built around the idea that the songs didn’t have to be anything other than they already were - music that I was enjoying listening to over and over.”

Pulling in a pair of features from long time friends and associates Titeknots & Buddy Peace - both heavyweight producers with a very strong pedigree in racking and stacking a sample or two - also aided the creative process, and it was at this point that the idea of a beat tape style release began to crystallise. Simon admits that the process of ‘starting to finish’ these older beats had him “falling back in love with sampling”, quickly leading to the creation of brand new tracks as he settled on a sound and direction for the album.

“I went marauding back through my record collection, pulling out LPs that I’d tagged with post-it notes at some point decades ago, nothing rare or extraordinary or never-heard-before, just interesting stuff in all styles & that I’d always wanted to do something with, but not gotten round to. Lots of these dusty and wobbly samples were useful glue as I started cutting different demos together, also treating my own recordings as samples, using ideas previously recorded on drums, guitar, keyboards or bass and put to one side ‘for later’.”

Later, for once, is finally now!

Tracklist:
1. Time To Relax (feat. Titeknots)
2. Memories Down
3. Glad About It
4. Well I Might (Interlude)
5. Slowly, Surely
6. I Know Ya
7. Now (Interlude)
8. Swing King
9. Holla
10. Cymbal Socking (feat. Buddy Peace)
11. Shadows Lengthen Into Darkness
12. Heavy Over Easy
13. Au Contraire
14. Hot Hits (Interlude)
15. Montmarte 1540
16. Half Nelson
17. Woodland Break
18. Night On The Dials

Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works Volume II (Expanded Edition)

Selected Ambient Works Volume II (Expanded Edition) releases on Oct 4, 2024, celebrating the original album’s 30th anniversary. Written when Aphex Twin (Richard D. James) was in his early 20s, the album gained critical acclaim both upon release and retrospectively (10/10 Pitchfork review, #2 Best Ambient Album of All Time, 4 star Rolling Stone review +more). Aphex Twin and SAW II’s influence continues to grow and take new meaning across generations.

CD1
01. #1
02. #2
03. #3
04. #4
05. #5
06. #6
07. #7
08. #8
09. #9

CD2
01. #10
02. #11
03. #12
04. Blue Calx
05. #14
06. #15
07. #16
08. #17
09. #18
10. #19

CD3
01. #20
02. #21
03. #22
04. #23
05. #24
06. #25
07. Th1 [Evnslower]
08. Rhubarb Orc. 19.53 Rev

Walter Smith III - three of us are from Houston and Reuben is not

Saxophonist Walter Smith III pays homage to his hometown of Houston, Texas on his sophomore Blue Note album, three of us are from Houston and Reuben is not, the follow-up to 2023’s return to casual. The album’s wry title signifies the lineup, which includes fellow Houston natives – pianist Jason Moran and drummer Eric Harland – while bassist Reuben Rogers, who hails from the Virgin Islands, rounds out the quartet. Together they enliven 10 compelling Smith originals and an imaginative rendering of a Sam Rivers composition – all of which speaks to Smith’s ascending status as one of modern jazz’s most engaging talents of his generation.

Tracklist:
1. seesaw
2. Gangsterism on Moranish
3. 24
4. Misanthrope's Hymn
5. Cézanne
6. 610 Loop
7. Point of Many Returns
8. Montrose Nocturne
9. Office Party Music
10. A Brief Madness
11. Lone Star

Floating Points - Cascade

Sam Shepherd aka Floating Points has announced his new album Cascade will be released on 13 September via Ninja Tune. Along with the announcement Shepherd has shared lead single 'Key103' which comes with visuals continuing his ongoing collaboration with Tokyo based artist Akiko Nakayama.

Cascade is an eruption of unfinished business. In late 2022, Shepherd – renowned for drifting between genres as freely as his stage name implies – found himself in the Californian desert working on something new. Mere Mortals, his first ballet score, created with the San Francisco Ballet, was to be a collision of sound and dance exploring the ancient parable of Pandora through the prism of technology. "It was one of quite a few left turns I was taking around that time", recalls Shepherd. You can say that again: Promises, his multiple end-of-year-list-topping previous record, released in 2021, had seen him swap his typical modular synth tapestries and intricate drum patterns for airy dreamscapes, crafted with late legendary saxophonist Pharoah Sanders and the London Symphony Orchestra. It was a collaboration so popular, a Mercury Prize nomination and sold-out show at the Hollywood Bowl in September 2023 followed.

Between these projects and an upcoming anime score for Adult Swim - from the outside it might have seemed as though Shepherd was departing the dance floor for good. But as he wrote his ballet score by day, at night he found himself longing for the sweaty communion of a dance floor. For the pulse-racing abandon of electronic music.

Shepherd released Crush, his rave-reviewed second studio album, in November 2019. It was hailed as one of the albums of that year by Pitchfork, The Independent, Mixmag, Loud And Quiet and more – "but I never got to explore its ravey, experimental side live", laments the musician, whose world tour was cancelled due to lockdown. Cascade was devised as a follow-on from Crush that would allow him (and audiences) to experience Floating Points in its traditional form on a dancefloor once more: bursting with Buchla rhythms, glitching melodies bewitching a room full of heaving bodies. "It’s meant to be kind of a continuation", adds Shepherd. This explains Cascade’s artwork: another colourful sleeve, full of fluid imagery (created once more by Akiko Nakayama). It also explains its evocative title: like Crush, one word that implies movement, beauty and pressure. Most importantly, it explains its mesmerising sound: sumptuous sonic chasms to lose yourself in again and again.

Creating the album stripped Shepherd back. Not only in terms of his set-up – "I have a studio at home with all the gear I usually use, but I wasn’t there so I had to use my laptop, doing it all on headphones", he says – but in terms of his connection to electronic music, and to his home city where his love of music first flourished. "There’s something about Manchester that keeps coming back to me, and I think it’s partly to do with its record shops", says the producer, who found himself instinctively naming tracks after local landmarks and institutions. "As a kid, my school was around the corner from the Northern Quarter so at lunchtimes, I’d run out of the school gates and skip lunch altogether to go and listen to records. I’m sure I was a total pain in the arse constantly pulling records off the shelves", he laughs, "but it was amazing. I’d be listening to Autechre at Pelican Neck, Dilla at Fat City, David Morales mixes at the Factory Records shop… It gave me a parallel education in music to what I was being taught at school". This can be found in multiple tracks on the album including lead single 'Key103' - named after "an underground Manchester radio station I’d listen to religiously" that helped expand his music sensibilities beyond the classical composers he focused on in his academic work (Shepherd studied composition at Chetham's School of Music).

Other tracks took inspiration from the dust bowl surroundings off the Californian desert, but make no mistake: Cascade is a record forged in an adolescence spent in Manchester, discovering the mind-expanding (and emotion-purging) power of electronic music in all its forms. Though devised as a continuation of Crush, Cascade nonetheless pushes Floating Points’ sound forward into new places. The nine songs here are allowed to smoulder and spark for up to eight minutes at a time, allowing for more expansive exploration of sounds and grooves than before. Almost a decade on since Elaenia, his revered debut album, the composer has discovered ways to thread his experiments outside of club music seamlessly into his music designed for the dancefloor. "I’m just constantly chasing challenges", says Shepherd, explaining how this album fits into his ever-expanding web of creative projects, of which there are many. "I always want to keep things moving and go all in on things that excite me. Whether that’s working with a 100-piece orchestra on a ballet or on a laptop on my own", Shepherd grins. Cascade is the proof – when it comes to electronic innovation and simmering tracks that stand hairs on end, Floating Points will always, always have unfinished business.

Tracklist:
1. Vocoder (Club Mix)
2. Key103
3. Birth4000
4. Del Oro
5. Fast Forward
6. Ocotillo
7. Afflecks Palace
8. Tilt Shift
9. Ablaze

VA - Sister Funk Special

When the late, great James Brown (God rest his funky soul) gave us 'It's a Man's Man's World' over 50 years ago, the musical declaration went further than the lyrical content – funk was man's music. Brown's funk was pure soul but with hard, aggressive rhythms that did away with much of the sentimentality and sweet flourishes of the more orthodox soul sound at that time. However, when Brown added to those lyrics the one crucial caveat, 'it would be nothing, without a woman or a girl' he was leaving the door open for many a female vocalist to lay down a heartfelt, feminine and soulful cry. And when female vocals are backed up with tough, syncopated and funky rhythms, a bewitching, intoxicating and irresistible brew is created.

When released on vinyl & CD in 2007, Ian Wright's hugely popular Sister Funk collection saw the renowned collector and DJ drawing on his phenomenal hoard of rare funk 45's, mixing up the ultra rare, the classic and the downright impossible to demonstrate how a female funk compilation really should be done. Sister Funk 2 managed to rock the funk world and make instant classics of previously unknown songs, whilst Ian's fixation with these obscure female gems, many of which were plucked from unsuspecting soul dealers throughout the '90s, had suddenly spawned a new genre that would be uttered in reverence by funk collectors, DJs and ebay listings across the globe.

Tracklist:
1. Dolly Gilmore - Sweet Sweet Baby
2. Barbara King - What I Did in the Street
3. Coletta Woodson - Follow the Wind
4. Big Ella - The Queen
5. Richi Corbin Trio - A Woman Was Made for a Man (feat. Barbara Trent)
6. Barbara Trent - Heartbreak Hotel
7. Althea Spencer - Take Me Baby
8. Cheryl Johnson - It's Not Too Late
9. Indus Publishing Co. BMI - If You Want Your Man
10. The Fabulettes - Muddy Waters
11. Keisa Brown - The Dance Man
12. Florence Trapp - Love Came into My Life

Dave Guy - Ruby

When you hear Dave Guy play his trumpet you know it is him right away. Like many of the greats before him he has a distinct tone and sensibility that sets him apart from his peers. Unless you are the type to read album credits you may never have heard his name, but you have heard him play. In fact, you have likely seen him play. Whether in person at a show or on national television he has lent his talents to a who’s who list of world famous artists both in the recording studio and on stage. And now, with his first solo LP on Big Crown Records, Dave is stepping from a band’s flank straight to the front—with a well deserved light shining directly on him and his sound.

Raised in NYC’s East Village, Dave was surrounded by hip-hop and the hustle that defined the city in the ’90s. In those formative days, he and his playing were influenced by jazz greats like Donald Byrd and Hugh Masekela but also by the Native Tongue sounds of A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul. His time at LaGuardia Performing Arts High School furthered this path. Dave remembers sharing playing time with Big Crown co-founder Leon Michels and drumming powerhouse Homer Steinweiss. “Being in the All-City Jazz Big Band, I would see them rehearsing all the time,” Dave recalls. “They were already doing things with the Dap-Kings back then—which was crazy.” It was here Dave’s voice as a player began to take shape and continued to be refined through his studies at the Manhattan School of Music and The New School.

After a few stints with live hip-hop group Dujeous—Dave was touring with The Sugarman 3, an organ-driven soul jazz group. Through those gigs he was recruited to play with the late great Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, touring with and recording on all of her albums until her untimely passing. During those years he lent his playing to countless records from the likes of Amy Winehouse, Mark Ronson, Pharell, The Menahan Street Band, Lee Fields, Al Green, and countless others. But fast forward to now, and you may best know Dave Guy as the trumpeter playing with Black Thought, Questlove, and the rest of The Roots crew—both on tour, in the studio, and on TV with Jimmy Fallon.

On his new record Dave steps to the front of the stage with a debut album that could have only come from a seasoned veteran. It’s a record that mixes his musical influences with the energies of the city that raised him. A New York jazz record that pushes the boundaries of the genre by incorporating shades of hip hop and soul making it both unique and modern. This is what you get when someone hones their talent for years while rubbing elbows with the best of the best. As fate would have it, a classic case of “when one door shuts, another opens” was really what got the ball rolling. “I never wanted to force my own project,” Dave explains. “There was always a lot going on between things—the timing was never right.” But then, that timing finally fell into place. The Tonight Show had to pause with the writers’ strike and unexpectedly, there was a free moment. Within days Dave started recording at NYC’s fabled Diamond Mine studio with friends and longtime collaborators Homer Steinweiss and Nick Movshon. What started out as just looking to make music and create, quickly took shape and direction and they ended up laying down something wildly special and authentic. An album of songs that capture different moods and an invitation into the world as Dave Guy sees it and feels it. 

Tracklist:
1. 7th Heaven
2. Footwork
3. I'll Follow You
4. Morning Glory
5. Pinky Ring
6. Diamond Encore
7. Still Standing
8. Dave Wants You
9. Drony Boy
10. Quesodillas
11. The Green Door
12. Ruby's Rubies

Paradise Cinema - returning, dream

Paradise Cinema is a project led by multi-instrumentalist Jack Wyllie (Portico Quartet/Szun Waves) with contributions from Khadim Mbaye, Tons Sambe and Laurence Pike.

The first, eponymous, Paradise Cinema record, released in 2020, was recorded in Dakar and featured the dense rhythms of Mbalax music combining with Wyllie’s textural saxophone and synth playing.

New album ‘returning, dream’ was created in London by Wyllie with additional recordings from Dakar and Sydney. While Wyllie’s other projects move between tight-knit electronica, widescreen minimalism and improvised ambient sounds, ‘returning, dream’ contains nods to Jon Hassell, Terry Riley, Don Cherry and Midori Takada as well as more contemporary electronic, ambient and non-western music and even draws inspiration from physics and science fiction.

The album is set to be released on September 13th via Gondwana Records.

Tracklist:
1. a morning in the near future
2. returning, dream
3. python
4. tide
5. crossing
6. nowhere, home
7. night search
8. end, setting

oreglo - Not Real People DLC

Today, rising London band oreglo have announced the release of Not Real People DLC - a remixed and reworked version of their debut EP released last month via Brownswood Recordings. The band have also shared a dubstep remix of ‘opedge’ by South London producer Coki.

The ‘opedge (Coki Remix)’ is a thunderous reworking of EP favourite ‘opedge’ that fuses the band’s multi-genre melting pot of influences with club-ready dub sonics, courtesy of South London dubstep legend Coki.

oreglo expand: “Being our first project we had so many ideas for Not Real People, so at some point we had to filter through tunes and see which ones would make the project and which wouldn’t. ‘M11’ is the first tune we wrote together, which we didn’t think fitted the aesthetic of the EP, but we still wanted to release it. This along with an alternate take of ‘levels’, a remix of ‘levels’ and ‘opedge’, and a dub instrumental version of ‘comet’ produced by c-sé make up a bonus EP which we refer to as our DLC; like in video games where you have extra downloadable content.”

Across their debut EP, Not Real People, oreglo showcase their innovative take on multiple genres: freewheeling through heavy rock riffs to drill-inspired percussion and breezy reggae, the quartet have cultivated a unique sound that acts as a melting pot of all the sounds they know and love from London. It features the brand new track ‘opedge’, a wildly inventive journey through these different styles. It includes the singles ‘comet’ featuring Bel Cobain, ‘peck’, ‘levels’ and ‘J.A.C.K.’, which have seen support from NME, Clash, Notion, The Line of Best Fit, Dork, Radio 1, 1Xtra, 6Music + more.

Tracklist:
1. levels (Alternative Version)
2. comet dub
3. M11
4. levels (IZCO & Reek0 Remix)
5. opedge (Coki Remix)

VA - Shapes 25: Compiled by Robert Luis

“I gotta large up Tru Thoughts as well because it’s so important for labels to really invest in new talent and to hold them up alongside some of their mainstays and some of their more heritage artists, but also to leave room to introduce us to other artists as well” JAMZ SUPERNOVA (BBC 6MUSIC)

“A brilliant record label from Brighton” GILLES PETERSON

“Big up the Tru Thoughts massive!” SIR SPYRO (BBC 1XTRA)

“Tru Thoughts, an incredible label” JULIE ADENUGA (BEATS 1)

“The brilliant Tru Thoughts label, one of our favourites” LAUREN LAVERNE (BBC 6MUSIC)

Tru Thoughts proudly presents the 25th-anniversary edition of our ‘Shapes’ series, highlighting our catalogue from its inception in 1999 to the present day. Curated by A&R, label founder and co-owner, DJ Robert Luis, ‘Shapes 25’ is a 30-track compilation split into two parts, each exploring a different facet of our eclectic roster. Part One offers a taste of our soul, downtempo and jazz releases. Part Two highlights our club and dance floor anthems, including an exclusive, previously unreleased remix of Sandunes' "Follow Me feat. KAVYA" by the MOBO-nominated "godfather of dubstep", Zed Bias (aka Maddslinky and Phuturistix) - the dark-swing, UK bass reworking of "Follow Me" is a dubstep-influenced floor filler.

“Compiling songs to celebrate 25 years of the label was quite a task. I reached well over 100 songs before realising that I would not be able to include many artists and songs in order to make a compilation that more people would put time aside to listen to and check out. So this features artists who played a significant part in the development of the label, but I also felt it was important to include songs from recent signings too. Hopefully, this compilation will remind "day one" and early supporters about some of our artists and releases, but also show the direction the label is heading.” Robert Luis

New signee Tara Lily brings her signature sound to the compilation with 'No Way Out'. This pensive ballad blends Indian soundscapes, ethereal vocals and dark jazz textures. It is joined by a selection of our latest releases, including the broken beat stomper “Get Low” from Bruk Rogers (aka Zero T/Searchlight), Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy’s disco-ready Cosmodelica remix of Bryony Jarman-Pinto’s “Moving Forward” and Sly5thAve’s “Exodus” taken from his first full album of original orchestral arrangements, ‘Liberation’. Amongst our newer releases is “Kaleidoscope feat. Scarlett Fae”, from singer, songwriter, and producer Steven Bamidele's debut full-length release.

The compilation opens with Bonobo’s “Terrapin”, a Tru Thoughts staple taken from his breakout debut album ‘Animal Magic’, released on the label in 2001. Bonobo reappears later in the compilation as one half of Nirobi & Barakas on “Bungee Jump Against Racism”, an early collaboration with label head Robert Luis, making first-wave broken beat fused with South-Asian styles.

Among the classics are two tracks by the esteemed Quantic: "Furthest Moment" and "Look Around the Corner", where he’s joined by the universally acclaimed soulstress Alice Russell and the Combo Bárbaro. These tracks represent a glimpse into his extensive discography with Tru Thoughts, which spans over 20 projects such as ‘The 5th Exotic’, ‘Apricot Morning’, ‘Flowering Inferno’, and his notable work under "Quantic Presents The Western Transient".

Alongside “Look Around the Corner”, part one of this two-part compilation dives into Tru Thoughts essential downtempo works, featuring seminal pieces from Nostalgia 77, Hidden Orchestra, Belleruche, Kinny, Wildcookie (better known as Freddie Cruger & Anthony Mills) and The Bamboos. It also includes big tracks from the roster's aliases. For example, Lanu, the experimental side project of Lance Ferguson, guitarist and leader of The Bamboos, represents the Australian funk and soul scene with the “Dis-Information - 12" Mix”. The late Frederik Lager, known alternatively as Red Astaire and Freddie Cruger, also makes two appearances on the compilation, with "Serious Drug" and groove-laden "The Hustle" serving as a celebration of his memory.

Off the back of its use in Dua Lipa’s headline set on Glastonbury’s Pyramid stage, Flowdan’s “Welcome to London” (produced by Plastician) injects a grime showstopper to the mix. In addition to tapping into the prestigious Recording Academy of the United States via the Grammy-nominated Moonchild and Grammy-winning Hot 8 Brass Band, both featured in this celebratory edition of ‘Shapes’, the label is firmly rooted in the underground scene. Tru Thoughts has consistently supported emerging talent bubbling beneath the mainstream surface. A testament to their connection with these scenes is the signing of Zed Bias and Omar’s “Dancing feat. Fox”, which, as Robert Luis explains, was “a big tune doing the rounds on dubplate for a while before we finally released it”.

In the spirit of musical connection, a handful of standout remixes are incorporated into the tracklist. Namely, WheelUP's BBC 6 Music playlisted rendition of Tiawa's "Soldiers", a rare and iconic Brit-funk style rework by STR4TA (aka Gilles Peterson and Jean-Paul “Bluey” Maunick) of Anushka's "Bad Weather", and an extended dub of Sefi Zisling made by Mahogani and Defected Records recruit Obas Nenor.

Leading the charge on the percussive side of the roster is Magic Drum Orchestra, a powerful 20-piece collective formed by Ralph Cree and Glyn Bush (aka BiggaBush) with “Ragga Samba”. Their infectious samba-infused dance beats have also seen syncs in Vice Principals on HBO and placement in Google and Nike ads.

Closing the compilation are four tracks exemplifying the versatility of the roster, even within the club scene: Nikitch & Kuna Maze’s “La Di F…Da”, their Brazilian leaning house record, Palm Skin Productions acid-tinged, Detroit-inspired single, “Trickle Up”, jazz outfit Ebi Soda’s playful horns and breakbeat drums making up “Yoshi Orange”, and sUb_modU’s synth-heavy take on Fela Kuti’s classic “Expensive Shit”, supported by the late Virgil Abloh.

The artwork design for 'Shapes 25' features on our new "25" t-shirt design, you can check them out here: tru-thoughts.bandcamp.com/merch/tru-thoughts-25-t-shirt

Tracklist:
1. Bonobo - Terrapin
2. Moonchild - The List
3. Alice Russell, Quantic, The Combo Bárbaro - Look Around the Corner
4. Nostalgia 77 - Cheney Lane
5. The Bamboos - I Don't Wanna Stop
6. Belleruche - Anything You Want (Not That)
7. Steven Bamidele, Scarlett Fae - Kaleidoscope
8. Hidden Orchestra - Spoken
9. Flowdan - Welcome to London (Radio Edit)
10. Tara Lily - No Way Out
11. Wildcookie - Serious Drug
12. Kinny, Souldrop - Water for Chocolate
13. Sly5thAve - Exodus
14. Sefi Zisling, Layla Moallem, Jasmin Moallem, KerenDun - The Sky Sings (Obas Nenor's Extended Dub)
15. Hot 8 Brass Band - Sexual Healing
16. Quantic - Furthest Moment
17. Omar, Zed Bias, Fox - Dancing
18. Bruk Rogers - Get Low
19. Tiawa - Soldiers (WheelUP Remix)
20. Lanu - Dis-Information (12" Mix)
21. Freddie Cruger, Red Astaire - The Hustle
22. Anushka - Bad Weather (STR4TA Remix)
23. Bryony Jarman-Pinto - Moving Forward (Cosmodelica Remix)
24. Magic Drum Orchestra - Ragga Samba
25. Nirobi, Barakas, Robert Luis - Bungee Jump Against Racism
26. Nikitch, Kuna Maze - La Di F... Da
27. Palm Skin Productions - Trickle Up
28. Ebi Soda - Yoshi Orange (Radio Edit)
29. sUb_modU - Expensive Shit
30. Sandunes, Kavya, Zed Bias - Follow Me (Zed Bias Remix)

Jazzbois - Still Blunted

Late-night jams in their new studio sees Jazzbois return to their beat-tape roots on 'Still Blunted'

Having established themselves as one of the leading live bands in Europe grooving in improvised jazz motifs and hip-hop beats, Budapest trio Jazzbois return with their fourth LP Still Blunted that sees them touch base with their beat-tape roots.

Now situated in the heart of Buda at their new studio above a club, the Hungarian trio of Bencze Molnár (Rhodes/synth), Viktor Sági (bass) and Tamás Czirják (drums) take a more considered approach to Still Blunted and offer a snapshot into the jams, sessions, and shows they have played over the past year. The new album comes after performing at the legendary Montreux Jazz Festival this summer and will be followed by a European tour in October.

Inspired by contemporaries Domi and JD Beck, Kiefer, Nala Sinephro, and the sounds of Radio Juicy, Jazzbois have been more critical of their track selection for the sequel to their Goes Blunt albums. They’ve ripped up their playbook of producing records in a matter of days and took their time to approach the record through reworking their favourite tracks recorded over the past year.

“We’re trying to keep the same formula but there was a lot of thought gone into the process of making an improvised jam sound like a song. It has to be good in the moment, and we chose the ones we felt were expressive and resonated the most with us musically. We focus on our feelings in the moment and have trust in our own taste and music visions.”

The trio’s new studio has offered them the space and time to get the best out of their creativity. “This new spot is a Jazzbois headquarters. It’s above this club, sometimes there's a DJ playing outside on the street – everyday there's something on and lots of people coming and going. We hang out for the whole day and just record anything or edit.”

Jazzbois are a part of the rich, underground jam scene in Budapest, and those improvised-led sessions have fed into Still Blunted. One of their late-night jams turned after-parties produced sketches for tracks they selected for the album.

“It was the end of a wild night celebrating getting the album done. We’re having a jam and we looked around while we were recording and there was twenty people smoking and drinking around us – half of them we didn't even know who they are. It turned into an open after-party where people were coming to ours from the club. It was very spontaneous and unexpectedly, we made five or six new songs we ended up using for the album.”

The ethos of those unplanned, open jams is something they carry through into their live shows, as they never rehearse so their music can develop freely. Their trusted fourth ‘live’ member DomBeats joins them on Still Blunted adding saxophone to some of the psychedelic-tinged beats, such as on singles Shangri La and Chrome. After recently digging back into 70s and 80s jazz, discovering more hip-hop sampled tracks, and absorbing the breaks and high-energy of footwork and juke, these influences come through strong across Still Blunted.

The footwork sound is replicated in the shuffling, busy drums of Shangri La, with the echoing guitar twang reminiscent of a sample you may hear on an MF Doom beat. “Shangri La was a catalyst for the new album. It reflects on our trip to America and SXSW. We played at this venue Shangri La. The Texan air and sun are in that track.”

Chrome takes on a much more furious style of playing that allows for the drums to cascade and flow along with the pulsating, chromatic bass line, with the synths and saxophone spiralling into an engrossing frenzy. The liquidy keys and synths glides over the bass on Flute Thang, creating a 70s jazz-funk vibe that stands out from the rest of the album.

With hundreds of thousands of monthly listeners across Spotify and Apple Music, they have become a playlist staple that has earned them millions of streams since their debut release Jazzbois Goes Blunt in 2019. As more live dates are booked for the Hungarian trio, Jazzbois continue to transform the traditional jazz trio sound into deep, groove-led beats on Still Blunted.

1. SHANGRI LA
2. PADOS
3. LAVA VALLEY
4. CHROME
5. DARKER THAN DISCO
6. TOOHI
7. ISSI
8. CASPER
9. MOKEP
10. FLUTE THANG
11. BUDAPEST PULL UP

Terrace Martin - Nintindo Soul

Tracklist:
1. The Bag of Wooden Nickels
2. Solo feat. Arin Ray & Elena Pinderhughes
3. Veggie Patty (feat. 808vic)
4. Read the Room (feat. Cautious Clay)
5. The Possibilities of Impossible
6. Forever (feat. 9th Wonder)
7. Confusional (feat. Malaya & Buddy)
8. Smoke & Mirrors (feat. JasonMartin)
9. Can I Love You (feat. Preston Harris)
10. Madness (feat. 24kGoldn)
11. Love (Crenshaw Mix)

Pale Jay - Low End Love Songs

“Low End Love Songs”, more so than previous releases, is a diary in form of song. I knew I just had to wait for the songs to be ready to be picked, like ripe fruit from a tree. The entire album came together in just four weeks, a process that was both cathartic and joyful.

Each tune encapsulates a distinct moment in my life, with music serving as my means of processing complex and sometimes conflicting emotions.

In this album, I depart from loop-based song structures towards more intricate and lush compositions. Latin influences permeate the music, adding new layers of rhythms and textures to my soul-music roots.

- Pale Jay

Admittedly, I'm not a great salesperson when it comes to running our little label. I do my best not to give into hyperbole or build something up too intensely if someone has not heard a new artist yet. I prefer to simply present the music and let the listener decide how they feel about it. However, we live in an age when the "story" put together by publicists, labels, and managers are often the driving force of an artist's ascension into the zeitgeist. And for me, that's always felt rather artificial, even when the narrative is genuine.

But every once in a while, a project comes along that takes on a life of its own. And I can say without a doubt that the growth of Pale Jay's reach since we first started working with him has little to do with conjured narratives or clever marketing, but more to do with how the music makes the listener feel. It's that simple. In fact, Jay is so enigmatic and without a narrative that the mere absence of a story has become the story. Who is he? Where is he from? What's next?

Some questions are better left unanswered in my opinion, my friend. Including the question, "Why does this music make me feel so much?" You're better off just sitting back, disconnecting, and letting Low End Love Songs by Pale Jay wrap you up. Enjoy and spread the good word.

— Terry Cole

Tracklist:
1. The Simple Days
2. Quadris De Ouro
3. Baby
4. Branch By Branch
5. The Garden
6. Floating On A Memory
7. Spend More Time With Your Friends
8. Love Around The World
9. Easy, Lee

The Gaslamp Killer, Jason Wool - ANANDA

Excited to share this new project with you just in time for Bandcamp Friday! My brother Jason Wool and I have been working on this unique collaborative 33 minute avant-garde experimental jazz, meets bass music, meets sound design madness, like nothing you've ever heard before! Featuring original artwork by CRYPTIK!

Kelly Hibbert of Almachrome mastering said this of the music: "Imagine something like Stanley Clark, David Axelrod, and Aphex Twin - if they were all 20 years old today and they got together to jam while on heroic doses. Absolute face-melting mayhem"

Pre Orders for the deluxe LP are now SOLD OUT. Digital downloads are still available. The rest of the stock is available on CUSS RECORDS DOT COM

Prepare for this insanely detailed single 12" LP vinyl pressing. Featuring ultra deluxe case-wrapped (tip-on) GOLD FOIL jackets. BLACK VINYL in a poly lined inner sleeve! Only 500 available!

I am also offering this first single on a limited edition white label 7" lathe cut - only 25 available! Hand cut in Los Angeles by DJ A-1! Each record is unique and will play forever, unlike a traditional old school lathe cut!

Everything that doesn't go in the next 24 hours will be available on The rest of the stock is available on CUSS RECORDS DOT COM NOW. They will also be available through HHV and Mr. Bongo for my European and UK audiences in early October!

Tracklist:
1. Intro
2. Chaos in the Brain
3. Mystic Memories
4. Cartoons
5. Eternal Souls
6. Ring Fingers
7. Hiccups
8. Chaos in the Brain (club edit)
9. Outro

Knxwledge. - VGM.36

Tracklist:
1. 1. mercy
2. 2. (MRE)proof
3. 3. frio
4. 4. dnkntst
5. 5. sohna
6. 6. 4nevr
7. 7. jookbox
8. 8. wants

Lampen - Halogen

Finnish duo Lampen presents their second album "Halogen" on We Jazz Records, September 20. Lampen is Kalle Kalima and Tatu Rönkkö. Kalle plays guitar, Tatu plays percussions and sampler. The band makes its home between Helsinki and Berlin, where Kalima is based. Lampen's sound is reminiscent of the wide-screen meditations of the likes of Earth and The Necks, but on a territory of their own. Think meditative deep contemporary jazz drawing from way outside of the genre's borders and landing somewhere with heightened levels of low key sonic intensity. Ideas form in time and nothing is rushed, and when you land in the full eruption of the duo's force, you get there surprisingly yet logically.

The band is touring around the album with dates including We Jazz Festival in Helsinki, appearing together on the bill with The Necks.

Tracklist:
1. Dunkelheit
2. Messner
3. Soleil du Sud 1
4. Gebirgszug
5. Glühbirne
6. Soleil du Sud 2
7. Halogen
8. Buttons
9. Schatten