VA - Peace Chant Vol.8 - More Private Jazz from Germany 1974-1986

The term “private” is used quite liberally in the promotion of rare groove compilations these days. The team at Tramp Records tends to be rather defensive when it comes to such terms. Although, and this should not be misunderstood as arrogance, label boss Tobias Kirmayer & his crew have been doing nothing else for 22 years, strictly speaking. Every compilation series from the Upper Bavarian label, be it the “Movements,” “Feeling Nice,” “Praise Poems,” or “Can You Feel It” series, specializes in independently produced music from the 1960s, 70s, and 80s released on small private labels. This means extremely time-consuming work to track down the musicians, write down their stories, and, last but not least, invest a high four-digit amount to release such compilation projects as deluxe (double) LPs and CDs.

The industrious creators of the label have already released seven volumes in the Peace Chant series. Parts 1 to 6 were single LPs with predominantly American tracks. Part 7 was the first to be dedicated to purely German productions. Furthermore, the decision was made to release a double LP with a gatefold cover, not least to accommodate the extremely comprehensive accompanying text and images.

The 8th edition once again focuses on German productions. It includes rare (Fences), unreleased (Music Community), but also the odd €10 record. The mere fact that a record is rare/expensive doesn't make it interesting for Tobias Kirmayer and his team. They are primarily interested in the music. And if a song convinces them, it makes it onto the shortlist. In fact, many established reissue labels too often ignore records or individual songs and don't re-release them simply because they are not sought after by collectors. Kirmayer and his fellow campaigners have made it their mission to combat this injustice. A good example of this would be Sabanone, a title by Büdi Siebert's formation with the wonderful name HerrGottSax. The original LP costs around €15.

In addition to presenting the music in combination with detailed information about the artists, the label has another concern close to its heart. For the sake of the environment (short delivery routes) and to support the domestic economy, the CDs and vinyl LPs are manufactured in Germany”. And the record was pressed on BIO🌿VINYL in the most environmentally friendly way possible. But enough talking. Have fun exploring!

~DJ Roman Bloecker (July 2025) 

Tracklist:
1. Jazz Workshop Ensemble - Aya Tolla
2. Music Liberation Unit - Monday Morning
3. Community Music - Groove Rock
4. HerrGottSax - Sabanone (Schlachtruf Der Affen)
5. Ad Libitum - Take Five
6. Fences - Mein Alter Hut
7. Spirit - Work Song
8. BZN-Big Band - Nr. 6
9. Ulmer Jazz Quintet - Grandfathers Waltz
10. Brainstream - B27
11. Trio Wolf-Sperl-Bräuer - Bulgarian Flirt

Modeselektor - DJ-Kicks: Modeselektor

Modeselektor, one of the most original acts to emerge from Berlin's techno underground, are in a period of transition. Earlier this year, the duo — aka Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary — moved into a new studio after many years based above the infamous KitKatClub in Mitte. After more than three decades of astonishing work—spanning cult labels, critically acclaimed albums and EPs, and era-defining releases as part of Moderat—they remain at the top of their game, as hungry as ever for the freshest electronic music from around the world. In 2025, the same year DJ-Kicks and !K7 Records celebrate their 30th and 40th anniversaries respectively, the duo are finally set to deliver their edition for the vaunted mix series.

Modeselektor's passion and drive are writ large across DJ-Kicks. Contributing to the long-running series has always been on their bucket list. Then, finally, this year, the stars aligned, and they set to work on their edition of the compilation. Bronsert and Szary gathered tracks in their new studio, designed and built in collaboration with Sascha Ring, by restructuring the remnants of an old industrial site.

"We decided not to overthink it too much," said Bronsert of the curation phase, "and just followed our instincts." At the same time, Szary added, "When you ask Modeselektor to make a mix, it's not a normal process."

The rhythmically compelling release came together over a matter of days. It features 22 tracks, including two original Modeselektor cuts, plus field recordings from tour—listen out for the lively discussion toward the end, recorded in a studio in Kingston, Jamaica. True to form, the mix stitches together an impressive mishmash of styles, from Kenyan sound artist Slikback and beloved London rapper Little Simz to Berlin techno darlings Ben Klock & Fadi Mohem. Moods and sounds change like the wind. "We didn't want to make a club mix," Bronsert said. "I love club music, so does Szary. But we didn't want to give people the full package, so we tried to tell a story. This mix is for listening in the car, or at home. It's weird, but not too much."

The opening section sets the tone. Leading with the tender pads of Szary's "PREY," a reworking of a track from Moderat's More D4ta sessions, the energy gradually ramps up from there, with the occasional detour. Standouts include the world premiere of Kitschselektor, a long-awaited link-up between Modeselektor and popular German producers KITSCHKRIEG; Modeselektor's previously unreleased "MEGA MEGA MEGA," which hits the duo’s typically euphoric high notes; and Slikback's stormy "Sea," which landed on iconic dubstep label Tempa early in 2025. The atmosphere shifts again—like sand through your fingers—with the breathy vocals of GAISTER (aka Olivia Salvadori, Akihide Monna, and Coby Sey), another Szary pick.

Across the mix, Szary's selections lean more beatless and ethereal, while Bronsert is the dancefloor specialist. "He chose all the tracks without drums," Bronsert confirmed. "A lot of very interesting music I never would've discovered myself. He's looking for non-structured music. That makes for a very interesting balance because we're fighting for our ideas all the time."

The first major gear shift arrives 20 minutes in, as fast, crisp kick drums burst through the murk. Released in 2024, "Mood Swings" by Little Simz is one of many new or unreleased cuts on the mix—an intentional decision to create "a fingerprint of a moment," said Szary. Forays into the past occur sporadically, like a revisit to the thick bass and heavy air of Modeselektor's 2021 collaboration with legendary dub techno vocalist Paul St. Hilaire. The blend into Ben Klock & Fadi Mohem's industrial clanker "The Machine" is mind-blowingly seamless.

Modeselektor built their name on creating spellbinding musical moments by boldly fusing disparate sounds. Going from "The Machine" into American indie folk project Beirut, and back out again into the loopy techno of Kaan Pirecioglu's "Spellbound," should rank as a career high. Beirut's "Spillhaugen," a firm Szary favourite, is disarmingly beautiful, with Zach Condon's dreamy vocals building to a shimmering crescendo. "We always try to find music in the timeless zone," said Bronsert. "That doesn't get old too quickly."

Taking the non-linear approach has always been the Modeselektor way. No two tracks on DJ-Kicks sound alike, meaning the magic often happens in the liminal spaces between tunes. Take how Untold's "Discipline," the oldest track on the mix (2008), folds perfectly into the lively techno of Erik Jabari's "Stone Rinse," released last year. (Jabari is a current employee of historic Berlin record store Hard Wax, where Bronsert once worked.) Or the way Julien Bracht's emotion-rich "Melancholia" collapses into the grand finale, "Koko," a quirky, piano-heavy cut that premieres on the mix, delivered by close collaborator Siriusmo.

The beauty is in the lining—in listening to the mix again and again, and uncovering fresh details and earworms each time. Despite its modern bent, it has an everlasting quality, much like Modeselektor and DJ-Kicks themselves. Both are totems of Berlin's rich, shape-shifting electronic music culture. Decades later, they remain as relevant as ever. "Don't skip the tracks," laughed Szary, when asked how fans should approach the mix. "And just enjoy it." 

Tracklist:
1. SZARY - PREY
2. Kitschselektor - Permit Riddim (feat. Pobdon)
3. Modeselektor - MEGA MEGA MEGA
4. Slikback - Sea
5. GAISTER - Source
6. Modeselektor - Kupfer
7. Aho Ssan - Hero Once Been (feat. 9T Antiope)
8. DJ Narciso - 10 Minutos
9. Little Simz - Mood Swings
10. Chlär - Populism Is Money
11. Maxime Denuc - Ouverture
12. Modeselektor - Movement (feat. Paul St. Hilaire)
13. Ben Klock & Fadi Mohem - The Machine
14. Beirut - Spillhaugen
15. Kaan Pirecioglu - Spellbound
16. Yraki - Percolate
17. PLUS ONE - Bonk
18. Modeselektor - USA USA USA
19. Untold - Discipline
20. Erik Jabari - Stone Rinse
21. Julien Bracht - Melancholia
22. Siriusmo - Koko

FloFilz - Hagaki

FloFilz’s new album 'Hagaki' – out September 12th on Melting Pot Music – is a musical love letter to Japan—a sonic travel log that blends jazz and beats with Japanese music and culture. Recorded in both Berlin and Tokyo, FloFilz invited fellow musicians, beatmakers, and singers such as Takuya Kuroda, Nao Yoshioka, Toshiki Soejima, Budamunk, and Matt Wilde to join him on his journey. Acclaimed music and travel photographer Robert Winter was responsible for the outstanding visuals that accompany the album.

FloFilz is recognized as one of Germany’s most in-demand producers. Born in Germany, he grew up in Belgium before moving to Berlin in 2020. A classically trained violinist, he began making beats in 2012 while still performing in orchestras.

His music is a seductive blend of jazz, soul, and hip-hop-influenced grooves. Deeply inspired by London’s jazz scene, FloFilz has collaborated with artists such as Alfa Mist, Kofi Stone, MF DOOM, Kojey Radical, JuJu Rogers, Wun Two, Bokoya, Jerome Thomas, Summers Sons, and J. Lamotta.

In 2014, FloFilz and Melting Pot Music launched an album series that explores the culture, vibe, and landscape of cities he loves—both musically and visually. The visual side is handled by Robert Winter, a well-known music and travel photographer immersed in Germany’s hip-hop and beat producer scene. For the first album, 'Metronom', FloFilz, Robert Winter, and Melting Pot Music founder Olski traveled to Paris. For 'Cenário' (2016) and 'Transit' (2019), they visited Lisbon and London. Each album is released as a high-quality gatefold edition and includes a 20-page photo book.

For 'Hagaki', the fourth volume in the series, FloFilz traveled to Japan, where he spent a full month working on music and visuals. 'Hagaki' means 'postcard' in Japanese. The album is a multidisciplinary love letter and a dialogue with Japanese culture and music. FloFilz had visited Japan several times before—playing shows in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto; enjoying some of the best food he’d ever had; and discovering rare records in meticulously curated record stores. He also ventured beyond the big cities, hiking through mountains, forests, and along coastlines. These experiences deepened his appreciation for how Japanese culture emphasizes harmony with nature. The attention to detail and sincerity found in Japanese art and craftsmanship are qualities that also define FloFilz's approach to music-making.

'Hagaki' is dedicated to Tokyo, the Japanese capital and the most populous city in the world, with over 37 million residents. FloFilz, Robert Winter, and Olski immersed themselves in the city and its culture. They visited jazz joints, ramen shops, record stores, tea houses, temples—and even more record stores. They attended performances by local jazz artists like Uyama Hiroto and Manchester’s own Matthew Halsall at the iconic Blue Note club. FloFilz performed at the Jazzy Sport x Roland Anniversary Party and was invited by Ella Records for a DJ set and an in-depth video interview about record culture and digging.

During their trip, they reconnected with old music friends and made new ones—from Mitsu The Beats, Budamunk, and Lidly to the entire Jazzy Sport crew and the welcoming team at Ella Records. FloFilz also hit the studio with trumpeter Takuya Kuroda, vocalist Nao Yoshioka, guitarist Toshiki Soejima, and some of Tokyo’s most respected beatmakers.  

Tracklist:
1. Furo 風呂
2. Setagaya Samba
3. Taito City Hideout (feat. Takuya Kuroda)
4. Kimochi ii 気持ちいい
5. Yoinokuchi 宵の口
6. 6F Encounters
7. Yokohama Yard (feat. tajima hal & Lidly)
8. Inemuri 居眠り
9. 20today (feat. 12Vince)
10. Kaki 柿
11. Ma 間
12. Atélier (feat. Matt Wilde & Toshiki Soejima)
13. Insomnia (feat. Nao Yoshioka)
14. Yōkai 妖怪
15. Forest Crab (feat. Budamunk)
16. Sunken Stones

Kassa Overall - CREAM

Grammy-nominated drummer, producer, emcee, and vocalist Kassa Overall is redefining the boundaries between jazz and hip-hop. Revered by living icons and underground tastemakers, he began his career behind the drum kit. His groundbreaking solo projects have established him as a driving force in the American jazz scene and beyond, fielding support from visionaries including Thom Yorke, Iggy Pop, Virgil Abloh, and more. As a 2025 recipient of the prestigious Doris Duke Artist Award, Kassa has cemented his status as a leading voice in contemporary jazz.

On Cream, his fourth solo studio album, Kassa pays homage to the twin passions of his youth—hip-hop and jazz drumming. With this collection of instrumentals, the visionary drummer and producer transforms classic rap songs into timeless standards, mining the continuum between jazz and hip-hop from every angle without any shortcuts and offering a fresh take on the “Great American Songbook”—honoring the rich legacy of Black American music.

Cream highlights Kassa’s artistry through masterful arrangements, thoughtful song selection, and a sound that traces the arc of his evolution. Backed by a stellar band with generational jazz legacy, the project embodies his genre-fluid approach and his commitment to pushing jazz forward.

Tracklist:
1. FREEDOM JAZZ DANCE
2. BIG POPPA
3. C.R.E.A.M. (CASH RULES EVERYTHING AROUND ME)
4. REBIRTH OF SLICK (COOL LIKE DAT)
5. NUTHIN BUT A “G” THANG
6. CHECK THE RHIME
7. SPOTTIEOTTIEDOPALISCIOUS
8. BACK THAT AZZ UP

Marshall Allen - The Omniverse Oriki

Beautiful space, wild chaos, fire lotus– we now embark on the future-ever present, the conjuring of the past in non-linear chronospace, we present narratives in African/Afro-Cuban dreamtime! This is The Omniverse Oriki, legendary Sun Ra bandleader Marshall Allen Trio’s collaboration with the Ade Ilu Ensemble, an explosive macrocosmic reach into the residual ethers of the past to birth a new future, right here the now!

Pulled together on Halloween night, 2023, Marshall Allen’s trio and Philly’s Ade Ilu Ensemble channelled and churned indelible musical spirits in extended “oriki”, Yoruba narratives set to explore omniversal wavelengths, to unmoor the patterns of universal control through Afro-Cuban-Futurist diagrams.

Their first confluence was at Marshall’s monthly residency in Philadelphia, then captured here at Rittenhouse Soundworks Studios. The result is a righteous din, a mythological cacophony, a joyful noise. Swirling notes of Afro-cuban entrancing Lucumi, shocked and fragmented Afro rhythms, and vibrant flourishes of rhapsodic free jazz– we are here at the sonic temple! We are the beautiful space! - Alex Smith

Release date XX-XX-XXX. 1st High Two edition of 300 copies pressed on premium audiophile-quality 140 gram vinyl at Smashed Plastic, from Carl Saff audio lacquers and mastering. Recorded by Michael Richelle, Rittenhouse Soundworks, Philadelphia. Digital files available at High Two Bandcamp.

Tracklist:
1. Omniverse Oriki 1
2. Omniverse Oriki 2 
3. Omniverse Oriki 3

Kendra Morris - Next

With her fourth full-length album of original material, idiosyncratic singer/songwriter Kendra Morris invites you to join her in the DIY kaleidoscope world of Next. Morris’s latest record for Karma Chief strips away the veneers of layered production and slick sounds to create an album that may be Kendra at her most authentic, one in which the creative process is vibrant, beautiful, and messy, buoyed by heart and the imperfectly perfect now.

A concept album in reverse, Next ties Kendra’s cast of characters (including her band: guitarist Supremo “Premo” Massiv, bassist Monti Miramonti, and drummer Chauncey Yearwood) to a vintage board game in the spirit of Milton Bradley’s finest retro dice-rolling moments. Travel along Next’s block-to-block journey, and this universe reveals itself as a mosaic of corals, creams, and pale lilac tiles. You can hear the sonic palette resonate with Morris’s influences and inspirations. Decades of New York sounds and voices bend and blend at the seams of these tracks—a world where the Brill Building and Warhol’s Factory thrive on the same block while Blondie and the Frightnrs explore rocksteady sounds. Doo-wop and boom-bap soundtrack a UHF network’s worth of cut-and-paste stylings, all the while paced by Morris, an artist equally at home behind the lens as she is in front of a microphone.

Next is an album of firsts. The album’s extended gestation provided Morris with an opportunity to explore her ideas and demos. “I’ve been living in this record for over a year,” says Morris. “I’ve always been a writer, and [Next] was a chance to write a record from scratch on my own.” The New York (by way of Loveland, Ohio) production is co-helmed by Kendra Morris and Leroi Conroy. Its production trades the steel and chrome sleekness for a more personal and scaled-down sound, exposing the songcraft. While earlier albums were awash in IMAX-level cinematic sweep, Next explores Kendra’s perspective with a handheld 8mm kinetic energy, all the while showcasing the dynamic, soulful range of her powerhouse voice — equal parts Roberta Flack, Betty Wright, and Minnie Riperton.

With recording done at Portage Studios in Loveland and additional vocals recorded at Kendra’s Brooklyn apartment, the symmetry is as poignant as it is reflected in the home cooking vibe throughout. “I wrote and recorded my demos right here at this desk with my guitar, drum loops, and my Casio keyboard,” Morris reflects. “To then have Leroi come here, stay a few doors down, and record the vocals felt right and right now…and I’m also playing guitar [on Next] which I’m excited about, too.” Much like the best board games, you may end your journey where you began it, but the path you take along the way is where moments are made.

“If I Called You” evolved from a slow take featuring just Kendra and guitar, but at Portage, the demo was transformed into a track that could easily find its way onto Prince’s self-titled record. Parlor Greens guitarist Jimmy James adds a guitar solo that channels some Paisley Park magic.

Additional guests on the album include Ray Jacildo of Jr. Thomas and the Volcanos, lending his organ and piano to lo-fi reggae banger “Flat Tire.” It’s a track that traces the throughline from Kingstown to Bushwick and back again all with Morris’ signature AM radio-ready vocals.

That live band energy reverberates on tracks like “Bill.” A staple of recent tours, the song’s eponymous character is a playful personification. “I love it when other people realize, ‘Oh, I have that same Bill that shows up at my door,’” laughs Morris.

“Dear Buddy,” an open letter to Morris’ daughter, serves as Next’s emotional core. Not since the moving tribute to her brother (the 2017 single “Ride On”) has Kendra’s poetry and heart resonated with a tenderness and spiderweb fragile strength.

Kendra Morris and Karma Chief Records invite you to play along with Next, a sonic journey where the roll of the dice means excitement and adventure. Explore the world, tile by tile, meet new friends like Jerry & Roger, help the gang with a “Flat Tire,” or read a letter to “Dear Buddy.” Maybe you can avoid crossing paths with “Bill.” It’s Next, complete with 10 tracks and hours of fun for the whole family. Some assembly required. Turntable, CD player, or streaming service sold separately.

Tracklist:
1. In My House
2. Dear Buddy
3. After Midnight
4. If I Called You
5. Back With Me
6. Flat Tire
7. Bill
8. Don't Wanna Be Happy
9. Go Nowhere
10. Something In Common

Venna - MALIK

It’s a beautiful rarity when an artist sees themselves as a vessel of the music, and though MALIK is a manifestation of his experiences and how he sees the world and years of craft, Venna wants MALIK to be an invitation. An invitation to let go, be present and submit to sensory experiences.

“Every experience, every memory, every conversation, anything new, any encounter has influenced how this album sounds. I might like a particular guitar tone from it, and then I bring it into my world. Everything has come and conjured into one place, and it's beautiful to also hear and see,” Venna says.

MALIK is where listeners can get lost and find themselves again. The album also features a long list of musicians including Rocco Palladino, Elijah Fox, AoD, J Warner, Marco Bernardis and longtime collaborator, Yussef Dayes.

Venna speaks on the reason behind the album title: “The album MALIK was named by my mother 26 years before the album was made. A strong name that means King or leader in Arabic. A name that I’ve lived with all my life. A name that my nearest and dearest have called me & a name that I learnt to become. Throughout the whole process of the album - I’ve had another name that I loved but I felt like I wasn’t living in my undeniable truth & what better way to live in one’s truth than naming their debut album the name that their mother named them. I present my debut album MALIK.”

Tracklist:
1. Yoshi’ Intro
2. Numero Uno
3. Myself (feat. Jorja Smith)
4. Prophet
5. +Star101
6. Day x2 (feat. MIKE & Marco Bernardis)
7. São Paulo’ Interlude
8. Twisting (feat. Leon Thomas)
9. Zazu
10. Mr Popular (feat. Smino)
11. Raggo Rock
12. Veranda (feat. CARI)
13. Alchemy
14. Clarendon Fable
15. Indigo
16. My Way
17. Eternal Reflections (feat. Yussef Dayes)

Ancient Infinity Orchestra - It's Always About Love

Based in the North of England. Ancient Infinity Orchestra is a joyous large ensemble that has communal music-making at the heart of everything they do. And that includes the melodies that flow out of their new album It’s Always About Love which blossom with uplifting improvised contributions that circle around bandleader Ozzy Moysey’s beautiful compositions; generous sonic gifts of healing and repair.

The 15-member Spiritual Jazz ensemble has a distinctive line-up: two double basses, harp, saxophones, clarinets, violin, viola, cello, oboe, flutes, mandolin, congas, piano, drum kit, with bells, shakers and other percussion instruments scattered on the floor of live sets and recording sessions, ready for members to use whenever the spirit takes them. This orchestration, and the overlap between membership and friendship, gives Ancient Infinity Orchestra a sound that is at once expansive and intimate, earthy, and cosmic, constantly shifting yet grounded in shared intention.

Ancient Infinity Orchestra can be described as melody-driven improvised music, made by people who are deep into different types of traditional music, including folk, jazz and classical. “The tunes are a vessel,” he says, “with everyone doing their thing. It exists so that my friends can be musically fulfilled.”

“There is a need for love and connectedness. You pour the love you have into the music and people listening can feel it”

Tracklist:
1. All I Can Say of the Blossoms
2. Golden Meadow
3. Chant for Don Cherry
4. Joy of a Natural World
5. Nilgoon
6. The Seeker
7. Old Friends
8. At Yoshino Mountain

Ebi Soda - frank dean and andrew

Jazz-disruptors Ebi Soda return with their latest album 'frank dean and andrew'.

Harnessing the chaos born from endless jams in a remote, rented farmhouse, the album dives deeper into their punk approach to jazz, while opening up space for long-nurtured fascinations with electronic textures and cinematic oddities. Their third album, it features previous singles feely, and bamboo.

The title was pulled from a bank of favourite names after the band saw Ez’s artwork; a quirky world of three cell-like flats housing absurd creatures. 'frank dean and andrew' nods to the anonymous, everyday passersby whose lives quietly unfold in the background of a nondescript town.

Pulling back the curtain on its creation further, the band reveals, “The album was recorded at the end of a year of extreme highs and lows. The tensions play out in the music in weird ways... the feeling of the music is very particular, and peculiar. Most UK Jazz music can end up too arranged and neat, or generally optimistic in mood, whereas this album goes the other way in all aspects.”

At the album's core, the glitchy, late-night focus track red in tokyo features Chinese-Vietnamese-British rapper Jianbo, whose grimey, distorted flows cut through growling guitar riffs and a dragging, drill-like drum line. “It’s a weird, grimey anger with a touch of no-wave and post-punk,” the band explains, “Hari’s bass ended up sounding like a Japanese Koto”. The intensity is fitting, as Jianbo recounts a tense moment in Tokyo that left him “seeing red.”

Shifting through moods, the second track oscillates to life with a dubby bassline and bursts of distant, animalistic commotion, like a flock scattering after a disturbance. With unsettling keys and guitar, the instrumental upends the familiar contours of jazz and leaves a lingering unease as part of what the band calls the album’s “weird, off-key” side. Equally unexpected, the title, horticulturalists nightmare (birds), taps into the surreal fear lurking in the pulsing soundscape.

That freeform, borderless creativity carries into grilly, where the keys lay out the pace and mood. “The tempo and the ambience frame the track to be like a dance tune, but with a darkness from Burial-type ambiences and pulsing drill-style delays,” the band notes. As horn layers clear the haze, the jam’s raw energy and feeling come together as a transportive piece.

Taking a dip into the melancholic, toucan opens with a whir and solemn, ceremonial horns, underpinned by a mellow harmony that moves into far-off, choral-like overlays. Opening with a similarly dystopian eeriness is location, the band’s favourite. From the heavy slump of the drums to the three-piece horns of Dan, Akers, and Jonny, which counterpoint each other in a sea of reverb. The tune is named after a Playboi Carti song of the same name, inspired by the opening synth movement.

The title track, frank dean and andrew, flickers with a bittersweet nostalgia, capturing for Ebi Soda, a modern sense of indifference, a stay-at-home, it-is-what-it-is kind of resignation. It mirrors the mood of the figures on the album artwork: sitting alone in flats, suspended in quiet isolation. Lou’s chords, Hari’s chordal bass, and Sam’s laid-back tempo lay down a "loose, Midwest, emo undercurrent, a tone that runs deep in much of the hyperpop" the band had been absorbing. Will vocalises through the trombone, making it sound as though someone is singing down a crackling phone line. A flugelhorn overdub adds more warmth to the track’s slow-burning atmosphere, with trombone and sax joining the mix in the second half.

Closing the album is insectoid creatures are infesting the land, beginning as a dissonant, scattered hellscape of wailing improvisations, freewheeling robotic noise, and buckling delays that eventually rupture into a cinematic scape, giving way to an ascending sequence of hopeful, mood-settling melodies.

As a whole, the album’s character arises from stylising with production and mixing. The approach fluctuates between focusing on ambience and reverb, drawing from UK dubstep influences like Zomby, Burial, and Joe Armon-Jones’ collaborations with Maxwell Owin, and embracing the raw, grainy DIY ‘mixtape’ sound, inspired by artists like Athletic Progression, Yameii Online, and Playboi Carti. 

Tracklist:
1. bamboo
2. horticulturalists nightmare (birds)
3. grilly
4. toucan
5. milk in my console
6. location
7. feely
8. red in tokyo (feat. Jianbo)
9. when pluto was a planet and everything was cool
10. frank dean and andrew
11. insectoid creatures are infesting the land

Polygon Window - Surfing On Sine Waves (Expanded Edition)

Originally released in 1993, Surfing On Sine Waves is the second album released under the Warp Artificial Intelligence series (the series also includes the two titular compilations, as well as contributions by Autechre, The Black Dog, F.U.S.E. and more).

Surfing On Sine Waves is also the sole album released under Richard D. James’ (aka Aphex Twin’s) Polygon Window alias. The name “Polygon Window” originally appeared as a track name under Richard D. James’ other pseudonym The Dice Man, as the track title for his submission on Artificial Intelligence. Surfing On Sine Waves was chosen as a title by Rob Mitchell based on a quote by Richard D. James. The album debuted at #2 on the UK dance charts. The album was followed the same year with a companion EP titled Quoth. The EP’s title track originally appeared on the album, accompanied by additional songs who first appeared on this release.

Fast forward 32 years to 2025, Surfing On Sine Waves (Expanded Edition) sees the pair of companion releases as a single entity, out on vinyl and CD.

Tracklist:
1. Polygon Window
2. Audax Powder
3. Quoth
4. If It Really Is Me
5. Supremacy II
6. UT1 - dot
7. Untitled
8. Quixote
9. Quino - phec
10. Portreath Harbour
11. Redruth School
12. Iketa
13. Quoth
14. Bike Pump Meets Bucket

Four Tet & William Tyler - 41 Longfield Street Late '80s

The debut collaborative album from world-renowned UK producer, Kieran Hebden (Four Tet), and American guitarist, William Tyler. Inspired by their shared deep connection to 1980s American country and folk artists such as Lyle Lovett, Nancy Griffith, Joe Ely and David Grissom. A cover of Lyle Lovett's song “If I Had a Boat” is the most literal pull from this ‘80s country sound, accompanied by soft synth tones.

"We discussed references for an album and Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Fennesz, and AM oldies radio stations came up. But the main influence was found when we discovered a shared deep connection to ‘80s American country and folk music – artists like Lyle Lovett, Nanci Griffith, and Joe Ely.  My father was a huge fan of this sound and through my teenage years I heard this music most days and was taken to see loads of performances. The guitar player David Grissom made a huge impact on me as a kid learning to play. It’s not an influence that I usually mention but it’s in there more than I realize and must have helped me develop my sound and ideas. It turns out that William’s father was working in Nashville as a songwriter during this period and actually knew people like David Grissom. So William had grown up with this music as well and knew all the stuff that I was talking about and we both felt that it had shaped our styles. Our idea for the album was to make music that focused on that influence and brought it to the front of our awareness. We’d record the guitars in the studio, exploring styles and sounds from that music, and then I’d take it all home to my computer and bring it into my other world.” – Kieran Hebden

"I think we both in our own specific ways want to recontextualize a lot of music that we grew up with, regardless of the genre, and I think that’s what this album reflects. It’s a lot of nostalgia but it’s also very forward focused. I don’t even know what genre I’m supposed to be in at this point, but I trust Kieran and I love what we’ve done together. He’s become a dear friend and I can’t wait to see what’s ahead for us.” – William Tyler

Tracklist:
1. If I Had a Boat
2. Spider Ballad
3. I Want an Antenna
4. When It Rains
5. Timber
6. Loretta Guides My Hands Through the Radio
7. Secret City

Call Sender - Golden Langur

Call Sender is the collaborative brainchild that unites the talents of Paul Elliott, a versatile multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and recording engineer from Suffolk/UK and Michael Reed, a multi-talented instrumentalist, recording engineer, and drummer residing in the Bay Area/USA. Despite working together for the past four years, the pair are yet to meet in person!

After connecting on social media over their love of drum breaks and vintage reverbs Elliott and Reed fostered their creative partnership by bouncing recordings back and forth via email and this virtual collaboration resulted in their first album, the jazz-funk inspired “Lost To The Storm” (Tru Thoughts, 2023). With four singles from the album gaining radio play and becoming a favourite for tastemakers and DJs, the pair began work on the follow up “Golden Langur”. With this new record, the aim was to retain their signature Call Sender sound, a heady mix of B-movie soundtracks, classic library music and psychedelic funk and soul, but also introduce elements of lo-fi soul as well as collaborating with some of their talented friends as featured artists.

These features include fantastic instrumental contributions from the incomparable funkmaster Shawn Lee (Ping Pong Orchestra/Young Gun Silver Fox) on “Brainforests” and the legendary JJ Whitefield (Poets Of Rhythm/Whitefield Brothers) who kicks ass in two tempos on “Two Tails”. Not to mention the silky-smooth vocals from the Bay Area’s Andre Cruz, vocal duet from Lucid Paradise that is reminiscent of Gil Scott Heron and Paul Elliott’s seven year old son Buddy drops a vocal on the future B-boy classic “Rainbow”. Together Call Sender has an old-school vintage foundation with a modern perspective. Influenced by iconic acts such as Klaus Weiss, Miles Davis and Nino Nardini and with a hip and funky sonic aesthetic, Call Sender’s music is nostalgic without being pastiche, has a sense of travelling at its core, having been recorded in different parts of the globe, while never hesitating on the direction of the music. 

Tracklist:
1. Brainforests (feat Shawn Lee)
2. Laura
3. The Night I Fell (feat Andre Cruz)
4. Circle
5. Two Tails
6. Rainbow (feat Buddy Elliott)
7. The Way Home (feat Lucid Paradise)
8. Golden Langur
9. Yutori
10. Sea Defence

Tom Caruana Remix Projects - Rough Versions Vol. 7 AZ

Tracklist:
1. I'm Here
2. City of Gods
3. Can't Stop
4. Doe or Die
5. Trading Places
6. Still Alive
7. The Flyest (feat. Nas)
8. Never Change 

Roy Ayers - Brand New Feeling - Yoruba Soul Remixes

Following the vinyl release of Delfonic's reworks of Roy Ayers tracks taken from the BBE Music compilation Roy Ayers-Virgin Ubiquity, it's now Osunlade's turn to add his production and remix enchantment to the music of the master craftsman with these remixes of Brand New Feeling.

Featuring the exceptional vocal talents of Merry Clayton, perhaps best known for her blistering performance on the Rolling Stones' Gimme Shelter and her own Webster Lewis penned hit Emotion, alongside Jazz vocalist and Earth, Wind & Fire, Ubiquity and Harvey Mason collaborator Silvia Cox, Osunlade's Yoruba Soul remixes have added new dimensions to this track.

Hailing from St Louis, USA Osunlade's CV includes writing music for Sesame Street to working with and producing artists as varied as Patti Labelle, Freddie Jackson, Eric Benet, Martha Wash, Salif Keita, Nadirah Shakoor and Cesaria Evora. He started the Yoruba Soul project and label after his move to New York because of 'the continued need to create the music I wanted' and it is this musical freedom that has made him one of the most distinctive music makers, producers, DJs and remixers around today.

Brand New Feeling is released as a vinyl EP featuring two tracks, the Yoruba Soul Mix Parts 1 & 2 with a digital release also featuring instrumentals of both mixes.

Tracklist:
1. Brand New Feeling (Yoruba Soul Mix Part 1)
2. Brand New Feeling (Yoruba Soul Mix Part 2)
3. Brand New Feeling (Yoruba Soul Mix Part 2 Edit)

Snoop Dogg LIGHTS UP 2025 Toyota AFL Grand Final (Full Performance)

Suburban Architecture - The Complete Architecture Dubs

'The Complete Architecture Dubs' rounds up all of the remixes originally featured on the Architecture Dubs 10" vinyl series, bringing the 12 tracks from all six volumes available together on this new compilation. The collection includes remixes from some of the biggest names in Drum & Bass active during the genre's mid to late 90s golden era, among them Peshay, Blame, Nookie, Ray Keith and 4Hero. Between them, this cast of pioneers have released on almost every label of influence from Drum & Bass's formative years, from Moving Shadow and Creative Source to Metalheadz and Reinforced.

This package comes is available as a 6 x 10" vinyl boxset (limited edition of 25) or digital counterpart.

Tracklist:
1. Final Call (Peshay remix)
2. Cubic Nature (DJ Trax remix)
3. Visions '96 (Blame remix)
4. Future Jazz '95 (DJ Trace remix)
5. Renegade Horns (Nookie remix)
6. New Horizons (DJ Crystl remix)
7. The Drifter (Ray Keith remix)
8. The Believer (DJ Harmony remix)
9. Turning Point (4hero remix)
10. Outside Part 1 (Voyager remix)
11. Visions '96 (Suburban Architecture VIP)
12. Future Jazz '95 (Suburban Architecture VIP)

Tom Skinner - Kaleidoscopic Visions

Popular sociology cliches notwithstanding, the middle years are a curious bridge to survey one’s life from. Especially for artists. The bank behind is a backlog of experience, for-better-or-worse perceptions of how the world works, unequal measures of laurels and regrets, plus a rolodex of dear ones (for the lucky) and lost ones (for all). The shore in front contains a shorter winding road (still loaded with possibilities if not quite as open-ended), informed by wisdom gained and failures seared, shadowed by mortality, responsibility and inevitability. Lots of water passes under this bridge of mid-life. For creative types—adept at listening to the tides, recognizing their flow as a circadian rhythm, reconciling the planet’s clock with their own—the view from this bridge has been known to inspire great art.

Upon the release of Kaleidoscopic Visions, the second album that Tom Skinner has made under his own name, the drummer-composer will be 45 years-old. Skinner is already in possession of an incredible career—two decades as a key member of London’s jazz community, including co-founding the mighty Sons of Kemet; in-demand collaborator to a who’s-who of famed electronic producers and noted rhythmalists; purveyor of his own left-of-center musical pursuits...

Tracklist:
1. There's Nothing To Be Scared Of
2. Auster
3. Margaret Anne
4. Kaleidoscopic Visions
5. MHA
6. Still (Quiet)
7. The Maxim (feat. Meshell Ndegeocello)
8. Extensions 12
9. Logue (feat. Contour)
10. See How They Run (feat. Yaffra)

VA - Blue Note: Alts 'N Outs

Blue Note sessions often yielded more recorded material than could be fit on a single LP. Some of these ended up in expanded CD/digital versions, but very few have found their way to vinyl. Alt’s ‘N Outs features a fascinating new collection of alternate and bonus tracks, buried treasure, from six of the most noteworthy albums in Blue Note history: Cannonball Adderley’s Somethin’ Else, Grant Green’s Idle Moments, Wayne Shorter’s Speak No Evil, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers’ Moanin’, Jimmy Smith’s Back at the Chicken Shack, and Sonny Clark’s Cool Struttin’. Released on 180gm opaque blue vinyl.

Tracklist:
1. Cannonball Adderley - Alison's Uncle (AKA Bangoon)
2. Grant Green - Jean De Fleur
3. Wayne Shorter - Dance Cadaverous
4. Art Blakey - Moanin'
5. Jimmy Smith - On The Sunny Side Of The Street
6. Sonny Clark - Lover

Saul Williams, Carlos Niño & Friends - Saul Williams meets Carlos Niño & Friends at TreePeople

Land Back!

An unadulterated opening statement intoned by Saul Williams three times, as he joins Carlos Niño & Friends in sound ceremony underneath oak and black walnut trees in Coldwater Canyon Park, Los Angeles, on December 18, 2024.

The performance, which was organized by Noah Klein of Living Earth on the grounds of longstanding conservationist organization TreePeople, was the first of its kind for longtime friends and collaborators Williams and Niño. The two have been in contact since 1997 and have worked on a variety of projects together, but had never been moved to present in this way. For the occasion, Niño assembled and directed an ensemble of frequent collaborators including Nate Mercereau (Guitar Synthesizer, Live Sampling with Midi Guitar, Sample Sources), Aaron Shaw (Flute, Soprano Saxophone with Pedals, Tenor Saxophone), Andres Renteria (Bells, Congas, Egyptian Rattle Drum, Hand Drums, Percussion), Maia (Flute, Vibraphone, Voice), Francesca Heart (Computer, Conch Shell, Sound Design), and Kamasi Washington (Tenor Saxophone).

Williams’ inspired poetics both fit seamlessly and guide clairvoyantly the electro-acoustic ecosystem created by Niño & Friends – a constellation of deep connections and intersecting linkups from complementary sound makers. There’s the dialogue between not just Niño & Williams but Niño and Renteria’s reciprocal percussions; the intergenerational woodwind counterpoint between Washington and Shaw; the hovering harmonics of Maia’s vibraphone in aerial resonance with Heart’s digital designs. Heart’s sounds also make a beautiful analogue to synth-guitarist Nate Mercereau, whose live sampling and manipulation techniques turn fleeting moments of sonic presence into musical architecture in real time. Deepening the dimensionality of this constellation, Mercereau and Niño are several years into a shared musical simpatico that has yielded dozens of powerful collaborations, making their particular interaction on this recording as spiritual and transcendent as it is subtle and implicit. And there is yet another connection to be highlighted still.

Late in the set, Williams shares an extended reflection on the Dutch East India Trade Company, the indigenous Lenape people on the island of Manahatta, the origins of Wall Street, and a prayer for the end of empire as he incites an epic crescendo from the ensemble, swirling behind the twin winds of Shaw and Washington, spirited by his repeated call “I’ve seen enough.” The smoke has only begun to clear from this emotional apex as Williams passes the torch to poet Aja Monet, who arrests the atmosphere with a soft apocalyptic reading of a piece from her notebook, “The Water Is Rising.”

As Monet finishes her poem and steps aside, Williams follows her foreboding words with a solemnly hopeful return – closing the ceremony with a parable about a firing squad, where one member's dilemma is a "system of belief" allowing for humanity in the heart of an oppressor.

Tracklist:
1. Sound Then Words
2. We Would Lift Our Voice...
3. We Are Calling out in This Moment...
4. The Water Is Rising / As We Surpass the Firing Squad... (feat. aja monet)
5. We Have Work to Do (Speaking After the Concert)

Chip Wickham - The Eternal Now

Saxophonist, flautist and composer Chip Wickham casts a formidable shadow across the UK jazz landscape. Originally from Brighton, Chip Wickham first came to prominence in the UK breakbeat scene playing with the likes of Nightmares On Wax and Graham Massey. But at heart Chip has always been a jazz musician (he played on Matthew Halsall’s debut album 'Sending My Love' in 2008 beginning a relationship with Gondwana Records that now spans 17 years) and now dividing his time between the UK, Spain and the Middle-East, he has made a name for himself with a series of beautifully crafted solo albums that draw equally on hard swinging spiritual jazz, the classic sounds of 60s British jazz and the more contemporary sounds of artists such as Jazzanova, The Cinematic Orchestra, and Nicola Conte.

'The Eternal Now’ is Chip’s most progressive recording to date and represents a heartfelt ode to submitting oneself to the practice of creating art, and the freedom that’s derived from letting go.

Co-produced by Matthew Halsall, 'The Eternal Now' features two mainstays of the Manchester scene, legendary drummer Luke Flowers of The Cinematic Orchestra and well-loved bass-player Sneaky who played on Mr Scruff’s classic Keep it Unreal. Largely flute-led it’s his most rhythm heavy offering to date taking the listener on an expansive journey that touches on the influences of Lonnie Liston Smith, Sven Wunder, David Axelrod and even library music as Chip pushes his sound into exciting new spaces without ever losing the soulful groove and heartfelt melodies that make his music so loved. 

Tracklist:
1. Drifting
2. Nara Black (feat. PEACH.)
3. The Eternal Now
4. Lost Souls
5. No Turning Back
6. The Road Less Travelled
7. Falling Deep
8. Ikigai
9. Outside

Flava D - Here & Now

Having established a reputation as one of the most versatile and respected producers in the game – with over a decade at the forefront of UK bass music, spanning UKG, grime, bassline and drum & bass, Flava D needs no introduction. Now, with her debut drum & bass album Here & Now, she levels up once again, channeling years of dancefloor know-how into a project that’s as weighty as it is emotionally dialled-in.

Across 15 tracks, Here & Now captures the breadth of Flava D’s musicality, offering a bass-charged, genre-spanning statement that’s rooted in experience but tuned into the present moment.

A self-proclaimed fan of Hospital Records from the age of 14 – the first drum & bass CD she ever bought being ‘Hospital Mix Vol. 1’ – Here & Now marks a particularly paramount milestone for the Bournemouth-born beatmaker. With a star-studded bank of collaborators, including MPH, Anaïs, Unglued, SOLAH and more, the album highlights Flava D’s curatorial ear and the strength of her network across the scene. It moves fluidly through soulful rollers, gritty steppers, and rave-indebted bangers – each track stamped with her unmistakable touch.

Born in the stillness of lockdown and forged in the fire of the club revival, this is Flava D in full command – delivering a bass-fuelled snapshot of her current sound: warm, weighty and ready for the rave.

“Three years ago, my idea of what an album would've been was different from what it is now, because I was starting it in lockdown essentially – and I didn’t have the club testing ground. I could’ve made a liquid album so easily, but it wouldn’t translate into the sets I do today. I don’t think I really have a specific style, but I have characteristics in my tunes – UKG influence is still in there in little ways, definitely with the chords and certain basslines as well.” -Flava D‘Can’t Get It Back’ sees powerhouses SOLAH and Flava D link up for the first time, a soulful and expansive tune built around warm keys, crisp percussion and that signature Flava D bounce. The track feels like golden hour in audio form – sun-drenched nostalgia and effortlessly executed.

Flava D and labelmate Anaïs join forces with Dread MC for ‘Entertainer’ – a razor-sharp drum & bass cut that flips the switch from smooth to savage in seconds. Opening with deceptively delicate notes, the track quickly flips into peak-time territory – a heavyweight stepper infused with a piercing synth hook and Dread MC’s signature firepower. It's a showcase of Flava D’s instinctive versatility, building on her reputation for genre-blending with surgical precision.

Flava’s versatile catalogue has always carried with it an indisputable swagger – and ‘Reesey Thing’ is no exception. Originally dubbed ‘Reesey Bass,’ it is one of the few solo tracks on the album and Flava’s self-proclaimed favourite. Euphoric, rave-inspired piano stabs and an unforgettable build and release boast her superb production genius while remaining masterfully playful at its core. Driven by moreish vocal chops and gliding basslines, this one exudes high-energy groove with a BPM to match.

Flava D and MPH deliver a rush of blood to the head on ‘Blush’ – add invigorating vocals from Paige Eliza into the mix, and the result is a seething weapon with both club sensibility and stereo playability. Blending a hammering bassline with exceptionally silky vocals, ‘Blush’ lends itself to both late-night joyrides and top-shelf sound systems. After citing Flava D as “by far the biggest influence on my sound to date,” UKG mercenary MPH crosses an item off the bucket list.After a decade of ascent, including standout Hospital releases like ‘Do U Want Me,’ Fluent (ft. Emz), and ‘All We Ever Do’ (ft. DRS & Paige Eliza) – Flava D’s signature sound is now deeply embedded in the DNA of UK dance music. Her technical finesse and instinctive selection have cemented her status as one of the scene’s most trusted and forward-facing tastemakers.

At its core, Here & Now is a meditation on presence — a fresh, fearless chapter from one of the UK’s most consistently innovative producers. The album is equal parts masterful and functional, giving fans what they came for while revealing new layers of Flava D’s ever-evolving sound. Through its stacked line-up of collaborators, Here & Now also connects voices who are helping shape the future of dance music, from the underground up.

Here & Now lands September 5 – and yes, it’s on vinyl.  

Tracklist:
1. Blush (feat. Paige Eliza & MPH)
2. Blackwall Tunnel
3. Entertainer (feat. Ana∩s & Dread MC)
4. Fluent (feat. EMz)
5. Can't Get It Back (feat. SOLAH)
6. Frequency (feat. Nu:Tone, Slay & Eva Lazarus)
7. All We Ever Do (feat. Paige Eliza & DRS)
8. The Function (feat. Logan_olm)
9. This Is A Roller M8 (feat. Unglued & Doktor)
10. Reesey Thing
11. Antidote (feat. Charlotte X)
12. Circles (feat. Slay & DRIIA)
13. The Cycle (feat. Lauren Archer)
14. Do U Want Me
15. Keeping Me Up (feat. Mandidextrous)

Anushka - Ancestry

Anushka's third album Ancestry comes out on BBE Music as both digital and vinyl and represents a massive hitting of the duo's potential as songwriters, musicians and performers following their well received and critically acclaimed previous releases on Brownswood and Tru Thoughts respectively. Indeed Ancestry represents their best album to date and one which befits a release on one of the UK's (and the world's) premiere independent record labels.

Anushka is the collaborative name for Victoria Port and Max Wheeler. The duo first met in the vibrant club, music and arts scenes in that creativity incubating south coast town that is Brighton.

With their first single, Yes Guess, gaining support from major broadcast influencers such as Gilles Peterson they released their debut album, Broken Circuit, in 2014. With major airplay support from Mary Anne Hobbs, Annie Mac, the aforementioned Gilles Peterson and others the second album Yemaya was released in 2021. On this second record they experimented with their sound, exploring darker and more complex songs and palettes. Both albums forged Anushka's sound and production values, combining a deep respect for the UK's electronic club culture mixed with Jazz and Soul.

Now, with the release of Ancestry on BBE Music, the duo has created an album that furthers their sound, their songwriting, their arrangements and their production. Victoria's songwriting for Ancestry is influenced by her love of Ella Fitzgerald, Sampha, Jimmy Cliff and Georgia Anne Muldrow. Max's approach to the production on Ancestry is driven by his own ancestral back catalogue of music from Moodymann and Theo Parrish and further back to Larry Heard, Wu Tang Clan and the 90's electronica of Tricky, Portishead and David Holmes. It definitely bears repeating that list of influences has resulted in Ancestry being Anushka's best album yet.

Releasing on BBE Music, on both digital and vinyl formats, Ancestry is an album that is a must for lovers of the highly innovative, jazz and soul fuelled club sound that is part of the UK's contemporary music scene. 

Tracklist:
1. Overwhelmed
2. Really (Nothing is Cool)
3. Afternoon
4. My Mother's Mother
5. Ancestry
6. Magic
7. You Don't Dream
8. Keep Me in the Picture
9. Wanna Dance
10. Higher Ground
11. Q&A
12. Guided
13. Only Your Love

El Michels Affair - 24 HR Sports

Leon Michels has quietly become one of the most sought-after producers in music. His signature sound has caught the attention of the mainstream while continuing to inspire the underground. Since 2023’s El Michels Affair and Black Thought album Glorious Game, Michels has been busy producing records for other artists; Norah Jones’ Grammy winning Visions, Clairo’s Grammy nominated Charm, Kali Uchis’ Moonlight, as well as albums for labelmates Brainstory, Derya Yıldırım and Grup Şimşek, Thee Heart Tones, and Liam Bailey. His new album 24 Hr Sports marks the highly anticipated return to recording under his own moniker, El Michels Affair.

24 Hr Sports was inspired by the fashion and graphic design of ‘80s & ‘90s Sports Illustrated magazines, MF DOOM’s Special Herbs albums, the sample sources used on them, and gospel music a la Pastor T.L. Barrett. The sum of those influences with Michels’ impeccable creative touch prove to be the recipe for an instant classic that will surely be one of the most heralded releases of 2025.

Features Clairo, Norah Jones, Shintaro Sakamoto, Florence Adooni, Rogê, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, and Dave Guy.

Tracklist:
1. Drumline
2. Mágica (feat. Rogê)
3. 24 HR Sports Theme No. 1
4. Say Goodbye (feat. Florence Adooni)
5. Oakley's Car Wash (feat. Dave Guy)
6. Anticipate (feat. Clairo)
7. Eastside
8. Clean the Line
9. Cortex
10. Shining
11. 24 HR Sports Theme No. 2
12. Indifference (feat. Shintaro Sakamoto)
13. Carry Me Away (feat. Norah Jones)
14. Take My Hand (feat. Rahsaan Roland Kirk)
15. Open Season
16. Victory Lap

Tres Leches - The Smooth Sounds of Tres Leches LHCC Mart Vol 1

"A joke has never been as sensual as this Tres Leches tongue-in-cheek promo for Hiatus Kaiyote. Renditioning Love Heart Cheat Code, 80s electronics pair with a saxophone and supermarket/elevator vibes to create a funky instrumental that still has humorous undertones to its sexiness, a difficult feat for sure."
- Flying Out

What started out a joke for a truly demented promotional campaign became so much more. Originally envisioned as the soundtrack to an imaginary supermarket in the album promo for Hiatus Kaiyote's Love Heart Cheat Code, these sultry and sensual renditions of Hiatus Kaiyote classics, like Nakamarra, Red Room, Make Friends and more, soon took a life of their own. Thus Tres Leches was born, a trio of heart wrenching troubadours unafraid to turn the lights down low and set the mood to 'sexy'.

Tracklist:
1. Get Sun
2. And We Go Gentle
3. Love Heart Cheat Code
4. Blood And Marrow
5. Telescope
6. Make Friends
7. By Fire
8. Red Room
9. Nakamarra

Steven Bamidele - THE CRASH!

“You're gonna love the sound on this!” – Jamie Cullum (BBC Radio 2) “Electronic soul at its finest” – Clash
“A killer combination of groove and angular harmony” – Soweto Kinch (BBC Radio 3)
“Steven Bamidele ain’t no fool” – Emma-Jean Thackray

Steven Bamidele presents his sophomore album ‘THE CRASH!’. A collision of cosmic soul, existential dread and a desperate search for meaning in the static.

Nigerian-born, London-based singer, songwriter, musician and producer Steven Bamidele's keenly anticipated ‘THE CRASH!’ is a sonically rich exploration of purpose, doubt and personal reckoning. Written against the backdrop of an ever-changing world, the album combines soul, rock and jazz, acoustic and electronic textures, along with daydream-esque storytelling for a thought-provoking journey in pursuit of something real in an age of hyper-curation and superficiality.

The album’s lead singles reveal nuanced interpretations of its central themes, each offering a distinct perspective. “The Fool” featuring renowned US-based composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Sly5thAve, wrestles with the self-imposed loneliness of ambition; “Exoskeleton” reveals the paradox of shedding emotional barriers, only to forge a trauma-bonded connection; and “Cuckoo Goes the Clock” with British hip-hop artist Cam Thomas, questions who will be the ‘straw to break the camel’s back’ and disrupt the comfortable facade of feigned reactions, exposing the passivity behind the ‘good life’ – a life increasingly curated for public consumption on social media, where sincerity is often sacrificed for performance

“Truman”, a reference to the Jim Carrey film ‘The Truman Show’, explores how social media has normalised constant surveillance, fostering an exhausting cycle of self-presentation – a chilling phenomenon also explored in the musical comedy Bo Burnham’s ‘Inside’. Steven laments the loss of innocence, stating, “I’m a child in an adult’s body. I feel so nostalgic for the games I played, the friends I had. I was always a self-conscious kid but feeling like you’re constantly being viewed exacerbated it tenfold. Life before being a ‘musical artist’ was the “thing” was just way simpler”. Living in a habitual state of monitoring and inauthenticity, Steven explores the ridiculousness of this reality and what it has done to his peace of mind over the years.

“In my youth, I really enjoyed writing songs and playing instruments, there was nothing more to it for me. Musical success, to me, was starting and finishing a song. I genuinely believed widespread recognition would come through the merits of the music alone. I was blissfully unaware of the realities of the industry back then and what it would eventually become. As the internet expanded and became capitalised, a lot of my generation’s life, let alone my music, has become about how we come across to people online and how, in fact, that process has seeped into the way we are with people in person”

At its core, ‘THE CRASH!’ is a soulful meditation on the weight we place on relationships, the fundamental cost of growth and the search for direction in an imperfect world. It’s a deeply personal project, shaped by Steven’s own journey through faith, disillusionment and self-discovery. Raised in a strictly Christian household, Steven’s first crisis of belief came at 17, when he began questioning the very foundations of existence. As his faith unravelled, music became his new guiding force – a source of direction, discipline and identity. But as he turned 30, disillusionment crept in once again. The stark realities of the music industry, coupled with global uncertainty, reignited that same despondent weight he had battled in his youth.

“It was an intoxicating feeling when I was younger and had no responsibilities, to foolishly believe I was the first person in history who'd worked something out that no one else had. It gave me this twisted sense of power and was a big creative motivator. Where I'm at now, nihilism is debilitating, boring and unhelpful. I’ve worked to find a way to channel those feelings into this project. I’m really proud of it”

'THE CRASH!' also features “Wreckage,” which offers a critique of performative online culture, while “Turn Ugly” embraces doomsday paranoia, questioning whether an apocalypse would feel any more surreal than reality. “Nichiyoubi” with French-born singer, songwriter and guitarist Célia Tiab, offers a raw reflection on relationships and “The Moment That You Know” slows the pace, creating space for contemplation. “Take Cover” captures the thrill of escape, but “Withdrawn” featuring Brighton-based musician Scarlett Fae, soon unravels that illusion, marking the emotional breaking point of both a doomed relationship and Steven’s evolving connection to music.

Closing the album, “Phone Home” with Célia Tiab and Manchester-based Trumpeter Aaron Wood leaves things open-ended, its final words “I need to phone home” posing a lingering question of where meaning and solace can truly be found.” Navigating the habitual doubts of existence, Steven confronts pessimism with a quiet hope for forward movement, establishing himself as a thought-provoking and adventurous artist grappling with the profound questions of his generation.

His isolated upbringing has shaped the introspective nature of his songwriting, which pairs with his distinctive reverb-drenched falsetto, synth textures and syncopated beats, to create a forward-thinking, soulful sound.  

Tracklist:
1. If It Matters
2. Wreckage
3. Turn Ugly
4. Exoskeleton
5. Cuckoo Goes The Clock (feat. Cam Thomas)
6. The Moment That You Know (Interlude)
7. Nichiyoubi
8. Take Cover
9. The Fool (feat. Sly5thAve)
10. Truman
11. Withdrawn (feat. Scarlett Fae)
12. Phone Home (feat. Aaron Wood & Célia Tiab)