2000Black - 27

The album is a continuation of an afro-futuristic sonic exploration, kept in its raw form. The music is a blend of London boogie and house (not house) with strong jazz influences, crafted for dancers' footwork in heavy club grooves.

Tracklist:
1. Searching for Ntu People
2. You Can Not Kill Ideas
3. Hungry Again
4. You (feat. Lady Alma)
5. No Time to Waste
6. GG2
7. 950 Runnings
8. Early but so Hungry
9. Constant Disappointment

The Diasonics - Ornithology

Cinematic funk visionaries The Diasonics deliver another solid set of Eastern-infused psychedelic, cinematic, disco-funk with their new album “Ornithology”, set for release on October 3 via Record Kicks.
 
Following their 2022 critically acclaimed debut album “Origin of Forms”, named Library Music Album of the Year at PopMatters, the Moscow-based instrumental outfit The Diasonics return with “Ornithology”, a sophomore album that pushes their sonic boundaries forward while staying true to their unmistakable style. Recorded at their custom-built Studio 23—housed in a repurposed Soviet-era lamp factory—the album captures the result of two years of intense creative exploration and experimentation.

With their very signature blend of cinematic funk, Eastern-flavored melodies, instrumental hip-hop and analog soul, The Diasonics have carved out a unique space in the global funk scene. “Ornithology” marks a new chapter: inspired by recurring avian themes in their surroundings, from trains and stations to local folklore and the cries of birds circling their studio, the record channels ideas of movement and freedom, both thematically and musically.

“The theme of birds and ornithology emerged all by itself – we simply began noticing birdlike names all around us: trains and stations, shops, places, people’s surnames, books, and films,” the band says. “We got our hands on some vintage synthesizers and have been tuning oscillators while listening to the cries of seagulls flying around the factory where our studio was based. The ideas of flight, freedom, and space became central to the new album’s music.”

Sonically, the essential features of Ornithology include not only synthesizers but also Diana Greb’s mesmerizing vocals, which blend seamlessly into the sound palette, breathing life and soul into instrumental funk. “Balancing in our imagination between the earth and the skies like birds, we’ve tried to create our own musical language within the concept of ornithology, reflecting every human’s desire to get closer to birds and soar freely, beyond physical or mental limits.”

Formed in 2019, this five-piece instrumental unit — Daniil Lutsenko (electric guitar), Kamil Gazizov (keyboards), Maksim Brusov (bass), Anton Moskvin (drums), and Alexander Shingaling (previously Anton Katyrin) (percussions) — quickly gained cult status through a series of sought-after 45s on Mocambo and Funk Night Records. Their critically acclaimed debut album “Origin of Forms” mixed by Henry Jenkins, producer of the Australian cult band Surprise Chef, came out on Record Kicks in 2022. The vinyl went sold out in few weeks and is now in-demand on the international cinematic funk scene. “Origin of Forms” was chosen as record of the month on FIP (Radio France) and received great reviews from outlets such as Wax Poetics, Mojo, Rolling Stone FR, Clash, Uncut and support by Jamie Cullum (BBC2), KEXP, Radio France and Huey Morgan, Don Letts, Cerys Matthews and Tom Ravenscroft of BBC 6 Music.

With the new album Ornithology, The Diasonics dive into lush synthesizers, stripped-down grooves, and raw instrumental interplay, drawing from 1970s library music, Soviet jazz fusion, and disco-funk, and deliver another super solid release that confirms and pushes forward all the uniqueness that made “Origin of Forms” so alluring. Unmissable for fans of Khruangbin, Surprise Chef, and instrumental funk grooves.

“With The Diasonics funk rises in the East” Wax Poetics Magazine
“From Russia with love. The Diasonic are simply cool, you have to say it” Rolling Stone France
“A cinematic, ‘70s-steeped blend of funk, soul, psych-rock and various East European influences, combining guitars and keyboards with chunky funk and hip hop rhythms” KEXP
“Russian Federation instrumental combo embraces the groove” Mojo Magazine
“The champs of the Russian vibrant funk scene” FIP Radio France (Album of The Month)
“Elevating psychedelic soul to new levels, their cinematic sweep displays an awareness of hip-hop culture, and its crate-digging tendencies” Clash Mag (UK) 

Tracklist:
1. Jay
2. Black Owl
3. Мockingbird
4. Larks
5. Peregrine
6. Finch
7. Storm Petrel
8. Oriole
9. Guineafowl
10. Chickadee
11. Cuckoo

Wun Two - Cobra

With „Cobra“, German producer and lofi pioneer Wun Two presents an 18-track LP showcasing his signature boombap sound with the gentle sway of bossa nova and jazzy melodies. Warm guitar loops, hazy textures, and raw drums shape a journey through tropical moods and laid-back nostalgia.

Featuring instrumental contributions from FloFilz, Gabiga, and dennisivnvc, the album also includes a standout rap feature by Oakland-born, New York-based newcomer Ovrkast. Known for his collaborations with Conway the Machine,Rejjie Snow and many more, Wun Two once again proves his unique ability to create timeless, raw atmospheres with his instrumentals.

Cobra will be released digitally and as a limited 300-copy vinyl edition on September 26th, 2025 via Sichtexot Records.

Tracklist:
1. Rio Pinsa
2. Borraro
3. Bonfabulissimo
4. Agosto (feat. FloFilz)
5. Risteza
6. Jequibau
7. Frutos
8. Bumbatino
9. Bonfabulis
10. Seeso Rio
11. Flyjequibau
12. Albero Wasser
13. That Time in Brasil (feat. dennisivnvc)
14. Gala Brashill
15. Nifu
16. Ormir (feat. Gabiga)
17. Totenlied
18. Pregui (feat. Ovrkast)

Mulatu Astatke - Mulatu Plays Mulatu

Strut presents Mulatu Plays Mulatu, the first major studio album in over 10 years from the father of Ethio-jazz, Mulatu Astatke.

Featuring masterful new arrangements of some of his classic compositions, Mulatu Plays Mulatu finds Mulatu revisiting the sounds that helped to change the face of Ethiopian music during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. The album was recorded between London and Addis Ababa, working with his long-standing UK band, a tight, intuitive ensemble honed through years of live performance, alongside cultural musicians resident at his Jazz Village club in Addis.

Mulatu Plays Mulatu realises Mulatu’s long-term vision of Ethio-jazz, intricately balancing Western jazz arrangements with the rich sounds of traditional Ethiopian instruments including the krar, masenqo, washint, kebero and begena. Throughout the album, he reshapes familiar material with rich textures, expanded improvisations and a deepened rhythmic complexity, creating a body of work that feels as vital and contemporary as it does steeped in tradition. Familiar tracks like ‘Yekermo Sew’, ‘Netsanet’ and 'Azmari', composed by Either/Orchestra's Russ Gershon, are reinvented here as elegant big band performances. 

“Ethio-jazz brings us together and makes us one,” explains Mulatu. “This album is the culmination of my work bringing this music to the world and pays respect to our unsung heroes, the original musical scientists in Ethiopia who gave us our cultural music.”

Bridging continents and generations throughout his 50-year career, Astatke now offers us an invitation to hear his music again, with a completely fresh perspective. Ethio-jazz, like its creator, is always in motion.

Mulatu Plays Mulatu was produced by Dexter Story and features contemporary artists LA-based artists Carlos Niño and Kibrom Birhane. The album was recorded and mixed by Isabel Gracefield at RAK Studios in London and by Dexter Story in Addis. The inspired album artwork was created by acclaimed Oslo-based Ethiopian artist, Wendimagegn Belete with photography by Alexis Maryon.  

Tracklist:
1. Zèlèsègna Dèwèl
2. Kulun
3. Nètsanèt
4. Yèkèrmo Sèw
5. Azmari
6. Chik Chikka
7. The Way To Nice
8. Motherland Intro
9. Motherland
10. Mulatu
11. Yèkatit

Cochemea - Vol III: Ancestros Futuros

The 3rd and final chapter in Cochemea's epic quest to explore and express the spiritual connection between his art and ancestry. For Vol 3: Ancestros Futuros, Cochemea entrusted his vision to a core group of longme collaborators—a powerful octet composed of New York-based percussionists and members of Daptone’s famed rhythm section. Gabriel Roth (aka Bosco Mann) reprised his role as producer, recording and mixing the album live to 8-track analog tape. Cochemea continues to push the boundaries of his sound, blending past, present, and future into a ritual offering—an evolving sonic narrative where memory, survival and creativity converge.

Tracklist:
1. Transmisión del Soñar
2. Otros Mundos
3. Ancestros Futuros
4. Omeyocan
5. Pyramid of the Sun
6. The Land Swallowed Them Whole
7. Seeing
8. Procession Of Spirits
9. Chiokoe

Lady Wray - Cover Girl

Lady Wray makes her highly anticipated return with Cover Girl, her third album on Big Crown Records. The album opener “My Best Step” says it all, “my next step is my best step”, and indeed she is taking her artistry to a new high and making the best music of her life. The celebratory Cover Girl takes listeners on a free-spirited joyride glittered with ‘60s and '70s-inspired soul and disco, ‘90s hip-hop and R&B, and perhaps the most defining element, gospel. Following the healing journey that was 2022’s Piece of Me, Nicole has performed on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, NPR’s Tiny Desk, and toured the world. After this period of growth, Lady Wray is now ready to let her hair down and embrace all of what life has to offer. Reunited with producer Leon Michels (Norah Jones / Clairo / El Michels Affair) for the record, the outcome is effortless and undeniable, a reflection of their longtime collaboration that extends over a decade.

“I've gravitated more towards love and self-care with this album. Piece of Me was realizing that I was going to be a mother, and all those feelings were on my heart,” Lady Wray says. “Now I'm able to sit back and be a real boss. I got my career, my motherhood, and my marriage by the horns. I've grown into this more self-aware and beautiful flower for Cover Girl.” With an almighty voice, soul-stirring lyrics, and a magnetic personality, the singer-songwriter reflects her appreciation for her family, her faith, and her renewed love for herself—all of which drive her new record.

Lead single “You’re Gonna Win” is a report to the dance floor, feel good banger. Cole lets loose while naming and claiming her power “I do not care who came before me, after me there will be none” as she likens her company to winning the lottery. The Fabulous Rainbow Singers choir joins on the chorus taking the whole affair to church and putting it next to the finest gospel-disco records ever pressed. “Be a Witness” is a funky, mid-tempo powerhouse that would make Prince proud. Nicole finds the perfect groove over punchy drum machines and infectious synthesizers, singing about a love destined to happen, and spreading the good vibes to everyone in earshot. Cover Girl’s title track is one of the album’s most vulnerable moments. Lady Wray delivers a show-stopping performance over the stripped down track as she details her journey to finding herself again: “I lost myself trying to please someone else / I want to be me again.” The title stems from a childhood nickname she earned for her consistently manicured style. Lady Wray explains. “As I grew up and got into the music business, I lost that happy part of me. I see that happiness in my daughter, who’s just beautiful, talented, and smart. ‘Cover Girl’ is me going back to that little girl. It’s about getting back to loving yourself and healing.” Similarly on “Where Could I Be,” she reclaims the happiness and sense of identity that she lost focus of through life’s struggles. Nicole gushes about her love and respect for her marriage on “Best For Us” & “Hard Times”, both acknowledging the imperfection and referencing the strength and resilience of true love. She sings to her daughter on “Higher,” teaching her how to love and be loved, encouraging her to be confident and persistent.

Lady Wray was born to sing, sharing her soul and her life with us through her music. She has amassed a diehard worldwide fanbase with her relatable messages and incomparable voice. Whether singing of her struggles or strengths, there’s a comfort that comes from the way she makes us know we are not alone in any of it. Nicole Wray is inspiring and uplifting. Having been through a lot, she’s taken all of it and made herself a better person and a better artist.

“You need to rule your own world. Don't let anybody get in your way. You rock with your dreams until the wheels fall off,” Lady Wray says. “That's what I've been doing with my career since 1998. I know who I am and what I bring to the table. It's been a heck of a journey, and I feel so happy to be making the best music of my life.”  

Tracklist:
1. My Best Step
2. Be A Witness
3. Where Could I Be
4. Hard Times
5. Best For Us
6. Cover Girl
7. You're Gonna Win
8. Time
9. What It Means
10. Higher
11. Calm

Homeboy Sandman & Guidance - Tears of Joy

Tracklist:
1. Artist's Creed
2. Nick of Time (feat. Scarub)
3. The Veil
4. It's You
5. Use It or Lose It
6. Meadowlark

Frollen Music Library - Harp After Dark

Frollen Music Library presents "Harp After Dark", a soulful journey through the mystical realms of homemade stringed instrumentation and 70s library music sensibilities.

Discovered at a suburban garage sale and lovingly restored, the centrepiece of this collection - a one-of-a-kind handcrafted harp - weaves its ethereal voice through each composition. Recorded at The College of Knowledge HQ, the F.M.L. house band contrasts the sparseness of delicate harp plucks with the fullness of vibraphone shimmer and kangaroo-hide percussion, creating a sonic landscape that feels both intimate and expansive.

Like Jack Arel and Pierre Dutour's experimental yet accessible compositions, "Harp After Dark" seamlessly blends the DIY ethos of handcrafted instruments with distinctly melodic structures, rendering the strange and unfamiliar utterly approachable.

The collection moves effortlessly between moments of lazy day introspection and forward-moving Mood Music energy. Vintage parlour guitar adds warm, woody textures while electric bass provides the grounding foundation for these explorations. When the vibraphone enters, it creates moments that are equal parts meditative trance and funky euro production - a delightful contradiction that permeates the entire work.

Each track is meticulously labelled with BPM and key, performed on real instruments, and captured with precision to ensure seamless integration into your next production. The distinctive tone of the kangaroo-hide drum kit adds a unique percussive signature that sets these recordings apart from typical library fare, giving your projects that distinctive F.M.L. touch.

Tracklist:
1. Darkest Before The Dawn
2. Apricity
3. Filigree
4. Moon
5. Only Shadows
6. First Light
7. Hands at Midnight
8. Hot and Cold
9. Hour Glass
10. Unnecessary Evil
11. Take What You Need
12. Repetition
13. No Stone
14. Pirouette
15. The Sun Comes Up

Ohbliv - LewseJoints 17

Tracklist:
1. Play to Win
2. Generation Traps
3. Ticket to the End of the World
4. Ripples to Waves
5. Testify
6. Choose Your Battles
7. Release Your Chains
8. Look for the Lesson
9. Contradictions
10. Remember the Source
11. Late Night Meeting 

Sven Wunder - Daybreak

At daybreak, as sunlight travels through the atmosphere and begins to reach Earth’s surface, daylight gradually emerges. This marks the transition from night to the beginning of a brand-new day. As the temperature rises—especially after clear, calm nights—relative humidity decreases, and mist, formed of tiny suspended droplets, begins to evaporate. Warm air rises and cool air sinks, creating an interplay of temperature, humidity and sunlight that gives way to a soft, diffuse glow. The sea breeze slowly clears the morning mist, setting life in motion once again as the world wakes up.

‘Daybreak’ is Sven Wunder’s fifth full-length album, seamlessly continuing the progression of his musical oeuvre. It takes the listener on a vivid maritime expedition, beginning the moment the first rays of light break the darkness of the night and embarking on a lush journey through the early hours of the day and far beyond, until the light slowly fades and night falls once again. True to Wunder’s now-distinctive artistry, ‘Daybreak’ is marked by elaborately crafted compositions and elegant pop-jazz arrangements for flute, percussion, brass and strings—supported by a decisive rhythm section, all of which add depth and build on his body of work, continuing to unfold his creative path.

Tracklist:
1. Setting Off
2. Misty Shore
3. Take A Seat
4. Daybreak
5. Still Moorings
6. Scenic Byway
7. Leeward
8. Windward
9. Resting Place
10. Warmer Air
11. Deep Sea
12. Turning Tides
13. Liquid Mountains

Potential Badboy - Elusive

London-based, legendary jungle pioneer, Potential Badboy (aka Chris Mcfarlane) releases his jungle album, Elusive, featuring previous singles such as the dubwise Ticker featuring JODIAN NATTY, Do What They Say featuring Indigo Reign and Syren Rivers, and Rise with Blackout JA, Talisman, and Coozie Mellers.

With Elusive, Potential Badboy reminds us that he was and always will be a heavyweight in UK rave culture; since the early ‘90s, Potential Badboy has remained a key architect of jungle, drum and bass, and garage, pushing the scene forward for over three decades.

Give Me A Sign symbolises a special moment in the album, where Potential Badboy’s daughter, alternative R&B/Soul artist Havana, brings her own soulful, laid-back voice and perspective to a track that was her favourite in her Dad's archives. “It became a beautiful full-circle moment, allowing her to express herself on a song that once meant so much to her”.

Commenting on the collaborative nature of the album, Potential Badboy adds: “This project is a departure from the norm. It’s built from collaboration with artists who reflect my identity and taste, blending elements of jungle and drum and bass in ways that feel raw, honest, and entirely my own.”

Elusive presents a fresh lens on jungle and drum and bass. Drawing on Potential Badboy’s deep production pedigree and his instinctive feel for what’s next, it stays rooted in the culture while carving out bold new directions for the genre.

The project blossomed from a period of seclusivity, when Chris, by his own admission became “became increasingly hard to reach—intentionally.” He adds “I took a step back from the public eye to reflect, recalibrate, and quietly reinvent myself…. For the first time, I had the freedom and autonomy to create without outside expectations—just me, the sounds I love, and the styles that speak to me. I named the album Elusive as a reflection of that period of transformation—when disappearing became a way of reclaiming myself creatively.”

Following suit is the track “Bun Dem Out,” born out of frustration with outside opinions, expectations, and the pressure they place on the creative process. “Bun Dem Out” is the pair’s response: raw, unapologetic, and heavy. Fusing metal energy with jungle rhythms, it pushes back against conformity and reclaims creative control through sound.

With collaboration at the core of Elusive, Potential Badboy invites a handful of artists to appear on multiple tracks. Junior Dangerous, appears twice —on both “Banger” and “Dangerous is Dangerous”—two powerhouse, floor-shaking tunes built for peak-time play. “Banger” blends the energy of the dancefloor with the grit of drum and bass, anchored by an undeniably catchy hook delivered with unflinching ragga-style panache.

Also making a second appearance on the album are Indigo Reign and Syren Rivers, singing about human nature, community, and trusting your instincts. Their contributions carry the theme of staying strong as a unit in the face of systems that feel as though they’re working against you. The track “Life,” featuring Blackout JA, Mikey General, Talisman, and Coozie Miller, also tackles these issues—reminding listeners that “love is the only solution to find peace within” and to “Stand up and fight like buffalo soldier.” To give this powerful message space, Potential Badboy creates a mature, grounded production. “The message in the lyrics called for a sound that felt intentional and respectful, and the result is a track that speaks to life’s truths with strength, soul, and experience,” he adds.

This message of standing your ground continues on “Dough,” where TrueMendous brings her assertive energy, demanding to be paid what she’s owed over stripped-back, hard-hitting production that drives the message home.

The track “Five Papers” featuring Uncle Nuts is a heartfelt nod to the roots of the scene. Potential Badboy recalls looking up to Uncle Nuts in his youth—watching him run sound systems and shape the local sound culture. “Five Papers” serves as a tribute, “a way to pay homage to the old school man dem—the pioneers who laid the foundation and inspired my own journey through sound,” he explains.

Staying true to his commitment to honouring the genre’s origins, the album closes with “We Are Dangerous” featuring the legendary Ragga Twins. Known for their razor-sharp flow and unmistakable energy, the Ragga Twins deliver a bold warning to the scene. “This track is a tribute to their legacy and everything they’ve contributed to the genre. We Are Dangerous is both a celebration of their impact and a nod to the foundation they helped build,” says Potential Badboy. 

Tracklist:
1. Ticker (feat. JODIAN NATTY)
2. Battle Of The Senses (feat. Indigo Reign & Syren Rivers)
3. Give Me A Sign (feat. Havana)
4. Rise (feat. Blackout JA, Coozie Mellers & Talisman)
5. Bun Dem Out
6. Five Papers (feat. Uncle Nuts)
7. Do What They Say (feat. Indigo Reign & Syren Rivers)
8. Dangerous Is Dangerous (feat. Ragga Twins)
9. Life (feat. Blackout JA, Mikey General & Coozie Mellers)
10. The Lesson
11. Banger (feat. Junior Dangerous)
12. Dough (feat. TrueMendous)
13. We Are Dangerous (feat. Junior Dangerous)

Alfa Mist - Roulette

On his sixth studio release Roulette, the prolific producer, songwriter, pianist and MC Alfa Mist has created his own sci-fi universe - a vast dystopia where themes of revenge, forgiveness and redemption loom large.

Alfa Mist’s albums have always tackled big themes. This time, however, he explores an imagined near-future in which reincarnation is discovered to be a potent tool linking dreams and past lives. But with this discovery comes consequences: ethical, moral and philosophical. “If reincarnation is real, how does that shape society?” he explains. “If reincarnation means accumulation of knowledge, would you share it and enable everyone to understand more about the world? Or do you struggle for power? And do some people want to stop others from remembering who they were?”

Over 15 tracks, Alfa explores these ideas with heady potency. Each song is a spin of the wheel – a different song and character. The musician’s signature is still there – lambent keys, intuitive groove, free-flowing jazz improvisation – but Roulette is imbued with a smoky psychedelia. An immersive listen, this album is designed “to feel” on every level, says Alfa. It also contains some of his most impressive arrangements yet - see the eight-minute title track that effortlessly flips through time signatures – “because life’s like that,” says Mist; it’s not always linear.

Roulette underlines Alfa Mist as one of the most forward-thinking composers in UK music, with poignant, plaintive melodies that lodge deep in your psyche. “I’m exploring different parts of myself,” he says. “But obviously, as I grow, all of those parts change. Music is a constant; it’s my state of mind that I constantly chisel and work on and make sure that’s always growing and staying interested in new things. As long as I do that, it’ll come out in the music.”

Tracklist:
1. Reincarnation (feat. Homeboy Sandman)
2. Roulette
3. You're Not Blind
4. All Time (feat. Tawiah)
5. Between Lives
6. 9 Months
7. Found You
8. Dersen Cafe
9. Always Be (feat. Kaya Thomas-Dyke)
10. Avoid The Drones
11. Who Were You?
12. Give Nothing
13. Give Anything
14. From East
15. Black Snow