VA - BBE Staff Selections 2023

2023 has certainly kept us on our toes at BBE Music, with no shortage of exciting happenings. Releasing more than 100 projects this year, we're thrilled to highlight our team's favorite musical selections.

With each beat and rhythm, we've sequenced beloved tunes from yesteryears to bring back to life timeless classics. Historic reissues on BBE - available both digitally and physically - highlight these masterpieces that have now been remastered. All thanks to the Grammy- nominated The Carvery Studio, tracks such as cannons from Perception / Today Records, gems from Strata Records, highlife from Asona Records, J Jazz series expansions, and so much more all unveiled a new, captivating sonic experience.

Many of these reissued originals were previously only available at exorbitant prices online. Thanks to The Carvery Studio for their meticulous remastering process, we've made them more affordable and accessible. This includes tracks such as Soul Liberation, Remi Kabaka's Son of Africa, J&F Quintet's masterpieces, Forest, Sphere’s Inside Ourselves and more.

This compilation snapshot captures the essence of all the music BBE brings to life: real music for real people. A wonderful initiation for any budding audiophile or simply a music lover starting their journey with BBE.

This year, we also marked hip hop's golden jubilee with the release of Illa J's album. The exclusive track, 'Relapse (Instrumental)', featured on this album, is a critics' choice that rightfully continues the powerful Yancey music legacy.

But our voyage into musical celebrations didn’t stop there. We paid tribute to the long, illustrious careers of Airto Moreira and Flora Purim, the reigning king and queen of Brazilian jazz.

So here's to all who cherish jazz, folk, afro beat, hip hop, funk, soul or Americana. This compilation celebrates the diversity of music, a testament to authenticity and our dedication to making real music for real people. 
 
CD1
1. ILLA J & Amp Fiddler - Get Down
2. Tony Kofi & Alina Bzhezhinska - Altera Vita (For Pharoah Sanders)
3. Dizzy Gillespie - Summertime
4. Hideyasu Terakawa Quartet & Hiroshi Fujii - Simone
5. Kirk Degiorgio - Beersheba
6. Jazzanova - Beyond the Dream
7. Astrud Gilberto - Take It Easy My Brother Charlie
8. Forest - Fly Away
9. Rahaan & The Ones - We Are The Ones
10. Johnny Pate - Brother on the Run (Opening)
11. Remi Kabaka - Kabaka
12. Boddhi Satva & Coréon Dú - I Don't Want Your Love
13. Brian Jackson - Mami Wata
14. Sam Yeboah - Maame
15. Black Ivory - Spinning Around
16. The Soulmates - People We Got to Do Better
17. Nana Budjei - Asamando
18. Kris Tidjan - Lords of War
19. Black Ivory - Don't Turn Around
20. Julius Brockington - Forty-Nine Reasons
21. Larry Young - Sunshine Fly Away
22. Ihsan Al-Munzer - Yassmin

CD2
1. Tyrone Washington - Submission
2. Julius Brockington - Do Your Thing
3. ILLA J - Relapse
4. Soul Liberation - Touch Me Again
5. Benny Johnson - Visions Of Paradise
6. Kantata - It's High Time Now
7. Eric Agyemang & Kokroko Band - Nananom
8. A.K. YeboahK.K's No. 2 Band - Nde Yen Da
9. Mr Cee - Nye Wonko
10. Thomas Frempong - Mada Meho So
11. Sam Yeboah - Konkonsani
12. Boddhi Satva & Dino d'Santiago - Moda Boddhi
13. MF Robots - The Love It Takes
14. Jazzanova - Saturday Night Special
15. Roy Ayers & Sylvia Cox - Liquid Love
16. Dizzy Gillespie - Olinga
17. Isao Suzuki & Masahiko Togashi & Hideo Ichikawa & Akira Shiomoto - Make Trip
18. Tatsuya Nakamura - Wow
19. Iman Houssein - House of Light
20. Jazzanova & Sean Haefeli - Creative Musicians
21. Boddhi Satva & Raheem DeVaughn - Finesse Me
22. Will & James Ragar - Oregon

Red Hot Org - Red Hot & Ra : SOLAR

SOLAR: Sun Ra In Brasil is a Brazilian celebration of the music of Sun Ra. The album was recorded in 2022 in Bahia and São Paulo, Brazil, and highlights incredible talent in Jazz, Avant-Pop, Rap and poetry. It includes such Brazilian forward-thinking artists such as Metá Metá, Edgar, Xênia França, Tiganá Santana, Max De Castro, Hamilton de Holanda, as well as 3x Grammy nominated vocalist Jazzmeia Horn and world renown musician and songwriter Meshell Ndgeocello.

Tracklist:
1. Astroblack Orunmilá
2. Nature’s God (Sun Ra Sam Ba)
3. Nine Rocket For the Planet
4. O Código (Black Prince Charming)
5. When There Is No Sun (Intergalactic Version)
6. Eu Sou Um Instrumento
7. Interstellar Low Ways
8. Brainville Dazidéia

Harry Mack - OB 100 Deluxe: Best of Episodes 75-100

This is such a huge milestone for myself as a creator and for us as a community. You all are the reason Omegle Bars has been such a success. I can’t thank y’all enough. So you know I had to do something extra special for the fans…

So much heart, soul, thought, and effort went into the creation of these super unique products. I can’t wait for y’all to get your hands on them. Thank you so much for supporting me and for making this Omegle Bars series what it is. Much love!

Tracklist:
1. Pulling The Trigger
2. Abracadabra
3. Ya Dig!
4. Electric
5. No Shin
6. Bike, Chicago, Bullet
7. Vámonos
8. Xenomorph
9. Genuflect
10. Kobe, Table, Jacket
11. The Bookbag
12. Slay
13. Bonsai
14. The Definition
15. Mackphobia
16. Linen, Infrastructure, Scramble
17. Revolutionary
18. MACKdonald’s
19. Handball
20. The Stares
21. Universal Explosion
22. Picture Frame
23. Animal Shelter
24. Throw In A Blanket
25. Mack On The Mic
26. Exotic
27. Scat Pack
28. Cosmetology
29. Loyalty
30. Know Where You’ve Been
31. Malicious, Pencil, Micro
32. Iridocyclitis
33. Grizzly Bear.
34. Touring Worldwide
35. Not For The Medals

The Sindecut and Ljeoma - Late

“Lovin' the groove n' vocal delivery" – Don Letts (BBC 6Music)
“British Hip-Hop Pioneers!” – Break to the Beat
“The Sindecut return better than ever with a tough, soulful, bottom-heavy delight of an album. A great mix of deep and catchy, which is exactly my style!” – Mr Scruff

Pioneering British Hip-Hop crew The Sindecut, featuring founding member DJ Fingers, and New York-based Geordie, singer-songwriter Ijeoma share their debut album ‘Late’, the cumulative outcome garnered from a 20-year creative collaboration and vision. ‘Late’ is being released as a super limited edition, hand-numbered, run of 500 vinyl, never to be repressed (in any format, variation or colour) ever again.

Talking about the upcoming album ‘Late’, Karl, aka DJ Fingers, says: “This album is a long time coming. I think the time has allowed us to mature in how we want to sound, and we are just attempting to build on our momentum creatively and are forever grateful to be collaborating with the musicians we work with.” Jess, aka Ijeoma, adds, “we paired the album with animations that interpret and bring to life the theme of each song on the record.”

London hip-hop collective The Sindecut are credited as one of the pioneers of the UK hip-hop scene, releasing the acclaimed ‘Changing The Scenery’ album in 1990 on Virgin Records (which was sampled by The Prodigy in “We Are The Ruffest” from the remix album of their classic ‘The Prodigy Experience’). The Sindecut were one of the first UK hip-hop groups to sign to a major label – fusing their sound with soul and reggae.

DJ Fingers is hailed as one of the first turntablists in the UK and featured in the iconic 1997 ‘Bad Meaning Good’ BBC documentary about UK hip-hop culture. A self-described Breakbeat DJ for MCs, he understands his role and link to the Sound System tradition. Influenced by the likes of Grandmaster Flash, Kool Herc, Grand Mixer DST, DJ Whizz Kid, and DJ Jazzy Jay – Fingers’ fundamental mantra is the running theme of “Knowledge of Self”, which he always strives to push conceptually through his many projects.

‘Late’ is interspersed with DJ Fingers’ trademark larger-than-life drums and Ijeoma’s magnetic vocals, lead-single “Different”, created on the day of Winnie Mandela's funeral, is about navigating and learning from life’s situations; while the jazz-infused single “Lucky”, laced with double bass and cinematic horns, was the first song the duo wrote for the album, and became the catalyst for the rest of the project. Album opener ‘Better Than Never’, is almost trip-hop in style, DJ Fingers atmospheric and cinematic hip-hop production meets Ijeoma’s yearning vocals, a formula selectively used throughout the sonic arch of the album, while reggae and dub seeps in on album focus track “Soldier”.

The album follows “Stand Tall”, an infectious slice of breakbeat street soul and The Sindecut and Ijeoma’s debut release on Tru Thoughts. “Stand Tall” was praised by the likes of Craig Charles, Don Letts (BBC 6Music) and Mr Scruff, and marked a new chapter for the duo on Tru Thoughts. 

Tracklist:
1. Better Than Never
2. Soldier
3. Right Now
4. About You
5. Different
6. Change
7. Lucky
8. What You Love
9. All Mine
10. Freedom

Homeboy Sandman - Therapy (Official Video)

Kaidi Tatham - The Only Way

First Word Records is very proud to welcome the return of the inimitable Kaidi Tatham, with his 5th album for us, entitled 'The Only Way'.

Kaidi Tatham is a legendary multi-instrumentalist born in the Midlands and based in Belfast. Established as one of the original creators of the Broken Beat sound, he is a virtuoso on the keys and a true innovator in sound production.

A deeply prolific artist, this is Kaidi's 5th solo album under his own name, following on from 'Don't Rush The Process' (2022), 'An Insight To All Minds' (2021), 'It's A World Before You' (2018), and 'In Search Of Hope' (re-pressed in 2020), all released on First Word, along with several EPs from 2017 onwards.

'The Only Way' is the latest chapter in Kaidi's entirely unique explorations into sound. 11 tracks touching on bruk, funk, jazz, mid-tempo hip hop and hyper-energetic Brazilian flavours, all thrown into a melting pot that's difficult to define, but all containing Kaidi's unmistakable sonic signature. The epic opener 'Reason We're Here' starts the album softly, before switching midway into KT's trademark synth-lead bruk boogie, to set the scene of what's to come. Lead track 'The Only Way' sees the return of Philly MC Uhmeer (Jazzy Jeff's son), his third collab with Kaidi and a timely celebratory track about this thing called Hip Hop, in its 50th year. 'Feels Like I'm On My Own' is a statement within itself, starting off as a jazz-funk jam, before switching to breakneck Brazilian choro, in the only way Kaidi can, with 'It's On' on a similar vein. 'Fricassee' is some heads down dancery business, and there are more guests with Tiran Kayhatu appearing on 'Alien @$^%' and Matt Lord on the super energetic album closer 'Not Suffering'.

Kaidi Tatham continues to grow on his already impressive catalogue, a body of work that falls within the cracks of jazz and dance music, exemplifying modern British black brilliance; uncompromising, innovative, groundbreaking, intricately sophisticated and deeply funky. His fanbase expands on every release and it's no surprise that that fanbase includes a diverse set of peers such as Madlib ("ahead of his time"), Gilles Peterson ("a key part of an entire movement") and K15 ("a limitless source of inspiration") to name just a few of the many influenced by Kaidi's sound.

About Kaidi Tatham....

Over the years, Kaidi Tatham's musical prowess has graced numerous projects, from the likes of DJ Jazzy Jeff, Andrew Ashong, The Herbaliser and longtime accomplice, Dego, in addition to session and remix work for artists such as Mulatu Astatke, Slum Village, Marcos Valle, Amy Winehouse, Soul II Soul, Nubya Garcia, Cody Currie and Leroy Burgess, along with First Word label mates Eric Lau, Children of Zeus, Allysha Joy and Darkhouse Family.

Kaidi is also a revered DJ known for rocking parties globally, whilst his solo catalogue spans tons of EPs and releases for labels such as Dego's 2000 Black, Alex Nut's Eglo Records and Theo Parrish's Sound Signature, along with an array of aliases, including Agent K, Shokazulu, Blakai, Da One Away and Likwid Biskit, the last two with another First Word label-mate, IG Culture (New Sector Movements / LCSM / CoOp Presents), to name but a few. 

Tracklist:
1. Reason We're Here
2. The Most Wanted Puffin (Lukey Dukey)
3. Interlude Criss Ting
4. The Only Way (feat. Uhmeer)
5. Windus Mc'Guntus
6. Confidence With Attitude
7. Feels Like I'm On My Own
8. Fricassee
9. Alien @$^% (feat. Trian Kayhatu)
10. It's On
11. Not Suffering (feat. Matt Lord)

J​.​PERIOD Presents #TheAbstractMix [Live From Brooklyn] [Exclusive]

 *Free Download

The Alchemist - Flying High

Tracklist:
1. RIP Tracy
2. Trouble Man
3. Bless
4. Midnight Oil
5. RIP Tracy (Instrumental)
6. Trouble Man (Instrumental)
7. Bless (Instrumental)
8. Midnight Oil (Instrumental)

Fredfades & Sraw - Double Density

SP-1200 beats made using postal service. Fredfades and Sraw collaborate through post, exchanging dusty beats for an experimental Hip Hop record. The process of sending floppy discs back and forth, where each producer added element over element on their own SP-1200, has been on-going for almost 10 years, slowly building a collaborative body of work.

The result is Double Density, an LP that oozes with the character of that infamous instrument which laid much of the foundation for the earliest Hip Hop artists and still manages to evoke those raw and visceral sounds of that era. Reinforcing those sounds are the voices of Planet Asia, Pink Siifu and Blue November, who deliver lyrics from US coasts to Scandanavia’s fjords.

The duos collaborative effort swims in a sea of eclectic influences where Jazz, Soul and Hip-Hop thrive in the construct of this unique instrument. The drum machine pops, crackles and hisses on a bed of big bass lines through 13 tracks that go from short instrumentals to fully arranged songs.

Taking Hip-Hop back to its origins, everything is stripped bare to its essentials and for every vocal track, there’s its antithesis in the form of an instrumental break. It’s a record that plays with the archetypes of Hip Hop and Rap as something that we’ve lost over the years that begs for revocation. Double Density sounds exotic in the world of today’s gleaming beats.

Tracklist:
1. Double Density
2. Smoggy
3. Playing With Time
4. Mobbin’ For A Hobby (feat. Planet Asia & Waz)
5. Closer
6. Trapped (Feat. Pink Siifu)
7. Intermezzo
8. 2night
9. Rings Around Saturn
10. The Maxi-Single (feat. Planet Asia)
11. Omnichord
12. Spark Lah (feat. Blue November)
13. Outro

Mark de Clive-Lowe, Shigeto, Melanie Charles - Hotel San Claudio

Revered composer, pianist, DJ and two decade-long bridge between jazz, dance and hip-hop, Mark de Clive-Lowe (MdCL), links up with influential drummer/producer/DJ, Shigeto and Brooklyn-based, Haitian-rooted, flautist/songwriter and Verve Records artist - Melanie Charles on Hotel San Claudio, a collaborative LP of spiritual jazz, live deconstructed beats, and a three-track set of Pharoah Sanders reinterpretations.

'Strings' speaks to the group’s love of hip-hop, with Shigeto’s Dilla-esque ‘hanging off the beat’ slap and Melanie Charles’ deft rhymes and MdCL’s sample-chops, whilst 'Kanazawa' references a love of soulful house, with Charles’ 70s disco/fusion-tipping flute solo, leading into a euphoric and climactic club outro. The warrior-themed Bushido, first heard on MdCL’s album Heritage, leans even heavier on 70s jazz fusion as MdCL’s unruly synth impulsions and Donald Byrd-leaning soul-jazz production strides the line between atmospheric and experimental. MFT showcases Charles’ jazz vocals, treated here with big reverbs and delays, affording a vast, celestial quality that stands present throughout Hotel San Claudio.

One musician the group kept circling back to as a major influence was saxophone titan and cosmic sage, Pharoah Sanders. The trio’s absorbing 2-part versioning of Sanders’ 30m-long classic ‘The Creator Has A Master Plan’ as well as his iconic ‘Love Is Everywhere’ become the centrepiece of Hotel San Claudio’s spiritually-focused, reimagined jazz core. 

Tracklist:
1. The Creator Has a Master Plan
2. Strings
3. MFT
4. Bushido
5. Interlude (Contorni)
6. Kanazawa
7. Love Is Everywhere
8. Interlude (Digestivo)
9. The Creator Has a Master Plan Part II

De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising

Seminal hip-hop group De La Soul have gained control of their back catalogue which will finally be available on streaming from March this year. At the same time, their classic debut 3 Feet High and Rising will be reissued physically, on vinyl, CD and cassette tape.

De La Soul's seminal debut album 3 Feet High and Rising was released on March 3, 1989 and is widely considered among the most influential hip-hop albums of all time. It marked the first of three full-length collaborations with producer Prince Paul and contains the singles, “Me Myself and I”, “The Magic Number,” “Buddy,” and “Eye Know.” The album title came from the Johnny Cash song “Five Feet High and Rising.” It is listed on Rolling Stone’s 200 Essential Rock Records as well as their list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. It is also featured on The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums.

Sampling artists as diverse as Hall & Oates, Steely Dan and The Turtles, 3 Feet High and Rising is often viewed as the stylistic beginning of 1990s alternative hip hop (and especially jazz rap). 3 Feet High & Rising was chosen by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry for its cultural significance and general excellence. The album will finally be available on streaming services and in-stores on its anniversary, March 3, 2023.

Tracklist:
1. Intro
2. The Magic Number
3. Change In Speak
4. Cool Breeze on the Rocks
5. Can U Keep a Secret
6. Jenifa Taught Me (Derwin's Revenge)
7. Ghetto Thang
8. Eye Know
9. Take It Off
10. A Little Bit of Soap
11. Tread Water
12. Potholes in My Lawn
13. Say No Go
14. Do as De La Does
15. Plug Tunin' (Last Chance to Comprehend)
16. De La Orgee
17. Buddy
18. Description
19. Me Myself and I
20. This is a Recording 4 Living in a Fulltime ERA (L.I.F.E.)
21. I Can Do Anything (Delacratic)
22.  D.A.I.S.Y. Age

De La Soul - De La Soul is Dead

Tracklist:
1. Intro
2. Oodles of O's
3. Talkin' Bout Hey Love
4. Pease Porridge
5. Skit 1
6. Johnny's Dead AKA Vincent Mason (Live from the BK Lounge)
7. A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"
8. WRMS' Dedication to the Bitty
9. Bitties in the BK Lounge
10. Skit 2
11. My Brother's a Basehead
12. Let, Let Me In
13. Afro Connections at a Hi 5 (In the Eyes of the Hoodlum)
14. Rap De Rap Show
15. Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa
16. Who Do U Worship?
17. Kicked Out the House
18. Pass the Plugs
19. Not Over Till the Fat Lady Plays the Demo
20. Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)
21. Skit 4
22. Shwingalokate
23. Fanatic of the B Word
24. Keepin' the Faith
25. Skit 3
26. WRMS: Cat's in Control
27. Skit 5

De La Soul - Buhloone Mindstate

Traclist:
1. Intro
2. Eye Patch
3. En Focus
4. Patti Dooke
5. I Be Blowin'
6. Long Island Wildin' (Skit)
7. Ego Trippin' (Part Two)
8. Paul's Revenge (Skit)
9. 3 Days Later
10. Area
11. I Am I Be
12. In The Woods
13. Breakadawn
14. Dave Has a Problem...Seriously (Skit)
15. Stone Age

Total Refreshment Centre - Transmissions From Total Refreshment Centre

All the best music has a community underneath it. The extended family around London's Total Refreshment Centre (TRC) connects continents and generations, creating the rich relationships in full effect on 'Transmissions From Total Refreshment Centre'. It's an eclectic and electric collection that draws from new school jazz, hip hop, dub, soul, funk, and drill: sounds you'll hear trailing out of cars as they spin up the Kingsland Road or spiraling out of doorways like so much smoke. Turn it up loud to hear the widescreen young cousins of Guru's landmark Jazzmatazz in full effect: top players from London, Chicago, and Melbourne seeking out new collaborations, new ways of working, or just new tunes, always coming back to that central truth - that we all need each other.

Tracklist:
1. Soccer96 - Visions (feat. Kieron Boothe)
2. Byron Wallen - Closed Circle
3. Jake Long - Cresent (City Swamp Dub)
4. Matters Unknown - Eloquence (feat. Miryam Solomon)
5. Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange - Isa (feat. Noah Slee)
6. Neue Grafik - Black (feat. Brother Portrait)
7. Resavoir - Plight

Turbojazz - Whateverism

This album has felt like a long time coming, as the first single ‘The Standard’ dropped back in September. But what a way announce it.

This full length collaboration entitled 'Whateverism' is the maker of twenty years in the music business for Turbojazz and is a celebration of his journey into the sonics and genres that have shaped his tastes and formed the trademark sound that he is known for about the globe. It's a kaleidoscopic journey that glides from from one stunning track to another in a highly impression fashion through shades of house, nu-jazz, hip hop, soul and the most modern electronic drifts of deep.

Full to the brim with collaborations. You can find the much acclaimed, LA based MC Dave Giles II, who recently featured on the Honey Dijon track 'Work' and on Beyonce's 'Cosy', You will also come across Detroit's very own and Moodymann's most featured vocalist on the hallowed Mahogani Music - deep house diva Nikki O who gets together with UK house don Sean McCabe on the ridiculously good 'In Love Again', plus Japan's Brisa from the Bastard Jazz family too!

All of this is packaged with some of the most promising talents from Italy, the motherland from which Turbojazz was born and bred. There’s Neapolitan & Srilankese vocalist Sara Vanderwert , who features on ‘You Are Worth It’, and Arya who sings the stunning lyrics on ‘We Lost A Night’ in a duet with Losangelino rapper, Demetrius Rhymes. Not forgetting Tommy’s long-time close collaborator from their trio Jaxx Madicine, Veezo, who is in charge of the brilliant key work and scintillating synths on most of the album.

Enjoy this highly impressive and unpredictable journey into the illusive world of Turbojazz. If the world did not know his name before, it will be standing up and knowing his name now. Oh yes! 

Tracklist:
1. The Standard
2. You Are Worth It (feat. Sara Vanderwert)
3. Constellated Ceiling
4. We Lost A Night (feat. Arya & Demetrius Rhymes)
5. Free Jaxx (feat. Brisa)
6. Stay Balanced (feat. Dave Giles II)
7. Illudion
8. In Love Again (feat. Nikki O & Sean McCabe)
9. Novalude
10. Live At Apollo

Lance Skiiiwalker - Audiodidactic

Tracklist:
1. Friends
2. Where To With You
3. Church (feat. Ab-Soul)
4. IG
5. Everybody Hurts Somebody
6. Sample Talk (feat. Isaiah Rashad)
7. I Just Want
8. It Was All (feat. V.C.R)
9. Beantown
10. Audiodidactic
11. (Ni) Radio Whispers

Declaime & Madlib - In The Beginning

In the Beginning (Vol. 3) continues the treasure trove of the early works of Declaime & Madlib, the longtime collaborators who helped usher in a new sound and style from the city of Oxnard, Calif. This collection is brimming with previously unheard tracks from this beyond-creative duo that blends hip-hop with funk, jazz, soul, and psychedelia to lay the groundwork for so many other emcees and producers.

For Declaime (a/k/a Dudley Perkins), this series serves as a way to honor his friends and the city that raised them. He shouts out names like The Almighty Metaphor (aka MED), Oh No the Disrupt, DJ Romes, Kazi, and more, who he says “created a lane for the city of Oxnard to get the recognition it deserves.” Some of them make an appearance in one form or another on this collection, too—Romes, for example, mastered the project—that compiles 10 previously lost tracks that were recorded from 1993 to ‘96.
 
In The Beginning (Vol. 3) is entirely produced by Madlib, who provided all the cuts as well. His instrumentals are on that raw and funky vibe as they move freely through genres and sounds, like on standout cuts “Come With The Ill Grammar,” "Too Much Clout,” and “Next Episode.” Those are all highlights for Declaime, too, and they demonstrate his ability to blend his observations of the world with bravado and third-eye insights. Even as young kids just getting their feet wet in the studio, these two were firmly on their path.
 
That path started, in a way, when the two became friends as young kids. “I first met Madlib when he moved across the street from me; I was around nine years old at the time,” Declaime says, adding that their fathers were friendly with one another. Despite the two losing touches after Madlib’s family moved, they reconnected just a few years later and the rest is musical history.

In The Beginning (Vol. 3) is set to drop in the fall of 2022 via SomeOthaShip Connect in partnership with Fat Beats. This alliance will include several new albums and previously unreleased projects from the Cali veteran that have yet to appear on vinyl, in addition to new releases from the SOS artist roster.

1. Ill Minded (Intro)
2. Ill Minded
3. Laff Now Cry Later (Intro)
4. Laff Now Cry Later
5. Soitissaid '93 (Cassette)
6. Come with the Ill Grammar (Intro)
7. Come with the Ill Grammar (feat. Roc C)
8. Why Do We Go Out Like That (Remix)
9. Too Much Clout (Intro)
10. Too Much Clout
11. 12th Floor (Intro)
12. 12th Floor (feat. God's Gift)
13. Next Episode (Intro)
14. Next Episode (feat. Christopher McCray)
15. Ass Will Get Dropped (feat. Med & DJ Romes)
16. Rollem Right (Original Mix)
17. Outro Beat Skit

Little Simz - NO THANK YOU

Tracklist:
1. Angel
2. Gorilla
3. Silhouette
4. No Merci
5. X
6. Heart on Fire
7. Broken
8. Sideways
9. Who Even Cares
10. Control

VA - Tru Thoughts 2022

‘Tru Thoughts 2022’ is the latest instalment from our annual compilation series. Curated by A&R, DJ and co-founder Robert Luis, the 32-track digital comp celebrates the best of the wide-ranging, diverse, and international roster. Selections span from Neo-Soul, Alternative Pop, Jazz and Contemporary Classical to Grime, Broken Beat, DnB and Electronica.

“When compiling our end of year release, it always gives me a chance to look back over the year we’ve had at Tru Thoughts and the artists we’ve worked with. We are an eclectic label, which reflects my own personal taste in music. In an era with a vast amount of music available, I always feel these compilations are a good way to remind people of the quality releases from the last 12 months. In a world after lockdown and with the UK music industry still dealing with the negative consequences of Brexit, this compilation highlights the creative strength and power of the artists on the Tru Thoughts roster; and, I feel, the wider world of artists and labels too” Robert Luis

We also have a Tru Thoughts 2022 T-shirt available alongside the compilation, check it out via Everpress everpress.com/tru-thoughts-compilation-2022 T-shirts can be ordered up until the 5th Dec, with shipping in time for Christmas.

Highlighted as the compilation’s focus track, ‘Tru Thoughts 2022’ features “The Sky Sings feat. Layla Moallem, Jasmin Moallem & KerenDun (Obas Nenor’s Dub) (Radio Edit)”; an exclusive edit of the hugely celebrated dub taken from Sefi Zisling’s “Welcome Sunset” EP. Renowned for creating music using a unique blend of rare vintage instruments and sounds, Tel Aviv producer and DJ Obas Nenor condenses the hypnotic groove of his original 11-minute remix into an impeccable radio edit. As Robert Luis adds, “it has been going down well in many DJ sets (including my own), but on this compilation we have a nice edit of the remix to highlight the vibe of the song”.

‘Tru Thoughts 2022’ boasts an incredible selection of burgeoning talent who have signed to Tru Thoughts this year. The debut single from Bristol-based producer, multi-instrumentalist, artist, and songwriter Slowe sits alongside the surreal and experimental sounds of Sharky’s smutty love song “Shark”, taken from her album ‘People Are Strange’. Glasgow-based musician, producer, DJ and curator Rebecca Vasmant works with Nadya Albertsson on “Broken Biscuits” taken from her “Dance Yourself Free” EP. Renowned songstress Karolina collaborates with Jenny Penkin on “Ready For Juju” (taken from ‘All Rivers’) and London-based Irish producer Cian McCaan AKA Zero T introduces his new alias - Bruk Rogers – on “LDN 133” and revisits his Zero T DnB sound on his remix of Nottingham Soul duo MELONYX’s “Energy”.

Amongst these debut releases and new signings sit offerings from established members of the Tru Thoughts roster. LA-based trio Moonchild present “Tell Him feat. Lalah Hathaway”, as previously featured on the BBC 6Music playlist, taken from ‘Starfruit’. Released at the beginning of 2022, the LP received international praise from the likes of Pitchfork, Exclaim!, NME, NPR, Billboard and more. Duos Nikitch & Kuna Maze and Rabii Harnoune & V.B.Kühl showcase their respective Bruk-Jazz and Moroccan Gnawa-Electronic fusion sounds on their sophomore albums, while Hidden Orchestra revisit ‘Archipelago’ on its tenth anniversary with the special ‘Archipelago: Source Materials’.

The collaborative spirit of Tru Thoughts continues to bubble through ‘Tru Thoughts 2022’. Producer, multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and composer Sly5thAve celebrates the spirit of Mexico City with pianist and producer Roberto Verástegui on “Agua de Jamaica” and the intersection of Jazz and Hip Hop with MC JSWISS on “Somebody’s Gotta Do It”. West London’s producer, DJ and Broken Beat revivalist WheelUP teams up More Time Records co-founder Sam Interface on collaborative riddim “Copacetic”; Future Soul and Electronica duo Anushka offer up “4AM” - an iconic project with Kraftwerk’s legendary Wolfgang Flür; and Brighton-based Jazz quintet Ebi Soda work with Yazz Ahmed on “Chandler”.

Remixes are plentiful with Gilles Peterson and Jean-Paul “Bluey” Maunick AKA STR4TA bringing their iconic Brit-funk style to Anushka’s “Bad Weather”, while the prolific and widely praised Shy One homes in on Aurora Dee Raynes’ “Good For You”. Broken Beat touches come from Bugz in the Attic member Daz-I-Kue delivering an anthemic remix of WheelUP’s “Fusion” and producer and multi-instrumentalist Hemai putting his own signature blend of live instrumentation and Bruk-heavy flavour on label-mate Sly5thAve’s “C-Side feat. Denitia”. Demonstrating the eclecticism of the label, further remixes come from Hinako Omori (Anchorsong) and Renegates of Jazz (sUb_modU). 

Tracklist:
1. Moonchild - Tell Him
2. Slowe - WYLTK
3. Sharky - Shark
4. Sly5thAve - Agua de Jamaica
5. Karolina - Ready For Juju
6. Sefi Zisling - The Sky Sings (Obas Nenor's Dub (Edit))
7. Luman Child - Grateful
8. Anushka - Bad Weather (STR4TA Remix (Radio Edit))
9. Rebecca Vasmant - Broken Biscuits
10. Aurora Dee Raynes - Good For You (Shy One Remix)
11. Jonny Faith - Came To Spray
12. WheelUP - Fusion (Daz-I-Kue Remix)
13. Nikitch - La Di F... Da
14. zero dB - A Pomba Girou (Austin Ato Remix)
15. WheelUP - Copacetic
16. Bruk Rogers - LDN 313
17. Yazz Ahmed - Chandler
18. Think Tonk - All My Weakness
19. Melonyx - Energy (Zero T Remix) (Radio Edit)
20. Jay Darkside - Follow We
21. Crafty 893 - Boot It (Radio Edit)
22. Biggabush - Black Swan Revival
23. Anchorsong - New World (Hinako Omori Remix)
24. Hidden Orchestra - X. Disquiet (Harps)
25. Tiawa - Be Fine
26. Rhi - Craving Your Love
27. Palm Skin Productions - Rule of 12ths
28. Sly5thAve - Somebody's Gotta Do It
29. Rabii Harnoune - Samaoui
30. sUb_modU - All Around (Renegades Of Jazz Remix)
31. Anushka - 4AM
32. Hemai - C-Side (Hemai Remix)

VA - Future Bubblers 6​.​0

On 18th November, Brownswood Recordings releases the 6th edition of the Future Bubblers compilation. An expansion of Gilles Peterson’s network supported by Arts Council England, the ongoing talent discovery and artist development scheme focuses on developing unsigned talent and building audiences for new left-field music. With support from PRS Foundation as Talent Development Partners, the professional recording, manufacturing and physical release of Future Bubblers 6.0 is made possible. Unlike any other initiatives within music, the compilation acts as a springboard for the musician’s careers with the cooperative model providing direct revenue to the artists by a share of the profits resulting in a sustainable income to work from. Previous Future Bubblers include artists such as Yazmin Lacey, KinKai, MC Snowy, Forest Law and Kayla Painter to name a few.

The 9 track compilation is a musically diverse collection of tracks, fusing genres that span across Electronic, Alt-R&B, Alt-Hip-Hop, Spoken Word, Neo-Soul, Jazz and beyond. Opening the project, Plumm showcases her hypnotic vocals on ‘To Be A Woman’, a stripped-back, live rendition of the track whilst siegfried komidashi combines layers of instrumentation with his dream-like vocals on ‘Voyager One, Lost’. Up next, London-based Zeñel highlights their trumpet and guitar skillset alongside guest vocals from Plumm for ‘Crinje’ followed by Jericho Noguera’s genre-bending single, ‘Keeping On’ which is dedicated to remaining faithful and maintaining an optimistic mindset. Manchester-based Victoria Jane - who has gone on to host her own show on BBC Radio 1 - highlights her diverse vocal range in the emotive track ‘Good & Low-Key’ before Shirkers creates a cloudy instrumental for Ceeow’s vocals on ‘Like Summer’. Maintaining the ethereal sonic, Ceeow’s ‘Twice’ is reflective of his Rap and singing abilities followed by Zimbabwe-born, Norwich-based Tadi The Great’s Hip-Hop-meets-Psychedelic soundscape on ‘Catastrophe’. Rounding off the compilation nicely is nowsm’s epic ‘Rough Of The Felt’ which perfectly combines Breakbeat, House, and Experimental sounds.

Spanning just over 40 minutes, Future Bubblers 6.0 is an extremely impressive assemblage of talent who have all delivered top-shelf singles. Released both digitally and on vinyl, the compilation embodies the spirit of the musicians as well as the team behind Future Bubblers.

Additional Information
Each year, Future Bubblers are paired with an industry mentor who is tailored to their individual needs and from there, the journey begins. Each Bubbler will receive a number of opportunities that will ideally set them up professionally. The venture offers; one-to-one production workshops from music software company, Ableton, performances at live Future Bubblers showcases, recording live sessions from the iconic Brownswood basement, professional press shots and beyond the year, long-term support throughout their career.

Tracklist:
1. Plúmm - To Be A Woman (Live)
2. seigfried komidashi - Voyager One, Lost
3. Zeñel - Crinje (feat. Plumm)
4. Jericho Noguera - Keeping On
5. Victoria Jane - Good & Low-Key
6. Shirkers - Like Summer (feat. Ceeow)
7. Ceeow - Twice
8. TADI THE GREAT - Catastrophe
9. Nowsm - Rough of the Felt