Baby Charles - Baby Charles (15th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)

Record Kicks unleashes a "15th anniversary" edition of British outfit Baby Charles' self-titled landmark debut album, out on March 17th on ltd edition LP and digital deluxe version with bonus tracks.

Together with Nicole Willis And The Soul Investigators' "Keep Reachin' Up" album, 2008's Baby Charles debut LP is the album that defined the European funk scene of the 2000s. Mojo Magazine described them as "the most likely candidates to lead the Deep funk scene" after hearing the album. Driven by the single "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor", an afro-funk cover of the Arctic Monkey's hit, the LP went rapidly sold out, it was never been repressed and it now changes hands for ludicrous sums on the web. English writer, DJ, and television presenter Mark Lamarr, who wrote on the album's liner notes to "file it amongst your funk classics", invited the band to BBC's Maida Vale Studios, where they recorded a legendary live session for his BBC Radio 2 God's Jukebox show. In France, the album benefited from a massive support from legendary Radio Nova station thanks to its"Nova Aime" campaign, while in 2009 Pitchfork crowned Baby Charles, together with Sharon Jones & The Dapkings, as the reference band of the international funk scene. Unfortunately, the band split up in 2011 when they were about to enter the studio to give birth to the awaited sophomore album and while the debut LP started reaching a cult status among djs and collectors.

The 15thanniversary edition will hit the streets on March 17th, 2023 on limited edition LP and Digital Deluxe Edition featuring two bonus tracks: "Time Wasting", which displays the heavier psychedelic edge of Baby Charles, with an unstoppable chugging groove, a heavy horn-led break, and climatic chorus to finish the track off, and "Jackson Fingers", for which the band created a brand-new groove that could work just as well as a sixties soundtrack or as a dance-floor friendly slab of soul-jazz.

The "Baby Charles" album was published on March 10th, 2008 and followed the release of 3 heavyweight 45s, all of which found heavy rotation in funk spots around the globe. On the album, Soul diva Dionne Charles delivers her unique, self-penned stunning vocal performance, while the band lays down the heavy funk grooves. Throughout the 12 tracks, the combo displays a range of styles, which reflect their diverse influences. There's the Latin-inspired bass groove in "Treading Water", the Meter's style funk of "Invisible", the James Brown influence on "Hard Man" and "No Controlling Me", the afrofunk of "I Bet You Look Good On The Danceflloor", there's even some Egyptian Jazz thrown in the mix on the instrumental track "The Sphinx" and a deep soul version of DJ Shadows' "This Time". The result is a must-have album for diggers, djs and funk and soul fans. 

Tracklist:
1. Treading Water
2. Invisible
3. Comin' from a Higher Place
4. Life's Begun
5. No Controlling Me
6. Hard Man to Please
7. Step On
8. Indecision
9. I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
10. Back of My Hand
11. This Time
12. The Sphinx
13. Time Wasting
14. Jackson Fingers

VA - Record Kicks 20th Rare Box Set

Record Kicks celebrates its 20th Anniversary with a limited edition "Rare Box Set" consisting of ten 45 vinyl with the very best of the label's catalogue out March 3rd.

The boxset is limited to 500 copies worldwide and it will also be released on digital format on that same day, March 3rd. The artwork by Japanese artist Ruminz is an homage to Afro-American culture. Of the 20 tracks on the "Rare Boxset", 11 tracks are previously unreleased on 45 vinyl, while 9 are reissues of mega in-demand gems.

Among the tracks released for the first time on 45, you'll find label's Funk & Soul heavyweights such as "Easy To Come Home" by Sydney funk maestros Dojo Cuts, "Your Love is Mine" by British funk band The New Mastersounds feat Corinne Bailey Rae and remixed by Nostalgia 77, "50 Foot Woman" by Hannah Williams & The Affirmations, "Soul Connection" by The Diplomats of Solid Sound and "Soul of My Life" by The Tibbs. For the first time on 45 vinyl, there are also two singles from the masters of Cinematic funk Calibro 35: "Stainless Steel" from their legendary album "Traitors" and "Ungwana Bay Launch Complex" from "S.P.A.C.E.", The Diasonics with "Andromeda", taken from their debut album "Origin Of Forms", and Whatitdo Archive Group's "Blood Chief" from the band's album "The Black Stone Affair".

On the reissue's front, among the rare tracks that by popular demand finally see the light again on 45 vinyl we find: the afrofunk cover of The Artic Monkeys' "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor" by Baby Charles, JB's classic "Soul Power" by Kokolo remixed by Lack Of Afro, The Bluebeaters with "Catch That Teardrop" and "Toxic (One Drop Version)" singles, northern soul floorshaker "I'm a Good Woman" by Hannah Williams & The Tastemakers and deep funk stormer "I'm Not Your Regular Woman" by Marta Ren & The Groovelvets.

The "Rare Box Set" is just the first of many upcoming initiatives that will be revealed during the year to celebrate the Milan's label 20th anniversary. Side by side with similar imprints like Daptone, Big Crown, Colemine or Timmion Records, under its motto "The explosive sound from Today's scene", Milan-based record label and music publishing Record Kicks has been pitching the contemporary funk & soul scene since 2003. With over 250 releases under the belt, the label has released bands from all over the globe and earned support of VIP fans such as rap superstars Jay-Z, Tyler The Creator and Dr. Dre, who took inspiration from the label's catalogue by sampling it. 

Tracklist;
1. Dojo Cuts - Easy to Come Home (feat. Roxie Ray)
2. The Tibbs - Soul of My Life
3. The Diasonics - Andromeda
4. Whatitdo Archive Group - Blood Chief
5. Calibro 35 - Stainless Steel
6. Calibro 35 - Ungwana Bay Launch Complex
7. The New Mastersounds - Your Love Is Mine (Nostalgia 77 Remix) [feat. Corinne Bailey Rae]
8. Gizelle Smith - June (TM Juke Remix)
9. Hannah Williams;The Tastemakers - I'm a Good Woman
10. Hannah Williams;The Affirmations - 50 Foot Woman
11. Marta Ren;The Groovelvets - I'm Not Your Regular Woman
12. Martha High - Answer to Mother Popcorn
13. Kokolo - Soul Power (Lack of Afro Remix)
14. Tanika Charles - Soul Run
15. Diplomats of Solid Sound - Soul Connection (feat. The Diplomettes)
16. Trio Valore - Rehab
17. Baby Charles - I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
18. The Liberators - The Directive
19. The Bluebeaters - Catch That Teardrop
20. The Bluebeaters - Toxic (One Drop Version)

Alexis Evans - Yours Truly

Record Kicks presents "Yours Truly", the new album by Bordeaux's "Soulboy", Mr. Alexis Evans.

Like fine Red Wine, "Soulboy" Alexis Evans gets better with Age. The best evidence of this is his brand new album "Yours Truly", set for release on February 3rd, 2023 on LP, CD and digital via Milan-based label Record Kicks. Produced and mixed by Louis-Marin Renaud (Lou Doillon, Theo Lawrence, Desmond Myers), "Yours Truly" is the third studio album by Bordeaux-based singer-songwriter Alexis Evans and sees the light 4 years after his previous LP "I've Come A Long Way", defined "Soul album of The Year" by Rolling Stone France. "Yours Truly" consists of 12 brilliantly soulful cuts that take direct inspiration from 60's & 70's classic soul music adding a sound that is firmly rooted in the new millennium.

Anticipated by the first single "Mr Right On Time", the album was recorded between Bordeaux and Nantes during 2021 and beginning of 2022. The idea behind the new album was to find a unique sound, mixing classic 60's & 70's soul music with more contemporary influences such as hip hop beats, jazz, reggae, and Caribbean sounds. To do that, Alexis paired up with producer Louis-Marin Renaud, known for his work with French-English singer, actress and model Lou Doillon and country-soul rising star Theo Lawrence, who took part in the arrangements and mixed the album.

"All instruments were recorded live, some titles were completely live and others got modified, cut, sampled, depending on the tunes in a kind of beatmaking way. It was a very fun and fulfilling project that will sound awesome on stage for sure," explains Alexis.

Lyrically, the album could be described as soulful everyday rhymes. "Love may be the number one subject in soul music and clearly has its place of honor in a few songs ("Close to me", "What is this feeling"), while other songs tend to deal with it in a more cynical but poetic way, for instance on "Mister right on time", in which beauty remains in simplicity," states Mr. Evans. He continues: "Another topic of the album is abandonment ("It matters to me", "The only apple", "Close to the water"). Whether it is the fear of being left behind or the sadness after a loss, this album still bears some traces of lockdown and I was aiming at giving another perspective on different matters, looking at them in a dreamlike way." The themes of the album are reflected in the cover artwork, made by Adrià F Marquès.

Alexis Evans, songwriter with a timeless style based in Bordeaux, France, found the love of music and learnt to play guitar thanks to his father, an English musician. His inspirations range from Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke to David Bowie. At the age of 17 he debuted with his first project "Jumping to the Westside", with which he was awarded the "Cognac Blues Passion" prize and flew to the "International Blues Challenge" in Memphis, Tennessee, where he impressed the American audience even though he was still a teenager. Mr. Evanshas built a household name in the scene as the "enfant prodige of soul" starting with his first album, released in 2015, and consolidated his reputation with his second long play "I've Come a Long Way", released in 2019 on Record Kicks. Rolling Stone France described it as "The Soul album of the year", while Blues & Soul Magazine and BBC 6 defined him as "One of the most exciting additions to the international Soul Scene". Following the release of the album, Alexis toured in France and Europe extensively, stopped only in 2020 by the Pandemic. Thanks to the forced break, Alexis started to lay down the new album, and he's now ready to present the fruit of his hard work: "Yours Truly". 

Tracklist:
1. Close to the Water
2. Mister Right on Time
3. Yours Truly
4. What Is This Feeling
5. Do Something
6. Meet Me Halfway
7. Hornado
8. Let Them Loose
9. Close to Me
10. Another Round on Me
11. It Matters to Me
12. The Only Apple