Organic Grooves CD 377 Items

Cooked up in the Blue Note Lab, RMX presents last year’s band-defining masterpiece, GoGo Penguin, re-imagined through the filter of some of the world’s finest producers and remixers.

For RMX the idea was both simple and inspired; commission a remix of every track from last year’s album and present a total re-imagination of the record, a remix, or as the band title it, a RMX.

In the end they went one better; with a remix of every track (and two of one) plus a remix of the track Petit_a, which was originally released only in Japan before surfacing on their Live from Studio 2 digital EP.

The idea behind RMX was also the catalyst for a remarkably inspired collaboration. The Manchester trio's music has always drawn heavily on electronica (alongside jazz, indie and classical influences) and so commissioning ten of their favourite artists to rework their music made perfect sense - and the results are spectacular. One of the very best remix projects you will hear anywhere.

Amongst the many highlights are Squarepusher’s thumping remix of F Maj Pixie, alongside Japanese producers Cornelius and Yosi creating sublime new landscapes with the band’s music on Kora and Embers. James Holden assembles an epic synth odyssey around Totem and Portico Quartet produce a sympathetic reworking of Don’t Go. Band faves Clark and Nathan Fake produce inimitable reworkings as does noted French producer Rone. While American producer Machine Drum turns Atomised into dance floor friendly ‘belter’ which is also the first single. Finally, the band have not forgotten their hometown - Manchester is well represented, with remixes from elder statesman and dance music legend Graham Massey (808 state) and new discovery Shunya, whose enigmatic reworking of To The Nth almost steals the record.

Favorite Recordings and Charles Maurice proudly present the 5th edition of the AOR Global Sounds compilations series: 8 rare and hidden tracks, produced between 1977 and 1984 in various parts of the world. Started in 2015, the AOR Global Sounds series was born from the will of Charles Maurice (aka Pascal Rioux) to share his longtime love for the AOR and WestCoast movement and highlight its influence for many artists in the late 70s and early 80s. In this 5th volume, he selected again highly forgotten productions, deeply infused with Disco and Soul flavors. Half of the compilation’s tracklist is naturally coming from the US, homeland of this music style, while the other half is made of productions from all over the globe, from France or United Kingdom to Venezuela. And for most of these beautiful songs, it came from artists and bands rather unknown and often released as private press. Often, these records will have a special story, sometimes they’re just part of the universal quest of finding true love. Nonetheless, they all carry a wide range of emotions magnified by the music. For example, “Don’t Take It Away” by Westside is as a love song about a new relationship, recorded in Minnesota and mastered on Sunset Bld. (Hollywood) by Bernie Grundman, who worked on Thriller – funny thing, the original LP is a picture-disc, which was still quite rare back in the days because the singer saw one from Mickael Jackson when visiting the studio. “Til’ Mornin’ Comes”, the only release by The Ferry Brothers, is also a love song, recorded in NYC with notably Gwen Guthrie, Vivian Cherry & Patti Austin singing as backup vocalists. On “What Its Meant To Me”, Jonathon Hansen remembers with emotion the good times spent with the members of his band including the vocalist he was in love with. On “J’Irai Squatter Ton Cœur”, Didier Makaga better-known as a French Boogie & Pop singer, arranger & composer, sings a charming declaration of love on a heavy and groovy eighties production. “You Never Know” by Rhapsody, recorded in Connecticut, sounds more like an East coast fusion of Soul and Jazz-Funk à la James Mason. “What You Do To Me” by Sugar Cane was highlighted on a Pittsburgh Rock Radio compilation: listening to this smooth ballad with its amazing Moog synth break will lift your soul. “Kailua” by Venezuelan Jazz-Funk band Esperanto, is a song about Hawaii which evocates bucolic dreamy nights facing the ocean, a typical AOR vibe. Finally, “I Need You” from Mark Williamson is a blue-eyed soul UK groover ending on a fouron-the-floor climax! And we could detail stories but our guessing is the best way to learn more about all these gems is to listen to the compilation, fully remastered from originals, and whether your preference is for vinyl or CD formats.

We can’t think of many artists that have had as diverse a career and who have been involved in as many different genres of music as Asha Puthli. A musical pioneer who forged a path through 60's psych, free-jazz, pop, rock, disco, and more. Asha's 1976 album 'The Devil Is Loose' is maybe her most well-known record. Featuring the beautiful disco-funk-classic 'Space Talk’, Asha's ethereal soaring vocals take us on a journey that almost mirrors Asha's eclectic career. The track was championed by a wide-range of musical scenes and movements, and over space and time it has been commandeered as their own. You would hear it played by David Mancuso at the now ‘mythical’ underground New York party 'The Loft’, in the most discerning disco nightclubs across the globe, in the Rare Groove scene, and also being sampled by hip-hop heavyweights such as The Notorious B.I.G / P Diddy, and The Pharcyde. The appeal and lifespan of ’Space Talk’ keeps on extending and morphing as new audiences gleefully discover it for the first time - it still sounds as relevant and fresh on the dancefloor today - a sign of a true classic. Here at Mr Bongo we are thrilled to be releasing records by such an iconic musical maverick as Asha, from her roots in India to becoming a globe-trotting artist with a celebrated career in music and acting, whilst always staying true to her art. She has blazed a trail so that others could follow. Whether you are buying this album as a replacement for your worn-out original copy or it's the first time you've heard of Asha Puthli and you're just intrigued and drawn in by the cover, we hope you enjoy this quintessential slice of Asha's world.

Marking his first full-length album in six years, Five-Time Grammy Award nominee and diamond-selling performer, actor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Robin Thicke makes a return in 2021 with the long awaited new album, "On Earth, and in Heaven." Setting the stage for the record, the scorching single "That's What Love Can Do," ignited this new flame and hit #1 on the Urban A.C. charts. The second single, "Forever Mine," garnered high praise from Vibe, and has already amassed over 2 million Spotify streams and counting. Presenting the same bold, bright, and boisterous R&B that turned him into a household name, he ascends to new heights on his eighth full-length album.

Alfa Mist is one of the driving forces behind a young and vibrant scene of UK musicians, who’ve taken on jazz as their musical narrative. On his new album Bring Backs the producer, self-taught pianist and rapper takes us on a sonic trip back to his beat-making past on the streets of East London, through the depth and musicality he discovered composing and playing jazz.



2017 saw the release of Alfa’s breakthrough record, Antiphon and the 2019’s album Structuralism were both self-released on his Sekito label. His latest endeavour, 2021’s Bring Backs, sees Alfa taking on new challenges. The record marks his first release for the label Anti and is also the most detailed exploration of his upbringing in musical form.

Fresh off of their 2020 offering Adult Themes, El Michels Affair is back with a new full-length release. Titled Yeti Season, this newest album has everything we've come to expect from EMA's patented cinematic style of instrumental soul music. Where Adult Themes inspired a soundtrack to an imaginary film, Yeti Season brings us to a different place in time_with new inspirations. Taken with Turkish-styled funk and an almost Mumbai-esque take on soul, El Michels Affair offers us a different kind of drama and imagination with Yeti Season. If you've been following along, this shouldn't be viewed as too far a departure for El Michels Affair. The first single off of Yeti Season showed their hand back in 2018. A double-sided banger, that release brought the musical textures to the fore that dominate this record. The first song, titled "Unathi," is fully realized with the beautifully haunting-yet-hopeful vocals of Piya Malik, formally of 79.5_another Big Crown artist. Singing in Hindi, Piya's ethereal voice is telling us to work and strive together toward progress. Even if you don't understand her language, you can still hear the urgency of purpose, creating a lasting vibe that sits on top of it all. Leon Michels explains that Piya had a vital influence on this record: "When Piya started singing in Hindi, she had a different voice, a different tone. I knew we had to do something together." And so Piya appears on three other songs on Yeti Season: "Zaharila," "Murkit Gem," and "Dhuaan." Each providing particular signatures to the album. "Zaharila" is a building and changing love song punctuated by blaring trumpets, driving drums, and Piya's pleading lyrics. While the more upbeat "Murkit Gem" opens with a fuzzed out, Wu-Tang-esque baseline that buoys Piya's stylings. The psychedelic guitar and Piya's changing tones and textures singing about an all-consuming love are what pushed "Dhuaan" on to the second single from Yeti Season. There is also a vocal appearance from Shannon Wise of The Shacks, yet another Big Crown artist. Her song called "Sha Na Na," lies more in the familiar EMA vein: melodic, hypnotic, soulfully visual. But between Shannon's airy singing, the jumpy baseline, moody vibes, the active drum lines, it sounds like a pensive walk home after a strangely dramatic night. So what is Yeti Season? It could be more of a feeling than an actual place or time of year. It's a heavy album_as evidenced by the signature musicianship and dramatic vocal expressions. But it's also a hopeful record, with phrasings, textures, and chord changes that hint at something better_or fuller_coming our way. You hear it in songs like "Ala Vida," with its stabby, pulsing chords laying a bedrock for EMA's bright, atmospheric horn lines. Or even in "Fazed Out," which leaves you with a feeling of determination, a striving for resolution even though the driving, march-like song structure should accompany some conquering army. This persistence has to come from the fact that Leon Michels and company finished this record during the lockdown. It was a tough and troublesome time. But look at what has come of it: Yeti Season_a record of high and heavy drama, but also one of hope and promise. It may take a year like 2020 behind us to find hope in a winter big footed creature like a Yeti, but that's where we are.

Favorite Recordings proudly presents Voiciii, the 3rd and new album by Voilaaa, an immersive dip into its Afro-Disco universe spread across 14 tracks. Needless to say you’ll find in this new LP all the ingredients that made him famous: strong dancefloor-friendly festive bangers, irresistible funky arrangements and an undeniable sense of humor and irony. Bruno “Patchworks” Hovart, behind Voilaaa, is as often surrounded by amazing vocal featurings from previous LP’s regulars (Pat Kalla, Lass) but also new voices you may already have heard on its recent EPs (David Walters, Rama Traore, Ayuune Suule), as well as the saxophonist Boris Pokora. The LP is also an occasion to pay tributes to major artists of the African sound, such as Fela Kuti (on “Water No Get Enemy”), or Manu Dibango (“Manu Écoute Ça” and “Tenor Jam For Manu”). Since the release of Voilaaa’s previous LP’s Des Promesses and On Te L’Avait Dit and their massive international support, the Voilaaa Soundsystem did travel through the world to deliver its message of infectious joy and groove, from Equator to Thailand, from Kazakhstan to the infamous French “Fête de l’Huma”. Now you know: Voilaaa is everywhere and Voiciii (“here it is”) their new album.

Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio-or as it is sometimes referred to, DLO3-specialize in the lost art of "feel good music." The ingredients of this intoxicating cocktail include a big helping of the 1960s organ jazz stylings of Jimmy Smith and Baby Face Willette; a pinch of the snappy soul strut of Booker T. & The M.G.'s and The Meters; and sprinkles Motown, Stax Records, blues, and cosmic Jimi Hendrix-style guitar. It's a soul-jazz concoction that goes straight to your heart and head makes your body break out in a sweat. The band features organist Delvon Lamarr, a self-taught virtuosic musician, with perfect pitch who taught himself jazz and has effortlessly been able to play a multitude of instruments. On guitar is the dynamo Jimmy James who eases through Steve Cropper-style chanking guitar, volcanic acid-rock freak-out lead playing, and slinky Grant Green style jazz. From Reno, Nevada is drummer Dan Weiss (also of the powerhouse soul and funk collective The Sextones). Dan's smoldering pocket-groove drumming locks in the trio's explosive chemistry. Founded by Larmarr's wife and manager Amy Novo, the trio started from humble beginnings in 2015, but since then has released two Billboard charting albums and toured the world to sold out venues. The trio returns now with their second studio album, I Told You So, with even heavier grooves and more confidence. It may have been several years since their most recent studio effort, but they haven't missed a beat.

The fourth album by Sault scored 97/100 at Metacritic and is the most beloved album at HHVs Supreme 100 of 2020 list, chosen by 150 journalists, musicians, label makers and record collectors. Currently repressed and soon back in stock.

The latest release in the much loved Mr Bongo Record Club Series, Available on CD, 2LP Standard Vinyl & Special Edition 2LP Pink Translucent Vinyl. Curating the tracks for a Mr Bongo Record Club compilation is always such a pleasure. At a time when the expression "Music is My Sanctuary" has an even greater cathartic impact for many people, we set out to make this volume an extra special one - like an old favourite mixtape or playlist. For Volume 4 in this series we continue in the same mould as with previous editions, selecting current favorites and rare lost gems from the Brazilian, African, soul, funk, and disco genres. We present tracks from artists such as Azwon, Cindy & The Playmates, and Zé Roberto to name just a few. However, one main departure and progression to this edition is the first time inclusion of recordings by contemporary artists. These come from Matthew Tavares (of Badbadnotgood fame), Wax Machine, and DJ Format & The Simonsound, which were originally featured on either limited private press vinyl releases or were previously only available digitally. We felt their inclusion was important and wanted to share these wonderful discoveries with a wider audience. They also complement, enrich, and fit perfectly with the flow and journey of the compilation. Here at Mr Bongo we hope you will enjoy this selection of seventeen eclectic songs (in tempo and style) as much as we do, whether they make you move your feet, take you on a trip somewhere, or trigger a happy memory.

Ayalew Mesfin stands aside the likes of Mulatu Astake, Mahmoud Ahmed, Hailu Mergia and Alemayehu Eshete as a legend of 1970s Ethiopia. Mesfin’s music is some of the funkiest to arise from this unconquerable East African nation. Mesfin’s recording career, captured in nearly two dozen 7” singles and numerous reel-to-reel tapes, shows the strata of the most fertile decade in Ethiopia’s 20th century recording industry, when records were pressed constantly by both independent upstarts and corporate behemoths, even if they were only distributed within the confines of this East African nation. Though Mesfin was forced underground by the Derg regime that took control of Ethiopia in 1974, he has returned almost 50 years later with this triumphant set albums – the first time that his music has been presented in this form. These albums give us a chance to discover a rare and beautiful moment in music history, in anthologies built from Mesfin’s uber-rare 7” single releases and from previously unreleased recordings taken from master tapes. Good Aderegechegn gives us a chance to discover a rare & beautiful moment in music history, in an anthology built from his uber-rare 7” single releases.

Favorite Recordings presents Jazz Traficantes by LE Deal, a new musical adventure from the finest French jazzmen with Florian Pellissier (Piano & Fender Rhodes - Camaraõ Orkestra, Cotonete, Aldorande, Setenta), Yoann Loustalot (Flugelhorn – Bruit Chic, Old & New Songs, Aerophone, Lucky Dog), Théo Girard (Upright Bass – Pensée Rotatives, Discobole) and Malick Koly (Drums - The Wallace Roney Quintet). Needless to say, they’re used to play all over the globe and quite often to New York. During one of these trips to the Big Apple, they discovered that the legendary Van Gelder studio (where most of Blue Note, Verve and CTI albums were recorded) was still active and opened so they decided to book a few days session. Here is the story told by Florian Pellissier: “The tracks had been written the night before. We were going to run through them and then record. A simple plan. Van Gelder had passed a while back, but he left the keys and secret codes with his faithful assistant Maureen before heading off to create the right sound up in heaven. Nothing had changed in the atmosphere or configuration, not even the way the mics were placed. The studio and its wooden beams still exuded New York’s sixties jazz, dimly lit streets and clubs where anything might happen past midnight. Maureen knew just how to capture the ambiance of the sessions and bottle the energy without spilling a drop, taking infinite care to collect each cymbal tone, drum roll and trumpet phrase, without losing a single vibrating bass string or the slightest keyboard pause.” Indeed, the four contrabandists succeeded to deliver an outstanding album, filled with themes that’ll get stuck in your head, just like in the 19 minutes long performance “Mexican Junkanoo Suite” and its three parts. But more than just beautiful melodies, LE Deal truly managed to bring a sense of drama to their compositions, going into the deepest emotions through gutted arrangements, improvising with great attention to the articulation of their ideas. From the beginning to the end, musicians and engineers did their best to emulate the proper vintage sound. Jazz Traficantes could prove once and for all that French Jazz can indeed cross the borders. The album will be available as Tip-On Deluxe Vinyl LP but also on CD & Digital with a bonus track, “Noche en la Carcel”.

First new album in five years from Kiwi musician and producer Andrew Spraggan, aka Sola Rosa, spanning the genres of soul, funk, R&B, nu-jazz, hip-hop, and electronic music. The album features a heavy hitting line-up of vocalists, including regular collaborator and Streets singer, Kevin Mark Trail, Basement Jaxx’ long term collaborator Sharlene Hector and genre-defying, rising UK reggae star Kiko Bun. Other collaborators include London singer/songwriter Josh Barry, London’s eclectic Neo-Soul singer Jerome Thomas, British reggae and dub MC vocalist Eva Lazarus, plus up and coming Australian vocalist Thandi Phoenix. Closer to home, ex-pat Kiwi vocalist Wallace and Aotearoa’s own musical maverick, Troy Kingi add their talents to the mix.

The second album of Sault follows their debut "5" which came out just three months prior to this one. Heads all over the world were still in awe of "5", when all of a sudden "7" dropped. Now, by the end of 2020, they are four critically acclaimed albums deep into buiding their own legacy.

The first album by Sault started a series of now four albums in two years that scored big time with critics all over the world.

Khruangbin has always been multilingual, weaving far-flung musical languages like East Asian surf-rock, Persian funk, and Jamaican dub into mellifluous harmony. But on its third album, it's finally speaking out loud. Mordechai features vocals prominently on nearly every song, a first for the mostly instrumental band. It's a shift that rewards the risk, reorienting Khruangbin's transportive sound toward a new sense of emotional directness, without losing the spirit of nomadic wandering that's always defined it. And it all started with them coming home. By the summer of 2019, the Houston group_bassist Laura Lee Ochoa, guitarist Mark Speer, drummer DJ Johnson_had been on tour for nearly three-and-ahalf years, playing to audiences across North and South America, Europe, and southeast Asia behind its acclaimed albums The Universe Smiles Upon You and Con Todo El Mundo. They returned to their farmhouse studio in Burton, Texas, ready to begin work on their third album. But they were also determined to slow down, to take their time and luxuriate in building something together. Musically, the band's ever-restless ear saw it pulling reference points from Pakistan, Korea, and West Africa, incorporating strains of Indian chanting boxes and Congolese syncopated guitar. But more than anything, the album became a celebration of Houston, the eclectic city that had nurtured them, and a cultural nexus where you can check out country and zydeco, trap rap, or avant-garde opera on any given night. In those years away from home, Khruangbin's members often felt like they were swimming underwater, unsure of where they were going, or why they were going there. But Mordechai leads them gently back to the surface, allowing them to take a breath, look around, and find itself again. It is a snapshot taken along a larger journey_a moment all the more beautiful for its impermanence. And it's a memory to revisit again and again, speaking to us now more clearly than ever.

"Forever” is a special album that celebrates Alessandroni’s genius and represent his musical testament. Composed and arranged in Namibia during the last months of his life, the album is a stunning collection of orchestral tracks that reveal Alessandroni’s many virtues and abilities as a composer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist, fusing pop, jazz and classical music with his unique (Italian) touch.

WRWTFWW Records is proud to announce the official reissue of Motohiko Hamase’s extremely rare live album Anecdote (recorded in 1987). The album is sourced from original masters and available on vinyl (double LP) for the first time ever as well as on CD. It comes with liner notes from the artist. This marks the sixth release from the ESPLANADE SERIES which focuses on the works of Yoshio Ojima, Motohiko Hamase and Satsuki Shibano. Anecdote was recorded live June 12th 1987 at Spiral Garden (Wacoal Art Center) in Aoyama (Tokyo) as part of the Eat Newsic Concert No.3. Motohiko Hamase on electric fretless bass, synthesizers and computer programming, is accompanied by frequent collaborators Toshio Kaji on acoustic piano and synthesizers, and Yasunori Yamaguchi (of #Notes of Forestry fame) on acoustic percussions. The three-man band improvises around Hamase’s unique repertoire of ambient and electronic music, reinterpreting pieces from his albums Reminiscence, Intaglio, and #Notes of Forestry.

For her third release on the MoFunk label, Moniquea takes to the streets on a certified west coast ride. Named after the corner she resided at in Pasadena, California, during the mid 90’s, Los Robles & Washington is equal parts tribute to her hometown, ode to the laid back Los Angeles lifestyle, and a forward-thinking envisionment of how the g-funk sound of nearly three decades past fits perfectly with the modern funk sound of the present day. Uptempo offerings such as “All The Time,” “Under Control,” & the Mofak-produced “Who Is That Girl” (feat. XL Middleton & Kevin “Slow Jammin” James) channel boogie-era funk legends and Venice Beach pop lock battles, while more medium-paced tracks like “Get Away With My Lovin,” “Put Your Trust In Me,” or the album’s title cut evoke liquor store runs in hot weather and tendrils of chronic smoke trailing from Buick Regal windows. Indeed, the straightforwardly titled “House Party” paints a portrait of a bygone era so vividly it feels like it just happened last weekend - The backyard boogie, the pregame beforehand, the thrill of cutting loose at someone’s house as if it was the Century Club. Finally, the tracks “Believe Me” (feat. Zackey Force Funk & Polyester The Saint) & “Always On The Run” carry nods to contemporary west coast rap & ‘future R&B’ respectively. The bulk of production on Los Robles & Washington is handled by XL Middleton, who continues to serve up varied platters of funk, from “G” to “modern.”

Formed in 1968, Jazz Sabbath was considered by many to be at the forefront of the new jazz movement
coming out of England at the time. The eagerly awaited debut album, scheduled for release on Friday
13th February 1970, was cancelled when news broke that founding member and pianist Milton Keanes
was hospitalised with a massive heart attack which left him fighting for his life.
The record company shelved the album and cancelled the scheduled release out of financial uncertainty
of releasing a debut album from a band without its musical leader. When Milton was released from
hospital in September 1970, he found out that a band from Birmingham, conveniently called ‘Black
Sabbath’, had since released two albums containing metal versions of what he claims were his songs.
All recalled Jazz Sabbath albums had been destroyed when the warehouse burned down in June 1970;
which turned out to be a case of insurance fraud by the label owner, leaving only a few bootleg tapes of
Jazz Sabbath’s live performances as proof of existence.
The album masters were said to be lost in the fire, but were actually misplaced and gathered dust in the
basement vaults of the recording studio. These tapes have now been remixed and will finally be heard;
proving that the heavy metal band worshipped by millions around the world are in fact nothing more than
musical charlatans, thieving the music from a bedridden, hospitalised genius.

Limited edition 'Cowboys & Africans' CD with 12 page booklet & instant access to the album version of "1985".

With a timeless sound that blends heavy soul and psych-rock, Monophonics have built a reputation over the past decade as one of the best live bands in the country. Led by singer Kelly Finnigan, the band of has drawn on their colorful history — both their experiences as veteran touring performers and as individuals growing up in the Bay Area — to create “It’s Only Us,” their fourth release since 2012.

A reflection of what they see as the current state of the world, the record touches on difficult subjects such as broken relationships, mental health issues, gun violence and power struggles, all with an underlying message of unity, resilience and acceptance. The band’s signature style of arrangement has been expanded with top-notch production and creative instrumentation to round out the Monophonics’ trademark soul sound, while Finnigan’s vocals are more powerful than ever. At times these tracks can feel classic, as familiar as an old song you grew up with, while simultaneously raising questions about the state of music in 2020 and what the future might hold.

“It’s Only Us” is the sound of a group continuing to grow as songwriters, musicians, performers and people — reflecting on where they’ve been, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the years to come.

LP is packaged in high quality Stoughton Tip-On gatefold jacket, LP stored in an anti-static innsersleeve, and includes a download card. Pressed at Gotta Groove Records in Cleveland, OH.

CD sized hardback book with 32 pages and glued-in wallet for CD on inside back page

This is the limited Digisleeve edition that contains 13 tracks.

The UK’s cosmic, psychedelic-funk ensemble issue their first album on maverick producer Madlib’s label, Madlib Invazion.
The Heliocentrics’ albums are all confounding pieces of work. Drawing equally from the funk universe of James Brown, the disorienting asymmetry of Sun Ra, the cinematic scope of Ennio Morricone, the sublime fusion of David Axelrod, Pierre Henry’s turned-on musique concrète, and Can’s beat-heavy Krautrock, they have – regardless of the label on which they’ve released their music - pointed the way towards a brand new kind of psychedelia, one that could only come from a band of accomplished musicians who were also obsessive music fans. Drummer Malcolm Catto and bassist Jake Ferguson are the Heliocentrics’ masterminds and producers, and they are obsessive weirdos in today’s musical climate, searching, progressive humans who are often out-of-time with current trends.
They have been playing together for nearly two decades and their collective drive is to find an individual voice. The Heliocentrics search for it in an alternate galaxy where the orbits of funk, jazz, psychedelic, electronic, avant-garde and “ethnic” music all revolve around “The One.” With Madilb’s label Madlib Invazion for Infinity of Now, the Heliocentrics have returned to develop their epic vision of psychedelic funk, while exploring the possibilities created by their myriad influences – Latin, African, and more.

"I'm always looking for ways to be surprised," says composer and multi instrumentalist Jeff Parker as he explains the process, and the thinking, behind his new album Suite for Max Brown, released via a new partnership between International Anthem and Nonesuch Records.
"If I sit down at the piano or with my guitar, with staff paper and a pencil, I'm eventually going to fall into writing patterns, into things I already know. So, when I make music, that's what I'm trying to get away from-the things that I know." Despite its musical departures, in presentation Suite for Max Brown is an informal companion piece to The New Breed, Parker's debut release on International Anthem, which was honored as one of the "Best Albums of 2016" by New York Times, Observer, and Los Angeles Times.
"I made The New Breed based off these old sample-based compositions and mixed them with improvising," Parker says. "That's in a nutshell how I make a lot of my music; it's a combination of sampling, editing, retriggering audio, and recording it, moving it around and trying to make it into something cohesive... With Max Brown, it's evolved." Though Parker collaborates with a coterie of musicians under the group name The New Breed, theirs is by no means a conventional "band" relationship.
Parker is very much a solo artist on Suite for Max Brown. His accompanists are often working alone with Parker, reacting to what Parker has provided them, and then Parker uses those individual parts to layer and assemble into his final tracks. The process may be relatively solitary and cerebral, but the results feel like in-the-moment jams-warm-hearted, human, alive. Suite for Max Brown brims with personality, boasting the rhythmic flow of hip hop and the soulful swing of jazz.

The latest volumes in this much-loved, highly-acclaimed series presenting the music of the Windrush milieu: the post-war, London recordings of West Indians and West Africans, in the first wave of modern migration to Britain.

‘One of the delights of the age’ (Songlines).
’Superlative’ (Mojo); ’superlative’ (Independent); ’sensational’ (Observer).
‘Hugely evocative and poignant’ (Daily Telegraph); ’sheer joy from start to finish’ (Sunday Telegraph); ‘a witty and joyous testament’ (Guardian).
‘Impeccably curated and packaged’ (Wire).

***** Mojo, ***** Times, ***** Independent, ***** Daily Telegraph, ***** Evening Standard, ***** Metro.

Presented as a luxurious mini-book — all paper, no plastic — with suspended card sleeves for the discs. Forty pages of fabulous, previously-unseen photos and full notes, including a terrific, specially-commissioned essay by Kitch biographer Anthony Joseph.

To mark the tenth anniversary of the release of I’m New Here , the thirteenth - and last - studio album from the legendary US musician, poet and author Gil Scott-Heron, XL Recordings will release a unique reinterpretation of the album by acclaimed US jazz musician Makaya McCraven. Titled We’re New Again , the album will be released on 7th February 2020; exactly a decade after the release of Scott-Heron’s original Richard Russell-produced recording. It’s set to follow in the footsteps of Jamie xx’s highly acclaimed 2011 remix album We’re New Here and will be McCraven’s first release of 2020, following the huge global acclaim heaped upon his 2018 album Universal Beings . One of the most vital new voices in modern jazz, McCraven is described by the New York Times as a "Chicago-based drummer, producer and beat maker, [who] has quietly become one of the best arguments for jazz’s vitality".

Italian cult combo CALIBRO 35 release their highly anticipated 7th studio album “DECADE” on January 24th 2020. “Momentum” follows “DECADE” their previous studio album released in 2018 that has marked 10 years of Calibro 35 and it stands out as a new starting point for the project. In the last 10 years Calibro 35 have dug the golden age of soundtracks and they’ve been to the future with “S.P.A.C.E.”, “Momentum”, as the band stated: "represents a look at nowadays and a reflection about making music right in the time that we’re living”.
Inspired by the work of artists such as Tortoise, Jagajazzist, Dj Shadow, Budos Band, Stelvio Cipriani, Ennio Morricone, Sandro Brugnolini, White Noise, Comet is Coming, JPEGMafia and DJ Signify, compare to the previous Calibro 35’s full lengths on the 10 tracks that make up the new album band’s instruments and sounds have increased in number and complexity as the reality around has it too. The music palette is further extended by incorporating even more synths and electronic sounds, but keeping everything true and 100% real, with all the instruments played live and with no presets or programming. The two featurings on the album serve the cause as well. On the first single “Stan Lee” they’ve collaborated with rapper, producer and songwriter Illa J a former member of super group Slum Village and younger brother of the late legendary hip hop producer and rapper J Dilla. On “Black Moon”, the Milan combo provided the groove for London-based artist MEI. "If Decade was the sum of everything that the band had felt in the previous ten years" Calibro 35 says "Momentum is the prequel of what you will hear in the next ten".

To mark the new beginning and come full circle, the recordings took place under the expert hands of usual suspect Tommaso Colliva, in the same studio where Calibro released their self titled debut album twelve years ago.
Been sampled by Dr. Dre on his Compton album and Jay-Z, Love Child & Damon Albarn CALIBRO 35 enjoys a worldwide reputation as one of the coolest independent band around. During their ten years career they shared stages worldwide with the likes of Roy Ayers, Muse, Sun Ra Arkestra, Sharon Jones, Thundercat, Headhunters and as unique musicians they've collaborated with, amongst others PJ Harvey, Mike Patton, John Parish and Stewart Copeland and Nic Cester (The Jet). Described by Rolling Stone magazine's as "the most fascinating, retro-maniac and genuine thing, that happened to Italy in the last years", Calibro 35 now count on a number of aficionados worldwide which includes VIP’s fans such as Dj Food (Ninja Tune), Mr Scruff and Huey Morgan (Fun Lovin’ Criminals) among others.

The motor hasn’t had time to cool down and the belt drive is feeling the fatigue. But Charles Maurice is the kind of DJ who just can’t let a turntable rest. After steaming up the slipmat with three sexy compilations of French Boogie, Charles Maurice is back with Volume 4.
In the late 70s and early 80s, while France was still firmly tuned into variety-show pop, a few enlightened ears and souls picked up the hypnotic beat of funk from across the Atlantic. These first warrior monks spread the good word in discotheques, jumped on newly available frequencies to fill the airwaves and, in some cases, took up instruments themselves to unabashedly build on the U.S. model.
In a short decade stretching from the late 70s to the late 80s – just a blip on the scale of music history – they turned out material in abundance. Lush productions with colorful covers, groovy typeface and creative photo shoots…
But first and foremost, they made music weaned on, spoon-fed and imbued with funk. Music defined by a groove with a robotic beat (Djeneba) that clearly hears hip-hop banging on the door, where layers of synthesizers, handclaps (Eric Chotteau), horns and African percussion line up and follow the all-powerful lead of the swelling slap bass (Cyrill). Music that tells everyday stories, both humorous and lovelorn (Serge Delisle), and often packed with pheromones just waiting to be released on the dance floor or sofa (Chris O’Hara). Shaped by synthetic textures, these productions are also spiced with Caribbean and Creole arrangements that reflect the West Indies’ critical contribution to French Boogie (Wai Kop, Acayouman).
With his immaculate tailoring, slicked back hair and clipped moustache, Charles Maurice has once again transformed himself into a HiFi stylus to explore the groove traced by this specifically French musical style. From 45 to 33 rpm, he has traveled the black spiral to bring us a new selection that proudly features a number of rarely heard pieces and even an unreleased track by Marco Attali. True to form, Monsieur Charles carefully crafted this fourth volume from his personal collection of impeccably restored and mastered vinyl recordings.
Charles Maurice, where French elegance meets uncompromising musical taste.

Rudy Ray Moore was a lot of things. In his Dolemite persona, he was a Kung Fu master. In a smoky club late at night, a comedy master. And his comedy was known to be of the sort that would make Red Foxx blush. The Rudy Ray Moore Zodiac Album is just that sort of record - and then some. Risqué from its cover art, right through the A-side and right through the B-side. When released in the early 70s, this was the sort of record kept under the counter or sold in a brown paper bag. On Zodiac, Rudy Ray is joined by The Madam - as they talk the listener through some solid sexual advice for men and women based on the signs of the zodiac. The illustrations on the cover art give you an idea as to the sort of advice they're offering up...and from the sound of it perhaps demonstrating.

This one is among Rudy Ray Moore's filthy best!

Rudy Ray Moore
The Turning Point

Dolemite Records
DOL103-CD
8 29357 01032 2
$8.14

Throughout the 1970s, Rudy Ray Moore made his name as one of the most uniquely explicit, anti-establishment underground comedians working. With his profane, controversial material, and frequently taboo stories surrounding his famed pimp character Dolemite, Moore commanded a cult-fanbase throughout the decade, remained a star of blaxploitation films of the era, and was a strong influence on rap stars such as Snoop Dogg, Big Daddy Kane, and 2 Live Crew. His party records were considered too vulgar to be displayed in record shops, but word of mouth made his albums the stuff of legends.

Though Rudy Ray Moore was widely known for his provocative stand-up, less is known about his musical side. Though he found success as a comedian he had always wanted to be a famous singer, and deeply loved to perform music. (His stand-up shows regularly featured a backing band, providing his monologues a backdrop of jazz and R&B music.) In 1972, as his comedy career was booming with cult-popularity, Moore released The Turning Point, and fans were treated to the raunchy raconteur's previously unheard croon. The album features smooth R&B renditions of songs by Curtis Mayfield, The Impressions, The Platters, and other favorites of the comedian, even featuring two originals written by Moore himself.

The music on The Turning Point could easily stand toe-to-toe with the smooth, silky 70s soul of greats like Isaac Hayes or Lou Rawls. Over 35 years later, Dolemite Records, with a dedication to bringing Rudy Ray Moore's legacy to a modern audience, now brings you this compact disc reissue, complete with retrospective liner notes from Rudy's former manager Donald Randell.

Although the cover lists it as his third, this was actually Rudy Ray Moore's seventh full length comedy album release. After the massive success of Eat Out More Often and This Pussy Belongs To Me in 1970, Moore had developed a formula taking long traditional spoken monologues, or "toasts", and freshening them up for the "now generation" as he would call it. The release of The Cockpit in early 1971 continued this formula and also introduced the world to "Petey Wheatstraw: The Devil's Son-in-law", a character which Moore would later base a feature length film around in 1977. The Cockpit remains one of Mooreís most popular albums. It also needs to be
noted that this was the first time Rudy used completely topless women in his artwork and this may in fact be the first major record release that includes a man on the cover with semi-naked women!

- Mark Jason Murray, Biographer

Rudy Ray's Petey Wheatstraw was inspired by the real deal, an influential blues recording artist from back in the 1930's who spelled it "Peetie" and billed himself not only as the Devilís Son-in-Law but also the High Sheriff From Hell with song titles like "I Want Some Seafood" and "Meat Cutter Blues." Poetic humor. Rhythm and rhyme. That's where Rudy Ray got the name and then turned his jokester character from a comedy bit into a 1976 motion picture... and during the filming where I, Don Randell, first met Rudy Ray Moore.

The Cockpit was recorded in front of a live audience, their great applause an indication of how deeply into Rudy Ray they were with his pimpin'& players sex on wax party album... ghetto street rhymes that help them free their minds and release some pressure. Rudy Ray Moore takes them on a high flyin' wicked ride, in total control at the helm in "The Cockpit."

- Liners Notes by Donald Randell

Another raucous and raw comedy album from Rudy Ray Moore's vast crazy catalog! He's got some nasty ass shit to talk and you will thrill with the exploits of Dangerous Dan, Lolita (who likes mucho peetah) and even Romeo & Juliet (!). Don't be ashamed if you find yourself repeating these bits to friends as there's plenty here to laugh at. This album is over 40 years old and a testament to the power and shock of Moore's material. If you need to catch your breath, Moore gives you a break by the album's end as he reworks one of his old vocal tracks with... well... some pretty nasty lyrics. What did you expect? This is a Rudy Ray Moore album!

- Mark Jason Murray, Biographer

Rudy Ray continued to cut his comedy party records, rappin' out his street rhymes with a little music behind. The room was packed with guys and gals, friends and partiers from the neighborhood. Dudes, pimps, gangsters, players, winos, and just plain Bad Ass Kids! And this album is breakout time! I Can't Believe I Ate the Whole Thing blew the doors open, set the trend, the one that a decade later in 1986 launched 2 Live Crew when they sampled Rudy Ray Moore on hit singles "Throw That D" and "Get it Girl" from their debut album The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are. Through word of mouth and pure outrageousness the 2 Live Crew album sold over half a million copies.

And it didn't stop there!! Rudy Ray was now deep in the Hip Hop mix. 2 Live Crew's "Movin' Something" audaciously sampled "Romeo and Juliet," Rudy Ray's nasty duet with Lady Reed, aka Queen Bee from the Dolemite movies and one of Rudy's early label signings back in the day. Ice Cube with Funk Master George Clinton throws out in "Bop Gun" a Rudy Ray Moore line from on this very album, "No One Knows Where the Nose Goes." Big Daddy Kane loves the track "Dangerous Dan."

I Can't Believe I Ate the Whole Thing is the album that sets the tone for the Hardcore Hip Hop scene. Here you can hear where Dr. Dre, N.W.A. Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, and Ice T got their stuff. Also where comedian Robin Harris took Rudy's joke "Piccolo Player" and made it one of his own laugh line bits. All of it jumped off
this album and swayed a generation. Straight off the street from shooting dice, playin' the horses in a bookie joint, and cruising in a lowrider car to smoking weed and late night listening when the kids are all asleep. Yeah, right!

As Rudy Ray Moore said, "Rappin' and cappin' is my game. And all those young men are rappin' good! BUT, when it comes down to rappin', I was through with it before they even learned what to do with it!!"

- Liner Notes by Donald Randell

In the 1960s and ‘70s, unbeknownst to most, Saigon (today named “Ho Chi Minh City”) had become a fertile environment for a flourishing music industry which produced countless recordings of beautifully crafted songs.
Ho Chi Minh City based band, Saigon Soul Revival has been bringing alternative pre 1975 music from Saigon back to the stage since 2016 with their live performances. Honoring the original composers, singers and the golden era from which this music (Nhạc Vàng) came, while applying new arrangements and interpretations of old Vietnamese songs. With tight grooves, psychedelic textures and a powerful unique sound, SSR has performed countless shows at a variety of venues across Vietnam, and accompanied live the two release tours to the Saigon Supersound Compilation releases.
While spending the last three years studying and playing this music, Saigon Soul Revival teamed up with producer Jan Hagenkötter (Saigon Supersound / INFRACom!) and finally in January 2019, they started to create own compositions in the same vein for their debut album Họa Âm Xưa. The album was recorded in Vietnam with additional guests during one week in May this year.
The album focuses on compositions that fuse Vietnamese lyrics and sounds with influences of western rock, soul, bolero, tango and other popular genres of this time period, most of which was banned after the war. This project strives to revive this beautiful musical heritage of Vietnam which represents an important cultural bridge between east and west.