Nu-Jazz | Broken Beat 356 Items

noquestionsasked & Vanishing Berlin present: »Diskothek Harmonie«

An ode to places we will remember with wistfulness, even though we had no idea we would ever miss them. A homage to a sub- and neighborhood culture that threatens to disappear. Nothing lasts forever!

Diskothek Harmonie was created in cooperation with photographer Alexander Steffen's Vanishing Berlin project. The cover comes in five variations: One photo motif from each of the districts of Neukölln, Schöneberg, Mitte, Friedrichshain and Prenzlauer Berg. Framed by a handmade screen print, with individual coloring. Each motif is limited to 50 copies.

The vinyl EP's four tracks are held together by short atmospheric soundscapes and spoken cut-up lyrics. In the titular track, the warm voice of actress Barbara Philipp invites us to dance with the time signs and slogans of the present. The remaining tracks by Projekt Freizeit come from their archives of the last 15 years. Created between long gone wastelands and brick walls, pressed on vinyl to last forever.

Melts In Your Mind is the mercurial new LP by Healing Force Project, aka Italian producer Antonio Marini.

An amorphous, shapeshifting, intangible proposition, Melts In Your Mind represents Healing Force Project at it’s most fluid and alchemical yet, a melon-twisting amalgam of jazz, dub and acid house tropes mulched and rearranged in inimitable style. Seemingly live and erratic polyrhythms, liquid basslines and expressive roving keys combine with kitchen sink sample hits and rogue licks for a thrilling, constantly shifting, alive sound. It’s music that’s difficult to grasp on first or even fourth listen, and as such continues to reward on repeat. Rather than going somewhere, tracks just go, rarely repeating motifs but riffing on, digging into and working out.

Behavior Of Waves sets the scene discretely enough, a simple bass refrain that is eventually overcome with an urgent rhythm that stumbles over itself into a post-dub cavern. The title track resembles a scramble of disparate earthly sounds - lurking synthesizer, restless popping drums, West African balafon and a muted vocal sample - sucked into the same swirling black hole and dropped into another dimension, completely cohesive. Equator acts as loose-limbed palette cleanser, an unmoored drift gently driven forward by an insistent snare roll and improv piano stabs. Inharmonious Layer stands out on the record for being less reliant on samples and by it’s relatively predictable unfolding, a queasy acid lope from the darkest corner of a deviant dancefloor, while on Diaphonization Marini flexes his aptitude with drum sampling, a bouncing excursion in sampled loops interrupted by unironic jazz cliches, the product of an omnivorous lover of the genre’s high and low. Melts In Your Mind closes on the droning tambura, ethereal pads and scattered rhythm of Two Waves In The Dark, a suitably metaphysical and ultimately peaceful resting place for a record that challenges perceptions from the outset.

Marini has released records as Healing Force Project on Firecracker, Berceuse Heroique, Bedouin and most recently Beat Machine Records. He’s based in Treviso, Italy.

Melts In Your Mind was written, produced and mixed by Antonio Marini. It was mastered by Chris Wang. Art and design by Ginji Kimura.

For more than a decade, Freak Heat Waves have been steadily amassing a cult following and earning acclaim from both critics and underground aficionados alike. Their music is a heady cocktail that defies easy categorization, blending elements of post-punk, psych, dub, ambient, house, and techno. Their eclectic sound has served as the soundtrack to countless DIY punk shows, outsider galleries and sleazy discos, establishing the duo as iconoclasts with a reputation for ignoring expectations and subverting genre conventions. While at times, the term ‘acquired taste’ may have seemed fitting, their latest release offers their most alluring output to date. Mondo Tempo, the duo's fifth LP, released through Vancouver's Mood Hut, was primarily recorded at their home studios in Montreal and Victoria. Building upon the electronic explorations of their previous record, Zap The Planet (Telephone Explosion), they inject their signature sound with a smoother and sweeter blend of dance music. The album’s tracks feature midi smoothness, trance mantras, dancehall grooves, ambient textures and vocal samples, creating a world that is both captivating and immersive. Notably, the lead single “In A Moment Divine” features a collaboration with Cindy Lee, resulting in a dance floor number that boldly ventures beyond the familiar wheelhouses of both acts. With Mondo Tempo Freak Heat Waves solidify their reputation as one of the most exciting and unpredictable acts around.

Ruth Koleva hails from Sofia, Bulgaria, and has been a TV star and singing out concert halls for years. She has also long been singing on some superb broken beat and nu-jazz records while working with top-level production talent and having her tunes remixed by Zed Bias, Kaidi Tatham, Mark de Clive-Lowe and Eric Lau. The neo-soul star's Ruth album gets a special anniversary edition release here with four heart-melting and textbook neo-soul tunes on the A-side then some super remixes on the flip. This is timeless stuff that works on the heart and the heel in equal measure.

Marc Mac back with another high grade Bruk, Electro Boogie monster. This is the fourth and final piece of the series. From Africa to Jamaica, Brazil and now Japan Marc Mac has explored the international fusion and cultures that has been an influence on his style of Broken Beat. The four track EP is under-pinned with Jazz/Funkiness and a hint of Jungle in the subs can be felt on "Kambei". 'Yasuke Soul" and "Tokyo Nightlife" feel like a head nod to Ryuichi and Akiko, so buckle up and get ready for a Journey eastbound. Brilliant cover art is supplied by Mitchy Bwoy.
arigatō

As time moves forward, it becomes increasingly clear that the need for emotional expression through artistry is more important than ever, especially in the wake of emerging AI technology that threatens to replace human creativity. Minus & MRDolly's new album, "Giant Stops," is a testament to the enduring power of art to connect with audiences on a deep emotional level. Named in direct reference to arguably one of the greatest albums ever created, "Giant Steps" by John Coltrane, "Giant Stops" pays homage to the rich legacy of jazz while pushing the boundaries of the genre with a contemporary twist. The album seamlessly blends jazz, hip-hop, and electronic elements to create a unique sonic landscape that is both nostalgic and modern. For Minus & MRDolly, "Giant Stops" represents a new chapter in his evolution as a musician, showcasing his growth and commitment to pushing boundaries in his genre-bending style. Taking inspiration from the creative process of Makaya McCraven, the album features dynamic instrumentals backed by a live band, with Minus & MRDolly's signature lyricism and storytelling shining through both the instrumentals and the lended work of guest musician such as Meta_ or Luca Argel. By using this production method the album takes a bold stand for the importance of sampling as an art form hoping to encourage listeners to appreciate the rich history and evolution of hip hop and to recognize the essential role that sampling has played in shaping the genre. As a nod to his Portuguese roots, "Giant Stops" represents a deeper exploration of the artist's identity and a commitment to looking inward to find creative inspiration. With this album, Minus & MRDolly hopes to inspire others to embrace their own unique perspectives and use them to create art that connects with audiences on a deeply emotional level. In a world where technology threatens to replace human creativity, "Giant Stops" is a reminder that the power of art to connect with people on a fundamental level is enduring and will continue to shape our world for generations to come.

A bold first creation set in motion, Yore is the fantastic debut solo release from Charlie Hill. Yore captures the excitement and naïve creativity of Charlie’s new journey as a producer after studying and performing as a jazz drummer. A mixture of club-ready basslines, earthy space funk and ethereal Trip Hop, Yore follows Charlie’s 2023 collaborative Galaxy EP alongside fellow Meanjin producer Sampology.

Middle Name Records are proud to present this project, the first release on the imprint that is not of a solo or collaborative Sampology record.

There is an exciting energy currently bubbling within the Meanjin/Brisbane music scene and Charlie’s debut work as a producer has reflected this instinctively. Recorded performances from local jazz ensembles, his vocalist singer as well as his own drumming were utilised as samples throughout the EP.

Lovely atmospheric ambient sounds on this new Lapsus release! Composer, percussionist, and multidisciplinary artist Rrucculla is undoubtedly one of the most eclectic projects to emerge from Spain in recent times, combining abstraction, plasticity and experimentation with an uncommon mastery. Since her first impact on the electronic "headz" scene with SHuSH [Sound Sketches, 2018], the Basque producer has been carefully distilling her new album Zeru Freq., which will be released on Barcelona's Lapsus record label. The album is wide-ranging, interweaving sound and art that transports the listener into an immersive universe. Zeru Freq. envelops us in a Euskadi environment, guiding us through an open-air museum, containing a collection of eleven sound productions that fuse nature, landscapes and the local climate. This epic musical journey incorporates organic frequencies painted in Technicolor, in which hyper-realistic synthesizer textures merge with acoustic instruments, resulting in an atmospheric ambient sound that warps our perceptions of reality. At a sonic level the unmistakable stamp of Rrucculla is omnipresent, but this time she climbs to even higher plains. Zeru Freq. explores an expanded aural palette, traversing the borders of strictly electronic music, while laying the foundations for a new audio discourse. Throughout its eleven tracks, Rrucculla embraces the broadest spectrum of contemporary music, flirting with avant-garde electronica at will, without succumbing to labels or pigeonholing. Zeru Freq. is the sound of shapes; figures and strokes, it is a work that mutates with each passing moment, until the last note is heard.

Analogue Attic presents the second solo release from label co-founder and one half of Albrecht La'Brooy.

6 stunning compositions to soundtrack your half-time break, or to celebrate the big win, 'There's Always Next Year' is a tribute to the misguided hopes and dreams of a sports fan. Field recordings and commentary from a range of codes weave between silky saxophone lines and piano chords in what is a textbook showcase of the classic Analogue Attic downtempo and early evening sound we've come to know.

GIM Records is back from the Moon bringing a new release "In The Music" signed by the Italian team "Groove In Mind" aka GIM Productions (Onda Records). The original track is a dancefloor oriented anthem with a groovy bassline and a House vibe feeling, fueled by magnetic Rhodes keys and flute. Included are a couple of very hot remixes by the well-renowned Kai Alcé (ndatl Muzik) and the Italian Dj Emanuele Inglese (Cocoon Rec).

Limited Edition 12 Inch - 140 grams standard black vinyl with generic jackets

One' invites the listener to look beyond individuality and egocentrism, encouraging contemplation of existence as a more complex reality. On the cover, the artist's face is scarred, depriving it of its importance and centrality, recalling the smallness of the human being in relation to the cosmos. The back of the album, on the other hand, represents with a dichotomy the competitive world in which we live, made up of spotlights and appearances in which the true self struggles to find space. "uno" symbolises unity and cohesion and the tracks that comprises it bear artistic witness to this, exploring the fusion of different genres: electronic, jazz, sampling and instrumental music.

BIO Daykoda is the musical project of Milanese producer and musician Andrea Gamba, who experiments with electronica, experimental jazz and hip-hop. Over the years Andrea has developed a refined taste for the sound of innovative labels such as Brainfeeder and Ninja Tune, which has pushed him to improve his production and master his own style. Daykoda's discography includes 2 albums and many live shows, including events such as Circolo Magnolia (where he supported Thundercat in 2022), the Viva! Festival (sharing the stage with Alfa Mist, Kokoroko, Moderat and Gilles Peterson in 2022), Novara Jazz, Spring Attitude and Jazz Re:Found among many others. His work has received the support of national and international media realities such as Tom Ravenscroft (bbc Radio), Mary Anne Hobbs (bbc Radio), Travis Holcombe (kcrw), Raffaele Costantino (Rai Radio 2), Nubya Garcia (nts Radio), Lefto (Worldwide FM), Laurent Garnier including that of the Italian webzine Soundwall, which provocatively defined him 'the Italian Flying Lotus'. Tracklist: