DJ Yoda - Roxbury Ft. Nubya Garcia & Edo.G (Lewis Recordings)

Red 7" Vinyl £9.99 Add to basket
7" Vinyl £9.99 Add to basket

A. Roxbury Ft. Nubya Garcia & Edo.G / B. Roxbury Instrumental

Taken from the Home Cooking album. The name DJ Yoda needs no introduction and joined with rising UK Jazz star Nubya Garcia and legendary emcee Edo. G, Roxbury is a sublime mix of Rap, Jazz and Soul. Perfect summer vibes! Recorded between DJ Yoda’s studio and the acclaimed Abbey Road, the record is influenced by Guru’s Jazzmatazz. Side A: Roxbury ft Nubya Garcia and Edo. G. Side B: Roxbury Instrumental.

Miles Davis - So What (Wagram France)

180g Vinyl LP £12.99 Add to basket

Rediscover one the best jazz artist with 7 unforgettable songs. Reissue 180g Vinyl.

A SIDE: Flamenco Sketches, Gacnacrique (B.O.F Ascenseur Pour L'echafaud), So What
B SIDE: Milestones, Stella By Starlight, Blue In Green, Round Midnight

NEHRUVIANDOOM (MF Doom & Bishop Nehru) - NEHRUVIANDOOM, REDUX (Lex Records)

EP 12" Picture Disc £18.99 Add to basket

The VILLAIN was laying low on the fog shrouded Tin Islands when Bishop’s X-Wing crashed into his swamp. It was April 2013, and that’s a metaphor for Bishop’s first meeting with DOOM before a show at the 100 Club. The future collaborators were booked to play in the tiny ancient jazz venue with Ghostface Killah that night. A month earlier Bishop had been co-signed on stage at SXSW by Nas. There was mad anticipation for his next project. Stakes were high. At the 100 Club, VILLAIN saw what Nas had seen, a real MC.

In the months that followed Metal Fingers sent Bishop Yousendit links to folders of beats and Bishop laid down bars. The two worked remotely and then followed up with sessions in the studio.Amongst many swell reviews the mini-album caught a lot of criticism. Not least because it was so short, just 32 minutes. To mark the 5th anniversary, we’ve reduced the running time to 27 minutes.

Tracklisting:
1.Intro 2.Om Feat. Mf Doom 3.Means The Most 4.So Alone 5.Coming For You 6.Darkness 7.Caskets Feat. Mf Doom 8.Great Things Feat. Mf Doom 9.Disastrous Feat. Madvillianz.

Brian Jackson, Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad - Jazz Is Dead 8 (Jazz Is Dead) - PRESALE

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Pre-Order CD £10.99 Add to basket

Release Date: 6th August 2021

One happy thing to be grateful for during otherwise trying times is finally getting to hear and enjoy new work by a man whose music is familiar to millions even if his name is less so. Indeed, Gil Scott-Heron continues to cast such a wide shadow that even many of his biggest fans often seem to forget that there's another name next to his on the bulk of his albums, the name of a man teamed up with Gil as a teenager and proceeded to ride out the decade as his writing partner, keyboardist, arranger, and bandleader for their Midnight Band. That man's name is Brian Jackson.

His considerable backlog of unheard material reveals a stillenergetic and still-vital icon of the music wing of the Black Liberation movement. Prepare to hear from a musician whose work has contributed to the enhancement of all our lives in some form or another with the latest installment of the Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge’s Jazz Is Dead series.

“Brian Jackson is the first album we recorded for Jazz Is Dead. He set the tone for the entire label,” reflects Younge. “He turned our aspirations global. We never knew what this could all be, but with his inspirational character and musicianship, he led us on the right path. We are forever indebted to this icon.”

Brian Jackson JID008, available August 6, is the first full album released by the great man in 20 years (with the exception of Evolutionary Minded, an homage to Gil released eight years ago) and it's a testament to his multifaceted talents that while there are moments throughout that hint at his game-changing history and track record, for the most part it reveals a musician who pulls from lessons garnered over a 50+ year career only to keep his eyes firmly fixed on the future. “When we got together, the sounds flowed effortlessly,” recalls Jackson.

Fat Night - Things You Do (Colemine Records)

7" Vinyl £5.99 Add to basket

A. Things You Do / B. Things You Do Instrumental

Fat Night is an indie soul band based in Chicago comprised of Dan Hanson, Gabe Gundacker, Ted Issen, and Nik Ritchie.

Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio - Fo Sho (Colemine Records)

7" Vinyl £8.99 Add to basket

A. Fo Sho / B. Inner City Blues

The first new material from the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio in several years is coming in hot! They've been on the road for the last two years and just finished cutting their upcoming album for 2020 and plan on hitting the road again in a big way to support it. 'Fo Sho' finds the trio right where they left off: super pocket funky organ jazz! Dig!

Monophonics / Destruments - Like Yesterday / Freedom (Colemine Records)

Repress 7" Vinyl £8.99 Add to basket

A. Monophonics - Like Yesterday / B. Destruments - Freedom

A simply killer 45 from the bay area's finest funk band, Monophonics. "Like Yesterday" is a monster A-side, which was recorded at the legendary Killion Studios in LA. While the B-Side, "Freedom" by Destruments is a beautifully soulful instrumental track.

Quincy Jones - The Dude [40th Anniversary] (UMC)

Remastered 180g Vinyl LP £23.99 Add to basket

The 40th Anniversary reissue of Quincy Jones' “The Dude,” will be available in a gatefold jacket for the first time, from remastered audio. The 1LP set features a Foil finish, the vinyl disc are standard black.

Dexter Gordon - GO! (Blue Note) - PRESALE

Pre-order Reissue 180g Vinyl LP £22.99 Add to basket

Release Date: 23rd July 2021

By the time he recorded GO! in 1962, Dexter Gordon had already lived several lifetimes in jazz. He was among the first to adapt the language of bebop to the tenor saxophone in the 1940s, but after a decade in which personal troubles limited his output, he signed with Blue Note in 1961 and began a run of essential albums that marked a rebirth for the tenor giant.

Featuring a quartet with Sonny Clark on piano, Butch Warren on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums, GO! was a showcase of Gordon’s limitless creativity on hard-swinging numbers like his great tune “Cheese Cake” and a sure-footed version of “Love for Sale,” as well as his peerless artistry on ballads as evidenced on stunning takes of the standards “I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry” and “Where Are You.”

This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

TRACKLIST
1. Cheese Cake (Side A)
2. I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry (Side A)
3. Second Balcony Jump (Side A)
4. Love For Sale (Side B)
5. Where Are You? (Side B)
6. Three O'Clock In The Morning (Side B)

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - The Witch Doctor (Blue Note Tone Poet Series)

Reissue 180g Vinyl LP £34.99 Add to basket

Recorded in 1961, but not released until 1967, The Witch Doctor features one of Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers’ all-time great line-ups: Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, Lee Morgan on trumpet, Bobby Timmons on piano, and Jymie Merritt on bass. Shorter and Morgan each contribute two tunes, with Timmons penning one. Highlights include Morgan’s spectacular 6/8 modal piece “Afrique” and Shorter’s minor masterpiece “Those Who Sit And Wait.” Bobby Timmons brings the deep soul goods on his composition “A Little Busy,” and the album closes with a fleet-footed romp through Clifford Jordan’s tune “Lost and Found.”

Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue (Columbia/Legacy)

Reissue Blue Vinyl LP £22.99 Add to basket

Long held as the jazz album that even non-jazz fans will own, Kind Of Blue not only changed the way people regarded Miles, it changed the very face of music itself. Consistently rated not just as one of the greatest jazz albums but as one of The greatest musical statements of the 20th century, its 46 minutes of improvisation and sophistication remain peerless. Davis played trumpet sublime with his ensemble sextet featuring pianist Bill Evans, drummer Jimmy Cobb, bassist Paul Chambers, and saxophonists John Coltrane and Julian 'Cannonball' Adderley with Wyton Kelly playing piano on Freddy the Freeloader.

Sly & The Family Stone - Stand! (Epic/Legacy)

Reissue 180g Vinyl LP £18.99 Add to basket

Sony's Legacy vinyl re-issue series continues with the 180g repress of 'Stand!', the 1969 classic from Sly & The Family Stone, their most successful album and one that includes the hits 'Everyday People', 'Stand', 'I Want to take U Higher' and 'Sing A Simple Song'

Fugees - The Score (Columbia)

Orange Vinyl LP £22.99 Add to basket

The second (and final) album from Fugees, originally released in February 1996. A 13 song double album, reissued on orange mix vinyl. Includes download code insert.

Greentea Peng - Man Made (AMF Records)

Double Vinyl LP £28.99 Add to basket

The 18 track album is executive produced by EarBuds and features live instrumentation throughout from Aria’s band the Seng Seng Family. The album is an incredible exploration of sounds and topics that cover the current times and beyond.

Set against the backdrop of one of the most turbulent years in recent memory, Greentea and her band The Seng Seng Family retreated to the country last summer where the alchemy of Man Made took place, bringing a live element to the album, and chose to record the record in 432 Hz frequency, a pitch that falls a semitone below music industry standard, which is thought to vibrate healing energy. Executive-produced by long time collaborator Earbuds, Greentea worked with an incredible roll-call of producers; the likes of Swindle, long-standing collaborators Samo and Kiko, and Mala (part of the legendary dubstep production duo Digital Mystikz and the founder of the iconic DMZ dubstep label). The album was then mixed by the legendary Commissioner Gordon. The record seamlessly weaves genres from Hip-Hop to Jazz, Neo-soul, Trip Hop, Ragga, Rock, Dub and Drum & Bass, all anchored by signature sage vocals. At 18 tracks, Man Made is a true opus, a fluid and transportive listening experience, channelling deepest inner-thoughts and exploring different states of being, segued to be enjoyed in full. It encourages repeated revisits to fully explore the magic at work.

Gene Russell - New Direction (Black Jazz)

Remastered Vinyl LP £22.99 Add to basket

The first album released from the most sought-after label, bar none, among jazz collectors! Black Jazz was started by keyboardist / producer Gene Russell for Dick Schory's Ovation Records. Active from only 1971 to 1975, and reputed to be the first jazz label started by an African-American since Sunshine Records in 1921, Black Jazz sought to expand minds as well as hearts, releasing spiritual, socially conscious music that explored such burgeoning genres of the era as funk, soul jazz, and free jazz. Real Gone Music kicks off its Black Jazz reissue campaign with the very first record the label released, which was entitled, fittingly, New Directions by label founder Russell. Oft-bootlegged, with original copies commanding princely sums, New Directions set the tone for the entire label with its modal and soul jazz explorations. Real Gone's reissue includes new liner notes by Pat Thomas, the author of Listen Whitey! The Sounds of Black Power 1965-1975.

Doug Carn - Revelation (Black Jazz)

Remastered Vinyl LP £22.99 Add to basket

Aside from McCoy Tyner’s “Contemplation,” John Coltrane’s “Naima,” and René McLean sic McClean’s “Jihad,” Doug Carn himself takes the composing reins on this masterful 1973 release, which further integrates Jean Carn’s ethereal yet soulful vocals into the his impressive stylistic vision. And this time the band includes such heavyweights as trumpeter Olu Dara, bassist Walter Booker, and drummer Ira Williams. All of Carn’s albums for Black Jazz are classics; this one might just be first among equals.

Lewis Parker - All I Got (King Underground)

Vinyl 12" £19.99 Add to basket

A. All I Got / B. Thug Livin' ft. Planet Asia

Legendary UK Hip Hop producer, Lewis Parker, drops a new 12".

The world-wide known artist has been releasing records since his early teenage years and has created a deep body of work over the course of his career. He's been a staple of the hip hop scene since the late '90s, after inking his first major-label deal in 1998. Leading to some of his most well-known work with the Iconic Ghostface Killah, as well as, modern-day phenom, Joey Bada$$.

New grooves, same Lewis Parker clinic on how to create a pocket that oozes with feel and soul. "All I Got" has a funky bass line that hooks you in quickly and provides the foundation for the rhythm that the vocals fall into. Complemented by ambient dancing keys and subtle percussion, providing depth to the pocket. The instrumental version of "Thug Livin" is reminiscent of something off of the iconic "Superfly" soundtrack. Timeless guitar sounds and a tempo that cruises. Planet Asia, who Parker has worked with several times in the past, makes his return on the 12. Featuring on "Thug Livin", which captures a sound reminiscent of 90's New York City Hip Hop.

Playboi Carti - Whole Lotta Red (Interscope)

Double Vinyl LP £24.99 Add to basket

As a gift to fans, Playboi Carti releases his Whole Lotta Red album after a two-year hiatus. Whole Lotta Red features 24 tracks with appearances by rap superstars Future, Kid Cudi and Kanye West. This is Playboi Carti’s second studio album, following Die Lit which was released in 2018 and debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 chart.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – LW Vol. 3 (KGLW)

Gator Green Vinyl LP £21.99 Add to basket
Recycled Black Vinyl LP £19.99 Add to basket

The album follows the recent January 2021 release of single 'O.N.E.' and the band's sixteenth studio album K.G (the second volume in the band's previous explorations into microtonal tunings), as well as Live In S.F. '16 (ATO Records), a live album recorded during the band's 2016 U.S. tour stop at San Francisco venue The Independent. As the band enter their second decade – and their frontman still only thirty years old - the creative future of the band, as showcased on L.W., is bolder, madder and more imaginative than ever.

Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band – Dirt Off Your Shoulder (Big Crown Records) - PRESALE

Pre-Order 7" Vinyl £8.99 Add to basket

Release Date: 11th July 2021

A. Dirt Off Your Shoulder / B. I Need Somebody To Love Tonight

Lead single from forthcoming album 'Expansions'

Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, the kings of “wait, what is this!!!” are back with another two-sider that has a little something for everyone. Both of these songs are pulled from their forthcoming full length album Expansions.

The A side is a gritty, gully, and neck snapping cover of the Timbaland produced Jay-Z club hit “Dirt Off Your Shoulder”. The signature crushing Bacao drums start the show and the moment they start playing the top line on the steel pans all bets are off. They push the tune to new heights and places adding brass arrangements and working around the original riff never losing the groove. The way they walk the line between the original and making it their own will woo Hip Hop heads and Funk enthusiasts alike.

The B side finds BRSB taking it straight to the discoteque and ushering everyone to the floor as they cover Sylvester’s underground classic “I Need Somebody To Love Tonight”. While Bacao have laid down a few four on the floor numbers on previous albums this is the first one making its way to a 7” and we are sure it will get their music into a new sector of DJs playboxes.

Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band – Expansions (Big Crown Records) - PRESALE

Pre-Order Indie Deep Emerald Vinyl LP £20.99 Add to basket
Pre-Order Vinyl LP £19.99 Add to basket
Pre-Order CD £10.99 Add to basket

Release Date: 16th July 2021

Indies only vinyl is on Deep Emerald Vinyl.

Steel Drum Covers of Grace Jones, Galt MacDermot, Slum Village, Minnie Riperton, Jay Z, Ike Turner, and more.

Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, the mysterious steel pan out­t hailing from Hamburg, Germany have amassed a cult following around the globe. With a slew of classic 7”s and two critically acclaimed full length albums, they set a high bar for themselves, one they clearly intend on pushing even higher with this new offering. On their third album, aptly titled Expansions, BRSB are back with more of the same, but more of the same with them is inherently different. Covering songs that span genres and range from mega hits to album cuts, they make them their own with their unique approach to the traditional steel pans of Trinidad and Tobago.

Part of the allure of a new record from Bacao is finding out what covers they chose. However, die hard fans are also waiting to hear the original numbers like the stellar album opener “Tough Victory”. Its airtight rhythm section, brass arrangements, and layers of steel pan melodies make the term “cover band” a shoe that could never fit Bacao. Within the next three songs they go from Jazz (Galt MacDermot), to Hip Hop (Slum Village / J Dilla), to a dance floor classic (Grace Jones) taking them all on with their signature style, expanding on the originals. An easy crowd favorite is their gritty, gully, and neck snapping cover of the Timbaland produced Jay-Z club hit “Dirt Off Your Shoulder”. The infamous crushing Bacao drums start the show and the moment they start playing the top line on the pans, all bets are off. Sure to become a dance -oor ­ller is their bottom heavy, four on the -oor version of Sylvester’s classic “I Need Somebody To Love Tonight”. They venture into some gutbucket funk with Ike Turner’s “Getting Nasty” and bring the steel pans to Minnie Riperton’s Jazz classic “Les Fleurs”. Digging deeper in the modern canon and paying tribute to a tribute, they cover Erykah Badu’s homage to the late great J Dilla, “The Healer”. This is the type of thing to make Spice Adams jump on his kitchen counter and scream. From the second the beat drops they give the original Madlib production a run for its money, shaking subwoofers with the eerie tremolo bass while the pans play E. Badu’s vocal melodies.

By the time the album is through Bacao has taken the listener on a journey that spans a myriad of energies, tempos, and moods while somehow managing to keep it all under one umbrella. For all that, these songs are alive, and they will be taken out of the context of this album and sewn into the fabric of DJ sets around the globe for many years to come. Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band is breathing renewed life into the originals and continuing to push the boundaries of steel pan music, or, as the title suggests, expanding on it.

Tracklist:
1. Tough Victory 2. Space 3. Raise It Up 4. My Jamaican Dub 5. I Need Somebody To Love Tonight 6. Dirt Off Your Shoulder 7. Getting Nasty 8. Blow Your Cover 9. Represent 10. The Healer 11. Les Fleur 12. Squaring The Circles

CD Has Three Bonus Tracks: Juicy - Look Out Baby (Here I Come) - Kaiser Noir

Orgone - Connection (3 Palm/Colemine Records)

Limited Edition Gatefold White Vinyl LP £21.99 Add to basket

Connection is the new ten song LP from Los Angeles powerhouse Orgone featuring collaborations with Cyril Neville, Kelly Finnigan, Pimps of Joytime, and more. The album is the inaugural release on 3 Palm Records, distributed by Colemine Records and Secretly Distribution.

A spiritual follow up to fan favorite Bacano, Connection is gritty, lean, and tight soul and funk at its best. It explores the invisible threads that bind us all, spiritually, emotionally, and artistically. Much like the collage that adorns the cover, this hard hitting collection of songs illuminates the essence of Orgone: a musical pastiche of different vocalists, heavy riffs, vintage production, and a core rhythm section that never disappoints. The synergy created in these songs demonstrates that the whole is truly greater than the sum of all the individual parts and players.

This is the tenth studio album from Orgone (they've previously released albums with Ubiquity, Sanachie, and Colemine Records). Other career highlights include: heavy touring with the likes of Al Green, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, and Galactic; fest appearances at Bonnaroo, High Sierra, Jam Cruise; placements on ABC's Modern Family, film, and commercials; serving as the backing band for Grammy winning hits like Cee Lo's "Fool For You" and songs from Alicia Keys, Jazmine Sullivan and more.

Tracklist:
1. The Vice Yard – Have a Listen. 2. Junk Man feat. Cyril Neville 3. Love Will See Us Through feat. Pimps of Joytime 4. The Truth feat. Kelly Finnigan 5. This One Time feat. Jesse Wagner 6. Delightful feat. Masauko Chipembre 7. Jawbone 8. Party People feat. Pimps of Joytime 9. This Space feat. Black Shakespeare 10. The Way

Tony Allen - There Is No End (Blue Note)

Limited Edition 2LP Vinyl Set + Tote Bag + Slipmat + Drum Sticks + Poster £49.99 Add to basket
Limited Edition Gatefold Double Vinyl LP £27.99 Add to basket
Double Vinyl LP £25.99 Add to basket

“I play yours, you play mine. The music never ends.” The wisdom of the late, great Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen's words was as deep as his grooves, and his words truly capture the spirit of There is No End. For a man “born into rhythms,” the thousands of grooves he recorded, the innumerable more he performed on stages the world over, all make it clear that while this album marks the coda of a legendary career, it will inspire generations more of musicians, artists and fans who hear it. Tony's motivating concept and desire was to work with younger artists, and especially the new generation of rappers, and give them voice in a time of global turmoil when music has never been more important as medicine to heal a fractured world today.

Tracklist:
1. There Is No End 2. Rich Black Feat. Koreatown Oddity 3. Coonta Kinte Feat. Zelooperz 4. One Inna Million Feat. Lava La Rue 5. Stumbling Down Feat. Sampa The Great 6. Crushed Grapes Feat. Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon 7. Gang On Holiday (Em I Go We?) Feat. Jeremiah Jae 8. Mau Mau Feat. Nah Eeto 9. Très magnifique Feat. Tsunami 10. Hurt Your Soul Feat. Nate Bone 11. Cosmosis Feat. Ben Okri + Skepta 12. My Own Feat. Marlowe

Sun Ra And His Outer Space Arkestra - A Fireside Chat With Lucifer (Modern Harmonic)

Obi-Strip Reissue Vinyl LP £21.99 Add to basket

A much-needed re-issue by Modern Harmonic Records of Sun Ra's 1983 masterpiece 'A Fireside Chat With Lucifer.'

A Fireside Chat with Lucifer was issued by Sun Ra in 1983 (Saturn Gemini 19841). Like many Sun Ra albums, Fireside Chat offered stylistic random shuffle, as was the artist's intent, reflecting his eclectic, seemingly irreconcilable approach to compositional extremes. With Sun Ra you get everything except consistency and predictability. Side B consisted of the inscrutable 21-minute title track, while Side A consisted of three unrelated, shorter works (the wryly apocalyptic "Nuclear War," a languid, atmospheric ballad titled "Retrospect," and the soul groove "Makeup"). Fireside Chat was pressed in limited quantities, with hand-made Xeroxed covers (sans personnel or credits), and sold at concerts. Original copies are incredibly rare.

Sandra Sá - Vale Tudo (Mr Bongo)

Reissue Vinyl LP £18.99 Add to basket

Released in 1983, Sandra Sá's 'Vale Tudo' is one of the essential Brazilian-boogie-funk records of the era. Pure class throughout, with a dream team of incredible musicians and producers behind the scenes. For some, this album is regarded as Sandra's magnum opus.

It is drenched in the essence of the Brazilian 80s boogie and funk sound. A driving force behind this is the writing, arrangement, and musicianship of Lincoln Olivetti, who was instrumental in forging this unique sound within Brazilian production at the time. It is heightened even further by the astonishing team that feature on the record. Brazilian icon and heavyweight Tim Maia, Robson Jorge, Serginho Trombone, Oberdan Magalhães, Claudio Stevenson and Jamil Joanes (of Banda Black Rio fame), Junior Mendes, the list goes on. This crew of musicians synergised perfectly with Sandra's vocal style, all complementing each other to create a classic.

Marcos Valle - Marcos Valle (Mr Bongo)

Rose Pink Reissue Vinyl LP £19.99 Add to basket
Mint Green Reissue Vinyl LP £19.99 Add to basket

It is with great joy that we present the Mr Bongo edition of Marcos Valle's 1983 self-titled masterpiece. A pure vintage that features the ultimate Brazilian-boogie cult-classic ‘Estrelar’ and iconic 80s cover art that sees a gloriously sun-drenched Marcos dressed in a pink v-neck t-shirt surrounded by a generous selection of deadly-looking neon cocktails.

The album was produced by the legendary Lincoln Olivetti and Marcos' brother Paulo Sérgio Valle. It showcases a real who's who of Brazilian music at the time, with stellar performances from vocalists and musicians such as Rosana, Serginho Do Trombone, Robson Jorge and Oberdan Magalhães to name but a few. This was Marcos’ second album, after having moved back to Brazil from his time living in Los Angeles, and that US influence is evident through its prominent boogie, soul and funk sounds. It also features collaborations with the US singer-songwriter, composer, pianist, keyboardist, and record producer, Leon Ware, who co-penned three tracks including 'Estrelar'. To complete the album there are tracks such as 'Fogo Do Sol', which is pure AOR / Balaeric vibes, and tracks that are more MPB and pop-inspired, making a well-balanced track list for both home-listening pleasure and dancefloor business.

El Michels Affair Meets Liam Bailey - Ekundayo Inversions (Big Crown Records) - PRESALE

Pre-Order Indie Clear Red Vinyl LP £19.99 Add to basket
Pre-Order Vinyl LP £18.49 Add to basket
Pre-Order CD £10.99 Add to basket

Release Date: 13th August 2021

El Michels Affair reimaginging Liam’s Ekundayo Album.

Produced by Leon Michels.

Also includes three unreleased vocal tracks from the Ekundayo sessions.

There has always been a Reggae in­uence in the music of El Michels Affair. From their cover of “Hung Up On My Baby” done in a Reggae style, to the general sound and approach that permeates Leon’s production style. While recording Bailey’s 2020 Ekundayo album, they did some straight forward reggae tunes inspired by different eras alongside some modern R&B tracks that would -t more comfortably next to Frank Ocean than Jacob Miller. It is this same notion that old and new can live so comfortably together that birthed the idea of Ekundayo Inversions. Traditional dub came out of reggae in the late 60s and early 70s when pioneers like King Tubby and Lee Perry started taking the multi track recordings of songs and running them back through the board adding effects and additional instrumentation. These recordings are called “dubs” or “versions”and are typically instrumentals with ­ourishes of vocals from the original tracks.

One of the highlights on Ekundayo Inversions is a guest appearance from the legendary Lee “Scratch” Perry on the “Ugly Truth” version. L$P switches between singing and talking, proclaiming his powers one minute and playing with the track’s title the next. On “Awkward take. 2” Leon takes one of the most experimental songs from Ekundayo and actually straightens it out. A track that once seemed to be ­oating in space has now been anchored by the addition of drums and bass. “Faded”, a version of “Paper Tiger”, is given the full EMA treatment with the addition of emotive horns over an uncomfortably sparse rhythm track peppered with Liam’s voice drenched in delay and echo.

“Champions” features a verse from Black Thought of The Roots and halfway through, El Michels sends the rhythm section 50 years back. At the end of the day, Ekundayo Inversions is a testament to how strong the original songs are. Whether they’re in a R&B style, reggae style, stripped down to their bare bones, or loaded with production, the songs will move you.

Tracklist:
1. Conquer & Divide feat. Black Thought 2. Amazing Woman 3. Angel Face 4. Walk With Me 5. No One Else 6. King 7. Ugly Truths feat. Lee Scratch Perry 8. I Love NY 9. Superstar 10. Awkward (Take 2) 11. Lucky Man 12. Faded

Evidence - Unlearning Vol.1 (Rhymesayers) - PRESALE

Pre-Order Double Vinyl LP £26.99 Add to basket
Pre-Order CD £10.99 Add to basket

Release Date: 25th June 2021

In March 2020, right as the whole world was entering into a transitional phase, Evidence released a single titled “Unlearning”. Now, a year later, Evidence launches the campaign for his upcoming album, Unlearning Vol. 1, picking up where the single of the same name left off, and going beyond.

Unlearning Vol. 1 pairs Evidence’s own production with works from The Alchemist, Nottz, Sebb Bash, Animoss, Mr. Green, V Don, Daringer and EARDRUM (QThree). This highlights perhaps an undervalued skill of Ev’s—his ability to collaborate with a multitude of producers on a project, while still creating an album with a cohesion and consistency rarely found in such extensive collaboration. While the album’s musical soundscape sets the scene, it's Ev’s gift for relatable yet inventively clever writing that really paints the picture, continually pulling the listener in. That said, a small but powerful cast of guest appearances also decorate the landscape, courtesy of stellar performances from Boldy James, Conway The Machine, Fly Anakin, Navy Blue, and Murkage Dave.

Tracklist:
1. Better You 2. Start The Day With A Beat 3. Sharks Smell Blood 4. Pardon Me 5. All Of That Said (feat. Boldy James) 6. Won’t Give Up The Danger (feat. Murkage Dave) 7. Moving On Up (feat. Conway The Machine) 8. Talking To The Audience 9. All Money 1983 10. Pray With An A (feat. Navy Blue) 11. Lost In Time (Park James) 12. Delay The Issue (feat. Fly Anakin) 13. Only Got One 14. Where We Going From Here..