Dienstag, 28. April 2015

Rollfast - Live At Jizz Studio


If you're into heavy and dirty psychedelic rock sounds you should maybe consider a trip to Bali which is home to the five guys of Rollfast. The band released some interesting tunes lately resulting in an EP and the most recent "Live At Jizz Studio" recordings.

On three tracks you will get the full psychedelic rock package exept for one thing - clean sounds. The Rollfast approach to the rock genre happens with a maximum of distortion and energy. You will find the classic feedback passages and intense moods over heavy rhythms. Speaking of rhythms, the last song "Destination: Death" combines the echo-loaded jams with a driving stoner sound which makes it a truly heavy piece of rock'n'roll.

Get the full stream on Bandcamp.

Montag, 27. April 2015

The Jazz Jousters - Locations: Nigeria


A lot has already been said about The Jazz Jousters' Locations series. Just when I thought I wrapped it all up the international producer collective dropped "Locations: Nigeria" which definitely marks a highlight in the series.

There's probably no doubt that you can get a lot of quality material to work with from the Nigerian sound-library. The way it is carefully put into laid back beats on this one is still something special. The positive vibes translate perfectly to the Jazz Jousters style and find themselves in a great new outfit.

Get the full stream on Bandcamp.

Sonntag, 26. April 2015

Silensir & L.E.O. - Live From Maple Park Side A


New York-based rapper Love Equals Omnipotence teamed up with producer and longtime friend Silensir to release a stunning record in "Live At Maple Park Side A".

On a total of 18 tracks you can witness a timeless hip hop approach with an impressive number and quality of collaborators. You will hear rhymes by MeccaGodZilla, J-Zone, Philmore, Unleashed By Science and many more. It's the sound of a group of friends rapping over Silensir's 90s flavoured beats. The tracks feature positive vibes and a certain ease that you can probably only have if you're not playing the game of the music industry and release your music yourself and for free.

Get the stream and free download on Bandcamp.


Freitag, 24. April 2015

Alex Jønsson - Spy On Your Friends


Danish guitarist and member of Jakob Sørensen's "Bagland"  Alex Jønsson just released a record of his own in "Spy On Your Friends". The album features a classic jazz trio lineup with Jønsson being accompanied by Jens Mikkel Madsen on bass and Andreas Skamy on drums.

The overall sound of the music is a quiet one though tracks like "War is Peace" show some intense vibes. There is a floating character to every tune - Jønsson's guitar is circling effortlessly around simple and beautiful melodies to create haunting moments once improvisation and melodies collide. But it seems as if those moments are not the main focus of the group -  It is more about the floating, the steady and calm movement of the tracks that create an exciting tension in an otherwise minimal musical landscape. On a total of nine tracks the trio exercises this approach in an impressive and soothing fashion.

Stream one track on Soundcloud and/or get more info on the trio's website.

Mittwoch, 22. April 2015

Libido Fuzz - Kaleido Lumo Age


After releasing a number of well received tracks over the last few years the French psychedelic trio "Libido Fuzz" are all set for their upcoming debut record "Kaleido Lumo Age" on Pink Tank records.

Call it a trend or whatever you want but the 70s psych-stoner sound never gets old - especially not if you exercise it like this band. The heavy and gritty guitars on this album combine perfectly with the dynamic rhythm section. But it is more about the complete construction of the tracks which vary from grooving stoner passages to the floating psychedelic and experimental vibes. A song like "Haight Ashbury" puts all this together in an impressive way as you can hear on the pre-listen version of this record.

Get the stream on Bandcamp. Release will be in early May.

Dienstag, 21. April 2015

Jazz Spastiks & Rebel To The Grain - Unkut Fresh


It was only a matter of time until this one would appear on the blog. Everybody who listened to the first single of this incredible collaboration knew that something big was coming his way.

So "Unkut Fresh" is the complete record that features the classic Jazz Spastiks production and vocals by Rebels to the Grain. Apparently "Tapes" is only a small part of a great collection of rap tracks, instrumentals and old school vibes. Collection is probably not the right word to describe this album because it really sounds like one piece of hip hop where everything is sitting perfectly in its place.  Just hit the play button and enjoy this journey through laid back tunes and everything this genre should be about. Right now it seems like the Jazz Spastiks can really do no wrong.

Get the full stream on Bandcamp.

Dienstag, 14. April 2015

Emil de Waal - Handmade In Denmark


After the success of his last album in 2013 Emil de Waal teamed up again with Gustaf Ljunggren, Soren Kjaergaar and Elith "Nulle" Nykjaer for "Handmade In Denmark".

The new record features that same playfulness and excellent songwriting that the Danish group is now known for. The beautiful harmonies in the opening title track "Handmde In Denmark" are accompanied by lively compositions like "Dukko" with uplifting melodys or the equally calm interpretation of "Sound Of Silence". This album might be filed under the jazz label but it also shows elements of the blues or folk genre. There is also a very cinematic character to the tracks which underlines the great vibes and atmospheres that Emil De Waal and his band is spreading with his music.

You can stream a few tracks on Soundcloud.

Scrimshire - Margie Joseph Edits


Songwriter, beatmaker and one of the men behind Wah Wah 45s Adam Scrimshire has lately fallen in love with the works of soul singer Joseph Margie - and he is putting it into new remixes.

To be more exact he has put the tracks "The Same Love That Made Me Laugh" and "I Can't Move No Mountain" in a new electronic outfit. The new versions are still staying true to the original tunes but present themselves in a more danceable fashion. And why not take this as a starting point to fall in love with Margie Joseph's catalogue aswell?

Get the stream and free download on Soundcloud. More free Scrimshire tunes on Bandcamp.

Montag, 13. April 2015

Kuf Knotz A Positive Light


The name Kuf Knotz stands for a versatile hip hop guru who produced a large number of releases in the past years. His latest album "A Positive Light" is out since late March on Rope A Dope records.

Hip hop is only one aspect when you talk about the sound of his group that also moves comfortably through reggae, soul or pop passages. The fact that the rapper from Philadelphia is backed by  a complete band makes his music very dynamic and reminds here and there of some famous and talented bands. Right after the intro the title track "A Positive Light" is a perfect example for the solid and energetic approach of Kuf Knotz.

Get the full stream on Bandcamp.

Samstag, 11. April 2015

The Mighty Mocambos - The Showdown


There probably aren't many doubts that The Mighty Mocambos from Hamburg are one of Germany's finest funk ensembles. Their new album "Showdown" is surely another strong statement to cement that point.

The record starts with a typical Mocambo groove in "Road To Earth" that features film composer Peter Thomas on piano. You will find some more dynamic instrumental jams on this one like "Locked And Loaded", the slow groove "Drifting Stars" or the title track "Showdown". On no less than three tracks the one and only Afrika Bambaataa is featured which mostly results in some seriously heavy grooves and breaks. "In The Dark" and "Not Get Caught" are two classic funk tracks with excellent soul singers in Nichola Richards and DeRobert. So you will find a little bit of everything on "Showdown" that has a funky groove at its foundation.

Get the full stream on Bandcamp.

Mittwoch, 8. April 2015

Emanative - The Light Years Of The Darkness


In Collaboration with a huge number of talented jazz artists Emanative released a brand new record for the Steve Reid Foundation. 

"The Light Years Of The Darkness" is an exciting journey through contemporary spiritual jazz sounds, incredible grooves and intense vibes. Some of the names who worked on this project are Jessica Lauren, Four Tet, Tamar Osborn, Ahmed Abdullah, Finn Peters, Valerie Etienne and many more. Every track on this record features a highly original approach in rhythm and atmosphere and mostly stretches over the ten minutes mark. A lot of different elements come together in this dynamic blend of ethnic grooves - and it's all for a good cause.

Get the full stream on Bandcamp.

Montag, 6. April 2015

J-Zone - I Smell Smoke / Time For A Crime Wave


After releasing his last full-length album "Peter Pan Syndrome" two years ago underground hip hop veteran and drummer J-Zone lately dropped a number of  7" Singles. The brand new one is another example of the pure quality that this man is producing.

The record starts with an instrumental groove in "I Smell Smoke" which features drums, organ, samples and special guest Ray May on Congas. On the flipside you will find te excellent rap track "Time For A Crime Wave" in two different versions (on the digital release). It doesn't matter wether the original cut or the remix, this tune is a funky throwback hip hop joint with dope rhymes and great vibes.

Get the full stream on Bandcamp.

Sonntag, 5. April 2015

Best Of March '15









Little Big Wolf - Pinkie Brown's House


Though things like the blues will probably never get old you still have to treat them in an original and exciting fashion - and that is exactly what you can hear on Little Big Wolf's new album "Pinkie Brown's House". It marks the band's second release and features seven rough and swampy blues nuggets. The first single output "She Puts The Sun" is a dynamic uptempo tune that already underlined the group's potential...more







The Soul Surfers - You Can Run (But You Can't Hide) From My Love (feat. Myron & E)


As a special treat and first taste of the new album by the Russian funk ensemble The Soul Surfers Ubiquity Records will release the stunning lead-off single "You Can Run (But You Can't Hide) From My Love" in May. The single features an original soul groove and the incredible Myron & E on vocals who have a reputation for collaborating with talented instrumental groups. After the previous single "Doin' The Rasklad" the full-length release "Soul Rock" is finally on the horizon which will see the light of day later this year - a listen to this track will give you a lot of reasons to look forward to day...more







Grieg - Retaliate First


Grieg from from Brisbane are probably one of the finest heavy things you've heard in a while. If you look at the personnel it turns out it's not really a big surprise: Alex (No Anchor), John (Undead Apes) and Tamara (Hits)  are truly veterans in the Australian rock scene and are taking their sounds on the group's debut album "Retaliate First" to another level. There are a lot of heavy elements coming together in this music: Noisy and extreme guitars, varying song structures and mostly punk vocals that sometimes shift to very harsh shouts. The overall very brutal sound is balanced with some slight punk rock elements and a very dynamic approach in songwriting...more








Sleep Sinatra - Shamaniq


This might not be the first time you read the name Sleep Sinatra on this blog but this is the first time I can introduce you to a full-length album. "Shamaniq" was released in late February and features 18 original tracks by the rapper from Lincoln. The first single "Metroid's Dungeon" was already a nice taste of the quality that you could expect on this record just like the various collaborations with talented MCs and producers like Static Soul, ICHIBANHASHFACE, Verbal Kent and any more. What the track didn't show was the overall more laid back character that this album presents. Tracks like "Cryostasis" or "GodsClocktower" showcases the calm yet intense vibes perfectly in which Sleep Sinatra's voice is the main element that flows flawlessly over the minmalistic beats...more







David Philips - If I Had Wings


After listening to the first single "Angel" you could already tell that David Philips' fourth record "If I Had Wings" would be a good one. Now it is here and it's definitely living up to the expectations. David Philips is not only the singer and songwriter behind all ten tracks, he is also behind every other instrument you will hear on this album (he even created the cover art) except for some drums and the saxophone in "Venomous Soul". The guitar and soulful singing blend perfectly with the minimal instrumentation that also includes various electronic elements. Philips is always keeping it simple though he manages to stretch a number of tunes beyond the seven minute mark. This might be due to the fact that he knows when he's got a good vibe going and he surely knows how to make the most of it through simple solos and just some nice and calming moods...more






Etienne De La Sayette - EP 1&2 


I might have been a little lazy not posting Etienne de la Sayette's first incredible EP a while ago but the very quick successor on Paris DJs is definitely a reason to tell everyone about it. You can still hear only 4 tracks by Multiinstrumentalist Etienne de la Sayette on both releases but there really is a lot to discover on those tunes. A cinematic vibe surrounds the vital grooves on both records. While "I'm So Cool In Seoul" starts with  a mesmerizing organ theme and a slow pace, the mood changes very quickly to the lively "Lord Bougainvillard" with its afrobeat features. The second EP contains another stunning rhythm in "Jungle Blue" and a more psychedelic approach in "Han Gang"...more



More monthly lists.

Freitag, 3. April 2015

Hot Lunch EP


When you're talking about Hot Lunch you're talking about one of the hottest brands of rock'n'roll out there today. The highly productive band from San Francisco just released a new 5-track EP via Scion AV.

Just like their incredible selftitled album this EP opens with a fast and heavy tune in "Slappy Sunday" which is followed by a lot of different approaches in the following songs. "Expectations" is a dynamic take on a 1990s track by The Resonars. There is a certain vintage character in every tune but you can't really name it since Hot Lunch are masters of transforming these elements into their own heavy and dangerous style of rock music.

Get the full stream and free download on Soundcloud or below.

Mittwoch, 1. April 2015

Kekko Fornarelli Fundraising Project


Italian pianist Kekko Fornarelli needs your help in order to make his next album happen which will be released sometime next year. This time he is planning on doing a larger production which will obviously require an equally bigger effort and since we still haven't reached the times that are financially grateful to jazz musicians this project might need a little lift.

So do this man a favour and support his new album - he will surely pay you back with great music as you can hear on his last two records "Room Of Mirrors" and "Outrush".


Here's some music: