Promenade Blue by Nick Waterhouse

 


F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby was a work so filled with ambition, yearning, and inner contradictions that it came to represent the condition of a nation itself. Yet, at its core, the slim novel tells a story about people and, more often than not, their inability to communicate and connect with one another — forever running on parallel tracks until tragedy finally twines them together. The color green (often in the form of the faded sodium lit dock of Daisy Buchanan) comes to represent longing and unrequited love in an era (the Roaring Twenties) of decadence and spiritual vacuousness. Green is Gatsby’s North Star, simultaneously pointing backward and forward through time toward some unattainable, impossibly balanced version of his own life.
Nick Waterhouse, a century later but once again in the ’20s, takes the color blue as his hue of choice on Promenade Blue. In Nick’s musical and lyrical world, blue is a refraction of his life and memories — shadowing a deep, spiritual San Francisco that fostered his musical vocabulary but has now been stamped out irrevocably; evoking the endless tours, marathon recording sessions, and highs and lows of success he’s experienced in his decade-long career; conjuring romances that were doomed, loves that lingered, and hope for future days of parity and partnership; summoning spirits of people who have gone but permeate his mind forever. That’s the world of Promenade Blue — one that is vivid and magnetic, buoyed by both light and density due to Nick’s newfound collaboration with producer Paul Butler (Michael Kiwanuka, Devendra Banhart). It’s not Gatsby’s New York in the 1920s, it’s Waterhouse’s California in the 2020s. Nick makes that crystal clear throughout the record but particularly on “Santa Ana (1986),” where he wryly sings, “Not from New York / And I never was / I’m from California.” With that, he answers all questions about place and setting…but as anyone who’s ever listened to a Waterhouse record knows: time, though clearly pegged to the dawn of this new decade, is a more malleable concept. Where he is is clear. When he is varies.
We can try as hard as we can to make sense of Promenade Blue, but in reality, context isn’t really needed because the music on the album is so damn magnificent. In no uncertain terms, it represents Waterhouse’s finest hour as a writer and bandleader — leveraging the musical partnerships he has built over many years to put something forth that is so fully realized and felt that it sparkles beatifically, reverberating with energy, heart, creativity, and vibe from start to finish. Nowhere is this more evident than on the album’s opening track, “Place Names,” perhaps the most remarkable song in the Waterhouse catalogue.

The tune is a pocket symphony, à la Spector and Wilson, with winding piano lines locking puzzle-like into a whining, weeping string arrangement courtesy of musical blood brother J.B. Flatt. A small cadre of women backing vocalists shout “Never!” and Nick replies “I never cry on cold days / I never mind a trip on the freeway / Because it’s what I know / Never really set for the big change / Learn to let things go / And say blow wind, blow.” The freeways between LA and San Francisco; the memory of spending a teenaged evening in the Vesuvio Café, which looms over the entrance of City Lights Books; the wind ripping through you on a foggy Bay Area morning, cutting into your bones; the pride one takes in his hometown; the distinct life that he has made (or that has made him) — it’s all here in “Place Names” and, honestly, if the album were to end with this one song, Waterhouse would’ve done his service to the 2020s in terms of musical creativity and vitality. Thankfully for listeners, it’s just the beginning.
The album twists and turns from the opening to the close — from swinging, sashaying jazz and blues (“Spanish Look”) to jittering, crystalline doo wop (“Very Blue”) and pure, loose, languid mood music with just a hint of Mulatu Astatke’s Ethiopian modal magic (“Promène Blue”). Most striking, perhaps, is the use of men’s voices as a backing texture, bringing an unexpected thematic unity to many of the songs. Lower-than-low gospel chants and refrains lend both energy and emotional weight to these pieces, conjuring a whole new mythic world for Nick’s compositions. This is a statement album, one to get lost in and rediscover over and over again.
In the Waterhouse catalogue, “Promenade Blue” represents rebirth and reinvigoration as well as a clarity of purpose that elevates it and may one day set it apart as something resembling a magnum opus. It’s his ‘Gatsby’ and it’s also his way of reintroducing himself to a fanbase that has grown by leaps and bounds over the last couple of years. On this record, he paints a mythic picture of his own life — lost in confusion, grating against time, overheated by false memories, being baptized by nostalgia and a vision of the future that is paradoxically both dark and apocalyptic and sparkling with promise. Sounds a lot like America in the 20s to me. Which 20s though? Which color — green or blue? Which author? Try to figure it out for yourself:
“You were smiling at me / Hanging languidly / On your car door window / Very blue / Very green / The ocean breeze / And shuffling trees / Pacific seas.”
“And as I sat there brooding on the old, unknown world, I thought of Gatsby's wonder when he first picked out the green light at the end of Daisy's dock. He had come a long way to this blue lawn and his dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him, somewhere back in that vast obscurity beyond the city, where the dark fields of the republic rolled on under the night.
Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter — tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And one fine morning——

So, we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”

released April 9, 2021

Sonór Tropicàl by Mankoora

 


45' Single Vinyl re-issue 

Midnight Madness by Moderator

 


The best movies are the midnight movies, cult films played for deviant, open-minded audiences long after sundown. These films are experiences, usually in the genres of horror, hippie-delia, or total freak-show. This midnight movie vibe is sonically captured by Moderator on his latest album for Melting Records, Midnight Madness. The famed Athens-based producer has assembled 14 tracks that run the gamut, each one evoking the devilish unpredictability of cult cinema and the dopeness of a phat break.

Moderator is known for his extensive musical knowledge, with his tastes running from hip-hop to rockabilly, dub to Memphis soul, and all points in-between. On Midnight Madness, these genres intersect in dreamlike scenes from imaginary movies. There’s “Unspoken,” with its Latin-psychedelics, wah-wah guitar riffs, and rousing trumpet, resembling an alternate universe Morricone. Camp spookiness also appears on tunes like “Haunted Lover,” which combines a big breakbeat and vampy vocals for a creature showdown in black and white.

The delightfully strange rears its head on cuts like “Once Upon a Time” and “Crystal Gaze,” both summoning playful witchcraft vibes straight out of a vintage Italian Giallo film. The downtempo flavor is heavy, casting spells on the fussiest of beat-headz. Moderator also whips out some twisted tribal lounge, as “Tamboo” delivers a rhythmic procession of fashionable zombies to the darkly lit dance floor.

Just as midnight movies bring endless surprises, the tracks on Midnight Madness won’t stop revealing after multiple listens. Moderator’s intricate fusions unfold in exotic layers and there are sinister secrets to discover. These movies play on the turntable, in the nightclub, and inside your head. And you don’t have to wait for the witching hour to have a listen.
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released March 21, 2021

I Got Love b​/​w Loving Body by Bobby Oroza

Bobby Oroza is a soul artist hailing from Helsinki, Finland. Teaming up with the Timmion Records house band Cold Diamond & Mink, he has a tight quartet of musicians to support his vision. His cult classic debut album This Love introduced the world to his strange and unique shade of Soul.


The Finnish crooner, Bobby Oroza, is back with a new set of tunes that pick up right where his glorious 2018 debut album, This Love, left off.
The A side “I Got Love” is a sweet soul anthem for those with their priorities straight and an encouraging reminder to those who may have lost sight of what is truly important in life. Bobby has penned another hit. He sings about choosing love over all things material and recognizing what you have when you have it. Bobby sings an earworm of a chorus that sums it up perfectly, “I got love, and that’s enough”.

The B side, “Loving Body”, is as seductive as it is profound. Bobby propositions his love interest over a gorgeous Cold Diamond & Mink production for more than a light hearted love affair. Mr. Oroza is not your average Joe, and this is not your average roses and candy song. Bobby lays out his desire to become one loving body in the way two rivers become part of the sea. A beautiful song about attraction and desire that will be an instant staple in the sweet soul world and beyond.
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released March 29, 2021

Strange Times by Omar Coleman - Color Red Records


ABOUT THE TRACK:
Stange Times” is a reflection of initial conversations Omar Coleman had with Eddie Roberts during Coleman’s 2020 sessions at Color Red Studios (Denver, CO) testifying the bizarre state of America amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The exchange kept running back to the strange times that they were living in and Coleman took the stanza and ran with it. He immediately compiled lyrics he scribbled out on pieces of paper and knocked out lyrics from start to finish. Roberts approached the album combining classic blues with funkier blues and captured the rawness and immediacy of the music by recording through tape on Color Red Studios’ Tascam 388. “I hear Omar’s voice as a cross between Muddy Waters and Charles Bradley,” he states, “I tried to reflect those qualities in music approach and songwriting as well as the way we recorded the album and built the instrumentation of the tracks.” Joining Coleman and Roberts on “Strange Times” are Dan Africano (Ghost Light) on bass, Chris Spies (Matador! Soul Sounds) on keyboards and organ, Carl Sorenson (Dragondeer) on drums, Eric Bloom (Lettuce) on trumpet, Nick Gerlach (Michal Menert) on saxophone, Adrienne Short on viola and Kari Clifton on violin. ‘Eddie Roberts presents Omar Coleman: Strange Times’ comes out in summer 2021.


WHAT'S THE STORY?
When Chicago-based producer David Vandenberg brought The New Mastersounds to the US for their first time to open for Greyboy All-Stars in 2004, little did Eddie know nearly two decades later there would be full-circle energy tied into that first night out in Chicago and working with Omar Coleman, an icon-clad staple in the city heralded as ‘Home of the Blues.’ On Eddie's first night in Chicago, Vandenberg took him to Rosa’s, a legendary blues club on the West Side of town, a club that Coleman had been playing for decades. Fast forward to 2021 producing Coleman's upcoming record on Color Red, Coleman started to lay down his original tune "Old Man Teaser" and explained that it was a story about the lady behind the bar at Rosa's teasing all the older blues musicians.

An instance like that goes beyond coincidence and demonstrates the ripple effect of Color Red’s collaborative spirit and the minuscule degrees of separation in their musical network. As for the album’s title, Eddie Roberts Presents Omar Coleman: Strange Times, it’s an ode to The New Mastersounds’ 2001 debut record, Keb Darge Presents: The New Mastersounds, that was championed by the iconic Scottish DJ and curator launching the band into a 20+ year career and nine more records to boot. Now, the baton is passed to Eddie as a leading voice in the modern funk and soul revival era with notable producer and bandleader accolades and the launch of Color Red that curates top-notch musical talent from all over the globe
released March 18, 2021
 

I Can't Give You Up by Smoove & Turrell



Free Download of the Smoove & Turrell classic, taken from their debut album, ANTIQUE SOUL

Enter 0 at checkout for free download or name your price to support the band.

For more free music from the band and their label head here:
VOL. 1 - jalapenorecords.bandcamp.com/album/we-love-jalapeno
VOL. 2 - jalapenorecords.bandcamp.com/album/we-love-jalapeno-vol-2

released February 8, 2021

Nobody's Clown by Los Yesterdays

 

Beggin / Ms. Jackson by The Diasonics free download

 


Initiators of the hussar funk from Russia

Rare groove sound
Raw funk feeling
Sensual dramatic melodiesreleased February 15, 2021

'Every Day (Every Night​)​' b​/​w 'I Don't Need No Doctor' by PM Warson

 



Part of the UK’s vibrant, modernist Rhythm & Blues lineage, PM Warson established himself self-releasing raw-cut 45s in the vein of the independent studios of the ‘50s & ‘60s.
Recorded direct to tape with a live rhythm section, just before the global lockdown of 2020, his debut LP is due early 2021 on Legere Recordings.I been to long away from my baby...'

A song for soul-searching in 2020, 'Every Day (Every Night)' was cut just in time direct to tape in East London in February. For love lost to lockdown, Ashford, Simpson & Armstead's 'I Don't Need No Doctor' appears on the flip.
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released September 14, 2020

Basilisk by Orgone

 


Basilisk” is a brooding instrumental theme that brings a dusty psychedelic flavor to Orgone’s signature brand of heavy funk. The hard-hitting drum groove and snaky rhythm section pulsate in lock step, fueling the hypnotic sway and bite of the tripped-out RMI Electra-piano melody. “Basilisk” is propulsive with a dark, cinematic feel that finds a home somewhere between psych-rock, library music, and classic 1970s jazz-funk. This is a teaser track from the upcoming Orgone stoney-voodoo-psych album Chimera.
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released February 19, 2021

It Might Be French by Waldeck Sextet

 


In a perfect world one would expect to find the music of Klaus Waldeck in the genre of electronic music. With his new project "The Waldeck Sextet" he leaves this stereotype behind and surprises us with a very pleasant acoustic experiment.
It all began with an analogue recording session in Vienna´s legendary supersense studios.And although it is hardly a perquisite to form a new project for these kind of recording ventures, Waldeck - quite obviously enthused by the idea of this analogue adventure - founded his new project "The Waldeck Sextet". Such was his excitement that he lost track of the number of musicians and thus founded the worlds first sextet that consists of 10 members, including his main vocalist Patrizia Ferrara.

Funk Purpose Vol​.​4 [SMS020] by Various Artists

 


With three dynamite editions already under their belt Samosa Records ‘Funk Purpose’ series is rapidly turning into one of the finest V/A compilation series available on vinyl today.
Having already topped the charts in vinyl stores across the globe the first three editions were a hard act to follow but Samosa have put together perhaps their finest edition to date in Volume 4 with masterful tracks coming from Souldynamic, De Gama, HP Vince and AlexNY.
Opening up proceedings are Italian production duo Souldynamic with the much sought after track ‘Black Night’ which is perhaps the perfect set opener. It’s warm and dynamic but equally cool and controlled with soul drenched Philly style vocals. The wonderfully hooky string line gives it an immediate feeling whilst the funky piano and wah guitar licks will cause uncontrollable dancing and add a touch of grit.
Black Night has also had the House music royalty seal of approval with Louie Vega regularly championing it for a couple of years now in many of his sets live and streamed. You can hear him spinning it in his Mixmag live appearance from legendary NYC club Output and as part of his Annie Mac Mini Mix.
Also on the A side is De Gama’s ‘Crocodile Boogie’ a monstrous slice of percussion heavy jazzy piano house. The keys give it a powerful punch and despite it’s jazzy leanings it has a cool 70’s theme feel which will open it up to the more clued up dancefloors out there.
Over on the flip Dutch producer HP Vince closes out his packed 2020 with ‘My Baby Got The Blues’ a deep blues edged house outing with a real classic feel. Rock solid drum programming gives the chilled vocal all the push that it needs for the dancefloor, it’s a track of togetherness, one for those small hours in both the club and the afterparty.
Closing the EP out De Gama has re-built super hot Argentine producer AlexNY’s track ‘Over’. Featuring another powerful soul drenched vocal the warm bass notes draw the listener in for what is a wonderfully crafted track. Again it’s got the dancefloor at its heart but is packed with more than enough class to give it long lasting appeal for home listening.
Funk Purpose Vol. 4 features four dynamite tracks all tied together by a late 60’s / early 70’s soulful ethos. Warm an approachable it’s an EP for the club, which again will undoubtedly see huge DJ and radio support, but which will also find itself on many a favourite playlist.
Another triumph for Samosa, grab them while they’re hot!

Afro​-​Beat Airways - West African Shock Waves - Ghana & Togo 1972​-​1978 (2021 LP Repress) Analog Africa

 



Vinyl reissue from Analog Africa. One of the best Afro Funk collections,
contains three exclusive vinyl-only bonus tracks : 'Obiye Saa Wui' by 3rd Generation Band, 'Operation Bye-Bye' by Orchestre Abass, and 'Okpe See' by Pagadeja - 2021 Repress


Organ-driven Afro-beat, cosmic Afro-funk and raw, psychedelic boogie… just some of the flavours to be found on this highly danceable compilation by Samy Ben Redjeb, founder of Analog Africa.These tracks have been hiding for 30 years and as you will hear these are modern African sounds created to stand the test of time. Afro-Beat Airways is like a time capsule, and promises to take you on a fascinating musical journey through West Africa's vintage Afro Sounds.

releases March 5, 2021

Changes (Demos) by Neal Francis

 


“I just wanted to be honest about everything, from my musical influences to my story,” muses Neal Francis. After years of dishonest living such sincerity is jarring from the
30-year-old Chicago-based musician. Liberated from a self-destructive past and born anew in
sobriety, Francis has captured an inspired collection of songs steeped in New Orleans rhythms and rock n' roll. Here's where it started. The initial demos that eventually became Neal Francis' debut album, Changes. Since releasing his debut album to critical acclaim from KEXP, KCRW, NPR, and more. Neal has toured the country headlining and supporting acts such as Black Pumas, Lee Fields & The Expressions, and The Revivalists. As he prepares for his sophomore LP, we get to peek into the initial sketches at the onset of his career as a singer and songwriter.

We are so proud to present these early demos from Neal Francis. Mastered by JJ Golden at Golden Mastering, lacquers cut at Well Made Music, pressed at Gotta Groove Records, and housed in a high quality Stoughton tip-on jacket. One-time pressing of this special release.

releases March 12, 2021

Brighter Days Ahead by Various Artists Colemine records

 

Beggin / Ms. Jackson by The Diasonics

 

Tight Spot - Time Heals Everything 7" (preorder) by Happy People Records

 

The Labrats - Boom Boom / Curtis Baker & The Bravehearts - Midnight In Memphis

 


More nostalgic but on-point fare from producer Neil Anderson and his Original Gravity label, this time via an ultra-limited seven-inch single featuring two fuzzy slabs of revivalist rhythm and blues. The Labrats kick things off via a righteous and occasionally raucous cover of John Lee Hooker classic 'Boom Boom', where gnarled, Chuck Berry style guitar solos and gravelly vocals rise above a tooled-up but nevertheless faithful rendition of the much-loved song. Over on the flip, Curtis Baker and the Bravehearts breeze their way through a bluesy Anderson original, the slow-motion R&B grooves, razor-sharp blues guitars and extended organ solos of 'Midnight in Memphis'.

Keep Lifting Me Higher EP by Floyd James & The GTs

 



New funk delivered the old way; Original Gravity follow up the 2017 hype of Floyd James & The GTs debut "The Switchback" with this powerful four-track EP. Charged with a strong northern soul feel both "Keep Lifting Me Higher" and "The Sweetest Thing" lead with the beat as Floyd and his super-tight band bounce back and forth. Flip for more energetic mischief as "The Wig" goes turbo blues while "Sweet Sweet Soul" closes on an epic, riffy sing-along. The title speaks for itself.

Llamar A Los Bomberos! by Néstor Álvarez

 



Nestor Alvarez delivers more Latin 45 heat at the start of ’21. And when I say Nestor Alvarez, I mean, of course, Neil Anderson – head honcho at Original Gravity Records for whom ‘Nestor Alvarez’ is merely one of multiple noms-de-plumes! Naturally, uptempo Latin funk instro A-side, Llamar A los Bomberos, is so caliente with its flute-led antics of percussive and percussive layers that there’ll be every reason to call the Fire Brigade once it is unleashed on the wheels of steel. Having said that, the organ-drenched reverse on this rightly double A-sided disc – Carlos Papas Grandes – proves equally incendiary, getting a proper slink on and dropping in horns too, just to make sure everybody knows who Mr Big Potatoes is!

Don't Look Back In Anger by The Regulators

 


2020 has been a hugely productive year for Neil Anderson, the vintage reggae, ska and soul loving producer behind the Original Gravity label. Here he rounds off the year via a new single from The Regulators, one of the label's most reliable revivalist reggae combos. The headline attraction here is undoubtedly the skanking cover of Oasis's Britpop smash 'Don't Look Back in Anger', which we're sure will annoy Noel Gallagher no end. Built around a rocksteady groove replete with trademark organ sounds and lazy trumpet and trombone solos, it's a cheeky but brilliantly executed cover. Over on the flip they deliver a more faithful cover of Freddie McKay's 1967 rocksteady standard 'Love is a Treasure'. It's good, but sadly lacks the A-side's "wow" factor.

WE LOVE JALAPENO! by Various Artists

 Free Download!

Luar De Luna by Bosq & Som Bit

 



In 2019 while on a tour stop in CDMX, Bosq & Som Bit were connected by a local production company and given a day in the studio together with the goal of making an original track. Not content to settle for just one sound they crafted these 2 very different but cohesive tracks in order to explore both the more downtempo Cumbia & Reggae inspired grooves (Luar De Luna) they all love but also the faster percussion driven Afro Latin inspired Jazz Funk dance workout that is Eya Onomato.
released February 5, 2021

Voiciii by Voilaaa

 


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.

released February 5, 2021

SoundClash Series Vol 1 - The Aggrolites Vs The Slackers by The Aggrolites & The Slackers

 

The Bombillas by The Bombillas

 


Inspired by the global funk sounds to come out of Africa and the Middle East in the 1970’s, The Bombillas offer their unique take while forging a sound that is distinctly their own. This Los Angeles quartet’s self titled debut LP utilizes vintage keyboards, lap steel, drums, bass, and guitar that come together in a melting pot of instrumental grooves and sonic colors. Featuring seven original compositions and covers of the Ethiopian classic “Sintayehu” by Hailu Mergia and the newly rediscovered diggers favorite “Dance of Maria” by Elias Rahbani, arranged with some surprises not found in the origionals to keep in line with The Bombillas fresh approach to past inspirations.
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released December 11, 2020

You Got To Be A Man / Gimme Little Sign by Night Owls

 


Los Angeles' Night Owls are back once again with two more soul classics flipped in the bands signature Jamaican style fronted by two more of L.A’s top soul singers. Side A features Sy Smith, a staple and cultivator of L.A’s nu-soul scene, covering Miami First Lady of Soul Helene Smith's “You Got To Be A Man". Smith’s gritty performance and soulful tone match the energy of the original and with Night Owls’ funky groove bubbling up behind her it’s a cut that could easily be mistaken for a lost gem from the 1960’s. On Side B Night Owls recruit longtime friend Chris Dowd of L.A. soul-ska kingpins Fishbone to take the lead on the Brenton Wood hit “Gimme Little Sign.” A classic that’s been covered a few times over the years, Dowd’s take along with Night Owls’ unique and upbeat twist is surely a fresh approach and one you'll spin over and over again.
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releases February 12, 2021

Raw & Direct by Orgone

 


Raw & Direct captures Orgōne playing from the gut and in the moment. The first official collection of live performances catches the band in top form with songs honed on the road, delivering the excitement of their touring show to the studio in a way that is both intimate and fiery.
Recorded straight to tape at KillionSound and Tropico Union Studios in Los Angeles, California, the songs are muscular, honest, and soulful. Orgōne's reputation as an incendiary live experience is laid out on the line in this collection with crushing instrumentals and iconic vocal performances from Adryon de León and Terin Ector.

released December 4, 2020

I Got Love b​/​w Loving Body by Bobby Oroza

 


The Finnish crooner, Bobby Oroza, is back with a new set of tunes that pick up right where his glorious 2018 debut album, This Love, left off.
The A side “I Got Love” is a sweet soul anthem for those with their priorities straight and an encouraging reminder to those who may have lost sight of what is truly important in life. Bobby has penned another hit. He sings about choosing love over all things material and recognizing what you have when you have it. Bobby sings an earworm of a chorus that sums it up perfectly, “I got love, and that’s enough”.
The B side, “Loving Body”, is as seductive as it is profound. Bobby propositions his love interest over a gorgeous Cold Diamond & Mink production for more than a light hearted love affair. Mr. Oroza is not your average Joe, and this is not your average roses and candy song. Bobby lays out his desire to become one loving body in the way two rivers become part of the sea. A beautiful song about attraction and desire that will be an instant staple in the sweet soul world and beyond.

releases February 12, 2021

Kind & Kinky Zoo - Soif, Chameau, Pinot / Eau Chaude (Voodoocuts Remix) by Soul Garden Records

 

Renegades Of Jazz Remixes by Brownout | Jungle Fire

 THIS IS A VINYL ONLY RELEASE! NO DOWNLOADS AVAILABLE !

! SHIPPING OVERSEAS (INCL. UK & IRL) IS POSSIBLE !




"Matasuna Records" kicks off 2021 with another 7inch. This record features two remixes by German DJ and producer "David Hanke" aka "Renegades Of Jazz", for Afro-latin Funk bands "Brownout" and "Jungle Fire". Brownout's remix was first released in 2013 via Paris DJs on a very limited run of 45s and quickly became very sought after. By painstakingly cutting every instrument's individual notes, increasing the tempo and adding in a punchy breakbeat at the end, David turned "Flaximus" into an up-tempo dancefloor hit.
Jungle FIre's song "Comencemos" that appears on the B side is a cover version of Fela Ransome-Kuti's song "Let's Start".David added some more Afrofunk elements to the Jungle Fire version and builds a bridge to the original Fela version with the additional elements. The Jungle Fire remix is previously unreleased and will be available on vinyl for the first time.
"David Hanke" has been linked to "Matasuna Records" since our early days, when he released his "Dem Juju Poets" debut album on Matasuna in 2017. Most recently he delivered a dancefloor-friendly edit of "Mawuli Decker's" "Mololi-Lomko" at the end of 2020, again released on Matasuna. David is constantly producing and surprises regularly with new musical projects, restlessly trying to develop and refine his sound. With his new label, "Bathurst", he created a home for all his electronic music projects. Bathurst follows the notion of not focusing on any formats or genres, but caring more about the electronic music Hanke adores.
Nine-piece band "Brownout" from Austin/Texas, was formed in 2005 by members of the Grammy Award-winning Latin orchestra "Grupo Fantasma" and have since become a musical force of their own. In addition to three Austin Music Awards, the band has performed at countless events and festivals and has regularly toured the U.S. also as highly sought-after backing band for artists like Prince, GZA and many more. Their albums and singles have been released on labels like "Freestyle Records", "Ubiquity" or "Fat Beats".
"Jungle Fire" is an Afrolatin Funk band from Los Angeles known for their authentic and highly explosive sound. They quickly gained attention of the local Los Angeles scene and beyond, which led to their first release on the Funk and Soul label "Colemine". Other releases have been released on "Nacional Records", "Paris DJs" and "Razor N Tape". Their second album "Jambú" debuted at #4 on the Billboard Latin charts in February 2017 which led to numerous features in several movies, commercials and TV shows. They create a unique Afro-Tropical sound by combining West African rhythms with heavy funk elements.

releases February 5, 2021

Freestyle 4 Funk 8 (Compiled by Timewarp)

 


After fifteen and full active years we made it to have more than 200 digital releases, counting around 2000 tracks with over 300 artists and remixers involved on our roster.
But, hey we are actually counting about 220, including our physical releases, and we are about to celebrate with our anniversary and successful compilation Freestyle 4 Funk 8 (Compiled by Timewarp).
The compilation will be divided into four different volumes tagged with the proper music style to showcase some of the best sounding tracks we have released so far.
You will discover some fresh and unreleased gems too in there! So watch this space as from the beginning of January 2021 we will release week by week all four volumes of our new compilation, starting with first of the series #Disco, with #Funk, #Dub and #Freestyle to follow up next!

Sunshine Radio by Tommy Guerrero

 


TG continues to expand his horizons while upholding his Bay Area heritage. From Bones Brigade skate team in the 80’s, he has gone on to make movie appearances, design for Levi’s in Japan, Vans shoes worldwide, Sutro eyewear (among others), sign a skateboard contract with Converse, co-found Real Skateboards and 40’s Clothing and become art director for Krooked Skateboarding, along with maintaining a prolific recording and release schedule on his label Too Good, a collaboration with A Train's Al Evers. Tommy’s concerts have packed houses across the country from the legendary Café Du Nord in SF to The Knitting Factory in N.Y.C. and continue across the globe from The Underworld in London to the Fujirock Festival in his yearly tours in Japan.

From Mission District punkers to Shibuya-ku hipsters- Tommy’s music resonates in a positive way. His melodies dance lightly around your head while the rhythms build under your feet and move your hips. His is SOUL music, made by a street kid raised on Santana and Bill Withers (with more than a little nod to the Clash and Public Enemy in there, too).

"Road to Knowhere is inspired by bits and pieces of Ethio-Jazz, Afrobeat, Highlife Spiritual Jazz and dusty funk 45’s. It’s what has kept this mortal vehicle fueled. I tend to take different paths each musical outing but this one is for the long haul, the one for the blue highways and forgotten byways. It’s the one to get lost to. It’s about the journey, not the destination… [If Road to Knowhere was about the long haul, TG’s new album Sunshine Radio is all about cruising on, dropping the top, and taking in a bit of fresh air]. Sunshine Radio hopes to spark a bit of joy as well as a moment to reflect and consider the fires of the world. Take a sonic respite from the endless noise.” – TG
credits
released January 15, 2021

¡Llamar A Los Bomberos! by Néstor Álvarez

 

Flying Vipers - The Gorgon Strikes Back 7 & Joe Yorke & The Co​-​operators - War on the Night Bus Happy People Records

 

The Exciting Sounds of Menahan Street Band by Menahan Street Band

 

In addition to their role as the official house band for Brooklyn-based Dunham Records, Menahan Street Band has received critical praise for their oft-sampled 2008 debut album Make The Road By Walking and for backing Charles Bradley. “Vibe is a quintessential element in what I’m going for,” says MSB co-founder, multi-instrumentalist and producer Thomas Brenneck. “Vibe, mood and emotion.” 


releases February 26, 2021

I Told You So by Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio

 


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 Lamarr’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.

releases January 29, 2021

Reggae Edits by Pauken & Trompeten

 

The Best rare Soul Jazz Funk songs for 2020 by The Zuzu Club

Take a look at our favourite Soul Jazz Funk Songs with a slice of Reggae in 6 parts with complete tracklist. 
We would like also to thank all the Music companies who are providing us these last years with their promos such as 
Agogo Records, BombStrikes, Breakbeat Paradise Recordings, Beats House Records, Color Red, Colemine Records, Freestyle Records, Timewarp Records, Timmion Records, Original Gravity, Bongo Joe Records, 8D Records, Cold Busted, 
Willwork4funk, this fantastic music promotion company 
Mocambo Records, Mango Hill Records, Légère Recordings, Lovemonk, Soul Messin' Records, Vampisoul, Lack of Afro, Ballantyne Communications, The Reflex, Sinnbus, Jalapeno Records, Souq Records, Sam Redmore, FATdrop, Thylacine Sounds. 
Hope I remembered everyone. Wish u all The best for the next year, 
stay healthy and Be safe.
 May all our fans have a Happy new year!!

Katakana Edits Vol 105 by Crateditors

 


The mysterious Crateditors is the man (it IS one man, we know that much!) at the controls for this latest in the long-running 'Katakana Edits' series. 'Jump Up Shake Down' (source unknown) finds us in party-hearty reggae territory with its lyrical homage to "a Kingston party in New York City," while 'Spaceship Love Affair' reworks 'Spaceship Lover', a space disco cut that was recorded in 1977 by Canada-based British singer Laurice (AKA Laurie Marshall) but not actually released until 2015. 'Memories' closes out the EP - again, the source has us beat but think torchy, hi-camp disco from the Grace Jones/Eartha Kitt school of thought.

released December 18, 2020

Soif, Chameau, Pinot by Kind & Kinky Zoo

 


After having released singles and albums from European labels such as Mocambo, Legere and Rocafort record, and released HOT LOVE / PORNISHEAD (7 ") from American Funk Night Records in August 2020. The Swiss genius funk band Kind & Kinky Zoo has finally landed in Japan! First release from Soul Garden Records.
Kind & Kinky Zoo came to Japan in December 2019 and was greeted with surprise by his playing power and energetic performance, and both of the two songs recorded in this work are Dope dancefloor funk. Side B "Eau Chaude", supported by light drumming, is a remix by German creator Voodoocuts, as opposed to heavyweight funk Side A "Soif, Chameau, Pinot".