Finally, this is it ! We’re back with our system now fully in order, after more than 2 months of turbulences inbetween our DSL connection made unoperational because of a junk provider and our phone line being interrupted at some time by our usual operator without the possibility of having our responsability being established on any case. Our excuses then once more to you, our visitors, and our thanks for your understanding, but also to all of those to who we haven’t been able to answer properly during this period, wishing that no more breakdown of the likes is to damage the development of our entreprise. As a direct consequence, you may now get ready to see us progressively going back to our usual rhythm as far as the updates of our sections is concerned.
On display this week, our 33RPM column and a new selection of some of the best long players around incl. our Album Of The Month by Raw Artistic Soul to be followed chatwise this week by the purveyors of the recently released Rebounces LP (in other words : S.U.M.O.). Meanwhile Rotax label head Pascal Rioux gets his name alongside Mr Day’s one on our Single Of The Week section with the revamp of their ‘Don’t Outstay Outside 2Nite’ by the likes of IDMW.Com reviewer Erik ‘Daphreefunkateerz’ Rug.
33RPM
Another 2 months before seing the very first of us leaving for some summer break. Already got an idea ? Then don’t hesitate to let us know if you wish so that we can provide you with dates of gigs at the location of your holidays. This said we’ve already got some pre summer vibes on display this month, courtesy of Raw Artistic Soul (our Album Of The Month) and a whole bunch of good grooves by the likes of people such as S.U.M.O. with a collection of their famous Rebounces, US brothers Dano Nathanson & Howie Caspe ready to drop their awaited debut-LP under their Solu Music guise by the middle of June, jazz/funk vet Roy Ayers with the follow up to his Virgin Ubiquity LP on BBE, UK pair The Rurals and Canadian funksters Rise Ashen & Trevor Walker amongst others.
No doubt, how head of German label GoGo Music Ralf Gum was to be right telling us all the good he feels about Phil Kullmann’s Raw Artistic Soul project. What an album this is indeed giving us a serious bunch of Afro-Latin tinged grooves over lush melodies, resulting in what might well be the LP of the year. Not that far away, on that tropical festive vein are the famous Rebounces of Swedish pair Combo & Alf Tumble better known as S.U.M.O. revamping tracks such as Blaze’s classic ’My Beat’, Meitz’s catchy ‘Zwakalani’, Mojo Project’s latinesque ‘Free’, the sensuous ‘Ever After’ by Rasmus Faber featuring Emily McEwan and the killing ‘Spirit Of The Drums’ by Lonesome Echo Productions featuring Mutabaruka to name but a few (Heya Hifi).
If there’s a word to describe The Rurals’ music, it’s first and foremost intimacy, although rather built on some house beats. Their new offering - A Rural Life - makes no exception unless going further deep in that direction, having singer Marie Tweek almost sounding like Sade at some time. For sure, this has been carefully made F.A.O. the lovers of the cool (Pêng). Atmospheres as well pretty much describe what to be found on the awaited Affirmation LP seing Dano Nathanson and Howie Caspe aka Solu alongside Kai Martin making their debut on the album front. You may remember those NYC guys for their memorable ‘Fade’ featuring KimBlee released on Wave in 2001. Well theyve made their way since, releasing 12’’ such has ‘Can’t Help Myself’ and ‘Time’, as well as their reputation of harmonious cool groovy music (Solu). Well done, as is the Some Call It House… We Call It Home Collection, the title of which being aptly to speak for itself as far as the Chicagoan community is concerned. Yes folks, the boys (Julius The Mad Thinker, FLX, Monna and DJ Emmaculate) of the 3degreesglobal.com fame have finally done it giving birth to this collection (mixed by Julius) made of productions of their own (incl. the famous Aid To The SoulLess featuring Latrice Barnett’s ’Sunshine In The Pouring Rain’ awaited some time this year as a single on West End Records) + works of labels such as Cha Cha Cha Project, Smooth Agent and Nite Life Collective. Subtle mix, fine selection… Not to surprised to see our friends weekly night (at Zentra NightClub) considered as the best one that the Windy City currentlt has on offer (3degrees Music).
Canadian pair (Rise) Ashen & (Trevor) Walker are back with a new offering delicately melting funk grooves with ‘world fragrances’ inherited from Africa and India and even… blues at some time, not to mention reggae, aptly to reach the expectations of the abstract jazz headz (Fossifuel). Long time jocks/scribe DJ Awal - reknown amongst others for his writings on the Parisian defunct Nova Magazine unleashes his debut-LP. A collection called Just One Night, seing our ol’friend mixing North African/Eastern atmopsheric vibes over some electronic beats, from house to breakbeat, reggae and drum & bass. The sign of a true traveller who’s managed to stay firmly true to his roots, carrying an obvious link with Mediterranean/Turkish folklore with people such as Orient Express and Merkan Dede (New Bled).
If there’s a man needing no introduction on the jazz/funk circuit, it’s without a single doubt Roy Ayers dropping the second installment of his Virgin Ubiquity series on UK label BBE. And if realizing that those pieces of music have been conceived some 25 years ago, you may then understand why our man has always had an impact on the following generations, being considered as a driving force to many. Hardly can’t help myself how fresh his music sounds after all these years ; this to me being nothing but the proper of artistry as opposed to the so called products !
Refering to what’s currently around on the Dutch charts, Holland may not necessarily been considered as the land of the (good) groove to the rare exception of Kindred Spirit label. Well peeps, gotta be quite inspired to have a careful listen to The Flowriders’ first offering Starcraft LP on Gerd’s label 4lux, providing us with infectious blends of acoustic jazzy vibes, warm interpretations inherited from the Northern Soul era and progressive broken phonkified grooves.
We’re going back further up North (to Sweden) and more exactly to Malmö, the hometown of Deeplay Music label dropping a collection of sweet’n soury mellow vibes courtesy of J. Viewz and her well named Muse Breaks album. And although the whole is mainly geared onto contemplative atmosphere with an instant poppy feel, the lady prooves that she can evolve on more rhythm driven songs like the jungly album title ro the bleepy funkafied ‘Meantime’ over some ultra high defined arragements.
Ending up this current issue for once on a weird if not bad mood while listening to Gilles Peterson In Africa double CD on Either Records. Not that the content is that bad, but simply because, due to his culture and the position which is his as amongst the most respected observers in the world, one could have expected much more than what appears to me as a global overview - as if our man had just dropped his name on this offering - with the inclusion of works of nothing but expected people such as Fela, Manu Dibango, Letta Mbulu or Myriam Makeeba, without a single mention to upcoming and current local talents like B.O.P., Choppa or DJ Fresh. And I’m not even talking about… Hugh Masekela !!! Sorry Mista P and despite all the admiration I feel for you, what you’ve done here seriously smells like ‘worldxploitation’ ! Ooops, by the way Sir, would be very glad you to tell me what da f*** Thievery Corporation are doin’ on this selection. Thank U in advance… MFSB
33RPM TENNERZ
RAW ARTISTIC SOUL Fela Brasil featuring DOMINGO PATRICIO - album version (GoGo Music)
J. VIEWZ Under The Sun - album version (Deeplay Music)
SOLU MUSIC featuring KAI MARTIN Dreams - album version (Solu Music)
AID TO THE SOULLESS 3degrees Anthem - from V/A : Some Call It House (3degrees Music)
THE FLOWRIDERS Soul Searchin’ - album version (4lux)
THE RURALS Complicated - album version (Pêng)
ROY AYERS I Am Your Mind Pt 2 - album version (BBE)
MEITZ Zwakalani - from S.U.M.O. Rebounces LP (Heya Hifi)
DJ AWAL Touareg - album version (New Bled)
ASHEN & WALKER Xylophile - album version (Fossifuel)