South America meets the Middle East via the 1950s on this incredible full-flavoured afrofunk groove, topped by the sultry vocals talents of Brazil's Luisa Maita. Difficult to believe the Da Lata outfit hail from good ol' London...
Sounds like
A naughty Caipirinha-fuelled beach party on a moonlit São Paulo beach.
Serving suggestion
The perfect soundtrack to any bright day by the ocean, be it Brazil or Bognor.
Did you know?
Cuts like this are termed 'organic electro skank'. Now there's a new one...
'Um Amor A Mais' is out on 19th August via Agogo Records and you can pre-order from Juno Download here | agogo-records.com
At last - here it is - episode 17 of the SLL Podcast series. I've been a little absent the last couple of weeks owing to frantic job interviews, but it does mean I had a wicked backlog of music to dig through and serve up for y'all.
The mix was compiled in the blazing sunshine in Sydney today, so I'm hoping I've captured some in the selection. Expect lots of lush downtempo hip-hop, funk, dub and electronica, as well as the usual quirky bits 'n' pieces. There are some epic free compilations out there at the moment, including new business from First Word with their latest 'Two Syllables' and Groovement's brand new 'Volume One' long-player, both of which are previewed here.
Also, as of this week I'll be offering-up all the free promos as a one-click download, if you fancy spicing-up your iPod and listening to some amazing new music. Enjoy!
We recently featured the Harlum Muziq Remix of Ovidio's 'Reflexiones' on Moulton Music. It was driving me mad - I absolutely adore the sample featured and couldn't for the life of me remember where I'd heard it before and where it was originally ripped from.
Cue SLL reader Saul, who kindly stepped-up and informed me that the sample is in fact from Freddie Hubbard's 'Little Sunflower', a low-fi jazzy soul number released on Columbia in 1979. Anyhow, through the power of WhoSampledI managed to find the track I originally remember the sample from - Trackheadz's 'Our Music', released on NRK in 2002.
Also check the sample on Karizma's '4 The Love', a funky house classic released on Code Red in 2005.
Having just been reading about the history of the MP3, it turns out it was 'Tom's Diner' by Susanne Vega that Karlheinz Brandenburg used to develop and perfect the audio compression format. He was quoted as saying:
"Somewhere down the corridor, a radio was playing "Tom's Diner." I was electrified. I knew it would be nearly impossible to compress this warm acappella voice."
So I thought it would be a fitting tribute to offer-up the DNA Remix for this week's Thursday Throwback track, a bootleg version Vega liked so much it was officially released without ever knowing the true identities of the remixers (does anyone know who DNA were in the end??). It also rose to become much more successful than the original, a club hit that spurred a huge number of cross-genre remixes.
I was a little slack with the funkier joints this week because of all the house music I was devouring. So with episode 16 of the Stop.Look.Listen. Podcast, I'm looking to put that right.
Expect the usual soulful journey, with a hearty dose of classics this week in the form of re-edits and covers of Blackstreet, Michael Jackson, Leo Sayer, Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan.
I'm starting the weekend massively overexcited by the news that The Reflex has finally made his absolutely killer Re√ision of MJ's 'Rock With You' available for free download via Soundcloud.
The track first emerged following a chance meeting between The Reflex and Gilles Peterson through DJ Day, who mentioned to Gilles that he had an edit of 'Rock With You' and that he'd 'done a little thing to it'. Understatement of the year probably.
The Reflex is famed for taking the master stems and re-imagining the studio recordings for a new generation. And this has to be his finest effort to-date, stripping the 1979 original back to bring greater emphasis on the timeless vocal, Rhodes melody, rhythm guitar and orchestral section, as well as beefing up the classic disco drum pattern.
Unfortunately, the only omission from this version is the intro as played by Gilles on Radio 6, which featured an original guide vocal for Michael as sang by its writer and former member of Heatwave, Rod Temperton. Still, this has to be one of the greatest edits of one of the greatest soul/disco records of all time. Simply brilliant.
Okay kids - here it is, the latest edition of the Stop.Look.Listen. Podcast.
Another mixed bag this week, journeying through deep, melodic downtempo via soul and hip-hop, bad ass brass, future beats and some incredible nu disco-funk in the shape of Personal Life, an album so good I simply had to include two of their tracks.
There's only a few projects that come along and make an instant, lasting impression. This week, I was lucky enough to come across a band that has done just that, in the shape of London's Personal Life.
A music collective formed by Robert Strauss, the sound is classic soul/disco featuring the incredible vocal talent of Stuart Lisbie, with key members of Amy Winehouse's band throwing down the timeless backing. To get a better idea of what the band's all about, go no further than their own words:
"The vision for this project is to bring back into popular consciousness the sound, production, songwriting & musicality dating back to the glory days of the music industry, when commercial pop also meant culturally significant, sophisticated and catchy music made with integrity for people of all ages to enjoy."
And I'm happy to report that this is a mantra that the band more than lives up to on their new album, 'Morning Light'.
Sitting somewhere between the lyrical quality of Lionel Richie and set against instrumentals reminiscent of Chaka Khan or more recently Jamiroquai, this is disco-funk as it was, back in the day. I'm still trying to get my head around the fact this was recorded recently...
Music for all ages and persuasions, from a truly golden age. I just need to see these guys live now - if they can make me dance like a 'gay unicorn' in my lounge, who knows what they can do on stage. :-)
'Morning Light' is out on physical release July 8th via Expansion, with the album available now via Tokyo Dawn
Apologies for having been out of touch this last week - I've spent the last few days head-down in the studio which has consumed all my brainpower. I figured seeing as I spend so much time passing judgement on other people's music, I should work on my own stuff and put it out there for scrutiny. Plus it meant I could start messing with my new Vocoder. :-)
The track is a remix of 'Without You' by the gorgeous Ellie Mae, a singer-songwriter who I first met when she played at WIRED a few years back as the vocalist for Rigolo. It's been fully approved for release by Ellie, who's likened it to the Gotan Project sound. Praise indeed.
We've kept in touch whilst Ellie has been working on some beautiful acoustic melodies, culminating in her first studio EP 'Wash Away My Love'. Without You was my favourite inclusion; minimal, moody and moving, I just had to give it a splash of broken beat flavour. Check it out, download it, distribute it, enjoy it - and don't forget to check out Ellie's FreEP via the link below - it's ace!
I love Wired. I've been working closely with Kate and Michael for a number of years and there's no doubt it's been the most rewarding experience of all my years DJing and tinkering away on the London music scene.
So again I was totally gutted not to witness another clearly fantastic Wired show (logistically a bit difficult when you're 13,000 miles away!). But thanks to the wonders of the interwang, I can still keep in touch with the guys and the performances, and it sounds like June 2013 was another killer show. And in true keeping with the monthly musical theme, this month Kichael decided to focus on acoustic, vocal jams.
Check the wicked Ruth Anne who flew in from L.A. just for the show to perform her incredible acoustic mash-up of Robin S' 'Show Me Love' and Lauryn Hill's 'Doo Wop'. Sickness.
Then we had the incredible northern talent in the shape of JP Cooper with more acoustic gold on 'Whenever You Hold Me', a very personal story of unrequited love...
And last, but by no means least, one of my most favourite singer/songwriters in the whole world - the one and only Obenewa. Having been tipped for big things by the likes of Gilles Peterson, the lovely lady simply goes from strength to strength on this live performance, airing for the first time brand new material from her forthcoming EP, 'B'.
Check the video for the interview, but it's worth mentioning that Obenewa wrote 'The Answer' (along with the rest of the EP inclusions) in just five days, with just three days in the studio to record them. Impressive indeed!
From the interview, it sounds like Obenewa has referenced a range of styles and influences on this latest release, so I'm mega excited to hear the whole record. Obenewa has promised to send it to me while it's still hot off the press, so watch this space.
Again, gutted not to have been there. But that said, there's a chance I'll be popping my speccy face up at August's show. Hoorah!
Coming up, apparently a certain tinker named Shakka did a Wired-supported EP release this week. Green. With. Envy. More on that soon...
Hello peeps. It's raining cats and dogs in Sydney as I put together this week's podcast, hence it's a bit more of a deep, dark affair for #14.
Kicking-off with a romantic, almost Depeche Mode feel, we have some surprising sounds from Get Physical and Trentemøller, plus new joints from Potholes, Jus Like Music and our friends at Wah Wah 45s. Enjoy!
As you'll probably know if you're a regular visitor, I'm an avid fan of Ty, so today I was mega excited to receive an EP from 'HornDogz' featuring his unmistakable vocals.
HornDogz are an incredible 3-piece jazz/soul/funk collective who released their full album last year, although I'm really sorry to admit it passed me by.
With collaborators and credentials spanning many an ocean, the HornDogz project have worked alongside the likes of Amp Fiddler and numerous other top-drawer session musicians, as well as covering for the P-Funk horn section with the one and only George Clinton.
This 3-tracker includes a brass-o-rific, sexy party jam in the shape of 'Movin' On', as well as the kick-back 'La Trompeta O Yo' and their own soulful guitar-led strip of the A-side.
Check the video - it's sick. I'm on the chase for the album as well, so will post a stream if I manage to get hold of it.
Released back in 2011, this album is what the band call 'bare knuckle soul', their guiding principle being 'to make the kind of music Bob Marley would listen to if he were alive today'. This mantra has given Thabo and The Real Deal recognition from some of the biggest names in soul, supporting the likes of Eric Robertson, Leon Ware and Cody Chestnutt, all big SLL faves.
Their self-titled freEP is pure stripped-back soul, the guys opting for Fender Rhodes, percussion, acoustic guitar and vocals in place of the typical drum patterns and deep basslines. The result is an exceptionally pure, organic sound, Thabo's vocals floating perfectly atop the heavenly backing tracks. As I write this, I can only draw comparison with Zo!, such is the immense quality of this 4-tracker.
Sitting somewhere between soul, RnB and acoustic, this is a jaw-dropping release that requires repeated listens. Enjoy, and spread the word. Expect to hear much more from these guys.
I've just come back from an interview at Universal Music Australia (eek - fingers crossed for me, ay?!) so I'm a bit wired from all the adrenaline. As a result, I'm feeling mega inspired to share some recent finds, so apologies if you get a heap of updates all at once this afternoon!
My next recommendation comes in the form of Yosi Horikawa's new album 'Vapor'. I featured 'Stars' on a recent podcast, but the album is so insane I couldn't help but give it more airtime.
Hailing from Osaka, Yosi has been experimenting with music since the age of 12, sampling various self-made sounds in his bedroom to create DIY overdubs using two cassette decks. After many years of perfecting his craft, Yosi has now begun working with the immortals at the Red Bull Music Academy (including the likes of Dorian Concept), and when you hear his music you can understand why.
Yosi's style is genre-defining, impossible to pin down. It's almost impossible to put his experimental output into any kind of context. Live recordings sit alongside a host of truly unique drum patterns and rhythms, the only common denominator being the uplifting spirit and Eastern mysticism underpinning every track. As a result, I'll let the music speak for itself.
All that's left to say is this is a truly groundbreaking release, with only Matthew Herbert coming to mind when it comes to such bold, pioneering ingenuity.
This week I happened upon one of those free treats that just leaves you spellbound and kind of wishing you'd paid for these guys to keep making such incredible music.
The record in question is the Tuxedo EP by Tuxedo, an electro-funk smash arriving in perfect time for the summer (in the Northern Hemisphere anyway!). My favourite track comes in the form of 'So Good', an infectious, radio-friendly vibe with a super catchy feel-good vocal. That was until I heard the other two tracks: both 'Do It' and 'Get You Home' also dish-up some serious 80s-inspired soulful goodness.
We don't officially know who this/these guy(s)/girl(s) are (although I have a pretty good idea), but I intend to find out - we need to know. In the meantime, go grab the download from Soundcloud before someone inevitably picks this up and makes you, quite rightly, pay for the privilege. The logo design is serious too...
This week's shenanigans are very much focussed on the future beat side of things, but with the usual splash of neo-soul, funk and housey flavour, most of which is out there for free download. Lovely jubbley.
Marking the Queen's birthday here in Oz, things have gone a bit soulful/R&B this week, mainly down to the man Steve Ripley over at Soulfood who continues to prove himself a complete music superstar.
Tracks come from Diggs Duke following this week's interview with Tall Black Guy, plus the usual crazy niceness with two tracks from Omar's much-anticipated new album 'The Man', more biggies from Tru Thoughts, First Word, Ninja Tune and Stones Throw, alongside a fresh REFLEX take on Daft Punk and my very own Bastard Jazz edit. Have a wee listen, my good friend.
I've gone a bit world this week, in no small part due to the kindness of new friends IRMA Records in Italy and Far Out Recordings in London. There's also some cracking freebies from groovesters Soulection, as well as brand new tracks from First Word, Jalapeno and Fort Knox. Lovely stuff.
The mix is a little schizophrenic this week, as is the selection. Thankfully there's still no digital substitute to an experienced DJ. :-) Enjoy my lovelies and spread the word about these cracking new releases!
.jpg)
