Crucial Material – Best Releases Of The Week (August 26th, 2019)

Back at it again with your weekly roundup of unmissable albums and EP’s and reissue projects.

As always we hope you make some nice discoveries and feel free to encourage these artists/labels if you do! Enjoy and have a great week.

NEW ALBUMS & EP’s

Ill Considered “8”

Label: Ill Considered Music
Buy: Physical & Digital (via Bandcamp)
Genre: Jazz

Featuring saxophonist Idris Rahman, electric bassist Leon Brichard, drummer Emre Ramazanoglu, and percussionist Satin Singh, London’s Ill Considered are one of the most innovative and active ensembles right now in jazz. Their eighth self-released recording was recorded live during their fall 2018 tour, and features a brilliant mix of forward-thinking improvisation and high-octane grooves.
– Selected by TJ Gorton

Little Brother “May The Lord Watch”

Label: Imagine Nation Music / For Members Only / EMPIRE
Stream: Spotify
Genre: Hip-Hop

The first studio album in nine years from the NC legends is most definitely an event to mark, and it does not disappoint. Everything is intact. Phonte the lyrical genius. The chemistry of Phonte and Big Pooh. Humour! Skits. Soulful beats aplenty (no 9th Wonder, but fellow Justice League producer Khrysis holds it, alongside Black Milk, Nottz and others). A very healthy dose of classic hip hop.
– Selected by Oliver Brunetti

Raphael Saadiq “Jimmy Lee”

Label: Columbia Records
Stream: Spotify
Genre: Soul

The master is back, with his most personal album to date, 8 years since his last solo LP. Whilst forging ahead as always, Saadiq wears his influences on his sleeve, be it gospel, funk, Prince, etc. You’ll be dancing to his groove but there’s a dark side here as the album deals with personal struggles, in particular Sadiq’s elder brother’s death by overdose, and wider societal ills, such as mass incarceration and drug addiction. Essential listening.
– Selected by: Oliver Brunetti

Ghost Funk Orchestra “A Song For Paul”

Label: Karma Chief Records
Buy: Physical & Digital (via Bandcamp)
Genre: Psych

Another great modern psych album. Full of gritty soul/Stax/Hayes style production, fuzz guitars, mysterious female vocals, horns & strings, funky basslines, latin-tinged rhythms, etc. “A Song For Paul” could quite easily be a soundtrack for a film that never was. It has THAT feel. So if you dig Axelrod, Umiliani, Rotary Connection or even the recent Kit Sebastian album, you should check this out.
– Selected by Oliver Brunetti

Jimi Tenor & Freestyle Man “Are We It?”

Buy: Physical & Digital (via Bandcamp)
Genre: Jazz / Soulful / House
Label: Studio Barnhus

“Jimi Tenor & Freestyle Man, Finnish legends and everything-but-grey eminences of electronic music, return to Studio Barnhus for another four-tracker full of the good stuff. Deep house as done by professionals! The world keeps changing, people and sounds come and go, but when Jimi croons away over Freestyle Man’s finn-tastic funk foundations, it all just about makes sense to us. Plenty of flute solo on this thing as well!”

Holloway “Late Night Excursions”

Buy: Physical & Digital (via Bandcamp)
Genre: UK Garage
Label: Warehouse Rave

“Wicked 90s/00s UKG vibes from up and coming producer Holloway via Warehouse Raves label!”

Ennio Styles “Stylin 900”

Buy: Physical & Digital (via Bandcamp)

Stylin’ 900 celebrates the upcoming 900th episode of Stylin’, which marks 18 years of Ennio Styles’s Friday afternoons radio show based in Melbourne, Australia.

“LA Housin Authority EP”

Buy: Physical & Digital (via Bandcamp)
Genre: House

Aaron Paar of Teflon Dons returns with the first new EP on his Worldship Music imprint in 18 years. Under his new L.A. Housin’ Authority alias, this is also the first solo-produced release from Aaron since the “Planet Eater” EP in 1995. After a variety of reissues on Jay Simon’s Must Have Records and Jeremy Underground’s M.L.I.U., renewed interest in the Don’s music led Aaron to put the finishing touches on these SP1200 produced tracks originally written from 1995-1997.

NEW REISSUES & ARCHIVAL

Dila “s/t”

Label: Far Out Recordings
Buy: Vinyl (via Bandcamp)
Stream: Spotify

Far Out Recordings reissues the first and only album from mysterious Brazilian vocalist Dila, who sadly died shortly after the release of the record in 1971. The highly-obscure recording features an incredible mix of soulful Samba grooves, funky percussion breaks, piano-driven jazz melodies, and Dila’s brilliant lead vocals.
– Selected by TJ Gorton

Rupa “Disco Jazz”

Label : Numero (reissue)
Buy (Physical / Digital) Links:

This disco jazz south east asian fusion record from Rupa Biswas is more a meeting of Balearic and Bollywood than anything else and was recorded in Calgary of all places! Synths meet raga chants with the increcible “Aaj Shaniba” being the culminating point of this fascinating musical adventure. Beautifully remastered from analog by the good folks at Numero this crazy album is the reason we keep on digging!
-Selected by Asma