Crucial Material – August 10th, 2020
We’re all on vacation mode so for the month of August we’ll be releasing our Crucial Material every two weeks
So here you are with a double dose of that strictly crucial material! Our favorite EP’s, Albums and Reissues of the moment.
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.
JAZZ
Makaya McCraven — Universal Beings E&F Sides
An incredible worthy compendium to McCraven epic “Universal Beings” double LP, recorded in 4 different cities with 4 different all-star groupings, before being chopped and edited by Makaya, here comprising fourteen new pieces of organic beat music cut from the original sessions.
— Selected by Oli Brunetti
Emma-Jean Thackray — Um Yang 음 양
Dedicated to the Taoist philosophy of duality and harmony. A highly ambitious and personal record that sees Thackray leading a septet featuring Soweto Kinch and Steam Down’s Wonky Logic, recorded straight to vinyl. Alice Coltrane & Joe Henderson inspired explorations that build into the earthiest of grooves. Essential.
— Selected by Oli Brunetti
Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids — Shaman
The legendary Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids return with a brilliant new album on Strut Records. Capturing the spirit of the group’s groundbreaking seventies releases, this new recording, produced by Malcolm Catto of The Heliocentrics’, blends together spiritual jazz grooves, funky African-inspired rhythms, and hypnotic melodies.
— Selected by TJ Gorton
Charles Tolliver — Connect
Jazz legend Charles Tolliver, who ran the groundbreaking Strata-East label with pianist Stanley Cowell during the seventies, returns with his first studio album in 13 years, titled ‘Connect’ on Gearbox Records. This superb new recording captures the fiery post-bop spirit of those essential Strata-East sessions, while still pushing the music forward.
— Selected by TJ Gorton
SOUL / FUNK
Kazzey — Night City
Great Modern Funk/Electro Funk album from French producer Kazzey, with lots of dope featuring, including Mofak, Dogg Master. Sally Green and Juna. Lots of highlights on the album, including “Feel The Funk”, that was included on the last Voyage Funktastique Radio show.
– Selected by Walla P
Leo Luxxxus — 3020 b/w Get Around
Leo Luxxxus—the funk connoisseur of Finland—is here with a cosmic summer 45 featuring “3020” b/w “Get Around” on the flip side. Modern Funk 7’ courtesy of the label Groove College, always delivering quality releases.
– Selected by Walla P
CLUBISMS
Planet Eater – Planet Eater EP
This ultra rare and elusive EP was released 25 years ago and is now available digitally through Bandcamp if you wanna save some big bucks! The feel is absolutely timeless, straight up raw house grooves that became the trademark sound of Worldship Music, for those who knew! This was the first release on the label, and it made it clear that The Teflon Dons would make some amazing music. Play loud!!!
– Selected by The Rawsoul
V/A – Door to the Cosmos — OntheCorner Dancefloor Sampler
On The Corner kicks open the door to the cosmos with 8 tracks of pure heat from across the spectrum, all ready to rock forward looking dancefloors. Featuring Peruvian bass fiends Dengue Dengue Dengue, hauntological ravers The Diabolical Liberties, experimental houser Uffe, Dar Es Salaam’s MC Palakata, Planet Battagon’s cosmic techno and edgy Venezuelan dembow meets changa tuki from MPeach.
— Selected by Oli Brunetti
BEATS
Pursuit Grooves — Sustainable Movements For A New Age
One of our favourite beat makers, unearths a hidden beat tape of 20 instrumentals, straight from the archives. A beautiful, meditative head-nodder from beginning to end. Originally released for a limited time for Earth Day 2009 but still highly relevant. Cop it now before it goes again!
— Selected by Oli Brunetti
Dan Jose — Saccade
One of the most creative and engaging responses to the covid-19 pandemic, especially when it comes to beat tapes. Dan Jose has deconstructed the emotional rollercoaster of the lockdown’s early months, interlacing European prog & jazz samples with 90s hip hop & 21st century-LA influenced beats with TV and news samples to add a little dark humour.
— Selected by Oli Brunetti
OUTERNATIONAL
Bab L’Bluz — Nayda!
Fronted by an African-Moroccan woman in a traditional male role, Bab L’Bluz draw inspiration from Morocco’s ‘nayda’ youth movement, a new wave energised by local heritage, singing in the darija dialect. Gnawa rhythms and instrumentation, bluesy & funky grooves. ‘Nayda’ has a bright ancient to future pulse.
— Selected by Oli Brunetti
Admas — Sons of Ethiopia (Reissue)
The sound of 80s Ethiopia in exile. Essential recordings of an all Ethiopian-born, Washington D.C. based band, using the instruments of the day, absorbing the current sounds, but retaining the same distinctly Ethiopian sense of melody in the lineage of their 60s & 70s forebears, Mulatu Astatke and Hailu Mergia.
— Selected by Oli Brunetti
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