Crucial Material – November 9th, 2020

Hope you are doing well and that some of these records will make your day!

Here are our favorite EP’s, Albums and Reissues of the past week. As always we encourage you to buy digital or physical releases if you discover a release you love. Support artists and labels!

JAZZ

Enrique Rodríguez and the Negra Chiway Band — Fase Liminal

Chilean composer, percussionist, keyboardist, and producer Enrique Rodríguez and his Negra Chiway Band have released a brilliant debut on Soul Jazz Records, featuring a unique fusion of hypnotic spiritual jazz melodies, cosmic tones, Latin-influenced percussion rhythms and chanting vocals.
— Selected by TJ Gorton

SPAZA feat. Ariel Zamonsky, Gontse Makhene, Malcolm Jiyane, Nonku Phiri — UPRIZE! (Music from the Original Motion Picture)

Johannesburg-based SPAZA return to soundtrack “UPRIZE!”, a film documenting the June 16 1976 protests known as the Soweto uprising. Improvised compositions are weaved with recorded voices from the film, taking inspiration from the footage as it’s played, and listening breaks led by the label, Mushroom Hour Half Hour, to avant-garde masters such as the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Beautiful and powerful music that demands deep listening and inspires this writer to seek out the film.
— Selected by Oli Brunetti

Dougie Stu — Familiar Future

A joy to listen to. Dougie’s music neatly connects his midwest upbringing to current home in California among the local jazz, hip hop, and experimental music scenes. In Dougie’s music we can hear post-rockers Tortoise, in fact Jeff Parker features, alongside soul and jazz legends Lonnie Liston Smith, Charles Stepney, David Axelrod, and Alice Coltrane. In fact, I’d say there’s a strong strain of modern psychedelic soul jazz in Dougie’s music.
— Selected by Oli Brunetti

SOUL & FUNK

XL Middleton — Tap Water Runoff

Available for the first time on vinyl, Tap Water Runoff  was strictly released on cassette, back in 2016, and XL added 2 exclusive tracks, or should I say “slaps”. There’s also a limited coloured edition, + a few interesting bundles where you can combine another LP from  MoFunk Records artists Moniquea “Los Robles & Washington” and/or I,Ced “Interpretations”.
— Selected by Walla P

Andrew Ashong & Kaidi Tatham — Sankofa Season

Soulful singer-songwriter Andrew Ashong returns after a 6 year hiatus but who better to team up with than the underground virtuoso Kaidi Tatham. Absolutely lovely collaboration record from the first note to the last. Unmissable for all the soulful dance heads.
— Selected by Lexis

Funkmaster Ozone — Can You Feel The Heat? / The Get Down

Electro Funk/ P-Funk 7’ from German producer Funkmaster Ozone, via The Sleepers Recordz. If you’re into Egyptian Lover, Zapp and George Clinton, then this one’s for you. Limited run of  100 copies. 
— Selected by Walla P

Shiro Schwarz — Horizon

The Mexican duo are pushing their creativity/visions to a new realm, especially with the magnetizing “No Fear No Shame” , on some future-soul-r&b vibes. Hopefully it will be made available on vinyl anytime soon, but for now, peep the digital. 
— Selected by Walla P

HOUSE / TECHNO / ELECTRONICA

DJ Tess — Cattiva II / Nightmare

This is just way too sick, arguably her best work so far. A mysterious and psychedelic hybrid of vibrating UK Funky, Electro, Leftfield Techno and Club that will get your whole body swinging furiously.
— Selected by dileta

Jabes — klunk002

My favourite record by Jabes so far. Razor sharp percussive technoid explorations, with funky and expansive but refined sound design and massive enveloping dark atmospheres. The EP also spans across a very wide range of BPMs, from about 100 to 170. This is for contortion.
— Selected by dileta

LEFTFIELD & EXPERIMENTAL & CLASSICAL

M. Takara — Chuvvas

Beautiful Bandcamp only self-release, deep and meditative listening encouraged, or let the music wash over like a huge sigh of relief. Composed and recorded during the quarantine by Mauricio Takara, a prolific experimental musician from São Paulo to Chicago.  Apparently all on kitchen utensils & synthesizer, but the sounds are akin to chimes and softly played steel drums. 
— Selected by Oli Brunetti

OUTERNATIONAL

Gratien Midonet — A Cosmic Poet From Martinique 1979​-​1989

Essential overview of “spiritual Martinique polymath” Gratien Midonet’s first four albums of Creole poetry, acoustic folk, and heavy grooves, curated by Cedric Lassonde for Time Capsule. Bélé, beguine and gowka rhythms, surf guitars, violins, and acid-soaked guitars, all slide over each other. Transcendental music that lifts the soul whilst the rest of the body can barely resist either. 
— Selected by Oli Brunetti