12''

We've bought waaaay too many great slabs of wax this year only just to select a few dope tracks like on last years' recap. It'd be too disrespectful to all those great labels which still put out superb releases on the black gold (and a special shout out goes to The Very Polish Cut Outs for their vol 1 Sampler that finally graced Krystyna on wax despite being released in 2012). We're going the 12'' route this time and selected an ensemble suite, ambient techno, an unearthed gem from Trinidad & Tobago, killer-peak-time-disco-bombs, some german house with funny names and a few more. So without further ado - here's our 13 favorite 12'' reflecting what was spinning most in the Beatscapes HQ in 2013:


Max Graef - The Love Tapes (Melbourne Deepcast)
Pedro

Floating Points - Wires (Eglo)

Saine - Halftone EP (Odd Socks)

Traces

V.A. - Box Aus Holz 007 (BAH)

Graef & Seibt - Kotschleuder

Kaytranada - At All 10'' (HW&W)

(add. s/o for the Remix EP)

Genius of Time - Luv Thang (Verktyg/Aniara)

Stephen Encinas - Disco Illusion (Invisible City Editions)




Luvless - Turning Points EP (Rose Records)
Better Days

Todd Terje - Strandbar (Olsen)
Strandbar (disko)

Admin/Typesun - Boogiefuturo 002 (Future Boogie)

Last Home (DJ Nature Remix)

Ben La Desh - Rebound Round EP (Sleazy Beats)
Bohicon Bossa

Terekke - Yyyyyyyyyy (L.I.E.S.)

Amaze

Eltron John - Bomby EP (S1 Warsaw)

Vaib-R - Intl EP

Here comes Athen based label, Nous, sophomore release. The first release from this label brought us some decent standard deep house styles from Militades. The second release is not so much different, especially in terms of good music. Wes 'Moon B' Gray, who is adopting a new moniker in Vaib-R presents Intl EP, a collection of 3 brand new productions kept in four-four kick lo-fi funk style, each being more propulsive than the last. Budapest's Route 8 and local Greek name, Retrograde, do their job on the remixes. 12" vinyl is still available online. Grab it while it lasts.

Tracklisting:

A1. About Freedom
A2. Winds
B1. Intl
B2. About Freedom (Route 8 Daytime Mix)
B3. About Freedom (Retro:grade Restruction)

DISSECTION: Invent - Hey You + Space Stacker

Hey You! 

A new installment of Dissection is finally here. This time we teamed up with Invent - turntablist, dj and now turned producer. His debut Hey You EP dropped last month on U Know Me Records and it just had to be featured here on Beatscapes -  it's really that good. We couldn't decide which track to feature so Invent was kind enough to lay down the techniques behind both. Ladies and gentlemen: Invent - Hey You & Space Stacker, let the man explain how it's done:

I took Hey You EP really personally as a way of showing my musical journey as a DJ and producer. With hip-hop background on one side, and electronic and dance music music on the other, I tried to combine that oldschool vibe with more modern sound. Following this key I've selected the artists for remix duties - A-Side (Hey You + Azari & III remix) is an oldschool hip-house (one would argue it's nudisco/electro, although in today's climate it's just tags and semantics) and on B-Side (Space Stacker + Hey You Lunice Remix) it's pure hip-hop/electronic from AD 2013. 

Having the opportunity to record with KRS-One and to send to send tracks to remixers of this calibre, I tried to make it as authentic as possible, especially when music has a really short lifespan and is considered being "fresh". That's why I opted to exclude on Space Stacker trap drum patterns, bass-kicks and 808 Snare-Rolls and KRS-One is rapping on a 113bpm 4x4 beat, quite unusual if you ask me. 

Both tracks were made mainly on MFB-503, Roland MC 303, Microkorg, Jumbo 61 R6 and dusty samples. 

Hey You" EP traktuję personalnie jako ukazanie w czterech numerach drogi jaką przeszedłem dotychczas jako DJ i producent. Z jednej strony hiphopowy background, z drugiej natomiast elektronika i muzyka klubowa, na której od dłuższego czasu już jestem skupiony. Starałem się także połączyć oldschoolowy vibe, do którego zawsze miałem słabość ze współczesnym brzmieniem. Według tej filozofii nagrałem moje tracki oraz dobrałem remixerów - strona A (Hey You + Azari & III remix) to staro szkolny hip-house (niektórzy już nazwali to nudisco, czy też electro, co chyba nie ma w obecnych czasach większego znaczenia), z kolei strona B (Space Stacker + Hey You w remixie Lunice) to hiphop / electronic AD 2013. 

Mając już okazję nagrywać z KRS-One i wysyłać ścieżki do takich remixerów, starałem się zrobić wszystko jak najbardziej oryginalnie, szczególnie w momencie kiedy muzyka ma bardzo krótki termin ważności. Dlatego własnie przy "Space Stacker" omijałem szerokim łukiem trapowe patterny, bass-kicki i 808-snare-rolle, a KRS-One nawija na bicie 113 bpm 4x4, co chyba nie jest często spotykane. 

Oba utwory powstały głównie na MFB-503, Roland MC 303, Microkorg, Jumbo 61 R6 i starych samplach. 

HEY YOU 

The title track is based on a chopped, super-stretched snare drum and a bassline making half the bussines done. Intro was arranged manually and supressed to make ground for the bass drop and drums. The main loop gradually unfolds until Kid Daytona's verse.

Tytułowy track oparty jest na pociętym samplu, czyli rozciągniętym wszędzie gdzie się da, długim werblu, oraz linii basowej, która robi połowę roboty. Intro wbiłem ręcznie i stłumiłem, żeby przygotować pole pod mocne wejście basu (#jebs) i podstawy perkusji. Główny loop rozwija się stopniowo o resztę perkusjonaliów aż do wejścia The Kid Daytona.

While arranging I was inspired by oldschool house (the main motif is present through the whole track) and hip-hop dynamics (strong openings for succesive instruments and synths as well as the lack of build up traded for a short, soothing breakdown preparing for the drop w/ KRS-One hitting the track). You can hear different hi-hats, 808 sound in the form of the world's best cowbell (after applying a short echo and adding a little "melody" on it) and rim shots, chopped arpeggiator and a floating synth (space echo). All mixed to keep that dirty, oldchool sound intact.

Aranżując całość, inspirowałem się starym housem (stąd właśnie główny motyw przewija się przez prawie cały numer) i hiphopową dynamiką (zdecydowane wejścia kolejnych instrumentów i synthów oraz brak build-up'u na rzecz krótkiego, łagodzącego track i przygotowującego pod dropa z wejściem KRS-One break downu). Tak więc dalej można usłyszeć kilka różnych ścieżek hatów itp, 808 sound w postaci najlepszego na świecie cowbella (na który nałożyłem krótkie echo i stworzyłem delikatną 'melodię' zamiast pozostawić go jako zwykły element perki) i rim shotów, pocięty arpeggiator i rozpływający się synth (space echo). Całość jest zmixowana tak, żeby pozostawić brudne, oldschoolowe brzmienie. 

SPACE STACKER

From the beginning it was meant to be a massive hip-hop/electronic sound, but as I said earlier I didn't want any trap sounds in it. Some of you may look suprised but one of the inspirations was a track by WWO - Mogę Wszystko (although in the end both don't have much in common). To get that massive, clean electronic sound I frequently used the reverb, space echo etc. I used MFB-503 and Roland MC303 for the drum patterns. Kick interchanges with a puntual, delayed bass and the hi-hats got tweaked using the slightest touch of flanger effect. I also added channel-split clicks and the vocal sample.

Od samego początku miał to być massive hiphop / electronic sound, ale jak już wspominałem, nie miał on wchodzić na obszary trapu. Pewnie niektórych to może nieźle zdziwić, ale jedną z inspiracji był numer WWO - Mogę Wszystko (chyba jednak w efekcie końcowym nie mają ze sobą wiele wspólnego).

Żeby bit miał w sobie sporo powietrza oraz masywny, elektroniczny i czysty charakter, często posługiwałem się reverbem, spece echo itp.

Do stworzenia perkusji posłużyłem się MFB-503 i Rolandem MC 303. Stopa wymienia się z punktowym, lekko zdeleyowanym basem (Microkorg), na hihaty nałożyłem bardzo mały flanger oraz dodałem rozbite na kanały kliki i sampel wokalny. 

The rest of the track consists of 2 arpeggiators. First one - low, is recorded on half-time 41bpm, cut a bit and faded at the end by space echo (this time from Pioneer DJM 900 Nexus mixer), while the second has really stretched frequencies and is floating between the channels. Until the chorus the arrangements are typpically hip-hop'ish, but the second got a little more electronic, but all the tracks interplay rather nicely.

Dalszą częsć tracku tworzą dwa arpeggiatory, pierwszy, niski jest nagrany na half-time 41 bpm, lekko przycięty i rozmyty na koniec frazy kosmicznym echem (tym razem z mixera Pioneer DJM 900 Nexus), drugi natomiast ma szeroko rozciągnięte częstotliwości i pływa pomiędzy kanałami. Do refrenu, aranżacja jest typowo hiphopowa, druga połowa Space Stackera ma charakter bardziej elektroniczny, a wszystkie ścieżki się wzajemnie wymieniają. 

The Space Stacker chorus is a classic, chopped pitch-down based on the acapella of a house classic - Junior Jack - Thrill Me (Such A Thrill).

Refren w Space Stacker to klasyczny, pocięty pitch-down oparty na acapelli housowego klasyka - Junior Jack - Thrill Me (Such a Thrill).
                             Let's pull it back together and see how it sounds: 

Harvey Sutherland - Nexus

Today's retro vibes come from melbourne's Harvey Sutherland. The track Nexus is an intstrumental take on the 1983 italo disco classic "Stand Up" by Nexus. I was more than happy when I without any problems was able dig it up the original tune on youtube. I will say that Harvey has done a very good job of reworking it. The vibe in NEXUS is perfectly balanced making it a top shelf rework.



Nexus is actually one of the three tunes recently released on a very cool casette, the so called "cassingle" (the label is This Thing). Nexus is accompanied by lo-fidelity Roland sketches "Q3" and "Pale Blue" on the B-side.

Harvey Sutherland is in fact better known as Mike Kay - a synth nerd, producer, keyboardist, DJ and boogie enthusiast.



His excellent Low Altitude has been given a 12" re-release via good some good folks at Peoples Potential Unlimited (still available, just hit their webstore). Modern boogie at it's best, the title track is a funky 808 driven dance floor filler. You can stream it below:

B.Bravo & Teeko pres. Tempo Dreams vol.2

  

We covered the split Starship Connection/K-Maxx 7'' earlier, but Tempo Dreams vol.2 for Bastard Jazz is out and it's too good not the write about it. B.Bravo & Teeko have been pulling the strings in the modern funk scene for a while so it was quite easy to get the best cats on the comp. The Bay is represented by Bayonics, K-Maxx, Rojai & E.Live and Mugpush. The One finally got the vinyl treatment and from my perspective I'll be able to finally spin Pomrad's Dans from wax :) (shipping costs in Belgium were too damn high when Vjotles dropped first time round). Guys also didn't forget about Cherries Records who've pushing their quality 7'' since last year.

The Verdict? - Great soulful vibe through out the whole record, immaculate selection must say. The previous volume was quite a hit, so it should be easily available from your favorite retailers or just go directly to Bastard Jazz Bandcamp, will you?

J1, Rest in Peace somewhere in the funkmosphere ! 

Nadia Ksaiba - Virtual Lover

Usually I don't dig in the wave/synth crate in my local record store, but Nadia Ksaiba's Virtual Lover single cover looked soooo 80's I just couldn't pass. Like the artwork everything else is also vintage - Virtual Lover ticks all 80's pop/funk boxes - spaced out retro synths, sweet vocals and crispy playful bass. Most 80's singles had (dub) versions on the flip and it's no different this time - we get a stretched out 6-minute spaced out affair. Last but not least Jimmy Edgar returns to 2013 with his spot on Detroit electro remix combining old, new & robots, lots of robots (and echoes too). Released on Phantasy Sounds, the 12'' is available in most record stores so grab your copy at least for the cover, perfect for an instagram sleeve-face photo. 

Beatscapes pres. 'Put On Your Dancing-Gown'

First in-house Beatscapes mix is finally here! We've overcome the laziness and put out a 55 minutes set of  disco, slo-mo, house and boogie straight from vinyl. Definately "feel good" vibes and favs from 2013 were the ideas behind the selection process, but we've still added a few older gems here and there. Hope you dig it! 

Put on your dancing-gown by Beatscapes on Mixcloud

Sons of the Morning - The Way Winter Passed Us

Warp beatmaker and glitch-hop godfather Guillermo Scott Herren aka Prefuse 73 launched his very own imprint Yellow Year Records. His plans with the label are quite fascinating as it will release Speak Soon, a twelve-volume series of EPs that will feature Prefuse 73 collaborating with beat scene masters Teebs, Nosaj Thing, Lapalux, Synkro, Nathan Fake, Dimlite to name few (Pitchfork). 

The first big move is Sons of the Morning,  the new duo comprising Brainfeeder artist Teebs and of course Prefuse 73. "The Way Winter Passed Us" is an instrumental masterpiece, with flowing melody powered by rolling percussion. As Herren speaks himself (Spin): 

"On a musical level, Teebs taps into really simple hardware and pulls off consistently beautiful music. He's kind of like the Erik Satie of the SP-303, which is a cheap sampler. I'm inspired by his effectivness with what he works with and the sincerity that comes out in his sound".

On Point Summer Sampler 2013

So, we've reached mid August and most of the summer '13 is behind us. I therefore call On Point Summer Sampler 2013 a late summer compilation. Freekwency, Jazz Neversleeps, Billy Palmier, The Essence and Seiren, are all brought together on one 12" delivering perfect tunes to close summer season with. Watch for the 12" when it comes out! 

Starship Connection (B. Bravo & Teeko) “We Can Go All Night”

Two of the Bay Area's finest future funk personas, Teeko and B.Bravo (Brownswood, RBMA) are back with an ode to going all night long. "We Can Go All Night Long" is a brand new track released on 7" earlier this week by Bastard Jazz ahead of their Tempo Dreams compilation series (in fact compiled by B.Bravo and Teeko). B side features another San Francisco producer and vocalist K-Maxx on "Dreamin' Of You". This 45 is a must have, purchase it here.

Pathetic Waste of Talent – Triburbia

This duo going by a quite sarcastic name, Pathetic Waste of Talent, is hailing from Heidelberg, Germany. In case of their new track Triburbia, there is no speculation about waste of talent whatsoever. Triburbia can be downloaded for free... and I guess you're already in the process of downloading it. 

FKA Twigs - Water Me (EP2)

Sounds like this autumn is going to be taken by storm by a bunch of talented vocalists, all trying to find their place in the future soul/electronic pop scene. Jessy Lanza w/ an upcoming debut, personal favorite Fatima just released the 12'' single Circle, Py & Maths Time Joy working on former's debut LP... FKA Twigs fits nicely in this lovely bunch of beautiful female voices; Water Me ticks all the boxes of our definition of beatscapes from the top of the page: ethereal, glitchy and spacious yet intimate, absolutely stunning future soul ballad. EP2 drops in September, reserve your 12'' HERE

Jessy Lanza - Kathy Lee

I dunno, but I have a feeling that new music has been a bit weaker this year than last couple of years. This feeling was immediately gone when I listened to Jessy's Lanza track Kathy Lee - wow this shit is amazing. I reckon this has been my top 2013 discovery so far.

Kathy Lee has been co-produced by Canadian synthpop wizard Jeremy Greenspan of Junior Boys. This will be released in September on Hyperdub. I look so much forward to!

Tiger & Woods - Golden Bear EP

Not much is known about these dudes or Editainment label on which they release their stuff. Tiger & Woods duo is back with their another jaw-dropping installment. The Golden Bear EP provides three tracks of loop rich and groove heavy tunes. This will surely be another big one for all their fans. Out now in good record stores.

Roux Spana - 9 Weeks of Sun (Morning Heat)

The time has come and the summer is here in effect. Roux Spana is, for the second time, delivering unstoppable vibes for the picnic days (make sure that you check 9 Weeks of Sun vol.1). The concept is slightly different, since this time, the album drops at once, where last year Roux Spana released one track for 9 weeks.

This record isn't just for headphones. It's a summer album, conveying images of spraying fire hydrants and melted popsicles and can be well played during hot barbecue nights and beach parties.

It's made up of old-sounding elements, but sounds fresh and new. Funky vintage synthesizers, chopped funk & boogie samples, and woozy drum breaks bring new life to these 80' tunes.There is some straight-out hits like Week 1 (She Got The Move) or Week 6 (Out Tonight) or buttery tracks like Week 2 (You Give Me Fever). Without further ado, make sure that you check this album. Free download!

DJ Nature/Admin - BoogieFuturo #2

Futureboogie Recordings little sibling Boogiefuturo returns w/ the 2nd installment and the both cuts on this limited, hand-numbered 12'' are absolute masterpieces, the groove seems to never end, just perfect for looping it all summer long. DJ Nature does magic and remixes Typesun's Last Home adding the bongos and reworking the trumpet and string arrangements. Looks like even simple measures can lead to a tasty groove. On the flip, Admin put out a wonderful piece of jazz house in Gold Soul, really Vakula-esque (and even more jazzier than Andres' tracks from 2012). Seriously recommended 12''  - don't miss out because the stock is running low, yet it's still available in a few shops.

Shigeto - Detroit Part 1

This time it's not any recovered music but really fresh output from the one and only Shigeto representing Ghostly International. With Ann Arbor series seem to be done and dusted it's time for Detroit, Part 1 to be exact. Multi-textured melodies are floating over crisp drums while the track builds towards it's climax. But when you think it's the end a lush outro re-emerges serving as a little nod to the Ann Arbor days.

Exquisite piece, No Better Time Than Now drops on August 19th/20th on Ghostly.

Yosi Horikawa - Vapor

For anyone who checks Beatscapes the name Yosi Horikawa should be a familiar one. Our favorite Japanese producer is finally releasing his debut LP titled Vapor, which drops on June 24th via First Word Records. The signature sonic elements should all be present - prescisely crafted eerie soundscapes, multi layered melodies and some field recordings and unexpected samples (like on the Wandering EP). Don't sleep on deluxe version - it's stricly limited to 35 copies and has Letter pressed on... a playable postcard. Get your's HERE. Here are all the tracks we've been able to find in one playlist - and oh my they're really groovy and breath in the own sense, pure bliss: 

DJ Czarny/Tas - Time To Build LP

Since their first album Passion, Music, Hip-Hop Dj Czarny & Tas have made huge leaps forward - 2 years forward the're IDA World Champions and return w/ a new album that's a few levels higher than the debut. At 14 songs long the Polish duo manage to squeeze in 90's hip-hop, LA Beats, Jazz-Hop and forward thinking electronic music while maintaining a warm, soulful vibe. Turntablism skills are presented by DJ Czarny, but with a certain balance without overshadowing the beautiful melodies. Roux Spana & 3K from RSBT, Night Marks Electric Trio and rappers AB & Ozzay Moore all make guest appearences. Don't know if it's hip-hop yet, but that's what I would like to hear in 2013. Stream the album below or grab a CD HERE.

Shigeto - Lost Tracks

The story goes like this..

"Just about a year ago my laptop was stolen at a show in NY. I lost an album I was working on and learned my lesson the hard way. This is one of the tracks I recovered. It features some good friends of mine Brandon Mitchell (Kadence) and Carlos Garcia (L05) on vocals. ♥ Shi"

Quadron - Better Off (with Kendrick Lamar)

Robin Hannibal is certainly one of our musical heroes from the 00's and we can't be more stoked about the new Quadron (Robin + Coco O.) album titled Avalanche which drops on June 4th. Better Off is the second single, a truly lovely piece of bedroom soul, w/ a quite similar vibe like Rhye, but it's still trademark Quadron sound. And Kendrick Lamar provides a little bit of head nodding. Just perfect.

Turquoise - A Touch Of Turquoise LP

We didn't post about Turquoises' debut LP when it first got out, but as it got the fair share of air time at the Beatscapes HQ it's better to recommend the proven stuff, right?

Turquoise Summers delivers an 11 track LP filled with nothing but pure and gear-heavy Modern Funk. Not too fast nor too slow, just #kool, as Dam-Funk would say it. Galactic synths meet fat, hard hitting drums and all we can say that the Funk is strong in this one, Omega Supreme Records are really going strong - can't wait for the next releases!

Last copies of the tape are at the label's Bandcamp, last copies of vinyl are still at hhv, juno or jetset records - don't sleep on this one.

Bibio - À tout à l'Heure

U.K. producer Stephen Wilkinson as Bibio has been on a two-year break with releasing new albums, with spring 2011 bringing us his previous LP, Mind Bokeh (called a "masterpiece of headphone music" by some bloggers), and June 2009 seeing the release of its predecessor Ambivalence Avenue. Wilkinson is continuing this cycle with Silver Wilkinson, his next full-length album which drops on May 14 via Warp Records. 

À tout à l'Heure is the first single, and as Bibio himself wrote on Facebook : "The recording of À tout à l'Heure started out in my garden on a gorgeous sunny day when it felt morally wrong to be hidden away indoors. I still had the urge to make music so I limited myself to a few bits of gear and set up in my garden."

Andras Fox - Embassy Cafe

Andras' last EP was recommended to us by the always on point Sleazy Beats blog and we've been following the Australian since then. We're blown away by the teaser of the upcoming LP and can't wait to lay our hands on the wax. Few bullet points on Embassy Cafe: 

• recorded mostly in one take, all the distortions and raw-ness are the result of very little overdubbing
• the 6-tracker's full of smooth jams sounding like they're recorded in the transition era between boogie to 90's house 
• it's out 23.05 on Dopeness Galore Records 
• sounds perfect for poolside parties and other open-air affairs 

Here's The promomix:

Atlantics Vol. 3

Astro Nautico describe themselvs as Brooklyn's "serious record label". Their annual compilation Atlantics, dropped on 4/20 for the third time (4/20 or 4th of April refers to the consumption of cannabis  day - a cannabis day). 32 tracks of very diverse music, captivating pretty much throughout, ranging from lounge house music like C.Z.'s "Mary J", Sesped's funky "Say You Are Gonna" or Dunes' bobbling "U Know How". An obligatory download.

Joy Orbison - Donell (edit)

I've been hunting down this edit since Krystal Klear dropped it in his Boiler Room set and Joy O finally made up his mind and just put it totally out of the blue on soundcloud. The super smooth edit flips the '99 classic r'n'b Donell Jones jam U Know What's Up. It's a freebie - in case you didn't, now you also know what's up. 

Lord RAJA - Rubies EP

Free download materials provided by the top quality Ghostly Int. are always worth a check. Premiered few days ago by FACT magazine Rubies EP by upstate New York producer, Lord Raja, is six strong new tracks, all of which live up to the heavy potential along with the fact that he signed to Ghostly. Stream and download here.

He Won't Pay Me - a track that you may recognize from Shigeto's stellar mix for BTS Radio

Klaves - At Dawn Again EP

After being played by Gilles Peterson and featuring on XLR8R, we're also proud to present some quality polish electronic music in Klaves, the 21-old producer from Poznan w/ his more than solid debut EP released on Koh-I-Noor Records. Heartbeat works as the gentle opening to be followed by 3 great UK future garage/deep house bombs in the form of Closer, You and the best of all Hope It Gets To Love. Signature soulful vocal chops, lush pads and sparkling synths are all over the release, eagerly waiting for a 12'' and some new stuff - the talent's definately there.

KEATS​/​/​COLLECTIVE VOL. 3

We've slept on vol.2, so here is KEATS//COLLECTIVE vol.3 (if you recall, we blogged the first one somewhere in July last year). Colorado based label has put together a massive collection of new future funk and chill-wave beats some of them being perfect soundtracks for summer road trips with your beloved one. You can download Keats/Collective vol.3 for ... 50 cents! 

TOKiMONSTA - Half Shadows

Must say I'm really suprised that TOKiMONSTA's sophomore (after 3 year of wait) Half Shadows doesn't get favorable reviews but just doesn't get any recognition. Maybe it's the label change? Who's knows, but we still stand that it's a quality release where Jenny elevates her sound and pulls into new directions (one's I was really hoping for). Apart from the first 3 instrumentals the rest are great, thought out songs. The MNDR collab pulls into electronic pop while Kool Keith gives a classic TOKi hip-hop punch. Tracks w/ Gavin Turek and Andreya Triana remind a bit of Creature Dreams (same w/ the instrumental interludes inbetween) and Jesse.. well that's the best one of all- deep, glitchy and soulful at the same time. 

Stream the album here

Spinnerty - Gestures EP

Take a cosmic journey into jazz and soul with Spinnerty's new Gestures EP. You can sample the sounds and also purchase the 10" vinyl below.

Go to Spinnerty's bandcamp

"RBM followers have long known Spinnerty for his production work behind vocalist like Joy Jones, Miles Bonny, John Robinson and Replife. This time we find Spinnerty collaborating with Chicago-based drummer Farsheed Toosi to create lush jazzy instrumentals that stand alone as full compositions. They mark a giant step forward in Spinnerty's maturity as a producer and jazzer, letting the instrumentation do the talking.

While Spinnerty's original versions work well for home-listening, radio, and loungey dj sets - Uptempo remixes by J Boogie, lil' dave, and Mecca:83 provide some excellent choices for the dancefloor. As a special treat for the vinyl-faithful, we have included "Drumapella" versions available only on the wax itself - original drum breaks courtesy of Spinnerty and Tossi. "

James Welsh – Air Valley EP

We've must slept on this release from James Welsh hailing from Leeds. Air Valley EP was released in April 2012 and is (still) available on purple 12" as well as digital. Go and cop that thing.

Pomrad - Pomslap (from the forthcoming EP)

Teoretically and pratically, we have watched this cat from Belgium since he for the first time emerged on the scene, and this was around one year ago. His phenomenal future funk tracks "Dans" and "Good Night Girl" left no doubt, that Pomrad was a producer to watch for. 

This Belgian funkster is about to release a new EP on Earnest Endeavours that apparently want to carry on with releasing future funk records, after stunning EP from B.Bravo (Kiss N' Tell). The single from the forthcoming EP, entitled "Pomslap" was released around two weeks ago. This track is literally a slap in the face, totally free of charge, revealing of what's to come on April 15th when the EP drops. Keep your eyes open!

Funkineven - Dreams Of Coke 12''

After last years massive and super limited Chips/Sweets edits on Funkineven's own Apron Records label, Mr. Even returns with the next installment packed in the big old school candy bag. The lead track Dreams is a lucid house slow-burner sampling Starchild. Ceefax on the flip incorporates some heavy bass and jazzy synth soundcapes whilst Coke is the most fun, synth driven house interlude we've heard in a while.

The 12'' is sold out almost everywhere, I still managed to snatch a copy at SOTU, but if you're not that lucky I've got some info from Funkineven that he'll have some copies at Apron's Bandcamp - it's only 250 copies, so watch out!

Dandy Teru “Waters” feat. Quiet Dawn

If you're not looking for that turn up tonight and instead want some soothing sounds to unwind to, French producer Dandy Teru and Quiet Dawn have exactly what you need. Brief, but effective, watch the OKP (Okayplayer) premiere of their new video "Waters"- check the visualizer. Video directed by GM. "Waters" will appear on Dandy's upcoming debut LP, Adventures, which will be out on April 23rd via Ubiquity Records. The LP is an eclectic mix of downtempo, Nu Jazz, beat music, soul, house, and hip-hop with contributions from Moka Only, Count Bass D, Tall Black Guy, and more.

Album preview

Via Okayplayer

Atu - Pictures On Silence

Promise Ya was one of my favorite tracks of 2012 and We've been keeping an eye on Atu ever since. Snapped up by Soulection, the EP Pictures of Silence is out today and is classy as expected.  The the 90's  vocals are ridiculusly  smooth, the bass is deep w/ the the gentle keys floating somewhere near slick drum patterns (not your usual over-used dull 808's). We can safely say: 'that's how you roll in 2013'. Would love to see this get properly mastered and released on vinyl (w/ that cover)!

       1500 limited downloads, grab one if you still can:

SONIC BOOM VOL. 3 by Giant Step

New music from the man, Shafiq Husayn is always a cause to celebrate. A few days ago we got a new song from himself and his growing community of likeminded artists in Los Angeles, called The Dove Society. They all came together to form "Twelve" that landed on a new compilation for Giant Step, called Sonic Boom Vol.3 made by a lady Maiya Norton. Sonic Boom Vol.3 includes some of their favorite jams from the last couple months, and it spans a nice dose of music from artists who are not necessarily on folks' radars. Among the names that don't ring a bell, we can hear mentioned Shafiq Husayn, and MED's much loved "Burgundy Whip" with Blu and Jimetta Rose. All of this is definitely worth a free download.

Okapii - Don't Mind The Rain (Video)

Yesterday we wrote about Danish/Canadian duo, Rhye. Our focus remains on fresh new music comming out of Denmark. Some time I was invited to like Okapii fb fanpage, a name which didn't ring a bell. Simply put, a name, that I've never heard of before. Since they haven't posted any music, and maybe I was too lazy to look up their profile on souncloud, I simply forgot about them. Until about one week ago, where they put some visual and sonic dopeness on their facebook page. Mads Oustrup & Alex Rita hailing straight from Copenhagen served a beautiful piece of electronic pop, that deeply resembles Quadron vibes (yes, we are mentioning Quadron again). Video of Don't Mind The Rain was shot on gorgeous Barbados. This is a free download! We're eagerly waiting for MORE!

Check their
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Rhye - Woman LP

We've been watching the mysterious duo Rhye since the very beginning. The whole started when we first heard the seductively smooth single "Open", with breathy Sade-like vocals. It later turned out that the woman behind the vocal is not even a "she". The vocalist, in fact, is Mike Milosh who previously released three albums on well known Plug Research label based in LA. 

More on the duo. It is a collaboration between Toronto native Milosh and Copenhagen descendant Robin Hannibal of Danish electro-soul duo Quadron (it's simply a must check if you don't know Quadron). Both of them live now in sunny L.A. in California and hooked up some time ago, when Milosh was asked to remix a Quadron song. One song turned into an EP, which in the end lead to Rhye's LP debut simply called "Woman", out on 4th of March on Innovative Leisure.

No doubt, this is one of our top releases since the very beginning of 2013. 

Below, you can read Lauren Down speaking to Robin Hannibal, responsible for the sensual sonics of Rhye.

“It was really funny and for just a moment we thought, let’s see how far we can take this,” Rhye’s Robin Hannibal confesses over a crackling phone line when I ask him how he reacted to people mistaking the vocals on their new record ‘Woman’ for a woman’s.“We’re not that gimmicky though” he continues, “it was more a beautiful coincidence that emerged from the fact we wanted to keep things anonymous. I actually miss the time when you wouldn’t get the whole story surrounding a project. The internet has ruined things a little. Everyone is so over exposed. We weren’t really interested in selling our music based on our identities, we were very much interested in showing the music for what it was. We knew you could find out who we were in two minutes if you wanted to, but by not over exposing ourselves we were able to create imagery and a fantasy through the music, which can be music’s strongest ingredient.”
The vocalist in question is actually of course the other half of Rhye, LA based producer Mike Milosh. “I think the way he approaches lyrics, the way they are stressed, the intent and the sentiment behind them is something you hear more from female singers. Not necessarily his actual vocals, but then I’ve always known it was him.” We of course have not had the same luxury, and listening to the soulful, pleading “oooh make love to me” vocals of ‘Open’ or ‘The Fall’ (the first track the two ever wrote together) you could totally be forgiven for thinking it was a woman singing. The smoky, sensual, husky manner in which they wrap themselves around the minimalist percussion and wonderfully simple piano refrains reinforcing that fallacy with every listen. “We wanted to highlight what the music was about through the songs, the videos and artwork. It’s titled  ‘Woman’, it’s about women, the album art is abstracts of the female body and people thought it was a woman so I guess we succeeded on some level!”
Delving a little deeper into the record’s core Robin explains “it is very much an homage or an ode to women in general but it is taken from personal experiences because we wanted to make something honest. Mike’s wife was definitely the lyrical muse, but through collaboration the sonics are imbued emotions that will resonate with everyone. I mean it’s love. It’s basically love. Without sounding too corny, hopefully!”
A man with clear hankering for the past Robin talks about the artistic vision behind Rhye. “We may not be buying records the way we were maybe 20 years ago but I think that people still crave a full idea, one complete thought. That is what an album should be: A full conceptional idea that you put on to reveal more than any one track could. It’s just like any novel, and I think a lot of people forget or miss that. I would definitely say soundtracks and original movie scores were a big inspiration for the way I approach music. It’s the marriage of image and sentiment through a particular melodic theme, the fullness of the music and the emotional intensity they create through classical instruments and space.”
“We talked a lot about making the record something that was relatable right now but that also had a classic and timeless feel. The way we went about that was to make sure there were elements of today’s landscape in that kind of minimalist electronic sound combined with classic instruments, orchestration and arrangements. I feel that that art of arrangement is a little bit lost in todays music because things have to happen so quickly and a lot people don’t spent that much time on a song. We spent over a year and a half on 10 songs. We only made those 10 songs so it was very important for us that they had enough ingredients for you to want to keep sitting through them.” I reassure him that there definitely are.

Source: Planet Notion

Remix of Open by JT Donaldson (worth checking out as well)

Jacques Greene presents "Vase"

A collaboration between Montreal-based producer Jacques Greene and Londoner Joe Coghill, who was involved with Glasgow's LuckyMe events, Vase is a cross-media platform for the creative arts whose only requirement is expression and innovation. 

Music for the clip is taken from 'Minnow', a track by Samoyed, that featured on the previous Vase release (VSE07).

Source: Planet Notion 

Krystal Klear feat. Jenna G - Addiction

After 2 great EP's on MadTech and All City, Kleezy will releasing a pure 80's boogie burner on rinse.fm's label. Jenna G sings over the killer beat providing the perfect combination. If you need to fill the dancefloor it's a no brainer what you should spin. 

Dane Chadwick - Cool Intentions

We've been witnesses of several good releases from the Astronautico family. It is not different this time for once more we are witnessing a fresh LP drop, this time from Dane Chadwick. If you listened to Atlantics Vol.2 compilation, this was probably the first time you heard about him. His first full release on the label made me put this LP on a "repeat" mode. The remix of vowelS by Dap Hound that closes the release is like a cherry on a cake. Worth to have a listen, the LP is for free.

DOWNLOAD Cool Intentions from Chadwick's Bandcamp

vowelS (Dap Hound's Warm Intentions Mix)

Mo Kolours - Bomptious (Shafiq Husayn Remix)

We're just about the release of Mo Kolours' Tusk Dance EP, which is the missing piece in his trilogy for One-Handed Music. If you follow Mo Kolours' fb fanpage, it might be that you have probably heard and donloaded the original version of Bomptious before. Two days ago it also got the remix treatment by the one and only Shafiq Husayn representing Sa-Ra. Tusk Dance drops tomorrow and will be out on vinyl (already sold out from his Bandcamp page) and digital that can be pre-oredered HERE.

Astronautica - Califlorida (single)

Female beatmistresses are a rare breed so it's always nice to see some fresh faces. This applies to Alpha Pup's new singing - Astronautica from (ofc) LA. Lush, hazy-like soundscapes smoothly float on intricate drum patterns and gentle guitar riffs. Replay Last Night drops on February 26th, keep it in your calendars or we'll keep you posted on our facebook. 

Astronautica - Califlorida

Rhye - Open (Jeff Samuel Faded Mix)

With a danish connection in Robin Hannibal, we've been closely following Rhye since their first releases. Their debut LP Woman will be out on March 4th and to sooth the painful wait, Rhye asked Jeff Samuel for a remix. The original is a great source material for remix and the Faded Mix is a truly magnificent cut. 

(Can't embeed the track so here's the link)

https://soundcloud.com/rhyemusic/rhye-jeffsamuelfadedmix