[engl] Ever since their first collaboration on the “Mocambo Funk Forty Fives” compilation, things have gained momentum for the “Golden Girl of Funk” and the much respected Hamburg-based label and live band. Their first single “Working Woman” became an overnight smash and a prime-time club favourite of funk & soul DJs from all over the world. Initially released on the Finnish private press label Old Capital, producer legend and Grammy nominee Kenny Dope (Masters at Work, Bucketheads) picked up and remixed the song for his own label Kay Dee Records. Gizelle Smith & Mocambo now step up with a full-length album of bonafide sister funk. In the days of digital recording and Pro Tools editing, they show true exception to modern techniques and create their highly regarded, unique and raw soul sound, by making use of simple dynamic microphones and reel-to-reel tape machines. In a genre which is often littered with overused clichés of the past, the charismatic Gizelle Smith adds a lot of her own flavour rather than slavishly copying icons of bygone decades. The result is a refreshing alternative to post-millenium plastic pop without being a mere retro rip-off. From the heavy and determined “Gonna Get You” to vulnerable, gospel-tinged laments such as “Coffee High”, the album is just as deeply rooted in the music from the golden era of soul as it is a modern masterpiece in its own right. Blazing horns, soulful guitars, driving drums and basslines combined with Gizelle’s gripping and powerful voice all weave together to create a long player that is varied and coherent at the same time.

[engl] Gyedu-Blay Ambolley was born on the 11th Street in Sekondi, Ghana 72 years ago. on the cover photo you can see on the right side the house of his birth which was also his parental home. The Ghanian legend’s latest release shows off a pride of heritage, and his honed talent for mixing highlife with other genres like rap, Afro-funk and Disco Ghanaian highlife star and renowned saxophonist, singer and guitarist Gyedu-Blay Ambolley returns with 11th Street, Sekondi, his 31th album since his debut in 1973. The charismatic stage personality, no stranger to mixing humour into his music and who has performed alongside Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti and highlife bandleader Ebo Taylor, has been a record collector’s staple since his appearance on the seminal Ghana Soundz compilation on Soundway in 2002, which re-introduced the world to his trademark ‘Simigwa’ style. Highlife, which started in Sierra Leone and Liberia, took hold in Ghana in the 1940s as a coming together of the musicians fed up with the foxtrot and quickstep parties originally hosted by English colonists. It began with big band horns and happy lyrics, popularised by artists such as E.T Mensah, before opening up in the ‘50s and ‘60s with a wave of guitar-driven, socially conscious and more danceable Afro-funk hits -- a product of the easy movement of people between Nigeria and Ghana. It was then that Ambolley’s trademark baritone vocals burst onto the scene, under the tutelage of close personal friend Ebo Taylor. Already an accomplished flautist, drummer, guitarist and singer, Ambolley joined Tricky Johnson’s Sextet -- a band led by ET Mensah’s former guitarist -- as a 15-year-old vocalist in 1963. This was followed by spells with highlife legend Sammey Lartey’s Railways band, then with Taylor in the Stargazers and the Uhuru Dance Band. Ambolley’s musical development was also informed by a love of popular ‘60s US radio show ‘Voice of America Jazz Hour’, a programme packed with artists including Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Ella Fitzgerald. These influences, and a fearless ability to mix highlife with funk, blues, soul and disco were drawn together for Ambolley's 1973 solo album Simigwa, later re-released on Essiebons. The musician says his spoken style not only created a new genre -- inspired by the melodic ravings of a man in his hometown -- but was the first ever example of commercially-recorded rap, six years before the Sugar Hill Gang’s Rapper’s Delight. Ambolley's English and Fanti language tracks then appeared in records and tours throughout the US and the UK, most recently with his band The Sekondi Band International, but it was not until Soundway Records produced the Ghana Soundz compilation in 2002 -- the result of painstaking research by DJ Miles Cleret -- that the highlife artist’s other albums, including ‘Party Time' and ‘The Sekondi Man’, were rediscovered and re-released. This recent resurgence in his career has led to performances at prestigious festivals, such as Montreaux and sees a forthcoming performance at Le Guess Who? In Holland. Ambolley’s latest album, 11th Street, Sekondi, named after the area of West Ghana in which he grew up, is a look back at the area and musical styles that shaped the musician’s life. Black Woman is a funky number that opens the album with Ambolley on a tenor sax solo, while tracks like Little Small Girl showcase his renowned James Brown-influenced vocal flourishes. Soul, jazz, blues and comedy are present -- in keeping with his fervent belief that music must always be entertaining for the listener. The album is the second of his to be released on German label Agogo records, after acclaimed 2017 hit, Ketan. It also stays true to highlife's social ambitions, with reflections on the misguided pursuit of European ideals ahead of African values. Ambolley's career has been filled with accolades, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Charles R Drew University in Los Angeles, and formal recognition from the Ghana Embassy in Washington DC for producing the first ever commercially recorded rap album.

[engl] This time Hamburg Spinners left their home port for an underwater expedition to the open ocean diving for unheard tunes, finger snappers and floaters. Always in danger of encountering the Magic Octopus, a voracious entity who feeds on harmonies, rhythms and breaks -in a word the whole arsenal any musician is lost without and damned to drown in a sea of deadly silence and endless darkness... Listen yourself, enter a different world and witness how the Hamburg Spinners are getting carried away and drawn into the depths. A 20.000-mile plunge into the sea. Honestly! Had you ever thought that one can sink this low? "Der Magische Kraken" is the sophomore album of the Hamburg Spinners, a contemporary soul, mod-jazz and R&B outfit based in Hamburg. Their sound blends floating Hammond organ lines, kinetic, driving grooves, funky breaks, and slicing, economic improvisation. The quartet features Carsten Meyer on Hammond B-3, Dennis Rux on guitar, David Nesselhauf on bass, and Lucas Kochbeck on drums. It was cut live on two weekends in April 2021 in Hamburg's Yeah!-Yeah!-Yeah!-Studios. The chemistry was right and in a truly democratic process ideas were fleshed out, arrangements were done on the spot. A will to collective playing whilst always sticking to the rudimentary basics was in the air. Thus the music could spread out like the arms of an octopus. And though there are limits on the sound of the Hammond organ quartet creativity can burst out & find its way to overcome the limits. Reminiscences of down-to-the-bone songs by Timmy Thomas or Phoenix might come to one's mind when listening to the new Hamburg Spinners album.

[engl] "Skorpion im Stiefel" is the long-awaited debut album by Hamburg Spinners, a contemporary soul, mod-jazz and R&B outfit based in Hamburg/Germany. Their sound blends floating Hammond organ lines, kinetic, driving grooves, funky breaks and slicing, economic improvisation. The quartet features Carsten Meyer on Hammond B-3, Dennis Rux on guitar, David Nesselhauf on bass, and Lucas Kochbeck on drums. "Skorpion im Stiefel" was cut live on a weekend in May 2020 in Hamburg's Yeah!Yeah!Yeah!-Studios with all bandmembers playing together in the same room as a way of capturing their live sound on tape. The only overdubs were a few shouts and some ambient noise. With Meyer's soulful organ sound owing equally to Booker T. Jones, Ingfried Hoffmann as well as Georgie Fame, his gritty soulful sound is buoyed by Rux warm and gripping guitar sound, Nesselhauf’s dynamic bass lines and Kochbeck's tight in-the-pocket drumming. Who needs winners when there’s Hamburg Spinners!?

[engl] The “Hoodna Orchestra” is an 11-piece orchestra established in 2012 in South Tel Aviv by a group of young musicians who became a central force in the Tel Aviv Groove scene. At the beginning of their journey the Orchestra focused on learning and playing Afrobeat, and over time, following the experience of playing diverse musical genres and collaborations with different musicians (Esther Rada, Kutiman, Karolina, Abate Berihun, Gili Yalo and others), the Orchestra developed a unique musical line and sound, characterized by the fusion of different musical styles. During the years 2013-2015, the Orchestra played every major festival in Israel, as well as all the main venues around the country. In June 2015 the Orchestra launched its debut album titled “Let Go”. The album includes original compositions in the spirit of Afrobeat. The album was launched at the Barby Club in Tel Aviv and was very well received by the public. At the end of 2015 the Orchestra launched a new show titled “The Ethiobeat Orchestra.” It featured members of “Adyabo” ensemble (a trio specializing in traditional Ethiopian music), singer Tesfaye Negatu and dancerchoreographer Aviv Abebe Yosef. The show premiered at the InDNegev Festival and was a success, both in the Indie scene and within the Ethiopian community. The “Ethiobeat Orchestra” marked the next stage in the evolution of the Orchestra. Their deep study of East African music and the rich culture of Ethiopian music in particular, generated fertile ground and inspiration for new, striking, original creations, compositions with breadth and expression, as well as new and exciting collaborations. In February 2017, the Orchestra released a new single titled “YELBEN,” the first in a series of collaborations with Ethiopian singers and musicians. YELBEN (“my heart” in Amharic), a collaboration with singer Tesfaye Negatu was released in 7? Vinyl format and won great interest among collectors and fans of music from all over the world. The second release in the series was “ALEM” (“a world” in Amharic), which was written and sung by the singer and poet Demisu Belete. “ALEM” was launched at the 2017 Red Sea Jazz Festival, in which the Orchestra hosted Belete, who arrived especially from Ethiopia for the occasion. In the summer of 2018, the Orchestra was invited to perform in the “African Tage” festival in Vienna. The show featured the singers Tesfaye Negatu and Yaakov Lilay, and marked the end of an era in the orchestra’s life cycle In April 2019, the Orchestra’s second album “OFEL” will be released under the German label Agogo Records. “OFEL” ?(darkness in hebrew) ?is a concept album that includes nine instrumental pieces written and arranged by Ilan Smilan. The various compositions in the album demonstrate the assimilation of the various musical languages played by the Orchestra in recent years (African music, Afrobeat, Ethiopian music and Ethio-jazz), and in combination with the vocabularies of rock, funk and Israeli/Mediterranean music, brings to life a new and original masterpiece. The themes in the album’s pieces are dark and ominous in tone; they come to “illuminate” the harsh aspect of everyday reality that prevails in Israel, and in many parts of the world. Feelings of alienation and disconnection, the rupture of the social fabric, intergenerational and socio-economic gaps, the clash of nations and religions, and the strengthening of various political forces that undermine global stability. These complex themes are addressed by the Orchestra through the use of various tools. One of the main tools chosen by the Orchestra is the use of Ethiopian musical scales, especially Anchihoye and Tezeta minor. Anchihoye, in the Ethiopian tradition, is associated with religious singing, both in Sigd (Ethiopian Jewish holiday) and in the Ethiopian Coptic Church. In addition, songs of war are played on this scale. Tezeta minor is used to express wishes, dreams, and feelings of nostalgia and sentimentality. The new and different interpretation of the Orchestra when playing these scales, together with the horn section in combination with the percussion section’s tight sound create dark and intense melodies and rhythms. Another technique used by the Orchestra to convey to the listener the ominous and dark atmosphere of the album is the use of analog and old recording equipment. This equipment enables the manipulation of sound waves and creation of distortion. The use of these recording techniques creates a compressed and rough sound that suits the general atmosphere of the album. The album was recorded live in the Hoodna Orchestra’s studio in Tel Aviv. The members of the Orchestra built the studio themselves, to give them the creative freedom to achieve their finest work. The entire album production (recording, mixing and mastering) was done by Ilan Smilan.

[engl] "Givin' It All For Free", the new single by James Sayer, features two brand new tracks from his upcoming album, is available as a black vinyl 7inch single limited to 100 copies. "Givin' It All For Free" originally came out in 2018 and has been remixed for this 2020 version. In addition to a brand new vocal from James, the recording was remixed using a vintage Neve desk bringing out the best of the recording & complimenting its new format on vinyl: “This style of 'shuffle/rhythm' always makes me feel so happy and joyful, it's a sound I've always loved since I was a kid. I wanted to capture all those elements with an uplifting feel and groove in a three-minute song." "What Will Be Will Be" on the B-side was co-written in Nashville with the hugely talented songwriter Betsy Walter and features backing vocals by Kim Fleming, Vicki Hampton and Kim Mont (who worked for Millie Jackson, Michael McDonald, Billy Joel, B.B. King and many others) recorded in an old school process to capture their magic singing their vocals all round one microphone as a group.

[engl] Jaqee's last album with the promising title "Fly High" leads the inclined listener into a sometimes idiosyncratic fermentation of street-ready R'n'B, pop aesthetics, jazz intellect, world music earthiness, chanting Afro soul and sensitivity and softness of classical music and orchestral warmth, which is defined by Jaqee's voice throughout all tracks, but never overridden. Thilo "Teka" Jacks, who produced "Fly High", is looking for musical salvation and the courage to change things up in order to illustrate unity, also in busy, heated, African sub-currents like High Life, but also in European dancefloor stereotypes and even traces of soca and merengue, all of course always only thought of, because the real main actor is and remains Jaqee's sustained singing, her unique intonation and her voice, which sometimes sounds clear and angry, other times fragile and sensitive - that's the way it should be. Despite or precisely because of this immensely expressive character of the album, it is advisable to listen to the work several times: Jaqee makes music with sophistication and expression and a look that also allows for sheer black music entertainment, "Fly High" proves this with lasting effect. "Fly High" is now available on vinyl for the first time.

[engl] Jaqee's last album with the promising title "Fly High" leads the inclined listener into a sometimes idiosyncratic fermentation of street-ready R'n'B, pop aesthetics, jazz intellect, world music earthiness, chanting Afro soul and sensitivity and softness of classical music and orchestral warmth, which is defined by Jaqee's voice throughout all tracks, but never overridden. Thilo "Teka" Jacks, who produced "Fly High", is looking for musical salvation and the courage to change things up in order to illustrate unity, also in busy, heated, African sub-currents like High Life, but also in European dancefloor stereotypes and even traces of soca and merengue, all of course always only thought of, because the real main actor is and remains Jaqee's sustained singing, her unique intonation and her voice, which sometimes sounds clear and angry, other times fragile and sensitive - that's the way it should be. Despite or precisely because of this immensely expressive character of the album, it is advisable to listen to the work several times: Jaqee makes music with sophistication and expression and a look that also allows for sheer black music entertainment, "Fly High" proves this with lasting effect. "Fly High" is now available on vinyl for the first time. This is a limited advance art edition.Screenprinted by Philipp Janta.

[engl] Love, Love, Love, Love will make you walk a thousandcmiles to be with her. She is the wisdomcyou long to have, the courage you nevercthought you had. Love is peace, she is patient, she is Kind. Love will heal that infected wound that you long gave up on to heal, more powerful than any weapon of mass destruction. Cuddled up in her grasp, her tears will roll down your face. She’s the real deal. She will fight for you, she will carry the sword for you, She will walk a thousand miles for you. She is sweet, very sweet. Welcome to Jaqee 6th and final album, a closure of a chapter in my artistry so far. This is not the end, it’s just a crossroad that is proudly and lovingly directing me into an unpredictable future. I felt a strong need for healing on this album, so I made way for Vulnerability. I have opened doors that are to be obediently followed as I dig deeper in the understanding of the one thing that we humans yearn so much for. Love is King.

[engl] Jaqee – is rhythm and life ”Places becoming journeys in themselves… Different places where I have lived and learned, places that have made my heart beat, the emotional realms that I have experienced. This is where it all starts, every time. Where I am is where it happens, because I am, there. Here.” She sings. She laughs! And she cries, too. Jaqee cannot tell when music and singing became her life, it has ”just always been there, in my head” she says. Now with the fourth album she has taken a closer look at herself, from every possible angle. No hiding. Different phases, different sides of her personality and musical creativity are all there. All as one. ”I am a diaspora kid, I fell in love with all kinds of music, I let myself embrace it all, because good music, is good music. All the way from Uganda at age 13 to the new home and culture in Sweden, then leaving Sweden as an adult for Berlin – has made me the Jaqee that I am”, says the Ugandan /Swedish artist who also received a Swedish Grammy nomination for her past work. Being on the move is without a doubt an important part of her life. “For me travelling is about being exposed to different perceptions, situations, cultures and extreme emotions, it has always made me grow. How many times have I not thought that: I wouldn’t have experienced this or that, if hadn’t been here. I love that feeling!” Jaqee’s music reflects this constant movement and progress. The album is inspired by places like Berlin, South Africa and Jamaica. The trip to Jamaica resulted in the only collaboration track on “Yes I am” recorded in Kingston with reggae artist Anthony B. Teka, the “Kokoo Girl” and “Yes I am” Producer says: ”This time around, like on the last album, we have worked with our colleagues in different countries. Musicians we love and musicians that are inspiring like Martin Hederos (The Soundtrack of our lives) who arranged the strings on the album. We also had New York drummer Daru Jones of Rusic Records play on some tracks. All these talents enhance the idea and expression that we wanted for “Yes I am”. With the album done, it is again time to hit the road and tour for Jaqee. “Getting out there and meeting the crowd is a high. We laugh, we dance and we get loud together. This is the best part of working with music – having a good time together. Music is a universal language.” On composing music, she admits that this time, more than ever, the words matter. Newly found motherhood has made this album in particular a significant legacy. Every song has a life punctuation of its own she has not limited herself by thinking in genres. Making the tone very straightforward. “The melodies and lyrics are closely intertwined, how I sing a word makes all the difference. Even though I love word play, it has to be very clear. Since I am not educated in reading music, I instead visualize and hear it, it seems to be the way my system works. It is all about rhythm and life, it is “YES I AM“.

[engl] „Good Feeling“ marks the return of Jay W. McGee, one of the most interesting voices from the disco and boogie era of the mid and late Eighties. This abum is Jay W. McGee’s first new recording since his last release more than 25 years ago, covering a selection from boogie to soul and from disco to gospel. The vocals for „Good Feeling“ were recorded in Jay W. McGee’s hometown of Flint/Michigan, while the music was recorded and mixed in Hamburg by up and coming production team The Unbelievable Two. Releasing on various independent labels, Jay W. McGee came up with two albums („Over & Over“ in 1981 and „Survivor“ in 1988), accompanied by a couple of cult 12inch singles which still feature on genre radio and DJ playlists around the world. „Turn Me On“ has been officially re-issued by Légère Recordings in 2013, while „When We Party“ is still a firm favourite among connaisseur DJs. Jay W. McGee started singing gospel music when he was four years old. He toured with a number of funk & soul bands through the USA and Canada during the Seventies and made some great recordings that still have a fresh impact. With „Good Feeling“ he goes for an up-to-date production with true respect of his roots, aiming on the dancefloor and the mind. All ten tracks are new and original compositions by Mr. McGee himself and the production team of Julian „Mzuzu“ Romeike and Matthias „Mucka“ Morgenroth, also known as „The Unbelievable Two“. The styles range from the colourful disco-soul of „Whole Lotta Talk“, the lo-down sexy groove of „Make Time For Love“, the crazy jazz-funk of „Look Here In My Heart“ to the sweet gospel soul of „Do It Right Now“.

[engl] In 2015 US soul, boogie and disco legend Jay W. McGee teamed up with Hamburg producer, multi-talented musician and DJ Julian "Mzuzu" Romeike to record McGee's comeback album "Good Feeling". Even though both artists are from two totally different generations, they got on so well with each other after the official re-release of Jay W. McGee's classic 12inch "Turn Me On" on Légère Recordings two years before that they started to write and record together. After all, it was Julian "Mzuzu" Romeike himself who made Jay W. McGee return to the music business after nearly 15 years of silence. The creative process did not stop with "Good Feeling": "We now have a brilliant combination of fresh songs. Many different accurate beats and of course Jay’s incredible writing and singing skills," says Romeike. "I feel that it’s a great combination of dedication, skills and talent which made this album possible. I work on some grooves and hooks for Jay, he picks the ones he likes and returns a proper song with vocals and arrangement. My production team, The Unbelievable Two, then work on the final mix." "Smooth Crusing" hints towards McGee's classic late seventies sought after sounds like "When We Party" with the first "Uptown, Downtown". The album also includes some reggae touches and smooth soul excursions. "It is such a big pleasure to work with these guys as everything works perfectly together," comments a happy Jay W. McGee. "It has all the ingredients for a classic album. It’s funky and soulful, recorded in a unique modern style. We have a tribute to the good old funky music with 'Old School Love'. A lover's rock orientated tune with 'Chance I Have To Take' and some kind of up to date Afro-Disco-Soul with 'Bounce Back To Me'. And of course, 'Smooth Cruising' is full of funk!"

[engl] On his new record "Companionship", London-based Soft-Rock, Soul and Disco artist Joel Sarakula keeps the mood easy and the grooves deep. Ten new songs see Sarakula develop a deeper, more introspective lyrical style from his previous works as he celebrates and laments friendships, love and loneliness. Interspersed with a few standout up-tempo tracks to keep the ship sailing, “Companionship” is a chill-out album and listening experience of the highest order. "Companionship" opens with "Midnight Driver", a driving soft-rock fantasy where the narrator laments his partner's nocturnal habits: 'When she's coming up, it gets me down'. The Californian sun-kissed guitars, vocal stylings and percussion all help to set a cinematic mood which unsurprisingly also makes it a great driving song. On the introspective "King Of Clowns", Sarakula creates a pop song that calls to mind the craftmanship of Hall & Oates and Elvis Costello. Both an admission of guilt and an unapologetic statement of intent, his low vocal careens in the dangerous divide between self-pity and self-parody: "My bad decisions worked out for a while, I'd do my dance tried to make you smile, I'll never wise up it's just the way I am". These confessions all occur over a down-tempo funk groove complete with some vintage synthesizer musings that makes the track ready to be sampled for a hip-hop record. "Sunshine Makes Me" steps straight out of its mid-1970s swimming pool, heavily dripping in jazz fusion to dry off in the cold light of today's sunshine. The chorus is a mantra of desire, needs and reality that sees Sarakula sing 'Sunshine makes me lose my mind, thirty degrees and my eyes get so wide. Dreaming big and living slow, don't you know that time is on our side". On "Companionship", Joel Sarakula, prolific writer, producer, performer and multi-instrumentalist finally unleashes his chill-out pretensions. In this follow up to the critically acclaimed "Love Club" (2018) he develops a deeper and more mature compositions and production style. His love of all things vintage extends to a devotion to analog synthesizers and on "Companionship" you can hear a genuine love of synthesis that at moments is reminiscent of 70s synth production pioneers Todd Rundgren and George Duke. Joel Sarakula will tour "Companionship" through Europe and the UK this Spring and Summer 2020 with his musical companions. Born in Sydney, based in London and a true internationalist, Sarakula tours with pickup bands sourced from each territory he plays in: a Barcelona band for Spain, a Berlin band for Germany and so forth. This cross-cultural exchange is a sly nod to the golden era of the 1960s and 1970s when travelling US pop, soul and blues artists would do the same.

[engl] Do you like Love songs? After spending a lifetime spent avoiding this subject in song, Joel Sarakula finally admits that he does. On his new album „Love Club“ Sarakula relives the golden age of Soulful and Romantic Pop music and connects it with a modern aesthetic. While a deeper message of love and peace flows through the record, Joel Sarakula is no old fashioned hippie: “‚Love Club’ is about connecting to reality and re-framing the idea of romantic love and loss in the present, loveless age ”. Featuring eleven songs touching all genres from disco to blues, from soul to soft-rock, Joel Sarakula’s “Love Club” is a profound pop statement. Joel Sarakula has travelled the world in search of his muse, experiencing everything from being a victim of Caribbean carjackings to performing in the remote fishing villages of Norway, via the dive bars of Europe and the US. It was the hodge-podge musical tapestry of England’s capital that finally drew him to a settling point, in the wake of seemingly never ending run of shows. With personal tastes that span from the more avant-garde to soul and pop greats like Sly Stone, Todd Rundgren and Hall & Oates, there are clear nods to contemporaries like Unkown Mortal Orchestra, Erlend Oye and Toro Y Moi in terms of ambition and style. With his last two albums “The Golden Age” and “The Imposter” collecting strong radio plays at BBC Radio 2, BBC 6, BBC London, XFM Joel Sarakula has been play-listed nationally in Europe including Flux FM, WDR 5, Radioeins, Bayern 2, Deutschlandfunk and Deutschland Kultur Radio in Germany as well as in Benelux and Italy and Spain. He is a regular fixture on the live festival and club circuit in the UK, Europe and internationally including appearances at SXSW, Primavera Sound, Glastonbury, The Great Escape, Liverpool Sound City, Scala London, Tallinn Music Week, V-ROX (Vladivostok) and Reeperbahnfestival Hamburg. “Love Club” is Sarakula's bold and unashamedly emotional next step. In essence the album is a homage to the soulful singer & songwriter artistry of the Seventies filtered through a darker contemporary lens - fitting for these uncertain times. “I always shied away from generic love songs,” the Sydney, Australia born songwriter admits, “but on this record I embraced the subject wholeheartedly... and intellectually, looking at themes of love, lust, loneliness and everything in-between.” Take the first single “In Trouble”, co-written with Michele Stodart of The Magic Numbers, as the best example for Joel Sarakula’s unique, and honest approach to making music. „We Used To Connect” questions the changing nature of relationships in our social-media addicted world: ‘We used to connect in the real world too, now the touch of your hand is a digital cue'. “Coldharbour Man”, on the other hand, examines the identity of the song's narrator and the artist vs. fan dynamic all wrapped up in a disco love song: “There's a lot going on in this particular track. I feel my writing has grown emotionally...”, explains Joel Sarakula. “Just best to listen yourself and make up your own interpretation!: 'We met in a song come to life like some fantasy cliché, though I'm known for my moves in the dark you flooded sunshine on my day'. Then there’s “Baltic Jam”, capturing romantic love and loss in authentic 70s confessional singer & songwriter style and of course “Dead Heat”, a song about how there is struggle in the most perfect relationship pairings as the match is so even: “I recall an ex-girlfriend of mine... when we first met, we thought we hated each other but we eventually flipped that emotion and realised we had a deep passion and love for each other, there just was a lot of underlying sexual tension!” : 'It's a battle we could only win, if we lose. We'd be stronger if these lonely ones became two'. More than a year in the making, Joel Sarakula recorded „Love Club“ in various studios around London and Berlin capturing soulful performances from his many musical comrades on vintage analogue equipment. “This record has truly been a labour of love. Recording and privately sharing these performances amongst my collaborators started to feel like a bit like a club – I guess that lead to the album title! I was surprised how much I actually enjoyed the ‘love-making process’ and I look so much forward to playing these new songs on stage with my band.” We can’t wait, Joel Sarakula.

[engl] I can't begin to tell you how many people want this album. The original press is always sold over 1000 usd. Recorded and edited in 1980 in a small local press in North Carolina, it became a cult and a holy grail LP over the decades. In 2016 the producer Kon revised “Tin Top” in a edit that elevated it to the anthem of dance floors.

[engl] Australian ‘down-under’ dusty jazzfunk and gritty rare grooves ensemble return on their 4th studio album (written and constructed during the last 12-18 months of the cv-19 climate) Kerbside Collection’s 4th studio album of dusty, gritty jazzfunk grooves ‘Round the Corner’ is wrapped up in a story from start to finish and their most ambitious output to date. Opening with the slightly pointy, gritty-brass-lead, swung ballad ‘Ortigas’(Spanish botanical name of a highly irritating plant species) referring to when the global pandemic initially struck back in February-March 2020, followed by a classic dusty Kerbside funky instrumental groove prelude. Before the album kicks in proper, with a sizzling rendition of a Banda Black Rio rarity (from their now legendary 1977 debut album) giving hints at what’s to come from the rest of the album with its jazz-rock-funk-fusion inflections, strutting grooves and super tight brass section. Things stay funky with a tribute to one of Australia’s finest funk combos - Cookin’ on 3 Burners (the leader of which - Jake Mason - recorded their first album - Mind The Curb, and guested on their previous record Smoke Signals and the warmly received funky reggae single ‘Cajun Jollof’). A fun lovin’, home-cooked-style, garage-funk number with scratchin’ guitars and organ bubbling away underneath the funky flute and brass section, complete with bongo, b-boy, drum break workout. Title track ‘Round The Corner’ refers to some of the ‘unknowns’ and ‘uncertainties’ around the corner post cv-19, but also an uplifting acid-jazz funk groove affirmation looking forward to the positive things, and seasons to come round these kinds of unknown bends, featuring the rubbery, pulsating bass playing of Lachlan ‘Swampdog’ Symons and acoustic piano solo from Andrew Fincher, sharp drum grooves wrapped up into a dancefloor-friendly, contemporary live jazzfunk tune with the core rhythm section in raw, upfront trio mode.The track embodies some of the current resurgence of live jazz-house-crossover sounds coming out of Australia (Horatio Luna/First Biege) whilst also reminding us of acid-jazz music from people like Incognito, The Rebirth, and Herbie Hancock's 70's jazz-fusion years. ‘Curaidh’ conjures up some slightly Vulfpeck stripped back style grooves, lead by the funky 1970’s electric Yamaha piano and a delta-blues guitar solo workout to finish. The track title takes its name from a Gaelic/Celtic dialect word reference to ‘warrior’, penned by the collection’s long time Scottish keys collaborator Euan Gardiner, responsible for one of the groups classic soul-jazz ballads ‘41 Bernhard’ (from 1st album 2011). Things then begin to simmer down with the golden, rustic, slightly Stevie Wonder-ish grooves of ‘Glaze’ featuring new additions and instruments never heard on a Kerbside Collection record yet – including Clavinet, Bass Clarinet and a string section, accompanied by lush fender Rhodes, jazzy guitar flourishes and some silky flute work throughout for fans of vintage 4hero, early Jamiroquai, and Mizell Brothers cinematic funk moments. Before things cool down proper, with a mesmerising version of a Joe Sample coastal, soul-jazz classic, featuring Brazilian flautist Ney Oliveira and the breathtaking, breezy, strings section arranged by Brisbane composer Cam Bower, (and featuring the drummer’s mum on violin). ‘New Day, New Year’ is an organic, stripped back, calming, contemplative piano lead, soul-jazz, head-nod piece; featuring again the lush string ensemble and the band’s tight rhythm section trio foundation, holding things down in the groove. The album finishes with 2 stylistically different, but also complimentary works. First up a sizzling piano-trio style lead, latin-jazz number (for fans of some classic Blue Note, Horace Silver vibes) with 2 tasty solos from the virtuosos on the album - Papa Joe on baritone sax and Andrew Fincher on acoustic baby grand piano – one for the jazz dancers! Closing with a sublime, summery, soul-reggae outro, referring to some of the song’s origins (on the coasts of Portugal), but also emanating some coastal South Pacific sounding flavours from the band’s home town surrounds - a pleasant way to end the record and the story of things ‘Round the Corner’.

[engl] Jazz funk and gritty rare grooves ensemble from down under - Kerbside Collection - return with their third record Smoke Signals! Continuing in a down home, instrumental approach, but this time combining updated ideas and flavours into their spectrum of warm, analogue, dusty grooves from more frequent fender-rhodes electric jazz elements, to New Orleans sprinklings alongside their 60’s inspired West Coast style. Smoke Signals continues the wilder tones, textures and ‘library’ sounds of extra instrumentation where previous ‘Trash or Treasure’ left off, whilst introducing hints of fusion and cinematic analogue electric colours into the mix - bringing things into slightly early 70s territory. Opening with the lush, chilled, palate of Waiting Game, remeniscent of some classic Air ‘Moon Safari’ grooves, before the album properly begins with a fresh rendition of the rhodes heavy Cedar Walton 70’s jazz funk classic ‘Jacob’s Ladder’. Then straight into the street-styled jazzbongo breaks and funky-flute of ‘Traffic’, a skankin’ New Orleans reggae homage to one of its finest Creole dishes, featuring funky hammond organ curtosy of guest Jake Mason (Cookin’ on 3 Burners/Jake Mason Trio) and tasty piano work from multi instrumentalist Andrew Fincher who handles both guitar and keys on the whole record. The middle of the record comes with a steaming afro funk workout, and a low slung N’awlins styled blues ‘n’ soul groover, both featuring the fruity, low-end brass action of Papa Joe on baritone sax, before taking a gentle, restfull breather with the delightful, soulful, rhodes ballad ‘Little Mountain’; and a ‘waltz-jazz-wig-out’ attributed to their label’s A&R Mr Mellow (remeniscent of some humerous UK acid jazz ala Corduroy and James Taylor Quartet) featuring some beautiful jazzy flugelhorn, and acoustic double bass. The album wraps up with another cover - a grittier reinterpretation and arrangement of a Bob James 80s jazzfunk classic ‘Westchester Lady’ complete with funky flute and soaring guitar solo, before closing with the explosive rock-funk workout and title track ‘Smoke Signals’ (another car reference)........ rounding out a record with a full spectrum of handmade raw jazzfunk, soul, funky reggae, library and gritty rare grooves....enjoy! “Power funk & timeless grooves...” (Phil - Wicked Jazz Sounds / NL)

[engl] “Funky flute galore — and tunes that step out with an energy that’s hard to deny! " Dusty Groove USA "Blow me if it isn’t some sort of crazy-ass, fuzz-heavy, flute-funk antics!" Monkeyboxing.com "Kind & Kinky Zoo get fuzzy whenever they can, and their diverse influences draw from the aforementioned genres (afrobeat and psychedelia), as well as garage, rock and roll, and more. A freakout on all levels." Flea Market Funk "Brilliant! Lovin' it!" Craig Charles, BBC 6 In 2005, a new zoo opened in Lausanne, Switzerland. Its wild animals have been going bananas in their quest to create a more dancefloor-friendly world. Now released, the zoo residents can be tracked by their heavy funk smells. Follow their scent past retro-psychedelia and turn left after organic garage. „Released!“ is the debut album by Kind & Kinky Zoo. It is a collection of brand new tracks, early singles as well as remixes and features a guest apperance by rapper Afu-Ra.

[engl] new soul.

[engl] Dutch musician and producer Phil Martin has always been interested in the West Coast music scene and distinctive sound from the late 70s era. Artist like Steely Dan, Hall & Oates, The Doobie Brothers, Fleetwood Mac and The Eagles all featured heavily in his diet of music when he was growing up. As a producer and songwriter, Phil has historically been more active in soul and jazz music. He has produced albums for successful projects such as The Jazzinvaders, Laura Vane and the Vipertones and The Soul Snatchers, all busy touring bands with international radio support. After working on a project with singer Lo van Gorp (Garp) from the Netherlands, Phil found the perfect vocal fit to his recordings for his own West Coast flavoured pop album. Together with other songwriters like Joel Sarakula and Laura Vane he began writing and producing songs. Lo van Gorp is a well known backing singer and saxophonist in Holland, recognized for his work backing many bigger artists like Marco Borsato, Paul Carrack, Roger Hodgson, Chaka Khan, Trijntje Oosterhuis and Al Jarreau, to name a few. The sound of Martin & Garp can best be described as feel-good, radio friendly melodies romantically looking back to California in the 70s. In amongst the catchy guitar and synth licks and luxurious harmonies, the theme is the unifying effect of music in the quest for sunny optimism. This album spills groovy rhythms like in the first single “Making Up”, together with jazz harmonies and smooth vocals as in the second single “Told You Straight”. Imagine that ‘feel-good record’ that has to be played loudly in your convertible, recorded by super-pro musicians on original analog equipment. Cruising down the coast with the wind in your hair, darting in and out of the shade created by beach-side palm trees: That’s “Sentimental Fools”.

[engl] A unique longplayer by Germany’s Funk champions The Mighty Mocambos: ‘Scénarios’ is a wild journey through iconic performances captured on 8-track tape, including celebrated versions of breakdance favourites like ‘Axel F.’ And ‘Let The Music Play’ as well as brand new original material composed especially for recordings in unusual settings. Hamburg’s deep funk chefs are known for their intuitive recordings that capture the energy of a live performance, and with this record they go all the way. Just before the pandemic, the group recorded an in-store live session at legendary Hamburg record shop Groove City and taped an impromptu performance at JAM PDM! breakdance battle in Potsdam. Both were released on vinyl 45s, quickly sold out and became secret weapons for DJs. While most bands shifted their stage to the studio in 2020, producing an abundance of isolated lockdown-inspired material, the Mighty Mocambos – never shy of an antidote – took the mobile version of their recording studio on the road. With no audience allowed at the Pitt Hopkins Music Session charity concert, the group used the occasion to compose meditative folk-soul instrumentals to be performed exclusively on stringed instruments. Sweaty funk does not work via video stream, but the format provided a welcome opportunity to create something entirely different. Even without electricity and drums, the cinematic “Four Two Three” and “Silent Heroes” are unmistakably recognizable as Mocambo themes. When you follow Nina Simone’s credo that an “artist’s duty is to reflect the times”, it became evident that once the world slowly started opening up again, further concerts would be captured on the group’s portable Fostex R-8 tape machine. Luckily, restrictions fell on the very evening that the band hit the open air stage at the Import Export in Munich on September 11th 2021. The extended afrobeat-inspired jam on J.J. Cale’s “Carry On” witnesses people celebrating and dancing together again for the first time after a year and the manic “Munich Psycholympics” unleashes all bottled-up energies that had being lying dormant. The slightly kafka-esque “Ghost Walk” was taped during a soundcheck for a concert that was eventually called off for safety reasons, reflecting once more the uncertainty of the time. The last scénario sees the Mighty Mocambos returning to a packed indoor venue, playing “Let The Music Play” to a audience of b-boys and -girls – a testament to the sheer power of music. Featured as an encore here, an acoustic version of “Where Do We Go From Here?” (originally recorded with Lee Fields) closes the record and its restless voyage through unusual recording situations. “Scénarios” differs drastically from other live albums as it does not seek to replicate existing material from studio albums. All songs were written or arranged especially for the live recordings in order to combine the group’s DJ-friendly trademark sound with added vibes and momentum from the audience. Most of them were recorded while they were performed in public for the first time ever.

[engl] The Mighty Mocambos’ new album “Showdown” sets another cornerstone in their prolific career as a globally active instrumental funk outfit. While maintaining their organic approach of recording real musicians live on tape, the group has refined their trademark sound with a dramatic edge, a hard hitting production and ventures into less obvious musical territories. While highly enjoying themselves as the tight unit they are, The Mighty Mocambos invited an exciting list of guests to contribute to their musical “Showdown”: German film composer icon Peter Thomas, hiphop godfather Afrika Bambaataa, rap legends Charlie Funk aka Afrika Islan (member of the original Rocksteady Crew) and Donald D (of Ice-T’s Rhyme Syndicate), plus Nichola Richards, Shawn Lee, DeRobert from peer label GED Soul in Nashville, Zulu Nation MCs Deejay Snoop & DJ Hektek and organ genius Guillaume Metenier all joined the group for their new musical adventure. With two highly successful albums under their belt as The Mighty Mocambos and a plethora of singles and music under different monikers such as the Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, this new full-length is by no means the final battle, indeed the show has just begun. The album shows a group who is prepared to stand up with anyone in the game. Their guns are heavy beats, epic horns, dual guitars and outstanding compositions – and they are locked and loaded. The Showdown theme also reflects our times, and the group continues to spread the vision of “peace, unity, love and having fun(k)” by choosing musical instrumenents as their weapons of choice. The songs come along as coherent as they are diverse in nature. The old school discofied breakdance tune “It’s The Music” and the funked up Rolling Stones cover “Hot Stuff” were released as a vinyl singles before. Both were playlisted by the BBC and have become club favourites by DJs like Craig Charles. Both songs are from the ongoing collaboration with Afrika Bambaataa and Charlie Funk, this time they brought Hektek and Deejay Snoop with them for some chants and talkbox. The epic opening track “Road To Earth” features the one and only Peter Thomas on piano and orchestral arrangements. Thomas wrote over 500 film scores, most widely known are his works for the 60s Sci-Fi series “Space Patrol”, “Chariot Of The Gods” or German cult crime series like “Edgar Wallace”. “In The Dark” introduces young soul singer Nichola Richards with a fine piece of sister funk. Her personal showdown is love-related. “The Spell Of Ra-Orkon” is a sinister afro-funk inspired instrumental with a fantasy score chorus. “Political Power” unites Afrika Bambaataa, Charlie Funk and Donald D for a bold statement against repression by politics and media. “Drifting Stars” is a take on Sixties sci-fi erotica instrumentals from an indie hiphop point of view. “Not Get Caught” is DeRobert (of the DeRobert & the Half Truths) telling a story about committing a crime on a low down funk beat. Dee arguably has the most amazing soul voice of our generation, and it’s hard not to believe his showdown story. “Catfight” is an uptempo soulshaker with a mysterious Eastern flavour and a tripped out downtempo break, featuring well travelled multi-instrumentalist and tiger Shawn Lee on a variety of exotic string instruments. Cats have their showdown too. “Locked And Loaded” is cowbell breaks at their best, another b-boy favourite for a one to one, while the title track was meant to combine spaghetti western and blaxploitation aesthetics with soul drums. It ended up sounding like the Mighty Mocambos with more trumpets, which it actually is, and which is brilliant.