Review: Alexander Flood feat. Vivian Sessoms - Can’t Get Enough (Atjazz Record Company)

Atjazz Record Company have done it again, the floodgates are open for 'Can’t Get Enough' for the new dancefloor season with vocal 'find' of the year so far, 'Vivian Sessoms!

Still hot on  Alexander Flood last release on the Atjazz label, 'Life Is A Rhythm' featuring Cazeaux O.S.L.O (see review HERE) and now we've got the second single, 'Can’t Get Enough' from the forthcoming album ‘Artifactual Rhythm’ and Ms. Sessoms gets all the love on the dancefloor.

And as you won't be able to get enough, even with a instrumental and radio edit, because it's already earmarked as a big Flute Gang favourite for 2025 already!

Increasing the demand for the album release in April, this is a big tune.

P.S. it also features Finn Rees who is 50% of Close Counters, with a review of their new release 'Lovers Dance Academy' coming HERE next week.

Artist: Alexander Flood feat. Vivian Sessoms

Title: Life Is A Rhythm
Release date: 7th February, 2025
Label: Atjazz Record Company
Catalog Number: ARC260ADS2

Vivian Sessoms - Vocals
Alexander Flood - Drums, keybass, additional keyboards, production, programming
Erica Tucceri - Flute
Finn Rees - Rhodes

Review: Alexander Flood - Life Is A Rhythm (feat. Cazeaux O.S.L.O) (Atjazz Record Company)

Once more, the Atjazz Record Co. have trawled the world of music and produced proof that 'Life Is A Rhythm' with Alexander Flood and Cazeaux O.S.L.O.

This is quite a bit different from the Ernesto & the Basement Gospel's 'Is It True?' released on the label last month (see review HERE) but we've come across Cazeux O.S.L.O a couple of times in the past, Hannah Macklin's 'Mu' (see review HERE) and Rat Child's 'My Morning and Afternoon's Work' (see review HERE) but not Alexander Flood.

This is an early first outing prior to Flood's album release early next year.  You may recall the sort after aussie drummer was part of the jazz-funk-soul-hip-hop 'Shaolin Afronauts' but 'Life Is a Rhythm' (Ed. There's a drummer's title if ever I heard one) is one for folk that love that Roy Ayers proto-house disco matched with spoken word and flute (Erica Tucceri) gang solos.

The Joe Causell, Osunlade et al vibe is aided with Brazilian percussionist Aduni on congas and Cuban percussionist Alexander Scull Castillo on bata so instrumental version is just as compeling as the vocal (both being nearly 8 minutes long); the rest of the band is made up of Dylan Paul (bass) and Finn Rees (keys) and is there a touch of '1000 Fingered Man' to this - always a good sign!

Once more, proof that there's a big scene down under and this track will hold the dancefloor - definitely earmarked for the Colour & Pitch session mix this month so be prepared to be impressed.

Artist: Alexander Flood feat. Cazeaux O.S.L.O

Title: Life Is A Rhythm
Release date: 15th November, 2024
Label: Atjazz Record Company
Catalog Number: ARC260ADS1
Format: Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Ernesto & The Basement Gospel - Is It True? (Atjazz Record Company)

Is it true? Original mix plus eight others! You bet it is and Ernesto gets into the basement for this soul-gospel-house future classic.

The original is outstanding as Atjazz Record Company gets even deeper than their last release (Magic Number's 'All I Ever Wanted' with remixes (see review HERE) so on this one there's a Dirtytwo remix, a Peacey remix, a Atjazz remix, a radio mix, a Peacey radio mix,  a Peacey instrumental radio mix a Peacey instrumental remix, a Atjazz instrumental remix - not much time go to church after all that lot.

You may recognise Ernesto from the 90s as 50% of Swell Seesion (with Andreas Saag), as Pinku Vääty or as Jonathan Bäckelie, Swedish soul singer/musician/producer and mover/shaker in the Gothenburg Jazz Hipsters.   With so many credits on club friendly releases, is it any wonder Peacey is abel to jazz-house up 'Is It True?' and it's the one I'd put money on for radio/dancefloor action.

Atjazzy and Ernesto go back many years (Exceptional Records days I guess) and Dirtytwo are fellow Swedes, production duo from Norrköping who have caught the ears of Peking House, Razor 'n' Tape, Local Talk, JKriv, Homero Espinosa and many more; i.e. proper incrowd as opposed to SHM.

Seems like a good time to make Sweden trendy again - it must be true!

As featured on Colour & Pitch sessions, October 2024 with Will Sumsuch

Colour and Pitch · Colour and Pitch Sessions with Sumsuch - October 2024

Artist: Ernesto & the Basement Gospel

Title: Is It True?

Release date: 18th October, 2024

Label: Atjazz Record Company

Catalog Number: ARC248SD

Format: Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Magic Number - All I Ever Wanted (Atjazz Remixes) (Atjazz Record Company)

After a while, you'll all be saying, "All I Ever Wanted" was an Atjazz Remix!

Taken from the album, 'Badly Written Songs' (see review HERE), it was one of our favourites for the deepness of those synths and the vocals of Sophia Marshall (Ed. are we're that easy to please?)

Earmarked for a remix release, Atjazz (aka Martin Iverson) has had another two goes a "summer" pop remix and the wider Astro remix. All with instrumental versions all with the original, this is definitely six of the best.

This is your 2024 summer sound right here, so take it that 6 is the new Magic Number.

Artist: Magic Number 

Title: All I Ever Wanted (Atjazz Remixes)

Release date: 24th May, 2024

Label: Atjazz Record Company

Catalog Number: ARC240ADS4

Format: Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Clyde Beats - Hyper Reality 2 (An English Gentleman) (Atjazz Record Company)

There was a 'Hyper Reality' back in 2008 so we've had quite a wait for Clyde Beats to link up with the neighbourhood Atjazz master for 'Hyper Reality 2 (An English Gentleman)'

Naming the difficult 2nd album, 'Hyper Reality 2 (An English Gentleman)’ didn't take much energy and adding 'Beats' to Clyde didn't take a mere 16 years, but the sense of funk for these 15 tracks might have.

'I Love Your Sound' (aka 'ILVURSND') Is a great place to start and a real marker for beats meets house.  As with the post brkn-beat origins, 'Dark World' and 'Snapped' both featuring Jakka Blakes and Manny Mark gets the hip-hop heads a nodding and the bass-bins a-wobblin'; in a Japanese Garden in 'Snapped's case. 

You'll recall OVEOUS from Peacey's 'Play It By Ear' album see review HERE and possibly the deep spoken vocal on Afefe Iku's 'Mirror Dance) and talking of Peacey, he turns up on 'Hyper Reality 2 (An English Gentleman)' on a track called 'Better' which echos some 'golden era' Peven Everett. 

Talking of which, horns are provided by Octavio N. Santos on 'Better', 'Hold Me Back' and 'I Quit' (featuring 5vvanky in explicit and clean versions) and give it that authentic back in the day original sound.

As always, exciting times for all things Atjazz and the album is eagerly anticipated and I can imagine the switchboard buzzin' with remix offers as they used to do back in the day but, I'd say, "Hold Me Back" and lets enjoy this album as it's close to beat perfection.

Artist: Clyde Beats

Title: Hyper Reality 2 (An English Gentleman)

Release date: 22nd May, 2024

Label: Atjazz Record Company

Catalog Number: ARC247ADS1,Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Clyde Beats - Rising Up (feat. Amalia) (Atjazz Record Company)

All rise for single of the week, Clyde Beat's 'Rising Up' featuring Amalia on vocals that's out now on Atjazz Record Company.

Last week Atjazz released Peacey's album 'Play It By Ear' (see review HERE) and they don't seem to have taken that advice themselves as they've blugeoned themselves with a post-Prince mega funker with 'Rising Up'.

But Mr. Beats is no stranger to such adulation, albeit it's been 21 years since his big hit 'Serve It Up (featuring Capitol A.- last seen here on Joseph Malik's 'Album Of The Year', 'Proxima Ebony - see review HERE) and 16 years since since debut album 'Hyper Reality'.  Clearly, it's not that he's had problems with the title of the "difficult 2nd album" as it's going to be called; wait for it... 'Hyper Reality 2 (An English Gentleman)’.

As always, exciting times for all things Atjazz and the album is eagerly anticipated.

Artist: Clyde Beats

Title: Rising Up feat. Amalia

Release date: 12th April 2024

Label: Atjazz Record Company

Catalog Number: ARC247ADS1,Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Peacey - Play It By Ear (Atjazz Record Company)

Atjazz Record Company have excelled themselves with Peacey's debut album as they 'Play It By Ear'.

We've been excited by the earlier singles, 'Playground' featuring Rona Ray (see review HERE), 'Culture Bandit' featuring Vanessa Hidary (see review HERE), 'Hold Me Back' featuring Clyde & Atjazz (see review HERE) that are all including here but we didn't expect another 13 high quality modern soul drenched tracks.

Head straight for 'Falling Down' featuring Sarai Jazz (great name BTW), 'Love In The Forest' featuring OVEOUS (Oh! That's a voice to slip into!), 'Find A Way' and 'Running' featuring Sabrina Chyld, 'The Mandarin Affair' featuring Clyde, 'In The Distance' featuring Laroye and ending with 'Don't Send Us Back' featurig Emilie Chick [as featured on the March Colour & Pitch Sessions mix - see below].  All new names for us to follow in the future.

It's hard to comprehend that this is a debut album as it's so deep throughout that's melds house, R&B soul, nu-jazz beats, boogie in a fusion of Atjazz style pleasure. It's the opposite lightness bass to the dark bass of Timedance/Ilian Tape (see 'BeatutySick' review HERE: wouldn't it be fun if they did remixes for each other?).

This is going to be featured on many a play (it by ear) as tracks like 'Running' and 'Don't Send Us Back' are just perfect for club and radio ('Running would be even better with a 12" version with dub-extensions - watch this space) whilst the Atjazz collab on 'Afternoon Delight' is a heavy post-dubstep UKG jazz up (great trumpet and another that could go super dubby).

Whilst the artwork indicates that this album is 'taken' from lots of different records/vinyl/styles, if you play it by ear, it's mostly definitely Peacey - many thanks 'Dear Uncle Tim' for being an inspiration. 

Colour and Pitch · Colour and Pitch Sessions with Sumsuch - March 2024

Artist: Peacey

Title: Play It By Ear

Release date: 5th April 2024

Label: Atjazz Record Company

Catalog Number: ARC230AD Digital / Bandcamp

Reviews: Peacey - Playground (feat. Rona Ray) (Atjazz Record Company)

The wait for the Peacey album continues but that's cool whilst Atjazz keep teasing us with singles like 'Playground' with instrumental and acid versions. 

Following on from the "holiday" release of 'Cultural Bandit' that featured the 'angry' and insightful spoken word poetry of Vanessa Hidary (see review HERE) this track is more of a post UKG boogie soul that features the vocals of Rona Ray whilst deep in the background in the spirit of Roger Troutman (Mr Peacey knows his synth history I reckon).

And it's the synth acid vocal version and dub that's going to get some serious club plays if you ask me.

Strongly suspect one of these tracks will be featured on this months' Colour & Pitch Sessions mixtape (see below) and 'Playground', like Culture Bandit' and ‘Play It By Ear’, are from the forthcoming Peacey album 'Play It By Ear' that's due out in a couple of months. 

Artist: Peacey

Title: Playground feat. Rona Ray

Release date: 23rd February 2024

Label: Atjazz Record Company

Catalog Number: ARC230ADS3 Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Magic Number - Badly Written Songs (Atjazz Record Company)

What could be better than another album on Atjazz Record Company that brought you singles by Magic Number last year?  Only the full album itself and it's now out!

It's no secret that we loved 'Good Morning Sunshine' (see review HERE) and 'Better' (see review HERE) and I'm pleased to say that these two tracks do no overwhelm the other excellent seven tracks on the album entitled 'Badly Written Songs'.

Of course, what all these tracks do is to reinforced that the album's title is firmly in the self-deprecating tongue in cheek-to-cheek on a dancefloor as Magic Number (aka Ross Hillard) has brought all his experience of working with the likes of Louie Vega, DJ Spen, Kerri Chandler, Lay-Far and Atjazz (to name a few) to produce a soul-house album that musically have has elements of Matthew Herbert with the horns of a Big Band together with the vocals of Sophia Marshall who has a vocal style that reminds of Róisín Murphy, Alison Goldfrapp, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and at times, a Lana Del Rey.

'Thinkin' Bout' and 'SFS' are very Herbert 'jazz' and 'SFS' could be yet another single as could 'Loving You' that's is more in the mainstream and I'd say 'Was This Love' is very radio earworm you won't be able to get it out of your head (love the vibes on this one); and then 'All I Ever Wanted' isn't too far behind all of them with those deep synths and bassline. 

Whilst it's all very clever, 'Exit' might be the most obvious dance track with a great some catchy hook and I suspect Mr. Atjazz (Martin Iveson) must have been more than enthusiastic hearing this album by his mate as you can see in you minds eye/ear that he's thinking of a remix or to: both of their address books must be full of canidates but in all honesty, if that is in the future, there's no rush as this album/all these tracks are going to be on many a chart listing this year and if they can make the summer festival circuit, they're going to be very busy indeed.

Artist: Magic Number
Title: Badly Written Songs
Release date: 9th February, 2024

Label : Atjazz Record Company

Catalog Number : ARC240AD Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Magic Number - Better (Atjazz Record Company)

Not sure about the artwork, but it's 'Better' than most when we think about what's going on in the world.

You'll recall the perfect summer song of 'Good Morning Sunshine' featuring Sophia Marshall (see review HERE) and they are back just before the festive season with what would be an surprise Christmas No. 1 (but, you never know).

With hopeful lyrics around the theme of being 'Better', lets make sure we are and get ready for the album 'Bady Written Songs' that's coming out early in the new year.

Artist: Magic Number
Title: Better
Release date: 8th December, 2023

Label : Atjazz Record Company

Catalog Number : ARC240ADS3 Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Peacey - Culture Bandit (feat. Vanessa Hidary) (Atjazz Record Company)

Cultural bandits get exposed whilst you dance to the Nuyprican house of Peacey. 

The 'angry' and insightful spoken word poetry of Vanessa Hidary (to match up with/against  Philly's CRT Kameelah Waheed (see review HERE), there is a prospect of hope and peace comes with her greedy Kimchi cultural thief.

It kinda sounds heavy, well, compared to Daniel Wang's view of New York 90s house parties and living with RuPaul (Ed. amazing) but were not judging hear as we get even deeper in the cultural primordial beats with an Osunlade Yoruba Soul Mix (times two) and Atjazz vocal/instrumental remixes; blimey, this harks back to BBE/Soul Jazz Records at their peaks.

No wonder that it's featured on this months' Colour & Pitch Sessions mixtape (see below).

'Culture Bandit' is from the forthcoming Peacey album ‘Play It By Ear’, like the first single, 'Hold Me Back' featuring Clyde & Atjazz (see review HERE), it's going to be another close thing for 'Album Of The Year' to South Beach Recycling (see review HERE) that came out at a similar time last year on the same label - what a year for Ajazz!

Colour and Pitch · Colour and Pitch Sessions with Sumsuch - November 2023

Artist: Peacey
Title: Culture Bandit (feat. Vanessa Hidary)

Release date: 15th December, 2023 vinyl 01.12.23

Label: Atjazz Record Company

Catalog Number: ARC230ADS2 Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Abel - Cosmic Law (Atjazz Record Company)

The buzz for the 'Cosmic Law' release has been around for a while now but even the two singles didn't prepare us for this 11 track opus.

Yes, stunned by the singles, 'Jazz In The Room' (see review HERE) and 'Can’t Let You Go', featuring Rona Ray (see review HERE), this new album on Atjazz's label threatens to topple our other favourite Album of the Year' that happen's to be on his label too, South Beach Recycling's 'Obsessive Compulsive Disco' (see review HERE): and now with remixes! (HERE).

And expect to be still stunned as the opener is like that fast paced jazz fuelled funker that you'd wished Santana or Weather Report had produced with a big dollop of Azymuth; like 'Latin Love' and the dreamy gallop of 'Let's Meet Again' with the added bonus of some fine trumpet playing (apparently, it's all the rage once more: really 'Jazz In The House' is close to perfect).

'In My Dreams' another track featuring Rona Ray on vocals is more housey as is 'Come And Save Me' (feat Sabrina Chyld) that's sort of linked by the dreamy Balearic mood of 'Glasshouse' and 'Dusk'.

Shouldn't be no surprise to anyone as how good this is when we discover Abel (aka DJ/Collector Steve Butler is joined here by Lloyd Wright (he of Smoove & Turrell), members of Knats and Magic Number (also on Atjazz, see HERE) and if you like your house artisan, get onto 'Hand Made' featuring Brutha Basil - in the style of Darren Price's 'The Real House Music' (see review HERE).

Expect to hear more 'Cosmic Law' on the forthcoming YATM Radio Show with tracks like 'I Just Can't Wait' (another feat. Ms Chyld) back to back with Sun Palace's 'Rude Movements' (still available on BBE) in the Old n' New feature (constantly thinking about quality music); in the meantime, don't hang around and get ordering/buying; you don't want to be thinking how you'd let it go!

Artist: Abel

Title: Cosmic Law

Release date: 20th October, 2023

Label : Atjazz Record Company

Catalog Number : ARC250AD Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Peacey - Hold Me Back (feat. Clyde & Atjazz) (Atjazz Record Company)

Fans of Atjazz will know his label is diversifing into more soulful areas and were not going to suggest there's any back tracking on the strength of this new single, Peacey's 'Hold Me Back'.

It's been a hectic time for the label as it's released Magic Number' 'Good Morning Sunshine' (see review HERE) at one extreme and the trio of remixes by South Beach Recycling at the other (some dancefloor excellence, see review HERE)

'Hold Me Back' is definitely closer to 'Good Morning Sunshine' as it bounces along with some hard horns of Toronto-based Octavio N. Santos.

This is the first taste of an album due out next year; yummy.

Artist: Peacey

Title: Hold Me Back (feat. Clyde & Atjazz)

Release date: 13th October, 2022

Label: Atjazz Record Company

Catalog Number: ARC230AD Digital / Bandcamp

Review: South Beach Recycling - C Dog's Wish (Craig Smith's Lightyears Dub) (Atjazz Record Company)

Do we love a mid-week remix? We certainly do when South Beach Recycling meets up with Craig Smith for a journey into the outer-reaches of Theo Parrish's excelsior space travel disco ball service.

South Beach Recycling (let's call 'em SBR) released one of our favourite albums of the year with 'Obsessive Compulsive Disco' (also on Atjazz Record Company - see review HERE) and this remix with the tolling bell of Whitby (or should that be Portland Bill) is so mesmerizing.  Throw in some disco moves and it's the perfect single for this time of year.

So there's the remix and the original version and you'll love 'em both whether you're in Detroit or Derby.

Artist: South Beach Recycling 

Title: C Dog's Wish (Craig Smith's Lightyears Dub) 

Release date: 19th September, 2022

Label: Atjazz Record Company

Catalog Number: Digital / Bandcamp

 
 

Review: Abel - Jazz In The Room (Atjazz Record Company)

Talk about on a roll, here's the follow-up release to Abel's 'Can’t Let You Go' featuring Rona Ray (see review HERE) and it comes with two remixes.

It was only a couple of weeks ago we got very excited about Mr OFFBeat's 'ZEZEN' release on Atjazz (see review HERE) and here's Abel's new one that captures 'Jazz In The Room' like Paul Murphy, Gilles Peterson, Kev Beadle and Colin Curtis were on a 24 hour bender; all vinyl of course.

The beautiful guitar (Lloyd Wright) is dominated by te trumpet (Ferg Kisby) on the remix versions.  With beautiful 'Sun Ra'-ish artwork you get seven minutes of Jimpster's remix (one for the "flute gang") and another seven of Peacey's groovin' dub style remix which really works that trumpet/synth.

We're told that the album, 'Cosmic Law' is out at the end of October and it's definiitely in the "must have" folder along with South Beach Recycling (see HERE) and Si Tew (see HERE) which came out at the start of the year. 

Artist: Abel

Title: Jazz In The Room

Release date: 8th September, 2023

Label : Atjazz Record Company

Catalog Number : ARC250ADS2 Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Mr OFFBeat - Zezen (Atjazz Record Company)

Fans of Atjazz will know that there's never going to be a moment when a new release from him or Atjazz Record Company isn't going to be of the highest quality; but even then, new EPs like Mr OFFBeat show's that he/they can excel themselves.

So, you're going say, who's Mr OFFBeat? Well, it's brand new sound of Xabier 'Javi' Garayalde who previously has been known as 50% of Kyodai and 50% of Wagon Cookin' (along with his brother).

Luckily for us, it's no just his brother that he collaborated with as not only can he count on own skills as a multi-instrumentalist talents for the jazz-funk side of this project, there's his Dad on sax ready to help out.

And, dare I say it, I suspect it's Dad's input that make these four tracks, 'Zezen', 'SPXParticle', 'Synthony' and 'Synthony (alt. version) full of 70s funk-disco without sounding old or dated; even the full synthed versions of 'Synthony' (did you see what they did there?) are ready for the dancefloor and remind me of the Bear Funk collective as they had the happy knack of being able to combine disco, funk, jazz, house and more.

Particular enjoy the title track as it's got a OST/Latin vibe to it but it's all great as 'SPXParticle' will have the flute gang more than excited in a post-broken way; remember Javi has form in this area, remember Wagon Cookin's 'Passion Flute'?  Or even 'Lua' on the Compost compilation Glücklich V (co-incidence that Glücklich VI has only just been released? (see review HERE).

I prefer the instrumental Zezen style that the Garayalde family have now got going at Atjazz and I recommend it's all good for your dancing zen.

Artist: Mr OFFBeat

Title: ZEZEN

Release date: 25th August, 2023

Label : Atjazz Record Company

Catalog Number : ARC228SD Digital / Bandcamp