Review: Various Artists - 25 Years Of Aficionado (Re:Warm)

We've had some heavy jazz of the site recently so it seems a good time to celebrate 25 years of the underground Manchester club night 'Aficionado' run by Jason Boardman & Moonboots.

Killer tunes by rock god (well, Focus) guitarist Jan Akkerman with his dreamy Axelrod-esque verson of 'Ode To Billy Joe', top jazz-funk bassist Stanley Clark's 'Desert Song' that's so  cool along with Alain Debray's 'Concierto de Aranjuez' (you'll know the tune if not the name) make you think, what sort of club was this in Madchester!

Well, it seems like a cross of lounge meets Peterson and Trunk expecially with a digital 'exclusive' of 'Cool Bright Northern Morning', 'Mudd's 'Summer In The Wood' and The Superimposers' jangley 'Seeing Is Believing'.

The more you listen to this, you want to get that time machine set to late 90s and do the loungin' house coat vibe before your time (Ed. and open toed sandals?)  You'd definitely want to spend time on the beach with the Lissvik remix of 'Honey Mine' by Korallreven and the exceptional Laetitia Sadier (she of Stereolab fame) on Girogio Tuma's post-Baleraric-dub 'Through Your Hands Love Can Shine'; reggae-synth on the beach you might say.

When you need some high class downtempo, ambient, soul, disco, jazzy, soft-rock reggae Balearic's, you need the affection of '25 Years Of Aficonado' to get together and do it again.

But you said, "Peterson", OK so you've got the jazzy trip hop of Teacher, vibrazone-ish 'Shine' by Kalimba and First Word orginals, The Haggis Horns'. 

Warm have just celebrated their 24th Birthday party themselves (with LTJ Bukem of all people) and have released Paul 'Sun Child' Hillery's 'Folk, Funk & Trippy Troubadours' Vol. 2 and an X-PRESS2 remix set of David Kitt's 'Till The End' (see album review HERE) so it's anybodies guess what'll be coming next?

Aritst: Various Artists

Title: 25 Years Of Aficionado 

Release date: 17th November, 2023

Label: RE:WARM 

Cat. No: RE:WARM 017

Format: 2xLP / CD / Digital

Review: David Kitt - Idiot Check (RE:WARM)

Don't be put off by the title as there's no idiots on this new album by David Kitt.

The Irish singer/songwriter (so perhaps that's pronouced 'Eejit Check') is currectly in the UK on his tour to promote the album.

You may already have heard the first single, 'Wishing Well' (that's the one with the grungy pedal sound on it) but is not typical of the album's other nine tracks.

Lucky to see him yesterday at the Bournemouth Re:Warm launch (video might be on the cards) and as he's recently converted as a fan of Neil Diamond (as much as a surprise to him as us), the excellence of his lyrics match his electric guitar, pedal effects and drum machine skills.

Listen out for 'Wexford Strawberries', 'Balances' and 'Waves Of Peace' and expect to see them on BBC 6 Music, folk-rock-chill-festivals (he's already on 'The Great Escape' - see listing below) playlist the whole album is great as it is his ninth album after all so he's no novice (people in the audience were already singing along!)

The vinyl (either silver or black versions), CDs or cassettes(!) will be available at the gigs (and bandcamp) and what with RE:WARMS' 'dance' connections, I'm guessing we'll be getting some remix versions later this year; the book is already showing James Alexander Bright/Bright & Findlay and Flying Mojito Brothers as favourites, but don't be surprised if Prosumer comes in as a long priced outsider!

UK Tour

31.03.31 Cardiff

01.04.23 Bournemouth, Bad Hand Coffee

02.04.23 Birmingham, Hare & Hounds

03.04.23 Manchester, YES

04.04.23 Leeds, Headrow House

05.04.23 Newcastle Upon Tyne, The Cluny

06.04.23 Edinburgh, Sneaky Pete's

07.04.23 Glasgow, Nice N Sleazy

10-13.05.23 The Great Escape Festival

14.05.23 Sheffield, Yellow Arch Studios

17.05.23 London, The Jazz Cafe with Jono McClee

Aritst: David Kitt

Title: Idiot Check

Release date: 31st March, 2023

Label: RE:WARM 

Cat. No: RE:WARM 014

Format: LP / CD / Cassette / Digital

Review: Various Artists - Once Again, We Are The Children Of The Sun (Compiled by Paul Hillery) (BBE Music)

Paul Hillery has long been a on the trail of 'Folk, Funk & Trippy Troubaours' and last year released a complilation of the same name on the Re:Warm label as 'Volume 1' in black vinyl (and blue, to match the stunning cover).

So, fully expecting a 'Volume 2' and we then see that he's on BBE switching from cool blue to hot of orange/yellow of  'We Are The Children Of The Sun' with another incredible selection of electronic, folk, soft/yacht rock, Balearic, Latin lounge ambient tunes that so fit the mood.

So this new compilation keeps this winning formula with BBE re-issues by, Will & James Ragar's 'As The Day Grows Tired' (what a great title to open up with) followed by Forest's 'Crazy Days' which is the way to set the tone.

Apart from the Greg Foat Band track (apparently a previously unreleased version of 'Milk And Honey' featuring Kat Barnard), all the other artists/tracks are new to me as that's what you want in a compilation. 

As you might expect there's more than a hint of West Coast trippy folk-pop-jazz CSNY/Byrds like Varela's 'Come and Take Me by the Hand' or Cunningham Corner's 'Free And Easy' that hits more than just the Grateful Dead psychedelic fans out there (previously just a rare 45 and now in all its Part 1&2 5 minute glory) or the stunning 'Moonshine' by Orion from 1987 but sounds more like '67 (also, there's a touch of June Tabor about it).

And flute gang jazz-dancers, here's the Patrick Forge/G. Peterson classic 'More Than Hope' to match all their other goodies - Wendy Grace is the lost "Janet Lawson"? And those two would not be amis if they had 'Kayenta Crossing' by William Easton Ensemble in their chill out warm up section.

It's a triple LP's worth/18 tracks so you might not be the biggest fan of all of it but with the skill of Hillery, you feel like the new areas of 80s/Euro/funk/pop/AOR need further investigation or even the Level 42 'tribute' one hit wonders Corill (Who?)

If you're looking for some modern day social comment, there's Garth Fletcher's 'Peace Train' and Mark Capanni's 'If Life Was A Ferris Wheel' (careful, both of these are ear worm growers) but the one to fall in love with as you're next favourite track, Aria Rostami's 'Golden Hour'.

You get the idea, this album is packed full of goodies and 90% of them are only available on this compilation or at incredible crate digging cost so get it while you can.

Can we expect more from the "esteemed collector and vinyl hunter" after Hillery's previous compilation, 'We Are The Children Of The Sun' and now 'Once Again, We Are The Children Of The Sun'?  Well, it shines on the righteous so I suspect so but I wonder what the follow up is going to be called.

And as mutual fans of Drift record store in Totnes here's his Paul's mix to celebrate the album's release: Drift'in with Paul Hillery

Artist: Various Artists

Title: Once Again We Are The Children Of The Sun

Release date: 31st March, 2023

Label : BBE Music

Catalog Number : BBE708 LP / CD / Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Small - Don't Leave Me In The Rain (RE:WARM)

Where do they find them? I mean where do you start looking for an obsure album that sounds, according to the label, "like a long-lost Frankie Knuckles LP or something like The Pasadenas"? Very good Re: Warm!

Well, unbelieveably South Africa is you're starting point and you're looking for a vocalist called Small along with the worst album cover you can think of for 'Don't Leave Me In The Rain'.

And that's probably the reason that it's so unknown as it's proto soul-house-boogie-pop.

The eight tracks have the drum programming of the time [recorded 1991] and it sounds like a hybrid of Odyssey's 'Going Back To My Roots'/Fleetwood Mac/Hall & Oats/Van Halen and let's throw in Shalamar all in South African pot that's absorbing hip-hop, Peech Boys NYC and Italo house. Is that's why Small sound so good?

It really is hard to think why 'Make My Life' and 'Let's Stop The Fire' were not international hits whilst 'It Takes Two To Tango' sounds like it should be cheese, "what's the matter with you" takes over the track and this climax of 'Without You'.  

Obviously, there's a pop hit with 'Make My Life' but mostly this is of its period and 30 years ahead of its time like the other finds on this label like Lucky Mereki and Bibbi (but they were mainstream house/disco by comparison), so don't snooze and get ahead of the game with this re-heated goodness; 'Keep On Trying' should be their motto and you'll be jumping for joy when you get this.

And doesn't everyone need a 'Happy Song' – let's think Christmas No. 1!

PS. Sad to hear of the passing at the start of November of Noel McKoy (RIP) "U.K.-based soul singer who performed with several U.K. acts including Nu Colours, The Pasadenas, the James Taylor Quartet, Snowboy, Sounds of Blackness, Steve Williamson and Linton 'Kwesi' Johnson"

Artist: Small

Title: Don't Leave Me In The Rain

Release date: 18th November, 2022

Label: RE:WARM 

Cat. No: RE:WARM 010

Format: LP / Digital