Review: Various Artists - Stay True Sounds Vol.5 Compiled By Kid Fonque (Stay True Sounds)

It's increasingly hard to keep up with Kid Fonque but if you need just the one place to go, Stay True Sounds Vol.5 is the place  for 15 of the finest that have been selected here.

Chances are that you know the linch pins of the label of Kid Fonque / Jonny Miller so Vol. 5 is another opportunity to highlight the label’s creative agenda of finding and nurturing new talent, "a new generation" you might say. 

Tracks by Wapo Jije and SpheraQ stand out and there's a couple with vocal efx that I'm not too keen on but hey, when you get a dreamy track like 'Nothing' (TebzaLiquid featuring Cashboy) you can overlook that small gripe.

'1 Million Failed Attempts', 'Heart Of Spade' and 'Ubuntu (Unity)' are big tunes but there's nothing overtly South African sounding here; the warrior cries of 'My Mothers Wish' (Buddynice) is about as close as it gets along with Khulife's 'Another Problem' where there's crickets on the Serengeti but even then we're electronic/synth dominent. 

And don't forget the sub-label STY TRU BTS for more South African talent like EMAMKAY (see review HERE).

Whilst this compilation is released with the backing of Defected Records; but don't worry, this is not a Defected album, we're very much still same qualifty as normal that is, Stay True Sounds.

Artist: Various Artists

Title: Stay True Sounds Vol.5 Compiled By Kid Fonque

Release date: 24th March, 2023

Label : Stay True Sounds

Catalog Number : STS156 

Format:  Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Various Artists - Tudo Ben (Jorge Ben Covered) (Mr Bongo)

There's some massive names here from Latin/Bossa/Samba/MPB as you'd expect when dealing with a 26 track compilation of Jorge Ben cover versions. Jorge Ben you'll recognise as the guy who wrote two of the biggest tracks you'll ever likely to hear on two extremes of dancefloor culture, the 'original' of Rod Stewart’s ‘Do You Think I’m Sexy?’ and the go-to Latin track ‘Mas Que Nada’.

Originally released on only CD in 2009 when vinyl was a dying medium for LPs, Mr Bongo have now had the bright idea to release on a double vinyl set which features Elza Soares (the aforementioned 'Mas Que Nada'), Wilson Simonal (you gon't get much bigger than these guys) plus Osmar Milito, Sonia Santos ('Speed' is one of many top tracks), Doris Monteiro, Doris Monteiro, Os Originais do Samba and many more. 

Not surprised to have already seen Dom Servini with one of these in his record bag but you know all ya jazz dance guys will have it too; Peterson, Forge, Beadle (Kev) and I'd expect Ashley (Beedle) to have one too! Whistles Cuíca and dancing guaranteed, what ya waiting for?

Artist: Various Artists

Title: Tudo Ben (Jorge Ben Covered)

Release date : 24h March, 2023

Label : Mr Bongo

Catalog Number : MRBCDLP265

Format: LP / CD / Digital / Bandcamp

Hunee - "powerful collection!"

Carlos Nino - "Excellent Concept & Collection!"

Coco Maria - "I love this, he is the best."

DJ Marky - "Pure classics."

Review: The Descendants ft. Mazen Bedwei - Telling Lies (The Remixes EP) (F*CLR Records)

Are you ready for more 'Telling Lies'?

You will be when I tell you that 'The Remixes EP' not only has the North Street West team (better known to their friends and family as Ashley Beedle, Darren Morris and Jo Wallace) but also a Dan Tenor-City and Laroye version as a NYC Dub!

For those that recall Dan Tenor City's 12" on BBE, 'Oba' it will come as no surprise this  remix partnership with Laroye (Freerange, Local Talk, If It Ain't Jazz and more) is deep house, jazz-funk, disco-boogie dub and "we can see what they've done to me".  The big strings, the atmospheric semi-Italo piano, hot organ and the vocals with that element of echo makes it just mesmersizing.

Fans of Ramrock Records and F*CLR will know that the North Street West remix pose can match that and they've done a vocal, a 'Step Up' Dub and included an instrumental version.  I defy you not to love 'em all but the instrumental really gets those strings in a Detroit position ready for the organ, synth and horn stabs. Brilliant!

I don't think that we went overboard with out review of the original release of this one (see review HERE) but the only way to get full satisfaction is to get both the original and the remix packages: they'll drive you crazy with love for all the tracks and you definitely won't be able to take 'em away from me.

Did someone say, "Hectic Extension"?

Artist: The Descendants ft. Mazen Bedwei 

Title: Telling Lies Remixes EP

Release date: 24th March, 2023

Label : F*CLR Music .

Catalog Number : FCLR Digital / Bandcamp

Review: The Cinematic Orchestra - Every Day (Reissue) (Ninja Tune)

Regular readers will know that YATM is primarily an eye on new music but we can't overlook this Ninja Tune re-issue, the ground breaking 'Every Day' by The Cinematic Orchestra.

Released 20 years ago, this was/is the most 'Gilles Peterson' of albums.  With guest vocals from Fontella Bass on two tracks ('All That You Give' & 'Evoluton') and featuring Roots Manuva on 'All Things To All Men', these were the big tracks, nay, monster tracks.

A true collage of soul-jazz-conscious hip-hop and OST at a time when such things very new/rare, like the 'Man With The Movie Camera' (for media/art school geeks) was the foundation for what went onto become their next album of the same title released the following year.  

Safe to say, the J. Swinscoe's imagined soundtrack to the 1929 Russian silent film by Dziga Vertov didn't have the commercial success of 'Every Day'.  Thus creating huge excitement for when 'Ma Fleur' was released in 2007 (original review HERE) and then 'Live At The Royal Albert Hall' the following year supported by The Heritage Orchestra (before Pete Tong got his hand on 'em) with the vocals by queens of underground bruk/soul Eska and Heidi Vogel.

This reissue is on three LPs (translucent red vinyl apparently) and include bonus tracks from the original recording sessions, 'Oregon' and 'Horizon' featuring Niara Scarlett plus two tracks previously unreleased on vinyl in 'Semblance' and the unearthed 'Flite' (Original Version)
The release features new artwork from the original designer, Openmind, with "superfan" Gilles Peterson’s original liner notes.

You're not going to pick up one of these in a charity or pre-loved shop so indulge in some nostalgia or if you've never heard this before, prepared to be impressed every day.

PS. Fontella Bass  best known for the 1965 worldwide soul hit 'Rescue Me' and one time wife of Art Ensemble of Chicago member Lester Bowie, hence her jazz opus, 'Thème De Yoyo' from the "Paris set" OST ,'Les Stances À Sophie' reissued on Universal Sound/Soul Jazz back in 2000.

Artist: The Cinematic Orchestra 

Title: Every Day

Release date : 24th March, 2023

Label : Ninja Tune

Catalog Number : ZEN59XX

Format: LP / CD / Digital

Review: Tryangle Man - Voyages (Atjazz Record Company)

Atjazz is never far away from the studio or the DJ decks as he continues to find quality electronic music to move our heads and feet.

The latest album on his label is called 'Voayages' by Tryangle Man. And whilst he lead track, 'Rising Dew' sounds slightly early morning pan drum choral/Baleraic beach  party theres two tracks, 'Port Of Sorrow' and 'Lost Chronicles' that were inspired by the tragic explosion in the grain store in the centre of Beirut that caused such suffering and loss of life (and could have been avoided).

And whilst the rest of it came out of lockdown, it's generally upbeat.

There's quite a lot of piano going on here and there was a time that the mere mention of Robert 'Children' Miles would be derided; thankfully, that has now passed and he's more acknowledged as a founder of such dream themes.

'Sous le Soleil d Été' (featuring an un-named vocalist) sounds rather main room with a hint of 'O Superman' and 'Mir Amin' is even more so plus some Kraftwerk synth "Express". The stand out tracks for me are heavily orchestrated 'Lost Chronicles' and 'The Path' with the massive church organ; or is that Cathedral sized!

If you want to put this in holes, I suppose electronic, deep house to tech house PLUS; 'Mir Amin' is beautifully done and there will be loads of festival hands/arms in the air to this.

Following on from Si Tew's 'Quietude' (see review HERE) and South Beach Recycling (see reveiw HERE), 2023 is turning out to be a very big for the label and this artists. 

Artist: Tryangle Man

Title: Voyages 

Release date: 24th March, 2023

Label : Atjazz Record Company

Catalog Number : ARC2????AD Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Sababa 5 - Funk #1 / Funk #2 (Batov Records)

Been diggin' for some long lost funk on 45?  Dig not more and bring your own dust if you must as you won't find anything as good as this; and it's brand new!

The biggest psychedelic funk band in Tel Aviv, if not the world, are back with two slices of out-there middle-eastern funk on 7" vinyl.

Limited to 500 copies so be quick as this synth funk style doesn't hang around for long.

So much fun(k) and more than enough to get you into their previous release like last years' self-title album (review HERE) and thier other previous singles.

And this is one of a series of 7"s and whilst you want to get 'em all, check 'The Egyptian'/'On The Way To The Wedding' by Baharat. Not for MAFFSA - Bonkers!

Artist: Sababa 5 

Title: Funk #1 ' Funk #2

Release date: 24th March, 2023

Label: Batov Records 

Cat. No: BTR076

Format: 7" / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: The Soul Motivators feat. Shahi - Do It Together (Do Right! Music)

The cover might look like The Soul Motivators got lost on their way sarf of the river but don't let that put you off them or their vocal funk and soul 'tress, Shahi.

The 7", 'It Is What It Is' indidcated what was to come with the LP but in all honesty, it so(u)l(e)d the other seven tracks a little short. 

Shahi vocals have a blended range  somewhere between Chaka and Janis Joplin which is pretty special in our books.

If you like a long 'bone in ya funk, the title track and opener, 'Raise A Glass' will keep you more than happy. 

There's a big 60s influence like 'Power!' as an apocalyptic warning with a massive drum break at the end, then a flip to 70s space funk disco instrumental of 'Jim Nasty' and the fantastic, funk-psych/almost dub of 'One For The Heads' [Ed. I can see why it's called that]

This is the band's fouth album (the first was mixed by Pierre Chrétien who was recentlly seen HERE with his 'Visions' project) and Shahi Teruko's second with them.  It seems that she's taking more of a role with each album and you'll see why immediately when you hear 'Try (Just A Little Bit More)'.

Not so sure about the '"crowd pleaser", 'Everything's Going To Be Alright' but I'd bet these guys are great live and if you're missing the best of Daptone, this are the band for you.

Artist: The Soul Motivators feat. Shahi

Title: Do It Together 

Release date: 23rd March, 2023

Label : Do Right! Music

Catalog Number : LP / CD / Digital

Review: BCUC - The Woods / Pieces Of Ish (On The Corner Records)

As a warm-up for their forthcoming LP, 'Millions Of Us', On The Corner Records squeak out a digital single from the South African band BCUC (Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness).

We've featured a variety of South Africa musicians of late like Felix Laband's album on Compost Records (see review HERE), the re-issue of Small's 'Don't Leave Me In The Rain' (see review HERE) and many more from EMAMKAY 'When The Sun Rises (review HERE) and deep house like one of the tracks of the year so far, Thakzin & Ray T's 'Don’t Let Me See' on Foliage (review HERE)

But this is closer to Bantu Spaceship (review HERE) but 'The Woods' is really rural gospel meets dancehall/hip hop with some great bass, vocals and rap in English and local dialect.

Then on 'Pieces Of Ish' has their tongue firmly in their cheeks as they take the ish out of us/themselves in a space chant that could be Art Ensemble Of Chicago inspired; taking it back to the motherland so to speak.

London's On The Corner Records have released material by Emanative, Colloutor, Penya in the past and in BCUC they have found a leftfield world jazz trance cross-over similar to Siti Muharam's 'Romance Revolution' but much harder so I expect this to be out of the woods this year.

Artist: BCUC

Title: The Woods / Pieces Of Ish

Release Date : 23rd March, 2023

Catalog Number : -

Label : On The Corner Records

Format: Digital

Review: Kataya & Sonixfear - Scrambled (Karol XVII & MB Valence Remixes) (Be Adult Music)

Be Adult Music may have just had their 7th anniversay, but there's nothing junior about this new release as two tracks by Kataya & Sonixfear get a make over by Karol XVII & MB Valence.

The original tracks came out in 2017 and I can see why they would be favourites of Karol XVII & MB Valence.

'Two Scrambled Eggs' get reheated in two different versions, a 'dreamix' and a 'remix'.  The dream mix is fantastically deep Italo-Balearic as you might guess from the title.  There's a bit of vocal vocoder efx which I'm usually not keen on but this is the exception.

The 'remix' version is less dreamy (Ed. you don't say) and more main room with the synths joining the vocoder vocals in a complimentary way.

For 'Mentions' they've done another 'Dreamix', reduced the fake crowd efx so it's less 'Benny And The Jets' (which is a good thing) and added more production to give it a more rounded sound from the mindscape; but "more cowbells" I hear you chant.

I know what you're thinking:

1. Where's the remix of 'Bankoland' that came out on the original EP?  Perhaps they're saving that one for the follow-up to the label's recent '7 Anniversay' compilation (see review HERE soon)

2. What track is Sumsuch going to include on this months' Colour and Pitch Sessions? We'll find out the answer to that one very soon.

This is a great release to follow Vincenzo's double header 'Extrasolar' / 'The Witching Hour' (see review HERE) and if you need more, there's pleanty from the back catalog of Karol XVII & MB Valence 'Remixography 2002-2022' on Loco Records.

Artist: Kataya & Sonixfear 

Title: Scrambled [Mentions / Two Scrambled Eggs]

Release date: 20th March, 2023

Label; Be Adult Music

Catalog Number: BAM302

 

Review: The Polyversal Souls - Sad Nile / Mam Pe'ela Su'ure (Philophon)

There are lots of Afro-infused releases for the dancefloor at the moment but one label that's a must to keep up to date with is the Berlin/Ghana based Philophon run by Max Weissenfeldt.

With their work at the "Joy Sound Studios" they've released some fantastic music over that past 10 years, mostly as 45 singles.

And this latest single is a dip into the past with The Polyversal Souls' 'Sad Nile' (taken from their 2015 debut album, 'Invisible Joy') that's been remastered and had some ethio-jazz tones added; Woody Herman meets Mulatu Astatke and who wouldn't want to hear that?

It definitely sounds more beefy than the original and on the b-side, in the same ball park, there's a instrumental version of Florence Adooni's 'Mam Pe'ela Su'ure' featuring the flute of Jimi Tenor who had been the musical figurehead of the label's jazzier side.  Watch out for those space synths too!

It's another 'must have' from this must have label but if you were going to push me to recommend other Philophon highlights (given that anything by Jimi Tenor is brilliant), anything by The Band Of Enlightenment, anything by Alogte Oho & His Sounds Of Joy and Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids (in addition to their more widely known releases on the Strut label) but you really can't go wrong.

Artist: The Polyversal Souls 

Title: Sad Nile / Mam Pe'ela Su'ure

Release date: 17th March, 2023

Label Philophon

Cat. No. : CPH45030