Review: Ken Hayakawa - Mute Air / Unity (Stripped Down)

Keeping up with the Stripped Down Record's love of all things Austrian, yeah! Ken Hayakawa is from Salzburg (his mother is Japanese) and here's two brand new tracks.  

Towards the end of last year we loved his two remixes of Parallea's 'Waypoint': the original remix was very much for the dancefloor whilst the 'Auhof' starts like a dub of sorts before it fully "lets go".

Well it's about time that Ken released two of his own tracks now and both show his formal/classical training as a pianist, especially 'Mute Air' that has trademark minimal techno feel to it.

'Unity' is the opposite as it's BIG synth and bang that he somehow unites; solidarity Ken.

I first came across Ken with a promo back in 2009 on Musik Gewinnt Freunde (MGF) with 'Outside The Walls' (Ed. Sounds very 'Funeral In Berlin') and he's been releasing great tracks like this ever since on Schönbrunner Perlen, Trapez, The DJ Hell Experience and this is no exception.

Austria is the place to be? 

Afterhour Sounds · PREMIERE: Ken Hayahawa - Mute Air

Artist: Ken Hayakawa 

Title: Mute Air / Unity

Release date: 21st April, 2023

Label : Stripped Down Records

Catalog Number : Digital  

 

Review: Fred Und Luna - Im Fünfminutentakt (Compost Records)

There's a new Ralf & Florian in town! Fred Und Luna are a strange double-act (in more ways than one) but if your looking for the sound of version (or more accurately of one the many versions) of Kraftwerk, this is it!

The new album, 'Im Fünfminutentakt' has lots of 'Fün' in it and if you've never heard Kraftwerks 1973 album 'Ralf & Florian' this is pretty exciting stuff and it's quite sparse electronics/synths but also includes bi-lingual vocals on some tracks; perhaps not as 'poppy' as Kraftwerks' big hits.

And then there's reflections of Kraftwerk in that most recently the "band" have been often computer generated whilst Fred Und Luna are, in fact, just "Sugar Ray" Buckmiller (aka Rainer Buchmüller) as Fred whilst Luna is a variety, from the extremes of a showroom dummy (sounds familiar?) to random "volunteers" from the audience at gigs!

This all sound like a modern day computer based Amon Düül II and to emphasis the digital craftwork (no pun etc), all of the tracks are around the 5 minute mark; three being 5:00 exactly.

And then, it sounds fun too and now boardering on the Prins Thomas remix of 'Im Klanggarten' (from 2016) which is all good and in keeping with the "Kraftwerkian edge" of "Krautelektro" and the instrumenatals to listen out for are 'Aurum C', 'Nur ein Viertelstündchen' and the vocals that work best are the unemotional, 'Tanz mit mir' and the two tracks featuring Luna(?!), the duet 'Es ist so schön' and the appropriately entitled, 'Wir atmen digital'.

What's not so representative is the beautiful piano/synth based 'Sommer' which will get picked up for some TV Theme/OST I bet or even 'Morgan' on some synth pop retro show.

I'm also getting some Bowie V2 Schneider going on with this so it's more than just a tribute act so that putting 'Im Fünfminutentakt' in with Compost's other 'leftfield', act Felix Laband (with some incredible remixes just out, see review HERE from his album, 'The Soft White Hand') and other electronic/synth early Cluster releases, you've definitly some worth more than a 0-1 soundscape.

Artist: Fred Und Luna

Title: Im Fünfminutentak

Release date: 21st April, 2023

Label: Compost Records

Cat. No: CPT 613

Format: Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Sumsuch, Will Brock, Kameelah Waheed - Don't Know Where I'm Going (Gavin Boyce Remix) (Colour & Pitch)

If you've recently danced to Terry Farley and Wade Teo's hit, 'Why We Dance' you'll recognise the name and the voice of Kameelah Waheed as the girl from New Jersey who is now on the new release from Colour & Pitch, Sumsuch and Will Brock's 'Don't Know Where I'm Going' that comes with Gavin Boyce remixes.

 

It's been a while since the Sumsuch / Will Brock release 'All Along' and even longer since their collab album project, Mega Jawns' 'Ten Letters From Home' (BBE) so it's great to have them back as they connect over the pond with this tale of being lost.  Original sessions started in May of last year so it's about time we can hear Brock's soulful vocals that are so perfect for this track.

Waheed is now based in Philly (as is Brock) and also recently appeared on Honey Dijon's Defected album ‘Black Girl Magic', so she's really in demand at the moment and taken to heart the spoken word part similar to born and raised Philadelphian poet. activist, artist, Ursula Rucker.  

Ireland's Gavin Boyce (Nordic Trax) is on the buttons with a vocal mix and a dub. If you know his 'Anywhere Here' album, you'll expect some deep synth spacewalk from this guy; and that's what you get and putting the two tracks together, it's a magnificent 15 minutes!

Really think that BBE should have a look again at Mega Jawns (it's more than just a one way ticket to 'Joy') but in the meantime, I know where I'm going with Brock, Sumsuch, Waheed and Boyce, straight to the 'play again' button.

Artist: Will Brock & Sumsuch

Title: Don't Know Where I'm Going (inc. Gavin Boyce Remixes)
Don't Know Where I'm Going (feat. Kameelah Waheed)
Don't Know Where I'm Going (Gavin Boyce Mix)
Don't Know Where I'm Going (Gavin Boyce Dub Mix)
Don't Know Where I'm Going (Instrumental)
Release date: 14^th April, 2023
Label Colour and Pitch
Catalog Number CAP087
Cover artwork and photography by Zoe Childerly, as part of her project ‘Beneath The Waves'. More information at: www.zoechilderley.co.uk

Review: Twelve Caesars - Scenes From Wild Eyed Dreams (RamRockRed)

If you're familiar with the earlier singles, you'll have been dreaming about the release of the debut Twelves Caesars' album, 'Scene From Wild Eyed Dreams' for a while but it's finally here.

The cover looks a bit B-movie and the title sounds a bit prog but Andrew Pipe and Stephen Ennever (for they are Twelve Caesars) have pulled together 12 tracks of 'thumbs up' tunes to get ya rocks off to.

Kicking off with 'Swan Fendered Mercury' (I bet Peter Frampton had one) and the BBC 6 Music hit, 'Calfiornia Sleaze' (see review HERE).

But it's not all Americana folk rock Byrds/CS&N/Eagles as the 'prog' is represented by the the idea that there are 11 ways to get to/from the underworld and here some portals include US Civil Rights ('California Sleaze'), Tiananmen Square uprising ('When The Revolution Dies') and the fall of the Berlin Wall ('Fall Of The Berlin Wall').

It's quite tense, like 'City Of Angels' and 'Palestine Hotel', so in British terms, it's like a softer John Cale/Kevin Coyne (which is a good thing) and at it's most dramatic, 'The Human Race' gets almost Peter Hammill and ' 'When The Revolution Dies' it's a bit Billy Bragg (when he played with Ian McLagan - definitely a good thing).

You'd really want to see these guys live (especially, if they were playing with with their label mates, Marcus Malone & The Motor City Hustlers - see review HERE) and be prepared for their next big hits, 'Ride The American Wave' and 'Eleven Ways From Hell'; choose one and get the album.

Artist: Twelve Caesars

Title: Scenes From Wild Eyed Dreams

Release date: 14th April, 2023

Label: Ramrock Red Records

Cat. No: RRRLP009

Review: Fybe:one - Don't Let Go - You Go Down Smooth (Tru Thoughts Recordings)

Here's some hot nu-soul/R&B,dubby/bruk double A side tracks; 'Don't Let Go' features. Liam Bailey and 'You Go Down Smooth' features Georgia Blackwell.

Fybe:one is the South London based multi-talented Greg Haynes and he's linked up with Liam Bailey (the singer/songwriter from Nottingham not Leon Bailey, who has worked with El Michels Affair and Chase & Status and not the Aston Villa winger as someone tried to convince me).

And 'Don't Let Go', the instrumental version is like a spiritually hypnotic drunk fest; something that doesn't come over with the great vocal version that tells of the fear of lonliness and longing.

'You Go Down Smooth' is more upbeat and another track about the pain of love and the vocals work so well with the strings and the dubby bits.

Tru-Thoughts are known for being a little bit/a lot "different" - this is a long way from Palm Skin Productions' 'Trickle Up EP' (see review HERE) or Biggabush's 'A Different Style EP' (see Review HERE) but equally essential. 

Artist: Fybe:one

Title:  Don't Let Go - You Go Down Smooth EP

Release date: 11th April, 2023

Label : Tru-Thoughts

Catalog Number : Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Dele Sosimi & The Estuary 21 - The Confluence (Wah Wah 45s)

Hot on the heels of his launch party show at the Jazz Cafe (London), the new Wah Wah 45's album by Dele Sosimi & The Estuary 21, 'The Confluence' is out now.

Battling with loads of other Bandcamp Friday releases, this does stand out not only as it's meeting of Afrobeat legend, Dele Sosimi with Sam Duckworth (once aka 'Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly') it's the start “The Estuary 21” (see review of the single, 'Ride Out The Storm' / 'Mo Ṣe B’ọ́lá Tán' HERE). 

Since the connection with Wah Wah 45s, Dele has linked up with diverse musicians as The Milk, The 'meets' Prince Fatty & Nostalgia 77 project (Nostalgia 77 having just released their new album on Jazzman, review HERE), Lokkhi Terra, Eparapo and Medlar so we should not be surprised that The Shrine meets Southend-on-Sea at 'The Confluence'!

The six track have a stong afrobeat/pop sound, particualary the single and 'Open Up' which also features UK jazz legend and Essex resident, Snowboy (aka Mark Cotgrove - last seen live in Dorset at the time of his last LP, 'New York Afternoon' with the Latin Section).

Other highlights for me are 'Ori Mi' and 'Òt​í​tó Ti J​áde' but this is such a great production, all I can think is that we need the longer versions!

I'll save the story as to how Dele Sosimi got involved with Wah Wah 45s' Dom Servini for another day, but back in 2005 he was telling me of his philosphy "Any music that has that little twist, a bit of added spice that separates it from the norm is alright by me." (see Interview HERE); 'The Confluence ' has that "added spice" and it's more than alright by me too!

Artist: Dele Sosimi & The Estuary 21
Release: The Confluence
Release Date: 7th April, 2023
Label: Wah Wah 45s
Catalog Number: WAHLP022 / BANDCAMP

Review: Rick Clarke - Guess Who (Freestyle Records)

Well, we all love a rare, private press, white label but even by normal standards of exteme crate digging, this is a super find.

If you can remember 1992, in the UK, Charts included The Brand New Heavies, Tina Turner, Diana Ross but not much in way of male vocals; Simply Red!  So when Rick Clarke decided to made a nine track album with some ladies mostly and drum machines (in their infancy at the time) he clearly had no idea that 30 years on his album of raw street funk/hip hop/go-go house sounds pretty unique!  
Apparently this was never released as he was in-deep contractually with Soul II Soul whose influence is most upfront on 'Gonna Make You Happy' featuring Jill Francis and 'Love Don't Strike Twice' featuring Easton.

Of course, London centric soul at the time was still heavily US influenced and it's heavy on influences like Luther Vandross, Shalamar, Sharon Redd and Street Sounds club culture. 
Must have been very frustrating for all involved that these performances hadn't been heard by a wider audience until now, especially on tracks like 'Fantasy' featuring Gina Foster (who went onto we a busy backing singer with Swing Out Sister) and 'Without You In My Life' featuring Delores (who we know nothing about).

'Show Me the Way' (featuring Mark Antonio) and 'Do What We Gotta Do' (featuring Delroy Dyer & Gina Foster) both could have been big singles even as they are now with the endearing lo-fi production; what would they have been like with the big Soul II Soul production?

It's now difficult to believe how big Soul II Soul were at one stage, even opening their own fashion shop outlet in Camden High Street at one stage (it didn't last long) but certainly indicating how much Jazzy B believed in his project; if not Clarke's. 

But at least when we now 'Guess Who' we know it's Rick Clarke and fair play to Freestyle Records for giving it a proper release and not trying to re-record it as it'll always sound unique.

Artist: Rick Clarke

Title: Guess Who

Catalog Number : FSRLP 142

Label : Freestyle Records

Format: LP / Digital

Release Date : 7th April, 2023

Review: Felix Laband - We Know Major Tom`s A Junkie (Frivolous Remix) / 5 Seconds Ago (Coldcut Just Say No Remix) (Compost Records)

So we know how good Felix Laband's album is that came out at the end of last year on Compost Records; 'The Soft White Hand' (see review HERE) and I speculated then that the remixed versions were likely to be very special; but I didn't expect Coldcut (yes, the Ninja Tune founders founders Matt Black and Jonathan More) have excelled themsleves.

Not to be outdone, Berlin based Canadian 

Daniel Gardner (aka Frivolous) has warped the already odd Bowie 'tribute track', 'We Know Major Tom`s A Junkie' into a rolling electronic OST/theme dancer; if there was going to be a remake of 'Funeral In Berlin', this one would meet the MI5 brief.

More are promised from the likes of Acid Pauli, DMX Krew and Shahrokh Dini on a "full release" on 28th April.

Artist: Felix Laband 

Title: The Soft White Hand Remix EP Part 1: We Know Major Tom`s A Junkie (Frivolous Remix) / 5 Seconds Ago (Coldcut Just Say No Remix)

Release date: 24th March, 2023

Label: Compost Records

Cat. No: CPT 614

Format: Digital / Bandcamp

Review: MRSFLV - Beautiful Others (Be Adult Music)

No information on MRSFLV (Mrs FLV perhaps?) but what she's done for Be Adult Music is a couple of dreamy house tracks that needs your attention.

'Beautful Others' reflects the brilliant cover artwork as it incorporates some very hypnotic harp/guzheng (a kind of Chinese zither) vibe going on together with hints of Robert Miles/Eurythmics I suspect this could be a big summer hit (Ed. you heard it here first).

It would be nice to have instrumentals/dub but in absence of, 'Give Me' is another atmospheric house track that'll see in the sunset/sunrise on ya beach parties this year. 

Again, following on from the recent compilation '7 Anniversary' (see review HERE), this release shows no sign of any itching problem areas in their relationships with the deep house music producer community so expect another big year for Be Adult.

Be Adult Music · MRSFLV - Beautiful Others (Original Mix)

Artist: MRSFLV  

Title: Beautiful Others / Give Me

Release date: 3rd April, 2023

Label; Be Adult Music

Catalog Number: BAM304

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