Review: Mentourad - Stray Cat (Be Adult Music)

This is one 'Stray Cat' that you need to own as Be Adult Music release a new EP by Mentourad.

You might have guessed from the cover artwork that the lead track, 'Stray Cat In Mumbai' fuses the Sitar dreams of Lennon in the 60s with some deep house that's boarders on the Balearics.

 

Backed with two other fine tracks, 'King Dance' and 'Morchang Man' (as we flip from ice cream van to traditional Indo-jews harp) this is organically so good, I might turn vegan, or go to Goa, Naple, Ibiza.

Definitely one for fans on Indo-jazz-fusions, Sohail Rana's 'Soul Sitar', Lord Sitar and all raja's inbetween - this cat ain't stray, but needs a home on the dancefloor.

Artist: Mentourad

Title:  Stray Cat 

Release date: 3rd February, 2024

Label: Be Adult Music

Catalog Number: BAM402

Format: Digital / Bandcamp.

Review: Livy Ekemezie – Friday Night (Odion Livingstone)

Odion Livingstone was set up to focus on reissuing rare forgotten gems out of Africa and they struck gold with their first release, Livy Ekemezie's 'Friday Night'.

Well, this was back in 2017, long after the world had lost touch with the original from 1982/3 so as we all need more kindness in our lives, they've decided to re-issue it again.

But unlike the BBE / Asona collaboration series that's from the same period, the most recent being Paa Jude's 'Seaman Jolly' (see review HERE), 'Friday Night' is exactly was it says on the tin, funky, disco, boogie outta Lagos that sounds more 70s due to the strength of the keyboards and clavinet; especially on 'Night Party' and 'Delectation'; Livy declares "Music is his delectation" at a time when was just out of school as a teenager!

And every track is a serious chunk of funky even with what might seem to our modern ears 'questionable' vocals, Livy is on vocals and bass, but I think that this makes it even more endearing and even more likely that Larry Levan would have been playing this all night long in Studio 54 if he could have had a copy of the LP. 

And talking of vinyl/LPs, the re-issue will be a Limited Edition vinyl release of this "holy grail record" so get ya orders in babs: not to be confused with 'I Wan' My Bab' Back'.

Artist:  Livy Ekemezie

Title: Friday Night

Release date: 9th January, 2025

Label : Odion Livingstone

Catalog Number : TBC

Format: Limited LP vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Bakermat - Grace Note (Big Top Amsterdam)

The house tradition of gospel music is at the top of the glitter ball with Bakermat  and  'Grace Note,' out on Big Top Amsterdam; well it is Sunday!

You may recall that late last year, Bakermat (along with AMANZI, Ampersounds, Fred Falke, Zen Freeman) were saving their souls with a back to my Donna Summer disco roots track 'Save My Soul'.  And before the Dutch DJ/Producer released 'Praise Break' including our favourite horn and string drenched disco-umpah Soulchaser remix.

Well, after that success why wouldn't he return to the table for more gospel house inspriation for 'Grace Note'.  The lead track 'House Is The Religion', depending on your point of view, may have some blasphemy in the lyrics (Ed. check out today's BBC Radio 4 programme and you might think who can throw the first stone) compared to the worshipful 'Life' as remixed by Ron Carroll, "legend on the scene" - see interview with Tom Lilly HERE (and Best of 2024 Disco Express reviw HERE)

And talking about ireverant, 'Say You Wanna Be' is full on gospell choir and then we go a bit Hacienda-retro with FM sax solo, did someone say "Baker-Steet-mat?" ('Without Ya') but all is forgiven with 'Work It Out' - Sister Act in the gym!

There used to be a club called 'Halo' in a former church and 'Grace Note' gets that vibe spot on, like they say, the aim is for a "great night at a club, festival - or church, for that matter. Pure joy, unity, and transcendence." Nailed it.

Artist: Bakermat
Title: Grace Note
Release date: 31st January, 2025
Label : Big Top Amsterdam
Catalog Number :WP3053
Format:  Vinyl [Feb 07, 2025]/ Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Anna Ling - Butterfly (Lucky Sun Remixes) (Lucky Sun Recordings)

Too early to be thinking about Spring? Not for Lucky Sun as he remixes Anna Ling's dreamy Devon  orginal called 'Butterfly'.

Remembering the last Lucky Sun release, 'Remember' / 'Warm Breeze' (see review HERE), Anna's sun drenched folky 'Butterfly' is ideal for some Lucky Sun (aka Tom Lown)  metamorphosis.

Not his trademark soulful deep house that has dominated the first 10 years of Lucky Sun Recordings (see below) but firstly as a low-slung jazzy-beats remix (think Bristol influences) and then as a Midnight Dub that'll keep us groovin' on the beach in the early hours.

Released at the time of the year when we're more tuned into wintery showers (Northern Hemisphere) than sunshine but watch out for them waves on the dub ready in some 2025 beachwear.

Artist: Anna Ling

Title: Butterfly (Lucky Sun Remix /  Lucky Sun Midnight Dub)

Release date: 31st January, 2025

Label : Lucky Sun Recordings

Catalog Number : LSR039

Format: Digital / Bandcamp LINK Music | Lucky Sun

Review: Milos Colovic - To The Beat of My Footsteps (A.MA Records)

As long term fans of Eastern European jazz, we are happy to hear the Milos Colovic has moved 'To The Beat Of My Footsteps' - in the first person of course.

So more jazz from the Serbian edge from Milos Colovic following on from Katarina Kochetova (also on A.MA Records - see review HERE) but this time as a trio unit ('Losing Count', 'Shapeshifter' and 'Solitude') and sextet ('Cimmeria', 'Monsieur de Bordeaux', 'The Dreadful Moths' and the title track) and pulling out influences from 'traditonal' jazz man like Bobby Timmons and Horace Sliver together with rock/grunge like Queens Of The Stone Age (spot the t-shirt on the album cover) .

Nothing new in this type of cross-genre appreciation of course, especially in the trio format, like The Bad Plus, BadBadNotGood, Jazz Sabbaath, but not so much in a sextet format (unless it's big band covers of Nivirana or Red Hot Chillie Peppers and the llike) and perhaps it's because Milos is the bass player and leader that it works so well on the album.  

People that will have seen me of late won't realise how sharp I used to dress (think cover photos Kent's 'Mod Jazz' compilation series) and 'Monsieur de Bordeaux' fits right into that 'Take Five', 'Sidewinder' groove and is heavy on the 60s struttin' on the left bank of the River Garonne.

The title track is the QOTSA inspired track (combined with Paul Motion; any coincidence that Milos played in fellow Serbian Max Kochetov's band and Katarina's album is entitled 'Beyond Motion'?) and it starts Motion like and descends into a mass horn blowing. 

All tracks are written by Miloš Čolović, except Duke Ellington's 'Solitude', and whilst somewhat different to the last album on the label, Bosque Sound Community's '12 Angry Mushrooms (see review HERE) it'll be no less attractive to those DJ types like Peterson, Beadle, Parnell, Forge et al.will particularly enoy the 'Monsieur de Bordeaux' track for it's dancefloor swing dynamic.

Artist: Milos Colovic

Title: To The Beat of My Footsteps

Release date: 7th February, 2025

Label : A.MA Records

Catalog Number : AMCO4

Format: CD / Digital / Bandcamp (Pre-Order on Bandcamp Friday, 31st January)

PS. And recently released after 30 years Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock and Paul Motion 'Live' on ECM.

Review: No Era & Sorensen - Wind Shifter (Ostowana)

Ostowana have picked up on their usual hybrid North African trade winds with a banger of a 'Wind Shifter' from  No Era & Sorensen that's already timeless.

A more than solid January following on from LEONOIR's 'Chombona' earlier this month (see review HERE) whilst this could connect with some Indo-house; watch this space!

Artist: No Era & Sorensen 

Title: Wind Shifter

Release date: 31st January, 2025

Label: Ostowana

Catalog Number: OST089

Format: Digital

Review: Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange - Celebrate Some Time (Energy Exchange Records)

Wow! There are some fantastic musicians in the Naarm/Melbourne area and luckly for us northern hemisphere residents, Ziggy Zaeitgeist in based in Berlin and the single 'Celebrate Some Time' is out today.

The reason it's a good thing he's in Berlin is that this new track features Ghanaian Eric Owusu and putting his Ghanaian-German Afro-Rock group background with Ziggy's ZFFE (that we first came across on Secretsundaze 'Kreuzbery Kix' EPs a few years ago), this is perfect Cymande meets the polyversal sounds of Philophon (that are also Ghanian/Berlin based - what chance a Jimi Tenor remix?  One for another day).  And the track gets a bit spaceship synth dubby at the end!

This is modern "West African Disco" at its best and what's just as exciting is that there's an album coming out called 'Inspire // Radicalise' in April that features a cast of 1000s (well, quite a few in reality).

This is going to be a benchmark album for 2025 and the let's celebrate (some time) now!

Artist:  Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange

Title: Celebrate Some Time (Single)

Release date: 30th January, 2025

Label : Energy Exchange Records

Catalog Number : -

Format: Digital / Bandcamp (order LP - BUY LINK: INSPIRE // RADICALISE)

Review: Mirlaqi - Life As A Whole (Star Creature)

Chicago's Green Velvet was a big fan of the Star Creature x Mirlaqi EP, 'Système' that came out 5 years ago so it must be time for a view of life as a whole via four tracks from Geneva's finest.

With 'Origins' and 'Oceans' with respective remixes by Lay-far and Saine, this is a big hits as Timour Nigolian (aka  Mirlaqi) went to Chicago to hang out with Star Creature's Tim Zawada and was inspired to produce these tracks.

At YATM, we're long-time fans of Lay-Far (see review HERE from 2016) and as he never disappoints, his remix of 'Origins' is quite a bit pacey so I prefering the spaced out synth soulful end of the day BRUK boarders on the original.

Saine's 'Ocean' remix gets down on the beach walk and finds some low down synth action whist the original is dominated by clean sparkly jazz-funk keys that's and whispy vocals that's just right for the indoor mainroom.

This is already in demand by DJ ears as descerning and diverse as Pittsburg's Dubmission (Kerem Gokmen), Scotland's Simon Harrison (Basic Soul Show) and Ramgate's Jo Wallace (Ramrock Records).  And not only is Star Creature hot with this release, co-head honcho Tim Zawada's latest radio show on OpenLab, currently on #2, is also worth keeping up to date with; see links below. 

OpenLab:  Star Creature Vibes Radio 02 – Tim Zawada HERE

BUY LINK:   https://www.traxsource.com/artist/568939/mirlaqi

Artist: Mirlaqi 

Title:  Life As A Whole

Release date: 31st January, 2025

Label : Star Creature

Catalog Number : TBC

Format: Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Robert Burbridge ft. André Espeut - Leaf (Tangential Music)

We often think of turning over a new leaf every year in January and what better way to start with the single by Robert Burbridge ft. Andre Espeut called simply, 'Leaf'?

  

Well, it's a bit of a surpise actually as we know Mr Burbridge as he's mates with Richard E (now a LA resident and he's OK post fire) as he did a remix to Richard's 'Too The Moon' track (see review HERE).

And he's teamed up with the well known voice  of André Espeut, as in Inkswell (see review HERE), King Bee (see review HERE) - Ed. André Espeut is always in demand.

And there's definitely some synchronicity between the two of them as André's "lyrics and hook-laden vocals" top the string laden 'stadium' pop-rock sound of the track.  

It's a bit of a grower as it's like a Balearic friendly version on the Stones with touches of Mod, gospel and soul.

Quite a lot different to the last release from the label on YATM, Franck Biyong's 'Radio Masoda' that came out towards the end on last year (see review HERE) but equally as likely to get on the radio: perhaps this does mean everything.

BUY LINK: https://bfan.link/leaf

Artist: Robert Burbridge ft. Andre Espeut 

Title: Leaf

Release date: 16th January, 2024

Label : Tangential Music

Catalog Number : TBC

Format :  Digital 

Review: Igor Jadranin - Contemporary Outdoors (A Vision Of Panorama & Byron The Aquarius Remixes) (Star Creature)

The landscapers out there will be familiar with the modern concept of bringing the outdoors in, Igor Jadranin's 'Contemporary Outdoors' is all about... dancefloor & party!

The Star Creature label has made a name for itself with sourcing the best in underground electro boogie, disco, soul and funk like Raf Reza's 'Why You Gotta?' (see review HERE), Stimulator Jones' 'Stimulator Tracks' (see review HERE) and now, outta Belgrade, Igor Jadranin!

You wouldn't think the guys at Chicago HQ would have to go so far a-field, but Igor's six tracks are from the 'Heavy In Stereo' leftfield and synth ready for the dancefloor along with 'Massive' and 'Anemoia'.  It's strange that Igor has managed to obtain a raw / vintage sound that's smooth to glide to all at the same time.. 

So who thought it's be a good idea to have remixes by Byron The Aquarius (there's a 'Contemporary Outdoors' Instru mix plus a bonus, 'Midnight') with a 'Contemporary Outdoors' A Vision Of Panorama remix.   

As you might have guessed, A Vision Of Panorama (Ed. Bar?), is synthned out Balearic vibe house fusion but let's go straight to Byron The Aquarius  as this is MASSIVE in the same area as his 'Go Ahead' remix on Brandon Markell Holmes & Toribio hit on Toucan Sounds (see review HERE).  It may be too late for Midnight new year timings but 2025 is going to be fine with this release as this is well up to the standards of Igor's Latin jazz-funk synth monster 'Anemoia' or the Ashley Beedle North Street mix of 'Middle Proves' (love out to Ashley, Jo and all North Street/Ramrock people - see HERE).

You could say, "Another adventurous 12” for Tim Zawada’s Star Creature that blurs the lines between sounds and styles, keeping the Windy City label at the high risk high reward side of your DJ crate" - and you'd be right.

Artist: Igor Jadranin 

Title:  Contemporary Outdoors (A Vision Of Panorama and Byron The Aquarius Remixes) 

Release date: 31st January, 2025

Label : Star Creature

Catalog Number : SC7067

Format: 12" / Digital / Bandcamp BUY LINK 

The Contemporary Outdoors EP | Igor Jadranin | Star Creature Universal Vibrations