Review: Peter Matson & JKriv - Facile EP (Favorite Recordings)

Favorite Recordings are upping the disco game on every release it seems as multi-instrumentalist Peter Matson and seasoned DJ/producer/record label owner JKriv get together with the Ibibio Sound Machine to get hard on the new 'Facile' EP with, no less than a Yuksek remix! 

It's not that long ago that Razor-N-Tape exile Diogo Strausz released his new album 'Dance Para Se Salvar' (see review HERE) on the Paris based label Favorite Recordings but to find that Peter Matson has checked out of his Bastard Jazz 'Hotel PM' (see review HERE) along with Razor-N-Tape's "doorman", JKriv (last seen with 'Intuition' EP - see review HERE) is a bit of a surprise to say the least, it's not like they're underappreciated?

But wait until you hear the track 'Underappreciated' (this is the one that features Ibibio Sound Machine (as featured on Joi n' Juno - see review HERE) as it's like a re-discofied Grace Jones in her 'Pull Up To My Bumper' prime   Perhaps it because it evolved in JKriv's Brooklyn studio as a combination of live instruments and that je ne sais pas!

The Yusek remix keep it sounds like it comes from the birth of 'Ring My Bell' disco  - don't even think  'Underappreciated'.

The EP is rounded off with the track 'Facile' (featuring Olivya) and 'Over Suffa' (featuring Samy Love) each of which would make equally impressive lead tracks.  Samy Love (from Cameroon) sings in French on a Afro-boogie-funk groove with a bit of rockin' guitar thrown in like the cool that is Frank Biyong (he of 'Radio Masoda' - see review HERE).

'Facile' is also sung in French and is close enough a racey Chic to get loads of European club and radio plays.

Recommend you order quick as this is totally the opposite of 'Facile' and 'Underappreciated'!

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER (Vinyl): Peter Matson & JKriv - Underappreciated ft. Ibibio Sound Machine

Artist: Peter Matson & JKriv 

Title:  Facile EP 

Release date: 6th March, 2026

Label : Favorite Recordings

Catalog Number :FVR204

Format: Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Gratts - BSBF: Selected Reworks (Be Strong Be Free)

"Belgian producer Gratts drops a package of reinterpretations from his Be Strong Be Free imprint, showing off the label's collaborative, open-hearted spirit."

 

This has a strong flavour of NuNorthern Soul meets Ramrock Red for easy dancefloor grooves.

Alex Kassian sets the tone with a lush, chugging instrumental of 'Sun Circles', followed by Fennec's rolling, floor-ready re-chug of 'Better Days'.

Terry Farley & Wade Teo (he of tthe Wade Teo remixes - see review HERE) deliver a classic 90s Sound Factory-style overhaul of 'Off My Feet, while 'Submerge Me' dives into raw, hypnotic percussion.

Conrad McDonnell (50% of Idjut Boys) adds heavyweight dub depth to 'Jour De Fete' before we get a full instrumental of breezy, dubbed out disco cut 'Nuit De Fievre' whilst Southpaw flips 'Euphoria' into "tender, emotive trip-hop".

The perfect start to the week and remember, 'Be Strong, Be Free'.

 

BUY LINK / PRE- ORDER:  https://www.juno.co.uk/products/gratts-bsbf-selected-reworks-alex-kassian-terry-farley-vinyl/1124051-01/

 

 

Artist: Gratts 

Title: BSBF: Selected Reworks 

Release date: 2nd March, 2026
Label : Be Strong Be Free
Catalog Number : TBC
Format: 12" Vinyl / Digital  

Review: Thomas Blondet - Again & Again (Rhythm & Culture Music)

Washington DC based DJ and producer Thomas Blondet presents 'Again & Again', a deeply musical album rooted in timeless dancefloor culture. Drawing from decades of experience as a DJ, producer, and label founder, the album reflects a sound shaped by longevity, groove, and emotional depth.

Across the project, Blondet collaborates with a distinguished group of vocalists and artists, including Arnold Jarvis, Eric Kupper, Michelle Rivera, Will “Reelsoul” Rodriguez, Leyla Chatti, and Andi Hanako. Each collaboration adds a distinct voice while maintaining a cohesive musical identity rooted in soul, groove, and restraint.

Blondet has been DJing since the late 1980s and is a long-standing resident at Eighteenth Street Lounge in Washington, DC, where he has held a residency since 1999. That foundation informs 'Again & Again' — a body of work built with patience, warmth, and an understanding of how music moves people over time.

The album is anchored by the focus track 'Déjà Vu' featuring Joran Danielle Harris, a hypnotic and soulful cut driven by lush chords, steady rhythm, and evocative vocals that capture the feeling of familiarity and return. The song sets the tone for an album that explores love, memory, and creative renewal — the cycles that draw listeners back again and again.

Stand-out tracks a plenty, including 'Blue Birds' (featuring Ammoye and Rise Ashen) as the twelve track explores "late-night atmospheres" with instrumental "to deeply expressive vocal tracks".

'Again & Again' stands as a confident statement from an artist whose credibility has been earned through time, consistency, and global connection. It is both a personal reflection and a continuation of Thomas Blondet’s enduring commitment to music that resonates beyond trends and lives on the dance floor.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER VINYL: https://sym.ffm.to/againandagain

Title: Thomas Blondet

Title: Again & Again 

Release date: 6th March, 2025

Label : Rhythm & Culture Music

Catalog Number : TBC

Format: Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Gastek & L.D.F. feat. Dmitri SFC - 'Iremember' [Gari Romalis / Javonntte] (Morris Audio)

"All night, by the bassline" you'll be dancing to 'Detroit Mixes' on the new EP on Morris Audio as 'Iremember' gets the Gari Romalis / Javonntte treatment.

Already off to a fine start for the new year, Wearing Shoes' 'In The Mist' EP (see review HERE) but this month sees them remembering the 2012 release on 12" by Gastek & L.D.F. on the 'Citysport Edition' with remixes that time by Washerman on a 'garage tip' and Demetrio Giannice.   

This time round, we remember house soundsystem culture - 3 turntables, 4 bags of records .... dancing all night - in a Detroit way.

The original version has certainly been synth-pumped up as the Gari Romalis Electronix Remix and there's two variants of Javonntte; 'Ultra Mix' (the vocal edit) and 'Demo Edit' (the dub mix).

If you remember 'Detroit', you'll love this love letter to the dancefloor/radio waves on the edge of the vastness of electronic great lake sounds and all set for MOVEMENT!

BUY LINK: https://morrisaudio.bandcamp.com/

/

Artist: Gastek & L.D.F. feat. Dmitri SFC

Title: Iremember (Detroit Mixes) EP
Release date: 27th February, 20266
Label :Morris Audio 
Catalog Number: MA13
Format: Digital / Bandcamp

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PS. Thinking Allowed BBC Radio 4 ·17 Feb 2026 27 mins - Gentrification in Detroit and London (Seven Dials)

Thinking Allowed - Gentrification in Detroit and London - BBC Sounds]

Review: re:ni & BiggaBush - Uprising Space Bass Dubplate (Ilian Tape)

There's loads of examples of musical acorns not falling far from trees and these two, re:ni (aka Lauren Bush) and her drum/percussion obsessed Dad, Glyn 'Bigga' Bush are ideal for investigating the roots of electronic dub - in space of course!

Almost 3 years to the day after the release of re:in's 'BeautySick' (see review HERE) the combo of re:ni and BiggaBush emerge from of the shadows of post-dubstep dark electronic d'n'b and take the Krautrock space ship to check out Sun Ra and King Tubby?

And the 'Bass Is The Place' is indeed the place to be with it's deep spaceship synth contrails that form into downtempo drum patterns to gets you into another worldly place.

Mastered in Munich, this EP is deep in the echo chamber catacombs like 'Mae Uprising' with bouncy beats and whilst various knob effects whilst 'BigLozTek' forces it's way through the techno/Trans Europe Express embankments.

Dad's favourite MC and very long time collaborator, Farda P gets the call for 'Death By Dubplate' which reminds us of Bigga's Rockers Hi-Fi days and 'Mish Mash' that was re-issued last year (see review HERE).

So more evidence that BiggaBush is still master of the mixing desk and you'll remember re:ni was mentioned in our big interview/catch up with BiggaBush (see HERE) and had a long running radio show on NTS (see HERE) focusing on "Forward-thinking sounds from across the bass spectrum" whilst Bigga is showing yet another 'Different Style' (see review HERE) along with his long running monthly radio show on 1BTN called, appropriately, Bigga's Big Dig (see https://1btn.fm/dj/glyn-bigga-bush/).

All recommended!

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: https://www.junodownload.com

Artist: re:ni & BiggaBush
Title: Uprising Space Bass Dubplate
Release Date : 26th February, 2026
Label : Ilian Tape

Catalog Number : TTX042
Format: Vinyl - 180g Heavyweight 12" / Digital / Bandcamp

PS. Don't forget the Farda P - Catfood Supachunka ('Wolverhampton' Edit)

Rockers Hi-Fi - Going Under [!K7]

 

Review: Alcides Neto - Amú (Music In Exile)

Music In Exile have found another Brazilian multi-instrumentalist that's fallen in love down under with Alcides Neto's album, 'Amú'.

We love a new Brazilian superstar, whether it be from the regional models of Gilberto Gil, Tom Zé, Milton Nascimento, Seu Jorge or even the Naarm/Melbourne influenced Don Glori (he of 'Paper Can't Wrap Fire' - see review HERE).  

Well, who knew that Alcides Neto was on said album, 'Paper Can't Wrap Fire' albeit in a limited role.  So it was great to hear the singer/songwriter's single 'Canforá' that's set the the pulses racing with it's Rio-cool soul/jazz easy groove.

Having said that, we're told Neto grew up in the distinctly none coastal São Paulo and you get the idea of his influences when Alcides explains “'Canforá' comes from the camphor tree. My grandma used to keep camphor leaves soaking in ethanol next to her bed and would offer it to me for lots of different purposes. The lyrics playfully talk about how powerful camphor is and how it can heal anything. Like many of my compositions, this one is also inspired by my grandmother.”  

This all sounds a little 'Hermeto Pascoal' but that's no bad thing as on ''Carmariô' the percussion moves ya feet and the sax frees the soul (guaranteed to be coming to 'Another Sunday Afternoon at Dingwalls' soon).  And even though Neto says that the eight track album is aimed to "capture the simplicity of childhood", tracks like 'Ari, Serigio, Melo, Marco, merda' do hark to the sound to a non-Portuguese speaker like me of troubled/exiled 60s Tropicália (Caetano Veloso, Nara Leão, Gal Costa, Os Mutantes et al), especially 'Darebin' (probably?) and the magical 'Chão'.

In fact, theres's more than a couple percussive and Latin jazz-funk dance vibe tracks like 'Essa Noite',  'Chão' and 'Amuleto' which, of course, I'm going to say are too short: and you can bet they're going to get more than a few remix requests down at Music In Exile HQ for these tracks.

But wait for it,the modal/almost instrumental jazzer that completes the album, 'Role de Imigrante', is the best of the lot as it showcases the whole band even more than the rest of the album. 

And for an album that inspired by 'childhood', this is a most mature album with its release perfectly timed for his appearance at WOMADelaide Festival in Adelaide on 6th-9th March. Not currently on the WOMAD 2026 Line-up (Lineup 2026) but there's more to be annonced so you never know.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: https://xelon.ffm.to/amu

Artist:  Alcides Neto 

Title: Amú

Release date: 27th February, 2026

Label : Music In Exile

Catalog Number : TBC

Format:  12" Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp  

Alcides Neto - guitar, percussion and vocal
Ben Vanderwal - drums
Cheryl Durongpisitkul - saxophone
Hong Yang - piano
Mestre Val Boa Morte - percussion
Steve Hornby - double bass
Yael Zamir - flute

All tunes written by Alcides Neto.

Review: Atlantis Jazz Ensemble - Mystic Suite (Marlow Records)

The conclusion of the triptych; 'Oceanic Suite' (2016), 'Celestial Suite' (2023) has arrived in a spirital climax as the Atlantis Jazz Ensemble emerge out of the sea with tridents in hand!

 

You'll recall that the last time we featured Marlow Records was the Cinephonic album 'Refuge' (see review HERE) that was a project of Pierre Chrétien, also known for his work in Souljazz Orchestra and Atlantis Jazz Ensemble.

Well, here he is again in a quintet aided by Petr Cancura (tenor saxophone, percussion) who was a long time member in Cecil McBee's group and Marielle Rivard (percussion) who is another member of Souljazz Orchestra.. 

There's a big fusion sound to match the classical Greek Gods.  From the sword hanging over the introduction of 'Damocles', "before the full band drops a dark Elvin Jones-style mambo" to the rising of 'Spirits Unseen'.

And if you're into the jazzdance groove. 'As The River Flows' will carry out to the unburned joy of the bossa swing on the shoreline before you find yourself at Afrobeat infused 'Gates Of The Sun'. 

Don't forget to check out the earlier ablums but as a backwards introduction to the jazz band from Atlantis, the is the 'Mystic Suite' of a starting point; as DJ Kev Beadle has already said, "One of my favourite records of the year" and it's only February!

Artisit: Atlantis Jazz Ensemble070

Title:  Mystic Suite

Release date: 27th February, 2026

Label: Marlow Records

Catalog No. MRLP

Format: Vinyl / CD / Digital / Bandcamp

Personnel:
Ed Lister - trumpet, flugelhorn
Zakari Frantz - alto saxophone, percussion
Pierre Chrétien - electric piano, percussion
Chris Pond - bass
Mike Essoudry - drums

with:
Petr Cancura - tenor saxophone, percussion
Marielle Rivard - percussion

Review: Léna C - Stimuli (Earthly Measures)

New 'Stimuli' from Earthly Measures as Léna C gets a nu-groove inspiration for this new 5-track EP.

Last month we had the Perth Lewis album 'Distance Between'  on NuNorthern Soul (see review HERE) and it strikes us that there's not much distance between Lewis's aqua Balearics downtempo soundscape and Léna C's slightly more uptempo worldly 'Stimuli'. 

You'll recall Earthly Measures released Sun Sone's album 'Patience' from this time last year (see review HERE) that had influences from "FlyLo to Sakamoto" (see interview HERE).  Likewise, Léna C's 'Stimuli' has moved away from her long sold-out 12" 'Promenade' (on Manchester's trendy Sprechen label) in 2023 which had more of a peacockery of a dancefloor element with leanings of island 'Breeze', 'Azur', 'Haku' and 'Shokran' (you get the idea).

So this year we get a more earthly (no pun etc) Balearic that has fans like DJ Colleen Cosmo Murphy, Pete Herbert and Auntie Flo on board already with the singles 'Au Large' (being washed ashore on a tropical island with bongos a plenty) and 'Elle Dani' (touched by the middle-east via Kruder & Dorfmeister and Yellow Magic Orchestra).

Equally, 'Bat Kare' has that mix of Latin samba and far eastern temple woodwind which could fit into any jazz set of a Yousef Lateef vibe whilst 'Inspirational Zouk' (inspired by Cazy P's vocalist Danielle Moore who passed in late 2024) is an instrumental that.ups the electronics and could equally be in a rain forest with David Sanborn.

This EP ends on a dubby/tribal/Morricone 'Clap de Fin' that really does encapsulate the whole five tracks that as a travelogue of "encounters and souvenirs collected along the way" as a slo-mo dancefloor groove from pool to beachside; and it's hot!.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: https://earthlymeasures.bandcamp.com/album/l-na-c-stimuli

Artist: Léna C

Title: Stimuli
Release date: 27th February, 2025
Label : Earthly Measures
Catalog Number : EARTHLY032
Format:  Digital / Streaming  

Review: Fish Go Deep & Tracey K - Love’s Cloth (Go Deep Recordings)

What better way to start a new year than to go back 20 years and deep into some classic house that sounds as thrilling today as it did then?  Tracey K and Fish Go Deep agree and wrap themselves in 'Love's Cloth'. 

We've just been blown away with Razor-N-Tape's re-invention of Alistair Colling vs. Tortured Soul ft. Sabina ,'When You Find Your Love... Hold On' with new DJ Spinna and Musclecars Remixes (see review HERE), so here's another piece of house history from 2005, Tracey K's album 'Lil 'Hand' with Fish Go Deep's Greg Dowling and Shane Johnson.

That album produced the single 'Battery Man' and 'The Cure and the Cause' with a remix by Dennis Ferrer that got picked up by Ministry Of Sound (their compilation Ibiza 1991-2009) and Defected with a remix by Idris Elba no less.  This track, 'Love's Cloth' was the climax of the original album and there was re-issued digitally with bonus tracks on the band's own label in 2020.

As it's still a regular play on the dancefloor, FGD have gone back again and produced 'Love's Cloth' as Revisited, Dub and Edit for even more plays this year.  The new version (and edit) still has the love and joy of the vocal but it's the 8 minute dub/instrumental that'll get you on it's express train rush to the dancefloor - could it have more of a doppler/echo chamber action, perhaps(?)

And we know Fish Go Deep can do a remix (as in fellow Cork based musician Kʒːlu's 'Standing Ovation' - see review HERE and La Deep's 'Risk It All - see review HERE) so prepare yourself for this re-visit and a mighty dub/instrumental version.

Another winner as early 00s is the new 2026!

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: Love's Cloth - Revisted on Traxsource

Artist: Fish Go Deep & Tracey K 

Title: Love’s Cloth

Release date: 27th February, 2026

Label: Go Deep Recordings

Catalog Number: TBC

Format: Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Toolate Groove - Librame EP (MATE)

It's not Toolate [to] Groove as MATE release another stunning EP, 'Librame' coming to a hot dancefloor/record store near you soon! 

I wouldn't say we're best mates with MATE, but it's easy to understand why everyone would want to hang out with them after Shaka's EP 'About Love & Pain' and the previous release, Bress Underground's 'Take Me Higher' EP (see review HERE) and as excellent as these releases are, they've found another great track with 'Librame'.

It doesn't need a remix but Urbanity Recs (aka Shannon Harris) gives us his 'Love Yourself Dub' rework in the big house main room with the Cuíca going into overdrive with the percussion and some deep down jazz-funk keys.

This is rediculously cool and supported by '97 Ride' as a club mix (with the Rhodes taking the lead) and a Destiny Dream dub (tell me that bass is the dogs) only to be topped off with 'Fresh From Abidjan' that's got break/hip-hop elements.

That said, you're not going to beat the party of the orginal version - all 8 minutes of it with it's vibraphone solo - did I hear someone say, "vibraphonic"?

BUY LINK / Pre Order: www.juno.co.uk/products/toolate-groove-librame-ep-vinyl/1125148-01/

Artist: Toolate Groove

Title: Librame EP

Release date: 23rd February, 2026

Label : MATE 

Catalog Number : MATE 023

Format: Vinyl 12" / Bandcamp