Review: Prepared - Module (Compost Records)

I think about being 'Prepared' every day as  Aston Villa's old club moto: but now I'm even more Prepared with 'Module' on Compost Records.

'Modul Eins' was the first single from the album 'Module' (see review HERE) and I said then, "Don't spend all you're Xmas money...[as] ...you'll want to start the new year with this exciting trio".  And, not to sound too big headed about this, I was right!

As a variation on the traditional jazz-trio meets post classical chamber meets minimal dance, the Munich based line-up consists of Chris Gall ('prepared' piano), Flo Riedl (bass clarinet) and Christoph Holzhauser (drums).

'Module' is really more like four tracks in ten parts, 'Modul Eins' (I & II), 'Modul Zwei' (I & II), 'Modul Drei' (I & II) and 'Modul Vier' (I, II, III, & IV).

You'll recall that 'Modul Eins I' starts as a downtempo introduction with 'Modul Eins II' taking on an upbeat swing which is matched by 'Modul Zwei I & II' as a circus themed film noir score.  And then if you combine those two, there's 'Modul Drei I & II' which are a bit more hip-hop beats joined by a quiet section between the two.

It's clear this guys, all from different musical backgrounds, like a repetitive / cyclical motif; think Steve Reich '18 Musicians' and the like, which is a good point to mention the 15 minute opus of 'Modul Vier' (I, II, III & IV)' and as these four section swell like a changing of four seasons you can really appreciate the 'one-take' 3D recording technique.

Now we have the full album, the comparison with BadBadNotGood and The Bad Plus is still valid but having the bass clarinet in the line does move up to a very GoodGoodPlus!

Be Prepared! or as they say in Munich: Die Roten sind die Stern des Südens

Artist: Prepared

Title: Modul Eins 

Release date: 17th January, 2025

Label : Compost Records

Catalog Number : CPT646

Format: LP (  €22.90)  Digital / Bandcamp  

Review: The Pro-Teens MF TEEN: Your Concurrence In The Above Is Assumed (College Of Knowledge Records)

Whilst this 'tribute' album was recroded a long time before the LA fire disaster, it has added poignancy as news that Madlib has lost "decades of music" as his home burned down last week.

Especially as the new album, is the Pro-Teens set of 14 iconis tracks of the late MF DOOM (Daniel 'Dumile' Thompson (July 13, 1971 - October 31, 2020) possibly best known as half  of Madvillain with Madlib.

This album is much anticipated after the singles 'Peachfuzz' and 'Kon Queso' (see review HERE) and the super cool video as these guys are some of the finest musicians in Melbourne.  And to prove they are real fans they've not just gone of obvious tracks as they trace DOOM's many aliases and career. 

'A Dead Mouse' is particularly good but it's hard not to tie in the beauty of the track 'DOOMSDAY' with the LA fires: A Madlib fundraiser has been set up [HELP MADLIB AND HIS FAMILY AFTER TRAGIC LOSS | LOVE LIKE WATER INC (Powered by Donorbox)] but he is just one of many that's been devistated.

MF DOOM may have been a short blip for many that were not on the coat tails of a London born rapper that had fans on the underground west coast that went onto make big names for themselves in the industry; Flying Lotus, DJ Premier and Madlib himself - but when you see the iconic mask on prime time PFL's Mike Florio in a cartoon form of mick take, someone up there is saying, "my work is done".  Congrats to LA Rams this week in more ways than one, Jerry Jones has lots to learn; so says the sports 'Sofa King'!

Raise a glass of 'One Beer' to Daniel.

Artist: The Pro-Teens 

Title: MF TEEN: Your Concurrence In The Above Is Assumed

Release date: 17th January, 2025

Label: College Of Knowledge Records

Cat. No: TBC

Format: LP (Black or Orange vinyl) / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Orlando Voorn & Han Litz - What I Love (Universo Positivo)

Being a signed up member of the jazzdance Flute Gang outta Detroit, this is 'What I Love' that's already 'the' track of 2025 : Orlando Voorn & Han Litz, we salute you (already).

It may be only January, but Orlando Voorn with Amsterdam's Han Hitz have managed to filter Herbie Mann's Discothèque with the Mizzel Brothers with a some Laws family (check out Ludivine Issambourg's 'Above The Laws' - see review HERE) with 'What I Love'.

Thankfully the cover art is not in the Mr Mann somewhat dodgy 'shirt off' arena but you'll want to get over excited with the Soulfood Mix that's moves it into a Roy Ayres Chicago synth-funk edit which is shirt ripping.

Clearly Han can put himself in a multitude of style as a composer/arranger and one of the  founders of Kindred Spirits Ensemble (set up in memory of John Coltrane in what would have been his 80th year). Not only that,he's worked wiht Jazzanova, Osunlade and Louie Vega to name just a few, and you can hear much of this inflence in 'Composers'.   And that gets down and dirty with a downtempo mix.

Whilst it's sad to note that the Kindred Spirit label was disbanded only last month (although it was at its peak with Build An Ark, Adrian Young, Sun Ra, Theo Parrish, Jneiro Jare, Rich Medina some 10-15 years ago), the combination of Voorn and Litz are 'new' kindred spirits and I must say the PR is absolutely spot on: "This is toe tapping, head nodding business from Voorn, with the mesmerizing jazzy funk flute from Han Litz providing the cherry on top! Lovingly crafted to captivate and elevate the soul. Whether you're a DJ, or a dancer you will appreciate its deadly grooves, percussive layers, jazz energies, and plenty of Orlando’s luscious and meditative loops. Add in the smooth vocals and gorgeous flute, and we have yet another unique release from a true maverick of the scene."

MUST HAVE!

Artist: Orlando Voorn & Han Litz
Title: What I Love
Release date: 17th January, 2025
Label : Universo Positivo
Catalog Number :
Format:  Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp LINK Music | UNIVERSO POSITIVO RECORDS

Review: Lewis Daniel - Find Your Tribe / Ships Do Sail feat. Jay Phelps (Independent)

Saxophonist Lewis Daniel lets us into a couple of tracks from his forthcoming album and one of them features Jay Phelps!

The album called 'Defective Disk' is due in May but you'll want to get aquainted with Lewis's experimental jazz meets gospel meets Fela meets modal; especially on 'Find Your Tribe' - all that's missing is he dub version.

Jay Phelps has been on the London jazz scene for what seems like ages (Ed. just found out he's actually Canadian!)  In fact his debut album 'Jay Walkin' (Ed. clever title eh?) came out in 2010 which wasn't as experimental as some of the other groups he's played in like Empirical, Jazz Warriors and Xhosa Cole Quartet.  So, with 'Ships Do Sail' on a d'n'b bed it's not that surprising but what's the album going to be like if "... the album follows the journey of a video game character named Xavier through a futuristic, cyberpunk world."!

Lewis Daniel is a former Jazz Warrior himself so 'Defective Disk' is bound to be adventurous so getting excited already.

Artist:  Lewis Daniel

Title:  Find Your Tribe / Ships Do Sail feat. Jay Phelps 

Release date: 17th January, 2025

Label: Independent

Catalog Number: TBC

Format: Digital / Bandcamp

Review: LEONOIR - Chombona (Ostowana)

"Get ready to dance and feel the rhythm with 'Chombona' - a perfect anthem for dance celebrations. Don't miss out on this unique addition to the Afro house scene!"

That's what Ostowana say and even though it's so hard to follow the release towards the end of last year, Cranky and Salah Fafah featuring Hassan Tays with 'Ayamargi' (see review HERE), this vocals and instrumental combo will go a long way to brighten up the new year.

Leonoir's debut is that connection with deep and Afro house and with the synths to swing it along, it's a bit of train ride; which is always good news. 

Artist: LEONOIR 

Title: Chombona

Release date: 17th January, 2025

Label: Ostowana

Catalog Number: OST087

Format: Digital

Review: Vincenzo - Lake Bell (Be Adult Music)

Vincenzo is back in 2025!

 

Nearly two years since Be Adult Music released 'Extrasolar' / 'The Witching Hour' (see review HERE), 'Lake Bell' has some of the sweeping Ibiza sunshine that was on the now classic Sumsuch & Will Brock 'Born Free' remix (see review HERE) but as an instrumental.

Check it out!

Artist:  Vincenzo 

Title: Lake Bell

Release date: 16th January, 2025

Label: Be Adult Music 

Catalog Number: TBC

Format: Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Ben Sun - The Henge (Razor-N-Tape)

Fans of big stones, soltices and salutations should turn towards Ben Sun's 'The Henge', the eight track album to rock your start of the new year.

The cover artwork by Ben is a cross between Led Zepplin's "mysterious" symbols, Tai Chi's extended yin-yang design with a test card surround.  Why? dunno, as this is as far from Chinese heavy metal TV repairs as you can get.

What it is close to is electronic dance that's ready for a sun set or a sun rise with a varying rhythms that's not consistently dark, moody, meditative or upbeat but manages to combine all in a conherent tapestry.

You get the idea from tracks like 'Autumn Phase' and the warped chant, acoustic boogie of 'Bootstand (Strange Soil)' the playfully percussive synth-up of 'The Khan's Reverie' and the "mixtape introduction", 'Living Things'.

Those lost is a tradition chinese folk and Christmas harp music, head for 'Moon Lion' (not too far for fans of Küf Knotz & Christine Elise's 'Yü / Cascade' - see review HERE) but we also like the beach sounds of 'Ten Thousand Shells' for some Balearics and the space bouncy 'Azha (The Nest)'.

'Photoelectric' is the big dancefloor tune and it's similar to Ben's last release on Razor-N-Tape, 'Distant Messenger EP' which came out about the time of his live ambient set at We Out Here Festival.  He's also had releases on Jimpster's Chyphon Recordings (as recently see with Loxodrome - see review HERE) and Delusions Of Grandeur (as recently seen with Son Of Hex - see review HERE) and 'The Henge' feels like a combination of all this, a electronic high point that's warming in so many ways.

No wonder fans as diverse as Linkwood and Laurent Garnier are on this already so they're well prepared for the next Summer Solitice.

Artist: Ben Sun

Title: The Henge
Release date: 17th January, 2025
Label : Razor-N-Tape.
Catalog Number : TBC
Format :  Digital / Bandcamp LINK The Henge | Ben Sun

Review: Sun Sone - Patience (Earthly Measures)

Earthly Measures, "an independent label based in London - focusing on music from all corners of the globe" have found a guiding light in Sun Sone and both are rewarded for their 'Patience'.

The Sun Sone (aka Luke Martin) debut album release if full of the producer's love of West Coast Dub Lab experiental beats/hip-hop/Latin/Flying Lotus/Kamasi Washington with OST/Library assignations with Jon Hopkins, James Blake, Rayuichi Sakamoto (RIP), Bill Laswell.

The seven minutes of 'Cascade' particularly fits this bill with previous singles, 'Body' and 'Apogee' celebrating the global and the combination of 'Echo', that even crams in some glitchy jazz tape-loop elements, we can move this on the dancefloor.  

The Latin/World tracks that will gain attending are 'Train' and 'Nothing Happens Twice' and if this was a different label, the likes of Atjazz and Osunlade would be signing up for the remixes especially as he uses an array of percussive instruments from all over the globe that Sone "elegantly massages.. to create a sound which is familiar but also alien" (again, this really fits the last two tracks, 'Just Be' (like a warped James Blake) and 'Inhale' (gospel house meets post-punk-world with SHOLTO; as he's another fan of the OST/harp).

The eight tracks might not have a recognisable theme, possibly due to the length of time the album took Luke to make (a mere 10 years - hence the album title 'Patience') but you can't say any track is 'dated' as the Sun Sone project comes across as self-contained as well as original and exciting.

It was Earthy Measures' 8 Birthday on 12th November, after starting out as a club night in a Dalston (Ed. so trendy) basement in 2016, so it's quite an achievement for 'Patience' being their 22nd release!  Expect support from usual suspects in leftfield electronica, Gilles Peterson, Lefto, Bill Brewster, Steve Barker and the rest. 

Artist: Sun Sone 
Title:  Patience 
Release date: 17th January 2025
Label : Earthly Measures
Catalog Number : EARTHLY022 (TBC)
Format: Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Radic The Myth - Back To You (Freerange Records)

Radic The Myth may not be a legend at the moment but 'Back To You' has got that feel of being on the cusp as Freerange Records continues its love of promoting South African based deep house.

After all the excitement of Jimpster & Bishy's 'Come Down' last month on Freerange Records (see review HERE), it's 'Back To You' with an EP by Radic The Myth. 

After releasing tracks on the influential Stay True Sounds label and having 'Rainy' on Stay True Sounds Vol.4, Compiled By Kid Fonque, and 'Ubuntu (Unity)' selected for Vol. 5 (see review HERE), the 3 tracks on Back To You, being the title track, 'Phone Calls' and 'Summer Solstice' are even further from obvious 'Afro-house' and much more iin the Chicago corner of Jimpster's label. 

The stutter of 'Back To You' plus the echo/dub vibe makes this a grower, especially as there's a "warm sub bass" in the house.  'Phone Call' is loft spoken world Parrish/Moodymann tradition with the Chicago Loop train system in support.  , 

And for some, the most exciting element is Jimpster addding his synth/keyboard talents to 'Summer Solstice' with infusion of jazz that is one of his trademarks attributes.

This EP compliments his other tracks, especially the dancefloor favourite, 'Ubuntu (Unity)' or indeed long-time supporter, DJ Andy Garvey's favoutrite, 'Return Of The Zulu Gangsta' (check out Andy's Delectabeats show on Afrodisiac Radio HERE every Sunday) and if there is going to be a Freerange equilvalent of 'There Ain't No Album!' lets have it before the summer solstice; hopefully with dub versions too!

Artist:  Radic The Myth

Title: Back To You EP

Release date: 17th Janurary, 2025

Label : Freerange Records

Catalog Number : TBC

Format: Digital / Bandcamp LINK https://radicthemyth.bandcamp.com/album/back-to-you-ep

Review: Stimulator Jones - Stimulator Tracks Vol. 2 (Star Creature)

"What we're gonna do right here is go back, way back, back into time." - well, we are but we're also going to look forward to Vol. 2 of 'Stimulator Tracks' from Stimulator Jones on Star Creature as he's being inspired by the past to find star tracks of the future.

You don't have to go that far back to get Vol. 1 as it was only this summer that we had the four track 12" that squelched it's boogie acid on the dancefloor particularly 'Night Walk' as the acid drops on synth backing vocals in a 80s disco groove that works it's magic every time.

Could Vol. 2 match this or even be better?  Well, I suppose once you've jumped ships from Stones Throw after a couple of albums of beats/jazz/funk/soul of 'Enviroments Striving For Perfection' you're going to have more than one weapon in ya arsenal.  And this is deep in manoevres from backroom to mainroom with 'Cytoplasm' - as your 303s go cyborg crazy in a bubblin' soup.

Talking of mainrooms, what's that classic I can here interupting our backroom get down on 'Fantasies'; this is track on it's own is going to make this 12" fly as it crosses many decades of house - you've got to get up to this one. 

'Hold Plz' is like another Chicago loop soundtrack with a killer bassline whilst the lead track, 'Cali Red' is the most danceable of the lot with disco space synths and sirens warning us that this is a big track.

Mr. Jones' appeared on the emerging talent showcase, Gilles Peterson's 'Brownswood Bubblers' back in 2017 (Ed. that's Vol. 12 that also featured Madison McFerrin and Chip Wickham!) was an indication that we'd see him in the future so it was no surprise that 'Stimulator Tracks Vol. 1' was great; and now I believe Vol. 2 is even better!

Buy Link: Stimulator Jones - The Stimulator Tracks Vol 2

Artist: Stimulator Jones 

Title:  Stimulator Tracks Vol. 2 

Release date: 17th January, 2025

Label : Star Creature

Catalog Number : SC1258

Format: 12" / Digital / Bandcamp Link HERE The Stimulator Tracks Vol 2 | Stimulator Jones