Review: Visions of Light - The Mandala Vortex (NuNorthern Soul)

If you think Visions Of Light sounds like the sort of thing NuNorthern Soul label boss Phil Cooper would be getting very excited about, you'd be right and here's the album 'The Mandala Vortex' to get you ready for a Balaphonic summer!

Just to be clear, 'The Mandala Vortex' is nothing like Balaphonic's 'Resolution Revolutions' (see review HERE and the interview with Danny 'Balaphonic' Ward HERE), but much like the other recent release on the NuNorthern Soul label, Maarten Goetheer (featuring Pong Nakornchai), the "tribute", 'Suite For Chick' (see review HERE) there's more than a synergy between them all.

No more so than the track 'Breathe' (featuring Alma Chomel on vocals) which brings Acid to QiGong/Yoga exercises in 'Left Bank' francaise bien sûr and the dubby trip hop ambient space jam 'The Last Domino' - expect the likes of Mixmaster Morris and The Rhythm Doctor playing these out a the obligatory festivals from Glastonbury to WeOutHere.

If you're already a Freebooter's Simon Sheldon along with Nik Muzka and Dan Dub Lounge (aka Daniel Sanders) you'll know that there's going to be lots of dubby "21st century Balearica" particulary on 'Clearwater' and 'Daytime'. 

For the serious Flute Gang collective, wait for the 'Destination' to arrive on ya beautiful dreamy jazz ears (flute by Alex Saxon) whilst the liquid 'Echoes Of Time' (featuring the sax of Gionni Cigwood) cascades to the Balearic beach dub before 'Sands' meets at the after club acid souk.

And in case you were wondering where the reggae-dub vs. Japanese formal garden themed track was, don't worry as it's here in the form of 'Bring It Back' and a synthy 'Trip' that's yet another stand out track on an album of stand-outs that'll mesmerize you in a good "too slow to trip-hop" way that you'll won't want to turn it off.

A classic collection of ten tracks that'll keep you 'turned on', 'tuned in' and 'Breathe'!

BUY LINK: https://visions-of-light.bandcamp.com/album/the-mandala-vortex

 

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Artist: Visions of Light

Title: The Mandala Vortex   

Release date: 11th July, 2025
Label : NuNorthernSoul
Catalog Number : NUNS069D
Format:  Vinyl LP / Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Lakeshouse - Renate's Dan (Hot Toddy & Gouldian Finch Remixes) (Paper Recordings)

For fans of the always classic synth-pop, novelty instrumental 'Popcorn', the Norwegian leftfield band Lakeshouse, have take this style one step onto nu-disco, one step Italo and one step house to leave a dancefloor as hot buttered as you'd want to see it.

It's hard to imagine that the rest of the forthcoming album by the band is as bonkers good as the title track 'Renate's Dans' is such such fun as it is, Daft Punk meets a disco Wendy Carlos anyone?  But you never know with Norwegians, from Espen Horne to Unionen, what's going to move the dancefloor - for further digging on this subject check out our interview with Third Attempt (aka Torje Fagertun Splide - see HERE).

So I can see why Paper Recordings thought it was a good idea to get some 'safe hands' on some remix action.  

Well, I say "safe" as if you're still in love with Georgio Moroder (in his Ms. Summer period). Crazy P's Hot Toddy gets this instrumental into a main room with some big synth action that'll go mental.

And with that in mind, the main songwriter in Jaga Jazzist, Martin Horntveth (aka Gouldian Finch - Ed. sounds a bit Hogwarts?) really goes leftfield and ends up well outside the tent clutching on the guide ropes for dear life in a space ship fuelled on ambient techno free jazz with Solar 360 lighting showing us the way.

It's been over ten years since Todd Terje's classic disco jazz fusion classic 'Inspector Norse' and this could be just a big!  Even a Bugge Wesseltoft's New Conception Of Jazz re-conceptualised?

BUY LINK:  Lakeshouse - Renate's Dans [Paper Recordings] | Music & Downloads on Beatport

Artist: Lakeshouse

Title: Renate's Dan 

Release date: 9th July, 2025

Label : Paper Recordings
Catalog Number : SQR014
Format:  Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Val Xalino - Dançá Dançá T'Manchê (Acid Pauli Mixes) (Compost)

Berlin DJ and production hero Acid Pauli conjures up a summer hit here with 'Dançá Dançá T'Manchê' (Dance Dance Until The Break Of Day)!

What we know of the Cape Verdi islands is limited to the annual jazz festival and Cesária Évora's hit 'Angola' as remixed by Carl Craig and Pepe Bradock 20 odd years ago.   To that short list we can now we can add, Val Xalino's 'Dançá Dançá T'Manchê' that was self-released in 1986.

Val was apparently a singer, guitarist, percussionist, ukulele player and you'll be hard pressed to find any of his albums from the 1980s.  Whilst in sharp contrast, over the past 20 years, Martin Gretschmann (aka Acid Pauli) has been on a multitude of labels with his own electronic music and countless remixes.

These version of 'Dançá Dançá T'Manchê'; Acid Pauli's Fullmix, Autowah Dub and Sublib Dub keep the 80s Island groove in a pop-disco way (think Ottawan more than Autowah) and the dubs twist and psych it out; not quite as tropicalia 'out there' as the artwork, but pretty close! 

The smart money is on at least one of these remixes witll be on this months' "Best Of" Colour & Pitch Sessions mixtape with Sumsuch but I wouldn't wait, the 'welcome' is remixed.

BUY LINK: https://CompostRecords.lnk.to/ValXalino-AcidPauliMixes Digital stores July 4th, with 12" vinyl following on August 29th.

Artist: Acid Pauli / Val Xalino

Title: Dançá Dançá T'Manchê 

Release date: 4th July, 2025

Label : Compost Records

Catalog Number : CPT652-3 

Format: 122 Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp  

 

Review: Sababa 5 - Nadir (Batov Records)

Nadir's big chance as Sababa 5 new album is released that is more of a album perhaps than previous releases as we learn that, "The title, Nadir, is an astronomical term referring to the point on the celestial sphere directly beneath an observer, diametrically opposite the zenith" so it's more than just a name of a Peter Hammill album! 

Unlike some of the recent collaborations with singers from arounnd the middle-eastern psych-funk diaspora, (including Sophia Solomon and the album with Yurika, 'Kokoro', see review HERE), these 11 tracks have more of a summer heatwave of a chilled OST; especially, 'Zenith', '2025' and 'Tell' with an undercurrent of The Heliocentrics, JJ Whitefield and the likes.  

There's a Bandcamp listening party tonight, 3rd July, 7.00 GMT+1 or the full release tomorrow.

Artist: Sababa 5 

Title: Nadir

Release date: 4th July, 2025

Label: Batov Records 

Cat. No: TBC

Format: LP Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp

Guitar - Ilan Smilan
Bass - Amir Sadot
Keys - Eitan Drabkin
Drums - Itamar Weinstein

Review: Sly5thAve - The Invisible Man: An Orchestral Tribute to Dr. Dre + Grand Performance

Now, let's think, what about a top 3?  Madlib, definitely.  Dilla, of course.  But as someone once said, "Don't forget about Dre".  And Austin's Sly5thAve certainly hasn't as the composer, arranger, producer and multi-instrumentalist took to the rostrum to conduct a 30-piece orchestra at the weekend performing the work of Dr. Dre with turntable royalty, J-Rocc.

Now on YouTube (see below), Sly5thAve, who released the original 'The Invisible Man: An Orchestral Tribute To Dr. Dre' on Tru-thoughts back in 2017 followed by 3 other album on the label, was gracious to acknowledge Eric Coleman in the crowd who had his own 'Grand' events as co-founder of Mochilla (along with Brian Cross, aka B+) when they did their big orchestral event 'Suite For Ma Dukes - The Music Of James "J Dilla" Yancey' as conducted/arranged by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (CD/DVD 2010, that was released on vinyl in 2021 as a Record Store Day release!)  

And the links there, J-Rocc headlined the lanch release party for 'Suite for Ma Dukes' in London's Cargo with other top underground hip-hop folks like members of the Heliocentrics and Daedelus.

In the new tribute to Dre, all ya big tunes are there, 'No Diggity', 'California Love' and, of course, 'Forgot about Dre' and it's just a classy (and classical) as the Dilla event.

But is it me, just can't help feeling someone has forgot about Madlib?

Review: Sampology - Ripen EP Vol. 1 (Middle Name Records)

Sampology's 'Ripen', "Sounds like my back garden sitting in the summer house (if only) - he's cracked it with them strings - looking forward to the EP" and now, here it is! 

There's so much great music from Australia at the moment including one of the leaders in the Hip-hop/beats/BRUK/World/Jazz-Funk/Soul field, Sampology and we've now got his 5 track  'Ripen' album to prove it.

You'll already know the two previous singles, the get up Latin jazzdance of 'Morning Sun' and 'Ripenning' featuring NMMWL (Ed. nice 'warm up track' if you're going to play any Minnie Riperton's 'Lovin' You' at any festival near you soon).

And you get a bonus of vocal and beats tool version of 'Morning Sun' which is DJ cool but there's a vibes friendly with 'Samba Sampo' (Ed. great title) that features Charlie Hill on drums (he of the 'Yore EP' of a couple of years ago, see review HERE), that'll move a Latin dance floor with Mike Sammes style vocals and some squiggy synths: plus it's one for the Flute 

Gang!

So that's all amazing but what about 'Marigolds For Movement', the musical equivalent of Gardeners' World and Yoga For Health mix for a boogie-jazz-funk dancefloor.

This might sound like its been sampled from Sam's pseudonim but check out below the artists on this, it's really has a modern Lonnie Liston Smith meets Charles Stepney in Brisbane feel to it, 'Morning Sun' - too hot!

BUY LINK: Bandcamp

Artist: Sampology

Title: Ripen EP Vol. 1 

Release date: 4th July, 2025

Label : Middle Name Records

Catalog Number : TBC

Format:  Digital / Bandcamp 

Vocals - Tiana Khasi
Vocals - Hannah Macklin
Vocals - Kalila
Violin - Flora Wong
Violin - Sam Andrews
Viola - Julianna Kim
Cello - Hannah Harley
Trumpet - Tristan Rogers
Saxophone - Cassandra Whitehead
Bass Guitar - Sam Maguire
Double Bass - Ken Poggioli
Conga & Timbale - Gustavo Cereijo
Drums *Samba Sampo* - Charlie Hill
Vocals *Ripened* - NMMWL

Keys, Synths, Vibraphone, Drums, Percussion - Sampology

Here's your digital promo of 'Ripened', the new single from Sampology coming out 6 June on Middle Name Records

• Sampology shares 'Ripened', the second single from his upcoming Ripen Vol. 1 EP, featuring the recording debut of South Sudanese-Australian poet, activist, and artist NMMWL

eleases July 4, 2025

Review: Nadeem Din-Gabisi - OFFSHORE (Moshi Moshi Records)

For over a quarter of a century, Moshi Moshi Records have been championing artists and acts that "don't fit the agenda" of other labels and it so happens, Nadeem Din-Gabisi's debut album is 'OFFSHORE' in more ways than one.

The single, 'B Happy' is no Bobby McFerrin sideways tribute but the lyrical rap is a reflection on today's [un]happy times with a warped bruk shuffle/trad Chinese/jazz-funk backing. So, what is this and why is he drapped in the England flag? 

We're told "The album follows the journey of the character Jack Surname George in the Land of Hope and Glory. Jack is an immigrant, a Black African man who is attempting to understand if he and how immigrants can own the land in which they live on, what it means to assimilate into a culture and still be true to your own. Through wearing all white Jack symbolises purity, clearing his mind to figure out if England can be his. ‘OFFSHORE’ is an album of skillful wordplay, powerful narratives and exuberant energy - Nadeem’s words hit hard across a sonic backdrop of diverse instrumentation. Moments of furious intensity give way to reflective, introspective moments- providing a thrilling soundtrack as Nadeem navigates complex scenarios of the diaspora, and the dichotomy between warring emotions".

Like the late TY (Big Dada / BBE) or Gil Scott-Heron/Brian Jackson there's some cheeky wordplay about with the street-level jazz politics - see live dates below - which maybe due to recently joining a New Poets Collective, a year long poetry workshop at London's Southbank Centre.

One of the hightlights is 'Pub Lunch', that also features Coby Sey, as a wry look at a Euston Tavern with a São Paulo/bruk/Rio soundtrack.  And most of the music here is as cool as the vocal performances and includes Tamar Osborn; an instrumental/dub album version like Roots Manuva's label would do, would be cool.

Support already from BBC 6 Music's Jamz Supernova, Don Letts and NTS Radio and Nadeem is going to be the big post-Glasto next big thing.

LIVE DATES:

6th July -    London, Marxism Festival 

26th July - Thirsk, Deer Shed Festival 

2nd/3rd August - Oxfordshire, Supernormal Festival 

5th August - London, The Forge

Artist: Nadeem Din-Gabisi

Title:  OFFSHORE

Release date: 1st August, 2025

Label : Moshi Moshi Records

Catalog Number : TBX

Format:  Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Various Artists - Jazz Room Records Presents: "Covers" (Jazz Room Records)

When legendary jazz DJ Paul Murphy releases an album of "covers" it's going to get all the big head DJs interested and you don't get much bigger than Louie Vega, Kenny Dope, Colin Curtis, Robbie Vincent, Craig Charles and Dr Bob Jones who are all on this one already!

 

In fact, it was 'Chilled Cider' festivals' very own DJ Colin Parnell who featured this album on his monthly Stomp Radio show last night, playing 3 choice tracks - see link below.  Quasimode's 'Hi Tech Jazz' (a cover of a historical Detroit techno masterpiece), Freddie Hubbard's classic 'Gibraltar' as done by Pamela Wise (Murphy digging deep on that one) and Barry Adamson's 'Miles' (as in 'Davis', that was orginally on the album 'Oedipus Schmoedipus' that came out nearly 30 years ago).

When compilations have cover versions of tracks that are as old as some to the jazzdancers at Dingwalls Revivals, JazzCotech's long running Shiftless Shuffle and the Come Sunday session in Birmingham who have featured half of BBE's J-Jazz collective, Mike Peden as a DJ in the past (next one 6th July with DJ Amazon - see HERE for the J-Jazz lowdown).

Of course, Mike's favourite is Version City Session's 'Riot In Lagos' (originally by Ryuchi Sakamoto) but it could have easily have been Christian Prommers' Drum Lesson's version of Kraftwerk's classic (Ed. that's your lasts 'classic'). 'Trans Europa Express' (the orginal being featured weekly on on talkSport's Sunday night show as hosted by NME legend, Danny Kelly).

I remember seeing Drumlesson at the Big Chill many moons ago (Pete Lawrence's "baby" who also founded 'Chilled Cider' - see how all this ties in?) and you never know, renewed interest mean a reformation of the band as there was no follow up to 'Drum Lesson Vol. 1' which had a load of interesting cover versions on it. 

With the depth of Murphy's knowledge, you can imagine this compilation will cover (no pun etc), "Psychedelic Jazz Fusion of Helsinki Collective “Saimaa” with their epic LIVE version of the Deodato's 'Super Strut' to some finger snapping Cool New York Vibes on Giacomo Gates Hip To The Trip version of Gil Scott-Heron’s 'Is That Jazz'" plus there's an exclusive appearance of Chip Wickham (he of another compilation of Paul's. 'The Jazz Room Vol. 2', see review HERE).

Those with sharp eyes will spot 3iO, as in Robert Mitchell's 3iO who had a 'hit' with their version of 'Teardrops' and here they are represented by the rave favourite, 'Born Slippy'.

I don't think Mr Parnell will be able to say, "I prefer the Sergio Mendez" version to any of these tracks and DJ's like Jo Wallace will be able to fill her boots when she re-starts her "Covers" show; and it's great that some of these tracks that come out during a CD dominant period will be all together on one vinyl release - get your pre-orders in now.

And how did I get through that lot without mentioning Gilles Peterson?

P.S. Jazz Room has previous with "covers" as if you don't know The Take Vibe EP, well worth checking the version of 'Golden Brown'.

PPS.  And for fans of 'Golden Brown', Bruce Bickerton's Alucidnation accapela has version on 7" along with 'The Model' (Kraftwerk) - check it out HERE, and he was also at Chilled Cider this year. 

BUY LINK:  Jazz Room Records Presents: "Covers" Bandcamp

Artist: Various Artists 

Title: Jazz Room Records Presents: "Covers" 

Release date: 25th July, 2025

Label: Jazz Room

Catalog: TBC

Format: 2 X LP Gatefold ; Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Darren Morris - Union II (Ramrock Noir)

Did somebody say, "Ramrock Noir Again"?  Did somebody say, "Darren Morris"? Did somebody say, "Darren Morris (he of keyboards, mastering engineer, producer, North Street West, Black Science Orchestra, Steve Mason Band and loads more) releases an LP on the new label Ramrock Noir has a follow up to Union I called Union II"? 

'Union I' is something leftfield even for the ambient leftfield cinematic fans as imagine again Darren Morris at the Henry Willis Organ at the Union Chapel in Islington improvising in grand gothic tones.  And then he's added studio embellishments later that take the sound further into early Tangerine Dream, Edgar Froese, Klaus Schulze et al (see review HERE).

In the studo his got Solina string machines that recorded the cellos, violas and violins separately along with "Arpeggiated performances on the Nord Lead II add a bit of sci-fi movement, plus pings and pops from a random rhythm generator synth made lovingly inside the Nord Modular Mk1 - both keyboards I’ve owned since 1998 by Swedish company, Clavia” and throw in a tape echo and some vibes!

This sounds rather Wendy Carlos/Keith Emerson/Rick Wakeman to most of us but on the 3 lead tracks, 'The Big Debussy', 'Stick Children' and 'Unwinding Vision' it's what we've been calling for.  

A trip on the Jean-Michel Jarre spaceship via your nearest Cathedral organ and you're ready for a best OST nomination.

If you've ever listened to Moz Walsh's All.FM show on a Sunday Morning that has strong classical / spiritual links, 'Union I' would form a 'Best Of' selection and if you stay tuned to the station, you'll know that the Ray Conniff fan club (Jason Cook et moi) are big on the version, 'An Improvisation On "Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy" - watch out for the No'west Xmas remix!.

Artist: Darren Morris

Title:  Union II

Release date: 30th June, 2025
Label: Ramrock Noir Records
Cat. No: RRNLP002
Format:  Digital / Bandcamp

Review: DFRA Experience Jazz Band - The Human Discard EP (Inc. DUBBYMAN Remix) (MATE)

What! DEFRA! Some Parlimentary jazz band from Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs?  No, it's DFRA Experience Jazz Band aka Diego Ruiz from Argentina on the MATE lable from Spain and you can't discard 'The Human Discard'.

Well - this is a surprise as it' full-on jazz band of trumpet, sax, acoustic bass, jazz piano and vibes from the sixties in a Deep House groove. But wait, that gets a DUBBYMAN Latin remix as 'breakin' jazz' which make it even more perfect 8 minutes. 

'Inside The Club' and 'Spinning In My Head' (sounding quite Herbie) complete the 4-track EP but get your orders in now as this is going to sell out quick.

BUY LINK: DFRA EXPERIENCE JAZZ BAND - The Human Discard EP (feat Dubbyman remix) Vinyl at Juno Records.

Artist: DFRA Experience Jazz Band

Title: The Human Discard (Inc. DUBBYMAN Remix) 

Release date: 30th June, 2025

Label : MATE

Catalog Number : MATE019

Format: Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp