Review: The Eight Minutes - An American Family (BBE Music)

Another fantastic re-issue by BBE from the vaults of Perception Records but who are The Eight Minutes and why haven't we heard of the album, 'An American Family' before now as it was originally released in 1972!

Well, I don't know all the answers but the cover would suggest we're looking at some type of type of Jackson 5 on an expansion programme to 8; as in The Eight Minutes.

And would you believe the music is very 'Jackson 8' with the addition of The Undisputed Truth, and other soul-pop incarnations of the time together with healthy dose of Curtis, Isaac, etc.

And they flit from pop ('Loneliest Girl In Town') to anti-war ('Time For A Change'), funk '(I Can't Get No Higher') to do-wop and modern life love, 'Behind To Times' to 'Oh Yes I Do' is quite a jump but then. 'I Love You' is like a quantum leap with it's lush string arrangements; somebody tell me that this was a big hit/modern Northern Soul monster.

There's also the tease of what they could have done with the 6 minutes of 'Take My Love Don'y Set me Free' plus four bonus tracks that weren't included on the original release.

So that's not to say that this was a disfunctional  American entertainment family al a Jacksons/Osmonds/Partridge whichever way you slice the America pie, the three Goggin sisters plus three Sudduth sisters with Juwanaa Glover and Carl Monroe might have dodged the train wreck of a bullet of fame and in doing so, have left us with 14 tracks of a great period in musical history.

'I Love You' is worth this album on it's own and really fits in with the other re-issues from BBE of this time like the two Black Ivory albums (review HERE), Johnny Pate's 'Brother On The Run' OST (review HERE) or even the Julius Brockington album's (reveiw HERE).

Artist: The Eight Minutes

Title: An American Family

Release date: 17th February, 2023

Label : BBE Music

Catalog Number : BBE657 LP / CD / Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Lenz – Still I Rise EP (Colour and Pitch)

The duo of DJ Joma and German vocalist Moon Aton, collectively known as, Lenz are joined, at least in words, by the multi-award winning poet and activist, Maya Angelou for the latest release on Colour & Pitch.

It seems fitting that the last release of the year by the label should be on a high (no pun, etc) as the original version was first heard on November's Colour & Pitch Sessions 

with founder, Sumsuch (available on Mixcloud) .

And yes, those are the lyrics!

That I dance like I've got diamonds

At the meeting of my thighs?

The instrumental is not so strong but it's proper dreamy on the beach with those baleraic synth waves rolling gently on the shore.

And the mix that brings is all together in a dark basement is the Hamburg mix. Can't say I'm up to date with the Hamburg scene but this has moved from the gentle shoreline to the where the dockyards meets the red lights.

Does my sexiness upset you?

Does it come as a surprise

Not sure what the cover is representing (being trapped/restricted buy a hooped fishing net thing?) but as a highlight of 2022, they will rise. 

Links: Still I Rise by Maya Angelou | Poetry Foundation

Artist: Lenz

Title: Still I Rise EP

Release date: 30^th December, 2022 [Alll Platforms] (Beatport & Spotify): 16th December 2022

Label Colour and Pitch

Catalog Number CAP088

Reveiw: Conic Rose - Gleisdreieck (Conic Rose)

It's always great to hear great music from new bands/groups/co-operatives but it's even better when it comes from an unexpected location.

When it comes to jazz, outside of the US, you'd probably think of the 'hot spots' post covid are London, Helsinki (WeJazz) and Melbourne.  Aiming to put Berlin back on the list is Conic Rose as they launch a 3-track single ahead of next years' album,  'Heller Tag'.

If you check out the band's collective palmarès of who they have played with, it's a proper collection of who's who like Michael Wollny, NDR Bigband, Nils Landgren (you'll find these on the national institution that is the ACT label) and at the other extreme is Udo Lindenberg, Samy Deluxe and the Stegreif.Orchester.

And together they are like a mix (or should that be a match) between The Cinematic Orchestra (Ninja Tune) and Matthew Herbert (BBC electronics, Accidental, !K7 Records) that should be signed up to Compost or Matthew Halsall's Gondwana Records; some have even mentioned Radiohead - but that'd be the good bits when Thom isn't singing.

'Gleisdreieck' is a glichy bruk dreamscape that mixes the trumpet and flugelhorn with electric guitars and electronics in an expanded Portico Quartet.  

Two more singles are to follow, 'Chopin Rosé' follows in similar vein and it clearly re-imagined and a bit more OST and the set is finished off by the best of the lot, the romantic 'Honeylake' with Döben doing his best Miles.

The debut LP which will be released on vinyl, CD, cassette and digital formats in February 2023.

Line-up: Konstantin Döben (tr, fgh) • Johannes Arzberger (p, electronics) • Franziska Aller (b) • Bertram Burkert (git) • Silvan Strauß (dr) 

Artist: Conic Rose 

Title: Gleisdreieck / Chopin Rosé / Honeylake

Release date: 12 December, 2022

Label: Conic Rose

Cat. No: ConicRoseS03

Format: Digital

Eldeanyo – Colombia (Oliver Knight Remixes) (Adesso Music)

There's lots of different types of Acid about at the moment and here's some more as Oliver Knight remixes Eldeanyo's 'Colombia'.

The 'Acid Reflex' remix sounds like it should be at a World Cup (with proper fans) and it's bouncey and has with squelchy Bailie Funk meets acid house party revival feel.

The original is even more Carnival with a hard Latin edge to it.

Knight seems to be increasingly in demand of late since his recent colabs with Johan S (Toolroom) and Italy's M.F.S Observatory (303Lovers) and since there's early support for this one from MK (AREA10), Claptone, Joris Voorn, Robert Owens and many more, his Bump N Hustle and Back To Ours residencies might be at risk of being too small for him in the future?

Artist: Eldeanyo

Title: Colombia (Oliver Knight Remixes)

Release date: 16th December, 2022

Label : Adesso Music

Catalog Number : WP1278 / Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Lucky Sun - Balance Remixed (Lucky Sun Recordings)

The original album 'Balance' by Lucky Sun was mostly set on the Baleraic beach house under the palm trees.  A year on, what have the remixing experts given us as a transformation?

Well, it's very hard to make anything that features the vocals of Alison David into anything that isn't brilliant. So when you've got three tracks on the original album, there's more than a fair chance one them is the one going to be picked. 

So 'Rain And Sunshine' getting two versions as a Sumsuch 2022 vs. Tim Haze's remixes. 

I'm going for the one with more horn (that's Sumsuch to you and me) but I like the idea of even more horn and dub.  Whilst Tim's has super warm keys as if he's on the beach with Alison's groove - where's the instrumental version? [Ed. you're so greedy Hectic!]

And then Al Bradbury provides two different remixes of 'Calling You In'; Broken Acid vs 3am Deep House. The acid style remind me of the sophisticated BiggaBush acid wobble (also on the beach) whilst this lady is wide awake at 3am. And then there's 'Sunrise' (Jero Nogues Vocal Remix) and 'Deep Love' (Alvaro Hylander Remix) are both main room with Alison's pillow talk and Frank H Carter III's soulful sun worship. 

Totally 'Balance' (Ezra Collins Remix) takes the pace up but our man Sumach teams up with Kanedo for a Spanish 'Sunset' bounce with those night time horns. 

Balearic beats in a chill mid-winter, this will keep you warm until the Lucky Sun returns.  And if there's a new trend for 8 track remix EPs, (did you miss 'A Different Style' EP?), if they're all as good as this one, long may it continue.

Balance Remixed (2022)

Balance (2021 Original)

Artist: Lucky Sun

Title: Balance Remixed

Release date: 14th December, 2022

Label : Lucky Sun Recordings

Catalog Number : LSR032

Format: LP / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Planet People - Terra Firma EP (Planet People/Rush Hour)

It's always exciting to find a new 12" with Amsterdam's Rush Hour's seal of approval on it and Planet People's 'Terra Firma' is no exception.

If you're a DJ on NTS Radio and claim your label (Lost Control Records) showcases, "the best hydrotrip for the 7th dimension", you can imagine when owner, Black Eyes got together with Reedale Rise to form Planet People, the results on the Liverpool-Berlin expressway where only going to be a blend of Detroit techno dub distilled from Chicago & New York House & 90s UK ambient.

The result is instant classic with 'Hyper Glidin' and 'Portal Funk' leading the way closely followed by 'Reaktor Theory' (this one having a touch of synthed up 'Thousand Fingered Man' to my ears).

 'Subsurface Nature' slips into the basement for some bin biz space synths.

The vinyl is super limited so get your feet off the ground and onto your likely suspect record shops quick before they run out.

Artist:  Planet People

Title: Terra Firma EP

Release date: 16th December, 2022

Label : Planet People / Rush Hour

Catalog Number : PP-001 [12” - Limited Edition of 300 ]

Review: K.O.G - Zone 6 Remixed EP (Heavenly Sweetness)

If you recall 'Zone 6, Agege' from earlier this year, you'll know K.O.G is a now a rising star with his own releases and through his collaborations with Nubiyan Twist, Scrimshire and ONIPA.

Heavenly Sweetness released the 15 track album which so suited their Afro/Jazz/Carib/Disco/Funky groove and this stands out as an Anglo Ghanian Fela stylee.

Kweku Sackey (aka K.O.G) has a gorgeous vocal that moves effortlessly between English, Pidfin, Ga and rap, poetry, soul and gospel.

So just to remind compilers of 'Album Of The Year' lists, here's a remix EP from the global dancefloor. 

I predicted back in the spring to mark your card for 'Ebenezer' as we're now in festive season and Aroop Roy takes a Fela to a disco party so we can get thiall the Scrooges outta town.

The Canadian Ghislain Poirier is as well travelled as Aroop and has just as many remix credits (most recently Gut's 'Kenke Corner') so no surprise that he was a top choice for 'No Way' which is just as fast as the original but heavier on the percussion making it another choice play for the dancefloor.

I said at the time that it would be a tough to decide on a single but I had no idea what Village Cuts (UK duo) could add to 'No Way' but we're Carib-bass heavy-Highlife and it's great or that Captain Planet (Bastard Jazz) who tweaks 'Shidaa' in a more jazzy hip-house with classy sax, organ and guitar arrangements.

The set is completed with the album vesions of 'Shidaa' and 'No Way' which makes this EP, a six of the best. In fact, don't wait to hear, “Hey! You boy”, get your 'Zone 6 Remixed' EP now! 

Artist: K.O.G

Title: Zone 6 Remixed EP

Release Date : 9th December, 2022

Catalog Number : -

Label : Pura Vida Sounds / Heavenly Sweetness

Format: 12" EP / Digital

Review: Urbs – Levitation (Compost Records)

Urbs' 'Levitation' does just that, it take you higher as if you're floating on air.

Beautifully laid back and ready for your summer holidays - couldn't be better timed.

Not a great fan of the artwork - is the archipelago going to erupt?  

What can be said, this trip hop vs dope beat electronica hybrid is ready to blow up as Compost have got themselves another winner with this one.

Artist: Urbs

Title: Levitation

Release date: 9^th December, 2022

Label : Compost Records

Catalog Number : CPT603-5 Digital / Bandcamp 

New Regency Orchestra – Mambo Rama (Total Refreshment Records)

It's that time of year to get out 'Christmas Jollies' by the Sasoul Orchestra and this year, it'll be joined by this special release.

New Regency Orchestra! Check 'em out with two versions of Tito Puente's classic 'Mambo Rama' that was originally recorded in the home of Salsoul, New York City in 1952.

The thing is, this doesn't sound at all dated.   It's as vibrant as the cover artwork is 'now' in terms of the dance.

Eliane Correa has a wealth of Afro-Cuban and Latin Jazz expertise  (remember WARA?) and she put together eight-piece rhythm section and a storming twelve-piece horn section including Rosie Turton, Tamar Osborn (Collocutor) & Nick Walters (Ruby Rushton, Riot Jazz) alongside Ernesto Marichales (Waaju, Jordan Rakei), Flavio Correa, and Jimmy Martinez.

Then, instead of a remix, there's an alternate version by Lex Blondin that features Momoko Watanabe Gill (Tirzah, Coby Sey, An Alien Called Harmony) and Alex Burke (Forest Law, Esa, Haha Sounds) with contributions from Capitol K and Kissu.

New Regency Orchestra has definitely got the new swing and we need more of this in 2023.

Artist: New Regency Orchestra 

Title: Mambo Rama 

Release date: 9th December, 2022

Label : Total Refreshment Records

Catalog Number : LP / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Si Tew - An Apology (Atjazz Record Company)

Si Tew's debut album was called, 'When The Clouds Ran Away' so perhaps 'An Apology' is over due as why has Atjazz Record Company had to wait so long for the follow-up?

Well, it would appear that Si 'ran away' to Caracas in Venezuela to get the new album, 'Quietude' into shape.

There's certainly no hard feelings as here's a single (with 'Roshinaya' on bandcamp - link below) and here's video.


Artist: Si Tew
Title: An Apology (Radio Edit) / Roshinaya
Release date: 8th December, 2022
Label : Atjazz Record Company
Catalog Number : ARC200ADS1 Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Biggabush - A Different Style EP (Tru Thoughts Recordings)

After our recent interview with Glyn 'Biggabush' Bush - he of Rocker's Hi-fi, Studio Don, Lightning Head, MDO, the black Albumen and half of The Dandelion Set - here's the long awaited follow-up EP to last year's fantastic 'BiggaBush Freevisited' - 'A Different Style'.

Now, you might be thinking that that is odd that there needs a 'different style' for a Biggabush as he's a master of so many styles but as he says, "The thing I love about a good remix is that it references the original track but adds the remixers stamp and style in a respectful way that enhances the song and takes it off in new directions that I would never have thought of".

And we certainly love these styles as it's introduced us to four new 'followers' of the Biggabush set.

Sentinel 793 certainly has a lot of dub/reggae/afrobeat in his bruk and it's quite stripped back but not at all naked.  At the other extreme Robot Riddims has put 'Black Swan Revival' through his 8-bit noise conveyer belt system and it's all pretty minimal .

Then James Hayford makes an appearance as with his 'Shoes' monika for the appropriately entitled 'Sole Sister' track. 

Bigga has been such a Studio Don and Lighting Head of dub for so long, rising to the dub on 'Real & Regal' with his mate Farda P who sounds so deep and resonant; it must be weird having such a great voice as Farda P when he's doing everyday conversations.

And at the furtherest extreme of all, I'd never thought I'd be lucky enough to re-edit the most euphoric track from the album, 'This River' (now with vocals by the incredible Jackie 'sounds like Ella' Walters) as Glyn and I walk along the River Stour's towpath in both our adopted county of Dorset, hand-in-hand (metaphorically of course).

We might think of Glyn as the Dr. Who of dub, instrumental hip-hop, ambient dub, electro, deep house, prog rock as he free-from-ed 'Free' into 'Freevisited' (so clever eh!) and now with another different style, who knows, with all the references to 'God' on the 'This River' track, there's a remote chance that it might be No. 1 at Christmas! 

See full YATM interview HERE.

Artist: Biggabush

Title: A Different Style EP

Release date: 6th December, 2022

Label : Tru-Thoughts

Catalog Number : Digital / JunoDownload / Traxsource / Bandcamp

1		The River (Sentinel 679 Runs Deep Version)                                                      7:02    Featuring - Jackie Walters
2		Black Swan Revival (Robot Riddims Hurting A Different Style Remix)                4:56 Featuring - Farda P, Jackie Walters
3		Illegal Rising Dub (Biggabush Remix)                                                                 7:08 Featuring - Farda P
4		Sole Sister (James Hayford Shoes Remix)                                                         7:01
5		This River (Gerry Hectic’s River Stour Towpath Extension)                              13:56 Featuring - Jackie Walters
6		The River (Sentinel 679 Remix Instrumental)                                                     7:02
7		Black Swan Revival (Robot Riddims Hurting A Different Style Instrumental)      4:55
8		Illegal Rising Dub (Instrumental) (Biggabush Remix)                                          7:08

Antonio Trinchera – The Tractor And The Child (Elbert Phillips Remix) (A.MA Reforged)

There's many things we've learnt this year but one of the best is that there's a vibrant new jazz scene in Italy that's represented by A.MA Records (see Ennrico Bracco's 'Flying In A Box' album and 'The Blue Zone' by the Davide Peluso Quartet). 

And here's another one as guitarist Antonio Trinchera musically explores his love of Fauvism art movement on an album called 'Fauves' with a band of Camillo Pace (double bass), Alessio Santoro and Leo Consoli (both drums/percussion) with co-writer of five of the nine tracks, Dony Valentino on piano/electric piano and violin.

Electric violin! Lost to jazz if it's not Jean-Luc Ponty in the 70s and there's certainly lots of fusion influence in this as you might tell from the title of the first track, '1976'.

But hang on a minute, what's this about an Elebert Phillips Remix? Well, like the Re:Warm label or BiggaBush's 'Free-visited' the label has a Reforged arm and has already had a huge house hit with Elbert (producer, remixer, label owner and contributor to 5 Magazine - that's just like our own Will Sumsuch I hear you say) with Elbert's remix of Antonio's 'Joy Drops' last year.

And he's back this week with an extended remix of 'The Tractor And The Child' with more keys, the violin and added 'bone (could there be a connection with Gianluca Petrella?) and lots of 'Chicago' (Elbert's past credits includes being Frankie Knuckles warm-up DJ!)

The eight minute 'Done Deal Remix' comes with the orginal album version and I'd be most surprised if this doesn't make the Colour & Pitch end of year mix.

Many thanks to once more to DJ Bob Hill (BBE, TWR, ReddSugarBlack Creative) for championing their releases with a this and his compilations.

Elbert Phillips: 5 Magazine DJ Series

Artist: Antonio Trinchera  

Title: The Tractor And The Child (Elbert Phillips Remix)

Release date: 2nd December, 2022

Label : A.MA Reforged / A.MA Records

Catalog Number : A.MA Reforged 002 / Digital / Bandcamp 

Interview: Glyn 'BiggaBush' Bush (Rockers Hi-Fi, Lightning Head, The black Albumen)

If you don't immediately recognise the name of Biggabush, usually, if you say, "Rockers Hi-Fi", there's a musical reflex response of, "Push-Push!"  Nearly 3 decades on from that international hit, he still keeps the multi-genre dance floor busy as BiggaBush, Lightning Head, Magic Drum Orchestra and in groups The Dandelion Set (as recently featured on Imaginary Radio) and The black Albumen (who also released an album this year).

It was not long after the release of the album Biggabush Free that I interviewed Glyn for another web site so it's about time that I caught up with the big guy (he’s 6’3” you know!), old 'Acid Fly' himself.

So years before such things as social media/photoshop, the original 'Biggabush Free' artwork on the CD looked a bit 'touched', like a 30's Berlin Jazz club, were they supposed to look like that? I had met Jeannette Muchar when I played at a friend’s birthday party in Paris and she was doing these beautiful retouches on photos, so I simply asked her to do her thing and this was the result.

Equally, at that time no one could possibly have imagined what a lock-down was or what we'd be doing in one.  You decided that a 16 track BiggaBush Freevisited was the way to go? (such a great title - released last year on Tru Thoughts) The reason was that Tru Thoughts were releasing my back catalogue and there were tracks on Free with contentious samples that had to be replaced.  Once I started the process of rebuilding some of the songs it just became apparent that I could revisit the whole album and try some new approaches both musical- and production-wise.  And that became the perfect lockdown project…

There's a reaction that this is what the original album should have sounded like? I wouldn’t necessarily agree with that actually; the original album was a product of its time and the gear I had in the early 00s.  The new version gave me an opportunity to rework some tracks, add live brass, different vocalists, better beats, to replace some tracks I felt didn’t belong on there any more.  The main difference was the old album was done on Cubase on a PC, the new on Ableton on a Mac.

There's some new tracks that weren't on the original release - are they new or of that time? 'Real & Regal' is a remake of my remix of 'Illegal' featuring Benjamin Zephaniah with Farda P on vocal duties.  'Black Swan Revival' was an old Rockers demo from the Overproof sessions that I tweaked up to completion.

In my old interview you were ''Acid Fly' which is such a great track and fits in with renewed enthusiasm for all things Acid House, is that going to be on the new 'remix' release? Not this time.  But I was really happy with the remade version. 

And you were going to tell us what "your role was in the release of Peak's 'Get Carter' on Afro Art Records (label founded by Ashley Beedle)" I may have played it to Paul Murphy back in the day... (Paul, just had a birthday mix and now having his own label, Jazz Room Records)

I think there's more to it than that but it's track 16 on Glyn's Spotify 'Bigga Bush Fave Reworks' playlist below. 

So you've been in Rocker's Hi-Fi, Lightning Head, MDO, the black Albumen (a modern  extravaganza of a project) and top DJ, What's next for Biggabush? At the moment I’m slowly getting my mojo back having had a LONG dry period.  Working on lots of ideas, no one single concept,  just getting inspiration from what my daughter (DJ re:ni - look out for 'Revenge Body' on Ilian Tape) is playing and writing and introducing me to, such as footwork.   Buying too many records as usual, getting ideas from 90s trip hop, MO Wax especially, 90s d&b, modular synthesis, playing the bass guitar [AND] I’d be delighted if the black Albumen were popular anywhere to be honest…

And talking of DJing, back in 2005, you were talking of trips to Japan, Germany, Portugal, do you miss this jet-set lifestyle?  I don’t actually miss the travelling which started to get on my wick after a while: EVERY flight seemed to be from Stansted Airport which is a right schlepp from where I live.  I’m also reducing my carbon footprint! 

By November, 2005, "there is no stopping him as the best tracks are released on 12", 'This River' (Drum Und Bass Version By BiggaBush) whilst in 2022, there's a new EP coming out next week, 'Black Swan Revival' (featuring Farda P and Jackie Walters - have we even mentioned how good her new vocals are on the classic 'This River'?) is coming out on the TruThoughts 'Best Of' 2022 compilation and then there's the 1BTN radio monthly show, Bigga’s Big Dig [first Friday on the month, next one tomorrow on 2.12.22]

Is this schedule just like BiggaBush of yore? (it is festive season thing), "I wouldn’t say I was on top of the game, I just keep going and trying different ideas!"  

Apart from being a fan for many years, these "different ideas" includes a massive EP, 'A Different Style' coming out next week [so stay tuned in to YATM for more information] that includes a very extended edit of 'This River' and he's going to be featured on Music Is My Sanctuary who will be hosting with a 'A Different Style' mix soon.

Many thanks to Glyn for his time, help and patience (once again) and due to the magic of the internet, our 2005 interview is available HERE.  Let's hope it won't be so long before the next one! 

The Soul Motivators feat. Shahi - It Is What It Is (Do Right! Music)

Having a deep love of all things Canadian and Do Right! Music in particular, how great it is to see a new 7" with a red and white label that's full of funk and soul.

As Shahi says, "It is what it is"!

Artist: The Soul Motivators feat. Shahi

Title: It Is What It Is

Release date: 2nd December, 2022

Label : Do Right! Music

Catalog Number : 7" / Digital