Sunday 24 December 2023
Friday 15 December 2023
So another stunning release from Batov Records and better than that, it's a nine track compilation of some of their biggest stars... but there's some even better news!
Artist: Various Artists
Title: Batov Artists 3
Release date: 15th December, 2023
Label: Batov Records
Cat. No: BTR090
Format: Digital / Bandcamp
Thursday 14 December 2023
So this festive season, there's much musical thought of choirs and classical settings but don't imagine that Raz Olsher's classical background means 'Rubato' is going to be all "sugar and spice and all things nice".
Artist: Raz Olsher
Title: Rubato
Release date: 15th December, 2023
Label: Fossil Sounds
Cat. No: RUB111CD
Format: Digital / Spotify / Soundcloud / Deezer / Youtube
I've got to say, the chorus of "LoA, LoA, LoA" does sound a bit 'Elvis in Hiwaii' but wait! This 'Land Of America' fights back with some edge that's right for these testing times.
Artist: Will Brock & Sumsuch
Title: LoA (Land of America) (with Dave Leck Remix)
Release date: 15th December, 2023
Label: Colour & Pitch
Cat. No: CAP089
Format: Digital / Bandcamp
This time of year, you might feel as lonely as a glass bauble hanging from a Xmas tree in a pine forest; not with Cielo's gravitational pull to the dancefloor.
We've really enjoyed Be Adult Music this year with The 8 Beat Quartet's 'Nu Modern Sounds' (see review HERE), MRSFLV's 'Beautiful Others' (see review HERE) and the double A of Vincenzo 's 'Extrasolar / The Witching Hour' (see review HERE) so I hope well be hearing much more from them in 2024.
Saturday 9 December 2023
The Best of BBE for this year as selected by the staff that released the tracks, can't image a better present at this time of year!
Amazing range of selections from the BBE staffers when selecting their 'Best Of BBE' for this year. It's the time of year to reflect, evaluate and party ya socks off and this is the perfect soundtrack - especially for the 'HTF did I not get this when it came out' moments. Over 40 tracks from 100+ projects so it's little wonder that this is only part one! Top work as always and thanks for your support.
We've featured many of their releases this year so regular readers will be more than aware of how good this label and thier artists, and staff are. So sit back and enjoy... Part 2 before Xmas?
Artist: Various Artists
Friday 8 December 2023
Title: Better
Release date: 8th December, 2023
Thursday 7 December 2023
Very sad news this morning to hear of the untimely passing of Benjamin Zephaniah, fellow Brummie, Villa fan, vegan, marshall artist but most of all, a great poet.
Here's a short review I did back in 2006 for one of his many projects; RIP Benjamin Zephaniah, a writer, dub poet and Rastafarian (15th April 1958 - 6th Dec 2023)
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Fresh from Flirtin’ with Emmanuel's 'Dillusions Of Grandeur' with Terri Walker, Rodney P has teamed up with The Sea (Corin Pennington) to remix four of the best tracks from Zephaniah’s 'Naked' CD.
It’s an interesting mix of poetry, hip-hop, reggae and dub. ‘Slow Motion’ is taken to a slower depth of UK bounce whilst ‘Rong Radio’ gets taken to the middle-east which enforces the anti-right wing media broadcasting propaganda stance; “I was beginning to believe I was listening to the ‘rong radio station”.
Hectic Mix nomination: ‘Slow Motion’ (Ambient)
Benjamin Zephaniah vs. Rodney P - Naked &
Mixed Up (One Little Indian) Cat No. 710TP
12 Release date: 20 March
2006
Tracklisting:
A1. Slow Motion (5:18)
A2 Rong Radio (7:59)
A3 Uptown (4:35)
A4 Superstar (5:09)
B1 Slow Motion Dub (3:21)
B2 Slow Motion Ambient (4:49)
B3 Rong Radio Dub (7:55)
B4 Uptown Instrumental (4:33)
B5 Superstar Dub (5:10)
Friday 1 December 2023
When you've done as many remixes as Homero Espinosa has and there's not a bad 'un amongst them, you know he's not going to fail to deliver on this 2023 'anthem'.
Title: Love Right Now (Homero Espinosa Remix)
Release date: 1st December, 2023 [Beatport exclusive pre-order & from November 17th].
Label : Worship Recordings
Catalog Number : WOR059 / Digital / Bandcamp
Lovers rock on roots foundations as Errol Lamzi falls 'In And Out Of Love' with Senator B (not literally of course).
Twelve Caesars (see review HERE) and the increasingly compelling album by DB Cohen, 'Scratchcards & Wine' (see review HERE) but that's why we fell in love with the label are continue to be in love.
Artist: Errol Lamzi
Title: Falling In And Out Of Love ft. Senator B
Release date: 1st December, 2023
Label: Ramrock Records
Cat. No: RR011
Lost Control presents 'Devotion 2 The Ocean', their first compilation and appropriately gives some of the proceeds to Marine Conservation Institute.
Cultural bandits get exposed whilst you dance to the Nuyprican house of Peacey.
'Culture Bandit' is from the forthcoming Peacey album ‘Play It By Ear’, like the first single, 'Hold Me Back' featuring Clyde & Atjazz (see review HERE), it's going to be another close thing for 'Album Of The Year' to South Beach Recycling (see review HERE) that came out at a similar time last year on the same label - what a year for Ajazz!
Title: Culture Bandit (feat. Vanessa Hidary)
Here's the usual story of boy meets girl meets android computer; at a party, at festive season time; that's how you get 'The Spark'!
Re-imagined artwork of Michelangelo's 'Hand Of God' slash Blade Runner (1982 original) the track gets upbeat vocals jaunt of a housey TALC (see review HERE) with a touch of UKG (Ed. it's coming back again).Artist: David Marston & Liam Mockridge