Review: VA - J Jazz Vol. 5: Deep Modern Jazz From Japan 1970-1988 (Compiled by Tony Higgins and Mike Peden) (BBE Music)

Tony Higgins and Mike Peden announce that pre-orders available now for J Jazz volume 5: Deep Modern Jazz From Japan 1970-1988, BBE Music’s celebrated J-Jazz compilation series reaches its fifth and final volume in early 2026, culminating in a track list that maintains the exceptionally high standard first set with volume one back in 2018.

This final volume features a selection of tracks that is as diverse as it is deep, reflecting the rich and varied Japanese jazz scene that spanned from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, a golden era of innovation and creativity. J Jazz volume 5 sees compilers Tony Higgins and Mike Peden dig ever deeper into their respective record collections to reveal tracks that encompass myriad styles including white hot jazz funk fusion from Toshiyuki Honda ('Eastern Legacy') and Mikio Masuda ('Sonic Barrier'), super rare ethnic jazz crossover by Crystal Zone - their one-off 45 promo release from 1971, 'Rai Rai' (ライ・ライ), a deconstructed and abstract jazz classic by Yasuhiro Kohno with his solo piano rendition of 'My Favourite Things', and Mile and Half’s skin-tearing, shredding freak-out from their mega rare private press album. A track that is so relentless, it leaves the listener in need of oxygen and a Valium.

These hand-picked selections sit alongside other specially chosen numbers that embrace hard-driving samba (Seiichi Nakumura’s Judy’s Samba), epic head-nodding soul jazz (Masaru Imada’s World Line), psychedelic private press fusion (Aoyama Gakuin 101’s Fervor), angular post-bop tear-ups (Akia Miyazawa’s Nijimasu), intense and insistent fusion (Motohiko Hino’s Olive Step), serene cinematic pianism (Hideo Ichikawa’s On the Trade Wind) and tripped-out hallucinogenic tribal funky jazz (Garandoh) 

With almost 7000 words of extensive sleeve notes, J Jazz volume 5 comes in a triple 180g vinyl set  inside deluxe gatefold sleeve with obi strip, and comes with a 4- page insert, with photographs from the renowned Tokyo Jazz Joints project. Mastered with love @thecarverystudio

BUY LINK/PRE-ORDER (3LP and 2CD) bbemusic.bandcamp.com/album/j-jazz-volume-5-deep-modern-jazz-from-japan-1970-1988

Artist: Varous Artists

Title: J Jazz Vol. 5: Deep Modern Jazz From Japan 1970-1988

Release date: 5th June, 2026 

Label : BBE Music

Catalog Number :  BBE794

BBE 3xLP vinyl / 2xCD / Digital (bbemusic.com) & Bandcamp . 

Review: Jean Jacques Smoothie - Sleeping In The Flowerbeds (Colour and Pitch)

The growing season is upon us but don't let Jean Jacques Smoothie catch you 'Sleeping In The Flowerbeds' whilst his new album is out on Colour & Pitch as their first album release!

You know that we've had the return of Jean Jacques Smoothie with '2 People' re-launch (Richard Earnshaw & The NRG remixes - see review HERE) along with 'Success For Dummies' (PJ Principle remixes - see review HERE) and finally, the album is with us that's been 25 years in the making, 'Sleeping In the Flowerbeds'!

It turns out the Monsiur Smoothie is plain old Steve Robson in real life and based in Cardiff and if it wasn't for the COVID lockdown the album may never have been completed after the 2001 massive '2People' hit based on the Minnie Ripperton sample. 

So the album must start with that track and it's the Rochenko Dubwise mix featuring Tara Busch that's manages to 're-create' Minnie in a too-slow-to-disco Augusto Pablo meets Scientist groove.  And whilst the nine track album closes on the original version of, 'Success For Dummies', Steve proves that he's no dummy: success! 

Blue guitarist/singer Rohan Tarry features on a couple of the tracks, 'Heavy Lifting' and 'Cowgirl'; the pair being a bit on the edge of The Swamp Fox (Tony Joe White vs. Flying Mojito Bros. - see review HERE) and just what you need for "psychedelic electronic Country"!

And then Tara returns on a track 'Over The Edge' with a jazzy-house piano lead and dubby vibe; note this is the 'Album Version' so lets hope we can have a remix like PJ Priinciple's Disco Mix of 'Alpin Morning'.

So that's dancefloor, house, disco, trendy and fun covered before you get to the club instrumentals 'Deep Down', 'Night Jet' and the soft-acid title track, 'Sleeping In The Flowerbeds'.

As regular readers with know, we're keen on the musings of 'Weeds Up Me Knees' (with One Deck Pete) but even he won't be 'Sleeping In The Flowerbeds' -100% Colour & Pitch cool!

PS. Great artwork too - oh yeah!

ALBUM LAUNCH PARTY: Sun Jun 07 2026 at 03:00 pm to 07:00 pm, Pop'n'Hops, Cardiff, Wales 

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: https://go.protonradio.com/r/rlekfQNU676Pg

Artist: Jean Jacques Smoothie

Title:  Sleeping In The Flowerbeds 

Release date: 5th June, 2026

Label:  Colour and Pitch

Catalog Number: CAP094

Format: Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Kronstad 23 - Dødehavet (Batov Records)

Kronstad 23 are Norwegian  friends who sound like Jerry Garcia and Coco Chatru on the edge of a wood, fjord, beach, naturalist camp with a perfectly 8-track album of Scandi-cool, 'Dødehavet' !

 

Batov Records have already treated us to Bolbec's' 'Foutu Félin' (see review HERE) earlier this month and end it with this "richly cinematic collection of instrumental music that feels less like a record and more like an imaginary film" that's jazzy, libarary, psych rock with a smattering of Scandinavian folk, global influeneces and summer heat!

They recorded the tracks live to tape at keys player Øyvind Arnodd Vie Berg's Bergen home studio, most tracks were captured in one or two takes using a 50-year-old console and tape recorder, with no post-production intervention - perhaps that's why it's got a Grateful Dead 'live' vibe..

The group's first two albums drew praise from Record Collector, Prog Magazine and Sweden's Lira; Dødehavet marks a step further into collective propulsion and rhythm, with jazz, soul, folk, Afrobeat and raga merging into what the band describe as a single, unforced language.

Tracks range from gospel-tinged soul ('Menigheten') and Latin-inflected rock ('Stratosfæren') to heavy Afrobeat ('Høytrykk) and modal jazz ('Bolverk'), all unified by a loose, improvisational feel rooted in collective instinct over rehearsal.

It is a tour de force and super cool, let it all hang out and be free.... but not too free.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: Dødehavet | Kronstad 23

Artist: Kronstad 23

Title:  Dødehavet 

Release date: 29th May, 2026

Label: Batov Records 

Cat. No: BTR137

Format:  LP vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Him & Earl - Better Days (Wah Wah 45s)

The WAH WAH 45s release today the soulful, psychedelic folk-pop 'Better Days' as the third and final single to be unveiled ahead of the duo’s upcoming debut album ‘Falling Backwards’ and you'll want to get your orders in before the 26th June! 

As long term fans of the label and head honcho Dom Servini (Wah Wah 45s, Jazz FM, Soho Radio and many more) we are always taken aback at the timing of hitting the vibe on the button and this new single is exactly that as we (UK/Europe) emerge out of a heat down into "strangely uplifting and mellifluous feel, the forthcoming album is a mystic brew of desert blues, English folk, Americana and stirring southern soul, with tentacles stretching out into psychedelia and prog".

With a "hooky heat-haze" with kora/Afrobeat guitar and West Coast Beach Boy/Simon & Garfunkell cool that could be King Sunny Adé surfing into WOMAD.

Him & Earl singer/songwriter Olly Him says: “I wrote this about coming out of a difficult time and seeing light at the end of it and better days ahead. An early version was performed with my previous band Creatures of the Deep as a guitar and vocal harmony track, and when it came to recording it for this album we added horns, drums and percussion.”

Living and evolving, it’s one of those timeless songs that can relate to whatever someone might have on their mind. “Like looking forward to seeing someone you miss, or getting through a long winter and looking forward to happier times coming round, and being together again with friends or family”, Olly elaborates; “And it also resonates with the general current feeling of living through fairly depressing and uncertain times and hoping that better days are ahead.

I love this insight and the sense that there will be 'Better Days' to come.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: Falling Backwards | Him & Earl

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Artist: Him & Earl

Release: Better Days
Release Date: 29th May, 2026
Label: Wah Wah 45s
Catalog Number: TBC
Format: DOUBLE VINYL LP / Digital / BANDCAMP

Review: Intr0beatz - It's Been Good EP (SlothBoogie Recordings)

Iceland’s finest export, Intr0beatz returns to the cornerstone of SlothBoogie for his latest 4-track EP - and 'It's Been Good'!

Just over a year since Intr0beatz' 'Static Motions' (see review HERE) and the Icelandic producer's appearance on SlothBoogie's '15 years of SlothBoogie' (see review HERE), Arsaell Thor Ingvason (aka Intr0beatz) is back with a "masterclass in the deep, soulful business he’s spent years perfecting".vibe 

With the title track, It's Been Good', 'Undeniably', 'Auf Wiedersehen' and 'At Ease' you get the jazzy, the Latin, the 90s, the swing, the vocal sample and some Balearic beachwear all in a deep house groove.

No pets allowed on  'Auf Wiedersehen' as it taps into the Zachary Berns 'trumpet on a train' vibe (see review HERE) but you'll have your own favourite as 'It's Been Good'; in fact, it's better than that!

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER:It's Been Good EP | Intr0beatz | SlothBoogie

Artist:  Intr0beatz 

Title: It's Been Good EP

Release date: 29th May, 2026

Label: SlothBoogie Recordings)

Cat. No: SBR020

Format: Digital/Streaming / Bandcamp

Review: Inkswel - Mystery Man ft. Reggie B (Flat White Records)

Inswel is still working on those "synchronicities" in sound; this time it's with Reggie B (vocals) and Just One (remix) with the 'Mystery Man' - and he's more than alright!

Fast on the heal's of joining forces with Lizzie Bradley for 'Sunshine In A Cup' (see review HERE - out June 1st), here's a 'Mystery Man' for the fast lane.

Both Inskwel and Reggie B have been game tuned for over 20 years and RB sounds are as fresh today and just made flat white brew.

And another in the two decades of goodness is Just One (aka Justin Chapman) as first heard of with the 'Soul Revolution release in 2005 (on the then trendy Neroli label) and he's still brings the BRUK sound to the deep house on his remix.

If you know, etc - but if you don't, here's a great place to start and the instrumental version showcases the jazz horn.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: Mystery Man ft. Reggie B | Inkswel

Illustration: @backdowntrav 

Artist: Inkswel ft. Reggie B

Title: Mystery Man 

Release date: 29th May, 2026

Label : Flat White Records

Catalog Number : FW016

Format:  Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Lizzie Bradley & Inkswel - Sunshine In A Cup (Inner Tribe Records)

You'll recall that we said, when it comes to "synchronicities, Inkswel is pretty good at spotting them" for the Bloom Meadows collab, 'The Passion'.  And he's done it again with Lizzie Bradley as the 'Sunshine In A Cup' runneth over!

Bloomy Meadows' 'The Passion' (see review HERE) was 'typical' of Inkswell as he can draw on his extensive contacts book for just the righ mix of musicians to join the party to modern soul, hip-hop, broken beats, some jazz, house and more.  And 'Sunshine In A Cup' is more than an upfront single as on one part, it's hip-hop culture throughout the 11 tracks and on the other there's some leftfied remixes, notably South Beach Recycling who released one of our favourite albums 'Obsessive Compulsive Disco' on Atjazz (see review HERE) back in 2022.

We're told that Sean Peter (aka Triple J) described Lizzie's voice akin to a “jazz Billie Holiday, Björky underwater feel to a dark, machiney thing” and I'm not sure that even touches it but the b-boy/girl sessions have that Ninja Tune/DJ Vadim groove that frameworks the album so that there's a freedom to experiment on the top!

And get ready for the reggaefied 'No More' featuring Blu and Harrison Smith the jazz-blue-beat of 'Leave Behind' featuring J-Live, Bloomy Meadows and Marley Love.

Having a range of guests and tracks that more than varied make this another Inswel 'must have' and as Gary 'South Beach Recycling' lives near the We Out Here Festival site, wouldn't that be fun to have Lizzie and gang booked for that this year?. 

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: https://inkswel.bandcamp.com/album/sunshine-in-a-cup

Artwork: Michal Rafaj 

Artist: Lizzie Bradley & Inkswel

Title: Sunshine In A Cup

Release date: 1st June, 2026

Label : Inner Tribe Records

Catalog Number : ITRLTD09

Format:  Vinyl / CD / Digital / Bandcamp  

Rview: Franck Roger - Everything You Are ft. Rona Ray (Vibe Me To The Moon Records)

Fans of Franck Roger probably can't believe that he's got yet another hot release on Vibe Me To The Moon Records but that's what he has as that's 'Everything You Are' (featuring Rona Ray).

 

After EPs 'March On', 'The Truth' and 'Can You Believe' (see review HERE), the ultra busy Franck Roger has teamed up with Rona Ray, (she of 'Playground' - see HERE; 'Can't Let You Go' - see review HERE and most recently, Turbojazz's 'The Joy' - see review HERE) on a track 'Everything You Are' (which was not featured in the Vibe Me To The Moon' "unreleased tracks" mix - see below).

Showcasing the original mix (and Ms. Ray's vocals) and a stripped-back instrumental, it's typical of the Paris-based legend and the label's committment to high quality deep soulful house.

 

This is "a track that feels both classic and forward‑thinking — a soulful house record with emotional weight, dancefloor energy, and the unmistakable stamp of two artists operating at their highest level" so we're backing this one to be on the next dancefloor and the Colour & Pitch Monthly mixtape, really 'Everything You Are' is this!. 

BUY LINK / RE-ORDER: Franck Roger, Rona Ray - Everything You Are on Traxsource

VMTTM PODCAST 002 - Franck Roger -unreleased track. 

Artist: Franck Roger

Title: Everything You Are ft. Rona Ray

Release date: 29th May, 2026

Label : Vibe Me To The Moon Records

Catalog Number : VIBE045

Format: Digital / Bandcamp

Review: VA – Summer Selections Six (NuNorthern Soul)

Being hit for six in the summer is a good thing when its NuNorthern Soul with the hits on this compilation by B.J. Smith, Sasha Foam, Roots Artefact, Visions Of Light, Lonely Deckchair and Perth Lewis: sounds like a beach 'n' party to me.

Billed as tracks "built for early evening transitions, late-night drift, and those moments where things just open up" and that's not the full story as the selections are more than an advert for what the label in planning as it's not a given that all these tracks will turn up as a vinyl release; i.e. get/pre-order now!

Especially ith you want to be one of the first to play B.J. Smith's cover version of Outkast's 'Prototype' as the Wrekin' Havoc 8 minute re-work.  Smith has a history of the 'out-there' cover (see review HERE) and lets hope there's more like this in 2026.

And not to be outdone on the cover front, after the amazing version of 'Blue Monday' by Visions Of Light (see review HERE), this time it's a '[Re]Born Slippy' that's a sitar'd the slow mo' vision (Ed. no pun etc]  of the mid-90s Underworld track that got pimped on the 'Trainspotting' OST. Brilliant!

Perth Lewis has been a bit of a revelation of late with his albums 'Moments In Time' and 'Distance Between' (see review HERE) and 'Monolith' is another rock sold synth-wave beach wear dreamboat.

Some folks we haven't heard before are Sasha Foam ('Curious' that's quite synth-poppy for an 'acid' instrumental), Lonely Deckchair ('Adaflo') that aint going to be lonely more much longer 

as it sits proudly on the beach looking out to sea.

Roots Artefact, who released 'Different Perspective' EP late last year (see review HERE) is here with 'Call To Wind' as space synth dub dream and that's coming with me to Chilled Cider Festival.

The 'Summer Selections' series carefully picks up future winners that co-incidently are tied to NuNorthern Soul radar and needless to say, these players have out done themselves on No. 6.

Did someone say, "Brilliant"?

BUY LINK / PRE ORDER:  https://mynunorthernsoul.bandcamp.com/album/summer-selections-six

Artist: Various Artists

Title: Summer Selections Six

Release date: 29th May, 2026
Label : NuNorthern Soul
Catalog Number : NUNSSS006 
Format: Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: VA - XPRESS Remixes Vol. 6 (Hotmood, Empher, Tommy Glasses, Scruscru, Mr. Moudz, Boogietraxx)(The Disco Express)

There no faster transport system than the XPRESS - Straight to disco and in the case of 'Remixes Vol 6' we're in the goods yard all loaded and ready to go!

"Firing on all cylinders" and ready to turn around at the buffer - what a way to pack the first carriage of TDE's 'XPRESS Remix series with Vol.6' than the Gabriel Deb/Michelle Weeks' 'Turn Around' as remixed by Empher on an 'extended soulful lift' remix (the original on TDE100, see HERE).

But hang-on, Hotmood's turned on the hot taps for the 'Jacuzzi Sunset' (Magnolia) over the horizon for sub-jack jazz boogie - you might say typical TDE as its big! 

Over highlights include Mr. Moudz flipping Joi N' Juno's 'Kaa Moto' into a world groover (a track that came out on TDE before the Joi N' Jono's 'Samemala' album was released on Canopy Records - see review HERE).

Dirty Supercar can't be over-Boogietraxx with a major dancefloor timetabling of 'Nothing But The Music' - it is what it says on the tine and if you add that to the disco balls of 'Discomeraviglia' (Da Lukas featuring Di Martino) you're Italo has never been squeezed so hard: Scruscru is a monster (as seen on Deeppa and more - see HERE).

And before the whistle blows, time enough to get your Tommy Glasses on for a remix of Georges 'Love's Away' before it you're ready to fire up ya engines and start again.

'Discomeraviglia' baby - get your season tickets.

BUY LINK / Pre-Order: https://thediscoexpress.bandcamp.com/album/xpress-remixes-vol-6

Artist: Various Artists (Hotmood, Empher, Tommy Glasses, Scruscru, Mr. Moudz, Boogietraxx)

Title: XPRESS Remixes Vol. 6 

Release date: 29th May, 2026
Label : The Disco Express
Catalog Number : XPRESS110
Format:  Vinyl / Digital / Streaming / Bandcamp

Review: Corselette - Don't Doubt Your Power (Terry Farley & The Wade Teo Remixes) (White Label)

In an increasing digital world, it's fun to see that there is still such a thing as a White Label that can squeeze through the letter box! Especially when Farley and Teo remixes are stamped on it but who are/is Corselette?

As so ofter is the case with these white label drops, it's a great dancefloor track that's got "Balearics" future classic written all over it (no litterally of course) but what it's all about is shrouded in "nod, nod, wink wink" tones.  Well, the nead to know folks have let out that Martyn Ware (he of Human League, Heaven 17 and more) have liinked up with vocalist calling herself Corselette for the debut, 'Don't Doubt Your Power'.

And the timing couldn't be better with the recent re-issue of Heaven 17's 'Penthouse To Pavement' (Record Store Day re-issue), Jamie Taylor's book 'Studio Electophonique - The Sheffield space age, from The Human League to Pulp (2025) and, dare I say, my recent Charity Shop Classics show (see HERE including the single version of '(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang').

Added to the, JBO/London House legend Terry Farley (co-founder of Junior Boys Own and best mate of 'UK House Serman's Stuart Patterson) has teamed up with Wade Teo (he of 'Got To Get Over You' remixes - see HERE) who take the remix to NYC, The Loft et al for some 90s house/nu-disco along with some quirky Sheffield pop-variants which gives it that hook in the head element.

The other 2 versions are a House Vocal mix and a dubby-ish instrumental that just doesn't leave the YATM office deck.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER

Artist: Corselette

Title: Don't Doubt Your Power (Terry Farley & The Wade Teo Remixes) 

Release date: 29th May, 2026

Label : White Label

Catalog Number : TBC
Format: 12" Vinyl / Digital  

Review: MDA Grooves - Universo Positivo Remixed EP (Kai Alcé, JKriv, Sean McCabe and Medlar) (Universo Positivo Records)

For over 40 yeas (already), MDA - Mundo de Aventuras - have been melded urban club with Latin and Afro styles into modern Dance music so let's get 4 of today's top groovesters to rework some of their best tracks from Universo Positivo's catalog!

You'll know the name Universo Positivo as founder, Joseph Salvador who set up the label/Amsterdam club scene in the 1990s mostly on back of his own productions whilst the first release was by Orlando Voorn and Amp Fiddler (RIP)!  And now, regular readers will recognise the movers of dance, Kai Alcé, JKriv, Sean McCabe and Medlar as a current day 'Gang of Four' remixers picked out for this the game of Twister (Ed. see the cover artwork?)

Kai Alce, (last seen HERE on the NDATL Remix of 'What You Came Here For') who is seen as a "most influential architect" of deep house kicks off extending 'Sonido Latino' into jazzy-soul vibra-cool a la Roy Ayers' raceway/lounge.

Sean McCabe is another never too far from a remix (for the past 20 years) so he knows a sandy samba shuffle for 'Ipanema Jazz' (Ed. hardly on the beach as he's based in Bristol!) as keys/synths and trumpet battle it out out on a cuíca rub(dub).

Talking of UK samba, Medlar is another producer far from the beach in his South London studio (perhaps Rotherhithe pier is the closest) but he does love an Island and a remix (see HERE) and he revolves 'U R The Revolution' into the mainroom 'hands in the air' retro-house banger (Ed. this is not a 'clean' edit).

But standing on top in his usual educational way is co-founder of Razor-N-Tape, JKriv who might be based in Brooklyn but seems capable of turning any sound into fun-loving disco heaven like his version of 'Caparica Sunset' which will get anyone on a upbeat (also check out the recent 'Reel Ones' EP HERE).

Expect to hear these tracks all summer long.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDR: https://bfan.link/universo-positivo-remixed

Artist:  MDA Grooves 

Title: Universo Positivo Remixed EP (Kai Alcé, JKriv, Sean McCabe and Medlar)
Release date: 29th May, 2026
Label : Universo Positivo
Catalog Number : UP029
Format:  Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Clear Path Ensemble - Ascending (Clear Path Ensemble)

Ascend with the Clear Path Ensemble as Cory Champion embraces ambient gamelan on his latest album that fits hot summer nights and the cool of the day (and vice versa)!

Eric Demuro's forthcoming album 'Siularca' (see review HERE) and various NuNorthern Soul releases touch that link of OST jazz-library and ambient Steve Reich and Hermeto Pascal but perhaps not more so than Cory Champion (vibraphone, xylophone, glockenspiel, marimba, bass metallophone, percussion, piano, Rhodes) and as they can also reach out to the 'classical' Dame Evelyn Glennie.

Hard to belive it was recorded solo in a single day through Cory's layered self-improvisation; longtime collaborator Daniel Hayles (piano, Rhodes, vibraphone) appears on one track as we are told, "The album pulls back from the spiritual/psychedelic jazz and electronica of previous records, instead drawing on minimalist and ambient influences ranging from Steve Reich and Laraaji to Brian Eno and Ryuichi Sakamoto, building reflective, spacious soundscapes".

The six tracks are gentle gentle on the soul and a prefect sunny vibra(phone) on the terrace of a minimal downtempo cool down reminiscent of 70s ECM - Gary Burton, Peacock and that gang of asending jazz-larks. 

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER:  Ascending | Clear Path Ensemble

Artwork by Jade Townsend. My bird (2025), courtesy of Season.

Artist: Clear Path Ensemble

Title: Ascending

Release date: 27th May, 2026

Label :  Clear Path Ensemble

Catalog Number :  TBC

Format: Vinyl (Limited Edition) / Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Kristo - Hopelessly Devoted / Eternal Love (Independent)

Modern day blue-eyed soul on the edge of yacht rock is on the horizon by Kristo with 'Hopelessly Devoted' and 'Eternal Love', nu-Belgian Popcorn heartbreak!

Following the success 'Spinning Around' last November, Belgian artist Kristo returns with new singles 'Hopelessly Devoted' and 'Eternal Love'.

'Eternal Love' (on DSPs now), an ’80s-inspired power ballad, features slow-burning piano chords, punchy Linn-style drums, and a soaring, emotional vocal. Co-written with Steven Vergauwen, recorded and produced by Boris Van Overschee, and performed entirely by Kristo himself, the track perfectly blends the grandeur of classic pop ballads with sleek, modern production.  'Eternal Love' is a must-listen for fans of vintage Minneapolis funk, larger-than-life choruses, and nostalgic slow dances under neon lights.

'Hopelessly Devoted' is out May 29th. The track unfolds as a silky, groove-led R&B cut where a laid-back rhythm locks into warm horn accents and an intimate yet infectious vocal hook. Blending classic songwriting with a modern soul aesthetic, Kristo continues to refine a sound rooted in musicality and artistic integrity.

As a true artist and multi-instrumentalist in every sense, Kristo writes, plays, and co- produces his own music, drawing from a wide palette of influences including vintage R&B, funk, soul, jazz, and classic pop. His work reflects a strong focus on craftsmanship and depth, balanced with a contemporary edge.  'Hopelessly Devoted' further expands the sonic world of Kristo’s forthcoming debut album, due in December 2026. Shaped by a deeply musical upbringing—his father a tenor saxophonist and his mother a marimba teacher— his artistry is grounded in a lifelong dedication to music.

Influenced by artists such as Prince, David Bowie, and D’Angelo, Kristo has developed a distinct voice and sound of his own. This has already translated into notable live experience, including performances at Gent Jazz Festival and North Sea Jazz (Talent Stage), as well as support slots for artists such as Macy Gray and Theo Croker. With two more singles planned ahead of his debut album, Kristo continues to build momentum as a rising artist in today’s contemporary Soul, Funk and R&B landscape, with a clear crossover appeal and growing international potential. 

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/kristo7/hopelessly-devoted

Artist: Kristo

Title: Hopelessly Devoted / Eternal Love
Release date: 29th May, 2026
Label : Independent
Catalog Number: TBC
Format:  Digital/Streaming / Bandcamp

Review: Sosyete '25 - Yaygara (Tru-Thoughts)

Yet another discovery on Tru Thoughts that's not quite what you'd expect as they flip ESG and Batov to coincide with their Love Supreme appearance and Mr Bongo's Brighton All-dayer!

Like a middle eastern Stereolab on funk, Sosyete '25's debut album is, "a vibrant journey through love, liberation and the restless curiosity that fuels desire, humour and connection". 

The project brings together songwriter and vocalist Merve Erdem (Kit Sebastian/Brainfeeder), guitarist and producer Glenn Fallows (Globeflower Masters/Mr Bongo) and producer and multi-instrumentalist Paul Elliott - who previously released the acclaimed Call Sender project on Tru Thoughts alongside Bay Area (US) resident multi-instrumentalist, recording engineer and drummer Michael Reed supported by Cerys Matthews / New Music Fix (BBC 6 Music), Nassir Nassirzadeh (KCRW), Soho Radio, Rinse FM, FIP and more.

Blending Mediterranean disco pop, outernational funk and Turkish poeticism, Yaygara follows the singles 'Bilmece', 'Oyun' and 'Yan', each offering an early glimpse into the trio’s playful but deeply felt sonic identity. Named after the Turkish word for commotion or uproar, the album is steeped in movement. It opens with 'Bilmece', where Merve’s voice drifts through a dreamlike haze as she contemplates existence as an unsolvable riddle. Paul and Glenn anchor the track with a tough rhythmic core while the Lotar, played by Dan Smith, Paul’s longtime collaborator, takes the track to another place that is strange but familiar.

Merve writes in Turkish, her phrasing carrying an unforced musicality that transcends language. The songs embrace playfulness, ecstasy and open-hearted emotion. The title track turns love into an act of joyful rebellion, while 'Oyun' leans into disco funk with a wink, teasing the idea that nobody can or should be everything to everyone. Repetition becomes a kind of ritual throughout the record, phrases looping until they feel communal, inviting listeners into a shared space.

Love, in all its contradictions, is the album’s gravitational centre. It burns brightly in 'Yan', the most sensual track on the record, where desire becomes both transformation and surrender. It’s carried with humour on 'Sevgi', as the narrator stubbornly searches for love everywhere, in dreams, under windows, even inside closets, until it’s revealed that love doesn’t appear out of nowhere, just magically, it’s built. 'Sev Delice', the album’s finale, is bright and uplifting. It’s about loving madly and living freely. Paul jokes that “if Blondie and Barış Manço had a disco-funk love child, it would be ‘Sev Delice’”!.

Istanbul-born Merve Erdem, now based in London after years spent in Italy and the US, is a singer, composer, lyricist and filmmaker with roots in Turkish classical and folk music. She began writing songs as a child, drawing early inspiration from artists like Mina, Sezen Aksu, Fairouz and the Rahbani Brothers. Her approach to melody and language is instinctive and poetic, shaped equally by cinema, literature, long walks and everyday experience. Through projects such as Kit Sebastian, she has become known for her ability to balance intimacy with imaginative force, something that sits at the heart of Sosyete '25.

Suffolk-based Paul Elliott’s journey began in the recording studios and live rooms his father and grandfather worked in. DJing in clubs from the age of twelve and building makeshift studios as a teenager, Paul has since become a restless sonic craftsman. His influences shift weekly, from ESG and Liquid Liquid to The Meters, Piero Umiliani and Barış Manço, but his guiding instinct remains the same: groove, feel and curiosity first.

Completing the trio is Brighton-based Glenn Fallows, writer and producer for Heroes of Limbo, The Globeflower Masters and The Impellers, whose melodic sensibility anchors the project. His interlocking guitar and bass phrases and textural synth work help define Sosyete ’25’s blend of Mediterranean pop, outernational disco-funk and global psychedelia. Together, the trio share an ear for rhythm, a fascination with cross-border storytelling, and a commitment to music that is vivid, emotive and joyfully alive.

Don't miss them on the May/June live dates or the limited vinyl edition - see below

LIVE DATES
23 May - Capsule Records, Hove - in-store DJ set 1pm to 3pm
12 June - Mr Bongo records, Brighton - DJ all-dayer
5 July - Love Supreme festival, Glynde - Tru Thoughts tent
12 July - Spun Records, Worthing - Tru Thoughts takeover 2pm to 5pm

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: Yaygara | Sosyete '25

Artist: Sosyete '25

Title: Yaygara

Release date: 22nd May, 2026

Label : Tru-Thoughts 

Catalog Number : TRU474D

Format: LIMITED VINYL / Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Tony Soprano Band - Downtempo 1 (Dune Castle)

Tony Soprano might not be singing from the usual songsheet but if you're after Stereolab, DJ Shadow, Boards of Canada and late-'90s / early-2000s electronica inspriation, this is the 'Downtempo 1' you need! 

We know from  Cantrips' 'From A Darebin Cave' (see review HERE) that the bright sparks at Dune Castle Records so when label boss Patrick Ryan suggested, "rather than building downtempo music piece by piece through programming, he wanted to capture it happening live, with a five-piece group guided only by loose sonic direction and feel".

And the results of this live improvisation by Bringing together Lucky Pereira (drums), Robert Downey (samplers, drum machine) and Winton Findlay (synthesizers) can vary between dream Kraftwerk Balaeric ('Spyro Theme') to Surprise Chef / Karate Boogaloo cinematic styles ('Let's Get One More' and the pacey operner, 'Profesional Athletics'.

I like the ideal that "the music resists climax, instead favouring sustained atmosphere and feel" as a modern ambience with groove.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: Downtempo 1 | Tony Soprano Band

Artist: Tony Soprano Band

Title: Downtempo 1

Release date: 22nd May, 2026

Label : Dune Castle

Catalog Number :  DCAS008

Format: Vinyl LP / Digital / Bandcamp