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: Reinel Bakole - Humble Me (Independent)

No pie eating going on here as Reinel Bakole returns with a new track, 'Humble Me'!

After featuring on Muito Kaballa's album, 'The River' on Batov Records with 'Let Go' and 'All This While' - by coincidence, the next release on the label after Sababa 5 & Canay Doğan's double AA single 'Biga​̂​ne'/'Namdar', see review HERE - what do you do?

Well, Reinel Bakole went on a trip to Brazil and comes back after a year with new track, 'Humble Me' after working on a new album with producer Helocim back in Brussels.

MPB meets Popcorn soul meets beats a la R&B golden era Ms. Badu with a touch of jazz harp. 

What with Pink Butter (see review HERE) giving us some Swedish twist to keep it cool as we don't an pie or Kate, keep it humble.

Artist: Reinel Bakole
Title:  Humble Me

Release date: 25th June, 2025

Label : Independent

Catalog Number :tbc
Format:  Digital / Bandcamp  

Review: Lewis Daniel - Defective Disk (Independent)

If Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy was set as a jazz concept album in a computer game setting, Lewis Daniel's 'Defective Disk' wouldn't be too far from a fashionably (choose your own post code) London setting.

Sax player Daniel has put together 13 tracks that with a jazz-core, along with big name mates like Jay Phelps and Nathaniel Cross plus acclaimed actor Jacob Fortune-Lloyd (Star Wars, The Queen’s Gambit) who voices Mason, the imaginary CEO of 'Blink', "a dystopian social media conglomerate controlling governments and news".  It's like a post Trump2 update on Soweto Kinch's 'A Life In The Day Of B19: Tales Of The Tower Block' (2006) that was very pre-Social Media in a conscious hip-hop jazz period (Ed. for locational purposes B19 is next to B6, where Aston Villa's Villa Park is). 

'Flawed' featuring Natty Reeves is the 'redemption' highpoint but it really is a UK Jazz 'concept' album and I like Daniel's comment, "Artists like Louis Cole, Hudson Mohawke, and Radiohead really inspired me to experiment with production on this album". 

As Lewis Daniel is an alumini of The BRIT School, Guildhall School of Music (2013) and Tomorrow’s Warriors (like Soweto before him) so there's no contrieve mix with DnB ('Ships Do Sail') or 'Tech Glitch' or 'Find Your Tribe': can you see the concept connections in the song titles.

With 20 musicians contributing you get everything from neo-soul, fusion synths, jazz skat and Carrib pan drums and you can expect support from Jazz FM, BBC Radio 6 and on Jamie Cullum's BBC Radio 2  show.

Artist: Lewis Daniel 

Title: Defective Disk

Release date: 13th May, 2025

Label : Independent

Catalog Number : TBC

Format: Digital / Bandcamp  

Review: Küf Knotz & Christine Elise - Grow (Independent)

At last spring has arrived for Küf Knotz & Chri
stine Elise as thier lastest album, 'Grow' has be released to give new life to independent hip-hop.

We've been following the previous single releases from the duo with 'Inner G' / 'Clean' (see review HERE), 'Somewhere' / 'Patience' (see review HERE), 'Yü' / 'Cascade' (see review HERE) and the last album, 'Hypnagogia' (see review HERE) so now we have a further 11 tracks.

And it doesn't take long before we get more hot box goodness with 'Altitude' featuring Marv Ellis' and 'Worldy Water' as they follow the theme, incase you've not got it yet, that's following  the "metamorphosis of both plants and humans" on the circle of life and germination from 'Seeds' to 'Peace Of Mind'.

Having reached their 4th album with 'Grow', Küf (Producer/MC) and Christine (Harpist/Vocalist) have designed thier own back-yard plot that can be transfered to any part of the world.  Even then, 'Cascade' is one of the stand out tracks as the pair complement each other so well and when the world needs "joy, peace, love" more than ever, 'Clean' is the message; they do come from "The City of Brotherly Love" after all.

Tracks funk and bap with space synths like 'Patches', 'Magnetic' and the finisher (or should that be starter?), 'Seeds'.

If your a window sill gardener or commercial farmer, there's always something new to learn in the garden of life; and 'Grow' is new growth for spring this year.

Artist: Küf Knotz & Christine Elise

Title: Grow

Release date: 7th March, 2025

Label: Independent

Catalog Number: TBC

Format: Digital