Review: Don Philippe - velvet breaks (Sonar Kollektiv)

Lo-fi vet, Don Philippe takes a smooth look at beast with a full album on Sonar Kollektiv as 'velvet breaks'.

All as you'd imagine, analog beats defined by multi-instrumentalist/producer and hip-hop pioneer in Germany, Don Phillippe (aka Philippe A. Kayser) and as a mate of Max Herre (as in Web Web x Max Herre - see review HERE) there's a big touch of jazz with cinematic soul, boom-bap and OST all weaved in tie the Rhodes keys and drum loops.

This is for the serious diggers and if you're a fan of the Blackpool Wurlitzer Organ sound, go straight to 'torn' and jazzy bass, 'exposed'.   

But all the 16 tracks on this album are fantastic 'postcards' of sound that would challenge Dilla, Madlib et al. 

BUY LINK: https://sonarkollektiv.lnk.to/velvet-breaks

Artist: Don Philippe

Title: velvet breaks

Release date: 10th October, 2025

Label : Sonar Kollektiv

Catalog Number : SK540LP

Format: Vinyl LP / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Saha Gnawa - Saha Gnawa (Pique-nique Recordings)

Moroccan Gnawa tradition meets NYC jazz and subtle electronica in a transcendent debut that explores spirituality through sound - where centuries-old rituals dissolve into hypnotic, dance-infused grooves.

Co-led by Maâlem Hassan Ben Jaafer (Innov Gnawa, son of the legendary Maâlem Abdullah Ben Jaafer of Fes) and drummer/composer Daniel Freedman (David Byrne, Angélique Kidjo), the group bridges ancestral rhythms and contemporary improvisation

The eight-track record builds on the legacy of Innov Gnawa’s GRAMMY-nominated collaboration with Bonobo ('Bambro Koyo Ganda'), expanding it into new dimensions through late-night Brooklyn sessions

Featuring an international ensemble including Jason Lindner, Guilherme Monteiro, Gilad Hekselman, Nels Cline, Donny McCaslin, and more, Saha Gnawa channels the healing spirit of Gnawa: it's Tuareg Tinariwen 'Sufi Blues' for the modern age .

This is magic - another one set to dominate dancefloors as a early warm-up to the return of WOMAD next year (Ed. don't forget Hectic's Radio WOMAD overnight mix - HERE).

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER VINYL (ships 31.10.25): Saha Gnawa | Saha Gnawa

Artist: Saha Gnawa 

Title: Saha Gnawa 

Release date: 10th October, 2025
Label : Pique-nique Recordings
Catalog Number : TBC
Format:   Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Hollie Cook - Shy Girl (Mr Bongo)

It's hard to believe that Hollie Cook's self-title debut album on Mr Bongo came out in 2011 with a mix of bouncy pop-reggae-lovers rock as this 'Shy Girl' is still at it with Horseman and... some great 'grown-up' tracks! 

That debut album was produced by Dennis Bovel and latter, Prince Fatty gave it a full dub overhaul.  Fatty himself co-wrote much of that album with Cook whilst the lead track, 'Milk & Honey' was co-written with some jazz influene including Ben Lamdin (he of Nostaligia 77 - see review HERE).

The last time we saw Ms. Cook was with the 'Move My Way' (see review HERE) but 'Shy Girl' is her fifth album to date and a return to her debut roots with MC Horseman after her collabI with Mykal Rose on the the last dancehall/soundsystem album. 

A twelve track 'tropical-pop' album recorded in London, LA, NYC and Spain (Vejer de la Frontera) over 3 years with the General Roots Band it's obvious that this 'Shy Girl' isn't shy whilst the song are full of vunerability, love, loss, melancoly, just your normal teen-pop subject matter; and I say that in the best of ways as her singing voice still sounds young and pure (Ed. not a bit of the image of Dad's Sex Pistol period or Hollie's own 'Lil' Slit period).

Radio DJs watch out for 'In The PIctures' which is my current favourite with some jazzy vibes and a slip of a dub button (in more ways than one) and it's almost directly ready for a version, but not a single status.  The first single is going to be 'Night Night' but I'd have gone for the deep 'Frontline' that's more Black Uhuru than, say, the 'competition' of Rhoda Dakar's 'Version Girl' project.

'Take Me In Your Arms' is a great reggae doo wop (that's another one that's going to be great version) and the horns on 'Crying Wolf' are so good, it's like Rico's back in The Specials, at a slower pace.

This album is bound to get support from the Rodigan's, Letts' and Peterson's of the BBC 6 Music playlists and it (and Hollie) deserves to be a huge hit; 'River Runs Deep' and We Share Love' after all.

Shy girl no more me thinks.

BUY LINK: Shy Girl | Hollie Cook

Artist: Hollie Cook

Title: Shy Girl

Release Date : 10th October, 2025

Label : Mr Bongo Records

Catalog Number : MRBCDLP323

Format: Vinyl LP / CD / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Eje Eje - Primordial Soup (Batov Records)

Talking about going back to your roots, Batov Records find the 'Primordial Soup' with their latest release, the latest album by Eje Eje (aka Itamar Kluger).

The album follows 'Five Seasons' from a couple of years ago (see review HERE) and it's more high quality Middle Eastern pysch funk pysch folky global grooves

Crossing some Door goth into their psych rock funk with some Turkish trad folk, this is incredible as Kluger plays most to the instruments himself.

We're told the album was "Inspired by the scientific theory of life's origins, the album is a 'primal fusion' of contrasting elements -traditional instrumentation meets beat-driven textures in an imaginative and emotionally charged soundscape" and I don't doubt it.

WOMAD is back next year, let's keep the campaign for a whole Batov Records Stage; wouldn't that be great!

Artist: Eje Eje

Title: Primordial Soup

Release date: 3rd October, 2025

Label: Batov Records 

Cat. No: BTR127

Format: Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Dan The Drum x Carmy Love - Hurt So Bad (Original ‘SHLJ’ Versions) EP 1 (F*CLR)

For F*CLR sake, can these guys get any closer to perfection than this cover version of Little Anthony & The Imperials' hit from 1965, 'Hurts So Bad', it's good!

Regular readers will know that we are big fans on Dan's cover version on 'JazzCazz' (see review HERE) as a disco-jazz-house cover version that featured Emma Noble on vocals only to be followed by a curve ball 'duet' with Stuart Patterson (Deviant, Faith and best mate of Terry Farley) and the history lesson that is 'UK House Sermon' (see review HERE), so what hurts so bad on this new release?

On the 60th anniversary of the original, you recognise that Little Anthony and the Imperials' back catalog has been raided before primilary for their hits that made it big on the Northern Soul scene back in the 60s and then in the Casino/Ballroom years; notably 'Better Use Your Head' and 'Gonna Fix You Good (Every Time You're Bad)'.

So a bit of a surprise that 'Spursy' Dan (see interview HERE) gets all jazz-funk soulful on the 'Hurt So Bad' cover with Carmy Love doing her usual excellent vocals, Balearic sax (Carl Davies), electric guitar groove (Joseph Nesbitt-Larking), strings plus the addition of Darren Morris (in a totally different guise to his Union I & II sets - see review HERE) and a Latin poolside vibe.

We know "dyed in the wool" Northern Soulers can be a bit elitist about "their music" and whilst I may have made it sound a bit of 'kitchen sink' approach, in reality it's so smooth and additive I'm not sure why this is 'EP1'; we're told, "there is also a series of exciting remixes forthcoming from soul guru, Terry Jones, remixer extraordinaire, Leo Zero, and Disco renegades, North Street West."  

All I can say is that they're going to have to be bloody good to touch this version!

BUY LINK: FCLR042 - Dan The Drum x Carmy Love ft Darren Morris - Hurt So Bad (The S.H.L.J Mixes) by Dan The Drum, Carmy Love, Darren Morris

Artist: Dan The Drum x Carmy Love ft. Darren Morris
Title:  Hurt So Bad
Release date: 10th October, 2025
Label: F*CLR Records
Cat. No: FCLR042
Format:  Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Larse - Without You ft. Obi Frank (inc. Summit Fever & LRS Remixes) (Vash Recordings)

Fans of internationally acclaimed DJ and Producer from Dortmund, Larse releasess a typically soulful house EP with remixes by Summit Fever and LRS that you'll not want to be without. 

Following standout releases like 'So Long' plus his smash remixes of Candi Staton’s 'Hallelujah Anyway' and Louis Baker's 'Keep On' (that featured on last months' Colour & Pitch Mix, see review HERE), DJ and producer Larse announces the launch of his very own label, Vash Recordings, with single 'Without You' featuring Obi Franky.

The 'Summit Fever' remix is very 'back in the day' 90s peak Pete Tong which is kind of appropriate as Larse himself initially made his name at that time on Germany's music scene which led to being on 1LIVE Radio and then a 15 year long gig hosting '1LIVE Klubbing' and appearances worldwide.

'Without You' and the label are his next steps - the extended version of the LRS remix is my current favourite, but all is good here.  

BUY LINK: https://linktr.ee/Larse_music

Artist: Larse

Title: Without You ft. Obi Frank (inc. Summit Fever & LRS Remixes)

Release date: 10th October, 2025

Label: Vash Recordings

Catalog Number Vash002

Format: Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Tambores En Benirras - Ondas Horizontales Remixes Two (NuNorthern Soul)

NuNorthern Soul are on the beach again with some killer remixes of Tambores En Benirras' 'Ondas Horizontales' - full on nightime dreaming and raving all at the same time; the artwork has been given a make over again to reflect this 2!

Back in August, we had the "daytime" remixes of Tambores En Benirras' 'Ondas Horizontales' (see review HERE) with four remixes that ouze chilled, world, Balearics boogie.  Now that Autumn is with us, you could say this is the seasonal edition of the the remixes when we can still dance, dream and dream of dancing.

Originally released in 2023 on the album 'Ondas Horizontales' by Tambores En Benirras (aka Graham 'DJ Gripper' Newby) and this EP is one of three 4-track remix packages as Newby contacted 12 of his favourite artists to request reworks – a mix of Balearic heroes, rising stars and friends and this remix collection is definitely a different perspective to the orginals, and three previous NuNorthern Soul folks are represented here.

Mike Salta's takes ‘Alma Hablando' on an upbeat synth boogie whilst My Friend Dario (as well as being a friend of NuNorthern Soul, he's a friend of Hell Yeah Recordings when they go down the beach on a sunny day) and he's remixed 'Templos Del Sol' into a dreamy wobble waltz with shards of shooting stars (Ed. don't mention Roxy Music).

Another friend of NuNorthern Soul is San Francisco's Marshall Watson whose remix/re-work/re-fix of 'Molokono' is pretty spaced out and can I hear Dr. Who in there?  Be prepared to be bombarded with this as its echo far exceeds the Bay Area.

Aim you'll know as the, at the time of the debut album 'Cold Water Music', ground breaking trip-hop producer Andy Turner coming outta Manchester's Northern Quarter on Grand Central Records.  So get ready for a revival as his remix of 'Mi Sueno Vive En Reverb' is all 'over the place' [Ed. in a good way] with downtempo French spoken word, warped into trippy DnB on the synth rave up tip plus shout outs, I kid you not, to "Biggabush".

As you've already worked out, this is the second EP is the a series of remix specials of the original album that'll be available in digital format so book in for the 'Listening Session' for this week - see below links.

BUY LINK: https://tamboresenbenirras.bandcamp.com/album/ondas-horizontales-remixes-two

Ondas Horizontales Remixes Two Listening Session 

Listening Party October 09, 2025 at 7:00 PM GMT+1 (book in HERE]

Aartwork by Johnny Kavannagh

Artist: Tambores En Benirras

Title: Ondas Horizontales Remixes Two

Release date: 10th October, 2025
Label : NuNorthern Soul
Catalog Number : NUNSTEBR002
Format:   Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Pegasvs - Music Not Numbers EP (Burin Music)

Pegasvs continues the ‘In Search Of’ trilogy of releases with the "exploration of dance floor soundscapes via inventive, incisive and emotive house-laden cuts".

The new 4-track EP follows ‘Extend and Play’ and fits in with the infectious dancefloor jazz-funk infused house that peaks with 'Flute Song' - couldn't think of a better track for all our freinds in the Flute Gang at Rocksteady Disco; also, don't forget Jkriv's 'Adaption EP' (see review HERE).

‘Trapped in Love’ tickles us with shouts of "Hey!" with a acid bounce whilst 'Music Not Numbers is pretty straight foward instrumental Chi-house that almost melts into it's 'Groove Theory' soul-funk brother.

We're told fans of Danilo Plessow (MCDE), Dam Swindle, Kerri Chandler, Jimpster, and early 2000s West London broken house will appreciate this one but it's even more widespread than that you'll agree.

BUY LINK / Pre-Order: https://pegasvs.bandcamp.com/

Artist: Pegasvs 

Title: Music Not Numbers

Release date: 10th October, 2025

Label: Burin Music

Cat. No: BM022

Format:  12" Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: MISS C-LINE - Mellow Hearts (C-Records)

Swiss alternative neo-soul artist MISS C-LINE returns with a massive album full of love and angst - this is going to be a "must have" this year. 

After previou singles 'Trust' (see review HERE) and as MISS C-LINE x Berlin Lama with 'U Don’t Want It' featuring Andi Allenbach, at last, the album is here that also features the smooth ear-warming track, that represents "the sweet, sensitive feeling of love, seeking a response from the other. It talks about a love that wasn’t able to flourish, hoping that the person will eventually come around and surrender"; the one with the flowing outro featuring flutist Fernando Brox, 'Broxi's Outro'. 

Recorded and produced MISS C-LINE this new single is an introduction to her 4th studio album, 'Mellow Hearts'.  Carolina is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, singer and rapper based in Basel, Switzerland who fuses soul, groove, hip-hop, jazz and aspects of European classical music sets her apart, enabling her to engage with a wide range of audiences. In similar fashion her vocals (a)cross US. R&B to Joni Mitchell to Sade and jazzy broken beat; check 'Distance' and 'Flying' to proper ballad, as in the emotional 'Misunderstood' (a popular felling as in Georgie Sweet's debut, see HERE).  

Not totally sold on the rap on 'Unique' but there's more than a nod to Jaco and it/the rest of the eleven tracks show how far she has uniquely matured from the 'And The Rabidz' album of that was played on BBC6 (UK), SRF (CH), JazzFM (UK), FIP (France), KRCW (USA), MiSoul Radio (UK) and gained recognition all over the globe.

Tracks like 'Coz It's Love', 'Coming Around', 'Trust', 'Misunderstood' and 'Waiting For' are going to do the same for 'Mellow Hearts', (even the guitar solo of 'Flowers' and the dramatic 'Infinite Two'), so what are you waiting for, get on the pre-order

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: https://push.fm/ps/fax1agrg

Artist: MISS C-LINE 

Title: Mellow Hearts

Release date: 10th October, 2024

Label : C-Records

Catalog Number : TBC

Format: Digital 

Review: Birdee - Your Love feat. Alexis Victoria Hall (Hot City)

For a label debut, producer Birdee has teamed up with singer Alexis Victoria Hall and together they have got the prescription for 'Your Love' at your favourite disco pharmacy. 

We knowt Birdee on the remix from The Disco Express'  'Best Of 2024' (see review HERE) but when the Italian born producer was in Califorian (Ed. Venice Beach?) he really got mixing up the disco potions for this hot dancefloor winner.

Hall's summer vocals are matched by the big strings.  As the Birdee (aka Marcello De Angelis) says, "I wanted the first Hot City release to feel joyful and warm. 'Your Love' is exactly that".

Your not going to get many to disagree!  Brilliant debut release.

BUY LINK: https://www.traxsource.com/track/13921957/your-love-original-mix

 

Artist: Birdee 

Title:   Your Love feat. Alexis Victoria Hall
Release date: 17th October, 2025
Label : Hot City
Catalog Number : HC001
Format:  12" Vinyl / Digital