Reiew: Jazzanova - In Between (Remixes) (Sonar Kollektiv)

On the release earlier this year of the live studio version of 'In Between' we were on the boarders of saying, "better than the original" and now we've got the remixes of the original album.

Not that long ago we had Jazzanova's birthday party of 'In Between Revisited - Little Big Beat Studio Live Session - see review HERE) as a celebration of 20 years since Jazzanova released 'In Between' with it's then unique mix of what were labelled as acid jazz broken beat, downtempo, nu-jazz, future jazz, hip-hop and house.

So it was groundbreaking, influencial and it was their debut album! Having themselves made a big name for themselves with the compilation of 'Jazzanova Remixes' back in 2000 it might seem odd that we're waited so long for a new 'In Between' remix but one of the consequences is that they were able to pick on all the hot names on the scene today who have grown up with the tracks.

Such as Crackazat (he of Lovetempo/Toribio - see HERE) with an electromagnetic take on 'No Use' (featuring Clara HIll), Eric Hilton (he of Thievery Corporation and 'Midnight Ragas' - see review HERE) also taking on 'No Use' to a dreamscape and Kid Fonque (he of Stay True Sounds) on 'Another New Day' as it races across the Senegeti.

And talking of which, the 11 remixed tracks album kicks off with a Afro-house inspired 'Another New Day' (Ed. of course it would) by Jacana People that sets the tone 'The One-Tet' still features Capitol A as a "Worldwide" rap on a fun The KBCS remix or the Groove Chronicles broken step refix of the same track perfectly hip-hop warped: It's the nu-style break dance - not for ameteurs. 

And talking of rap, Ursula Rucker words are true today as they were then with 'Keep Falling' with the Magro remix - the power of the MC can nunhuck the media?

But are you the sort of person that'd rush to the modern classic?  'Mwela, Mela (Here I Am'), the Nautilus rework (you won't be disappointed jazzy/broken beat/Rotary Corporation fans) and 'L.O.V.E. and You & I' by DJ Slowz or 'That Night (featuring the fantastic vocals of Vikter Duplaix as a Paskal & Urban Absolutes Remix.

Absolutely stunning whether you know the orginals or not as the album ends on yet another remix of 'No Use', by the Satin Jackets which would fit nicely on the 'Jazzanova Remixed' of 2003 - what happened to that?  Yep, you've guessed it, that's getting ready for a re-issue too!

BUY LINK: In Between (Remixes) | Jazzanova

Artist: Jazzanova

Title: In Between Remixes

Release date: 17th October, 2025

Label : Sonar Kollektiv

Catalog Number : SK500

Format: 2xLP Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp 

Reivew: Rubel - Beleza. Mas Agora A Gente Faz O Que Com Isso? (Mr Bongo)

Last years' "Seu Jorge" is back with more heralded as sophisticated Latin soul-folk-jazz beach-pop that's even more refined and chilled - could that be possible? 

'Beleza. Mas Agora A Gente Faz O Que Com Isso?' the "difficult" follow-up to 'As Palavras, Vol. 1 & 2' (see review HERE) is a gently good as the first. 

If you know Seu Jorge's 'Carolina' (Mr Bongo, 2002), Rubel's has the antedote in 'A Janela, Carolina’ that's a Portuguese version of 'A la Ventana, Carolina' by Mexico's El David Aguilar (worth check that out for a very nice whistle): what a great re-work it is!

And there's only one other cover version and that's from a similar time, Radiohead’s ‘Reckoner’, from the album 'In Rainbows', 2007 that Rubel transforms with the assistance of "Brazilian maestro Arthur Verocai" adding to the beautiful, melancholic textures through his string thand horn arrangements" - it's a fitting climax as his vocal out-Yorke's Thom's original.  

So what of the other seven tracks on the album that are all Rubel's originals. 'Feiticeiro Gozador' is an absolute dream of a guide as it's drenched in Verocai-ist strings and gentle Jobim to Nacimento vibes.  This level of low intensity is a feature of his compositions with his vocals and acoutic guitar (Ed. the album cover photo almost says it all).

It's all beatiful but if pressed, I'd say 'Noite De Réveillon' is just that bit more with a gentle trumpet solo adding to the softness of the strings whilst, having no knowlegde of Portuguese as a language, I'm guessing 'Carta De Maria' and 'Praticar a Teimosia' are the the love songs of choice.

Not the same as Mr Bongo's last album release, Nina Maia's 'Inteira', the deluxe edition (see review HERE) but there's clearly some Latin American music history links and Rubel is an important addition to it.

BUY LINK: https://mrbongo.bandcamp.com/album/beleza-mas-agora-a-gente-faz-o-que-com-isso

Artist: Rubel

Title: Beleza. Mas Agora A Gente Faz O Que Com Isso?

Release date: 17th October, 2025

Label : Mr Bongo 

Catalog Number : MRBCDLP320

Format : LP / CD / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Lance Ferguson - My Future feat. Rita Satch (Tru-Thoughts)

Lance is back for more with a single that singles the future is looking bright with Rita Satch - out today!

Australian musicians have a lot to thank Lance Ferguson for as it was he that largely funked and souled his way into putting the spotlight on Melbourne having worked with Kylie Auldist in the Bamboos, Cooking On 3 Burners, Rare Groove Spectrum, Machines Always Win, Menagerie and most recently, The Ferguson Rogers Process.

You'll recall his album 'L’Océan de toi' (see review HERE) from earlier this year but this single, 'My Future' is a return to another one of his areas of expertise, the cover version (this time Billy Elish) and features the vocals of Rita Satch; yes the same '[Meet Me In The Garden' Rita Satch (see review HERE).

And don't take this the wrong way Rita, the instrumental version is a corker with the trumpet solo - such a shame it fades out.

Ferguson has been a regular feature on Craig Charles' 'Funk & Soul' Radio Show (BBC 6 Music) and with the news that this is a taster for the album, 'Rare Groove Spectum, Vol. 3, expect to hear his all over groovy radio station.

Artist: Lance Ferguson

Title: My Future ft. Rita Satch 

Release date: 16th October, 2025

Label : Tru-Thoughts 

Catalog Number : TRUDD677

Format: Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Peter Evans - Being & Becoming - Ars Ludicra (More Is More Records)

Acclaimed trumpet player, improvisor, and composer based in New York City, Peter Evans 'Ars Ludicra' as the best jazz avant-garde experimental out-there  album of the the year!

This time last year, Evans made his debut on We Jazz records with an album called 'Extra' (see review HERE) so is 'Ars Ludicra' the "extra mile"?  We'll, we should say that this is the 'extra Miles (Davis) in his fusion era ludicrous extremes!  Possibly in the relm of 'Panthalassa' as re-imagined, not by Bill Laswell, but as a live jazz band trio plus Evans.

Recorded in the Van Gelder Studios, Evans in joined in the band by Joel Ross (vibraphone, synth), Nick Jozwiak (bass, synth) and Michael Shekwoaga Ode (drums) and it's fantastic; and hats off to the mixing/mastering/production as the sound is so pure it's like being there.

Of the top of my head, trumpet and vibes albums? Dizzy and Cal Tajder but nothing near this. Donald Ayler and?  No, this is definitive. And Nick and Michael as a drum and bass unit are superb.  And to top it off, added synth features is a further bit more.

Every track sounds better than the last so I'm not going to mention whether one is better than another but if you a fan of previous single, 'Pulsar' for it's full on attack of trumpet in a musique concrète setting of blending synths, you're going to love 'My Sorrow Is Luminous' (that features a guest appearance of Alice Teyssier on flute).

It's not all battering you senses as 'Images' is a gentle at dawn and contradictory, closes the album.

It might only be a five track album but it takes 'Jazz Not Jazz' over the 'More Is More' threshold and this was captured after a period of extensive touring so if you have seen them at any of their sell-out show this year, you will not be disappointed.

A great follow-up to 'Extra' as Evans' style of Davis' fusion is pushed further in to relm of "controlled abandom" and fans from  BBC 6 Music New Music Fix, Bandcamp Weekly, Jazz FM, New York City Jazz Record and Peter Margasak's Nowhere Street will be please to hear that there's rumours of a follow-up too!  Don't mis out.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER (Vinyl): Ars Ludicra | Peter Evans, Being & Becoming | Peter Evans

Artist: Pete Evans - Being & Becoming 

Title: Ars Ludicra

Release date: 17th October, 2025

Label :More Is More Records

Catalog Number : TBC

Format: LP /  Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: effgee - Your Light (with Nico Lahs Remix) (fellice)

effgee's relatively new label comes up with a great 12" and a bit of a coup with a Nico Lahs remix!

You'll recall it wasn't that long ago we we're eager for the "Bari Boys", Nicola Conte and Nico Lahs combination (as Tema Due) and their EPs 1 & 2 (see review HERE) and then we spot he's on this new 12".  So, you'll instantly expect an "Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, Latin" element, the remix has fantastic soulful 'Your Light' vocals and a touch of the spiritual jazz harp; in fact there's a bit of a Bob Marley vibe to it - is that just me?

But that's not all as the original version is a little bit deeper and a touch of a dub and just to show that when the light needs to be shined, lets move to the electronic fields with 'Birds' on the synth heavy dancefloor and what do you think the rollin' 8 minutes of 'Roland Bass' features?

To celebrate, the 12" comes as a 'Special Edition' as each of the 250 copies comes with a hand screen-printed sleeve (Ed. Respect Sun Ra).

Limited edition and individual sleeves, don't hang around and pre-order as soon as!

BUY LINK: https://fellice.bandcamp.com/

Artist: effgee

Title:  Your Light

Release date: 17th October, 2025

Label : fellice

Catalog Number : fellice 005

Format: Limited Edition 12" Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: NOVINE - Shot Me Down / Therapy (ft. Braxton Cook)

When it comes to titles, I think I'd prefer 'Knock Me Down' but you'll more than  likely knocked out by the vocals on 'Shot Me Down' with Novine's R&B soul vocals - if not in need of some therapy.

Berlin based, Heldelberg born and raised by German dad and Jamaican mum, a little surprising that NOVINE has such a mid-Altanic neo-soul vocal a la Sade.  This is not a put down, this lady is cool.

It's a shame 'Shot Me Down' has such a sharp ending but that's more than mad up for by 'Therapy' that features a great sax solo by Braxton Cook.

BUY LINK: https://tr.ee/R_nyDr9SPf

Artist: NOVINE

Title: Shot Me Down / Therapy (ft. Braxton Cook)

Release date: 16th October, 2025

Label : -

Catalog Number : TBC

Format: Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Iron Curtis - Dial Me In (Hudd Traxx)

If you've been wondering where Iron Curtis has been of late, he's been completing the first ever full-length album for Hudd; Traxx so now he's ready, so 'Dial Me In'!

It's been 10 years since Iron Curtis (aka Johannes Paluka) has featured on YATM as a solo artist (see review HERE of The K.M.S. Years) but that doesn't mean he is prolific, far from it.  No only being excessively active on the remix circuit, he's contributed more tracks across the Hudd Traxx label's catalogue than anyone else so an obvious choice for head honcho Eddie Leader to pick to have their first full-length album release with.

The album is very 'Berlin' techno,house as the ten track cover various aspects of deep, ambient, electronic groove all with that Detroit edge; especially the title track that's like a "phone box autobahn"?

By the time you're mid-point, the opener's ambient mix of 'Speak To Me Baby' and '1Up' are the warm-up 'set' so when 'Troubles' hits with it's too-slow-to-gospel-acid, it's almost hands up time (Ed. whatever happened to mix CDs?)

If you want to get the dancefloor moving, there the heavy synth of 'Tensione' plus some energy laiden 'Bodycode' and 'Dance Inc' before peaking with some dubbed out 'Signal Signal' and the 'Slipstream' climax.

As we approach 20 years of Hudd Traxx, this is a fitting testament to their diverse impact on the dancefloor around the globe.

BUY LINK:  IRON CURTIS - Dial Me In: LP Sampler Vinyl at Juno Records.

 

Artist: Iron Curtis

Title: Dial Me In 

Release date: 17th October, 2025

Label: Hudd Traxx

Cat. No: TBC

Format:  LP / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Megatronic - There's Truth In Gospel (Razor-N-Tape)

Ever since Larry Levan 'discovered' the Jobert Singers in church, disco/house has been one of the built on foundation stones formed out of the sound of gospel; as Megatronic says, 'There's Truth In Gospel'!

Following on from Jkriv's 'Intuition' (see review HERE), the title track featured Megatronic, she's also turned up on 'City To City: Lisbon' (see review HERE) and then on the city's FOLDER label with Cavo on 'Just Us'.  

We've now got her on a 6-track EP that is full of truthful soul house aided by Fawziyya Heart ('All I See' and 'In Our Soul'), Aku ('Let's Go To Work') and Chico Cadidi ('Mother') to give the soul and full on praise to the Lord joy.

If you say "I Need You" with spacey jazzy funk, I need you to be longer; so apart from the title track is being disappointingly cut short, this is a monster of a release, especially the Fawziyya featured tracks.

'All I See' races along with some subtle strings and synth boogie and rejoice to 'Something' as it pumps with a flutey steam train: did someone mention Rocksteady Disco.

Things have moved really fast for Megatronic since las years' 'Do I Belong To You' but in terms of ownership, this new EP is 'In Our Soul' already like 'Mother's milk.  Full of hope and praise lets go to work,

P.S. did someone say Retromigration remix.

BUY LINK: https://razor-n-tape.lnk.to/TheresTruthInGospel

Artist: Megatronic 

Title: There's Truth In Gospel
Release date: 17th October, 2025
Label : Razor-N-Tape.
Catalog Number : RNT127
Format :  12"  Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Ilhan Ersahin's Istanbul Sessions - 'Galata' / 'Karaköy' (Nublu Records)

Ilhan Ersahin's Istanbul Sessions is world's away from the last release on New York’s legendary Nublu Records!
 

The Phenomenal Handclap Band's 'We Are Worlds Away' (see review HERE) is nothing like this collision between New York Jazz Club and Istanbul's Sessions is update on David Murray's 'Blues For Memo' with Swedish born-Turkish heritage-NYC living saxophonist-club owner Ilhan leading on a single ahead of an album early next year, 'Mahalle'.

If you recall the jazz-rock-fusion of Acoustic Ladyland with cross-genre influences, these two track have a sophisticated punk element where 'Galata' goes funky and 'Karaköy' whips up some speed spiritual that crashes traditional east-west thinking.

As someone might have said, "We must get closer to the essence of life" and I've said it beow about this label, they are going places, even worlds away?

'Karaköy' is jazzdance gold in my book; did anyone mention Jazz Chronicles? 

Love the cover photo, reminds me of a water polo tournament in Sliema many years ago

BUY LINK: https://ffm.to/galatasingle

Artist: Ilhan Ersahin's Istanbul Sessions
Title:   Galata / Karaköy
Release date: 14th October, 2025
Label : Nublu Records
Catalog Number : SI-NUB-069
Format:  Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Soul Clap Records vs. MoFunk Records (Soul Clap Records)

Appaulse for this San Francisco funk up with a cast of thousands on this 3-track EP.   Well, "thousands" is an exaggeration but this host of friends got together and put together 'Brand New' as they've never met before.

In the Bay's Area we have XL Middleton with the voice of MoFunk, Moniquea plus Soul Clap's Charles Levine, FSQ's Chuck Da Fonk; you'll recall FSQ's 'Freak Out For Fitness' (see review HERE).

Moniquea's big house vocal on 'Brand New' is closely matched by XL Middleton's piano-Ital-meets wailing synths. 

There's quite a bit of gospel going on at the moment and Soul Clap loves to celebrate gospel roots, out of NY and NJ (Ed. stay tuned for a monster compilation news out of New Jersery coming HERE soon and check the new Megatronic 12" HERE).

We know FSQ are fit with Soul Clap (see review HERE) and it's a good job they are as 'Feeling Wide' goes to a different time when post-punk-funk-disco could get into national charts and Moniquea handles it with the same ease; with hints of synths to George Clinton's early eighties 'Atomic Dog', this just gets better and better with a low-slung Caserta dub verson! 

What with the instrumentals, that a heady package in itself but you've also go and absorb the Charles Levine remix of a track called 'Red Light' as it's a warning for all Californian underground sideshow car culture fans; and big at Detroit's Movement this year: full throttle murder in the house.

BUY LINK: https://xlmiddleton.bandcamp.com/album/soul-clap-records-vs-mofunk

 

Artist:Various
Title: Soul Clap Records vs. MoFunk Records (Moniquea, XL Middleton, FSQ, Soul Clap, Charles Levine)
Release date: 15th October, 2025
Label: Soul Clap Records
Cat. No: TBC
Format: Bandcamp / Digital