Review: Al Sunny - Summer End (Légère Recordings)

Extend your summer all year with modern soul-pop chanelling the spirit of yatch rock on a funk boat circa 70s and early 80s, that's Al Sunny's new album 'Summer End' - keep ya shades on people!

Légère Recordings' latest is from Al Sunny, the singer-songwriter now based in Nîmes who blends soul, pop, and groove into "a luminous and refined musical universe": if you ever wondered what a gentle George Benson would sound like without the jazz with Hall & Oates at the beach, this must be close with tracks like 'Take Your Time', 'So Lonely' and the title track.  

His debut album, 'Time to Decide' came out in 2017 which was followed by 'Planets' a couple of years later. This second album, recorded at Question de Son studio in Paris using analog equipment and captured live with the backing band of Guts (he of Heavenly Sweatness) which helped him gain recognition beyond France, especially in Japan, where both albums were met with great success.

While soul and pop remain at the heart of Al Sunny’s writing, 'Summer End' incorporates fresh influences from artists like Sault, Khruangbin, Daniel Caesar, Anderson .Paak and Tom Misch. The album stands out for its more nocturnal tones and atmospheric textures, offering an invitation to introspection and relaxation, while representing a subtle, natural evolution of the artist.

Because this sounds familiar and unusual all at the same time, it might take a couple of listens but be sure, you won't be alone digging this one.

BUY LINK: Al Sunny -Summer End - Légère Recordings

 

Artist: Luna Soul
Title: First Move
Release date: 15th Octobr, 2025
Label: Légère Recordings
Cat. No: LEGO385

Format: Vinyl / CD / Digital / Bandcamp

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: Sunbörn Meets Clap! Clap! - Earth Is Begging (Wah Wah 45s)

Here's the full album from Danish-Italian collaborative project Sunbörn Meets Clap! Clap! which features a host of guests, including Dele Sosimi on the title track, as well as Afro-Italian vocalist Oumy, Nigerian trumpeter Etuk Ekbong and Brazilian Da Lata vocalist Carolina Lelis.

Sunbörn Meets Clap! Clap! will play a full live show along with Wah Wah 45s club night at the Jam Jar in Bristol on Friday November 14th, with Sunbörn horns and percussion playing as part of Wah Wah Live at Lockside Camden in London on November 15th and a full European tour to follow in the spring of 2026.

Danish instrumental sextet Sunbörn—winners of four Danish Grammys—join forces with acclaimed Italian producer/DJ Clap! Clap! (Paul Simon, Warp) for a boundary-blurring new album: Earth Is Begging. Releasing in autumn 2025 on Wah Wah 45s, the project is a vibrant celebration of global culture and sonic fusion. It’s a place where Afrobeat grooves meet Middle Eastern textures, subtle Bossa Nova influences, jazz harmonies and clubby beats - with everything lit up by a keen Nordic sense of melody and space. Less about genre and more about energy, it’s dance music built from curiosity and connection. That’s the world of ‘Earth Is Begging’

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Sunbörn says “We want listeners to feel part of something bigger: a cultural mix, a global rhythm, a shared pulse. Whether you're dancing in your kitchen, zoning out on a train, or experiencing it live with others, the goal is connection—to yourself, to the world, and to the moment”
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The album came together as a musical exchange between Sunbörn in Copenhagen and Clap! Clap! in Florence. Sharing ideas back and forth for months, building grooves, melodies, field recordings, and textures; some tracks started as beats, others as horn riffs, and some were born on the road from voice memos recorded in airports or after gigs.

The team also invited Afrobeat ambassador Dele Sosimi, Brazilian singer/songwriter Carolina Lelis, Nigerian trumpeter Etuk Ubong, and AfroItalian vocalist Oumy to join them in collaboration.

“As musicians from Denmark, we carry a certain Nordic clarity and coolness in how we write and arrange - that kind of musical openness is a very Danish thing” says Sunbörn.

“We were also inspired by our guests on this album - each brings deep cultural knowledge and emotional range.
Collaborating with them reminded us that we as musicians don’t just need to play well - we need to listen well”
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The album title itself reflects an underlying theme: the planet is calling out - for unity, for care, for attention. Through sound, they try to channel both the beauty and urgency of that message. ‘Earth Is Begging’ is a reminder that music doesn’t need a passport. It travels freely, carries stories, and
connects people across distance and difference.

Known for their sunshine grooves, virtuosic horns, and genre-defying warmth; Sunbörn have performed on stages at Reeperbahn Festival (DE), Jarasum Jazz (KR), Jazz à Ouaga (BF), and Roskilde Festival (DK). Recently awarded a Grammy for “Best Live Band” in Denmark, Sunbörn describe their music as “for the body, mind, and soul – speaking to our shared humanity in a time when the world needs to come together”
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Clap! Clap! (Cristiano Crisci) is celebrated for his electrifying blend of electronic production and global field recordings. He contributed beats to Paul Simon’s ‘Stranger to Stranger’ and his music has appeared in GTA V, PES 2019, Apple TV’s Wolfboy, and more. With five world tours and appearances at Primavera, Dour, Mutek, Boomtown, and Printworks, Clap! Clap! is championed by Bonobo, Gilles Peterson, and Lefto, amongst others. His standout albums include ‘Tayi Bebba’, ‘A Thousand Skies’ and ‘Liquid Portraits’.

Sunbörn Meets Clap! Clap! play The Jam Jar in Bristol on November 14th; Sunbörn horns and percussion play Lockside Camden on November 15th and the full band have a European live tour is set for spring 2026.

Personnel:

Sunbörn are Gustav Rasmussen: trombone and guitar, Michael Blicher: saxophone and flute, Aske Drasbæk Philipsen: saxophone, Casper Mikkelsen: drums, Johannes Buhl Andresen: Rhodes piano and Moog bass, Magnus Jochumsen: percussion
Clap! Clap! (Cristiano Crisci): Programming, synths, production
Dele Sosimi: Vocals
Carolina Lelis: Vocals
Etuk Ubong: Trumpet
Oumy: Vocals
Simone Graziano: Rhodes

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