Review: Lay-Far Dance Orchestra - Skybreak (In-Beat-Ween Music)

The sky is has been broken by the Lay-Far Dance Orchestra with 'Skybreak' - think the best Peterson/Forge Dingwalls session ever - yep, this is it!

Hard to believe, even for us long-time fans of Lay-Far at YATM (see review HERE from 2016) that he's gone and got himself an 'Orchestra' and moved away from his remixes that "never disappoints"; as with his remix of 'Origins' (see review HERE). 

But could there be a better time "join thee dots between jazz and dub, techno and soul, funk and house" for Lay-Far (aka Alexander Leyfa) as is joined seasoned jazz professionals: Michail Fotchenkov (drums), Viktor Glazunov (percussion), Timur Nekrasov (sax, flute) and Maxim Glonti (keys),  

So on the face of it, you'd imagine it's going to be a jazz-funk base with spaced out synths at the soulful end with BRUK boarders to edge the acid funk.  And it is all that, particularly on 'Where You From' and can also reach deep into his Russio-Boom-Bap with the fantastic 'The Harp Of Boom' which also echoes the Melbourne/Naarm cinematic/beats/jazz/hip-hop scene that's as energenic as ever.

Because Lay-far has been so active a DJ/producter/remixer having appear of countess label's his contact book is very big so we've got Seven Davis Jr. (on 'Aquarious Love' that's not a 60s hippy trip but more like a heavy Billy Cobham doing 'Gabriel'!), Antoha MC on 'Feel The Moment' that adds jazz-skat to an Lonnie Liston Smith at Earth Wind & Fire before the set ends with Russian DJ/Producer Lipelis and his dreamer vision of 'Where You From'.

The 'Where You From', the original version, is deeper into late 70s/early 80s Brit-funk of Light Of The World/Beggar & Co. ('Rising Sun' on the office decks earlier by coincidence) but, with a nod to Space-disco Atmosphere and Lonnie Liston Smith again, 'Take Flight' (Part 1) and 'Take Flight (Part 2) are a supa 12" in themselves as a 10 minute special.

And whilst 'Soul Constant' doesn't sound it, what a fantastic flute gang jazz dance monster it is: proper 100mph major tune.

So, not one duff track to report so think Soul Weekender/Caister/Canvey/Jazz Rooms and all the other great events you'd love to hear  this at and would you believe it, there's a very limited audiophile 1⁄4” tape edition too! 

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: Vinyl (27th March)  https://band.link/skybreak

Artist: Lay-Far Dance Orchestra 

Title:  Skybreak

Release date: 3rd April, 2026

Label : In-Beat-Ween Music

Catalog Number : TBC

Format: VINYL / Digital / Bandcamp / on limited edition audiophile 1⁄4” tape.

Review: BCUC - The Road Is Never Easy (Outhere Records)

I don't think anyone will be surprised that BCUC, as leaders in "Afropsychedelic funk, Indigenous punk, dub, gospel, hip-hop" out of the Soweto township environment would find that, 'The Road Is Never Easy'!

It might be 3 years since BCUC released the album 'Millions Of Us' (see review HERE) with the Gaudi’s remix of 'Thonga Lami’ (see HERE) but they are still a big sound to get your head around.

I can't think of a label with a better name for 'Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousnes' than Outhere Records and the album is produced by produced by Outhere's Jay Rutledge.

The ten tracks move "between revolutionary urgency and moments of soothing compassion, drawing on the voices of ancestors and the spirit of the community — street poetry rooted in history, always arriving at hope".

Easy to believe these guys have been together for 20 years as there is a (seemingly) effortless live energy to the set for there Outhere debut album (but fifth in total) so it's easy to see way they won the 2023 WOMEX Artist Award when they toured US and Europe.

WOMAD is back this year and BCUC would be a perfect way to celebrate with as 'The Road Is Never Easy'. 

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: The road is never easy | BCUC

Artist: BCUC

Title: The Road Is Never Easy

Release Date: 3rd April, 2026

Label : Outhere Records

Catalog Number : TBC

Format: Digital / Bandcamp

Review: JNBO & Friends - JNBO & Friends (College Of Knowledge Records)

There's one thing Henry Jenkins hass lots of is musical friends and the album 'JNBO & Friends' is a celebration showcasing all of Melbourne/Naarm best in cinematic, instrumental OST grooves and beats!
 

You'll recall Henry Jenkins co-produced Owelu Dreamhouse's debut album from earlier this year (see review HERE) but he's got many avenues in the Melbourne/Naarm area where he's based where he's a composer, producer and bass player.  Best known as the in-house engineer at College Of Knowledge Records and the producer behind Surprise Chef, Karate Boogaloo, and the Grammy-nominated Frollen Music Library (see HERE).

Utilizing collaborators from Karate Boogaloo, Surprise Chef and The Cactus Channel and having "a fixed ensemble of eight instruments — a self-imposed creative constraint, Jenkins used to explore how much variation he could draw from the same personnel and setup across 12 tracks".

And for OST/library diggers after rare "head nodding" funk they musically develop "picturesque ambience" with "three guitars and three keyboards precisely arranged across the stereo field — drawing on the influences of Bernard Herrmann, Les Baxter and Lamont Dozier while maintaining an unmistakably eccentric voice of its own".

If you know the previous singles, 'Missing' and 'Dogs' you'll have a good idea as to what to expect - but don't count your chucks too soon as 'False Cuts' is out-there all with 'Blood Nose' bush tucker noir and the Prog-ish 'Name' (shame it's so short).

From the album cover photo, this is a bit of a carnival ride but thankfully more ups (and more ups) than downs (under). 

BUY LNK / PRE-ORDER: & Friends | Jnbo

Artist: JNBO & Friends

Title:  JNBO & Friends

Release date: 3rd April, 2026

Label : College Of Knowledge Records

Catalog Number :  TBC

Format:  Vinyl LP / Digital / Bandcamp 

Drums - H. Whitlock
Bass - H. Jenkins
Guitar - (Centre) D. Thor
Guitar - (Left) L. Stuckey
Guitar - (Right) L. Coleman
Piano - L. Douglas
Solina String Ensemble - J. Curtin
Hammond Organ - C. Riley

Composer - H. Jenkins

Review: Mark Adams & The Ubiquity Band - This Is Neo Soul (DownJazz Records)

Just to be clear, this is not a band from Ubiquity Records, it is The Ubiquity Band! As in Roy Ayers

Much loved Roy Ayers was the foremost visionary of jazz-funk as composer, producer, label founder, vibraphonist and leader of The Ubiquity Band.  That said, you can't do this all on your own and Roy's band Musical Director, Mark Adams heads up this new 10 track album.

So who is Mark Adams? He's been The Ubiquity Bands' MD for 25 years he's the keyboardist and leads Chris DeCarmine (drums), lead vocalist Jonn Pressle and bass players Donald Nicks and Chulo Gatewood plus guests Monty Croft on vibes, who has worked with Gladys Knight, Lonnie Liston Smith's guitarist Bill White on guitar and Chic vocalist Kimberly Davis.

This is all well and good, but can you step into Roy's shoes?   Of course not and thankfully that's not the question here as ‘This is Neo-Soul’ has been a work in progress of three years (Roy passed in March of last year) and the idea is to pay homage to the greats of 70s neo-soul like Roy.  

And once you've wrapped your head around that this is no Ayers or 'Virgin Ubiquity', the album is great as re-worked classics from the statement opener 'Sweet Tears' to the deep cut jazz 'Day Dreaming', the all-time classic, Liston Smith's 'Expansions' and the gospel-jazz soul of 'Don't Look Back'.

Lots of 70s soul and jazz-funk flavas here but especially on the closing track 'Dre's World' (originally on Mark's 2009 solo album 'Something's Going On') as an extended track with a la Ronnie Law sax (Mark had toured with Mr. Laws!) and some great keys - one to watch out for on the remix album 

Some work better than others like 'Don't Stop (The Feeling)' comes over as a bit of a live jam and that's appropriate as Ayers' himself was touring the world into his 80s and it seems the last word should be from his familay on the announcement of his passing:

"It is with great sadness that the family of legendary vibraphonist, composer and producer Roy Ayers announce his passing which occurred on March 4th, 2025 in New York City after a long illness. He lived a beautiful 84 years and will be sorely missed. His family ask that you respect their privacy at this time, a celebration of Roy’s life will be forthcoming”.

'This Is Neo Soul' is just another part in that celebration of life; "Don't look back, Don't look down".

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: "This is Neo-Soul" | Mark Adams | Down Jazz

Artist: Mark Adams & The Ubiquity Band 

Title: This Is Neo Soul
Release date: 20th March, 2026
Label : Downjazz Records
Catalog Number : TBC
Format : CD / Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Alexander IV - Alchemist (Sonar Kollektiv)

Alexander IV returns to the musical pot where the Dutch producer, multi-instrumentalist and beat-maker Joris Feiertag presides as head 'Alchemist' on this new 13 track album. 

We said in the review of the singles, ' Touch of Gold' / 'All I Have to Say' (see HERE) that those for a mix of Mr. Scruff, Kruder & Dorfmeister, SAULT and perhaps to a lesser degree, upstarts like Emile & The Education's 'Lamad'  (see review HERE) or indeed as Joris' other alter-ego Feiertag (see HERE), you can see why his alchemy covers such a range.   

And in doing so, the album includes lots of guests "incredients", like the soulful 'This Won’t Do' featuring Cézanne, 'Now, Pause…' (Ursula Rucker, she of original Jazzanova 'In-Between' album: see HERE) another old friend, flute gang regular Pete Josef on the Afrobeat electro-jazz-dub-funker, 'Long Way From Home'.

And just to prove he's got a long range, out of nowhere British vocalist Oli Hannaford turns up on the beautiful, 'Time Of Day' as a Bill Withers does old-skool bossa nova to a Spanish guitar loop; there's your summer radio hit.

'Touch of Gold' opens and sets the tone for the album with it's "cinematic jazz sample, a head-fake of an intro, and a signature beat flip that balances elegance with grit" Joris says, “I absolutely loved making this track and it came together quickly and naturally”.

You'll recall we said 'All I Have To Say' gives in another dusting down of Mr.Scruff's / Moondog's song 'Lament I, 'Bird's Lament' / 'Get A Move On' which is  where 'All I Have To Say' comes in as "a smoky, late-night instrumental that fuses dusty jazz textures with Dilla-inspired swing". Sitting somewhere between Roy Hargrove and J Dilla in a seedy Soho basement, it’s a raw, reflective track that continues the album’s jazz and hip-hop conversation".

'Bop' pumps it up in the hip-hop jazz club a la mode a go-go and would you believe 'La Parisienne' is similar mix of slo-mo Paris-Nice spring classic jazz and The French Connection.

So expect lots more alchemy with the album as this is going to be so "Hoxton to Berlin to We Jazz" as more Mr.Scruff, more Gilles Peterson, more Will Sumsuch and even more Gerry Hectic!

BUY LINK: https://sonarkollektiv.lnk.to/Alchemist

Artist: Alexander IV

Title: Alchemist 

Release date: 27th March, 2026

Label : Sonar Kollektiv

Catalog Number : SK545 LP

Format: Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Psyché - Psyché II (Four Flies Records)

Psyché are back with a second helping of their unique sound.

You'll recall we said of the first Psyché album, "Southern Greek/Balkan/Balearic Surf rock/instrumental hip-hop.Med-shoreline version out on Four Files Records by a band called Psyché; the 'Cumbia Mahàre'/'Ophis' sound is ready for you - are you ready for it?" (see review HERE) and that Psyché' is Greek for "soul" or "mind" (as equally cleverly depicted in the artwork), well they are back with more in the form of 'Psyché II'.

It's nearly three years after their debut, Neapolitan veterans Marcello Giannini (Guru, Nu Genea, Slivovitz), Andrea De Fazio (Parbleu, Nu Genea, Funkin Machine), Paolo Petrella, (Nu Genea) have been joined by Roberto Porzio (Parbleu, Bassolino, and the Nu Genea Live Band) have expanded the sound for the contemporary "must have", 'Hurriya (We Must Resist)' (that features Ziad Trabelsi) to the space dub-out 'Yagé'.

The other guest to feature is Merve Daşdemir (formerly of Altın Gün) lends her voice to "Yallah!," a Turkish-language piece driven by Arabic-inspired rhythms; but all the tracks are great in a Batov 'next level' way.  In fact. we're told, "Built on a minimalist foundation of analogue synths and bass grooves, Psyché II moves fluidly across cosmic funk, desert blues, cumbia, dub, and jazz, treating the Mediterranean as a meeting point between Southern Europe, the Balkans, Anatolia, the Maghreb, and echoes of Latin America".

The sound of 2016 already!

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: https://www.fourfliesrecords.com/product/psyche-ii/

Artist: Psyché 

Title: Psyché II

Release date: 27th March, 2026

Label : Four Flies Records

Catalog Number : TBC

Format: 12" Vinyl / Dgital / Bandcamp  

Review: Atabasca - Atabasca (Killer Groove Records)

If you're signed to Killer Groove Records, you better have an album with some killer grooves on it - Atabasca have; this is your new Khruangbin, Surprise Chef, and instrumental psych-funk favorite band!

Taking pysch funk psych global grooves to a level of The Shadows flirting with Cinematic OST jazz-funk (Ed. and what more do you want?), Italian instrumental trio Atabasca — Luca Mongia, Paolo Mazziotti, and Valerio Pompei — release their self-titled debut on Killer Groove Records have got that Italian soundtrack tradition in a 'must have' set sorted on this release.

If you can go from Afrobeat to lap steel, kalimba and guitar textures layered over driving bass and drums with a Joe Meek 60s analog-warm production that shifts fluidly between melancholy and levity, tension and release.

Amazing to hear that this was recorded live in single recording and you've got to the fall in love with the cascading lap steel and chant of 'Kundela Mawedi'," the spaghetti western undertow of 'Paco' and 'Pampambra' (here's how you transition to Tony Joe White / Flying Mojito Bros. - see review HERE),"the garage-psych rawness of 'Cacopoulos' and the high-octane funk-rock of 'Hell Dorado'.

This is the 'new' Piero Piccioni that you couldn't imagine existed - until now!

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: https://atabasca.bandcamp.com/album/atabasca

Artist: Atabasca 

Title: Atabasca 

Release date: 27th March, 2026

Label: Killer Groove Records 

Cat. No: TBC

Format: Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Ben Seretan & John Thayer - Sunbeam of No Illusion (AKP Recordings)

Ambient from the peatside fire place to the open fields of New York state, be under no illusion, this album is a beautiful sunbeam on your soul with Ben Seretan & John Thayer's debut album!

This album has been on our radar since the Oscilloscope album 'There Is Always Darkness, There Is Always Light' came out (see review HERE) and then the "complimentry", Manu Delago & Max ZT whilst this duo has a plethora of instrutments compared to the previously mentioned: Ben Seretan (Fender Rhodes Piano, Moog Matriarch, Juno 106, Supro Lap Steel, Lowrey Organ, Teenage Engineering KOII, Electric Guitar, Guitar Pedals (Assorted)) and Jake Thayer (Lexicon Prime Time, Delta Labs Effectron II, Crystal Rattles, Temple Block, Brushes, Grass Shakers, Field Recordings, Digitakt, Modular Synthesizer, Tape Echo, Tascam Porta Studi)

There might be some found sound in there too as this album draws on the natural beauty of upstate New Yourk where they live and  is said to be "postmodern pastoral" influenced by poet Richard Bautigan to Harold Budd.  This is Thayer and Seretan's first official collaboration on record; even though they've performed together many thimes since 2023.   

All of the tracks have this loopy reflective ellegance that's drawn from the early Kraut-synth evolution of Edgar Froses / Klause Schulze / Tangerine Dream as formatted as 'ambient' by ENO.  Here they've tinkered with jazzy Rhodes lounge, like the single 'Watermelon Well' and 'Peat Fire' (that's more 'smouldering' than 'fire') but you know they've come from the Brian Eno, Terry Riley (who influenced the intros to both 'Tubular Bells' by Mike Oldfield and The Who's 'Baba O'Rilley': now there's a claim to fame) and Hiroshi Yoshimura 'school'.

It's a shame some of the shorty tracks aren't longer, like 'Stradella Bass System' but that's me just being gready.  

So, to mis-quote someone, this is gentle on your mind, particularly 'Memory Garden' with moving from yoga bowl sound meditation to space whispering synths and lap steel countryside (as in fields, not C&W), as its intriguing and relaxing at the same time.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: Sunbeam of No Illusion | Ben Seretan & John Thayer

Artist:  Ben Seretan & John Thayer 

Title: Sunbeam of No Illusion
Release date: 27th March, 2026
Label : AKP Recordings
Catalog Number  AKP044
Format:  Digital / BANDCAMP

Review: Lukus - Disco Speech EP (Apparel Music)

Time to learn the Disco Speech with Lukus on Apparel Music!

Lukus returns after is Love Andeavour EP (see review HERE) for more "sample-based, dynamic house music" as he's now learned to speak disco!  In 3 variations, 'Disco Speech' itself, 'Gino's Dance' and the 'Hender Loop' dialect.

BUY LINK: Disco Speech EP | Lukus

Artist: Lukus

Title:  Disco Speech EP

Release date: 27th March, 2026

Label : Apparel Music

Catalog Number : APDEXTRA064

Format: Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Giovanni Damico - The Payback EP (Star Creature)

Southern Italy is the new Chicago Funk warehouse? Well, here's 'Payback' with Giovanni Damico doing some serious dancefloor damage that you'll not want to miss!

If you know of Damico's previous on Star Creature, you'll know loud and clear that his Southern Italian disco-funk is a world away from the label's latest, Saucy Lady's cover verson of 'Why' (see review HERE) as it's much more Lumberjacks In Hell than Nile and Bernard's Chic.

The five tracker, it is said, "swerves through bright moments of epic gospel house, thumpy afro-boogie, boisterous punk funk and serious slap bass motions, each track bringing a fresh new flair to the multi-instrumental finesse on which it rests".  So one minute you're thinking this is ready to go Egyptian Lover and the next, a European 'Ring My Bell' - all via a Ital-Chicagoan "disco handshake".  And who wouldn't want one of them?

The 'gospel house' track is 'Riding The Storm' which is a touch Byrne/Eno/Talking Heads, 'My Life Is The Bush Of Gods'/'Life During Wartime' andthis EP is never far from the deep funk disco but really hits a peak(s) with the super groovy, 'LAX5' and 'Like A Boss'.

And if you want to keep tabs on where the label boss is going to get you on the dancefloor next, there might be some clues on co-head honcho Tim Zawada's latest radio show on OpenLab; but then again, maybe not!

But "Hey mista, you wanta listen to my funky sound?",  Alright - the 'The Payback' EP and shake it, shake it!

OpenLab:  Star Creature Vibes Radio - Tim Zawada HERE

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: https://giovannidamico-via-starcreature.bandcamp.com/album/the-payback-ep

Artist: Giovanni Damico

Title:  The Payback EP

Release date: 27th March, 2026

Label : Star Creature

Catalog Number : SC1256

Format: 12" Vinyl  / Digital / Bandcamp