Review: Till Brönner - Viva La Felicità (earMusic / Edel)

Till Brönner is a big name in jazz, particularly European jazz, even before the 'Só Danço Samba' remixes by Mousse T and Nicola Conte came out and hit the dancefloor; time for an update?

Brönner has worked with countless jazz musso's over the years (including Bob James, 'On Vacation' 2020) and his 2008 'Rio' album caught the ear of Italian Latin jazzdance expert Nicola Conte (he of Schema Records, last seen HERE) there was no surprise Conte would want to get onboard for the remix.

It comes as little surprise then that when the Hamburg-based trumpet thought of an album entitled 'Italia' he'd think first of Conte as a producer for his lounge jazz easy listening exotica OST in a 'la dolce vita' groove.

'Viva La Felicità", a cover version of theme from "Il Signor Rossi Cerca La Felicità", a 1970s Italian cartoon series is the first single from the album and whilst Till's horn is as amazing as ever, along with, what sounds like the Schema house band, why the fade out?  Can only hope there's an extended version on the album itself.

A what a great cover too!  Deserves a 7" vinyl release at least.  

BUY LINK:

Artist: Till Brönner 

Title: Viva La Felicità 

Release date: 23rd July, 2025

Label: earMusic / Edel

Cat. No: BAM001RE

Format: Digital / Bandcamp

Review: ventoux^ - Loop Dreams (Independent)

As it's the day after the afternoon before, the 112th edition of the Tour de France has climbed Mont Ventoux and we can now have a musical 'rest day' so to speak and dream of loops with ventoux^'s new album!

ventoux^ (aka James Risevero) has gained a '^' after his debut album in 2006 that was a heady mix of future jazz, dub, ambience that featured David Jean-Baptiste and included a version of on Mongo Santamaria's classic track as 'Afro Blue In Five'.

Such eclecticism caught the attention of Glyn 'Bigga' Bush (see review interview HERE) and whilst there's been a couple of collaborations, we've had to wait until now for the new album.

Ten tracks of nu-jazz, ambient Latin beats - a bit of a cross between Azymuth, Lonnie Liston Smith and Madlib's lounge: how good is that!

Biggabush played 'Del Toro' on his recent 'Friends & Family' Big Dig 1BTN show (see below) but 'This SIde Of Sunshine' brings some funk to the flute gang groove, the dreamy 'Free Fall' and the cosmic vibes of 'Les Balieues'.  'Neon Cars' is a bit synth pop-easy Swingle Singe rs and here's one for the Chilled Cider guys, 'Love Was All Around' featuring saturnVille on vocals with some understated 'Richie Rome' electronic jazz-dub leanings.

If you're struggling on the lower slopes like most mere mortals, here's an album that you can only dream of before you reach your own summit - grab your bidon and ride with this one.

BUY LINK:  

ventoux^ · Loop Dreams

Artist: ventoux^ 

Title: Loop Dreams

Release date: 16th July, 2025

Label : Independent
Catalog Number : TBC
Format:  Digital 

Review: Feed LA - More Feed (Mighty Eye Records)

Now what would you call the follow-up to Feed LA's self-titled debut album? Let's have a think about that one.

Feed LA are a bit of an underground super group of German jazz and funk being part Poets Of Rhythm and Faruk Green and you'll find this new 11 track album manages to merge jazz-funk with the leftfield, library and OST; like 'Der Erste Dritte Tag' - jazz, breaks, funk, Chet Baker TV theme.

You might say "wandering detours" and it kind of reminds us of the works of Italians like Calibro 35 or The Offline (see review HERE) at the same time having some tangents of Batov Records' Turkish/psych, primarily due to Jeff Özdemir's bass, check out 'Feed Lala' that's reined back with Michael Treetop Voß (trumpet) and Özgür Bayraktar on keys.

If there was a band leader, perhaps it's drummer Daniel Ray Gahn says that their improvisional style guides the "conversation between players" where you can get something as short as 'Die Risikobegegnung' or OST funk as 'Fash Cash (Up In Stratosphere)'.

The vocals on 'Verschwende den Tag' go a bit Robert Wyatt in German but there's nothing wrong with that: indeed, I think we need more Feed LA!

Artist: Feed LA

Title:  More Feed
Release date: 18th July, 2025
Label : Bridge The Gap
Catalog Number : Mighty Eye Records
Format: LP / CD / Digital / Bandcamp  

Review: VA - With Love: Volume 3 - Compiled by miche (Mr Bongo)

The last time miche released 'With Love' we said that he has definitely found a niche in soul, funk, jazz, Latin, disco deep diggin' fraternity following in the footsteps of Peterson /Charles/Scruff/Luke Una: this time the 17 tracks selected on this new compilation seem to be even more coherently leftfield as a nu-soul genre of itself - if only we could think a inclusive name?

'With Love' Volume 1 came out in 2022 which was followed by Vol. 2 a year latter (see review HERE) so we've had quite a wait for Volume 3 and there's probably two reasons for this; 1. miche is even more in demand as an Internation DJ and 2. these 16 tracks are as even more definitely further into 'What followed Northern Soul' as all these tracks are super rare.  

You'll recall 'We Out Here' 2023 festival programme that Miche played B2B with Rainer Trüby and last year it was 8 Hour 'Root Down With Love' (Ed. did you see what they did there?). Now with 3 volumes of 'With Love', what do you reckon?  A 24 hour B2B set with Rainer - and if there was, you'd still be excited to hear the next track just like on this compilation.

BUY LINK: https://bfan.link/with-love-vol-3

Artist : Various Artists

Title : With Love: Volume 3 - Compiled by miche

Release Date : 25th July, 2025

Catalog Number : MRBCDLP327

Label : Mr Bongo

Format : 2XLP / CD / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: VA - Somewhere Soul : Rituals Volume 1 (Re:Warm)

The heat is on as they used to say as we get Somewhere Soul : Rituals Volume 1 from Re:Warm on the soulful sunny South Coast.

This is impressive to say the least, four hours, 20 tracks as a musical day-in-the-life of compiler Josh Mason-Quinn (aka Somewhere Soul) from daybreak to dancefloor.

Hard to believe that out of the 20 tracks, we've featured previously Allysha Joy & Finn Rees (as in Joy Spheres Rees's 'Trust The Feeling' - see review HERE), Chip Wickham, Amanda Whiting (see review HERE), our homeboy Emanative (with his version of 'Space Is The Place'), Blue Lab Beats, MATTERS UNKNOWN and SHOLTO so that covers most of the day!    

Clearly, Mr Mason-Quinn knows his 'Somewhere Soul' in the form of jazz, soul, funk, house and other global beats and grooves as a DJ, A&R and event programmer.  He regularly appears on radio stations like Balamii and Soho radio and has performed at festivals like Love Supreme and will be at Mostly (Birmingham) this year.

If you missed out on the exclusive Re:Warm Launch Party, don't miss out on the real thing as the next Soumewhere Soul and Friends presents 'Summer Rituals' party is at the Fox & Firkin on Saturday 2nd August with Matters Unknown headling live (see review of their 'Silhouettes: A Dream Sphere Journal HERE) and a host of DJs including Tina Edwards.

BUY LINK: Somewhere Soul + Friends presents 'Summer Rituals' - TICKETS HERE

BUY LINK: https://warmagency.bandcamp.com/album/somewhere-soul-rituals-volume-1

Somewhere Soul · Music for . . . Dancing (Vol. 1)

Aritst: Various Artists - compiled Josh Mason-Quinn

Title: Somewhere Soul : Rituals Volume 1

Release date: 25th July, 2025

Label: RE:WARM 

Cat. No: RE:WARM TBC

Format: 2 x LP Pink or black-gateflold / CD / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Jerkboy & Marcel Vogel ft. Million Miles - Real Love (Oliver Night Remix) (Lumberjacks In Hell)

"So right", you're in the house waiting for the manic disco banger that's ready to blow the Dutch house roof off?   Let me tell ya, 'Real Love' is it!

Lumberjack's In Hell head honcho Marcel Vogel has this time has teamed up with Jerkboy for some 'Reel Love' - could be a double play on words there - for a string drenched soul house monster with the vocals of French vocalist Million Miles.

There's a bit of dirty synth action before the end so I hope we'll get a full instrumental at some stage but let's not be greedy now as Vogel, based in Amsterdam of course, has had to track down Jerkboy (aka Adam Stivala) in Sydney and Miles in LA.

In fact, the 'JB Rendition' is sort of a instrumental with dub and vocals that sort of gives you two versons for the price of one.

And talking of which, London's Oliver Night has two versions himself.  The house mix (that's partly Co-Op) and a full-on Co-Op Brukwise remix that goes 'real' deeper: love it!  And you can see why Atjazz is such a fan on Night's work.

This comes off the back of Vogel's Intermate Friends pairing with  Tim Jules with remixes by Lyma, Floyd Vader and 'star' of the moment, Stefan Ringer (having just remixed Berkeley Hunt's track on the 'A Ghostly Tryst' EP  - see review HERE).

As ever, Lumberjacks showing the world some real love.

BUY LINK: https://www.juno.co.uk/products/jerk-boy-marcel-vogel-real-love-vinyl/1094681-01/

 

Artist: Jerkboy & Marcel Vogel ft. Million Miles

Title:  Real Love (Oliver Night Remix)  

Release date: 25th July, 2025 

Label : Lumberjacks In Hell

Catalog Number : TBC

Format :  Vinly 12" / Digital  / Bandcamp 

Review: Joseph Malik - Adult Contemporary (Shuya Okino + ROOT SOUL Rework EP) (Ramrock Red Records)

For those keeping up with Joseph Malik's 'Proxima Ebony' story and subsequent 'Variant Issue', those "prime taste makers" Craig Charles, Don Letts and even more can't get enough of it - and here's a new twist from Tokyo on the Edinburgh soul master!

As regular readers will know, YATM has a big case e of Japanophilia, whether that's BBE's J-Jazz compilations, Masters Series or book (news has it that there's another compilation due soon - also see HERE) or DJ Muro (see HERE) or J-Salsa (see Orquesta Del Sol, HERE) or City Music Tokyo (see HERE) or my latest favourite, Ken Matsudaira, you'll get the idea that we're more than excited to here of combination of Mr Malik and Shuya Okino.

It all started we're told when both of them were signed to Compost Records in the early 00s and "Joseph was on tour in Japan with iconic soul artist, Terry Callier. Shuya showed up at the gig and took Joseph to his legendary night club ‘The Room’ in Shibuya, Tokyo" [and when they say "legendary", check out anything on Especial Records at that time you'll get an idea why].

The pair stayed in contact ever since so no surprise that Shuya 'Shuya San' Okino (Kyoto Jazz Massive to WeOutHere) gets busy on 'Adult Contemporary'

But the story doesn't end there as this is a whole new re-work recorded in Japan and mastered by Darren Morris (the follow-up to his 'Union I', Union II out now, see HERE) and you think, this is a whole different track to the original as 'Chic funk dance' gives it up to the recognizable vocal to Joseph with "Release me..." and plea for "Somebody help me"; well it's clear that the Tokyo family has and it's another winner.

So, you may be wondering why 'Tokyo To Edinburgh (Interlude 1)' is included? For 107 seconds of beats/Japanese spoken word with killer mod-jazz organ, you'll want it in any Sci-Fi mixtape. 

This would make a great 7" single but until that existing, it's a great digital release.

P.S. Did someone mention, DJ Kawasaki 'It's Your World'? (Ed. that's so niche)

BUY LINK: RRR086 - Joseph Malik - Adult Contemporary - Shuya Okino + ROOT SOUL Rework EP | Joseph Malik + Shuya Okino x ROOT SOUL | Ramrock

Artist: Joseph Malik
Title: Adult Contemporary (Shuya Okino + ROOT SOUL Rework EP)
Release date: 18th July, 2025
Cat. No: RRR086
Format: Bandcamp / Digital

Label: Ramrock Red Records

Remixed by Shuya Okino & ROOT SOUL
Lead vocals: Joseph Malik
Directed by Shuya Okino (Kyoto Jazz Massive)
Bass, Keyboards, Guitar: Kenichi Ikeda (ROOT SOUL)
Drums: Soki Kimura (Osaka Monaurail）
Drums recorded by Soki Kimura (Osaka Monaurail）
Mixed by Kenichi Ikeda (ROOT SOUL)
Mastering: Darren Morris @North Street West Studio

Review: Berkeley Hunt - A Ghostly Tryst (Soul Quest Records)

More Soul Quest Records I hear you call!  We'll we've certainly got a favourite jazzy/leftfield house label as Berkeley Hunt's 'A Ghostly Tryst' is far jollier than the title and comes with a Stefan Ringer remix to give it a full house! 

The original of ‘Wicked Sins’ has a big touch of Cesaria Evora's about it in so much as the vocals/beats cover traditional sounds of Africa and Latin America.  So a good choice to get one of the hotest names in house to up the pace on the remix with Stefan Ringer.  Possibly influenced by the classic Carl Craig remix of 'Angola'? Who knows? But it's an instant must have in the YATM offfice.

But some say "more trumpet"? Well, you certainly get a lot of drums and space-jazz dubiness cramed into 'Lost In The Delirium' which could be post-dnb-prog-bruk-jazz - but definitely one for the adventurous Leftfield jazz dance tent this summer; this is were Miles Davis would be in 2026. 

The opening track, 'It Called' is more of a 'A Ghostly Tryst' in the crypt which is equally in Krog 'n' synth-pop as it is as OST: this 4 tracker in mezmerising in many ways. 

Following the label head Max Sinal's collaboration with KingCrowney on 'Intentions' (see review HERE with vocalist Liv East), this label knows a leftfield synth-jazz Bruk dancefloor hit - and more!  

BUY LINK:  Exclusive with traxscource until 25th July

Artist: Berkeley Hunt

Title: A Ghostly Tryst

Release date: 25th July, 2025

Label : Soul Quest Records
Catalog Number : SQR014
Format:  Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: La Deep - Risk It All ft. Sindiswa Vinqi (inc. Fish Go Deep Remix)(Wooden Discos)

You can take the wood out of the disco?  New label heads at Wooden Discos find La Deep into the Deep House disco shed to find some dance lumber. 

As an off-shoot from Canadian label Nordic Trax, Wooden Discos debut release is solid and features Sfiso Sizwe Khumalo (aka La Deep) who comes from Bethal, a small town in the province of Mpumalanga and fellow South African, Sindiswa Vinqi who is also making her debut as a recording artist.

Sindiswa has an interesting tone which adds to the "different perspective" of La Deep's risk assessment has it all.

Add to that, Cork's house duo Fish Go Deep with a remix, dub and instrumental versions and you've definitely got a winner.

Artist: La Deep

Title: Risk It All ft. Sindiswa Vinqi (inc. Fish Go Deep Remix)

Release date: 18th July, 2025

Label: Wooden Discos

Catalog Number: WD001

Format: Digital

Review: Ria Moran - Cubico (DeepMatter Records)

Ria Moran goes 'Cubico' to break out of "Introducing" and moving into her own light in more ways than one.

You may know Ria from BBC's 'Introducing' programming or her debut EP, 'Moving Into The Liight' but if you're following the progress of Georgie Sweet (see review of her First Word debut album, HERE) you'll want to add Ms. Moran to your list of 2025 discoveries.

The vocals are similar in style as delivery as is the music, albeit it bit more of a focus on guitar in the nu-jazz beats envelope. No surprising really as she's worked with Nubiyan Twist (who feature on the closing track 'Take It Or Leave It'), Gotts Street Park and Daniel Casimir of late.

After a bit of a slow start this album gradually builds and by the time you get to the title track, you're hooked as it gets more jazzy-funk dramatic; 'Leo' fits somewhere between the two extremes and is definitely a favourite in the YATM office - and it's just in time to hit the decks at We Out Here Festival.

Clearly influenced by the R&B 'golden era' - Jill Scott, D'Angelo etc along with the current crop of groovers from Oz, particularly Allysha Joy, don't miss out on this one - if you get in quick there's a vinyl option of 'Smoked Orange' (Ed. isn't that an old JUUL flavour?)

Artist: Ria Moran 
Title:  Cubico 

Release date: 18th July, 2025

Label : DeepMatter Records

Catalog Number : TBC

Format: 12" Vinyl -Smoked Orange / Digital / Bandcamp