Review: Charles Webster And The South African Connection - From The Hill (Stay True Sounds)

I love this quote, "If you play his remix of ‘Cafe de Flore’ (by Dr Rockit) even now at any venue in South Africa, it will erupt,” notes Stay True Sounds founder Allan Nicoll (aka Kid Fonque) so you see why they are all on this Charles Webster x The South African Connection 'compilation' of 13 combinations with him leading the way.

 

Any release on Stay True Sounds that involves Charles Webster is guaranteed a winner like the collaboration with Muzi on 'Bakulindele' (see review HERE) or the one with China Charmeleon and Girly, 'Many Blessings' (see review HERE) so now we've got the whole album of Afro-centric dance with the 13 track album, I can confirm, 'Charles Webster And The South African Connection - From The Hill', is going to be massive!

And this 'workshop' approach is a winner from the start as the emphasis is on the new right from the start with the opening track, 'Flame' with Thabo Tonqick; bizarrley the pair bonded over chats about cats! (Ed. I blame the tik-tok/Internet).

The Atmos Blaq track 'Free' drops in a trumpet call sounding the retreat from a hill far away (possibly) which tracks into the two Daev Martian collabs, 'Up The Hill', 'From The Hill' and the relief of 'Karoo' desert 'Rain' with Emamkay (he of 'Sense' - see review HERE) and Bokang Ramatlapeng.

The radio playlisters with go for the other Daev Martian pairing with Sio ('Film Me' - one of two 3 minute tracks on the album) whilst there's plenty for the dancefloor with 'Qiniseka' (Slve Msolo & sakhe the Conquerer), 'A Journey' (El Payo and Girly Mbambani), 'Part Two' (WAPO Jije) and 'Sweto Sunrise' ('FKA MASH) plus the boom-chicka-boom of 'The Artist' (Bokani Dyer) and the previous singles.

A great album and mark my words (that I've borrowed), some time in the future they'll be saying, "If you play Charles Webster And The South African Connection' [insert track], even now, at any venue [anywhere], it will erupt"; you've been told!

BUY LINK / LIMITED VINYL (shipping 28.01.26) : https://charleswebster.bandcamp.com/album/from-the-hill

Artist: Charles Webster And The South African Connection 

Title: From The Hill 

Release date: 14th November, 2025

Label : Stay True Sounds

Catalog Number : STS

Format:  Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Bei Bei - Two Moons (Bei Bei Time Productions)

At the time of release, we've had three supermoons events ('Harvest', 'Beavour' and 'Cold') but here's the single that reflects the light of 'Two Moons' with Bei Bei and UK producer Paul Elliott.

It wasn't so long ago we mentioned Shawn Lee, as "last seen on the drum stool behind at Asha Puthli at We Out Here last summer but also the Ping Pong Orchestra,Young Gun Silver Fox and our fabourite, the link up with Bei Bei" and that link-up produced the 'Beauty & The Beats' which led to a couple of albums that followed in 2010 and 2017.

So what has our favourite Chinese Guzheng player/composer/teacher being up to?  Well, she's linked up with Paul Elliott for a comibnation of "with organic lo-fi electronic textures, weaving a soundscape that bridges tradition and futurism."

Bei Bei is a master of the this ancient chinese harp/zither and this is the title track from and upcoming album 'Two Moons' due 20th February, 2026 - beautiful!

BUY LINK /PRE-ORDER: 

 

Artist: Bei Bei

Title: Two Moons

Release date: 12th November, 2025

Label: Bei Bei Time Productions

Cat. No: TBC

Format: Digital (Spotify / Apple etc)

Review: Jerk - As Night Falls EP (DeepMatter Records)

Jerk's 'As Night Falls' EP has a Brookyn in the dark groove as jazz fusion meets Bob James' hip-hop off-spring. 

This is quite a bit different to Jr. Thomas & Eraserhood Sound (see review HERE) as DeepMatter go on a night cruise to discover multi-instrumentalist Jerk as influence by Dilla/Madlib beats as much as Thundercat / Bob James jazz-fusion-funk-OST.

Jerk (aka Joshua Kinney) is joined by Martin Wade (drums) and Wyatt Rydlewski (bass), the single 'stealthy, she moves' is like a nervous sax cat stalking the dark back alleys on a Co-Op beat.

'Incoming' features a more cock-sure walking bass as emergency vehicle sirens go off in the background along with that cat knocking over milk bottles.  And, of course, if you're in Noo York, there's going to be a Fania influence as Phillip Catherine finds Patrice Rushen at a  'dance beneath a dripping moon'.  

Don't be surprised to here any of these tracks slipping onto a soundtrack or advert soon as.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER:as night falls | Jerk

Artist: Jerk
Title:   As Night Falls EP 

Release date: 14th November, 2025

Label : DeepMatter Records

Catalog Number : TBC

Format: Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Oliver Night - Boss ft. Roots Manuva (Tru Thoughts)

If you weren't excited about Oliver Night's last single, it's definitely time to witness the fitness with the return of Roots Manuva as the 'Boss' of BITA heavy follow-up single on Tru-Thoughts.

This might not be married at first sight but after the debut single, 'Run Like The River' / 'Reach Out' (see review HERE) with the addition of legend that is Roots Manuva is next level.

London's Oliver Night has not only made a name for himself in the post-Co-Op), going full-on BRUK and then getting Manuva to add his flow on top is a genius move; and there's the instrumental!

The album 'Between The Lines' is out on Friday and if your in London Town this week, join Oliver for his album launch show @ The BBE Store, Thursday 13th November from 6PM!

BUY LINK: Music | Tru Thoughts

Artist: Oliver Night 

Title:  Boss ft Roots Manuva

Release date: 14th November, 2025  

Label : Tru-Thoughts Recordings

Catalog Number : TRUDD668

Format : Digital  / Bandcamp 

Review: Various Artists - J Jazz Vol. 5: Deep Modern Jazz From Japan 1970-1988 (BBE MUSIC)

Tony Higgins and Mike Peden announce that pre-orders available now forJ Jazz volume 5: Deep Modern Jazz From Japan 1970-1988, BBE Music’s celebrated J-Jazz compilation series reaches its fifth and final volume in early 2026, culminating in a track list that maintains the exceptionally high standard first set with volume one back in 2018.

This final volume features a selection of tracks that is as diverse as it is deep, reflecting the rich and varied Japanese jazz scene that spanned from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, a golden era of innovation and creativity. J Jazz volume 5 sees compilers Tony Higgins and Mike Peden dig ever deeper into their respective record collections to reveal tracks that encompass myriad styles including white hot jazz funk fusion from Toshiyuki Honda ('Eastern Legacy') and Mikio Masuda ('Sonic Barrier'), super rare ethnic jazz crossover by Crystal Zone - their one-off 45 promo release from 1971, 'Rai Rai' (ライ・ライ), a deconstructed and abstract jazz classic by Yasuhiro Kohno with his solo piano rendition of 'My Favourite Things', and Mile and Half’s skin-tearing, shredding freak-out from their mega rare private press album. A track that is so relentless, it leaves the listener in need of oxygen and a Valium.

These hand-picked selections sit alongside other specially chosen numbers that embrace hard-driving samba (Seiichi Nakumura’s Judy’s Samba), epic head-nodding soul jazz (Masaru Imada’s World Line), psychedelic private press fusion (Aoyama Gakuin 101’s Fervor), angular post-bop tear-ups (Akia Miyazawa’s Nijimasu), intense and insistent fusion (Motohiko Hino’s Olive Step), serene cinematic pianism (Hideo Ichikawa’s On the Trade Wind) and tripped-out hallucinogenic tribal funky jazz (Garandoh) 

With almost 7000 words of extensive sleeve notes, J Jazz volume 5 comes in a triple 180g vinyl set  inside deluxe gatefold sleeve with obi strip, and comes with a 4- page insert, with photographs from the renowned Tokyo Jazz Joints project. Mastered with love @thecarverystudio

BUY LINK/PRE-ORDER (3LP and 2CD) bbemusic.bandcamp.com/album/j-jazz-volume-5-deep-modern-jazz-from-japan-1970-1988

Artist: Varous Artists

Title: J Jazz Vol. 5: Deep Modern Jazz From Japan 1970-1988

Release date: (Shipping 20 March 2026)

Label : BBE Music

Catalog Number :  BBE731

BBE 3xLP vinyl / 2xCD / Digital (bbemusic.com) & Bandcamp .

Review: Levitation Orchestra - Sanctuary (5dB Records)

If you can have a new favourite "10-piece cinematic jazz fusion collective", Levitation Orchestra at it and their latest album, 'Sanctuary' is where it's at.

Formed in 2018, this is their third album and the 'Embrace' and 'Imladris' have been played on BBC Introducing, Radio 3 and Worldwide FM with a gig as part of EFG London Jazz Festival on 17th November at Islington Assembly Hall.

We know this is a project Mackwood is involved in, real name Harry Ling (drums) is involved with (see HERE) but there's also other leading lights on the UK jazz scene like James Akers (tenor sax - also with Nadav Schneerson, see HERE), Maria Osuchowska (harp), Lluís Domènech Plana (flute) and Plumm (on vocals).  It sounds very 'Tomorrow's Warriors' as founder/trumpeter/leader/arranger, Axel Kaner-Lidstrom created the team from a "non-elitist approach to creativity" workshop.

If anyone is looking to have a modern day Pharoah Sanders/Sun Ra view of 'Sanctuary' from a Cinematic Orchestra jazz sperfective, there's no better place to look than these eight tracks with the meditatve title track to starts things off along with tracks like 'Breath' and 'Home'; a track featuring Plumm vocals and the harp making it closer to the Alice Coltrane 'school' (Ed. or should that be 'ashram'?).

'Home' links with 'Within Us, WIthout Us' as they gets their cinematic rocks on alongside BRUK leanings and the horn attack giving the group a modern Big Band amalgum  Hardly live from the Mecca Ballrooms as 'Imladris' is the intermediate step to the other extreme, 'Premedetatio Malorum' boarders on jazz-dance sounds with the vibes echoing more Ruth Underwood (Zappa) than Roy Ayers whilst there's a bit of a Spanish theme going on: JazzCoTech dance sweat!

All this is a build up to the 9 minute opus 'Another Way' - a ambient-folk-jazz-rock statement if there was one (I hope one day we'll hear a live version where the closing paino riff gets extended into a full on Van der Graf Generator blast out).  

No surprise then that all the big heads are on this, Craig Charles, Gilles Peterson, Jez Nelson, Robbie Vincent as there's something for everyone.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER Vinyl: Sanctuary | Levitation Orchestra

Artist: Levitation Orchestra 

Title: Sanctuary

Label: 5dB Records

Release date: 14th November, 2025

Cat.No.: TBC

Format:Vinyl /Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Perth Lewis - Moments In Time (NuNorthern Soul)

NuNorthern Soul are on the beach yet again.... or are they?

Back in August, we had the "daytime" remixes of Tambores En Benirras' 'Ondas Horizontales' (see review HERE) and then a further four remixes that had something about the night about them (see review HERE) but now the NuNorthern Soul-ers find themselves in Autumn it's time to seek out ten tracks that are pure 'Moments In Time'.

And this time it's from a Sydney-based DJ/producer Luke Fugar (aka Perth Lewis) who loves dreamy drum machines and the electric guitar with various efx that sounds a little Japanese, like 'Reverie' but especially 'Two People' (Ed. no relation to '2 People Remixes'; see review HERE), a little 80's ambient and a little field recording.   

Described as "a beautifully understated record that captures the same warm, introspective feel that ....[we] felt it deserved a proper release and a wider audience" that is clearly different from his own previous releases - the twangy guitars of 'Below The Surface' hitting that Balearic beach in waves.

'To Want, Not Have' and 'Drawing The Shades' stand out but equally, the whole album could be a mixtape as it moves towards a climax of 'A Change In Seasons', 'A New Day' and 'The Perils Of Indifference'.

As we edge towards/find ourselves in  that seasonal period, this is the anti-dote to 24hr Party People over indulgence whilst having a reduced side-way's 'Snow Goose' vibe at the same time purposely tuned to re-set yourself.

A very welcome addition to the NuNorthern Soul sound machine.

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: Moments In Time | Perth Lewis

Artist: Perth Lewis

Title: Moments In Time

Release date: 14th November, 2025
Label : NuNorthern Soul
Catalog Number : TBC
Format:   Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Jeb Loy Nichols - This House Is Empty Without You (Timmion Records)

The mid-Wales soul cowboy is back again with the brand new album that needs a home with you as 'This House Is Empty Without You' is now out on Timmion Records.

You'll recall the "American singer-songwriter, writer and artist, born in Wyoming" has now  been resident in Wales for over 40 years and in that time he's had released on labels as varied as Adrian Sherwood's dub/reggae/punk On-U Sound, the jazz label Impossible Ark Records, City County City and Rough Trade.

It still sounds a fantastic turn of fate that Timmion Records in Finland, home of the magnificent house band, Cold Diamond & Mink (see review HERE) has found Jeb Loy Nichols so confortable with his cowboy boots now well under the table with the previous single 'Step In' / 'Coming Home Love', we've got the equally fantastic album

There's a further eight tracks on the album that's full of southern soul traditions with Nichols’ intimate songwriting and distinctive voice, creating a warm, reflective sound including 'Good Morning Monday,' 'Here With You,'Black Water Girl' (nice harmonica on here) and 'No Rest Without Love' are full of lost love, returned love and reflection.

The gentle guitar riffs meet breezy soul arrangements with background vocals by Emilia Sisco (she of the 'Introducing Emilia Sisco' from last year - see review HERE) which makes this album stand out for all the right reasons.; there's no time of your hands to get this album so get it now!

BUY LINK: This House Is Empty Without You | Jeb Loy Nichols

Artist: Jeb Loy Nichols 

Title:  This House Is Empty Without You

Release date: 7th November, 2025

Label : Timmion Records

Catalog Number : TR753

Format:  Limited Edition Vinyl / CD / Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Dan The Drum x Carmy Love ft. Darren Morris - Hurt So Bad - The Remixes EP (SJJL, Terry Jones, Leo Zero, and No'West Mixes) (F*CLR Music)

Dan The Drum x Carmy Love's version of 'Hurt So Bad' ft. Darren Morris with guests Joseph Nesbitt Larkin + Carl Davies on the original version are joined by the Terry Jones, Leo Zero and No'West remixes on this HUGE tune. Grab your limited copy by pre-ordering now - delivery expected in February 2026.

When the original version of this was released on F*CLR, that's the cover version (see review HERE), not the 1965 original of Little Anthony & The Imperials'  'Hurts So Bad', we knew that the chances are that a remix EP would be on its way, but could it be even better?

Well, we've got the orginal vocal mix, Terry 'Village Soul' Jones, over 7 minutes of Leo Zero and a 'No'West 'Survival '78' Vocal remix topper.

See order link below:

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: 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

=================================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!

Artist: Dan The Drum x Carmy Love ft. Darren Morris
Title:  Hurt So Bad - The Remixes EP (SJJL, Terry Jones, Leo Zero, and No'West Mixes)
Release date: February, 2026
Label: F*CLR Records
Cat. No: FCLR046
Format:  Vinyl / Digital / Bandcamp

Review: Dina Ögon - Dålig teve / Margaretas sång (Playground Music)

Dina Ögon are a fourpiece who certainly have their own identity and Swedish post-folk swagger with a pop-Tuung groove!

You may recall as part of our continuing series of 'What's going on in Sweden', we dipped into Dina Ögon summery jingley/jangley sixties pop sensibilites last year with thier single, 'Orion' (see review HERE).  And they're back with a double A sider 'Dålig teve' ('Bad TV') and 'Margaretas sång' ('Margareta's Song').

Whilst the cover looks like a lost clip from 'Annika Strandhed' a TV series based in Scotland staring Nicola Walker (with it's 'stolen' look of Nordic Noir), we're tolda Anna Ahnlund's voice "has never sounded this ambivalent before, and the lyrics have never been so fantastically bittersweet. While the lyrics capture a relationship in decay and regrowth".

That said, what really caught our ear were 'Magareta's Song' with the instrumental highlighting a bit of seasonal bell jingling.  And by coincidence, I'm told our favourite Swedish jazzers, Coco Chatru Quartet have a new "Christmas" album coming out soon; quite a jump from their last album (see review HERE) you'd have thought.  And, just incase you didn't know, guitarist Daniel Ögren played on Sven Wonder's recent album, 'Daybreak'!

Just in case you've ever listened to the BBC Radio series 'The Cold Swedish Winter' that revolves around an Anglo-male living in Sweden with his Swedish wife and young son, you'll have some sort of knowledge of how complicated life in Sweden is; Dina Ögon's fourth album 'Människobarn' due out in early 2026 will cheer up any ex-pats.

BUY LINK: https://dina-ogon.ffm.to/dalig-teve

                  https://dina-ogon.ffm.to/margaretas-sang

Artist: Dina Ögon

Title:  Dålig teve / Margaretas sång 

Release date: 7th November, 2025

Label : Playground Music

Catalog Number : -

Format: Digital / Bandcamp