BeatCaffeine’s Favorite EP Releases of 2023
We continue our deep dive into our favorite releases of 2023 with a look at some of the standout EPs. As usual, there were a number of quality releases, including four from legendary UK DJ Colin Curtis on his vinyl-only imprint label. Plenty of jazz dance, cosmic grooves, and all around good vibes to absorb with these selections.
Even though this is a much shorter list (just 10), the records here represent some of the overall best releases to come out in all of 2023!
Here are BeatCaffeine’s Favorite EP Releases of 2023
10. LCSM (Likwid Continual Space Motion) — ‘EP 2‘
(Super-Sonic Jazz Records)
Broken beat pioneer IG Culture returns with his brilliant Likwid Continual Space Motion (LCSM) project featuring four new tracks that blend space-age jazz, with otherworldly synth melodies, horns, funky layered percussion, and cosmic Afro-futuristic grooves. This is the project’s first recording since 2020’s groundbreaking LP Earthbound, and this serves as a preview to the forthcoming full-length release, scheduled for release sometime in 2024.
9. Marc Mac — ‘JA-PAN-AH’
(Omniverse Records)
Following the release of three outstanding EPs, with each one incorporating the influences of Africa, Brazil and Jamaica, Marc Mac, who is half of the groundbreaking broken beat duo 4hero, continues this impressive series and explores the Far Eastern sounds of Japan. The superb 4-track EP fuses together heavy Bruk and electro boogie grooves, with Japanese-rooted melodies and influences, jazz-funk, and hypnotic cosmic textures and tones.
8. Stefano De Santis — ‘A Kind of Prayer EP’
(Colin Curtis Presents)
Over the last couple of years, legendary UK jazz dance and Northern soul DJ Colin Curtis has been issuing some superb limited-edition vinyl-only EPs under his Colin Curtis Presents imprint label. These releases fall perfectly in-line with the kind of dancefloor-focused jazz music that is prominent on his weekly Sunday Jazz Dance Fusion radio show for The Hitmix 107.5 FM. In 2023, he added numerous incredible titles to this growing series (many featured on this list), including Stefano De Santis A Kind of Prayer EP. The Italian composer, producer and all-around studio wiz delivers a stellar collection of eclectic tracks that feature everything from modern-day spiritual jazz and Afro-beat inspired rhythms to broken beat vibes, spacey keys, and disco.
7. GeeW — ‘Supernova EP’
(Colin Curtis Presents)
For UK-based producer and percussionist GeeW aka Glenn Worthington, this marks his fourth release under the Colin Curtis Presents label and continues to build off the foundation of the previous recordings by blending together a mix of funky Latin-flavored percussion with cosmic grooves with a number of great flute, trumpet, and guitar solos. The record also includes a brilliant samba-like reworking of the Brit-funk classic “Southern Freeez” by Freeez.
Also, check out GeeW’s other 2023 standout EP on Colin Curtis’ label, titled Deeper Than Black. Definitely worthy of this list as well.
6. Chip Wickham — ‘Love & Life’
(Gondwana Records)
As a follow-up to last year’s standout album Cloud 10, saxophonist and flautist Chip Wickham returned in 2023 with a brilliant new EP for the Manchester-based Gondwana Records. Featuring four superb tracks, this record has a strong meditative spiritual jazz vibe with elements of soul-jazz and post-bop grooves that are centered around Chip’s remarkable flute playing, that is reminiscent at times of the late great Yusef Lateef and his more Eastern-influenced recordings.
5. Yussef Dayes — ‘Live at Joshua Tree (Presented by Soulection)’
(Brownswood)
Even before the UK drummer’s debut album Black Classical Music came out this fall, Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood label in-collaboration with Soulection released a session featuring Yussef Dayes and his outstanding band made up of bassist Rocco Palladino, saxophonist Malik Venna, keyboardist Elijah Fox and percussionist Alexander Bourt, performing live in Joshua Tree. This 5-track EP is inspired by the blissful nature of one of the world’s most iconic nature reserves.
In similar vein, also check out the recently released limited-edition Live From Malibu EP release, which is exclusively being sold through Rough Trade Records, and includes music from Daye’s Black Classical Music album, brand new material, and a great rendition of Jaco Pistorius’ “Portrait of Tracy”.
4. The Takashi Nakazato Set — ‘Secret Society EP’
(Ten Lovers Music)
Japanese percussionist Takashi Nakazato, who has performed with notable groups like Jazztronik, Kyoto Jazz Massive, Jaribu Afrobeat Arkestra, and others, put out his third release for Steve Conry’s superb Manchester-based Ten Lovers Music label. Brilliant from start to finish, this four-track recording features a heavy dose of Japanese Latin jazz primed for the dancefloor.
3. Juju — ‘Black Samba EP‘
(Colin Curtis Presents)
Juju’s 4-track Black Samba EP features a heavy-dose of Brazilian-influenced fusion vibes blending together soulful keys and soaring horns with layered Latin rhythms that will heat up any dance party. The session also notably features vocalist and guitarist Josué Ferriera on the standout track “Clã Samba”, and some additional production work from Ten Lovers Music’s Steve Conry on “Musa” (Cumulative Collective rework). Another must-own EP released this year by Colin Curtis!
2. Charlie Stacey — ‘The Light Beyond Time’
(Night Dreamer Records)
London keyboardist and pianist Charlie Stacey has been making waves over the past few years, performing with Yussef Dayes and fellow Tomorrow Warriors alumni such as Moses Boyd and The Ezra Collective. In 2023, he set out on his own, releasing his highly-anticipated debut as a leader on UK’s Night Dreamer label. This superb 5-track record fuses together soulful jazz-funk with cosmic synth textures, a touch of Latin-rooted percussion, scat vocals by Vula Malinga, and driving drum rhythms.
1.The Lahaar — ‘s/t’ EP
(Soundway Records)
The Lahaar is an all-star the Australian-meets-New Zealand collaboration of multi-instrumentalists and producer in Julien Dyne, Horatio Luna and Surprise Chef’s Lachlan Stuckey, along with vocalists Mara TK and Toby Laing. Their incredible self-titled debut EP on London’s Soundway Records captures the spirit of the funky underground sounds of 1970s NYC. From proto-rap disco grooves and Nigerian boogie to Jamaican dub, jazzy house and a touch of jazz-funk, this EP definitely keeps a listener on their toes, with more than a strong nod towards the dancefloor. The record even closes out with a 70s cop-chase style soundtrack groover. Regardless of the party, this one belongs on everyone’s turntable.
Also, a special shoutout to Julien Dyne and Soundway Records for making it to the #1 slot in both this year’s EP Releases and Albums (The Circling Sun’s LP Spirits) — what a year!
