BeatCaffeine’s Weekly Record Rundown, 05.31.24
This week’s BeatCaffeine Weekly Record Rundown includes an incredible debut album from Tasmania-born, Melbourne-based pianist, composer and producer Finn Rees, Colin Curtis’ essential EP release of The Earthsouls, the highly-acclaimed sophomore offering from The Brkn Record, led by Jake Ferguson of The Heliocentrics, Jazz Room Records double-sided 7inch featuring Robert “Dubwise” Browne’s reworking of two soul-jazz classics, and prolific London-based keyboardist and composer Greg Foat paying tribute to his plants.
BEATCAFFEINE’S RELEASE OF THE WEEK
Finn Rees — ‘Dawn Is A Melody’
(Mr Bongo)
One of Melbourne’s rising artists, Finn Rees, who also plays keys with 30/70 and Allysha Joy, and is one-half of Close Counters, releases his debut album on Mr Bongo, titled Dawn Is A Melody. This brilliant 10-track album features a wide palette of textures, fusing together piano and spacey keys with lush strings, harp, soulful horn melodies, dynamic percussion, and cosmic overtones. It’s like a melding of Herbie Hancock, Alice Coltrane, and Arthur Verocai, while having its own original twist. Great from start to finish, this recording should definitely be at the top of everyone’s year-end “best of” lists.
MORE BEATCAFFEINE RECOMMENDATIONS
The Earthsouls — ‘The EarthSouls 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. For his latest offering, he has released an incredible four track recording from The Earthsouls, which is a new project featuring Born74, ONJ, and Mark Paul Norton. With a sound aimed directly at the dancefloor, the music blends together broken beat and jazzy house grooves, with soaring horns and cosmic keys. Highly recommended!
Also, checkout Colin Curtis’ Jazz Dance Fusion radio show every Sunday on The Hitmix 107.5 FM. Essential listening!
The Brkn Record — ‘The Architecture of Oppression Part 2’
(BBE Music)
The Heliocentrics’ Jake Ferguson follows up his critically acclaimed debut with The Architecture of Oppression Part 2. Out on London’s BBE Music, this powerful recording merges the realms of music and activism. While Part 1 served as a rallying cry to dismantle oppressive systems, Part 2 offers a compelling soundtrack of a Pro-Black world reclaiming its destiny. The 10-track album features a number of special guest vocalists like award winning laureate Anthony Joseph and legendary hip-hop MC Percee P, as well as hidden gems discovered through Ferguson’s day-job as a former charity CEO and community activist. Like The Heloicentrics, the music is very expansive, blending together jazz-funk, psychedelic grooves, hip-hop inspired rhythms, spiritual meditative melodies and just about everything in-between.
Robert “Dubwise” Browne — ‘Sun Goddess / Mister Magic’ 7″
(Jazz Room Records)
One of the handful of essential 7inch singles this Spring from Paul Murphy’s Jazz Room Records includes Robert “Dubwise” Browne breathing new life into two soul-jazz classics in Ramsey Lewis and Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Sun Goddess” and Grover Washington “Mister Magic”. Both selections have a reggae dub disco-fied feel to them without straying too far from the original foundation of each. “Mister Magic” also features Jamaican saxophonist Dean Fraser. Another great record for the warmer months!
Greg Foat — ‘Spider Plant Blues’ 7″
(Ameritz Music)
Prolific London-based keyboardist and composer Greg Foat has been one of the most active recording artist over the last several years, releasing everything from jazz-funk and spiritual grooves to ambient soundscapes and more. His latest 7inch recording was inspired by the plants on Greg’s bedside tables – which periodically move around the house dependent on his mood. The plants provide a good source of oxygen in the room and create a calm soothing atmosphere for his numerous musical projects. Featuring two tracks, “Snake Plant Shuffle” and “Spider Plant Blues”, the music includes a blend of warm-toned Fender Rhodes and analog keys and live drums from Ayo Salawu that help extend the plant’s good vibes into a cosmic meditative sonic listening experience worth tapping into.
