Tag: New Releases
Legendary UK-based DJ and producer Chris Bangs follows-up last year’s superb My Only 7″ debut from his latest project Nova Vida with a highly-anticipated full-length release, titled Ritmo Da Vida, on London’s BDQ Records. This is also his first album since 2023’s equally impressive record, Firebird (Acid Jazz Records).
In an impressive collaborative effort, rising Italian collective Aura Safari and legendary Finnish musician Jimi Tenor have teamed up on a brilliant new cosmic jazz-funk album on the Hell Yeah label, titled Sensory Blending.
Bristol-based quintet The Jazz Defenders returns following 2022’s acclaimed LP King Phoenix and a number of notable 7inch singles with a superb new full-length on Haggis Records, titled Memory In Motion.
With the final “best of” list for 2023, I dive into some of our favorite tracks of the year. Out of all of the year-end lists, this is easily the most difficult to pull together given how many great tracks are worthy to be included in such a list. This year, I went about this differently. Instead of just listing the tracks, I also included the album, 12″ or 7″ that the track was associated with in hopes to encourage everyone to be purchasing the vinyl or digital releases (which is important for these artists and labels!). No commentary included with these, we’ll just let the music do all the talking.
This Saturday, April 23rd is the first of two Record Store Day’s in 2022. This now bi-annual event has become the prime day in which many labels release limited-edition or never-before-released vinyl albums, singles, compilations and reissues. While the day usually attracts many hardcore collectors, shops also often see a large influx of casual music fans and possibly a smaller number that might be buying their first record. Regardless, these are all great things.
One of London’s most forward-thinking artists and trumpeters, Nick Walters, returns with an incredible new experimental cosmic jazz album, titled Singularity, which is built around audio samples recorded by NASA in space.
As we wind down the final days of 2021 and look ahead to 2022 (with so many questions regarding what the future or this virus has in store), here is one more “look back” at the past twelve months — exploring some of the best individual tracks that helped us all get through this (still very much) challenging year. Happy New Year everyone, and more importantly, stay healthy and safe!
Following a digital release of last September, the seventh album from highly talented São Paulo jazz-funk trio Caixa Cubo, titled Angela, sees an eagerly-awaited vinyl release through the London-based label Heavenly Recordings.
The 10-piece UK-based collective Nubiyan Twist, led by producer and guitarist Tom Excell, have released a brilliant and expansive new album on the Strut label, titled Freedom Fables, featuring an all-star cast of special guest vocalists including Cherise, Nick Richards, Ego Ella May, Ria Moran, London jazz great Soweto Kinch, rising Ghanaian star K.O.G. and highlife legend Pat Thomas.
Following an inspiring tour with Theo Parrish in 2014 and a highly memorable experience at New York’s Soul Summit in 2015, London-based multi-instrumentalist and producer Junior Alli-Balogun aka JAB released quite possibly the best song of 2019 in the 10-plus minute dancefloor gem “Directions”, which was eventually released as a twelve-inch single. With much anticipation, JAB returns with an outstanding new EP titled Currents.
