Liquidus Ambiento - Mini Mondo

Environments, or atmospheres of sound, are the basis of Liquidus Ambiento. Guitar riffs, arrangements, baritone saxophone and trombone melodies crystalline sitar and flute, bass lines from below, are added to the lightness of an acoustic drum with jazz references. In the essence of instrumental music and electronics, the group enjoy his main influences of Dub, Nu Jazz, Trip Hop, Downtempo, Funk and Afro Beat.

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Hindi Zahra - Handmade

Moroccan-born, but Paris-based, and singing mostly in English, Hindi Zahra is a kind of postmodern Billie Holiday, who tinges her wistful ballads with a hint of urban irony. If the melodies are a shade monotonous, the sultry, spaced-out feel and sophisticated rock touches give this the capacity to win fans way beyond the world music scene.

 

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The Lions - Jungle Struttin

The Lions are something of an underground Los Angeles supergroup -- an ad hoc assemblage of current and former members of bands as diverse as Breakestra, Sound Directions, PlantLife, Orgone, and Poetics, among others. In late 2006 this motley crew of rock and funk musicians came together at Killion Studios and put together a ragged but enjoyable set of reggae, soul, and funk. There's no electronica here, no synthetically smooth soully and jazzy reggae, just lean and crunchy old-school grooves that sound like they could have been recorded and mixed at Dynamic Studios or the Black Ark in the early '70s. Opening with the dubwise slide guitar showcase "Thin Man Skank" (somewhere David Lindley is smiling), Jungle Struttin' then proceeds to explore instrumental funk ("Jungle Struttin'"), vintage rocksteady ("Think [About It]," featuring the fine and soulful singer Noelle Scaggs), and even some faintly Latin grooves ("Hot No Ho," "Cumbia de Lion"). "Lankershim Dub" is a melodica showcase in the style of Augustus Pablo, and "Fluglin' at Dave's" combines a mellow jazz horn sound with Skatalites-style early reggae. That last track is great, but would have been even better if the flügelhorn were in tune. Very nice overall.            

 

 

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Lack Of Afro - This Time

2011 release from British producer/remixer/DJ Adam Gibbons AKA Lack Of Afro. Gibbons combines his live musicianship and top notch studio production skills with rappers and vocalists into a skillful combination of compositions blending funk, Hip Hop and Soul into a steamy stew of a breakbeat bonanza. As a multi instrumentalist, in-demand producer and remixer, a DJ with his finger on the cutting edge of contemporary sounds, and an ear tastefully cocked to the hippest soul, Jazz and Funk music from the '60s and '70s, Gibbons has already established an unrivalled reputation as one of the most crucial names at work in funk and dance music today.

 

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Nickodemus - Endangered Species

With the burgeoning guitar rock of the sixties, kids growing up found heroes who played an instrument that could be easily mass manufactured for a relatively small amount of money. And over the next couple of decades, the guitar became the icon of new music in America, eventually becoming the most widely purchased musical instrument. Nonetheless, with the advent of DJ culture and assimilation of computers into our everyday lives, the sampler, turntable, and mixer have often supplanted the guitar as the instruments of choice for the new generation. No matter how cramped your apartment or how clumsy your hands may be, this technology allows you to manipulate and create such an incredible variety of sounds and structures that the possibilities are practically limitless. And with the amount and diversity of this kind of music now being created in all genres, the age of the DJ has truly arrived.These sounds are often created in a sterile electronic enviroment, but in the right hands they can be as compelling and organic as any other kind. Nickodemus is not a new kid on the block, but Endangered Species is his first full length album. Working parties in and around New York for well over six years, Nickodemus has honed his skills in melding genres and elements from various global musical styles—reggae, house, funk, Latin, Arabic, Afrobeat, and more. Using this experience, he has constructed an album that blends the familiar with the exotic. The urban meets world music aesthetic has been explored before with varying degrees of success, but Endangered Species is a compelling listen that does a good job of differentiating itself from the pack."Cleopatra in New York serves as a good example of how the album works as a whole. Nickodemus melds a complex rhythm of drums and various percussion instruments and lays Arabic-influenced flute and oud on top, which carries the main melody and serves as a textural bed for a wordless female vocal. The track has an assertive pulse that is calmed by the cool sound of the instruments, and although it may be considered a dance track, it is much more complex musically than that.The key here, and throughout the album, is that Nickodemus is not simply layering one beat or loop on top of another. Rather he is creating a foundation for these different musical elements to breathe and come together on their own accord. Every track here is cut from a similar cloth, but with vastly different colors and textures. From the laid back opening title track and its acoustic guitar groove to the roll call of drummers on Give The Drummer Some and the syncopated closing "Mystery of Life, each track provides a different journey and utilizes special guests to varying degrees.You can find common threads embedded throughout, but Nickodemus imbues Endangered Species with more than enough variation and ingenuity to hold interest while still marinating a dynamic sense of movement and flair. What will really be interesting is to see how he develops this already mature sound over time—and where he'll go next

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Monty Alexander - Stir It Up The Music Of Bob Marley

The Jamaican-born pianist Monty Alexander has worked with musicians such as Milt Jackson, Dizzy Gillespie, and Sonny Rollins, but over the years he has always managed to wed North American improvisation to reggae and Jamaican folk rhythms. This CD is a happy hybrid of all of the above. Alexander weaves his American rhythm section consisting of drummer Troy Davis, bassist Hassan Shakur, and guitarist Derrick Di Cenzo with the five-man Jamaican ensemble Gumption--who back up dancehall stars like Buju Banton: drummer Rolando Alphonso, guitarist Robert Angus, keyboardist Dwight Dawes, bassist Glen Brownie, and percussionist Desy Jones. The result: Imagine the Nat King Cole Trio sitting in with the Wailers and you'll get the CD's boppish island-breezed vibe. Alexander and crew stick to Marley's melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic structures. Spliff anthem "Jamming," title tune "Kaya," and "Could You Be Loved" can rock any sports utility vehicle or summer festival, while "Heathen" rings with Alexander's raindrop chords, piercing melodica, and ethereal tonal shadings. The ska-guitar scratches drive "Is This Love?" and Alexander's gospelish pianisms echo Marley's loving laments on "No Woman No Cry." Steve Turre makes a guest appearance and his splendid seashell sound heralds "I Shot the Sheriff." Alexander's plaintive composition "Nesta"--Marley's middle name--is spiced by Jones's Rastafarian nyabinghi conga rhythms and completes this jazzy "jump up" carnival.
Alexander effectively and infectiously fuses jazz and reggae into a cohesive sound that may portend the future of one-world music without boundaries or labels.

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Easy Stars All Stars - Easy Stars Thrillah

Following up on the hugely successful reggae tribute albums of Dub Side of the Moon (2003), Radiodread (2006) and Easy Star's Lonely Hearts Dub Band (2009) comes the reggae adaptation of the greatest selling record of all time – Michael Jackson's Thriller.
 Easy Star's Thrillah brings back several of the reggae stars from previous albums, such as vocalists Michael Rose (Black Uhuru), Steel Pulse, Luciano, Mojo Morgan (Morgan Heritage), alongside the diverse playing of guests Yossi Fine (David Bowie, Lou Reed, Stanley Jordan), Joe Tomino (Dub Trio/Matisyahu), Andy Farag (Umphrey's McGee), and horn tracks courtesy of Israel's highly-acclaimed funk/hip-hop band Hadag Nachash. The album will be preceded by the July 10th digital release of the Billie Jean EP, which includes two album tracks, along with non-album remixes and a dub version.

In selecting Thriller, Easy Star Records co-founder Lem Oppenheimer says, "We've always tackled the greats - The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Radiohead - but while we wanted to take on another huge album, we also wanted to blaze new trails. In Thriller we found those new trails in a number of firsts for the series: the first album by an American artist, the first non-concept album, the first R&B/soul record, as well as the first release from the 80s."

 

 

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Originais Do Sample - Ladrão é Bóia

Originais do Sample é um projeto musical de Felipe Machado (felipe alma), Tiago Melo (zécafofinho) e Hugo Gilla que conta com a particitação de dois músicos do MOMBOJÓ, Chiquinho e Marcelo Machado (buchito). Felipe Machado nerd em tecnologias livres cria as bases+edição+programação.

A primeira conexão da tecnologia X música foi com Tiago de Melo, músico da Variant TL (banda pernambucana que faz releituras do SKA). “Estava um dia em casa tomando cerveja com Tiago e mostrei as bases que eu costumava fazer só por diversão, ele gostou e sugeriu uma parceria”. Foi nesse momento, no ano de 2002, que surgiu a idéia de formar um grupo onde ele fosse lançando as bases ao vivo enquanto os músicos tocassem. O nome Originais do Sample veio do fato de todas essas sonoridades serem sampleadas e introduzidas na reconstrução de novas faixas.

“A prática de baixar músicas na Internet mais a conexão com grupos de distribuição de mp3 do mundo inteiro faz parte da minha formação e me traz constantes influências artísticas e tecnológicas”. Entre as maiores inspirações para o Originais do Sample estão cloudDead (EUA), Dj Shadow (Inglaterra), Cut Chemist (EUA), Jurassic 5 (EUA), N.E.R.D (EUA), King Tubby (Jamaica), Aphex Twin (Inglaterra), Dj Remixsom (Peixinhos, Pernambuco), entre outros.

 

 

 

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Thievery Corporation - Radio Retaliation

It's ironic that a band with its musical head so firmly in the clouds thinks so much about what’s happening down here on Terra Firma. Yet, that’s what Thievery Corporation's Radio Retaliation is all about. The musical approach is the same; just as they have on releases like 2005's The Cosmic Game, Rob Garza and Eric Hilton still bring the dub-oriented beats, silky textures, world musicology and outer spacescapes. And while Thievery Corp have always been tuned into the strange currents and impulses of the now, words have never been so central to their work. Femi Kuti lets loose on Africa's long, sad history of oppression on "Vampires" while Seu Jorge preaches the gospel of peace on "Hare Krisna." Both those tracks are killers, but the record has a way of topping itself. In the midst of all the charged slogans and lullaby charm (listen to LouLou's Gallic flow on "Le Femme Parallel" for an example of the latter), Garza and Hilton will drop a celestial bomb like the painfully gorgeous "The Shining Path." So, while there's no missing how politically engaged they are (the liner notes include relevant words of wisdom from a range of open minds including Einstein, John Lee Hooker and Mos Def), Thievery Corp can still help us return to the serenity of nothing.

 

 

 

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Criolo - No Na Orelha

“Nó na Orelha” ('Knot In The Ear') is one of the most successful Brazilian albums of 2011. Completely self-penned, its recording was overseen by the experienced Nação Zumbi producer Daniel Ganjaman and aided by Marcelo Cabral. The result is that Criolo has received, among others, both a 'Best Show Of The Year' and a 'Best Newcomer' award.

With more than fifty-five concerts in Brazil plus one in New York, all in support of this new album, Criolo has worked hard to bring the message of his music to the people. Now, in 2012, it is the turn of Europe to welcome this most compelling and unique performer: the true voice of a new Brazil.

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Boozoo Bajou - Dust My Broom

The term 'Dust My Broom' is rooted in the blues music of Robert Johnson. In the figurative sense, among others, this term means to "make a clean sweep" and as such indicates the beginning of something new. It’s an appropriate title for the second album by Boozoo Bajou, two Nuremberg based producers Peter Heider and Florian Seyberth who have joined the !K7 Records family after years of collaboration with German independent label Stereo Deluxe. It’s also an appropriate term for a group that takes a huge amount of inspiration from the diverse musical landscape of the deep-south "Bayou" culture - from blues to country to soul.
Dust My Broom marks a fresh chapter in the sound of Boozoo Bajou. Their famous laidback sound has been extended into a broader territory that borrows from blues, jazz, reggae and soca rhythms. This new territory is deep, with wide, rejuvenating references that are multi-layered. Boozoo Bajou communicate different types of "roots" music and convey their intrinsic affinity to it. Blaxploitation style soul, deep blues, Southern folk, jazz and original R&B all combine with Boozoo Bajou dub to form a beautiful mosaic. The album features collaborations with UK based MC Top Cat (known for his work with Shy FX), country legend Tony Joe White, U-Brown, Joe Dukie, and soul crooner and voice of the infamous Foxy Brown film soundtrack, Willie Hutch. These highly impressive guest vocalists contribute to the overall impact of Dust My Broom which despite the German conception has its roots firmly planted in the USA. Both White and Hutch were recorded in their native Tennessee and it’s this TN feeling that sweeps through the album. Like taking a boat through the bayou, the Boozoo Bajou duo has created a captivating guide through exotic lands.

 

 

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Dubxanne - The Police In Dub

Introducing DubXanne: a group of Hamburg-based musicians devoted to bringing out the original dub roots from the biggest band in '70s-'80s Britain, The Police. At the apex of their career, The Police were a massive, bleached-blond juggernaut, surfing a new wave sound which valued intellectual cool and lightly sprinkled ethnic influences over the discredited rock 'n' roll bluster of old. The first post-punk supergroup. At the end of 1977, over the Christmas period, Stewart Copeland played Sting some of his reggae records. When Summers returned to Britain from his vacation in the United States, he found his bandmates newly inspired by Jamaican sounds. Reggae rhythms finally shook The Police free from post-punk rock convention and the rest has become history -- to date, 40 million people all over the world have bought a Police record! The first recordings for Police In Dub sessions by DubXanne started in September 2006. After exhaustive scrutiny of the Police back catalog at EMI Music Publishing (which controls and manages the rights for Sting's songs) and lengthy negotiations with Sting's management team, final consent for the project was granted in March 2008. Now the world can sit back and look forward to dub versions of the biggest tunes by The Police. The musicians behind DubXanne are members of the group Okada (backing band for Zoe, Maxim, Don Abi to name a few): Mykal (drums), Marcus (bass), Manougazou (guitar) and Guido Craveiro (guitar/keyboards; produced Moloko, Zoe and Bootsy Collins). Also featuring well-known vocalists such as: Big Youth, Ranking Roger from The Beat (who recently shared the stage with The Police in Manchester), Earl 16, Benjamin Zephaniah, Seeed and Jazz'min. DubXanne's album is a unique masterpiece, paying respect to an influential super-group. This is massive roots reggae.

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The Police - Reggata De Blanc + Outlandos d'Amour

The album, while at times incorporating reggae, pop, and other elements of what would eventually become the definitive sound of the band, is dominated by punk influences. It starts off with "Next To You", a punk number with a slide guitar solo in the middle. The reggae-tinged "So Lonely" follows. "Roxanne", about a prostitute, was written by Sting after visiting a red-light district in Paris and is one of The Police's best-known songs. It is followed by "Hole in My Life", another reggae-tinged song, and "Peanuts", a Sting–Stewart Copeland collaboration which blends punk aggression with a decidedly humorous tone. "Can't Stand Losing You" and the high-tempo "Truth Hits Everybody" begin side two of the original LP. "Be My Girl—Sally" is a medley of a half-finished song by Sting and an Andy Summers poem about a blowup doll. This leads into the semi-instrumental closer, "Masoko Tanga", the only song on the album to not become a staple of the Police's live performances.
Two other songs from these sessions were released as b-sides: "Dead End Job" credited to the entire band on the flip of "Can't Stand Losing You," and "No Time This Time" by Sting on the back of "So Lonely," later issued on Reggatta de Blanc.
Punk band No Use for a Name covered the song "Truth Hits Everybody" (with modified lyrics) on their 1990 debut album, Incognito. The pop-punk band Motion City Soundtrack also covered the same song for a Police covers album. "Next to You" was later packaged in Rock Band. "Truth Hits Everybody", "Roxanne", "Can't Stand Losing You", and "So Lonely" were all released as downloadable content for the Rock Band series.

 

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Tim Maia - Nobody Can Live Forever (2012)

Nos anos 60, Tim Maia (1942 - 1998) partiu para os Estados Unidos para tentar ganhar a vida em terras norte-americanas. Voltou para o Brasil sem dinheiro e sem ilusões. Decorridos 50 anos, uma possibilidade de o cantor e compositor carioca ganhar alguma visibilidade nos EUA se torna enfim concreta. A gravadora do cantor e compositor norte-americano David Byrne, Luaka Bop, se prepara para lançar nos Estados Unidos em 2 de outubro de 2012 coletânea dupla, em vinil, do Síndico. Disco idealizado há 10 anos, The Existencial Soul of Tim Maia - Nobody Can Live Forever compila 15 gravações feitas por Tim Maia nos anos 70 e é o quarto volume da série World Psychedelic Classics. Com ênfase nas músicas gravadas em inglês e na produção autoral da fase mística em que o artista se envolveu com a Cultura Racional da seita Universo em Desencanto, a compilação de certa forma celebra os 70 anos que Tim poderia completar em 28 de setembro de 2012 se não tivesse saído de cena em 1998, deixando obra singular que deu sotaque brasileiro ao soul e ao funk norte-americanos. Eis as 15 gravações reunidas na coletânea dupla The Existencial Soul of Tim Maia - Nobody Can Live Forever:

1. Imunização Racional (Que Beleza) (Tim Maia) - 1975
2. Let's Have a Ball Tonight (Tim Maia e Reginaldo) - 1978
3. O Caminho do Bem (Beto, Sérgio e Paulo) - 1976
4. Ela Partiu (Tim Maia e Beto Cajueiro) - 1975
5. Quer Queira, Quer Não Queira (Tim Maia e Fábio) - 1976
6. Brother Father Mother Sister (Tim Maia) - 1976
7. Do Leme ao Pontal (Tim Maia) - 1981
8. Nobody Can Live Forever (Tim Maia) - 1976
9. I Don't Care (Tim Maia) - 1971
10. Bom Senso (Tim Maia) - 1975
11. Where Is My Other Half? (Tim Maia) - 1972
12. Over Gain (Tim Maia) - 1973
13. The Dance Is Over (Tim Maia, Hyldon e Reginaldo) - 1976
14. You Don't Know What I Know (Tim Maia) - 1975
15. Rational Cultura (Tim Maia) - 1975

Texto: Mauro Ferreira

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Curumin - Arrocha (2012)

'Arrocha means to hold on with a lot of pressure,' Curumin says from his São Paolo home, describing the meaning behind his new album title. 'In Bahia it's a rhythm, a way of dancing where you hold your girl very close. That pressure is something we feel here in Sao Paolo. It's a very big city and you are always surrounded by people. On this album I'm trying to make more sensual music, speaking with a lot of feeling and getting closer to people.'

Born of Spanish and Japanese parents 35 years ago, Luciano Nakata Albuquerque adopted the persona Curumin (KOO-roo-mean) as a way of exploring the possibilities of Brazil's many sonic heritages. Known globally as the land of bossa nova and samba, the youthful vocalist/multi-instrumentalist/producer has borrowed much from his Brazilian culture but expanded upon it by creating an inviting, sensual tone while eschewing any lust for stardom through mainstream sounds. On the pioneering Arrocha (Six Degrees Records), he has built upon prior success in creating a melodically addicting and rhythmically potent exploration of modern Brazil.

Discovered by California hip-hop outfit Blackalicious on a 2005 South American tour, the duo helped Curumin gain international recognition by releasing his debut, Achados e Perdidos, in the United States. After successfully launching his presence in the States at CMJ that same year, he was quickly booked to perform at Chicago's World Music Festival and the M3 Conference the following year. Natalie Portman included his track 'Tudo Bern Malandro' on a compilation; when 'Guerreiro' was used in a Nike ad during the FIFA World Cup, the fame he never sought was ensured.

It was Curumin's second album, JapanPopShow, that really launched him in 2008. His unique fusing of samba, reggae, electronica, funk and hip-hop earned him gigs at Central Park Summerstage, Los Angeles's Grand Performances, the Montreal Jazz Fest, the Red Hot Rio +2 concert at Brooklyn's BAM and San Francisco's Stern Grove. He's performed alongside Femi Kuti, Jorge Ben, Money Mark, Blackalicious and Juana Molina, and earned glowing accolades from the NY Times, Spin, the Village Voice and Billboard.com.

Part of a wave of evolutionary Brazilian artists updating their native soundscape, this self-professed tropicalia and funk addict now delves deeply into the electronic sound of his MPC to control the direction. 'I created different atmospheres and textures from doing a lot of research with all of the albums I have here in my house,' he says. Being that his home would not cater to a full band set-up, Arrocha dives right into the heart of his intentions: it's a warm, sensitive journey featuring gorgeous melodies floating over a wash of spacious percussion, guitars and bass, while never losing the danceable beats that his culture demands.

'The electronic angle let me work inside of the machines,' he says. 'It's a different way to do Brazilian music. But it's also part of my Japanese heritage. The thing that I'm trying to accomplish in my music is connected to the past and tradition, as well as to the future. This is a very Japanese way of looking at things.'

Kicking it off with the hard edge of 'Afoxoque,' the word is an amalgam of the Portuguese word afoxê and the English shock. 'I was programming the beat and just gave it this name. A few days later I tried to write lyrics, and I started to research what afoxoque could mean. Afoxê is a word from Yoruba, the African tradition here in Brazil, and it means 'the power of speech.' So it's the shock that happens to you from the power of language.'

Not all of the album depends on metaphysical explanation. In fact, the topics of yearning and connection, to a soulmate, family member of friend, dominates the content. 'Selvage,' the album's first single and video, is about getting wild. Having lived in downtown São Paolo for eight years, Curumin felt that past-future connection, noticing that very evolved people live daily with their primitive instincts. On 'Selvage' he waxes romantic over the 'jungle' of his former neighborhood, providing the listener with Arrocha's most upbeat, punchy track.

On 'Paris Vila Matilde' he tells a story about calling his girlfriend, who comes from the São Paolo neighborhood of Vila Matilde, while he was in France. This gorgeous two-minute gem is engulfed by that seductive term, saudade, an indescribable feeling of desire and aching made globally famous by the poetic hand of Federico García Lorca. And speaking of poets, 'Pra Nunca Mais' was penned by Arnaldo Antunes, Brazil's renowned wordsmith and singer.

'It's like you're waking up and coming out from a dream,' Curumin says of that song. 'But you don't want to wake up, so you go back to your dreams and begin to float. Then the things in the dream start to happen again, but then you are waking up again, but you don't want to.'

Following up on the many successes he garnered with JapanPopShow, Curumin has produced a record that's certain to surpass previous praise. Introduced to Six Degrees Records via his friend (and now labelmate) Céu - who guest stars on the reggae-inflected 'Vestido de prata' - he's excited to be moving in new musical directions, blending catchy tracks with an integrity and inventiveness unique unto himself. For him, this is all he could imagine himself doing.

'I'm always trying to be minimal in my music and life, just putting in what's essential and not too much information,' he concludes, in what is perhaps another quality pulled from his Japanese ancestry. 'I'm happy that the alternative scene in Brazil is building. If you just have mainstream music, nothing is creative, and no one is going to try to do anything strange. Now some people are doing strange stuff, and some people are listening to strange stuff too. This is very good.'

 

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Lucas Santtana - O Deus Que Devasta Mas Tambem Cura (2012)

Lucas Santtana, born in Bahia in 1970, is a musician with a compelling background that merges popular and classical culture. A follower of candomblé (a Brazilian sect of an African cult), since childhood, Lucas Santtana was brought up among Afro-Brazilian rhythm.
At the age of 15, he enrolled into a pioneer music school in Salvador, where musical theory was taught through scores of Tom Jobim, Dorival Caymmi, João Gilberto and others.
Later on, he graduated from the University of Bahia, where he had contact with classical music and composers such as Bach, Stockhausen, Stravinsky, Debussy, Mozart, Anton von Weber… During his studies, he traveled around Brazil, getting involved in Young Orchestras, and also played with a Cuban band in music floats around Bahia.
In 1993, Lucas Santtana got a scholarship from the Karlshure School of Music (Germany) but he preferred to accept the invitation to join Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil on tour for the album ‘Tropicália 2’.
The following year, he was invited by Gilberto Gil to record the album Gilberto Gil Unplugged MTV, a job he maintained for three and a half years, having participated in two tours of Europe, North, South and Central America.
His solo career started in the year 2000, with the album ‘Eletro Ben Dodô’, produced by the renowned Chico Neves and mixed in Realworld Studio of Peter Gabriel. The album was praised by critics in Brazil and in important musical publications around the world like Village Voice, Down beat and Chicago Tribune (EUA); Le Monde and Vibrations (France); Latino and Esquire (Japan), apart from having been included in a select list of the best ten independent albums in the year 2000 by The New York Times.

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SuperHeavy

SuperHeavy is a supergroup consisting of Mick Jagger, Joss Stone, Dave Stewart, A. R. Rahman, and Damian Marley. Stone and Stewart have collaborated in the past with Jagger. Jagger said of the band, "We wanted a convergence of different musical styles... We were always overlapping styles, but they were nevertheless separate". Jagger wanted SuperHeavy to showcase different musical styles, with music ranging from reggae to ballads to Indian music.
SuperHeavy" began work on the album in 2009. In early 2009, Mick Jagger, Damian Marley, Joss Stone, Dave Stewart and A. R. Rahman experimented at a studio in Los Angeles, trying to "write songs which had meaning". They had a couple of more sessions after that trying to perfect every song that was written. Jagger stated in an interview that they had entered with just ideas, a few guitar riffs and a few snippets of lyrics... which isn't his usual style of working, but music evolved quickly."The band recorded twenty-nine songs in ten days. Some of the songs recorded were even an hour long. In total, there was more than thirty-five hours of music recorded, from which Stewart and his engineer found the highlights that would work as the roots of songs. However, the CD release only included twelve songs.

 

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Citzen Cope - Every Waking Moment

 EVERY WAKING MOMENT is the third full-length release from Citizen Cope, a band led by singer-songwriter Clarence Greenwood. Every Waking Moment music CDs Greenwood mixes folk, soul, and rock, throwing in island and psychedelic elements for flavor, and giving a nod to urban music now and again (as on the enjambed, rapid-fire lines of "Brother Lee"). Every Waking Moment songs Greenwood's lyrics take on everything from the horrors of war ("Friendly Fire") to personal strife ("Back Together"), and he recalls Van Morrison at times in his roots-oriented songwriting and expressively textured voice. Mellow, soulful, and nicely put together, EVERY WAKING MOMENT is one of Citizen Cope's strongest and most consistent releases.

 

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Cornerstone Roots - Free Yourself

Wrapping up the New Zeland series.
This is the third offering from Raglan-based roots-rock reggae five-piece Cornerstone Roots. After their fantastic first album 'Soul Revolution' and follow up EP 'Forward Movement' they have now excelled themselves with this rich, poignant live studio recording. Front man Brian Ruawai projects their political and spiritual message in his usual raw vocal style, perfectly suited to this genre. Add to this the family line up of Brian's partner Naomi Tuao on bass, and son Reiki on backing vocals and you have a warm Aotearoa family vibe. Since they formed in 2001 Brian and Naomi have also set up the Motherland Collective, functioning as both a music label and a vehicle to organise the annual Soundsplash reggae festival in Raglan's natural amphitheatre.

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Lady6 - The Liberation Of...

  Second album from hip-hop soul diva looks to the future
Ladi6's smooth and reflective hip-hop soul made her first solo album, Time Is Not Much from 2008, an excellent - if a little shy and coy - debut. On The Liberation Of ... she steps up in a bold, lively and often experimental yet fun way, which recalls the innovation of the last two Erykah Badu albums.

Right from the opening double-dutch hand-clapped start of Bang Bang, it's almost quickfire in its nature, with the 10 short and snappy tunes over pretty quickly. Yet they pack a rump-shaking punch as the tracks brim with a constant soulful hip-hop energy-from the head-bobbing beats and sprays of brass on Koln to Ladi's saucy nasal lilt that drives the songs along. Then there's the delightfully silky and bouncy Jazmine D.L., a tribute to her cousin who passed away last year; Like Water is a romantic sing-a-long that has a cute stomp to it; and 98 'Til Now is her staunch hip-hop blow-out.
But it's on tracks like Burn With Me, an experimental hip-hop jam later in the album, and Goodday, a deep groover that just gets meaner and meaner as it pulses and slopes along, where The Liberation Of ... starts living up to its title.
So while the first half of the album is fun, catchy and what she does well, the second stanza starts wigging out with more mind-altering squelches and wobbly synth sounds, making it more than just hip-hop soul and taking it into cosmic soul-meets-future funk territory. That's a good place to be.

 

 

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Lady6 - Time Is Not Much

Ladi6’s debut album “Time Is Not Much”!

Aided and abetted by her musical partner Parks, the 27-year-old Ladi6 (Karoline Tamati) has established herself as one of New Zealand’s pre-eminent musicians. Her ability to blend jazz, reggae and soul vocal styles with razor-sharp socially conscious lyrics has cultivated her an enviable reputation as New Zealand’s leading live performers. She has rocked stages at New Zealand music festivals such as Rippon, Vodafone Homegrown, Big Day Out, Parihaka Splore, Music Mountain Matakana, Rhythm and Vines and Womad.

The words “in demand” no longer do her justice. The top-ranking soul sister has taken her Pacific style to foreign shores, performing in Australia, Europe and the United Kingdom.

 

 

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Fat Freddy's Drop - Dr. Boondigga And The Big BW

Wellington-based 'seven-headed soul monster' Fat Freddy’s Drop are renowned for taking their time to distil onstage jams into meticulously crafted studio creations, and once again that approach has paid off. Dr Boondigga & the Big BW is every bit as good as their last record.

The music is still based firmly in their uniquely sweet, relaxed mix of soul, reggae and jazz, but peppered with diverse new flavours, some obviously picked up on their globetrotting tours. Crucially, none of these novel influences feel like they’ve been forced by fashion, and Fat Freddy's Drop still make music with an unmistakeably South Pacific swing.

With most tracks clocking in at eight or nine minutes, and often traversing several moods, everything is woven into a seamless whole that makes perfect sense as one style flows into another. So it is that The Nod – arguably the album's highlight – somehow incorporates bluesy harmonica, P-funk synth squelches, a rap about food and fishing, and a wonderfully queasy Dixieland jazz cameo, all tied down by a deep, skanking groove.

The epic Shiverman is probably the most radical departure, driven by an organic, dubbed-up house beat, and featuring a fiery performance by lead singer Dallas Tamaira. Big BW airs another new direction, with its trippy broken beat/nu-soul feel rather reminiscent of D'Angelo, while Boondigga is an affectionate homage to producer Willie Mitchell's classic Memphis soul sound, best heard on Al Green's mid-70s albums.

As usual, references to family ties, culinary matters and the sea make up the bulk of the lyrical subjects. And even if Tamaira does rhyme “waters” with “daughters” on the highly aquatic, driving dub of The Raft, the way he chews and savours his words for maximum musicality throughout ensures he's still one of the most soulful singers of his generation.

This is a satisfyingly roosty, late-summer soundtrack, which could make it onto many an end-of-year list.

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Sola Rosa - Get It Together

The fourth full length offering from Sola Rosa retains the slick grooves and stylish tunes that Sola Rosa are renowned for.
Andrew Spraggon takes his musical influences from around the world and it shows on 'Get It Together' - it has something for everyone, fusing many genres including dub, lounge, jazz and soul. Starting off with just himself and a laptop, Sola Rosa has slowly grown to a full live experience that includes musicians Will Scott (drums) Ben White (guitar) and Matt Short (bass) as steady contributors. Guest spots on 'Get It Together' come courtesy of Spikey Tee, Serocee and newcomer Iva Lamkum, who's vocals on 'Turn Around' - the first single - are a highlight of the album and are perfectly suited to the Sola Rosa style.
The aptly named 'Bond Is Back' is indeed the perfect James Bond theme song, bringing to mind images of gun toting tuxedo wearing gentlemen lurking in the shadows.
Sola Rosa have always been adept at putting together a huge number of different instruments, including such diverse instruments as the Timbale, the Conga and the Vibraslap, and making their own uniquely identifiable sound.

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Katchafire - Revival

King Marley descended upon the land of New Zealand only once in 1978, and his righteous delivery and powerful presence at his one-time show forever changed the direction of the Kiwi music scene. His timeless messages perhaps resonated the most with the indigenous people of the land, the displaced and dispirited Maori. Ever since, buoyant reggae has been a staple export of Kiwi culture, defined perhaps best by the surfing town of Hamilton and its offspring, Katchafire. The LP Revival draws heavy influence from Nesta's Kaya and Steel Pulse's Tribute and takes a kaleidoscopic approach to roots. The eight-piece band is driven by the multi-talented songwriters and crooners Logan Bell (guitar) and Jamey Ferguson (keys and saxophone). Both can consistently be counted on for creating a lovers heavy atmosphere with sing-along tunes and bouncy riddims. Revival starts of heavy with the rolling bass lines and key stabs of "Reggae Revival" and "Get Away," slows with the dreamy lovers rock of "Who You With" and "Colour Me Life," then reaches the peak of its majestic powers with the vibraphone-tinged "Collie Herb Man,"' the heavenly "Seriously," and the organ-drenched funk of "Bounce."

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Katchafire - On The Road Again (2010)

After three long years, the much anticipated release On The Road Again from Hawaii's favorite sons of Aotearoa, Katchafire is finally here! New Zealand's premier musical talent and ambassadors of reggae music have been tirelessly touring in Australia, around the Pacific Rim, Hawaii and across the United States to sold out shows. On The Road Again is a collection of songs inspired from Katchafire's life on tour, their many travels and many experiences.

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Tahuna Breaks - Reflections

Since their beginnings in January 2005, Tahuna Breaks have always been a band built upon a simple philosophy- the love of music. With an open mind and an adventurous spirit, unafraid to mix genres and musical stylings- their ‘anything goes’ and sometimes unconventional approach is governed only by two criteria: passion and energy. The lifeblood of this band is live performance and it is from countless live gigs and tours that they have crafted their own brand of roots reggae, funk, soul and good old fashioned rock and roll. Put simply this is a band that thrives on working hard and winning audiences over.

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Tahuna Breaks - Black, Brown And White

I'd be astonished if Tahuna Breaks don't have hugely successful concerts on their current tour, and sell truckloads of this album -- because they tick every stylistic box that New Zealand audiences seem to like: you want James Brown-styled soul-funk (you've got it on Giddy Up which isn't the Katchafire song, and Funky Mama), or you want light lovers rock (here on Only You)?
There is the sentimental ballad to a beautiful daughter, some Commodores-styled funk (We Funk the Party which maybe doesn't sound quite so cool after the Flight of the Conchords) and of course dollops of reggae of various kinds (dub, old school riddums, Marley referenced on Crisis Situation). There is empowerment and sensitivity (Somebody's Daughter), late night soul (Make Out Party which also resorts to some Peter Frampton-like talking keyboards, bound to be a crowd pleaser) and concern for the environment.
This is all beautifully crafted, well written, well played and the production is excellent, thoroughly enjoyable all round in fact.
But I can't help think there is just too much of something-for-everyone here which makes the album as a whole sound calculated.

 

 

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The Black Seeds - On The Sun

Described by Clash Magazine as "one of the best reggae acts on the planet", their legendary 8-piece live show brings the raw energy and good vibes wherever it goes. They have countless sell-out New Zealand and Australasian tours behind them, and regularly perform at many of Europe and North America’s biggest festivals.

 

 

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The Black Seeds - Solid Ground

Listening to the Black Seeds, one could easily mistake the band for a lost product of Clement “Coxsone” Dodd’s Studio One stable of acts from the label’s 1970s heyday. However, these cats ain’t from Jamaica, but rather another mid-sized island surrounded by ocean water, New Zealand, where reggae music is just as beloved and at home amongst the beaches and palm trees of “the other Down Under”. The Seeds are the country’s most renowned representatives of the Kiwi rasta revolution, and the band’s fifth and finest LP, Solid Ground, is a sonic tour de force of heavy dub vibes and feel-good roots-rock melodies flavored with just the right amount of deep Stax-style funk. Never mind the fact its members hail from the same land as the Flight of the Conchords (Bret McKenzie is actually a former member of the Black Seeds) and Flying Nun Records, the Black Seeds have produced a record that harbors some of the most crucial dirt-floor riddims you will hear on any coast

 

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The Black Seeds - Dust And Dirt (New Album)





Dub is essentially a studio phenomenon.

Laden with technology, a generation of Jamaican producers bent and twisted reggae into new shapes, influencing the way music is recorded forever. So why, with new technology at their disposal, are The Black Seeds such a live - in every sense of the word - experience?

The New Zealand group have earned their reputation through travelling the world, working continuously to bring their soulful reggae experience to new audiences. In Europe, The Black Seeds are linked to Germany's Sonar Kollektiv imprint, a relationship which has given them a safe foothold.

Now the band are ready to make a further impression. New album 'Dust & Dirt' finds The Black Seeds matching the energy and improvisational feel of their live sets to the exacting nature of the recording experience.

 

 

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Sounds from New Zeland

The next few posts will be dedicated to some fine tunes coming from New Zeland. Check it out!