Let‘s get jazzy with the latest EP from Danish jazz duo Povo on Swedish favorite Raw Fusion. Title track “Hi Fly” is a solid follow-up to club killer “East on West.” Following this funky cut for the floor is the flipside, which holds a slick remake of “You Are” from Italy‘s finest, Nicola Conte.
Wagon Cookin ‘70s Samba
During the last year, Lovemonk has become one of the most interesting Spanish house labels. As a follow-up to last year‘s praised album, Everyday Life, Wagon Cookin decided to bring the whole band into the studio to deliver a samba workout. A sweet blend of ‘70s electronic sounds and organic instruments, this one is live and jazzy, but still with a good punch.
Ryan Crosson Say So
Here is another new talent who will definitely leave his mark this year. His 16th-note shuffle beats and low basslines crawl under your skin like little bugs. Tracks like “Cold Feet” and “Painter‘s Day” have such a great swing that you feel like your body is subconsciously being pulled in every direction.
Matt John Apfelsinus
Matt is one of my favorite new producers. His nasty business for Perlon boosts classic jacking minimalism with some warped funk. Sparse or driving, the tracks are filled with layers of rich sounds and deliver perfect hooks. The continuously building and catchy melody in “The Rising Scope” will leave you snaking all the way down the block.
Amerie Love‘s Off The Chain EP
The Lil Jon-produced “Touch” is little more than a tabla riff, an 808 kick, and a handclap-Amerie‘s singing is almost superfluous; it‘s a club beat that anybody could be on. That‘s why you‘ll hear it incessantly for the next six months. Instead, stick to the duet with Nas, “Man Up2,” which is up there with the best Faith or Mary J collabos-a funky, methodical MPC hip-hop loop and killer Am hook. Tight.
Exile & Lokey Sinking Ship
East Coast duo Exile & Lokey trade rhymes back and forth as easily as bootleg Star Wars DVDs in Chinatown-their symbiosis on “Sinking Ship” and “The Bridge” seems as much the product of practice as talent. And they got the latter for days-Exile‘s backing tracks are hearty, guitar-driven jams that sound like later-period Massive Attack, brooding and epic. As lyricists, the two pine nostalgically like Rhymesayers‘ Slug without sounding trite. And that‘s the whole point.
Ilija Rudmann & Votekk Sunset Rouge
Look out for Croatians Rudmann and Votekk-their debut on Grab offers rich, melody-soaked electrohouse numbers, sleek deep house, and even a Freerange Recordings-style broken beat track. The tracks dip and turn like a surfer cutting and slashing a Santa Cruz wave break. And, like producers Dixon or Atjazz, the duo‘s rainbow of sounds and instrumentation is energetic and expertly rendered.
Tominaga It‘s Your Time Feat. Eska
Globetrotter Sushi “Tominaga” Chanrai-a producer who plied her trade in Nigeria, India, and her hometown London-brings out the best in vocalist Eska‘s ernest expressions over punchy 4hero-style strings ‘n‘ things. Middlefield slows the beats into succulent after-hours textures while Alex Attias (a.k.a. Mustang) explores freeform boogie-you‘ve never hear him mash ‘80s disco house quite like this. Fantastic!
Palm Skin Productions So Bad
Go ahead, poke fun at my age because I remember buying Palm Skin EPs on Mo‘ Wax and Pussy Foot. But believe me, young whippersnapper-despite a four-year hiatus Mr. Skin is worth a few moments of your precious time. Electrohouse and dirty disco with more bounce than the tennis balls on my Zimmer frame ever had.
Thievery Corporation The Heart‘s A Lonely Hunter (Louie Vega Mix)
There‘s no way this should work. Too many cooks in the kitchen, too many A-listers, too much hype. But f*ck me if Thievery didn‘t pull it off. David Byrne, Louie Vega and the kings of chill churn out a sunshine-fueled Afrobeat gem. In the immortal words of Colonel John “Hannibal” Smith, head of another A-Team, “I like it when a plan comes together.”
