Steppah Huntah’s previous single for Compost got broken heads nodding. These three new songs weave Rhodes-led jazz chords into complex rhythms. Like the soulful multi-layered work of Gerd, Alex Attias, and Kaidi Tatham, tracks like “So Alive” forge snippets of orchestral strings, live electric bass, congas, and Blue Smith’s tranquil vocals and compress them into a shimmering gem. “Elegancia” is pure Jazzanova-style fever-hot timbales and punchy beats galore.
Sir Piers & Los Amigos Invisibles Feat. Shaun Escoffery She‘s Gone Away
I‘d put singer Shaun Escoffery in the same universe as Donny Hathaway and Luther Vandross. His silky delivery can transform even a standard soul house number into a classic Shelter-worthy anthem. Not to say Sir Piers isn’t on his toes with uplifting keyboard work and production, and Los Amigos bring their zingy percussion solos and sexy disco backing vocals to the track. Nevertheless, the music revolves around the sun that is Escoffrey‘s emotive voice.
Stranger & Short Bus Rush On
SF’s ever-so-ill Dis-Joint Records drops three raw nuggets of mad funk and laid-back discodelia in true b-boy fashion. Sounding like a demented Coldcut or those early (and rare) Black Cock 12″ single edits, “Rush On” takes you on a heavy trip of vintage jazz/funk, with vocals that’ll keep you guessing and loads of dubbed-out samples lurking to wreck the joint the second it comes on.
U-Roy & Francois K Rootsman
From the late 1960s to the present day, Jamaican DJ godfather U-Roy has advanced the art of MCing with clever lyrics and improv jazz-style delivery. Following a session at Francois K’s Deep Space club night, U-Roy tracked this excellent dub-techno recording. Fans of Rootsman, Mad Professor, and Burial Mix will enjoy the endless echoes and four/four steppers’ beats.
Scandal Inc. That‘s A Good Look
More nastiness comin’ atcha from the Coco camp with all the rump funk and sleaze one can hope for from a label that prides itself on being one step ahead of the posse. Straight-up jackin’ business here, with vocals by Venus, who tips her Kangol to Salt & Pepa. When you drop this ditty you better hope you‘re wearing ho-repellant cause this shit is pimp! Sweet and vicious.
Distorted Minds & TC Feat. MC Foxy Fire In The Hole
The latest from Distorted Minds’ MC Series sees the two producers link with MC Foxy for two militant tracks. “Fire” relies on dueling basslines and glass-shattering snares, while Foxy spits some “bun fire”-type incendiary vocals. All said, it’s a bit noisy and generic-nothing terribly original. Not so on TC‘s “Revolution” remix, which bursts with fresh ideas-from its 4/4 opening to the time-stretched vox and stop/start amen rinse out. Throw in some deft congas and an ambient breakdown and the B-side wins.
Magic Arrows Sweet Heavenly Angel Of Death
Perhaps accidentally, Wisconsin producer Magic Arrows (Scott Beschta) has revitalized the unfashionable trip-hop genre. The time’s ripe for a revival, and Sweet Heavenly Angel Of Death could be the catalyst-or it could simply work as one of those albums to which you’ll wanna get buzzed. Opener “Uptown Devils” portends the blissed gist with a stretched “oohh” sample (Beach Boys?), an FX’ed blues-rock guitar riff, and a blasé funk rhythm akin to early Howie B. The bulk of Sweet is repetitive, but utterly hypnotic, stoned to the bone with no direction home and infusing a sublime ennui with blunted patience.
Monolake Polygon-Cities
Without fail, Monolake albums offer cutting-edge sound design and production techniques: any release with Robert Henke’s name on it guarantees echt German technology in the service of cavern deep dubby techno in the vaunted Chain Reaction tradition. But Monolake‘s sixth album, Polygon-Cities, lightens his usual tenebrous approach and even brings in prettily pastoral melodies and amiably chugging beats a la ’70s synth-meisters Cluster. Henke’s sonic palette is impeccable as always, but a certain predictability is creeping into his approach. While Monolake‘s music’s is still more interesting than 98 percent of his peers’, he seems to have plateaued. No matter-Monolake‘s plateaus top most artists‘ peaks.
Mandarin Movie Mandarin Movie
Rob Mazurek (cornetist and more for Chicago Underground Trio and Tigersmilk) has assembled a stellar cast of post-jazzers and noise-rockers for what sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime session. The result: a turbulent psychedelic-jazz classic. Mandarin Movie feels like its exceptional players-including guitarist Alan Licht and bassist Matthew Lux-loaded up on the strongest stimulants and cut this cyclotronic free-fusion gem in one take. Aside from sporadic respites of woozy, languorous ambience, Mandarin Movie aspires to the level of immortal, chaotic works by Et Cetera, Love Cry Want, and Miles Davis-with a powerful My Bloody Valentine-meets-Metal Machine Music climax.
Zimbabwe Legit Brothers From The Mother
Zimbabwean brothers Dumisani and Akim Ndlovu arrived in America in 1990 as fully formed masters of the mic. They rapped with an odd mixture of Das EFX’s swift-tongued playfulness and Last Poets‘ emphatic radical stringency. Their conscious pro-African lyrics ricocheted against some of the chunkiest and funkiest beats being laid down during rap‘s golden age. Brothers From The Mother collates tracks Zimbabwe Legit originally cut shortly after hitting the States, but which have mostly remained unheard save for a 1992 EP issued by Hollywood Basic. Brothers stands up to era classics like Dream Warriors’ And Now The Legacy Begins and Brand Nubian’s One For All.
