Diggin’ This: Scott Xylo – “Hold On” (Black Acre)
In the mood for some very excellent soupy psychedelic jazz that glimmers with experimental wonder? You are, then, very much in the right place. “Hold On,” from… Continue reading
Autumnal audio. Originally recorded in 1980 by the Korgis, the pop-ballad hit “Everybody’s Got to Learn Sometime” got the cover treatment a few years back by London soul musician… Continue reading
“Never lose what you know to be true.” Produced by Khari Mateen (The Roots, Jill Scott), Tokyo-via-New York-via Osaka singer-songwriter Nao Yoshioka‘s “The Truth” is an uplifting and ebullient neo-soul… Continue reading
May the falsetto be with you. Huge fan of this one-take low-lit late-in-the-evening live video of “Amnesia,” the latest single from rising LA-via-Nigeria future soul artist Teddy Obot. … Continue reading
Exquisite jazz happens when Ezra meets Jorja. From the very first bars of Femi Koleoso’s rimshot break to Jorja Smith‘s intro hums to Joe Armon-Jones’ keyboard tapestries to TJ… Continue reading
Cosmic. With an astral boom-bap beat woven through a pulsing vocal sample beamed from the other side of the galaxy, “Slanted,” a new track from influential NTS Radio host… Continue reading
Big thanks to the Expedition Radio family for having me on their show last week! Shouts to Derrick, Baby Bubba, Plann B, and Hossien for being some of the… Continue reading
Underwater jazz that sounds like it’s on fire. “Tonight” by Los Angeles jazz musician Sam Wilkes is a stew of hazy horns (including alto sax from Sam Gendel) from… Continue reading
Jerry Paper is here to augment your August. Featuring Weyes Blood, “Grey Area” finds the Los Angeles musician combining textured acoustic guitar, doo-wop falsetto, and mid-century lounge crooning to produce… Continue reading
That uptempo, future, UK experimental soul. No stranger to collaborating with some of the world’s finest musicians (Gorillaz, SBTRKT, Machinedrum, Brasstracks, to name just a few, and, if you… Continue reading
It’s all gonna be alright. “Alright Alright” is inspired by visions of beaches and palm trees and LA while listening to the Beta Band, UNKLE, Beck, the Charlatans, Toro… Continue reading
Melbourne got soul. Formerly known as the Do Yo Thangs, Melbourne septet Leisure Centre specialize in left-of-center R&B and futurist soul. “Getting to Know” effortlessly floats through… Continue reading
Bright is right. UK musician James Alexander Bright was formerly known as Hairy Hands. His album Magic, released via the esteemed New Los Angeles label, was number 18 in… Continue reading
Feeling this overcast indie jangle-pop from Wisconsin’s Slow Pulp. Reposed and reflective, “At Home” is the creation of Madison musicians Hen, Al, Ted, and Em. The song features pleasantly… Continue reading
Nothing but bass-driven heat on this new UKG roller from LA producer Kastle and London producer Mind of A Dragon. “Either Way” showcases MJ Cole-ish acoustic guitar pickings that… Continue reading
Summer 2018 is officially in session! Fresh from collaborating with Eric Lau for their excellent remix of Moonchild’s “Run Away,” Belfast maestro Kaidi Tatham returns with “It’s a World… Continue reading
Underpinned by a late 60s rubbery bassline noodle that could easily be from an Adrian Younge production, “The Border” by Oakland musician and Toro Y Moi‘s touring keyboardist Anthony Ferraro, otherwise known… Continue reading
Davis, California’s Adam, Ted, Nathaniel, and Nick, otherwise known as Hot Flash Heat Wave, come correct just in time for summer with “Glo Ride,” a lazy, casual indie stroll in triple-digit heat that centers… Continue reading
Had to get down with the bruk funk and remix one of my favorite tracks of 2018. Hear the original version of Jungle‘s “House in LA” here. … Continue reading
Let’s get along. Feeling the spritely and sauntering “Counter Culture” from Bodensee, Germany’s Henrik Schwarz, here teaming up with Metropole Orkest and Ben Westbeech for a piano-led journey into… Continue reading
Delta. Alpha. Zulu. Echo. Exceptionally enjoying this woozy, wandering, indie soul swirl from Venice Beach’s Sunny Levine (and grandson of Quincy Jones, no less) that imagines Shabazz Palaces jamming with… Continue reading
A marked change from Jungle‘s earlier work, “House in LA” sees the London outfit step back the tempo and offer up a sun-bleached and and soulful R&B vista complete with sweeping synths,… Continue reading
There’s no two ways about it, I am greatly enjoying the turquoise buzzsaw psychedelia of Sam Evian‘s latest, “Health Machine.” It’s all about those menthol vocals, those unknown, mortal,… Continue reading
Anushka got soul. Max Wheeler and Victoria Port are Anushka, the Brighton, UK duo who make future-facing, digital soul with a sound that leans towards discerning dancefloors while still… Continue reading
It’s jazzy. Tenderlonious, otherwise known as Ed Cawthorne, is a flautist, saxophonist, producer, and DJ, in addition to being the label boss of the forward-thinking 22a Records. He’s released… Continue reading
On “Hands,” France-via-London’s Octavian blends the restless experimentation of Kanye West, the emotional Auto-Tuned hymnary of Bon Iver, and the fearless production of James Blake, resulting in instantly becoming one of my… Continue reading
Feeling this incredible soulful garage half-stepper from Kojey Radical and MJ Cole, especially that granite-cold delivery from Kojey, those ascending vocal swirls, those menthol synth chords, and that wintry jazz piano line straight… Continue reading
Named after Hopetoun St in the Auckland neighborhood of Ponsonby where they grew up (the very same neighborhood where I hosted my very first leftfield beats and electronic soul radio show on… Continue reading
“Get Avion” by San Francisco musician and globetrotting hatmaker Andre Wiken is a watercolored and dreamlike house stomp that sits nicely alongside the uptempo beat collages of the Avalanches and Tycho. … Continue reading
Stewart Bronaugh and Joshua Jaeger, otherwise known as Lionlimb, are a duo from Nashville. “Clover,” the opening song from their new album, Tape Recorder, is a wistful indie-folk meditation flush… Continue reading
“Let ideas run… run… ruuuuun…..” Dane Orr, J Hoard, and Anna Wise are the Brooklyn-based trio Sonnymoon, whose latest song “Ideas”… Continue reading
Perth musician, drummer for Ta-ku, and Aristophanes collaborator Sam Kuzich has released the first single from his latest EP, Dawn Chorus, via Ta-ku’s newly minted 823 Records. Featuring the… Continue reading
Doncaster-via-Johannesburg songsmith Skinny Pelembe has signed to Gilles Peterson‘s Brownswood Recordings, the perfect home for his new single. “I’ll Be on Your Mind” is a despondent doo-wop-hop complete with ominous Massive Attack-ish atmospherics,… Continue reading
Long live the jazz. UK producer JD. Reid has teamed up with fellow London musicians Henry Wu and Venna to produce “Just Know,” an agile and taut, future-proofed jazz-grime cut.… Continue reading
Bonobo meets Rhye. Bristol, UK-based producer Henry Green starts 2018 strong with “Another Light,” an emotive and gentle, garage-folk [Is that a thing? Let’s make it a thing!] Jon… Continue reading
My favorite 30 remixes of this year. 30. Kelela – “Truth or Dare x Steve Gurley’s Hotboys” (Bok Bok Edit) 29. De Lux – “875 Dollars” (Juan Maclean’s Casa… Continue reading
A list of the 30 albums I enjoyed the most this year. 30. Dauwd – Theory of Colours (Ninja Tune) 29. The xx – I See You (Young Turks)… Continue reading
Stuck on “Glu.” 22-year-old Norwegian musician Sofie Tollefsbøl and her 9-piece band make music as Fieh. Their latest track is irresistible from the start, with ascending horn lines, jazz… Continue reading
One of 2017’s most innovative artists, Korean-American singer and producer Yaeji turns in an irresistible and delicate house rework of the Manu Chao-assisted “Leave Me Alone” by New York’s Calypso Rose. … Continue reading
Love is all. One half of Crazy P, Chris Todd, better known as Hot Toddy, is no stranger to disco-fueled house burners. “Love Can Set You Free,”… Continue reading
Whooo are youuu? Equal parts JMSN and Jai Paul, I’m utterly entranced by this debut single from 23-year-old London musician Miink, with its ethereal chimes, snare snaps, bass murmurs,… Continue reading
Completely in love with this beat. London-via-Stockholm singer Fatima returns to Eglo Records with “Somebody Else,” a collaboration with London producer JD. Reid that features razor-sharp drums, fractured digital… Continue reading