Bugge Wesseltoft - IM

Bugge Wesseltoft: Piano virtuoso, flag-bearer of "the new conception of jazz", centrepoint of Jazzland Records.

Bugge Wesseltoft: Who dares to take lovers of music, not scenes - to places unknown ... returns to ourspace with his long-awaited, self-dubbed "real solo album".

And what a joy it is to have Bugge back! Focused. Contemplative, and alone (almost).

Back to the "playing", the direct input emotion - with Bugge the composer and performer taking the studio centre stage.

Here on "IM" Bugge has the courage to let the Jazzland trick-nology take a temporary sabbatical - allowing the recordings to asborb the all the richness of his sound, melody and the depth. Yes, for Bugge Wesseltoft in 2007, 88 notes is all it takes - a black and white piano horizon where all the true Jazzland colours are there for the listener.

But this is not stictly acoustic pianoforte, no. In genuine Jazzland zeitgeist Bugge sequences subtle sound design, field-recordings, shocking news reports from around our f***ed up world, hand-played organic percussion grooves, and with Sami World music legend Mari Boine also providing a soulful "´jazzland-meets-blue-joik" guest appearance.

"IM" is perhaps Bugge Wesseltoft's most intimate and meditative release to date, and yet at same time, it is his most fearless. Bugge´s music and Jazzland output has always confronted musical boundaries, expectations and transient definition.

And the result ... well, once again, lovers of music worldwide get delivered "the latest conception of jazz" from the master himself. A wonderful "real solo album" indeed. Let yourself go. "IM".

Casbah 73 - Pushin' Forty

Convention kills creativity. Casbah 73’s second album shows that he fully understands this creed, combining his strong sense of musical roots with a healthy eclecticism. A soulfully fresh blend of jazz, disco, latin and electric soul, highlighted by a punky irreverence for styles and genres, "Pushin’ Forty" is also a great leap forward for the artist. Conceived in the studio, the results are nevertheless a totally natural mix of instruments and samples, combining his musical talents and technical skills with the welcome new addition of vocals, including several contributions by Casbah himself. Surprisingly organic, extremely danceable, this is a rewarding collection of songs the listener can identify with, not a grab-bag of random studio knob-twiddles.
Opening number "Freshly Squeezed!" kicks things off in style, with a hip-popping groove which won’t quit, featuring none other than Majka Edjo of Sweet Vandals fame laying down some liberated funk as only she can. And while we‘re talking party (we are!) "El Trafico Jam" is a slice of funky afro-disco hotness already slaying dancefloors everywhere with that instantly recognisable car horn sax riff.
Elsewhere, on "Welcome To The Casbah" we have underground NY rap legend Prince Po (who formed rap´s legendary Organized Konfusion with Pharoah Monche), spitting out some fresh & fiery rhymes in an uptempo style unlike anything he‘s done before. Up and coming New York singer Mariella Gonzalez shows she is a name to watch out for. Providing the vocals for “Vinyl Junkie”, she combines sassy soul with a raw funky delivery, even rapping at one point on the joys and pitfalls of a life spent digging in the crates.
Big bad basslines and funky beats, deep rhythmic journeys, trippy soul grooves or breezy skipping jazz vibes, it‘s all here. "Pushin’ Forty" is a reflection of Casbah 73‘s extensive musical background, a journey which is clearly gaining momentum. So it’s three cheers for those who celebrate life through music, "Pushin’ Forty" - because life’s too short for microgenres!

Parov Stelar - Shine

Like life, music must move on and progress. But like life, we must remember to reminisce and recall the past at times. It is the sole reason why we enjoy experiencing new and going back to old music, it is an extension of life. Shine the third artist album by Parov Stelar gratifies life's movements and moods perfectly, the new the old. What we already know about Parov Stelar and what we don't know.
This is obvious to Marcus Füreder aka Parov Stelar too. Sampling 'Charleston' and 'Jazz', conjuring up new 'Breakbeat' and 'Pop' into a creation of interesting music is no easy task, but Parov Stelar seems to have a sensibility about what it should sound like. Thankfully his worldwide fans agree as the Cinderella story of a new unheard artist from Austria's third largest city 'Linz' shows no sign of slowing down. In fact, things can only snow roll more as word gets around of the brilliant new music of Parov Stelar. Fans will enjoy traditional Parov Stelar tracks that offer sexiness and sophistication, these same fans will be delighted that this artist is not standing still and resting on his laurels and just repeating the same sound as he gets a little rougher and dirtier in places. This is not elevator music, this is not lounge, this is simply good music with influences and cognitive factors far and wide. Success in something in this case only encourages Parov Stelar to move forward and not to stand still.

So, who will listen to this CD? Well, we think the world just got a lot smaller for Parov Stelar? He has obviously opened up a lot of new doors with this new work. The jazz is still there, the soul is still there, but you will find new flavours and ingredients in the sound that will be universally appreciated and approved we think.
The guest artists come through with flying colours too. Singers like Kristina Lindberg (Laine), Gabriella Hänninen, Lilja Bloom and Luke (Music for dreams) add much property to the form. The third album brings out not just the best of Parov Stelar to date, but also the guest artists he has graciously asked to appear on Shine. He gets the very best out of them, and they get the very best out of him it seems. Even more interesting is that Parov Stelar actually sings on two tracks 'Autumn beasts' and 'Lost in Amsterdam'.

Shine is the brilliant third album by an artist that simply enjoys to make people happy with his music. No aloofness or emotional distance between the artist and fan. In fact, the key to the success of Parov Stelar has always been this true feeling of being intimate and of belonging together with the music fan and artist. Shine is like a good new friend.

Quantic Soul Orchestra - Tropidelico

The first three QSO albums pioneered the sound now being made popular by Amy Winehouse and Mark Ronson. This fourth album finds the QSO fusing Latin, Soul, Cumbia (a Colombian style rhythm) and Hip Hop with a funk production ethic. It embodies influences from a number of genres and the unmistakable QSO sound but with a new twist. QSO takes it to the next level! This style has been influenced by Will's relocation to Colombia where the album was recorded with legendary local musicians as well as key UK members of the QSO (including super tight drummer Malcom Catto). Not to forget J-Live and Noelle from The Rebirth who both contributed fine vocals.

Little Dragon - Little Dragon

Little Dragon are four school-friends from Gothenburg who play sparse, quirky, genre-bending music around singer Yukimi Nagano’s eerie yet heartfelt tones. This is sure to lead to comparisons with Bjork, as well as Kate Bush, but there is also a soul element to their sound (the progressive end, like Shuggie Otis or Prince; the level of whimsy on display here would not impress fans of say Ann Peebles) as well as touches of jazz and 80s pop.

Their eponymous debut starts with a ballad, “Twice”, a lilting but authoritative piano piece which turns on a distinctive sliding bass-line, before wandering into experimental dance (i.e. not very danceable) on the aptly named “Turn Left”. The soul influences don’t appear until track three, a small hours groove called “No Love”, but remain through the funky minimal “Recommendation”, and the slack, syncopated “Constant Surprise”.

Other ingredients feature in this musical smorgasbord too: “Forever” has some 80s digi dub sub bass, “After The Rain” skips along to jazzy high hat before arpeggiating wildly at the end, while “A Place To Belong” combines cascading synths with a murky, mildly threatening bass, and an unpredictable melody that just pulls back from noodling indulgence.

The pace picks up for “Test”, (their most danceable track, to a classic Prince style echoing phased drumbeat) and “Wink” which finishes with some enjoyably silly synth and vocal interplay; before coming to rest with “Scribbled Paper” - all pizzicato, jazz brushes and double bass.

The production hovers between trippy and minimal, refusing to commit; the trendy “bedroom” sound eliminating any grandiosity which might have rendered this record “out of” rather than of its time. Something tells me they’re a lot stronger and funkier live.

So while not as original as the hype suggests – Shuggie Otis did much of this decades ago to a funkier beat - Little Dragon have some nice songs and are experts in creating moods which are both ambivalent and poignant at the same time. This is music for lazy days in the park, late night trains, and small gatherings with close friends. A subtle ‘grower’ and a promising start.

via BBC

Belleruche - Turntable Soul Music

Belleruche are a new signing to Tru Thoughts. They describe their sound as handmade hip hop blues soul, like Sarah Vaughan, Charlie Christian and Cut Chemist stuck in a dusty second hand record store with wine and a sampler, Belleruche make turntable soul music.
Their sound is pure soulful jazz with scratch and samples aplenty. Influences range from DJ Vadim to Nina Simone to Hendrix resulting in an album likened to a weird trawl through a dusty basement full of the best records you've never heard, whilst a voice you can't quite pin down sings hooks you can't forget.
Their new album named 'Turntable Soul Music' includes tracks that conjure thoughts of Stax Records recording Django Rheinhardt with Dr Dre controlling the mixing desk. Or Eryka Badu jamming with Mixmaster Mike recorded onto analogue tape by the Dust Brothers.
The threesome is made up of Kathrin deBoer (vocals), Ricky Fabulous (guitar) and DJ Modest (decks). The band was formed after Ricky and Modest, who played bizarre turntable and guitar sets in London bars, bumped in to Kathrin in the market one day. She did some singing over a cup of tea with the pair and Belleruche was formed.
The trio have attracted attention from luminaries in the UK underground music scene; with vocalist Kathryn deBoer recording tracks with DJ Vadim and performing with the Bonobo live band, and remixing tracks for labels including The Elephant, Trojan & Quannum.

Waldeck - Ballroom Stories

After a long break WALDECK is back with his new longplayer "Ballroom Stories". Our musical journey begins in the Americas at the beginning of the 1920ies. Tango meets Swing. Delicous cocktails and a live that seems even richer than the thick smoke of Cuban Cigars. The opener "Make my Day" reminds of the days when Al Capone was making a fortune by selling booze. Singer Joy Malcolm gives us an impressive performance of how she would have sounded, if she were born 60 years earlier. If, this track sounds familier to you, it may be, because Mercedes Benz chose it, for its latest TV-campaign featuring the Formula 1 world champion Mr. Alonso. All there is to say: "Turn the radio on, the neighbour´s gone!" Another highlight "Addicted" sneaks in with an intriguing bass line and a healthy dose of tango-feeling. Zeebee is the new voice on this masterpiece.

Young Marble Giants - Colossal Youth (reissue)

They are back again.

Young Marble Giants' Colossal Youth is a collection of sparse, evocative tunes emphasizing Alison Statton's floating vocals and minimal guitar/organ/bass/drum machine arrangements. Comparable to little else from its time or since, this is rock music at its most austere. The original album had 15 songs; subsequent CD editions added a few more. But the 2007 edition on Domino is the one to buy, pushing the total to 46 tracks, with additions from the Testcard EP, the 1979 "Final Day" single, the Salad Days album, a compilation cut, and a 1980 session for John Peel -- everything they ever did, in fact.

The Dining Rooms - Ink

"Ink"is the fifth studio album by The Dining Rooms. It contains 5 instrumentals and 6 vocal tracks. The instrumentals flows through different rhythms to take the listeners to a world of melodious and dark deepness. "Ceremony" and "On the beach" (dedicated to the Picasso painting) mix at best the funk (mid and slow) and the blues attitude while "Fatale", "Appuntamento a Trieste" and "Etage noir 2" go really deep in modern jazz. Regarding the vocals, for the first time they go not only with English language in the songs having one track from Brazilian singer Toco and another one by French actor Renaud Chaurè. Toco's touch in Cobra Coral is really contemporary Brazilian noir-wave while Renaud gives us a monster interpretation in "Etage Noir", written by TDR and Luca Lezziero, paying homage to maestros Serge Gainsbourg and Katonoma. Going back to English language, Sean Martin, from South Africa, is going deep in blues and soul in "Thank U ?"; for sure a new jewel in his TDR career, with echoes of Marvin Gaye in the chorus. A strong piece with politically conscious lyrics. The Dining Rooms usually have new singers for each new album and in this case we have Afro-German Dodo N'kishi and North American queen Georgeanne Kalweit. Dodo, better known being the singer and drummer of Mouse on Mars ( and member of other interesting combos as NatiMatti and Pet), sings the opening track of the album "Freedom" interpreting at best the instrumentals given to him, to create a meeting point between Nick Drake and Stevie Wonder, Georgeanne then, co-wrote "Hear us Now" and "Ink", two emotional gems to be intended as a sort of birth of nu folk. As some already know The Dining Rooms touch is a mixture between electronics, samples and live instruments: Leziero Rescigno on drums, Marcello Testa on bass and double bass and Patrick Benifei, Marco Rigamonti and Don Freeman on Rhodes.

Toco - Outro Lugar

"Outro Lugar" is Toco's second album. Born Tomaz Di Cunto, Toco is a Brazilian songwriter from Sao Paulo who despite his young age is a passionate connoisseur as well as admirer of original Bossa Nova from the 60's. He absorbed the archetypal characteristics of the harmonies and the rhythms of that genre to offer them again in his own personal, contemporary style. As his first album "Instalaçao do Samba" even this second one is produced by Stefano Tirone ( S-Tone Inc. ). Toco on the other hand collaborated in S-Tone Inc.'s most recent work "Luz y Sombra". He co-wrote and interpreted some crucial songs like "Beira do mar" and "Verao".
"Outro Lugar" benefits from the outstanding contribution of Roberto Menescal, the maestro as well as pioneer of Bossa Nova, who played the guitar in every track in the meantime offering a precious source of inspiration. The great majority of the album was recorded in Rio De Janeiro, precisely in the studio of Menescal with the participation of some amongst the best 'carioca' musician. Particularly double-bass player Adriano Giffoni, pianist Adriano Souza who played also in Rosalia De Souza's album "Brasil Precisa Balançar", which incidentally happens to be produced by Roberto Menescal. All these elements contributed in giving the album the exact taste that artist and producer decided to achieve: inspired from the past yet aimed at creating a sound resulting fresh and modern through thorough attention; lightly touched by electronic, filled with grooves perfectly blending into acoustic instruments. The second part of the recording was carried out in Milan. It features the collaboration of some among the best musicians in the Milanese jazz scene, on horns as well as cello. The album also sees the contribution of Rosalia De Souza, singing in several tracks and standing out in "Bom Motivo" especially. The French chanteuse Coralie Clement features in "La Conradiction", her own piece re-interpreted by Toco in this album. He did it also as an homage to the French audience who showed support to him from the start, showing a lot of appreciation for Toco's music. Several tracks in the album are worth mentioning, from the opening track "Outro Lugar" which spreads with smooth strings to then reach its peak as a classic Bossa; then "Litoral" , fresh and sunny; "Barracao", instead is one of the most elegant. "Zum Zum", is an vibrant cover of a piece already interpreted by the great Edu Lobo. In this version it becomes a Samba-Jazz highlighting the electric keys played by Donatinho, no less than Joao Donato's son. He also contributed to the the song "Voz da Lapa", which was written by Toco and featured previously in Rosalia De Souza's album "Brasil Precisa Balançar". The version in this album by Toco is a Soul-Funk though. Certainly the most distinctive piece in the album is "Samba noir", which is a slow, hypnotic Samba meeting 'cinematic' atmospheres as suggested by the title itself. This composition co-written with Stefano Tirone stands as an instance on how Brazilian music cam trace future directions still setting off from its own past. This album is for all lovers of Brazilian music, linked to the period of original Bossa Nova and Jazz Samba, yet wishing to hear a more modern and current sound of it. It does not have to be necessarily full of electronic, here it is merely used to complement the production without seeming too much ever. With "Outro Lugar" Toco ratifies his profile of refined and cultured musician (who wrote 10 of 12 tracks). A gifted performer of a warm and smooth voice able to awaken the emotions of the most sensitive ones in the audience.

The Juju Orchestra - Bossa Nova Is Not A Crime

Here is the long awaited debut longplayer from one of the most popular bands in the international clubjazz - scene of recent: Eight tracks, no filler in sight, everyone has the quality for a timeless diamond. Guest appearances by Carolyn Leonhart, Katia B, Robert Smith and Terry Callier.
The Juju Orchestra was founded 2004 by Rare Groove - dj & vinyl - nerd Fab DJ Sammy and producer/sound engineer Oliver Belz. They are based in Braunschweig / Germany, right in the middle of nowhere between Hamburg, Berlin and Hannover. Some of their musical idols are Caetano Veloso, Charlie Parker, Miles Davies, Steely Dan, Stan Getz ( just to name a few). Of course they are influenced by all of them, but the Juju's created their own language - like every real artist does. In some words: contemporary Soul, Jazz and Latin music with a vintage sound.
In 2005 the first single release 'Kind Of Latin Rhythm / Funky Nassau' entered the peak position of the German Club Charts. Great reactions from around the world followed, by famos dj's as well as by the audience. the next 12" 'Take Four / Hip Shake' did it the same way. On the album you can find a new vocal version of 'Hip Shake' with lyrics and voice of Terry Callier. It was absolutely a great honour for the band to work with such a blessed guest artists as Terry Callier, Robert Smith (who runs his own orchestra for Caribbean Music in Hamburg), Katia B from Brazil and Carolyn Leonhart (background singer for mighty Steely Dan), showing her outstanding talent on 'What Is Hip ?' and on the Steely Dan cover 'Do It Again'.

Wolf Myer Orchestra - Femme Fatale

Passion, emotion and life's other big themes are the threads, leading through this new recording. Demandig an active listener as with previous solo projects (Seven and Storm, Rough Cuts) Parov Stelar cooperates on "Femme Fatal" with Wolf Myer and his Orchestra.
Over 30 guest - artists helped to create a fresh and vivid album that is always aware of it's jazzy roots but definitively goes beyond any genres tight boundaries. Hip Hop meets Soul, Funk, Pop und Jazz in a perfect blend of analogue and digital. Leading the listener into a world full of intimate thoughts and capacious moments, "Femme Fatal" rejects all daily struggle and rush.

Cinematic Orchestra - Ma Fleur

Ma Fleur, long-awaited fifth composition from suave electro-jazz pioneers, The Cinematic Orchestra, is a reeking letdown – and in a way which only a British album could be. Listening to it is not unlike waiting for a train which never turns up.

You’re longing to be transported somewhere – preferably to that realm of euphoria to which critics testified in their ardent praise of previous Orchestra efforts. And, quite typically, nothing comes. When the album finishes you’re still slumped in the same spot – fifty-four minutes older and a good deal more jaded.

Opening track ‘'To Build A Home'’ is a dismal forecast of things to come. It’s cheerless and aloof, and its wandering vocals and plodding piano will leave Orchestra fans heartily holding back Coldplay comparisons.

Follow-up, ‘'Familiar Ground'’, is a rare highlight, thanks to the sturdy vocals of accomplished soul singer Fontella Bass.

But it isn’t long before normal service is resumed, and we’re soon left tutting and sighing once more. The clutter of instrumental tracks in the middle of the album is painfully barren. The Orchestra seem far too eager to make an emotional impact. The result is clumsy and uncomfortable, with their sweaty-palms failing to get the slightest grip on our heartstrings.

In interviews, Orchestra main-man Jason Swinscoe has described Ma Fleur as the soundtrack for an ‘imagined film’. And we should be grateful for that – without the make-believe storyboard, it’s not hard to imagine this record lapping over into structureless self-indulgence.

On an emotional level Ma Fleur is far too acute and dreadfully artificial. Soundwise it’s dreary and directionless – most unlikely to secure your affection. Far more interesting will be the sound of multitudes of music critics, as they rush to retract their premature hailing of Swinscoe as a nu-jazz genius.