Latest music recommendations:

Released: 09/11/2009

What an exquisite piece of balearic bliss! I am absolutely in love with Rocha’s debut single “Hands of love (fingers of sand), a record that was recently released on the brand new label International Feel Recordings. If you loved House of House’s “Rushing to paradise” you will adore this one.

The fingers of the artist gently sweeps through the ivory of the piano and interacts with a slow spaced out disco groove to create a monster of a tune. With that description of the soundscape, there is no surprise to see legendary disco producer and dj Harvey coming up with a remix. He dubs it down and adds a sweet layer of sweet, funky bongo percussion. There are rumors saying he actually signed on to do three releases on the label, so keep your eye out in the coming months.

Another hot producer, Reverso 68, takes the original into progressive territory, adding some electro elements, yet not leaving its disco foundation.  There are also remixes from Gatto Frittos and Mugwump.

Listen on YouTube | Juno Records | Soul Seduction |

Released: 1973/2009

Jon Lucien captures the essence of romance. His rich and expressive voice are a perfect channel for poetic tales of devotion, trust, hope, harmony and spirituality. The atmosphere is just right, drawing inspiration from rhythm and blues, jazz, caribbean beats (he was born on the island of Tortola – the largest of the British Virgin Islands) and Brazillian bossa to create his own unique blend soul.

These two cuts are finally to be found on on 45! Two huge Jon Lucien cuts, “Searching For The Inner Self” and “Would You Believe In Me”.

What a track “Searching for the inner self” is! It rose to prominence when Gilles Peterson dug the crates and included it in his Digs America compilation back in 2005. The b-side, “Would you believe in me“, is taken from the longplayer “Rashida” and is, as the main cut, a slow groove with Lucien’s majestic voice supported with the right amounts of horns and classic drumbreaks.

Fat City | Official Site |

I am constantly caring about your musical education. I search for new music every single day, it being online, in magazines, in record stores, in my friends record collections or on the radio (fortunately my friends still got record collections).

Today I thought I’d share some of the radio shows that I listen to regularly. Obviously, BBC is a great place to start.

• Gilles Peterson on BBC Radio One
• Craig Charles Funk & Soul Show on BBC 6 Music
• John Peel Sessions
• The Essential Mix with Pete Tong on BBC Radio One
• Dom Servini’s Unherd radio show (Wah Wah 45s) is broadcasted every monday between 9-12 (UK time), and you can also listen online.
• Wah Wah 45s are also one of many interesting djs/labels broadcasting on Zamurai FM.

There are also a great number of podcasts available through iTunes – “Gilles Peterson Worldwide”, “Jus like Music”, Roger Sanchez’s “Release yourself” podcast and “Defected in The House” being some of my favorites.

Released: 22/09/2009

Florence & The Machine took the UK festival circuit by storm this year, before moving on to conquer the rest of the world. Despite the name – it’s all about the charismatic redhead Florence Welch. Her lucid voice first caught the attention of the BBC and she hasn’t turned back since.

As for The Machine, it’s a flexible beast. It can go right down to Florence and a drum kit or a piano, but right now it’s a seven-piece band including long-term collaborators Rob Ackroyd (guitar), Chris Hayden (drums), Isabella Summers (keyboards) and Tom Monger (harp). Live, Florence and The Machine become an entirely different beast. No two performances are ever alike – as I witnessed at this years Lovebox festival.

“Rabbit heart” was the third single from the best selling debut album “Lungs”. The original version of the single is a powerful piece of vocal indie music, bearing some resemblance to what a female version of The Flaming Lips would have sounded on “The soft bulletin”. Harps and strings, break beat drums, haunting vocals and lucid piano make up some of the many aspects of this multi layered monster.

Jamie T’s Lionheart remix changes the drums to a slightly off, wandering beat, and focusing on the magnificent piano chords, before it builds the pace with a simple, yet so effective old school breakbeat. It is a close race between the two remixes. But in the end it is the magnificent Leo Zero remix that does it for me. The slow disco beat and accompanying drums and the main piano chords builds in with slow pace before it almost unnoticeably changes into dream territory by layering more elements before it slows down and then builds again.

Florence also did a decent cover version of Candi Statons wonderful “You got the love”. It was never released as a single but an unofficial white label with the UK garage inspired remix from The XX has recently found its way to the market - I just can’t get enough of it.

Official site | MySpace | Juno Records |

Ibiza. The island always provides a music schizophrenic like me with tons of inspiration, and this time was no exception. My summer trip that took me from Oslo to London, Ibiza and Barcelona brought together sounds from all genres, and I thought it was a good excuse for a long overdue dj-mix that showcase some of that experience.

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I put together a blend of minimal techno, tech-house and tribal influences from the island. Not necessarily the tunes I heard, but just trying to recreate and relive the summer when the fall sets in and the closing parties are over. All the moments – the girls, the music, the djs, the scenery, the vibe, the clubs.

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You can download the mix here, and I would love to hear your feedback.

Tracklist:

1. Sebastian Leger – Discotechno

2. Lauhaus – Back to Ipanema

3. Solo – Afreaka

4. Dj Gregory  & Gregor Salto – Con Alegria (Solo more cowbell remix)

5. Saeed Younan – Backroom Honey (original mix)

6. Micha Klang – Baby I am for real (Nima Gorji remix)

7. Alex Niggaman – El Henchizo (original mix)

8. Io – Jeton

9. Martin Eyerer and Benno Blome – Pianoroll (Ramon Tapia remix)

10. Nima Gorji – Keep on getting down

11. Johnny D – Soleil (original)

12. Solo – Joga Bola

13. Funkagenda – Flauta Magica (original)

14. Edu Imbernon and Coyu – El Baile (original mix)

15. Muzzaik – Going Underground (original mix)

16. Eric Entrena and D-Unity – Drugs and stuff (D-Nox and Beckers remix)

17. WWW – Relaxx (Uner and Coyu remix)

18. Joris Voorn – Chase the mouse (original mix)

19. Arnaud Le Texier & V-Sexion – Funk some thoughts (remix by Lemons)

Released: 20/10/2009

One of the most distinctive voices of Norway, Erlend Øye has a lot going for him. Whether is Dj’ing and releasing compilations on !K7, as The Whitest Boy Alive, solo albums or Kings of Convenience, Øye has tons of artistic integrity creating his own interpretations of influences while jumping easily through invisible but often defining genre boundaries.

The bands signature sound is defined by acoustic guitars, minimal and light percussion leading the lullaby melodies vocals to its rights. Erlend Øye leads the show, accompanied by Eirik Gambak Bøe. Combine that with thought through lyrics about daily concerns most can relate to and you have Kings of Convenience (or as they say; “music your parents can listen to too”). A well defined project that delivers what you expect and still leaves you with appreciation. The ability to create a rich soundscape based on minimal number of elements is quite mesmerizing, sounding effortless and improvised yet so structured and arranged down to every little detail.

Like the two previous albums, the cover artwork on “Declaration of dependence” is a good cue to the atmosphere. It also tells the history of how the record first came about, with Eirik and Erlend spending time on the same beach in Mexico where they did a gig. The duo had not worked together for more than two years and wasn’t sure if there would ever be another Kings of Convenience album, but the circumstances helped them find together yet again.

The album was pre-released to Spotify Premium members almost a month before its full release, and it it refreshing to se artists support new consumer friendly business models. Kudos.

MySpace | Amazon | Spotify |

There is lots of good stuff happening in Oslo in the coming weeks Most of which there are still tickets available for. We should all go out to see more live music, and with this program you have no excuse to stay in.

First out of my recommendations are Massive Attack, on tuesday 20th of october at Rockefeller. Tickets are sold out now, but I thought I’d give it a mention anyway. Check out their MySpace site to re-experience the incredible albums “Blue Lines”, “Protection”, “Mezzanine” and “100th window”. The new single “Splitting the atom” was just released in a limited edition of 1,000 copies with exclusive artwork by The Vinyl Factory – you can get it here. Revitalized for the digital world – this is the only physical product released. Last time I saw Massive Attack was back in 2003 at the Quart festival, where they delivered an impressive visual show to accompany the soundscape.

The 24th of october, swedish pop-comet Veronica Maggio enter the stage at John Dee. Her fantastic voice combined with Motown and Stax inspired productions made “Måndagsbarn” a huge hit here. There are very few tickets left for this show at the reasonably small venue.

The 5th of november, a true legend is bringing warmth and sunshine to chilly Oslo. Gilberto Gil had a prominent role in the Tropicalísta-movement that revolutionized Brazilian music in the 1960s. Rhythms from the northeast of Brazil like the baião, apart from samba and bossa-nova were fundamental in his formation. Using them as a starting point, Gil forged his own music to which he incorporated rock, reggae, funk and rhythms from Bahia such as afoxé. Gilberto will perform in Oslo together with his son Bem Gil and cellist, producer and composer Jaques Morelenbaum. The show is part of Oslo World Music Festival and is not to be missed. Tickets are 320.- and you can get them here. Why not revisit his music on Spotify or YouTube?

Kings of Convenience is playing at Sentrum Scene friday the 20th of november. Erlend Øye’s acoustic adventures with fellow band member Eirik Glambek just resulted in album number three – “Declaration of dependence”  - which you’ll find on Spotify. Tickets are 270.- and you can get them from billettservice.

Next up is french electronica maestros Air, who recently released their fifth album “Love 2″. Tickets are 350.- and I would recommend to sort yours out asap. Sentrum Scene will provide the right balance of scale and intimacy november 28th.

My last recommendation for the year is Norwegian folk singer Jens Carelius. His second album “The beat of the travel” has given him much deserved recognition and rave reviews. Last time I attended one of his shows (back in february at Gamla) he created an unique atmosphere I highly recommend experiencing. Jens Carelius is playing at John Dee the 11th of december. Tickets are 150.-.

Released: 1976/1999/2009

This an absolutely massive cut – so happy you can’t help smiling. From the very start the horns lead you into a cheerful vibe, the chorus just brings you along and then it breaks down into psychedelic rock guitars and classic drumbreaks. Add some sax and you’ve got a feast! What a track to end the night with.

The original was released on Shadybrook Records back in 1976 and was produced by Gene Russell. Cheyenne Fowler is the name of the vocalist and her records also go under the name “Cheyenne”. The track was part of the album “Cheyenne’s coming”  - and judging by the the few cuts I’ve heard from it, it’s a brilliant record. If you have the full album, let me know as I want a copy!

I don’t know whether it also was released as a single back in 1976, but it was re-issued ten years ago as a 7″ vinyl on Dom Servinis excellent label Wah Wah 45s.

However, it was the recent re-release on Black Cat with “Hanson – Take Me To Your Home” on the B-side that brought the song to my attention. “Take me to your home” is a rhodes-driven, psychedelic funk-rock cut from their obscure LP on Emerson, Lake & Palmers’ Manticore label. Sweet downtempo, smokefueled funk for the late hours. Both tracks are quality and obscure, so don’t miss out on this release.

You can get your copies from Fat City, Juno and Phonica.

Listen to “Come back to me on YouTube |

Released 09/09/2009

It is finally here. The hugely anticipated debut album from Mayer Hawthorne and the County. The long player is definitively my number one record of 2009. “A strange arrangement” is packed with classic soul of the finest Motown vintage, only with the magnificent feat of being recorded today.

I first wrote about Mayer back in November last year and have recommended the first two singles – “Just ain’t gonna work out” and “Maybe so, maybe no” –  The first one catching everyones attention with its characteristic red heart-shaped 7″ vinyl. I still can’t speak highly enough of this artist.

Born Andrew Mayer Cohen, Mayer Hawthorne grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, just outside of Detroit, and was raised on the rich soul and jazz history the region provided. Curtis Mayfield, Smokey Robinson, Isaac Hayes and others provided the inspired Hawthorne playing instruments from an early age, but he never intended to become a singer. He isn’t formally trained, and never went the traditional route of singing in the church choir. More than anything, it was hip-hop that brought him onto production and dj’ing and that put him in touch with Stones Throw head honcho Peanut Butter Wolf.

The stage name “Mayer Hawthorne” is a combination of Cohen’s real middle name (Mayer) and the name of the street he grew up on in Michigan (Hawthorne Rd). “Mayer Hawthorne and The County” is a name Cohen often uses when performing live or recording as Mayer Hawthorne with other artists. In Cohen’s words, “The County” is basically anyone who plays an instrument or sings on his album.

It is easy to brand the sound “neo-soul” or “retro”. Personally, I think timeless would be a better term. He pays homage to his musical roots, yet clearly establishes his own authentic and personal musical expression. In an interview with L.A. Weekly he recently expressed this intent – “I really wanted to make sure that I put my own stamp on it, and I moved the music forward, and I’m bringing it to a new generation of kids who didn’t grow up on that music, or missed out on it.”

“A strange arrangement” is packed with soul-gems, and it is the strength of the overall package that is most impressive. There are no fillers on the album, the singles are complemented with equally good hits such as personal favorites “The Ills”, “Make her mine”, “One track mind” and the title track. The heart-melting ballads about love won and lost blends well with more uptempo, horn and breaks fueled songs for the dancefloor. The distinctive elements of Motown, such as the orchestration, string and horn sections, tambourines, the interplay between the lead singer and his backing vocalists, and of course foot-slapping drum breaks are all vividly present and arranged perfectly by Hawthorne himself.

MySpace | Spotify | Amazon | iTunes | StonesThrow

Groove Armada have just finished their new album entitled ‘Black Light’. The release isn’t scheduled until February 2010, but to celebrate its completion Andy and Tom have decided to give away the track “Warsaw”.

Yesterday marked the launch the whole album campaign in Warsaw, because the first new track people will hear is called Warsaw. The event held a 70,000 crowd in Warsaw, basically just a massive, free party with an enormous soundsystem. Yesterday, the track also became available for free at Groovearmada.com

I got to hear a version of the song at Lovebox this year, and this album opener featuring on vocals Nick Littlemore from PNAU & the ever so popular Empire of the Sun is marking a really exciting musical direction for the band. It is a very Gary Numan-80s-electro inspired number for the big stage.

There is a lot of exciting collaborations to look forward to – numero uno being Roxy Music’s Bryan Ferry! – but also the likes of Lovefoxx (CSS), Saint Saviour, Jess (She keeps bees), and Ben (Fenech-Soler).

Head over to groovearmada.com to get the free track!

The band just announced that they will be giving the UK its first taste of their all-new Black Light live show, with six dates across in October – with Bristol, Leeds, Edinburgh, London, Birmingham and the wonderful Warehouse Project in Manchester the chosen destinations.