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 |

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 |

Homecut is the brainchild of Hip-Hop MC/producer Testament. His lyricism, live instrumentation and mix of soul, hip-hop and experimentation recently came to my attention. Four years since the release of his debut single “Come the Revolution” (which I missed), the debut album ”No Freedom Without Sacrifice” just hit the market. 

I always love the sound of organic hiphop, and Homecut get the vibe you know from the soul and jazz orchestration in his productions, and he even performs live as a full seven-piece band.

The first single is “I don’t even know” using the wonderful vocal talents of fellow Leeds resident Corinne Bailey Rae (who also did the vocals on Amp Fiddlers excellent “If I don’t” – remember?) and Soweto Kinch. I love the easy jazz piano, and the sax and clarinets accompanying the slow, yet steady beat. The vocals blend in perfectly, not taking up too much space, yet having a prominent place in arrangement. 

But Homecut have ensembled a cast of contributors that reaches even further. J-Live (BBE), Andreya Triana (Flying Lotus, Bonobo), John Ellis (Cinematic Orchestra), kidkanevil (Stateless) and Ty (Mercury Music Prize Nominee) all play their part on the album. Other tracks that stand out are “Bring it all together”, “Not far to go”, “Breakdown” and “Innovators”. 

“Not far to go” is a varied, yet holistic album that is solidly placed in the UK sound, yet drawing on a wide range of genres. You can say what you want about british hip-hop, but I really respect how the scene has built its own original soundscape, not borrowing too much from the US as many other scenes inevitably do. 

MySpace | Soul Seduction | Play.com | Facebook | Fat City |

I was recently reminded of this album when Dobie payed Gilles Peterson a visit in his Brownswood studio to do a podcast.

The debut album from Dobie originally dropped back in 1998, but was re-released in 2005. Most know from his exploits with legendary UK soul outfit Soul2Soul (who I saw live at the Lovebox festival), Dobie has done tons of great stuff through the years, his remixes being legendary. His remix of Bjork (which she re-did the vocals for) sounds fresh even today.

The album is a tale of two genres really – downtempo and dubby hiphop. There are a lot of good tracks on the album. “Coming up for air” is a perfectly orchestrated downtempo classic, where Dobie’s production and the vocal talents of Rassia melts together into a sweet summerly mood. “Way over” is down the same route only instrumental, and then there is the brilliant “Cloud 98 3/4″ where Ninety 9 provides the vocals. Massive tune. And dont miss out on “Lovesong” either, vocals by Helena Paul.

Juno Download | Last FM |

Quiet Village is a project of Matt Edwards (best known as dance music maestro Radio Slave) and collaborator Joel Martin. The pair met while attending Sir Dunstan’s College in South East London back in the early 90’s, but it has taken more than 15 years to release their debut album together.

“Silent Movie” could be chategorized as an balearic revival, with rashing waves and crying seagulls, acoustic guitars, piano, harp, strings, hand drums, and vintage synthesizers. It is a recipe for relaxation, yet the richness of the sound makes me a concentrated listener every time i put it on.

Despite its organic and almost classical arrangements, samples are a monumental ingredient on the record. One example being “Victorias secret”, which samples a Chi-lites classic written in 1972 and reinterpretes it for the sunset at Café del Mar, leaving the vocals of the original and adding only slight touches of voice. Another favorite is “Broken promises,” a track that brings reference the likes of 4Hero, Air or Zero 7, with beautiful string arrangements and a light, organic rhythm to match the acoustic guitar.

From the slow disco groove of “Can’t be beat”, to the post rock riff of “Circus Horror” and the jamaican reggae influenced “Pacific Rhythm” and soul fueled “To high to move” – The duo’s musical history and knowledge really shines through on the record – creating a diverse, yet complete debut album.

Official site | MySpace | !K7 | Amazon |

I must say I’m usually not into German vocals, but not let that put you off on this one. “Cologne’s Badu” introduces her band the Fleur Earth Experiment with the first single from their 2009 album “Soul des Cabots”. There is a more music from the album on MySpace, and judging by those it is worth checking out.

As the record label says; think Minnie meets Madlib in Cologne and you have a vague idea what Fleur Earth is about. The 7 inch singles main cut, “Zeitleiden”, is soulful and atmospheric, uplifting yet moody, laid on a solid foundation of beats. It released on the German label Melting Pot Music, home to amongst others Lefties Soul Connection, Marc Hype and Jim Dunloop, and Dj Day.

Listen to it on YouTube.

FatCity | Juno Records | TuneTribe | Melting Pot Music | MySpace |

A lot of great melodic downtempo stuff is released in Japan at the moment. Uyama Hiroto released his debut album “A son of the sun” this year, and it is packed with relaxing classics that creates that perfect atmosphere. This 7″ includes both “81 summer” and “color of jade” and is as far as I know the first single from the album. 

I couldn’t find a lot of information about the artist, but check out the various pages I have linked to and you will be able to listen to the music, which is really the most important thing in the end.

Juno Records | MySpace | Last FM |

I can’t think of any reason not to love Jimi Hendrix. “Foxy lady” was definitively one of his finest moments, and I have picked up some good interpretations of that song over the years. The 1967 original is still a masterpiece, but you always appreciate remixes and covers that stay true to the original but manages to add a little twist to it.

This release does just that. It takes it down with a heavy, slow beat while still managing to keep the funk of the guitar. Behind the 7″ is Rob Tex from the same French community as Taggy Matcher and Mato, both of which have provided us with cheeky reworks before. I prefer the main cut, but the reggae version is not to bad either. Jimi for all occasions really.

Fat City | Juno Records |

A relatively new name to me, but it did not take many seconds to take notice of his sound. On the other hand, I vaguely recall a connection. Together with partner Tim White Max Essa first sprung to prominence with a string of 12″s and an album as Essa on Paper Recordings in 2001. Originally from London, he is now living in Japan. 

He took some time off to spend time with his family, but returned to the scene when Chicken Lips maestro Steve Kotey signed him to his brilliant Bear Funk label last year. No wonder he was not top of mind, but seven years later he deliver the goods. I definitively recommend “Back to the beach EP” and “Midnight Garden EP”, and the label in general. Max Essa also provided a remix for Rubies “I feel electric” on the fantastic Tellé label earlier this year. 

This EP, however, is out on Feel Music. It is a very good package overall, with all three tracks packed with quality. “Theme from Superhorse” is a synth fueled, slow and beautiful balearic groove. “Threehouse sex scene” is just as sleazy as the title suggests, with Twin Peaksy mysterious pads and slow buildup. “Patrol” takes it up a notch, groovy building funk with just the right amount of congas and funky synths. A lot of emotion combined with elements that make you groove with the best of them in these tracks. If you like the sound of the Norwegian cosmic disco scene (Lindstrom, Prins Thomas, Todd Terje etc.) you will love Max Essa’s sound. 

I am also glad to announce that Max Essa is working on a full length release on Bearfunk entitled “Continental drift” and is due later this year. Keep your eyes open!

MySpace | Beatport | Juno Records |