Vinyl - R&B / Modern

After the 2019 release of their debut album "Dark Smoke", the Danish trio Athletic Progression has gone from strength to strength in Denmark. Multiple sold out shows in DK and abroad, as well two Danish Jazz Award nominations - and even one for Danish musician of the year! - later, the group is now ready to release their next album, an instrumental opus years in the making. Highly recommended for fans of Thundercat, J Dilla, Comet is Coming and the like. – HHV

Jazz, soul and hip-hop influenced the collection of nine songs takes you on a gorgeous journey with rap, instrumentals and soulful vocals.

The album opens with the immediately immersive Cloudy Day featuring the captivating vocal presence of Minna Forouzandeh. As an opening track, it’s a winner. Minna also features on several tracks such as Battlefield, Dark Smoke and Cut to the Cheese, and carries each into the highly-seductive genre of lo-fi/neo-soul. Elegant, and dreamy and all enthralling.

Between these sumptuous singles, the band produce two modern hip-hop tracks both of highly-listenable quality. UK Rapper Isatta Sheriff spits rhymes, fluid and sassy on Stepney Tale. Her life reflected in engaging verses. And the single – Stay Mellow features fellow Dane Blacc El who delivers a smoother rap, with a Q-Tip, Arrested Development style of flow. There are 5.41 minutes here to savour. And interluded between these tracks are three instrumentals, Danish Design Part 1 & 2 and Club Berlin, demonstrating their jazz-influenced roots, with edgy beats, electronic keys and samples. The groove on these is endlessly-playable. Each track earns its inclusion and announces Athletic Progression as a band with an exceedingly bright future.

Dark Smoke is an album to inhale, absorb and enjoy – Scandinavian Soul

Instead of re-releasing the entirety of ‘All Keyed Up’, Time Capsule and curator Pol Valls opted for a cut-down EP. Made up of ‘Eden Celebration’, ‘Melodic Heaven’ and the title track, which is presented in its original form, and as an extended Time Capsule Seaside Mix, it's a remarkable window into the freshness of creativity and vision that helped launch Tankard into a beautiful, lifelong career in music. And yet, as impressive as his story is, from the first listen, it becomes instantly apparent that the rainforest rhythms of ‘Eden Celebration’, the Linn drum jazz-funk of ‘Melodic Heaven’ and the sunset piano boogie of ‘All Keyed Up’ all stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the larger-than-life tales that swirl around Tankard. Wonderful, wonderful stuff. - Test Pressings

From local imprint Darker Than Wax, reaching out worldwide!

Nomad’s Land is essentially an honest reflection of the artist’s life experiences - inspired by people, relationships, psychedelic experiences, and human existence. The album also represents Dominic’s first outing as a vocalist, bouncing between soulful singing, spoken word, and freestyle rap. This vocal element is crucial to the album’s impact, adding a layer of heart and truth to these deeply personal compositions.

Deep diversity can be found throughout the record, from the sino-grime inflected Time Unremembered, to the lush piano-trio vibes on Feeling, to the glitchy breakbeat jazz hybridity of DMT. Yet despite these seemingly disparate shades, Nomad’s Land is a singular statement and front-to-back listening experience, unified by beautiful production and grounded in raw musicality.

With early support from Alex Barck (Jazzanova), Soul Clap, Simbad, Ennio Styles, and Jad & The (Beats of No Nation) 

“The most curious element about the singer, however, the quality that makes her such a uniquely captivating vocalist, is the way she communicates these troubles—with a honeyed, masterfully wielded croon that leaves you with the impression she's comforting you about them.

It's that groovy, gentle-voiced extroversion that drives her debut LP Yellow Memories, a collection of "all soul music" that oscillates from genre to genre in keeping with the traditions of Eglo Records, the eclectic family of artists assembled by electronic producer Floating Points and label head Alexander Nut. Stylistically, Fatima could be compared to forebears Erykah Badu, Jill Scott and even—at her most whimsical—Janelle Monáe, but her delivery exudes a light sweetness, even when confronting heartbreak.” – Pitchfork

“Listen to Yellow Memories from start to finish and you're immersed in a distinct mood. Introspective R&B and soul is the theme. Much of the music is ambitious. Take the Flako-produced "La Neta," which switches times signatures halfway through, or the Theo Parrish-penned opener "Do Better," which has a sense of virtuosity and drama that's uncommon in modern music. Eglo boss Floating Points is a lynchpin to the operation, having produced five of the record's 12 tracks. His partnership with Fatima has created two of the best cuts here: the climactic "Do Better" and the comparatively pared down "Biggest Joke Of All." The latter is simply a boom bap beat, an amazing vocal performance and a keyboard jam, but its simplicity is exactly what makes it work.

Other guest producers here include Scoop De Ville, Oh No and Knxwledge. None of these are huge names, but all have cult followings in the world of leftfield beatmaking, and every one of these collaborations is a winner. Particularly worth singling out is "Circle," produced by Computer Jay and the ever-impressive Shafiq Husayn of Sa-Ra.” – Resident Advisor

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In 2017, we’ve only caught a few glimpses of what Ivan has been working on, namely the soulful Kaytranada x Kiefer produced loosie “Also” and the jazzy MNDSGN produced single “Young Eye”. As it turns out, these two cuts are a good indication as to what the Oslo based artist has in store for us with his next LP release. On November 10h of this year, Ave presents his sophomore LP “Every Eye”.

“Every Eye”, with its symbiosis of different producers, musicians and vocal styles puts Ivan Ave in his own lane. Leaving behind the sample heavy sound he’s gained recognition with, Ivan embarks on his first musical journey free of chopped up jazz, soul and funk records. But it would be an understatement to say that “Every Eye” still has jazz, soul and funk for days. Enlisting musical homies like Fredfades, MNDSGN, DJ Harrison, Kiefer, Kaytranada and Dâm- Funk on the production side, Ivan carves out his path as an ever-growing MC and singer.

All-though “Every Eye” sometimes hovers in a state of weightlessness genre wise, there is no shortage of gravity in Ave’s lyrical universe. Ivan seems to have written this record as his own self help book, dealing with the mechanisms of the mind, the heart, and the world he sees (or doesn’t see).The title “Every Eye” refers to our various angles of view; the ones we choose and the ones we are assigned to. – Ivan Ave | Bandcamp

Born in Assam, Gauhati, in Northeast India, but currently based in New York’s storied borough of Brooklyn, jitwam spent his formative years in New Zealand and Australia, before living in monasteries in Thailand, orphanages in South Africa, and washed out apartments in London. Of everywhere and nowhere, his music draws influence from a litany of iconoclasts including, but not limited to RD Burman, Moondog, The Velvet Underground, Yayoi Kusama, Jay Electronica, Jay Dilla, Moodymann, Leon Thomas, Madlib and Asha Bhosle.

Across the album he utilises knowledge acquired through years spent digging through dusty crates, and talents honed as a multi-instrumentalist, producer, and vocalist. A series of stumbling, jazz/soul-rooted beat sculptures, each buried beneath a haze of fuzzy psychedelia, broken microphone blues, and articulated through a freestyled process he describes as “first thought, best thought”, ज़ितम सिहँ solidifies jitwam's spot as a major emerging talent.

Recalling the fourth world dreamscapes explored by oddball songwriters like Connan Mockasin, Clarence Clarity, Jai Paul, Silicon, and Unknown Mortal Orchestra, it represents a time of transition and remembrance for jitwam, while still fulfilling the core qualities he looks for in song. In his words, “Music is a refuge. A shelter from the storm. A place you can go to close your eyes.” – Jitwam | Bandcamp

It's the utmost honor for Sonar Kollektiv to be in the position to introduce “Ankhor”, the brand new album by Liz Aku. Having recorded all sorts of music with different outfits as well as solo projects over the last fifteen years the Belgian soul singer and highly gifted songwriter definitely earned her stripes and is anything but a newcomer to this game. She seems to have found her own, distinctive voice, after traveling to New Zealand and a far-reaching encounter with Mara TK from Electric Wire Hustle.

With “Ankhor” (a combination of the Egyptian symbol for eternal life “Ankh” and “anchor”) Aku accomplished a masterpiece of Nu Soul, Jazz and Pop, which will make her join the upper league of the players on the scene. For this cause, several allies and befriended producers have helped her out. With Mara TK leading the way obviously, who co-produced three out of the album's twelve songs. On “Breathing Underwater” and the sublime, for the whole album groove defining opening song “The Drum Major Instinct” the native New Zealander duets with Aku. - Bandcamp

While jazz and funk are at the core of Michele Manzo’s musical foundation, the Italian artist deftly draws upon his inspirations in hip-hop, dub, and Brazilian music as both an instrumentalist and producer. But above genres, inimitable grooves are the key driver of his work, and in his grooves one can hear the vibe of a moment being captured and perpetuated for eternity. With this combination of musical depth and raw feeling, it is no surprise Michele has crossed paths with Darker Than Wax, and we feel truly blessed to present his LP ‘ALL RISE’ to the world.

‘ALL RISE’ is a genuine reflection of Manzo’s art form, which sees so many different styles and influences coming together in the most natural, organic way. Everything was recorded live using bass, synth bass, guitar, old analogue keyboards, blended together with modern synths, dub delays and ambient fx - giving off the familiar warmth of boom bap and progressive stimulation of neo-soul. The pervasive harmonies and clever use of chords give the album a real musical depth, but grounded with an effortless, natural approach to creation. - Bandcamp

For years, the music of UK vocalist Olivier Daysoul has been burning bright. A deep-voiced songwriter with a penchant for collaboration, the man has worked alongside Onra, Bibio and Hudson Mohawke in the studio and logged many a mile on the road with Oddisee‘s live backing band. If R&B were a kitchen, Olivier could rightly say that he’s worked every single station, from savory to sweet. But now, a change is happening. For his new Black Music project, the “Daysoul” moniker is being shed; Olivier is taking up his proper surname – St. Louis – as his new artistic identity, and from the sound of things the effect has been one of revitalization.

It only takes a few seconds for opener “Ain’t Cool” to find its stride, coasting Curtis Mayfield-like on the breeze. Things time travel to the late 90s on “Dog In Man,” which features a Dilla-level drum chop and more syrupy vocals. “Ship is Going Down” is an all-sneering strut, while EP closer “The Proud” gradually unfolds as a patient, tender ballad. With just one short and sweet record, the new Olivier St. Louis has already proven that there’s no groove he can’t bend to his melodic will. - Okayplayer

After releasing a collaborative EP with Warp's Bibio, who is also featured as a producer on “Ever since the fall”, this 2nd solo release under Olivier St.Louis marks the starting point of worldwide live efforts for 2017 with continuous touring. He'll tour with German AnnenMayKantereit for a few dates & will join his partner in crime Oddisee for his “The Iceberg” Wolrd Tour afterwards. All of this comes after a successful UK Tour with Laura Mvula this fall. His upcoming release “Ever since the fall EP”, will be out on Jakarta Records in February 2017 and features productions by Bibio, Olivier himself and co-productions by Oddisee. 6 tracks somewhere in between lo-fi soul, drum computer sounds, warm basslines and funk trenched live compositions...

Prince and his all-female backing band 3rdEyeGirl present Plectrumelectrum! A must have for the Prince completionist!

"Husayn’s musical vision is fundamentally communal. And while The Loop’s big-name guests will likely draw attention to the project, it feels deeper and more complex than the typical big-budget, feature-heavy release. Much in the same way that classics by Parliament-Funkadelic, Rotary Connection, and Earth, Wind & Fire are group efforts that sprung from the brain of a single founder, The Loop is music born of Husayn’s singular creativity, but forged in the spirit of cooperation and egalitarianism." - Bandcamp Daily

Language, the full-length debut from Starchild & The New Romantic, is the sound of Bryndon Cook occupying his space with unapologetic eloquence, envisioning a world where the crimson qualities of sensitivity and softness aren’t shamed, they are celebrated as magic.

“Black boys have a whole world of complexity that society makes us stomp out of ourselves.” Language communicates Cook’s refusal to do so. Describing himself early-on as a “young romantic boy from Maryland,” he’s long been a dreamer, a student of black music’s rich lineage and its intersection with pop. Cook is drawn to landmark moments where artists have found truth in darkness; the diverse language of music living in their core. These records in which phrases and motifs are deployed to document worth and define perspective, identity, calls to action. The pop album as artistic statement, as thesis. This record is his; lifting off from the monochrome world of Crucial, his 2016 EP on Ghostly International, up towards a dazzling blood-rush of sky-high defiance and autonomy. On Language, Cook refines his phonics for funk, electro, and R&B, and arrives at a revelation, best summarized by a single motto: “my sensitivity is my strength.” - Bandcamp

'See You Soon’ is the third album from Tokyo-based UK native submerse on the Project: Mooncircle imprint. A mélange of Slow-Jams, R&B, Hip Hop and Soul created while on a steady diet of 90’s NBA basketball and Dreamcast games. ’See You Soon’ features collaborations from fellow Tokyo-based artist Fitz Ambro$e and L.A.-based Devin Morrison and Pink Siifu.' - Project Mooncircle