Not too long ago we stumbled upon VI out of the city of London and were blown away by the sheer quality of this (seemingly) unknown producer.
VI is a mysterious new project based around the symbol above visualized in the artwork. The artist behind this project is already established in the scene, but wanted to take a step back and focus on his production and writing skills. Together with Grammy award winner Nikki Cislyn and stunning newcomer Poppy Ajudha, VI created an EP where the sound and collective vibe are the focus.
Since we loved the first two singles of the “VI” EP (forthcoming on LadenLife) it was a no brainer when we got the opportunity to premiere the third and final track titled “Odds Of Life“. This song really grows on you due to it’s massive soulful Reggae groove and features miss Nikki Cislyn on vocals. The “VI” EP drops later this month and is now available for pre-order on iTunes.
For many years Detroit polymath Shigeto has been mastering the art of mystic electronic sounds. Here we have an artist that grows with the passing of time and every new release he keeps amazing us.
Last week his new “Intermission” EP, containing six tracks, was released on Ghostly International. We chose to stream “Pulse”, which to us is the strongest cut of the EP. It has been two years since Shigeto released his sophomore full-length “No Better Time Than Now”. After this little intermission he dropped his “2010” EP with Devonwho which is available for free download by the way.
Clear light blue vinyl is sold out already (limited to 500 copies), but you can still purchase a regular black vinyl copy in the Ghostly store.
Apologies for not posting this week. I was enjoying myself with a very special person in Berlin, but upon my return I heard some music I could not keep from you. When I say Tartelet, OYE Records, Box Aus Holz, WotNot and Money $ex Records, you know I’m talking about the Berliner duo Max Graef & Glenn Astro.
The two make their debut on Ninja Tune with their upcoming 12-inch “Magic Johnson“. Perhaps it can best be described as ‘when House music meets Jazz’. The A-side is the first track to be released of this double-sided 12”, while the flip features a moodier, sleeker dub titled “Tape Johnson”.
Digital treats as well as the vinyl release can now be pre-ordered in the Ninja Tune store. The Magic Johnson release date is December 5th, so make sure Santa knows what’s up.
London-based vocalist Jay Prince first caught our attention last year with the track “Polaroids”. He was quickly swooped up by Soulection and is one of the few rappers on their roster now. Oh and guess what..Jay is back with a new cut titled “AfroPhunk” featuring SiR and Joyce Wrice (both from Los Angeles, California).
AfroPhunk is the first track of Jay Prince’s upcoming “Beautiful Mercy” project and was co-produced by the fellas from Brasstracks. The chorus on this joint reminds me slighty of something by Outkast. For those interested the EP is set to be released next month and will feature guys like Gravez, DrewsThatDude and Rascal on production.
Following incredible releases from Glenn Astro and K15, WotNot Music gets ready to release a small slice of modern R&B by miss Tabanca.
This Trinidadian vocalist lives in London and is about to release her brand new single “Lagoon”. On the remix duty we find Warren XCLnce, who stunned us a few years back with his mind-blowing song “Examine Me” with Etta Bond. We’ve been a fan ever since, so when we were asked to premiere, we could not decline. Tabanca’s vocals provide a fresh breeze over Warren’s juicy R&B-flavored house remix, which will be available November 6th.
There are plenty of beautiful young women in the world of soulful music, but Briana Maddix aka Nai Br.XX caught our eye (and ear).
Growing up with Jamaican roots, she listened to artists like Gregory Isaacs, Sanchez and Beres Hammond and also admired female vocalists such as Tina Turner and Alicia Keys. Nai Br.XX was born in New York and at the age of thirteen she moved to Atlanta, where she met producer Sensei Bueno. He produced her first single “Bed Weather” and went on to produce Nai’s entire debut “Wasted Callaway” EP this Summer.
This ladies’ soulful sound might still be a tad rough around the edges, but that’s the way we like it. Not too smooth, raw and from the heart. Check out the track “Adventure Time” and if you like what you hear, purchase her EP on iTunes.
Over the years the United Kingdom has birthed large amounts of ultra talented artists, especially on the Future Soul and R&B side.
Nao is one of the new soul ladies we have been keeping our ear on. Her previous release, titled “February 15“, was released on Little Tokyo Recordings this Summer just as her debut “So Good” EP that came out last year. The time is right for Nao to put out her debut album and get ready for the 1st single.
Wow this “Bad Blood” track is just perfect and showcases Nao’s phenomenal vocal skills. The production is simple, but tight and it gives room for Nao to shine bright like the rising star she is bound to become. If the rest of the album is as good as this, I might have to get this on vinyl.
One of Amsterdam’s hottest producers right now goes by the name of Jarreau Vandal. This 23-year-old producer has been blowing up the clubs all over the Netherlands and Europe as a DJ. Him having a flu did not stop him from getting busy at the Red Bull Studios Amsterdam for this months episode of Werk Space. The Soulection representative got some help from from one of the dopest drummers in the UK, Richard Spaven. For those that are unknown to Spaven, he is toured with Flying Lotus, Jose James and Guru…nuff said.
Next week the track will be available online so stay put. As always this video serves as a short introduction and for more info we suggest you head over to Jarreau’s & Spaven’s social media pages.
Kansas City ballers Leonard Dstroy and Dominique Sanders have released their debut The Xtraordinairs album titled “X-Life” via the mighty Laruche Records.
Two weeks ago we brought you their first single “No Pressure” featuring funk phenomenon Reggie B and it’s about time we did a little follow up. There are quite some soulful cuts on here featuring the likes of Chromadadata, Miles Bonny, Reach and Boombaptist.
One of my favorite tunes to max out to is “Theme to Dream” without a doubt. Thought I’d stream this little slice of heaven for you right before you decide to purchase X-Life on Bandcamp!
MED, Blu and Madlib are long time collaborators, that have teamed up for a new album titled “Bad Neighbor” forthcoming on Bang Ya Head/Rappcats.
All productions on this project (brainchild of MED) are courtesy of Madlib. There’s no doubt ‘it sounds royal if you let Madlib design sound for you’. The album is an exclamation point on the idea that began with The Burgundy EP, expanded to include MF DOOM, Aloe Blacc, Dam Funk, Mayer Hawthorne, Anderson Paak and Hodgy Beats.
Just just might be the most promising Hip-Hop album to come out (on vinyl) this year. Look for this to come out October 30 on CD and December 1 on 2xLP. Pre-order here and enjoy “Finer Things” featuring Phonte & Likewise!