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If the densely populated global retro funk and soul scene is the musical equivalent of a burgeoning metropolis rife with competition as everyone strives to outdo each other, the global latin boogaloo is more of tumbleweed-troubled hamlet in the middle of nowhere, population one: Ray Lugo. You might expect the lack of rivals to engender laziness or mediocrity but were you to do
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Monthly Archives: April 2014
RAY LUGO & THE BOOGALOO DESTROYERS: Que Chevere! (2014)
BOMBASTIC JAM: Mundial Beats (2014)
No doubt the first of many musical attempts to get into the spirit of 2014 Brazil World Cup fever, the Bombastic Jam label’s Mundial Beats compilation album puts in a highly respectable qualifying performance. The release consists of originals, remixes and exclusives as well as fielding a team of players who include the likes of new signing Icient Warrior and a number of big names on transfer
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MODULOK feat. HR: ‘Golden Rule’ video (2014)
Canadian rapper Modulok is named after a member of the Evil Horde from He-Man & The Masters Of The Universe. But don’t hold that against him – he’s got enough trouble on his hands on reggae hip-hop number Golden Rule – a track where he lyrically reveals that he hangs out with, “old dreads”. If a golden rule of collaborations is ‘don’t let yourself be upstaged by your guest’ our
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BAILEYS BROWN: Baileys On Ice (2014) + Pharcyde ‘Passin’ Me By’ (Baileys Brown remix) free download
Baileys Brown takes the Bristol bass sound back to the old school with lushly arranged dusty hip-hop breaks replete with strings and soul loops and film samples along with a host of local vocal heroes including Cobra, Eva Lazarus of Dub Mafia, Datkid, and Jay Wilcox on his Baileys On Ice EP. The PR says, “think Mark Ronson meets DJ Premier at a late night coffee shop.” I’m going more with
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BASEMENT FREAKS STUDIO SESSIONS VIDEO: Neon Steve (2014)
Clearly running the Bombastic Jam breaks label, producing his own stuff as Basement Freaks and one half of Smokey Bandits, gigging internationally and remixing all and sundry isn’t enough for a man like George Fotiadis so he’s started this. And ‘this’ is his new series of behind-the-scenes interviews with bass music scenesters that he’s calling the Basement Freaks Studio
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MAX RUBADUB & GENERAL TRIX: Sweet Like You (2014)
Is it Max Rubadub featuring General Trix or General Trix featuring Max Rubadub. Or General Trix and Max Rubadub. Or Max Rubadub and General Trix come to that. I dunno. The promo player suggests the first, the artwork suggests the second, Juno suggest the third and Max Rubadub’s soundcloud suggests the last. One thing is certain, Sweet Like You‘s lively tribute to Trix’s missus is a sweet digi
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AJ & THE JIGGAWATTS: AJ And The Jiggawatts LP (2014) + ‘Get Wild’ free download
Rating: Ooh yeah – that’s the funk right there. AJ & The Jiggawatts self-titled LP is the second of two to come out of the Tennessee-based GED Soul label’s Kickstarter campaign from last summer and is no less dope than the first – i.e. the excellent DeRobert & The Half Truths LP I’m Tryin’ which dropped in January. And while, like the DeRobert LP, this one consists entirely of that
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T BIRD & THE BREAKS: Is There Any Love? (Out Of The Rain) (2014)
You know that thing when you start whistling or singing one song and it suddenly merges into another one? That’s exactly what T Bird & The Breaks have done here! Trevor Dandy’s gospel funk groove Is There Any Love suddenly morphs seamlessly into Parliament’s Come In Out Of The Rain in a meeting of two great tracks in a Texan chunk funk stylee. Two for the price of one! Or
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JESSWAH: Pushed EP (2014)
Jesswah‘s Pushed EP arrives shortly and brings you the sound of battle-droids getting down in the middle of the war against humans after Skynet has become sentient. Or at least the title (and opening) track does. Middle track, PB’s Bed Was On Fire, is more the sound of droid-surgeons vivisecting live human subjects while closer Step Back is the audio equivalent of a slow but relentless search and
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DJ TANNER: A Skillz’ ‘Poppa Soul’ (‘Is It A Banger? Parks & Recreation video edit) (2014) + DJ Tanner ‘All Vinyl Funk Mix 2004’ free download
Double trouble from DJ Tanner here (he of video edits for Featurecast, The Reflex, WBBL, Amerigo Gazaway, The Gaff, Daytoner, Smoove, The Allergies and Mako & The Hawk among others) as the Canadian delivers his latest video edit (the snappily-titled ‘Poppa Soul’ (DJ Tanner Parks & Recreation video edit)) for A Skillz’ massive Ultramagnetic MCs/ Bobby Byrd mash Poppa Soul
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