Freestyle Records drop a killer UK soul/early street soul reissue LP from 1988, in the form of Rick Clarke's hard to come by 'Time Keeps Moving On' album.
Originally appearing on the Raven label in 1988, Time Keeps Moving On constituted Rick Clarke's first LP following his work in the earlier eighties as part of brit-funk groups Potion and Side On, and solo output including Love with a Stranger (released on The Specials' Ghost Town's producer John Collins' Local Records imprint) and a few singles for RCA. Largely co-written and co-produced with Peter Hinds (Take Three, Atmosfear, Light of the World) and a guest turn from Master T aka Toyin Agbetu - this is foundational street soul that appeared at a time when the likes of Loose Ends were starting to break through to the US, and Soul II Soul just emerging. More

Freestyle comes correct again with a killer slice of 1987 UK Street Soul from Purely Fizzycal, originally issued on the duo's own Pure Impact Productions label.

North Londoner Trish Langley met South Londoner Ash Kamat initially in the the mid 1980s on Tin Pan Alley, while Ash was working at Rod Argent's keyboard shop and running UK soul-focussed zine Soul Trade, and the quickly began working together. Handling the programming and production, Ash says his inspiration came from a mixture of London pirate radio sounds and the US-based sounds of Kashief, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis etc. While Trisha's vocals and melodies were influenced by growing up listening to her parents reggae records, plus her brother's taste for the likes of Brothers Johnson, Maze, Isley Brothers, and a little lovers rock such as Janet Kay - which, together with Ash's raw drum machine sounds, bears all the hallmarks for this uniquely UK take on soul.credits More

Roy Hamilton, Cosmo Bowen and Dennis Palmer go back a long way to the early 80's when they were members of a 9 piece funk outfit called Breeze - playing regularly Upstairs at Ronnie Scott's along with bands like Hi Tension and Gonzalez. In 1984 they linked up for this one and only 12" on their own HBS imprint - a laid-back stomper that has become in-demand on the UK soul/funk collectors scene - now given a fresh new cut & press thanks to Freestyle Records' 12" reissue initiative! More

Freestyle drop a much needed and fully licensed 12" repro from 1984, in the form of Midnight Energy's Front Line b/w Saving All My Love originally released on Wal-Brooks Records. Two slamming sides of spenny electro-boogiefunk from out of New Jersey, written and produced by Tony McLachlan of the Fresh Band (of 'Come Back Lover' fame) - dig in! More

Freestyle Records presents the greatest hits and rare grooves from legendary UK lovers group, The Investigators. First issued in 1991, this compilation collects together the groups late 1970s to mid-1980s recordings. More

Freestyle Records proudly present a reissue of Gloria Weems' ace 1983 long-player "Lovelight" - previously only available on a rare South African pressing, and featuring the single "Wanna Dance With You" (licensed for a 12" on storied NYC label Prelude in the same year). The record was written and produced by Jim Duncombe and Chris Palmer - owner of London's legendary Groove Records and also the man behind UK funk/disco label Groove Production (Surface Noise, Linda Taylor, Caché etc). Chris & Jim had met earlier in the year at the Midem music conference in Cannes, and started writing together shortly after. The initial recording sessions were completed at Duncombe's Powerplay Recording Studios in Switzerland, with American vocalist Gloria Weems (then on a club tour of Switzerland) brought in on vocal duties. Palmer then added additional recordings and mixed the record down at Groove Production's London base. Criminally it was only ever picked up for release in super limited numbers through the South African label CCP Records - though Chris, through an ongoing licensing relationship via his Groove Production label, managed to license "Wanna Dance With You" and it's dubbed-out b-side "Wanna Version" to the legendary NYC label Prelude. Nevertheless the Lovelight LP represents a lost classic and a rare example of a transatlantic disco-boogie project in the era's golden period, in it's linking up of UK, European and American elements. More

Australian 9-piece Spiritual Jazz group Menagerie announce their highly anticipated fourth album 'The Shores Of Infinity' - representing the 3rd LP to be released by Freestyle Records from the Melbourne-based Jazz ensemble, founded by producer, songwriter, guitarist, DJ and recording artist Lance Ferguson (The Bamboos, Lanu, Rare Groove Spectrum, Machines Always Win). Menagerie released their debut album They Shall Inherit in 2012 via Tru Thoughts, before releasing The Arrow Of Time on Freestyle in 2018 followed by the critically acclaimed 'Many Worlds in 2021. Inspired by both the post-Coltrane generation of the 70's and the current "New Wave Of Jazz", Menagerie have made serious waves internationally, being championed on Worldwide FM, Jazz FM and Jazzwise. They were nominated in the Best Jazz Act category of the 2021 Music Victoria Awards, and in 2022 performed as part of the esteemed Melbourne International Jazz Festival. Now, two years on from their last full length album, Menagerie are back with The Shores Of Infinity, further expanding their sound out into the music universe - a forward-looking, rhythm-heavy expression of contemporary Jazz that is steeped in the tradition but somehow also defies genre pigeonholing. More

Freestyle Records presents Albert "Alchemist" Thompson's Promise Land, an EP featuring vocals from reggae & dancehall greats Frankie Paul, Joseph Cotton, Prince Malachi & Anthony John, representing a musical collection that has gradually evolved, matured & marinated over the course of the past 32 years - now finally seeing it's first ever release. Albert Thompson (brother to the great Peter Chemist) was chief engineer at the storied I&I Sound Recording Studio after it moved it's base from Los Angeles to Jamaica in 1989, working with a wide range of heavyweight artists such as Dennis Brown, Bunny Wailer, Mighty Diamonds, Gregory Isaacs & many many more. During some studio downtime in early 1991, Albert laid down the rhythm track (itself a take on Aswad's Love Fire riddim, made most famous by Dennis Brown's iconic Promised land vocal track) with musical assistance from Tony Thomas. 16 years and a move to London later, Albert had founded his Alchemist Recording Studio on Brixton's Acre Lane in a space above the legendary Supertone Records - recording dubplates with talented local artists and touring Jamaican artists alike. Digging out the Promise Land tape, he proceeded to cut these 4 vocals on the version during the course of 2007. Another 16 years gone, and after hearing the tracks following a chance encounter with Albert in South East London, we felt they were finally ready to see release! More

Zach Phillips & Olia Eichenbaum met online in late 2018 and quickly began collaborating remotely, and in France and Brooklyn. First working together under the name the Pearly Gates, they toured western Europe together in 2019 with a common band shared between Olia's project Œ & Zach and Ma Clément's group Fievel Is Glauque. After taking a year off, it was during the early months of the pandemic that they started sending music and lyrics back and forth. Before they knew it, the entire Perfect Angels album was written and recorded in under a month, with Olia & guests' remote overdubs taking a bit more time. It was recorded entirely to Tascam 388 1/4" 8-track tape with computers intervening only during guest overdubs, mixing & mastering. More

Freestyle Records are proud to reissue Ambiance II Fusion's mid-80s fusion rarity "Come Touch Tomorrow" - originally recorded in Hollywood CA October/November 1984 and released in 1985. Following a yearly run of 4 albums self-released between 1979 and 1982, Nigerian-born saxophonist, flutist, and clarinettist Daoud Abubakar Balewa then took a few years off before returning with 1985's "Come Touch Tomorrow", the first of two albums issued under the updated name of Ambiance II Fusion. Combining the afro-spiritual jazz & be-bop inflected fusion of his earlier work as Ambiance, this record took the project into more modern & distinctly cosmic planes with the introduction of spacey pads and drum machines working alongside somewhat tighter arrangements and solid rhythm sectons. Of particular note here is the B1 track "Boy What a Joy" on which a sublimely funky synth & drum machine throwdown is presented in prophetically lo-fi fashion - recalling recent stylistic approaches from the likes of Dâm-Funk among others. More

Fronted by former South London lovers rock vocal harmony group, Alpha (sisters Jackie & Jean Heron and Marlene Richardson), Take Three was the brain-child of writer/producer trio "S.H.E." - Steve Sinclair, Peter Hinds & Kevin Ellis. Meeting each other at The Factory community centre in Paddington (now known as the Yaa Asantewa centre and in the last few years, The Yaa Centre) Steve & Kevin began a partnership writing and directing their own theatre productions as part of The Black Theatre Co-Op, which called the centre home at the time. When a song they had written together for one of their productions received praise and plaudits, the path toward writing and producing records began, bringing in more seasoned hand Peter Hinds - formerly a member of key brit funk groups Light of the World and Beggar & Co, and player with Incognito, Imagination & Loose Ends - to complete the circle. Following on from Freestyle's reissue of the group's first single around this time last year, in the form of 1983's Tonight's the Night, we decided to drop another killer 12" from the Take Three vaults - this time it's their last single released as Take Three in 1985. Can't Get Enough (of Your Love) was originally licensed out to, and released by Andy Sojka's seminal Elite label. It features two super extended mixes - the A side's "Soul mix" showcases the girls's harmonies pinned down by a big & heavy synth bass groove before moving into boogie-dub territory, while the B side "Reggae mix" introduces an ofbeat skank heightening the vocal stylings' lovers-esque tendancies. More

Two big 12" drops this week on Freestyle Records, in the form of both impossibily rare singles recorded by early UK street soul act Pause. Dating from the late 80s these 12"s represent some of the finest music to come out of this period of british soul music, and represent the entirity of the trio's known output! Pause was a boogie/soul side-project born out of popular lovers rock group The Administrators - who recorded a multitude of sides for the foundational Harlesden producer/imprint Cha Cha before going on to found the Groove & A Quarter label recording a series of hits on the lovers scene during the latter part of the decade. Pause's Hugh Pomells recalls a desire to take the music in a new direction as being the driving force behind the project, with the group also counting vocalist Sinclair in it's ranks (who would go on to record a series of hit singles for the Dome label in the early-to-mid 1990s). Alongside the seminal electro-boogie of 1987's "It's Just Amazing" came this, the smooth space-age soul jam "Got to Know" in 1988 - an absolutely killer jam, I'm sure you'll agree, and really quite ahead of it's time production-wise. As the only two singles ever recorded by the group, originally self-relesed in very small quantities, they have gone on to command massively inflated prices on the secondhand market. The first ever officially licensed reissues of these lost british soul classics will not hang about for long, so grab them quick!!! More

Pause was a boogie/soul side-project born out of popular lovers rock group The Administrators - who recorded a multitude of sides for the foundational Harlesden producer/imprint Cha Cha before going on to found the Groove & A Quarter label recording a series of hits on the lovers scene during the latter part of the decade. Pause's Hugh Pomells recalls a desire to take the music in a new direction as being the driving force behind the project, with the group also counting vocalist Sinclair in it's ranks (who would go on to record a series of hit singles for the Dome label in the early-to-mid 1990s). cPreceding the smooth space-age soul of 1988's "Got to Know" was this, 1987's seminal electro-boogie jam "It's Just Amazing". As the only two singles ever recorded by the group, originally self-relesed in very small quantities, they have gone on to command massively inflated prices on the secondhand market. The first ever officially licensed reissues of these lost british soul classics will not hang about for long, so grab them quick!!! More

Street soul grail alert! Freestyle reissue the previously white label-only Guess Who LP, originally released anonymously by Rick Clarke in 1992. Crossing ruff-but-sweet UK street soul sensibilities with stripped-back house, garage and hip-hop flavours, the Guess Who LP was dropped covertly during a period in the early 90s when Rick was signed up to Soul II Soul's Funki Dreds label, contractually restricting him from releasing his music elsewhere. Bubbling with creative energy and a slew of ideas that he just couldn't help himself from getting out there, Rick brought a range of friends and collaborators to his MJB Records studio in West Kensington where the LP was produced and recorded on his trusty Fostex E16 in a matter of a couple of days. Raw drum machines and simple but effective basslines & melodies abound across the album's 9 offerings - with tracks at times feeling like pencilled musical ideas still in flux. Highlights include Jill Francis' sublime vocal riding the stripped-back samba-esque groove of Gonna Make You Happy, the sugary soul harmonies of Imaani's Share My Love With You, and criminally short outro track Sweet Vibrations. More

Following on from the compilation of Contact-U's foundational UK dance music, 'Dancing Inner Space, 1982-84', Freestyle return to the Challenge Records vaults to reissue another killer Rick de Jongh & Andy Sojka production in the form of Distance's Just One More Kiss. "We usually recorded at Vineyard studio which was situated in a Victorian warehouse site behind Borough underground station (later owned by the Stock, Aitken Waterman production team)", recalls Rick de Jongh, "but for a reason I can't remember we recorded this record at Phil Fearon's home studio in Kensal Rise - he probably gave us a good deal!". Fearon had been a member of the band Kandidate and was at the time the lead singer and songwriter in Galaxy and would later go on to helm the legendary Production House label in the late 80s and into the early 90s. Rick recalls the studio, a converted back bedroom, being as well equipped as any pro studio though not without it's quirks - "the odd electrical glitch would occur, especially when somebody put the kettle on, which would play havoc with sync codes etc. and we would often have to start again!" Most of the track had been laid down by Sojka & de Jongh before approaching vocalist Janey Hallett. "At the time Janey was a vocalist with Mari Wilson & The Wilsations, who had a big hit a year or so earlier with 'Just What I Always Wanted' and was introduced to us by our regular keyboard player Garry Hughes, who also brought along Julia Fordham - then a fellow singer in the Wilsations - who provided backing vocals on the track." Challenge Records would again later utilize the backing vocals of both Janey and Julia on some of their forays into the world of Hi-NRG records. In places there is a certain Hi-NRG tinge to this track, and at times Janey's vocal (in combination with the stripped back and heavy electro backing track) bring to mind the US-based latin freestyle sound of the late 1980s. All in all, it is another piece of foundational & criminally undersung UK dance music, which surely has a place in a wide-range of DJ's record bags!
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One more drop from the Switch label vaults - another killer UK disco-boogie gem from T.J. Johnson, originally released in in 1982 and recorded at the legendary Landsdowne Studios! "Switch Records was started by myself alongside Bill Campbell in the early eighties", says Aaron Harry - a library music producer who began using Lansdowne Studios in Holland Park for his productions on the renowned Bruton Music label. The studios had been operating there since the late 1950s, becoming the breeding ground for some key & early UK jazz and pop records (owner Adrian Kerridge teamed up with Joe Meek to lay down the first recordings there in 1958). It was here that Harry and engineer Chris Dibble started to work together as a regular team. After spending some time at the studio observing them in action, Kerridge and (Burton MD) Robin Phillps "recognised what a good team Chris and I had become" says Harry, "so, it was inevitable that I would also make pop music alongside Production Library Music." The output of the relatively obscure Switch label is the result of this work, and Freestyle has licensed 3 of the most hard to come by 12"s as part of their series of rare & foundation UK funk & soul records. This one, Pretty Lady b/w Come On Let's Do It (Let's Rock) is provided by T.J. Johnson - a talented and seasoned guitarist, T.J. Johnson aka T.J. Bedeau is still working the gig circuit to this day. Jump on it! More

Another brit-funk single excavated by Freestyle Records, Private Funk-Shun's super-rare All That I Wanted Was You / Fantasy 7" originally released in 1986 has been officially licensed, remastered and pressed up in a limited 45 run for all those who can't jive with dropping $$$ on an OG copy!Private Funk-Shun were a band formed in 1984 originating from the Loughton and Tottenham areas of north east London & Essex, and featured the vocal talents of Maxeen Edman-Messam - who would later go on to find fame in the early 1990s as key street soul artist Maxeen. Originally performing under the name of Slipstream, but changing to Private Funk-Shun in 1985 after finding out another group were operating under with the same name, they toured around London & South East bringing a dedicated brit-funk following with them. Despite writing approximately 20 original tracks in their time, this self-released two-track 7" from 1986 was their only official output and has since become a certified rare groove, fetching upwards of £250 on the secondhand market. More

Chartz were a short-lived Wolverhampton-based covers band who also performed original material written by founder members Bernadette (Berny) Cosgrove and Kevin Clark. During its short lifetime Chartz was a springboard for lead singer/guitarist Berny and keyboard player Kevin to showcase and develop their songs, following their originally working together to write and produce jingles. They wrote, arranged and produced this 12" Girls World in 1983 with lyrics "celebrating female strength and independence whilst loving and respecting their partner", says Kevin & Berny. Shortly after this they went on to win a Sony Songwriters of the Year award and moved to London to co-form Hard Times Productions, with the 1986 self-titled Hard Times LP leading to the single "Never Give Into Love" the year after for Supreme Records - and then came the exciting offer of a songwriting contract with Motown's publishing company in New York! A 10-year spell in the Big Apple saw Berny's solo artist debuts on movie soundtracks "True Love" and Lonely In America", and, after increasingly lucrative publishing deals with the likes of Sony, EMI & Warner Chappell, she and Kevin were commissioned for songwriting projects with an exhaustive list of pop stars spanning from Matt Goss, Rick Astley and Des O'Connor to Gary Barlow, Sheena Easton, Gloria Gaynor, Jimmy Sommerville and countless others. Berny & Kevin also wrote and produced two platinum selling US number 1 albums with boy-band Dream Street, and their biggest song to date is the internatinal hit "Crush" by Jennifer Paige which has sold in excess of 12 million copies worldwide. Berny & Kevin's illustrious career definitively went from "Chartz" to CHARTS, and here you are able to go back to where it started as we serve up the first ever vinyl reissue of "Girls World" (original copies of which change hands for over £100) with the extended instrumental and radio mix on the flip. More

Sophie Lloyd returns to Luke Solomon’s imprint alongside the effervescent singer songwriter Amy Douglas for a wax release of ‘Sweet Love’, an anthemic disco release bursting with sensuality. The pair are well known to Classic fans; Sophie for her debut release, ‘Calling Out’ with Detroit trio Dames Brown, and her subsequent release ‘Angels By My Side’ which received a soulful remix package from Floorplan. Additionally, nostalgic house vocals from Brooklyn’s Amy Douglas have appeared on tracks from Luke Solomon’s ‘Love. Hope. Happiness’ to Horse Meat Disco’s ‘Message To The People’, also featuring the Dames. For the Love Hangover mix of ‘Sweet Love’, a slow, intoxicating intro erupts in a burst of energy as Amy’s vocals and Sophie’s production come together for an ambitious, driving composition. The vinyl also features a remix from the label boss himself; Luke Solomon’s Always Love Revision of this modern disco anthem ups the ante, adding huge swathes of energy to the previously sensual record. Similarly, the Sweet Lovin’ Mix capitalises on the raucous finale from the original Love Hangover Mix. More

NDATL continues with a release from Detroit soldier Norm Talley (Upstairz Asylum) Right out the gate Norm deep aggressive sound comes across loud & clear on "Gonna Be". Then down deep in the sound of "Power" where spoken words give insight. Side B "The Bounce" should have dancefloors worldwide doing just that. "The Truth" no longer needed to be sought cause here it is in musical form. And a stray away from the usual Norm Talley we get the softer side "Dearly Beloved" ft Jerald Dameyon. More

CIRE NOIR is a compilation of contemporary electronic sounds by parallel thinking agents from Europe and US. More

While this may be the first release on Sheffield's Central Processing Unit from Global Goon, the one known to friends and family as Johnny Hawk brings a whole heap of experience to the Nanoclusters mini-LP. Hawk started dropping Global Goon records on the legendary Rephlex Records back in the 1990s. The project's subsequent releases have taken in imprints as esteemed as WéMè and Balkan. Factor in a whole host of other aliases which have delivered missives via the likes of Planet Mu, and you know even before you press play on this witty, wily record that you're dealing with a master at work here. The confidence with which Global Goon approaches Nanoclusters shines through in Hawk taking much of the mini-album at midtempo. Cuts like 'Khroxic Mould', 'Metallik' and 'Syntheseers' sound like Bochum Welt heading down a dark alleyway. The former in particular is a seasick lope, the tuned synths lurching around like sailors on deck in a storm as bass ebbs and flows underneath the mix. The influence of Kraftwerk comes through prominently at times here, particularly in the way 'Calcula' and 'Digit Six' play pensive, slightly sombre synth chords off some simple but effective forward motion in the drum programming. That is not to say that Nanoclusters is not full of invention, though. None of the productions are overly flash, but this approach allows the little details to shine through more clearly, from cleverly panned hi-hats to hissing synth counter-melodies which flit in and out of the mix. Enthralling and packed full of ear candy, they're further evidence that Nanoclusters is the work of an expert craftsman. While the pulse of Nanoclusters remains relatively steady throughout, it's still a rather lively record. Plenty of these tracks will get the dancefloor moving if deployed correctly - though whether they're heard at home or in the dance, it's the attention to detail which makes them stand out. 'Snapterisk' is as perfect an example of machine-funk as you're likely to find - the drum programming is razor-sharp but rubbery with bongos, the bass a lithe burble, and those wobbly stabs of keys that put a bit of wiggle in the beat? Delightful stuff. Elsewhere the ever-looping arpeggio of 'Metro Esc' has hints of Frankie Knuckles' house classic 'Your Love', though an array of interesting sonic nuggets - snippets of vocal, radar-like bloops, a gently insistent low-end pulse - soften the track's clubbier elements with a pillowy sheen. And Hawk throws us a curveball right at the end of Nanoclusters, tapping back into that old Rephlex sound for the fizzy, braindancing 'Metal Glass'. Global Goon doesn't need to show off on Nanoclusters - from brilliantly slick machine-funk to Kraftwerkian reveries, the CPU debutant lets the music do the talking here. It makes for a confident and vivacious mini-LP, one which wears its expertise lightly. More

Austria's DJ Void AKA Elias Manser follows up sell out EPs on the likes of Magic Carpet and Private Lane Records with his debut Tessellate release. Two originals sit nicely alongside two remixes from Rob Amboule (Phone Traxxx/NorthSouth Records) and Local Dub (You & Me/Hoarder). More

Hailing from the North East of England, Smoove & Turrell have dominated the UK funk & soul scene for over a decade with their unique blend of northern soul and electronica. Their latest 7" release comes with 'The Light' which features legendary Blue Note keyboard genius Ronnie Foster. Frontman John Turrell reflects on the challenges of recent years and calls for unity, love, and solidarity against corrupt politics and media greed. On the flip is 'Geno's Discotheque', a tribute to a mythical club that never existed but a place we all want to be. More

Double LP bundle, featuring both Pt. 1 & Pt. 2 EPs served in a PVC sleeve w/ sticker. Changing Channels is the new album from Pangaea, AKA Kevin McAuley, his first since 2016's acclaimed debut LP In Drum Play and a jolting reminder that functional doesn't mean complacent. The seven tracks here are galloping, infectious and hypnotic, capturing Pangaea's skill at constructing bangers that reflect an innate experimental tilt without sacrificing impact. Tested across his international DJ sets, and developed during a healing period of introspection, these cohesive tracks attack and retreat with an urgent and emphatic focus on the dancefloor, and a precision so undeniable as to seem predestined. More

Alongside the multiple UK Soul Chart No.1 album "Forward Motion' and trailing the vinyl 2LP issue comes the Georgie Bromfield Remix of 'I'm In Love (Georgie B. Remix)'. Georgie Bromfield has a proven track record of No.1 Remixes in the Soul market, and is a veteran of the UK Soul Scene from the 1980's Jazz-Funk heyday of his band Second image up until the present day with his current releases by Groove Association. Georgie has a weekly radio show every Saturday night on GLR. Georgie's remix highlights the vocals of one of Soul Music's 'best kept secrets', Antonio McLendon, a name that has rightly been comparied to Luther Vandross in terms of quality and who happens to be the father of Grammy-award winning Jazz vocalist Samara Joy. This remix is in advance of the vinyl 2LP release of the 'Forward Motion' album. More

A long Awaited Special Edition Re-Issue of Potatohead People's seminal "Nick & Astro's Guide To The Galaxy, pressed on Black & Red Swirl Vinyl. Comprised of Vancouver producers and multi-instrumentalists Nick Wisdom and Astrological, Canadian duo Potatohead People boast a number of noteworthy accolades thanks to a their signature sound drawing influences from 90's boom-bap, future soul, classic jazz, deep house and boogie/funk. Beginning with a series of EP's, including their landmark "Kosmichemusik" EP, Potatohead People's productions quickly made their way to artists like Illa J who tapped the duo to produce his now critically acclaimed self-titled album, as well as producers like Kaytranada (who co-produced Illa J's "Strippers" with the pair). Supporters such as Soulection, Nightmares on Wax, De La Soul, Pomo, DJ Spinna, Big Boi, and Phife Dawg have also played formidable roles in championing the sound of Potatohead People worldwide. Nick & Astro's Guide To The Galaxy(originally released May 11th 2018 on Bastard Jazz) showcases a leap forward in production chops, musicality, and songwriting for the duo. The first single "Quest For Love" "with its neck snapping drum break, lush rhodes chords, cosmic synths, guitar & horn flourishes and unexpected musical changeups bring in the hip-hop infected musicality the duo has become so loved for, while Nick & Astro collaborate vocally on top. "Morning Sun" featuring Danish vocalist (and Anderson.Paak collaborator) Nanna.B is in part a melancholy piece with knocking drums, an infectious bassline and a soulful, shimmering hook, while "Do My Thing" featuring Canadian singer Kapok and Illa J is a neck-snapping Hip-Hop joint perfect for the dancefloor. "Liftin' Up" featuring San Francisco's K-Maxx ventures into West Coast boogie territories, while the album's closer "Rituals" goes for a deeper more atmospheric electronic vibe. More

Javier Jiménez Rolo surprises with Saint Malo, a project that explores the intersections of neoclassicism, folk, ambient and electronic textures. That Saint-Malo is a town in Brittany is the least of it. Even the fact that it exists is unimportant. Javier has never been there. Similarly, his album takes us to remote or not so remote places without moving from where we are. Javier composed these twelve songs between 2019 and 2021 from his room: "One of the problems with recording at home rather than in a studio is that when you move, your recording space changes too. In the case of this album, I was involved in three moves during its whole process. Trying to see the positive side of this situation, I realised that, as well as a collection of songs, it was a testimonial to the different places where I had lived during those years and their respective views: 'Promenade' is an imagined walk from an interior flat; 'Picture In A Frame' is a sunny afternoon in a park in Ciudad Lineal, Madrid, and 'Bells Of Nowhere' is a stroll through the neighbourhood that was once my grandparents' and is now mine." It's an eminently evocative album but also powerfully narrative, which moves through different emotional states. Along the way, references as heterogeneous as Javier's own tastes come up. From the inevitable Arvo Pärt, Max Richter and Steve Reich to the more unsuspected Thom Yorke, Burial, Caribou, Vulfpeck or even Dua Lipa. Stéphane Grappelli, Andrew Bird, Nils Frahm, Olafur Arnalds or Rene Aubry are other names Javier mentions when he talks about something similar to influences. The journey, during which the songs miraculously fit with magical precision to the landscapes we are travelling through, begins with the promising 'Beware Of The Dogs' and 'Maltravieso'. It is followed by the obsessive arpeggios of 'Le Havre' that give way to the luminous 'Fields Of Gold', the emotion of 'Cais do Sodré' and the passionate 'Le pont roulant', reminiscent of a restrained Alexandre Desplat. Along the way, dogs will bark, rain will fall on the 'Promenade' and the sun will come out with the perfectly playful 'Dolce Far Niente' ("a mix between elevator music and a song announcing the arrival of summer" according to Javier) in which echoes of Isao Tomita and Raymond Scott resound. The result of this captivating, unexpected and suggestive mixture is Saint Malo, Javier Jiménez's first album and the empirical demonstration that he does not have, despite his classical training, any red lines. "I've always flirted with jazz, with swing... Then I moved on to messing around with loops, to doing more ambient and experimental things. I also had my folkie phase with the klezmer group Barrunto Bellota Band..." In Saint Malo the melodies grow, become small, return and intertwine with loops and improbable aromas, to form an album that describes a journey through emotions. From melancholy to joy and the surprise of first discoveries. More

Powerhouse R&B/Soul vocalist and Canadian Idol finalist. Gary Beals, is thrilled to be releasing his new album, The Melody Within. The Melody within is a musical journey that unfolds across two sides, much like a story that reveals new layers with each turn. The album is more than just a collection of songs; it's an emotional guide that beckons us to explore the depths of our own feelings and explores navigating emotions, self discovery, and nostalgia through soulful melodies. "This album serves as the aftermath to my previous album, "Bleed My Truth". It's a continuation of my musical journey, a fusion of soulful melodies and diverse influences that mirror both my personal and artistic evolution," said Gary Beals. "Each song is a chapter, a piece of my heart and soul, inviting listeners into my world of emotions, experiences and connection. It uncovers the melody that resides within. The anticipation is building as I look forward to sharing this collection of new music, and I hope it resonates deeply, offering a meaningful and memorable musical experience enriched with a multitude of emotions." With this new body of work, Gary had the opportunity to work with two talented primary producers,Beatchild (Drake, Justin Nozuka, Glen Lewis) and Myles "Losh'' Schwartz (Allan Rayman, Tobi, The Game, Pretty Lights). Additional production credits on the album include, Chris Guirguis, Frizzy Astro (Raz Fresco, Daniel Son), Jordan "Tempo" Farmer, Kobebeats (Rodwave, Kcamp, Sevyn),Sid Aakowa, Ty Danelley (Popcaan, Tory Lanez, Pressa) and Warren Williams, who all helped to shape the makings of the album while maintaining a consistent synergy. Side A of the album draws inspiration from the likes of Al Green, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, and James Brown, and pays homage to artists who have played an integral part in shaping Gary's musical roots. This side includes Gary's previously released singles, "Good People, Good Vibes" and "All of Me," and the album's title track "The Melody Within," that commends the process of self-discovery and introspection. Also included is the album's 5th single, "Self Revolution," which will be released on October 27th along with the official music video. On Side B, you'll encounter a fusion of R&B and pop elements while still staying true to the album's soulful essence. Included on this side, is Gary's third single "I Like That," featuring JRDN and KAYO ,and the new single "How Do I Say (I Love You) More