One of the stand-out acts on Freshly Squeezed in 2023, ELLE & THE POCKET BELLES released increasingly acclaimed singles and videos across the year. Now their full 10 track album drops showcasing the diversity and strength of songwriting, musicianship and jazz-infused production. Now available on Clear Red 12" vinyl!

Not just a singles band, the album offers real jazz sophistication on songs like OLD FASHIONED and a moving theatrical flourish on DON'T YOU WORRY. But on songs like WHAT'S A GIRL TO DO... the group really show off the many years spent on London's vintage club scene refining their sound and style into the perfect distillation of a classic retro style in a thoroughly modern way.

Since release, the album has shared a combined 1 million streams across Spotify and YouTube, and several tracks have been featured on several editorial playlists on Spotify. SEE YOU LATER was played over 25k times across YouTube and Spotify in its first weekend, now reaching 700k streams. The album was also nominated record of the week by BBC Cornwall.

The group are reminiscent of a cross between classic 60s soul and 50s girl groups given a joyful and wry modern twist. ELLE & THE POCKET BELLES are gigging across the UK's summer festival circuit in support of their album. Here are their live dates:

Quaglinos, London - Live Residency Monthly

14th Feb @ The Ritz, London (Supporting BBC BIG BAND)

Hutball Dresden, Germany

Berlin, Germany (TBC)

The Great Escape, Brighton

Twinwood Festival, Clapham

Goodwood Festival, Chichester

Wilderness Festival, Charlbury

Camp Bestival, Dorset

““Retro pop, classic soul and electro swing… a genuine showcase of how great 5 voices coming together can really be…””
Kerrie Cosh — BBC Introducing

“The most saleable Electro Swing act I've ever seen”
Chris Tofu — Glastonbury Festival

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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On its 25th release, Delights label welcomes Mozaik Ses - a new collaboration between the Tel-Aviv-based funk combo VuVuVu, the pioneering Munich legend JJ Whitefield (The Poets of Rhythm, Karl Hector & the Malcouns), and Delights head honcho, Markey Funk. Together, the group cooked two pieces of scorching eastern-flavoured funk: the hypnotic mind-melter "Aralkum" and the menacing upbeat floor-killer "Zellij".

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LRK proudly presents "All Of Me / Self Revolution" a limited edition Retro Soul 7" vinyl from Gary Beals. Lyrically, "All of Me" playfully celebrates bringing one's "whole self" to the forefront as Gary playfully expresses his interest and openness, giving of himself to that someone, he is very much interested in exploring more with. Gary Beals is an acclaimed Canadian singer-songwriter known for his soulful voice and captivating and heartfelt performances. Rising to prominence as a finalist on the first season of "Canadian Idol," Beals has continued to captivate audiences with his exceptional talent and genuine artistry. His music seamlessly blends R&B, pop, and soul, resulting in a timeless sound that resonates with listeners worldwide. With multiple successful albums and a dedicated fanbase, Gary Beals continues to inspire and uplift through his powerful music.

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Downtempo techno stars The Connection Machine return with stunning re-release, featuring unreleased tracks and Legowelt remix of classic Echoes From Tau Ceti. Four years after the re-release of their debut The Dream Tec Album on U-TRAX, the Dutch downtempo techno duo The Connection Machine returns with a second highly anticipated re-release. BlackHole+ contains remastered versions of most of the tracks on their original The Black Hole EP, released on U-TRAX in 1995, plus five tracks from their highly sought-after EPs on Tabernacle Records: Lost Connection and Lost Machine (with electro outfit Lost Trax on the flipside). The original Black Hole EP had black labels and all details of the release were added as a computer-spoken track on the b-side. For this re-release, this track was removed and a Legowelt remix was added of the still immensely popular track Echoes From Tau Ceti.

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Sleek three tracker from Russ Brooker, a unknown quantity who is swiftly to become the name on everybody's lips, the 13th release on Rua Sound. "97-98" is every bit as sharp and shattered as any of the legendary tunes released in that storied era, with moody samples and a break so heavily pregnant with funk that it's a palpable relief when the levee breaks and it gives birth to some heavy rolling amens. "Microfilm" starts off with a proper spy-flick title and immediately lives up to the name, with a cinematic sequence of cosmic cloak and dagger chimes and pads that quickly sprints off into the Pentagon in a brown flared suit with assorted extraterrestrials and the cast of Scooby Doo in hot pursuit – channelling crusty old Droppin' Science jams to great effect. "Breathe" drops the tempo down to the 140-odd range with earthy rolling percussion, celestial atmospherics and the kind of studious and deliberate polyrhythmic funk wizardry that most producers don't cook up in a lifetime of releases, never mind on their honest-to-god-damn debut. The 97-98 EP is out on 17 November on Rua Sound.

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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.

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