It's a strange new post-everything musical landscape we occupy.
The machines - you could argue - have been playing the humans for some time, and the conversation became pretty one-sided.
But you know, not everyone is singing from that hymn sheet. That Man Monkz enjoyed the apprenticeship at House PLC more than the opportunity to progress to middle management.
Itchy musical feet meant extended exploration of fertile avenues of interest like the Madison Washington & Pan Amsterdam Hip Hop projects, meanwhile the pull of the 4/4 was never far from the studio door, and all accomplished with an assured versatility that shines.
Musical alliances formed in the disparate but related playgrounds of Detroit, Sheffield, Berkeley and Atlanta, all underpinned by an emphasis on seeking out collaborations and gigs, which represented a real exchange of energies, rather than a bank raid.
Letting things percolate in this more measured way means we've arrived here, a follow up of sorts to 2016's 'Columbusing'
This is Monkz allowing the ear ringing of gigs to feedback organically into bright dance floor flashes, which by virtue of their careful crafting are destined to last much longer.
On Zero Sum, we get a much greater economy of elements on the pared down dance floor ammo like 'Freaks N Prophets' & 'Chai Tea', a perfect counterpoint to beautifully realised pieces like 'Them Thangs feat Ms Fae' & 'After Dark with Nikki O' interspersed with funk-heavy workouts and sample jams like 'Easy Still', 'LvnLmtd' & the unashamedly KDJ influenced shamanism of 'WhatUthinkIDo'
It's a pick 'em and stick 'em ride of individual gems and a cohesive whole too.
The opposite of thrown together, this has been worked and weathered, naturally.
The House always wins, but sometimes...just sometimes.

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The mighty SHADELEAF pull in a seriously strong U.S team for their twelfth release Damon Bell from Oakland, is a chief Connoisseur at heralded Deepblak Recordings, and stands strong offering a complex variety of sounds that ebb and flow through all of his productions. Known for his polyrhythmic, organic, and soul-filled musical releases on Deepblak Recordings & Sound Of Speed Records Japan, he has also scored critically acclaimed releases recently on Burek, Meda Fury, and Don't Be Afraid. This collaborative EP with the vocalist (good friend and former Oakland, and now Berlin resident) Khalil Anthony, features a production collaboration with Shadeleaf's own Thatmanmonkz, and a remix from the mighty Afrikan Sciences
As always, top drawer isht Another Shadeleaf sureshot !

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Having effortlessly chalked up 10 stunning releases, the SHADELEAF crew decided to let the catalogue do the talking loud and proud with some remixes from the cream of the Deep House crop ! Byron The Aquarius, Al Zanders, Luke Solomon & Inkswel all provide sophisticated but raw reinterpretations of some choice Shadeleaf catalogue cuts, bringing a new lease of life to these predominantly vocal jams and putting new flesh on the Soulful bones in the process
An incredible start for the label, celebrated in fine style with some heavyweight re-do's - yes indeed !
Top drawer isht Another Shadeleaf sureshot !

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SHADELEAF continue a fine and unbroken run of form with a stunning new EP from Chris Grant AKA SIMBA. 'Make Your Move' opens things up with a beautifully executed, thumpin' House jam, with J Gordon adding an effortless vocal performance. Sounds like a classic already ! 'Susan Sorandom' (track title of the year ?) bumps along on a broad Funkineven style groove, with killer drops and deft use of melodic hooks. 'Compete' explores a more broken flex, but still shot through with that magical Simba swing. Finally 'Marvellous' hacks up the Prince Of Soul like never before, an absolutely deadly rewire that is the best Ugly Edit that never came out Top drawer isht

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SHADELEAF drop their eighth release in what is now established as essential catalogue ! Joseph Caserta (now known simply as Caserta) is a multifaceted DJ & Producer based out of Boston, Massachusetts, who has worked with Razor N Tape, Soul Clap Records, Midnight Riot, BBE, and Kon's Star Time imprint. 'Ricky' is a little slice of traditional Est Coast, soundsystem House - a simplistic but textured workout aimed squarely at the floor, with it's lascivious narration and repetitive hook The Jeep mix harks back to those 90's B2 beats mixes on the big apple's prodigious Hip Hop output... Digging royalty and a bona-fide master of the art of the re-edit Kon handles the first of the B Side re-rubs. Stripping things back a little and letting the bump and hustle ride to an altogether more hypnotising and atmospheric destination Finally label boss That Man Monkz adds more than a little Sheffield grit to proceedings, amping the rhythm section and laying out a deadly bass line... Another Shadeleaf sureshot !



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SHADELEAF continues, with a strident 7 out of 7 on the scoreboard ! Following a stunning (and sell-out !) EP earlier last year, the North East's answer to Michigan's finest, steps up again, with probably his strongest work to date. Mannmademusic became known very quickly, over the space of a few low key, but expertly realised edits releases for the likes of Glenview, Lumberjacks In Hell & Diner City Sounds. This EP sees him continue wearing his influences proudly, but re-imagine them in an altogether rawer framework - Samples woven together, augmented and redefined, some of it following the classic KDJ blueprint but laid out in a style that's all his own. Those familiar loops submerged and unfurling, rubbing up against altogether more off-kilter but coherent workouts, sat alongside perfectly measured electronic jams all combining into an EP that stands head and shoulders above the competition. Another Shadeleaf sureshot !

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The SHADELEAF MUSIC label has finally got your attention it seems ! Breakthrough 12's across their first 5 releases have firmly established Thatmanmonkz's label of love as a heavyweight Deep House contender ! Ever keen to open up the crease to new batsmen, the guys have assembled a deadly duo of big hitters for their their sixth innings. Belarus, not perhaps the first place you'd think of when it comes to solid House music, but Four Walls have certainly dropped more than their fair share of jams across labels of note like Kolour Ltd & Traxx Underground. here's he's teamed up with fellow Grodno resident FUNKYJAWS for a style that's firmly fixated with the roots US House blueprint, but with a fresh take, that's all their own. Saine ought to need no introduction, but for those at the back, across a mere handful of releases (his Sleazybeats EP was one of our fastest selling...ever !) this young talent has made quite a mark - His 'Drifter EP' on Must Have is one of our favourite House 12's of recent times. What better way to demonstrate the Shadeleaf spirit of collaboration then getting these two established up-and-comers to reinterpret each other's work ? Live organic percussion, and the warming hiss and glow of machine circuits conspire to deliver perfectly balanced hip-shaking equations and low end theories. and that's just the F Side !.
Flip for the S side (get it ?) and we're into Theoesque territory, with a rasping riff snaking through some deft Rhodes work and to-the-bone rhythms, while Four Walls & Funkyjaws offer up a swinging and irresistible rub to wrap it all up Top shelf tackle ladies and gents

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THATMANMONKZ is certainly enjoying a fine run of form ! Heavy duty releases for Delusions Of Grandeur & Kolour Ltd, alongside a steadily building and essential catalogue on his own Shadleaf Music label For their fifth outing the label has opted for a split single, with French House royalty Ludovic Llorca AKA Art Of Tones handling A Side duties 'So Worried' marries a spoken word vocal with an irrsesistible clipped organ led and bumpin' House workout that sounds a lot like fellow Frenchman St Germain did way back when. Monkz handles the flip with the kind of rough and ready sample-House jam the label has championed 'Got To Get To' strings together a handful of live instrumentation & melodies in classic collage style, while the Dub strips down and houses up the ingredients for a clonked out finale

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SHADELEAF return with their fourth release, further cementing their reputation as far more than 'one to watch' with another stunning and original selection of Deep House workouts The North East may very well be the UK's answer to Michigan, with artists like 003 contributor Ny*Ak alongside the architect of this EP Mannmademusic giving the Motor City crews a run for their money ! Mannmademusic became known very quickly, over the space of a few low key, but expertly realised edits releases for the likes of Glenview, Lumberjacks In Hell & Diner City Sounds For his debut release on Shadeleaf, he wears his influences proudly - Classic loops, loosely screwed onto raw rhythm tracks, with the Funk allowed to flow freely. It's firmly in the KDJ / Theo universe of House, but with a very English roughness, which - like all Shadeleaf releases, really sets these grooves apart 'If You Don't Do It' sounds like the best basement jam-session you could imagine, all loosely stitched samples, bubbling low end lines, those all important keys and some palm slapping rhythms, one for the footworkers ! 'Flexing' again uses a familiar loop as the scaffolding for an irresistible synth-line to unfold and amp up the intensity, until the deadly rhodes payoff - Five minutes of pure funk The EP's title track feat Kali, is a beautifully lazy deep house gem, smoked out and hypnotic bliss Label boss Thatmanmonkz steps up for B2, transforming 'Rough Times' into one of his trademark Boom Bap House jammies Jazz elements weaving around neck-snapping MPC beats & wide low end theories... A stunning EP then, and an essential addition to what's fast becoming a classic catalogue ! .

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SHADELEAF reaches out to the tribes and comes home with a serious crop to see us through ! For their debut V.A selection 'Please Come Correct' Thatmanmonkz has pulled in some serious talent from the fringes of forward-thinking House Ny*Ak fires the opening beatdown salvo,'U Don't Understand', and cooks up another of those loose, low riding, sample heavy and heady jams, reminiscent of Berlin via early Sound Signature that made last year's EP for Intimate Friends via Rush Hour such an essential! Next up Cape Town's Jumping Back Slash, who's been making some serious music, fusing elements of S.A House with Kwaito and, well pretty much anything else he can throw into the mix to move your assets. 'Bloodlines' however could just as easily have emanated from 8 Mile, a captivating piece of pure, crisply rendered machine soul back lit with township chants and emotive chords.
Mr 'monkz himself handles B1, and to say this guy's on a roll would be something of an understatement! Much like Graef and Co, 'imgettintiredofyou' is Deep House that dines out on a diet of Hip Hop, dirty hertz in the low registers and deftly manipulated sample work throughout - killer stuff! Finally our truly global selection winds up in Moscow as another hotly tipped up-and-comer Lay-Far gives us 'Many-Sided'. Fans of last year's excellent EP on Fifty Fathoms Deep will know what to expect. Again, a loosely pieced together cut, hinting at West London vibes,and shot through with creative sampling and an undeniable ear for melody and groove that really shines.

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Following their seriously strong debut release from rising talent & label mastermind THAT MAN MONKZ We have an absolutely superb duo of reworks (and dubs) from the man himself & Chicago polymath Khalil Anthony, an author, musician and celebrated collaborator in theatre productions, including emmy award winning broadband series entitled, itsallinyourhands.com. As well as penning and performing on two acclaimed LP's, his writing can also be seen in Marc Bamuthi Josephs highly acclaimed hip-hop theatre production, Word Becomes Flesh. Khalil Anthony has toured for the last three years with the Living Word Project, and Word Becomes Flesh and also serves as the Educational Director for the tour. This long distance collaboration offers us a totally unique and seriously fresh project for Shadeleaf Music. Needed You Bad taken from his latest LP 'Train', fuses blues samples, a raw, spoken word / sung hymn to yearning & that, by now trademark roughed up & heavy duty T.M.M MPC rhythm work. For the dub, we get an irresistible rump-shaker with a killer KDJesque bassline, custom made to make you move ! On the flip Shelter delves into the worldly vibes of Osunlade, as the mesmerising jazz elements and unique vocals once again combine to conjur up a deadly voodoo funk-out. Again, the dub stripes back those key elements to their raw essence and deftly works the groove in the time honoured tradition of the legendary NY club space of the same name - strictly for the foot-working crew !

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