Review: Recorded during the final year of her life, this posthumous release finds Marianne Faithfull looking both backwards and forwards - reconciling the weight of legacy with the intimacy of reflection. Across these four new tracks, she honours the dual foundations of her 60-year career: chamber pop and traditional British folk. 'Burning Moonlight', co-produced with long-time collaborator Head, echoes the melancholic grandeur of 'As Tears Go By', while 'Love Is (Head version)', written with her grandson Oscar Dunbar, floats with tender defiance. The flip side turns to lineage and tradition: 'Three Kinsmen Bold' is stark and ancestral, passed down from her father and 'She Moved Thru' The Fair' is sparse, aching, and spectral. Faithfull was born in Hampstead and came of age in 60s London, and here, on what is now her final release, she returns to the very start - not out of nostalgia, but with grace and resolve. It's the completion of a circle, yes, but it still leaves a faint line trailing off into the air.
Review: Originally released in 1979, this is a highly sought-after gem due a reissue to bring its soulful, classic charms back into the spotlight, complete with the original B-side. The opening track, 'Hollywood Dreaming', is a smooth, catchy piece that expertly blends a funky rhythm with a rich horn section and excellent vocals. The infectious melody and creative arrangement make it a standout in the band's catalog. It's a track that embodies the essence of late '70s soul and funk while still feeling fresh and timeless. 'Shine On' delivers a late-night disco groove, heavily influenced by the genre's rise during the era. Its funky bassline and smooth rhythm provide a perfect soundtrack for dancefloors and intimate settings alike. The track oozes with soulful energy, showcasing the band's ability to seamlessly merge funk and disco influences into a cohesive sound. Father's Children, formed in Washington, D.C., originally as a doo-wop group, evolved into a funk and soul powerhouse by the late 70s. It is certainly bittersweet to hold this piece of music in your hand - and especially without having to take out a second mortgage.
Review: The connection between ZamZam and Feel Free Hi Fi was sparked by Bristolian Neek out in Portland and lead to an immediate bond forged over a shared sound and DIY ethos. Inspired by early digi-era dancehall and UK dub, the duo crafts a sound here that honours tradition while venturing into bold, idiosyncratic territory. It comes on their own Digital Sting label and opens with 'Voyageur' which is a mix of cinematic atmospherics with haunting synths that evoke wild and mythic landscapes. 'Underground' pays tribute to the spirit of DIY underground music and captures the struggle to preserve both nature and the essence of basement gigs in today's shifting cultural landscape.
Review: This Record Store Day, Fo’ Clips Eclipse’s 1995 G-funk gem 'Just Be Thankful' resurfaces with a limited-edition 7-inch pressing on blue vinyl - the first time that the title cut and 'Can You Feel Me' have been on wax in some 30 years. Originally produced by Compton legend Tweedy Bird Loc, they blend smooth synths, soulful hooks and streetwise lyricism that epitomises the West Coast sound. 'Be Thankful' notably samples William DeVaughn’s 1974 classic to add a nostalgic touch and confirm the tune as a real bit of cult classic hip-hop history that remains influential decades later.
Review: The Treasure team keeps up the momentum of its early release with another fruitful dive into the annals of house history. This time, they have dug up more nuggets from FR and have refined them for contemporary floors. 'ET Is Coming Home' (vocal) is a slow and dubby cut with percolating live bass and muted horns next to some Ubiquity style vocal soul. The instrumental allows the superbly loose-limbed and live drums room to really shine, and then comes an epic, 10-minute-plus jazz-drenched house odyssey that's alive with swirling cosmic radiance and busy chords and synths. A real trip for proper music heads.
Review: The Loneliest Punk was Fatlip's debut solo album and was originally released in 2005. It now returns on vinyl as it has remained a cult classic that captures the Pharcyde MC at his most raw and introspective. Produced by J-Swift of Bizarre Ride II and Squeak E. Clean, the album fuses quirky hip-hop drum patterns with sharp lyricism and features standout collaborations with Chali 2na from Jurassic 5 and the late Shock G aka Humpty Hump. Long out of print, this latest reissue revives a hidden gem of underground hip-hop that deserves as much spotlight as it gets.
Review: Vincent Lemieux and Guillaume Coutu Dumont are the producers who combine as Flabbergast and now they unveil their full-length debut, Consolation in Constellation. As you would expect from those two artists, it is a boundary-pushing journey through sound that is rooted in improvisation, classical training and deep electronic exploration. The album fuses jazz, acid house, breakbeatand cosmic textures into a seamless exploration that adds up to a sonic constellation-carefully composed, yet full of spontaneity. 'Binary Star' is like IDM, minimal and electro all distilled into a siren new sound, 'Orion Belt' is rich in pixel thin pads and glinting chords and 'Phaser' is a slithering, high speed electro workout from another world and with a playful charm despite its highbrow design.
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