Review: Cosmic disco legend Daniele Baldelli is enjoying recognition these days like never before, and now he's back alongside Marco Fratty with his first album in five years. As you would expect from something with Baldelli's magic touch, there's a warm '70s flavour to the music on offer here, but it's also rendered in pristine modern production quality. Particular highlights across this two disc set include the sweet flute-riffing of "Jasmine Flavour" and the freaky vocoder trip outs of "Slinky Funk", but truthfully the bar remains high throughout this impeccably executed slice of spaced-out disco business.
The Main Thing Is To Keep The Main Thing The Main Thing
Yonders
Supreme Alchemy
Freequency (with Black Thought)
No Fear Of Time (with Yummy Bingham)
Review: No Fear of Time, the long-awaited sophomore album from the legendary hip-hop duo Black Star, is finally available in physical formats, including a stunning gatefold LP. After a digital-only debut in 2022, this release celebrates the dynamic collaboration between yasiin bey and Talib Kweli, who first captured hearts with their iconic 1998 album. Produced by Madlib, No Fear of Time showcases the duo's evolved artistry, recorded in diverse locations worldwide, including hotel rooms and backstage at Dave Chappelle's shows. The album's unique style flows seamlessly, with tracks like 'So be it' and 'Sweetheart. Sweethard. Sweetodd', igniting old-school vibes while addressing contemporary issues with sharp wit. With their powerful reunion, Black Star reaffirms their influential status in hip-hop, reminding listeners of the genre's rich cultural depth.
Giorgio Tuma - "Through Your Hands Love Can Shine" (with Laetitia Sadier) (4:11)
Superimposers - "Seeing Is Believing" (4:05)
Cecilio & Kapano - "Someday" (3:35)
Teacher - "Can't Step Twice On The Same Piece Of Water" (6:19)
Kalima - "Shine" (Vibrazonic dub mix) (8:57)
The Haggis Horns - "The Traveller" (part 2) (8:25)
Review: A quarter of a century has passed since Jason Boardman and Moonboots threw their first 'anything goes' Balearic Sunday session. Aficionado, as the event became known, is now an institution in Manchester, making this celebratory compilation a special one. It boasts two previously unreleased cuts - J-Walk's sparkling 'Cool Bright Northern Morning' and a deep Begin remix of 'Alaska' by Canyons - with the rest of the 16-track set being made up of records that "mean a lot" to the two DJs and their audience. The selections are simply sublime, with our current picks of a very strong bunch including the neo-acoustic brilliance of Stanley Clarke's 'Desert Song', the turn-of-the-Millennium nu-Balearic excellence of Mudd's 'Summer in the Wood', and the baggy 'global beat' fun of 'Can't Step Twice (On The Same Piece of Water)(New Version)' by Teachers.
Review: Following mesmerising Marseilles mutations from the likes of Syqulone, Kabylie Minogue and Lisa More, Cain ? Muchi return to Gros:Oeuvre with their remarkable debut album. A heady tagine of grime, beats, techno, global bass and contemporary electronica with a title that either refers to famed Moroccan popstar or, far more likely, relates to meaning as 'universe', Dounia is a beguiling clash of western electronics and eastern bars, lyrics, and vocal harmonies. Fractured and macabre throughout from the distorted hardcore bass highs of 'J'wadi' to disarming vocal cries of 'Majdouba' this post grime, pre apocalypse opus is a trip from edge to edge.
Review: Curren$y and MonstaBeatz reunite for their second full-length collaboration here in the wake of years of joint projects. Both are New Orleans natives and the Jet Life rapper and producer duo first made waves with their 2009 debut, This Ain't No Mixtape. New record Radioactive delivers 12 fresh tracks that speak of great chemistry and subtle sonic evolution. The album features guest appearances from Jay Worthy, Fiend and DeeLow Diamond Man all of whom add their own dynamic energy. These tunes have a blend of smooth production and sharp lyricism that once again restarts the artists behind it as some of the most consistent collaborations in modern hip-hop.
Czarwyn's Theory Of People Getting Loose (feat Kendra Morris) (3:19)
Mando Calrissian (2:14)
Doom Unto Others (2:46)
Jason & The Czargonaut (feat Del The Funky Homosapien) (3:50)
Break In The Action (2:31)
A Name To The Face (1:49)
This Is Canon Now (2:06)
So Strange (feat Godforbid Of THD) (2:31)
Young World (3:16)
Review: CZARFACE & MF DOOM's newest team-up record Super What? is an all powerful outing. Doom's famous wordy wizard is unleashed with wicket wordplay tying your mind in lots for the first to the last beat. CZARFACE's production (with help from Wu-Tang Clan's Inspectah Deck and Esoteric) is on point, with golden age beats, cosmic thrills and spills and killer bars all lock-in you in.
Review: When asked in a 2023 interview why he hadn't contributed any production work to long-time collaborator Future's 2022 ninth full-length I Never Liked You, tireless hip-hop producer Metro Boomin revealed that he was aiming to save his beats for a potential collaborative album, which now appears to have been the plan all along. Marrying the aquatic, lysergic production style Boomin has helped to majorly popularise with Future's hazy, xanned out delivery, the duo deliver a trap opus weaving the most accessible and underground facets of the genre into one malleable set of fluid bangers, while the guest feature section boasts a who's-who of modern day hip-hop acts such as The Weeknd, Rick Ross, Playboi Carti, Travis Scott and Kendrick Lamar. The project also would eventually be retconned as part one in their ongoing collaboration series with the follow up to We Still Don't Trust you dropping only three weeks later.
Review: Contemporary American stars rapper Future and record producer Metro Boomin make for a great combination, as they proved with their debut collaboration. We Still Don't Trust You is their second such work and is an even more impressive work with guest appearances from the likes of the Weeknd, Chris Brown, Brownstone, Ty Dolla Sign, J. Cole, Lil Baby, and ASAP Rocky. It's a double album with the first half being r&b-centric while disc two leans more into hip hop- and trap-focused beats with plenty of memorable tracks.
Review: Future and Metro Boomin's double-disc sequel, We Still Don't Trust You, is a revitalised exploration of their dynamic, pushing familiar ground into brighter and sappier spaces. Future swings between flexing his status and indulging in tear-soaked reflections, notably in tracks like 'One Big Family' and 'Mile High Memories.' Metro Boomin balances his brooding, maximalist beats with polished, r&b-inflected production, as heard on the synth-pop title track and the smooth 'All to Myself.' While the album is nearly 30 minutes more than its predecessor, Future and Metro shine when they venture out of their comfort zones, making the music both prettiest and nastiest. Standout moments, such as Kendrick Lamar's verse on 'Like That,' inject a sense of animosity and excitement. Overall, We Still Don't Trust You is an adventurous AAA rap album, focusing on heartbreak more than feuds.
Review: Five years after their collaborative debut, Madlib and Freddie Gibbs reconvene for a follow up that goes even deeper. Madlib is of course a celebrated producer who has worked with some of the best in the game, and Gibbs is a raw street rapper, so it is the differences as much as the similarities between the two that make this such a compelling listen. At times complex and challenging, at others effortless and charming, it's an album stuffed with a myriad of different sounds, styles and references that is hard to categorise but easy to admire.
Review: Freddie Gibbs and Madlib's hard hitting sophomore album Bandana has proven a real hit over the last five months. Now though, many fans get what they have been waiting for; an instrumental version that pairs things back to the essential beats. It makes for a record that covers plenty of grind - from sunny day and feel good instrumentals to much rawer, harder hitting beast that arm with attitude even without the explicit vocal deliveries. Plenty of the soulful samples remain in situ to help colour things and make this such a characterful record.
Review: Originally released in 1998, Mixmaster Morris & Jonah Sharp's Quiet Logic surprisingly flew under the radar when it came out.- perhaps because of the huge amount of electronic music being released at the time. The pair have some of the most important albums and tracks in their respected genres and are arguably two of the most important figures in the electronic music chill out scene from the 90s, and when you add the input of Haruomi Hosono from Yellow Magic Orchestra on two tracks, it becomes an even more essential listen. Chill out heads unite!
Review: The latest addition to Night Dreamer's series, Direct To Disk Sessions, sees Turkish downtempo specialist, Islandman, iconic percussionist and Don Cherry collaborator, Okay Temiz and contemporary saz player Muhlis Berbero?lu joining forces for the very first time. Recorded in just one take, the session captures a one-off melding of the trio's distinct styles. Islandman's signature balearic sound gives new force to Temiz's fiery percussion, reframing Berbero?lu's Anadolu folk influences into a distinctly dance-ready sound. Stand out track 'Fidayda' eases us into the trio's expertly improvised soundworld with an alluring, oscillating saz riff. When Temiz's percussion enters the mix, it arrives with a controlled unpredictability capable of leaving listeners in a trance. While Islandman's production subtly centres the piece, mapping out a pathway from which the organic instrumentation can unfurl. Future-folktronica at its very best
Review: This Record Store Blanc Friday, US label Madlib Invasion serves up a CD version of this most classic of albums from Jackson Conti aka the one and only beat making behemoth Madlib with Mamao. Sujinho landed in 2008 and since then has often been heralded as one of the best few projects Madlib has ever been involved with. It is a smooth fusion of hip hop, jazz, Latin and soul that, on vinyl, has fetched eye watering high prices until now. A new reissue has landed on wax as well as this CD.
Review: Madlib and Karriem Riggins are Jahari Massamba Unit. What started out as a friendship became a collaboration between two guides that push the boundaries of modern music. 'Yhwh Is Love' is their latest full length that has many excited about their joining. 'Stomping Gamay' for example, shows off their flare of fusing a new direction by linking the past. We have yet to hear of a Jamaican jazz fusion labeled genre but this would be the bookmark for the example. 'Massamba Afundance' includes a more Latin flare to things including some light Rumba influences. There is certainly a Big Band flavor attack on many of these programs. The result of the union Jahari Massamba Unit is plenty of upbeat measures in taking fusion and urban music to a higher level. This LP is sure to transcend cultural backgrounds.
Next Levels (feat Lil' Sci, ID 4 Winds & Stahhr) (3:50)
No Snakes Alive (feat Jet-Jaguar & Rodan) (3:35)
Anti-Matter (feat MF DOOM & Mr Fantastik) (3:44)
Take Me To Your Leader (1:46)
Lockjaw (feat Trunks) (1:13)
I Wonder (feat Hassan Chop) (3:40)
One Smart Nigger (2:31)
The Fine Print (4:38)
Anti-Matter (feat MF Doom & Mr Fantastik) (3:32)
I Wonder (feat Hassan Chop) (3:43)
Review: Underground hip-hop legend MF Doom passed away in 2020, leaving behind an undeniable legacy as the once-bearer of hip-hop's most-legit shadow crown. He wasn't the the king of anything by popular vote, but he certainly was sovereign over a rare kind of flow quality, especially adored by food lovers. Still few knew of Doom's King Geedorah alias, which served as one of his earliest monikers while part of the underground crew Monsta Island Czars. Geedorah's inspirations from old comic books and giant monster / slasher movies first cropped up on Take Me To Your Leader, a tone which would be set for years to come in later Doom material. The instrumentals are just as jaggedy and experimental, and form the perfect basis for the Ninja Tune reissue we have before us now.
Review: Talib Kweli and Madlib are two of the biggest names in hip-hop, one a mic man with exceptional skills the other a beat maker like no other. They first worked tother in 2006 on a joint project and thankfully they now reunite for the highly-anticipated follow-up, Liberation 2. This is an album that is as expansive lyrically and with its themes as it is musically. As you would expect form this pari of heavyweights, the album is defined by thought-provoking lyricism and raw soundscapes that explore revolution, love, pan-Africanism, music, spirituality, and more with plenty of jazz-tinged instrumentals and guest spots from Q-Tip, Westside Gunn, Roc Marciano, Roy Ayers, Goapele, Wildchild, Pink Siifu and more.
Review: Talib Kweli and Madlib, two hip-hop heavyweights, have reunited for the highly anticipated Liberation 2, an expansive album exploring themes of revolution, love, and pan-Africanism, all set against Madlib's jazz-infused productions. Featuring collaborations with Q-Tip, Westside Gunn, and Mac Miller, the album is a global call for unity. Its thought-provoking lyrics and raw soundscapes showcase Kweli's enduring influence and Madlib's production prowess, paying homage to the genre's roots while pushing its boundaries. This album has been on many people's list as a potential hip-hop album of the year and we won't be at all surprised if that's where it ends up.
Die In California (feat Gunna & Young Thug) (3:12)
Sid & Nancy (3:06)
Twin Flame (3:56)
More Than Life (feat Glaive) (3:24)
Review: Rock dynamo Machine Gun Kelly has been busy of late. After a well received album in 2020 he is now back with another one, Mainstream Sellout, which is his sixth in all and is full of just as many big riffs. As always these are short put potent tunes and this is the second collaborative record he has made with drummer and producer Travis Barker. The record has plenty of pent up angst that fans old and new will feed off and plenty of entertainig lyrics.
Review: American musician Machine Gun Kelly made quite the about turn on his fifth studio album, released in September of 2020. In a grand depart from his usual style, he ditched his rap sound in favour of a guitar-driven pop punk style that is primed for emo teenagers. Famous for his motor mouth flow, Kelly switches it up for big anthemic verses. Most of the songs clock in under three minutes, come with simple but effective three-chord melodies, huge hooks and tender breakdowns that sound like late but natural air to Blink-182.
Review: Travis Stewart, better known by his stage name Machine Drum, is an American electronic music producer who has been pushing the boundaries of drum and bass for over two decades now. Stewart's unique approach to rhythm and sound design has earned him a cult following among discerning music enthusiasts. Machine Drum's latest album, 3for82, is a testament to his minimalist aesthetic. Released on the respected Ninja Tune label, the album marks Stewart's return after a four-year hiatus. 3for82 showcases Machine Drum's signature blend of intricate drum patterns, atmospheric textures, and sparse melodies. The album features an eclectic mix of vocal artists, each contributing their own unique flavor to Stewart's sonic tapestry. From the catchy vocals of Tinashe on 'Zoom' to the slick style of rapper Deem Spencer on 'blessed', 3for82 is a testament to Stewart's collaborative spirit. Stewart's attention to detail is clear in every layer of the album, from the subtle shifts in rhythm to the evocative sound design. The result is a hypnotic and immersive experience that energizes the listener to an album full of memorable music. With 3for82, Machine Drum once again proves himself to be a master of his craft.
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