gypsy soul

Every now and then I come across a track in an unexpected place which goes straight into heavy rotation, quickly evolving into a classic which defines a period in my life. This track by Tommy Bolin off his 'Private Eyes' album sounds like something Batteux wrote and is an anomaly on the record, nothing else on 'Private' sounds like it, even if there are a few other tracks worth a look in. Two thirds of the way in 'Gypsy Soul' steps into double time transforming into a breezy Latin beauty, the first slab of the track is all dreamy, sweet, Balearic Folk, and slo mo beats. I have been sitting on this record for years and had not heard any of it until a few weeks back, now it lives in the Music for Life section of my collection. Anyone heard this before? Anyone out there playing it? Sooo good!!

Tommy Bolin - Gyspy Soul

sad ghost remixes the groovers...

Spanish Deep House label PackUpandDance have a new EP from The Groovers going up on Junodownload in the next few days. The Groovers are of course Finn Campbell-Notman (aka Finness from Imperial Dub Records) and Steve Ferrand (Your Only Friend), their focus with the project has been to create a unique sound build on a range of influences but centring in on well crafted grooves of various tempo's. I love their tracks, filled as they are with a similar kind of concentrated sunhine that you'll find on early Imperial Dub records, but there is also a more eclectic and experimental approach. 'Chicken Noodle' is a slow house cruise with intricate flourishes and key jams, perfect for your best summer swagger. The package also contains a handful of mixes from Satoshi Fumi, The Groovenauts and Sad Ghost. If you've been paying attention you already know Sad Ghost from these pages and since I'm not likely to write much more about him and his music, I'd like to give you the chance to hear this his latest remix of the very cool 'Chicken Noodles' original from The Groovers. Check Junodownload, support this release and turn it way up!!! (sleazybeats review)

the groovers - chicken noodle (sad ghost remix) by chris keys

it looks like love again

If there is one track that has seen a great deal of previous edit, sample and remix action it's Vincent Montana aka Goody Goody's 'It Looks Like Love'. Some of those reworks are excellent, hence I would have thought it untouchable or even overworked. Disco Deviance's Nocturnal Music clearly felt differently and it seems they've come up with an ultra fresh refresh of this ubiquitous classic, which is as good as anything else the label has put out and gets serious props from Greg Wilson amongst others. On the flipside of their newest 12" for DD, Nocturnal take on Convertion's Vanguard single 'Sweet Thing' and come up with a very nice 'conversion' for modern dance floors. Class action both sides then and in particular the renamed 'southern nights' will conquer even the most ardent edit weary bruiser...

Southern Nights (Nocturnal edit) PREVIEW by nocturnal music

Press Play #39 - Jdisco

LA's Jdisco is our latest Press Play guest and once again I am thoroughly delighted to have such an amazing talent joining the ranks of what is surely one of the best mix series' on the net. Yeah yeah, it's ok if I blow my own trumpet every once in awhile. Of course you're probably already aware of the man's rather infrequent but also stellar releases through his own Topshelf Records (home to four killer 12"s) as well as his latest 12", a Topshelf Records sampler which also features the very talented Rayko and an incredible edit from Bottoms Up aka Phoreski  (If you're not aware of it, you need this in your collection, go and check it out).

So Jdisco's selection is superb and far out in ways I find difficult to describe. It's Disco, but not as we know it Jim. There's a little Electro Space Cowboy Funk Rock Disco mixed in with some Middle Eastern glitterball Bluegrass or something along those lines, you tell me... Thankyou so much to another man in LA who hooked this up for me and a huge thanks to Jdisco himself for bringing this truly delicious and very special ride to anoe. Please go listen to the latest Topshelf 12" then hunt it down and in the meantime grab this once in a lifetime groover now!!!

Press Play #39 - Jdisco - Feeling Breezy

fez

In 1977 Lafayette Afro Rock Band reverted back to one of their original names as Ice, they had moved to Paris in the early 70's to find a new market of Funk lovers. By '77 they had already recorded the incredibly cool 'Malik' & 'Soul Makossa' albums and had evolved somewhat with further dabbling in Disco, Afro beats and Soul. Their album 'Seven Americans In Paris' as Ice, would precede the members of the multi talented group's return to the States; it's a fantastic album with tons of groove and attitude. It also contains a superb cover version Steely Dan's 'The Fez' which has been smoking on my radio all day.. Fez for Thursday...

Ice - The Fez

panorama suite

So about two months back I featured a Max Essa track here on a.n.o.e., you'll surely have bought the really tasty, early house sounding Yuki Suzuki item on Jansen Jardin Music by now? Here's another one by the Balearic master to add to your bag; Is It Balearic? have just released 'Panorama Suite', a very deep and heady 20 minute ride by Max, which just about takes the cake (?) when it comes to island style beachy beats. Slow drifting layer upon layer of lush guitars and sweet keys, electronic pulses and airy breaks combine beautifully into this epic and evolving suite; Sounding at moments like Steve Windwood, other times like Vangelis, even Cocteau Twins (without the vocals), 'PS' draws on a long history of dreamy beach music, but once again creates a magic which is simply and uniquely Essa. On the flip side you get the blissful Boogie track 'Uptown Vibration', a late nite driving, mid tempo, big city soundtrack to the good life. Plus the very Mark Seven gives it a lil' dubby re-rub for your extra pleasure. Dont mess about, this is destined for hugeness...

redux blog

Just a quick note to tell you all that Redux Records now have their own blog, these guys make great records (as you already know) and this is their new home for um.. news, mixes, things of interest and all kinds of freebies. Coming up this week sometime are a bunch of free give away edits from their stellar artist Fernando. Fernando is responsible for that insanely good Bauhaus remake from a year or so back and there is a new mix of his up too.. essential bookmarking!
 

floating world

OK I think this might be the final 'crate diggers weekend' track; Jade Warrior's 1974 LP 'Floating World' is one of a few of their albums which are worth owning, and there are a number of good tracks across a few of their others. The record has one very annoying, though not uninteresting, guitar heavy track, but for the rest you get some pretty beautiful, interconnecting shades of experimental Japan seen through the minds of these 70's 'n 80's expats in the UK. 'Mountain Of Fruit and Flowers' is off the B side (though all the tracks connect), and it's one of my favourites on the LP. Check it out... I hope you've enjoyed the weekend selection, I'll do another soon if ya like...

Jade Warrior - Mountain Of Fruit and Flowers

dancing to the music?

Philadelphia born and raised sax player Benny Golson's 1978 album 'I'm Always Dancing To The Music' is one to find, though I believe it ain't so easy. The album is jammed with delicious soulful Disco & Funk sounds; the title track was put out on 12" (an item I'd love to own) at the same time, though it too seems pretty hard to get hold of (I'd love to hear it if you have a copy). Spring is definitely in the air out here and this lush stepper has exactly the right groove for a day like this... happy Women's day SA..

Benny Golson - I'm Always Dancing To The Music

renaissance

Here's another gem I grabbed from my mom's excellent vinyl collection (I have the entire collection now), which I first heard as a kid over one of my folks marathon weekend music sessions. Jean-Luc Ponty's 1976 'Aurora' album for Atlantic has only the one dud on the entire record, but 'Renaissance' is probably the stand out track. I'm not sure if any of the original Cosmo Balearo scene we're playing this but more recently the track re-appeared on Ray Mang's excellent Press Play mix for anoe. The production is unbelievable, the track deftly pulls at those sensitive, nostalgia dripping, heart strings and it's more Balearic than real island beach sand. 

Jean-Luc Ponty - Renaissance

magic music

I defy anyone not to feel the life affirming, uplifting joy of Milton Wright's 'Magic Music'. Taken from his seriously decent 1977 album 'Spaced', 'Music' is everything that's great about Soul. Drop this at your next bbq or block party and see the love connect across your world. Jazzman re-issued this LP last year, it's jammed with top class Disco, Funk and Soul of the highest order, so hunt it down if ya aint got it...words cant say enough...

Milton Wright - Magic Music

elements

Continuing with our little 'crate digging only' weekend (and it's a long weekend here in SA, so I'll be here on Monday too), I was fiddling around on the shelves a minute ago and found Roger Glover's 'Elements' album and thought you need to hear at least one of the tracks on the B side, if you havent before. It's a shocker if you think this man was the lead singer and bass player for Deep Purple a few years before he recorded this fantastic free-form record. It took me awhile to get into the A side, but anything on the flip is wondrous. 'The Fourth Ring With The Wind' is perhaps my favourite. The album is reportedly quiet hard to find, but I've seen a few copies on Discogs and elsewhere for reasonable cash, so it cant be that hard, it is quiet special! (I got mine from me mums collection). Travelogue Bliss!

Roger Glover - The Fourth Ring With The Wind

Gioiello

This one's about as special as it gets... Composer Fabio Fabor aka Fabio Borgazzi worked mainly in the 70's on quiet a few Soundtracks and Library albums. If you can find his album 'Aquarium' on the Italian Hard label, then grab it, though some Cosmic/Library online collectors will let you have it for a small fortune. The opening two tracks are absolutely superb and you'll find 'Gioiello', the second of the two is a tropical, submerged synth heavy, blissed-out, shimmering diamond, with just a smattering of Carl Craig'esque keyboard magic! Check it if you dont believe me...

Fabio Fabor - Gioiello

it aint easy

It's a crate digging weekend here on anoe, zero new tracks. I have a few items i been wanting to post for awhile, so here goes....

Ofege have been up here before, this 70's Lagos band of kids earned themselves the reputation as 'Nigeria’s most outstanding school boy band of all time', it's no hype either. Their four albums are full of amazing, funky and very deep Afro tunes. They were inspired the mighty Blo, Ofo & The Black Company and Monomono, all names you should know if you dig Nigerian beats from the 70's. I've been a little on the blue side lately, the emotional depth of 'Its Not Easy' truly blows my mind; these guys know the trouble i seen. The track comes from their first album 'Try And Love', an absolutely essential album to have in whatever form you can get it. It has been officially repressed so there is no reason not to go for gold...

Ofege - It's Not Easy

el harvo adriatic love affair

So I'm highlighting some stuff off Soundcloud alongside the usual content up here at the moment, just in case you missed a few of the real goodies. Dave Harvey of Futureboogie (that top class bunch of party heads down in Brighton), has a mix up on the Cloud which already got the attention of RA (mix of the week I think) and a load of beat crazed listeners/ downloaders; As you'd expect it's all sunshine, beach sand and underground beats.. dont miss it! 

El Harvo - Adriatic Love Affair - July 2010 by El Harvo - Futureboogie

1. Arthur Russell - How We Walk On The Moon (Youth Return To Base Edit)
2. Bubble Club - Violet Morning Moon (Dr Dunks Mix)
3. Soul Clap - Action Satisfaction
4. Donna Allen - Serious (Ron Basejam Edit)
5. Azari + 111 - Reckless With Your Love (Tensnake Mix)
6. Ilija Rudman - Time + Time
7. BlackLodge + Alkalino - Breakin Bad
8. Nassau - Blackout (Nassau Rekutt)
9. Lovebirds - ? - (Hot Toddy Mix)
10. Solomun - Cloud Dancer (Manuel Tur's Symhonic Mix)
11. Mousse T - ? - (Hot Toddy Mix)
12. Shonky - Maraboutage
13. INXS - Need You Tonight(Geddes + Ashken Re Edit)

maintain

Edit man Sloppy Seconds was born in Hawaii surrounded by fields of pineapples, whether this has something to do with his top scalpel skills or not is still under investigation. Time spend in San Francisco and Chicago will, however,  have undoubtedly played its necessary part. Now living in Australia Kevin 'Kenny Conga' Koga has been responsible for a handful of 'download only' releases through his Sloppy Seconds label (there is the promise of vinyl in the future too), check here on Juno for the full catalogue. His 'art of the rehash' modus operandi runs right through to the label logo; Kenny feels 'edits' embody the essence of dj'ing, but he'd like to see them reach a wider audience too. Anyway I think you're pretty lucky to be getting this as yet unreleased bomb from him, it's a dynamite re-fix of Steve Marshall and Touch's 1978 primo single 'Maintain' (which was re-issued last year by Dopebrother Records). Keep an eye on Kenny's blog also called Sloppy Seconds and grab the tune!

Steve Marshall & Touch - Maintain (Sloppy Seconds Re-Edit)

Bradberry Turning Loose!!

Bonar Bradberry is undoubtedly one of anoe's favourite current producers, there is always at least one track on his releases which go straight into my dj'ing box, often more. Phonica writes of his new 12" on the ex Jiscomusic's Under The Shade, "While not the most prolific of producers, Bonar Bradberry surely knows a thing or two about how to work the dancefloor." While the latter part of the statement is spot on, the former simply is not; as one half of PBR Streetgang, as well as the unidentified man behind a couple of secret monikers, Bonar is one of the hardest working new talents on the scene, though oddly his Discoid 'Raum Strasse'/ 'Turning Loose' 12" for Under The Shade is his first solo release on a UK label. The fact that each of Bonar's dynamite originals come with superb remixes from Ray Mang and Ron Basejam only adds to this EP's appeal. Check out the steaming, Disco workin', Ron Basejam remix of 'Turning Loose' below for serious n soulful dancing and go spend money. Bomb! 



Oh and do yourself a favour and grab Bonar's promo mix for the release on soundcloud...

BonarBradberryShadyMixJuly by bonar

kamili

It's Sunday, the sun is out and I couldn't resist posting a little Jazz in the form of the very lush, super island driving and extremely beautiful 'Kamili' from Don Cherry & Herbie Hancock's 1975 gem of an album 'Kawaida'. The album has at least 3 Gilles Peterson friendly, atmospheric beauties on it, it features some serious heads like Mtume and is perfect for a day like this. In a league of their own...

Herbie Hancock & Don Cherry - Kamili