From its humble beginnings in 2001, the Brooklyn label Bastard Jazz Recordings has trailblazed a unique path in the world of independent record labels. Appealing to both DJs and music fans from all walks of life, BJR has become known for its eclectic sound & community of global artists from Mumbai to Napoli, New York to Kinshasha, who touch on everything from funk to hip-hop, house music to forward thinking beats, soul to jazz and international sounds, along with its unrelenting commitment to the vinyl medium. This November, the label will be celebrating 20 years of operation in various incarnations and are releasing a special compilation and a DJ friendly 4xLP titled ’20 Years of Bastard Jazz’ filled with brand new cuts from its current roster, plus a selection of catalog material, some of it classic, some of it overlooked, and some of it unpressed. 

Highlights from the compilation include Australian outfit The Goods, who team up with Steve Spacek (famously of the eponymous British band) on the spacey future soul banger, “FEELS 4 U,” while label stalwarts Potatohead People (who recently teamed up with both De La Soul, Jazzy Jeff, and Kaidi Tatham as well as a host of others on their new album) deliver “Bonzai View,” with its live instrumentation & technical prowess fused with a head-nodding boom-bap beat the group has become known for. Pittsburgh producer Buscrates delivers “Spotlight,” a slinky modern funk / boogie production, while brand new signing POSY gives us “Amai,” a delicate beat construction with gorgeous strings, horns and live bass weaving in and out. 

Notable past catalog on the compilation include LA producer Captain Planet’s classic “Un Poquito Mas” featuring Chico Mann (Antibalas, Here Lies Man) which is still being sung along to in clubs worldwide from Mexico City to Berlin 7 years later, and the airy, indie dance vibes of Manatee Commune’s “Majestic Diver.” Los Angeles producer and talkbox wizard B. Bravo’s “Can’t Keep My Hands Off You” featuring Reva Devito goes into more sultry territory, while Rumtum’s “Tropic Air” gives us a fresh splash of wobbly tape synth and relaxed lo-fi drums. Of course, the club is not left out and the catalog includes dancefloor ready remixes from friends of the label like Jimpster, DJ Spinna, Jacques Renault, and the red hot up & coming Brooklyn duo musclecars. 

Bastard Jazz started early as so many nascent DJ-oriented imprints come into existence, as founder & president Aaron Schultz just barely out of his teenage years was beginning to find his footing as a DJ in Brooklyn, New York. Culling together a small group of artists early on, the label ran as a side project for many years, releasing a handful of records per year. Following a reorganization & renewed commitment in 2014, the label has experienced exponential growth while moving from a DJ oriented standpoint to an artist focused organization that thrives on signing and nurturing new talent and new sounds, while maintaining a concurrent sonic thread in its music. POC owned with a majority POC artist stable, Bastard Jazz’s story is the slow build of a real indie label with a diverse sound & roster from the ground up, through trial and error, listening, learning, and adapting to the times without becoming jaded or losing its original vision. 20 years on, it’s still here & stronger than ever.

Captain Planet - Hammock Dreams

"I Want to Die" 2021/11/5
A simple tribute to Marc Rebillet work, all credits are for him, the tall man, the Loop Daddy

Marc Rebillet - I Want to Die

"I Know You Are but What Am I ?" 2017/11/8
A simple tribute to Marc Rebillet work, all credits are for him, the tall man, the Loop Daddy

Marc Rebillet - I Know You Are but What Am I ?

"How Much Is Too Little" 2017/12/1
A simple tribute to Marc Rebillet work, all credits are for him, the tall man, the Loop Daddy

Marc Rebillet - How Much Is Too Little

"Marc" 
A simple tribute to Marc Rebillet work, all credits are for him, the tall man, the Loop Daddy

Marc Rebillet - Marc

jUsT KeeP WaTcHiNg- tAtE McRae

Step in silence, sharp design
Clock is ticking, all aligned

Glass reflections
Every second cuts 
Tailored rhythm
Agenda written 

Fashion agenda, 
Skin like fabric, 
Fashion agenda, 
Beauty in order, 

Breath of motion
Every gesture
Crystal tempo
Agenda folded

Fashion agenda,
Steps are geometry
Fashion agenda,
Truth in precision

Minutes falling, sharp and slow
Every detail takes control

Step in silence, sharp design
Clock is ticking, all aligned

Fashion Agenda

Marc Rebillet - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Marc Rebillet - FUNK EMERGENCY

Souleance, c'est le duo composé de Fulgeance (Musique Large / MPM) et de DJ Soulist (What the Funk). Depuis la sortie de leur premier EP, Le Monde, en 2009, ils se sont forgés une solide réputation en se réappropriant de manière très personnelle rythmes soul et electro. Comptant parmi leurs fans, Gilles Peterson, Danny Breaks ou Mr Thing, leur premier album, La Belle Vie, a couronné 3 ans de beat-making et de concerts.
Alors que d'autres producteurs se seraient reposés sur leurs lauriers après un premier album, Souleance est retourné rapidement en studio produire La Beat Tape. La variété des styles de cette beat tape est la clef et Souleance ne déçoit pas.
On y retrouve des musiques turques traditionnelles ("Sauce Samurai"), un orgue Hammond funk ("L'Insouleance"), des extraits de western hallucinés ("Tout Doux"), du jazz trouble ("Kipseli Street Interlude"), des rythmes fantômes ("Strongest love"), des mélodies hip-hop cuivrées flamboyantes ("Como Estan Bitches"), des synthés 80iess ("Cocktail Time")...
BOOKING: francois@lestontonstourneurs.com www.lestontonstourneurs.com
INFO: sri@firstwordrecords.com | aly@firstwordrecords.com
____________________________________________________________________________________

Following on from the success of their debut LP 'La Belle Vie' from earlier this year, the French duo have been busy in the studio producing La Beat Tape. 20 tracks deep, the release is aimed squarely at the DJs, with a succession of guaranteed party-starters. This is rounded out with some typically quirky interludes, jazzy beat excursions and blissed out trip hop.
Souleance are producer Fulgeance (Musique Large / One Handed Music) and DJ Soulist (What The Funk Paris?). Since releasing their debut EP (Le Monde) back in 2009, they have built a solid reputation for their idiosyncratic take on modern beats. With fans including Gilles Peterson, Danny Breaks, Lefto and Mr Thing, their debut album was the culmination of 3 years of beat-making, touring, partying and drinking too much Pimms. Whilst other producers would rest on their laurels after releasing their debut, Souleance got straight back into the studio to produce La Beat Tape - their sole aim to create tracks that they would DJ with themselves. The result is 20 tracks of pure dancefloor fire peppered with a smattering of chilled, lounge tracks in classic Souleance style.
Like any classic beat tape, variety is the key, and Souleance do not disappoint. La Beat Tape takes in heavy Turkish breaks (Sauce Samourai), Hammond funk (L'insouleance), tripped out western cinematics (Tout Doux), brooding jazz (Kipseli Street Interlude), Shadow-esque breaks (Strongest Love), Just Blaze-style horn-heavy hip hop (Como Estan Bitches), 80s synth-hop (Cocktail Time) and much much more.
The release is available as a budget-priced download with a limited edition 7" containing four tracks that we feel will be most useful for the DJs. With artwork by long-term collaborator Alice Dufay, it's sure to join their previous vinyl releases as a genuine collectors item.
For more information or to interview Souleance contact:
<b>sri@firstwordrecords.com</b> or <b>aly@firstwordrecords.com</b>

Marc Rebillet - How Much Is Too Little

Al Bro