A place to stay, far from the noise. Releasing April 4th 2025 in time for the summer season, ‘Hotel PM’ is the debut solo LP from Peter Matson, the Brooklyn, NY based musician/producer/DJ and co-leader of the band Underground System. The album is a psychedelic journey through sounds of disco and modern electronic music, with an attention to sonic detail, songwriting, and incorporation of world class musicianship that Peter is becoming revered for in many ‘underground’ circles (no pun intended).

Hotel PM features a legendary roster of collaborators from Peter’s musical universe, including Pahua, Kendra Morris, Toribio, Phenomenal Handclap Band, Sly5thAve, and core members of the Rapture, Ibibio Sound Machine and Poolside. The songs crafted within are an ode to a personal and a community journey during a turbulent first half of a decade. Lyrical themes that dwell on psychedelic sense memory, time, ultimatums, and disenchantment with technology are delivered equal parts impressionistic and direct, as are the instrumental musical motifs. Sets of tunes that feature swirling strings and airtight brass are juxtaposed with raw no frills drum programming, percussion, and raunchy analog synth basslines. Meandering and lofty guitar work eventually gives way to pointed vocal performance, and ducks back away again in time to make you wonder just where it is you’re staying. It’s home for now.

Recorded between London and Sheffield England (where production and mixing was finished with Ross Orton (M.I.A., Arctic Monkeys) and Ewan Pearson (Depeche Mode, Confidence Man), Peter’s home of New York City, Mexico City and Oaxaca, Mexico, and releasing via storied Brooklyn imprint Bastard Jazz, Hotel PM is the place to be. We suggest you book a room and stay a while…. 
credits

Peter Matson - Hotel PM

BusCrates’ *Altitude EP* is a cosmic funk journey through the *funkmosphere*, led by his mastery of synths like the Prophet-6, Roland S-1, Rhodes, and Moog Bass. The title track evokes sunsets fading into starlit skies, setting the tone for a voyage powered by collaborators like T.R.A.C., Kuf Knotz, and Princess Nostalgia. Rooted in Pittsburgh but drawing on funk scenes nationwide, 'Altitude' is a space-age soundtrack perfect for zero-gravity parties or grounding grooves on Earth.

BusCrates - Altitude

"Silver Bass," Eliot Lipp's followup track to "Kona,"  is somehow simultaneously more organic and more digital. This one sets sail with live drums, an electric bass & guitar groove with some layered piano samples. A dueling saxophone and Moog help shape the melody, and before long everything begins to morph into a digitally sequenced version of itself. Acoustic instruments are swapped with broken synth cuts and drum machines setting this breezy electro jam out on a journey.

Eliot Lipp - Kona/Silver Bass

A year after his last album, “NO VISA,” the globetrotting, genre-hopping DJ and producer Captain Planet returns to the airwaves with another burst of unabashed positivity, this time teaming up with the Colombian superstar Kevin Florez. "Borracho Bailando Champeta" is a stylistic homage to the genre Champeta, which fuses African music with indigenous Colombian sounds like Cumbia and Bullerengue and incorporates Caribbean influences like Reggae and Dancehall. Originating in San Basilio de Palenque, Colombia (the first free town for liberated African slaves in the Americas) in the 1970s, the style continues to thrive around the Caribbean coast, inspiring a younger generation of musicians such as Florez, aka The Young King of Champeta. Composed and recorded in the two artists’ respective Covid cocoons in Cartagena and Los Angeles, "Borracho Bailando Champeta" is ready to close out a Summer of parties, dancing, and all-around good vibes.

"Borracho Bailando Champeta" is out on Bastard Jazz in August.

Kevin Florez & Captain Planet - Borracho Bailando Champeta

New Album 'Curiosities' Available November 12
<a href="https://bastardjazz.bandcamp.com/album/curiosities">BUY ALBUM</a> (CD, Vinyl, Digital)
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/curiosities/id732812842">BUY ON iTUNES</a>

Bastard Jazz Recordings is proud to present the sophomore album Curiosities by New Zealand multi- instrumentalist and producer Lord Echo (aka Mike Fabs). An enticing sonic excursion that effortlessly transcends genre and geography, the release finds Echo flexing his dual-mastery of 60's production techniques and modern dancefloor aesthetics, while also highlighting the vocal prowess of his soulful compatriots through a flowing blend of boogie-laced Funk, disco-primed Dub, futuristic Soul, and timeless African rhythms.

Fabs, known worldwide for his production work with NZ’s biggest Reggae export The Black Seeds, drew a groundswell of excitement around his debut solo album Melodies in late 2010. The independent release became a cult classic strictly through word-of-mouth, championed by tastemakers like Gilles Peterson (who played it repeatedly on his BBC Radio 1 show), Oliver Wang (Soulsides) and Richard Dorfmeister. Re-issues of the album soon followed in Japan and Europe, with vinyl copies quickly becoming a hot commodity among discerning collectors around the globe. Echo was introduced to Bastard Jazz’s DJ DRM in 2011 (via Detroit producer Recloose), and a limited 7” vinyl release on the Brooklyn-based imprint soon followed in 2012, precipitating this full length release with the label.

Curiosities picks up right where Melodies left off, with the sun-drenched psychedelic dub sounds of tracks like “Bohemian Idol” (featuring vocals by Toby Laing of Fat Freddy's Drop), and the jerky funk vibes of cuts like “Digital Haircut” and “Street Knowledge”. The album provides a wealth of DJ fodder, with forward thinking 70s-inspired disco tunes such as “Molten Lava” (featuring the soaring vocals of Leila Adu), as well as analog Afro-infused burners like “What Is That Feeling” and “Put It In My Head” (complemented by the golden-voiced Mara TK of Electric Wire Hustle fame). Down-home spiritual jazz/electronic meanderings ("Ghost Hands", “Arabesque”) provide a counterpoint to Echo's driving cover-version of the Pharoah Sanders & Leon Thomas classic “The Creator Has a Master Plan”. His inspiring take on the track is uplifted by the soulful singing of Lisa Tomlins (who's notable vocals on Echo’s rendition of Sister Sledge’s “Thinking Of You” made it a standout hit from his Melodies album).

The finely-tuned collaborations throughout Curiosities underscore Lord Echo's pivotal position in the thriving New Zealand music scene. "I generally only work with people I know quite well personally", says Echo humbly. That personal and organic approach to creating his music is revealed as the album unfolds, layer by delectable layer. "I made this record primarily with DJs in mind," he continues. "They are generally people who really love music and are often obsessed with various aspects of it. I'm not making music for people for whom it's just some background noise in their lives, I'm making music for people for whom it IS their lives. And for better or worse, I guess I am one of those people."

A diverse, yet grounded LP chock full of head-turning sounds, Curiosities further pushes Lord Echo’s repertoire into the realm of the inimitable, and is sure to pique the interest of discerning music lovers from down-under to the big apple.

Buy on iTunes

Lord Echo feat. Leila Adu - Molten Lava

Hot off the release of his acclaimed “Isles In Indigo” LP, Denver, CO-based producer and visual artist RUMTUM (aka John Hastings) makes a swift return to Bastard Jazz with a remix for fellow Denverites Ramakhandra. Ramakhandra is a band that creates a mind bending fusion of future jazz and hypnotically free psychedelia, all with a rhythmic throughline that combines seemingly disparate instruments, influences, and sounds into a magically cohesive experience. Having created artwork for remixes of the band in the past, RUMTUM takes “Haku,” originally an 11-minute exploratory jam from their self-titled album, turning it into a stunning atmospheric piece that utilises the band’s signature harp sound to full extent, alongside whispers of vocal samples that float atop new bass and drum lines. The rich soul of the original remains, but the remix places it in an entirely new context.

Ramakhandra’s “Haku (RUMTUM Remix)” is out on Bastard Jazz June 3rd.

Ramakhandra - Haku (RUMTUM Remix)

7" and Digital out May 13, 2014. 

Order the 7" and get instant download of this song : https://bastardjazz.bandcamp.com/album/montreux-sunrise-trans-alpine-express

After the dynamo sophomore release that was 2013's "Curiosities", New Zealand's Lord Echo returns to Brooklyn's Bastard Jazz label, this time producing Kiwi trio The Elder Statesman comprised of twin brothers and Wellington fixtures Christopher (piano) and Daniel (double bass) Yeabsley with Lord Echo himself on percussion and drums. 

On the "A" side, Montreux Sunrise is mellow meander through a laidback early 70s souljazz vibes, while "Trans Alpine Express" picks things up on the B side with a deep, spiritual piano groove, upfront doublebass, and Echo's percussion perfectly in the pocket. 

A timeless gem of a 7" from Bastard Jazz, releasing their own namesake for once!

Buy 7" or Digital

The Elder Statesman - Trans-Alpine Express

Order the 7" and get instant download: https://bastardjazz.bandcamp.com/album/montreux-sunrise-trans-alpine-express
Official remix: https://soundcloud.com/bastardjazz/04-montreux-sunrise-tee?in=bastardjazz/sets/bastard-jazz-presents-hear-no-evil-vol-3

After the dynamo sophomore release that was 2013's "Curiosities", New Zealand's Lord Echo returns to Brooklyn's Bastard Jazz label, this time producing Kiwi trio The Elder Statesman comprised of twin brothers and Wellington fixtures Christopher (piano) and Daniel (double bass) Yeabsley with Lord Echo himself on percussion and drums.

On the "A" side, Montreux Sunrise is mellow meander through a laidback early 70s souljazz vibes, while "Trans Alpine Express" picks things up on the B side with a deep, spiritual piano groove, upfront doublebass, and Echo's percussion perfectly in the pocket.

A timeless gem of a 7" from Bastard Jazz, releasing their own namesake for once!


Buy 7"

The Elder Statesman - Montreux Sunrise

Download: https://bastardjazz.bandcamp.com/album/hear-no-evil-vol-3

@THUMP Premiere:
http://thump.vice.com/en_ca/words/nick-wisdom-reworks-potatohead-peoples-blossom-into-a-dance-floor-hit

Bastard Jazz is proud to present another volume of our sporadic "Hear No Evil" compilations featuring unreleased tracks, B-Sides, Rarities and Remixes from the label. This time around we're offering up a killer dancefloor remix of Potatohead People's "Blossoms" by Montreal producer https://soundcloud.com/nickwisdom, Lord Echo's unreleased dub of "Digital Haircut" from his Curiosities album, the instrumental of Captain Planet's dancefloor burner "Poquito Mas", and a beautiful samba-esque remix of the Elder Statesman's "Montreux Sunrise" by Cali-cum-Rio DJ and remixer Tee Cardaci.

Original version: https://soundcloud.com/bastardjazz/potatohead-people-blossoms-ft

Download

Potatohead People - Blossoms (Nick Wisdom Remix)

Download: bastardjazz.bandcamp.com/album/hear-no-evil-vol-3

Bastard Jazz is proud to present another volume of our sporadic "Hear No Evil" compilations featuring unreleased tracks, B-Sides, Rarities and Remixes from the label. This time around we're offering up a killer dancefloor remix of Potatohead People's "Blossoms" by Montreal producer Nick Wisdom, Lord Echo's unreleased dub of "Digital Haircut" from his Curiosities album, the instrumental of Captain Planet's dancefloor burner "Poquito Mas", and a beautiful samba-esque remix of the Elder Statesman's "Montreux Sunrise" by Cali-cum-Rio DJ and remixer https://soundcloud.com/teecardaci.

Original version: https://soundcloud.com/bastardjazz/the-elder-statesman-montreux

The Elder Statesman - Montreux Sunrise (Tee Cardaci's Ipanema Sunrise Remix)

Potatohead People - Last Nite feat. Redman

Purchase LP, Digital, 7" or CD --> https://potatoheadpeople.bandcamp.com/album/big-luxury

Potatohead People single "Explosives" (feat. Illa J & Moka Only) b/w "Blue Charms", taken from the full length album Big Luxury. "Blue Charms" also available on 7" vinyl: https://potatoheadpeople.bandcamp.com/album/luv-ya-blue-charms-7

Working on opposite sides of the landmass we call Canada, Vancouver/Montreal duo Potatohead People (producers Nick Wisdom & AstroLogical) have been making waves for quite some time with their signature jazzy boom-bap meets boogie inside the bassbin vibes. Called a “formidable tandem” by OkayPlayer, their sounds have been championed early on by the likes of Kaytranada, Soulection, Nightmares on Wax, Pomo, Exmag, Big Boi, and Phife Dawg. After a few early releases on Vancouver based netlabel Jellyfish Recordings, Brooklyn’s Bastard Jazz reissued their 2012 landmark Kosmichemusik EP and pressed a 7” which quickly became a collector’s item. The association landed their song “Back To My Sh*t” (featuring Frank Nitty of Frank’n’Dank) on a Powerade produced LeBron James documentary and Nick and Astro began working on a debut LP for Bastard Jazz, presented here.

Big Luxury draws from influences disparate as classic jazz, prog rock, disco, 90’s hip-hop, DJ Shadow-Era downtempo beats, alongside modern influences like the Brainfeeder crew and new electronic movements coming out of Nick Wisdom’s adopted hometown of Montreal.  What’s resulted is a finely honed, extra buttery album that effortly glides between tempos, but never loses the mood.  The album also features a whole host of guest vocalists -  J Dilla’s younger brother Illa J, legendary Canadian MC Moka Only, New Zealand’s Sorceress, and Amalia all provide contributions to the sounds within.  The album will set the tone for the duo’s big moves this year, including forthcoming collaborations with Illa J and Pomo as well as tour dates in North America and beyond. 

Big Luxury is a velvety ride through vibes and a magnificent debut for these talented young Canadians. 
bastardjazz.com

Buy LP, Digi or CD

Potatohead People - Blue Charms

Purchase LP, Digital, 7" or CD --> https://potatoheadpeople.bandcamp.com/album/big-luxury
Download Single: https://potatoheadpeople.bandcamp.com/album/explosives-feat-illa-j-moka-only-blue-charms

Production duo Potatohead People are back to light a fuse for their upcoming album Big Luxury with a double A-side single featuring Illa-J and Moka Only. The Canadian beatsmiths (aka Vancouver’s AstroLogical and Montreal’s Nick Wisdom) return to join forces with Brooklyn-based label Bastard Jazz, following the success of 2013's Kosmichemusik EP and cult hit 7-inch, as well as an onslaught of internet shaking remixes. 

"Explosives" is a smoothed out Slum Village-esque hip-hop joint featuring J-Dilla's younger brother and Yancey Boys member Illa-J trading rhymes and harmonies with Vancouver mainstay Moka Only, while "Blue Charms" shows a synthier, instrumental side of the duo with it's Prog-ish bassline, soaring vibes, and heavy drums. 

BIG LUXURY ALBUM: 

Working on opposite sides of the landmass we call Canada, Vancouver/Montreal duo Potatohead People (producers Nick Wisdom & AstroLogical) have been making waves for quite some time with their signature jazzy boom-bap meets boogie inside the bassbin vibes. Called a “formidable tandem” by OkayPlayer, their sounds have been championed early on by the likes of Kaytranada, Soulection, Nightmares on Wax, Pomo, Exmag, Big Boi, and Phife Dawg. After a few early releases on Vancouver based netlabel Jellyfish Recordings, Brooklyn’s Bastard Jazz reissued their 2012 landmark Kosmichemusik EP and pressed a 7” which quickly became a collector’s item. The association landed their song “Back To My Sh*t” (featuring Frank Nitty of Frank’n’Dank) on a Powerade produced LeBron James documentary and Nick and Astro began working on a debut LP for Bastard Jazz, presented here.

Big Luxury draws from influences disparate as classic jazz, prog rock, disco, 90’s hip-hop, DJ Shadow-Era downtempo beats, alongside modern influences like the Brainfeeder crew and new electronic movements coming out of Nick Wisdom’s adopted hometown of Montreal.  What’s resulted is a finely honed, extra buttery album that effortly glides between tempos, but never loses the mood.  The album also features a whole host of guest vocalists -  J Dilla’s younger brother Illa J, legendary Canadian MC Moka Only, New Zealand’s Sorceress, and Amalia all provide contributions to the sounds within.  The album will set the tone for the duo’s big moves this year, including forthcoming collaborations with Illa J and Pomo as well as tour dates in North America and beyond. 

Big Luxury is a velvety ride through vibes and a magnificent debut for these talented young Canadians. 

bastardjazz.com

Potatohead People - Explosives feat. Illa J & Moka Only

Peace Lily

Toki (feat. Brandonlee Cierley)

Wandering

Starlight

Purchase LP, Digital, 7" or CD --> https://potatoheadpeople.bandcamp.com/album/big-luxury

Working on opposite sides of the landmass we call Canada, Vancouver/Montreal duo Potatohead People (producers Nick Wisdom & AstroLogical) have been making waves for quite some time with their signature jazzy boom-bap meets boogie inside the bassbin vibes. Called a “formidable tandem” by OkayPlayer, their sounds have been championed early on by the likes of Kaytranada, Soulection, Nightmares on Wax, Pomo, Exmag, Big Boi, and Phife Dawg. After a few early releases on Vancouver based netlabel Jellyfish Recordings, Brooklyn’s Bastard Jazz reissued their 2012 landmark Kosmichemusik EP and pressed a 7” which quickly became a collector’s item. The association landed their song “Back To My Sh*t” (featuring Frank Nitty of Frank’n’Dank) on a Powerade produced LeBron James documentary and Nick and Astro began working on a debut LP for Bastard Jazz, presented here.

Big Luxury draws from influences disparate as classic jazz, prog rock, disco, 90’s hip-hop, DJ Shadow-Era downtempo beats, alongside modern influences like the Brainfeeder crew and new electronic movements coming out of Nick Wisdom’s adopted hometown of Montreal.  What’s resulted is a finely honed, extra buttery album that effortly glides between tempos, but never loses the mood.  The album also features a whole host of guest vocalists -  J Dilla’s younger brother Illa J, legendary Canadian MC Moka Only, New Zealand’s Sorceress, and Amalia all provide contributions to the sounds within.  The album will set the tone for the duo’s big moves this year, including forthcoming collaborations with Illa J and Pomo as well as tour dates in North America and beyond. 

Big Luxury is a velvety ride through vibes and a magnificent debut for these talented young Canadians. 



Potatohead People - Messenger ft. Sorceress & Mosaic

Alien

"Melancolía" by Peter Matson featuring Pahua is an energetic afro disco anthem that invites you straight to the dancefloor. Whether you're a crate-digging enthusiast or a club-goer dreaming of Miami Sound Machine, this song resonates with all. Born from the creative spirit of pandemic-era Mexico City, longtime friends Peter and Pahua blended their talents, incorporating Sly5thAve’s strings and Ibibio Sound Machine’s horns. It's a captivating disco journey, perfect for eager dancers and remixers.

Peter Matson - Melancolía feat. Pahua

"S.Y.G." is the very first collaboration between longtime NYC music scene staples and good friends Peter Matson and Toribio. The song merges electronic minimalism with syncopation, a Korg MS-20 adds gritty bass, while Toribio's haunting voice shines on the track. Additional production by Sheffield’s Ross Orton, known for his hardware-driven style, “S.Y.G.” blends industrial grit with soulful groove, honoring Sheffield’s rich electronic music legacy.

S.Y.G. feat. Toribio

Lobby Call

Never Know feat. Phenomenal Handclap Band

Altitude (ft. C. Scott)

For All Those (ft. T.R.A.C.)

The Prize (ft. Princess Nostalgia)

BusCrates is on his Isley Brothers meets Modern Funk tip with “Gotta Get Back,” the new single from the forthcoming Altitude EP. Leave it to BusCrates to find the through lines from hard funk blaxploitation-era licks to the rubbery and warbly bop of mid tempo Modern Funk. As singer Lailah Reich enters “Gotta Get Back”, her hushed, sensual style adds a 90s r&b flavor that deepens its ability to transmute bygone styles into a futuristic sound yet to be classified.

BusCrates - Gotta Get Back (ft. Lailah Reich)

Drift (ft. DJ Epik & Anda)

Available on custom White Vinyl 12" or Digital -> https://bastardjazz.bandcamp.com/

Soundboard maestros Lord Echo and DJ Day link up across oceans to trade remix duties on each other's top tunes, flipping the pair onto a heavily dubbed out Double A-side single pressed up on frothing white vinyl. 

California dance-floor champ DJ Day gives Echo's iconic "Bohemian Idol" a 1980s drum machine reggae vibe and lets the delay run wild, while New Zealand's analog maverick Lord Echo transforms Day's "Land of a Thousand Chances" into a live disco dub studio jam session.

Catch the limited 12" out worldwide May 12th on Bastard Jazz Recordings.

Buy White 12" / Digi

Lord Echo - Bohemian Idol (DJ Day's Chair-Bro Remix)

Silver Bass

Kona

Order Custom White Vinyl 12" or Digital -> http://bastardjazz.bandcamp.com

Soundboard maestros Lord Echo and DJ Day link up across oceans to trade remix duties on each other's top tunes, flipping the pair onto a heavily dubbed out Double A-side single pressed up on frothing white vinyl.

California dance-floor champ DJ Day gives Echo's iconic "Bohemian Idol" a 1980s drum machine reggae vibe and lets the delay run wild, while New Zealand's analog maverick Lord Echo transforms Day's "Land of a Thousand Chances" into a live disco dub studio jam session.

Catch the limited 12" out worldwide May 12th on Bastard Jazz Recordings.

DJ Day - Land Of 1000 Chances (Lord Echo's Disco Mix)

Album available on iTunes ->  https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/id1034961898

Official Video -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTNhPfDbH_o

Illa J's new single "Universe" produced by https://soundcloud.com/potatohead-people, from his forthcoming self-titled album (out Oct 2nd on Bastard Jazz Recordings). https://soundcloud.com/realillaj

Bandcamp -> https://bastardjazz.bandcamp.com/album/universe


iTunes / AppleMusic

Illa J -  Universe

Taken from the Illa J (https://soundcloud.com/realillaj) album,  out Oct 2nd on Bastard Jazz Recordings. 

Buy Album (LP / CD / Digi / Deluxe):
https://illa-j.bandcamp.com/album/illa-j

LP, CD, Digi, Deluxe

Illa J - Never Left

Taken from Illa J's forthcoming self titled album, dropping October 2nd.
Pre Order & get instant DL:  https://illa-j.bandcamp.com/album/illa-j

As featured on EA Sports NBA LIVE 16 soundtrack. 
Spotify playlist: https://play.spotify.com/user/nbalivemusic/playlist/7DlwwpNnzL7IFeoTOiYURN

LP, Digi, CD, Deluxe

Illa J - All Good Pt. 2 (ft. Moka Only & Ivan Ave)

Purchase LP, CD, Digi or Vinyl Deluxe Pack --> https://illa-j.bandcamp.com/album/illa-j

From deep musical origins in Detroit, rapper/singer/songwriter Illa J has been slowly navigating his way through the oft-turbulent waters of Hip-Hop since the tender age of 13, when the young John Yancey aka Illa J wrote his first rhyme alongside his brother, the late great J Dilla. After his brother’s passing in ‘06, he began teaching himself piano, bass and taking vocal lessons while finding himself touring the world and recording a slew of Dilla-related projects, notably being an active member of Slum Village until 2014. His first solo album, '08s Yancey Boys and the Frank Nitt 2013 collaborative album Sunset BLVD were both released on seminal label Delicious Vinyl. Feeling the need for a change creatively as well as geographically, in 2012 John moved to the future music hotbed that is Montreal ultimately making the connection with Canadian producers Nick Wisdom & AstroLogical aka Potatohead People (whose acclaimed Bastard Jazz debut album Big Luxury in Spring 2015 featured Illa J on two hit singles). The success of their initial collaborations inspired the team to dive into the studio and embark on Illa J's new self-titled solo album, and present an entirely fresh sound of his own.
 
The album Illa J, produced without any samples by Potatohead People alongside a few groundbreaking co-producers, showcases a more mature and at-ease Illa J who is equally comfortable on top of an electronic boogie-inspired beat (“Universe”) as he is getting grimey over a trunk rattling G-Funk joint (the Kaytranada co-produced “Strippers”). On tracks like the sparse, Rhodes driven “Cannonball” (co-produced by Montreal’s Noo Bap), and the early 90s Spiritual / Acid Jazz inspired “Sunflower”, Illa flexes his muscles through both song and rhyme. And of course being true to his roots, the classic Detroit boom-bap sound is ever present on joints like “French Kiss”, “Perfect Game” (quite possibly Rap’s only ode to bowling), and “Never Left”, a touching tribute to his brother and a call-out to abusers of Dilla's legacy.  Vancouver mainstay MC Moka Only contributes invaluably to the cohesive sound of the album as well, providing signature smoothed-out vocal choruses to tracks like “She Burned My Art”, “All Good Pt. 2” and “Who Got It” (co-produced by Mosaic). Dropping Fall 2015 on Bastard Jazz Recordings, Illa J is a brilliantly-produced, diverse, and long overdue solo effort from Yancey.


Buy LP, Digi, CD

Illa J -  All I Need Ft. Moka Only

Download / Buy 2xLP | 7-Inch | Deluxe:
https://bastardjazz.bandcamp.com/album/pomo-presents-tempo-dreams-vol-4

Stream Full Album (Pomo Presents: Tempo Dreams Vol. 4)  
https://soundcloud.com/bastardjazz/sets/pomo-presents-tempo-dreams

The last couple of years have been huge for Pomo, going from a relatively obscure Canadian producer to releasing his debut EP on HW&W, remixing for the likes of Janet Jackson and Mark Ronson, producing “Am I Wrong?” on Anderson Paak’s debt album and touring the globe with Disclosure as their opening act. 

Bastard Jazz has commissioned Pomo to be next in line for the fourth volume of their "Tempo Dreams" compilation series, following on the heels of the acclaimed Soul Clap compiled Vol. 3. As with other Tempo Dreams records, Pomo has curated a slick and well polished album full of exclusive tracks from friends and collaborators such as Lindsay Lowend, Aloka, Exmag, Syre, Daniel Crawford, FVLCRVM and more.  Touching on the shimmering nudisco sound, plodding deep electronic vibes, funky instrumental hip-hop, and even a hint of drum’n’bass, Tempo Dreams Vol. 4 takes it’s rightful place in the series as one of the most forward thinking compilations showcasing emerging young talent.


Download / Buy Vinyl

Pomo - Blue Soda (Part 1)

Buy LP/Digi/CD:  https://manateecommune.bandcamp.com/album/manatee-commune
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6MzzlBosYKeVzYLF5lZzlq
AppleMusic: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/manatee-commune/id1142334900

Grant L'Kayl Eadie aka https://soundcloud.com/manateecommune returns with the first single from his upcoming debut album, dropping this fall on Bastard Jazz. "What We've Got" features Eadie's signature shimmering, playful electronic atmospheres, neck snapping drums and "sing in the shower" level catchy vocals from Detroit rising star Flint Eastwood.

Vinyl / Download

Manatee Commune - What We've Got Ft. Flint Eastwood

Cop 12" / Digi: https://deadhorsebeats.bandcamp.com/album/bad-hopes-ep

Patrick Wade, better known as Dead Horse Beats is a producer, singer
and multi-instrumentalist living in Montreal, Canada. Since the
release of his first album in 2011, Wade has garnered attention for
his unique brand of hazy, rhythmic, soul-styled creations, and
energetic live spectacles featuring a slough of live instrumentation,
electronics and guest performers.

After the release 2015's acclaimed Single People LP and a brief stint
with London's Black Butter Records, DHB partnered with Brooklyn based Bastard Jazz Recordings for his premiere vinyl pressing - the Fall 2016 release of Bad Hopes EP.

Bad Hopes is the culmination of a new, fully realized sonic direction
for Dead Horse Beats, inspired by the sounds of the Montreal scene in
which DHB is embedded; equal parts glittering R&B, and undeniable deep house inspired soundscapes, fusing fully on Bad Hopes,

Alongside friends and collaborators Frase (vocals on She Said) and
Jason Simpkin (additional production and instrumentation throughout)DHB blends his voice and lyrics with bassy grooves, lush synths and sharp, angular percussion into a cohesive, rolling soundscape.

Bad Hopes EP

Dead Horse Beats - Young Ruins

Pre-Order LP/Digital/CD: 
https://potatoheadpeople.bandcamp.com/album/nick-astros-guide-to-the-galaxy

After their incredibly well received debut 'Big Luxury' back in 2015, and production credits on Illa J's critically acclaimed self titled LP,  Vancouver duo Potatohead People (aka Nick Wisdom & AstroLogical) went quiet for 3 years...leaving a legion of worldwide fans puzzled & hungry for new music. 

We're happy to announce that the wait is finally over, and the first leak from their upcoming album 'Nick & Astro's Guide To The Galaxy' is finally here.

"Quest For Love" is grade-A, signature Potatohead sound. A neck snapping drum break, lush rhodes chords, cosmic synths, guitar & horn flourishes and unexpected musical changeups bring in the hip-hop infected musicality the duo has become so loved for, while Nick & Astro collaborate vocally on top. Lyrically lamenting a possible near ending of a relationship, with a hopeful tinge towards the future, the laidback vocal vibes are a new and welcome sound for the duo.

'Nick & Astro's Guide To The Galaxy' is out worldwide on May 11th.

Nick & Astro's Guide To The Galaxy

Quest For Love

Pre-Order / Download

Potatohead People - Quest For Love

Taken from the upcoming "Tempo Dreams Vol. 1" album, compiled by Tall Black Guy.

In shops worldwide via CD, LP, and Digital on June 18th on Bastard Jazz Recordings.

Purchase Digital from: 
iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/tall-black-guy-presents-tempo/id527904285 
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Tall-Black-Guy-Presents-Dreams/dp/B0084ALQPG/ref=sr_1_2...

Purchase LP + CD - 
Bastard Jazz Webshop - http://bastardjazz.bigcartel.com/ 
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Tall-Black-Guy-Presents-Dreams/dp/B0083H41WU/ref=sr_1_2...

Order Digi, CD & LP on Bastard Jazz Webshop: http://bastardjazz.bigcartel.com

Evil Needle - Mood Music

Pre-Order Here: https://astrological.bandcamp.com/album/private-world-ep

Bastard Jazz is proud to present the new EP from Vancouver's AstroLogical, also known as one half of production duo Potatohead People. With a long list of collaborations outside of the group ranging from Pomo, Phife Dawg, Illa J and DJ Khalil - Astro's new EP "Private World" resides somewhere in between jazz, soul, ambient and future electronic vibes with it's lush keys, chunky breaks, and deep musicality. 

Nate Drobner aka. AstroLogical is a multi-instrumentalist producer/composer based in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. 
After releasing a number of solo instrumental hip-hop projects through the net label Jellyfish Recordings in the early 2010’s under the AstroLogical alias, he had began focusing his energy on the producer duo Potatohead People; a collaborative project with his old friend Nick Wisdom, eventually getting noticed signed by Brooklyn-based record label Bastard Jazz in 2012 (with the help of Nightmares On Wax). Their 2018 full-length sophomore album ‘Nick & Astro’s Guide To The Galaxy’ was released to great acclaim and led them to be invited to Jazzy Jeff’s annual Playlist Retreat alongside such luminaries as Lord Finnese, Young Guru, and Pharaohe Monch.

Private World EP

Purchase 12" / Digital

AstroLogical - Bottom Of My Heart

Buy the Digi EP and accompanying 7" >>>  https://potatoheadpeople.bandcamp.com/album/kosmichemusik-ep

REMIX by @nickwisdom >>> https://soundcloud.com/bastardjazz/potatohead-people-blossoms-nick-wisdom-remix-1

Brooklyn-based Bastard Jazz Recordings is proud to present The Kosmichemusik EP by Montreal/Vancouver duo Potatohead People (aka producers Nick Wisdom & AstroLogical) who had previously created internet buzz through their digital-only releases on netlabel Jellyfish Recordings. Their debut for Bastard Jazz is a trip through the mellow synth-jazz hip-hop style they’ve become known for. 

The EP kicks off with “Kosmichemusik”, a chugging joint with humming bass, gritty drums and well polished glimmering synths setting the mood proper. Next up, “It Gets Good” features Vancouver mainstay MC and renaissance man Moka Only spitting mellow Sunday-morning style rhymes over Potatoheads deep and moody hip-hop vibes, while “Blossoms” features Canadian vocalist and frequent collaborator Claire Mortifee providing gorgeous, quirky vocals over a bubbling, bouncy track with subdued bass, guitar and Rhodes weaving themselves in.  Next up, “Love Hz” is an instrumental cut with crispy drums, ghostly vocal stabs, a catchy bubbling bassline and pulsing keyboards, while “Back To My Shit" is a lovelorn tale of breakup and redemption featuring the rhymes of Detroit's Frank Nitt (Frank'n'Dank, J. Dilla) with very catchy yet deep synth-heavy production from the Potatohead People. The EP rounds off with “Journey”, an expedition the deeper realms of beat music with subaqueous synths, lifting strings, and neck-snapping drums.  

Bastard Jazz will also be releasing a limited edition 7” from this project featuring “Love Hz” and “Back To My Shit” on Valentine’s Day for all the heart-breakers and/or broken hearted. 


Potatohead People - Blossoms ft. Claire Mortifee

On their third full-length release, Potatohead People widen the frame of their progressive musical vision and deliver a far-reaching yet approachable set of moods and grooves.

Mellow Fantasy continues to showcase the trademark instrumental prowess of the duo and their ease with the loose but hard-hitting drum style brought to the fore by Jay Dee’s influential productions, but goes well beyond basic boom bap bread and butter, with singer-centered R&B and uptempo bumps sharing the stage. 

Beginning in 2008 as a Vancouver-based hip-hop production team, Potatohead People (Nick Wisdom and AstroLogical) have collaborated with a fantasy league of MCs, including Frank Nitt of Frank’n’Dank (the 2013 breakout jam “Back To My Shit”), Illa J (producing an entire album for J. Dilla’s younger brother) and the late Phife Dawg (the beloved A Tribe Called Quest co-founder’s last recorded verse was over one of their beats).  

Setting them apart from other Dilla-influenced beatmakers is the way they push the scope of the style, working the corners with their own unique touch. At its most basic, “the goal has always been making really dope loops,” they explain. By using slices of their own rough instrumental ideas, finding “a chord progression or texture that you can hear again and again and never question it,” they’ve taken this fundamental concept and elevated it to new levels of melodic, harmonically complex music.

A jazz-like responsiveness to the input of collaborators is a key component of how the team works. “We like to get the artist involved when the beat is an early idea, and build the beat around the vocals, getting inspired by what they do.” 

On Mellow Fantasy, they had some impressive inspiration. Pos from De La Soul immediately connected with “Baby Got Work,” a sophisticated slap that went through several iterations before settling into its ultimate form. Appropriately, the song’s diligent construction echoes the ethic of the grind in the clear-eyed, precisely dovetailed lyrics fans have come to expect from the Daisy Age don. “Baby Got Work” is the album’s lead single, hitting on 9/25/20.

Befitting Potatohead People’s origins as a hip-hop group, cameos from Illa J and Slum Village’s T3 on the summertime teaser “What It Feels Like” and Vancouver veteran Moka Only (the sassy, vanity take-down “Ungodly”) add to the unimpeachable rap bonafides. 

The hometown connections continue with Lotusland local Kapok slinging verses on a couple tracks and rising stars Kendra Dias and Clear Mortifee, who stake serious claims as names to watch with standout vocal turns on the low-slung neo-soul “Break Even” and the upcoming second single “Hidden Levels,” a high-flying house/future boogie hybrid. Following up their successful 2019 collabo “Single Life,” Bunnie makes her return to action with the group on “Kettle Boiling.” Ranging further, Reggie B, who broke on the scene with his lead on Onra’s “High Hopes,” shines on the optimistic bounce of “Bring The World A Little Closer.”

Threaded throughout are interlude instrumentals that comfortably manage the neat trick of being musically intriguing while retaining an accessible, gut-level thump. Look no further than the statement-making, Yussef Kamaal-like funk fusion album opener “1st Light” and their nod to overlooked Vancity synth pioneer Dale Jacobs (“Ode To Mr. Jacobs”) for clues to where Nick and Astro’s hearts are at.

Mellow Fantasy, released 10/30/20 on Bastard Jazz and available on vinyl and all digital platforms, is Potatohead People’s most evolved collection yet, rooted in earthy low end but elevated, expansive and reaching new musical heights.

Mellow Fantasy

Potatohead People - All The Way

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