fonkatized

available now on brownswood bubblers three and also forthcoming on emanative// time which drops on april the 5th 2010

Turn Your Lights On

A smoothed out, catchy little downtempo bobber from a cool late-winter night in The Vault.  Makaya bounces on a flammed rimshot, Abrams jumps in quickly with some nice bass chords, Justefan colors the progression with his singing vibraphone harmonies, and Marquis tops it all off with a gorgeous trumpet melody and solo verse.

Recorded on March 5th, 2014 by Dave Vettraino.  Personnel: Makaya McCraven - drums, Joshua Abrams - bass, Justin Thomas - vibraphone, Marquis Hill - trumpet.

Steppe Smoothe

Koln by The Sure Co. from the 5ives EP (Jazz Refreshed).
Richard Spaven - Drums
Grant Windsor - Keys


Koln

Driving the Box in the Night

Blast Off

My Favourite Letters

Munkaroo

Love these guys so did this unofficial remix of The Lung!!

Hiatus Kaiyote "The Lung" (Paul White Unofficial Remix)

The Sugar Man

Vera Cruz

Subdued EP

Where Are Your Branches? (Where Is Your Fruit?)

When The Expansions self released their first single in 2013, the laid-back jazz funk of Lavender, it quickly gained strong support from soul and rare-groove aficionados including Kenny Dope, Dom Servini, Patrick Forge and Andy Smith. A run of shows followed and before long, when someone was asking if there was a soul-jazz band around to play with, “The Expansions” was the answer. 

Although this popularity meant a hiatus in releasing music, the band have been constantly busy, playing around Europe with legendary British-Ghanaian soul singer, Andrew Ashong and the exceptional, upcoming talent Connie Constance. 

There has also been a breakout project from drummer Jonny Drop - the album Sub Plot gained massive support and love from BBC Radio 6 Music’s Lauren Laverne. While keys-man Dave Koor has been busy playing shows with Gilles Peterson favourite Hector Plimmer, Shaun Escoffery, and Ego Ella May, improvising with Yussef Dayes (Yussef Kamaal) and Nubya Garcia, releasing music as Deoke and collaborating with label-mate Scrimshire on their Modified Man exploration. 

But always, The Expansions has remained a central focus and the true home of these four jazz and soul lovers, with occasional trips out to the country to form ideas and practice new music for the eventual album. 

Murmuration, recorded over three days at Big Noise in Southend, is constructed of single takes, with minimal overdubs, as the band attempt to capture the feeling and energy they create live. 

Debut single Breakthrough introduced the insanely catchy but deeply soulful blend of synths and groove, but here on the album that is explored to the fullest with longer breakdowns and more expansive, experimental solos. Pocket 5 displays the, possibly unexpected, influences of broken beat and almost combative rhythm playing – particularly in the complex guitar and keys breakdown where Koor and O’Keefe layer conflicting time signatures and battle to ride it out to the heavy drum return. 

Cannonball brings warm mellowness that delicately evolves through beats, touching on bossas alongside their fundamental hip-hop sensibilities. But even here there is a raucous zenith before the band sublimely recede into the silence of the a-side ending. 

Colossal album highlight Ivory Mountain is truly an epic. Evoking moments of 4Hero, there is a lightness of groove in the first half of this soulful exploration. But at the halfway point, all restraint is let go as a live string section joins the four quarters of the band for three glorious minutes of soulful disco. Evoking sounds of Quincy Jones, George Benson and Johnny Hammond, all the way through to a beautifully cacophonous finale. 

Dragonfly undoubtedly reflects on the work of Herbie Hancock and is the most direct throwback to the band’s earlier work, which is a welcome marker of how far they have come. A quintessential jazz funker. 

The album closes with the thoughtful and introverted shuffle of Miles Away. In the final eight minutes of Murmuration, The Expansions allow space and time to take precedence, with once-more-restrained peaks and developments. It becomes clear though, that the band cannot resist one last explosive finale, as they rise with screeching synths, strings and dubs for a perfect race to the finish line. 

You can hear the influences of Idris Muhammad, Grover Washington, even parallels with South London peers Yussef Kamaal and Ruby Rushton. But The Expansions have tirelessly worked to create a sound of their own and are very proud, along with label Albert’s Favourites, to finally share it.

Murmuration

Miles Away

Yussef Dayes X Alfa Mist - Love Is The Message (Live @ Abbey Road) Ft.Mansur Brown  Rocco Palladino

Those following beat culture in the last years might have heard about Swiss producer @melodiesinfonie already. From his tracks on the early Soulection compilations, releases on Melting Pot Music and Sichtexot to countless live sets in Europe and even South Africa. We are very happy to now announce his first release on Jakarta Records. In comparison to previous output the most apparent difference is the extend to which Melodiesinfone incorporated live elements to his productions, achieving a more eclectic and organic sound. Get a first taste with the upcoming single „Longo Do Rio“ before the full length album „A Journey To You“ will drop 26th of April.

A Journey To You

PREORDER

melodiesinfonie - AO Longo Do Rio (taken from A Journey To You LP; April 26th)

Righteous Energy is the feeling you get with your friends or a loved one when your collective synapses are firing and you reach a moment of transcendence together. It’s conversational, musical, synergistic. Righteous Energy is the light sizzle of synchronicity, the clean burning energy of inspiration. It’s about feeling good and knowing you’re sharing it with your people. 

Produced by Nate Mercereau
Drums: Aaron Steele
Synth Guitar, Guitar, Percussion: Nate Mercereau
Engineered by Nate Mercereau at Elysian Park (Los Angeles, CA) and House Of The Setting Sun (29 Palms, CA)
Mixed by Nate Mercereau at Elysian Park
Mastered by Michelle Mancini, Demifugue Mastering at Larrabee Studios

Righteous Energy

Nate Mercereau — Righteous Energy

About Time

Better Late Than Never

NEW SOUNDS BY OKVSHO. 

Get "Kamala's Danz" NOW (12" Vinyl + Digital):
https://boyoomconnective.bandcamp.com/album/kamalas-danz

“Kamala is the manifestation of kama, which is all pleasure and individual experiences with one or more senses: hearing, tasting, smelling, seeing and feeling—assisted by the mind together with the soul. Experiencing harmonious music is kama, as is being inspired by natural  beauty,  the  aesthetic  appreciation  of  a  work  of  art,  and  admiring  with  joy something created by another human being...”

---

Credits:
Vocals – Sreya
Trumpet –Rachid Freudemann

© 2020, BOYOOM – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

IT'S ALL LOVE.

Kamala's Danz

SUPPORT

Okvsho - Kamala's Danz (Official Single / Album OUT NOW, Vinyl + Digital)

Siren Song

Headhunter

Boyoom is a family, a shared space, a mindstate, a home to self. a place for music. a place for change. open ears and no blind eyes. trying on a daily. a place where success is measured by the size of our own hands. let us live life and let us let love lead. spread the word & join the free.

Okvsho - Kamala's Danz (Official Single / Album OUT NOW, Vinyl + Digital)

Boyoom

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