It can take a while for an artist to find their musical voice. For Alex Andrikopoulos, it’s been a journey that’s taken the best part of two decades. Now he’s set to mark a major milestone in his transition from record store owner, label co-founder and DJ to producer with the release of his long-promised first solo album for Leng, Waving.

The Greek artist first joined the Leng Records roster in the autumn of 2020 
and has since gone in to release the acclaimed ‘Punta Allen’ EP for the imprint. Before that, he spent the first decade of the century running the popular Radical Sounds record shop in Athens, before refocusing on running Quantized Music with fellow DJ/producer Tolis Q and developing his DJ career, where his unique blends of disco, house and techno tracks earned him bookings at some of Europe’s most storied clubs.

Waving, which appears on the back of a handful of fine EPs for a variety of labels, is his boldest and strongest statement yet as a musician and producer. Created with a little help from guest musicians and collaborators including keyboardist Artis Boriss, bassist Brotha Gilla, percussionists Ilario Arnel and Harold Perez, pianist Luciano Ledesma and guitarist Alex Searle, the album brilliantly blurs the boundary between 21st century disco, afternoon-ready downtempo grooves, and the kind of dancefloor-minded Balearic fare that’s devilishly difficult to pigeonhole.

Fittingly, the set begins with previous single ‘Punta Allen’, an eight-minute chunk of organic dancefloor goodness which slowly unfurls before rising towards and gorgeous and joyous conclusion, and ends with the squelchy, slo-mo cosmic funk of ‘Patrol Di Caribe’, where trippy synthesizer lines, layered percussion and more tuneful style pan style lead ins catch the ear.

In between, highlights are plentiful, from the driving, piano solo-laden dub disco brilliance of ‘Down My Soul’ and the languid, sun-kissed, beach-ready downtempo grooves of ‘The Jamail Pass’, to the rubbery, pitched-down electrofunk of ‘Window Spells’ (featuring a fine lead vocal from Max Giovara, the flash-friend, dubwise Balearic funk of ‘Waving’, and the throbbing brilliance of ‘La Di Da Di’, whose crunchy Clavinet lines, fluid electric piano solos, snappy drums and pulsating, arpeggio-style bass encapsulate all that is good about the album.

The digital edition of the album also comes bundled with eight more tracks not featured on the double-vinyl LP. Featuring the same blend of expansive musicality, organic drums and dancefloor nous, this octet effectively extends the album via a string of similarly playable, club-ready and sofa-friendly tracks. Standouts include the non-stop, nu-disco-meets-house excellence of ‘Large Stacks’, Hammond-laced head-nodder ‘Take The High Road’, horizontal Balearic funk shuffler ‘Prezend’ and hazy, vocal-sporting dub disco roller ‘Angels of Rhythm’, which previously appeared on the flipside of Lex’s ‘Punta Allen’ 12”.

Waving

LENG SHOP

Lex - Down My Soul

In 1975, under the oppressive air of military dictatorship in Brazil, brothers Lelo and Ze Eduardo Nazario invited bassist Zeca Assumpção to join their musical experiments in a basement under Sao Paulo’s Teodoro Sampaio Street. The trio had already been playing together in Brazilian polymath Hermeto Pascoal’s band, alongside guitarist Toninho Horta and saxophonist Nivaldo Ornelas, and it was while working together under Hermeto’s direction that the Paulista rhythm section (as they were then known) realised their own potential.

With many nightclubs and venues closed in the mid-70s and government censors dictating the output of radio, TV and art galleries, many Brazilian artists fled during the years of the dictatorship. But underground, Grupo Um were fusing avant garde ideals with contemporary jazz and Afro Brazilian rhythm; making phenomenally beautiful music which was wildly free and expressive - in stark contrast to the sterile, conservative conditions being imposed above ground.

Recorded in just two days at Sao Paulo’s Vice-Versa Studios, Starting Point was to mark the inception of one of Brazil’s most daring instrumental groups. But with a record so radically ahead of its time, Grupo Um struggled to find a label willing to release their debut and Lelo Nazario kept the tapes safe in his archives, which is where they sat for almost half a century…

Finally, this mesmerising piece of history is here, and it was only the beginning…

Grupo Um - Onze Por Oito

Volume 2 of this great library category.. all vinyl no sample.

Bruton Music Library - Frontiers of Orange Vol. 2

Akaliko

ART WINGMAN  "Bring Me Water"

Throughout 2022, NuNorthern Soul unveiled a swathe of releases under the Myths of Ibiza banner – a set of digital-only EPs featuring cover artwork by illustrator Emily McGuinness, based on her interpretations of folkloric stories from the Balearic Isles. Now the series is set for its’ belated epilogue, courtesy of North of the Island – the Balearic-minded alter-ego of long-serving Mancunian DJ/producer Neil Scott.

The Feeling Free EP, which features additional production and mixing from PBR Streetgang’s Bonar Bradberry, was originally scheduled for release last year, but major changes in Scott’s life – not least a move to Australia, where the nu-disco scene stalwart now resides – meant pushing it back until he had time to finish the tracks. It was a shrewd move, because the EP now contains some of Scott’s most magical, kaleidoscopic and atmospheric original productions to date.

Proof arrives immediately via opener ‘Sioux You’, a gorgeous mixture of stirring, melancholic synth chords (think Pet Shop Boys’ ‘West End Girls’ and you’re close), deep sub-bass, lilting lead lines, head-nodding drums and layers of Latin-tinged percussion. It’s a terrifically tactile affair that adds a shuffling, sunset-ready lens to Scott’s vibrant, nu-disco-influenced trademark sound.

It's followed by ‘I Feel’, a squelchy, slow-motion, delay-laden nod to synthesiser and drum machine-driven Balearic gems of the 1980s that first featured on NuNorthern Soul’s Summer Selections Four EP this time last year. Blessed with the boldest of synth basslines, authentic drum machine percussion and effects aplenty, it’s an impressive slab of nostalgic retro-futurism.

Scott reaches for glossy, near huggable FM synth melodies on the gorgeous ‘System Junk’, slowly and subtly building up a loved-up groove laden with intergalactic electronics, head-nodding drums, shimmering riffs and a yearning, rising and falling bassline. Even better is astonishing closing cut ‘Tired Sunrise’, a slowly unfurling dusk soundscape rich in clicking drums, yawning pads, echoing effects, blissful synth sounds and the most impeccable of piano solos. It feels like a future Balearic classic.

Emily McGuinness’s cover artwork for the release depicts Hierbas Ibicencas, the “famous spirit of Ibiza” made of local herbs. Hierbas Ibicencas can trace its roots back to monks who lived on Ibiza in the Middle Ages. They grew wild herbs and once preserve them in alcohol, with the resulting liquid being used as a medicinal remedy. According to tradition, Hiberas Ibicencas can only be made with an odd number of herbs – which should preferably be gathered on the morning after a full moon, before the day of San Juan, to guarantee good luck and “add some extra magic to the potion”.

BUY ON BANDCAMP

3 NOTI - Sysytem Junk SAMPLER

formentera cave session
https://jupitertuningcenter.bandcamp.com/album/keywax-crush

done it again

The debut EP from Beats of No Nation. BONN001 "Trends" EP by Super Fun Bumper Edition a collaboration between Charles Murdoch and Jad Lee.

Follow:
www.soundcloud.com/sfbe
www.soundcloud.com/charlesmurdoch
www.soundcloud.com/jad-lee





Trends EP

Trend EP

Super Fun Bumper Edition - Skaplee

This tune was recorded during the Ninja Tuna sessions in 2008 and has been unreleased until now. It features Kaidi Tatham & Andy Kingslow on keys & percussion, and Kaidi on flute. 

It is released on the 'Thirty One Songs' compilation of rare and exclusive tracks by Manchester artists, curated & compiled by Dave Haslam. All profits go directly to the CALM charity, who work to combat the high suicide rates of young men in the UK. http://www.thecalmzone.net/
http://www.thirtyonesongs.com/

FULL TRACKLISTING:
CD ONE:
1) BARRY ADAMSON The Sun & The Sea (Alt Version)
2) ELBOW Lippy Kids (Live from Pinkpop)
3) EVERYTHING EVERYTHING Carry Me Home (Gloworm Cover)
4) JIM NOIR Spider Glider
5) FROM THE KITES OF SAN QUENTIN Undoneath
6) VIEKA Never
7) MR SCRUFF Chin Up
8) LONELADY Marble
9) DURUTTI COLUMN Requiem Away
10) DELPHIC Wake
11) BEATING WING ORCHESTRA Sema
12) NO CEREMONY/// Wearme
13) RUBY ANN PATTERSON Start You Again
14) AIR CAV Crystalline/Dawn Chorus
15) I AM KLOOT Bigger Wheels
CD TWO:
16) BAD LIEUTENANT Feed The Fire
17) SILVERCLUB Washed Out
18) D/R/U/G/S Mila
19) THE WHIP Secret Weapon (Tom Lowe Remix)
20) JEZ KER Reason I Feel Like An Alien (Stripped Version)
21) AIRSHIP Summertime
22) PLANK! La Luna (Boxed In Remix)
23) JANICE GRAHAM BAND Murder
24) MURKAGE Paperweight
25) DUTCH UNCLES The Ink (Magic Arm Remix)
26) JASPER RHODONITE Put It On
27) THE TRAVELLING BAND Rise Fast, Fall Slow
28) JP COOPER Oh Brother
29) SARA LOWES Fear of Landing
30) NOEL GALLAGHER’S HIGH FLYING BIRDS Let The Lord Shine A Light On
Me
31) SILENCE



Mr Scruff 'Chin Up' from the 'Thirty One Songs' Compilation

We are so excited to present to your our next release! ☀️
Kalima - (Where Is The) Sunshine on 7"
Release date : June 6th
Pre-order yours on Bandcamp: https://chuwanaga.bandcamp.com/album/where-is-the-sunshine

For its third release, Chuwanaga goes back to the past with the reissue of “(Where Is The) Sunshine” by Kalima, a really rare 7” originally released in 1981 and produced in Baltimore (Maryland) by African-American pianist and producer Derrick Amin. Part I on the A side and part II on the B side form a real journey, a beauty in its own style fusing jazz, soul and spirituality as well as political values.

Back in the mid seventies Derrick Amin brought together young and talented musicians from his African-American Muslim community in Baltimore. He tells us: “all black music in America is a response to racism and slavery” and “(Where Is The) Sunshine” was their own answer, “a plaintiff query of one immerse in darkness. The darkness of lies, lies that deny the humanity, justice, and equality of people. It’s the impetus of this song”. He adds: “Kalima means « Word » or « Langage » in Arabic. The name was inspired by a quote from Imam W.D. Mohammad (the late Muslim American leader and erstwhile successor to Nation of Islam founder, Elijah Muhammad) who once said: “Words make people””.

With its splendid vocal parts - thanks to lead vocalist Sabreen Shareef, a unique major-to-minor chord progression, subtil synthetiser melodies in the chorus and amazing electric piano and sax solos, it really is a very special release. It’s been discovered in a @Motor Motor City Drum Ensemble jazz set with Gilles Peterson at the JAW Family Reunion in Berlin back in 2016 where he played it as the closing track of a wonderful musical journey through black music – which was the right occasion for a classic Gilles rewind and the occasion of a shared epiphany. Still, one must not forget its yet poetic still political message now shared once again with the world. The question asked by Kalima sadly still remains as relevant in 2018: Where is the sunshine ?

Don't miss!

Kalima - (Where Is The) Sunshine Pt. II SNIPPET

Pierre-Edouard ‎– À Mon Âge Déjà Fatigué

Chuwanaga is a french label born in 2017 and based in Paris just like its two founders, parisian deejays @clementine-fr and @saint-james. From jazz-funk to mellow grooves, the label brings back musicality on the dancefloors. They release quality licenced and remastered reissues of lost or forgotten tunes but also new music from today’s talents. 

Contact : chuwanagarecords(at)gmail.com

Kalima - (Where Is The) Sunshine Pt. II SNIPPET

CHUWANAGA

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