Awesome record. Up with the best of the year so far - love it!

Multi Culti seasonal balance series continues with Equinox II

Ofofo flies solo on the positively-ebullient ‘Unlock the Future,’ striking a rare note of lightness in it’s sublimely ethereal groove. Instant sunshine!

Ofofo - Unlock The Future

When Paul Murphy released his critically acclaimed debut solo album, Claremont 56, in 2006, many thought it would be the first of many. In a way, it was, as in the years since he’s released a string of collaborative sets alongside Benjamin J Smith (as Smith & Mudd), and as part of underground ‘supergroups’ Paqua, Bison and Hillside. But that second solo album? Well, it just had to wait.

In early 2023, Murphy finally decided to scratch that itch, roping in some of his most trusted collaborators (keyboardist and bassist Michele Chiavarini, percussionist Patrick Dawes, guitarist Dave Noble and HF International’s Kashif included) to lay down a sumptuous set of tracks that not only showcases his now familiar (bit hard to pigeonhole) neo-Balearic sound, but also proves how much he has matured as a writer and producer since 2006.

In The Garden of Mindfulness is richly musically detailed, expertly arranged and full to bursting with fluid instrumental solos, with Murphy and his collaborators serving up tracks that brilliantly blur the boundaries between languid jazz-funk, downtempo, vintage synth-laden krautrock, dubby grooves and sun-splashed soundscapes.

It simply sparkles from the moment that opener ‘Eighty Three’ slowly rises like the morning sun, with gentle, undulating synth sounds ushering in a slow-motion jazz-funk excursion rich in twinkling electronics, spacey pads and warming bass. Recent single ‘Katanaboy’, a lusciously layered dub disco-infused dancefloor excursion in Murphy’s familiar style, raises the temperature a touch, before ‘Bonne Anse’ and the sublime ‘Unka Paw’ (whose combination of evocative fretless bass, extended electric piano solos, Clavinet licks and acoustic guitars is genuinely spellbinding) invite a combination of wavy shuffling and flat-on-the-back, eyes-closed appreciation.

And so it continues, with gorgeous title track ‘In The Garden of Mindfulness’ making way for the boogie-influenced, Japanese-British brilliance of ‘Hangsang’ (check the jaunty pianos, yearning breakdown and exotic melodies). Murphy’s long held love of warm, weighty bass, hypnotic disco grooves, colourful analogue synth sounds and jazzy guitars once again comes to the fore on ‘Afternoon Bob’ before the album reaches a fittingly triumphant conclusion with ‘Late In March’. 

A neat sonic summary of all that makes the set such a rewarding and entertaining experience, repeat listens reveals a wealth of musical details, from off-kilter triple-time drums and surprise bass guitar solos, to impeccable piano solos (provided by the immensely talented Chiavarini), fizzing jazz-funk synth doodles and stirring synth-strings. It’s a breathlessly brilliant way to end an album that was genuinely worth waiting for.

Afternoon Bob

The third track in a new series revisiting the best remixes featured on AOR Disco over the years. Here we have Youth's  dub house take on How We Walk On The Moon the cult "disco cellist" Arthur Russell.

How We Walk On The Moon - Arthur Russell (Youth Return To Base Edit)

Danish fusion virtuosos Mikkel Nordsø & Theill share their new song ‘Sea View’, a mellow, meandering piece conjured up from tablas, strings and guitar, guested by Carolina Franceska’s gentle vocals.

‘Sea View’ →https://linktr.ee/musicfordreams

The song comes off the duo’s forthcoming fourth LP for Music For Dreams, also titled Sea View, which comes out in September 2024.

Supported by Koda’s Cultural Funds and Musik Forlæggerne

Connect with Nordsø & Theill
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0psqMOedtHvPZgcA2ASjUh

Connect with Music For Dreams
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/musicfordreams
FB : https://www.facebook.com/musicfordreams
SC : https://soundcloud.com/music-for-dreams
YT : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo8HNI0C0QGdOoHWrTqhVWA 
IG : https://www.instagram.com/musicfordreams/
X : https://twitter.com/musicfordreams
BC : https://musicfordreams.bandcamp.com/
Home : https://musicfordreams.dk/

Nordsø & Theill - Sea View (ft. Caroline Franceska) - s0799

Whisper it quietly, but Andrew Meecham’s ninth album as The Emperor Machine, Island Boogie, may well be the long-serving producer’s strongest set to date. Of course, all his albums ripple with vintage synth sounds, colourful lead lines, dub-flecked electronic disco and lashings of cosmic intent, but this one just feels a little more special.

Island Boogie is certainly special. Meecham’s “most personal” full-length to date was inspired by his experiences at the Rotation Garden Party – a beloved micro-festival promoted by a group of friends (including sometime Bizarre Inc and Chicken Lips partner Dean Meredith), renowned for the quality of its custom-built Klipschorn soundsystem. “The album’s title sums up the vibe that you get from Rotation,” he explains. “It may be held in a landlocked venue but it gives a wonderful sense of isolation – it is an audiophile paradise.”

Meecham road-tested rough versions of the album’s eight tracks at Rotation 2023, with the feedback and dancefloor reaction guiding the sound and arrangement of the final mixes. Fittingly, Meecham will return to the event to showcase the album at Rotation 2024 this July. Given the inspiration he’s drawn from previous editions of the festival, that will be a very special occasion.

Musically, Island Boogie offers the most fully functioning and expertly constructed expression of The Emperor Machine sound yet, a style Meecham describes as “electronic cosmic disco-boogie”. It’s a sound that takes cues from early ‘80s NYC punk-funk and dub disco, vintage electro, proto-house and left-of-centre synth-boogie, but one that’s instantly recognisable to those who have followed Meecham’s career over the last three decades.

Island Boogie also sees Meecham continue his blossoming working relationship with Séverine Mouletin, whose stylish and distinctive vocals previously graced his popular ‘Dance Par Amour’ and ‘Your Own Style’ singles. Here Mouletin features on four tracks: the acid-flecked retro-futurist wave-boogie of ‘La Cassette’ (featuring additional percussion by Rupert Brown); the infectious, bleep-sporting headiness of recent single ‘Dévoilez-Vous’; and the squelchy analogue synth-funk of ‘Wanna Pop With You’ and ‘Vas-y-Le Chat’.

Meecham also finds space for a cover of Fox’s 1976 pop-rock classic ‘S-s-s-single Bed’, one of the Stafford-based artist’s all-time favourites. His version, featuring lead vocals by Michelle Bee and guitar from Dave Atherton, re-imagines the track as a subtly Chic-influenced slab of infectious electro-pop rich in kaleidoscopic synth sounds, sing-along choruses and shuffling drums.

The instrumental foundations of the classic Emperor Machine sound come to the fore on the album’s three other cuts. There’s the jazz-funk-flecked warmth of the LP-opening title track; the sparse squelches, bleeps, TB-303 style bass and brightly coloured electronics of ‘Walk The Dog’; and the exotic, slow-motion cosmic electronica of ‘Cha Murrah Etem’, a warm but poignant affair dedicated to his late father. Heady and intoxicating, with hints of Balearica and digital reggae, it offers a fittingly beautiful and tactile conclusion to Meecham’s most expressive and accessible album yet.

Island Boogie

LENG SHOP

Emperor Machine - Cha Murrah Etem

Emperor Machine - S-S-S-Single Bed feat. Michelle Bee

A dubby Balearic-flavored cover of Bill Wither’s classic from our very own Pepe Link, with vocals from Glen Anthony -- out today!
 
'Lovely Day' →https://linktr.ee/musicfordreams

The track features on the vinyl edition of Pepe Link’s newly released Scenes From My Soul.

Supported by Koda’s Cultural Funds and Musik Forlæggerne.

Connect with Pepe Link
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0dtrB14jr84vF8uePQLl2s
FB : https://www.facebook.com/DjPepeLink/
SC : https://soundcloud.com/pepe-link
IG : https://www.instagram.com/pepelink/

Connect with Music For Dreams
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/musicfordreams
FB : https://www.facebook.com/musicfordreams
SC : https://soundcloud.com/music-for-dreams
YT : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo8HNI0C0QGdOoHWrTqhVWA 
IG : https://www.instagram.com/musicfordreams/
X : https://twitter.com/musicfordreams
BC : https://musicfordreams.bandcamp.com/
Home : https://musicfordreams.dk/

Pepe Link - Lovely Day (ft. Glen Anthony & Ella) - s0785

Charlotte & Reinhard – ’My Love’ →https://linktr.ee/musicfordreams
 
A lush, ethereal ballad from Belgium’s art-pop power couple numero uno: Charlotte Caluwaerts and Reinhard Vanbergen – out today.
 
‘My Love’ will feature on the duo’s forthcoming album, Sins & Virtues.

Supported by Koda’s Cultural Funds and Musik Forlæggerne.

Connect with Charlotte & Reinhard
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7oGwOidimG1gVnq4c4KTJg
FB : https://www.facebook.com/reinhardvanbergenartist/
IG : https://instagram.com/charlotte_caluwaerts

Connect with Music For Dreams
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/musicfordreams
FB : https://www.facebook.com/musicfordreams
SC : https://soundcloud.com/music-for-dreams
YT : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo8HNI0C0QGdOoHWrTqhVWA 
IG : https://www.instagram.com/musicfordreams/
X : https://twitter.com/musicfordreams
BC : https://musicfordreams.bandcamp.com/
Home : https://musicfordreams.dk/

Charlotte & Reinhard - My Love (Radio Edit) - s0817

Chillout session curated by Tripster. Enjoy!

Tripster - Baraka Sunday Lounge

The Ibiza-based duo DJ Pippi & Willie Graff release new single ‘Let Me Show You’, taken from their freshly released album Universal Language.
 
'Let Me Show You' →https://linktr.ee/musicfordreams

The exotic downtempo track features guitarist Jonas Krag, aka Santino Surfers, also of the Music For Dreams posse. A perfectly chilled-out chugger, brimming with lush instrumentation full of colour and joy.

Supported by Koda’s Cultural Funds and Musik Forlæggerne.

Connect with Dj Pippi:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5TqtzZ1BGLizhpCxVfB0n8
FB: https://www.facebook.com/djpippibiza/ 
SC: https://soundcloud.com/dj-pippi
IG: https://www.instagram.com/dj_pippi/

Connect with Willie Graff
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1RTZ36zUswZA6bEgXQYIj3
FB: https://facebook.com/williegraff/
SC: https://soundcloud.com/willie-graff

Connect with Music For Dreams
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/musicfordreams
FB : https://www.facebook.com/musicfordreams
SC : https://soundcloud.com/music-for-dreams
YT : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo8HNI0C0QGdOoHWrTqhVWA 
IG : https://www.instagram.com/musicfordreams/
X : https://twitter.com/musicfordreams
BC : https://musicfordreams.bandcamp.com/
Home : https://musicfordreams.dk/

DJ Pippi & Willie Graff - Let Me Show You (ft. Santino Surfers) - s0751

Vinyl/Digital - https://lengrecords.bandcamp.com/album/mr-mystery-ep

Fellow earthlings, cast your gaze skywards. If you’re quick, you might see Earthboogie’s intergalactic cruise ship coming in to land.

While they’ve been DJing around London and beyond with their custom built Quod sound system for some time, the Mr Mystery EP marks their debut appearance on Leng Records. It’s the first time the fruits of their studio labours, recorded in the space they call The Control Room, have made it onto vinyl.

Izaak Gray and Nicola Robinson’s musical vision is delightfully hard to pigeonhole, but is arguably best summed up by their self proclaimed dedication to all things “intergalactic, cosmic, tribal and terrestrial”. Some may draw clear parallels with the Afro-cosmic work of Italian pioneers Daniele Baldelli and Beppe Loda, where rock guitars, disco riffs, vintage synthesizers and heavy African drum rhythms are all thrown into the musical melting pot. 

On the A-side, you’ll find “Mr Mystery”, a bongo-laden chunk of hypnotic, low-slung voodoo disco full of haunting flute lines, flanged funk guitars, heavy drum machine kicks, impassioned yelps, cascading chords and crunchy clavinet lines. It’s an intoxicating, early morning trip that achieves a near perfect balance between thrusting danceflooor heaviness and head-in-the-clouds daydreaming. 

Things get even steamier on the flip, where the intergalactic, Afro-disco hustle of “Route Ten To Interzone” ushers aboard Earthboogie’s star-bound cruiser. Built around an irrepressible groove – think restless electronic bass, hard-wired disco-funk guitars and layered tribal drums – the track surges forward on a wave of chanted vocals, spacey synth solos and irrepressible disco flourishes.

“The E.B Theme”, a kind of aural call to arms, completes a fine first foray into music production. A little looser, hazier and deeper than the rest of the EP, the tracks is propelled forwards on waves of dreamy chords, lilting trumpet motifs, spacey electronics, tumbling disco guitars and a bassline that recalls the early days of Chicago deep house. It’s a wonderful end to a notably impressive debut 12”.

Mr Mystery EP

Earthboogie - Route Ten To Interzone

Mid-tempo dancefloor specialists... plus everything else.

Earthboogie - Route Ten To Interzone

Leng Records

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