At the vanguard of Melbourne's bustling underground music scene you’ll find Surprise Chef. A band very much on the rise, who with two exceptional albums under their belts, are picking up a rapidly swelling fanbase across the world. Working out of the College of Knowledge stable (their home / studio / record label namesake), the band’s take on instrumental cinematic soul and funk has connected with listeners across multiple scenes and genres. Their intoxicatingly laidback sound, which pairs expertly crafted hooks with a seriously funky, watertight rhythm section, has earned them a wide appeal and made their tracks ripe for interpretation.

When floating ideas for potential remixers, two names came to the fore, Masters At Work and Harvey Sutherland. MAW have a long history with Mr Bongo having remixed the Brit-funk classic ‘Dancing In Outer Space’ by Atmosfear for the label in 1997, and releasing the original track, ‘Brazilian Beat’ in 2000. With their studio collaboration now back in full swing, it was the perfect time to inject the MAW magic back into the label. They picked ‘Crayfish Caper’ from the band’s first album ‘All News Is Good News’ as their choice of track to remix. The ’Nuyorican Broken Remix' sees MAW stepping into their Nuyorican Soul guise. A Latin shuffle meets an afro-beat rhythm and some very chunky broken beats, which all underpins an infectious melody constructed around the original track’s bassline. They pair this with horns and synths that add a flourish and reveal new layers as the track develops. It’s a sound that is uniquely Nuyorican Soul and a welcome return for fans of this aspect of their phenomenal output. The 'Masters At Work Remix’ is straight up vintage MAW in House mode. It takes many of the same elements found in the 'Nuyorican Broken Remix' and points things in a House direction. It’s 4/4, but the beats have that Kenny Dope trademark swing. Tough, but oozing soul. Add to that heavy bass, vocal cuts, fierce horns and saxophone, layered synths, and that undeniable MAW bounce. 

Rounding off the package is the remix from Harvey Sutherland. Having made international waves since 2013 with his unique take on dance music, Harvey has long been on Mr Bongo’s remix radar, but until now we hadn’t managed to get that ambition over the line. This time around the stars aligned perfectly. Surprise Chef and Harvey Sutherland are both Melbourne residents and they had already been working on projects together. The band set things up and Harvey chose to remix ‘New Ferrari’ from their latest album, ‘Daylight Savings’. His take on the track sees things venturing into dubby-disco territory. A dreamy, cosmic, bass-heavy, sweeping synth-led workout, that retains yet reinterprets the catchy-as-hell hooks from the original track. A roller with serious muscle!

Masters At Work & Harvey Sutherland Remixes

PREMIERE : Surprise Chef - New Ferrari (Harvey Sutherland's Weird Flex)

Pedro Ricardo, an exciting new signing to Soundway Records, shares "Ode ao gato" - a killer jazz number dedicated to legendary Argentinian saxophonist, Gato Barbieri.

According to Pedro, “for me, this song is anticipation, eagerness for things to come. It features my dear friend Luis on the drums and was inspired by one of my favourites, Gato Barbieri”

Portuguese multi-instrumentalist, DJ and producer Pedro Ricardo will soon release his debut album, ‘Soprem Bons Ventos’, on London, UK based Soundway Records.

Currently based in Berlin, Pedro Ricardo has been releasing music for the past eight years under different aliases via labels such as Extended Records, 1980Lyfers, Wolf Music and his own imprints Hear, Sense and Feel and Pedro’s House. An eclectic DJ and selector, he hosts a radio show on South London's radio Balamii, has guested on Mafalda's NTS show and can be found playing in clubs across all Europe.

“The album translates to ‘Good Winds Blow’”, shares Ricardo. “This idea of good winds blowing is intertwined with the feeling of missing something, and sadness. On a positive note, there is still an overarching sense that happiness also lies ahead. ‘Soprem Bons Ventos’ represents an ode to the past, to those who came before me, connecting with my present and imagining the future.”

Stylistically, Ricardo became entranced with jazz from an early age, while also becoming enamored with folk music – rooted in his childhood in Portugal, now encompassing sounds from Cape Verde, Brazil, and Spain along the way. These crucial influences can be heard on the album, alongside field recordings, and electronics, on ‘Soprem Bons Ventos’. 

The beginnings of ‘Soprem Bons Ventos’ were born in his native city of Porto, but the album’s creative process spanned four countries and five years, finally finding completion after a move to Wood Green, North London. “This album has been following me around for the past five years,” shares Ricardo. “Wherever I went, it came along… but the majority of the recording process came alive in London.”

“The city had a particular effect on me. There are so many people doing so many exciting things, you have to ask yourself, ‘what makes the thing you are creating your own?’ This record has a lot of personal sonic moments like that. That is not to say that I found ‘my sound’, but rather that I found something that I think is special, and truly represents me now. The years when I was making the record also coincide with me moving away from Portugal, away from home  – this feeling is very much present during the record. You can hear it.”

‘Soprem Bons Ventos’ was written, produced, and performed by Ricardo, with cameos from Luís Neto on drums and vocals. The album was also mixed by Neto, and mastered by Frank Merritt at The Carvery Studios, featuring original artwork by Gosia Machon.

Soprem Bons Ventos

Pre-Order

Exclusive Premiere: Pedro Ricardo "Ode ao gato" (Forthcoming on Soundway)

The first single to be taken from a much anticipated second volume of ‘É Soul Cultura’, curated by Luke Unabomber. The compilation follows on from where Vol.1 left off, at times venturing into the deeper, spiritual, soulful, downtempo, experimental aspects of his tastes. New, old, rare and under-discovered music from around the world, woven together in Luke’s unique style. 

Isis ‘In Essense’ is a track of such majestic brilliance that it has never left Luke’s record bag. It’s proper deep house, but also a jazz record. Not necessarily in a sampling type way, but in a deep purring piece of jazz futurism way.

The double vinyl LP comes in a gatefold sleeve, Obi strip, and includes a limited edition fanzine written by Luke. Also available on CD and digital. 

Released on 09th June / available to pre-order now.

Isis - In Essense

Nicola Conte - Arise (feat. Zara McFarlane)

É Soul Cultura Vol.1 seemed to land at exactly the right moment. Post-lockdown, optimism was back on the rise and the dance floors swelled again. For many listeners, Manchester based DJ Luke Una’s intriguingly woven pattern of new, old, rare and under-discovered music from around the world became the soundtrack to rejuvenated positivity. Piccadilly Records made the release their top compilation of the year, with Rough Trade placing it as their number two. The enthusiasm from the industry was mirrored by record buyers and demonstrated that in the right hands, moving through genres, tempos and decades can make perfect musical sense. 

It was clear from the get-go that the concept warranted a series, there are many sides to É Soul Cultura and many musical stories to tell. This second volume gives another opportunity for Luke to share his journey of the past four decades of staying up late and getting transcendental whilst listening to holy grail music as the city slept. It follows on from where Vol.1 left off, at times venturing into the deeper, spiritual, soulful, downtempo, experimental aspects of his tastes. From the conscious, street soul fusion gospel of Veronica Mickie's 'Lost Children', to an excursion into Swiss, psych, progressive rock in the form of Pyranha, then onto the classic Indian music-inspired electronic workout of Andi Otto's 'Bangalore Whispers'. Luke hints at his softer side in Avis; a sweet, obscure cover version of Minnie Riperton’s ‘Baby, This Love I Have’, as well as championing local heroes in the shape of Manchester’s Yargo and their driving, obscure, proto-house belter, ‘Marimba’. There’s also Japanese, electronic, slo-mo heaviness from 1979, courtesy of Bach Revolution. House music is integral to the É Soul sound and is represented by Nav Aktah’s deep remix of Mr Scruff, and then there’s Isis ‘In Essense’; a track of such majestic brilliance that it has never left Luke’s record bag. 

The selection is eclectic, global, and plucked from different times and spaces. In theory, perhaps they shouldn't work together, but there is a mysterious link that makes them gel as a whole. That’s what Luke does best. He creates a sort of musical alchemy, unifying the diverse. This isn’t a compilation focussed purely on the rare, even though many tracks featured do fall into that camp. It is best described by Luke himself, “It’s not about showing off, collector rarity, or ego-strutting, it’s all about telling stories, sharing the music, and making life’s journey mean something. In the end, of course, it’s just a compilation of other people’s music, but hopefully it’s more than that, adding something back to the pot.”

Josan - Vendedor De Mangaios

Mr Bongo

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