Rocío Daza: pre-party Mate REC. Felipe Gordon @radialstore

Ever since he remixed Abimaro & The Free’s ‘Mark’ back in 2014, NuNorthern Soul boss Phil Cooper has kept in touch with Daniel Stenger, the producer and self-taught multi-instrumentalist behind the Flashbaxx project. Cooper was always convinced that Sanger would be capable of crafting a very special release for the label but was willing to give him time to come up with something special.

With Take Care My Friend, a mini-album inspired by the German producer’s deeply rooted love of jazz-funk, Stenger has repaid the faith shown in him. He’s delivered a collection of quality cuts marked out by audible warmth, effortless musicality and memorable, sun-soaked songs.

As he makes clear in the liner notes included with the vinyl version of the mini album, the project began with the recording of luscious, Rhodes-laden opener ‘Alright’. After staying up all night recording the track, Stenger not only decided to continue recording with the same relatively limited set of instruments (think bass and electric guitars, drums, piano, electric piano, organ, hand percussion and a handful of synthesizers), but also stick to a hybrid sound that added a subtle Latin shuffle to his Balearic-minded take on jazz, funk and soul fusion.

We’re biased of course, but there’s no denying that Stenger’s creative choices have resulted in a superb set of tracks. While the restricted kit list provided focus during the music-making process, there’s still plenty of musical variety across the six tracks that make up the set. 

For proof, compare and contrast the jazzy, loose-limbed headiness of ‘It Just Happens’, where simmering synth-strings, twinkling melodic motifs and glistening guitar licks rise above smooth jazz-funk bass and a gentle broken beat rhythm, and the slow-motion soul brilliance of ‘Strangers’, where Kathryn Kempf’s evocative and poignant lead vocals rise above a sumptuous downtempo groove and heart-aching piano lines.

This subtly varied but musically coherent vibe continues across the mini album. Stenger indulges in a bit of New York daydreaming on ‘Brooklyn Love Boat’, a wonderfully musically detailed chunk of 1970s style jazz-funk heat that offers knowing nods to Roy Ayers, Herbie Hancock and the jazz-fusion stylings of Azymuth, before opting for a deeper, slower and even more seductive sound on the Hammond-sporting bliss of ‘Take Care My Friend’.

Closing cut ‘City Lights’, a gorgeous, soft-focus affair smothered in echoing Rhodes riffs and immersive chords, has the feel of an underground classic in waiting: a stirring, string-drenched future sing-along whose emotion-packed lyrics are delivered brilliantly by Glasgow-born singer/songwriter Chris Pookah. 

Despite the song’s subject matter – the painful final breakdown of a relationship – there’s something strangely uplifting about the combination of Pookah’s pitch-perfect vocal delivery and the absorbing warmth of Stenger’s comforting and sonically detailed music. It provides a fittingly impressive finish to a mightily immersive mini album.

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CITY LIGHTS

An old-school Roland 909 beat. A bassline that recalls garage tracks of old. And a vocal hook that'll grab you and never let go. As the song says, it's 5am somewhere – preferably on the open-air dance floor of an Ibizan nightclub.

It's 5am Somewhere

14.12.23

150 lunatics Tracks, Yeeeaaarrr!!!!!
Big Thanks for your Luxorious Jazz Voice
https://soundcloud.com/vocalatti
And Thanks too for your always great Sax
https://soundcloud.com/joerxworx

Lunatics 150 /Because it's you and me/ Vocalatti- Joerxworx & Ratzzz

UK house legend Ashley Beedle steps up with a supreme 60-minute mix as part of DJ Mag's Podcast series. We catch up with an incomparable DJ and producer to discuss his stacked production schedule, Black Science Orchestra, the enduring influence of X-Press 2 and the significance of the Windrush Anniversary...

Interview and tracklist: https://bit.ly/2Blr88J

Podcast 102: Ashley Beedle

It's the frenchman that had a meteoric rise last year with releases & remixes on a who's who of labels within the House & Disco scene. We all know and love him by now it's Mangabey! His masterfully bouncy and jazzy influenced productions are on everyones usb stick and if he's not making the track, he's being called in to lay down some serious keyboard action on one. This extended mix from 'Bey will get you thinking of warmer climates & cooler drinks, enjoy!


Artist: @mangabey-1 & https://www.facebook.com/mangabeyprod/

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SlothBoogie Guestmix #169 - Mangabey

We are very pleased to welcome @carlothings and his luscious locks to our mix series. The Berlin based artist and co-founder of the infamous Neovinyl Recordings imprint sure knows how to rock a dance floor, and a mix for that matter. 

Lock in for some exquisitely eccentric club sounds.

HAWSMIX023 / Carlo

The one and only Byron The Aquarius was our guest at the Iboat on the night of May 25th, 2018, where he was invited alongside K15, as well as Real J. and Jus Jam. We are truly happy to share with you the recording of Byron's set, who closed the night with this beautiful journey, blending house music, hip hop and soul. 

Here some links to catch-up and support Byron: 
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/ByronTheAquariusMusic/ 
RA | https://www.residentadvisor.net/dj/byrontheaquarius

Byron The Aquarius @ Iboat, Bordeaux - 2018.05.25

And just like that, we're back - it's been a little quiet here at the Elbow Grease / Greasy Listening HQ lately, what with the producing and releasing of new LPs and the starting of new music teaching careers and all, but alas - new year, new mix (and a promise to stay on this shit :) This one is a lil lengthier to include a choice handful of a few 2019 favorites of ours, from that sweet spot in between the club and the casa, as always showing love for some of the freshest sounds around that deserve so much more credit in this image and algorithm-driven world. Happy 2020, hope you enjoy! Love, Peace, and Elbow Grease to all.

Fernando Falcão - Disse Alguém
Motoko & Myers - Plover
People Plus - Ascension
Joe - Line To Earth
Whodat & Viola Klein - Funeral Song
CZ Wang - Just Off Wave (feat. Separated at Birth)
Waajeed - Let Your Love (feat. Ideeyah, Desean Jones & Khristian Foreman)
Yu Su - Watermelon Woman
Curt Cress - Sundance
Golpe de Estado - Liquido (Original Mix)
Soulphiction - Raw Trak I
Levon Vincent - Dance Music Pt.1
Bosq - Backstrokin' (feat. Kaleta)
Sex Judas - Tidens Angst
Bufiman - Sara Sara
Nicholas - A Message From The East
Autre - LA Funk
Benedek & Noble - World Gruuv
Warm (Ron Trent) - Night Ride
Ilija Rudman - S.O.S. Flight Theme
Theo Parrish - What You Gonna Ask For
Lindstrøm - As If No One Is Here
Dave Aju - Wish You Well

Greasy Listening : Episode 005

DJ Mix from last Summer. 

Mixed and Blended on VHS whilst wearing only my pants, pair of socks and Jesus sandals.

Tommy Rawson DJ Mix

We are eclectic, we are not a SOUL music label, but a label for music with SOUL. Head to our website or bandcamp for more info.

CITY LIGHTS

NuNorthernSoul

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