JUNE EVANS: ‘IF YOU WANT MY LOVIN’ / ‘HARDLY NEED TO SAY’
IZIPHO SOUL are thrilled to announce their next release: Early 80s music from New Jersey of the highest order and a first time re-release on a 45.
IF YOU WANT MY LOVIN’ is a synth-soul boogie bomb that we’ve taken to another level. The ‘Sunshine Mix’ by Philip Ward - miraculously restructured - giving it the feel of a 12” but keeping it under 5 minutes, the instrumental break in the latter stages is simply stunning. 
The sublime flip ‘HARDLY NEED TO SAY’, hardly needs an introduction. 
Whilst the Rhodes and intricate guitars weave their way throughout the track, June’s vocals shine with passion and power.

HARDLY NEED TO SAY

Isaac Aesili's  'Runaway' EP is a story of his journey from his South Pacific homeland in Aotearoa, New Zealand to his new South-East Asian base in Bangkok, Thailand. The title track "Runaway"  is a boogie blazing Juno 106 synth-driven modern funk jam that harks back to the sounds of Isaac's earlier Funkommunity and Sorceress productions. "Creatress" is a mystic hip hop instrumental ode to mother nature abundant in dense jazz harmony yet simultaneously spacious and tranquil. "Motion" is a bouncing deep house joint that evokes positive reassurance with a lush, rolling bassline that evolves into a soaring climax featuring Isaac's signature majestic trumpet. "Jazzmin" is the calm after the storm where a solitary Rhodes melody, an ambient andante beat, and haunting horns speak of overcoming turbulent times through returning to a place of peace.

Isaac Aesili is a Māori musician, DJ and music producer from New Zealand living in Bangkok. Internationally acclaimed solo artist and the producer and creative force behind Funkommunity, Sorceress and Karlmarx. Isaac’s original productions have been supported internationally by DJs such as Gilles Peterson, Benji B, and Lefto. His trumpet playing features on many collaborations including ‘Midnight in Peckham’ by Chaos in the CBD (Rhythm Section) and ‘Layer’ by Julien Dyne (Wonderful Noise/BBE). A world-renownedmusician on both trumpet and percussion, Isaac is a member of the Lord Echo band. His music fuses Soul, Funk, Jazz, Brazilian and Afro Latino styles with R&B, House and Electronic music. Isaac’s new EP ‘Runaway’ drops on 16th July 2021 on Bastard Jazz  Recordings.

Isaac Aesili - Jazzmin

Buy / Stream the album here : https://orcd.co/breakthewall

Effortlessly dismantling the barriers between R&B, soul, funk, disco and jazz sounds, MF Robots present long player ‘Break The Wall’, on BBE Music. 

Astonishing musicianship, pristine production and top-tier songwriting, ‘Break The Wall’ immediately calls to mind those iconic American rhythm sections of the 70s and 80s. The music is energising, uplifting and the potent result of a highly accomplished musical partnership maturing, growing and hitting their stride together in lock-step. 

Jan Kincaid and Dawn Joseph met as members of one of the UK’s most successful Acid Jazz bands, which influenced Mark Ronson, D’Angelo, Jamiroquai, Erykah Badu and The Roots to name a few. Founding the Brand New Heavies was an important chapter for Jan, but once he and vocalist and songwriting partner Dawn began working together, the chemistry was instant and irresistible. It was time to turn the page, and soon MF Robots was born. 

“When we made our first album, we didn’t have a band as such. We basically made a lot of the record at home and called on other musicians as and when we needed them. Our sound was developing organically, and when we finally released the record to great critical acclaim, it was time to get out on the road,” says Jan. “We put together a band of likeminded young musicians, playing intimate gigs and big festivals all over Europe and beyond, growing tight as a unit, so that when it came time to think about making this, our second album, we knew we had an extra level of musicianship full of personality that could realise our vision.” 

Inviting band members Alex Montaque (keys), Naz Adamson (bass), Mark Beaney (guitar), Jack Birchwood (trumpet), Ben Treacher (sax) to improvise and contribute their own ideas over song-sketches laid out by Jan and Dawn gives ‘Break The Wall’ a special sense of offthe-cuff brilliance. Even on the polished final product you can detect a collaborative, fluid and unhurried approach to production that’s all-too rare these days. 

There’s guest performances from bassist Gail Ann Dorsey (‘The Love It Takes’, ‘Make Me Happy’) and guitarist Cory Wong ('Shine', 'Make Me Happy'), the former a top-flight session player who’s collaborated with Lenny Kravitz and David Bowie among others, the latter a member of the incredible Vulfpeck collective and an accomplished solo artist in his own right. Mixed by Clinton McCreery and mastered at The Carvery in London, the album was completed in March 2020, just before the World went into COVID19 lockdown. 

As for concept behind the project, “the name of the band, MUSIC FOR ROBOTS, is an entirely tongue in cheek one. It’s a poke at the generic nature of a lot of present day pop music, of a certain “factory” songwriting style and lack of real individuality and personality in ‘manufactured’ music. We want to create strong Soulful music with a timeless classic feel, drawing from a lot of diverse influences that makes you feel good, so maybe you can lose yourself for a little while. We want to create something that touches a feeling in people, the way that we are touched by a lot of great music and want it to still sound good in years to come.”

 In this long player, the duo’s musical mission has been both accomplished, and surpassed. The title ‘Break The Wall’ could not be more apt.

Break the Wall

MF Robots - Make The Call

I'M HERE - CORNELL CC CARTER (Snippet)

TONIGHT - CORNELL CC CARTER (Snippet)

demo circa 2000
recorded and produced with Van Hunt
featuring Trina Broussard

see me

From the moment I heard this young lady's voice on the "Elle" album, I knew she was something special. So much so that I tracked her management down on Twitter to see if she'd be interested in possibly working together. I found out from her manager Mildred (Hej, Millie!) that they were actually working on a concert DVD at the time and they were looking to put some remixes on the accompanying CD as bonus tracks. Without hesitation, I jumped at the chance. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to finish it in time to make it to the retail release, but she has graciously allowed me to share it with you guys. So, here it is. Something sexy for the dancers out there. "In Your Hands"...THE REMIX!!!

p.s. To hear the original version and all of Ntjam's releases, go to her website www.ntjamrosie.com and thank me later!!! 

Ntjam Rosie- In Your Hands (Applejac's Sounds Of Mecca remix)

The release last autumn of Reel People’s first full studio album in 10 years was, it’s fair to say, a moment. Retroflection stylishly recreated soul, disco and boogie classics behind the collective’s formation nearly 20 years ago and exposed its rarefied DNA like never before. Now band leader Oli Lazarus widens the collective, inviting the world’s finest producers and remixers to add their funky splices to the Retroflection blueprint. Retroflection Remixed, featuring Mousse T., Osunlade, DJ Spinna, John Morales, Atjazz, Terry Hunter, Sebb Junior, Scott Diaz, Da Brownie, Tall Black Guy, Matt Cooper’s OUTSIDE, BusCrates and Art Of Tones, is a majestic rebooting of the soulful flow that swept us away in 2018.
	
Art Of Tones get’s his sparkly mitts on Don’t Stop The Music, swaggering synth ‘n’ bass riffs further underlining Angie Stone’s classy strut through Yarbrough & People’s 1980 hit, whilst Buscrates – true to the name of his remix – pumps irresistible funk bounce into I’m In Love, a truly lowdown re-skinning of Reel People’s Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King tribute where Navasha Daya’s vocal sounds sassier than ever.

Osunlade eases us in with an elegant re-interpretation of Reel People’s Pleasure cover Joyous, deep throbs of electronica and rippling percussion carrying loops of the vocal and that iconic sax solo to stunning new heights – or depths. Similarly, Atjazz dims the lights and intensifies the mood for his take on Twilight. Where Reel People played impressively close to Maze’s original, Atjazz treads to shuffling jazz drums, double-bass and piano. The build of parts is spine-tingling stuff. Matt Cooper and his outstanding OUTSIDE project also take on the mantle of Joyous, and serve us a full fat disco jazz funk odyssey.

There are a number of uptempo treats too. Take Sebb Junior’s snappy piano-house routine for the Mica Paris-fronted I Want To Thank You – a sparkling turbo-charge to Alicia Myers’ early Eighties gospel-R&B vibe – or NYC mix legend John Morales’ ecstatic nine-minute mirrorball twirl of Geraldine Hunt-anthem Can’t Fake The Feeling complete with epic drum and vocal (Daya once again) breakdowns. Respected UK house DJ-producer Scott Diaz gives the Sharlene Hector-led cover of Side Effect’s Always There greater guitar-licked urgency but without compromise to the song’s soulful poise and power, and revered Chicago veteran Terry Hunter is a match made in heaven for Tony Momrelle, who soars through the former’s soulfully-charged remix of Buttercup (Carl Anderson’s mid-Eighties, Stevie Wonder-penned gem) with all of its funky drums, b-line twists and warm musical arrangements. German maestro Mousse T. hands us a nostalgic rework of Teena Marie’s I Need Your Lovin’  featuring the female powerhouses Vulu Malinga, LaDonna Harley-Peters and Sharlene Hector.

Elsewhere, South African talent Da Brownie dresses Reel People’s peppy, Omar-fronted update of Skipworth & Turner treasure Thinking About Your Love in sharp, finely-detailed deep dance threads, and Detroit star Tall Black Guy (TBG) sprinkles considerable amounts of summer samba magic over Momrelle’s other Retroflection outing Can We Pretend - a stunning re-awakening of the Bill Withers and Jose Feliciano collabo for the second time in mere months. There’s room yet for DJ Spinna to expand the reaches of Keep It Up (Anthony David’s luscious rendition of Milton Wright’s deep-soul bomb) with another of his transcendental space-funk remixes. Mind-blowing.

Retroflection Remixed

Pre-Order

Reel People feat. Navasha Daya - I'm In Love (BusCrates Remix)

The Cannabinoids, The Beat Tape VOL.1
All music was produced during a live jam session in Dallas, Texas. 
Introducing: in no certain order:
Jah Born – HU-210
Erykah Badu – THC
DJ Big Texas – SR141716
RC Williams – JWH-133
Symbolyc One – NABILONE
Rob Free – LEVONANTRADOL
PicnicTyme – MARINOL
A1 – SATIVEX
Feat. HeadCrack on voice box 

Executive Producer: Erykah Badu
Management: Erykah Badu & Paul Levatino
Recorded at: Universal Rehearsal & KLEARLIGHT Studios
Mastered at: Dave Kutch @ The Mastering Palace
Road Management: Big Mike Knight
Legal Counsel: Ward White IV
Additional Production & Arrangement: Mike Chav
Art Direction & Design: EMEK Studios
Booking Agent: Cara Lewis @ Creative Artist Agency
Travel Agent: Jo Geltman @ ALTOUR

(P)(C) 2012Control FreaQ Records, Inc. All Rights Reserved. www.baduworld.com


The Cannabinoids, The Beat Tape VOL.1

This is Dezaray Dawn's signature track infused with the Deep Soulful House sounds of Mecca from DJ AppleJac. Atlantis is truly representing with this one. As heard on Ava DuVernay's short film "The Door" feat. Gabrielle Union.  Available at iTunes. Enjoy!

www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CNM0ha87eU0
www.dezaraydawn.com
www.soundcloud.com/applejac
www.applejac.bandcamp.com

Written by Dezaray D. Frazier for Sol Heir Music
Produced by AppleJac for Sounds of Mecca Entertainment