Yooooo this is just in time for cuddle season. It’s an instant hit. I love everything about this song. The easy melody, the complex and layered vocals, and the amazing song writing by Sheena. It is a mood!!!! 

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 - Brand New Day

From the Rahsaan Patterson release HEROES & GODS (2019) comes special "reimagined" versions of I TRY and HEROES & GODS created by Quentin Harris!

I TRY (Reimagined)

The Lightness of Love (Deluxe)

It Feels so Good

THE MOMENT - CORNELL CC CARTER (Snippet)

Echoes Of (Prince) - Erotic City (Live)

Funkdamento - Just Are Sure

Holla If You See Me

BBE Music presents the first ever digital release for ‘Baby Doll’, a hidden Roy Ayers gem from the 70s, originally issued as a limited 12″ single back in 2003.

Initially intended to be the opening single for the first volume of Roy Ayers ‘Virgin Ubiquity: Unreleased Recordings 1976 – 1981’, somehow the track never made it onto the album itself, so this vintage disco cut has never appeared on digital formats, until now.

Featuring the great Bernard ‘Pretty’ Purdy on drums, ‘Baby Doll’ boasts William Allen on bass and Chano O’Ferral on congas, with vocals, keys and clarinet taken care of by Mr. Ayers himself.

Roy Ayers - Baby Doll

J.D's TIME MACHINE - SPEAK LOVE

Super talented and unique Australian funk soul collective THE REGIME, recorded the effortlessly beautiful ‘NEVER GONNA STOP’ earlier this year. Soul-filled vocals, a groove and feel set by their inimitable rhythm section, accompanied by guitar, saxophone, piano and flute.
Can this record get any better? With a brand new track on the flip, yes it can! 
‘DEUZY VIBE’ the funkiest of jams: Hearty brass tones, synth riffs, thumping bass line, intricate percussion and ‘call to the dance floor’ chants.

THE REGIME - DEUZY VIBE

Soft, sultry, and melodic...

Photo by Daniel Fortune

Written by Sheena O. Murray 

Produced by Tron Lippett


Lyrics

I put aside
All of my plans 
For the evening
Please, let us dance
To the candlelight
'Til the sun rises
I don't have a thing to do
You don't have a thing to do
Let's do it together
So, why don't

Chorus:
Why don't you help me
Why don't you help me
Waste some time
(why don't, why don't)
Why don't you help me
Why don't you help me
Waste some time
(why don't, why don't)

Don't hesitate 
I've been waiting all day
To share my space with you
Please make haste
So that we can take our time
Get here soon
I'll show you what is on my mind
I'll leave the door unlocked
Don't knock
Get comfortable
It's me and you tonight 

Chorus :
Why don't you help me
Why don't you help me
Waste some time
(why don't, why don't)
Why don't you help me
Why don't you help me
Waste some time
(why don't, why don't)

I just wanna know
I just wanna know if you
If you wanna come
I just wanna be with you
You're my favorite past time
What's your intention for the night
Hope we're aligned
I just wanna know
I just wanna know if you
If you wanna come
If you wanna come over
If you wanna come over 
Say yes...

Waste Some Time

Sheena O. Murray is a vocalist, songwriter, and actress currently based in West Palm Beach, FL. Born in Jamaica, she moved to the U.S. at a young age, during the time when R&B was searing the airwaves heavily and leaving little drops of musical fire into her soul. Her fondest musical memories as a child was listening to Whitney Houston and wanting to "sing like her".  Growing up shy and reserved meant that the glowing embers were well-hidden. She had a growing passion for performance art and she decided to pursue theater in high school at Dillard Center for the arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida,  while writing and composing songs with a friend after school hours. That shyness often meant that she was often overlooked and her potential was under-developed. However, she was determined to be a career artist and pushed through her insecurities into adulthood.

Her musical sound is soulful, soft, and sultry.  One of the first things that people notice about her voice is her tonality.  Her tone feels warm and velvety; an audio embrace.  Her lyrics are thoughtful and often romantic; they are decisive and descriptive. She prides herself on her range as a Mezzo Soprano, her ability to hit highs, lows, and in-betweens.   

Creating music was a singular passion for quite a number of years, so when she decided to jump "voice first" into professional musical theater as an adult, landing her first professional role as a co-star after her very first audition, came as a surprise.  Adding actress to her repertoire is something that she touts proudly: Lorrell in Dreamgirls, Aunt Em and Glinda in The Wiz, Medda Larkin in Newsies, and more recently, Rose Parks in Walk On: the Story of Rosa Parks (which toured the eastern United States) are some of her most notable roles.  

Performing in theatrical productions has developed her voice and expressions and she has begun to apply them to her music. Adding color, passion, and drama into her compositions have opened up a new creative world for her.  She wants the audience to be transported whenever she performs. She wants them to believe in the moment and take it with them, hold onto it. She creates experiences that people want to relive.

If you were to ask her, she'd tell you that she is her most authentic self on stage.

Waste Some Time

Sheena O. Murray

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