'kotokin' invites your mind and soul into a cinematic world whose synth- and bass-driven sonics are reminiscent of the meditative soundscapes of Ryuichi Sakamoto, but with a modern twist. Come and take flight with this first single of his forthcoming debut album!

https://kotokid.bandcamp.com/album/fridge

Fridge

kotokin

kotokid - 'kotokin'

A special guest-mix series where DJs are invited to create a soundtrack for tomorrow's days. Next up: Lethal Leese, the mind behind the weekly radio show 'The Lethal List' on radio WMBR, showing us the spiky rough and smoother soft edges of soulful music. Let yourself get captivated and feel free to check out her Soundcloud where her shows are stored.

https://soundcloud.com/lethalleese

Mixed Feelings #069 - Lethal Leese (The Lethal List)

https://antaresflare.bandcamp.com/album/another-problem-ahead

Antares Flare - 'Another Problem Ahead'

kotokid - 'Titan ft. Felix Back'

Mo Wrights - 'things2proof'

Mo Wrights - 'things2proof (LYMA Remix)'

https://radiohop.bandcamp.com/album/all-we-do

RADIOHOP - 'Stop Playin' (feat. Raelle, Ill Camille)'

https://hanlitzgroup.bandcamp.com/album/the-universe-is-magic-feat-kid-sublime

Han Litz ft. Kid Sublime - 'Flute Passion'

First single of the forthcoming debut album 'A Way Out'.
Johnny wrote and recorded everything live with his bandmates, intertwining soulful melodies and lush chord progressions, focussing on a personal sound at all times (all keyboard-esk harmony is played by guitar only). Afterwards TOS graced this song with his singing, being one of Amsterdams top soulful voices. Having performed with the likes of Candy Dulfer and Philip Lassiter, TOS also wrote lyrics to this gem. A live performance of the song can also be found in the interwebs.

Johnny Biner - guitar
Kasparas Petkus - drums
Joel Svedberg - bass
TOS - vocals

Written by Johnny Biner
Lyrics by TOS
Artwork by TOS

Mixed by Nicolas NB Stinson
Mastered by Wouter Brandenburg

Unconditional Love feat. TOS

https://johnnybiner.bandcamp.com/track/pick-it-up

Johnny Biner - 'Pick It Up'

When The Expansions self released their first single in 2013, the laid-back jazz funk of Lavender, it quickly gained strong support from soul and rare-groove aficionados including Kenny Dope, Dom Servini, Patrick Forge and Andy Smith. A run of shows followed and before long, when someone was asking if there was a soul-jazz band around to play with, “The Expansions” was the answer. 

Although this popularity meant a hiatus in releasing music, the band have been constantly busy, playing around Europe with legendary British-Ghanaian soul singer, Andrew Ashong and the exceptional, upcoming talent Connie Constance. 

There has also been a breakout project from drummer Jonny Drop - the album Sub Plot gained massive support and love from BBC Radio 6 Music’s Lauren Laverne. While keys-man Dave Koor has been busy playing shows with Gilles Peterson favourite Hector Plimmer, Shaun Escoffery, and Ego Ella May, improvising with Yussef Dayes (Yussef Kamaal) and Nubya Garcia, releasing music as Deoke and collaborating with label-mate Scrimshire on their Modified Man exploration. 

But always, The Expansions has remained a central focus and the true home of these four jazz and soul lovers, with occasional trips out to the country to form ideas and practice new music for the eventual album. 

Murmuration, recorded over three days at Big Noise in Southend, is constructed of single takes, with minimal overdubs, as the band attempt to capture the feeling and energy they create live. 

Debut single Breakthrough introduced the insanely catchy but deeply soulful blend of synths and groove, but here on the album that is explored to the fullest with longer breakdowns and more expansive, experimental solos. Pocket 5 displays the, possibly unexpected, influences of broken beat and almost combative rhythm playing – particularly in the complex guitar and keys breakdown where Koor and O’Keefe layer conflicting time signatures and battle to ride it out to the heavy drum return. 

Cannonball brings warm mellowness that delicately evolves through beats, touching on bossas alongside their fundamental hip-hop sensibilities. But even here there is a raucous zenith before the band sublimely recede into the silence of the a-side ending. 

Colossal album highlight Ivory Mountain is truly an epic. Evoking moments of 4Hero, there is a lightness of groove in the first half of this soulful exploration. But at the halfway point, all restraint is let go as a live string section joins the four quarters of the band for three glorious minutes of soulful disco. Evoking sounds of Quincy Jones, George Benson and Johnny Hammond, all the way through to a beautifully cacophonous finale. 

Dragonfly undoubtedly reflects on the work of Herbie Hancock and is the most direct throwback to the band’s earlier work, which is a welcome marker of how far they have come. A quintessential jazz funker. 

The album closes with the thoughtful and introverted shuffle of Miles Away. In the final eight minutes of Murmuration, The Expansions allow space and time to take precedence, with once-more-restrained peaks and developments. It becomes clear though, that the band cannot resist one last explosive finale, as they rise with screeching synths, strings and dubs for a perfect race to the finish line. 

You can hear the influences of Idris Muhammad, Grover Washington, even parallels with South London peers Yussef Kamaal and Ruby Rushton. But The Expansions have tirelessly worked to create a sound of their own and are very proud, along with label Albert’s Favourites, to finally share it.

Murmuration

Pocket 5

“Uncovering today’s music, inspired by the past and aimed at the future” is the ethos of Steppin’ Into Tomorrow. Immerse yourself in timeless and eclectic music with a soulful flavor that connects the sounds of yesterday with dope contemporary productions from Dutch soil and beyond.

Mixed Feelings #069 - Lethal Leese (The Lethal List)

Steppin' Into Tomorrow

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