West Coast purveyor of Cosmic Funk B. Bravo returns with the first single from his upcoming album dropping in the fall. "Lifted (What U Waitin 4)" leans in towards the club with  deep house vibes coupled with Bravo's silky smooth vocals interspliced with his signature talk box laying in the cut of the track. An infectious bassline and guitar licks round out and absolutely irresistible summertime joint and give a taste of what's to come.

The modern funk productions of one-man band and Red Bull Music Academy graduate B. Bravo (Adam Mori) have found a home on releases from labels such as Frite Nite and Bastard Jazz, and have been licensed for compilations issued by Tokyo Dawn and Gilles Peterson's Brownswood Recordings. Heavily inspired by the synthesizer-enhanced R&B grooves of the late '70s and early '80s, Bravo debuted in 2009 with the seven-track Analog Starship EP. A deeper impression was made the following year with a shorter extended play, Computa Love, the title track of which was supported by BBC DJ Benji B months prior to release. Additional strides were made with a batch of singles and EPs that followed throughout the next few years, as Bravo toured and performed at numerous festivals. Bravo made his Bastard Jazz debut in 2016 with the 7" single "I'm for Real," then followed it up in 2017 with his first proper album, Paradise, on which Reva DeVito, Trailer Limon, Kissey, and Lauren Faith provided vocals.

B. Bravo - LIFTED (What U Waiting 4)

Gilles Peterson - Erykah Badu The Booty Don’t Lie Edit

Robin Lee (Faze Action) and Ed Begley combine for this West Coast soft psych extravaganza...

Details - http://bit.ly/NUNS006-Bandcamp

Buy here

Dos Palos 'I've Been Around' [NUNS006]**

Mr Bongo proudly presents the debut album from Tasmania-born, Melbourne-based, Finn Rees. Gliding across a swirling palette of saturated hues, Dawn Is A Melody feels vintage yet vibrant, new but familiar at the same time. A spiritual, deep and textured jazz record, tipping its hat to greats from the past, capturing memories and reformulating them into new ideas with the help of some of Melbourne’s finest talent.

Expert keys player for the likes of 30/70 and Elle Shimada, alongside one-half of Close Counters, this debut LP was Finn’s conscious departure from the realm of groove-based jazz. Instead, Dawn Is A Melody places the piano and arrangements centre stage, giving Finn and his fellow Melbourne crew freedom to explore the spaces in between, new emotions and alternate soundscapes.

In Finn’s own words: “My intention with Dawn Is A Melody was to create a world; a microcosm of colour. Something rich and beautiful that allowed the melodies and compositions to reach their full potential. It was driven by hope, curiosity and the search for beauty and reassurance in this ever-changing world. The emotion behind the music is really about the journey of life, growing up and changing, as well as my relationship with Tasmania’s natural landscapes where I grew up, a part of the world that is incredibly unique and beautiful.”

The album arcs between opening, middle and end. Beginning with the optimism of ‘Looking Up’ and ‘Lagoon’, the former a celestial, string and harp marbled slice of positivity, the latter a spiritual journey of exuberance and hope, Finn’s fingers dancing across the ‘70s Yamaha grand piano. From there the songs blossom outwards with the cinematic soulful journey of ‘It’s Behind Me Now’ and Brazilian-inspired ‘Expansion’, as the divine ‘Crossing’ signals a transition to a new realm. The energy is transformed from the rich cosmic textures to a more intimate and personal feeling with ‘Ablaze’, ‘Between Spaces’ and ‘As It Passes’ which blissfully fades down to simply piano and strings to close out the record.

Recorded at Rolling Stock in Collingwood, Melbourne, Henry Jenkins was drafted in as recording and mix engineer, his minimal vintage mic setups giving a live aesthetic and warmth to the arrangements. Lucky Pereira and Blakely McLean Davies form the rock-solid rhythm section, with a hand-picked line-up of other Melbourne talent on display, including Cheryl Durongpitikul on tenor sax, Siwei Wong on harp, Audrey Powne on trumpet and Allysha Joy on vocals to name only a few.

Plotting a course from Alice Coltrane, through Herbie Hancock, to Arthur Verocai, this is a debut nourished by the past but firmly made in the present. A record unable to be age-stamped, casting ambiguity as to when, what era and by whom it has been crafted. Like a vintage lens capturing a current scene, Dawn Is A Melody is warm and familiar yet focused on the here now.

Finn Rees - Between Spaces

Hey good lookin
 Why dont you just lay back
 As I turn down the lights
 Everything is pitch black
 As my fingers go walking on the small of your back
 Ive been waiting so long, girl, I want you so bad.


Anthony Valadez - Good Lookin (Kaskoe's Move Your Body Mix)

CAPO - PULS STEIGT (slowed)

What an amazing time being able to watch my older brothers play Pilot Wings as a child. I watched them play for hours, and was always infatuated with the way the music was a mix of calm and confidence in the areas where you needed to be alert.

Layover in Delfino

Flight Risk/Nostalgic Air drop

AD FINEM IS OUT OCT 7th
Stream the new track, pre-order the new EP:
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Ad Finem EP

Collages

Joe Armon-Jones & Maxwell Owin are forces to be
reckoned with. Both integral parts of the burgeoning South
London jazz scene, these young musicians contribute to numerous
outfits including Ata Kak, Jamie Isaac, MC Pinty, Moses
Boyd Exodus and Ezra Collective, as well as pushing their
own solo projects.

This is their first combined effort.

'Idiom' is the result of multiple collaborations under the
direction of Joe and Maxwell. Featuring Nubya Garcia, Oscar
Jerome and Jake Long, it is heavily influenced by the hardcore
continuum and covers everything from 2-step, broken-beat and
house to jazz and dub.

Having been compared to artists like 4hero, Floating
Points, Harvey Sutherland and Moodymann all in the
same breath, Joe & Maxwell are already garnering support
from Radio 6 Music's Gilles Peterson, Musica Maconda's
Tim Garcia and Jazz FM's Chris Philips. This is an
accomplished body of work by some of the most exciting
young talent in London right now.

A1 - Joe Armon - Jones & Maxwell Owin - SE Discotheque

The Sunflower is like no other. A flower of ultimate dedication, it basks in the glory of sunbeams all day, it’s head constantly and carefully tracing the source of light and warmth’s every move. A superb ally to nature anywhere it is found, it has unique nutritional value, oils and seeds available to all who cultivate it. It’s the reason they are found across the globe.

This is the ethos behind Ronin Arkestra. Formed in Tokyo in 2017, Ronin Arkestra brings together some of the finest and most creative players in Japan’s Jazz and and electronic scene. The collective includes members of Kyoto Jazz Sextet, WONK, Cro-Magnon, Root Soul, Sleepwalker, Sauce81, Kyoto Jazz Massive and, of course, band leader Mark de Clive Lowe. 

Kicking it all off is ‘Stranger Searching’, where lush electronics meet beautifully executed Jazz in full story mode. A constantly driving beat push this track along through its various chapters, with each member of the band given time tell their tale. Horns from Shinpei Ruike, Kohei Ando and Wataru Hamasaki tie everything together in beautiful harmony.

A1 - Joe Armon - Jones & Maxwell Owin - SE Discotheque

YAM Records