It's the half way point of the year again, so here's our two pence worth!!! This list is in no particular order and features 30 releases (EPs and albums). While we always encourage everyone to to be open minded the releases have been arranged into genre-defined sections to save you time. We 100% stand behind everyone of these recommendations!!!
House/Techno
Insula – “TRMBA”
On his debut album Reunion Island producer Insula creates a bold fusion of Techno and the folk music of his French Islet and the results are banging!!! While he isn’t the first producer to attempt this type of music it’s difficult to compare him to another producer directly. Maybe the closest I could get is someone like Nicola Cruz as they both as share a high level musicality. Definitely one for the dance floor but works well on the home stereo too!!!
Nia Archives – “Sunrise Bang Your Head Against The Wall” EP
Yorkshire born and bred Producer and singer Nia Archives has only been releasing music since 2020. However, her three-piece to date have seen a go from strength to strength. With this her third being her finest. It takes sound of classic Jungle combines it with some Jazzy undertones, Pop hooks and soulful vocals to create a refreshing take on those retro sounds. You could answer this out in the club or at home when your chilling.
James Holden – “Imagine This Is A High Dimensional Space of High Possibilities”
For 20 years James Holden has been at the heart of the UK’s Electronic music scene. In more recent times he has incorporated more and more influences outside of Techno and this new album is no exception. At times it sounds like an update of Indian Ragas, at others it’s beatless and beautifully Ambient. The influence of Krautrock is again strong here with the repetitive drum patterns and synth drones creating hypnotic and Psychedelic soundscapes. Holden combines all of this together to create music that’s both brilliant and as close to unique as you can get in 2023!!!
https://jamesholden.bandcamp.com/album/imagine-this-is-a-high-dimensional-space-of-all-possibilities
Ambient/Kosmiche Musique
Takashi Kokubo & Andrea Esperti – “Music For A Cosmic Garden”
This album of beautiful healing Ambient music brings together Japanese environmental musician Takashi Kokubo (a track of his featured on Light in the Attic’s “Kankyō Ongaku” compilation). and Italian born Swiss trombonist Andrea Esperti. What they create is both Electronic and Organic, Sci-fi yet rooted in the World we know. It’s a fantastic voyage to go on with these two talented musicians/composers as they tour you through their imagined universe!!!
Prairiewolf – “Prairiewolf”
Prairiewolf are an American duo that channel synth and guitar sounds of 70s Kosmiche Musik . However, they put their own twist on the sounds of Cluster and Ashra Tempel adding a distinctly American country flavour and times an appropriate the cinematic scope. This is appropriate because many of the great Kosmiche Musik bands often when on to soundtrack films and other forms of visual media. This is definitely a slowly evolving listen but it's worth being patient with as it reveals more with each new listen. This is an album that truly shows that electronic music new or old can achieve that only things that live/acoustic music can sometimes more!!!
Post-Punk/Alternative Rock
Buddie – “Agitator”
One man Canadian Teenage Fanclub anyone? Well, you've got one whether you like it or not as Dan Forrest Has made an album that's got more hooks the new had hot dinners!!! This is top-notch Power Pop for the masses, Don't miss out!!!
Teke::Teke - "Hagata"
Teke::Teke create music that combines Surf Rock and Japanese Folk music, a style known as Eleki. They formed in 2018 for a tribute concert to Takeshi Terauchi, the late Rock god who popularized electric guitar music in Japan. On this, their second album, they add to this hybrid sumptuous horn and string arrangements. Add to this the incredible dynamics of their playing and you really get a full 3D musical experience that's both visceral and as it is accomplished!!!
Gina Birch – “I Play My Bass Loud”
Former bassist of Post-Punk legends the Raincoats Gina Birch has made her solo debut at 68 years old. However, the spirit of Punk and Post-Punk music lives on in this music albeit with an ear for Pop melody. If you didn't know who Gena Birch was come across this album you would be forgiven for assuming that this was a woman in her late 20s or 30s who just broken through of the Indie Pop scene. The albums title is a dead giveaway to the fact that melodic bass lines are a key aspect of the music but the other instrumentation is played with aplomb albeit simplistic/minimalist aplomb!!! Serious early Album Of The Year contender!!!
Midwife & Vyva Melinkolya – “Orbweaving”
“Orbweaving” is one of the most subtle albums you will hear this year. The album brings together to women whose experimental output is interesting in its own right but bring the two together and you have something that is truly arresting. This music isn't difficult but neither will it connect instantly. However, it is worth bearing with, it is worth peeling away its layers and finding the beautiful and quirky sounds that exist within. With each lesson you will find something new that evokes deep emotion or pleasant sonic surprise!!! Album Of The Year contender, check it out now!!!
Afro Beat/Afro Funk
Helen Nkume and Her Young Timers – “S/T”
This difficult to find Nigerian High Life album is finally available for the world to hear!!! What a joy it is combining both slow burning High Life tracks and a dance floor filler that a fusion of Jazz, Afrobeat and High Life. Fantastic stuff from the late 70s!!!
Orchestra Gold – “Medicine”
Orchestra Gold are based in Oakland, California, however, they channel the melodies and rhythms of traditional Malian music and fuse it with African Psychedelic Rock!!! This combination is refreshing as it is groove laden and percussive!!! The band honours both of the musical styles they bring together and deliver it all with aplomb!!!
Dur-Dur Band – “The Berlin Session”
This album is the first recorded by Somali Funk Legends Dur-Dur Band since their heyday in the 1980s and 1990s. They reunited in 2019 to record this great session of sweaty Somali Funk in Berlin at the Neukoln Theatre a venue similar to the Somali theatre they used to record in. As usual the band sound as Asian as they do African due the cultural influences on Somalia. This makes for an interesting contrast to the very African rhythms and grooves of the music. It's a triumphant return and one well left checking out!!!
Remi Kabaka – “Son of Africa”
This album is one of the most sought-after Afro Funk albums of all time, at one point fetchching £700 online!!! The good news is it comes from Remi Kabaka a legend of UK Afro Funk and this album of wall-to-wall bangers!!! It's a no-frills affair of early Kool and the Gang style Funk that will delight DJs, turntablists, Hip-Hop producers and African loving crate diggers alike!!!
Funk
Adi Oasis – “Lotus Glow”
French-Caribbean Bassist and Singer Adi Oasis is more than capable across the genres of Funk, Jazz and R&B which this latest album provide buckets of evidence of!!! The production of the album gives it a deluxe feel. However, she isn’t afraid to bring the Funk grooves and strident horns to the party and this makes for a dynamic and always engaging album that will also make you dance!!! A joy from staart to finish check out “Lotus Glow” now!!!
DJ Muro – “Diggers Dozen”
DJ Muro is a legend in Hip-Hop both in terms of his incredible record collections, turntablist/remixing skills and his ability to curate killer compilations/mixes. His latest bring together 12 top notch tracks from the Japanese Jazz-Funk and Latin Jazz scenes of the 70s. This scene is legendary in it’s own right but there is still a skill in beginning together a set of tracks that works together and Muro does this with aplomb throughout the compilation. A very early contender for Compilation of the Year!!!
Fingier Records – “El Sonido De Fingier Records”
This compilation album brings together raw and fresh sounding Funk, Soul, Samba and Jazz 7" courtesy of Argentinian label Fingier Records. The album is top Quality throughout and there's a lot of bangers to be found for the DJs out there!!!
Joao Donato & Donatinho – “Sintetizamor”
Now this album might sound like it's by two Brazilian Wonderkids you've just discovered on Football Manager!!! However, they are in fact the father and son duo comprising of Brazilian music legend Joao Donato and his very talented son. But this album out in Brazil in 2017 and it is just been reissued worldwide for Record Store Day 2023. While the sounds of 70s and 80s Synth Funk matched with contemporary beats might come across a bit cheesy there is no doubt that this album is wall-to-wall bangers!!! Check it out now!!!
Jazz
Adrian Younge, Al Shaheed Muhammed & Lonnie Liston Smith – “Jazz Is Dead 17”
For the latest volume in their Jazz Is Dead series multi-instrumentalist/producers Adrian Younge and Al Shaheed Muhammad team up with cosmic Jazz innovator Lonnie Liston Smith to create an album that updates his sound for the 21st-century!!! While you could definitely say that it captures the classic sound Younge and Muhammad bring a Hip-Hop sensibility and their own considerable musical talents to the table. They do not fall into Liston Smith's shadow but neither do they try and overshadow him. The result is refreshing and will put us big smile on your face, check it out now!!!
The Circling Sun – “Spirits”
The Cycling Sun are a New Zealand Jazz collective who bring together influences from both Modal and Spiritual Jazz. Most of the time though they sound like a much less produced version of The Cinematic Orchestra around the time of their "Everyday" (2003) album. There's definitely more solos (and some bit too far) but for the most part this is a measured yet soulful set of original Jazz tracks. Just in time the soundtrack chilled summer evenings!!! Check it out now!!!
Latin American music
Lucas Santtana – “O Paraiso”
Brazil has a fantastic musical heritage and it would easy for contemporary artists like Lucas Santtana to just recreate past musical glories of the greats. However, instead he use subtly to bring Bossanova into the 21st Century. This mostly achieved with the use of technology both in terms of effects like Reverb and Delay but also the interweaving of field recordings taken from nature. This is Santtana’s meditation on nature and our relationship with it, he wants to us to see the paradise in front of us. Thankfully, it isn’t just the technology and overarching concept that make this album great but also the fantastic tunes and musicianship that seem to be almost standard in Brazilian music!!!
Insolito UniVerso – “Ese Puerto Existe”
Insolito UniVerso are a Paris based Trio of Venezuelan expats whose music combines folk traditions of their home country with plethora of modern Western music influences. They put out their debut album in 2018 and it was a solid effort. In between times key member Raul Monsalve released the brilliant "Bichos" (2020) album of Venezuelan Afro fusion music and you can hear some of it sounds here. What's more the quality of the songwriting and production has increased dramatically and there is a better balance between the modern and traditional music elements. On top of that they have roped in some fantastic collaborators with Malcolm Catto (The Helocentrics) returning as producer plus musical contributions from Laetitia Sadier (Stereolab) and Eblis Alvarez (Medrian Brothers). There's been a lot of great contemporary Latin fusion music in recent years and this album holds its own amongst them, check it out now!!!
Waltel Branco – “Meu Balanco”
This is a very cool album from a very cool Brazilian!!! Waltel Branco contributed to many classic Brazilian recordings during his lifetime (sadly he passed in 2018) as a guitarist, composer, conductor and arranger. This solo album from 1975 "flirts between jazz-funk, cinematic library excursions, breaks and beats, easy-listening, and 70s cop show instrumentals" pulling them all off with a slick aplomb!!! Now is a good times to up your cool points and get this album in your life!!!
Of Tropique – “Buster Goes West”
Of Tropique they get a very unique place in music they are Japanese music collective that plays their own version of Cumbia music style originally from Colombia but popular throughout South America. Musical reference point including Spaghetti Western, samples of old cartoon soundtracks and on one track an almighty drum break that will get the B-Boys on the floor!!! In many ways it's an album that could only come out of Japan, it's colourful it's imaginative and it's awesome!!!
Psychedelic Rock/Avant Pop
Meiko Kaji – “Hajiti Uta"
Originally released in 1973 in Japan, this album and the artist behind it has gained a cult following thanks to one of tracks being included on the "Kill Bill 2" soundtrack. The music combines Soul, Funk and Lounge music sounds and rhythms with tasteful splatters of spaghetti western guitar and analogue synthesiser!!! Equally chilled and chilling this is a great one for lovers
Seaming To – “Dust Gatherers”
I can remember 20 years ago when Seaming To was very much a vocalist in demand. She had featured in tracks by the likes of The Herbaliser are and Mr.Scruff. Then she seemed to just disappear, little did we know that she would reappear in style. That style isher own take on “Avant Pop” as her own press release states. To give you an idea of what this sounds like I would compare her to the likes of Julia Holter or Kate Bush. Songs can be very orchestrated, lush and full of thick analogue synthesisers and warbling theremins. However, they can also be sparse and intimate. Whatever mode Seaming To chooses to perform in she is always the one leading the way throughout the music. It's rare to hear such ambitious projects and rarer still to hear it pulled off with such aplomb!!!
Yo Diablo -”Häxan”
Spanish Psychedelic Rock duo reinterprets 100-year-old Danish Horror film soundtrack anyone? No, I wouldn't have thought that would be an Album Of The Year contender either but here we are. Marcos Herrero (guitars, keyboards, zurna and saxophone) and Victor Vila (drums, congas and percussion) crafted evolving and dark Psychedelic Rock that takes influences from" Ethio-Jazz pioneer Mulatu Astatke, tribal jazz guitar of Gábor Szabó, Mediterranean folk and 70's Psychedelic Rock. All this combines for a unique take on the genre. One matched by the high levels of production, musicianship and melody!!!
Nabihah Iqbal - “Dreamer”
This is an album that came out heartbreak after the loss of her grandfather and dealing with the turmoil of the early part of the Covid 19 pandemic. This led to Iqbal going back to basics using only an acoustic guitar and harmonium (traditional Indian instrument used in religious services) as well as a lot of reflection on her emotional and mental well-being. This is very much reflected in the music which sounds like a combination of Electronic music sounds and the gauzy guitar effects driven sound of Shoegaze. Which you wouldn't expect to necessarily bring the kind of emotional heft that it does. However, that just means that Iqbal's achievements on this album are even more impressive!!! Definitely an Album Of The Year contender!!!
Instrumental Hip-Hop
Ewonee - “Aux Tapes Vol. 6”
Instrumental Hip-Hop producer Ewonee recently released the latest his "Aux Tapes beat tape series. It's one of the best be tapes of the year so far and shows the as a real skill when it comes to not only chopping up samples but also selecting the right samples. This isn't music that feels the need to be full of sounds layered on top of each other. But the sound never feels calculated it feels curated. Each sample earns its place and so is a purpose musically and emotionally. So what are you waiting for check out this soulful minimal potential masterpiece now!!!