Syntheology is Lewis McCallum's highly anticipated new album and it is a meeting of two ideas: synth, meaning synthetic or artificial, and theology, refering to organic or philosophical ideas.
This plays out on the album as sax player McCallum uses a plethora of old and new synths and other computer generated sounds as raw materials, but throws them around with a swirling organic approach.
01. Take A Step Back feat. Deva Mahal
02. The Almanac feat. Mara TK
03. First Date feat. Fran Kora
04. Scary Music Pt. 1
05. Scary Music Pt. 2
06. Syntheology feat. Esther Stephens
07. Tales Of Mingus
08. New Someone feat. Tama Waipara
09. Age Of Spiritual Machines
10. Naked To The Sky
11. Deviate feat. Cherie Mathieson
12. Enemy
13. Unborn
Digging duo Kon & Amir occupy a select corner of the DJ world, with radio, mix-CDs, live sets and compilations on their radar. Theirs is a slowly-but-steadily growing catlogue crammed with timeless releases: six volumes of their widely celebrated On Track mixtape series, a highly regarded compilation The Cleaning (2004), a breaks-heavy instalment called Kings of Digging (2006) with DJ Muro from Japan and now the third volume of five in their Off Track series for BBE. Not to mention tours spanning the US, Europe and Far East taking in appearances at clubs, festivals and weekenders, in addition they have a strong affiliation with record diggers' bible 'Wax Poetics', and have just completed an 18-month residency of their own monthly show on online music 'zine Spine Magazine's radio station.
Off Track III finds the New York/Boston-based pair shining light on another diverse array of underexposed vinyl. The eclectic African disco and soul cuts Amir highlights on his disc are Americanized by style but inherently authentic in feel, demonstrating the very best of the region's dance music from the period following Fela Kuti's mid-70s creative peak. Some standouts: Tee Mac's 1980’s insistently catchy 'Living Everyday', Effi Duke's percussive materpiece 'The Time Is Come', and Christy Essien's glorious 'You Can't Change', which features famed bandleader Geraldo Pino's Show Train outfit. Also in the mix are a couple of cuts from unsung Nigerian star Dizzy K. Falola aimed at sophisticated dancefloors.
Kon's disc opens with an extended edit of Donny McCullough's 'From The Heart' from a pricey 1981 album. Rudolph Baker's little known album track 'Getting Next To You' is a floor-filling anthem in the waiting. Edge of Daybreak were a prison band whose punchy title track from their rare Eyes Of Love album provides a solid argument for subsidizing more music programs behind bars. 'Tin Top' is another cut with a Kon edit, but Kenny Mann & Liquid Pleasure are the antithesis of mysterious indy-label group, the veterans performing to this day and maintaining a comprehensive website loaded with videos and resumes.
Get it here from Conch, check track-listing and clips below.
Crafted in Brooklyn, New York by Romanian-born DJ Center, “Everything in Time†is a debut album years in the making that couldn’t have arrived at a more perfect moment. For over a decade, DJ Center has been a purveyor of fine music and this album finds him collaborating with artists spanning the globe as far and wide as Paris to Rio de Janeiro.
The finest of selectors, Center carefully chose each guest on “Everything in Time†for the perfect song marriage. Known as a tastemaker worldwide, Center never holds back when looking to break an artist or record, always trusting his greatest gift- his ear for music.
Center’s eclectic ear and affinity for broadening musical horizons led to his first mix release in 2006 which was of 60’s and 70’s Jazz, praised by URB Magazine and sponsored by clothing company, Friend or Foe. Center was commissioned by GUCCI to exclusively program music in their stores worldwide with a focus at their flagship store in Ginza, Japan. Now, with his original composition, Center has produced and arranged his entire debut LP, featuring a smoky cover of Rufus and Chaka Khan’s anthem, “You Got the Love†and culminating with the thumping Brazilian tribute titled, “Center’s Groove.â€
“Everything in Time†is a global soul record bringing back a low-end theory and warmth that has been absent in music as of late. It’s a mature record for a generation raised on a foundation of Hip Hop and Jazz, but having now grown up with a global scope and broader musical palate. It’s Roots music without being Reggae and Soul music without being a throw back to the past.
As the songs unfold on “Everything in Time,†it becomes clear that the record is a journey across multiple genres, woven by lush piano chords, warm bass lines, boom-bap drum patterns, flying tambourines and soaring horns. The underlying essence is timeless music. Each track sounds different but is housed under the same soulful roof- DJ Center. Listen unhurriedly, as all great things happen in time.
Tracklisting with clips:
1. Everything In Time Intro (Featuring Renee Neufville)
2. Leave The City Outside (Featuring Oddisee)
3. A Few Good Words (Featuring Njimole)
4. The Rain
5. You Got The Love (Featuring Gretchen Parlato)
6. In A Song (Featuring Middle Child)
7. Strings
8. Yes! (Featuring Zaki Ibrahim)
9. Tout Passe (Featuring Samia Farah)
10. Center's Groove
11. Tout Passe (Waajeed Remix)
The Making of "Everything in Time" from DJ Center on Vimeo.
This is the lead off single from Aloe Blacc's forth coming album Good Things, produced by Truth & Soul, and featuring the backing band known as Expressions and El Michel's Affair. The A-Side “I Need A Dollar†has just debuted as the theme song to the HBO series How To Make It In America. The 12-inch "I Need A Dollar" will be in at Conch, April 2010, to pre-order contact us at info@conch.co.nz
It's been 4 Years since Aloe Blacc released his debut full-length (Shine Through) which drew comparisons to everyone from John Legend to R.Kelly, but the wait has been well worth it. Aloe's back bigger & better than ever before with one of the most complete albums I've heard in years. The follow-up album was produced by Brooklyn's own Truth & Soul / El Michels Affair and is as proper of a soul album as there ever was drawing early comparisons to Bobby Womack & Bill Withers. The first single is not even out yet and has already been licensed as the ‘theme song’ for the new HBO Series ‘How To Make It In America’ from the producers of Entourage
One of Ethiopia's most influential and legendary musicians, Mulatu Astatke is the godfather of 'Ethio-jazz', the infectious music dating back to the 1960s that combines Latin jazz and early soul and funk with traditional Ethiopian harmony. Born in 1943, Astatke became the first Ethiopian musician to study abroad in London and the United States where he became immersed in jazz music. Returning home, he began experimenting with traditional Ethiopian melodies and rhythms, infusing them with jazz; a new musical style was born.
From the late 1960s and 1970s and through to today, Astatke's global mark on music has been phenomenal. While having never ceased working in his hometown of Addis Ababa, the worldwide public appreciation of his music has been deservedly renewed with many re-issues of his early recordings through the Ethiopiques label, making his back catalogue releases collector's items the world over.
In his exclusive Australian debut, Astatke joins with Australian/Ethiopian ensemble The Black Jesus Experience in an evening that celebrates the timelessness of his music and influence. This local ensemble fuses traditional Ethiopian song with jazz, funk and hip hop. The Black Jesus Experience has performed at major festivals throughout Australia, including Womadelaide 2009, supported Afrobeat legend Tony Allen and has recently returned from a highly successful tour of Europe and Ethiopia.
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