Conch Records

Date

June 11 2009

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The SA-RA Creative Partners - Nuclear Evolution: The Age of Love LP + CD (Ubiquity)

Written By 3 - June 11 2009

The SA-RA Creative Partners™ is a trio of accomplished musicians, producers and trendsetters, comprised of Om'Mas Keith, Taz Arnold and Shafiq Husayn.  On their musical quest they have dazzled with amazing productions, collections, mixes and remixes. But now, for the first time, with Nuclear Evolution: The Age of Love, they deliver a completely new and original album. Built from scratch, it’s a truly coherent and innovative body of work. Musical, adventurous, and even more evolved than anything they’ve done before, Nuclear Evolution also shows a controlled, polished, and in-the-pocket side to their work. It is an album on which SRCP™ shine as the innovative musical force they promised to be, ever since the cult hit “Glorious” first shattered bass bins and minds worldwide. Whether on the otherworldly opus “Love Czars,” the bombastic  soul of “I Swear,” or twisted tales of drug-fueled-freaks on “Traffika,”  Nuclear Evolution: The Age of Love blends next-level production with a unique and unconstrained blend of street wit, dirty-sex talk, tall stories, and intergalactic future sounds, and is set to become essential listening for 2009. It’s an over-used phrase that a band has a unique sound. But The SA-RA Creative Partners use their three minds to combine and make something that is always new, something twisted, a sound not heard before. Their music is soulful, but not limited by the neo soul tag. They make  hip hop, but of the bugged-out and other-worldly kind. Tracks are instantly catchy, but edgy and not commercial. According to the list of high-profile artists requesting their production services their sound has an infectious global spread and appeal. Most recently SRCP have been making their mystical magical soulful productions for Erykah Badu. Serving as her associate producers, they wrote, appeared, and produced on seven of the tracks from her critically acclaimed 2008 New Amerykah album. She returns the favor with a guest appearance on “Dirty Beauty” on Nuclear Evolution. Other collaborators that SRCP have worked with include Pharoahe Monche (on the massive “Agent Orange” track), John Legend, Black Eyed Peas, Talib Kweli, J Dilla, Fonzworth Bentley, Heavy D, Common, Iggy Pop, Herbie Hancock, Dr. Dre, Jill Scott, and Jurassic 5. The Sa-Ra Creative Partners new album is released in late June and can be pre-ordered on CD or LP from Conch Disc 1: 01. Spacefruit Feat. Debi Nova 02. Dirty Beauty Feat. Erykah Badu 03. I Swear Feat. Noni Limar 04. Melodee N'mynor 05. He Say She Say 06. Traffika 07. Souls Brother 08. Bitch Baby 09. Love Czars 10. Gemini's Rising Feat. Rozzi Daime 11. The Bone Song 12. White Cloud Feat. Rozzie Daime & Lil' Kenny 13. Move Your Ass 14. Love Today 15. Can I Get You Hi 16. My Star Feat. Erika Rose 17. Cosmic Ball Feat. The Gary Bartz Quartet Disc 2: 01. Spaceways Theme 02. Just Like A Baby 03. Double Dutch (Co Co Pops) 04. Death Of A Star (Supernova) 05. Powder Bump 06. Hangin By A String

Date

June 09 2009

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3

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Various - Black Rio 2 CD & 2LP (Strut)

Written By 3 - June 09 2009

Back in 2002, Strut released ‘Black Rio’ compiled by London DJ Cliffy, a snapshot of the ‘70s Black Rio soul and funk movement in Brazil. Strut Records release the second volume in the series, delving deeper into the vaults to sample some of the lesser known gems emerging from the Carnival capital during the era. Whilst Tropicalia had given Brazil’s musicians and songwriters a powerful political voice during the ‘60s, the Black Rio movement had to battle the odds – black soul was perceived as not being authentically Brazilian and the country was under the rule of General Emilio Garrastazu Medici’s oppressive dictatorship which effectively suffocated cultural expression between 1969 and 1974. Still, the movement took hold as disenchanted black Brazilian youth mirrored the struggles of their contemporaries in the US with their own potent brew of samba, soul and funk. Black Rio parties attracted thousands, bands including Banda Black Rio and Uniao Black were created from the scene and music figureheads like Jorge Ben began exploring more dense, Afro directions on albums including ‘Africa Brasil’. While Black Rio Vol. 1 brought together pioneers of the movement like Tim Maia and Gerson King Combo, Volume 2 digs deeper still, exploring more of the key artists and many of the short-lived bands and smaller labels of the time. Highlights include the dynamite funk / samba jam ‘Faz Tanta Tempo’ by Renata Lu, a great funky cover of Gilberto Gil’s ‘Bananeira’ by Emilio Santiago and a rare slice of breezy soul, ‘Supermarket’, by Pete Dunaway aka aulistano, one of a group of artists giving themselves a Western-sounding name at the time. The album is compiled and annotated again by leading Brazilian music DJ Cliffy, the man behind London club night Batmacumba. the longest running Brazilian club night in England, now enjoying a bi-monthly residency at London’s Notting Hill Arts Club. Tracklisting:
01 Zeca Do Trombone & Roberta Sax – Coluna Do Meio
02. Renata Lu – Faz Tanto Tempo
03. Guimaraes E O Grupo Som Sagrado – Our Sound
05. Emilio Santiago - Bananeira
06. Watusi – Oi Gere
07. Os Diagonais – Nao Vou Chorar
08. Claudia – Salve, Rainha
09. Pete Dunaway - Supermarket
10. Super Som Lord – BR Samba
11. Azambuja & Cia – Tema De Azambuja
12. Avan Samba - Ibere
13. Cry Babies – It’s My Thing
14. Balanca Povo – Novo Dia
15. Edson Frederico E A Transa – Bobeira
16. Bebeto – Princesa Negra De Angola (Instrumental version)
17. Marlene – Sinal Vermelho
18. Sonia Santos – Poema Ritmico Do Malandro
Black Rio 2 can be purchased on CD or 2LP from Conch
Other Releases on Strut Records:
Mulatu Astatke / The Heliocentrics - Inspiration Information 2LP / CD
Horace Andy & Ashley Beedle - Inspiration Information CD
V/A - Calypsoul 70 CD
V/A - Nigeria 70: Lagos Jump CD
Lafayette Afro-Rock Band - Darkest Light - The Best Of Lafayette Afro-Rock Band CD

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