Hidden Orchestra - Archipelago remixes ep (2013)

Out 8th July on limited edition, hand-numbered and signed double 10” vinyl, the “Archipelago Remixes EP” by Hidden Orchestra is a real treat, with reworks from King Britt, DC Breaks, Kelpe and Long Arm providing a fresh spin on tracks from 2012’s hugely acclaimed ‘Archipelago’ album. Highly intricate and beat-heavy, the Hidden Orchestra originals are an adventure playground for any remixer, and the results from this eclectic array of talent are stunning and intriguing in equal measure. 

Natalia Clavier - Lumen (2013)

With a sultry mix of jazz-inspired vocals, electronic textures and global influences, ‘Lumen’ further develops the sound the Natalia Clavier cultivated while recording and touring with both Thievery Corporation and her husband, Argentinean singer-songwriter Federico Aubele.

Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Natalia was exposed by her mother at an early age to a constant stream of music ranging from classical to jazz, from Argentinean folk to 1970’s Latin American pop and North American soul. She began singing in school choirs at the age of three, and by eleven she was performing as a soloist in the largest concert halls.

Kratos Himself - A Town Called Imaginarium (2013)

A Town Called Imaginarium is the new EP on Jus Like Music Records by the dutch Kratos Himself, an EP that he states is dedicated to the imagination of whoever is listening. It's a downtempo instrumental EP featuring additional instrumentation from bass player Marc Machielse, plus singers Ditte de Muynck and K.J.B.
Blending the organic with the electronic, A Town Called Imaginarium is a beautiful EP that straddles a line between soundscape and song, with ethereal melodies and tight jazz breaks.
A relative newcomer to the scene, Kratos Himself - AKA Jethro Hopmans - appeared on Project:MOONCIRLCE's 10th Anniversary compilation, plus he has collaborated with Deon Custom and is currently working on new material with Jesse Futerman.

A Town Called Imaginarium is certain to turn a lot of heads, and to turn a lot of people on to the man Kratos Himself - a name you're sure to be hearing a lot more from now on. 

Lady - Lady (2013)

All you have to do is listen to Lady once, and you’ll remember—in case you forgot—why they call it soul music. The honesty, the aching sweetness, the raw power of these singers and their songs will remind you that nothing can move you as much, or touch you as deeply, as two women with amazing voices singing in tight harmony.

Lady is the name of the group and of their first recording—the latest from Truth & Soul. Together Nicole Wray and Terri Walker make music that sounds a little like the songs your Mama loved best—and at the same time like nothing you’ve ever heard before.

The Gene Dudley Group Saturday Shifting (2013)

The Gene Dudley Group represents an outpouring of deep soul and funk music from the obscenely talented 27 year-old multi-instrumentalist; Gene Dudley.

The debut album, Saturday Shifting, was recorded in a cupboard in Muswell Hill, North London, and features the man himself on; trumpet, saxophone, drums, bass, guitar and piano. On a couple of occasions, though, Gene had to budge over to allow fellow musicians Ewan Whyte and Tom Jackson to fit in and play a solo or two, but other than that, everything you hear on this album comes from the mind, mouth, fingers and heart of Mr. Gene Dudley Esq.

The Hot 8 Brass Band - Tombstone (2013)

‘Tombstone’ is Hot 8 Brass Band’s third LP. The second instalment in a two-album set, it closely follows sister album ‘The Life & Times Of…’ (Nov 2012), which gained four and five star reviews including The Observer, MOJO, Metro, Songlines and The Big Issue, and widespread major UK and international radio support.

‘Tombstone’ is a counterpoint to the straight-up party side of the band showcased on ‘The Life & Times Of…’. Thematically a more sombre, emotional record, it presents another chapter in the history of the Hot 8 Brass Band – a new window onto the lives, the friendships, the heartbreaks, the roots and culture of New Orleans brass music and its players. The majority of the songs are personal dedications, in memory of the four Hot 8 band members, and other musicians and dear friends, who have passed away. And those that aren’t dedication songs are new, original Hot 8 jams, party tunes that remind us – and the band – of why the music is worth it all; setting the scene for where the band are at today, while their city and its people still bear the scars of Hurricane Katrina, and where they are carrying the spirit next.

Frisina/Bonizzoni - Voices of the jungle/Orient ep (2013)

This EP tells the story of an encounter between two jazz lovers and record collectors, two producers with different stories and approach to music creation.

Gerardo, whose contributions to italian jazz scene went far beyond Italy's border, needs no introduction to Schema's fans. Maurizio Bonizzoni hails from a tremendous hip hop background - under the name of Skizo, he literally paved the way for the develop of italian hip hop culture founding in 1984 "Radical Stuff", the first italian hip hop group and producing artists and crews like Genta Guasta, Frankie Hi-Nrg and Alien Army just to name a few.

A bow and a fond farewell to ...

William Daron Pulliam (October 5, 1946 – June 9, 2013

[Bio from Ubiquity]

A mystery to most, Darondo records are high on the wants-lists of many collectors. He is spoken about in hushed-tones by other Bay Area musicians. Back in the day he was seen cruising around town in a white Rolls Royce (with a "Darondo" license plate). He opened-up for James Brown and lived a colorful lifestyle hanging with folks like the notorious Fillmore Slim. Take a listen to these tracks, released for the first time together on an album, and you may agree that he could have been the next Al Green or Sly Stone. But about 25 years ago Darondo disappeared.

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