Review: Hot on the hells of the epic work Stasis Sounds For Long Distance Space Travel Part 1 comes the second instalment, seeing 36 and Zake "continue their journey through the outer reaches of space in hypersleep" as they have it. There's a healthy 18 track selection to lose yourself in, as these experts of the sublimely chilled ambient get to work - in a typically gentle fashion, obviously.
Review: The new Bauhaus BBC Sessions release hears British goth pioneers Bauhaus at their most vital, documenting the three-year period that they swept the airwaves like vampire bats with a hearse's worth of recordings made for UK radio. Spanning early post-punk urgencies to the relatively more textured darkness of their later work, these sessions were recorded for shows hosted by John Peel and David Jensen, flapping through alternate takes of 'Double Dare', 'In the Flat Field', and 'Third Uncle'. Together with a recent vinyl reissue of a 1983 performance at the Old Vic in London, which snapped a shot of Bauhaus at the peak of their dramaturgic snarks, both releases provide a compelling, rough-edged, bouffant counterpart to their studio albums, before goth went bird's nest: Bauhaus live and direct, with all the mood, menace and momentum fully intact.
Review: Jazz has always been as much about great collaborations as anything else and that is very much the case with the modern scene. Proving that is Flock, a new coming together of five talented musicians Bex Burch from Vula Viel, Maisha's Al MacSween, Sarathy Korwar, Dan "Danalogue" Leavers and Collocutor's Tamar Osborn. They got together for the first time in March 2020 for a Boiler Room show and some memorable streams during lockdown. Strut Records were listening in and managed to get them in the studio together to try something fresh. The resulting improvised sounds focus on "breathing and listening to each other", explains Bex Burch. It makes for a wild, innovative ride.
Review: There is no stopping the prodigious producer Felipe Gordon who turns out huge amounts of work, without ever sacrificing artistry. He brings soul and jazz to his deep house sounds and this is the fourth time he has landed on Clone. 'Profundo' gets things underway with singing synths and shuffling deep beats, then 'Hold On' centres escapist and sunny melodies that take you to the Med. Elsewhere 'I Don't Know Why' brings spoken word vocals to lavish house and 'Takes Time' oozes sex appeal with its steamy sax notes and gentle piano tinkles. All of these cuts are laden with great musicality that puts many producers to shame.
Review: The Lee "Scratch" Perry produced Revelation Time is often said to be a definitive record from the Jamaican canon and is widely regarded as the best album Max Romeo ever wrote. Initially it was only put out in Jamaica in 1975 then two years later in 1977 under the name Warning! Warning! A year after that, the rest of the world was treated with a release, again under a new name, this time Open The Iron Gate. Now it is served up under its original name with all 10 tracks hitting hard and making their mark.
Johnny Lover & The Towerchanters - "Who You Gonna Run To"
Lee & The Blue Bell - "Tighten Up"
Val Bennett & The Upsetters - "A Serious Joke"
Brad Osborne & The Towerchanters - "Little Flute Chant"
Devion Iron - "When Jah Come" (extended version)
The Upstetters - "Strach Walking"
Lee Perry & The Black Arks - "Come Along"
Ricky & Bunny - "Bush Weed Corn Trash"
The Upsetters - "Curley Dub"
Review: Originally released in 1981 on the Clocktower label, this killer compilation does a fine job of harnessing the raw magic of Lee "Scratch" Perry's legendary Black Ark era. Although the sounds are mostly drawn from mid-70s sessions, it also features two standout early cuts from the late 60s, namely Perry's gritty versions of 'Tighten Up' and 'Serious Joke'. Elsewhere, highlights include Johnny Lover's deep DJ take over Devon Irons' 'When Jah Come' and the rootsy energy of Ricky and Bunny's 'Bush Weed Corn Trash.' This reissue is a crucial document of Perry's genre-defining production, masterful take on vintage dub, toasting and spiritual reggae heat.
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