Search results: Voyage Recordings

Review: 'Strata Records: The Sound Of Detroit Volume 1' is a careful yet exquisite collection of soul, funk and jazz classics from Detroit's rich musical history, throwing back to a time before techno took the Motor City by storm. DJ Amir has curated a diverse selection of songs from the Strata Records catalog, showcasing the label's extensive roster of artists (the likes of Kenny Cox, The Soulmates, and Charles Mingus), and in some cases restoring tracks whose recordings have suffered a loss of quality over the years, for an ultimately soul-bearing listen.

Review: Jakarta-based Ecilo returns to Voyager Recordings with a new album that taps into a familiar style - sci-fi atmospheres with dancefloor-ready techno - but he does it with rare skill. He's been honing this style since 2008 on labels like AXIS, ARTS and Planet Rhythm and these latest tunes have had early plays from dons such as Luke Slater, Ben Sims and Svreca. 'Taken' sets the seen and launches you into deep space, and the rest of the EP powers on with the singing circuit boards of 'Fractal Mesh' quick to mesmerise, the purposeful low end throb of 'Something We Don't Understand' impossible to escape from and 'Ready The Armada' channeling archetype Jee Mills style comic techno minimalism.

Review: Gold polygon masked producer (only the best of them wear them) Satin Jackets returns with a laid-back blend of lush grooves and breezy melodies, perfectly attuned for moments of ease and escape. Drawing from a string of singles released over recent years since 2010 for the likes of Nu Indee and Eskimo, Cruise Control has an unshakable sense of atmos and rhythm, as a drench of sun washes over each production. The German producer shapes his compositions in solitude before bringing in collaborators who elevate the mood, whether through serendipitous connections with David Bay and Small Black, or the instant spark of a friend's bassline transforming a stuck idea into a standout hook. Listeners often comment on the uplift they feel in his work, and it's clear he prioritises that sense of instant musical chemistry.

Review: After making more than a good impression with his releases on the likes of Jeff Mills's Axis imprint and Oscar Mulero's Warm Up, Mike Storm now steps it up a gear with his debut full-length. The Dutch native's The Pale Blue Dot again draws on his love of conceptual sci-fi and was reportedly all written live in one take, with no recall, which is a unique approach in this day and age. that lends each track a realness and toughness that makes them stand out even more as the pummelling drums drive on towards some unknown cosmic future and the synths are so tightly interwoven that they melt your mind as you try and keep up.

Review: Soul Jazz Records is back with another crucial reissue, this time of Dedication by Tribe, a rare gem from the 1970s funk, soul and jazz era as a special limited-edition coloured vinyl for Black Friday 2024. It has been fully remastered and comes with original artwork and mirrors the eclectic sounds of Mandrill, The Blackbyrds and Kool and the Gang. Tribe, led by multi-instrumentalist Earl J Foster and producer Big Dee Ervin, blended funk, jazz, rock, Latin and soul into a singular style on the album which was originally released independently in 1977 and has been out of print for over 45 years. Dedication is a masterpiece that offers a deep, spaced-out fusion.

Review: Recorded in 1992 in London and New York, Voyager 1 is a unique live album by UK outfit The Verve-then known simply as Verve-that was cunningly designed to resemble a bootleg but was officially released to introduce the band to US audiences via Virgin's indie label Vernon Yard. It actually predates their debut album A Storm in Heaven, but the set captures the band's raw, psychedelic energy - we're well before the Britpop years, when Ashcroft and co were in a decidedly more sonically swampy, shoegaze groove - with standout versions of 'She's A Superstar,' the hypnotic early single 'Gravity Grave' and 'Slide Away.' Also included is 'South Pacific,' which remained unreleased in studio form for decades, proving to be a swirling, oceanic closer, faithfully remastered from analogue tapes at Abbey Road Studios.