Search results: DIP

Review: Malmo, Sweden-based Bolero Record store boss Dip Shim comes correct on his debut album with a sublime series of personal and storytelling cuts that find him digging deep into his reserves. The music is said to draw on his childhood in Spain and mixes up elements of downtempo, electro, techno and house. Across the 12 tracks there is plenty to explore with pensive electro opener 'Enter The Maragrillo' twitchy downbeat acid jam 'One For Regen' and deep space ambient soundtrack 'Bases Didacticas' all making an indelible impact.

Review: After her magnetic debut EP for Running Circle in 2017, Nottingham's Yazmin Lacey lands on our charts with her follow-up 12", a piece of work that sounds deeply accomplished and expansive for being her second EP to date. Largely roaming within the jazzo-sphere, When The Sun Dips 90 Degress is a beautifully seductive five-tracker, with the artist's voice reigning supreme over the cascading showers of piano keys and subtle electronics, somehow tapping into the Alice Coltrane sort of vibe. There's no harp here, but plenty of soulful charisma. Fear not thy devout jazz fanatic - this can get real deep and real smooth. It's a broken beat fan's dream some true. More from Lacey is, indeed, expected in the remainder of the year. Marvellous stuff.

Review: You always know what you are going to get from Radio Slave, and that is high functioning techno that never fails to make an impact in the club. The man behind the music, Matt Edwards, is one of techno's most enduring and consistent performers and he confirms that again here with the pair of bangers on his own Rekids label. 'Acid Dip' has punchy, funky drums that hammer home the groove with big, bouncy hits bring further dynamics as an occasional slaying synth sprays across the face of the tune. Devastating. 'Armani' is a brian-frying, loopy, synth-heavy workout full of texture.

Review: Daffodils & Dirt, the debut album by Samantha Morton and Richard Russell, is a brooding and poetic exploration of Morton's troubled past and raw emotional experiences. With Russell's production prowess, the duo creates an unsettling yet captivating musical landscape that delves into themes of resilience and vulnerability. Morton's haunting vocals, coupled with Russell's sparse yet evocative soundscapes, transport listeners into the depths of her teenage years, where she grappled with homelessness and instability. The album's collaborations with artists like Jack Penate, Laura Groves, and Ali Campbell add unexpected layers of depth and beauty to the already compelling narrative. The album is a mesmerising blend of haunting melodies and raw emotion, inviting listeners to journey alongside Morton as she navigates the complexities of her past.

Review: While legendary composer and jazz soloist Harry Manfredini has handled the scores to the vast majority of entries into the Friday the 13th horror franchise, it would be the ironically titled Part VII: The New Blood that would see producer Fred Mollin brought in to provide unique cues to counterweight Manfredini's compositions. With only Mollin returning to score the following eighth instalment, this score provides the only torch passing intersection between the two uniquely brilliant composers, while this pressing lands on "psychokinetik splatter", echoing the film's plot of a young telekinetic girl going to war with the hockeymasked Jason (for those not up on their Camp Crystal Lake lore).

Review: This reissue from Jazz Room is one from the rather more obscure end of the jazz spectrum but it is well worthy of your time. Johnny Walker - not the same guy as the whisky magnate - recorded this one when he was touring the world with veteran jazz star Lionel Hampton back in 1982. The sounds that defined his signature are drenched in funk with fat beats powering them along. The excellent rhythm section work really shines through here on an album that was originally released on his own Private Press label.

Review: A fifth slab of 7" shaped funk live and direct from St. Petersburg arrives with the Great Revivers offering another Funk Night release that will invariably keep themselves busy on the turntables of funk establishments everywhere. Lead cut "Rhino's Walk" should be titled "Rhino's Strut" in truth given the sheer confidence the Revivers display as it progresses along driven by a killer drum break. Flip the Rhino over and Great Revivers are on more of a downbeat funk flex with "Dead Dipping" which is all about that frazzled organ. Big up Frank Raines and the Funk Night crew for this one!

Review: A-Trak! You may have been introduced to him as a World Champion turntablist, an iconic indie record label owner, half of Duck Sauce, a producer, a festival DJ, a remixer, Kanye's Tour DJ, or former Juicero advocate, but you may not know that he had a hip-hop record label in the early to mid 2000's, known as Audio Research Records. During this time, Trizzy hooked up with arguably 2 of the best hip-hop groups to come out of that era, producing records for Little Brother and the mighty Dipset. One of the very few Little Brother records that 9th Wonder didn't produce, 'Step Off' falls right in line with the LB aesthetic. A-Trak got busy with a bouncy joint that ended up on tons of mixtapes, available only on ARR 12" until now. Same story with the B-side; there, A-Trak teamed up with Dipset for 'Don't Fool With The Dips!' featuring 40 Cal, Hell Rell, J.R. Writer. Now re-released in collaboration with Fool's Gold Records on 7" vinyl alongside new, original artwork by RHEK.

Review: Now that's what we call an album title 2021. As the name implies, we're skirting the edges of 1980s Japanese pop, opting to explore the strange, sci-fi hued, traditionally rooted noises that weren't necessarily dominant in the Far East country at that time, but certainly found favour with more explorative listeners. And it's not hard to hear why.

Tracks like 'Days Man' by Yoshio Ojima could work well in a slo-mo house or electronica set today. While preceding effort 'Hikari No Ito Kin No Ito' from Mishio Ogawa is like a strangely innocent hybrid of lullaby and pop song. Elsewhere, the twinkling synths and wet snare hits of Naomi Asai's 'Yakan Hikou' further accentuate the surrealism running through so much of what is here. One for the trophy cabinet, collectors take note (and form a queue).

Review: Soul Slabs Vol. 2 is a second collection of 7" a-sides from Loveland Ohio's essential Colemine Records. The label has long dealt in heavy soul, funk, and r&b that is always perfectly authentic, with old school production values and timeless songs that translate across the ages. Lots of ground is covered here in fine style, from the raw and direct opener from The Gripsweats on through superb drum-funk from Jungle Fire and more tender and soft-hearted moments of soul bliss such as Jr Thomas & The Volcanos's 'What A Shame.' Highlights about on this one which comes in its own slipcase.

Review: Back in 2021 Coco Maria announced her arrival as an authority on Latin music to the wider world with the release of the first Club Coco compilation. Carried by Les Discuss de Bongo Joe and Worldwide FM alike, it served as an insight into the Mexican-born, Amsterdam-based DJ's tastes, but more importantly it provided a portal into the best new music coming out of Latin America right now. This second volume goes even further, widening the sound without losing sight of the dancefloor and throwing up some truly astounding sounds across all kinds of tempos, styles and grooves. The unifying quality is that indelible Latin heritage which powers these infectious, addictive and effervescent tunes.