Search results: Maya

Review: Treading an eclectic path through a twenty year career that's taken in everything from Detroit techno to vintage French ye-ye, from breakbeat-driven floor-fillers to krautrock epiphanies, David Holmes has made his name predominantly as an exemplary crate-digger and aesthete, whether soundtracking Steven Soderbergh movies or dishing our albums of his own. Thus, it comes as no surprise that this compilation - marking something of a personal journey for Holmes - is reflective of his status as an exemplary man of taste. Whether dispensing classics by the likes of David Crosby or Buddy Holly, unreleased original solo material or killer obscurities from everyone from modular synthesis cultist Keith Fullerton Whitman to Hollywood legend Jeff Bridges, this stylish nocturnal travelogue puts the listener resolutely in safe hands.

Review: As the title suggests, this brand new compilation from the legendary jazz label Blue Note finds a wealth of the UK's most exciting new and young talents turn their hand at reimagining a selection of classic Blue Note tracks. The wonderful sax player Yazz Ahmed kicks off with her take on 'It' which his all alluring and deep, and across the other 15 cuts the likes of Brit Award-winning Jorja Smith appears with her own distinctive voice, the much hyped - and rightly so - Nubya Garcia also adds her own contribution and Aussie soul boy Jordan Rakei serves up some buttery sounds.

Review: You may have caught the striking quality of Ego Ella May and Theon Cross' lead single for Blue Note Re:imagined II, and now the full compilation has arrived. For such a long-standing, heritage label, Blue Note have recognised the renewed moment jazz is having and responded with an exciting look into those artists forging new paths. Given the importance of tradition and roots within jazz, it's fascinating to see how a new generation tackle totemic works from Blue Note's gargantuan history. From Nubiyan Twist to Conor Albert, Maya Delilah to Reuben James, the featured artists serve as a crucial primer of what's good in jazz right now, and the hit rate is high from start to finish.

Review: We are honored to release 'A Boy Alone', a double LP set from Manchester electronic music pioneer Eric Random. Best known for his early recordings for New Hormones and Les Disques du Crepuscule and collaborations with Pete Shelley (Buzzcocks), Cabaret Voltaire and Nico. As an original member of The Tiller Boys with Shelley, Random injected a healthy dose of Krautrock into the dour Manchester post-punk scene in 1978/79 before going solo the following year. Random's first 7" "Subliminal"/"23 Skidoo" was released in 1981 via Les Disques du Crepuscule and explored ominous sonic surrounds. That same year also saw the release of a second 7" single on New Hormones, "Dow Chemical Company"/ "Skin Deep". Both tracks offered bubbling, rhythmic sound patterns, and were the first to feature other musicians that would become know as The Bedlamites. Consisting of Lynn Walton on vocals, Ian Runacres and Andy Diagram of Dislocation Dance, and bassist Wayne Worm, aka Wayne Sedgeman. Their debut 12" single "Subliminal Seduction"/"Bedlam-a-Go-Go" was released in 1982 through Plurex, mixing arid funk textures and sparse melodies. That same year the group contributed proto chill-out track "6.55" to Plurex compilation 'Hours' and the highly filmic track "In Cassette Conference" to the Touch cassette package 'Feature Mist'. In 1983, Random spent several months in the Himalayas with a group of musicians from the Kulu Valley and studied non-Western instruments such as tabla. On returning to Manchester, Random convened a new group of Belamites including Walton, Sedgeman and drummer Graham Dowdall aka Dids of Ludus. They released the 12" single "Mad As Mankind"/"Dream Web Of Maya" in 1984 on Cabaret Voltaire's Doublevision, embracing electronic, industrial and dub styles. In 1985 they contributed the soothing "Pure Power" to Food Records' "Imminent Episode One" compilation. Our reissue also includes 4 unreleased bonus tracks from Eric's archives recorded between 1981-1984. The whole set adds up to 115 minutes of sinister, somnambulant Random music. All songs have been remastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios. Each copy is housed in a gatefold jacket designed by Eloise Leigh featuring a spread of ephemera, photos with liner notes by James Nice of LTM.

Review: The legendary NOW series is a real British music institution. Well, it is for those of a certain age - those who remember the compilations being timely snapshots of what was hot and what was not when it came to pop music. They branched out into all sorts of other niches over the years and now use their brand to offer up complete collections of various different genres. This particular triple vinyl release rounds up 20 years of popular music with tunes from anyone who was anyone between the years of 1993 and 2003. It is just one volume of three so be sure to check out them all.

Review: If you have heard any All Day I Dream releases you will know what to expect, and yet still the label keeps on turning them out and still they keep us interested because it is such a lovely and escapist sound. Dim Kelly is next up to offer their own spin on it and do so with four fantastic cuts. 'Pianologic' is a piano-laced jam with wonky rhythms and warming pads that bring plenty of playfulness. 'Preach The World' (with Stereoclip) settles into a more smooth groove with subtler melodies and 'The Stream' then sinks into a more heads-down groove with darker basslines. 'Nuit D'amour' (feat Maya Safar) completes the picture with a spine-tinged vocal that soars over shimmering deep house.

Review: Fresh, clean and modern disco from Japan's T-Groove. Channelling the yeah-yeah-ing vocals of American r&b contemporary Maddam Mya, 'Move Me' is a bass-riffing, double-clapping charger in the mode of 80s-20s nu-boogie. B-sider 'Keep On' Dancin' is hardly different, working a squeezy and pressurized modern pop vocal line from Maya Killtron into a chaotic, bustling shooting funk star.

Notes: MAYA44 USB+ is a powerful, affordable and very stylish USB audio solution for home recording - a perfect solution for mobile live and recording applications!

Beside standard recording and playback functionality, MAYA44 USB+ provides everything that is needed for professional music production. In its compact aluminium case MAYA44 USB+ provides 4 analog input and 4 analog output channels with RCA connectors and a combined optical S/PDIF digital output / stereo headphone output. The headphone output provides a separate stereo output signal, making it perfect for DJs.

With support for ASIO 2.0, CoreAudio and MME / WDM, MAYA44 USB+ is compatible to all major music and DJ applications like Cubase, Logic, Sonar, Reason, Reaktor, MixVibes, Traktor DJ Studio, BPM Studio and much more.

Features
4 input channels and 4 output channels with RCA connectors
-10dBV input / output level (unbalanced) with improved performance
optical S/PDIF digital output with Miniplug connector
headphone output (1/8" connector) with 60mW amplifier, sends out signal from channel 1 / 2 only
MME, WDM, ASIO 2.0 and CoreAudio support
EWDM driver with DirectWIRE support under Windows
standard USB connection to PC or Mac
compatible with Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8.1, 10, 11 (32-bit / 64-bit) and Mac OS X
compatible with all important DJ software applications
compatible with all important professional audio applications
compact and portable design with around 12 cm x 7 cm x 2 cm

Review: Leeds-based jazz quintet Mu Quintet collide myriad inspirations from the avant-garde - fastening a difficult-to-place, but no less beautiful sound. Their latest 12-track album Summit is well-named, but its many movements evoke the feeling of climbing a great, hitherto insurmountable sonic mountain, and in so doing, conquering the sublime. We begin a cynic, wallowing inside 'Diogenes' Pot', before finding our 'Faith' at the summit of our internal, spiritual journey. An all-round remarkable resounder.

Review: 'Stereo Love' marked the debut single of Romanian DJ Edward Maya and Moldovan-Romanian producer Vika Jigulina and it came back in 2009 on Maya's album, The Stereo Love Show. The catchy refrain is sampled from 'Bayatilar,' a 1989 track by Azerbaijani composer Eldar Mansurov and it helped the song swiftly gain global popularity and go on to rule nightclub playlists across Europe. It soared to the pinnacle of eleven national music charts and its success earned it certifications such as 8× Platinum in Norway, 7× Platinum in Sweden, and Gold or higher in ten other countries. Grab it now on vinyl and pump the party once more with this Euro-dance gem.

Review: Dennis Brown's 'Love Has Found Its Way' is the subject of this super cover version on Vortex out of Japan. It is Maya Hatch and Robert Dubwise Brownie who are behind it and they bring lush lovers rock vibes and rolling reggae to their unique interpretation. Hayassen is the producer and the a-side version is awash with island chords that ring out over a clam sea and sundown. The fleshy bass and wiggling percussion ensure some nice dancing vibes next to the romantic vocals and the dub side on the flip closes out this crucial import in style.

Review: The first Blue Note Re:imagined album was frankly brilliant - an imaginative, inspired and thoroughly brilliant set of covers of classic cuts from the label's catalogue, expertly realised by a cast of 21st century UK jazz and soul talents - so hopes are naturally high for this sequel. We shouldn't have worried, to be honest, because it's another terrific collection. Our picks of a very strong bunch include Swindle's orchestra-sporting, jazz-funk-goes-hip-hop-soul take on Donald Byrd's 'Miss Kane', Ego Ella May's gently dubby, head-nodding and sunrise-ready re-imagining of Chico Hamilton's 'The Morning Side of Love', an ultra-dreamy, pedal steel-sporting cover of 'Harvest Moon' courtesy of Maya Delilah, and a tactile neo-soul interpretation of Marlena Shaw classic 'Feel Like Making Love' by Kay Young. Impeccable.

Review: On The Line features Vancouver producer and keyboardist Jonny Tobin while Maya Killtron is featured on vocals and the result of the collaboration is a smooth, soulful and AM radio.song that captures a genuine 70s pop sound of a bygone era. Jonny shines throughout the piece and especially on the solo. For the second side of the 7", 'The Light In All Of Us' is a slick instrumental that hits all the right notes. This 7" is pure class.

Review: Malian singer, songwriter and instrumentalist Fatoumata Diawara has enjoyed a highly successful career, not just as a musician but also as an actor. Even so, it has taken a string of collaborations - including an appearance on Gorillaz album Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez - to bring her to a wider audience. London Ko, officially her third solo album, successfully highlights the open-minded, internationalist nature of her work, offering superb, immaculately produced songs that blend her Malian vocals, instrumentation and jangly guitar playing with nods to synth-pop, deep house, electronica, r&b and downtempo beats. Naturally, the album boasts several notable collaborations, with Damon Albarn guesting on 'Nesra', New York hip-hop-turned-soul queen Angie Stone lighting up 'Somaw', and Alberto Fomesca enhancing CD highlight 'Massa Den'.

Review: Maya Blandy's latest single, Lemons, is a vibrant and infectious track that seamlessly blends upbeat urban funk with an acid jazz sound, resulting in a potential pop hit. The song takes a spin on the classic adage about making the best out of life's challenges, presenting it with a fresh and edgy perspective. With its catchy hooks, groovy rhythm, and Maya Blandy's convincing vocals, Lemons is destined to be an instant hit once heard.
The Side-2 is equally as good with 'BIB (Bitch In Black).' This song oozes with soulful vibes, showcasing Maya's mesmerizing vocals against an urban beat backdrop. The addition of a horn section adds depth and richness to the track, elevating its sonic experience.

Review: Nigerian singer, songwriter and actress Nneka takes it independent for the release of her new album Love Supreme. It is a response to majors refusing to allow her the artistic and creative autonomy she wants. The record is packed with emotive ballads like the opener, impassioned tunes like 'God's Love' and the empowering 'Yansh'. Written during lockdown, the record "became about self-reflection, and seeing how connected our inner world is to the outer world." It's a poignant work with rich creativity throughout, infectious gospel energy in places and moody synth jams.

Notes: MAYA22 USB is not simply another USB audio interface - it's a very stylish portable device that can go with you anywhere. It offers total flexibility as an external and fully bus-powered USB device with excellent professional 24-bit audio quality.

It features 2 analog input and 2 analog output channels with RCA connection, a microphone preamplifier with XLR input and support for +48V phantom power, a Hi-Z instrument input for guitars, a high quality headphone output and TRS line outputs. This can make MAYA22 USB easily one of the most useful devices in your studio, wherever that may be.

Use it to record microphone and guitar signals simultaneously and then process the incoming signals with your PC or Mac notebook or desktop in realtime and listen to the mix directly via headphones or studio monitoring speakers. All these features are provided with a professional low latency drivers with support for WDM, ASIO 2.0 and CoreAudio.

If you're looking for a really powerful USB audio device that is small and that gives you maximum performance under any current Windows system as well as under Mac OS X, then MAYA22 USB is for you. It's incredible how many functions are provided by this small device!

Features
2 input / 2 output 24-bit / 96kHz USB 2.0 Full Speed 24-bit Audio Interface
line, guitar and microphone inputs
simultaneous recording of microphone and guitar signals
microphone preamp with XLR input and +48V phantom power support
Hi-Z instrument input with 1/4" connector
line input with RCA connectors
line output with balanced 1/4" TRS connectors
headphone output with 1/4" connector
ADC with 102dB(a) dynamic range
DAC with 108dB(a) dynamic range
USB bus powered
supports Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 and Windows 11 with ASIO 2.0, MME, WDM and DirectSound incl. DirectWIRE support
realtime level meters in MAYA22 USB for Windows control panel software
supports Mac OS X (10.4 and above) via the native CoreAudio USB audio driver from Apple (no driver install required)
dimensions roughly 10.0cm x 10.5cm x 3.7cm