Amoeba Music

Phenomenal complex jazz compositions from this exciting young vibraphone player who grew up in Chicago and eventually studied under Stefon Harris. Ross has released three albums on Blue Note, starting in 2019. This new one has an incredible flow to it, feeling a bit like one long suite, and the songs themselves are masterfully composed and beautiful both harmonically and rhythmically. Truly wonderful stuff, with a large 9-piece ensemble with 4 horns (including Immanuel Wilkins), flute, piano, bass, & drums. Killer stuff, very emotional work too… thoughtful, aching, hopeful, spiritual, and ultimately, triumphant. Top notch! Read more

Excellent new young London based Afrobeat octet led by trumpeter Sheila Maurice-Grey, who is also a member of the all-female London jazz collective Nérija (with the talented Nubya Garcia). Obviously influenced by Nigerian legend and afrobeat originator Fela Kuti and his long-time drummer Tony Allen, plus current greats in the field, such as NYC heavies Antibalas and Fela’s sons Femi and Seun Kuti, they are also inspired by jazz, soul, and groovy music of all kinds. Directly connected to the burgeoning jazz scene in modern London, this band shares members with many other groups there. They can all really play, and the tunes here are composed really well too. Nice! Read more

Fantastic new album of instrumental psychedelic electronic beats from this LA based producer who used to live here in San Francisco. Elements of trip-hop, shoegaze, krautrock, dub, and much more all blend together in a trippy retro-futurist stew that makes you want to bob your head and groove along to these excellent beatscapes. I recommend this for fans of artists like DJ Shadow, Amon Tobin, and Boards of Canada, along with labels such as Stones Throw, Mo Wax, and Ninja Tune. Super groovy stuff! Read more

Wonderful psychedelic pop ensemble with a retro flair, from Nottingham in the UK. Similar to Broadcast and Rocketship but certainly their own thing, there’s also a notable influence of the harmonies from classic Brittish folk & folk-rock groups like Fairport Convention, a bit of C86-style jangle pop and shoegaze vibes, and even some first wave US psychedelia a la Jefferson Airplane. It is mostly upbeat, decidedly groovy, and super catchy, with effects pedals and some trippy production techniques to add some texture and character. Great stuff! Read more

Syrian musician now based in the UK, who plays the Qanun, an Arabic, 81-string dulcimer-like instrument that is popular throughout the middle east. It’s a descendent of the Egyptian harp, and various forms of the qanun have been used for at least 1000 years. Traditionally only played by men, Maya has now broken this gender barrier and is making her name known around the world. On this new sophomore album, Youssef’s incredible songcraft matches her prodigious skills, and she unleashes a masterpiece that sounds both ancient and current. All songs are instrumental except for one cut, which has some lovely yearning vocals from Hamsa Mounif, another Syrian who now also lives in London. Several tracks include subtle strings, piano, and arabic percussion, but the qanun is front and center throughout. Such a unique sound, and the magical realm she creates with it is really special. Read more

Raw, uncompromising new release from this collective of Native American artists and guests, produced by Yonatan Gat of Monotonix. It’s a visceral, heavy, raucous fusion of traditional pow wow music, avant-rock, jazz, and experiemental electronic sounds and distortion. An intense experience that features an eclectic list of guests, including new age legend Laraaji, experimental improvisor Ikue Mori, vibraphone from Thor Harris, Berlin synth virtuoso Gelbart, and recently deceased trumpeter jaimie branch. This is a masterpiece of modern music, fusing thundering tribal drums, squealing guitar feedback, Native American chanting, and exploratory electronics into a powerful statement about the plight of North America’s long suffering First Nations peoples and channeling their frustration with the way they’ve been treated throughout the history of colonialism. It feels deeply spiritual and vital. Read more

Excellently curated selection of classic reggae tunes based around the theme of unity and solidarity. A lot of reggae music has been a vehicle for social protest and for espousing a sense of idealistic hope, and these 40 songs are some of the finest examples of that latter, more positive side of the equation. Trojan is of course one of the most (if not THE most) important reggae labels in existence, and this is a fine assortment of classic tracks from the golden era of Jamaican music throughout the 1960s and early to mid-70s. Every track here is a winner... so many gems, and unfortunately, these cuts reflect a still very necessary message in today’s world. Read more

Great selection of rare funky soul, disco, gospel, jazz fusion, and Brazilian grooves, curated by Miche, a young DJ from the UK. Perhaps surprisingly, most of the tracks here are from the sole release by the artists… often their only single, though a few have an actual album, but it’s incredible how rare and off the beaten track most of these artists / cuts are. There’s really no bad tracks here if you like this kind of stuff, and everything sounds nice and clean mastering wise too. Read more

Soulful, mellow, modern UK reggae project based around the duo of UK reggae / electronic dub heavy Nick Raphael (best known for his electronic dub project Manasseh) and DJ / producer David Hill, both well-known and connected in the London scene. This album has excellent production and many guests throughout, with quality musicians playing real instruments in a classy and classic reggae style that is more retro than modern overall. About half of the tracks have vocals, but I like the instrumental ones best overall, though track 2 (with Jamaican legend Ken Boothe) is ace too. Read more

A really nice set of modern dubs with organic instrumentation and laid back grooves, dubbed out with some extra-spacy reverb, delay, and other effects. This is the companion work to their 2022 album On The Grove, and it features dub versions of 8 out of the 12 tracks there. The vocals have been almost completely wiped away here, with only an occasional snippet swirled into the dub effects. Great instrumental grooves in a very classic reggae style. Read more

Awesome electronic pop from local Berkeley-based artist Maryam Qudus, who has also released 3 albums as Doe Eye, and who has worked as a producer and engineer on albums by Toro y Moi, Tune-Yards, and Thao With The Get Down Stay Down, among others. This album is her first album as Spacemoth, and features an assortment of catchy guitar and synth melodies, real and electronic drums, and her excellent voice. Reminds me of Stereolab, Broadcast (especially circa Tender Buttons), Wye Oak, and Jane Weaver, but it’s still quite unique, with her own style and sound shining through. Overall, super fun stuff, and local too… highly recommended! Read more

Fascinating collection of modern reggae tracks that feature singers from around the globe. This idea and conception / production of this project came from Adrian Sherwood, legendary producer behind the entire On-U Sound catalogue, including Tackhead, Creation Rebel, African Head Charge, Singers & Players, and many more. It’s cool to hear this kind of music in other languages, especially since reggae really has become a global phenomenon over the last few decades. I love tracks 2 (Likkle Mai from Japan) and 4 (Temi Oyedele from Lagos, Nigeria). Other highlights include track 1 (sung in Chinese, based in Shanghai), track 3 (Hindi / London), track 5 (Arabic / Tunisa) and track 7 (Romani / London). Production styles range from classic roots, upbeat steppers, slow dubby beats, and even one track with a dancehall riddim on syndrum / digital drums. Overall a really fun release of contemporary grooves in a wide range of languages… enjoyable and unique stuff! Read more

Gorgeous sophomore solo album of sensuous, sensitive, and sentimental folk music by Brazilian singer / songwriter Martim (Tim) Bernades, who is also in Sao Paulo psych-rock band O Terno. He plays guitar, synth, piano, percussion, and bass, as well as composing the arrangements for the string and horn sections. It’s a mellow yet dynamic record, with nods to the softer side of classic bossa nova, samba, Tropicalia and MPB styles of the 1960s and 70s. His sumptuous vocal melodies are enhanced by his lovely falsetto, which reminds me of Caetano Veloso and Milton Nascimiento. I also hear the influence of Jorge Ben’s magnificent 1974 album A Tabua De Esmeralda, along with the subtle, delicate beauty of the amazing 1972 eponymous album by Nelson Angelo E Joyce. The title means “One Thousand Invisible Things” and it’s easily one of my favorite albums from 2022, a remarkable gem that I think almost anyone who hears it could love. Read more

Local Berkeley-based musician and producer who has worked with Superchunk, Bob Mould, Sparklehorse, & Death Cab For Cutie. He has released around a dozen solo albums under the name Beaunoise since 2011, creating engaging ambient, IDM, and electronica music with lots of synthesizers. This is his first album under his own name, and it’s a really great cosmic journey through ambient synth zones. A cohesive album with elements of new age, space music, krautrock, and occasionally some more experimental sounds. Fantastic stuff, plus it’s local too! Read more

Awesome new collection of classic Jamaican tracks, mostly from the late 1970s and early 80s. A pair of tracks from 1995 slip onto what is otherwise a fairly narrow comp chronologically, but they are both really nice, so it’s all good. Soul Jazz is legendary for their themed reggae collections, and this one spotlights an unusual batch of material that doesn’t usually get much exposure. Overall, a great set, with funky grooves galore and it offers a unique look at how disco culture was embraced in Jamaica and fused with reggae. Some real gems here! Read more

Excellent archival collection of unreleased solo work from this musician, arranger, producer, and composer who lived in Chicago. Before he passed at just 45 years old in 1976, he worked on a number of great albums and singles, especially from the local Chess & Cadet labels, including soul legends The Dells, Ramsey Lewis, Minnie Ripperton, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Rotary Connection, along with blues legends Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters. His daughters helped to compile this set, and their words and stories about their dad can be heard in snippets on the album during various interludes and at the beginnings and ends of certain tracks. The music has soulful, sometimes funky grooves, with jazzy and spacy elements. Lots of simple early drum machine rhythms here, and no real drums. Tracks 2-17 feature a lot of synths doing pieces in a style that I’d call “cosmic funk” or “space funk” maybe? Track 18 is where things change over from synths to acoustic piano, and about half a dozen tracks all have vibraphone on them as well, for some more laid back, loungey grooves. Really great music, recently unearthed for your enjoyment. Read more

Collaboration between two interesting modern musicians whose work together transcends their individual efforts. Dawn Richard is of African-American and Haitian descent, and was in the group Danity Kane, a Sean Combs / Puffy-led soul / R&B ensemble that had some success in the 2000s, before her solo career began in 2011. Her most recent solo album (Second Line, also on Merge) was a critical success that merged her native New Orleans funk with intense electronic beats, footwork rhythms, and more, all with avant-garde sensibilities. Zahn, meanwhile, has made several instrumental jazzy post-rock albums with mellow electronic flourishes over the last five years. Here, they create a masterful symphony of neo-classical ambient zones with deep emotional resonance. Beautiful, subtle arrangements with Richard contributing her powerful lyrics and vocals to a backdrop of sweeping orchestrations featuring piano, bass, cello, violin, viola, sax, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, guitar, and synthesizers. It’s a lovely orchestral suite that reminds me at times of the mighty Promises (by Floating Points & Pharoah Sanders). Gorgeous sonics that feel very potent and spiritually intense in the same ways later-period Talk Talk does. Highly recommended. Read more

Italian born, US based artist Moreno Visini (who has also released several albums under the alias Zeb) is back with another postmodern fusion of funky global beats and dubby electronic grooves, with a specific focus on North African and Middle Eastern instruments and textures (similar to “belly dance music”). If you dig other globetrotting Wonderhweel artists such as Chancha Via Circuito, El Buho, and Novalima, or the terrific work of Cheb I Sabbah, this should be right up your alley. Aside from the reggae/dub & reggaeton elements and “arabian desert vibes” throughout, there is also some cumbia flavor on a few tracks, which also have lyrics in Spanish. Read more

Excellent new comp of reggae and dub tunes crafted by the legendary Adrian Sherwood and his stable of regulars at his On-U Sound studios in London. Lots of great stuff here, and most tracks are unreleased elsewhere. A mixture of great modern reggae with sociopolitical diatribes, horn-led instrumental reggae gems, dubby downtempo trip hop grooves, spooky minimalist dubs, and more... Overall, a fantastic collection of dubwise riddims from one of the greatest and most consistently prolific reggae producers of the modern era. Read more

Really interesting and diverse compilation of pieces recorded between 1965 and 1976 and released on French artist and entrepreneur Pierre Barouh’s Saravah label. Everything from French Pop, folk, and funky soul to intense jazz grooves and earthy jams influenced by musical traditions from around the globe. The Art Ensemble of Chicago backs a pair of French vocalists on a pair of tracks, which are both incredible. There are also bluesy soulful groovers, jazzy funk, several French Pop nuggets (including Areski & Brigitte Fontaine), and one all-out scorcher with tribal drums and jazz flute soloing to go with some brief vocals. There's even one cut that sounds like a hippy drum circle with tablas and harpsichord (what?!) and either bowed cello or bass, pretty incredible and unusual to say the least. A fascinating trip back in time to a place where anything went and everything was gloriously stylized into what we hear here. Highly recommended! Read more