Crucial Material – December 8th, 2020

Hope you are doing well and that some of these records will make your day!

Here are our favorite EP’s, Albums and Reissues of the past week. As always we encourage you to buy digital or physical releases if you discover a release you love. Support artists and labels!

JAZZ

Dezron Douglas & Brandee Younger — Force Majeure

New York bassist Dezron Douglas and harpist Brandee Younger have released a brilliant and uplifting duo album featuring recordings from their weekly live-stream sessions “Force Majeure: Brunch in the Crib with Brandee & Dezron”.  Recorded in their Harlem apartment using a single microphone, the album includes new renditions of music by John Coltrane, Alice Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, The Jackson 5, The Stylistics, Kate Bush, and more. — Selected by TJ Gorton

Karaba — Pheremon Crumble Wax

Brilliant album for Kryptox Records from this Munich-based band; blending jazz finesse with kosmische musik / Krautrock, psych and Eastern influences. Check the groove on “Der Inder”.  Deep, and heavy! — Selected by Oli Brunetti

corto.alto — 435

Since 2019, Liam Shortall’s corto.alto have been racking up a steady digital stream of FRESH jazz mixed from Liam’s Glasgow flat, influenced by the soul, pop, indie jungle/dnb and particularly hip hop he loves listening to. Now Bristol’s Worm Discs have pressed four of their favourites to wax. From “Is That It?”, featuring the legendary Soweto Kinch, to “3 Years On” with AKU! saxophonist Harry Weir, all winners! — Selected by Oli Brunetti

Various Artists — Inside A​.​MA Volume 1

Illicit Grooves Radio Show host, Bob Hill, has been given free reign to select his favourite songs from the archives of Italian jazzers A. MA Records. The results are a treat! From dancefloor jazz of The Motion Collective to Francesca Sortino’s beautiful mid-tempo, two-step version excursion of “Little Sunflower” via Enrico le Noci’s extremely digestible, “Heavy Lunch”. Well worth getting to know and a great introduction to this label.  —Selected by Oli Brunetti

ELECTRONIC

Splash Pattern & Misantrop — Idée Fixe

Copenhagen’s Splash Pattern came into my sights as one of the most exciting new producers of our times with the Sentinel EP in May. This new collaboration with Misantrop only cements that idea. The EP’s 3 tracks feature different styles – technobass with grime synths, elastic danger-zone bass, and dancehall techno – but stays cohesive through a sleek metallic sound, hyperactive percussion and futuristic leanings.  — Selected by dileta

Don’t Be Afraid — ‘10.1’ / ‘10.2’

2020 has been marked by many things, including an overwhelming number of stellar V/A compilations. The DBA 10 year anniversary double-comp, divided in a ‘dark’ and a ‘light’ side, is definitely in the top 3 of these. It comprises pretty much everything you dream of in modern ‘human’/’raw’ robot dance music (yes, this is an oxymoron). Some personal highlights come in the form of: cyberfunky house by rRoxymore, brutal electro by Kerrie, sharp old-school technofunk by General Ludd, dizzy dream chug by Brassfoot, psychoacoustic industrial beats by Lurka, space disco house by Mr G, smokey broken beat by Semtek & Jay L, and a slippery squeaky minimal techno trip in glass by Hollie. — Selected by dileta

Jarren — Mina EP

LA native Jarren Crouch delivers on his first (official) release. Six track EP fusing the sounds of g funk and electro-boogie sprinkled with a spacey analog aesthetic. Summer 2021 music. — Selected by Spacewalker

Basic Soul Unit — Free To Be

— Selected by Lexis

FUNK & SOUL

Delmar Xavier VII — Street Level Edits Vol.1

Four fresh edits from MoFunk Records newcomer Delmar Xavier VII, including 2 featuring XL Middleton. The kind of edits that you don’t need to be a dj to enjoy them. — Selected by Walla P

Leopard Da Vinci feat. Jean Bisello — Garde Fou EP

Really nice Disco-Boogie EP, with a bunch of dope remixes, including my favorite from Dj Friction. Don’t sleep on the vinyl release, and it’s also available on digital.  — Selected by Walla P

HIP-HOP

Your Old Droog — Dump YOD: Krutoy Edition

— Selected by Lexis

LEFTFIELD

Spivak — Μετά Το Ρέιβ

— Selected by Lexis

OUTERNATIONAL

Kutiman — Wachaga in Dub

Kutiman adds the dubs treatment to his brilliant ‘Wachaga’ record, which blended Tanzanian field recordings with free jazz, psychedelia, afrobeat and soul, in spectacular cosmic fashion.  — Selected by Oli Brunetti

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We also invite you to check out our main five playlists where you’ll find our current favorites across Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp.