January Discoveries: Handpicked New Releases & Treats
Thousands of great new songs are being released each day as we speak & we are lucky enough to live in such times, where almost all of it is available to us, literally at the tip of our fingers. To offer some sort of navigation through the overwhelming amount of tunes, I’ve decided to take the time to reflect & appreciate, take a look back to what’s been put out there over the past month. By the means of a selection of fresh releases, well-curated mixtapes and special treats, here goes the first monthly musical wrap-up of 2021. Your dose of fresh grooves, whether it’s new releases by heavy-hitters of the game / new artists on the radar, or wholesome mixes / DJ sets / radio shows / podcasts.
JANUARY RELEASES
The beginning of this year has been exceptionally fruitful when it comes to new sounds being dropped. I’ve put together a playlist with all of the joints that deserve your attention, in my opinion, for a multitude of reasons.
Here’s a slight fraction of what’s been going on: Madlib and Four Tet’s new collaborative album ‘Sound Ancestors’ is out and the whole thing is an adventurous sonic ride. Ciscero dropped the ‘Beautiful Mind’ single starring Oddissee, and Tyler The Creator and Brent Faiyaz link up on a hot new track ‘Gravity’. Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge are on a roll, with another beautiful track out from the Jazz Is Dead series. This time starring jazz saxophonist Gary Bartz. Stimulator Jones has a stunning new ‘La Mano’ album out with the Oslo based Mutual Intentions label. 2nd Generation Wu — formation consisting of the sons of four Wu Tang Clan founding members (Method Man, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, U-God and Ghostface Killah) has released their debut album, embracing the Wu legacy. Amsterdam’s own Benny Sings has put out a new single ‘Nobody’s Fault’ that features Tom Misch this time. The Roots celebrated the 26 years of their ‘Do You Want More?!!!??!’ with an expanded vinyl reissue that includes some fresh bonus tracks and more. The long-awaited Pharoahe Monch album is here and it’s fire! Made in collaboration with his live band Th1rt3en consisting of Daru Jones on drums and Marcus Machado on guitar, both members of Pete Rock’s Soul Brothers lineup as well.
With that said, feel free to head over to the Discoveries playlist for a taste of all of the above & then some.
JANUARY IN THE MIX
It’s only fair to say that well-put-together sets play a critical role in making sense of the music that’s available out there. Finding connections between the present and the past, taking us on a journey through the known & unknown, often offering a brand new perspective and inspiration. Connecting the dots. This month there have been a couple of new ones that stuck with me. So let’s get to it. Kick back, listen & enjoy.
At the occasion of Questlove’s 50th birthday on Jan 20th, Gilles Peterson (amongst others) has put together a 6-hour long celebratory homage, together with Rashad ‘Ringo’ Smith. It’s a magical ride full of love, embracing the creative impact and cultural influence of the icon himself. This show rated 1st place in the global jazz chart, 1st in the global soul chart, 1st in the global r’n’b chart and 4th in the global hip hop chart on Mixcloud.
D’Angelo has announced the arrival of his channel on SONOS Radio, called Feverish Fantazmagoria, with a one hour long eclectic journey including the most funky and soulful cuts from Mahavishnu Orchestra, Sly & The Family Stone, Prince, Pete Rock and Hiatus Kaiyote, to paint the picture with a few examples. He’s spinning some of his favorite records, casually opening up about memories they invoke in him and it genuinely feels like quality time spent with a dear friend.
This tasty, Strictly House Vinyl Mix, that Danny Son has graced us with this month is a real delight, honestly. Feed your soul and move to this!
As a SPECIAL TREAT, I’d like to bring this epic conversation of two legends to your attention, discussing the evolution of sampling in hip hop. Oh and most importantly: Bob James, one of the most sampled artists of all time, has now made 20+ of his iconic tracks available to sample on Tracklib. Talk about treats..
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Feel free to share the love & hit me up with what’s been catching your ears these days. I’m always on the look-out for music and would love to hear from you.