Latest single from Brenda (aka Hudson Whitlock of Surprise Chef, Karate Boogaloo)

"College Of Knowledge Records present new signing Brenda, making their College Of Knowledge debut with two heartbreaking sweet soul ballads ‘Where Did I Go Wrong?’ and ‘Family’.

Brenda is the solo project of prolific drummer / multi-instrumentalist Hudson Whitlock. Known for his indefatigable creative output across multitudinous projects including Surprise Chef, Karate Boogaloo, The Pro-Teens and The Cactus Channel, Whitlock uses the Brenda moniker for his vocal music; as Brenda, Whitlock emerges as singer, in addition to composer, arranger and drummer.

Brenda encompasses the left-field soul sensibilities for which Whitlock has come to be recognised and revered, alongside heartfelt, introspective lyricism delivered in a sincere, delicate falsetto. Stylistically, lines can be drawn to the 1960s sweet soul ballads of The Delfonics, Jean-Claude Vannier’s vivid arrangements for Serge Gainsbourg, and, of course, the unmistakable flavour of Melbourne’s cinematic soul movement à la other Whitlock exploits Surprise Chef and Karate Boogaloo.

True to his modest vagabond nature, Whitlock has released SIX Brenda albums to date, each uploaded exclusively to Bandcamp, gladly resigning the music to the underground. These albums display Whitlock’s indefatigable creativity; he creates every component of the project in total independence, playing every instrument, carrying recording and mixing duties and creating the artwork.

In this new material, Whitlock relinquishes the isolationism of previous works in favour of including his trusted inner circle of friends and collaborators: Surprise Chef’s Lachlan Stuckey and Jethro Curtin on guitar and keyboard respectively, Karate Boogaloo’s Darvid Thor on bass, and production from Henry Jenkins (Surprise Chef, Karate Boogaloo, Frollen Music Library).

‘Where Did I Go Wrong’ and ‘Family’ are the first of many tunes from Brenda to come in 2025.

Out on 7" vinyl/digital on 2 May 2025.

Cinema Royal album drops

"Stones Throw alumni Rejoicer joins forces with longtime collaborator, fellow Apifera band member and renowned pianist Nitai Hershkovits to present a new moniker and concept piece Cinema Royal - a delicate yet audacious album that quietly commands attention. Having previously collaborated on works for Raw Tapes and beyond, this body of work exists more on the modern classical plain with splices of ambient and jazz woven into the musical fabric of the compositions.

Led by piano, the album features a dizzying array of orchestral, percussive and traditional string instruments from around the world- flawlessly combined in a way that might sound contrived, but just fits effortlessly.

Synthesisers cozy up to Afro beat indebted drums , East Asian zithers swim amongst classical string arrangements whilst Ethio-jazz keys dance atop restrained but irresistibly funky drum machine patterns. Inspired to create a cinematic energy they saw the essence of Fellini in their album cover choice, striving to create an album that could exist as a film score.

Speaking on the process, Nitai remarks, “Cinema Royal emerges from years of collaborative writing and recording. Our initial experience with a complete one piano take on a drum loop was in Flying’ Bamboo, a collaboration with MNDSGN and animator Felix Colgrave that garnered millions of views on YouTube. Nearly a decade later, we revisited this unique method of improvising a single piano take throughout the album. We love Emahoy Tzegue, Ennio Morricone, Nino Rota, Lalo Schifrin and lots of music from the ECM catalog. There’s a lot of Africa, too - from Ebo Taylor, Pat Thomas, Felt Kuti, and Ghana high-life, to more niche stuff from the Awesome Tapes from Africa’s catalog “

Rejoicer and Nitai have a rare synergy and have channeled it to create something that speaks without words, or rather - whispers, and in this quiet exclamation we are drawn in to listen closer and closer." 

Out now on LP/digital, on Rhythm Section International.

Ghanaian Fra Fra soul singer Florence Adooni releases her debut album

Via Philophon: "Following a triumphant 70-date touring activity across Europe in 2023 and 2024, including appearances at festivals such as Roskilde, Down The Rabbithole, End of The Road and FMM Sines, Ghanaian Fra Fra soul singer Florence Adooni readies the release of her hotly- anticipated international debut album, A.O.E.I.U. (An Ordinary Exercise In Unity) on Philophon. 

Produced by longtime collaborator and Philophon Records founder Max Weissenfeldt (Poets of Rhythm), with backing from a young generation of talented highlife musicians from the southern Ghanaian region of Kumasi, A.O.E.I.U. is the joyful culmination of a decade-long working relationship between Florence and Max, the fullest expression of their infectiously optimistic and uniquely ebullient sound.

Across seven tracks, Florence and her groove-forward group journey through a range of propulsive influences. “I’m so proud of this album,” Florence says. “It’s the beautiful culmination of the years I’ve been working with Max and a reflection of the incredible energy we’ve experienced playing this music live all around the world. I can’t wait for people to hear it!”

First encountering Florence’s music over a decade ago while Max was travelling through Ghana and absorbing the West African country’s range of rhythmic sounds, it was the chance discovery of her locally self-released debut Fra Fra gospel record 'Ho Sanga La Pa’aya' (This Is Your Time) that planted the seeds for further collaboration. “I kept playing this one track of Florence’s that had been shared with me by a local record shop owner and the second time I went to his store, I spotted Florence outside selling her music,” Max says. “I approached her and knew immediately that she would be the perfect person to collaborate with on my new label, Philophon.”

Over the next five years, Florence’s powerful falsetto and instinctive melodies became a key component of the Philophon sound, featuring on the label’s releases from Fra Fra group Alogte Oho & His Sounds of Joy, with singer Guy One, and with Finnish saxophonist Jimi Tenor. 

Yet, it wasn’t until Max relocated his Berlin studio to Kumasi in 2019 that their first collaboration with Florence under her own name took shape. “We made a recording together with the two female choir singers of the Sounds of Joy, a classic blend of highlife with Fra Fra singing,” Max says. "Originally it was planned to be released as a merchandise item for the upcoming tour of Alogte Oho & His Sounds of Joy, but as the tour never happened due to the circumstances of 2020, I just put it out under Florence Adooni - and it became an unexpected door opener“.

The response to the track, 'Mam Pe’ela Su’ure' (My Heart is Pure), was overwhelming and soon the infectious sound of Fra Fra and Florence’s joy-filled vocals were to be found on stages across Europe. “That song has given us a platform to play over 70 concerts since, something I could never have imagined,” Florence says. “My band had never left Ghana before but now we have seen the world and we are more united and thrilled than ever before.”

New soulful cuts from Troy Kingi

Brand new collab between the funky fine folk at Manuka Recordings and Troy King aka the Hongi Slicker. Out on digital/7" vinyl.

"When our co-founder and in-house producer, Kenny Sterling, met Kingi for the first time backstage at an Avantdale Bowling Club show at Auckland Town Hall in 2022, he was already a fan of ‘Grandma’s Rocket Poem’ off his psychedelic funk album Shake That Skinny Ass All the Way to Zygertron (2017). Feeling a natural affinity with the song’s star-dusted ‘70s sensibilities, he approached Kingi about exploring that zone together further via some of his throwback productions.

For ‘Falling Off’ Sterling pulls in Julien Dyne (drums), JY Lee (horns), Cory Champion (vibraphone), Tiare Kelly (sitar) and Romi Wrights (backing vocals) to summon up a cruisy cinematic soul instrumental. On ‘Do It Better (For Us),’ he brings back Champion on the vibraphone and tags in Samara Alofa on backing vocals while boiling up some slow-simmering jazz-funk arrangements dripping in sunkissed guitar figures. Together, they provide a fitting platform for Kingi’s richly expressive vocal timbre and inward-looking songwriting."

What would Andrew Weatherall do?

Five years since Andrew Weatherall left us. Read this great piece from DJ Mag, "What would Andrew Weatherall do? 13 tales of the Guv'nor's infinite wisdom" - excerpt below:

"Andrew Weatherall had a way of distilling life into simple, sharp truths. Be kind, be open-minded, don’t be afraid. Not everyone will like what you do, and that’s okay—music’s not for everyone. Wear good jeans, sturdy shoes, and don’t be shy with the turn-ups. Jah will provide. Climbing the greasy pole isn’t worth it. Read books, eat biscuits, and never underestimate the power of a proper cup of tea. Adrian Sherwood is the boss. A good haircut matters. Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten. Keep it under 122 bpm. Don’t fear the cheese—fear the cheesemans. Avoid the artist dinner unless it’s with people you love. Work hard, do your research, then do more. Always be prepared. Low culture is just as valuable as high culture. Laugh at yourself, laugh at everything. Always do a sound check. Be courteous, but don’t suffer fools gladly. You can’t win them all. If you’re remixing, keep the five best bits and bin the rest. Never let the band in the studio while you’re at it. Cake is good. And whatever you do, don’t let the grubby little opportunists grind you down."

Seun Kuti x Sampa the Great - Zamrock remix coming

 Out Feb 14 2025 on 7" vinyl/digital, this is a very groovy rework off the latest album from Seun Kuti. 

"Zambian singer, rapper and songwriter Sampa The Great unleashes a "Zamrock remix" of the song ‘Emi Aluta’ taken from Seun Kuti & Egypt 80’s latest album ‘Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head)’. The original song on the album already sees a featuring of Sampa The Great with Afrobeat virtuoso Seun Kuti, who described Sampa as “one of best and most innovative lyricists of our time". 

With this new spicy “Zamrock remix” the track gets a urban R&b/afro-funk twist, courtesy of new African Queen Sampa. Seun Kuti & Sampa The Great "Emi Aluta Zamrock rmx" will be released on limited edition clear 7” vinyl on February 14 via independent Milan label Record Kicks. 

The 7” vinyl is limited to 700 copies worldwide and has a 45 edit of the original Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 “Emi Aluta feat Sampa The Great” on the B side."

My 2024 list of cool new vinyl

I've been digging back through the records I picked up in 2024, and discovered almost all the new vinyl I got was local. Here's the list, plus Bandcamp links to take a listen and buy:

Mokotron - Waerea

Easily the most adventurous local release I heard this year, joyous, rebellious, and highly danceable. Maori bass.

Fat Freddy's Drop - Slo mo

Roto - Trevor Reekie, Tom Ludvigson

Dr Tree - Dr Tree (reissue) This was double vinyl LP, which now costs over $100, in some cases. Wild.

Dam Native - KDRU (reissue) Much respect to Tim Moon of Tangata, and Gareth at Sony for making this finally happen.

Pitch Black - Echoes Of The Night (The Adrian Sherwood Remixes)

Peter Nelson & Renaissance - Peter Nelson & Renaissance

Sonic (1971-1972) compilation 

Both of these two albums came from Frenzy Music, the NZ reissue/compilation label run by Grant Gillanders who does amazing work, digging out master tapes, uncovering unreleased recordings and pulling it all together. The Peter Nelson one is a previously unreleased recording of a TV special done in Hong Kong. 

Christoph El Truento - Dubs from the neighbourhood

Fuemana - New Urban Polynesian (reissue) 

I was very happy to see this Aotearoa r'n'b/street soul classic get a reissue thru Melbourne label Gazebo. Originally released in 1994 on Deepgrooves (the label I wrote a book about, published last year), it's great to see more of the label's amazing output resurfacing. 

plus a few non local comps, Beehive Breaks, and Eccentric Northern Soul (both on Numero Group) and Guerilla Girls - She punks and beyond 1975 - 2016 (Ace). And a ton of second hand 45s. 

Pro-Teens x MFDOOM album coming

Melbourne's The Pro Teens have dropped a handful of singles off this album, and its out mid January. Preorder vinyl/digital on Bandcamp.

"Helmed by Hudson Whitlock, prolific drummer and percussionist of Karate Boogaloo and Surprise Chef, Melbourne’s The Pro-Teens is a collective of instrumentalists making weirdo instrumental soul records. Drawing from the community of musicians from bands in the College Of Knowledge orbit, The Pro-Teens’ incorporate the comic book stylings of DOOM and Kool Keith, the dark flavors of Gravediggaz and Wu-Tang Clan, and the cinematic composition of Galt MacDermot, culminating in an unorthodox patchwork of cinematic soul, boom-bap funk breaks and left-field instrumental textures.

‘MF TEEN: Your Concurrence In The Above Is Assumed’ recognises the legacy of rap’s Illest Villain, traversing MF DOOM’s discography and personas, flipping selections from Madvillain, MM.. FOOD, Viktor Vaughan, Danger Doom and more, taking care to ensure recognisable tunes such as Doomsday and Curls are represented alongside more obscure cuts such as The Gas Face, the Third Bass song that featured the first recorded verse from MF DOOM in his original moniker of Zev Love X of the ill-fated 90s NYC rap group KMD.

“The diversity of tones, moods, feels and arrangements was an intentional act to mirror the diversity within DOOM's own diverse musical vocabulary. We wanted to fluctuate between putting our own spin on DOOM's classic tunes as well as staying true to the original source.” - Bandleader Hudson Whitlock aka Libby Clique-Baité.

MF TEEN: Your Concurrence In The Above Is Assumed comes after 2021’s Snooch Dodd & The Pro-Teens - I Flip My Life Every Time I Fly, which gained BBC6 Music’s Album Of The Day honors after its co-release by College Of Knowledge and UK tastemaker label Mr Bongo.

‘Charsnuka’ was originally produced under the Metal Fingers moniker and used as the beat for the song ‘?’ from DOOM’s now classic debut album Operation: Doomsday. The Pro-Teens embrace the boom bap hip hop feel from the original tune, replacing the organ melody with distorted glockenspiel and beefing up the backbeat with old-school handclaps, overall maintaining the energy from MF DOOM’s beat and imbuing it with the soul of a live band. The track ends with triumphant applause from the band.

New Dam Native single out now

At the launch event in September at Flying Out for Dam Native's classic debut album KDRU re-release, main man Danny Haimona said the reissue had inspired him to finally share his new tunes with the world, and promised it was on the way and here it is. 

Next single in January, followed by a new album. 'Language of the heart'. 

MOKOTRON's debut LP has landed!

MOKOTRON's debut vinyl album has arrived, and it's awesome. The vinyl version has two bonus tracks, a couple of his tunes that were very popular on student radio - Tawhito, and Hīreretia Rā.

From The Spinoff: Mokotron reckons there’s no box to label this genre. Honestly, who’s gonna be brave to try and put the sounds of his latest album, Waerea, into one category? “The point was to put a flag in the ground for Māori Bass music as the logical next step in the evolution of dance music in this country and the ongoing cultural renaissance of our people,” he says. 

“To be honest it’s already happening: We have Netana, Lakeboon, Akcept, Caru, Lady Shaka, Samara Alofa, Huia, Te Manu, Ngāio Matariki, Kommi, Ahirā / Kōroto, Diaz Grimm, Wear Pounamu, Riki Pirihi and hopefully others stacking up an arsenal of anti-colonial subsonic artillery. I want Māori Bass to exist in my lifetime.”

From Flying Out: "MOKOTRON is a Tāmaki-based Māori producer from Ngāti Hine, who spreads seismic waves of low frequency Indigenous electronic music. Exploring ancient futurism through music, MOKOTRON imagines a reality without colonisation, where the ancestors transition from the ancient world into the modern, creating futures of hope juxtaposed with the hard realities of urban disconnection.

Following a string of sold-out short-run vinyl releases (Mind Control Krew, Tatau O Te Pō and Embrace The Bass) and award winning digital albums (2022’s TAWHITO and 2024’s THE UNITED TRIBES OF BASS) MOKOTRON returns with his new record WAEREA, delivering nine tracks of pure Dark Māori Bass.

The foundation of WAEREA is Te Reo Māori, traditional forms of song and chant, and the voices of puoro, colliding with breakbeats, bars and basslines to reflect the worldscapes of urban Māori."