Guts - Kenke Corner video

Been enjoying the latest album from French producer Guts (came out in March), this is the single off it, a mean slice of Ghana-inspired groove. Check Bandcamp fpor LP/CD/digital

Ring The Alarm playlist, June 8

Howling Wolf - Smokestack lightning
Bob Diddley - Another sugar daddy
Willie Mitchell - Sugar T
Hank Ballard and the Midnighters - It's love baby (24 hours a day)
Chubby Checker - You better believe it baby
Freddie Scott -You got what I need
Ramsey Lewis - The in crowd
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble - Sankofa
Fuzz Against Junk - Latino (Nicola Conte remix)
Colman Brothers - El Nino (cha cha mix)
Cal Tjader - La bamba
Idris Muhammad - Hey pocky way
Aronas - Culture tunnels
Donald Byrd - Stepping into tomorrow
The Delegates - Pygmy pt1
Esquires Now - Think
Chris Williams and the Austral Funk Mac - The funky get down
King Leo and the Champions - Chicken scratch
Helene Smith - You got to be a man
Lyn Collins - Give it up or turn it loose
Betty Davis - Anti love song
Aretha Franklin - Rocksteady
Black Heat - Love the life you live
Elektro Hafiz - Mega Hafiza 2 (with Grup Ses)
Scrimshire feat Georgia Anne Muldrow - Thru you

Mauskovic Dance Band - Foam nights

Guts - Voyaging bird

LSK and Adrian Sherwood  - The way of the world

Fat Freddys Drop - Hope (Sonsine remix)

Tony Allen - Ole (Moritz von Oswald remix)

Ring The Alarm playlist, June 1

Julien Dyne - Teal

P-Bass Expressway - Easyride (Downtown Brown remix)

Lord Echo - That's right

Manuel Bundy - Jazzy bizz

Urban Disturbance - Robert Jane

IQU - Witchcraft

Scratch 22 - Shivani strut

Fat Freddys Drop - Flashback (Jazzanova mashed bag remix)

Mephisto Jones - Chocolate hot sauce

Benny Tones feat Mara TK - On my way

Untone Hifi - Hang on (UHF remix of the K.E.N remix)

Mr Reliable - Lucky dub

Plastic Junk - King prawn

Salmonella Dub - Problems (Sonsine remix)

The Yoots - E papa waiari

AceTones - Rolling like a Trojan

Jahlicious - Something (Beatlicks remix)

Riot Riddum Sound System - Homegirl

Nash Chase - Gimme a little sign

Leonard Charles - Clean as Mana

Some Daptone 45s to celebrate their 100th 45...

Sharon Jones and the Dap-kings - I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in

Saun and Starr - Blah blah blah blah

Menahan St Band - Make the road by walking

3 Titans - Life of a scholar

Como Mamas - Move upstairs

Charles Bradley and the Inversions - Watcha doing to me

Bob and Gene feat the Inversions - I can't stand these lonely nights

The Frightnrs - I'd rather go blind

Keeping soul up - Daptone 100

From the mighty Daptone family... one ridiculously cool 45...

"It is with great pride that we celebrate this milestone with you. This, Daptone's 100th 45rpm release, features an unprecedented collaboration of talent from our legendary roster of artists.

The A side, 'Hey Brother' is a song written by The FRIGHTNRS and originally performed on their acclaimed rock-steady LP, Nothing More to Say. In the wake of the tragic loss of their singer, DAN KLEIN to ALS just before the album's release, we felt it to be a fitting tribute as well as an ideal composition to re-imagine as a soulful collaboration between all of our dynamic vocalists.

Here we have SAUN & STARR, The FRIGHTNRS, JAMES HUNTER, NAOMI SHELTON, DUKE AMAYO, LEE FIELDS, and of course the late great monarchs of our family, CHARLES BRADLEY and SHARON JONES, all performing shoulder to shoulder on record for the first and only time, singing a message of righteousness and brotherhood over a groove sewn seamlessly together by members of The DAP-KINGS and MENAHAN STREET BAND.

On the flip, 'Soul Fugue,' is an epic battle between two massive orchestral armies composed and arranged obsessively by BOSCO MANN based on the Fibonacci series and the number 100. From the left speaker, a battalion made up of all of Daptone's many brass players is lead by the great DAVE GUY on first trumpet to the beat of Dap-King legend HOMER STEINWEISS on drum set. From the right, all of our woodwind players charge into battle behind IAN HENDRICKSON-SMITH on lead alto saxophone with Dap-Kings stage drummer BRIAN WOLFE pounding the kit.

With current and past members of The DAP-KINGS, ANTIBALAS, The BUDOS BAND, MENAHAN STREET BAND, The EXTRAORDINAIRES, The SOUL PROVIDERS, and The DAKTARIS, The 100 KNIGHTS ORCHESTRA crammed into the studio on the rarest of days, February 29th, 2016 to absolutely devour this gargantuan instrumental.

What started as an ambitious thank you to you, our beloved fans, has now also become a loving tribute to the brothers and sister we've lost since it's inception: Charles Bradley, Dan Klein, Cliff Driver, and our eternal Queen, Miss Sharon Jones. So, thank you, friends, for all the years you've helped us to "Keep Putting Soul Up". May this disc forever live as a token of our gratitude, and keepsake of the times when our departed loved ones shared the stage with us."

Out June 28, preorders here

Ring The Alarm playlist, May 25

Ramsey Lewis - Back in the USSR
Headhunters - God made me funky
Visioneers - Apache (battle dub)
Betty Wright - Clean up woman
David Batiste - Funky soul pt1
United 8 - Getting up to get down
Ozel Turkbas - Ozel's dance routine (Mr Thing re-edit)
Mauskovic Dance Band - Things to do
Dengue Dengue Dengue - Semillero (Nicola Cruz remix)
Reble - Sweetest taboo
Scrimshire feat Georgia Anne Muldrow - Thru you
Sly n Robbie meets Dubmatix - Burru saturday
Michael Prophet - Been talking
Ranking Joe - Don't follow Babylon (BAF meets Wai Wan remix)
Joe Gibbs - Chapter 3
Groove Corp meets Twilight Circus feat Luciano - What we gotta do now (G Corp remix)
International Observer - Minicell
Unitone Hifi feat Bobbylon - Turn around
DLT feat Che Fu - Chains (unreleased mix)
Ladi6 - Diamonds
Khruangbin - Dern kala
Marta Ren - Worth it
Eric Boss - Get next to you
Gene Dudley Group - Hilo Bay halfway (disco mix)
Mckay - Rising tide
Luke Vibert - Officer's club

Ring The Alarm playlist, May 18

Ronin Arkestra - A love supreme
African Vibration - Hinde (Julien Dyne rework)
Damon Locks & Black Monument Ensemble -The colours that you bring
Bobby Womack - Please forgive my heart
Marvin Gaye  -The world is rated X (alternate version)
Merchant - Rub a dub soka
Los Silvertones - Tamborito swing
Original Tropicana steel band - Calypso rock
The Revolution of St Vincent  -The little you say
O'Jays - For the love of money
George McCrae - I got lifted (Mischief Brew edit)
Joe Dukie and DJ Fitchie - Midnight marauders (El Head version)
Sound Foundation - Ram dancehall
Wrong Bus - Rub a dub love style
Phase 5 - Mothman skank (wasabi wakeup mix)
Myele Manzanza  -7 bar thing
79.5 - Terrorise my heart (Tall Black Guy bounce remix)
Dizzy Gillespie - Manteca (Funky Lowlives remix)
James Blood Ulmer - Are you glad to be in America?
Soul Surfers and Shawn Lee - Jose Chicago

Grup Ses & Elektro Hafız drop album of mad fruitiness

Some mad funky Saz psyche rock outs... who doesn't love that?

"Zel Zele to release their first LP, ‘Varyete’ is the new collaborative album from Istanbul’s producer extraordinaire Grup Ses and Cologne-based electric-Saz player Elektro Hafız.

Travelling from deep Anatolian psychedelic grooves to dirty electronics, playful beats and hiphop, ‘Varyete’ is an adventurous ride of genre-bending music. Across the first side of the album, the duo take forays into soundscapes, psych, acid and electronics with remixes from Berlin’s producer Onofon and Istanbul’s acclaimed hip hop producer and MC Da Poet adding yet more layers.

Blurring the lines between artist and archivist, prolific crate digger and sampling wiz Grup Ses is armed with the perfect source material for ‘Varyete’.

Elektro Hafız signature sound mixes eastern and western musical styles, and his provocative style is complemented by a healthy dose of humour. His diverse compositions are influenced by his Anatolian roots, which are reflected in his instrument of choice, the microtonal electric Saz."

Out 5th July on Zel Zete

Eric Boss album out now

From Legere: "American DJ, producer & singer-songwriter Eric Boss (Myron and E) presents his debut solo album "A Modern Love", an effervescent collection of raw funk, sweet soul, west coast vibes and classic hip hop, produced by Björn Wagner and Steffen Wagner (The Mighty Mocambos / Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band).

"A Modern Love" has all the ingredients of a future classic. High-profile guests? Check: with Gift Of Gab (Blackalicious) rapping on "I Wanna Ride", a track with more bounce than a lowrider chevy on Santa Monica boulevard, and soul siren Gizelle Smith featuring on "Spiders", a spooky number that will get you jumping out of your seat like you've been attacked by giant 8-legged arachnids.

Need some dancefloor action? "Get Next To You" gets down to serious bizniz with crisp drums and a catchy hook guaranteed to get the party started. Something for lovers? We've got it covered with "Is It Love", where Eric waxes lyrical about his sweetheart over a honey-drenched soul beat. From reggae-flavored vibes being served in inspirational number "Your Life Is Up to You" to the slow-burning grooves of "Merry Jane" which features singer Ishtar, the 10 tunes on "A Modern Love" all attest to Eric Boss' talent and versatility"

Out May 10th on LP/digital, thru Legere Recordings / Mocambo Records / Fat Beats

The M-Tet - a change is gonna come

New soulful biz from the M-Tet, name your price... "Featuring our fantastic guitar player, Mr. Joe Baer Magnant, The M-Tet brings you this cover of a much needed song in these days and times.

Originally released by Sam Cooke in 1964 on the RCA Victor label and inspired by events in Cooke's life, most prominently an event in which he and his entourage were turned away from a whites-only motel in Louisiana, Cooke felt compelled to write a song that spoke to his struggle and the struggle of those around him. He sings "It's been a long time coming, but I know a change is gonna come."

We are still facing many battles. Some different, and sadly, some the same. It is our hope that change keeps coming."


I was born by the river in a little tent
Oh and just like the river I've been running ev'r since
It's been a long time, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

It's been too hard living, but I'm afraid to die
'Cause I don't know what's up there, beyond the sky
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

I go to the movie and I go downtown
Somebody keep tellin' me don't hang around
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

Then I go to my brother
And I say brother help me please
But he winds up knockin' me
Back down on my knees, oh

There have been times that I thought I couldn't last for long
But now I think I'm able to carry on
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change is gonna come, oh yes it will 


Joe Baer Magnant - Guitar
Gary Pitman - Fender Rhodes
Chris Lujan - Fender Bass, Glockenspiel
Michael Reed - Drums, Tambourine

Recorded and Mixed by Chris Lujan at Lugnut Brand HQ
Mastered by Joe Baer Magnant

Ring The Alarm playlist, May 11

The Impressions - We're a winner
Lou Donaldson - If there's a hell below (we're all gonna go)
ZZ Hill - Clean up America
Nina Simone - Gimme some (Mike Mangini mix)
Erykah Badu - Honey (Seiji mix)
Boozoo Bajou - Under mi sensi
Midnight Movers Unlimited - Follow the wind (Mr K edit)
Evelyn King - Love come down
Stephanie Mills - Put your body in it
The JBs - Giving up food for funk
Black Heat - Super cool
The Parliaments - Sgt Peppers lonely hearts club band (inst take 3)
Bobby Womack and the Valentinos - See me through
Gene Chandler - Such a pretty thing
Amanda Love  -You keep calling me by her name
The Kindly Shepherds - Lend me your hand
Jeanette Nellis - Wait
Harold Hutton  -Lucky boy
Cold Blood - Kissing my love
Salmonella Dub - For the love of it (Pitch Black remix)
Lord Echo with Mara TK - Put it in my head
Ladi6 - Burn with me
Tanika Charles - Cool scorpio
Nicola Conte and Gianluca Petrella - Imani river
James Stewart - Nolias

Damon Locks and the Black Monument Ensemble album coming

Here's the first single off this, great space jazz bizz...

'Where Future Unfolds' is a new work spirited by Chicago-based sound & visual artist Damon Locks.

Starting as a solo sound collage piece (where Locks pulled samples from Civil Rights era speeches and recordings to create an improvisational pallet for performance on his drum machine), over 4 years the project has blossomed into his 15-piece Black Monument Ensemble featuring musicians (including Angel Bat Dawid on clarinets and Dana Hall on drums), singers (alumni of the Chicago Children's Choir), and dancers (members of Chicago youth dance company Move Me Soul).

'Where Future Unfolds' is a live capture of the ensemble's epic debut at the Garfield Park Botanical Conservatory on the West Side of Chicago. Recalling the spirits of Phil Cohran's Artistic Heritage Ensemble, Eddie Gale's Black Rhythm Happening, Archie Shepp's Attica Blues, and Public Enemy's It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, the album presents an inspired, innovative & immediate intersection of gospel, jazz, activism & 808 breaks."

Album out on digital May 31st, CD/LP out June 14th on International Anthem.

New single from Da Lata

"Written by Chris Franck and Davide Giovaninni, Oba Lata draws on traditional Yoruban chant blending it with a live afro-beat groove. Edgy, rhythmical analogue synths, vocals, guitars and percussion tied together by the clave and driving afro bassline make this a credible dance floor contender. The vocals honour "Obatala", one of the main Orishas in Yoruban culture. He is seen as the creator of earth and a lover of peace and harmony.

NameBrandSound are IG Culture and Alex Phountzi. The duo were part of the original West London broken beat scene and are known for their involvement with New Sector Movements and Bugz in the Attic. This remix draws on some of the modern African rhythms like Gqom (Durban - South Africa) and Coupé-Décalé (Ivory Coast via Paris) and combines them with their own "bruk" sound. Stripped back vocals and instrumentation make this a remix focused heavily on groove.

This instrumental track 'Dakar' is the result of a recent trip to Senegal during the period of Ramadan. It features an 8 piece woodwind/horn section recorded in Belo Horizonte (Brazil) which has been beautifully arranged by Rafael Martini. A mid tempo groove leaning heavily towards north Africa combining acoustic and electronic elements to create a deep modal feel and mood."

Out on 12" vinyl/digital

Nicola Conte and Gianluca Petrella drop new ep

Brand new jazzy bizz from Nicola Conte and Gianluca Petrella...

"Pioneering Italian musician and producer Nicola Conte and esteemed trombonist Gianluca Petrella team up again for their third EP on Schema, ahead of their forthcoming full-length project due out later this year.

For those unaware, Conte and Petrella have been working together on and off since 2001’s New Standards. In addition to working together as musicians, the pair has fostered a close creative relationship, trading and discussing vintage gear and records in a bid to open each other up to as wide a range of influences as possible.

This most recent offering further explores the themes and sounds found on their previous collaborations, Sun Song / Nigeria and African Spirits / New World Shuffle, with its heavily West African influenced rhythms and cosmic-leaning musicality.

‘Imani River’ sees the duo putting their spin on a spiraling 6/8 time signature, featuring otherworldly guest vocals from Bridgette Amofah, who also featured on the duo’s previous collaborative releases..."

Ring The Alarm playlist, May 4

Nathan Haines - Epiphany (Julien Dyne remix)
Cal Tjader - Soul sauce III (live)
Mike Nock - Magic mansions
Will Ricketts - Mangi mangi
Gil Scott Heron - Inner city blues
Chaka Khan - Some love
Ernest Ranglin  - 54-46 was my number
Nightmares On Wax - 70s 80s (Scientist mix 1)
Rae & Christian - Hold us down (Faze Action reggae mix)
Overproof Soundsystem - Kingstep (Unitone Hifi dub)
Trinity Roots - Just like you (Max Maxwell and Bluey remix)
New Telepathics - Life on other planets
Guts - Kenke corner
Souleance - Le sexy
Mandrill - Ali bombaye
Sly and the Family Stone   Soul clapping
Joanie Sommers - Don't pity me
Pigbag - Papa's got a brand new pigbag
James White and the Blacks - Contort yourself (August Darnell remix)
Prince Charles and the City Beat Band - Jailhouse rock
Mikki - Itching for love

Ring The Alarm playlist, April 27

Nicola Conte & Gianluca Petrella - Imani river
George Benson - The world is a ghetto
Damon Locks and Black Monument Ensemble - The colours that you bring
Cedric Brooks - South African reggae
Horace Andy - Mr Bassie (play rub a dub)
Coldcut feat Roots Manuva - Beat your chest
Suns of Arqa - Ananta snake dance
The Viceroys - Rivers to cross
Alton Ellis - It's a shame
The In Crowd - Mango walk
Tenor Saw - Golden hen
Sound Dimension - Real rock
Dub Asylum - French letter
Julien Dyne - Teal
Shogun Orchestra - Mifune
Mark de Clive Lowe and Rotterdam Jazz Orchestra - Relax, unwind
Dr Tree - Eugino D
Gerardo Frisina - Descaraga
Willie Bobo - Spanish grease
Myra Barnes - Super good
Bobby Byrd - I know you got soul
Sly and the Family Stone - Love city
Helene Smith - You got to be a man
Inez Foxx - Circuit's overload
Staple Singers - Washington we're watching you
Eric Boss - Get next to you
Supergroove - Bloody shame (DLT remix)