It’s been kind of dry out there for me recently. Having a huge backlog of music from DEMF weekend made it seem not all that bad though. And the good thing is that the couple records I have picked up have all been quite excellent, some of my favorite music of the year so far.
??? – “What You Gonna Ask For” – Sound Signature
I’m not really sure how the artists are credited here but it seems to be by Theo Parrish along with a number of other musicians including a few from the group Hiatus Kaiyote. The result of this collaboration is exceptional, a loose neo soul inspired deep house vocal jam that is pretty much instantly recognizable as a hit. Two different versions are offered up, one mix by Theo and one by Dego. The differences in the mixes are not large, but as of now I usually listen to Dego’s version. The vibe of the song is reminiscent in ways of ERB’s classic “The Weekend” only if it was made by Jill Scott. The intro is not super DJ friendly, but once it starts you pretty much have to listen to all ten minutes (and then often I queue it up again!). Already this song makes me think back to the warm summer months and the long days that are just finally starting to feel a little cooler and shorter.
When the new SS 12” was being teased on their Instagram page, I just assumed it was gonna be SS 078 which was around as a test pressing in Detroit over DEMF weekend. This one is another total killer, a deep vocal cut that I would guess is called “This Is For You” that I will review properly when it finally does drop. Together these make for a ridiculous one-two punch for what has to be one of the most consistent labels over the last few years.
Javonntte – Le Nouveau Riche EP – Collective Rhythm Network
CRN’s first release last summer was a compilation 12” featuring artists they play frequently on their radio show out of Hamilton ON, including a new Rick Wilhite joint and two reissued tracks from Ron Allen and Terrence Parker respectively. For their second record they have reached out to Detroit’s prolific Javonntte for a full four track EP, a collection dedicated to his now defunct late 90s Nouveau Riche Entertainment label. Javonntte’s music stands out thanks to his jazz and soul influenced keyboard playing, which he combines with funky uptempo drums for a style that remains both nicely raw in production but musically on point as well.
“Late Nite Linwood” is both the lead track and my favorite on the record. It immediately throws me back to the feeling of walking into the basement of Oslo on Woodward or a loft party on Gratiot where the DJ is playing that impossibly deep variety of soulful house with just a touch of jazziness that Detroit does so well, and the dancers are all getting down and sweaty. “Planet Earth” and “Away” keep the swinging drums going but add the warm synth chords of Detroit techno to the mix. Finally, “Just… Us” is my preferred style of Javonntte’s music, the one where he takes a nice groove and creates a minimal but memorable vocal track around it. This one increases the sensuality and rounds out a nicely versatile house record.
The Strictly Jaz Unit – The Tempest LP – Strictly Jaz Unit Music
This is supposedly the final SJU album, and if that is correct they are going out on a very high note. Glenn and Boo both lean slightly toward their more electronic style on this album, in a fashion that feels like a jazz funk band doing an acid house record. Squelchy synths and deep kick drums are contrasted with beautiful melodies and lush production, creating a warm bed for the synth solos to lie down on. The songs on here have the same kind of maturity and musicality as Larry Heard’s most recent Mr. Fingers album, but hit harder and are far more dancefloor appropriate.
“Near The End” is a standout cut, with jacked out drums and an outer space synth solo. On a more electronic disco tip is “That Hour”, sounding like a Tom Moulton mixed jam but made on classic synths and drum machines with a killer bass player. Perhaps the coldest joint is “The Flat (London Projects)” which is bleepy and driving but still has excellent chord work. Honestly it is hard to even choose a favorite here, the whole album is high quality and memorable. It’s the kind of music I like to play very loudly while speeding through the city in the whip. I guess I have to say “Time Of Speed Not Day” is the one I play most frequently. Roland drums and a handful of squiggly synth parts might be common ingredients in many tracks, but here they are elevated by their moving and shifting interplay, and then the ethereal strings that are the cherry on top.
Dego – “Twelve Steps/Just Give It A Long Shot” – Neroli
After a string three classic releases on Neroli as Dego & the 2000Black Family starting all the way back in 2013, he returns once more for his biyearly bomb. However, this time he is credited by himself despite the presence of many of his usual cohorts on a variety of instruments.
“Twelve Steps” is quite an interesting one, as it sounds very much like a live band playing but the arrangement is far more tracky. Elements come in and out every so many bars, eschewing the big jazz style chord fills of much of his recent music in favor of something very stripped back. The instrumentation reminds me at times of Eddy Grant’s all time classic “Time Warp”, one of the great early 80s moments when disco funk started to cross over into what would become house music.
On the flipside, “Just Give It A Long Shot” is a bit more like what you’ve come to expect from modern Dego productions. Channeling Roy Ayers’ golden years, but with that West London hard rhythmic sensibility, my only complaint with this one is that it is so short. It leaves me always wanting more. Still I can see this one being big with the neo soul crossover crew.