This week here in Ireland a winter ahead with covid has really started to kick in. Cases have doubled in the last week and restrictions are tightening, with a full lockdown looking all but imminent. In ye olde “dance music” world things have also been especially fraught with tension with the news of both Resident Advisor & Boiler Room receiving huge grants of government aid in the UK. I’m not going to use this post to discuss them (I’ll possibly discuss BR at a later date, some thoughts I’ve had on the platform – regardless of the funding they received) as I figured with all this cynicism and frustration floating about I’d, instead, check off some soulful, uplifting music that has been helping me get through 2020.
In Tom’s last post he covered two vaguely mysterious twelves that he picked up off a label called Black Tongue, which we both figured were from Dego. This set me off on a bit of a forage as I discovered that Patrick Gibin had set up, not just a label, but a pressing plant and distribution out of Verona, Italy called Mother Tongue. The most well known label associated with it would be the long running Neroli which regular readers will have seen mentioned quite a bit over the years, including a small interview with label owner Volcov. Ahead is a bunch of releases associated with the operation and a couple other bits and bobs.
Javonntte – Runaway Galaxy (Ten Music Lovers)
Brian Garrett has been ridiculously productive over the last few years, making it pretty difficult to keep up with him. The 8 track LP Runaway Galaxy came on my radar, I think, maybe at the beginning of the summer (its hard to tell at the moment), and I’ve been coming back to it ever since. Released on the recently re-started Ten Lovers Music, we get Javonntte in full one man jazz band mode here, gently moving across styles and tempos with his crazy production and playing skills on show at every hands turn. It all sounds beautifully organic with funk, jazz, lounge and house all getting some time across the 8 songs. Opener Bossa with Guitar, La La La and Skip To My Lou are my current favourites.
Trinidadian Deep – Some Sweet Ting (Neroli)
I will quickly refer back again to Tom’s last post as he also covered the wonderful The First Circle comp that Neroli released to celebrate the label hitting the 50 releases milestone – I also can’t recommend it enough. My other favourite release from this year on the Italian imprint is the latest 3-tracker from Trinidadian Deep, Some Sweet Ting. Again we are in free-flowing jazz & funk inflected house music territory. Across all 3 cuts, Damien Lee Ah Hen strikes the balance right between letting the groove ride whilst also letting the keys run loose, most effectively on Atmospheric Funk.
Gary Superfly feat. Other Lands – Endless / Purple (Mother Tongue)
Here we are going straight to the source, with the amusingly-named Gary Superfly on a 7inch on the actual MT label, featuring guest player Other Lands (aka Fudge Fingaz, and a member of Mac-Talla Nan Creag who were responsible for one the best LPs of recent years in 2019’s stunning The Sorrow of Derdrui). I’m not a big purchaser of 7s but Endless on here was especially irresistible. With a laid back groove at a mid-tempo combined with some properly emotional keys & synth action going on, this is the perfect soundtrack to the summer sunsets we never felt like we really got this year.
First Touch – Sofea (Mother Tongue)
German disco band First Touch had their first 12″ on Mother Tongue debut during the summer. Do You Really Wanna Dance is some straight up good time boogie, with the live bass really cutting through in the mix. They may not be reinventing the wheel across the 3 tracks (and the ok but not essential Dj Spinna rmx) but with bass-lines as good as that on the low-slung Metro Area-esque Upwind, sometimes all you need is a good song to let you shake it to. The highlight of the twelve – and one of my highlights of 2020 so far for me – is the thumping Skyhigh with its proto-house touches and euphoric strings and stabs. This is one of those cuts that has cheered me up any time I’ve put it on whilst also making me crave the sights, feels and sounds of a dance floor in full, joyous swing.
Mario Acquaviva – Notturno Italiano (Reworks) (Mother Tongue)
1983 was a glorious year for Italian disco music, with it widely regarded as the peak year of Italo. Mario Acquaviva’s Notturno Italiano sure ain’t Italo, this being more a FM friendly slice of boogie. On this new twelve we are greeted with 2 updated versions featuring Azymuth’s Alex Maleiros and Chicago legend, Ron Trent. Unlike the wonky vocals of the era’s Italo disco, I can do without the vocals of the original here, so luckily th an instrumental version and Trent’s amazing dub which really opens up the originals elements with Trent also adding his own drums and bass, creating a hybrid of boogie, cosmic disco and deep house. Pure joy.
Masarima – Freak Like U (Clone Royal Oak)
Moving away from Mother Tongue but keeping it Italian is the debut twelve from Masarima – a group of artists I know little about so far. Electrofunk and house are the jumping off points for this high-tempo rush of slightly deranged synthesisers and insistent vocal hooks. With 3 different versions on show, its the original radio mix that brings all the elements together most successfully; immediately addictive. Definitely one of the favourite records of the year and also my favourite from the Clone stable in quite a few years. I closed out my last mix with it too, which you can check here
Lars Bartkuhn – Human (Visions Inc.)
For the final record of this round up I’m going to go all the way back to January and up into central Europe for this deep house odyssey from sometime Neroli associate, Lars Bartkuhn. 12 minutes to take you away from the ongoing apocalypse. Stay safe out there and remember music is for life, not just for Bandcamp Fridays.