Spring 2022 New Jams

The weather is turning warm again, and the number of good new releases seems to be increasing in direct proportion. I’ll have more news here in the next month regarding other developments, like another JET Party Services gig at Spirit Lodge and the long delayed launch of my new solo label Q.E.D. Recordings. Big tings a gwaan.

For now though, let’s check out these new records.

Dego & the 2000Black Family – EP IV – Neroli 12”

Dego is generally one of the more consistent soulful dance music artists right now, dropping a nice variety of sounds across a number of labels and in collaboration with a bunch of other great artists. Not every one of those records is on the level of this one, though. Each of the preceding joints under this alias on Neroli has been special, but this one contains both a sure-fire anthem as well as two killer B sides to go with it. “Make The Right Move” featuring Noreen Stewart on vocals is another future funk gem, mixing the vibes of disco, house, and jazz together in perfect harmony to craft something very distinctive and fresh. Including the instrumental feels a bit superfluous with material this strong, but may be useful for DJs who want to make their own extended version. Flipping the record over brings us to the killer jazz-funk of “The Stakeout”. Live sounding percussion and Kaidi Tatham’s flute put this in the neighborhood of some of Glenn Underground’s best recent music. “Jam Number Six” closes things out, and despite the nondescript track title, this is a nicely minimal house cut with some funky drums and a big boogie influenced bassline. If you don’t like this record, I’m not sure why you are even reading this blog.

Meftah – Life-Like EP – Musha Publishing 12”

Meftah’s first record a couple years back was a nice breakout for an artist whose approach to music is aligned closely with my taste. Here, he brings back that same set of influences from hip-hop to jazz, and steps up the execution for what is an even better record for my ears. Following the short atmospheric beat intro of “Tiers”, we are launched into “Peace Go With You”, a chunky broken house jam that fits in with recent tracks from some of the best in Detroit like Theo Parrish, Jay Daniel, and Julion De’Angelo. “Frames of Reference” is a nicely grimy downtempo beat with a thick sub bass, while “Come Fly Away” steps the tempo back up and reflects the feeling of a 70s Lonnie Liston Smith album cut. Dramatic synth strings and detailed percussion set the stage for the electric piano riffs, easily my favorite Meftah track so far. The record closes with another hazy hip-hop beat, wrapping up a very strong second outing on the Musha Publishing label.

Scott Grooves – Always 001 “Burnt Orange” – Natural Midi 7”

Scott Grooves – Always 001 “Dense Grey” – Natural Midi 7”

Scott Grooves – Equinox – C.A.N.O. cassette

Scott Grooves has been consistently releasing these very limited runs over the last year. It is unclear if they will ever see a wider release, but for those lucky enough to stay on top of these as they come out, they are treated to some nice stuff.

The Always 001 7” series is now five releases deep, with each single sided 7” containing a deep dub influenced track. “Burnt Orange” sounds like an old radio trying desperately to tune into the future, but only able to pick up some muted kick drums, echoed claps, and fat bass sounds through the thick hiss. “Dense Grey” strips things down even further, with a throbbing sub occasionally unpinning loose live percussion and swirling pads.

Equinox marks the start of a new cassette label from Mr. Grooves called C.A.N.O. These three tracks showcase an interesting angle on some of Scott’s recent material, flirting with the lush downtempo of his “E2-E4” cover but also the boogie funk of the big hole 45s he dropped a few years back. According to the bandcamp page, “About 95% of all drums/music was played live in my living room this past February. -SG” The title track sounds like it would have been a huge Balearic track if it came out thirty five years ago, while the synths and percussion of “Glass Orbit” could have come straight out of a psychedelic nature documentary. Finally, “I Repeat” has the most robotic electro funk drums out of all these jams, but the lush synths and melodies give it an aquatic feel without sounding even the slightest bit like Drexciya. Very nice music here, looking forward to Scott continuing to explore the cassette format.

Abacus – “Lausanna” – Innermoods 12”

Abacus returns to James Duncan’s Innermoods label with another killer deep track. This one leans towards the organic side of his production, with an electric bassline and piano that are filtered as a thick shuffled drum groove comes in. But then the synth squiggles and pads come in at the breakdown, signaling an upward shift in the energy that will have the house dancers popping off. This is exactly the kind of timelessly classic house that so many try to copy, but very few have the ear to make it work as effectively as Abacus can. It just keeps building and building, sure to be a big highlight in any set it gets played in.

Marquinn Mason & Stefan Ringer – Nitecap EP – FWM Entertainment 12”

Stefan Ringer’s FWM label is home to most of his own recent productions, and he has been taking advantage of the freedom that allows to highlight a number of collaborations and twists on his production styles. The Nitecap EP might be the most overall successful example in the catalog so far. Starting with the artwork (which comes on a lovely picture sleeve) and title, you are transported to an afterhours club where deep house and jazz are one and the same, and the music follows down that path as well. The title track features an off kilter drum beat that works as a bed for a saxophone solo, feeling very mature but still with nice raw energy. “Falling Notes” comes on like an old Rheji Burrell record on Nu Groove with the repitched lush chords before a thick bassline and 808 come in giving it a nicely modern twist. “Cocomango” utilizes loose broken rhythms and more sax to keep the groove going deeper into the night.

Flipping it over we get “The Light” which is the most straightforward house rhythm so far, but the boogified synths and overall level of musicality elevates it up with what Kyle Hall has been doing on his Forget the Clock label. “Pulling Closer” goes even deeper into that afterhours house vibe. “Tiny Keys” ends things on a slower tempo, but the modern funk and instrumental skills keep it in the style of the overall EP, and makes for a fine ending. It’s not entirely obvious from the liner notes what instruments Marquinn Mason played, but I am hoping we will hear more from him and Stefan together in the future. This is just an outstanding record.

Sundown – “Spaced Outta Place” – Sound Signature 7”

As far as I am aware, this is the first 7” on Sound Signature as well as it’s first reissue. Unsurprisingly, you can easily see why Theo opted for this to be the exception. Immediately you notice the track’s writing credit goes to one “A. Fiddler” and that it is from 1981, marking Amp’s first vinyl release. The track is a super rugged and raw mid tempo funk joint, vaguely reminiscent of Rodney Franklin’s “The Groove”. “Part 2” steps up the energy with a wigged out synth solo and is my pick of the two versions.

Omar-S – “Ever Green”/“Heaven Knows” – Fxhe 7”

After a lovely Neo Soul collabo last year, Omar-S brings back Supercoolwicked to do vocals on “Ever Green” and for me this is easily the best thing he has done in quite a while. Stylistically, the production feels more like his earliest records than his more recently ones, with lofi drum hits and a muted minimal approach. The simplicity works wonders, allowing Suoercoolwicked’s voice to carry the track. Sure to be a big jam this year. On the B side is another one that harkens back to the early 00s days of Fxhe’s new Motown minimal. If you miss those days of handscrawled white label Omar-S, these tracks will both transport you right back there.

J Dilla – 928 – No Label LP

The days of constant releases of Dilla backcatalog by any means necessary seem to be waning, but not before this mostly uncredited possible bootleg with no real information could drop. I don’t believe I’ve heard any of these cuts before, so that was enough to pique my interest. But then I came to the fifth track on the A side which forced me to immediately order the record, and also forced me to write it up here. This cut is a flip of Cybotron’s early techno classic “Alleys of Your Mind”, but given that Dilla hiphop tempo and bounce. It’s mind blowing that it took this long for this to be made public, but it is just a great, grimy jam and definitely of interest to Detroit techno heads.

Spike Rebel & Dave Maze – Music Is Color – D&E LP

Dave Maze is quickly turning into a secret weapon generator of the highest order. Here he again teams up with Spike Rebel, this time for a full album. From the opening excellent cover of Sharon Reed’s “Can You Handle It” to the closer “Love Divine”, Spike and Dave treat us to a passionate and energetic set of soulful house music. Both vocals and instrumentals feature here, with the synth solo on “Rock Boogie” maybe the high point of the album, there is something for everyone. The limited LP is delayed a bit, but that gives you a chance to grab it now while you still can.