quick audio picks: 12
With the straight funk revival losing steam, it's a good look here for Breakestra to get Jurassic 5 and Double K from PUTS into the mix on "Family Rap(1)." If that wasn't good enough, Miles has also included a Cut Chemist instrumental...
expand review edit(2) of "How Do You Really Feel" that will be exclusive to this 12". Features the Beats and Bass version of "Family Rap" and the hitting instrumental. A well executed single. -the mgmnt
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The mysterious musical entity known as Clutchy Hopkins is back! "Walking Backwards" is the follow up to the best selling, self released debut "The Life of..." and is packed with more of that sincere, instrumental downtempo goodness that is so rare to...
expand review come across these days. I guess Clutchy has been doing pretty well for himself as this sophomore album was snatched up and put out by the good peoples at Ubiquity (good look). For the uninitiated, check "Para Los Ninos(1)," "3rd Element(2)," "Sound Of The Ghost(3)," "Rocktober(4)" and "Walking Skdawcab(5)" and get a feel for that moody, chilled-out West Coast Clutchy sound. My picks off the album would have to be the only vocal track - "Love Of A Woman(6)" which features the incredible soulful crooning of West Coast soul legend Darondo and "Last Time For Your Mind(7)" with its complex yet jazzy intrumentation and wicked guitar solos. This is the kind of album you can just put on and listen and vibe with all the way through without having to skip through off tracks (love full lengths like this). Fans of Ninja Tune, Bully, Memphix, Mo Wax, early Shadow, etc. definitely peep this. 12 tracks total, Recommended. -snackmaster
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It's funny, but long lost Bay Area funk/soul legend Darondo's rediscovery came at almost the exact same time (if not a little bit before) the explosion of the Bay's hyphy scene. Could it mean something? Who knows. Darondo is awesome either way....
expand review Hot on the heels of his Let My People Go LP comes the brand new Legs EP, the title track(1) of which was featured on said album and is a new funk classic if I've ever heard one. The real boon here is the instrumental for "Legs," which was recently rediscovered on a master tape in some dude's attic when he saw a news story about Darondo's resurgence on TV in Cali. That's also where the brand new tracks on the B-side come from, including the dreamy and soulful "Such A Night(2)" and the bluesy soul sleaze of "Packin' Up(3)." Also includes an alternate version of "My Momma & My Poppa(4)" from the album. -Chris Lemon-Red
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Where to begin with the funky enigma that is Darondo? You probably clicked the "more info" button for one of two reasons: either you know Darondo's "Didn't I" as the lead-off slow-burner from Gilles Peterson's recent Gilles Peterson Digs America comp,...
expand review or you saw the dude on the cover -- the one who looks like a pensive, iced-out Screamin' Jay Hawkins -- and just had to know who it was. No matter what the reason, you've just lucked out, for Darondo has got to be one of the most unexpected and pleasant musical surprises of the past few years. An underground legend in the Bay Area, Darondo was recently tracked down by Ubiquity Records. Not only did he give them permission to reissue some of his classic recordings, but he also went into the studio and recorded additional vocals for some of his unfinished works. Darondo's got range, too: you get a little bit of everything from his broad pallette, from hard funk to smooth soul joints. 9 cuts in all, in a pic sleeve which features the man himself on the front and details the entire saga of Darondo on the back. -the mgmnt
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First ever collection of material from the late Bay Area guitar whiz, Eugene Blacknell. Despite a career that spanned over 20 years, Blacknell never released a single album, which makes these 25 tracks feel like an introduction and a "best of" at...
expand review the same time. It's divided into three segments, each marking a progression in the man's sound. The section devoted to his early years include R'N'B tracks like "Mo Self(1)" (with his band The Savonics) and the raw funk of "The Trip(2)," while the middle part of his career found him moving to the "East Bay party sound" with burners like "I'm So Thankful(3)" and "We Know We Have To Live Together(4)." The last segment finds Blacknell "experimenting with blues, soul and disco," and "experiment" is exactly the right word - check out the mad scientist on the disco-funk of "Hard Times(5)," the psych-influenced title track(6) and the chikka-chikka goodness of "Wah Wah Funk(7)." TONS of detailed liner notes and pics in the booklet, as Ubiquity / L'N'H does their typically thorough job. 25 tracks; 60+ minutes. -Chris Lemon-Red
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Freddie Cruger is the head of Sweden's most influential Raw Fusion and Gamm labels, and is a notorious grey label bandit releasing re-edits under a slew of guises including Red Astaire. This is a joint release on Raw Fusion and Ubiquity, and...
expand review presents 12 tracks of primarily vocal collaborations. The producer- collaborator album is difficult to pull off, but Cruger does it. Rather than go for established names, it seems he tapped the hungry, lesser-known artists, willing to give 100% to their parts. Check out extremely solid opening triplet: the dubby "Over The Ocean(1)," the swagger-rap of "I Wanna Make You Move(2)," and late nineties hip-hop feel of "What'chu See(3)." Don't forget the soul vocal collaborations either, these really give the album another dimension, check "Pretty Little Thing(4)" featuring Linn, and "Special Lady(5)" featuring LDN. There's actually only one instrumental track here, but it's a heater, check "The Hustle(6)." 12 tracks, engaging all the way through. -the mgmnt
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Sa-Ra remix! New Ubiquity recording artist Nino Moschella is not what I expected at first. He initially sounds like he's from the Timberlake-Robin Thicke mold, but after listening to the first three tracks he seems to have a side reference to Sly...
expand review Stone. He handles production himself, which is pretty decent, but Sa-Ra come in with a remix, showing us what their hype is all about. Whereas Nino's production is minimal and lo-fi, the Sa-Ra mix adds spacey depth and production studio polish, doubling the attractiveness of the original. You also get the Sa-Ra instrumental, bonus. Frogman just got back from a stint at the LA store, and has proclaimed this "so LA." -the mgmnt
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I know you've probably heard the comparisons – how Nino Moschella is "the new Stevie Wonder" – and I know you're looking at that cover and thinking it looks like the lost solo album from one of the members of Deee-Lite, but...
expand review don't hold either of those things against the man. (Okay, maybe the cover.) He can't help it if he's a funky white boy! And while I guess Stevie is within a 20 foot radius as reference points go, a lot of this sounds more like a stripped-down Prince or straight-up current electro-fonk – which is to say it ain't bad at all. "Are You For Real(1)," "Inside Yourself(2)" and "Strong Man(3)" are winners. Ditto for the wah-wah spatter of "If You Believe(4)" and Motown-tinged vocal performance on the soft album closer "Holding On(5)." Now let's all hold hands and do trust falls! -Chris Lemon-Red
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Ubiquity singer Nino Moschella and producer Shawn Lee get all sorts of tangled up on this EP, guesting, remixing and collabing on all the tracks here. Nino's kind of got this soulful Robert Plant hitting the high notes thing going on, and...
expand review Shawn Lee is known for his heavy live band sound (with psyche edges) so the combo is automatically a good one. "Kiss The Sky(1)" and "Song For David(2)" are both cuts off Shawn's upcoming album, with Nino sounding down right Led Zep on "Kiss" and Shawn turning in a drama tough instrumental on "David." Warp artist Mark Pritchard also contributes an exclusive remix for "Kiss The Sky(3)," turning it into a murking electronic gorilla. The sound gets more mellow on the b-side with the Shawn Lee remix of "Hold On(4)" and Nino's original acoustic piece "You Never Come(5)." -the mgmnt
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This new record from Nomo is a deep breath of fresh air. It has grace, grit, fuzz and beats all coexisting in a world without war...at least that's where they're taking me through these headphones. This eight piece group has it's...
expand review foundation in Detroit with an eye on Africa, which makes perfect sense when you catch the feeling of grimy soul over polyrhythmic drums. They waste no time getting into it with the stormer of an opening track, "Nu Tones(1)." I can't help but wanting MIA to jump in (happens all the time, actually) when I hear the intro to "Fourth Ward(2)." The horn swells and head nods are off the clank right now. I'm feeling some serious Phil Ranelin influence in the overall sound, but definitely in a welcome way. "Reasons(3)" starts off sounding like a Dabrye track (he has remixed their work) and then goes 100% free-range organic without a single second of it sounding forced. Head straight for the late night dancefloor with "If You Want(4)." Even hardened cynics will be celebrating life to this if they've had a few drinks [ed's note: we hardened cynics do not condone this hippie speak, but we'll let it slide cause the Kat is feelin it!]. The most exciting thing to me about this album is that I know they're going to sound even better live, and that's saying a lot considering the energy that producer Warren Defever managed to capture. Also worth noting is that none of these songs were featured on their recent 12". Pick this up and then try to catch them live at a theater near you. -Telekinetic Kat
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Nomo back on the scene with the first single from their already released debut album. Ubiquity does this one really well, putting Nomo's cover of Sun Ra's "Rocket #9(1)" as the first track even though the name of the single...
expand review is "Nu Tones(2)" which shows up as the inside cut on the a-side. The Sun Ra tune is captivating to say the least. It starts out with a wall of dissonant sounds that Ra is probably smiling down on from the mothership as I write this. Scott tried to give this the patented free jazz preemptive Sizzle strike (aka: "No. This shit fucking blows, guy.") when Mike put it on at the Lab the other day, but even he was feeling it when the beat dropped and the aural stormclouds parted. There's something that I am totally in love with about the vocals on this tune. Goddam if they don't make me want to get the faack off this planet on my own rocket #9. "Nu Tones" is also a strong selection as it is the opener on the full-length and really sets the foundation for the band's sound. A remix(3) of "Tones" fills out the entire b-side courtesy of Ghostly International's Matthew Dear. It is super minimal and techy, but still somehow feels soulful largely thanks to the live flute that floats in and out of the mix. This guy just makes beautiful electronic music without the floss. More bang for the buck with some nice percussion snippets and a locked groove to round out the goodies on this quality piece of vinyl. -Telekinetic Kat
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10-piece Cali funk outfit Orgone came out of left field a few years back with a blazing cover of "Funky Nassau(1)," and they haven't let up since. Their pair of singles on Ubiquity - "I Get Lifted(2)" and "Duck & Cover(3)" -...
expand review are tough to keep in stock here at das Lab, so it appears you guys are already up on their tight, soulful sound. All I have to say is... this full length does not disappoint. Including those already-tested covers, plus a sultry female vocal'd version of Isaac Hayes' "Do Your Thing(4)," the Orgone guys (and gal) show a reverence for the 70s grooves that directly influence their sound. But the dozen or so original compositions here speak even more loudly toward their skills: the elastic AM soul of "It's What You Do(5)" and extended space synth jam "Hambone(6)" seem to say Orgone aren't just funk revivalists, but gifted songwriters born in the wrong decade. Very impressive stuff. 17 tracks. Recommended. -Larri Byrd
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Ubiquity has brought in another act that smells of the future. This release falls in line with counterparts such as Sa-Ra, Dilla, and Steve Spacek. It's that cosmic shit warping old synth sounds, stuttered drums, and soul vocals. "Delirium(1)" rivals most Sa-Ra...
expand review stuff you'll hear, while "What It's About(2)" goes straight early 80s new wave, interesting combo. That combo screams Metro Area, and Morgan Geist answers with a slowed down, nasty electro remix(3) (pretty hot). Also includes a remix by Up Hygh(4). -the mgmnt
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You're excused if the debut single from Owusu & Hannibal went over your head, but if you're into the future soul sound, progressive mid-tempo or anything coming out of Scandanavia these days, it's time to check these Danish guys. "Delirium(1) is the...
expand review kind of single that makes champions out of indy labels like Ubiquity. When those catchy little plings come in on the chorus, I have to wonder what would happen if this was on a major label; and/ or they had the sexyback dance moves of J Timberlake. Well it's obviously a hit regardless of distribution, and the good news for you is that you get to keep it all to yourself. Greedy G's will actually get a lot of run on this record, what with uptempo tracks like "Lonnie's Secret(2)" and "Upstairs Downstairs(3)" hanging around. They're certainly not the first ones to mix this kind of cold electronic beauty with warmer bass, instruments & vocals, but they have their own distinct sound, and come with enough surprises to keep things interesting. Like a cover of "Caroline No(4)." Yeah, the Beach Boys dummies, and this is kinda fucking tight. My 80s pop knowledge is pretty weak cause I was a badass wannabe growing up, listening to strictly heavy metal, rap and classic rock radio until I was about 18, but "What's It About(5)" sounds like an interpolation of some new wave shit that made me screw my face up at the jr high dance. Did he say "draws pubes on panty lines, fun thing to do"? Also check "Blue Jay(6)," I like this record. -the mgmnt
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