Lanzo - Omnipotent (Cold Busted)

Chicago’s Carington Pierre, also known as Lanzo, has bestowed evidence of his cosmic hip hop beatology to the Cold Busted label in the form of a new album, Omnipotent. Previously recording for BLVNT Records and the Natural Selection label, Lanzo specializes in a style of experimental hip hop that draws from boom-bap, soulful downtempo, and atmospheres that lean toward the celestial. Lanzo and his trusty MPC 1000 have been actively producing since 2008 and Omnipotent confirms his upward trajectory, presenting fifteen tasty sonic morsels that groove in a confident but abstract fashion.

Highlights include “Comfort Zone” which envelopes a swinging rhythm in dreamy strings, distant voices, and rolling bass, and the odd but appealing “Gutter Balls”, featuring some deliciously drunken synths. There’s also the melancholy quiet storm of “Colours”, “Against The Wall” and its heavily processed beat magic, and the loping sci-fi jazz of “Between Friends”. Omnipotent is a heady listen, displaying textures and swirls that accentuate the sturdiness of its drum beats. Lanzo has provided a distinctive soundtrack that’s ready-made for day blazing or night groovin’.

Kid Loco (Flor) – “Great beats!”
Afrika Islam aka Charlie Funk (Zulu Nation) – “Dope!”
DJ Nova (Rodon FM 95) – “Mellow intergalactic instrumental hip hop at it’s best.”
misterG (Green Arrow Radio Show) – “Getting a boom-bap to my ear-holes with this new release from Lanzo.”
Azaxx (Tru Thoughts) – “All of these tracks are BIG! Amazing good vibes inside this project.”
Rory Hoy (Howlin’ Records) – “Amzaing Hip-Hop beats. Love it!”
Mr. Bristow (Subtek) – “Lovely selection. Warm, wonky and funky … real hop hop!”
Clairvo (Tilos Radio FM 90.3) – “Experimentalism at it’s best.”
Ben Mono (Undertones Gang) – “Nice one. Will play on my radioshow.”
Aja Allsop (Ketch A Vibe Radio Show) – “Well done Cold Busted. You have come up with the goods once again!”

Available Now From: Bandcamp, Beatport, iTunes, And Spotify.

Klaus Benedek -Exhausted (forTunea)

Following critical mass around the forTunea vinyl release of Klaus Benedek's Exhausted EP, the Austrian label has now released its digital version. Leading track “Calm Before the Storm” is a 9-minute magic carpet ride weaving plush deep house rhythms with breakbeat underpinnings as a hand drum-laden slow percussive build gives way to a smooth string chorus. The original Benedek track “Still Daydreaming” is re-imagined by MPC wizard Roman Rauch (Philpot, Quintessentials, Secret Crunch, Tenderpark) with hard-edged minimal syncopation, while the EP’s title track “Exhausted” bounces with a hypnotic filtered hookline to plunge the listener from new depths to unmatched heights.

Benedek’s “Exhausted” is replete with dance-worthy hooks sure to be a lethal weapon in any DJ arsenal. Give it a spin and add it to your stockpile of house music slayers.

DJ Harri (Sub Club) – “I’m liking these. Will play and support.”
Mat.Joe (Mother Recordings) – “Dope!”
Tensnake (Defected) – “Lovely pack, thanks!”
Jaymz Nylon (Nylon Recordings) – “Amazing! I will support all 3 tracks.”
Loz Goddard - (Kolour Music) – “The Roman Rauch Remix of Still Daydreaming will definitely get some use from me.”
Michael Fossati (Spirit of House Web Zine) – A very mesmerizing gem.”
Dean Facer (Resident Advisor) – “All three tunes are amazing!”
Lars Behrenroth (Deeper Shades of House) – “Calm Before the Storm is super nice!”
Dr. Best (Radio Z – Germany) – “Exhausted is my favorite here, nice tune.”
DJ Osric (Black and Blue Show – Perth) – “Deep, dreamy house. I love it!”
Simon Off aka Sun People (Sub FM) – “Great release! I love the broken beat vibes of Calm Before the Storm. I’ll play this in my sets and on the radio show.”

Available Now From: Beatport, Traxsource, Juno Download, And Spotify.

Es-K & Loupo - Symbiosis (Cold Busted)

Transmitting crucial beats from Burlington, the Vermont-based producers Es-K and Loupo have crafted a smooth, introspective long-player for the Cold Busted label titled Symbiosis. Holland-born Es-K (Essential Knowledge) is known for his monthly Spontaneous Grooves series (where a collection of tracks are created in one sitting) and his vital 2016 album Passages. Fellow VT rhythm-wrangler Loupo is also on the rise, with a recent album on the Melody Soul label named Good Company. This new collaborative release, Symbiosis, is a brilliant meeting-of-the-minds, blending the styles of these two talents over the course of ten tracks. The result is deep and meaningful as well as groovy and ‘headz approved,’ showcasing the duo’s penchant for envelope pushing in terms of atmosphere, melody, and rhythm.

From the opening chords of “Aqua” – reminiscent of expansive works from the likes of Lonnie Linston Smith – Symbiosis sets itself apart in the realm of beat-conscious production projects. Sparkling Rhodes piano, a winding jazz bass line, and an overall pensive vibe lead midway into a funky drum part, which almost seems curiously added as an afterthought. The fusion-istic instrumentation and understated, downbeat rhythm flavor continue throughout Symbiosis, shining on cool cuts like “Road To”, the tough, slow motion stepper “Gavel”, “TwoTone” with its jerky beats and film noir attitude, and “CooLit”’s cosmic quiet storm meditation. Es-K and Loupo are onto something unique and special, and Symbiosis lays out their fruit of their sonic exploration for all to enjoy.

Monk-One (Names You Can Trust / Wax Poetics) – “A Very well-crafted downtempo full length. Overall flow and musicality is on point.”
Kid Loco (Flor) – “Quite smooth and good.”
Adam Warped (Whiskey Pickle) – “Lovely spaced out dopeness!”
Stereo 77 (Plimsoll Records) – “Very nice late-night headphone grooves.”
DJ Nartak (Nightflight & Klassik Lounge shows) – “Excellent stuff. Musically advanced, nice laid back vibes.”
The Funk Hunters (Westwood Recordings) – “This is LUSH! Love it.”
DJ T-Bird (Los Chicos Altos) – “Laid back bump for rooftops & bars.”
Cyprien Rose (Houz-Motik blog) – “Relaxed to the max, good summer vibes.”
Ket Shah / Mucho Soul (Mucho Soul Radio Show) – “This is very good!”
DJ Friction (Bodymovin) – “Real tasty beats & instrumentals. I dig it a lot.”
Eric Tchaikovsky (Night Light Sound System) – “Fantastic Release. All of the tracks are brilliant.”

Available Now From: Bandcamp, Juno Download, iTunes, And Spotify.

Camilla Luna - Lost & Found (Cymasonic)

Digging through the archives of one of its most enigmatic artistic figures, Cymasonic have stumbled across an album that’s been hiding in plain sight for the last eleven years. Camilla Luna’s Lost & Found, is exactly as the title suggests, a collection of musical rarities, reimagined in an album where Cymasonic have breathed new life to these undiscovered gems. It features some of the last work Camilla Luna and production partner BHLB might create together, and something of a ‘rescue mission’ for the label, who feared that these tracks might get lost permanently like so many before them, unless they intervened.

Lost & Found is a body of work that consolidates the past, the present, and the future for Camilla Luna as one artistic entity. The shy, reclusive singer catalogues eleven years worth of songs and ideas into a singular body of work with the help of the anonymous BHLB, a mysterious entity in his own right. Re-imagining these scattered moments in a single album has given them a distinct voice in this new context, the tracks finding an unlikely contemporary relationship to each other.

Camilla Luna’s raspy, enigmatic vocals bite and tear at lyrics flirting with concepts of love, friendship, and the realities of a life as a musician, with the technical intent of jazz and the passion of R&B. Finding a happy equilibrium somewhere between Erykah Badu and TLC’s T-Boz, Camilla’s vocals on Lost & Found engage at a literal level, where she draws you into the murky nether world of BHLB’s music. Bold, creeping synth movements orchestrated around restrained beats find that perfect balance between contrast and harmony with Luna’s vocals defining a sound for the creative duo’s extensive career together.

More on Camilla:

Camilla Luna is the versatile voice behind some of the most significant EPs and singles from the Norwegian clubbing world with releases on the likes of Bpitch Control, Eskimo, Bogota, and Cymawax. Born Camilla Molvær Vazquez she is a Norwegian/Uruguayan songstress who was later dubbed Luna, in the Charrúa way by her Uruguayan father. Traversing the worlds of soul, jazz, and R&B through a singular artistic identity, she works comfortably within electronic soundscapes with her strong natural Latin influences often coming to the fore. Hers is a sound that errs on the side of raw, futuristic, wonky, and bumpy with clear references to ’80s funk and hip hop.

Camilla has worked closely with producer BHLB aka Baz (Streetology Studios) since 2006, and although they brought 2016’s seminal Open Up EP to the world, their work together has remained largely hidden with many gems still awaiting release. Some of her previous Camilla’s previous efforts include music on WahWah 45s, People Love Music, and Echorek Records, and she continues to work with established artists like Trulz & Robin, Usmev, and Arildo. Camilla Luna is singular voice for Norwegian club music and beyond.

Azaxx (Tru Thoughts) – “Amazing voice and very inspired musical layout. One of the most exiting things I've heard recently.”
Mr. Bristow (Subtek / Detox) – “Excellent. Really soulful.”
Kid Loco (Flor) – “Great mood. Red Handed is amazing!”
Rory Hoy (Howlin’ Records) – “Amazing album. Reminds me of Macy Gray and Erykah Badu.”
DJ Wash (Funk The System) – “Listened to 2 tracks and that was enough to say that this release is fire!”
Andy (Scandanavian Soul) – “Deep, sensual beats and tones draw you in like a light in the woods. Dark yet hauntingly infectious.”
Simon Harrison (Basic Soul radio show) – “It's been a long time coming but I'm glad Camilla & Baz are back! Lovely vocals and proper heavy weight beats.”
MadameFLY (mmRadio) – “Amazing collection. The ‘sultry’ is on overdrive and this is amazing.”
DJ Osric (Black and Blue Show) – “I’ve listened to this about 4 times now and it gets more enjoyable with each listen.”
Jon Fugler (XLNT radio show / Fluke) – “Weirdly wonderful & strangely hypnotic. I’m really enjoying this.”

Available Now From Bandcamp, Juno Download, iTunes, And Spotify.