Jesse Saunders feat. Daniivory - Kaleidoscope (Broken Records)

Credited with producing the first house record, Jesse Saunders returns on Broken Records with former Imagine Dragons and Beyonce touring band member DANiiVORY to deliver “Kaleidoscope”, a breathtakingly beautiful song. Ivory & Saunders’ track is an exercise in what is possible when artists with real history come together in the studio. It encapsulates a vision of beautiful sunsets, terraces and soulshine.

The single boasts a heavy hitting cast of all star remixers, sure to inspire sets far into the future. Grin Music head honcho Demarkus Lewis drops and delivers his low-key “Afro Remix” that weaves soft tribal drums throughout. Chicago mainstay Stacy Kidd’s “House 4 Life Remix” contributes to the package with a jazzy lounge / house hybrid, complete with meandering piano lines and a seductive groove. One of the greats and also hailing from the Windy City, Paul Johnson, delivers a peak hour driver with his “Tech HouseNation Remix”. Australia’s VMS (Queen Victoria) rounds it out and hits it hard with her “Down Under Remix”, a bass heavy, peak hour romp suitable for big rooms and prime time dance floors. All of the remixes reflect the brilliance of the original, and “Kaleidoscope” has a little something for everyone, while staying true to the aesthetic and feel of intended vibe.

Vincent Kwok (Transport Recordings) – “Great track. Loving the original and the Demarkus Lewis remix.”
Nedj (The Electronic Underground) – “Blissful House from the main man himself.”
Soulfuledge (Soulfuledge Recordings / King Street) – “Slamming mixes from Demarkus & Stacy.”
Al Bradley (3am Recordings) – “Nice warm cuts here. It’s the vibe itself which I’m digging, so the the FlavStrumental is the one for me.”
Curtiss Logan (Jersey Soul) – “Yes! Jesse Saunders & Daniivory – nice release. Full support on this one, and some hot remixes as well.”
SimonG (Volcano Radio) – “Quality as ever from this granddaddy of a house label. Paul Johnson delivers for me … nice techy afro vibes.”
Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch) – “Hi-Grade Goodness!”
DEL (5 Magazine) – “A beautiful Kaleidoscope of mixes.”
Black Alley (In Control Radioshow) – “A strong one with many good mixes to choose from.”
Michael Fossati (Spirit of House Web Zine) – “Stacy Kidd is stealing the show with his glamorous jazz infused rework.”

Available Now From: Traxsource, Juno Download, Spotify, And Apple Music.

Jazz Echo: LTF Talks Russian Hip-Hop and His New Album

Russia’s stand-up-bass-playing, DJ’ing, crate-digging, music-producing b-boy LTF (‘Light The Fuse’) has just released his fantastic Jazz Echo album through The Content Label. Jazz Echo simmers with the bebop attitude of its namesake, brimming with heavy bass riffs, crucial breakbeats, truncated vinyl exclamations, and an adept ear for melody. The ‘echo’ could be the time travel partaken with the album’s disparate sound sources. With fastidious regional crate-digging, LTF discovered many obscurities for his samples and constructions. “You search for the records and listen to them all day,” LTF explains. “And then you find yourself not listening to the music, but you’re listening to the musicians separated from one another. The more you listen, the more greedy you become for the sound that was born to be found and reimagined. That’s the trip. And this trip flows through the jazz records of Soviet Russia and Eastern Europe.”

We caught up with LTF to ask a few questions about the hip hop scene in Russia, the roots of Soviet jazz, and mixing live contrabass with his productions.

How did you first hear the sounds of hip-hop and learn about b-boy culture?

LTF: I first heard the sounds of hip-hop in the mid-‘90s on the Beastie Boys cassette Ill Communication. Later that decade we had huge breakdance hype in Russia because of the b-boys from Da Boogie Crew. All of the hip-hop artists and events that I saw at that time were so soaked with a spirit of revolution, freedom, progress, and the future. It fit perfectly with my mind.

What is the hip-hop scene like in Omsk and southwestern Siberia? Do you feel that it is different than other Russian hip-hop scenes and sounds?

LTF: Omsk’s scene is very small scene but has all the elements of hip-hop culture. It’s run by true enthusiasts. Because of the internet, physical borders don’t really matter. All the scenes are combining from different people in Russia and from whole world.

Did you enjoy jazz before discovering hip-hop, or did you discover jazz through samples used in hip-hop? And what is different about jazz from Soviet Russia and Eastern Europe, and how does it make your sound unique?

LTF: I had a reverse music evolution experience. I started with hip-hop and then went deep into its roots. Back in the day, Soviet musicians had little access to information and recordings from abroad. The words like "bebop,” "cool,” and "free jazz" were unknown here, so artists had to create everything by themselves. Lack of information, a socialist regime, and huge classical and folk roots lead to a unique approach to playing jazz music.

Can you recommend any Eastern European jazz artists that people should check out?

LTF: Start you day with the jazz-funk maestro Jaan Kuman from Estonia!

How has your experience as a contrabass player influenced your hip-hop production? Do you ever play the bass live with the beats in a club performance?

LTF: When a contrabass appeared in my studio in 2013, I decided to make instrumental hip-hop music closely related to that instrument. That's the heart of the Light The Fuse project. As far as using the bass live, I might in the future. Now I just use turntables and a sampler in my performances.

What are your other passions besides making beats and DJ’ing?

LTF: Besides lovin' my wife I'm running turntable/record shop in Moscow. So for me it's 24/7 spinning records.

What are your future plans? Will you tour for the Jazz Echo project?

LTF: A tour would be nice! Any interested promoters out there? Hit me up!

Listen to LTF’s Jazz Echo on Bandcamp:

Mister T. - Black Drop (Cold Busted)

Based out of the funky scene brewing in Athens, Greece, Mister T leads the way with another spell-binding album release on the Cold Busted imprint. With accolades from the likes of Greg Wilson, Mark Farina (Mushroom Jazz), and Jose Padilla (Café del Mar), Mister T has become a respected name in the global beat-making scene. The new album — Black Drop — further cements Mister T’s elevated position. Its 12 tracks display an ambitious assembly of creative rhythm construction, crafty sample splicing, and deliciously heavy vibes.

The title track sets the tone, intro’ing with a fat (phat!) beat before a time traveling blues vocal enters the scene. Dusty strings, stabs of filtered guitar, and a pulsing low end lend a feel that’s both wistful and dance-worthy. Album opener “Easy Tiger” also shows Mister T’s imagination, meshing a steady breakbeat with an Asian melody line, hits of dramatic strings, and a somewhat spooky, effected vocal chorus. The result is mesmerizing. Mister T gracefully jumps genres but keeps everything tied to his sound — from the straight-ahead funk of “The Magician,” to the bombast of “Rock Stars,” to the dancehall touches of “Soundboy Burial,” and to the promised big band of “Big Band.” Never a dull moment … Mister T and Black Drop are delightfully all over the place, and always on point.

Eric Tchaikovsky (Night Light Sound System Radio Show) – “Be careful, this might catch you in a music trap from the very first beat! Dangerous but beautiful.”
Joan Ribas (Ibiza Soulstice Music) – “Love it, a bomb!”
Angelos Timewarp Stoumpos (Timewarp) – “Great grooves again from our fellow friend Mister T.”
Danny Ward (Moodymanc) – “Some nice, crisp beats here.”
Shantisan (Salted Soul) – “The Magician is a great party groover. Cool tracks in this package.”
SimonG (Volcano Radio) – “Classy rhymes and beats. Cold Busted always delivers the goods, especially Mister T.”
DJ Nova (Rodon FM 95) – “Mister T. continues to cultivate his unique sound behemoth. His solid approach between the art of beat making, funk and breaks is losing no momentum, and reaching new milestones. '’Black Drop’’ demonstrates his musical arrangement abilities as he spans different influences.”
Dr. Best (Radio Z 96.8, Nuremberg) – “Another top release from Mister T. 10/10”
Hober Mallow (Mighty Reel) – “Perfect LP, love it. Black Drop and Easy Tiger are my favorites, but that’s a photo finish with everything else here.”
MadameFLY (mmRadio) – “There's a masterclass in the Wicked Funky Bottom blues at the center of Black Drop: Rhythm N Blues, Black Drop, Rock Stars are all top-line favorites, and there's no slouching among the rest of the tunes either. Impressive work from Mr. T!”

Available Now From: Bandcamp, Juno Download, Apple Music, And Spotify.

LTF - Jazz Echo (The Content Label)

Hip hop’s influence has permeated territories far removed from its Bronx origins, spawning creative and surprising fusions that strengthen the art form’s global reach. Case in point: Anton Ivanchenko, residing in the southwestern Siberian city of Omsk, has been obsessed with funk, hip-hop, and b-boy culture since the ‘90s. Presently, he’s been channeling this obsession into his exciting project LTF (Light The Fuse). Aided by deft skills on turntables, acoustic bass, and digital sampler LTF has produced a handful of sublime 7” singles. Now he’s turned to The Content Label to reveal his debut full-length album, Jazz Echo.

Jazz Echo simmers with the bebop attitude of its namesake, brimming with heavy bass riffs, crucial breakbeats, truncated vinyl exclamations, and an adept ear for melody. The ‘echo’ could be the time travel partaken with the album’s disparate sound sources. With fastidious regional crate-digging, LTF discovered many obscurities for his samples and constructions. “You search for the records and listen to them all day,” LTF explains. “And then you find yourself not listening to the music, but you’re listening to the musicians separated from one another. The more you listen, the more greedy you become for the sound that was born to be found and reimagined. That’s the trip. And this trip flows through the jazz records of Soviet Russia and Eastern Europe.”

Among Jazz Echo’s many highlights is “Ritual,” showcasing LFT’s contrabass prowess and an arrangement that confidently sits beside the ‘70s jazz-funk classics. There’s “Space Bop,” combining a vintage sound with modern production techniques and the flutterings of a dusty Soviet-era synthesizer. A cosmic interpretation of the ‘quiet storm,’ played over some serious beats, manifests in “Meteo,” while “Release Your Reflection” fills every available sonic space with orchestral flourishes, heavy drums, and a helping of space echo and mind-expanding effects.

LTF’s Jazz Echo is released on The Content Label on vinyl and digital formats. Original artwork and design are by Lautaro Pesano and the project is executive produced by Dday One.

DJ Love (Stellar Music) – “I actually listened to the promos on repeat about three times before downloading. Got sucked into this, some really nice stuff here. I got a nice playlist for every track on this release.”
Trotter (Royal Soul Records) – “Great stuff, solid grooves guys. Big up!”
Aja Allsop (Impact Radio) – “An epic debut album with some superb big beats!”
Jeromy Nail (jeromynail.com) – “Dope release. Looking forward to playing all of these.”
Stereo 77 (Plimsoll Records) – “I love everything about this release!”
Quincy Jointz (Timewarp Music Radio Show) – “Really good jazzy downbeat here.”
Stickybuds (Goodgroove Records) – “Good funky stuff and jams to scratch to.”
Adam Warped (Whiskey Pickle) – “Really digging "Light The Fuse". Delightful grooves!”
tOtALcULt (Cult Music) – “This is some lovely, groovy, jazzy material. Fave tracks are Soviet Groove Machine (with its excellent vocal sample) and Release Your Reflection (loving the atmospheric smoked-out vibes and rolling breaks on this one).”
Floored Kapri (Kane FM) – “An awesome collection of jazz-infused hip hop conscious instrumentals. Solid beats, bouncing b-lines, progressive and emotive. For what more could a b-boy ask?”

Available Now From: Bandcamp, Beatport, Apple Music, And Spotify.