Axion117 - MCHD (Cold Busted)

Japanese beat-master Axion117 returns to Cold Busted with the action-packed 17 track MCHD. A worthy follow-up to 2016’s One Thousand Horizon, the album further establishes Axion117 as a formidable sample-samurai, cutting and slashing beats and phrases in a finely-tuned frenzy. The cuts that make up MCHD are varied and expressive, revealing jazzy beat structures, chopped-up melodic motifs, and buttery vibes that can be spread for days. Included in the album are the sublimely uplifting “Up Rising,” the latin-tinged “Dara Pa” and its bouncing kick drum, “Remaking Vibes” with its smoked-out, lounge feel, and the mesmerizing mellow-ish boom-bap of “SIB” As a whole, the album feels like an exclusive crate-digging session led by Axion177. There’s much to explore within MCHD’s 17 tracks. Dig deep!

Andreas Kinzl (Aromabar) – “Love the Brazillian killers.”
Double-D (Funky Fresh Radio Show) – “Nice jazzy vibes.”
Found Sounds (DJ Magazine) – “A solid selection of beats and pieces.”
Snooba (Radio Panik) – “Trippy soul & nice vibes … as usual!”
Crate Invader (Point Blank FM London) – “Beautiful, atmospheric beats. I love it.”
Aroto (Instrumental Hip-hop radio) – “Excellent record. Warm tone and jazzy vibes.”
Vangelis Vlavianos (Radio producer) – “Loving the jazzy Latin sounds. Interesting work.”
Floored Capri (Solid downtempo vibes. Sharp as a Samurai sword.”
Hober Mallow (Mighty Reel) – “Supreme beat making, absolutely love it. It’s really hard to pick a favorite here.”
Aja Allsop (Ketch A Vibe Radio Show) – “This is a wonderfully eclectic masterpiece incorporating all my favorite musical genres.”

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

Linnea Dale & Of Norway - Wait For The Morning (Of Norway Versions) [Beatservice Records]

Oslo-based duo Of Norway — comprised of Vegard Wolf Dyvik and Christian Steenstrup — have made a name for themselves through countless DJ and live gigs and a healthy discography on the esteemed Connaisseur Recordings. And Linnea Dale is a rising Norwegian singer, known as a popular contestant on Idol Norway before releasing a pair of solo albums on Warner Music Norway. Linnea has guested as vocalist on Of Norway’s recordings.

Linnea has a new album released in November 2018, and it’s an opportunity to work again with the talented production duo Of Norway. The previous collaboration, Of Norway’s remix of Linnea’s “High Hopes,” created waves when it came out last May. This new song, “Wait For The Morning,” also gets the Of Norway treatment with similarly spectacular results. The remix is built around a dark techno throb, heavy on the low end and sonically inviting. The entry of Linnea’s vocal comes as a ray of sunshine in the track, illuminating the production as deep and evocative. A steady build and a rising arpeggiated synth line further cement this tune as an after-hours DJ staple. An instrumental and a radio edit are also included.

Eelke Kleijn (DAYS like NIGHTS) – “Vocal version is excellent!”
DJ H4L 9000 (Excuse Me? Club) – “Epic instrumental version.”
Ulysses (Neurotic Drum Band) – “Vegard always does a top-notch job.”
Sumsuch (Colour and Pitch) – “Stunning! Support is a no-brainer.”
Marco Valvekens (Trendy FM) – “More like this please!”
Sasha (Last Night On Earth) – “Of Norway always deliver.”
Harry Avers (NOICE! Radio show) – “The full version is absolutely stunning.”
Duserock (Duserock) – “This is great!”
Indy Lopez (D&S) – “Wow! I can only say I LOVE it.”
DJ Nova (Rodon FM 95) – “Impressive follow up to ‘’High hopes’’. These deeper Of Norway versions are offering a mysterious lightless journey into further reaches of deep house where elements of synth-laden deep techno and semi-trance surround you. Industrial rhythms merge to form a harmonious whole after Linnea’s vocals.”

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

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: