Impossible Ark / Jeb Loy Nichols

Ben Lamdin, AKA Nostalgia 77, has been gracing my eardrums with his music for some time now, but did you know he ran the British jazz label Impossible Ark? Well, you do now! In their own words, “Impossible Ark Records is a British record label. Focusing on the work of creative musicians, it has released Jazz, Latin and more experimental projects over the past three years.”

Now you can welcome yourself into the world of Impossible Ark via their upcoming compilation CD, ingeniously entitled, Impossible Ark: A Compilation, coming out on 5th October. It features an hours-worth of truly solid, and genuinely creative, largely-British jazz. The jazz-heads might recognise a lot of these names, and Tru Thoughts fans might spot the name Examples Of Twelves, but here’s the rundown…

Tracklisting:

01. The Fiction Trio – What Is Life
02. The Rhythmatic Orchestra – African Mailman
03. Drop In Sessions – Joshua
04. The Fiction Trio – Haitian Fight Song
05. The Rhythmatic Orchestra – Tururatu
06. Jeb Loy Nichols – Day That Never Came
07. The Fiction Dynasty – Golden Slumbers
08. Sigurta Casagrande – Eyes
09. Drop In Sessions – Mode For An Old Man
10. The Skeleton – Positive Force
11. Drop In Sessions – A Call For All Demons
12. Jeb Loy Nichols – Lake Whitfield
13. Examples Of Twelves – Orange/Gold
14. The voice Of Time – Solstice

The selection of artists and styles is diverse, with elements of blues, latin, folk, funk and afro sounds present throughout. The linchpin for Impossible Ark, its raison d’être, is the apparent quality. Beautiful music created and presented by grossly talented and creative musicians. From the uptempo piano and bass sounds of The Fiction Trio, to the feverish latin rhythms of The Rhythmatic Orchestra, and onto the cinematic tones of Drop In Sessions, this album really does encompass a plethora of jazz ingredients.

mp3: The Rhythmatic Orchestra – African Mailman

Whether you are a casual fan of The Cinematic Orchestra, Nostalgia 77 Octet or Skalpel – or even side-stepping the contemporaries, you’re a true fan of the classics – the Impossible Ark roster will appeal immensely, of this I have no doubt. With plaudits from the likes of Gilles Peterson and Mr. Scruff, the quality of this music has become undeniable and, ultimately, unavoidable. The instrumentation is so tight, and the music so exquisitely produced, that I find myself in a desperate situation of ‘needing’ to play it as loud as possible through the best equipment available to me – which at this time is through my AKG headphones, but I wish it was a brilliant stereo system.

Despite the consistent quality of this release, one aspect (or indeed artist) I would like to focus on is Jeb Loy Nichols. There are two of Jeb’s tracks present on the compilation and they are both taken from his brand new release on Impossible Ark, Strange Faith And Practice, an absolutely stunning record that delicately treads between folk and jazz.

Tracklisting:

01. Sometime Somewhere Somebody
02. Lake Whitfield
03. The Day That Never Came
04. Can’t Stay Here
05. This Morning
06. Probably Never Stop
07. Interlude One
08. Strange Faith and Practice
09. If I Can Come Home to You
10. Interlude Two
11. Cruel Winter
12. Home Wasn’t Built in a Day
13. Next Time

Strange Faith And Practice was only out just recently, but I’ve been listening to it for a few months now and something really resonates between this album and I. There’s no pretension exhibited, or trends cloned, it’s literally a wonderful man baring his soul through superb and bewitching songs. Jeb Loy Nichols‘ voice is deep and silky – it rides effortlessly over well considered rhythms and graceful melodies. It’s the sort of record you will find yourself returning to over and over again, but without immediately recognising exactly why. The song arrangements are by Riaan Vosloo, the bass player who co-founded Impossible Ark with Ben Lamdin, and who also features throughout this album.

This is a 13 track album spanning a glorious 57 minutes or so. There’s not an average track present, and particular personal favourites, like; Sometime Somewhere Somebody, Can’t Stay Here and If I Can Come Home To You, leave me both in awe and in possession of a fine array of goosebumps. This will, no doubt, be one of the most quintessentially beautiful records I listen to all year. The smooth combination of Jeb Loy Nichols’ pure vocals and the flawless instrumentation make for glorious results – this is a wondrous listening experience, acting as a vehicle towards both escapism and bliss. Please don’t take my words lightly.

mp3: Jeb Loy Nichols – Sometime Somewhere Somebody

Impossible Ark: A Compilation is out 5th October and Jeb Loy Nichols’ album Strange Faith And Practice is out right now. I would urge all music fans to explore both at their earliest convenience. Fantastic jazz from a British label on a mission to spread the message of great music. Get involved!

EXCLUSIVE: Andreya Triana – Lost Where I Belong

First things first: this is a Jus Like Music Exclusive! The very first single from Ninja Tune’s fantastic new signing, Andreya Triana, is called Lost Where I Belong. It’s taken from her forthcoming debut album, which will come out on Ninja Tune next Spring. This single officially drops on 14th December and the b-side will be a Flying Lotus remix.

This exclusive sneak preview will only be around for 500 downloads – or until Ninja Tune chop my head off, whichever comes first! After that, you’ll just have to be patient and wait till December!

EXCLUSIVE mp3: Andreya Triana – Lost Where I Belong

EDIT: As predicted, this proved to be extremely popular! But fear not, if you missed out, you can still listen…

Andreya Triana is an amazing vocalist, although that really does go without saying. She has featured on some quality tracks and albums over the past few years, and worked with artists like; Flying Lotus, Kid Kanevil, Mr. Scruff, Bonobo, Theo Parrish, Natural Self, Aaron Jerome, TM Juke And The Jack Baker Trio, Homecut and Fink. I’m very much looking forward to her debut album, which is being produced by the mighty Bonobo and I hear will also feature label-mate Fink. No doubt more information about the album (like an album name!) will become known in due course, and I’m confident that you’ll be reading about it here first – so stay tuned.

Also, if you are in London next Thursday (1st October) you can catch Andreya supporting Alice Russell at Koko in Camden. The show kicks off at 7pm and tickets are £15, of which you can purchase at Ticketweb.

2010 is gonna be a big year for Andreya Triana, so you better tell a friend about this cheeky download, because I have a feeling it will be taken down (for one reason or another) VERY soon!

Upcoming Live Dates:

• Oct 01 2009 – KOKO Supporting Alice Russell (Live Band), London
• Oct 03 2009 – Bianco, Rosso and Blues Festival (Acoustic Set), Perugia
• Oct 25 2009 – Hifi Club supporting Mayer Hawthorne (Acoustic Set), Leeds
• Dec 11 2009 – Paradiso (Acoustic Set), Amsterdam

Hudson Mohawke – Ooops!

Yes, Hudson Mohawke’s debut on WARP, Butter, is due out VERY soon, but… do you remember this little bootleg badboy from last year?! The Ooops! EP by Hudson Mohawke snuck out in Spring 2008 via Wireblock and LuckyMe, but was snapped up double-quick, never ever to be seen again. However, that’s not strictly true. Rumour has it that there will be a LuckyMe x Wireblock collab once more to issue an extremely limited repress of the EP. Ok, ok, don’t have a panic attack, you’ll get one if you’re quick!

So keep your beady eyes on the lookout for the repress when it drops very shortly! Anyway, here’s a little reminder…

mp3: Hudson Mohawke – Ooops!

Breakestra – Dusk Till Dawn

Back with their first album since 2005’s Hit The Floor, LA funk band Breakestra bring us Dusk Till Dawn, via Strut Records. This new record represents two years of hard graft back in the lab for Miles Tackett and the Breakestra team, and is actually a tribute to Miles’ late Root Down DJ partner, DJ Dusk, who tragically lost his life in a road accident a few years ago. Rather fittingly, Dusk appears alongside Chali 2na on the track ‘Posed To Be, and I can honestly say that after hearing this new album quite an amount of times, it is indeed a wonderful tribute to DJ Dusk. Breakestra are back and the quality just keeps on rising!

Tracklisting:

01. Need A Little Love
02. Dark Clouds Rain Soul
03. Come On Over feat. Afrodyete
04. Back At The Boathouse
05. Get It Right
06. Show You The Way
07. Me & Michelle
08. I Don’t Wanna Wait
09. No Matter Where You Go
10. ‘Posed To Be feat. Chali 2na & DJ Dusk
11. North-East To Nippon
12. Low Down Stank
13. Joyful Noise
14. You’ll Never Know
15. Set The Sun

I’ve seen Breakestra play live and it was one of the gigs of my life. They play with such passion and skill – giving off ridiculous amounts of energy and good vibes. Most people I’ve spoken to about Breakestra all share my sentiments and reserve nothing but praise for the group. In fact, the only criticism I’ve heard of them is that they perhaps have a tendency to play less original sounding breaks, i.e. familiar sounding party breaks. Firstly, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but secondly (and more importantly), if that was to be an accurate piece of commentary, then I can tell you right now that Dusk Till Dawn firmly breaks away from such a notion. In years to come, when people look back over the discography of Breakestra, this will be the pivotal moment when it was realised that Breakestra came well and truly into their own.

From the first track, Need A Little Love, it is unmistakably Breakestra, that blend of funk which instantly gets your head nodding and your feet tapping. Guitars clash with brass, whilst the drum break rides with the understated vocals – a perfect intro track to really set the mood. Dark Clouds Rain Soul starts with rhythmic congas and a sharp flute melody, before building into a steady and soulful mantra-laden track. The first official guest on the album is Afrodyete on Come On Over, providing fantastic soul vocals over a catchy array of guitars, brass and keys.

mp3: Breakestra – Come On Over feat. Afrodyete

The album features two tracks under the length of three minutes, in the guise of Back At The Boathouse and also I Don’t Wanna Wait, otherwise they all range between three to seven minutes long. In it’s entirety the 15-track Dusk Till Dawn spans just shy of 1 hour and 13 minutes of brilliant funk. Breakestra were pure class from day one, so it was always going to be a task to exceed that older output, but I believe they have done just that with Dusk Till Dawn – the monster track Get It Right is a prime example of this. A trap some funk bands fall into is not assembling the full arsenal of elements needed to hit that ’sweet-spot’, but Get It Right has; an infectious and heavy break, an uptempo melody fueled by bass and lead guitars, soulful and gritty vocals – but most importantly it has been structured and constructed in such a manner that all these combined elements deliver an almighty payload to the aforementioned ’sweet-spot’. It’s a definite trend throughout, and for all the grit and attitude to the album, it has to be remembered that without the underlying quality that Breakestra possess, then it would all fall flat – they truly are the full funk package.

Other highlights of the album include the instrumental track Me & Michelle, with its inclusion of fiddle and a mean breakdown, the tribute-filled track No Matter Where You Go, a sort of geographical shout-out to other funk acts around the world, and the fantastically uplifting Joyful Noise. Oh, and of course the track mentioned at the start of this review, ‘Posed To Be featuring Chali 2na (of Jurassic 5 fame) and the late DJ Dusk. As you can probably guess, it’s the only track on the album featuring actual emcees. From a structural and lyrical point of view, it bears some semblance to Triple Trouble by Beastie Boys, but only in the chorus – otherwise it’s a fine combination of live instrumentation and rapping, delivered within an addictive and progressive body.

Dusk Till Dawn is a tremendous culmination, and blend, of vocal and instrumental funk tracks. MixMaster Wolf has a very distinctive vocal style, he maintains that raw aspect whilst still delivering with great amounts of melodic soul. The calibre of the instrumentation has never been in any doubt – there’s almost nothing else to be said with regards to this – sublime. Essentially speaking, Dusk Till Dawn will be a must-have for any funk fans, but I think it will also win over anyone who is just a fan of music. It should also serve to silence any previous doubters (although I would imagine they were always in the minority!). Definitely one of the releases of 2009 – keep your eyes peeled because this one will be out everywhere on Strut Records before the month is out!

Upcoming Live Dates:

• Sep 25 2009 – Winston’s – San Diego, California
• Sep 26 2009 – Adams Avenue Street Fair – San Diego, California
• Oct 01 2009 – Voodoo Lounge – San Jose, California
• Oct 02 2009 – The Independent – San Francisco, California
• Oct 06 2009 – El Ray Theatre – Los Angeles, California
• Oct 24 2009 – Le Jam – Nantes, France
• Oct 25 2009 – La Maroquinerie – Paris, France
• Oct 28 2009 – Het Depot – Leuven, Belgium
• Oct 29 2009 – Melkweg – Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Oct 30 2009 – Democrazy (w/ DJ Vadim) – Gent, Belgium
• Oct 31 2009 – Rotown – Rotterdam, Netherlands

R.I.P. Roc Raida

It’s with great regret, and much sadness, that I have to report the passing of Grand Master Roc Raida (1972 – 2009). No specific details have been released, but it is believed that there may have been complications with regards to surgery he underwent after a very recent martial arts accident. At this time my thoughts and condolences go out to Anthony Williams’ family and friends – this is both tragic and upsetting.

A true legend of hip-hop and turntablism, Roc Raida was the very reason for thousands of young people over the years taking up DJing and turntable battling. He was a pioneer of techniques, be it scratches, juggles, or body tricks. As an original member of the X-Men (later the X-Ecutioners) along with Rob Swift, Total Eclipse and Mista Sinista, Roc Raida graced an untold amount of stages and DJ booths throughout the world, taking with him his unique and awe-inspiring skills, turning heads in every town that he went to.

I had the great fortune of meeting Roc Raida in Brisbane a few of years ago, when I was working at Butter Beats record store. Lord Finesse was due in to the store along with Q-Unique, DJ Eclipse and… Roc Raida, as part of their Zulu Nation Supa Jam Tour. The store was rammed with people waiting to get autographs, mainly from Lord Finesse. Some of the other guys were engaging in conversation with the fans, but Roc just kept himself to himself in a quiet corner, minding his own business. Now, as much as Lord Finesse is a legend himself, I was always a huge DMC and general turntablism head, so even before these guys turned up I knew it was Roc that I wanted so desperately to meet. So, as people are forming a not-so-orderly queue to speak and get autographs off Finesse, I make a definitive move in the direction of Roc. Out went my hand and I said something dorky like, “I’m a huge fan and it’s a real privilege to meet you”, albeit dorky, it was meant sincerely and I got the impression Roc could tell as much. He seemed quite shy, but a huge smile spread across his face and he thanked me and shook my hand. We spoke for a while and he came across as a genuinely humble and decent guy. There was a warmth which emanated from him – that feeling you get when you know you’re in the presence of a good person. And I truly was.

I never get tired of watching and re-watching Roc Raida’s turntable routines, he really was one of the kings in the tricks department. So, I shall leave you with this classic clip – absolutely timeless…

mp3: The X-Ecutioners – Raida’s Theme (LP Version)

R.I.P. Roc Raida, you will be missed.