Mo Kolours.

Mo Kolours is an English/Mauritian musician, and more specifically percussionist. He delivers some fly beat music, full of percussions and with great chopped samples. His music is a mix of various influences, from hip hop to dub, through sega, afro-latin soul etc.

Mo Kolours announced his second EP, following his 2011-released "EP 1 : Drum Talking" (public service announcement : I realized I missed my chance to get a vinyl copy of this 1st EP at the time of its release... now I'm looking for one), which will be titled "EP 2 : Banana Wine". 

The direction taken with this EP is the cohesive follow-up of the first opus, and it's good news. Plus, the artwork is also very much alike. 

The guys is pretty quiet on the web, and a good sign of this is the lack of variety in the pics of him you can get. Whatever, he gave a couple of good interviews, and that's enough. Here you go with one from The Stool Pigeon (with a mix), and one from Okayplayer. And finally, here's a mix he did for Wax Poetics.  

A talented guy. 

The Jazz Kid.

One of the things I like about the blogging culture is mind connections. 

So, if you guys like the spirit of my humble "Soleil Rare" compilations (a spirit that I never defined, but maybe I should), you should head to the Jazz Kid Tumblr, who puts on some real dope work with his flawless mixes of (mostly) jazz music, as the title implies. The Kid make themed mixes, kind of in the same mood as what you can find here. 

And what makes it even better is the overall fine design. Very Tumblrish. 

Make it one of your favs already.

By the way, I should try myself to a jazz compilation soon... stay tuned. 

Hans Pokora.

Hans Pokora, hailing from Austria, is the absolute record collector of psychedelic music. And to prove it, he released the "Record Collector Dreams" book series, starting in the 1990's and never stopped ever since. 

Not neglecting the so-called global grooves, the latest installment of the series focuses on African and Thailand records.

And here is a very recent interview of the man. 

Hodgy Beats + friends.

Hodgy Beats, one half of MellowHype, must be on the same step as Tyler and Earl in terms of lyrical talent and creativity.

While the Odd Future posse switched from posting free music to the corporate music world, Hodgy keeps posting music for free. 

So, here you go, with his latest delivery, called "Untitled". Welcome to a dimension of dirty pumped up beats, distortion, noise and weirdness. Producers involved in the project include Alchemist, Juicy J, Flying Lotus, Jonti and Thelonious Martin. 

Enjoy. 

Wax On Film.

A submission for Wax On Film called "Hearing Evil". 

DX7 : the sound of a generation.

I'm using Kavinsky super-hit (yet largely underrated) "Testarossa Autodrive" as a starting point to discover a major ingredient of the 1980's magic : the Yamaha DX7 keyboard, released in 1983. 

Engineered by three smart Japanese guys on the basis of a Stanford-University-developed technology (the frequency modulation synthesis - or FM synthesis), the Yamaha DX7 quickly became a must-have for all the keyboardists of the world. Allowing musicians to enjoy a clear sound and a large range of instruments emulations, as well as sound effects, the DX7 sported a fairly affordable price which made it a commercial success and an artistic basis for many music producers. 

Yamaha improved the DX7 during the same decade, with the DX7 II. 

The link with Kavinsky becomes clear : a fan of the 1980's and having created a story which takes place in 1986, Kav' had no other choice than to use the DX7 for his first EP, "Teddy Boy", on which the afore mentionned "Testarossa Autodrive" is featured. And more than that, the DX7 is the only keyboard he used.  

To make it clear that the DX7 had an incredible influence on the sound of a generation, here's a partial list of musicians who used the Yamaha reference keyboard : 

Al Jarreau, Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Daniel Balavoine, Chicago, Luther Vandross, Supertramp, Kraftwerk, Teddy Riley, Brian Eno, Talking Heads, Underworld, Phil Collins, Babyface, Depeche Mode, Vangelis, U2, Enya, Toto, Jean-Michel Jarre, Elton John, Jerry Goldsmith, Beastie Boys, Queen, Lynyrd Skynyrd, David Bowie, Miles Davis, Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, Bernard Estardy, Talk Talk, Michael Jackson, MGMT, Michel Berger, Serge Gainsbourg, and so many more... needless to say, if you don't like the sound of the 1980's, there might be a chance that the DX7 would be the main factor. Same thing if you're a fan of that sound. 

John Peel's collection online soon ?

Watch out May 2012, when the project called The Space is launched. 

What is that ? Well, when former BBC legendary DJ John Peel died in 2004, he left behind him a huge collection of 25000 LP's, 40000 7" and countless CD's.  

The Arts Council project and the John Peel Centre, with support from the BBC, decided to digitise part of the collection, with a pace of 100 records per week from May to October. 

That being said, don't get your expectations too high, as, of course, there would be copyright issues if those records were available as mp3's. What you will get (and would already be pretty awesome judging by the numbers) is  the virtual artworks of the records, as well as streamable files. 

That's good news anyway. 

Read here the articles from Clash Music and the BBC. 

Georgia Anne Muldrow + Madlib.

Ok, Madlib seems to be everywhere these days. Well, as usual. And he keeps on with his formula that makes him produce entire albums for others. 

So, after Declaime, Doom, Talib Kweli, Freddie Gibbs, Blu and many more, it's Declaime's partner in crime's turn, Georgia Anne Muldrow, aka GAM. 

The album will be titled "Seeds" and is set to drop on March 27th. Some say Lib and GAM are a couple so... maybe we'll feel some symbiosis here.

The first teaser is fine. Let's hope a album of the same quality.

Edit : a grumpy, but probably well-informed, reader stated that GAM is actually with Declaime. I stand corrected. My bad for going into gossip.  

Dilla joints.

Do you remember this ? Well it was good.

French groove.

As a customer, I haven't been always very happy about Mr. Kiswell, but I have to admit two things : he's a crazy collector, and he knows how to select records. 

Once again, he proved his skills in a small mix published by the incredible "Les Mains Noires" blog. Guy Boyer, François de Roubaix, JC Pelletier, JC Pierric, Michel Polnareff, Paul Mauriat and others are among the best known names of this compilation. 

Enjoy the groove. The French groove.  

Madlib's Medicine Show.

It had to be done : once the last episode of the 2010-initiated series got released, it was only a matter of time before the whole collection saw a "proper" box edition. 

Well, bad news for the lovers of artefacts, the box is not really a box, and it sucks. The packaging is just awful with this lousy cellophane shrink. 

So, let's be frank, for buying the whole series in one shot (and only in CD's), you'll get the exact same thing as if you had bought the CD's one by one. 

Madlib releases the "brick edition" on his own imprint Madlib Invazion. Let's see if there'll be a vinyl "brick edition"...

Vinyl : The Comeback.

Thanks to The Find Magazine, I fell on this video, celebrating vinyl as the ultimate medium :

Enjoy.

Blu meets Madlib.

When a restless MC meets a restless beatsmith, the result is "UCLA", the latest effort by the talented Blu, who managed to steal 15 beats from Otis Jackson Jr. 

The whole album is streamable on Bandcamp, but it's not free of charge to download it. And yeah, that's the actual "cover art" (if such thing really exists for a digital release), so I had to put it in an appropriate size. 

In my opinion, Madlib didn't have much to do with it except providing a beat tape, in a loopdigga mode. But still, the final product complies pretty much with what you would expect for such a collab. 

Worth a listen.

Edit : It looks like everyone jumped on the hype a bit early...

soleil rare 21 - old tapes.

Classic and weird. 

Alain Goraguer - La Femme. 

Besides composing music for gym records, lending his orchestra and talents to acts like Serge Gainsbourg, Alain Goraguer also got involved in this crazy adventure : "La Planète Sauvage".

Awarded at the Festival de Cannes in 1973, the movie is now better known through its soundtrack. It's psychedelic orientation shooked the world of music at the time. The original issue now goes for 120 € and more. 

A few record diggers sampled this album, including Jay Dee, Madlib, ASP...  

On "La Femme", the atmosphere is heavy and dark. Feel the genius. 

Sven Libaek - Mrs Benson. 

Sven Libaek was born in Norway. In his twenties, he toured in Australia, then chose to live there, and to acquire the citizenship. Libaek is well known in the small world of movie scoring, and his talent is undeniable. Just check, besides "Nickel Queen", "Inner Space" and "Solar Flares", his absolute masterpieces. 

"Mrs Benson" is a short track, mellow on the horn and loud on the bass. A fine interlude. 

By the way, I never heard of the movie, I guess it never reached success outside Australia. 

Fabio Fabor - Parallelotropic 1.

The title of the album says it all : it's about collages here. 99% of the listeners will judge it useless. I think it's... funny. Somehow. And courageous. I guess at that time you could record and print anything when you were labelled as a library music producer. 

Ennio Morricone - Placaggio. 

How to make a soundtrack compilation without mentioning the master, Ennio Morricone ? 

This track is made of two parts, with two different moods. The first one is quite unusual for Morricone : funky drums and bass, random screams (really scary by the way - it makes it sound like a horror flick), and strange harassing sounds all the way. The second part is more Morriconian : psych feeling, calm at the beginning, then blury and out of control. 

Michel Colombier - L'Usine. 

Part of the incredible team of French scorers, very active from the 1960's to the 1990's, a frequent collaborator of Serge Gainsbourg (yes, another one), Michel Colombier is nothing less than a legend. 

Prog, funk and psych at the same time, Colombier introduced the spirit of the French early 1970's in this soundtrack. 

"L'Usine" starts with a dope drum break, and follows like a symphony. Just picture Belmondo's charisma over the track and you get the spirit. 

Eric Framond - Ecole Maternelle. 

Eric Framond is Camille Sauvage, a French clarinet player turned into library music composer.

This is definitely library music : no clear purpose, experimentation to the fullest, and a strange but good feeling of freedom. Drums, piano, synths, guitars and other elements make it a fun moment. 

 François de Roubaix - Où Est Passé Tom ?

Once again, a music composer outshined a movie, at least that's how history remembers it. Frankly, I known nothing of this "Où Est Passé Tom ?" movie, released in 1971. But I know about the music, beautifully composed by François de Roubaix. Probably one of his most emotional tracks, supported by a pan flute that gives it a South American feeling. 

This track has different periods, and will tease your emotions for a bit more than 5 minutes. A delight. 

The Doors - Opening : The End. 

I decided to give this track its original purpose : making the end of a compilation. I can understand why Coppola chose it for the beginning of his movie (by the way, "Apocalypse Now" is easily in my top 3) but whatever... 

This whole soundtrack is crazy : it's made of a lot of spoken interludes, taken from the movie. But you have that track, the chopper sound, the wonderful crazy Indian feeling... I guess no one did it better since The Doors disbanded. Drugs for good. 

where's the R&B at ?

Here's an understatement : R&B evolved along the decades. Formerly applying to what we commonly name "soul music" today, R&B (for "rhythm and blues" of course) nowadays brand a wide range of singers, from Usher to The Internet, from Franck Ocean to D'Angelo (though, the D created his own genre with the unassumed nu soul).

The Guardian has been going through the topic in a brief but synthesizing article.

In all its different forms, R&B still is a dynamic genre, gaining (in a hip-hopish way) from a lot of influences. Usher went electro, and still rides this wave (thanks Diplo) ; The Internet and Franck Ocean emerged from the Odd Future hype, offering a different sound ; the old guys from Sa-Ra Creative Partners have long been doing some cosmic music ; R. Kelly still uses the hormonal formula that brought him so much success (and troubles) ; and D'Angelo is finally back (already the best news of 2012).

And there are all these youngsters I don't know because I'm already too old. But I guess some of them are worth a listen (just listened to Ango's "No ordinary love" and it's crazy... Sade must be glad).

And for a glimpse of nowadays R&B, head to the Indie R&B blog. It's fresh, it's classy. Gotta like it. I even read some deep truth on it, and I can't resist to sharing it :

“I STILL FEEL THAT THERE IS TOO MUCH MUSIC IN THE WORLD. I’M NOT CONVINCED THAT WE NEED TO MAKE ANY MORE MUSIC. I READ THIS STATISTIC THAT SAID 75% OF MUSIC ON ITUNES HAS NEVER BEEN DOWNLOADED ONCE. IT’S DEPRESSING, BUT IT ALSO MAKES YOU THINK THAT WE SHOULD STOP MAKING MUSIC UNTIL WE LISTEN TO IT ALL, AND THEN WE SHOULD START AGAIN.” 

– Experimental producer Matthew Herbert 

Nuff said. Meditate.

Wax On Film.

One thing you should know. 

JJ DOOM.

Quite simply, JJ DOOM is a duo made of Jneiro Jarel and MF Doom (oops, now he's just DOOM - is the mask off ?).

The two prepare an album, titled "Key To The Kuffs", and set to released on Lex Records.

After a fruitful (and profitable) collaboration with Madlib, DOOM reached out to another creative and avant-garde beatmaker. Considering the talent of the two hip hop heads, this association should be good. And judging by the first teaser, called "Banished", the forecast is confirmed. I saw no date of release.

What's next for DOOM ? Flying Lotus ?

Meanwhile, Jneiro Jarel (aka Dr. Whodat ? aka a lot of other aliases) did a nice interview for Clash, in which he talks about inspiration, being kind of off the radar, and other things.

Ethio revival.

Somehow it's funny. Somehow it's not. 

There's a lot of Ethio-jazz released these days. But most of it is the work of non-Ethiopian bands. Those bands are good, play either in a traditional way either in a fusion trend, and are comprised of passionate musicians who, like common listeners, were introduced to Ethiopian music through the notes and voices of Mulatu Astatke, Mahmoud Ahmed, Tilahun Gessèssè and others. No need to emphasize here the huge role played by Francis Falceto and his "Ethiopiques" series on these guys current devotion. 

Among other bands, let's name the following ones : Akalé Wubé, Arat Kilo, Badume's Band, The Heliocentrics, Woima Collective, Wudasse Band, uKanDanz, Eth, Le Tigre (des platanes) (they stopped their Ethio era though), Imperial Tiger Orchestra, Either/Orchestra... 

As you can see, the scene is getting some attention, especially from "abroad", and there might be an Ethio-jazz band in concert near you right now, and you don't even know it. 

As I implied, this is a good thing for music. This is not a good sign for Ethiopia. As in other parts of Africa, Ethiopian music is taking the digital slide. Sometimes it's still creative, sometimes it's boring. A few tracks played in the clubs are very enjoyable, and you might feel like doing the shoulder dance while listening to some current hits. But still, the references are still the same and point towards the previous decades... 

Now, maybe it's the same in the Western world, and I don't acknowledge it because I can't take the step backwards necessary to have a clear view of the situation. 

Anyway, the good thing is that Mulatu Astatke is currently recording a new record in London. No need to stress how important this is for the Ethiopian music world. Let's hope fellow Ethio stars like Mahmoud Ahmed would do the same ; well, Mahmoud still records music, but the CD's and tapes do not benefit from a worldwide distribution. Recent albums are available in Ethiopia, and some of them are even recorded in the USA, where Mahmoud Ahmed now resides. So, how come they aren't available elsewhere ?  

And when it comes to developing the knowledge of Ethiopian instruments, who is the main actor ? Mr. Astatke again.

Alright, don't feel like I send shots in this post, it's just  regular raving and ranting. Thanks to all the actors of this Ethio revival, both for keeping the music alive and for provoking the re-discovery of ancient gems. 

MAW.

Whenever I think about the Masters At Work, this logo automatically pops in my mind. That's the first effect of the MAW, they branded everything : their sound, their image, their attitude... Louie Vega and Kenny Gonzales are music and marketing geniuses. 

I've been a fan of the MAW and their various aliases as solo acts or as a group since the early 1990's. I even attended a Kenny Dope's set a few years back. With their ability to mix everything from bossa nova, to house music, rap, and their own nuyorican soul, these guys can be considered the masters of the spinning science. I mean, who's better ?

Despite developping solo projects, they somehow managed to reunite for an incredible 3-hour mix in San Francisco. This is streamable in three parts on the Red Bull Music Academy website. 

Now you can pretend you're behind your computer, mixing for your friends and be idolised by the girls.   

soleil rare 20 - salon.

Feel like sharing some groove. It's the 20th, y'all.

Oliver Cheatham - Boogie Stomp. 

You probably know Oliver Cheatham as a disco icon, with his timeless "Get Down Saturday Night". Well, you probably only know that track by him. 

Here's another one, from the album "The Boss". Disco-funk, early 1980's, good times. A sweet introduction. 

Secret Service - King & Queen. 

These guys don't look as impressive as their name would suggest. Don't blame them, they're Swedish (no offense). And were probably nice guys. They flooded the 1980's with dancing tracks, like this "King & Queen". They actually played pop and new wave music with live instruments ; no drum machine à la Communards, but authentic drum tricks. 

Bottom line, I think this guys are underrated because they had some serious loops. 

Osunlade - Casablanca Soul. 

Speaking of underrated guys, here's Osunlade, a true laidback producer, who mainly delivers lounge stuff. Music to set a mellow mood. Fine drums, gentle horns, a bass, a few synths, and you have your formula for a good evening. 

By the way, Osunlade makes great mixes as well. And likes to put a stick across his nose. 

Le Tigre - Sixteen. 

From the album "This Island", released in 2004, here's "Sixteen", a relax tune supported by a heady drum pattern (good to sample). But what's more heady are the voices and all the other little accessories. And somehow, all this sticks together and makes it a nice listen. Have a smile. 

SebastiAn - Shoot. 

SebastiAn is on the rise to a great career. Still a bit in the shadow, I guess he's about to blow out with his next project. He already proved to be a credible live act, so now he really has to step his game up. 

Ok, this is how you put pressure on a guy...

"Shoot" is from his EP "Ross Ross Ross", the one that caught anyone's attention, released on Ed Banger, of course. This is not the most accessible electro music, but it fits perfectly in a set. 

Télépopmusik - Breathe. 

This is French. This is trip hop. This is music to make out with your girl/boyfriend to. This brings me back to the finest hours of "Nip/Tuck". That was nice... 

Call me conventional if you like, this track is a must. 

Gotan Project - Epoca. 

Founded by Philippe Cohen Solal (a huge vinyl collector) on the basis of the band Boyz From Brasil, Gotan Project has a simple yet original concept : melting the spirit of Argentinian tango with modern rhythms. And most of the time, this occurs to be a perfect match, because this guys have magic hands. 

Once again, this brings me back to "Nip/Tuck"...

Cerrone - Strip-Tease. 

Cerrone is arguably the godfather of all the French electro scene. I mean, he developped the concept such in advance. It's house music 10 years in advance. I guess people branded it disco at the time, because they didn't know how to label this music. 

Le Knight Club - Mosquito.

A bastard of Daft Punk, Le Knight Club acts as a side project for Guy de Homem-Christo, one half of Daft Punk. Inside LKC, he shares the seat with Rico. 

Their label, Crydamoure, only releases maxis. "Mosquito" was featured on "Boogie Shell", released in 1999. It's build around a sample of "I owe you one" by Shalamar. 

Not the best house music you'll hear, but it fills a void. 

Patrick Juvet - Viva California. 

Mr. Juvet is Swiss. And had a famous hit in France, "Où Sont Les Femmes ?". Beside that, he is a disco icon, distinguishable by his very high  voice. He also wrote stuff for others, including French superstars Claude François and Daniel Balavoine. 

"Viva California" was part of the "Lady Night" album ; pretty efficient formula, with synths, horns, and even a samplable drum break in the middle of the track. 

a hot and bothered astronaut.

EARL

He is back.

Be ready to be sho(o)(c)ked.

kickin the kan.

Real beat lovers know Kankick, and realize his impact on the current beat scene. Indeed, the guy started alongside Madlib, when there was no Madlib yet. Hailing from the same city of Oxnard, California, Kankick rolled with Lootpack, Wildchild, Declaime, Oh No and such, over the years. But he is too independant, too discreet to be linked to a specific crew. So, he took his own road and kept doing collabos on an irregular basis. 

A wonderful beatmaker and producer (his opus "From Artz Unknown" counts among my favorite LP's), Kankick is also a decent MC and an accomplished DJ. He recently cooked up a mix for the one and only BTS Radio. Expect nothing but good taste. 

In addition to that, Prog Porn made this little interview video on a Londonian pavement, in which Kan Zulu breaks it down from the beginning. A chill dude. 

James Blake, live.

On this day of grieving (I might come back on this later), maybe we all need something else, a different flavor. 

Okay, a live album by James Blake may not be the funniest thing to lighten the mood. But that's what surfaced today. It won't hold your tears, but this music will be a nice companion on this special and sad day. 

I'll say it, RIP Whitney. 

Dilla week.

Six years after J Dilla's passing, it was Dilla week all over the web. Tributes, articles, posts, the whole blogosphere went crazy, and crafted a lot of ish to pay homage to the greatest who touched a MPC. 

So, among a lot of things, here is a selection of stuff you might be interested in if you still enjoy Jay Dee's work : 

- The 50 Best Dilla Songs by Complex Magazine (comprising beats from the many eras of James Yancey 

- Waajeed's 10 Favorite J Dilla Sample Flips by EgotripLand (strangely highlighting the previous link)

- Ma Dukes's interview by Complex Magazine about Dilla's legacy and estate

- ?uestlove on Dilla being the best, by XXLMag

- 10 facts you might not know about Dilla, by Complex Magazine

- Peanut Butter Wolf's interview about possible eventual Dilla releases by Complex Magazine

Man, the best hip hop is old. 

Agent K.

Kavinsky says it in a simple way : 2011 was an awesome year thanks to "Drive" and an awful one because of DJ Mehdi's death. 

Following this strange year, the French DJ/electro music producer is currently working on a new contribution to the world of electro music, still with the Records Makers label, and with the involvement of fellow Parisian producer SebastiAn.

Les Inrockuptibles wrote an interesting piece about the guy. Sorry, French again. 

the French side of conscious rap.

First of all, if somebody has these CD's, I'm willing to purchase them...

Nuff said, conscious rap is not the main genre among French rap. While heavyweights like Booba or Rohff can still sell over 100 000 copies of an album (quite good figures nowadays), so-called conscious rappers are pleased with 20 000. Anyway, when there is passion, there is truth.

In the past 10 years, a few French rappers made their way to the media with deep lyrics, and meaningfull speeches. Some even developped their art outside of rap music. Let's name a few : Rocé, Oxmo Puccino, Youssoupha...

This year, Rocé celebrates the 10th anniversary of the release of his first opus "Top Départ", which holds a special place in my record collection. This record is simply flawless. For French readers, Rocé speaks about it in a recent interview by l'abcdr. Rocé is now preparing his 4th album, "Gunz'N Rocé". Gotta smile at that. 

Youssoupha is releasing a new album, already available, called "Noir Désir" (yo guys, what is it with rock references ? - Noir Désir is the main French rock band of the last 20 years despite a tumultuous history and a recent disbanding). A son of Congolese star Talu Bey Rochereau, Youssoupha is well-known for addressing strong messages to the listeners. The French major newspaper Le Monde published an article about the new Youssoupha.  

Hopefully, these guys will transmit their passion to others. Right now, thanks to young bands like L'Entourage, or La Source, entertaining yet funny rap is coming back to the front. It's a good sign. 

D live mix.

D'Angelo die-hard fans are slowly coming back to life with his new tour. The supporting site, Okayplayer, is back in full "D-mode" and posts as many articles as possible about this come back. 

So, here's a mix of tracks by D'Angelo, recorded live along the years, but mainly back in the days when his chocolate abs were your girl's dreams. 

Although the mix was initially just streamable, it's now downloadable, and you will not be thankful enough for this favor. 

Now waiting for the new album.

Edit : I don't like writing too many posts about one thing, so here is a new thing about D'Angelo : the complete Paris live show, in .mp3 and/or .flac. Yeah, believe it.