Record of the Week
Tricky presents his new album Different When It's Silent. His first solo album in six years is a deeply personal return, balancing grief, resilience and the unmistakable sound that made him a pioneer. Recorded between Tricky’s home in France and sessions in Bristol, the album draws strongly on the musical community that shaped him. Central to its sound is the voice of Bristol singer Mitch Sanders, whose soulful falsetto runs through much of the record. Their connection reflects a shared musical background and an instinctive chemistry that carries through the performances. Across fourteen tracks, Tricky blends skeletal blues, brooding electronics, distorted guitars and stark hip-hop rhythms into a sound that feels both stripped-back and expansive. The album moves fluidly across styles while maintaining the restless experimentation that has defined his work for more than three decades. “I just love making music” Tricky says. “I’m grateful I’ve had the chance to live this life and keep creating.” With Different When It’s Silent, Tricky delivers one of the most focused and powerful records of his career - a reminder that artists who build their own language never fall out of time.
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A key producer and DJ on the French house scene, Folamour crosses paths with saxophonist and composer Léon Phal, a leading figure in the renewal of European jazz. At the origin of this EP lies their meeting, driven by a shared love of groove and celebration. While Folamour seeks to root his music more deeply in live performance by surrounding himself with musicians,
Léon Phal steers his jazz toward a more dancefloor-oriented energy and a more club-focused vision. The collaboration feels natural, as both artists share common roots: funk, groove, dance, and a certain sense of generosity on stage. Recorded under the Mediterranean winter sun, these two tracks offer a comforting and joyful club moment, enriched with vocals, drums, and brass. In the spirit of the golden era of early 2000s vocal house, Folamour and Léon Phal pair each track with a distinctive voice: the radiant energy of Brazilian singer Flavia Coelho and the soulful, vibrant voice of Wolfgang Valbrun.
From these shores was born an EP: Danse Méditerranée.
‘Trouble’ is the second single and title track from Louis Baker’s forthcoming self-released new album, out 9 October 2026. Following the warmth and optimism of first single ‘All We Need’, the track reveals a grittier side of the record, leaning into Baker’s blues influences while drawing deeply from soul and Motown traditions.
Written and produced by Baker, ‘Trouble’ is a hard-hitting soul cut built on a raw, driving groove. Gritty lead vocals cut through punchy drums and Motown-inspired guitar stabs, while bass, organ, clav and congas power the rhythm. Soaring flute and sweeping strings bring movement and cinematic lift to the track, creating a dynamic contrast with its hard-edged foundations.
Lyrically, ‘Trouble’ explores worry, exhaustion and inner turmoil while searching for love, hope and stability. Written during a period of personal stress and reflection, the song became a way for Baker to process what he was experiencing and put those feelings into perspective. Universal in its themes, ‘Trouble’ captures the tension between feeling weighed down by life and continuing to search for something steadier on the other side.
The single arrives alongside an official music video and the announcement of Baker’s new full-length album Trouble, set for release on 9 October 2026. Across nine tracks, the album explores resilience, grief, love, community, social consciousness and personal growth, bringing together live instrumentation, organic performances and contemporary production through Baker’s distinctive approach to soul.
Celebrated singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Louis Baker has won over listeners around the globe with his signature offering: slow-cooked modern soul for the people. A critically acclaimed stylist of richly emotive songcraft, he reinterprets longstanding American and British musical traditions through a laidback coastal lens. Since the early 2010s, he has established himself as a captivating guitarist and powerhouse vocalist with an ear for head-nod grooves from Wellington, the capital city of Aotearoa (New Zealand). Along the way, everyone from India.Arie (“Louis Baker, you sing my soul”) to BBC 6 Music, Rolling Stone, Clash Magazine and Earmilk has shown love for who he is and has become.
Baker toured extensively through 2024 and early 2025, including runs across the UK, Europe and Australia with Fat Freddy’s Drop, and featured on the title track of their acclaimed album Slo Mo. ‘Trouble’ follows the recent single ‘All We Need’, which received early support from Spotify’s New Music Friday AU & NZ and Apple Music’s New Music Daily, alongside international radio airplay and support from DJs and tastemakers around the world.
Welcome to Volume 8 of the Mr Bongo Record Club series, our in-house curated compilations that give us a chance to share some of our favourite tracks, hard-fought finds, and unsung gems. These are tracks that have been inspiring us at home, in the office, while DJing, and on the dancefloor.
In the cross-genre spirit of the series, for Volume 8 we have selected music from the worlds of soul, boogie, disco-reggae, jazz-funk, and Latin, with a hefty chunk of beloved Brazilian music. Pulling these compilations together is always a highlight of our year, and eight volumes in, we feel this is one of our strongest to date.
The album’s journey begins with a heartfelt epic by As Ganhadeiras de Itapuã, from the Bahian town of Itapuã. It’s an area of Brazil that holds a special place in David ‘Mr Bongo’ Buttle’s heart, and where he first met our dear friend, Luciano Rodrigues Dos Santos, to whose memory this compilation is dedicated to.
Staying in Northern Brazil, next up is a contemporary dancefloor gem by Ubunto, a DJ and producer from Salvador, which also features As Ganhadeiras de Itapuã. The raw, dusty, punchy sounds of zabumba drummer Castanheiro and the furious guitar-heavy dancer by Tyaraju & Dutra are just two more examples of the Brazilian beauties included on the compilation.
There is also a heavy dose of soul music on this volume. The Canadian-gospel sounds of Trevor Dandy, a modern-soul rarity by Wil Collins & Willpower (which has been on our list for years), and a soul-stepper masterpiece by Tommy McGee, are just a handful of the highlights. Not stopping there, we are incredibly proud to present an exclusive rework of The Sylvers' ‘Wish That I Could Talk To You’ by the legendary Kenny Dope. Kenny has excelled himself with this one, fattening up the drums while bringing more drama to the horns and strings. The song now feels more contemporary yet still stays true to its roots. Complete genius!
Elsewhere on the compilation, you’ll find a cosmic reggae-not-reggae disco oddity by Tapper Zukie, a South African jazz-funk-disco groover by Mac Mathunjwa, a sought-after Brazilian compacto by Eduardo Araújo, and a Brit-funk / boogie treasure by Powerline.
Traversing time, genre, and location, all the tracks on Volume 8 are favourites for their own unique reasons. Music will forever be a constant source of comfort, able to affect you deeply in the most meaningful ways. It’s the gift that keeps giving, and there is so much more to learn, discover, and share, both old and new.
Brighton based House Music brand Soul Damn Funky (SDF) have been throwing parties in Brighton and Hove on and off for the past 16 years. What started out as a small in-house night grew to become Brighton’s only event championing U.S Garage / New York House music and booking headline acts like: Paul Trouble Anderson, CJ Mackintosh, DJ Romain, Richard Earnshaw, Victor Simonelli and many more.
Over the 16 years SDF also became a popular radio show on local stations: Code South and Upfront Dance. And another string to SDF’s bow has been compilation albums. SDF have put out several albums of classic 90’s New York House & U.S Garage. More recently SDF released New York Classics Vol 2 with a vinyl EP sampler that came out in September 2025 which was a collaboration with Bassline Records. We’re also excited to announce that the 2nd vinyl EP Sampler compiled by Russell Ruckman and Marcia Carr will be released in July 2026. The first vinyl EP from Russell and Marcia sold out within the first month and soon after had a second pressing to keep up withcdemand.
After several successful collaborations with other record labels SDF decided that now would be a good time to launch their own label. So in July of 2026 SDF brings you “Soul Damn Funky Records” (SDFR). The very first release on SDFR comes from Barrie H Hayes and vocalist Donna Odain, it's a super soulful, positive energy song called: Make A Wish. Barrie Hayes has been working professionally within the dance music industry since the mid 90’s as a Keyboardist for the likes of Alexander O Neal, Gabrielle and Black Masses. Donna very much the same as Barrie has had a successful career in the industry working with Lisa Stansfield, Edwin Starr, Martha Reeves, Mary Wilson and many more.
SDFR are also supporting local talent from Brighton and Hove to include music from Russell Ruckman, African Sunset Project and Steven James. One of the standout differences between SDFR and other labels is that SDFR are very much behind physical releases as well as digital. There’s a massive resurgence of physical media these days, people want something tangible for their money, something
to collect and treasure and SDFR are planning to be a part of that by putting out a selection of their releases on vinyl.
SDFR has many new releases already lined up for at least the next year, releasing one a month with a view to increase the output over time. SDFR are always on the look out for new talent who produce top quality house music within the soulful, funky, disco, deep, gospel remit. They are welcoming demos from new producers.
Eric Demuro - Simulacra
The title Simulacra points toward reinterpretation rather than imitation. Sounds feel remembered and reshaped, assembled through a tactile home-studio process that balances live performance with electronic production.
Developed between New York and Berlin, Demuro’s approach draws from formal study in New York, time spent working with Swiss pianist Nik Bärtsch, and years immersed in Berlin’s Gifted Culture collective, where his studio practice took shape. Recent collaborations, including experimental electronic work alongside James K and projects connected to Ed Longo’s productions, reflect a background shaped through releases with labels such as SUED, Cosmic Romance Records, and others. The result is an intimate and cinematic debut anchored by bass as its guiding voice.
“The soft twang of a nylon guitar. A hauntingly beautiful voice cutting through the haze of a bygone recording. The sound of waves crashing, washing away the pretty tune. Dominique Fils-Aimé paints a surreal image of a “sea of clouds below our feet”. Chanting can be heard from below as the celestial bodies descend. The sound of hand drums grows louder as an ethereal drone fades.
One day, in her family home, Dominique stumbled upon an old cassette from the 70s. The sound of her mother’s voice on the tape moved her. She had no idea her mother was such a talented vocalist. That same recording is the opening song for Dominique’s latest album “My World is the Sun”. The decision to open with this classically informed guitar piece sets a formal backdrop where Dominique creates stylistic contrasts. The album unfolds like a narrative—morphing with the many moods we experience in a day. Expressive melodies evolve intuitively, breaking away from formulaic arrangements. Dominique closes the album by recording her own version of the opening song, completing a natural cycle. Returning to the intimate space from where the album began emphasizes the importance of returning to a space of contentment within ourselves. Seeking and building peace for ourselves and others is a value that Dominique’s mother held dear. “My World Is The Sun” pays homage to this value.
Inspired by the instinct of a loving mother, each song on “My World is the Sun” is like a child and each child is accepted as they are. This acceptance provides a safe space for Dominique’s creativity to run free. Finding the beauty in imperfection, Dominique gives the world her creative and spiritual process in its entirety—with all the quirks, chuckles and deep breaths.
Mossdeb Sounds pushes deeper into its Afro-Tech lane with a fresh two-tracker from label head Bubba Brothers—the Portuguese artist whose momentum is building fast across dancefloors and playlists alike. Balancing percussive heat with a club-ready sense of restraint, this release lands right in the sweet spot for DJs who like their tech house driving, but with a melodic glow that lingers long after the drop.
Across both cuts, Bubba Brothers leans into what’s become his signature: tightly programmed drums, rolling low-end and those unmistakable Afro-tinged rhythms that keep the groove breathing. The first track comes in with assertive, peak-time energy—punchy, upfront and engineered for hands-in-the-air moments—while the second takes a more hypnotic route, pairing a warmer musical touch with a late-night tension that steadily locks the room.
It’s also shaping up to be a defining year for Bubba Brothers: new residencies on the calendar and the launch of his own event concept, Loko by Bubba Brothers, cementing his vision beyond the studio. With previous releases on Golden, Wh0, and Alleanza already earning strong support from press and international artists, this next chapter feels like a natural step up—bigger, sharper, and fully aligned with the Mossdeb Sounds identity.
This is Mossdeb Sounds.
Mr Bongo presents Volume 8 of their cherished Record Club series. Curated in-house by the Bongo team, these compilations are a chance for the esteemed label to share some of their favourite tracks, hard-fought finds, and unsung gems from the global stage. In the cross-genre spirit of the series, Volume 8 draws from the worlds of soul, boogie, disco-reggae, jazz-funk, Latin and Brazilian music. Capturing that far-reaching focus, this three track sampler brings together a dancefloor heater from Ubunto, an exclusive Kenny Dope edit of The Sylvers and a cosmic fusion of disco and reggae from Tapper Zukie.
First up, we travel to Salvador with a blistering dancefloor-focused cut from Ubunto - a DJ and producer with over 10 years in Brazil’s electronic music scene. Putting an electronic tropical twist on a Brazilian classic, Ubunto reinterprets Dorival Caymmi’s sublime folky MPB song ‘O Vento’ from 1959, into a modern-day dancer. A brilliant reimagination that still manages to hold on to the original song's essence, helped by the formidable female vocal force of As Ganhadeiras de Itapuã, who originate from the same neighbourhood as Ubunto.
Next, for around 15 years Mr Bongo have been working with the iconic Sylvers family, in particular, their leader Leon Sylvers. After a lot of searching, they discovered the original two-inch master tapes from the first two Sylvers albums and delivered them to the one and only Kenny Dope. Kenny has tastefully reworked ‘Wish That I Could Talk To You’; fattening up the drums whilst bringing more drama to the horns and strings. The song now feels more contemporary, yet still stays true to its roots. Complete genius!
Last up, Tapper Zukie is a Record Club series favourite, with his productions also featuring on Volumes 1 and 7. ‘Visions Of Love’ is a truly unique track, not sitting fully in any genre; it has a pulsating, cosmic disco-reggae crossover energy and was released on Tapper’s own Stars imprint. An under-the-radar jewel.
Traversing time, genre, and location, these three gems are just a small snapshot of the breadth and brilliance you’ll discover on Mr Bongo Record Club Volume 8.