Record of the Week
A must for all fans of artists like Jazzanova, Koop and Beanfield, German duo SoulParlor present new album 'Day By Day' on the esteemed Atjazz Record Company.
SoulParlor — aka Frank Jensen and Tobias Müller — are pioneers of Germany’s soulful electronic scene, hailing from the creative hub of Mainz. With decades of experience under their belt, they’ve made their mark through cutting-edge production, deep remix work, and the curation of unforgettable parties that have hosted talent from across the globe. As key members of the original Sense Music crew, Frank and Toby played a pivotal role in shaping the scene — including inviting Atjazz to DJ internationally for the very first time. That early connection sparked a lasting creative relationship that continues to flourish.
Now, the duo returns with a stunning new album featuring a plethora of features including, Colonel Red, LyricL, Desney Bailey, Mavis Acquah, Leona Berlin, Nico Hering & ARCo. regular Amalia. This album is a testament to their enduring passion for forward-thinking beats, broken rhythms, and timeless soul.
Formed by the rhythm section of in-demand session bassist Luke Hodgson and drummer Graeme Pogson (GL / The Bamboos) who were also both long time players with Harvey Sutherland, Mondo Freaks are the next outfit ready to break out internationally from the world renowned Melbourne soul scene, which has acts currently riding high like Hiatus Kaiyote and Surprise Chef.
Inspired by the crisp funk and rnb of the late ’70s and early ’80s as they eased out of disco, Mondo Freaks stand apart with their live instrumentation and a focus on vocals and great songwriting. Creating something beyond just instrumental grooves their sound transcends mere homage and without any knowing winks, Mondo Freaks breathe new life into a timeless sound and make it feel more relevant than ever.
The self-titled album was produced by Hodgson and Pogson but was mixed by multi Grammy winner Michael Brauer who is known for working on recordings by the likes of Coldplay, Springsteen, Dylan, McCartney and Rolling Stones. But Mondos reminded him of the rnb records he started out working on in the late ’70s / early ’80s, which had huge influences on the band such as Change, B.B. & Q. Band, Was (Not Was), Gwen Guthrie, Grace Jones, Luther Vandross, Aretha Franklin, Pleasure, Cheryl Lynn, Cerrone, Jones Girls, Kid Creole, Teddy Pendegrass, Morris Day and many more..
Gathering some of the finest musicians from Melbourne’s soul scene, the band include a roster of five incredible vocalists including Jade MacRae, Susie Goble, Francisco Tavares, Aaron Mendoza and Jason Heerah.
Mendoza (formerly from world renowned Melbourne act Electric Empire) adds his sweet vocals to “Won’t You Decide” while Tavares “stretches it like elastic” on the Cameo-esque Funk track “Pumped!”. Jade MacRae shows why she is one of Australia’s best soul voices of the last decade with her lead vocals across six of the album’s tracks.
Formed originally as a concept band, equipped with an ever-evolving setlist of late ’70s and early ’80s funk classics, their journey has seen them invited to be the backing band for the Australian tours of such US soul music luminaries as Leroy Burgess (the producer and artist behind boogie and disco favourites Black Ivory, Logg, Aleem, Inner Life, and Universal Robot Band) and the iconic Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King.
The album has been a true labour of love for all members of Mondo Freaks, stretching over a long period. It was recorded and put together in the middle of the painful lockdown that Melbourne suffered but the result was a true vindication of passion, perseverance, talent and friendship.
Friend: The rupture is filled with sounds and a translation is made from blazing starlight to harmony and weather. Laid down in our silken dreams, the tripped out flows in the dubbed footpath, and with our hands wet, we root down. Her voice fades and gathers from this place, where we hold the water of our bodies against the speaker of time, and let the ripples give us pleasure and vision. Spin slowly around the open air room, dripping with the undertone of two hearts, to hear the warming of her sun come across our deep cold space.
Hot off extensive tours worldwide, playing the likes of Pitchfork Festival, Dekmantel, iii Points, and Mutek, following in the footsteps of her last two critically aclaimed singles, Play is the lead single for her upcoming album ‘Friend,’ out on AD 93 September 5, 2025. “Carried foremost by feeling, the curvature of her lyrics capture the fleeting moment in which euphoria sinks into quiet melancholy”-RA RIYL: Cocteau Twins, Yves Tumor, Prodigy, Oklou, Grimes
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Sheffield multi-instrumentalist and producer Yarni presents the first collection of singles from his forthcoming album "Anemoia," showcasing three distinct facets of the project's ambitious sonic palette. This initial sampler features the disco-soul of "Temperature's Rising" (ft. Nathaniel Short), the hypnotic instrumental jazz-funk of "Silent City," and the soul-stirring "Sealed With A Loving Kiss" (ft. Scarlett Fae).
As a purely self-taught multi-instrumentalist, Yarni (aka Benjamin Harris) continues to draw praise from influential voices, with Gilles Peterson describing his work as "lovely," Luke Una calling it "a beautiful gift to the world," and huge support from BBC Radio 6's Huey Morgan & Deb Grant who declared “Pigna” as "chef's kiss delicious." His previous release "Boro" landed on Spotify's Class of 2021 for Fresh Finds UK and Ireland.
The sampler opens with "Temperature's Rising," where Nathaniel Short's soulful vocals meet Yarni's first-ever string quartet arrangement, creating a perfect blend of classic disco and modern production. "Silent City," an instrumental piece inspired by Malta's ancient city of Mdina, featuring James Atashroo's evocative trumpet work against a backdrop of psychedelic funk. The collection closes with "Sealed With A Loving Kiss", evolving from a simple two-chord idea first recorded 24 years ago into a sweeping epic that channels both Fleetwood Mac's timeless songcraft and LCD Soundsystem's building intensity.
This trio of tracks offers the first comprehensive glimpse into "Anemoia's" exploration of nostalgia and time, demonstrating Yarni's ability to craft authentic, innovative music across multiple genres while maintaining a coherent artistic vision. From string-laden disco to epic soul and jazz-funk instrumentals, each track reveals a new facet of this ambitious project.
Temperature’s Rising is released 16th July 2025. S.W.A.L.K lands August 13th 2025
Silent City arrives with the Anemoia album - full release 3rd October 2025
Following a series of stunning singles throughout the year, I'm happy to finally share Charles Webster And The South African Connection's eagerly awaited LP 'From The Hill' in its entirety. Below, Stay True Sounds supremo Allan Nicoll, aka Kid Fonque, and legendary UK producer Charles Webster expand on how they brought together the cream of the South African deep house scene for a unique album.
“In 1997 when ‘Better Day’ by Presence came out, it was a hit on the radio in South Africa,” says Charles Webster, recalling how his decades-long love affair with the South African house scene began. “Obviously, in England, it wasn't on the radio at all,” he adds dryly.
A slew of 00s remixes would not only cement Webster’s position at the heart of South Africa’s house scene, but arguably create a blueprint for the nation’s own take on this most global of genres.
“The house music that really connected for us was deep and soulful, and Charles ticked both boxes. If you play his remix of ‘Cafe de Flore’ (by Dr Rockit) even now at any venue in South Africa, it will erupt,” notes Stay True Sounds founder Allan Nicoll, aka Kid Fonque, all-round SA scene polymath. One of this project’s collaborators, WAPO Jije, concurs: “Man, this was a crazy sound for me as I was not a house fan before, but after this tune, a whole new world rose for me to go into producing deep house music.”
“The sound was a good fit, it was bassy and soulful, and that's a reasonable description of what they like here,” muses Charles 20+ years on and now resident in Cape Town, referencing not only the re-rub of Dr Rockit (aka his long time compadre Matthew Herbert) but also his revisions of Justin Martin’s ‘The Sad Piano’ on Buzzin’ Fly, and the Michelle Cleis song ‘La Mezcla’ on Strictly Rhythm. Of the latter, FKA Mash notes:” That kickstarted it for me. My respect and fascination with his work grew even more each time I saw his name.”
“When Soul Candi Records was the biggest house label on the continent, we were licensing most remixes that Charles was putting out,” adds Nicoll, who curated their best-selling compilations. “I think that was really what led to his significance as a household name.”
Charles himself joins the dots right the way up to this project. “Those compilation CDs used to go to number one in the proper charts. I’d get recognised on the street, doing autographs and selfies in Woolworths. All the people on Stay True Sounds, they'll have grown up listening to their parents’ CDs. They started making their own music, and I think there was a moment when Allan started Stay True, it all just came together. They've got their own thing now, and they're running with it.”
When Allan made the seismic decision to move his family to the UK in 2022, it was partly so Stay True Sounds, through its partnership / Allan’s role with Defected, could aspire to curate projects like From the Hill. Serendipity still has a role to play, though, as A
Gasper Lawal - Ajomase
Ajomasé is the groundbreaking debut album by legendary Nigerian percussionist Gasper Lawal. Originally released in 1980 on his own label CAP, Strut are proud to now bring this unique album back to the racks.
Lawal’s style was forged through decades of high-level percussion work with the likes of Stephen Stills, Barbra Streisand, George Clinton & Funkadelic, Manfred Mann, Alexis Korner, Vangelis and Ginger Baker’s Air Force band. Dissatisfied with existing genre labels and production norms, Lawal began recording his own album in 1976 at Vangelis’ own studio in London’s Marble Arch before switching to long, drawn-out night shifts at Surrey Sound Studios, using downtime between The Police’s sessions for Outlandos D’Amour.
Lawal meticulously self-produced, composed, and overdubbed the album over four years, assembling an elite group of musicians from both Nigeria and the UK. The instruments used were often hand-built, including a powerful one-of-a-kind drum carved deep in the Nigerian bush. “This music is not about trends, about what is commercial or a “sound” of a particular moment,” explains Lawal, “it is about music to be felt, that gives pleasure. It is nurturing and meditative."
Although record executives didn’t know how to categorise Ajomasé, the people responded. Legendary DJs like John Peel and Janice Long gave it UK radio play – a rarity for African records at the time. Demand skyrocketed and, with Rough Trade stepping in to distribute the vinyl, the album found an international audience.
In 1982, Peter Gabriel personally invited Gasper to perform at the first WOMAD Festival, leading to a new era of live performances and global recognition. Yet despite its impact, Ajomasé has never been reissued – until now.
This new edition brings a spiritually resonant, rhythmically rich and genre-defying work to a new generation of listeners. featuring liner notes by Gasper himself and audio remastered from original tapes by Whitfield Street Studios and The Carvery.
Taken from Ronnie Herel's excellent double vinyl compilation Neo Soul Sessions Vol. 2, Lukas Setto's Can You Feel The Love is an exclusive track recorded for the compilation and available now as a digital download.
Hailing from London, Lukas Setto is a vocalist, songwriter and producer who was inspired by his DJ father's record collection. Having been inspired by Michael, Marvin and Stevie, Lukas has gone on to write songs for Omar, Terri Walker, Kele Le Roc and Taio Cruz as well as perform alongside Omar and Floetry at the Jazz Cafe. Oh, and just for good measure Lukas has also supported major US stars Ne-Yo and Timbaland. With a CV like this it's no wonder Can You Feel The Love exudes serotonin levels of ecstatic soul.
Ronnie Herel's curation of Neo-Soul Sessions Vol. 2 includes six exclusive tracks especially created for the compilation and reflects Ronnie's status as a towering stalwart of the British Black music scene. Whether on radio and in the clubs, Ronnie Herel has led the way since the 1980s. He has a radio CV that includes BBC 1xtra, Radio 1 and is currently on Mi Soul.
As one half of the Quartz production duo, he scored hits with Dina Carrol and was recognised in the Blues and Soul, MOBO and Urban Music Awards for his DJing and radio careers.
Pre-empting the release of Ronnie's Neo-Soul volume 2 compilation, Lukas Setto's Can You Feel The Love is a digital release that any fan of Soul and Neo-Soul will want to own.
Following the success of his previous release 'House of Desired Funk', mysterious electronic artist Tryangle Man returns with self-released single 'Lemon Squeeze', a groovy, fun-filled and jazz-fuelled instrumental jam.
Tryangle Man is an electronic artist and live performer whose music blends jazz, ambient, deep house, and visual arts into immersive sonic journeys. A self-described “peace-seeking space being,” he crafts concept-driven albums that explore themes of discovery, memory, and cosmic connection.
Trained as a classical pianist and jazz drummer, Tryangle Man later pursued a master's degree in music, eventually attending Berklee College of Music. His releases have garnered over half a million streams across platforms and have been featured on the BBC and 5FM Radio, among others. He has also performed on stages across Europe and the Middle East, including Afrikaburn, Sofar Sounds, Rituel Festival, Madame Loyale, Souq Festival, Fire Club London, Phonox, and many more.
Following the success of his previous release 'House of Desired Funk', the next single I 'Lemon Squeeze' is the 2nd song taken from his upcoming album (title TBA), which will be coming out at the beginning of 2026. A fun experience that captures Tryangle Man in his element. This new single is filled with grooviness, jazzy licks, and entertainment throughout.
Fun fact: the whole track is a perfect loop and can be repeated forever. Beware.
Tech trance legend Marco V debuts on Drumcode with the scintillating ‘Loxia’.
With classics like ‘Godd’, ‘Simulated’ and his iconic remix of ‘Loops N Tings’, the Dutchman stamped 2000s dance music as his own. With a midas touch in the studio, he’s back and has lost nothing of his patented crisp sound.
‘Loxia’ doesn’t disappoint. An energetic roller that made for the peak-time, the track mixes up punchy techno with the tension and release dynamics we’ve come to know and love from Marco.
"My debut on Drumcode marks a new chapter, one that celebrates creative freedom and the constant pulse of today’s scene. My goal was to make a powerful, energetic track that could keep the crowd hyped even without relying on a prominent melody. That’s how “Loxia” came to life." – Marco V