Review: It's safe to say that Newcastle's Steve & Turrell have become one of the Jalapeno label's hottest acts and, for that matter, some of the hottest acts out there in the nu-funk scene. Mount Pleasant Acoustic is an EP that revels in melancholia, but that does so in a way that retains the seductive nature of soul at its core. Just listen to tunes like "I'm Gone" or "A Deckham Love Song" and you'll be excited to hear the results of a totally acoustic sound brought to life by the sheer power of voice and guitar, which is also what makes up both "I Feel Alive" and "There For Me"...two endlessly pleasing releases of emotion.
Review: With the years Strut has spent cataloging modern times music with the countless amount of compilations and reissues, curated or otherwise, the label now dips into something from the current day, and nevermore have we needed the positivity of sun-drenched polyrhythms! Add bright and vibrant future electronic percussion intertwined with traditional afro-folk, chant and spoken word, ONIPA's debut LP breathes new life and brings a carnival atmosphere to the revival we're all looking forward to this spring.
Review: Following a two-year break, the Shaolin Afronauts return with their third album. Those who've checked the Adelaide-based eight-piece's previous releases on Freestyle Records should know what to expect: specifically horn-heavy instrumental wig-outs rooted in the Afrobeat of Africa 70 and the spiritual jazz of Sun Ra, with occasional forays into Cuban rhythms. It's a humid and intoxicating blend, capable of producing both righteous dancefloor fare - see the Fela Kuti style strut of "Follow The Path", "Lagos Chase" and Afro-cuban jazz of "Ojo Abameta - and intoxicating, more introspective fare (the snaking flutes and ambient textures of "Interlude 1" and heady "Abyssinian Suite (Part 1)").
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