Hip Hop/R&B Juno Download

FEATURED RELEASES

Lord Funk & Moar / Gelatine Thugs - Resense 047

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Resense serve up two tracks that owe a clear debt to party-style hip-hop from the 90s: think A Tribe Called Quest, Arrested Development or more specifically Jurassic 5, whose vocal from 'In The House' forms the basis for Lord Funk & Moar's 'Hip Hop Control' (even if that track did come out in 2006), with the original's electrofunk backdrop replaced by a jazzier groove complete with breathy flutes. Gelatine Thugs' 'Do The Don't Stop' then takes us into jazzier pastures still, while biting a snatch of vocal from a certain Mr M. Jackson. Floors that move to the likes of The Allergies or Speedometer will lap these two cuts up.

Soundmain

No More Liquid Brilliants

Liquid Brilliants are back with yet another single. It almost seems like the guys behind this label don't sleep and the frequency with which they churn out these releases almost has us slightly concerned for their health. Almost, anyway, because their music is so deft that it seems likely to have cured any medical problems they have. 'No More' kicks off Soundmain's release and it's a spacious, vocal-led number that doesn't deviate much from its course yet nails said course. 'Alone' is the second tune on the release, it's a downtempo, halftime number and it sounds fantastic. Big ups.

Kaia Vieira

Vikara These Furious Recordings

Singer, rapper, lyricist and all round vocalist Kaia Viera introduces her fusion of trip hop, soul and song mixed with urban atmospheres of dubstep, breaks and experimental electronics on this debut release, Vikara. From the deep storytelling in "The Care Giver", to the inspired piano ballads of "Believe" or heavier two-step and garage influences in "Make It Your Own Way", these Vikara tracks explore a singer-songwriter's journey through acoustic roots, neo-soul, hip-hop and drum and bass. And find that perfect mix of everything in "Where Did You Go ?".

Chimpo

HIA Box N Lock

Manchester is a truly wonderful city, with a musical heritage that swamps the majority of other cities around the UK historically. In recent years we have seen that shift much more towards electronic and rap-based music with a fantastic pool of performers emerging, but being real, Chimpo is no newcomer. The veteran producer and vocalist lands here for yet another fabulous album release under the title of 'HIA', seeing him explore a wide variety of musical styles and themes. Chimpo's versatility and consistency is what has given him his Mount Rushmore status within Manchester's musical history and that is clear throughout this project, from the grimey squarewaves of 'Up The Wall' alongside Slay, through to the funk-inspired instrumental structure of 'Nothing Good' with Rolla and UKG flips of 'Like I Luv U'. It is yet another fantastic showcase of Chimpo's numerous avenues of ability, with our highlight being the exciting vocal switch ups and minimal instrumental structure of 'Oh Your Goodness'. Amazing work!

Lushen

String Theory Escalated Sounds

As ever at Juno Download, we are keen to look beyond the standard boundaries of dance music and explore the more experimental side of sound, which is exactly what Lushen has provided with this brand new 'String Theory' album. As a whole the tracklisting is magnificent, from the deliciously clunky drum layers of 'Need You' and 'Can't Find You' to the smooth hip-hop inspired syncopated rhythms of 'Fresh Start' and 'Sorry'. It's a long play project, so to pick out individual highlights is a tricky process, but if pushed would have to include the downright stunning synth design of 'Nothing More' alongside the futuristic UKG rolls of 'Let's Go Back'. Incredible work!