Best Of September '14

Mammal Hands - Animalia

With Nick Smart on piano, Jordan Smart on saxophone and Jesse Barrett on drums Mammal Hands feature a classic lineup. Just like their label-mates GoGo Penguin they are more oriented towards a more or less minimal kind of songwriting. Mostly it is a simple piano pattern that carries the track over a clever arranged rhythm. The saxophone is usually occupied with playing the lead melodies which evolve out of the piano pattern that is the keystone to the songs structure. It is also the key to the tracks' steady movement that flows through different moods and dynamics...more

Headquake - Into The Spiral

Bridging the spheres of heavy psychedelic sounds and stoner rock, Athens-based band Headquake is about to release their brand new album "Into The Spiral". It marks their second full length LP after a selftitled album seven years ago. Drawing influence from a number of bands like Kyuss or Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, Headquake seems to develop their individual sound by using only certain elements and transforming them into something new...more

Context & Jimmy Flipshyt - Fire In The Basement

With Context and Jimmy Flipshyt one of the funkiest Hip Hop duos of the last years return. Just listen to their last EP "The Shadows" and you will know what this incredible australian collaboration is able to do with their combination of beats and rhymes. The new EP is called "Fire In The Basement" and features another 8 excellent tracks. It's the kind of Hip Hop that will make you nod your head to positive vibes and fresh productions...more

The Downtown Rulers Club EP

There is a new soul band in town featuring Beto Martínez (Brownout & Grupo Fantasma) on guitar and Alex Chavéz on vocals. The Ben Hito-styled cover above is proof that their debut EP is released through no other than the incredible Paris DJs crew. The group is completed by Greg Gonzalez on Bass, Jeremy Bruch on Drums, Josh Levy on Saxophone and Mark Gonzalez on Trombone. Their genuine sound is rooted in classic funk breaks and contemporary soul. Working their way through slow ballads like "Standby" and swingin funk tracks like "All My Stories" the Downtown Rulers Club always stays true to the principles of solid song writing and a flexible grooves...more

Telepathy - 12 Areas

After their successful "Fracture" EP it was only a matter of time until the british band Telepathy would end up releasing a complete album. The instrumental rockers already received a number of positive reviews and "12 Areas" is another example of the band's monstrous sound and dynamic songwriting. From the first note Telepathy does one thing foremost: creating atmospheres. Minimalistic tensed atmospheres that are bound to burst into huge riffs and rhythms...more

Spritual Jazz Vol. 5: The World

What can you say about Jazzman Record's Spiritual Jazz series? Time and time again it proved to be one of the best compilation series out there and volume five is raising the bar yet again. The simple title "The World" displays the various roots of these rare jazz pieces, which have almost never seen a reissue. Jazzman's digging brigade worked their way through tons of records from all over the world. The result is a collection of deep jazz tunes from south America, Japan, eastern Europe and various other places. The main focus is on tracks from 1961-1979, a time in which jazz played a crucial role in the contemporary music scene, unlike today...more