Vancouver duo Potatohead People (aka the duo of Nick Wisdom & AstroLogical) make their long awaited return to Bastard Jazz with their 4th album, 'Eat Your Heart Out'. Jumping off on the clean & musical production sensibilities that they have become heavily fetishized for over the last decade, the album finds the duo further stepping out from the shadow of the boards and stepping into the spotlight as vocalists, songwriters, players and musicians standing strong in their own respect.

TRACK LISTING

1. The Formula
2. Keepin'; It Kool (feat. Kendra Dias)
3. Last Nite (feat. Redman)
4. Angelwings (feat. Shafiq Husayn & Ivan Ave)
5. Distant Luv (feat. Kapok)
6. Follow Your Heart
7. Come Home (feat. Abstract Rude, T3 & Kapok)
8. Paradise (feat. Diamond Cafe)
9. Secret Mission (feat. Frank Nitt & Reggie B)
10. Everything U Need (feat. Kendra Dias)
1.1 For The Soul (feat. Moka Only)

Nick & Astro are reunited as Potatohead People on this sweaty teaser 7" for their latest album 'Eat Your Heart Out'. On "Paradise", the boys have hotly tipped Canadian artist Diamond Café on for vocals. Diamond delivers a stunning vocal performance on this early 80s influenced slice of digital sex funk that comes in somewhere between Sade, El Debarge and Prefab Sprout. The man describes his music as "bathing in a cloud of honey on a very foggy night", and we couldn't agree more.On the flipside, Nick Wisdom dubs out the original, flexing the bassline's muscles with additions of swirling synth work and little bites of keyboard funk.

TRACK LISTING

1. Paradise (feat. Diamond Cafe)
2. Paradise (Nicky's 1 Nite Only Dub) [feat. Diamond Cafe]

F.I.D.E.L (Further Individual Delusions) is the avatar project of Paris-based composer/producer/A&R, R.DIlouya (Omar, Sly Johnson, N'Dea Davenport, Gystère, Oxmo Puccino etc - Blue Note Records, Universal Jazz, Heavenly Sweetness).

UK Funk & Soul and Northern Soul Legend, John Turrell (Smoove & Turrell - BBC Fantasy Funk Band - Jalapeño Records) and French Hip-Hop, Soul and Jazz major force, Sly Johnson (aka Sly the Mic Buddha - Multi-Platinum selling supergroup Saïan Supa Crew - BBE Records).

Hailing from North Paris and Northern England, F.I.D.E.L pays tribute with Out Of Sight to the great Post-Disco, Boogie and New Wave pop songs that shaped the world's collective unconscious at the twilight of the Thatcher / Cold War Era.

F.I.D.E.L takes this as a jumping off point and channels its sound through the care and the musical craft of the past to a yet more modern soundscape using Prophet Synthesizers, Clavinets and Drum Machines to create a fast, nervous, funky, ironic and intoxicating satire of modern-days in our now post-COVID western societies.

While most of the musical heavy lifting is done by Dilouya himself, Turrell lays down socially anchored lyrics, rooted firmly in the gritty, no-nonsense world of a working-class man, tracks such as All About Love , Straight Down to Heaven or (I Don't Give a Sh*t About) Summertime show the depths of this man's repertoire.

Sly Johnson lets his soul rip with a gut reaction to 21st century tech-infused populism on Out of Sight and Star 51.

This musical connection fused the fun-loving, loud-speaking, trouble-making friends and made them explore with irony and sarcasm the paradoxes of their time to produce what will remain as a unique body of work, testifying to the ambivalence of a generation oscillating between social concern and the desire to party!

Recorded over two week-long studio sessions in Paris, Out Of Sight showcases Dilouya's timeless songwriting and bold production style, setting the perfect ground for John Turrell's instant classic vocal performances and Sly Johnson's revered musicianship and versatility. Electrifying performances from German songstress Noraa (Out of Sight , Heartbeat) and SciFi- obsessed DKO Records' front man Larry Houl (Odd Things) complement F.I.D.E.L's take on how and why music shapes our critical sense and appetite for escapism.

"Between delusions of grandeur and social disappointment, fantasized nostalgia and neon statues bearing its effigy, F.I.D.E.L imposes with Out Of Sight its ideal for Civilization to a world that ultimately never changes."

TRACK LISTING

1. OUT OF SIGHT — F.I.D.E.L, Sly Johnson, Noraa, John Turrell & Dilouya
2. HEARTBEAT — F.I.D.E.L, John Turrell & Dilouya
3. STAR 51 — F.I.D.E.L, Sly Johnson & Dilouya
4. ALL ABOUT LOVE — F.I.D.E.L, John Turrell & Dilouya
5. STRAIGHT DOWN TO HEAVEN — F.I.D.E.L, John Turrell & Dilouya
6. L'AVENTURE MODERNE — F.I.D.E.L & Dilouya
7. ALL OF THIS IS FAKE — F.I.D.E.L, John Turrell & Dilouya
8. (I DON'T GIVE A SH*T ABOUT) SUMMERTIME — F.I.D.E.L, John Turrell & Dilouya
9. BEHIND THE WALL — F.I.D.E.L, John Turrell & Dilouya
10. ODD THINGS (Part 1&2) — F.I.D.E.L, Larry Houl, Sly Johnson & Dilouya

Potatohead People's much lauded and instantly sold out third LP Mellow Fantasyis back with a very limited edition black & blue swirl vinyl repress. The album showcases the trademark instrumental prowess of the duo and their ease with the loose but hard-hitting drum style brought to the fore by Jay Dee's influential productions, but goes well beyond basic boom bap bread and butter, with singer-centered R&B and uptempo bumps sharing the stage. On this album, Potatohead People have widened the frame of their progressive musical vision and deliver a far-reaching yet approachable set of moods and grooves.

On Mellow Fantasy, they had some impressive inspiration. De La Soul immediately connected with "Baby Got Work," a sophisticated slap that went through several iterations before settling into its ultimate form. Appropriately, the song's diligent construction echoes the ethic of the grind in the clear-eyed, precisely dovetailed lyrics fans have come to expect from the Daisy Age don. Befitting Potatohead People's origins as a hip-hop group, cameos from Illa J and Slum Village's T3 on the summertime teaser "What It Feels Like" and Vancouver veteran Moka Only (the sassy, vanity take-down "Ungodly") add to the unimpeachable rap bonafides.

The hometown connections continue with Lotusland local Kapok slinging verses on a couple tracks and rising stars Kendra Dias and Clear Mortifee, who stake serious claims as names to watch with standout vocal turns on the low-slung neo-soul "Break Even" and the upcoming second single "Hidden Levels," a high-flying house/future boogie hybrid. Following up their successful 2019 collabo "Single Life," Bunnie makes her return to action with the group on "Kettle Boiling." Ranging further, Reggie B, who broke on the scene with his lead on Onra's "High Hopes," shines on the optimistic bounce of "Bring The World A Little Closer."

Mellow Fantasy is Potatohead People's most evolved collection yet, rooted in earthy low end but elevated, expansive and reaching new musical heights.

TRACK LISTING

1. 1st Light
2. In The Garden
3. What It Feels Like (feat. T3, Illa J & Kapok)
4. Hidden Levels (feat. Clear Mortifee)
5. Baby Got Work (feat. Posdnuos & Kapok)
6. Proof Is In The Pudding
7. Break Even (feat. Kendra Dias)
8. Ungodly (feat. Kapok & Moka Only)
9. Island Delivery
10. Bring The World A Little Closer (feat. Reggie B)
11. Kettle Boiling (feat. Bunnie)
12. Ode To Mr Jacobs
13. All The Way (Bonus Track)

New Robohands LP 'Palms' is the fifth album from the London based instrumentalist and producer Andy Baxter. Moving towards different genres and arrangements from his previous albums, 'Palms' features duelling harp parts, tape echo, double bass and draws inspiration from artists such as Dorothy Ashby, Azimuth, Alice Coltrane and Toquinho.

In parts tropical and synth drenched, and in others stripped back and acoustic, 'Palms' is a journey back to saturated analog recordings of the late 60s and 70s, with a subtle modern layer of glitch FX and pitch control experimentation in places. The album makes also reference to classic releases from jazz fusion that feature the legendary Arp Odyssey synthesiser, used by artists such as Herbie Hancock and George Duke.

The seventeen track album features performances from multiple session musicians including Jim Piela on saxophone and Marco Cremaschini on Rhodes, with Baxter taking on drums, guitar, bass, keys and also mixing duties. 'Palms' is a new direction for his project and a record that thematically journeys into modern reinterpretations of jazz, downtempo, acoustic and ambient music.

TRACK LISTING

1. Palms
2. Tinted
3. Moments
4. Geodesic Luxury
5. Last Summer
6. Easy
7. Driven
8. Individuation
9. Jorge
10. Modular Life
11. Nylon Days
12. One Dimensional Man
13. For Jimi
14. Saturation
15. Ouroboros
16. Piraeus Yesterday
17. Relax Pt II

On "Tambor De Cura", producer Daniel David (The Pendletons) and Bay Area staples Jazz Mafia team up with Rio De Janeiro artist Guinu to cook up a genre defying dancefloor hitter that blends dirty analog Brazilian funk, sci-fi synth sounds and raw horn lines with an unstoppable bass hook. Midway, the song transitions into a Samba break with a beautiful trumpet solo, while seamlessly returning to its infectious house tempo. Guinu's passionate vocals highlight the healing power of the music.

On "Devotion", producer/singer and multi-instrumentalist Daniel David (The Pendletons) teams up with Jazz Mafia to bring a rich up-tempo offering. Building off of a hypnotic jazzy house piano and tapestry of congas and live percussion, Daniel soulfully paints a picture of connecting to spirit through one's inner world. Jazz Mafia's driving horns build throughout, propelling the track, with relief by an energetic drum breakdown and conga solo.

TRACK LISTING

1. Tambor De Cura (feat. Jazz Mafia & Guinu)
2. Devotion (feat. Jazz Mafia)

Most well known as the Grammy nominated keyboardist/co-producer and co- writer of the celebrated Australian band Haitus Kaiyote, Simon Mavin's had a hand in multiple projects across the spectrum, but has yet to release under his own moniker until now.

The EP, which features two original tracks and two remixes from fellow Aussies Harvey Sutherland and Close Counters starts out was recorded in-between projects at the Grove, a small recording sanctuary in Melbourne. In Simon's studio, he had installed a library of keyboards. 30-40 synthesizers, all of which were painstakingly patched in to be simultaneously accessible and ready to record in an instant. A drum kit in the corner was constantly mic'd up, and everything routed through a multitude of analog mixing desks providing different flavours of tone and texture. The Grove had such appeal that it was chosen as the studio to record the Gilles Peterson compilation 'Sunny Side Up' on Brownswood Recordings.

Things kick off with "Good Hair Day", a track originally blossoming from an infectious piano loop in which fellow collaborators Nick Lam and Henry Hicks added guitar parts and bass parts. What's resulted is a danceable, infectious feel-good dancefloor jam with an ultra funky synth bassline that harkens back to Herbie Hancock's 1970's repertoire. Harvey Sutherland takes the tempo up and takes the track deeper into outer space with deep synth work, four on the floor drums, and a punchy bassline for late night sessions.

On the flip, "Only You & Me" is a lower tempo, slow burning joint with a live drum loop played by Nick Martyn, with an alien bassline, squelching keys, otherworldly oscillating vocodor parts and jazzy keyboard solos. Up and coming trio Close Counters take the song into new territory, stripping things down with a classic Broken Beat vibe, a driving bassline and synth stabs from the original, moving things squarely on the dancefloor – definitely atrack for the breakers in the building.

TRACK LISTING

1. Good Hair Day
2. Good Hair Day (Harvey Sutherland Remix)
3. Only You & Me
4. Only You & Me (Close Counters Remix)

Potatohead People's classic tune "What It Feels Like'' featuring T3 (Slum Village), Kapok and Illa J gets a remix treatment from in demand bass player and rising star Carrtoons. Switching up the order of the verses, dubbing out the horns and adding in his signature basswork, Carrtoons gets the song into a whole other groove of its own while retaining the original vibe in a unique way. Look out for a 7" coming in Spring of 2022 with the remix and the OG on it!

TRACK LISTING

1. What It Feels Like (Carrtoons Remix) [feat. T3, Illa J & Kapok]
2. What It Feels Like (feat. T3, Illa J & Kapok)

Denver producer and visual artist John T. Hastings aka RUMTUM returns to Bastard Jazz for his second album on the label, "Arcadian Daze". The album is a contemplative drive down a nostalgic highway, reflecting on a period of his late adolescence growing up in Ohio, spending time at Arcadia Beach on Lake Erie and discovering the likes DJ Shadow, Madlib, Fila Brazilla, early Four Tet, the original Ninja Tune roster and more. Revisiting these coming of age memories, John purchased an older MPC 2000XL and set out to musically capture the excitement of putting his first nascent loops together, inspired by this pivotal era of electronic music that has since birthed movements like such as Lo-Fi/Chillhop, Vaporwave, LA's mid-2000s Beat Scene / Low End Theory, etc.

The end result of "Arcadian Daze" is indeed filled with that nostalgic spirit paying homage to those aforementioned sounds, but also presents a forward thinking musical palate that's very much grounded in RUMTUM's sensibilities as a producer and time spent learning to program new & vintage outboard gear. The album moves away from the warm, dreamy sounds of last year's "Isles in Indigo" LP, and touches more into a mystical, pensive vibe with elements of darkness and light.

TRACK LISTING

1. No Drugs Needed
2. Echo Drift
3. Arcadian Daze
4. Utopia Dock Lab 1986
5. Bike Race To Nowhere
6. Under 1000 Clouds
7. Pier Light
8. Vapor Sun
9. DaBrye Squared
10. Life In Reverse
11. Sand Spirit

Robohands, aka Andy Baxter, joins the Bastard Jazz family with a new EP titled "Giallo." Partly inspired by Italian Giallo (meaning "yellow") film soundtracks of the late 70s and 80s, as well as the experimental sounds of pioneering krautrock bands like Tangerine Dream and NEU! Armed with an old Juno 60 synthesizer, Andy wrote, recorded, and mixed all the parts himself, including the live drums, adding in multiple layers of effects.

Spread across 8 tracks, "Giallo" spans atmospheric meditations ("Giallo;" "Claws;" "Relax") to jazzy improvisational explorations ("Fear"), interwoven with brief solo instrumental tapestries ("Horror;" "Float By Like Clouds;" "For the Different"). There is an elegant cinematic quality to the EP, further refined by Robohands' production prowess and technical chops. "Giallo" builds on the Robohands sound, taking it in an exciting, more experimental direction.

TRACK LISTING

1. Giallo
2. Fear
3. Claws
4. Horror
5. Float By Like Clouds
6. For The Different
7. Drum Break
8. Relax

LNDFK (aka Linda Feki) presents her ground-breaking debut album, "Kuni" on Brooklyn-based Bastard Jazz Recordings. Undeniably on the rise after her 2019 breakout performance at Primavera Sound, LNDFK has already caught the attention of Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Clash Magazine, Noisey, and Brooklyn Vegan (among many others) while being championed by the likes of Gilles Peterson, Tom Ravenscroft, and Jamz Supernova & landing spots on tastemaker playlists like Spotify's "Pollen" and "Fresh Finds."

"Kuni" is a spellbinding exploration of dichotomies: Love & Death (Eros & Thanatos), Flower & Fire, Delicacy & Violence, Poetry & Realism, Purification & Destruction. These opposites are reified in the 10-track LPs multifarious and multifaceted sounds, elegantly meandering through a variety of styles and genres, spearheaded by Linda and features the production wizardry of Darrio Bassolino who co-wrote the album.

"Kuni" opens with "Hana-bi," an ambient instrumental piece that sets the tone for the album. Inspired by the Takeshi Kitano 1997 film of the same name – particularly Joe Hisaishi's stunning soundtrack, as well as Kitano's paintings which appear in the film. "Hana-bi" expresses the dialoguing opposites of flowers and fire, the first of many dichotomous representations throughout the album. "Takeshi" acts as an extension and to "Hana-bi," albeit one of opposing sound, with its driving, highly syncopated drums (which reappear throughout "Kuni") – à la Karriem Riggins, Questlove, or Yussef Dayes – frenetic bass line, and jazz chords. Linda's sultry voice is interspersed, initially jumping around in scat fashion, being triggered as if a sample, before her lyrics come in; her vocals are used like an additional instrument, adding to the song's rich texture. "Kuni" truly hits its stride with the next song, "Smoke – a moon or a button" (its title lifted from the 1959 book by Ruth Krauss and Remy Charlip), which is structured like a jazz standard yet flows into neo-soul territory sonically with those prodigious drums a highlight once again.

LNDFK touches on experimental hip hop in two songs on the record (both of which were released as singles in 2021): "Don't Know I'm Dead or Not (feat. Chester Watson)" – track #4 – and "How Do We Know We're Alive (feat. Pink Siifu)" – track #9. Although they embrace a more hip hop-leaning sound, these songs by no means shy away from the exploratory theme, and feature two of the alt-rap scenes rising stars with Chester Watson and Pink Siifu who offer provocatively impressing verses, combining dense word play with unconventional flows. While these tracks may first appear to be outliers on the album, they are undeniably in tune with "Kuni's" message and sonic palette, acting as testaments to LNDFK's willingness to explore and experiment.

Meanwhile, "Ku" – the third and last single before the album release – furthers the pre-established future soul sound while meandering through nu jazz and left-field electronic. Inspired by the graphic novel and film, "Sin City," and its female assassin protagonist Miho, "Ku" is a musical interpretation of Miho's story, incorporating both her beauty – the first half of the song – and murderous tendencies – the second half – to create a stunning juxtaposition, culminating in an ambient finale that suggests the character's vulnerability and inner peace. The song gracefully bridges the gap between Hiatus Kaiyote-esque songwriting, Dilla's rhythmic syncopation, and Thundercat's instrumental prowess (LNDFK has shared a stage Brainfeeder labelmate Kamasi Washington).

Mixed in throughout "Kuni" are a series of instrumental pieces that function as something akin to an interlude. The aforementioned intro, "Hana-bi," and the album closer "se mi stacco da te, mi strappo tutto:" act as bookends, while "Om" indicates the half-way mark, and "Ktm" sees Jason Lindner add his sound the album. These tracks are the ambient foundation of "Kuni," representing the thematic duality of the work. Clocking in at only 24 minutes, "Kuni" packs an astonishingly diverse array of sounds, styles, and themes, all while showcasing virtuosic musicianship and instrumental prowess.

Appearing on "Hana-bi" and "Ktm," renowned international artists Asa-Chang and Jason Lindner add an additional perspective to "Kuni": Asa-Chang on "Hana-bi," and Jason Lindner on "Ktm." Asa-Chang - famously of the Japanese avant-garde group Asa-Chang & Junray - provides vocals and percussion to an alternate version of the instrumental opener, while the acclaimed keyboardist Jason Lindner offers his synth expertise on "Ktm." These features highlight the spirit of collaboration found in LNDFK's music, always willing to try out new ways of working.

LNDFK is a singer and songwriter, born of two cultures – an Italian mother and Arab father. She grew up in Naples, away from her father, the Sahara, her homeland and traditions, which has helped nourish the desire to rediscover – through art – an engagement to her roots. Her music melts with jazz, neo-soul and hip-hop influences, filtered through her experiences and sensibility.

Her first EP, "Lust Blue," was composed with the artistic production of Dario Bass and released by Feelin' Music; after that she released several singles that saw international radio support (BBC, NTS, Wordwide FM) and gained a massive audience on digital platforms. Together with her band, she toured around Europe, performing alongside such notable artists as Kamasi Washington and Mndsgn, among others. Most recently she toured Italy, and performed at Primavera Sound Festival 2019 in Barcelona.

STAFF COMMENTS

Millie says: A stunning mix of electronica, jazz and R&B, the album 'Kuni' marries them all together perfectly. This will be your bag if you like Moonchild, Jordan Rakei or the Brownswood Bubblers vibe, get going!

TRACK LISTING

1. Hana-bi
2. Takeshi
3. Smoke - A Moon Or A Button
4. Don't Know I'm Dead Or Not (feat. Chester Watson)
5. Om
6. Hana-bi (feat. Asa-Chang)
7. Ku
8. Ktm (feat. Jason Lindner)
9. How Do We Know We're Alive (feat. Pink Siifu)
10. Se Mi Stacco Da Te, Mi Strappo Tutto: