Cosmic Tiger's February 12" digs

By Rocco Universal

Times are tough for all of us right now, but that hasn’t come even close to dulling our desire to discover new or previously unheard sounds from across the musical universe. It’s been noted that our output has decreased of late, and this is an unfortunate symptom of the blasted pandemic-induced restrictions the ourselves and the rest of the world are faced with. The need to ‘pivot’ has left us with fewer man hours to dedicate to our cosmic crusade, but our quest to cast light on interesting sounds remains intact, if a little hindered. We’ve done our best to put an interesting list of recent finds for you here. Massive love to all and let’s hope we can dance together soon enough.

Mr Fingers 'Vault Sessions 1'

Alleviated

House master Larry Heard digs deep into the archives for the first part in a series of retrospective EPs on his Alleviated label. We understand the majority of the material has never before seen the light of day, and predictably, it still sounds utterly captivating today. Stripped electronics overflowing with funk and soul

Basso 'Drum Chums Vol 1'

Drum Chums

Dusty-fingered edit specialist Sebastian Graetz turns out four ultra agreeable retouches here for the first in the Drum Chums series. Covering ground from the saucer-eyed Balearic 'Breaking Bread' to the camp 'Soft Choppers', it's the jazz-funk boogie synths of Ströer rework 'Do Stay For Breakfast' that we're busy jiving to in Cosmic Tiger HQ.

Mad Honey 'Upward Bound'

Space Grapes

To be perfectly honest, we're unable to offer anything in the way of background to the artist or label here, but what we can say with a degree of certainty is that this pair of synth-laden cosmic boogie numbers sold like hot cakes when it was released last year. Now, happily, for collectors, the release has been repressed, so no need to pay silly money to speculators to get your hands on a copy

Wet Silk ‘Wet Silk’

Mixed Signals

We reviewed this essential Patrick Adam's production last month, and it's still receiving heavy rotation over here. Proto-house meets luxurious soul on this rarest of dalliances into the dance underground from Lamar Thomas and Judy Taylor, lovingly resurrected by the Mixed Signals team

Yusuke Hirado 'Galaxy Highway'

At Home Sound

クラブジャズシーンにおける日本を代表するバンドquasimode(クオシモード)のリーダー、日本を代表するジャズピアニスト平戸祐介による「踊れる」クラブサウンドを意識した世界基準のソロプロジェクトアルバム『TOWER OF TOUCH』から、人気の高い2曲が、RYUHEI THE MANによるダンサブルなDJ仕様RE-EDITを加え7インチリリース！コズミックでスペイシー、ファンキーでソウルフルな進化系のジャズサウンドがここに登場！ ■作品紹介 ●平戸が師と仰ぐジャズの巨匠Miles Davis、更にRoy AyersやJames Masonといったジャズ～レアグルーヴの巨匠からのインスパイアを色濃く感じさせつつ、更にウエストロンドン系に代表されるブロークンビーツの雄Degoや、隆盛を極めるUKジャズの雄Kamaal Williamsを踏襲した、世界基準のアルバム『TOWER OF TOUCH』から、人気の高いリード曲2曲を、RYUHEI THE MANがよりファンキー＆ジャジー＆ダンサブルなDJ仕様にRE-EDITし7インチリリース！ ●参加バンドメンバーは、有望若手ジャズバンドGecko & Tokage Paradeから若干23歳のベーシスト中山拓哉、そして在日ファンクのメンバーとして、また吉澤はじめとの共演で知られるドラマー永田真毅!自由度の高いセッション性のものから派生して一つのストーリーを展開させ、平戸の作品に未だかつてない緊張感と高揚感を生み出している。 ●更に、音を踏襲したコズミックでスペイシーな70年代のレアグルーヴ感のあるクールなジャケットも素晴らしい！ ●AT HOME SOUND2021年第一弾シリーズ、1月20日発売！ ●平戸祐介(piano /keyboard/composer)　プロフィール 長崎県生まれ。父親の所有する膨大な ジャズ・レコードを聴きながら育ち、中学生の頃からジャズピアニストとして活動を開始。高校時代にはNYマンハッタン音楽院のサマー・ ワーク・ショップで トップ・レベル・コンボに抜擢され、最優秀賞を獲得。高校卒業後渡米し、NYにあるニュースクール大学ジャズ科に進み、Walter Bishop Jr.に師事する。1995年にはRichard Davis (Bs), Winard Harper (Ds)と共演、ジャパン・ツアーで成功を収める。大学卒業後に帰国、上京し、quasimodeを結成。国内外屈指のアーティスト群と共演を果たす。2012年に自身初となるソロ作品 「Speak Own Words」をリリース。 個人活動を充実させるべく2015年2月をもってquasimodeが活動を休止、2015年にはピアノソロアルバムの決定盤2ndアルバム 「Voyage」をリリース。2017年ソロプロジェクト「Yusuke Hirado Prospect」始動。同年にには、Yusuke Hirado Prospect 待望の第一弾「Heritage」をリリース。2019年には自身初の教則本「3年後確実にジャズピアノが弾ける練習法」をリリース。amazon等では軒並みベストセラーを獲得。 ■ 作品詳細 フォーマット : 7インチ・レコード アーティスト : YUSUKE HIRADO 平戸祐介 タイトル : Side A / GALAXY HIGHWAY(RYUHEI THE MAN 45 RE-EDIT) Side B / RHYMES(RYUHEI THE MAN 45 RE-EDIT) レーベル : AT HOME SOUND 発売日 : 2021年1月20日 規格番号 : AHS44 価格 : 税抜 1,817円 + 税 POS : 4988044061361

Light-handed edits of the sensational synth-work of Kyoto Jazz Quartet and Quasimode keyboard virtuoso, Yusuke Hirado. These come to us from seasoned digger and scalpel specialist, Ryuhei The Man via his Disk Union affiliated At Home Sound label. One for the star-gazers out there.

Daniel Ogren 'Fastingen 92'

Sing A Song Fighter

Swedish artist Daniel Ogren has garnered something of a cult following thanks to his sparkling homespun musical offerings, and there's much to enjoy on his latest album. Though this was released in April last year, it only recently came to our attention thanks to the diligent digging of our man, Cosmic Benji. 'Idag' is our pick, a gently meandering and deeply mesmerising modern lullaby that we're finding hard to stop playing.

Andy Ash 'Unconscious Therapy EP'

Delusions Of Grandeur

Our favourite creative dynamo serves up a club minded three-tracker on the always reliable D.O.G. The determined groove of the title track is wonderfully enlivened by off-kilter keys, while the snappy rhythms, hyper-infectious bass and wide-eyed synths of 'Sink' make it an instant favourite. The loose rhythms of 'All Of It At Once' complete a strong selection, with Liverpool's finest showing the world that he's been making the most of his lockdown-enforced studio time

Louiselle 'La Mosca'

Disco Segretta

Originally released in 1979 on little-known label Papaya, this rare-as-hens-teeth number received a much-needed re-issue from Italo specialists Disco Segretta last year. Unsurprisingly, it sold out very quickly. We missed it first time around and were very happy to see it back in the racks this month. Fans of the new wave of Italo treasure emanating from the peninsula will no doubt be equally enamoured with this beautiful example of golden-age Mediterranean disco soul. Sultry vocals, instantiating strings and warm, rolling bass make this an absolute must

Hoshina Anniversary 'Karuki' EP

ESP Institute

Hoshina Anniversary returns from forever for a majestic dance. This is his second offering for the ESP Institute. Side A’s 'Karakuri' contains all the elements of Hoshina’s signature sound; bouncy staccato bassline, minor chords and organ stabs, a Chick Corea-inspired Rhodes that walks all over the place, all tracked along sparse bits of Japanese percussion and cymbal that juxtapose organic texture with precision-machined timing. The lead keys feel at first as if they’re freeform, however, Hoshina’s obsession with order becomes apparent as the bars develop and his systematic control and repetition is revealed. On side B’s 'Michinoku', we’re treated to a deep and slow burner. A roller of a beat based on 808 toms and a pishy snare sets the somewhat bumpy base for this groove, and again the meat of the rhythm is built with dirty chords, this time on the upstroke, in an almost Reggae style. What the flipside taught us about Hoshina’s controlled chaos, is here again the lesson and perhaps even moreso. The voice of the track remains the Fender Rhodes, played in brief but wild phrases and arranged into patterns upon which Hoshina builds layers over some 8+ minutes. There is a deep and dark mood throughout both sides of the record, but perhaps more sultry than devilish, and one that listeners educated in the stoned arts will appreciate. These two songs have built the end into the beginning.

Sublime work here from the deeply studious mind of Hoshina Anniversary. Beautifully merging forms, tones and aesthetics, the Tokyo-based producer blends Japanese musical structure with dextrous jazz refrains to create a hypnotic soundscape rich with organic warmth and machine-like precision in almost equal measure.

Jus Jam '90s Anxiety'

Broken District

A bold effort here from Broken District co-founder Jus Jam, introducing us a selection of tracks inspired by his deliciously varied sonic influences. From swing RnB to UK garage, the emphasis is firmly on fusing heavy grooves with body-shaking bass here. Our pick is the infectious electro rhythm of 'Neopolis Sound'. Tight beats charge over a meaty funk bass as pads swirl in the distance, making room for the infectious lead synth to bring the beat home.

Gene Tellem 'Mind Reader'

Wolf Music

PRE-ORDER: https://www.phonicarecords.com/product/gene-tellem-mind-reader-ep-pre-order-wolf-music/171095 After a flawless debut on the label in 2018, Montreal’s Gene Tellem returns to WOLF Music with four, deep, lights-dialled-low, atmospheric voyages for those that like to get down. Opener ‘Ain’t Got Everything’ is a late-night cruiser, with the kind of bass whose groove you'll get lost in and never want to end. Soulful, echoed out vocal samples add to the mesh of synths, arps and electronic rumblings that wrap you up from the off.

It's always a pleasure to hear new material from the Wolf Music crew, and this splendid EP from Gene Tellem doesn't disappoint. The deep house licks of 'Ain't Got Everything' burst into life courtesy of a powerfully deviant lead synth melody, while the vocal chops, purposeful chord stabs and driving subs of 'Mind Readers' are a dance-floor guarantee. The interstellar introspection of '2nd Time Around' make it a lockdown favourite, thanks to its rich harmonic layers and wondering synth lines.

Javonntte 'Abstract Love'

MotorCity Wine

Prolific producer and serial collaborator Javonntte maintains his seriously impressive recent release schedule with this effortless slice of loose-limbed house funk. The skippy groove and vocal textures of the title track burst with dance-floor energy, while the organ stabs and sparse topography of 'Star Talk' make it a late-night, heads-down latent warehouse destroyer.

Sound Synthesis 'Hidden Realms'

Infiltrate

There's an awful lot of electro music being released these days, but the Infiltrate label has done an excellent job in maintaining a high-quality threshold. Here they turn to Maltese producer Sound Synthesis to deliver the goods. Being the suckers for acid that we are, we were instantly drawn to the growling 303's and spacey synths of 'Sonically Entwined', but after a few listens the reflective melodies of 'Electronic Feelings' have rendered it a worthy contender for the standout track from the EP.

101 Band 'Crazy Kind Of Feeling'

Emotional Rescue

Expert digging from DJ Duckcomb here as he teams with the Emotional crew to launch a new reissue series. The LA-based producer managed to get hold of the previously unreleased dubs of this sought-after reggae number from Haile Maskel, and here the original and instrumental versions are joined by a hybrid Duckcomb Discomix. Sunshine vibes all round and well worth tracking down.

You can check the full releases here via Juno Records if you’re so inclined. Incidentally, we don’t receive any kind of commission here, we do it just for love.