US

One of the leading producers and instrumentalists in Brazilian music, Alexandre Kassin has produced roughly 100 records for singers, including Marisa Monte and Bebel Gilberto, recorded with Sean O’Hagan (Stereolab, High Llamas) and made a full album based on Nintendo Game Boy sounds. He has played bass for Caetano Veloso’s live shows and conceptualized the Orchestra Imperial band.His new album, Relax, is rooted in dreams and surrealism, yet grounded enough to reach listeners where they are. Across 11 tracks, Kassin ?irts with Latin rhythms, Brazilian pop, and straight-ahead soul, using this varied stylistic array to tell imagined tales of death, drug usage, politics and fate. There’s a dichotomy to Relax, with Kassin’s arrangements often feeling bright and danceable, yet with incredibly sullen themes. It’s a record that speaks directly to the yin and yang of everyday life, and the uncertainty that comes with simply existing.The Good Is A Big God, by singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Domenico Lancellotti, features contributions from Nina Miranda, Moreno Veloso, Pedro Sá and Sean O’Hagan. Son of composer Ivor Lancellotti, Domenico has collaborated with various MPB (Música Popular Brasileira) names such as Adriana Calcanho]o, Marcos Valle, Caetano Veloso and Fernanda Abreu, and also participates in several projects such as Orchestra Imperial, the +2’s (with Moreno Veloso and Kassin) and Ritmistas.A collection of re?ective samba partially inspired by a trip taken to a Brazilian national park called The Serra dos Órgãos, The Good Is A Big God frst began to take shape when Domenico was asked to take part in an artistic collaboration in the city of London during the 2012 Summer Olympics. There, he reunited with Sean O’Hagan after previously meeting during a show that paid homage to Tropicália. Before he took o? for London, Domenico sent O’Hagan a few musical sketches he’d done on guitar, by the time the Brazilian made it to the U.K., O’Hagan had string arrangements to accompany Domenico’s music. Domenico added lyrics to some of these songs once he returned to Brazil and with help from friend and label mate Kassin, and additional assistance from O’Hagan, the record was fnished. One can hear a sense of isolation and oneness with nature when listening to The Good Is A Big God. It’s the type of art that arrives in a calming stream of thought and is a much- needed respite from the rigors of everyday life.

The Chicago edit kings are back with 4 ultra deep disco cuts chopped for your listening pleasure...Strong stuff enjoy! limited release...

Fresh from releasing a fantastic 12inch for Peoples Potential just a week or so agao, Vancouver's Yu Su drops an ace 5 tracker on NYC's Arcane! Her productions are a hit round here.

Washington based Better Listen Records drop their first VA e.p. housing four disco influenced dancefloor workouts bringing a slice of sunshine to our shores.Folamour kicks things off with an uptempo disco stomper, complete with driving bass, infectious string hooks and energetic piano stabs. The A2 sees Ethyene slows things down combining choice vocal snippets, shuffling rhythms and sleezy synthwork to create a sunset groove ready made for the summer.On the flip Ari Bald draws on all the elements from a classic disco anthem, with brass stabs, slap bass and an uplifting guitar riff driving things forward, before Dorsi Plantar closes things out with a blissful boogie simmerdown perfect for any sunrise set.

Bosq's aptly titled third full-length effort "Love & Resistance" is a collection of songs that reflect a producer's continuing emergence by diving deeper into his influences. The strains of Afro and Latin flavors are interwoven and still heavily permeate but the underlying groove and rhythms have taken on a more modern, jazz-funk and disco-soul vibe with nods to Bobby Caldwell, Roy Ayers, the Mizell brothers and Nile Rodgers' Chic.Originally based out of Boston, MA but now calling Medellin, Colombia home, Bosq's new surroundings have inspired him to create his most diverse and creative album to date. Already featuring the top tune "Can't Seem To Hide" with Megan Doherty that made a splash off the gates as the first single from the album (10/10 rating from Mixmag), the whole album is soldered together with each track being a single-worthy release in it's own right. Featuring guest vocalists on all but one of the tunes including frequent collaborators Kaleta, and Nicole Willis, along with Ray Lugo who's known for his work in Kokolo and Boogaloo Destroyers. LA based singer Induce and new duo Lucid Paradise (E da Boss & Ishtar) along with vocalist Bruno Morais whose classic Brazilian voice is reminiscent of Jorge Ben round out the cast of Bosq's most vocally varied album work to date, reflecting both his growth as an artist and his willingness to push his own sonic boundaries.A relentless work ethic fused with a broad and varied music palette all attuned to the groove and a focus on making folks move has led to numerous remix projects, most recently with legendary Benin-based Orchestre Poly-Rythmo De Cotonou. With a steadily growing fan base and reputation amongst fellow artists and musicians, Bosq's immediate future is already laden with releases lined up for Fania and his collaborative effort Body Music alongside The Rapture's Vito Roccoforte.