SEALED

Starting 2020 on high wheels, Parisian crew Discomatin picked an ultimate banger of the 80’s boogie era, Laying On The Sofa by French diva Isabelle Antena. Rare and expensive, the original 12inch here remastered for full effect offers two extended versions/remixes by Belgian electro and jazz-funk hero Marc Moulin and by American producer and DJ Mark Kamins. With her amazing voice and beautiful compositions/productions, Isabelle signed on this release two of her many great songs.« Laying On the Sofa » is a Sade-esque song with a lot of rich harmonies sublimated by the strong rhythms of the 808. This Mark Kamins remix brings the song to its climax with kind of an housy extension with its strong synths and guitars parts before it goes back to the chorus for an epic ending. Back in the days, NY DJ Mark Kamins brought Isabelle to the famous Danceteria to perform. At the same time, he was recording some of the first demos of Madonna... Do you feel the vibe?« La Tête Contre Les Murs » with his « anti-system » feeling in the lyrics is the other beauty on the EP. Remixed here by Telex member and jazz-funk don Marc Moulin, who became later the father of Isabelle Antena via her husband, the song written by her and her mother describes an old but still fresh feeling. Disillusioned, in loss of marks, with no directions: the words don’t miss to describe the youth and its feeling towards society. Maybe, this is why « you’re crashing your head on the walls » as Isabelle sings. Maybe it’s people trying to educate them in relation with certain norms who are in the end « maybe what the danger is ». With her classical and so French casualness surrounded by syncopated rhythms, Isabelle transforms this timeless topic to a song dedicated to all generations going through times of wanderings.You may know Isabelle Antena other’s work like her French-Belgian synth-pop trio Antena which led later to her another band Powaga Sisters. Combining minimal electro, pop and samba styles, Camino Del Sol was one of her greatest albums. As a solo artist, she’s found particular success in Japan with samba-inflected nu- jazz and electro-pop compositions. Still, with her own words, this EP « means a lot » to her. Thanks to Discomatin, it’s now available to the real connoisseurs with an exclusive insert which contains lyrics, again with fantastic illustrations from French artist Camille de Cussac.

Gentle waves lap the soft white sand. The limitless ocean fills the view as the sun slowly sinks below the horizon. As the day ends in blue and orange tones, the heat begins to subside, a sure sign that the slow evening migration from the beach will soon begin.A pleasant, yet formidable music comes from the radio tuned into a frequency transmitted from Paris. Maybe it was written and recorded in the 70s, or maybe it has simply soaked in that aesthetic all the way down to the pauses. It doesn't really matter.Delving deep to explore the roots of Brazil’s musical tradition, the Camarão Orkestra has tapped into Candomblé and its rhythms. Born on the drums of enslaved Africans in a ritual that invokes numerous deities, they lay the foundation for this new album, Nação África.The eleven musicians, guided by Amanda Roldan’s silky voice and guest appearance by Anthony Joseph (“Canto De Bahia”), explore and embrace the murmuring polyrhythm of Brazilian percussion instruments, vibrating berimbau and squeaking cuícas, pouring their tightly- wound funk bass into the groove and letting their jazz fly free, together and solo.The seven nonchalant tracks get your hips swaying, whether you’re in a comfortable armchair or surrounded by other dancers. They take your mind far away, on a journey paved by analog synths with Fender Rhodes crystals to the horizon where the sun’s last glimmer has finally faded away. The brass section’s shiny bells, valves and keys reflect the images and ambiance of the soft Brazilian night air.

4xLP Black Cover

If anyone from Florida tells you that something is « Bussin' », it means it's surprisingly good, in a delicious way. Orlando-born Devin Morrison's first solo album on NBN Records, « Bussin' » gives you an ill mix of flavors with eclectic inspirations rooted in 90's R&B, Gospel and Funk.You get freshly-squeezed harmonies inspired by the likes of Take 6 & Commissioned on slow jams like « Bussin' », melodies that pierce like spears on « No » and drums that bite like gator jaws on the G-Funk infused banger « The Struggle Iz Real » featuring Daz Dillinger. Singer/songwriter/composer, Devin Morrison aims to show the world the sweet sound of Florida that it has yet to hear, and collaborates with the finest voices in the R&B industry such as Grammy Award nominees KING, super talented singer from L.A. Joyce Wrice on the classic R&Bduet « With You », or hot newcomers like Ace Hashimoto on the futuristic sounding « Guaranteed ». The introductive track « It's Time » features a guitar performance from Devin's father, a solo recording artist in the early 90's as known as Dah-Vi and ends up on a personal note with the spiritual « Fairytale » (featuring vocals from Devin's older brother, Lakks Mable) and the introspective « Love Yourself ». As Devin tweeted, « As long as I'm alive, R&B shall be as well ». The expectations are high for this Floridian creative, Devin Morrison is here to stay and he's about to let the whole world know about it.