I’m headed to the inaugral Maiden Voyage Festival today on Three Mills Island. It’s a one-stage Jazz Cafe creation with a solid gold line-up spanning jazz, hip-hop, afrobeat and funk. So solid in fact that I’m not even going to pick out an artist – instead you can listen to a selection of tracks below. Whack it on shuffle and soak it in.
This guy is. For. Real. He’s probably best known for his work with Chet Faker (aka Nick Murphy), but Marcus is so talented that he can pretty much produce a hit in any genre, and play most of the instruments as well. As if that’s not enough, he’s one of the most respected DJs in the game, playing the top of Berlin’s scene.
Having bigged him up, his releases are actually a bit hit and miss – probably because he plays with so many genres and influences. So what I’ve done is picked two of his darker numbers for you. First up we have Pleasure Moon – a rolling, percussive, sexy trip through the night.
https://open.spotify.com/track/5I2asYxhTQnBHpHFocwG3e?si=Ie-VqTF0S3CqN0lYV2bnYQ
And second it’s Gerd Janson’s take on High Times. It comes firing straight out of the blocks; it’ll grab you by the scruff of the neck and not let go for another 7 minutes. So I hope you like!
https://open.spotify.com/track/0DD86Aq7nd405RgOxaAnxj?si=qPwpAqlfTue2CjGZByaZZg
First up, I can’t describe this new 3-track release by Dusky without loving on the name of the first track; Boris Borisson’s Trip To Morissons. I mean, what are they thinking? And why? I love it.
Anyway, to the music – it is another consistent (read, massive) release from the lads from London. It delivers just what you’d expect – some ethereal cords, some tasty nostalgic vocal samples, and some even more tasty breaks. Sharp.
A line paraphrased from the review on RA: Dusky deliver the “general feeling of roofs being raised”. And if you want to do just that, you’re in luck – join in for their 5th in a series of 8 hour sets at Mick’s Garage this Saturday. I can’t recommend them highly enough.
More Dusky loving by me here.
This is one of my favourite Summer tracks from back in uni days. It just about stays the right side of tropical and Majestic, and serves up a sun-soaked feel-good number.
Released in 2011, it was the soundtrack to a hell of a lot of fun in the sun. I wish that wherever you are right now, it bestows the same pleasure upon you.
Now this is a huge old track for me. Incredibly tasty piano chords, stunning deepness. At risk of sounding like a prick, I think the second drop (at 2:45) is really fucking clever. It somehow feels original, creative and natural at the same time. Leon Vynehall would be proud.
If you like the track you are in luck: as well as the Dope Mix, the EP has a Vocal Mix, a Deep Mix and an Alex Israel Remix!
Here we have three quality edits on Sterns; the vocals of immensely talented Malian singer Nahawa Doumbia being given the treatment by Ben Gomori and Tom Jay. Rather good.
I’m taking it back to 2009 (HudMo was just 23 at the time).
And you have just never heard a track like Fuse before. Butter, the album its taken from, is a pretty fidgety affair – quite hard to listen to – but boy does Fuse go off. Chuck it on next time you go to a magical elvish party to dance with some nymphs at dawn.
P.S. I only just noticed that on the cover the hawks have mohawks. Very clever. Perhaps.
