Koyma Hondo – Boncana Maïga

*GUEST POST*

Likelihood is that a few of you might be feeling a little blue right about now, so, in the spirit of getting through January, check out this fella from Mali, Boncana Maïga, who’s been a big deal in the latin-soul scene for c. 40 years.  This EP is more on the afro-funk end of things, so, stick it on and bounce your way through the opening salvos of 2019.  Weirdly the final track, Petroci, was written as the soundtrack for an oil company of the same name from the Ivory Coast.  We hate oil companies, but, boy do we love afro-funk eh.

Enjoy,

Winston

 

Best of 2018

Happy New Year music fans. I’m really excited to bring you a load of new music this year, but before I do, let’s have one final post on 2018. Here are my most played tracks of the year courtesy of Spotify. You’ll find some new ones, some old ones, some quick ones and some slow ones. Pop it on shuffle and enjoy.

Quick note – there are a couple of albums on here that I’ve rinsed for chilling out. So any tracks on there by Bibio or by Marconi Union are liable to send you to sleep. You’ve been warned.

Against The Clock – FACTmagazine

Against the Clock is great little feature run by FACTmagazine. The premise is that they give artists 10 minutes to make a track and film it. What you get is a wicked insight into their creative process – most of the time the artists are able to make a track that has their signature sound. Unpolished, but fresh. Two my faves below – but check out the Youtube playlist for some more festive viewing. There are 193 of them so find an artist you like and go from there.

Agar Agar (another post about them here)

Tom Demac (another post about him here)

Supermodel (You Better Work) – RuPaul

There’s a lot being said about the UK’s drag scene these days and a lot of it seems to be coming back to the opinions of RuPaul. I don’t know if I’m super late to this or what –  I thought that RuPaul was a scenester / TV personality – it seems he is a lot more than that. Exhibit #1 this track from 1993. It’s a camp, glittery, disco anthem.

Wondering which dance move to trot out? Check out this video from Peach’s Boiler Room Manchester set. She’s launched all the levels. Skip to 0:45 for a some tip-top vogue-ing action.

DISCWOMAN 55 x Peach

Today’s post is a direct rip from Resident Advisor’s Top 100 mixes of the year article. Lazy much? Anyway, it’s sick, and the description is good, and I thought, ‘why try beat it?’ You can find it here. I’m new to Peach, and I like.

“”I don’t think I’ve been ever very good at the chill thing,” Peach admitted when her Discwoman mix was published in October. No matter: her sets happily exist in a space well outside the chill zone. DISCWOMAN 55 was as bright as it was tough, with dreamy breakbeats, 135 BPM rave, the odd dollar-bin oldie and loads of great new music. This was Peach doing what she does best.”

If you like what you hear, Peach is playing a few dates around the UK over the next couple of months.

Say My Name – Cyril Hahn

It’s 2012. To make a successful dance track:

  1. Take your favourite R&B banger
  2. Pitch down a vocal sample so that it is just about recognisable
  3. Put it up on Youtube with a photo of a sexy lady (I’m looking at you Majestic Casual) and watch the hits roll in

It might be a formula, but the man from Bern Cyril Hahn kind of nails it with this Destiny’s Child remix. Simple, but deep and effective – I can’t help but love this one.

Midnight in Peckham – Chaos in the CBD

Bradley Zero’s Peckham-based Rhythm Section label has been nailing it over the last decade. No surprise then that they picked up two beaut Jazz/House fusion EPs from Kiwi brother-pairing Chaos in the CBD. Let their smooth brass and beats drift over you.

They are playing one UK night tonight with Percolate at Hangar. Don’t miss.

Bonus track: could they go deeper? Could they go smoother? You betcha.