Single Review: “PWMS1” – Robi Theophilus

This track is short and sweet! Clocking in at 0:56 it still has an impact. There’s a lot here. It starts off with a vocal that I suspect Robi’s sampled and is playing back on the keyboard. The voicing of the chords are so cool! Add to that 808 drums, guitar, bass and a piano …

Single Review: “Unfinished Sympathy” – Massive Attack

This track is just beautiful! Why did I pick it for the throwback track of the day? Well back in 1998 listeners for BBC Radio 1 voted this number 1 in the 100 national anthems. For me this track has got everything, lush strings, scratching, a breakbeat with hypnotic bells in there too. The vocals …

Album Review: “The Summoned” – Mama Terra. Words: Sammy Stein.

I became aware of Mama Terra when I took part in a Jazz FM panel show at Pizza Express, Holborn, London. The band was exploring and recreating partially, Herbie Hancock’s 1973 album ‘Head Hunters’. I was impressed by co-leader Marco Cafolla’s animated exposition of why he likes Herbie Hancock – and then by the music …

Blog interview: Modeste

Congratulations on the release of “Queen” how does it feel?    Thank you, yeah, honestly it feels good to be able to show another aspect of my writing. “Queen” has a much more romantic feel than my previous releases. What’s the story behind the song?    The story is actually based on a fictional scenario. …

Single Review: “Mindfulness” – River Nelson.

This track starts off with a jazzy gospel part that’s just two chords over some lush strings.  When Andy Kettle sent me this, he had me from the chord progression.  But this is not where I was invested.  Oh no.  No no no. The hard hitting drums?  Nope.  The lack of bassline?  Oh yeah I …

Single Review: “I Wish You Well” – Chidi Digital and ROT8TIONS

This is an instrumental of sublime levels… The drums are dusty and warm, reminding you of old jazz records, fused with a vinyl crackle, and it just whisks me back to listening to records on a really good hi fi system, it just sounds so natural. You can’t always get that with a sample of …