About this Playlist
When the Hoof discovered Spotify, he spent all is time looking backwards instead for forwards, musically that is, rediscovering all the music he missed, but in 2019 he started the hunt for more new music, this is a mix of some of his favourite music released that year, a sort of mini review, beginning with some uptempo jazz breaks from one of the best in the business from the Bay Area USA The Jazzual Suspects influenced by Mark Farina’s Mushroom Jazz label and featuring on many of the compilations since its inception, arise the ‘Sleeping Giant’.
Onto Parisian Blundetto and his collaboration with a true great of Jamaican music, the legendary reggae vocalist Ken Boothe ‘Have A Little Faith’ is a super smooth track, more soul than reggae that’s given a little something extra with a remix from Patchworks, I don’t know much about Patchworks, he was a bassist and guitarist in bands before releasing deep house tracks but what I can tell you is if see a remix from him, give it your attention as they’re all impressive.
Next sees the return of Keith Murray well it’s an ex Lost Boys Mr Cheeks recording ‘Music Makes Me High 2’ and the production is something else on this one but its that vocal drawl of the former Def squad member that makes the record shine.
Keeping with the old school vibe with Nicole Bus with- ‘You’. It’s got the classic Wu Tang C.R.E.A.M piano sample, The Charmels ‘As Long As I Got You’ and added rhymes from Ghostface Killah, this is a monster of a track when that beats kick in, “ooohf ya bugger” as they say in these parts, if goes off.
Bringing the tempo down with a quality interpretation of Talking heads classic, ‘Once In A Lifetime’ by one time member of 70’s supergroup Earth Wind & Fire, Phillip Bailey takes on a job that many would have probably told him to leave well alone but turns out in impressive authentic jazz version.
Moving through the gears now and a track from my favourite remix team North St Studios who are producers Darren Morris, who has worked on over 200 productions alongside the likes of David Holmes, Massive Attack and Primal Scream. Joining him on a regular basis is none other than Ashley Beedle, DJ remixer and artist and one time member of Black Science Orchestra, Ballistic Brothers and X-Press2. Jo Wallace is not only involved with the team but runs owns and runs Ramrock Records, the home of these remixes and some of the best music released in 2019, we’ve featured many so far here, this track ‘Meadows’ from Edinburgh collective Out Of The Ordinary put together by Joseph Mailk is a celebration of Leith, the area Joseph grew up and the upcoming LP ‘Strange Things Have Happened’ is a love song to Leith and the city of Edinburgh, the LP has been given high praise from Scottish royalty Irvine Welsh who writes the in the album insert.
Moving on the Melbourne based Mildlife one of the most interesting bands on the current dance scene combining jazz, psych, disco and all manner of electronic genres, this track ‘How Long Does It Take’ receives the remix treatment from two producers who know a thing or to about mixing genres up and that disco rock sound, Italian cosmic disco legends Daniele Baldelli and Marco Dionigi, as they should do they pretty much invented the genre.
From Scottish royalty to Rock royalty Noel Gallagher meets french super producer and the man of many stems The Reflex who takes ‘Black Star Dancing’ to another level, outstanding track, nuff said.
Straight into another remix, this time from another producer who remixed Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, taking the track to number one in the UK vinyl single charts, also charting top 40 and Top of the Pops appearances from his time as Lionrock, over the last 25 years he’s worked with a who’s who of dance music and popular artists from the likes of Happy Mondays, New Order and Talk Talk. Now juggling writing and painting with his music production as Deadstock 33’s he’s turned out this wonderful remix of PBR Streetgang downtempo dance music at it finest ‘Human Being’ from a really impressive album ‘Late Night Party Line’, which doesn’t happen often enough in my opinion, definitely worth checking out.
Flipping the genres up again with Terri Walker and the ever present in the UK Rap scene since the 80’s Rodney P. The track ‘Breakout’ is made up of delightful soulful vocals over some dubbed out rhythms, topped of with the distinctive twang of ex the London Posse rapper.
‘Babylon Raid’ by Mungo’s Hi Fi takes the traditional Jamaican sound of Max Romeo’s ‘Three Blind Mice’ re-worked in a dancehall, dub, future bass sound, with the sweet vocals of Eve Lazarus, who is not happy about the old bill trying to break up her party.
Now it’s time to do the KingStep with ‘KingDem’, Rodney P back on the mic alongside Blak Twang and TY, second release from the UK hip hop supergroup, part rap, part future bass, some dub vibes going on and then finishing off with some ragga/ jungle drums and snares, really powerful edgy track, feels like one of those tracks that only bemade in London, with all the influences out of the city coming together in explosive fashion.
As a child soldier in Sudan Emmanuel Jal was firing a gun when he was just nine, in an extraordinary turn of events Mr Jal swapped his AK47 for a microphone and is now an international artist, blending hip hop, afrobeat and many native African musical styles, the track ‘Ti Chuoung’ is the lead single from an album ‘Naath’ recorded with his sister Nyaruach, this incredible story made even more interesting is the fact his sister is currently residing in a refuge camp in Kenya.
Hands up by TRDMRK, better known as producer, turntablist and veteran member of the legendary hip hop group Jurassic 5 Dj Nu Mark, Slimkid3 and Austin Antoine, futuristic rap with an old school flavour, certainly in my top ten rap tracks of that year.
Raashan Ahmad says NO we say YES , love this tune , jazz, world music and afrobeat influenced political rap.
From the album The Sun by one time member of the Bay Area collective Crown City Rockers, now rocking solo. A truly soulful effort that takes in all of his musical influences from an artist that is socially aware and focused on self-discovery.
Finally from From DJ Yoda’s excellent Home Cooking album ‘Abbey Road’ not a nod to the Beatles LP but to the small studio in the world famous recording studios that he assembled all the various musicians one at a time to record his album. This track saw the best of London’s burgeoning jazz scene enter through the studio, Nubya Garcia, Henry Wu and Theon Cross provide the live jazz to Yoda’s beats, to make the most chilled out tune of 2019.