TheSpotlight!
Alrighty, let me get into my groove! If you're looking for the freshest and funkiest sounds around, then you've come to the right place! The world of funk and soul has been buzzing with activity lately, with some seriously exciting releases hitting the airwaves.
"It Rains Love" by Lee Fields & The Expressions. This album is a soulful journey through the ups and downs of love, with Lee Fields' smooth yet powerful vocals leading the way.
Another must-listen is "Free Yourself Up" by Lake Street Dive. This album is a funk-filled explosion of catchy hooks and killer grooves that will have you dancing the night away. And let's not forget about "Ventura" by Anderson .Paak, which seamlessly blends funk, soul, and hip-hop into one irresistible package. So, get ready to put on your dancing shoes and let the funky beats take over!
Finally, we can't talk about funk and soul without mentioning "It Is What It Is" by Thundercat. This album is a funky, jazzy masterpiece, with groovy basslines, intricate arrangements and smooth vocals that will have you grooving along from start to finish. If you're looking for something that's both experimental and accessible, then Thundercat's latest release is the perfect choice.
So there you have it - three of the hottest funk and soul releases around. Whether you're a die-hard fan or just looking for something new to get your toes tapping, these albums are sure to deliver the goods.
Fellow funk fans!
Updates are coming soon… apologies for the lack of action! Normal pre pandemic service will resume soon. Thanks for your loyalty and patience!
20 Questions You Didn’t Know You Wanted to Ask… Jason Edge from The Electric Stars
Hailing from Mars via Hannover, 4-piece indie-disco-pop band The Planetoids has been transmitting its sonic frequencies across the galaxy since 2014.
Astronomers throughout the universe agree: The Planetoids are already leading the intergalactic charts on Mars, Venus and Jupiter and are in the top 10 on every planet in our galaxy… except for one. The only planet that has not caught up with the trend yet is the 4th rock from the sun, known as earth.
The Planetoids were first spotted on this small blue-green planet in 2014. The foursome crash landed their spaceship in Hannover, Germany (don’t drink and fly), but have since been working on increasing their cosmic reach by making people dance all the way between the UK, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Germany of course, and beyond. The band has played more than 100 shows over the last three years, between intimate club gigs and huge open air festivals, proving that in a world of digital depression, there’s still a need for happy, groovy, organic and analog music.
Musically, the band offers a very high level of musicianship, and will take listeners on a journey somewhere between Phoenix, Tame Impala and Katy Perry with a beard, with inevitable excursions into the realms of funk, 80s synth pop and the glitter of a disco ball in deep space. To put things in a way that humans can understand, they describe their sound as Indie/Disco/Pop – but only because “lots of fun” apparently doesn’t qualify as a musical genre amongst humans. Whatever you want to call it, the result is a blast of energy that will make your hips shake and your heart skip a beat.
The Planetoids self-produced their debut record in 2017, and are currently working on a concept project consisting of four EPs, accompanied by a bunch of highly thought-out music videos. The fourth and last of these EPs, “Fuchsia”, will be deployed on humanity on March 5th, 2021, with the lead single “My Only Religion” making an early appearance on January 22nd.
One small step for The Planetoids, two steps to the right and two steps to the left and three to cha-cha-cha for humankind.
Flevans is back and this time, he comes with a real three-track groover of an EP ready for your kitchen dancefloor. Disco, house, and electronica elements combine in a huge sound with a big lean towards 4/4 beats to accompany his usual taste for all things funky! Proper dancing fuel from start to finish.
Pitch-shifted vocal samples, soulful keys and big basslines are order of the day in the title track, ‘I’m Over Here’. Number two comes in the shape of ‘Uptight’ - a funk instrumental dub featuring a clutch of 80’s sounding synths with a class rubbery bassline. Finally, ‘Fade’ walks the line between mellow moments of reflective rhodes chords to all-out disco house beats. 'I'm Over Here' is available to stream or download from your favourite platform HERE.
20 Questions You Didn’t Know You Wanted To Ask Neil Sheasby from Stone Foundation
1 How would you best describe what you do to the uninitiated?
Soulful, honest creativity that arrives from good intentions
2 Where would you say you are with regard to your career right now?
I don’t think of it in a careerist manner. Where we are? On a new album campaign and thinking about assembling the next one. Always moving forwards
3 Which song (not neccesarilly yours) best sums you/the band up and why?
The long and winding road....
4 Who would you say has been your biggest inspiration (musically or otherwise)
My parents, my late, great friend Hammy and Paul Weller for igniting the flame around 1979 then becoming a friend a few years ago, he’s a constant source of support and encouragement
5 Is there anyone amongst your influences that you think would surprise people and why?
Yes lots I think, my musical pallet is very broad. Lots of early 80’s pop is a big influence which is more down to a time frame of 80 to 83’ rather than any particular artist or band
6 What are you most proud of?
Still being in the game, still relevant and interesting to people after all these years, it’s been an incredible journey of which I’m proud of
7 In the quest to get the music ‘out there’ have you ever done or agreed to anything you’ve later regretted?
Not really, I’m not a yes man or eager to crowd please so I think one of our strengths is what we say no to
8 What’s the most ridiculous request that’s been asked of you/the band?
Getting asked to play in someone’s living room and in a shoe shop but we actually did both!
9 What do you think is the secret to a good working relationship amongst musicians?
Listening to each other and respecting ideas, try anything before dismissing it
10 If you could have played on one song (that you don’t), what would it be and why?
Probably Slade’s Christmas hit and I’d have a huge cheque every year
11 How do you make the balance between music and personal responsibilities?
A delicate balance but first and foremost I’m a father and a husband. Financially it can certainly be tough but we somehow find a way through. My family have been wonderfully supportive of my musical escapades.
12 In light of the internet and downloading do you feel that fans are missing out on the record buying discovery/experience?
I think the physical format is on the rise once again, our new album “Is Love Enough” sold overwhelmingly better on vinyl
It was heartening to see the figures
13 Do you think that success is your motivation and do you have a preset gameplan for your music/the band?
No plan/no compass and whose yardstick is success measured on? I’m a bloke from Atherstone who started a band at school with my mates and that adventure took me on a journey that ended up playing at the royal Albert Hall and making records with Paul Weller.
That’ll do for me
14 DJ’s are now as famous as a lot of the bands they play, what are your views on this and do you think it’s deserved?
I like DJ culture. It’s an important part of music both creatively and for championing new music, it goes hand in hand, I don’t view it as a threat to bands or artists
15 To date, what has been your most memorable gig (either as a performer or as a fan)?
Fuji Rock festival in Japan and the aforementioned Royal Albert Hall gig for teenage cancer trust
16 How do you overcome pre-gig nerves (if you get them)?
I don’t really get them it’s more a pent up anticipation and they always pass once I walk out on stage and hit that first note
17 When did you last write something?
I write something almost every day
18 Have you ever reached a point where you’ve thought about throwing the towel in and walking away (and if so, what persuaded you otherwise)?
I wasn’t sure after the demise of my last band (in 1997) that I’d continue or indeed wanted to but my wife Claire and my friend Al Calnan convinced me it was part of who I was. I met Neil (Jones) & formed Stone Foundation and never really looked back since
19 What are your views on electronics muscling in and replacing live instuments during recording?
I’m not sure they are? But again that’s fine by me if artists want to embrace those methods. I think there’s some incredible new music being made
20 Lastly, thank you for your time. What made you agree to answer these questions?
The rope that ties my arms to this chair.......
Blow Up Records is pleased to announce The Bongolian brand new album‘Harlem Hipshake’ will be released 13/11/2020. It will be the sixth album under The Bongolian moniker, AKA multi-instrumentalist and Big Boss Man front man Nasser Bouzida. It is the much anticipated follow up to the highly acclaimed Moog Maximus and is available to pre-order now in the following formats: Clear 180g vinyl (limited 500 ), black 180g vinyl, CD and digital from the Blow Up (greedbag) shop: https://blowup.greedbag.com/buy/harlem-hipshake/
Harlem Hipshake finds The Bongolian deeply immersed in his lifelong love for the music of the sixties New York’s Latin Soul scene, particularly the music of Ray Barretto, Mongo Santamaria and Joe Bataan. Principally a drummer, percussionist by trade, Nasser has once again delivered another set of heavy breaks and percussive grooves underpinning this brand-new collection of songs which he has written and produced. Whilst Nasser performs many of the instruments (as is usual with Bongolian albums) on the album, it also features a prominent use of additional UK musicians on brass duties. These include Terry Edwards (Trumpet, Trombone, Sax, Flute), Gareth James Bailey (Trombone) and Craig Crofton (Alto Sax), James Morton (Alto Sax), Andrew Ross (Tenor and Baritone sax) and Ralph Lamb (Trumpet).