MINT

One of the leading producers and instrumentalists in Brazilian music, Alexandre Kassin has produced roughly 100 records for singers, including Marisa Monte and Bebel Gilberto, recorded with Sean O’Hagan (Stereolab, High Llamas) and made a full album based on Nintendo Game Boy sounds. He has played bass for Caetano Veloso’s live shows and conceptualized the Orchestra Imperial band.His new album, Relax, is rooted in dreams and surrealism, yet grounded enough to reach listeners where they are. Across 11 tracks, Kassin ?irts with Latin rhythms, Brazilian pop, and straight-ahead soul, using this varied stylistic array to tell imagined tales of death, drug usage, politics and fate. There’s a dichotomy to Relax, with Kassin’s arrangements often feeling bright and danceable, yet with incredibly sullen themes. It’s a record that speaks directly to the yin and yang of everyday life, and the uncertainty that comes with simply existing.The Good Is A Big God, by singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Domenico Lancellotti, features contributions from Nina Miranda, Moreno Veloso, Pedro Sá and Sean O’Hagan. Son of composer Ivor Lancellotti, Domenico has collaborated with various MPB (Música Popular Brasileira) names such as Adriana Calcanho]o, Marcos Valle, Caetano Veloso and Fernanda Abreu, and also participates in several projects such as Orchestra Imperial, the +2’s (with Moreno Veloso and Kassin) and Ritmistas.A collection of re?ective samba partially inspired by a trip taken to a Brazilian national park called The Serra dos Órgãos, The Good Is A Big God frst began to take shape when Domenico was asked to take part in an artistic collaboration in the city of London during the 2012 Summer Olympics. There, he reunited with Sean O’Hagan after previously meeting during a show that paid homage to Tropicália. Before he took o? for London, Domenico sent O’Hagan a few musical sketches he’d done on guitar, by the time the Brazilian made it to the U.K., O’Hagan had string arrangements to accompany Domenico’s music. Domenico added lyrics to some of these songs once he returned to Brazil and with help from friend and label mate Kassin, and additional assistance from O’Hagan, the record was fnished. One can hear a sense of isolation and oneness with nature when listening to The Good Is A Big God. It’s the type of art that arrives in a calming stream of thought and is a much- needed respite from the rigors of everyday life.

"Before slipping this LP on, you need to nail the AOR modus opeara ... That means: a Hawaiian shirt à la Magnum PI, loafers without socks as in Miami Vice, jump in your convertible and drive under the coconut trees. This is a sunset ride through Rio de Janeiro, Los Angeles, Miami, Hawaii. Aloha!" Ed MottaToo Slow to Disco take a dive into an often overlooked side of Brazilian music: Brazilian soul, funk and AORWe’d like to introduce you to the compiler of our new Too Slow to Disco release, a giant of musical endeavour, the young nephew of Brazil’s legendary soul icon Tim Maia, the ‘Colossus of Rio’, as he’s known: Ed Motta. At the end of the 1980s Ed Motta burst upon the music scene as a major singer and one of the writers and producers in the band Conexão Japeri. He’s now fifteen albums into a career that hops from genre to genre, perhaps one of the savviest music makers and curators out there. He is a refined practitioner of jazz, funk, soul, AOR and much else besides, having worked with everyone from Gilles Peterson to Roy Ayers, 4Hero, Seu Jorge, Patrice Rushen, Greg Phillinganes, Bo Diddley, Incognito, Ryuichi Sakamoto and many other insanely talented musos. In this collector’s compilation, you’re coming on a kind of expert guided time travel mission – just picture yourself following Ed’s fingers as they trace along the sleeves in that massive library-sized vinyl vault of his. So we dart back through over two decades of music making, dancing in one style then the next from soul to funk to AOR, you’ll feel the air coming out of the horn section right the way through, and a mixologist’s golden touch tying everything together. The artists Ed has play-listed for you include über-obscure figures like Carlos Bivar or Gelson Oliveira & Luiz Ewerling – both of whose songs here derive from privately pressed albums – so rare they’re not even listed on Discogs! He’s also gathered together a real pantheon of Brazilian musical heroes like Rita Lee (who was part of the legendary Os Mutantes), Cassiano (one of the founders of Bossa Trio and Os Diagonais) and million sellers like Roupa Nova, lovingly referred to as ‘the Brazilian Toto’ (who would have thought that would become a compliment by 2018?)! And as ever with the Too Slow to Disco series, the artists might be new to you, but they’re always bringing a killer tune.Join us to discover another dimension of the Brazilian sound: TSTD Brasil - Compiled by Ed Motta.- Brazil edition of the critically acclaimed compilation series by DJ Supermarkt- Complied by Ed Motta and includes über-obscure figures like Carlos Bivar or Gelson Oliveira & Luiz Ewerling – both of whose songs here derive from privately pressed albums – so rare they’re not even listed on Discogs!- Comes in two formats: compact disc (with o-card) and heavy weight black double vinyl including MP3 download card

Elevate Melodies are back with four toe-tapping, finger-snapping, dancefloor slaying heaters, all on wax. Side 1 takes off with the Griffes’ remix of Jay Airness’ “She Staying”, all sumptuous keys, sun dappled strings and peak-time beats propelling the track ever forward. Venice Beach then takes on Sly Moore's seismic “Muoosic”, dropping the tempo and creating a super low-slung slab of electro funk, one for the 100bpm crew. On the B side, Lord Funk takes on “Black Les Grues De Nantes” from Victorius, turning it into a jazzy workout with slap-bass, chopped up vocals and dusty vinyl crackles giving it a classy 90s feel. And rounding out the selection is New York DJ and producer P-Sol who applies his midtempo skills to “Law and Theory” from label boss Jay Airness, creating an atmospheric groove with some real funk and jazz flourishes.Limited to 500 copies.

 

French outfit Soul Sugar deliver yet another soulful reggae 12”, this time a cover version of Marvin Gaye’s 1976 classic "I Want You". Jamaicain native Leonardo Carmichael sings lead vocals and legendary drums and bass duo Sly & Robbie add their flavor to the mix, with two versions on side B. Soul Sugar's Discomix version combines a smooth mixture of reggae, soul and funk over beefy bass lines, designed for heavyweight sound systems. Sly & Robbie, rhythm duo known for their studio work on countless reggae classics since the 1960s deliver their version, taking us back to the golden age of Reggae, the days when it was typical for Jamaican musicians to record their own versions of American soul tunes ... Ace producer Jahno dubs the mix live and direct to tape, from his very own ' N.O.F Studio'.

Founded in 2018 by DJ and producer Deni-Shain – the man behind acclaimed compilations Space Echo and Pop Makossa -, Atangana Records is the logical follow-up to more than 20 years of travels. As a “tropicalist globetrotter”, in this new project Deni-Shain, in partnership with Thomas Vicente, co-owner of the French restaurant “Le Verre Volé”, aims to dig, reproduce & transmit cross-cultural music, usually unreachable and/or less known by the public. Atangana’s first releases will be looking at the Caribbean’s Islands, especially into Haiti with the reissue – highly expected by various diggers – of the acclaimed single « Divizion » by singer Fedia Laguerre. Originally released in 1981, this first 12" comes with a remix by Voilaaa and an instrumental cut exclusively based on the additional work by the French afro-collective.

The Mighty Zaf & Phil Asher present '80s, their new edit label specialising in disco & boogie, and strictly vinyl only. Their debut 3 track 12" brings a mixture of boogie, disco & disco funk, something for everyone. These unique new edits are already being championed by MCDE, Red Greg, Geology, Jeremy Underground, Sadar, Darryn Jones & Mark Grusane.