MINT

Candido Cameron was a Cuban percussion maestro who had played with luminaries such as Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy Rich and Count Basie throughout his illustrious musical career which started in 1952. Fast forward to 1979 and Candido finds himself caught up in the Disco boom that had engulfed his adopted New York City. Feeling he could add his trademark quick-fire Conga and Bongo playing to Disco's straight 4 x 4 syncopated rhythm he cut some records with legendary NYC label Salsoul. The fruits of this partnership were 2 full length LP's and a handful of 12" singles that changed the face of underground Disco.The first of these two LP's made for Salsoul was the truly epic "Dancin' & Prancin" containing the all time classic "Jingo" which has been sampled, edited, re-configured and coveted by too many names to mention! It's a killer funky Disco version of master Nigerian drummer Olatunji's 1969 percussion suite of the same name, Salsoul style. The LP also contains one of the deepest Disco records of all time, "Thousand Finger Man" a testament to Candido's percussion prowess and a spacey, beautiful voyage that has left more than an indelible mark on modern House music, often being cited as a huge influence by artists such as Masters At Work and more.This new re issue contains all 4 tracks from the original LP plus this new expanded edition contains lost rarities and extended versions of "Jingo" and "Thousand Finger Man". All fully re mastered for 2015 and re released in conjunction with Salsoul.

Canada's powerhouse afro / latin / soul / jazz collective, The Souljazz Orchestra, surface with a hard-hitting new album for Autumn 2015, Resistance, resuming their link-up with Strut Records.“We approached this album with a fresh ear,” explains bandleader Pierre Chrétien. “We were keen to build on the band’s sound and message, bringing in some of the French Caribbean and Francophone West African influences that we’ve loved since our youth, so the new album brings in French language tracks and elements of coupé-décalé, zouk and cadence to the overall mix.” In keeping with the band’s previous work, the band keep powerful lyrics at the heart of their music, delivering some biting social commentaries alongside messages of hope. Storming opening track ‘Greet The Dawn’ heralds a better way of life for the downtrodden while the manic ‘Shock And Awe’ celebrates people power with a wry reference to Bush-era military tactics. The Souljazz Orchestra remain one of the most solid units in their scene, retaining their original line-up since they were first formed back in 2002. On Resistance, they showcase their continuing versatility with saxman Ray Murray, percussionist Marielle Rivard, drummer Philippe Lafrenière and keyboardist Pierre Chrétien all taking on lead vocal duties on different tracks. “We originally started out as an instrumental band,” reflects Chrétien, “so this is actually our first all vocal album, a big step forward for us.” Chrétien himself also contributes the superb front cover artwork to the album, “I was inspired by the bold, stark, streamlined look of works by artists like Saul Bass, Emory Douglas, or Cuban poster designers - I love how they manage to maximize impact with a minimal amount of strokes and colours.”

STUDIO is Benny's 5th studio album. Not just casually called by its name. No, there is something else happening here. The word 'STUDIO' originates from the Latin word 'studium', which stands for 'studying'. The studio is the place where painters, artists and musicians learn, study and create. It's the place where Benny is most comfortable.Benny's Amsterdam based studio has an amazing view of the canals. STUDIO is an ode to this place, which he built 4 years ago, and everything it has brought him. Because it brought him more than just the music he produced there. It gave him his place in the world and with it so many other things. All of which is to be heard on his new album. You find him exposing true love, follow his search for a home, he opens up about settling down and he speaks of breaking through old patterns in which he found himself being stuck for years.Thanks to the co-operation with the young BEA1991 Benny is introduced to instruments that are new to him, after which he found himself coming out of the warm analogue world of the 70's and 80's and go straight into the icy digital world of the 90's.And with that the album STUDIO is born. The result is interesting. The record is not at all icy. The warm sound of Benny, which we have come accustomed to, is yet again prominent on this album. STUDIO is an album, full of color, beats and melancholy, but with songs that go much deeper than we are used to from Benny. It's remarkable that he has worked with far more people on this album than he did on previous records. Mayer Hawthorne (America's number 1 blue eyed soul singer) sings on one of his tracks, we hear Rick Rubin's protégée GoldLink rapping and we find Stone Throw's golden boys The Stepkids in a surprising role of mixing the album. Even though Benny has been crossing borders with his work for years, he only seems to really get the full effect of it just now. STUDIO is a record with international allur.

Detroit rapper/singer/songwriter & brother of the late great J DIlla & member of Slum Village, steps forward w/the able assistance of Potatohead People for a brilliantly-produced, diverse, & long overdue solo effort.

"Tap Water" is XL Middleton's first full-length LP in the modern funk mode. As with his previous single releases such as "Keep It Funkin" & "Press Play" (with Zackey Force Funk & Eddy Funkster), Middleton seeks to continue building on the links between 80's boogie funk & 90's g-funk, drawing heavily from both wells to create a fresh new sound that pays homage to its blueprints while continuing to progress and innovate at the same time.For the most part, the songs on "Tap Water" avoid the instrumental-only ethos of much of today's funk, instead opting for more traditional song structures, resulting in music with easily relatable content. Whether it's a love song ("I'm Ready"), a lust song ("Psychic"), speaking out on the disposable, trend-obsessed culture of the modern day ("Do Me Like That"), or simply declaring his funk dominance ("Bumpin'"), "Tap Water" is a well-rounded album designed to appeal to anyone from the most discerning funkologist to the more casual purveyor of all things on the one.All songs written by XL Middleton except for "Do Me Like That" written by XL Middleton & Moniquea.All keys, vocoder and programming by XL Middleton.Guitar on "Bumpin'" & "I'm Ready" by Damon Aaron.Guitar on "Sunshine & Power Lines" & "High On Your Love" by Mike Kobayashi.Guitar & talkbox on "You Know It's True" by Diamond Ortiz.

Original Rio beach boy Marcos Valle returns with a Brazilian masterpiece. Evoking his Carioca sound - where expansive orchestral sweep meets beautiful melody and complex harmony - Valle mixes perfect romantic bossa-pop with cinematic brass and strings. This new recording explores a six decade career that has swung between pop, bossa nova, delicate psychedelia, jazz, and funk. Responsible for bossa classic 'Summer Samba (So Nice)' Valle has collaborated with Leon Ware, Sarah Vaughan, & Chicago, seen his track 'Ele E Ela' sampled by Jay Z for Blueprint 3, and his songs recorded by the likes of Frank Sinatra and Bebel Gilberto.EstaticaMany of these tracks sound strangely familiar, as if you've always known them, fresher and more immediate than ever in Valle's modern renaissance on Far Out Recordings. This album ' Valle's fourth original recording for Far Out ' features standout compositions including the instant classic 'Vamos Sambar', the infectious jazz of 'Bai'o Maracat', and the stunning duets and brass of 'Papo De Maluco'. Valle's cinematic orchestral 'Novo Acorde' and the rich psych incidentals show that Valle is as creatively inspired "by Rio, music, and a lifetime of travel touring the globe" as he ever was as the original Ipanema beach poet. Produced by Daniel Maunick (son of Bluey, Incognito), recorded, mixed, and co- produced by David Brinkworth (Harmonic 33), and with Marcos' unparalleled arrangements, aided by horn and string arrangements by Jesse Sedoc Vocals, Valle is brought back with a widescreen bang.Partnership with Far Out RecordingsJoe Davis' flagship UK based Brazilian record label brought together Valle and a host of famous Brazilian musicians in the early '90s for the legendary Friends From Rio series of albums, which breathed new life in to Valle's career. Working with producers Joe Davis and Roc Hunter he recorded three acclaimed albums 'Nova Bossa Nova' ('98), 'Escape' ('01) , and 'Contrasts' ('04) and saw his music remixed and by the '90s drum 'n' bass explosion & the hottest DJs & producers from Bugz In The Attic to Jazzanova, Valle has always 'stayed abreast of the times without compromising the spirit of bossa.'Marcos Valle's Extraordinary Six Decade CareerOne of the second-wave of early bossa nova composers, following in the footsteps of Gilberto and Jobim, he is 'the man who punched Marlon Brando and made millions'. Responsible for the bossa classic 'Summer Samba (So Nice)', written by the 21-year-old Valle as a tribute to the joys of life as a Rio surfer, it is the one bossa nova tune apart from "The Girl from Ipanema" that everyone knows. Made into a hit by Walter Wanderley in 1967, the song has been covered by hundreds of artists. Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1943, Marcos began writing songs with his brother Paulo Sergio (who wrote lyrics to two tracks on 'Est'tica'). As his reputation grew, he released his debut album 'Samba Demais' for EMI Brazil. It was his first release on Verve however that brought him well-deserved fame, 'Samba '68' becoming a Brazilian musical landmark thanks to tracks such as 'Batucada' and 'Crickets Sing for Anamaria'. The early-seventies spawned two Valle masterpiece's, 'Garra' and 'Vento', which combined the 'cosmic expansion of Pink Floyd with the orchestral sweep of Ennio Morricone' MOJO. From there Valle has written brilliant album after another and was even commissioned to provide the equivalent of the USA Moss/OZ magic for the Brazilian edition of Sesame Street.

Ivan Ave & Fred Fades are back on the map with another Norwegians finest collabo. Ivan Ave can't do wrong. After dropping his critically acclaimed "Low Jams" EP with Mndsgn (Stones Throw), he now is back with another project to hold you over till his solo LP entirely produced by Mndsgn will drop early spring 2016. "Frutiful" though, was entirely produced by his Norwegian partner in crime Fredfades, who has been making noise in his own & has a handful of releases under his belly. Proving norwegian HipHop is cool as Norwegian outdoor temperatur, his versatile sound largely incorporating his incredible collection of rare modern soul and boogie is the perfect backdrop for Ivan Ave's poetic tales about urban life, relationships and daily observations. Just like his project with MNDSGN, Ivan seems to have a gift in finding producers with which he manages to create coherent projects that don't sound thrown together...Follwoing their "Brains" from 2009 & "Breath" EP 2014 by Fred and Ivan, the "Fruitful"LP was a just the next logical step, after Ivan moved to Oslo. The two started to hang out more and started recording new music. Fred took care of the mixing and tried to make a red line sound wise. The combination of these two is so fresh and brings a new, whilst still classic, sound to the game with a little help from guests such as Jakarta's own JuJu Rogers and Fresh Daily. Ivan Ave's solo album, entirely produced by Mndsgn will drop early in 2016.