Soul Strutter: 09/29/23

Friday, 29 September 2023

Luis Radio [2023] - Alkemy (Original Mix) [Groovebom Records]

We do like a lot of what comes out via Italy's Groovebom label, especially from DJ/producer Luis Radio (Luigi De Angelis) who set up the label in 2021.

His latest offering is a jazz-funk/house instrumental "Alkemy". which is his sixth release since we posted his "Unity" single in June.

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Jazz Funk / Soulful House
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Groovebom Records / Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	22/09/2023
Key/BPM:	8A/125
Price:	£1

Risk Assessment [2023] - SOMEONE LIKE YOU [Stereo:type]

Risk Assessment sampling Barry White's 1974 hit "Honey Please, Can't Ya See" which is titled "SOMEONE LIKE YOU" perhaps to disguise the obvious? But then the song is almost 50 years old and has a new audience.

It was White's fourth consecutive Top 10 R&B hit which was followed by three #1 hits in a row giving him four #1 hits out of his first 7 releases for 20th Century Records. He went on to have another three in the remainder of his career.

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Details

Rating:	7.8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Nu Disco
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Stereo:type
Cat No:	None
Date:	15/09/2023
Key/BPM:	1B/123
Price:	£1

The Brand New Heavies [2023] - Never Stop... The Best of [London Records] (Full Album)

A fabulous 31 track compilation of the very best from The Brand New Heavies, "Never Stop... The Best of", is released today and is available digitally, on CD and vinyl.

It's split in that the last ten tracks are all remixes of tracks within the first set although there are three or four remixes of hits included amongst the first 21.

They were formed in Ealing (West London) in 1985 by Simon Bartholomew and Andrew Levy as an instrumental jazz band Brothers International. They later changed the name and recruited N'Dea Davenport as lead vocalist for their third single "Dream Come True" and enjoyed their most successful period in the early 90s with a string on UK Top 40 hits, fourteen in total up to 1999.

Davenport left the group after the second album to release her postponed solo album and was replaced for the next album by Siedah Garrett. In time, she was replaced by Carleen Anderson in 2000. Since then a number of different female lead vocalists had appeared, Sy Smith in 2003, Nicole Russo (2004), Davenport returned in 2005 being replaced by Dawn Joseph in 2013 who in turn was replaced by Suleme Fleming in 2016 and currently Angela Ricci since 2018.

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Details

Rating:	9
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Acid Jazz
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital / CD / Vinyl
Label:	London Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	29/09/2023
Price:	£8.99 / £17.99 / £29.99

Zonke meets York [2023] - Only You [Upper Level Records]

We came across Zonke and YORK a couple of weeks ago who are dripping tracks from a forthcoming album "the early tapes" (due 27 Oct) which consists of tracks from Zonke's 2004 debut album "Soulitary".

We posted all three tracks released so far, "It's Love" (15 Sep), "Wena Wedwa" (1 Sep) and "Someday" (18 Aug) and a fourth, "Only You" has been released today.

Zonke Dilana is a South African singer/songwriter/producer from Johannesburg who met German saxophonist/flautist YORK from Bremen whilst working in Germany. They began working together on her debut solo album "Soulitary" which was only released in Germany, Italy and Japan.

YORK's flute is quite prominent on "Only You" which might just be the best track so far, although we have enjoyed them all as they have a timeless quality with Zonke's smooth and soulful vocals.

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Details

Rating:	8.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	New Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Upper Level Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	29/09/2023
Key/BPM:	7A/94
Price:	£1

The Sextones [2023] - Love Can't Be Borrowed [Record Kicks] (Full Album)

We've had four tracks from it as singles already but the full album "Love Can't Be Borrowed" from The Sextones is finally released today (29 Sep).

The opening track "Daydreaming", whilst not being released digitally, was the flip side to the Colemine licensed single "Beck & Call" on vinyl and what a lovely track it is which sets up the album nicely. Then follows three of the singles "Without You", "Better Late Than Never" and the Curtis Mayfield inspired "Beck & Call". The next five tracks are all original compositions, (our picks of the new songs are "This Could Be Forever" and "Your Love Shines Golden") before the album ends with the title track "Love Can't Be Borrowed".

As we alluded to on the Jalen Ngonda post, this album wil be up there with the best of the retro soul albums released in 2023 i.e. Jalen Ngonda, Bobby Harden & The Soulful Saints and, to an extent, October London.

The Sextones are a quartet from Reno, Nevada formed as The Mark Sexton Band in 2007. They released two albums under that name ("Multifomity" (2008) and "Listen Out" (2010)) and changed their name to The Sextones in 2015 releasing their first album using the name, "Moonlight Vision", in 2017.

The current line-up is Mark Sexton (guitar, vocals), his younger brother Chris (piano), Alexander Korostinsky (bass) and Daniel Weiss (drums) who have known each other since childhood.

The latest album as The Sextones is produced by Kelly Finnigan of The Monophonics.

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Details

Rating:	8.5
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Retro Soul / Blue-Eyed
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	29/09/2023
Price:	£6.49 / £16.13 / £23.75