My apologies to you, and The Insider, but I was on holiday last week, and failed to get their March recommendations online before the month was out…

Super selections and wonderful words by our favourite four-to-the-floor expert, The Insider.

JIMPSTER / TRIBUTE / FREERANGE RECORDS

Jimpster brings some soulful house heat to Freerange with his Tribute E.P. The release is comprised of two divinely deep originals, which feature the voice of South African singer, Mavhungu, plus two remixes from the mighty Osunlade. The title track takes inspiration from one of Jimpster’s many trips to Mavhungu’s homeland, delivered in her native language, Venda. Osunlade’s first rework focuses on the vocal, while his Jazzstrumental goes for the groove. The closing cut, Jacidswing, squeezes in some understated acid, while Jimpster flexes his jazz to the max. Osunlade and Jimpster on the same release is simply a winning combination.

SUPER YAMBA BAND / LAST LEAP / UBIQUITY RECORDS

The Californian institution, Ubiquity Records, presents the Last Leap E.P. from the energetic and highly infectious Super Yamba Band, an afro-funk, afrobeat, psychedelic collective based out of Brooklyn. This five-track release was originally recorded in 2014, back in the days when the band had just got together – crafted as a kind of calling card, to help them get gigs around Brooklyn and Harlem. The E.P. serves as a testament to their hunger and energy during those formative years. If you check just one track then it has to be Bad Dog, where the Fela Kuti-style horns fill the air with joy. 

HORMONE / SMOOTHSAYER / DREAM CHIMNEY

Experimental dance duo, Hormone, hail from Austin, Texas, and you can feel the desert heat in their dusty, sun-scorched sound. Jim Colby and Rosie Clements draw on the 1980s to form their hazy sun-bleached sonics, which are designed for both headphones and dance-floors. Getting together originally amid a tight knit Tucson music scene, they released their self- titled, debut album back in 2017. Smoothsayer is out on San Francisco’s Dream Chimney and boasts four super slinky tracks, all with loose and baggy Balearic vibes. The Bay Area’s Sorcerer steps in to remix the title cut, while the dub of Wallfacer, from the Chimney’s own Dream team, is my personal highlight. 

AWANTO 3 / PARTY VOLUME 1 / RUSH HOUR

Steven Van Hulle is Awanto 3, and part of the Rush Hour Music family. Residing in the upper echelons of musicians / producers based in the Netherlands, he founded his own label – Klakson – with Steffi back in the day. There have been countless collaborations with close mates – such as San Proper, Aardvark, Kid Sublime, and Tom Trago – and he continues to be part of Rednose Distrikt! Steven’s Party Volume 1 features the live musicianship of Jos De Haas – from the New Cool Collective – on percussion, and Stefan Schmid – from Zuco 103 – on keys. The story goes that he had to house sit a spooky cottage, and during his stay  he was overcome with the house’s haunted vibes! In an effort to take his mind off the creeps he attempted to translate his heightened feelings by laying down the beats on his trusted MPC. This new E.P. is the result. Despite their origin, these tracks are warm, soulful, and beautifully broken. The snarling dog at the close of the record feels so wrong, but at the same time the whole package feels so very right.

CARAMEL 3000  / HELL YEAH!

One of the many joys of Hell Yeah! is that you never quite know what to expect. Sometimes Balearic, often blissed-out, the imprint is headed up by the golden-eared Marco Gallerani, and continually keeps us guessing what the next punt will be! What we can always be sure of is that the quality of the selections / curation will always be high. Their latest offering, Rapido Superstudio, comes via the Belgian DJ / Producer Caramel 3000. A studio wizard, he serves up four weird and wonderful cuts of leftfield electronica and dark, dubbed-out disco. Work-out music for serious dancers and curious minds. You’ll find plenty of low-slung percussive grooves and elastic rhythms to hold the folks firmly on chugg-ier dancefloors. The slow-mo opener, Ottagono Corse, for example is proved perfect for the ALFOS crew,  when Sean Johnston blasted it at the last Phonox party. 

HOWARD LEMON SINGERS / YOU ARE SOMEBODY / MILES AWAY RECORDS

Dom Ore is a London lad with an ear for a killer classic, and the heart to search and legit license stone cold cuts to his sevens only imprint, Miles Away Records. The Howard Lemon Singers first released these two gems – You Are Somebody and For The Children – on a rare 1977 album entitled, Seasons,  on TK Records sub label, Gospel Roots. Both cuts are oozing with positivity and warm vibes. Gilles Peterson closed his WWFM show last week on You Are Somebody. It’s the first time on 7-inch vinyl for these two beauties. Grab the limited pressing while you can!

PROCESSMAN & CADY / ADUPE & SOU BAIANA / FILE UNDER DISCO

Globetrotting disco DJ and lover of all things Brazil, Dicky Trisco, is the founder of the File Under Disco imprint. While on one of his frequent South American trips, Dicky was hanging out with Processman, a busy working musician / DJ / producer from Salvador, the part of Brazil, Bahia, that gave us greats like Gilberto Gil. Together with fellow Baiana native, sultry singer, Cady, he’s brought two bits of original boogie, which get further pumped up by Jkriv, Joutra, and Mr. Trisco himself. The mid-tempo`d Adupe transports you to a post-siesta sunset sojourn, while Sou Baina bumps up the BPMs, with Cady laying on the vocal sass beneath a disco mirrorball. My favourite, though, is Dicky’s Ruf Dub re-rub of Adupe, whose keys make for a piano house classic, complete with a  deadly dancefloor drop. 

SESSION VICTIM / THE INTANGIBLES / DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR

Concluding this month’s selections in fine style, we have Session Victim. The dynamic German duo of Hauke Freer and Matthias Reiling are back on Delusions of Grandeur with The Intangibles E.P. Straight out of the gate the opener, Motivation, will destroy dancefloors with its driving house beat if dropped at precisely the right moment! Ras Stimulant`s spoken lyrics adding another level to this massive tune. The deep and jazzy Dromedary Twist follows, while Green Run drives the proceedings home in a mid-tempo mood, with its orchestral strings and occasional acid squelch.