POST CATEGORY : Soul

Hot Mustard – ‘Window Seat’

Hot Mustard are instrumental funky psych soul loving duo composed of artist/producer and guitarist Jack Powell and bassist Nick Carusos, together with trumpeter Jordan Mclean (Antibalas) and Dave “Smoota” Smith (TV On The Radio) on trombone; theirs in an eclectic mash-up of smooth beats and full-bodied horn sounds.

Drawing influence from mid/late 1960’s and early 1970’s funk and soul, the building blocks of first generation boom bap hip-hop, Hot Mustard will bring their debut album, Mother Sauce, into the world next month -and ahead of which, they are sharing seductive single ‘Window Seat’. It is a super smooth jam that saunters through the sunburned haze with a groove-heavy bassline and languid drum beat. Plucky guitars twang and chime amid the sun-kissed shimmering which is all topped off triumphantly by brilliantly warm all-brass horns. An undeniably hypnotic groover, it’s chilled sun-kissed vibes and seductive swagger will leave an indelible mark on ones soul.

Fresh yet familiar, ‘Window Seat’ offers a perfect view of what to expect from their debut album, and plenty of reasons to get excited.

Listen to ‘Window Seat’ below and keep an eye out for the album coming on September 3.

Justy – ‘Rinse, Repeat, Regress’

Justy is an independent musician & singer/songwriter from Staten Island, New York inspired by the likes of J Dilla, Amy Winehouse, NoName, and Lauryn Hill.

We were introduced to Justy’s delectable talents through some super singles last year; a smooth, soulful and lush blending of hip hop, R&B, soul, jazz and pop, and filled with soul searching, heartbreak, loss, self-awareness and renewal. Building on these aforementioned attributes, Justy has returned with new single ‘Rinse, Repeat, Regress’. It is a smooth, soulful and super chill tune as soothing melodic vocals cruise cooly above a gentle bed of pattering beats and seductive groove. ‘Rinse, Repeat, Regress’.is totally captivating and marked by impactful lyricism and deep emotional weight as it slinks through a woozy atmosphere peppered with lush melodies, sunny tones and chill vibes. As with previous releases ‘Cool’ and ‘Love Letter, Pt.3’, ‘Rinse, Repeat, Regress’ is yet another reminder of why we should look forward to the arrival of Justy’s forthcoming debut album, which is in the works at the moment. 

For now, tune in to ‘Rinse, Repeat, Regress’ below.


San Salvo – ‘Khanta’

San Salvo are a neo soul / psych outfit from Brooklyn; a collaborative project of Jared Schapker (Grandpa Jack), Matt C. White and Sean Smith (Rubblebucket / Kaleta & Super Yamba Band).

Together the trio have carved out a rather special place on the musical landscape with timeless psych-infused soul and funk, anchored and propelled by an enviable love of groove. Their new EP ‘Rarities’ is a colourful and imaginative exploration in sound, with a focus on mood and groove, and single ‘Khanta’, provides a succinct distillation of their sonic adventures in four wonderful minutes. Composed of a grooving rhythm section, soaring hornlines, and fuzzed out guitar and psychedelic brush strokes ‘Khanta’, is a churning, winding groover bathed in a swirling haze of shimmering tones, psychedelic keys, and parps of rich brass. ‘Khanta’ is a thrilling and pulsating powerhouse of rhythmic fervour that is totally irresistible and will leave an indelible mark on your soul.

Listen to ‘Khanta’ below – and check out the EP ‘Rarities’ here too.

El Levtchenko – ‘After Hours’

We were introduced to Brazilian / American pairing El Levtchenko and their lush, sun-kissed and world encompassing sonic distillations throughout 2020 – offering beautiful and beguiling bouts of escapism as they did. 

El Levtchenko’s sound is magpie like, in the very best way possible, borrowing from a world of influences; there’s Cuban guitar music, a touch of hip hop, some Middle Eastern and African influences, funk and soul, and a whole lot of beautiful psychedelia. Their latest single ‘After Hours’ is – like previous singles ‘Hopeton Overton’ and ‘Sunday Social’ – a perfect exposition of their well honed style. It is an intoxicating brew, built on seductive grooves and cool, calm and chilled vibes, offering a zen-like state as it drifts along a funky, hypnotic groove as guitars chime and chords strut their languid wares amid the late night vibes. This is super chill, beautifully addictive and mellow, while oozing nocturnal vibes, it is a tune make the day better no matter the hour.

Check out the sunny delights of ‘After Hours’ below:


Justy – ‘Cool’

Justy is an independent musician & singer/songwriter from Staten Island, New York inspired by the likes of J Dilla, Amy Winehouse, NoName, and Lauryn Hill.

We were introduced to Justy’s delectable talents through debut record Soul Food earlier this year; a smooth, soulful and lush blending of hip hop, R&B, soul, jazz and pop, and filled with soul searching, heartbreak, loss, self-awareness and renewal. Building on these aforementioned attributes, Justy has returned with the aptly titled new single ‘Cool’. It is a smooth, woozy and super soulful coming together of lush hazy tones, syrupy melodies and seductive grooves as a gentle, warm strum is joined by subtle brass swells while soft beats patter below the chilled mellifluous vocals. In short; ‘Cool’ is another simply stunning and soulful cut from Justy – and one that will leave an ineligible mark on your soul.

Tune in below:


Shuko X Nia Wyn X KinKai – ‘I Ain’t Finished Yet’

Welsh soul singer Nia Wyn,  Manchester rapper KinKai and German producer Shuko have joined forces for a collaborative single on the latter’s label For The Love Of It.

The single, ‘I Ain’t Finished Yet’, is laid-back, lush and super smooth. Wyn lends her rich inimitable vocals as Shuko brings all the soothing jazzy vibes, seductive subtle grooves, soft brushed beats and layers of warm and colourful tones, and topped off exquisitely by the mellow and melodic vocals from KinKai. We’ve been following Nia Wyn’s rich, soulful and unmistakable sounds for a while now and never disappoints, and the same can be said for ‘I Ain’t Finished Yet’. It is one of the most smooth, seductive and mesmerising tracks you’re likely to hear – stunning.

Listen to ‘I Ain’t Finished Yet’ below now.


The Budos Band – ‘Long In The Tooth’

Staten Island outfit The Budos Band celebrate 20 years together this year and will mark it with forthcoming new album, Long In The Tooth, out on October 9th via Daptone.

In that time the 8-strong outfit have carved a special place on the musical landscape with their timeless psych-infused soul and funk, and an enviable love of groove. Ahead of the new record comes lead single ‘Long In The Tooth’ which says more about them than I can, more succinctly too, in just over three-and-a-half-minutes. It is a super smooth jam that saunters along a seductive groove while rugged riffs and breakbeats cut through the sea of fuzz and warm organ hum as menacing horns swoop in from above. ‘Long In The Tooth’ is a thrilling and pulsating powerhouse of rhythmic fervour that is totally irresistible and will leave an indelible mark on your soul.

Listen to ‘Long In The Tooth’ below – and keep an eye put for the new album come October.

123 Mixtape – ‘Cloud Into River’

123 Mixtape is both the pseudonym of Producer/Mixer/Engineer, Brett Shaw and conveniently, the name of the project.

Shaw is better known for his work with Foals and Florence and the Machine among others but being at a loose end with no one else to record during lockdown, Shaw set out on a simple mission; make some music he’d like to listen to and share with friends. The fruits of his labour is 123 Mixtape which is released on August 24 and preceded by sublime single ‘Cloud Into River’. All recorded on old funky tape machines at 123 studios, ‘Cloud Into River’ oozes with coolness as it swaggers along a super seductive and irresistible groove. The funky bassline plumbs the depths of soul as soft beats ripple beneath the rich swells of brass and grandiose strings sweep by with an orchestral air and touch of pure class.

Listen to ‘Cloud Into River’ below, it is quite simply stunning!

AfriCali – ‘Daughters of the Sun’

AfriCali is a California-based musical collective embracing a broad base of influences as evidenced by their work to date; a journey of musical exploration and fusion of sounds.

Their latest single ‘Daughters of the Sun’, and indeed the album in which it is lifted from Taught Of A Culture captures the very essence of what Africali and their sound is all about. It is a jazzy and soulful cut with a funky base-line that swaggers along a seductive groove and soft beats while guitars twang amid the sun-kissed shimmering feedback. A genre-hopping jam mixing up afrobeat, rock, pop, and hip-hop and topped with coastal-psych seasoning and catchy melodies. A superb, seductive and sunny groover – tune in below.

Listen to ‘Daughters of the Sun’ below and if that is to your liking, check the album here.

Nia Wyn – ‘Atlantis / Ghosted’

Forever serving us with stunning soulful jams, London-via-North-Wales soul singer-songwriter Nia Wyn has returned’, with not one, but two singles.

Wyn has been busy in 2020 and this double dose of soul – ‘Atlantis’ and ‘Ghosted’ – comes hot on the heels of debut EP Love I Can’t Ruin and single ‘Who Asked You’. ‘Atlantis’ is a vintage soul ballad filled with soft guitar lines, plush beats, seductive grooves and all submerged in soothing, woozy waters with Wyn’s smooth vocals bobbing along above. An utterly beautiful stirring ballad delivered with passion and emotion. ‘Ghosted’ meanwhile is also a laid-back and woozy wonder but fleshed out with more of a R&B/hip hop feel. Wyn’s inimitable vocals take centre stage with a backdrop of bouncy beats, addicting groovy rhythms and warm parps of brass as she tells a heartfelt tale of a friendship drifting apart. Two superb additions to an ever growing catalogue of brilliance from a huge talent that impresses time and time again – long may it continue.

Listen to ‘Atlantis / Ghosted’ below now: