Kamasi Washington – „Heaven & Earth“ (Young Turks/Xl/Beggars Group) His first band, The Young Jazz Giants, was founded by Kamasi Washington along with Stephen “Thundercat” Burner, while they were still in high school. Later on, Washington studied ethno-musicology at UCLA, going on to play with Snoop Dogg and Raphael [...]
Beach House – „7“ (Pias Coop/Bella Union/Warner) Best-of albums and live recordings, outtakes and rarities - such releases are perfect for bridging either brief pauses in inspiration or telling the willing listener that it concerns a break. Victoria Legrand and Alex Scully, the two artists behind Beach House, are [...]
Diplo – "California" (Becaus Music/Caroline) Finally, something new from Wesley Penz. Wesley who? Admittedly, everyone knows the man from Tupelo, Mississippi only by his stage name, Diplo, and as such he has made a huge name for himself, as well as part of the project Major Lazer. As one [...]
Jean Claude Ades – „Appassionata / Ordinary Day“ (Be Crazy Music) Be Crazy - that is everything with Jean Claude Ades: assertive, exciting, attitude to life and, of course, the slogan itself: Be Crazy. Be crazy. And creative: Jean Claude Ades refines this year's summer season with two new [...]
Quantum Collage – „Lucid Dreaming“ (Ouie/Rough Trade) Quantum Collage is the brainchild of Olaf Gutbrod from southern Germany and the beginning of his passion for music can be pinpointed fairly closely. He first took up the guitar at the age of nine; an encounter that was to become the [...]
Kendrick Lamar – Damn. (Interscope) In the course of his far from long career so far, Kendrick Lamar has become nothing less than a legend of contemporary rap: in 2010, he made his first appearance with the mix tape, Overly Dedicated, while his début album, Section.80, -released just one [...]
Gorillaz – "Humanz" (Parlophone/Warner) There's scarcely a Britpop survivor as restless as Damon Albarn. While former opponents such as Oasis' Liam Gallagher have relocated to swearing and leisure, Blur's front man changes projects like others change their guitar picks. In addition to solo albums, detours into ethno and the supergroup [...]
Jamiroquai – "Automaton" (Virgin) Someone like him should need no introduction. But Jay Kay had disappeared into oblivion for easily seven years, so at least a short reminder is due: From 1992 onwards, he worked very successfully with his band, Jamiroquai, on a post-modern funk and soul update. The [...]
Dinosaur jr – „Give a Glimpse of what yer not“ (Jagjaguwar) For more than a decade, Dinosaur Jr. have been active again in the here and now in their legendary founding line-up. Not only is the trio thus more consistent over time than in the pioneering days of the late [...]
Air – “twentyears” (Warner) Few records left their mark on the late 90s like Air´s debut album did. The French pair made up of Jean-Benoit Dunckel and Nicolas Godin called their creation “Moon Safari” and their songs seemed to explore distant galaxies. The opening track, “La Femme d’Argent”, is [...]
