Retro sounding musical artists rarely get it right. They spend much more time perfecting the look and image of their idols than on the music, and more importantly (at least for me) the authentic production they wished to achieve.

Daptone Records is an outstanding exception to this opinion. Since 2001 they have created some of the warmest sounding records around and their collection of “revivalist” musicians and analogue gear won’t let your ears down.

The Budos Band do a great job of creating honest Afro-Soul, and “Up From The South” is a just example of their talents. Recorded in 2005, you would be hard pressed not to mistake this for something found in Nigeria during the 1970’s.
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I think Gabriel Roth and Neal Sugarman have done a fantastic job recreating such great analogue sounds and I hope you all enjoy this track and the work that Daptone continues to release.

Electronic music has had many critics over the years. The primary arguments against it were an alleged lack of musical ability and talent. Artists like Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, Jean-Michel Jarre, and Aphex Twin dispelled these beliefs and we are now blessed with maybe too many subsets within the genre.

Orbital was one of the groups that carried the torch throughout the 90’s and into the 2000’s with an attention to well-crafted albums and their improvisational live sets. Unlike many of their Big Beat musical colleagues that showcased earthy samples, Orbital buried theirs underneath a futuristic, techno, almost metallic luster.
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"Sad But True" is a prime example of this style. As the song takes shape over the first two minutes and thirty seconds we are then introduced to fragmented vocals that fold into Alison Goldfrapp’s haunting performance without ever knowing that hidden underneath it all was a sample from 90’s one-ish hit wonders The Spin Doctors.

Duke Ellington once said “If it sounds good and feels good, then it is good.” I generally agree with that statement but major labels historically exploited this premise, often force feeding the public rehashed popular musical trends and uninspired sounds instead of taking risks on artists willing to challenge the listener and the status quo.

Experimental music, and more specifically experimental rock artists like The Mothers of Invention and Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band, fought these trends, releasing albums that tested the limits of what could be recorded and performed. They of course were not alone, and for those of us willing to seek out new sounds and musical ideas we have been rewarded.
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Deerhoof is one such group, releasing interesting music that continually challenges themselves and their fans. Some might consider their efforts pretentious and at times difficult to listen to, but you could never take away their inventiveness, artistry, and talent. I think this track is an outstanding example of these traits and I hope their 2016 release The Magic doesn’t go unnoticed.

2016 was a somber year filled with a seemingly endless list of musical greats who parted ways with life. Two of the most notable recording engineers that we lost were George Martin and Rudy Van Gelder. The latter of the two, although not as well-known, is credited with helping to define the recorded sounds of modern Jazz music. Van Gelder, a former optometrist, would never admit to this and in his own words was just "trying to get electronics to accurately capture the human spirit.”

“Back at the Chicken Shack” is one of these perfectly recorded gems and a wonderful example of Jimmy Smith’s subtle, soulful and technical approach to the instrument, especially with those basslines. Recorded in 1960, it features the steady drumming of Donald Bailey, the warm phrasing of Kenny Burrell, and Stanley Turrentine’s dependable soloing.
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Rudy Van Gelder was and still is a monster figure in recorded Jazz history and the work he did for Blue Note, Prestige, Savoy, Impulse! and CTI Records is often unmatched in fidelity and will hopefully be listened to for an eternity.