Merry Xmas !

Lou Rawls bring you a first Xmas present...

The excellent face B of this 1967' album

Listen to "Christmas Will Really Be Christmas"

Shape Of My 2011

As Sinatra sang, it was a very good year !
But 2011 was certainly not a "crooner-year" for me.

Look, here is my shape of 2011, in disorder :

 
James Blake

Who is this UFO ? It was his first album, the best of 2011 for me.

I saw his concert at the Montreux Jazz Festival this summer and it confirmed his "new talent" status.
"The Wilhelm Scream !" 

Charles Bradley warmed my soul with his album

"No Time For Dreaming". 

The backing band is the great Menahan Street Band.

Listen to the first track "The World"

One of my favorite producers ever, Pantha Du Prince, came back with the remixed versions of his last album "Black Noise"... I particularly liked Efdemin version of "Stick To My Side"

SBTRKT and his mysterious mask brought us a perfect electro-pop, 

check out this tune "Right Thing To Do"
featuring Jessie Ware and Sampha.

After "Passed Me By",  
Andy Stott surprised me again
with "We Stay Together"...

Hard, but soulful !

Ghostpoet also, with his rap on UK dub-electro instrumentals. 
Check "Us Against Whatever Ever"

Thom Yorke released a new Radiohead album. 
But I mostly remember his collaboration 
with Burial and Four Tet on Text records. 

It was "EGO"

On September, Zomby came with "Dedication", 
my favorite "back to school" album.

Listen to "Natalia's Song"

Finally, 2011 was a sad year.

We lost the Father, Gil Scott-Heron RIP.

He released "We're New Here" this year, remixes of his last album "I'm New Here",  
featuring Jamie XX, another great figure of 2011. 
Listen to "NY Is Killing Me"

GIL SCOTT-HERON : 1949 - 2011

CHARLES BRADLEY X NEIL YOUNG

Neil Young "Harvest" is one of my favorite albums ever !

Charles Bradley recently did a cover of "Heart Of Gold" with the Menahan Street Band.

A great soul version of a legendary folk standard

 

CINEMATIC X BUDDY RICH X FOURTET

The Cinematic Orchestra always transports me so far.

Loud vibrations, a lot of melancholy, something dark but beautiful.

Please remembner their track Channel One Suite...

Sample of drummer Buddy Rich "Channel One Suite"
(check the video at 2'46)

And remixed by the inimitable Fourtet !

Three masterpieces, three visions, one spirit : GOOD MUSIC !

ANDY STOTT - DARK DETAILS

This track is available on "Passed Me By", the last album signed Andy Stott, Manchester-based techno producer.
But his new productions are minimal and noisy... I like them !
Far from the exuberance of dance music,
he gives a sense to darkness, and its details :
UK has definitely entered another age.


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