'AHLKE' by Freya Roy

'AHLKE' marks the exciting debut album from vocalist, writer, producer, guitarist and pianist, Freya Roy.

From Norwich, UK, and a graduate of Leeds College of Music – where she was a student of the Abstract Orchestra saxophonist and band leader Rob Mitchell – as well as having attended Birmingham Conservatoire where she studied Jazz & Production and Jazz Guitar, respectively, anticipation has been incredibly high for the release of Roy's debut album.

Spearheaded by the exquisitely infectious groove of lead single 'Midnight Train' and the subsequent follow-up single '22 Movements' (with its accompanying performance-based video), Roy is an artist who very much wears her influences on her sleeve.  Touting the work of performers like Jill Scott, Esperanza Spalding and Robert Glasper as strong sources of inspiration, Roy skilfully interweaves varying elements of R&B, neo-soul and jazz and fuses them into something distinctly her own.  And while 'Midnight Train' and '22 Movements' are excellent introductions to ‘AHLKE’, each of the album's tracks are standouts in their own right: from the late night jazz-inspired 'Sensations', the dreamy and sublime nature of 'Say Something' and the undeniable sing-a-long spirit of 'Breathe'.

The music throughout the album is brought to life by an excellent array of musicians including Sam Williams on bass, Alex Fisher on saxophone, keyboards and synthesizer by Taz Modi (who this year celebrated the release of his own debut solo record, 'Reclaimed Goods') and Simon Beddoe of the Submotion Orchestra appearing on Flugel Horn.  The Submotion Orchestra connections are extended with the presence of producer/musician Dom "Ruckspin" Howard tackling the album's mixing duties throughout.

'AHLKE' introduces listeners to a confident and charismatic young artist in complete creative control of her music.  Credited as the album's writer, composer and producer and released through her own FCR label, 'AHLKE' actually reaches inspirational-levels of creative success and is very much symbolic of the beacon she had hoped the project would be for others.  The album's original Crowdfunding video, published in September 2018, stated that Roy hoped the album would go on to "inspire women, LGBTQ artists and industry minorities", but frankly, how could any young, UK-based artist look at the achievements laid out over these nine tracks and not be inspired?!

'Home Cooking' by DJ Yoda

'Home Cooking' is the brand new album from the world renowned hip-hop DJ and producer, Duncan "DJ Yoda" Beiny.  Famed for his extensive catalogue of music including his initial 'How to Cut & Paste' mix series, to his revered live performances as a festival and club headliner around the world, the numerous accolades and awards accumulated over the years to his legend-like status as a true pioneer in his field.

Released through London's independent label, Lewis Recordings, 'Home Cooking' represents a huge creative step forward in Yoda's musical evolution.  Much like Guru opted to veer away from sampling jazz records (most famously as a part of the hip-hop collective, Gangstarr, with DJ Premier) and actively collaborate with musicians including Donald Byrd, Ronny Jordan and Roy Ayers in 1993 with the first of his beloved 'Jazzmatazz' series of albums, Yoda too directs his focus on live instrumentation and incredible array of soul/R&B artists to bring his vision towards reality.

Had Guru still been around today and decided to set-up camp in London for a possible 'Jazzmatazz, Volume 5', then he couldn't have been any prouder than with the exciting and dynamic line-up of collaborators assemled by Yoda for this project.  'Home Cooking' pulls from some of the UK's finest, from the legendary Omar ('Thornton Heath') to some of the excellent, rising talent currently making their own waves: Andrew Ashong, Eva Lazarus and Joel Culpepper.  'Abbey Road' marks another notable highlight for the album and a stunning showcase of UK jazz talent as Yoda is paired with saxophonist Nubya Garcia (Maisha), tuba player Theon Cross (Sons of Kemet) and keyboardist Henry Wu (aka Kamaal Williams of Yussef Kamaal).  Hip-hop is still represented throughout with long-time collaborators the Jungle Brothers appearing on 'Afrika' and 'Hither Green' along with Boston rapper Ed OG appearing on 'Roxbury'.

Just as 'Jazzmatazz' was Guru's logical next step, 'Home Cooking' is DJ Yoda's.  Creatively, Yoda has pushed forward, carving his own path with an eclectic musical gumbo that we can only hope will spawn the beginning of its own series of releases.

'It Rains Love' by Lee Fields

Following the release of 'Emma Jean' in 2014, for a review for this very site, I declared the then 62 year old Lee Fields as probably the best there is in contemporary soul music.  'Special Night' was subsequently released in 2016 and this year we have the fifth album by Lee Fields & The Expressions, 'It Rains Love', which have done nothing to alter my earlier stance.

It would be curious to know how the tag of the quintessential soul artist must fit for Fields at this point considering how hard he admittedly tried earlier in his career to emulate the unabashed funk-ness of the legendary James Brown whose distinctive sound proved a source of immeasurable inspiration before Fields was able to find his own niche as soul music's shining light.  Backed by the Big Crown/Truth & Soul/Daptone super-group mash-up of incredible musicians including Thomas Brenneck (guitar), Homer Steinweiss (drums), Dave Guy (trumpet) and produced by Leon Michels, Lee Fields once again excels, delivering a powerhouse selection of tracks.

Over the last few years, recent events in the US have really inspired artists to use their music as a platform to make some stunning music (and statements!) as a result - Durand Jones & The Indications achieved this with their call to arms theme of 'American Love Call', Northern soul inspired vocal duo Mel & Kim from Dala Records released their protest anthem 'Bad Man' in 2018, as have other artists.  'It Rains Love' seems very much to follow in this same vein with Fields using his music to inspire love as the healing factor, as evident in the album title alone and with songs like 'God is Real' and 'Love is the Answer'.

And it's worth mentioning what an incredible run Big Crown Records are currently on as well, between this release from Lee Fields & The Expressions, Bobby Oroza's 'This Love' and last year's 'Predictions' from 79.5, the Brooklyn-based label continues to grow from strength to strength and it's a pleasure to continue to immerse yourself within each release.

'Cykada' by Cykada

Astigmatic Records' genre-less affection for music and their goal to present themselves as the prism to shine the light and showcase these treasures is something the relatively young label is becoming increasingly famous for:  DJ/producer/musician Surly from New Zealand unveiled his 'Trip To Warsaw' in 2018 introducing fans to his homage to Polish jazz through the eyes of hip-hop and drum & bass; Pakistani artist, Jaubi, introduced us to his 'Lahore State of Mind' last year, and the breakout Polish jazz collective, EABS, released their debut 'Repetitions (Letters to Krzysztof Komeda)' in 2017 with their follow-up due this year also...

And now that light shines to the incredible talents of the UK jazz six-piece Cykada, comprising something of a super-group of musicians from some of the UK’s finest names responsible for some of the UK’s finest jazz releases over the last few years:

Cykada’s saxophone duties are provided by James Mollison, member of the Ezra Collective and known for his session work with rapper Ty (‘A Work Of Heart’) and Joe Armon-Jones (‘Starting Today’); drummer Tim Doyle and trumpeter Axel Kaner-Lindstrom have each come off a strong 2018 as a part of Brownswood Recording’s spiritual jazz outfit, Maisha, and their debut ‘There Is A Place’; Tilé Gichigi Lipere provides the otherworldly electronics here much like he did masterfully on Mimika Orchestra’s ‘Divinities Of The Earth’; guitarist Javi Pérez’s unique style also heavily influences Cykada’s style and I’d advise checking his previous work as a part of Stonetape’s ‘Wintermute’ album, and finally there’s Don Kipper’s own bassist, Jamie Benzies.

…It’s a dream line-up of projects and collaborations which sets the stage for something equally exciting with the arrival of Cykada’s debut release. 

Much like Japan's Soil & "Pimp" Sessions referred to their high-octane levels of jazz as "death jazz", for Cykada, their myriad of experiences, styles and passions seem to organically spawn a style of jazz matching the energy of Tokyo’s finest but still having cultivated a style distinctly their own.  ‘Creation’ boasts an incredible energy, both boisterous and engaging, ‘Dimension Stepper’ embraces the band’s penchant for these unpredictable sonic soundscapes, and the album’s closing number ‘Third Eye Thunder’, clocking in at just over eleven minutes, acts as the perfect closer.

Cykada are inspiring flag-wavers for Astigmatic Records and their vision for both genre-defying and genre-defining music.