:n-the-m:x | June 2023

Welcome to our monthly mix series with each episode spotlighting 10 tracks that we were particularly excited about across various shows on Blue-in-Green:RADIO. This month showcases a selection providing a 40+ minute excursion from broken beat and future soul gems to psychedelic Turkish funk and left-of-centre jazz.

Music this month comes courtesy of...

'La La La' by Ill Doots

'Never4Get' [Rui Fradinho Remix] by Deborah Jordan & K15 (Futuristica Music)

'Morning Mist' by Mecca:83 (Urban Waves Records)

'Places in Your Mind' by The Soul Sound Collective

'A Better Woman' by Cole Williams (Golden Rules)

'Trust Fall' by flyt

'Bir Adim Ote' by MLDVA & Cinar Timur (Shapes of Rhythm)

'Bye' by corto.alto (New Soil)

'Little Steps' by KAU (Sdban Ultra)

'Raffaele' by Opus Trio (A.MA Records)

:n-the-m:x is exclusive to our Mixcloud channel so be sure to check back at the end of every month for future round-ups.

Blue-in-Green:PODCAST #126: Laura Llorens

Welcome to Episode #126 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which this week sees Imran connect with singer-songwriter, Laura Llorens.

Initially raised in Lake Michigan, Llorens' affections for the French culture and lifestyle saw her relocate to Paris where she has since called home over the last twenty years.  But wherever Llorens would eventually settle, being able to reach an audience through such an immense level of talent was always destined to be in her future.  With three independent releases under her belt, a meeting with Q-Sounds Recordings founder, Ludovic Bors, led to the formation of Laura Llorens & The Shadows of Love who can boast two fantastic albums with the incredible home of French funk & soul.

Currently riding high with the release of the sensational 'No Love No Peace', we're very appreciative to have secured time with Laura to discuss her transition from the US to Paris, her musical journey to Q-Sounds, the incredible new album, defining success and what it means for someone to challenge themselves through the art that they make.

Blue-in-Green Sessions · Blue-in-Green:PODCAST_#126_Laura Llorens

'Feel Good' by Women of Soul

'Feel Good' marks the new album release from the all-star cast comprising Australia's Women of Soul collective.

Australia has never been short of musical talent within the realms of soul, funk and jazz.  From revered names like Kerrie Biddell and Renée Geyer to a multitude of artists today that release world-class music running the gamut from blistering funk to sweet soul, all the way to left-of-centre jazz, Australia continues to cement themselves as a leading and essential voice amongst a thriving musical scene.

Since 2011, the Women of Soul brand has continued with this commitment to bringing new eyes and opportunities to Australian female talent.  A project helmed by the multi-talented Chelsea Wilson, Women of Soul has long waved the flag for innovative and inspired perspectives through a lengthy lineage of live performances, workshops, collaborations and music releases, as first unveiled through their self-titled album as far back as 2015.

Serving as an excellent release, the debut Women of Soul album featured fantastic vocal contributions from artists including Kylie Auldist, Candice Monique and Stella Angelico and while that album benefited from an all-star cast of writers, producers and musicians - including Jake Mason (Cookin on 3 Burners), Rory McDougall (The Putbacks) and Phil Binotto (Menagerie) - 'Feel Good' stays true to the brand's concept in inspired and boundlessly creative ways.

Initially plagued with delays from the 2020/2021 quarantine period of social distancing, face masks and excessive amounts of hand sanitizer, 'Feel Good' is a project that comprises more than 35 female creatives - filling every music-making role from vocalists, songwriters, producers, engineers and musicians across the whole album.  Executive produced by Chelsea Wilson, with production, engineering and mixing duties attributed to Anna Laverty, the album presents a dream line-up of musical talent that is no less a triumph in every facet from its concept alone delivering as a statement of intent, to the incredible results heard when you press play.

A number of returning artists from the first album are present for this second go-round including Auldist, Monique, Rita Satch and of course Wilson but we also have new voices added to the line-up that make for brilliant inclusions as listeners are treated to contemporary interpretations of soul music that range from uptempo disco numbers to sublime R&B and blissfully sweet soul music.  

Candice Monique delivers an early gem with the sincere and self-appreciating 'I Am Enough', swiftly followed by the Chelsea Wilson contribution 'Lover Don't Lock Me Down' which - despite perhaps offering a sly nod to the global circumstances surrounding the project at the time - delivers as a joyful and infectious disco-meets-funk floor-filler.  The neo-soul groove of 'I'm On It' (featuring Carla Troiano) is another excellent number as is the brilliantly produced 'I See It/I Believe It' (featuring Rita Satch, Miss Emilia, Alzzy and Raleigh Williams). 

And a final nod for the project goes towards the excellent musicians and their performances throughout the album that paint such diverse and assured, soul-drenched backdrops for these incredible vocalists to soar over.

We described the album earlier as a triumph and a project that must come with such pride for the card-carrying Women of Soul collaborators.  With its ambitious and calculated scope, 'Feel Good' is very much a heralded milestone within the rich twelve year legacy for the Women in Soul brand - it is the vision realized.

'No Love No Peace' by Laura Llorens & The Shadows of Love

'No Love No Peace' marks the brand new release from Laura Llorens & The Shadows of Love available through the always excellent Q-Sounds Recording.

The connection between Llorens and Q-Sounds has led to some fantastic results over the years - having initially released three solo albums in 'The Giving Tree' (2010), 'On the Way' (2013) and 'Digging Deeper' (2016), it was their union for the album 'Home / Chez Moi' that brought the singer/songwriter to more eyes.  Partnering with The Shadows of Love, their debut project for the label in 2020 led to some incredible music that showcased Llorens' powerhouse vocal and has since led to Llorens as a shining light for Q-Sounds.

Initially raised in Lake Michigan, Llorens' affections for the French culture and lifestyle saw her relocate to Paris where she has since called home over the last twenty years.  But wherever Llorens would eventually settle, being able to reach an audience through such an immense level of talent was always destined to be in her future.  'Home / Chez Moi', for example, proved to be the perfect showcase for everything that Llorens brings to the table - a captivating presence, sincere songwriting that bursts with personality and a voice as adept at commanding a dance floor as much as sweetly serenading a loved one.

Three years later, we now have the successor to that record in 'No Love No Peace' which is a compelling follow-up and finds Llorens embracing new ideas and concepts for her music.

There's something about 'No Love No Peace' as a project that places it hand-in-hand with another somewhat recent Q-Sounds release in 'Music For Riots Revolutions & Showdowns'.  Helmed by the illusive Rob D. Vulosic, both projects continue in the vein of asking soul music's  quintessential question about our evolving political and social climates... "What's going on?"  A question posed by Marvin Gaye in 1971, posed by many others since but it does seem to be the question that we are forever destined to ponder.  And while Q-Sounds are a phenomenal contemporary label with a series of artists and releases that celebrate the unbridled joy in love, good times, music and nostalgia, they are also a label that understand the weight of responsibility in continuing to keep that question prevalent in peoples' minds.

And it's a question that Q-Sounds have proved very effective at relaying over the years.

Laura Llorens - much like Vulosic before her - finds her focus by addressing matters that impact us all as individuals and as a global community - the last few years have presented everyone with an inconceivable amount of challenges that have sought to divide us politically, racially and environmentally; a worldwide pandemic ground everyday life to a screeching halt; the continual threat of war looms over us... it can all often feel more than we are equipped to handle and 'No Love No Peace' finds inspired ways to convey and connect with that level of restlessness and unease.

The music throughout 'No Love No Peace' finds Llorens & The Shadows of Love further plunging their authentic sound within the 1970s with tracks paying homage to the variety of styles attributed to the era - the gritty funk of 'Deep Fried Butter', the Blaxploitation aesthetic of the powerful 'BLM' opener, the rousing 'Time Is All' or the sweet soul of 'Magic Love'.  Of course special mention is due to the Curtis Mayfield-esque 'Loving You' which really delivers as the album's high point - the sensational number relishes in its lengthy instrumental opener and really accentuates the band's stellar performance throughout the album.  And then Laura Llorens ushers in mid-way through the near-five-minute gem to elevate the track into one of the best you're likely to hear all year.

'Emptiness After' delivers as the perfect album closer.  "It's the emptiness after, the eye of the storm; it's the fall of the dust to the ground, reset all to silence."  It's the track that encapsulates everything amazing about this album and the epic journey it has narrated throughout the nine songs to get to this point.  We've been privy to Llorens as she marvels at love, addresses her own fears and insecurities, rallied against injustice and lamented over love lost.  But then we receive the song's final sentiment: "The feeling of wholeness is what keeps me alive" which ultimately serves as Lloren's revelatory moment - the very distinction between merely surviving and living lies in the unwavering truth that is... Know Love, Know Peace.