De La Soul
Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump

Record Store Day Japan 2021 Drop 2 release. From the EP released in 2002, MURO (producer / DJ), BOO (singer), and Ryoki Matsumoto (composer/arranger) boldly sampled Tatsuro Yamashita’s “Sparkle” to create an R & B flavored song.

Slowaxx is the solo project and live band created by Riccardo Chiarucci, a music producer, arranger and composer based in Tuscany (Italy). His first album ‘‘Shapes Interfusion’’ features a unique blend of jazz, electronic music and hip-hop, recorded with a collective of musicians and the rapper Young A.M.A.The creative process of the album involves a mix of home-studio production and live recorded sessions. Starting from ideas and demos from Riccardo, all tracks are the result of collaborative jams with musicians bringing their own styles and perception to the table. These sessions created a dialogue of personal vibrations, blending together to emerge as a collective sound.Opening the album, the track « Emoyeni » (a Zulu word for wind, soul and spirit) is a handful of thoughts fluttering in the air, expressed through a Rhodes jam played by Luca Sguera and conversing with sharp electronic drums. The following title « Y.B.A » is an electronic jazz session featuring rapper Young A.M.A. The provocative and ego-driven lyrics add a layer of complexity to this atmospheric production beside beautiful improvisations on the second part. Both tracks start as relaxed flights but step up to drive more excitement throughout the journey.Another highlight of the album is the track « Femmes », a tribute to women and an appeal against gender inequality. It features a speech from Emma Watson, drawing a line on a carpet of lounge, soul sounds and 90s sampled drums. A touching, soft electronic jazz ballad offering the perfect opening for B side.Tracks « Pantere Rosee » and « Stazione Funk » complete both sides with their own aesthetics. The first offers a pure Rhodes, bass and synth jam built on programmed acoustic drums. It’s a cartoon-esque, never-ending chase into very colourful sounds. The latter goes in the opposite way with a deconstructed sampled 90s drums, acid sounds and grooves. It is the most experimental track of the album, bringing a harsh balance to an overall chill and warm sound.Young A.M.A. returns on the ending track « No Secret » to openly express his approach and views on hip-hop while the instrumental part is built as an astral travel with multi layered keyboards echoing to a heavy bassline played by Jury Maccianti.« Shapes Interfusion » delivers a unique and thought-provoking listening experience. Not only it invites listeners on a sonic journey at the crossroads of music styles, but it is also the result of a unique creative process. By mixing live recorded sessions of improvised jams, written music and pre-recorded home-production, Riccardo Chiarucci confronted his ideas to the personalities, knowledge and feelings of seven musicians, one rapper, and their creative shapes, fused into one musical experience: Shapes Interfusion

Casual Connection coming correct with another slice and dice of mashup madness for this seriously sought-after series. Pure heaters with that certified bass weight backing up the dance, these are two ‘90s R&B classics like you’ve never heard them before.Once they’re in your bag, they ain’t never gonna leave.