funk / soul
Track: Amanda Whiting – What Is It We Need; (Feat, Alice Russell) elegant, unhurried soul
With What Is It We Need, Amanda Whiting offers a moment of true elegance—an unhurried, soul-steeped piece that moves with the grace of a slow, stately dance. It’s a track that’s as much about space and mood as it is about melody, and it gently unfolds like a breath held and then exhaled, warm and weightless. …
Album Review: Surprise Chef – Superb; kings of instrumental soul delight once again
Surprise Chef return with Superb, a rich, groove-driven collection of instrumental funk, soul, and jazz that deepens their cinematic sound while loosening the edges. Rooted in the Australian five-piece’s signature blend of vintage textures and head-nodding rhythms, this album expands their palette with bolder moods, freer structures, and a broader sense of place. It’s music made …
Album Review: Azzurro 80 – Flashback; warm 80s fused instrumentals hit the right spot
On Flashback, Azzurro 80 invites listeners into a lush, imagined memory of the 1980s—a world shaped more by the ghosts of old television idents and faded VHS movie trailers than by the actual charts of the era. It’s a beautifully constructed instrumental album where groove, mood, and nostalgia blend seamlessly into a single cinematic vision. Opening …
Album Review: Gyedu-Blay Ambolley – Simigwa (Strut Records Reissue)
Strut Records continues its celebration of Ghana’s legendary Essiebons label with the official reissue of Simigwa, the groundbreaking 1975 album by Gyedu-Blay Ambolley. Recognized as a cornerstone of Ghanaian highlife and Afro-funk, Simigwa is a bold, genre-blending record that captures Ambolley’s unique fusion of traditional Ghanaian rhythms, American funk, and soul. This reissue not only …