Prayers have been answered. D’Angelo is back! Kicking off the first of his European dates in Stockholm, he has returned with such rigor, it’s as though he never left. Voice strong, looking buff; we cannot wait for the new album (whenever that may be). What has been so skillful in this lead up, is there being no pre-publicity or hype, just simply dates booked and tickets hitting box office. While there’s no talk of when this show will hit the US, it is certain D’Angelo will be gracing your town, very soon.

Check out videos below and catch a dose of some funk genius. It is my hope the original plan to collaborate with Prince (and a few others) actually happens—as THAT would be incredible!!!

Soon the name Siaira Shawn will be listed as one of music’s greatest up and coming artists. But don’t let that box keep you confined, Siaira’s music will probably be defined by many more genres such as R&B, Jazz, and Rock to name a few.

Few people can belt out a tune clearly and melodically at a rally, wedding, street corner, or office as well as she can with little to no strain. Relaxed and modest however, you would never know it unless you asked. California’s Bay Area has a historic body of incredible musicians and producers who have broken ground on new frontiers of music, and the business of independent music regardless of genre. Siaira is part of that legacy. If you look up her work, you’ll see she has shared the stage and beats with Bay Area fixtures such as revolutionary rhymer T-Kash (Guerilla Funk/ The Coup) and producer Nick James who is responsible for countless remixes and a few cuts for Native Gunner Bambu. You might also hear her on tracks produced by Zakiya Harris (Fiyawata).

In this interview I ask Siaira a few questions about her musical career, the future, and what inspires her as she prepares to set sail for Brooklyn, New York. Welcome Siaira Shawn to Muphoric Sounds.

MS: What does your stage name mean? How did you get it?

Siaira Shawn: My stage name is my first and middle name. Mommy gave me the first name, and she allowed my fathers choice to be my middle name.

MS: For our listeners/readers who are unfamiliar with your work, how would you describe yourself as an artist? Who are you and what do you do?

Siaira Shawn: I am a lover, an all around artist, a worker of and for the community, an aspiring renaissance woman, in the tradition of Paul Robeson and others; my ultimate expression is being a singer/songwriter.

MS: What are some of your biggest influences in terms of your songwriting and singing?

Siaira Shawn: I get influences from everywhere; from my life, others lives, culture, history, politics, nature. I want to speak of and for people. I want to speak the truth and spread love and contribute to culture. I like to make the macro, micro; I think we learn in many different ways and music is a very important tool of liberation and education.

MS: Can you tell us briefly what your first positive performing experience was like?

Siaira Shawn: One of the most important performances occurred when I was in the fourth grade and I starred in Alice in Wonderland and my solo received a standing ovation. That moment solidified that performing would be my life.

MS: You’ve performed a lot as an up and coming musician. How would you say this has changed, advanced, or influenced your craft?

Siaira Shawn:I feel like you have to perform, it’s a part of being a musician, so it’s not separate from my musicianship. Performing makes you a better artist period.

MS: How’s the music biz looking to you in 2012? Is it a grim or bright world?

Siaira Shawn: I see a very, very bright world. I think there is a lot of great music out there and it’s finally starting to get it’s due, particularly independent soul/R&B music and all the amalgamations that pull from that tradition. A lot happened for me last year, so I see 2012 as the year where things go to the next level.

MS: You’re voice and your style of delivery is beautiful and unique. I’ve noticed you have a certain flair when it comes to fashion too. Is that on purpose or is it less “thought out” or planned?

Siaira Shawn: Thank you! It’s always been apart of who I was, the women in my family are quite fashionable, even my great grandmother. I have always been into fashion and aesthetics. I actually do styling too, so I want to take that farther as well. At this point it comes naturally, but I do think about it in the way that “my look” is seen as outside the norm or unique as you said. I want to make sure that I represent who I am wholeheartedly and by doing that I can inspire others to do the same and represent for those of us on outskirts. I hope to curate images that are unique and promote culture through a venture I call “The Outsiders Inside.”

“Incarus”

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We cannot begin to tell you how excited we are about upcoming Black Radio album from Robert Glasper Experiment!!!

Here we have the first taste from the album, “Afro Blue,” which was originally composed by Mongo Santamaria and made world famous by John Coltrane. Glasper and Badu spin it around and make it into something new to our ears. It’s gorgeous!

Black Radio is scheduled to release on February 28. The hype says Black Radio “boldly stakes out new musical territory” as he utilizes the help of his friends – such Erykah Badu, Bilal, Lupe Fiasco, Lalah Hathaway, Shafiq Husayn (Sa-Ra), KING, Ledisi, Chrisette Michele, Mos Def, Musiq Soulchild, Meshell Ndegeocello, and Stokley Williams (Mint Condition).

Robert Glasper x Erykah Badu – Afro Blue by BamaLoveSoul

From the sound of this, it was created during the infamous James River sessions, which was slated to be D’Angelo‘s his third album. We know how that panned out…into nothingness. So here we have a smoking leak — a remake of Soundgarden‘s 1994 hit, “Black Hole Sun.” We can call D’Angelo the master of the remix as his remixes bring something else to the original, whether it’s delicacy or hardness; it’s always special.  My favourite D’Angelo remake is Prince‘s “She’s Always in My Hair.” On “Black Hole Sun,” he has tapped into his inner Prince again, a la Camille era (“If I Was Your Girlfriend,” “Scarlet Pussy,” “U Got the Look“), where Prince would speed up his voice, then pace it to the tune’s tempo. This groove feels oh… so… good…!! And the vocals are unique to D’Angelo.

As said in the Muphoric Sounds Year End Wrap Up, D’Angelo is scheduled to do shows in Europe this month and next; so it’s just a matter of time before he hits the US with what we want. It’s coming!!!

D’Angelo ” Black Hole Sun ” (Demo) by FUNK?U

Have to give a shout out to DJ Come of Age for including me on a tweet to check out new music from John Graham with his album Success in Retrograde. Graham then sent me a message which said, “I’d like to share 3 links with you that may remind you why you fell in love with hip hop. Is that ok?”

Whoa! That’s a huge assertion to make, I had to hear if this guy could back it up. And I have to say, he most certainly did. From the boom clap of the break beat on Configa‘s “Back to Basics,” track which features John Graham, I was drawn in. With his killer delivery and lyrics you will see hear that John Graham is no lightweight!

Success in Retrograde is a lyrical journey, with great productions – he got the help of Shade Cobain, Kiddie Fresh, Amir Swain, Mark Henry, Sizemen, and Brandon Lee.

Scheduled to release on January 11th on Ego Free Music Group, you can check out the two tracks below and then head over to his bandcamp site to pre-order (pre-orders receive a USB wristband).

Where to begin? This year marked some bizarre ocurrances, the sudden deaths of the Over Weight Lover Heavy D and Amy Winehouse, Jay Z & Beyonce getting preggas, Chris Brown showing us that his therapy has not worked, UK songstress Adele killing the charts with 21, and the masses believing that Obama is a magician—can eradicate a mess that took 8 years to create in 4 years. (Just saying).

Here at Muphoric Sounds, the Best Of 2011 is different, as everything reviewed on this site is considered being the best heard at that time. Below is our list of some of the great albums to hit in 2011 — what’s great about the list also, is all from this list have released their music independently; free from label constraints.

1. Floating Points - Shadows - continues to bring us into his synth world, but with more bass, floating between jazz and dubstep beats that is completely danceable.
2. Mar – Mar Variations – A project sparked by Dorian Concept’s “Bipolar Friendship,” has just grown it’s own legs. Now we all await for Mar’s next variation, as they’re all outstanding pieces of work! Check out the latest one.
3. Little Dragon – Ritual Union – Longstanding fans of Little Dragon, from their debut, it is so gratifying to see them grow into notoriety. If there’s one band who deserves it, it is Little Dragon.
4. Radiohead – The King of Limbs – Perfection in every way. Radiohead are an electronic band, who are so open to try out new sounds, you never know what you’re going to get – which makes them a complete treat. “Lotus Flower” video, still a favourite.
5. Thundercat – The Golden Age of Apocalypse – Absolutely in love with Thundercat’s sounds – hard and delicate all at the same time, with incredible arrangements that leave you satisfied.
6. Malice & Mario Sweet - Happy 2 Year – Seattle’s new flowering talent, taking us to an era when duets conveyed passion and love, over real soul and funk laden beats.
7. KING – The Story – Hailing from the West Coast, these young ladies came with something refreshingly different. Looking forward to their next project and shows on the East Coast!
8. Elzhi – Elmatic – Never, ever thought it was possible to do a remake of Nas’s Illmatic (the album was perfection in its original state). However, in comes Elzhi using Will Sessions as his band, and it’s a new listening experience! Well done!
9. Van Hunt – What Your Were Hoping For? – From his great musicianmanship, superior songwriting, Van Hunt can put out anything and I’d follow. The journey is so inspiring.
10. Omar + Zed Bias  - “Dancing” (Single) – A true jump up and whine your waist tune!

Not going to make any predictions this year, but will note, it seems our collective prayers and candle lighting is doing something. D’Angelo will embark on a European tour in January/February 2012, a sort of test out the waters before he brings his show to the US. Keep praying people!! Keep praying!!

As we approach a new year, we wish you all the best for 2012!!

Peace + Love + Light
The Muphoric Sounds Team

The first time I heard the bass line from this song was on a loop called “Savage Intelligence,” by Bay Area MC’s named Konceptual Dominance (Koncepts and Kirby) where they incorporated it into their song beautifully. Imagine my amazement when I found the tape at my mom’s house and pressed play. That bass is part of a musical landscape arranged by Lonnie Liston Smith and its called “A Chance for Peace,” the first cut off the 1975 “Visions of a New World.” It features Cecil McBee (bass), George Barron (sax), Joe Beck (guitar), David Lee Jr. (drums), James Mtume and Sonny Morgan (percussion), Badal Roy (table), Geeta Vashi (tamboura), and Liston Smith (Piano/Keys).

Born in 1940, this Richmond Virginia native was brought up in a musical family. He studied music in high school and at Morgan State University. Starting his career in Baltimore and later moved to New York City where so many musicians make the pilgrimage to in order to gig, collaborate, learn, and elevate their skill. After studying with family, school, the clubs, and many greats, he grew into an extremely accomplished musician and band leader, who has played with Art Blakey, Betty Carter, Gato Barbieri, Miles Davis, Guru from Gangstarr, and Pharoah Sanders. As a band leader of The Cosmic Echoes,” the Visions of a New World was the second LP he released with famed producer Bob Thiele.

The bass is deceiving, first screaming full of funk, then providing a trance-inducing floor for the guitar, trumpets, vocals, synthesizers, and violins to walk on. One of the reasons I gravitated to Liston Smith, despite the fact that he’s been so widely sampled in hip hop, is his incredible ability to fuse sounds and genres together. Jazz, traditional, funky, electronic, psychedelic, or even rock elements. This song and this LP have so much to offer the ear. Check it out below.

“A Chance for Peace” by Lonnie Liston Smith

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Well, this was a lovely surprise! Legendary DJ/Producer DJ Spinna has put together an incredible mix of his favourite Mark de Clive-Lowe tunes, which include remixes and collaborations with Kenny Dope (Masters at Work), Phil Asher (Restless Soul), Zed Bias, Spinna himself, to name a few. This 34-track collection of MdCL’s music, travels through many genres — soul, downtempo, house, and alternative sounds; a great treat to round the year out with.

Mark de Clive-Lowe released Renegades, his ninth solo album last month on TruThoughts Records and can be purchased from the following links:  Amazon | iTunes.

The Best of MdCL Mix by DJ Spinna is available for free download at the following sites Soundcloud | MixCloud – or you could just play it here while you pursue Muphoric Sounds.

The Best of MdCL Mix by DJ Spinna by Tru Thoughts

“Avril 14“ is so beautiful; just rocked my world. The intensity of the music with Mar and UK singer Szjerdene‘s incredibly heartfelt delivery, will make you want to run up to the one you love and just hold them. The video documents a beautiful couple preparing for their first child—the excitement, and the love they have for each other is so pure. However, complications arise and shatters their bright world into something that is harrowingly painful. “Avril 14” is a variation of an instrumental by Irish electronic composer Apex Twin. Again, the music is left untouched and vocals are added to breathe more life and dimension to the original composition.

Directed by Hesdy Lonwijk and actors Nasrdin Dchar & Kim Pieters. Watch the video below, and head over to Mar‘s WeTransfer site to get your free download.

It’s not every day you come across an artist who has a background that makes you wonder, “Why haven’t I heard about them before?” Baby Jaymes is one of those. Born and raised in Oakland, California, and under the tutelage of Raphael Saadiq and George Clinton—he can call these greats his mentors—Baby Jaymes has come to do his thing!

First hearing “Heart & Soul,” the infectious hook that is vintage soul mixed a hip hop flavour, there was anticipation for his 5-song EP. Baby Jaymes does a rendition of 50 Cent‘s “21 Questions” bringing in live instrumentation and inverting the song to sound melodic.

Calling his style “ghetto retro,” largely in part due to his sound having subtle leanings to Motown but also containing enough soul, hip hop and live instrumentation to make it a sound of now. Baby Jaymes is fun and I look forward to seeing what his live performance is going to look and sound like.

Being on the West Coast he definitely asserted himself within the right circles and has had songs featured in motion pictures, such as Malibu’s Most Wanted, My Baby’s Daddy, and Any Given Sunday.

Check out “Heart & Soul” below and head over to iTunes to purchase this EP.

Heart and Soul smooth mastered 1 by BabyJaymes

From his latest album, What You Were Hoping For?, is the first video for “Eyes Like Pearls.” Van Hunt says the lyrics to the song came from, ”finding a monster living inside of a girl I was hanging with – and falling in complete, primal love with her. Finding out who someone is – why they are the way they are – and turning their scars into a reason to change my life.” These are the things I love about Hunt‘s vivid songwriting. Somehow, someone’s chaos can give him rectitude. The video shows a man and a woman as they wonder about, deep in thought focusing on their eyes.

If you haven’t purchased What You Were Hoping For? yet, I suggest you do. It’s an electric ride of discovery with profound lyrics that make you go, “Hmmmm…”

iTunes | Amazon

If this woman feels the emotion, know that it will come out through her music.  Owed to Mama Rickie is Georgia Anne Muldrow paying homage to her mother, Rickie Byars Beckwith, who has been a spiritual and musical inspiration in her life. Owed to Mama Rickie, her second release on animatedcartunes, GAM gives us her dose of her signature funk vibes, with messages that are spiritual and inspiring, lessons to learned from her mama. Below is the first video from the album for “More & More” featuring Bilal at the half-way point – directed by Brian Deka Paupaw.

Peter Major aka Opolopo, known largely for his soul funk arrangements, manages to find the most outstanding artists to turn on his ingenious talent. Born in Zirc, Hungry to a keyboardist father, young Opolopo received his education in music while on the road with his father, who was a keyboardist. This exposed him to a wide array of musical styles and musicians. His personal leaning has been towards soul, funk, jazz. With a decade long career on multiple labels, such as Om Records, Warner Brothers, Tru Thughts, Sony/BMG, Swedish Brandy and Especial Records, his new home is Tokyo Dawn Records.

Mutants, is a compilation of remixes where he delves deep into 80s funk and soul, taking us back to the two step era, also incorporating those soulful house songs that never grow old. His selections include a mix of power vocalists, such as Erik Rico, Amalia, Colonel Red, Ursula Rucker, Gregory Porter, Eska, Sly Johnson, to name a few.

Check out two songs from the compilation, then head over to Tokyo Dawn Records for purchase.

“1960 What?” by Gregory Porter (Opolopo Kick & Bass Rerub)

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“Our World” feat. Erik Rico (House Mix)

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Courtney John has been serenading the ladies of Jamaican for quite some time now. Hitting the Jamaican reggae music in 1997, and recognized by Irie FM as Best Male Artist, and naming his album Unselfish the Best Album of 2007, which included hit singles “Miss You,” “Baby Tonight,” and “When You Say,” which were all Top 10 chart hits. He came to my attention with his Studio One retro hit “Lucky Man,” from seeing the video and seeing his true command of the stage, exuding sexy, with a voice that is up there with the R&B artists like R.Kelly. I instantly understood what the fuss surrounding Courtney John was all about.

Now with his new single, “Soul of a Man,” he pushes the envelop by stepping into the genre of dub step—a natural progression as dub step’s origins are in reggae. Produced by Jamaican female producer The Wizard and with John‘s distinctive yet smooth vocals; this tune is a banger!

Check it out below and let us know what you think!

Courtney John feat. The Wizard – Soul Of A Man by FiWi Music

Sam Shepard a.k.a Floating Points is one of those producers who is so innovative, it hits in a trance-like state. Hailing from South London, classically trained in jazz piano at Chetham School of music in Manchester, but is also a neuroscientist by day. How incredible is that?

First hearing him on the atomic remix of Real to Reel‘s 80s classic hit, “Love Me Like This,” which solidified Floating Points place in electronic dance music. Now with Shadows, a 5-track EP, is a collaborative project with friend Will Hurt, who created a Max/Msp patch (a visual programming language for music and multimedia that has been adopted by electronic laptop music/video artists to use in their performance). On Shadows, Floating Points continues to bring us into his synth world, but with more bass, floating between jazz and dubstep beats that is completely danceable. On “ARP3” he uses elements from Lil Louie‘s classic house track, “French Kiss” and makes it darker! It is such a banger; you won’t be able to stop putting it on repeat. Listen to the sample of the tracks below, then head over to Eglo Records for purchase.

Shadows by floatingpoints