The thought of leaving this planet sounds most inviting as the opening track, a cover of Gene Harris’s “Koko + Lee Roe,” goes down like that first sip of fine wine — bold and deliciously smooth. Instant goose bumps! Musical puritan Mark de Clive-Lowe is an all-time favourite of Muphoric Sounds. Leaving the Planet EP is a great precursor to his forthcoming release Renegades, which is scheduled to release this summer. What you get from MdCL‘s works, is his ability to bring joy through sounds, fusing classic soul, jazz, afrobeats, and pure innovation. Featuring the beloved Bembe Segue on “Dreams,” a dance-worthy track, with Ms. Segue’s gorgeous harmonies and phrasings; Sharlene Hector (Basement Jaxx) with her powerful and affectionate vocals on the title track “Leaving the Planet”; Tawiah, Nia Andrews, Ovasoul7, and Omar Phillips; and talented musicians across the globe such as Lil John Roberts (drums), Mike Feingold (guitar), and Nova Lima (percussions), and 2000black’s Dego mixing the instrumental track “Eight.” Five songs of pure listening pleasure. Enjoy!

Firstly, we have to commend the Ty team in having a clear road map for this release. The journey is filled with anticipation and build ups, and everything seems to be going according to plan.

Now we have the actual release of “Emotions,” the single. What is very apparent with the teasers received thus far is, there are no digging in the crates Dilla bites, no far-reaching eclecticism of Sa-Ra track –  it’s simply, Ty! Calling upon some of UK’s renowned producers for these remixes — Daz-I-Kue, Dego and Akwasi, and Waajeed — who all bring something unique to “Emotions.” This year is definitely turning into what I predicted—The Year of the Eargasm. It’s seldom when you buy a single and every mix, including the original, is rock solid. Emotions is that! Check out the Waajeed mix below and head over to iTunes to get yourself a copy. The album, Special Kind of Fool hits in April 19th. Mark your calendars; you won’t want to feel the shame of having a late pass in your hand with this one!

“Emotions” by Ty (Waajeed Remix)

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Editorial Addition: DJ Bounce put together a “Something Big! Mixtape, available for free download and features the broad range of collaborations Ty has recorded with friends all over the world. Download links for “Something Big! Mixtape” are Usershare or MediaFire

Full Tracklist
01    Skit – Intro
02    Break The Lock – TY
03    Dont Watch That – TY
04    Worldwide – Funky DL (ft TY) Hot Mix
05    Down For The Count – Reflection Eternal (ft TY & Blak Twang) UK version
06    Skit (Ghetto Yout)
07    Hey There – 2000 Black aka Dego & Kaidi Tatham (ft TY)
08    Skit (Space Monkey)
09    Phantom Of The Opera – TY (ft Anthony Mills)
10    Me – TY (ft Erik Rico)
11    Pick It Up – Nathan Haines (ft TY) Submariner remix
12    Dont Push Me – Tettory Bad (ft TY)
13    Groovement – TY
14    Emotions – TY (ft Sarina Leah & Shaun Escoffery) Album version
15    Heart Full Of You – Robert Mitchell (ft TY & Deborah Jordan)
16    Keep On – Bone Idols (ft TY & Aphletik)
17    Woman To Man – Tony Allen (ft TY)
18    Can’t Help Myself – The Bamboo’s (ft TY)
19    Legacy – Zion I (ft TY & Jennifer Johns)
20    When Robots Go To War – TY (ft Motet) Daz I Kue remix
21    Wait A Minute – TY (Dwele remix)
22    Emotions – TY (Waajeed remix)
23    Style & Pattern – John Arnold (ft TY)
24    The Way We Like It – Natalie Williams (ft TY & Eska)
25    The Idea – TY (ft De La Soul’s Pos & Dave)
26    Outro

It felt like an eternity waiting for the sophomore release from Silhouette Brown. And boy, was it worth the wait! Silhouette Brown is the musical masterminds of Kaidi Tatham (Agent K, Bugz In the Attic), Dego (2000 Black/4Hero, DKD), co-writer and producer Bembe Segue, and silky soul Philadelphia-native singer, Lady Alma (known largely for her work on 4Hero‘s “Hold it Down”, Soul Dhamma‘s “Happy” and Sylk 130‘s “When the Funk Hits the Fan,” to name countless club classics she’s sang on over the years).

The album two brings us the first full recording from Lady Alma, displaying her vocal versatility where the warmth of her voice shines through on every note; the production on two seems created just for her. Just beautiful.  two has a more soulful appeal than the debut Silhouette Brown release, however, the arrangements still contain the future soul sounds we expect to hear from Dego and Kaidi, with funk inspired basslines, scatting keyboards, and thumping drums, still ever present. Clever songwriting in care of Lady Alma and Bembe Segue and Dego, and the pleasant surprise of Sadat X appearing on “Get With It,” two is timed perfectly to turn up the heat on your cold nights. Not sure why Deborah Jordan doesn’t appear on the album, but with Lady Alma as the replacement — we’re more than cool de la with the union.

Listen to a couple of songs below and let me know what you think of Silhouette Brown‘s return. two can be purchased at 2000 Black‘s website. So get it!

“Casualties of Honey”

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“Strawberries in Vinegar”

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