I absolutely love it when love hits my in-box! This love is in the form of Label Love Vol. 2, a project spawn from One-Handed Music, where they join forces with other independent labels to put tunes together that are either community staples, or previously unreleased. This eclectic collection of tunes feature some of our favored independent labels – Melting Pot, Ninja Tune, One-Handed, Plug Research, Tru Thoughts, and Ubiquity. What’s apparent in this compilation is the distinct identity each label has in sound. Very nice treats from Ahu, Maddslinky, Bilal, Paul White, Full Crate, and many others! Did I mention that this is a free download in courtesy of One-Handed Music! Check out my favs below and head over to the Bandcamp page for the free download!

My first reaction to The Barb was, “YES! Broken beat is on the rise again!” For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Broken Beat sound, it started as a small collective of producers based in London called Bugz in the Attic. They created a movement in music which became a staple in the underground dance scene, with a sound that was laced in soul, jazz, funk, and afro-beats, with extraordinary and original vocalists laid over the tracks. To this day, I never understood why this particular genre fizzled out.

So in comes Full Crate, hailing from Amsterdam, who is part of the Dutch music collective of beatmakers; he was responsible for the luscious track “She Was Fly” with Eric Robeson. His latest project, The Barb confirms that broken beat isn’t going anywhere. In fact, Broken Beat is wherever it’s kept alive. The two-song EP, features the beautiful smooth vocals of Mar—Full Crate‘s longstanding musical partner—with great instrumental sequencing, sprinkled with jazz, funk, hip hop, electronica, and soul, set to a tempo to make you move. I want more!!! The good news is, Mar is working on some projects with Full Crate; so stay tuned for more vibes like this from Kilawatt Music.

The Barb is available on the Kilawatt Bandcamp page, at a ridiculously low price, and is also available on vinyl. Only 300 copies have been pressed; so DJ’s better get on it!

“Let’s Funk This Motherf*cker” featuring Mar

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Love this little promo for “Let’s Funk This Motherf*cker” as well…check it out!

Full Crate ‘The Barb’ promo film from Full Crate on Vimeo.

Hailing from the Netherlands, Joya Mooi (meaning beautiful), got her start while completing an internship at theatre production company MC, where she caught the attention of Brian Elstak, who asked her to produce the soundtrack to the theatre play BH in the Netherlands. From there, she met with producers SirOj, Presto, Big2, Hayzee, Wan and Full Crate to produce Hard Melk. Covering a wide range of musical flavours, it is one of those unique gems that you’re so happy to tell your friends about as it encompasses so many styles, without the risk of sounding forced or even contrite. Featuring jazzy undertones, dub step, electronica, disco pop, and soul sounds, but if one had to make a categorical decision, it would be safe to classify Joya Mooi within the ranks of Little Dragon. Hard Melk is a tight production; ain’t no half steppin’ with this one!

You can hear the entire album on Naldisney.net (can’t seem to find a link for purchase but will update post once it becomes available). Listen to a couple of cuts off the album below and watch the video for “When I Take a Step Back.” And do let me know what you think of this Dutch beauty!

“My Day” feat. Mar

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“Poor Boy”

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