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

I’ve been throwing the word transatlantic around of late due to geography no longer posing boundaries. Mark de Clive-Lowe‘s new album Renegades pulls in people from different countries, cultures and what we have is a fusion of sounds and styles. Enlisting a wide array of talent, from UK’s finest vocalists Omar, recently signed to Warner Music underground artist Tawiah, Bembe Segue, from Los Angeles Ovasoul7 and newcomer nia andrews, French singer Sandra Nkake, and Sheila E. on percussion, Pino Palladino on bass, to name a few on this project. MdCL pull out an international project with this one!

“Under Orders,” with Tawiah on vocals caters to my broken beat heart. Love that she manages to sing with a London accent, and MdCL‘s musicianmanship, with Dego and Bembe Segue‘s finishing touches make it the rotation track. Musically Renegades covers much ground. I wanted to hear more from Bembe as the combination of MdCL and Bembe is perfect. Omar, as always, is pure butter on “Get Started” with the Ms. Sheila E. on timbale and bells. Sandra Nkake‘s vocals on “Alabi” are so expressive, taking us back to Miriam Makeba in style.

Check out the sampler provided by MdCL below then head over to iTunes or Amazon to get yourself a copy of Renegades on Tru Thoughts Records.

Renegades [FM Dial Album Preview] by mashibeats

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!

The passing of Teena Marie hit the community hard. She was a huge energy force – amazing musician, singer, songwriter, and mentor to many. It’s no wonder as we reminisce and listen to her greatness, various producers are inspired to rework some of Lady Tee music. Mark de Clive-Lowe has picked my favourite tunes by Teena Marie,”Lovergirl,” which is a heavy guitar driven song in lead and bass coupled with loud vocals. MdCL flips “Lovegirl“ in a downtempo with Sy Smith singing according to the rhythm. Sy calls it a “a humble tribute to one of my favorite recording artists ever, Lady T.” That’s what I love about this version of song—rather than go hard and do exactly what Teena did on the track, this tribute is a subtle way to say “we love and will alway miss you!” Nicely done!

You can get a free download of this track on Mark de Clive-Lowe‘s Bandcamp page.

Mark de Clive-Lowe has taken singer Rahel under his wing and the union is sweet. Being among the group of next generation UK soul artists, Rahel is no stranger to alternative sounds. Having collaborated with Dudley Perkins and Georgia Anne Muldrow, and has appeared on Eric Lau‘s album, she has been busy over the past few years. Her vocals against de Clive-Lowe‘s jazzy arrangement with the dominant piano cords and thumping basslines is a nice combo. Now under the wings of Mark de Clive-Lowe, we will definitely hear more from this young talent in the next coming months. Check it out below. It’s also available for free download from Mark’s bandcamp page.

“Hope” featuring Rahel [Download]

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What can be said about Mark de Clive-Lowe? He is a musical genius, the Herbie Hancock of our times, an amazing producer, who is devoid of categorization. His biological make-up (part New Zealand and Japanese), has provided him with this eclectic approach to music, where damn near everyone in the future soul, nu-jazz, hip-hop, and experimental sounds communities want to work with him. Collaborating with the likes of Restless Soul, DJ Spinna, Dego (4Hero), Bugz in the Attic, Wajeed (Platinum Pied Piper), Bembe Seque, Omar, Lyric L, Tawiah, to name a few, it is an honor that Mark agreed to put together a list of his Top 10 musical highlights for 2009 – especially during his busy schedule while in Barcelona! His tastes in music are so varied, which only further exemplifies his aptitude of an outstanding producer. He truly appreciates music.

Keep your ears open for forthcoming musical pleasures from Mark, who has projects in the works with Jody Watley, Sy Smith, Omar (yay!!!!), and the legendary Leon Ware.

Mark de Clive-Lowe’s 2009 Top Ten Picks

10. Dam Funk – Toeachizown (Album)

9. Julien Dyne – Pins & Digits (Album)

8. Shafiq Husayn – “Nirvana” Original + Remix from En’ A-Free-Ka Album

7. Joy Jones – “Over” on Godchild (Album)

6. Slum Village – featuring Marsha Ambrosius – “Cloud 9″ (Single)

5. Phil Asher – “9 Minutes of Fun” (Single)

4. Rob van de Wouw – Tunnelvision (Album)

3. Sterling Ensemble – feat. Sara Devine – “Life Ain’t What It Seems” (Single)

2. Mos Def - ‘Quiet Dog’ Live on Letterman

1. Esperanza Spalding – Esperanza (Album)