Week 1: Jan 7-13

Portland, Or

Welcome to my weekly recommendation digest. I am posting an album a day on threads and Instagram but this digest has more ways to listen, ways to buy physical or digital releases, a few more images, and some background words from me on why I selected this album.

This experimental project will evolve over time, I may try some themes, some vibes but definitely no requests.

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Day 1

Presence
All Systems Gone
Pagan
1999

A project from producer Charles Webster featuring vocalists Shara Nelson and Sara Jay, both of whom had previously worked with Massive Attack, released on the Pagan label in the UK.

"beautifully awash in melancholic melodies, soulful vocals, and atmospheric landscapes" a 2000 review by Michael Paoletta

I only had this as a CD and it’s not currently available on Bandcamp.

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Day 2

Various Artists
Spiritual Jazz 14: PRIVATE
Jazzman Records
2023

“Private Press: A custom-made record that is produced and released by the artists themselves, or their close associates. Not to be confused with indie labels who are in the business of releasing other people's music.”

Spiritual Jazz’s 2023 installment of their excellent reissue series highlights the “brave and innovative souls who acted ‘privately’, recording and releasing their music without the aid or involvement of a bona fide record company.”

Listen to any/all of the other Spiritual Jazz series from Jazzman Records, there is not a single bad selection.

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Day 3

Sade
Promises
Epic
1985

A classic that drifts in and out of a space somewhere between soul, jazz and British Street Culture. A classic but still sounds just as fresh in 2023.

The second album from Sade, with the same production team and musicians as her first album, but it seems to go further, deeper more confidently than Diamond Life.

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Day 4

H Hunt
Songs for Dad
Tasty Morsels
2022

This beautiful stripped down piano tune is one of the most emotional releases I own. It is a killer, be warned when you listen to it.
I really need to thank my beautiful daughter Archie for introducing me to this when it was "accidentally" found in my collection after she moved out.
The production is so much part of the recording - you get to hear the artists breathing, humming, foot pedal - the room is an instrument in this record.

Buy a copy/download - morsels.website

There is an incredible interview with the Tasty Morsels record label founder over at In Sheep’s Clothing that goes into much more detail about the recording and production of, not only this release, but a load of other releases - they also have this great introductory Spotify playlist:

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Day 5

photek
Modeus Operandi
Science/Virgin
1997

A little harder, and definitely darker today.
Possibly one of my all time favorite jungle/DnB releases, photek's lp has stood the test of time since it was released in 1997, it still feels modern today. You also need his "ni-ten-ichi-ryu" release but we can come to that.

According to a Wire interview in '97 the beats to each track took up to a month each just to programme. This is such a study in minimal atmospheric beats, but with jazz textures, it is moody, complex and an essential record.

I have been on the hunt for a well priced vinyl copy for forever, prices on Discogs have been wild, surprisingly Proper Records produced a 3LP re-release that is still on the pricey side, but 180 gram vinyl hits differently.

Researching this one, I was pleasantly surprised to see that photek (Rupert Parkes) is now a successful film and tv producer in LA.

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Day 6

Lindstrom
It's a Feedelity Affair
Feedelity Recordings
2006

This album compiles a bunch of Lindstrom's vinyl-only 12” singles onto one release in 2006. Kind of disco, kind of house Norwegian in a way only Scandinavia can do. At the heart is a ten-minute epic, There's A Drink In My Bedroom but my favorite is I Feel Space. I love Lindstorm for his epic huge 10/15/20 minute tracks, they build slowly and slowly over time, too long to play in clubs really, but at home they are perfect mid-week songs to play on a big stereo, bring a little feel of the Norwegian weekend to a dark and cold mid-week night.

This was a digital/CD only release. I would love to have a vinyl release one day.

Buy the CD at boomkat

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Day 7

Visioneers
Dirty Old Hip Hop
BBE
2006

Originally released in 2006 and virtually impossible to get on vinyl ever since. This mainly instrumental re-invisioning of hip hop samples is a solid classic. Brainchild of 4hero and Reinforced Records founder Marc Mac it retains the feel of those extended, looping grooves whilst also finding the excitement and musicianship of the records from which they were sampled.

My favorite track is the Pharcyde’s Runnin’, feels jazzier, feels lighter but somehow older.

Week 1 in the books. Comments please.