Don’t worry, we’ll be back soon…

let Duffy soothe you in the meantime:

Laura Lopez-Castro is a…

slow burn, which will make you want to slow down the afternoon, enjoy the sun and simply watch the dust swirl just inside the window. Laura, and trusty side-kick Don Philippe on guitar, have a way of hovering just within a breeze of melody with never quite getting swept along. This produces an eerie sense of stillness that captivates the listener’s soul, even if you do not understand any Spanish.
Laura Lopez-Castro is originally a trained flamenco dancer and Don Philippe is active in the German hip-hop scene but when they get together their creation is greater than the sum of its parts. This is beautiful moving acoustic music that takes you out of your day and puts you into the hushed and soothing world of Laura Lopez-Castro.

Listen to Soledad:

Check her albums out digitally here:

Get her albums physically here.

Laura Lopez-Castro is a…

slow burn, which will make you want to slow down the afternoon, enjoy the sun and simply watch the dust swirl just inside the window. Laura, and trusty side-kick Don Philippe on guitar, have a way of hovering just within a breeze of melody with never quite getting swept along. This produces an eerie sense of stillness that captivates the listener’s soul, even if you do not understand any Spanish.
Laura Lopez-Castro is originally a trained flamenco dancer and Don Philippe is active in the German hip-hop scene but when they get together their creation is greater than the sum of its parts. This is beautiful moving acoustic music that takes you out of your day and puts you into the hushed and soothing world of Laura Lopez-Castro.

Listen to Soledad:

Check her albums out digitally here:

Get her albums physically here.

The Heliocentrics orbit the…

planet Funk in the galaxy Cosmic-ancestral-jazz not far from the Hip-Hop nebula, which gives off a aesthetic vibe with a transcendent glow. You may not have heard of this destination because it is pretty far Out There. Come to think of it, you can only journey there through the sounds of this record. It is a journey that unfolds in the depths of your mind and transverses the cosmos by way of your synapses. Your intergalactic captain will be esteemed drummer Malcolm Catto, which you may know from his work with Yesterday’s New Quintet, along with his forward looking crew.
Saddle up, bring you funky mind, and enjoy the ride.

Buy digitally:

Buy physically here.

Listen to Distant Star:

Listen to A World of Masks:

The Heliocentrics orbit the…

planet Funk in the galaxy Cosmic-ancestral-jazz not far from the Hip-Hop nebula, which gives off a aesthetic vibe with a transcendent glow. You may not have heard of this destination because it is pretty far Out There. Come to think of it, you can only journey there through the sounds of this record. It is a journey that unfolds in the depths of your mind and transverses the cosmos by way of your synapses. Your intergalactic captain will be esteemed drummer Malcolm Catto, which you may know from his work with Yesterday’s New Quintet, along with his forward looking crew.
Saddle up, bring you funky mind, and enjoy the ride.

Buy digitally:

Buy physically here.

Listen to Distant Star:

Listen to A World of Masks:

G&D bring their Message…

to your universe with spaced-outed “fonk” that celebrates the individual’s ability for self-improvement and ability to live at peace with everyone around them. Georgia Anne Muldrow and Dudley Perkins have teamed up to give you a wake up call on their debut The Message Uni Versa, an album that is about, in Muldrow’s words, “bringing the message of life to your speakers, promoting healing, understanding, listening, and all of that.”
Some may remember Dudley from the two albums he did with Madlib at the helm. Dudley’s voice had a raw harmonic dissonance that took some getting use to, so you either dug or loathed the albums.
Dudley’s voice also projects a strong heart and warmth, and it’s used to the benefit the Message Uni Versa, most obviously on the track The Message. Dudley’s down-to-earth vocals also work in reigning in Muldrow’s cosmic melodies, preventing them from forever being lost in outer space. Overall, they balance each other out in a perfect union that propels both their individual talents into new and wondrous stratospheres.
With a little Parliament/Funkadelic planetary hopping, some honest and rational hippie waxing, and a whole lot of nostalgic soul, G&D take you on a trip in their mothership and give you hope that puts a dip in your hip and a glide in your stride. Check them out!

Listen to War Drums:

Buy Digitally Here:

Buy the CD here.

G&D bring their Message…

to your universe with spaced-outed “fonk” that celebrates the individual’s ability for self-improvement and ability to live at peace with everyone around them. Georgia Anne Muldrow and Dudley Perkins have teamed up to give you a wake up call on their debut The Message Uni Versa, an album that is about, in Muldrow’s words, “bringing the message of life to your speakers, promoting healing, understanding, listening, and all of that.”
Some may remember Dudley from the two albums he did with Madlib at the helm. Dudley’s voice had a raw harmonic dissonance that took some getting use to, so you either dug or loathed the albums.
Dudley’s voice also projects a strong heart and warmth, and it’s used to the benefit the Message Uni Versa, most obviously on the track The Message. Dudley’s down-to-earth vocals also work in reigning in Muldrow’s cosmic melodies, preventing them from forever being lost in outer space. Overall, they balance each other out in a perfect union that propels both their individual talents into new and wondrous stratospheres.
With a little Parliament/Funkadelic planetary hopping, some honest and rational hippie waxing, and a whole lot of nostalgic soul, G&D take you on a trip in their mothership and give you hope that puts a dip in your hip and a glide in your stride. Check them out!

Listen to War Drums:

Buy Digitally Here:

Buy the CD here.

Shape of Broad Minds is…

Jneiro Jarel’s (aka Dr. Who Dat) newest attempt at extending the vocabulary of the independent world of avant-garde hip-hop. Supposedly we are to believe that there are five different members in Shape of Broad Minds, yet after a quick glance at the promo group photos, it is obvious that SOBM consist of Jneiro Jarel, his already established alter-ego Dr. Who Dat, and two new alter-egos: Rocque Wun and Panama Black. The only other real, living and breathing member of the group is Jawaad.
Jneiro’s previous work has been compared to everyone from Roy Ayers to Madlib, even garnering comparisons to Jimi Hendrix (maybe in scope). SOBM builds on these influences and succeeds in bringing together elements from many genres. It is done so well, in fact, that after listening to the whole album you feel as if you’ve received an aural lesson in popular radio dating back to 1966. Of course, this makes sense since their album is entitled Craft of the Lost Art. The title is aptly chosen because the album spans across many genres, past and present. The “lost art” seems to be the aesthetic intent in which the artist simply wants the craft to speak for itself. In the world of hip-hop, this is what separates the mainstreams from the independents.

Listen to Stiff Robots & Drunken Horses:

Buy digitally here:

Buy CD and special edition LP here.

Shape of Broad Minds is…

Jneiro Jarel’s (aka Dr. Who Dat) newest attempt at extending the vocabulary of the independent world of avant-garde hip-hop. Supposedly we are to believe that there are five different members in Shape of Broad Minds, yet after a quick glance at the promo group photos, it is obvious that SOBM consist of Jneiro Jarel, his already established alter-ego Dr. Who Dat, and two new alter-egos: Rocque Wun and Panama Black. The only other real, living and breathing member of the group is Jawaad.
Jneiro’s previous work has been compared to everyone from Roy Ayers to Madlib, even garnering comparisons to Jimi Hendrix (maybe in scope). SOBM builds on these influences and succeeds in bringing together elements from many genres. It is done so well, in fact, that after listening to the whole album you feel as if you’ve received an aural lesson in popular radio dating back to 1966. Of course, this makes sense since their album is entitled Craft of the Lost Art. The title is aptly chosen because the album spans across many genres, past and present. The “lost art” seems to be the aesthetic intent in which the artist simply wants the craft to speak for itself. In the world of hip-hop, this is what separates the mainstreams from the independents.

Listen to Stiff Robots & Drunken Horses:

Buy digitally here:

Buy CD and special edition LP here.

The sound of The Politik…

is deep, with varying degrees of brilliance emerging from the collaborations. Bembé Segué and Mark de Clive-Lowe, the two artists behind The Politik, came together from shared worlds. They both have helped craft some of the most beautiful music that you may not have heard, unless you’re really up on your music. Think of 4Hero, Silhouette Brown, Platinum Pied Pipers, and Masters At Work and you’ll get a mental image of what you’re in for with this one.
MdCL & Segue have received radio support and media praise as well, with Los Angeles taste maker Garth Trinidad of KCRW giving “Money (Don’t Let It Catch Ya)” lots of burn. Okayplayer.com call the group “fresh air in a business filled with copycats and unoriginal offerings.” with many more magazines and music writers diggin’ the sounds. You will too, soon as you give it a honest listen.

Listen to the track Black Sun:

Buy digitally here:

Buy hard copy here.

Check out an older collaboration between MdCL and Bembe: