NATALIE GARDINER > Slowly Softly

Title | CALIFORNIA
Media | CD
Label | RAMJAC / GB
Style | SOUL / FUNK / DANCE
Released | NOV '07

BIO
This is Natalie Gardiner! This is California, her second album. The follow up to her 2004 underground success debutalbum. On this album Natalie continues to explore the deeper side of soul. A new set of songs that are heavily influenced by the great singer/songwriters era of the 70s, but at the same time it continues to break new ground in the elctronic landscape that have always been her stomping ground. It's a personal album of a sort that is rare to find today. An album filled with personal songs, high fueled beats and Natalies trademark vocal style. It's simply a Natalie Gardiner album.
Born in Uppsala, Sweden, with a father from Ghana and a Swedish mother Natalie's passion for singing and song writing began in an early age. Raised on her mothers large collection of jazz, soul and funk records Natalie soon started to sing in local jazz bands. In 1998 Natalie moved to Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. After a few years of working with different bands and producers she finally started to work with producer RMJC, who had just recently started the label Ramjac. In 2004 her critically acclaimed self titled debut album was released.
After the success of her debut album Natalie's been a sought after name among many of Europe's top producers and DJ on the NuJazz / Soul scene. Examples of this is her excellent collaborations with Dutch producing ace Gerd and Finnish meastro Dj Slow.
In 2006 Natalie reunited with producer RMJC on two tracks on his album Transfusions. More electronic than ever and at the same time more organic than ever. The two tracks definitely left us who love the sound of Natalie Gardiners soothing voice wanting more.
Work on what was to become Natalie Gardiner second album, California started summer 2006.
Together with producer RMJC Natalie has once again created magic in the studio. Filling the songs with the musical talents of Goran Kajfes, Per Ruskträsk Johansson, Thobias Gabrielson, Jeppe Körsbär, Måns Block and Christer Karlsson. The album has an organic flavor to it that mixes perfectly with the sparkling beats of RMJC. And just like the sun that sets in the desert, California paints a picture with a million colors.

source: soul seduction

JUST BANKS & K-SUN > Bust a move

Title | BUST A MOVE
Media | EP - Vinil
Style | Electro
Released | Nov '07

BIO
Just Banks aka Joko13 lives and works in Linz/Austria.

He began his musical career in 1994 by founding a local Hip Hop project. Later on he started DJing and took the road from Drum´n´Bass to Techno, House and Breakbeats.

By having a fancy for many different genres and playing nationwide gigs Just Banks rapidly gathered experience and his sets are now like a sure shot for the demanding party crowd.

In 2004 he launched the netlabel Comatronic which soon gained a high reputation in the netaudio community and minimal techno scene.

With his productions and dj sets being caught in a crossfire of influences, they always represent a well selected and party-approved blend of different styles, tempos and grooves.

Just Banks is a long-time musical companion of Marcus Füreder aka Parov Stelar and in 2006 he engaged the talents of the San Francisco based duo Blaktroniks, who came up with the catchy vocals for his first release on Etage Noir entitled 360 Degrees.

At the moment he is working on his first longplayer for Etage Noir that will be out in early 2008. Before that, two brand new vinyl singles will hit the stores, one of which is a wicked uptempo party funk breaker called "Bust A Move" (featuring K-Sun aka MC Kemo from the Evocators!). The 12" will be released November 2007.

Source: JB website

KUTIMAN > Chase

KUTIMAN
CD released : OCT '07

BIO
Ophir "Kutiman" Kutiel is a newcomer from Tel Aviv. The afro beat anthem "No Groove Where I Come From" caught the attention of MPM and people like Gilles Peterson or Diplo. His first album is just phenomenal music touching afro beat, west indian grooves, psychedelic funk and soul.

Ophir "Kutiman" Kutiel is a 25 year old musician, composer and producer from Tel Aviv. He plays drums, keyboards, guitar and bass. His music draws influences from afro beat, psychedelic rock, funk and reggae but in different way than most disciples of Fela and Mr. Brown have done before him. Clever heads may even spot some Special AKA, Chocolate Watchband or the pre-historic drum-machine Sly Stone introduced on "There's A Riot Goin' On".

Believe it or not, it was only five years ago, that Kutiman was introduced to the music of Fela Kuti and James Brown, through his friend and now musical partner DJ Sabbo.

"The fact that Sabbo introduced me to the amazing world of funk and afrobeat simply changed my life" says Kuti, who today is an integral part of the small but growing groove scene in Tel Aviv. Music-fans may have heard about the local rave scene but most people think about the Middle East conflict and the pain and suffering that it brings to the lifes of all people living in the region, when they think of Israel's second biggest city. Kutiman's first single "No Groove Where I Come From" with Elran Dekel on vocals was his comment on being a musician in Tel Aviv. "There are some great and gifted musicians in Tel Aviv, but the scene is so small we could all meet up in my room" he explains.

The reactions on "No Groove Where I Come From" were simply phenomenal. Tastemakers like Gilles Peterson, Diplo and Roskow (Jazzanova) were instantly hooked, the Parisien afrobeat community welcomed Kutiman with open arms and and "Straight No Chaser" magazine dubbed him "Psychedelic space funk architect". But once you listen to Kutiman's whole album, you realise that afrobeat is only one shade of Kuti's kaleidoscopic sound. From Westindian grooves and easy listening to rock and soul and even pop there are no barriers.

Elran Dekel (lead singer of Funk'n'stein), Karolina (Funset) and Chaka Moon are sharing vocal duties, Dotan "Sangit" Segal and Idan K are playing percussions and the whole Funk'n'stein brass section (Shlomi Alon, Yair Slutzki, Sefi Zisling) is featured too. And it was Kuti's longtime friend and production partner in various other projects, Ronen Sabbo, who helped mixing the album.

Source: KUTIMAN website

BUSCEMI > Bollywood Swing King

PAROV STELAR > Love

WOLF MYER ORCHESTRA > Flowers

Vanessa da Mata & Ben Harper > Boa Sorte

É só isso
Não tem mais jeito
Acabou, boa sorte

Não tenho o que dizer
São só palavras
E o que eu sinto
Não mudará

Tudo o que quer me dar
É demais
É pesado
Não há paz

Tudo o que quer de mim
Irreais
Expectativas
Desleais

That's it
There is no way
It's over, Good luck

I have nothing left to say
It's only words
And what l feel
Won't change

Everything you want to give me
It too much
It's heavy
There is no peace

All you want from me
Isn't real
Expectations

Tudo o que quer me dar
É demais
É pesado
Não há paz

Tudo o que quer de mim
Irreais
Expectativas
Desleais

Mesmo, se segure
Quero que se cure
Dessa pessoa
Que o aconselha

Há um desencontro
Veja por esse ponto
Há tantas pessoas especiais

Now even if you hold yourself
I want you to get cured
From this person
Who poisoned you

There is a disconnection
See through this point of view
There are so many special people in the world
so many special people in the world in the world
All you want
All you want

Tudo o que quer me dar /Everything you want to give
me
É demais / It's too much
É pesado / It's heavy
Não há paz / There is no peace

Tudo o que quer de mim / All you want from me
Irreais/ isn't real
Expectativas / Expectations
Desleais

Now we're Falling into the night
Um bom encontro é de dois

JORGE PALMA > Encosta-te a Mim

Encosta-te a mim, nós já vivemos cem mil anos
encosta-te a mim, talvez eu esteja a exagerar
encosta-te a mim, dá cabo dos teus desenganos
não queiras ver quem eu não sou, deixa-me chegar.

Chegado da guerra, fiz tudo p´ra sobreviver
em nome da terra, no fundo p´ra te merecer
recebe-me bem, não desencantes os meus passos
faz de mim o teu herói, não quero adormecer.

Tudo o que eu vi, estou a partilhar contigo
o que não vivi, hei-de inventar contigo
sei que não sei, às vezes entender o teu olhar
mas quero-te bem, encosta-te a mim.

Encosta-te a mim, desatinamos tantas vezes
vizinha de mim, deixa ser meu o teu quintal
recebe esta pomba que não está armadilhada
foi comprada, foi roubada, seja como for.

Eu venho do nada porque arrasei o que não quis
em nome da estrada onde só quero ser feliz
enrosca-te a mim, vai desarmar a flor queimada
vai beijar o homem-bomba, quero adormecer.

Tudo o que eu vi, estou a partilhar contigo
o que não vivi, um dia hei-de inventar contigo
sei que não sei, às vezes entender o teu olhar
mas quero-te bem, encosta-te a mim.