During a year like we’ve never seen before, the Sol Power Sound imprint reaches the proud milestone of its tenth release, Lomé Connections in Hi-Fi by the Sol Power All-Stars, because the music simply can’t stop now.

To anchor the EP, the Sol Power All-Stars revisit some touchstones that have been featured on previous releases. Massama Dogo, of DC based band Elikeh, connects the capitol cities of Togo and the United States with “Va Sé Da”, much as he did on the Sol Power All-Stars’ Djidjo Vide EP from 2016. Elikeh guitarist Frank Martins (who got his start with legendary 1970s Nigerian psych rock bands) propels the slinky afro groove while the LA-based Jungle Fire lends its infamous horn section to give the hook its punch.

The “Va Sé Dub” increases the slap factor as well as dancefloor tension, letting darker synths fill in the stripped down space as the Jungle Fire horns take center stage and stretch the jam all the way out.

The Jose Marquez mix of “Djidjo Vide” was previously only seen in digital form in 2016. This sturdy and deep take was just waiting in the wings to serve as the hidden muscle in the B1 slot of a physical release.

“Lift It Up Again” is a treat for adventurous selectors that closes the project. It carries the same DNA of the other tunes but pushes the vibe further left with dubbed out Caribbean samples, tripped out synths, and broken drum patterns.

Cet article Sol Power All-Stars – Va Se Da (feat Elikeh) [SOL POWER SOUND] est apparu en premier sur Bolting Bits.

Fresh off their latest EP on Soul Clap Records (We Push On), DC-based Sol Power All-Stars are back on their own imprint with Special Features. The record offers two new originals on the A, and two remixes to the lead track on the flip. While the two top-side jams offer dubby, broken beats lathered with vocals and keys from Kenny Wesley and Daniel Meinecke respectively, DJ Spinna and Caserta’s takes on “Don’t You Let Go” provide reinvented looks.

Our premiere comes in the form of Spinna’s Galactic Soul Remix, which in trademark Galactic Soul fashion boasts a big, funky bassline and next level drums (look out for that clap). It’s an eight minute-long deep house take that serves nicely as a club joint; with brooding synths adding a slightly darker vibe. The other remix, meanwhile, has Caserta doing his best MAW impression — swinging drums and piano house aesthetics and all.

Special Features is technically out tomorrow (September 27), but is already showing up on retailers like Juno Records

Martín

Cet article Sol Power All-Stars – Don’t You Let Go (DJ Spinna Galactic Soul Remix) est apparu en premier sur Bolting Bits.

Tel Aviv-based producer Nenor (fka Obas Nenor) released one of his first solo EPs in 2015 with DC’s Sol Power Sound. Four years later–after a run of successful drops on the likes of Heist, Whiskey Disco and his own Nenorion Music imprint– he makes his return to the afrolatin-leaning label with Future Ancestor. The record sits nicely within the SPS vein; uptempo afro jams layered with smacking percussion. It has an almost meaner texture than his Color Sound EP from 2015.

The lead track, “Tike Ye Ya Kende” is a trademark Sol Power Sound cut; percussive, vocal and driving. On the same side, our premiere, “Nova Man” takes things into a higher gear. Beefy drums bang away and get laced with eerie pads and filtered vocals. Meanwhile, big, chugging bassline gives the tune a tense, peak-time feel. The B-side continues the aesthetic, with heavy afro hitters driven by organic drums and instrumentation as well as hardware.

It’s a nice reintroduction for a producer we haven’t heard much solo work from in the calendar year. Nenor’s strength is in his ability to blend samples, nasty percussion and hardware and instrumentation skills into an incredibly playable afro-inspired format. The Future Ancestor EP is out next week, so grab it for your summer outings.

Pre-order on Juno

Cet article Nenor – Nova Man [Sol Power Sound] est apparu en premier sur Bolting Bits.

Martinique: a tranquil destination in the heart of the Caribbean, known for its all-year-round beautiful climate and picturesque scenery, a place that was once home to music and spoken word legend, Eugène Mona. His exotic surroundings, politically expressive voice and exposure to traditional Martiniquan rhythms form ‘Lizo’, where fiery lyrics and vivacious vibrations run wild all over the track. Thanks to the ears of the Sol Power Sound guys out of DC, we’re being re-introduced to this gem, which was originally out in 1990.

[soundcloud url=”https://soundcloud.com/boltingbits/premiere-eugene-mona-lizo-kiko-navarro-afroterraneo-mix” /]
This summer, Kiko Navarro (Local Talk/Yoruba) remixes the track, exposing its emotion and groove, introducing a catchy Afro funk/house music twist, where you bear witness to the fusion of both Navarro’s and Mona’s soulful, chilled living, sun drenched lifestyles. Following Navarro’s 2018 release, “I Can Show You The Way”, we hear him generating soulful, funky, yet hard-hitting tribal rhythms. Real party music which brings us to ‘Lizo‘. His momentum this year is running high and this remix is another giant indicator of this! Throughout his illustrious career, the Mallorca native has always provided listeners with a unique sounding type of Chicago acid house, blended effortlessly with high quality, jazz infused, Afro-Latin inspired grooves that really do just make you want to move. ‘Lizo‘ is a 7 minute summer vibe all in its own right. We salute you Kiko!

The Sol Power Sound guys consistently dig up raw talent and invite fantastic producers to showcase their sound within the confines of their label, be it original material, remixes or edits. We got to have a quick chat with them about this forthcoming release, influences and more.

INTERVIEW

So I was just clicking through Juno Records, lo and behold — Sol Power Sound currently hold second place in the international best selling record chart this week! The release is fresh so clearly the label and its artists are doing something very right. How does an achievement like this make you feel?

It’s actually number 1 at this very moment! We’ve been building the Sol Power brand incrementally for almost ten years, first as a party, then through our own productions, until finally forming the label in 2015. We like to focus on consistency and quality and have gradually built awareness of our output. We now have a really strong body of work that we are very proud of, so it’s affirming that more folks are paying attention. The slow burn is better than the quick blow up. It’s more sustainable.

Organization, having a routine and some rituals helps determine how the day’s success will pan out. Is there a magic formula or schedule in use by the record label? Are there any practices that you and your artists swear by?

If there’s a magic formula, we haven’t found it! Both of us just try to do the things that play to our strengths. One bit of advice is to delegate or outsource things that aren’t in your wheelhouse. If someone else can do it better than you, don’t be afraid to ask. That can be an additional expense but you get what you pay for.

The latest EP, Tambours de Martinique, is just that, with sounds and vibes from the Caribbean. Do you have connections, be they musical, physical, or experiences in this part of the world? What is the label’s inspiration and drive behind forming such a culturally strong Record?

Our drive is the process of discovery, musical and cultural. The world is big and there are a lot of jams. It’s fun as well as gratifying to find them and share them. If you look at our back catalog, we’ve touched many corners of the globe, either through inspiration, direct licensing, or collaboration with artists. Perhaps it is driven by our digging backgrounds, but it is the curiosity and learning that keeps us inspired.

Three tracks from outside of your label that you’re currently rinsing?

Childish Gambino – This Is America (Salah Ananse Edit)

Jakki – Fun Sun Fun (Applejac Edit)

Osage – Guanguan Riddim

Bonus beat: Hallex M – Oggun feat. Carlos Mena

Are there any other current artists or labels that are really inspiring you that perhaps aren’t getting the recognition they deserve?

At the moment we are big fans of Applejac (out of Atlanta), Osage / LilDave (out of Philly) and XOA (out of the UK). They are all putting out quality work that may go under the radar. Regarding labels, Rocksteady Disco out of Detroit seems to be getting more attention these days, but their output and ethos are definitely inspiring.

Lastly, we’d love to know what is next for the label?

More jams. Deliberately and finely curated. We don’t release often, but we try to make sure that every single release is truly unique and will stand out from the clutter. We can say that we have a nearly completed Sol Power All-Stars EP plus a  bunch of other things in various stages of development. Stay in touch with us to catch them when they drop!

Olivia

Cet article Eugène Mona – Lizo (Kiko Navarro Afroterraneo Mix) [Sol Power Sound] est apparu en premier sur Bolting Bits.

Cet article PREMIERE : Orchestre Poly Rythmo de Cotonou – Djanfa Magni (Bosq’s Afro Disco Mix) [Sol Power Sound] est apparu en premier sur Bolting Bits.

Washington, DC’s  Sol Power All-Stars have long been local favorites as a result of their melange of global soulful grooves. After gaining some acclaim with two cheeky edit EPs on GAMM and BSTRD Boots (Bastard Jazz’s edit-leaning offshoot) some years back, the All-Stars decided to start their own label. Thus, Sol Power Sound was born, carrying over the african and latin influences of the group into a neat platform for both sample-based and originally produced house music. The label kicked things off with the super nifty Plaza Bolivar EP from the All-Stars themselves, before releasing two mighty EPs from Tom from Brookyln and Obas Nenor. Last year’s self-produced Djidjo Vide 12″ was, however, the last we’d seen from the imprint in a minute. Thankfully, here to break the hiatus and slot in as the imprint’s fifth release is Aroop Roy‘s Rising Tides.

Aroop, who himself contributed some class edits and reworks to the likes of GAMM and Basic Fingers earlier in his discography, has recently caught fire; dropping a very well received 12″ under his own label brand, Kampana Classics as well as a much-applauded EP on House of Disco. For Rising Tides, the London producer continues the aesthetic of his HoD release (Talkin’ Bout Life), seamlessly integrating instrumentation and sampling in a tasty global house format. Oh, and it’s been mastered by the impeccable Atjazz, so this one sounding fresh is likely a foregone conclusion. Let’s take a listen, then.

Occupying the A-Side is our premiere, the vocal mix of “Tembandumba”. The cut is of course a re-imagination of Afro-Colombian vocalist Totó la Momposina‘s chant-laden classic, and a fully-licensed one at that! It opens in dramatic fashion, with vocals and flourishing percussion setting the table. Once the beat comes in, Aroop’s knack for the rework becomes truly apparent. Perfectly tuned drums make the tune ride along, while a variety of layered synths blend nicely with the vocal chops of the original. “Tembandumba” is an eight minute long epic that employs a beautiful escalation of mood, perhaps functioning nicely as an opener of sorts due to the aforementioned introduction section of the track.

On the flip side is the bittersweet “Abale” featuring Malawian singer Gasper Nali, as well as the club mix of “Tembandumba”. The latter serves to repurpose the track for peak-time play; editing the intro to facilitate blending this jam right in. It’s a balanced 12″ that succeeds in blending African and Latin stylings with hardware for an extremely modern global house vibe.

Rising Tides hits stores in on June 23rd and is up and listed for orders on Juno.

Martín

Cet article PREMIERE: Aroop Roy – Tembandumba (Vocal Mix) [Sol Power Sound] est apparu en premier sur Bolting Bits.