Various - Sticky Soul Fingers: A Rolling Stones Tribute
(free CD with magazine) Mojo, 2011-11-30

The Rolling Stones' classic 1971 album re-grooved by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Aloe Blacc & Joel Van Dijk, Black Joe Lewis, The Bamboos, Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens, Alice Russell, The Sugarman 3, Beta Hector, Anthony Joseph & The Spasm Band, Lee Fields and more! On paper, this is a kind of a dream come true. Can't wait to get my hands on this new issue of Mojo Magazine… especially to get my ears on what's on the CD!! For people in Paris, the mag is to be found in places such as Gibert Joseph or WH Smith

Various - When Shapes Mix Together - Compiled and mixed by Rob Luis
(Mixed CD/Digital) Tru Thoughts Recordings TRUCD244, 2011-11-21

Produced as a giveaway mix for the huge Tru Thoughts night at Koko in London, this mix was so good they had to offer it for general sale. This mix shows the future direction of the label, with new signings alongside the long-standing Tru Thoughts family. It opens with a hip hop influence: Hint goes space-age hip hop with rapper T Fly; Quantic's Cumbia project covers Missy Elliot; and London legend Rodney P drops a track with a positive message (which we released after the UK riots in 2011) featuring Mighty Moe and other big hitters in the scene. Anchorsong takes us into slow disco/boogie territory before Beta Hector roughs it up with his psychedelic bass basher (helped by an Alice Russell classic scream) followed by Nirobi dropping the Bollywood beats. Sleepin' Giantz is a heavyweight project from Zed Bias, Rodney P and Fallacy, and the track you hear in this DJ mix has been a huge anthem in club sets for the DJs who have managed to get hold of an advance copy. The album it is taken from is one of the best hip hop albums you will hear! Zed Bias is then joined by Mark Pritchard (Warp / Harmonic 313 / Global Communications) for a bass anthem before we move into Debruit taking the Brazilian groove of Saravah Soul down a heavy club route. Hint shows his versatile production styles with his remix of Lanu before we hit drum & bass territory with A Sides' remix of Mark de Clive-Lowe. The set finishes off with the more mellow side of Tru Thoughts. Ambassadeurs take Nostalgia 77 through some synths and basslines; Kinny shows her powerful voice to full effect, and then Belleruche unveil their new style. I just had to include a snippet of the title track off the Quantic & Alice Russell album (you need to check the full version to appreciate those strings) and we finish off with a classic from Maddslinky's influential first LP. Please make sure you check out the other releases by any artists whose tracks you are particularly into on this DJ mix, as there is plenty more good music to be heard from them all." (Rob Luis)

Various - Shapes 11:01 - Compiled by Robert Luis
(2CD/LP with 2CD) Tru Thoughts TRUCD/LP239, 2011-10-10

The new bi-annual Shapes compilation from Tru Thoughts Recordings is coming out in october and once again it's full of classic tracks, new signatures and exlusives for a very cheap price tag. The first CD is a nice selection of horizontal grooves, songs & electronica from the vast palette of style from the label's recent output. Among the discoveries : new signings Anchorsong from Japan, and his trippy live downtempo music, Lossy from East London, a duo of jazz-infused electronica, groovy, soulful and uplifting trip hop, a new track from songstress Kinny, the kind of perfect sweetness for the ears to rub yourself into, the glorious reggae interpretation of the Dr Who Theme by the Smerins Anti-Social Club (only available on a strictly limited 45 for record store day before) and of the Dr. Dre hit Nuthin' But A 'G' Thing cover in cumbia mode by Quantic Y Su Conjunto Los Miticos Del Ritmo (only available on a limited Serato 12 inch before). The second disc is a more clubby, uptempo affair, with a tendancy towards crunchy or bassy speed-ambient. Among the notable new stuff are the afro-wobbly remix by Débruit of Saravah Soul is killer bouncy electro deconstructivism, Hint bringing hard to describe, crazy & addictive dance thingies to the table, and label honcho Rob Luis alias Nirobi who's also there with his heavy bass and percussive dancefloor beats to rock the roof off. Djouls - Paris DJs

Beta Hector - Sunbeam Insulin
(CD/Digital) Tru Thoughts TRUCD236, 2011-09-12

Early august a free single of Jupiter Mission will be available through bandcamp. Beta Hector used to be in deep funk / heavy soul outfit Baby Charles. In April 2010 Tru Thoughts released his debut single Payback on 7" vinyl featuring his old comrade Dionne Charles on vocals. His debut album Sunbeam Insulin is due for release on 12th Sept 2011. The first single will be 'Jupiter Mission' featuring his sister Joanna on throwback rap duties. The single comes out on 1st August (with a free giveaway campaign on Bandcamp), and will be accompanied by a very nice animated music video... There will also be a live Beta Hector band available from August, which features members of his old bands Baby Charles and Kalakuta Millionaires. Watch out!

Beta Hector - Jupiter Mission
(Digital Single) Tru Thoughts TRUDD027, 2011-08-08

Jupiter Mission, out as a free download on 8th August, is the first single from Beta Hector's upcoming debut solo album Sunbeam Insulin. The retro sci-fi feel and offbeat storytelling calls to mind Yoshimi-era Flaming Lips. This single is the perfect introduction to the album, which reveals a shimmering mixture of heavy drums and psychedelic electronic sonics, soulful, bittersweet songs and soundtracks, with five vocalists including UK soul queen Dionne Charles and LA MC Shane Hunter. Beta Hector is the solo project of Brighton based bassist, producer and DJ Simon Hill, a founder member of the erstwhile deep funk band Baby Charles who burned brightly in the funk/soul renaissance of the 2000s.

Lance Ferguson aka Lanu from The Bamboos - Third Stoned From The Sun (MP3 Podcast on www.ParisDJs.com) 2010-05-31 Fresh from headlining festivals to crowds of 50,000+ in their native Australia, and having just released their new album, 4, to much fanfare, The Bamboos will be embarking on a full band tour throughout June 2010, bringing their renowned full live funk/soul/hip hop style throwdown to the UK and Europe, for the first time in three years. Here's the the special mix bandleader Lance Ferguson (aka production wunderkind Lanu) has prepared for the occasion... and for all those living in...

Various - Tru Thoughts Funk
(CD) Unfold UNFOLDCD011, 2010-05-17

Surrounded by incredible music - on setting out to compile 'Tru Thoughts Funk', A&R Robert Luis was faced with a serious case of kid-in-a-candy-store syndrome; after all, how would you distil the dazzling collective back catalogue of The Quantic Soul Orchestra, The Bamboos, Alice Russell, TM Juke, Natural Self, Nostalgia 77 et al into just one CD's worth of tunes? It's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it, and the end result is this essential, super heavyweight compilation showcasing a consistently sky-high level of quality and, perhaps surprisingly for a genre-based compilation, a fresh, eclectic platter of varied aesthetics and international flavours. Includes exclusive first CD release for Nostalgia 77's "Thing"; and two brand new tracks, hot off the press and signed exclusively for this project, from Beta Hector, the solo side project of Simon Hill from adored UK funk band Baby Charles. "Payback" and "Creepin'", featuring Baby Charles colleague Dionne Charles on guest vox, see multi-instrumentalist Hill putting his own live recordings through an experimental electronic mill, to create an unusual, rough edged, synth-infused brand of raw funk.

Beta Hector feat. Dionne Charles - Payback
(7") Tru Thoughts TRU7213, 2010-04-26 (UK & ROW) / 2010-05-04 (US)

The Payback 7” brings you a taste of the upcoming Tru Thoughts Funk compilation with two brand new raucously funky tracks from Beta Hector featuring Dionne Charles. Beta Hector is the solo project of Simon Hill, founding member of adored British funk band, Baby Charles, who have attracted acclaim from the likes of Pitchfork, MOJO Magazine, Craig Charles (BBC 6Music), Gilles Peterson (BBC Radio 1), DJ Format and Andy Smith, to name a few. These two tracks see Hill hooking up once again with his Baby Charles partner in crime, Dionne Charles, an enthralling and powerful frontwoman; having been compared to Sharon Jones of The Dap Kings, Dionne is known for her unique and boisterous vocals that smoothly ride over a funky, hard hitting drum groove.