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

Various - Shapes 10:02 - Compiled by Rob Luis
(2xCD/Digital) Tru Thoughts TRUCD226, 2010-12-06

The new bi-annual Shapes Compilation from Tru Thoughts is a killer one. 16 tracks on the first CD that make for an enjoyable listen at home or on the mp3 player and 14 on the second one which has an ear to the dancefloor... Including lots of exclusives, new tracks, rare remixes, as always...

Grant Phabao and Djouls - 21st Century Afro Extravaganza (MP3 Podcast on www.ParisDJs.com) Colored-Inc., 2010-07-10 The Paris DJs extended family has among the most pro-active in spreading the good word about worldwide African music. Celebrating the recent releases by One Foot In Jail or Franck Biyong on our brand new Colored-Inc. label, and announcing the upcoming albums from Oghene Kologbo (thru Kraked) or Ebo Taylor (thru Strut), here's nearly 4 hours of 21st century afrojazz, afrobeat, ethio-jazz, afrofunk and afrolatin grooves - selected and mixed by Grant Phabao and Djouls who are...

Saravah Soul - Cultura Impura
(CD/2xLP+CD) Tru Thoughts TRUCD/LP215, 2010-07-05

Exploding out of the cross-cultural melting-pot of London’s underground music scene comes the half-Brazilian, half-British Saravah Soul (Tru Thoughts Records) with their own special blend of Afro-Brazilian rhythms, 60's soul and Afrobeat. Their first album was an internationally acclaimed sensation that took them touring all over Europe and Brazil with an intense, tightly honed live show, led by frenetic dancer and frontman Otto Nascarella and complete with carnival percussion parades, a festival favorite Now set to release their highly anticipated second album Cultura Impura, a deeper journey into their highly original sound, Saravah Soul is a musical phenomenan that must be seen and heard to be believed!

Saravah Soul - Alforria (Album Version)
(Free digital single) Tru Thoughts TRUDD215_06, 2010-05-27

Alforria (Album Version) is the first single to be lifted from London based Brazilian funk band Saravah Soul's imminent second album. This digital download is available for FREE from Tru Thoughts' website. Just subscribe to their newsletter to get it! In its original incarnation, Alforria was featured on the 'Exclusives' CD of the Tru Thoughts 10th Anniversary compilation last year, and was picked up on by many tastemakers, receiving airplay from Radio 1's Rob Da Bank among others. This new Album Version was re-recorded in a new studio, using different equipment – building a slightly slower groove out of the original Afro-beat and north-eastern Brazilian Baião rhythms. Saravah Soul also find room for some Maracatu and Afoxé flavours which makes this track one of the most culturally diverse mixes on the album.

Various - Tru Thoughts 10th Birthday Box
(3xCD boxset/2xCD) Tru Thoughts TRUCD201/TRUCD200, 2009-10-12

This year, Tru Thoughts celebrates a fantastic 10 years in the game, and on 12th October the label releases the 3CD limited edition Tru Thoughts 10th Anniversary compilation, featuring two 'Best Of' discs, and a third disc of completely new, previously unreleased music. A covetable premium package, presented in a hardback booklet boasting all three CDs and 24 pages stuffed with glossy photos and juicy tales, this comp is simply a must-have for the ardent army of Tru Thoughts fans, and for those less familiar it is a catch-all introduction to one of the UK's foremost independent record labels. The 2CD 'Best Of' part of this compilation will be available as a stand-alone release, also on 12th October.

Various - Shapes 08:02
(2xCD/4 track DJ promo download) Tru Thoughts TRUCD181, 2008-10-20

Tracklisting CD1 :
01. Lizzy Parks - Prayer
02. Kinny - 2546 Nice Feat. Unforscene
03. The Bamboos - I Don't Wanna Stop Feat. Kylie Auldist
04. Unforscene - Alright
05. Hint - One Woman Army Feat. Laura Vane
06. Milez Benjiman - Hold Your Head High
07. Spanky Wilson & The Quantic Soul Orchestra - Waiting For Your Touch (Domu Remix)
08. Natural Self - In The Morning (Version)
09. Hot 8 Brass Band - It's Real (Lack Of Afro Remix)
10. Saravah Soul - Oil Is Thicker Than Blood
11. Belleruche - Reflection (Trus' Me Remix)
12. Tm Juke - Pencils For Dolphins (Wyndham Earl Mix)
13. Kylie Auldist - Make Me Want More
14. Belleruche - You're Listening To The Worlds
15. Quantic Presenta Flowering Inferno - Dub Del Pacifico

Tracklisting CD2 :
01. Me & You - Last Night (Bassnectar Remix)
02. Natural Self - The Rising (Bullion Remix)
03. Hot 8 Brass Band - Get Up (Diesler Remix)
04. Quantic - Disco Caribe
05. Barakas - Kes
06. Me & You - Hoop Loop (Solo Moderna Mix)
07. Tm Juke - Come Away Feat. Sophie Faricy (Zumen Mix)
08. Hot 8 Brass Band - Jisten To Me (Hint Remix)
09. Tm Juke And The Jack Baker Trio - Omak Besar (Big Waves)
10. Lizzy Parks - Seven Day Fool (Instrumental)
11. The Bamboos - Amen Brother
12. Me & You - Wouri River (Redeyes Remix)

Tracklisting 4 Track DJ Promo Download :
01. Natural Self - The Rising (Bullion Remix)
02. Belleruche - Reflection (Trus' Me Remix)
03. Spanky Wilson & The Quantic Soul Orchestra - Waiting For Your Touch (Domu Remix)
04. Me & You - Wouri River (Redeyes Remix)

4 Track DJ Promo Review :

Natural Self - The Rising (Bullion Remix)
A CRUNCHY remix fusing psychedelic funk & breakbeats on a devastated warfield. Full TRIPPING - as if The Chemical Brothers had been hooked on funk and hip hop from day one...

Spanky Wilson & The QSO - Waiting For Our Touch (Domu Remix)
A soul neoclassic remade into disco - you wouldn't suspect that from broken beat after Domu. Push the bass to the limit and watch the floor go nuts!

Belleruche - Reflection (Trus' Me Remix)
It's quite unusual to hear Kathrin deBoer dressed in 4/4 classy housey beats - which should give ideas to many producers soon... Also available on the 'Black Gold EP'.

Me&You - Wouri River (Redeyes Mix)
Can you get enough of Me&You? Rob Luis & TM Juke have stumbled upon a formula for making the dancefloor crazy - bootay, feets and mind! Their afro drum'n'bass track 'Wouri River' gets the heavyweight treatment from Southwest of France's drumaster Redeyes (Bingo Beats).

Links :
Buy it soon on etchshop.co.uk
tru-thoughts.co.uk (official)
tru-thoughts.net (fansite)

Saravah Soul - Saravah Soul
(CD/2xLP+CD) Tru Thoughts TRUCD149/TRULP149, 2008-03-24

Tracklisting CD :
01. Oil Is Thicker Than Blood
02. Nao Posso Te Levar A Serio
03. It's Doing My Head In
04. Arroz Com Feijao
05. Funk E Saravah
06. Roubada
07. Role De Bike
08. Supersossego
09. Homesick
10. It's Doing My Head In (Instrumental)

Tracklisting 2xLP :
A1. Oil Is Thicker Than Blood
A2. Nao Posso Te Levar A Serio
A3. Funk E Saravah
B1. It's Doing My Head In
B2. Roubada
B3. Role De Bike
C1. Supersossego
C2. Arroz Com Feijao
C3. Homesick
D1. It's Doing My Head In
D2. Nao Posso Te Levar A serio (Instrumental)
D3. Oil Is Thicker Than Blood (Instrumental)

Links :
saravahsoul.com
myspace.com/saravahsoul
youtube.com/watch?v=TxnzvWR_M1M
tru-thoughts.co.uk/artists/saravah-soul

Saravah Soul - Nao Posso Te Levar A Serio
(7") Tru Thoughts TRU7148, 2008-02-18

Tracklisting :
A1. Nao Posso Te Levar A Serio
B1. Supersossego

Links :
saravahsoul.com
myspace.com/saravahsoul
youtube.com/watch?v=TxnzvWR_M1M
tru-thoughts.co.uk/artists/saravah-soul
Listen to "Nao Posso Te Leavar A Serio" here : straightup.com.au/page?n=1024