Paris DJs Soundsystem - In The Footsteps of the Ethio-Jazz Innovator (MP3 Podcast on www.ParisDJs.com) T.I.M.E.C., 2011-02-27 Next thursday evening in Paris will be a BIG date at La Bellevilloise, thanks to our friends from the Soul Train parties, who produce an Ethio Jazz Night with Strut... featuring Mulatu Astake and The Heliocentrics playing live!! You DON'T want to miss this show and as an appetizer here's a small tribute to the father of Ethio-Jazz, on the 21st century side of the genre and beyond. [comment faire?/how to?] Tracklisting : 01. The Gaslamp Killer - When I'm In Awe (feat....

Ebo Taylor - Love And Death info
Free The Robots - Ctrl Alt Delete info
Gonja Sufi - A Sufi And A Killer info
Homelife - Exotic Interlude info
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey - Stay Gold info
Marco Benevento - Between The Needles And Nightfall info
Mushroom - Naked, Stoned & Stabbed info
Quantic and his Combo Bárbaro - Tradition In Transition info
Skeletons - Smile info
The Souljazz Orchestra - Rising Sun info

After publishing a solid 10-records-a-year selection of the last decade (from 1999 to 2009), we took a few days to think about the 2010 best of... READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE ON COLORED-INC.COM

Ebo Taylor - Love And Death (Strut) parisdjs
Free The Robots - Ctrl Alt Delete (Alpha Pup) parisdjs
Gonja Sufi - A Sufi And A Killer (Warp) parisdjs
Homelife - Exotic Interlude (Humble Soul) parisdjs
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey - Stay Gold (Kinnara) parisdjs
Marco Benevento - Between The Needles And Nightfall (Royal Potato Family) parisdjs
Mushroom - Naked, Stoned & Stabbed (4 Zero) parisdjs
Quantic and his Combo Bárbaro - Tradition In Transition (Tru Thoughts) parisdjs
Skeletons - Smile (Impossible Ark) parisdjs
The Souljazz Orchestra - Rising Sun (Strut) parisdjs

After publishing a solid 10-records-a-year selection of the last decade (from 1999 to 2009), we took a few days to think about the 2010 best of... The first thing that came to mind when weed look back at the past 12 months, was the obvious blast of compilations that were released. From the incredible Ninja Tune XX boxset (6xCDs, 6x7", 2x12" and a book - all new tracks and remixes!), the amazing "world" compilations and reissues from Soundway Records, Analog Africa, Academy LPs, Nascente or Vampisoul, the fantastic and rare funk/jazz stuff from the diggers at Finders Keepers, Jazzman or Luv'N'Haight, the jaw-dropping sets from Numero Group, all those Fania Records reissues... I'm missing a few but you get my point: this is highly-entertaining quality stuff, but from hte independent's viewpoint it also looks like the music industry has never been so much focused of its back-catalog.

Meanwhile, a few labels are still doing the job of distributing today's music to the people of today, and maybe they deserve a little bit more spotlight... That's what we thought would be interesting to look at anyway. We had to forbid ourselves not to put any Colored-Inc. release in our selection, of course, even though some of the records we've put out this year were simply astonishing... such as the Hard 2 Find series for example!

What was left: some genre-bending electronic/hip hop/psychedelia marvels from Gonja Sufi and Free The Robots, from the Los Angeles beats scene, ecstatic afro/jazz from Germany (Eboy Taylor & Afrobeat Academy), Canada (The Souljazz Orchestra), or England (Skeletons), addictive cumbia/soul from Columbia (Quantic and his Combo Barbaro), psychedelic folk exotica from former Nina tune affiliates Homelife (their leader Paddy Steer has also released a solo album that's quite a treat too), and finally mesmerizing jazz/indie rock mixtures from Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey or Marco Benevento, both released thru the sensational US label The Royal Potato Family. Well, all in all another good year for music, nothing like 1976 when stadium FM rock was rising and Hotel California was king...

Contenders : Bonobo, The New Mastersounds, Randa & The Soul Kingdom, Fat Freddy's Drop, The Qualitons, Saravah Soul, Hidden Orchestra, The Roots, Kings Go Forth, Big Pimp Jones, The Hot Rats, Flying Lotus, Candice Monique & The Optics, Aloe Blacc, Cochemea Gastelum, The Bees, Roots Manuva, Lloyd Miller & Te Heliocentrics, Brownout, Grupo Fantasma, Mike Gordon...

Various - Impossible Ark Label Compilation
(free download) Impossible Ark Records, 2010-12-12

As a little Christmas present the people at Impossible Ark have compiled a rather special collection of music to give away free on impossiblearkrecords.bandcamp.com. Here's what they have to say: For this festive giveaway we've chosen some of our favourite tracks from the Impossible Ark catalogue and two tracks from A&R Ben Lamdin's own Nostalgia 77 project. In the new year expect more from the Rhythmagic Orchestra, Nostalgia 77, Allsopp, Vosloo & more! All Impossible Ark releases and most Nostalgia 77 albums are currently £5 on www.etchshop.co.uk. I must admit I've been buying nearly all releases from this fan-taste-tic UK jazz label for quite some time now. The Skeletons project is just plain incredible. Nostalgia 77 releases are marvelous. And I can't wait for the Rhythmagic Orchestra album to drop in 2011. If you're into deep, spiritual and groovy music, then you oughta check those nice free Afro, Jazz & Folk tracks now!

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...

Skeletons - Smile
(CD) Impossible Ark/Unfold UNFOLDCD010, 2009-03-01

A very exciting new project from the man at the helm of the Nostalgia 77 ship Ben Lamdin, this is one of the draws of the Summer as the Brighton bunch turn their hand to a live, afro psychedelic funk band called The Skeleton.

Listen to a track from the new project from Nostalgia 77  - http://www.parisdjs.com/index.php/post/Skeletons-Smile

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Various - Impossible Ark : A Compilation
(CD) Impossible Ark/Unfold/Tru Thoughts UNFOLDCD009, 2009-10-05

Impossible Ark recognises that music is many things to many people, and believes in celebrating that diversity and delivering World class artists, concepts, performance and production to your turntable, CD player or iPod with every release. The label is the brainchild of producer Ben Lamdin (aka Nostalgia 77) and bassist Riaan Vosloo, whose highly successful collaborative work on Tru Thoughts has produced six popular albums - from the live recordings of the Nostalgia 77 Octet to studio-based explorations on an experimental jazz and funk tip - and most recently saw them joining forces with the legendary Keith and Julie Tippett for the uniquely brilliant and highly acclaimed Sessions LP. On this stunning compilation you will find the blue-eyed country soul of Jeb Loy Nichols sitting harmoniously alongside Lamdin's hotly anticipated new Afro-funk project, the Skeleton; the other-worldly sounds of the Rhythmatic Orchestra rubbing shoulders with the highly regarded experimentalism of Examples Of Twelves; and many more treasures besides.

Paris DJs Soundstem - 21st Century Latin Vol.4 (Latin Funk) (MP3 Podcast on www.ParisDJs.com) T.I.M.E.C., 2009-08-20 The Latin scene is vibrant in Europe. Quantic offered at the beginning of the summer a fantastic new album on a Columbian tip. Don't miss his live show with his Combo Barbaro in Paris on September 12 (Le Bataclan). Electic new albums from Black Grass and Dub Pistols are filled with marvels in all styles - latin grooves included. Palov & Mishkin come from Greece and their latest CD has been spinning all summer in our stereos. Skeleton is the new project from Brighton's jazz...