We're closing this year with a party mix for the new year's eve, cooked live by DJ Loik on december 30th with a selection of vinyls brought by your main operator Djouls. This is our 68th mix in 2011, twenty came from our own decks, while we managed to bring in 48 guest mixes. So, a big THANK YOU to all the artists, DJs and record collectors who shared some musical pleasure with us during the last twelve months: Hidden Orchestra, Gato Loco, Blend Mishkin, DJ Tom B., DJ Chicken George, Waxist Selecta, Renegades of Jazz, Seun Kuti, Chris Menist, Onur Engin, Blitz The Ambassador, Big Pimp Jones,...

The Bamboos - Wilhelm Scream / Eel Oil
(10th Anniversary Limited Edition 7") Tru Thoughts Recordings TRU7243, 2011-11-21

Maybe the best Australian funk outfit ever, The Bamboos, will be celebrating in november the 10-year anniversary of the release of their first 7 inch, Eel Oil. This monster piece of deep funk, as the 'genre' is now called, is still as potent today as hashish buried in Egyptian pyramids, and it's quite easy to understand how the band managed to sell out their 500 copies pressing themselves at the time, how they came to be signed on Brighton's finest Tru Thoughts Recordings, and how they became the greatest funk band to come out from Australia ever. The exclusive James Blake cover on the A side, though, is pop/soul for the masses, in comparison. All nice, soulful and beautiful, but nothing to really get excited over. Thankfully, with this new 7 inch comes the announcement of a new Bamboos album (the fifth one) to be released on Tru Thoughts in 2012! And that is GREAT news. (Djouls / Paris DJS)

Black Feeling Volume Two
(CD/LP/Digital) Freestyle Records FSRCD090/FSRLP090, 2011-07-11

Back in September 2007, Freestyle Records released Black Feeling an album project brought to life by Australian musical supremo Lance Ferguson, the man responsible for Freestyle soul-jazz organ trio Cookin On 3 Burners, as well as The Bamboos & Lanu projects on Tru Thoughts Recordings. Here's the follow up album. The main concept with the Black Feeling cover versions is that the finished product should not just be some kind of carbon copy of an established classic and Lance explains his approach further: "The initial study of the original recordings enables me to be freer with interpreting, re-arranging and changing them for the final album. Often I will make changes to make a track a little more attractive or usable for DJs and the dancefloor in general." The entire album sparkles with energy and display an intelligent and varied approach to reworking much loved classic as Lance states: "I think it's really important to flip the cover-versions up and offer the listener something new so often I'll change instrumentation around to achieve something unique." And something unique is what he and his crew of top musical talent have achieved - welcome to Black Feeling Two!

Randa & The Soul Kingdom - The Things
(12"/Digital) Freestyle Records FSR092, 2011-06-13

Born in Jordan, raised in the working class suburbs of Perth, Australia, singer Randa Khamis caught the black music bug early. At the age of 12 she was talking her way into local clubs, desperate to dance to the sounds of James Brown, Parliament, Kurtis Blow, Ann Sexton and Aretha Franklin. Totally entranced by the music she heard, Randa decided then in her early teens that she could, would, and must become a soul singer. Randa and the Soul Kingdom released the self-titled debut album on Freestyle Records to great acclaim, and sell out shows in the UK and Europe soon followed. Now in 2011 Randa returns with her second album, produced by Aussie music legend Lance Ferguson (The Bamboos, Cookin On 3 Burners, Lanu), What You Need (FSRCD/LP088) which whilst still tinged with a gritty funk feel also delves into the 1960's stomping soul arena, but this track, The Things also taken from the forthcoming album, allows Randa works out her disco diva muscles to quite stunning effect! Squelchy synths rides over an insistant disco beat, whilst Lance Ferguson's scratchy guitar evokes the heady, hedonistic era of Chic, Studio 54 and Bianca Jagger riding a white horse across the dance floor! The flip side it the totally exclusive OK_Ma Flavours version, beautifully excecuted by Randa's co writer, London based saxophonist and producer Jake Telford. This happening 12 inch single and download must surely be a big summer club anthem of 2011.

Black Feeling Volume Two - Sampler 45
(7"/Digital) Freestyle Records FSR7068, 2011-06-06

Do you remember Black Feeling, the 2007 album (and singles) released on Freestyle Records, which looked like a compilation of funk/soul covers by unknown bands, but was indeed all pseudonyms for various bands directed by Australian funk/soul guitarist/producer/DJ Lance Ferguson a.k.a. Lanu: The Bamboos, Cookin' On 3 Burners, etc.? It was quite a fantastic project and now here's its follow-up, Black Feeling 2!! Well... first things first, here's the 45 taster from that upcoming compilation, starting with an irresistible funk'n'rushed cover of Burning Spear, originally by Richard Evans (The Soulful Strings/Cadet Records). Try to imagine George Benson competing with The JB's to whom will play faster... The b-side is another monster track, a cover of Johnny Pate's blaxploitation classic Shaft In Africa, not as much exciting but nearly perfect too. If the album's as good as this single it's gonna be a monster one!!!

Lanu - Her 12 Faces
(CD/Digital) Tru Thoughts TRUCD225, 2011-03-07

New album from Lance Ferguson a.k.a. Lanu, producer and guitarist of The Bamboos, Kylie Auldist, Cookin' On 3 Burners, Randa & The Soul Kingdom... This one will be released on Valentine's Day! You may hear the new track Jean Paul on Lanu's MySpace page or in the latest Shapes 10:02 compilation. Her 12 Faces flows effortlessly between finely crafted indie-leaning pop songs and lush instrumental/electro pieces. Album opener and first single Beautiful Trash is one of five Washington-voiced songs on Her 12 Faces; a supreme nugget of outsider pop...

Lanu - Beautiful Trash
(digital single/promo CD) Tru Thoughts TRUDD020, 2011-02-07

Beautiful Trash featuring Megan Washington is the first big single from the upcoming 2011 album, Her 12 Faces by Lanu. An irresistible outsider pop nugget, Beautiful Trash is being released digitally by Tru Thoughts on 7th February 2011, a month ahead of the long player. The combination of producer/guitarist Lanu (aka The Bamboos' band leader Lance Ferguson), with one of Australia's biggest and brightest new musical stars, Megan Washington, has brought about a distilled dose of modern, kooky catchiness with an edge - think the eclectic, crossover appeal of Little Dragon, Koop, Feist, Emiliana Torrini, Charlotte Gainsbourg or Janelle Monae. Beautiful Trash is accompanied by a cute but killer animated video by celebrated director and Australian 'national treasure', Lucy Dyson, available to view now on the Tru Thoughts YouTube channel. The 'B side' to this digital single is Beautiful Trash (Hidden Orchestra Remix), an atmospheric re-work that topples this breezy single over into menacing, dub-tinged sonic territory, with suspenseful, cinematic strings and sub bass galore. One of Tru Thoughts' success stories of 2010, Hidden Orchestra<'s debut album came out in September and is gathering major acclaim and interest from all over the world.

Lanu - Beautiful Trash
(limited 7") Tru Thoughts TRU7224, 2010-12-13

Beautiful Trash featuring Megan Washington is the first big single from the upcoming 2011 album, Her 12 Faces by Lanu. An irresistible outsider pop nugget, Beautiful Trash is being released on 500 upfront limited edition white 7"s on 13th December 2010, two months in advance of the official digital single release in 2011. The combination of producer/guitarist Lanu (aka The Bamboos' band leader Lance Ferguson), with one of Australia's biggest and brightest new musical stars, Megan Washington, has brought about a distilled dose of modern, kooky catchiness with an edge - think Little Dragon, Koop, Feist and Janelle Monae. The B side of this 7”, Der Hotel Blume, is a beautiful Lanu production - ‘70s Euro influences given a twist with a sitar line and a dreamy vocalised hook - which will be appearing on the album but receives an exclusive vinyl release here. The official Beautiful Trash digital single package will be out on 7th February 2011 followed by the album, Her 12 Faces, on 7th March.

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...

Tru Thoughts Artists - Tru Thoughts Compilation
(CD) Tru Thoughts TRUCD216, 2010-09-06

An essential collection highlighting some of the amazing music from the Tru Thoughts record label. Artists include Quantic, Bonobo, Alice Russell, Belleruche, Beth Rowley and Stonephace featuring Adrian Utley (Portishead).