Over these past 350+ days of 2012 I’ve run across several non Hip-Hop projects that are not getting the proper amount of coverage or attention they deserve based on their overall quality. I’ve decided to offer you wonderful Killer Boombox readers a list consisting of my favorite 6 slept on albums from 2012 that you can find via Bandcamp so you can stream them and purchase them at your leisure. Think of this as my Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa gift to you all since I don’t know all of your individual (IP) addresses. Enjoy:
On Valentine’s Day 2012, Portland’s producer/vocalist duo of Roane Namuh & Reva DeVito dropped one of my favorite projects of the year in “Cloudshine”. If you’re a fan of Esthero, Res, or the aesthetic of the Trip Hop era albums from Tricky, Morcheeba, Bjork or Portishead then you should definitely give this one a listen. “Cloudshine” has steadily racked up plays on my iTunes for the past 10 months now.
Moonchild consists of a trio of Los Angeles based musicians named Amber Navran, Andris Mattson & Max Bryx that managed to make an album that falls somewhere between R&B/Soul and Jazz (the genre name Neo Soul annoys me). Think of the Brand New Heavies/Jazzanova/Sweetback feel meets the Soulquarians vibe. Amber lends her vocals to most track and emcee Harry Mack drops verses on the tracks “Gone” & “Turn It Up!”. I’ve been telling people about “Be Free” since I discovered it online this past Spring. Don’t sleep on it…
Continuing the grand tradition of post The Roots Hip-Hop bands such as Rocky LaMontage’s The All That! Band, Survival Soundz, Dujeous, Breakestra, El Michels Affair and Will Sessions is Berlin, Germany’s 8 man ensemble The Ruffcats. If you can sleep on this tight studio band and it’s ability to go from R&B/Soul, Funk, Jazz to playing Hip-Hop arrangements and straight up B-Boy “go off” music then you just don’t deserve to possess a soul anymore. Take a listen to “The Essence Vol. 1” and tell me you’re not feeling that. Case closed.
Straight outta New Zealand comes one of the best Soul/Funk outfits to emerge in years, Funkommunity. Rachel Fraser and producer/multi instrumentalist Isaac Aesili front this band that includes some of the most well renowned musicians in both Europe and Oceania (Australia & New Zealand). Funkommunity boasts a lineup of Christoph El Truento, Julien Dyne and Electric Wire Hustle’s Taay Ninh in addition to Isaac Aesili as they back up Rachel’s soulful vocals on “Chequered Thoughts”. I heard “Pass It On” early on this Summer and the good people at Melting Pot Music shot me the EPK and I was instantly sold.
Kansas City singer/musician Miles Bonny (“Incense & Wine” & “Lumberjack Soul”) teamed up with Vienna’s Brenk Sinatra (“Gumbo 2: Pretty Ugly”) and crafted one of the finest modern Soul albums to drop in 2012 that you more than likely completely slept on. I’ve been a fan of both of these cats individually for years now but when I saw that they were going to be working together as S3 on “Supa Soul Sh*t” I couldn’t wait to hear it. After I heard it, it met my lofty expectations and exceeded them. Get you some…
I was introduced to the music of Joy Daniels by Alexia Layne-Lomon and Mark “The Mayor” Merren and I was blessed to attend the listening for this particular project “Joy After The Rain”. I’m not one of those cats that are easily impressed and I was blown away by what I heard. The combination of Joy Daniels and Harold “Levelsoundz” Shawn have the potential to craft great music in the tradition of Jam & Lewis and Janet Jackson, Missy Elliott and Timbaland, Doc and Esthero, Bryce Wilson and Amel Larrieux, Brandy Norwood and Rodney Jerkins or Amerie and Rich Harrison. Remember these names and listen to this album. Enjoy the holidays and don’t sleep…
One.