SHREM'S DOUBLE TROUBLE: "SWEET BLUE" /// "ONE" - Cleo Sol

I must admit I first stumbled upon Cleo Sol only a few months ago while listening to a very special BBC 6 radio show curated by the one and only Róisín Murphy. It was the multi-layered, luxuriously produced "One" and it literally left me speechless... The exquisitely sung "One" is an amalgamation of neo-soul, nu jazz, 1970's psychedelia dipped in an ocean of strings, choirs, exotic instruments, Sol's own vocal acrobatics and diva reminiscences vibrating between the worlds of Minnie Riperton, Roberta Flack and Amy Winehouse. "One" sounds both charmingly retro and unique. A single so rich and impressive I could simply not imagine another track reaching anywhere near its splendour. And yet this London based singer-songwriter has ensorcelled me once more with the delectably smooth "Sweet Blue".  That effortless coolness, immaculate Inflo-penned production, vintage-flavoured vibes, pizzazz and THAT voice!!! So here they are, both songs already trending very promisingly among my mid-year Best Of 2019 cherry-picks.

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SHREM'S NEWBIES BUT TO-BE'S: "SOMMAR I DECEMBER" - Daggi Zegreat feat. Abel Haile

A delicious slice of Scandinavian soul on a winter evening anyone? Daggi Zegreat comes from Stockholm and her sumptuous debut single "Sommar I December" is an impossibly attractive medley of nu jazz, neo soul and funk. To spice things up, this aptly titled "summer gem for the winter" is sung in Swedish as the artist herself loves exploring and experimenting with languages, genres and artistic expressions. Please enjoy and share this effortlessly cool groove made in Sweden. I adore surprises like this arriving in the last month of the year. Daggi Zegreat certainly is one to keep an eye on. 

The stylish video for the song was directed by Malaika Holmén and Henrik Rinaldo.

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CHOON OF THE DAY: "NEGRONI EYES" - Wallace

I first came across Wallace's "Negroni Eyes" back in January when the song opened my first "Crème de la crème" chart in 2016. Few months have passed and my obsession with this incomparably elegant piece of music may have reached its peak with the arrival of this stylish video directed by Grégoire Lière. "Negroni Eyes" captivates with the Sydney based singer's extraordinary vocals, with an array of refined beats, sumptuous jazz references (Bill Evans!) and the ever so attractive medley of neo soul and nu jazz.  Some subtle Erykah Badu or Amy Winehouse reminiscences may spring to mind but the song in its entirety strongly manifests itself as a purely unique composition. This year's most sophisticated 4 minutes, a visual and sonic feast you are all invited to delight in.

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SHREM'S CLUB BIZARRE INTRODUCING: "PARTY GIRL" - Claptone feat. Jimi Tenor

I have first become acquainted with Jimi Tenor back in the mid-90's when I discovered his innovative and electrifyingly eclectic records "Intervision" and "Organism", both of which I cherish to this day. All through the years the Finnish wizard of electronica, as I like to sometimes call him, experimented with various musical genres and styles, focusing more and more on nu jazz and afro beat, however it was always his aural excursions into electronica that kept me the most absorbed. Following his latest house project with his wonderfully talented wife Nicole Willis - Cola & Jimmu, Tenor is now featuring on "Party Girl" which could be easily described as the greatest track on Claptone's debut album "Charmer". The Berlin based dj & producer caught my attention previously with his first-rate house records "The Music Got Me" and "She Loves You" and now the artist has also invited Jay Jay Johanson, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Young Galaxy, Peter Bjorn & John and Jaw to partake in making Claptone's first full album.







Here are Jimi Tenor and Claptone separately with my favourite tracks of theirs respectively:

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SHREM'S FUTURE ANTHEMS: "KENDRICK" - Anushka

A healthy dose of saucy house beats, some elegant nu jazz arrangements, velvet vocal harmonies with a pinch of oldskool jungle and we have one of Anushka's most alluring compositions to date. London based funk duo were Gilles Peterson's protégés from the beginning and released their debut album last year for his soul mine of a label Brownswood Recordings.  "Kendrick" was best described by Max Wheeler and Victoria Port themselves as "house inflected summer heater with plenty of vibes". Indeed! The single's out 18th September.

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LA MURPHY SAGA CONTINUES: "GONE FISHING" - Róisín Murphy

Róisín Murphy is back with a rather surprising first teaser taken from her upcoming 3rd studio LP "Hairless Toys" which drops via Play It Again Sam on 11th May 2015. The unpredictable "Gone Fishing" shows La Murphy's impressive palette of vocal capabilities and sounds like an electronic medley of Moloko's final studio album "Statutes", her jazzy excursions with Matthew Herbert on "Ruby Blue" while remaining hugely independent and intriguing. The layers of melodic twists, sonic quirks, wall-of-sound effects and productional tricks (Eddie Stevens?) make this one of her most original songs to date. In her own words:

"This song was written after I watched the documentary film Paris Is Burning, having read an article which referenced it in a discussion about House music's origins in black, gay culture. I was deeply moved by this film. 'I had to run this far from home' - it's about the outcasts who could never fit into mainstream society and how they created a safe place in the drag 'Ball' scene of New York in the ‘80s. 'Will we live on? The children of La Beija' refers to the 'house' of Pepper La Beija, who was one of the most notable figures on the scene, Pepper is also quoted in Malcolm McLaren's song on the same subject 'Deep In Vogue'. The culture was a flamboyant reaction to persecution and disillusionment, the imagination and bravery of these kids is simply awe-inspiring. I envisioned 'Gone Fishing' almost as a song from a Broadway musical version of this story. The making of one's own world, a safer world and the creation of a new, better family in music or youth culture is a theme I touch upon elsewhere on my album Hairless Toys."

Tracklist:

01 Gone Fishing
02 Evil Eyes
03 Exploitation
04 Uninvited Guest
05 Exile
06 House of Glass
07 Hairless Toys (Gotta Hurt)
08 Unputdownable

Pre-order from iTunes now!

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SHREM'S LIST OBSESSION: Top 10 Best Towa Tei Tracks

Towa Tei. 20 years of some of the quirkiest POP songs ever created. An exuberant sonic orgy of Japanese electronica, jazz, drum'n'bass, lounge featuring a multi-vibrant palette of singers from all over the world with a pinch of absurdity. Celebrating Towa Tei's 20th anniversary with this very special list. For all the releases check out the artist's specially designed new website HERE.

TOWA TEI「94-14」OUT 03.09.2014!
TOWA TEI「94-14 COVERS」OUT 03.09.2014!
TOWA TEI「94-14 REMIX」OUT NOW!

10 "Mind Wall" - featuring Miho Hatori (Cibo Matto), from "Big Fun" (2009)

09 "Apple" - featuring Ringo Sheena, from "Lucky" (2013)

08 "Taste Of You" - featuring Taprikk Sweezee, from "Big Fun" (2009)



07 "Angel" - featuring. Ayumi Tanabe & Viv, from "Last Century Modern" (1999)

06 "Luv Connection" - featuring Joi Cardwell, from "Future Listening!" (1994)

05 "A.O.R." - featuring Lina Ohta, from "Big Fun" (2009)



04 "Time After Time" - featuring. Amel Larrieux & Viv, from "Sound Museum" (1997)

03 "Butterfly" - featuring Ayumi Tanabe, from "Last Century Modern" (1999)

02 "Technova (La em Copacabana)" - featuring Bebel Gilberto, from "Future Listening!" (1994)

01 "G.B.I. (German Bold Italic)" - featuring Kylie Minogue, from "Sound Museum" (1997)

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SHREM'S INSTITUTE OF LOST CLASSICS: "DUST" - Recloose Feat. Joe Dukie

The year was 2005. "Dust" by Recloose feat. Joe Dukie. One of the sauciest singles released in the mid-Noughties. Still such a tune, still a thrill!

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CHOON OF THE DAY: "NO MORE WARS" - Cola & Jimmu

Nicole Willis and Jimi Tenor's oldschool house project Cola & Jimmu has just released their 2nd LP "I Give to you my Love and Devotion". Another delectable portion of club beats, soulful vocals and jazzy arrangements Jimi Tenor style. Here's "No More Wars", single #3 following "Earthly Delights" and the ubiquitous summer flirt of a song "Open Up Your Chakra" which for an independent records scored some unexpected success on the Japanese charts. Finland's finest musical export big time!

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SHREM'S DOUBLE TROUBLE: "OPEN UP YOUR CHAKRA" /// "EARTHLY DELIGHTS" - Cola & Jimmu

"I Give To You My Love and Devotion" is the second collaborative album of Finland's most musical couple Jimi Tenor and Nicole Willis. The first two singles are oozing positive vibrations, oldskool house flavours and soulful vocals with a pinch of jazziness close to the heart of both of these extraordinary performers. Adding this surprisingly fast follow-up to Cola & Jimmu's debut "Enigmatic" to my personal list of the records I anticipate the most in 2014.

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SHREM'S DOUBLE TROUBLE: "TRY ME" - IAMNOBODI feat. Ego Ella May /// "STUPID" [produced by Dornik] - Ego Ella May

I simply adore discovering new musicians, especially if I stumble upon them by complete chance like it was with this very special lady who goes by the rather cool name of Ego Ella May. This London based chanteuse also owns a remarkable, velvet voice full of soul and her vocal acrobatics are both understated and expressive. "Try Me" is Ego Ella May's joint effort with an urban guru IAMNOBODI and it is my latest song obsession spinning on my iTunes on repeat. There's a free download of the track too which is such a treat. While browsing through the artist's Soundcloud, to my delight, I have also come across a song called "Stupid" which was superbly produced by Jessie Ware's collaborator Dornik who stole our hearts twice already with his r&b gems: "Rebound" and "Something About You". Here's Ego Ella May who found a very special fresh spot among my favourite new female singers right next to Fatima and Julia Kwamya from Germans.

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CHOON OF THE DAY: "NEVER CAN DECIDE" - Anushka

The ever so slightly stagnant beginning of January is really picking with new music. Gilles Peterson's Brownswood Recordings have just treated us to Anushka's latest single "Never Can Decide". This Brighton-based duo caught my attention 3 times already with "The Constant", "I Have Love 4 You" and "Yes Guess" and their very own, hugely distinctive blend of nu jazz, funk, soul and house. A truly delectable musical recipe, particularly impressive considering Anushka's around for just over a year and already managed to make a statement with their recognisable sound. Here's to more coming from Max Wheeler & Victoria Port in 2014.

Never Can Decide by AnushkaUK

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SHREM'S DOUBLE TROUBLE: "FAMILY" /// "BLACK DOUGH" - Fatima

Eglo Records' long term prime diva and the owner of one of the most distinctive and soulful vocals in the whole planet of music, Fatima has shared her latest EP at the beginning of the month. The title track "Family" stands out among her strongest recordings to date with vibraphone and clap-along driven Latin flavoured rhythms and beautifully crafted vocal harmonies. The exclusive digital bonus track, Flako produced "Black Dough" echoes some of Fatima's previous joint efforts with FunkinEven and Floating Points with its amalgamation of broken beats, sleek nu jazz production and electronic funk. I am in awe with this lady for a couple of years at this stage and thrilled with this release once again. Find more of Fatima's delectable sounds on her fresh Soundcloud page.



Fatima - Black Dough Prod. Flako by F A T I M A

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SHREM'S WORLDLY DELIGHTS: "MAIS UM" + "TROPICALIDAD" - Souleance

Souleance returned with a brand new EP for First Word Records back in November. Following the huge success of "La Beat Tape" in early 2013, the French duo have been busy in the studio preparing a 6-tracker aimed squarely at the dancefloor. "Brotha EP" has some seriously flavoursome numbers, "Mais Um" and "Tropicalidad" being the immediate favourites.

04 Mais Um by Souleance

05 Tropicalidad by Souleance

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CHOON OF THE DAY: "APPLE" - Towa Tei feat. Shiina Ringo

Not quite sure how I missed this release back in July especially considering Towa Tei has a status of sort of electronic music genius in my books. Here he collaborates with Shiina Ringo - a Japanese singer-songwriter, music composer and music producer to another astonishing effect in his long list of excellent singles featuring female artists the likes of Kylie Minogue, Ayumi Tanabe, Lina Ohta, Miho Hatori or Bebel Gilberto. The track comes from his 8th studio album "Lucky". Simply delectable!

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CHOON OF THE DAY: "GET THY BEARINGS" - Bonobo feat. Szjerdene

Bonobo covers Donovan exclusively for another smashing compilation in the Late Night Tales series and it turns out to be one of his most wonderful recordings in years! This string-laden rendition, beautifully sung by Szjerdene is a perfect autumn moment and the selection Bonobo has just curated includes tracks by Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Shlohmo, Nina Simone, Lapalux and more. Classy.

Bonobo ft Szjerdene - Get Thy Bearings (Exclusive Late Night Tales Donovan cover version) by LateNightTales

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CHOONS OF THE DAY: "CIRCLE" + "TECHNOLOGY" - Fatima

These indescribably exquisite songs come from Eglo Records' #1 diva, the underground nu-jazz queen Fatima. Her latest EP "Circle" is just out and it simply couldn't be any better nor it could be any more my cup of tea. Such a smooth vibe and miss Fatima delivers a goosebump-causing vocal performance in a serpentine of meticulous harmonies. I haven't stopped listening to it for days. Understated, elegant and classy. The EP strangely doesn't seem to have an official presence on neither Soundcloud or Youtube yet so here's a radio rip of the Computer Jay produced "Circle" feat. Shafiq Husayn and Oh No produced "Technology". What a talented lady.

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SHREM'S TRIP-HOP RETROSPECTIVE: "Les Plaines De Sibérie" - Louise Vertigo

ARTIST: Louise Vertigo
TITLE: "Les Planes De Sibérie"
RELEASE DATE: 1998
LABEL: Yellow Productions
LOCATION: Paris
ALBUM: "Femme Fin De Siècle"

"Les Planes De Sibérie" - Louise Vertigo by SHREM

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CHOON OF THE DAY: "THE ATTIC" - Colm K. feat. Walshy

Following my arrival back on Irish soil from fun and sunshine filled Sónar Festival in Barcelona it makes sense to catch up with blogging with a local treat with a sunny vibe. This Herbie Hancock and Floating Points influenced slice of modern funk from Cork based dj and producer Colm K swept me off my feet instantly. "The Attic" is one of 4 electronic jewels included on his new EP "The Love" which is out now via Bastard Jazz Recordings. A fusion of all sounds delicious. Big up!

Colm K - The Attic (feat. Walshy) by bastardjazz

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SHREM'S LATE MONDAY NIGHT SESSIONS: "YES GUESS" + "I HAVE LOVE 4 YOU" - Anushka

Mr Gilles Peterson and the crew at Brownswood Recordings just never get it wrong really, do they? I've discovered so many top notch tunes thanks to this reliable label all through the years... Here's another one! Anushka and their "Vocal Bass Music From The Future" as they introduce it themselves. Anushka is Max Wheeler & Victoria Port, a duo based in Brighton making this infectious, sizzling hot hybrid of future r'n'b, house and UK Funky all spiced up with a pinch of nu jazz. "Yes Guess EP" is out now and boys and girls it is money well spent I swear. Simply superb!

Yes Guess by AnushkaUK



I Have Love 4 You by AnushkaUK

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