Fonki Tuur

01/11/2020

Hi there, after a long pause I'm back again and this time with something special. The review of OPOLOPO's album Sickla. I bought the 3 parts separately but now the full-length album is finally here and it's a masterpiece.

Sickla is Peter 'OPOLOPO' Major's first album in five years and easily his most accomplished and enjoyable work to date. It's also a natural progression of the relationship between OPOLOPO and Local Talk Records, something that started in 2011 with one of the first releases on the label, "The Grit".

There's naturally much to get the blood pumping and the juices flowing on this album, from the carnival-ready Latin percussion, Roy Ayers-esque jazz-funk instrumentation and sparkling synthesizer melodies.

'Loose Limbs' gets the ball rolling and has something of a late 70s/early 80s jazz-funk feel - if you know who Mike Mandel or Wilbert Longmire are, you'll dig this one for sure- Take the same recipe, stir in a little Afro-house flava in the drums department and you'll end up with 'Chocolate Liquorice', while 'Moonwalk' comes on like Dave Lee in his most dreamy, spaced-out moments and 'You Can Make It' takes us closer to straight-up soul territory.

The Rhodes-heavy, organic jazz-house lusciousness of "The Sluggard", the oddly swung but undeniably brilliant jazz-funk jam "Triplet Limp". There are floors out there where these will make great warm-up material, and others where they'll create memorable peaktime 'moments', but either way there's no doubting the quality of the production. It’s an undeniably alluring combination of musical elements on this album and not a duff cut in sight.

It doesn't get any better than this.

Really,
It doesn't..

https://youtu.be/DPFmABLpeEM

06/08/2020

Next up on Heist Recordings and very siked for this one!

When your roots have a broad geographical diversity, it’s very likely this will resonate in the music you make. This is certainly the case with Alma Negra and their new release on Heist. It seems they have embraced all their cultural influences more than ever in their new ‘Dakar Disco EP’. The whole record oozes class and musicality and feels like a carefree collage of the rich musical lives they live. The three originals on this EP vary in tempo and energy, giving you something for each moment of the day or night. They are accompanied by a remix from none other than the Japanese master of cosmic funk: Kuniyuki.

The EP kicks off with the title track ‘Dakar Disco’; an island style mid-tempo burner, rich with filtered guitars, bells and bleeps. Soothing chords and synth melodies are introduced for a lovely build up, but it’s the live horn section that takes centre stage. Here, the track really comes to full fruition, with a squeaky lead accompanying the horns for an electronic twist to what is above all a lovely summer jam.

‘Contra’ ups the pace and moves more into dance floor territory with loose claps, spacey pads and faraway chants. This track really gets to you with the live percussion and extremely catchy lead running throughout the track. This is afro house just the way we like it.

We’re very proud to have Kuniyuki remixing ‘Dakar disco’. This master of his craft has done an outstanding job with his cosmic take on ‘Dakar disco’. He lays down a great riff on bass guitar, while playing around with all the live elements and adds a serious bit of reverb for a stunning effect. This track is a perfect example of Kuniyuki’s musical skills and we can almost see him jamming this out, eyes closed and directed towards a distant point in space only he can see.

The EP’s closing track ‘Back in town’, is perhaps the clubbiest track of the set. A friendly acid line squeaks over tribal drums & chants and you immediately get pulled in by a great balafon hook. You can really hear how the guys feel at ease combining these worldly elements with modern electronics and ‘Back in town’ is a great example on how to blend these sonic worlds.

Out on 28th August

29/07/2020

A few months back Black Loops did a guest mix for Le Visiteur. An hour long mix full of early Italian dream and proto deep house from the 90's. Enjoy X

https://soundcloud.com/levisiteuronline/black-loops-worship-mix-for-lv-online-italian-90s-house?ref=clipboard

Dancing with us? Click the [↻ SHARE] button and help spread the love. Full tracklist is on LV online via the link below. Like this? please make sure you follow Le Visiteur Online for regular house an

28/07/2020

Let's kick things off by starting with Felipe Gordon

Based in Colombia’s capital, Bogotá, Felipe Gordon’s sound is testimony that both challenges and reinvigorates the burgeoning colombian house movement. His statement is built of resonances inspired by other decades, Bogotá, cold, streets and messy youth. It's not surprising when we hear pianos and classic acid house lines paired with jazz samples and funky bass lines. His ability to mix this complex sounds into club music has made Gordon's into a renowned and prolific producer.

His latest release on Local Talk Records is such an example, on the b-side he joins forces with Kear and result is simply stunning. Son Esquivias is one of the most soulful tracks I've heard in years. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/SNC7UTHjrJw

Subscribe to the Local Talk Records YouTube channel http://bit.ly/LocalTalkYouTube ► Download on Bandcamp https://localtalk.bandcamp.com/ ► Download on Beatp...