Albums of the Year 2004 |
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Here is Tricky Mickey's best music from 2004. This year I have been digging deep
in the vaults of old soul and jazz records, so there is just a few new artists
in this years list.
It has been a good year for music and I would like to thank the nice staff at my favorite record store in Stockholm for sharing their knowledge and providing me with great 12"s every week.
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1. FEIST Let It Die
Polydor |
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Debut album by Feist from Canada. Warm and low key album sung in a pure voice.
Feist is best known for her guest vocals on the Nordic duo
Kings Of Convenience's second album, Riot On An Empty Street
Gatekeeper is stripped down to scat song and aocustic guitar opens the album. Then it is a musical journey with a different angle on every song. The acoustic cover of Bee Gees' Inside and Out is The Top Tune on a top album with lots of atmosphere and lush grooves. |
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2. KANYE WEST The Colleage Dropout
Roc-A-Fella
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The debut album by the talented Kanye West exceeds all expectations.
The production is flawless, Kanye can flow and he has a number of great
guests: Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Ludacris, Freeway and my personal favorite
Syleena Johnson sings incredibly on All Falls Down.
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3. AMEL LARRIEUX Bravebird
Bliss Life Records
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The second solo album by Amel Larrieux but this time an indie release.
Amel's sounding stronger than ever on this stripped production - down to bass,
vocals, subtle keys and string arrangements. After years of singing with Groove Theory,
Sweetback and on other project her vocals are deeply crafted but never overdone.
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4. ALICE RUSSELL Under The Munka Moon
Tru Thoughts |
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Alice's strong vocal has added to tracks by Quantic and here she shines
on her first solo album. In the vein of great soul singers like Minnie Ripperton
and Chaka Kahn she takes the excellent material here to another level.
The mellow Latin groove of Sweet As The Air floats nicely in the mix, other tracks are on the jazzy tip while others has nice housey touch. There is not a bad track in this album. |
5. ANDREAS TILLIANDER World Industries
Pluxemburg
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| "World Industries" shows a new direction to Andreas Tilliander's artistery. On this album he is mixing pop with techno resulting in his most accessible tunes ever. It is experimental, yet catchy. |
6. 3 CHAIRS 3 Chairs Album
Sound Signature |
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The 3 Chairs presents Moodymann, Theo Parrish, Rick WIllhite, Malik Pittman
together with Amp Fiddler, Norma Jean Bell and Andres on their first full
length together. A sort of "super group of house", if you like.
Kenny Dixon Jr has produced music in his studio for about ten years with a dedication that is second to none. There is nothing retro in his music even though all his arrangements echoes of John Coltrane and Gil-Scott heron as well as of Juan Atkinson. The collisions between Moodymann's techno jazz and Theo Parish's rhythms on this set sometimes results in free sounds and beats that just flows around in the room and the only thing that keeps it all together is a distant beat or a saxophone phrase. Very cool in my book. And it has Dance of Nubia on, so I have kept spinning the album all through the year.
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7. KERRIER DISTRICT Kerrier District
Rephlex |
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Luke Vibert's returns with a whole album dedicated to disco. Ten tracks of warm
deep, electronic instrumental disco, a bit like Metro Area for the joyous floors.
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8. KENNY LARKIN The Narcissist
Peacefrog |
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| A nice slice of dubby Detroit techno from Kenny Larkin. |
9. BEATFANATIC Adventures in The World of No-Fi Beats
Raw Fusion |
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| An excursion in to Latin, funk and house beats under the surveillance of the Beatfanatic. |
10. DWELE Rize
White |
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| This vinyl includes unreleased tracks from Dwele. Mixing up soul influences with hip hop and nu-soul production. |
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1. VARIOUS ARTISTS Ghana Soundz
Soundway |
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Mindblowing funk from Africa in the 70s in a collection with great rare bits.
The set focuses on funk grooves from Ghana and they are smoking and heavy from
bottom to top with lots of organ, congas and guitar licks.
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2. VARIOUS ARTISTS Electric Soul 2
Electric Chair |
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Part two follows the previous volume in the series in that it is mixing up
nu-soul, hip hop, broken beats and house. The set opens with Carl Craig's
stunning tech-jazz take on Incognito's Out Of The Storm before it takes off
into the broken beats of Next Evidence's Dance On.
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3. VARIOUS ARTISTS One Night At Momo's Kemia Bar
Most Records |
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The house DJ at Kemia's bar Greg Sonata has compiled One Night at Momo’s.
An excellent collection of house and beat tracks by artists like Radio Tarifa,
Charles Webster, Truby Trio and Tiefschwarz to mention but a few.
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4. VARIOUS ARTISTS Rebel Radio Dread Broadcast Corp.
Trojan Records |
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An excellent double disc set featuring tracks that played in heavy rotation on
London's legendary Dread Broadcasting Corporation pirate radio station. The set
is running through the golden years of the 70s on up through the advent of the
dancehall era in the 80s.
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5. VARIOUS ARTISTS Gilles Peterson Worldwide Exclusives
Talking Loud |
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Many of these artists have contributed exclusive tracks to this project
donating some of their best work to the set, and making it a super-fresh package
filled with tracks not found elsewhere.
The groove changes nicely throughout the set, but is unified by Gilles sharp ear for the best of the best and effortlessly sliding from Neo Soul to soul jazz to jazzy club.
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1. MULATU Ethiopian Modern Instrumentals Hits
L'Arome (France) |
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A funky album from the 70s featuring work by the enigmatic Mulatu from the
groundbreaking soul and funk scene of Ethiopia. Mulatu plays Fender Rhodes and
organ and is grooving with a distinct African touch. The sound here is quite
different than the funky work from Nigeria or Ghana of the 70s. It is much more
laidback and open-ended, with less American influences.
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2. BETTYE SWANN Bettye Swann
Honest Jon's (UK) |
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A treasure of late 60s southern soul from the great Bettye Swann. 22 tunes cut
for Capitol between 1968 and 1970 after she jumped from Money Records.
These tunes, which range from fragile soul ballads with sweet harmonies to
pounding stompers has a great southern soul feel.
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3. ARTHUR RUSSEL Calling Out Of Context
Audika |
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A collection of un-released recordings by the great Arthur Russell, one of the
key players in the late 70s and early 80s underground scene in New York.
The 12 tracks here are culled from sessions cut between 1985 and 1990 when
Russell was signed to Rough Trade. Most tracks features Russell on almost
unrecognizable ambient cello, vocals and drum programming with lots of cool
synth notes and effects overdubbed. It is hypnotic, fairly raw and very groovy.
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4. WILLIE HIGHTOWER Willie Hightower
Honest Jon's (UK) |
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The 18 tracks on this set represent Willie at his best. The collection
features material recorded for producer Bobby Robinson (issued on both the
Capitol and Enjoy labels), and Muscle Shoals' maestro Rick Hall. Willie
has the sound of some of the smoother soul singers of the 60s somewhat
in a manner of Garnett Mimms or Sam Cooke.
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5. Wayne McGhie Wayne McGhie & The Sounds of Joy
Birchmount/Light In The Attic |
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Lost funky 70s soul from Toronto. It features six McGhie originals and a number of
loose, hard soul/funk workouts of hits from the time. The standout track here is
McGhie's centerpiece masterpiece Dirty Funk, a straight up instrumental
funk monster with loose, funky guitar chordings, deeply grooving organ
and tight, hard hitting drum breaks.
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of the Year
1. BEANFIELD Tides Carl Craig Remix Beanfield chant mix
Compost
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2. ANDREAS TILLIANDER Dutty & Digital
Ideal 2004
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3. PAUL MURPHY / MARC WOOLFORD PROJECT Jazz Room The Spiritual South Remix
White/AfroArt Records
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4. BEATCONDUCTOR Discocondutor Reworks Disco Rhythms Capoeira (House Remix) Crazy In Kingston (US Reworks)
Wawe Music
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5. ALICIA KEYS You Don't Knoe My Name Reggae Remix
The Killah Kuts / White
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6. THE FORT KNOX FIVE Blowing Up The Barrio Blowing Up The Spot
Fort Knox
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7. POVO East On West Uam Uam (Moonstarr Remix)
Raw Fusion
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8. HUNDARNA FRAN SODER Dovas Abyss Origo Carmen
Fauna
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9. MOODYMANN Private Collection Mario Winans - ALready Know - KDJ Re-edit Private Collection
Black Label
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10. EMO feat. Daddy Ous I Want My Love - Freddie Cruger Remix Stereo Deluxe
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11. Various Turntables On The Hudson Vol 5 ORIGIN faet SHAKA - Music Man HARLEM ZIP CODE - I Feel Music MAX SEDGLEY - Happy FARID - Sunday Paper
Feedelity
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12. JILL SCOTT Golden Original Wookie's Sunshine Remix Jazmin Mix Blackbeard Remix
Hidden Beach
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13. BUTCH CASSIDY SOUND SYSTEM Rudi EP
Fenetik
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14. DANIEL WANG Berlin Sunrise
Ghostly International
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15. CALEXICO Black Heart
City Slang
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Reader´s Selection: Antonio Ocasio
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