Aurgasm

Rock & Roll // Beats

If the ’50s had sampling, New Zealand export Willy Moon would be a flashback. But at the age of 23, his brash mix of rock & roll’s early days and contemporary sampling turns the clock forward to a bold new charm. Before settling into his new home of London, UK, this autodidact ditched school at 16 and shaped his raw sounds with sojourns in Valencia, Morocco, and Berlin; evolving from hip-hop and club into sonic sledgehammers having sole-blistering effect. Willy’s supercharged collage of well-known samples, combined with his unique retro vocals, makes a fiercely catchy package, and his visual style looks equally well mastered in a slick ‘Rat Pack’ refined naughtiness.

Smokin’ hot throwback beat explosions.Willy Moon – I Wanna Be Your Man
Willy Moon – Railroad Track
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doo-wop // retro soul

Firey Soul, Doo-Wop, Rhythm n’ Blues are smashed together by Clairy Browne & The Bangin’ Rackettes to create a big sound with an 18-carat edge. These cats mix retro styles like a bartender with 2-day stubble in a juke joint, breaking down ’40s and ’50s Jive into a modern flare. Clairy’s voice lets through emotion in gasps and wails, supported by her gang of Rackettes spitting out background vocals you don’t wanna mess with. The band delivers smoking licks through Australian airwaves resulting in a hot plate that’ll surely blow your top.

Finger snappin’ ooohhss and bop-bop she’do-bops.
Clairy Browne – I’ll Be Fine
Clairy Browne – She Plays Up To You
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jazz // soul

In a vast sea of female jazz vocalists, the newcomer New York-based chanteuse Ann Sophie quickly caught our attention with her retro glamorous single “Get Over Yourself”. As the debut single sets the tone, the real treat is actually down the road – her upcoming EP. Ann Sophie possesses a truly passionate, convincing vocal style that would appeal as much to soulful jazz-pop lovers as well as retro-soul sweetness devotees.

Strong vocals and superb production.
Ann Sophie – Get Over Yourself
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Jazz // Soul

Dedicated to presenting original raw jazz straight out of Germany’s Hannover, Hidden Jazz Quartett‘s organic sound breezes your way in crisp tumbling rhythms and versatile sax. They combine styles from both ends of the spectrum: hard-hitting drums underpin laid-back melodies in “High Heels,” with its off-kilter beat in perfect contrast to the silky colours of Omar’s voice. Instrumental jazz from the top shelf is served in “Wälzer” as a strong groove that evolves into a swirling river braved by ballsy brass solos.

Grooving jazz uplifts your mood.
Hidden Jazz Quartett – High Heels (feat. Omar)
Hidden Jazz Quartett – Wälzer
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latin jazz // tropical

Pioneering Mexican drummer and composer, Tino Contreras was born in 1928 in Chihuahua, Chih., first appearing on Jazz in Mexico – The Legendary 1954 Sessions, and has recorded over 40 albums to date. El Jazz Mexicano De Tino Contreras (2011) showcases his ingenuity of styles absorbed from world travels, containing ritual chants, free jazz, waltz, psychedelia, devout choirs and microtones to name a few. However, the wonderful arrangements and successful rhythms of Jazz Tropical (1962) is the overall aurgasm for my taste. Double bass swings through proclaiming horns, having congas aplenty and occasional shouts to keep me moving. Tino’s drum solo in “Conversacion” is a highlight, but the cascading piano of his take on Ernesto Lecuona’s “La Malagueña” and lively swagger of “Night in Tunisia” is what I most enjoy.

Invigorating jazz with Latin spices moving your feet.
Tino Contreras – Noche en Tunisia
Tino Contreras – La Malagueña
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