Aurgasm

French soul // German funk

Sensual but tough, French chanteuse Caroline Lacaze’s sings from the heart on her debut ‘En Route’. After moving to Hamburg to write and sing her own music, she hooked up with Germany’s finest in Funk; The Mighty Mocambo’s aka The Mocambo Electric Sound Orchestra. She unifies a French style with mod revival; singing from the coeur about love, passion, anger and sadness. A full pocket of stories with lo-fi production that comes off as an honest homage to the seventies. Brash and bright, play this out loud to boost your day.

Gritty romance in Nouvelle Chanson
Caroline Lacaze – L’Etrange
Caroline Lacaze – Toujours Lui
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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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rhythm & blues // rock ‘n’ roll

Turns out that Nick Waterhouse’s vintage R&B and early rock ‘n’ roll aesthetic isn’t limited to his throwback ’50s sound. His entire approach to production follows this same faithfulness — Time’s All Gone, the 25 year old’s debut album, was recorded mostly live, entirely to tape, and it certainly pays off. The album pops with barely restrained wildness and energy that’s infectious and addicting. Whether it’s the blaring horns, catchy hooks, or Waterhouse’s crooning vocals; there’s a lot to love about this record. Take his music for a spin and join the party!

Nick Waterhouse – “Some Place”
Nick Waterhouse – “(If) You Want Trouble”
Good old fashioned rock ‘n’ roll.
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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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soul // r&b

Critically acclaimed and award-winning Danish pop-soul singer Nabiha Bensouda already won the hearts of music fans all over Scandinavia and most of Europe. Nabiha’s album, More Cracks (2012), the international re-edit of her debut, falls somewhere between Amy Winehouse’s retro-soul, Janelle Monae’s fast-paced funky rhythms and M.I.A.’s powerful beats. You are bound to recognize the chorus of Nabiha’s “Never Played the Bass” from Womack & Womack’s hit ”Teardrops”, while its incredibly catchy up-tempo beats will have you dancing around the room. Another favourite, “Trouble” stands out with its infectious frenetic energy, funky dance beats and Nabiha’s sultry vocals.

Funky, soulful and totally irresistible.
Nabiha – Never Played The Bass
Nabiha – Trouble
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pop // soul

Miriam Bryant’s debut single “Finders, Keepers” (2012) might label her as a potential Sweden’s answer to the British soul invasion. However, while vocal comparisons to the critically acclaimed Adele are definitely due, Miriam’s songwriting is more in line with Paloma Faith’s jazz glamour with an added touch of Amanda Jenssen‘s sing-along soul-pop. “Finders, Keepers” is a truly emotive ballad that evolves around dramatic piano and strings, and Miriam’s powerful vocals. She’s one songstress I’ll be keeping a keen eye on in the future.

Strong, emotive songwriting.

Miriam Bryant – Finders, Keepers
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raw funk // soul

Some people say funk is all about the drum breaks. Mike Bandoni IS drum breaks. Funkshone is built up from behind the drum kit with heavy hitting snares, a whirlwind of hi-hats and a kick drum so fat it shakes your booty for you. On their second album 2, Bandoni and partner in crime Nino Auricchio go from cinematic funk to full on screaming soul no holds barred. Funkshone dishes it all out with raw energy and endless attitude.

Banging grooves, exploding soul.
Funkshone – It Ain’t Never Gonna Work
Funkshone – Soul Survivor, Pt. 1
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Retro // Soul // Funk

The Soul Snatchers are a retro funk/soul band from the Netherlands, who are built around rhythm section and producers Ton v/d Kolk (Bass) and Phil Martin (Drums). The two are also responsible for other funky outfits like AIFF (Afro Influenced Funk Federation) and Laura Vane and the Vipertones. Ton and Phil are dedicated to bringing back the vintage soul sound known from the sixties and seventies. The Soul Snatchers have an emphasis on the funkier side, lush with syncopated drums and punchy horns and mostly vocalised by Jimi Bell Martin and Curtis T. The contemplative slow groover ‘Who I Am’ is included above from their second LP Scratch My Itch. ‘Good Foot Down’ and ‘I Can’t Stand It’, two uptempo tracks from their first LP Sniffin and Snatchin, pull you to the dancefloor and are a clear nod to the master himself: James Brown.

Dutch funk with a strong groove.
The Soul Snatchers – Good Foot Down (feat. Curtis T.)
The Soul Snatchers – I Can’t Stand It (feat. Jimi Bell Martin)
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quirky soul // electronic

Kinny is a dame with personality & soul, originally from Canada, she now finds her home in scandinavia. Trained as a classic vocalist, she released Forgetting to Remember with electronic music producer Espen Horne in 2006, showing off the match between her unique vocal stylings and Horne’s original production. A few years later Kinny saw her debut solo album Idle Forest of Chit Chat produced by a multitude of producers (Quantic, TM Juke & Diesler, a.o.). With that album, the seeds were planted for a new collaboration with production duo Souldrop. They produced two tracks on Kinny’s first, of which the Darondo sampling ‘Water For Chocolate’ is included below. After battling and overcoming a severe OCD-induced breakdown following a traumatic incident, Kinny has now released her second solo album Can’t Kill a Dame With Soul produced entirely by Souldrop. ‘Up/Side/Down’ is a good example of what you’ll find on the album, showing how she deals with her OCD through musical and lyrical expression.

Unique Soul with OCD (meaning Obviously Cool Dame).
Kinny – Water For Chocolate
Kinny – Up/Side/Down
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