Lady Blackbird – Lost and Looking (Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy Cosmodelica Remix)

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Foundation Music is a project between seasoned A&R man Ross Allen, and long-time collaborator Andy Thompson. Going back to the 80s, they met when Andy sold Ross records out of Holborn’s City Sounds. With a shared love of Black Music of all persuasions, these twisted soul boys bring their wide-ranging skills and contacts to the table, seeking out hidden artists and tracks that lurk about in the fringes.

Foundation has presented some killer releases over the last year from London’s Bruise, KDA, Baltimore’s DJ Oji, with more gold in the pipeline from Crooked Man, Greg Foat, and New Jersey’s Foremost Poets. Lady Blackbird is the LA based chanteuse, born Marley Munroe who took the radio airwaves by storm last year. Once in a blue moon a singer comes along that stops you in your tracks, Lady Blackbird is one such talent. This force of nature released her debut single on Foundation, with remixes that followed by jazz and house heavyweights Bruise, Greg Foat, Ashley Beedle, KDA, Calibre, and face of the moment Emma Jean Thackery.

Dubbed by Gilles Peterson “the Grace Jones of jazz”, her album Black Acid Soul dropped in September 2021. Lady Blackbird has received glowing reviews in The Guardian and in the New York Times. A headline act at Gilles Peterson’s We Out Here festival last summer, she performed live on Jools Holland, and played London’s 100 Club, with her much anticipated Round House date planned for this month. ‘Lost and Looking’ is a cover of Sam Cooke’s sparsely arranged original, where Lady Blackbird builds the track with her haunting vocal that floats over percussion-less bass, and sparkling piano notes performed by Deron Johnson. On this version Foundation Music bring onboard Classic Album Sunday’s originator, co-founder of the Lucky Cloud System parties, presenter of Worldwide FM’s Cosmodelica & Balearic Breakfast, and David Mancuso protégé, Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy. This connoisseur of sound recently showcased her remix chops on Roisin Murphy’s incendiary single ‘Murphy’s Law. The much respected selector this time turns in her ‘Cosmodelica Remix’, where ‘Lost and Looking’ is muscled up for the dancefloor, with demon bassline, funk fuelled bass guitar, and cosmic acid lines. There’s also a dub for those who prefer a more stripped down but equally pumping affair.

Out now via Beatport

The Nearest Faraway Place Best of ’21 Part 2

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Here’s the second part of my ‘best of 2021’ mix, featuring some favourite music from last year.

A very chilled downtempo mix of beautiful music from all over the world.

Thanks for listening 🙂

Part 3 to follow soon…

Tracklist…

Orön – Prins Emanuel
Malanai Ascending (Seahawks Mix) – Private Agenda
Topaz (The Days Of Our Lives) – The Zenmenn
Swanky Modes (Dennis Bovell DubMix) – JARV_IS
Pinball (Ruf Dug Remix) – Lou Hayter
Three Corners One View – Santino Surfers
On The Beach (Chris Coco Remix) – Nick & Samantha
California White Sage – Chris Coco
Dorothea’s Rainbow – Elninodiablo
Custards Last Stand (Dennis Bovell Vox Version) – A Mountain Of One
Do Yourself Some Good – UNKLE
Hope Is The Last Thing To Die (Extended Mix) – David Holmes

Diogo Strausz – Emancipação Extended EP

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Following on last year’s standout 7” release from Diogo Strausz, Razor-N-Tape now reveals the incredible extended mixes of the original pair of tunes, along with a strikingly beautiful remix of the title track by the inimitable Ron Trent. Originally conceived by the Brazilian producer to be long form songs that showcased the deep musicianship of Strausz and his cohorts, extended organ and piano solos and instrumentation now stretch out in all their jazzy glory across one side of a heavyweight 180g 12”. On the the A-side, Ron Trent takes Emancipação positively interstellar, with added instrumentation and mounting percussion that builds toward a soulful and hypnotic peak, the way only he can do!

Shipping out on or around January 14, 2022 – Buy / Listen here

The Nearest Faraway Place got a chance to talk to Diogo about this superb new collaboration recently…

Please introduce yourself to our readers..

Hello, my name is Diogo Strausz. Originally I’m from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil but I used to live in Paris until last year. Today I’m based between Paris and São Paulo.

What are you up to today?

Today I’m studying the best way to back up my live set setup. I deeply wish I had something less boring to share with the NFP readers.

Talk us through your new release a little..

We’re releasing Ron Trent’s remix of my track Emancipação, it’s an honour to be remixed by this legendary guy. Along with that we are including the extended versions of my tracks ‘Emancipação’ and ‘50 anos em 5’ in the EP which is coming out in Vinyl on ‘Razor N Tape’ by my good friends Aaron Dae and JKriv.

Is there a process of production that you follow when making a new track?

Most songs I wrote came unexpectedly when I was distracted. So, I keep my ideas recorded on my phone for developing them later. Also, I normally try to separate the kinds of decisions I have to make, if I need to get into the mindset of creating, developing an existing draft or doing sound design, mixing etc…

Who would you love to see playing this track?

I would love to see it in one of Ron’s sets.

Where is the best place to listen to it?

I think it will be better appreciated on the dancefloor

What was the last piece of kit that you bought?

I recently bought a Poly D. Really amazed by what it can do.

If someone wanted to get to know your taste, what album should they listen to?

Azymuth – Light as a Feather

What advice would you give to other young producers in the studio?

We’ve been asked to perform many tasks in the studio compared to older generations. My advice is to do one at the time!

What have you got coming up in 2022?

Apart from this release, I have some new music coming out in April. Also, my live set is up and running. Ready for venues and clubs. Looking forward to crossing paths with the readers of NFP on the dancefloors.

Dark Emerald EP – APOENA

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Freerange are about to release a new EP from Apoena, the Brazilian DJ and producer, now based in Berlin is known for his deep, raw, underground house and techno tracks have appeared on cult labels such as Jus Ed’s Underground Quality, Rawax and Batti Batti with regular supporters including Delano Smith, Laurent Garnier and Agoria to name a few.


On the Dark Emerald EP we are treated to three tracks of hypnotic club grooves which swing from the minimal, chunky bounce of lead track Must Go Deeper, through the rolling, filtered mood of Mind and winding down with the immersive, late night Detroit-inspired sounds of Dark Emerald. Apoena’s production skills mean these tracks sound punchy and BIG on a nice system, creating just the kind of
heads-down, locked-on atmosphere the deep and discerning dance floor desires.

Listen & buy via Bandcamp link below – pre-order now – released 14/1/22

We got a chance to talk to Apoena about this new project, here’s our interview:

Tell us about the Dark Emerald EP a little..

I guess many producers will identify with me when I say giving titles to tracks is among the most difficult part of electronic Music production, period. Specially if you make hundreds of tracks like I do. It’s crazy to find titles. Sometimes it takes me years literally. This track was called for long time “Verde Escuro”, that means dark green in Portuguese. Because I always had a feeling about the colour green with this one. Then I started to think about a dark green rocky raw gem. So, I looked up what gem would actually be green. So, it became Dark Emerald.

Is there a process of production that you follow when making a new track?

Not really. Composing is in my nature. During my life I composed for several different styles of music. It is something I do without effort. It’s more like from time to time I need to work through energies/emotions trough making tracks. It’s a way I deal with being alive. I just need to direct my emotions somewhere, trying to empty myself of them. I sit in the studio with no idea what I will do. Sometimes I have like a tempo I wanna keep, but I can’t absolutely control the results. It can be moody deep house in the end, or a distorted electro cut or techno track.

Who would you love to see playing this track and where is the best place to listen to it?

Well, there are so many DJs I respect but the longer I know about them the more I care about them! I have the biggest respect for the guys that were already making the good stuff when I started in 1999 and until today they are making good music. Freerange boss Jimpster is an example of that. And I have actually been blessed to see many of my favorite artists playing my tracks. It’s clear in my music that I love the Detroit sound. Delano Smith, Luke Hess, Derrick May, all those guys I’ve heard my music on their sets. But nowadays I guess what would really make me happy would be if I can connect to younger DJs and a wider audience. It’s easy to respect the underground for those who know it for long time, but I also worry if we are being able to reinspire the deep house crowd.

What was the last piece of music that you bought?

There is so much but I’ll highlight the old “Nick Holder – Da Sambafrique”. I heard it on Jazz FM Radio I listen to in Berlin and was really excited as I was thinking “what is that again”? “I know that”. Then eventually I remembered. I knew it so well without ever having the record. Just because I listened to it so much in my satellite records cart all those years ago. Well now I finally own it!

If someone wanted to get to know your taste, what album should they listen to?

I need to say 2: “Glenn Underground – Lounge Excursions” and “Ben Sims – Smoke and Mirrors”. I love both House and Techno.

What advice would you give to other producers in the studio?

Maybe go easy with the progressive stuff? Hehe..

What have you got going on in 2022?

This will be the year I’ll reissue Allnite Music in digital with some exclusive tracks too. The label has been a vinyl only imprint so far but now I’m growing more interested the digital platforms.

Mother Earth – George Solar & Chris Coco

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New year, new music. Chris Coco is quick of the mark with his first release of 2022 and the dubwise chug of ‘Mother Earth’ sets the bar pretty high for the year ahead. The three track package covers all the Balearic bases with a percussion and melodica lead main track, a hypnotic bonus beats to get lost in and a stretched out ‘Sadeedo Meets George Solar Dub‘ drenched in echo and outernational atmospherics.

‘Open mind for a different view: zooming out from that strictly balearic island phenomenon focus for the sake of the bigger picture, Chris Coco & George Solar are all about hailing “Mother Earth” upon their return – widening horizons in order to assist finding a new approach towards the world we’re living in (& on). About time. Mother should I trust the government?

Channelling both their inner Larry Levan AND Lee Scratch Perry for that matter, the “left field dub disco with an Arab twist” sort of outcome made the boys smile more than once during the creative process – and that’s despite the fact that the higher cause in this particular case for sure is a rather serious one. “In my language, we call her Mother Earth” the voice keeps saying. There’s joy in repetition. And a bit of politics as well, of course.

So while we are at it with smiles, dance floor, politics, a more global approach from an Ibiza point of view and that slight desert vibe, the duo decided on beaming up the talented selector Sadeedo to the commando bridge for this universal mission: not only is it his very own father on vocals for the original – Sadeedo also shares remix duties with his Dubtropical buddy George Solar for the mandatory (and rather special) version excursion. A match made… on Mother Earth. Ibiza soil, to be precise. With a masterful mixdown crafted in London by Mr Coco himself on a really good day. That is precisely why “Mother Earth” is a proper Balearic team effort for a better Pachamama. Global medication for the nation!’  

Released January 7, 2022 via Bandcamp & Streaming