Vanilla - Origin

Self-released last month, UK producer Vanilla's new beat tape, Origin, is a delightful journey between groove, jazzy hip-hop and lo-fi atmospheres.

Gathering original compositions and classic soul tracks reworks, spiced up by a collection of finely picked soulful samples, this mostly instrumental collection is also extremely well produced.

Available on his bandcamp page. My favorite extracts below, among which a cool Kool & The Gang's Summer Madness rework:

Crosby, Stills & Nash - Dark Star (V4YS Edit)

Here is a rework of Dark Star, one of the many gems by one of my favorite 70's rock/folk band, Crosby, Stills & Nash.

Matthew Halsall & The Gondwana Orchestra - Into Forever (Gondwana Records)

At a time when pollution tests cheating seems to be the norm, hopefully some only spit organic & peaceful vibes.

Case in point with Matthew Halsall new gift from (nu-jazz) heaven: his third and most ambitious LP to date, Into Forever, out now on Gondwana Records.

Still a splendid common thread, his trumpet is nevertheless slightly less present on this LP, where Matthew's signature lies first and foremost in his inimitable knack to compose & design dreamy spiritual atmospheres. The addition of vocalists on three tracks (Josephine Oneyama and Briony Jarman-Pinto), a grand premiere for him, adds another layer of poetry to this sensitive journey.

So breathe safely, and take a deep dive...Into Forever.

A couple of extracts below :