Moonbeam Levels

About Moonbeam Levels

Mixtape x record club™️ 🤯 music selections and conversations. amarofpatel.substack.com (https://amarofpatel.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Amar Patel

Category

music · music

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

22 Nov 2023

Latest episode

21 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

23 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   21 Aug 2026

   Moonbeam Levels – August 2026

   Hello friends, Who’s on holiday then? August seems like the month to get away. The city feels quieter, which I’m not complaining about. Well, that’s how it appears from my vantage point in a slighty more moist SE London (hallelujah) as petrichor (https://www.instagram.com/reels/DZKR5TWgi7D/) scents the air. There have been fewer random chats in the park, and fewer dogs for Finchy to antagonise with his big balls and flagrant disregard for personal space. Meanwhile, I seem incapable of booking a break, instead coming up with umpteen reasons to stay put and on the grind. History is repeating itself as my parents’ frugality and excessive prudence possess me. What’s really needed is a circuit breaker so I can think beyond my daily routine and surroundings. To have the opportunity to contend with this ‘orphan syndrome’ I am experiencing now that mum, dad and my brother are no longer with me. Is that a thing 🤷🏽♂️? Also, a chance to really think about what's next for a freelance writer when AI becomes the go-to option for prospective clients who would rather take functional copy in a few clicks, at low-to-no cost. How do we raise respect for the written word in a video-first age and when so many of us are either too tired or in a hurry to read something at length, let alone pay for it? Freelance technology journalist and former Substack employee Jasmine Sun (https://substack.com/@jasmine) says it’s “one of the best times” (https://youtu.be/XKiyQgq9zTQ?si=yCA43HhI4WOiHzj-&t=105) to be an independent writer. I wouldn’t go that far, but she has highlighted some key traits that will improve our chances of remaining competitive in a precarious industry. Two that stand out are the rising value of shared secrets over summaries (think old-school sources and on-the-ground reporting outside data sets), as well as having a unique style or weirdness over polish. A previous client did approach me about an enticing project with her new employer but I probably won’t be able to commit to their tight schedule. Anyway, nice to be rated and remembered for the way you write … and how you work in a team. That last bit is also important. People tell me, write a book. Well, I might, once the idea comes to me. Perhaps it will on that remote Greek island I intend to escape to in late September, when the skies turn and everyone else will (probably) be putting away their shorts and flip-flops for another year. In the meantime, we’ll keep this radio thing going, alongside my mentoring with Arts Emergency (https://www.arts-emergency.org/get-involved/become-a-mentor), volunteering with the Migration Museum (https://www.migrationmuseum.org/newpeoplespanel/) and local manoeuvres with Sister Midnight (http://www.sistermidnight.org). Take a look (https://www.instagram.com/p/DbX-meRiPK3/?img_index=1) inside Lewisham’s first community-owned music venue. We’re getting there… Thanks to those of you who got in touch to say how much you enjoyed my on-air reunion with Basement Soul brother Graham Luckurst (https://amarofpatel.substack.com/p/moonbeam-levels-basement-soul-pt) last month. We will do it again with the full crew and continue the story of our Brighton club night. In case you missed it, my deep dive into artist and composer Imran Perretta’s coming-of-age movie Ish (https://amarofpatel.substack.com/p/ish-brown-boyhood-and-the-theft-of) has also been well received. Please give that a read and tell me what you think. The release date on BFI Player (https://player.bfi.org.uk/subscription/film/watch-ish-2025-online) is 7 September. In next month’s show, Imran will be talking to me about his music-making and how he scored his debut feature. Don’t miss it. Ok, that’s all folks. On with this show! ✌🏾 Amar ***** SUN RA (https://sunrastrut.bandcamp.com/album/somewhere-over-the-rainbow)– Bluebird Set No 2 Piano Solo [Strut] (https://sunrastrut.bandcamp.com/album/somewhere-over-the-rainbow) What better way to ease in than with a Sun Ra solo? Taken from Strut’s expanded reissue of a live recording in Bloomington in 1977, the set reflects the manifold musical bases he and the Arkestra would touch in one night. Anything from the Great American Songbook (‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’) to heavy blasts of swingin’ cosmic mythology (‘Neptune/Voice of Ebah’) and rare original compositions (‘Amen Meni Many Amens’). With Ra on his own, however, without the Arkestra’s sensory overload, we can appreciate what a fluid and emotive player he could be. This edition “restores previously excised material and preserves more of the natural transitions between pieces”. In other words, you will be transported. TEODROS MAKONNEN (https://teodrosmakonnen.bandcamp.com/album/teodros-makonnen-with-his-organ)– Libesh Kabashen [Muzikawi] (https://teodrosmakonnen.bandcamp.com/album/teodros-makonnen-with-his-organ) Teodros, aka Teddy Mak, was a key musical figure in 80’s Ethiopia, among the first to explore the possibilities of drum machines and electric organs in a land of exceptional hotel bands (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_Golden_Age_of_music). His father, a chief pilot at Ethiopia Airlines, set him on the way by gifting Teddy his first piano, encouraging him to learn music theory and attend a German school in Addis Ababa. Teddy went on to collaborate with the likes of Dahlak Band, Mulatu Astatke, Aster Aweke and many others as a player, composer or arranger. A chance encounter at Wabi Shabelle Hotel with a diplomat from Saudi Arabia, who owned a Yamaha double-deck keyboard, led to the one-take recording of Tedros Makonnen and His Organ. A cassette steeped in tradition yet cast in oneiromancy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oneiromancy), it seems. Let’s go with the magic carpet ride that is ‘Libesh Kabashen’ (‘Wear your Kaba (https://omirenstyles.com/kaba-ethiopia-royal-cloak/)’). AJA MONET (https://ajamonet.bandcamp.com/album/the-color-of-rain)– Every Media Minute [drink sum wtr] (https://ajamonet.bandcamp.com/album/the-color-of-rain) On perhaps the most urgent track of The Colour of Rain, Monet’s second album, the Brooklyn-raised surrealist blues poet laments the rolling 24-hour negative news cycle that has drained people’s capacity for empathy and made love into work. As if diagnosing the great malaise of these times – a simultaneous collapse of faith and dearth of leadership – she proclaims “We need something, something greater than ourselves,” adding, “There's a whole lot of religion and not enough God.” Monet’s lyrical poise and clarity of thought welcome the listener into this one big conversation of a record. And with the help of Meshell Ndegeocello and Justin Brown as co-producers, she’s managed to find just the right level of instrumental accompaniment to animate each of these poems. ‘To Sister’ is a good example, with Brandee Younger’s harp and Ganavya’s ripples of voice helping us locate the core sentiment to Monet’s words and amplify her musicality. But many other superb musicians appear elsewhere including Josh Johnson, Ambrose Akinmusire and Georgia Ann Muldrow. The Colour of Rain is both balm and ballast in the present moment, helping us to come back to ourselves, as Bandcamper Eleonore puts it. By the way, Monet is a great interviewee, generous and wise. Start here (https://www.npr.org/2024/09/26/nx-s1-5119760/aja-monet-lara-downes) or here (https://kpfa.org/episode/hard-knock-radio-april-28-2026/). And listen to her still-magnificent poem What I've Learned (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8byI76vKZwg&t=328s) from 2012, filmed at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, where she was the youngest person to win the Grandslam Championship at the age of 19. YOUR BROTHER’S KEEPER & GARY BARTZ (https://yourbrotherskeepergarybartz.bandcamp.com/album/where-rivers-meet)– Solar Flare [Brownswood] (https://yourbrotherskeepergarybartz.bandcamp.com/album/where-rivers-meet)Gary Bartz (https://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/lectures/gary-bartz-san-francisco) continues to search for new possibilities in sound here. Miles would approve. Some of you might know that Bartz played with Davis in the early 70s on Cellar Door sessions (https://www.discogs.com/release/994795-Miles-Davis-The-Cellar-Door-Sessions-1970?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21524795402&gbraid=0AAAAADmy1_qXbabg5cwnEwYwF4YR5BJyF&gclid=CjwKCAjwqJXUBhBNEiwA8BgG7vplwv4iO9OK14gthn7YHsjIj3EdgsdgqaBorjiinQeQHSzCdLwd-hoCR1oQAvD_BwE), B*****s Brew Live (https://www.discogs.com/master/324196-Miles-Davis-B*****s-Brew-Live) and Live Evil (https://www.discogs.com/master/62392-Miles-Davis-Live-Evil). And we’re not a million miles away from that energy on this new project, which is also very destination out but more meditative than Bartz’s spritely NTU Troop (https://www.discogs.com/artist/135926-Gary-Bartz-NTU-Troop?srsltid=AfmBOopIuj_nvexSRpoSMZMEpjsrYXKHgHvDJsc3wMr3fyLbnhtsO0db) stuff, which I devoured in my 20s. Your Brother‘s Keeper features drummer and producer Jake Long (Maisha), Ali MacSween (piano, synthesizers and modular FX), Axel Kaner-Lidstrom (trumpet), Twm Dylan (double bass), Tim Doyle (percussion) and Chelsea Carmichael (tenor saxophone). KELELA & AK PAUL (https://kelela.bandcamp.com/album/new-avatar-2)– outta time [Warp] (https://kelela.bandcamp.com/album/new-avatar-2) So many highpoints to replay on New Avatar as Kelela gets in her “white bag” (https://www.nme.com/features/music-interviews/kelela-new-avatar-interview-3954024), as she hilariously put it. That’s shorthand for guitars, metal-ic textures, a nod to Linkin Park and the like. This is no cosplay though. She is a beyond-the-binary alt Black girl (https://www.instagram.com/p/DanruGrlgZa/?hl=en&img_index=2) and who started out in an indie-rock (https://www.vogue.com/article/kelela-new-avatar-interview) band. And Kelela loves to test sonic boundaries, unwilling to experiment in a new style of music exclusively at the expense of losing other influences. So we get the Cut 4 Me (https://www.tiktok.com/@vibe_magazine/video/7669627072913984782)-ish (https://www.tiktok.com/@vibe_magazine/video/7669627072913984782) club track ‘point blank’ on the same album as Kerrang catnip ‘linknb’. But the best song on the album is probably the sensual creeper ‘outta time’ – written more than a decade ago (https://www.instagram.com/p/DZvfUm8mBbZ/?hl=en&img_index=7) – with a plaintive AK Paul (https://www.instagram.com/a__k__paul/?hl=en) sliding into the mix to lay it all on the line. It’s one of my favourite vocal performances of the year and the guy’s barely trying. As for Kelela, she can do anything. I’ll be paying homage in person at Brixton’s O2 Academy (https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/event/3E0064BBDBEF590B?brand=o2academybrixton&camefrom=CFC_AMG_BRIXTON&kelela26) this November. NICK HAKIM (https://nickhakim.bandcamp.com/album/i-can-see-2) – Barii [Earseed] (https://nickhakim.bandcamp.com/album/i-can-see-2) Intimacy is a hallmark of Nick Hakim’s songwriting (think ‘Needy Bees’ (https://nickhakim.bandcamp.com/track/needy-bees) or ‘QADIR’ (https://nickhakim.bandcamp.com/track/qadir)). But he’s taken it to another level on his latest album I Can See, even finding a new register to convey the nuanced feelings in these lyrics. It’s a proper headphones record, built on accumulated layers of sound and sustained emotion. One to start your morning with and gently rise to. ‘Barii’ is the song that’s stayed with me after multiple plays, with its sonorous starbursts and sonic floaters orbiting that gorgeous melody. It features Abe Rounds (Meshell Ndegeocello) on percussion and June McDoom on backing vocals (look out for her next record (https://junemcdoom.bandcamp.com/album/follow-the-light) in October). DAWUNA (https://dawuna.bandcamp.com/album/african-family-laptop-musick) – Grabba Boy Problem [True Panther] (https://dawuna.bandcamp.com/album/african-family-laptop-musick)It’s a hat-trick of appearances on Moonbeam Levels for Baltimore-based Dawuna after Glass Lit Dream (https://dawuna.bandcamp.com/album/glass-lit-dream-2) (2021) and Naya (https://dawuna.bandcamp.com/album/naya-2) (2024). Ian makes lo-fi, experimental r&b that feels so out of the box and spontaneous, like demos of one-take studio experiments laid down after all the obligatory stuff has been recorded. He describes African Family Laptop Musick as a concept piece about his family life at the time (“compositionally simple but necessarily abstracted”), but a traumatic head injury suffered afterwards has prevented him from being able to remember much else. Let your own mind fill in the blanks as you bop and sway to hum-along riddims such as ‘Grabba Boy Problem’. SPARKLEMAMI (https://www.juno.co.uk/products/sparklmami-in-this-body-vinyl/1150023-01/) – Fajas [Verve] (https://www.juno.co.uk/products/sparklmami-in-this-body-vinyl/1150023-01/) Texas-raised, Chicago-based and of Mexican and Indian heritage, multidisciplinary artist Ariella Granados is making music from multiple perspectives and with open ears (https://www.instagram.com/reels/DaiyQB0O-kj/). Across her debut album, one of this year’s most endearing, I hear a strong sense of 70’s Brazil – the sensuality and groove (Azymuth on ‘Grounded’) as well as the percussive fusion (Flora Purim on ‘Penso En Voce’). But then we also get a bolero-like (https://www.juslisen.fr/en/notes/piste/sparklmami-quisiera-a-bolero-addressed-to-her-mother) love letter to her mother that reminds me of Kali Uchis (‘Quisiera’) and a radio-like intro with chords loosely inspired by the Bee Gees (https://youtu.be/yDBM2BU-S8A?si=bq2s3JMz-7wfH477&t=352), though I’m hearing Marcos Valle. Recorded to tape with analogue equipment, In This Body is all about crackly warmth, continuity and physical connection. There is also a deeper purpose to this record for the artist, as it’s a way to access what she calls her confessional subconscious (https://vocalo.org/sparklmami-nudia-interview24). “This album served as a vehicle of healing my relationship to my voice, my body, and is rooted in my love to myself and my community,” Sparklemami wrote (https://www.instagram.com/p/DXH1UaNEQo-/?img_index=1) back in April. “I confronted a lot of unresolved childhood grief and have learned so much along the way. Making this album brought me back to my voice and understanding of myself…” THREETWENTY (https://www.newcenturysound.net/) – Could It Be Love [New Century Sound] (https://www.newcenturysound.net/)Husband and wife duo Ivana (formerly of VanJess) and Filip know how to smooth us out with their blend of amorous and intricate neo-soul harmonies and 90’s knock. I’m hearing Groove Theory, late-stage Tribe, and all that good stuff. ‘Could It Be Love’ is one to bounce to, in celebration of a life partner maybe, but also because their second album separate from the noise “side b” drops on 21 August. Just look at (https://www.instagram.com/p/DGL_L-GOtTB/) how they vibe to a track. You know they know how to tap into those feel-good frequencies. Or “downloads” (https://www.theculturecrypt.com/interviews/threetwenty-interview) as Ivana calls them, received from above in service to something greater than themselves (FYI their name is a reference to Ephesians 3:20 (https://www.klove.com/resources/christian-living/what-does-ephesians-3-20-mean-13002) and the day they met). AISHA (https://soundsoftheuniverse.com/product/cuts-dubs-volume-one) – Can You Feel It [Ariwa/Test Pressing] (https://soundsoftheuniverse.com/product/cuts-dubs-volume-one) The First Lady of Dub (https://www.reggae.be/en/news?id=18110) actually recorded multiple versions of this tune with Neil Fraser, better known as Mad Professor (https://www.mixcloud.com/ouryarduk/our-yard-presents-mad-professor-a-journey-to-dub-interview-selection/) (who I discovered through his work with Massive Attack (https://www.juno.co.uk/products/massive-attack-vs-mad-professor-no-protection-vinyl/628745-01/)). The digidub (https://melodiesinternational.bandcamp.com/track/can-you-feel-it-1990) reconstruction from 1990 is much-loved but the original UK street soul cut – the first thing they worked on together in 1984 at Ariwa’s Gautrey Road studio in Peckham – is the one this summer. Both feature session don Drumtan Ward (https://muzatik.com/drumton-ward/) on drums, by the way. Aisha went on to work with Fraser on four albums and several more singles. You can get this on a forthcoming Ariwa collection that Test Pressing has carefully curated. Worth it for ‘Can You Feel It’ and Jah Shaka collaboration ‘Only One God’ alone. So glad to see a truckload of Ariwa releases (https://www.ariwa.com/catalogue) circulating again, like Black Steel’s Jungle Warrior (https://ariwa.bandcamp.com/track/jungle-dub-pm) and all the Kofi (https://kofiariwa.bandcamp.com/album/wishing-well) albums. One of the great UK labels and one of the most successful black-owned businesses (https://www.instagram.com/p/DbYo23UAFX5/). SVITLANA NAINIO / PHANTOM (https://stroomtv.bandcamp.com/album/aftermath-and-transitions-traces-of-the-ukrainian-underground-in-cologne-1994-1996) – ManySpace [Stroom] (https://stroomtv.bandcamp.com/album/aftermath-and-transitions-traces-of-the-ukrainian-underground-in-cologne-1994-1996)What a good month for obscure compilations offering a portal to a particular cultural moment and scene. Aftermath and Transitions is actually the second batch of releases resulting from the connection between Cologne-based visual artist, musician and producer Guido Erfen and affiliates of the Novaya Scena rock club in Kharkiv. A place that put on bands inspired by punk, Dadaism, the avant garde and even medieval melodies, we’re told in the liner notes (https://stroomtv.bandcamp.com/album/aftermath-and-transitions-traces-of-the-ukrainian-underground-in-cologne-1994-1996). The first collection (https://soundcloud.com/ritmika-records/sets/novaya-scena-underground-from) was released in 1993, selected from tapes handed to Erfen and whatever caught his ear when he went to Ukraine. A visit to Cologne by classically trained pianist Svitlana Nianio (nee Ochrimenko) and guitarist, visual artist and spokesperson Yewgeny ‘Yenia’ Taran catalysed this follow-up, which features four eerie and elusive collaborations with Erfen’s SHM (https://www.discogs.com/label/81031-SHM-Tapes?srsltid=AfmBOopVzaKvcPOYQ7Td5W77RUbNpsE5FIEC-4ezJXcMvi3Id6naF8wZ) colleague Michael Springer (recording “natural electronic music” under the name of his studio Phanton). It was at Phanton that vocalist and keyboardist Soloveyka met Wolfram Burgtorf, forming Solar who contribute three tracks. Each evokes trip-hop at its most out-there and hypnotic. And don’t sleep on Taran’s original version of ‘Death And The Batchelor’, which comes off as the theme for an exotic murder mystery series. PINEAPPLE 4.9 (https://rubadub.co.uk/products/various-japanese-new-wave-on-dub-1980-1985) – Yoruni [Miss You] (https://rubadub.co.uk/products/various-japanese-new-wave-on-dub-1980-1985) DJ and producer Yuzo Iwata (https://soundcloud.com/fabio-konair) has compiled a very dubby collection of no wave tracks, made between 1980 and 1985 by members and affiliates of the Tokyo Rockers (https://sabukaru.online/articles/the-sabukaru-guide-to-japanese-punk) scene. Japanese New Wave On Dub is available on vinyl only, for the hardcore, but that does mean you can pore over some nice photography and context around the project. It feels even more like an artefact as it spins. Fans of The Slits, New Age Steppers and ESG will really appreciate this one. EAR (https://earmusic5.bandcamp.com/album/rumspringa) – F [A24 Music] (https://earmusic5.bandcamp.com/album/rumspringa)The machinery in hotly touted album Rumspringa hums such charming melodies under the introverted lyrics of fine artists Yaelle Arvan and Jonah Paz. Ear sounds like twee indie-pop produced by Plaid or Autechre. Yes, A Postal Service for Warp, and I’m into it. As they told Crack (https://crackmagazine.net/article/profiles/ear-interview-rumspringa/) earlier in the year, the duo has very different musical persuasions – Avtan is more hardcore and gabber, while Jonah leans towards folk and contemporary classical. So they had to invent their own “shared sensibility”. And the elusive, schizophrenic nature of this record can be explained by their constant need to find the right form (https://pitchfork.com/features/eavesdropping-on-ear-music-interview/) for their feelings whenever they make music. ACTRESS (https://actress.bandcamp.com/album/radical-frame) – Overchord [Ninja Tune] (https://actress.bandcamp.com/album/radical-frame)Every release from Darren Cunningham is a trip and Radical Frame (due on 18 September) will be no different. Put simply, he is one of the most interesting – and therefore exciting – composers of electronic music working today. As the cultural theorist and poet Fred Moten (https://www.novembermag.com/content/fred-moten/) intimates on the release page, we’re talking about one of the modern architects of a black avant garde right here. It still makes my head fizz to think that ‘Rap’ (https://actress.bandcamp.com/track/rap), ‘Baby U Lar’ (https://modernobscuremusic.bandcamp.com/album/tranzkript-1), ‘Marble Plexus’ (https://actress.bandcamp.com/track/marble-plexus), ‘Hubble’ (https://actress.bandcamp.com/track/hubble-3) and ‘Its me (g 8)’ (https://actress.bandcamp.com/track/its-me-g-8), were all made (from deep within) by the same artist. His best work sounds like he’s constructing and deconstructing the track at the same time, ringing maximum intensity from the operation and luring the listener out of their comfort zone. And when he collaborates with the likes of London Contemporary Orchestra (https://actress.bandcamp.com/album/lageos) or pioneer Suzanne Ciani (https://werkdiscslondon.bandcamp.com/album/concr-te-waves), Actress brings all of himself to the venture, with very little compromise. ‘Overchord’ has a serene drift to it, four to the floor, but the strains of strings and ripples of sound keep you on edge. ALEX NUT (https://alexandernut.bandcamp.com/album/the-heat-ep-feat-allysha-joy-steve-spacek) – Bright (ReFreQ Mix) [Eglo] (https://alexandernut.bandcamp.com/album/the-heat-ep-feat-allysha-joy-steve-spacek)It seems like every month there’s something new from Mr Nut to play out. The DJ and Eglo Records runner is coming through big time as a producer and The Heat EP is confirmation of his natural feel for groove and warmth in the spaces between jazz, house and broken beat. Frequent collaborators Steve Spacek and Sam Crowe feature, as does Allysha Joy on lead vocals on ‘The Heat’, but the ReFreQ mix of ‘Bright’ takes me a little further out. That’s where I need to be. IBRAHIM ALFA JR (https://iyaka.bandcamp.com/album/oyabun-audio-unreleased-vol-a-2011-2012)– Ikoyi Heat [Tsaigumi] (https://iyaka.bandcamp.com/album/oyabun-audio-unreleased-vol-a-2011-2012) IBRAHIM ALFA (https://boomkat.com/products/hidden-by-the-leaves)– Drifting [Workshop 22] (https://boomkat.com/products/hidden-by-the-leaves) IBRAHIM ALFA JR – (https://forceincmilleplateaux.bandcamp.com/album/sirius-a)CWNG [Mille Plateaux] (https://forceincmilleplateaux.bandcamp.com/album/sirius-a) IBRAHIM ALFA JR (https://iyaka.bandcamp.com/album/infinite-black-inside) – Inwards Reverse [FO] (https://iyaka.bandcamp.com/album/infinite-black-inside) To try and summarise Ibrahim Alfa Jr’s (https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/ibrahim-alfa-jr-interview) experiences in and out of the music industry would be a fool’s errand. But here is a teaser trailer in verbal jump cuts… From young fatherhood on the South Coast, prolific music-making and DJ’ing as he tried to hold down a factory job, to misadventures in record labels, constant money worries, a stint in prison and multiple heart attacks, this man is a survivor (https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/jun/08/ibrahim-alfa-jr-british-techno-infinite-black-inside) who deserves to be celebrated for his long-applied talent. Around 2022, in a few years alone, he produced more than 500 tracks – idiosyncratic experiments in techno, ambient, breakbeat and bass sonics. But across his overwhelming catalogue, fans of Black Dog, Jeff Mills and Drexciya, as well as Michael J Blood and the aforementioned Actress, will have innumerable opportunities to bug out. There’s more to be said and shared in time. For now, read Joe Muggs’ candid interview (https://www.vice.com/en/article/ibrahim-alfa-interview-part-one/) from 2014 and then wander through the catalogue, starting with unofficial debut album Hidden by the Leaves (https://boomkat.com/products/hidden-by-the-leaves). Infinite Black Records 1 (https://www.juno.co.uk/products/ibrahim-alfa-jnr-infinite-black-records-1-vinyl/1169085-01/), due in October, sounds compelling throughout. WILLIAM ORBIT – (https://www.discogs.com/master/91586-William-Orbit-Strange-Cargo-2?srsltid=AfmBOopR9YsfGpRaPs9FjmdufUoqjhVQjnz4uM4CN3hUZWQAWym_uhrv)Last Lagoon (https://www.discogs.com/master/91586-William-Orbit-Strange-Cargo-2?srsltid=AfmBOopR9YsfGpRaPs9FjmdufUoqjhVQjnz4uM4CN3hUZWQAWym_uhrv) (https://www.discogs.com/master/91586-William-Orbit-Strange-Cargo-2?srsltid=AfmBOopR9YsfGpRaPs9FjmdufUoqjhVQjnz4uM4CN3hUZWQAWym_uhrv)[IRS] (https://www.discogs.com/master/91586-William-Orbit-Strange-Cargo-2?srsltid=AfmBOopR9YsfGpRaPs9FjmdufUoqjhVQjnz4uM4CN3hUZWQAWym_uhrv) TORCH SONG (https://www.discogs.com/master/131684-Torch-Song-Toward-The-Unknown-Region)– Shine On Me (with Laurie Mayer) [N-GRAM] (https://www.discogs.com/master/131684-Torch-Song-Toward-The-Unknown-Region) MADONNA – Drowned World / Substitute for Love (William Orbit’s A Reverie Mix) MADONNA (https://www.discogs.com/release/2119282-Madonna-Justify-My-Love-William-Orbit-Remix?srsltid=AfmBOorwaf-vYTu3pOlTnP1uXZqrFoFEwCBusqAPvqmp5sy7DLD3ZGqG) – Justify My Love (William Orbit Remix) [Sire] (https://www.discogs.com/release/2119282-Madonna-Justify-My-Love-William-Orbit-Remix?srsltid=AfmBOorwaf-vYTu3pOlTnP1uXZqrFoFEwCBusqAPvqmp5sy7DLD3ZGqG) WILLIAM ORBIT (https://www.discogs.com/release/23473-William-Orbit-Strange-Cargo-III)– Into the Paradise (featuring Baby B) (https://www.discogs.com/release/23473-William-Orbit-Strange-Cargo-III) (https://www.discogs.com/release/23473-William-Orbit-Strange-Cargo-III)[Virgin] (https://www.discogs.com/release/23473-William-Orbit-Strange-Cargo-III) PRINCE (https://www.discogs.com/master/109427-Prince-The-Future?srsltid=AfmBOoq3HD10juIFk0uCZLuchZo6ophDxFBDRFViU5nR82KDSkSCYvUC) – The Future (Remix by Mark Moore and William Orbit) [Warner] (https://www.discogs.com/master/109427-Prince-The-Future?srsltid=AfmBOoq3HD10juIFk0uCZLuchZo6ophDxFBDRFViU5nR82KDSkSCYvUC) TORCH SONG (https://www.discogs.com/master/131686-Torch-Song-Prepare-To-Energize?srsltid=AfmBOooKaG5v3c4SilATQXfPZiQwInGzIyKu-5gz5lN3BSA0wCsM9xRs) – Prepare to Energise [IRS] (https://www.discogs.com/master/131686-Torch-Song-Prepare-To-Energize?srsltid=AfmBOooKaG5v3c4SilATQXfPZiQwInGzIyKu-5gz5lN3BSA0wCsM9xRs) My introduction to William Orbit was on the first volume of Café Del Mar (https://www.discogs.com/release/139941-Various-Caf%C3%A9-Del-Mar-Ibiza?srsltid=AfmBOorbqLr6-ZQyA3cnXe70AZjyDbSp2LWNxBqeUfzJI0okSQ9KlApZ), a seminal compilation series put together by the downtempo master Jose Padilla (https://www.instagram.com/p/CGnGaCQn0ox/?img_index=1). The track was ‘Strings of Light’, credited to Strange Cargo. Even to a novice listener, the hallmarks of Orbit’s production were apparent: a sense of space, reverie, satisfying bottom end and surprises going to and fro in the mix. At the time, I had no idea the East London-born musician was behind the chart-topping ‘Fascinating Rhythm’ as Bassomatic, but there he is on TOTP (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXKAMbOCK2E) in 1990, stylin’ behind the keyboards. And again, three years later, nonchalantly tapping on the djembe as he performs ‘Water From A Vine Leaf’ with Beth Orton at the Love Week End (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfeHwGK_U9k). Obviously, his integral work with Blur on 13 and Madonna’s Ray of Light – transitional, departure records for both parties – pushed him much closer towards the spotlight. Not forgetting co-writing and producing a pop classic with All Saints (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI0vVvxq9rY), other cherished collaborations (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ddz6jwi2rbg) with Orton and his zeitgeisty reinterpretation of Adagio for Strings (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-LlW3qxQOQ). However, only those closest to him knew how much of a genius he was. Like Apiento, who used to work with Orbit at Guerrilla Records and go record shopping for him. “Watching William in the studio felt like seeing someone exactly where they should be,” he wrote in a recent tribute (https://testpressing.org/magazine/william-orbit-r-i-pin-praise-of-genius) for Test Pressing. “He still had a tape machine and then would have everything running through the desk so he would have the tracks down and just be throwing delays and reverbs and just bringing the whole thing to life in a joyful way.” The pair caught up for a chat (https://testpressing.org/magazine/a-test-pressing-chat-with-william-orbit) in 2022. Orbit’s fastidious approach to writing, mixing and engineering came through strongest when reminiscing about Strange Cargo. “When I started, I think some of the things I did were a bit wonky until that Strange Cargo release where I found my feet and I think it was because I trusted that use of almost the atmospheric. “And I would allow myself to become totally obsessed with sound… To the point where every bar had to hold my attention and make me think, I could listen to this forever and ever. It’s an obsession. I mean, I’m just very happy in the world of sound. It’s just colours to me.” One of Orbit’s deep cuts that wowed me was his remix of Prince’s ‘The Future’ from the Purple One’s Batman (https://www.discogs.com/master/52430-Prince-Batman-Motion-Picture-Soundtrack?srsltid=AfmBOoqq3DigNdIXnJKnGOdBqxvJ5e7kJ2VqL_nREsdwcHt2GsGOMgaz) soundtrack (https://www.discogs.com/master/52430-Prince-Batman-Motion-Picture-Soundtrack?srsltid=AfmBOoqq3DigNdIXnJKnGOdBqxvJ5e7kJ2VqL_nREsdwcHt2GsGOMgaz), created with Mark Moore. “Well that was William letting loose, unchained and doing even more of his thing,” the S Express producer posted on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/p/DbvYj1BCNyj/?img_index=3), calling Orbit an enigmatic space cadet. “It’s a darker mix and a lot of people say it was the first progressive house track. To this day I have people coming up and saying they based their whole sound on that remix.” Pete Tong (https://www.instagram.com/p/Db6NLvTAWmE/?img_index=2), who worked on the soundtrack for The Beach, which featured ‘Pure Shores’, pinpointed what made Orbit special in terms of his musical sensibility. “William was different, an outlier … who managed to fuse the worlds of electronic, classical, jazz and pop effortlessly. He created unique soundscapes and special feelings. Music that moves you. The very definition of what music should do.” I’ve picked out a few highlights tucked away in his heaving discography. But there will be many more deep dives ahead. PS Did you know he composed the opening score (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1vXzNw-FNM&pp=ygUed2lsbGlhbSBvcmJpdCB5b3VuZ2Jsb29kIHRoZW1l) for macho ice hockey movie Youngblood, starring Rob Lowe and Patrick Swayze? The man’s been iconic since ’86 🕊️OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS RODNEY FRANKLIN (https://www.discogs.com/release/572502-Rodney-Franklin-Endless-Flight?srsltid=AfmBOoqh6TqE75W27VPBfTE4BYQryEeSVnVWWKzpSYo0uW_ElR7bnYuM) – Endless Flight [CBS] (https://www.discogs.com/release/572502-Rodney-Franklin-Endless-Flight?srsltid=AfmBOoqh6TqE75W27VPBfTE4BYQryEeSVnVWWKzpSYo0uW_ElR7bnYuM)The late pianist, composer and producer had a monster club hit in 1980 with instrumental ‘The Groove’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdZkwptqZu4), which kickstarted its own “freeze” dance craze (https://jameshamiltonsdiscopage.com/1980/04/12/april-12-1980-rodney-franklin-bunny-mack-prince-herbie-hancock-isley-brothers/?fbclid=PAcGRvZgRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwyNTYyODEwNDA1NTgAAaeXN6BxsaSze1cvNcvVZg0bjcQK6pQRBcYgs7Yb3E1wdDtbQLMXQx7uQrg0Bw_aem_qkXI-yWSSO_LxlKIDnDOmQ) in the UK. He was just 20 years old. Inspired by the likes of Bud Powell and Oscar Peterson (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJAVsl7j7BI&fbclid=PAcGRvZgRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAwyNTYyODEwNDA1NTgAAacNGDgbZyoJywyke3pex9F6yCuWI1i80IhwuDTq1svp2mbSwieHw5yilO00Lg_aem_7cKCPF_arWRwSyp1qGqoCw), Franklin had both the chops and the modernist sensibility to make tracks that could move body and mind – 70’s Lonnie Listen Smith (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwnf6IOXv1Q) meets 80’s George Duke (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MG24P2lykmM). There is no greater testament than ‘Endless Flight’ – written with Phyllis St James (https://www.discogs.com/artist/305081-Phyllis-St-James) – which was like course material for the international nu-jazz to bruk community including Kyoto Jazz Massive (https://www.discogs.com/release/386301-Various-For-KJM-EP-03) and Daz-I-Kue (https://www.instagram.com/p/DanT6fcFv9M/) and fellow keys virtuoso Kaidi Tatham (https://kaiditatham.bandcamp.com/music) (“You know he was one of our heroes”). Whatever they fed on, so did I. Listening to this masterpiece is like having a spiritual awakening every time. Music with a higher purpose. Y-TRIBE (https://www.discogs.com/release/21481759-Y-Tribe-Baby-You-Bring-Me-Up) – Baby (You Bring Me Up) [Northwest10] (https://www.discogs.com/release/21481759-Y-Tribe-Baby-You-Bring-Me-Up)I must shout out author jesse bernard, who has written a very perceptive and intimate history of Black British music called Escaping Babylon (https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/escaping-babylon-jesse-bernard/6331085). A (successful) attempt to fold lived experience into an analysis of the ecosystem, roots and shoots. Soundsystem, reggae, dancehall, soul, jungle, drum n’ bass, drill, grime, UK hip-hop, UK rap, 2-step, house, afroswing and so much more. His scope is ambitious but Jesse is a charismatic and nimble guide, evoking eras (through the fashion, TV shows, radio stations, technology and key personalities of the time), making connections and challenging preconceptions along the way. I like the book’s format, akin to a mixtape with poetry and short stories for interludes, but the occasionally abrupt fader-like cutting between ‘skits’ might disappoint a few readers seeking deeper discussion. The commentary around Black Britain’s contribution to British culture and the social value of this music is particularly interesting. “And perhaps what’s even more sobering about being Black British is how fragile and intangible it actually is as a concept,” he writes. “Black British identity is the very thing that has kept many of us going for so long, especially with the tireless work that many of us have done to ensure life has got better – but Babylon is pervasive, engulfing and suffocating. And sometimes, treading water and finding those moments where joy emerges, such as through dance and communing, is how we can best seek an escape.” The playlist is bangin’ and, like me, you may burn hours on YouTube bouncing from link to link and scrolling through comments. Bernard’s reignited my love for Lynden David Hall (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufPaZdY2DJQ&pp=ygUpbHluZGVuIGRhaWQgaGFsbCB0aGVyZSBnb2VzIG15IHNhbml0eSBtaXg%3D), put me onto a Wretch 32 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_kSuhdC6II) deep cut and revived forgotten classics like this end-of-night garage anthem by Y-Tribe. Writing Escaping Babylon has left him with far more questions than answers, so we can look forward to more reasoning on the page. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amarofpatel.substack.com (https://amarofpatel.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

2. 

   24 Jul 2026

   Moonbeam Levels – Basement Soul Pt 1 with Graham Luckhurst

   ‘Not everything that counts can be counted. Not everything that can be counted counts.’ I can’t remember when I first heard this saying, and I don’t know who to attribute it to, but … time to live by this adage. Focusing on the personal significance of an experience over follower counts, conversions or whatever KPI we’re told to fixate on nowadays, is not only comforting … it’s necessary. One might draw a parallel with the wellness world here and the modern scourge of self-optimisation. Always looking ahead and striving to perform better can promote harsh self-judgment and erode joy. (https://health.yahoo.com/wellness/fitness/articles/optimization-culture-gone-too-far-210000065.html)With this in mind, instead of belittling a rite of passage for me as a music writer and selector, why not celebrate it? Between 2006 and 2008, I co-ran a club session in my home town, Brighton, with Graham Luckhurst (https://www.grahamluckhurst.com) (Jazz Rooms All-stars (https://www.behindthegroove.co.uk/russ-dewbury-interview), Tru Thoughts (https://tru-thoughts.co.uk/), Mr Bongo (https://www.mrbongo.com/?srsltid=AfmBOortmsXTZoZezNMTguqftMizhN0BpsRwgJKuk1PjNHp1yAWC3H-P)) and Simon ‘Midtempo’ See (https://www.instagram.com/simon__see/?hl=en). We set out to create a night that could slip and slide like a Balance or Co-Op at Plastic People (https://www.thevinylfactory.com/features/in-conversation-benji-b-and-plastic-peoples-ade-fakile)in East London. From Joyce, John Klemmer and Johnny Hammond to Madlib, Theo Parrish and IG Culture, via Leroy Burgess and Patrick Adams. Basement Soul became an almost weekly soundsystem social and underground throwdown at the Jazz Place on Ship St. There, extended family could pass through and air their latest discoveries, ‘headz’ could find community around their slightly offbeat or muso tastes, and tipsy revellers were welcome to stumble down the stairs for a late-night boogie. Looking back, the whole endeavour was a holistic musical education that stretched my understanding of the dance and forged long-lasting friendships. How we would trace the lineage from a Herbie Hancock production to a Likwid Bizkit (https://www.discogs.com/artist/1693-Likwid-Biskit?srsltid=AfmBOori87VS5HBP6ZC9kS3UV4kU8Pimg-PqfZAx6ZQUN7fPt_laId1G)dubplate in the dark, or effervesce as Joyce Sims’ ‘Come into My Life’ – a big radio track from my childhood – got revived and reloaded. Occasionally, we would invite guests such as my old Straight No Chaser (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straight_No_Chaser_(magazine)) brudda Max Cole (https://www.discogs.com/artist/427766-Max-Cole), Ok-Ma (https://www.discogs.com/artist/397272-Ok-Ma), Domu (https://www.discogs.com/artist/3509-Domu) and Ryan Hunn (who later recorded for Ninja Tune and Young Turks as Ilum Sphere (https://www.discogs.com/artist/1406058-Illum-Sphere)). For our first birthday party at the Komedia (https://www.komedia.co.uk/), a very young Andreya Triana (https://andreyatriana.bandcamp.com/) came down from Leeds with her loop pedal station to support certified UK soul don Omar (https://omarlyefook.bandcamp.com/music) and his band. There were road trips to Bristol and the Netherlands. Graham and I toured Estonia and Japan. Jeannie Hopper invited us onto her Clocktower Radio show DJ Culture (https://clocktower.org/show/dj-interviews-basement-soul-proper-music-for-the-heads-hips-and-feet)in NYC. A compilation (https://www.discogs.com/release/1122302-Various-Basement-Soul-Sounds-From-The-Floor-Volume-01?srsltid=AfmBOorcz6yfxvUxhl0OhbduEkrM_J2izCLil4QcrSSavJNqR1jfn68G) followed featuring exclusives from Kid Sublime (https://www.discogs.com/artist/10268-Kid-Sublime), Soulphiction (https://soulphiction1.bandcamp.com/music), Jneiro Jarel’s Shape of Broad Minds (https://shapeofbroadminds.bandcamp.com/) and Aroop Roy (https://arooproy.bandcamp.com/). We did things! But as anyone who has run a local club night will tell you, it can be a grind. Slow nights, quiet nights, too many late nights taking their toll… As new roads open up, professionally and personally, a crew either mutates or disbands. The music remained our glue, even after we dispersed around London and beyond, but more time was spent attending other people’s gigs than putting on our own. After reading about the fantastic work De School (https://hetarchief.deschoolamsterdam.nl/) has done to create an archive of past sets, browsing club-related memories on the Museum of Youth Culture’s Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/p/DTx9GvajeFH/?img_index=1) and listening to oral histories of sessions such as Charlie Dark’s Blacktronica (https://www.thevinylfactory.com/features/watch-charlie-dark-on-blacktronica), it felt right to document our own pivotal adventures in nightlife. So I invited Graham to talk through his memories and go back to back. You will learn more about our motivations for starting the night, hear stories about a few regulars and appreciate how we used to build the vibe from doors opening to peak-time energy. An extended family formed around Graham, who was the nucleus, including blood brother (Phat) Kev, Matt Neale and art director Pete Hughes. I would like to open up the floor to several of them and get their perspective on the night, so expect a part two very soon. What would you like to know about the night or this era? Who were you into back then? We didn’t have time to play any hip-hop, which was a crucial component in the Basement Soul sound. Something to rectify. And there will be lots more nominations for contemporary artists who would fit right in, were Basement Soul to make a comeback 😲 Let’s start with Kelela (https://kelela.bandcamp.com/album/new-avatar-2), GENA (https://genagenagena.bandcamp.com/album/the-pleasure-is-yours), Sessa (https://sessa.bandcamp.com/), Nourished By Time (https://nourishedbytime.bandcamp.com/), John Glacier (https://johnglacier.bandcamp.com/), Michael J Blood (https://mjblood.bandcamp.com/)and Marvin Jupiter (https://marvinjupiter.bandcamp.com/). Enjoy the show and I hope this heady act of remembrance inspires you to revisit (what you thought was) a footnote in your own life. Stay close, Amar ***** KIDKANEVIL (https://www.discogs.com/release/1122302-Various-Basement-Soul-Sounds-From-The-Floor-Volume-01?srsltid=AfmBOorcz6yfxvUxhl0OhbduEkrM_J2izCLil4QcrSSavJNqR1jfn68G) – Good Morning, What’s New? (ft Andreya Triana) [Unique Uncut] (https://www.discogs.com/release/1122302-Various-Basement-Soul-Sounds-From-The-Floor-Volume-01?srsltid=AfmBOorcz6yfxvUxhl0OhbduEkrM_J2izCLil4QcrSSavJNqR1jfn68G) STEVE SPACEK (https://stevespacek.bandcamp.com/album/spaceshift-re-issue) – Dollar [Sound in Colour] (https://stevespacek.bandcamp.com/album/spaceshift-re-issue) 3m 20s SUN PALACE (https://sunpalaceofficial.bandcamp.com/album/raw-movements-rude-movementshttps://sunpalaceofficial.bandcamp.com/album/raw-movements-rude-movements) – Rude Movements [BBE] (https://sunpalaceofficial.bandcamp.com/album/raw-movements-rude-movementshttps://sunpalaceofficial.bandcamp.com/album/raw-movements-rude-movements) 6m 45s THE REBIRTH (https://www.discogs.com/master/557972-The-Rebirth-This-Journey-In) – This Journey In (Instrumental) [Kajmere Sound] (https://www.discogs.com/master/557972-The-Rebirth-This-Journey-In) 12m 10s SOLANGE (https://www.discogs.com/master/1572457-Solange-When-I-Get-Home?srsltid=AfmBOoqHuRrz89SR61ZYtisnfKn0_A1KDZB82xw-9_VomdUoXs6sKnKZ)– Binz [Columbia/Saint] (https://www.discogs.com/master/1572457-Solange-When-I-Get-Home?srsltid=AfmBOoqHuRrz89SR61ZYtisnfKn0_A1KDZB82xw-9_VomdUoXs6sKnKZ) 20m 30s TOM BROWNE (https://www.discogs.com/master/158932-Tom-Browne-Magic)– Thighs High (Grip Your Hips And Move [Arista] (https://www.discogs.com/master/158932-Tom-Browne-Magic) 22m 50s TEENA MARIE (https://www.discogs.com/release/3911452-Teena-Marie-Irons-In-The-Fire)– You Make Love To Me Like Springtime [Gordy] (https://www.discogs.com/release/3911452-Teena-Marie-Irons-In-The-Fire)27m 20s MARTA ACUNA (https://www.discogs.com/release/404380-Marta-Acuna-Dance-Dance-Dance?srsltid=AfmBOoqVWQhjzSIy-pKRNqRAD5DkB4FPBh1Hg6E3t6TsN4hYzGLWmMJ8) – Dance, Dance, Dance [P&P] (https://www.discogs.com/release/404380-Marta-Acuna-Dance-Dance-Dance?srsltid=AfmBOoqVWQhjzSIy-pKRNqRAD5DkB4FPBh1Hg6E3t6TsN4hYzGLWmMJ8) 31m 15s SEAWIND (https://underdogedits.bandcamp.com/album/underdog-edits-volume-four)– It’s Not Free [Underdog Edits] (https://underdogedits.bandcamp.com/album/underdog-edits-volume-four) 40m 00s RAINBOW BROWN (https://www.discogs.com/release/1775827-Rainbow-Brown-Rainbow-Brown?srsltid=AfmBOoogIhRLv73qLJoIp1h4DsZ-cX3fpIdC6HY37Sx7Fwh6eVS-O1qe) – Let’s Go Another Round (Tom Moulton Extended Edit) [PAP] (https://www.discogs.com/release/1775827-Rainbow-Brown-Rainbow-Brown?srsltid=AfmBOoogIhRLv73qLJoIp1h4DsZ-cX3fpIdC6HY37Sx7Fwh6eVS-O1qe) 45m 45s CORINNA JOSEPH (https://www.discogs.com/release/22580-Various-Atlantic-Jaxx-Recordings-A-Compilation)– Live Your Life With Me [Atlantic Jaxx] (https://www.discogs.com/release/22580-Various-Atlantic-Jaxx-Recordings-A-Compilation) (https://www.discogs.com/release/22580-Various-Atlantic-Jaxx-Recordings-A-Compilation)52m 42s VIKTER DUPLAIX (https://www.discogs.com/master/230442-Vikter-Duplaix-Manhood) – Manhood [Groove Attack] (https://www.discogs.com/master/230442-Vikter-Duplaix-Manhood) 58m 20s BOPSTAR (https://www.discogs.com/release/1122302-Various-Basement-Soul-Sounds-From-The-Floor-Volume-01?srsltid=AfmBOorcz6yfxvUxhl0OhbduEkrM_J2izCLil4QcrSSavJNqR1jfn68G)– Chiaroscuro (ft Zara McFarlane) [Unique Uncut] (https://www.discogs.com/release/1122302-Various-Basement-Soul-Sounds-From-The-Floor-Volume-01?srsltid=AfmBOorcz6yfxvUxhl0OhbduEkrM_J2izCLil4QcrSSavJNqR1jfn68G) 1h 03m 00s AFRONAUGHT (https://www.discogs.com/master/123113-Afronaught-Shapin-Fluid)– Transcend Me (ft Melissa Browne) (https://www.discogs.com/master/123113-Afronaught-Shapin-Fluid) (https://www.discogs.com/master/123113-Afronaught-Shapin-Fluid)[Apollo] (https://www.discogs.com/master/123113-Afronaught-Shapin-Fluid) 1h 16m 40s BUGZ IN THE ATTIC (https://www.discogs.com/release/589812-Bugz-In-The-Attic-Sounds-Like-Once-Twice) – Once Twice [V2] (https://www.discogs.com/release/589812-Bugz-In-The-Attic-Sounds-Like-Once-Twice)1h 22m 10s JAZZTRONIK (https://jazztronik.bandcamp.com/album/samurai-2)– Samurai [Pantone] (https://jazztronik.bandcamp.com/album/samurai-2) 1h 26m 30s ROMANTHONY (https://www.discogs.com/release/1539781-Romanthony-Bring-U-Up)– Bring U Up (Original Mix) [Glasgow Underground] (https://www.discogs.com/release/1539781-Romanthony-Bring-U-Up)1h 31m 10s JAMES BROWN (https://www.discogs.com/release/12152154-James-Brown-Bodyheat?srsltid=AfmBOoogsRWJp0aQmTVZwY_nBUOD_DrwTV3-LTQ5KOGYQbzP0CY6luj0)– I’m Satisfied [Polydor] (https://www.discogs.com/release/12152154-James-Brown-Bodyheat?srsltid=AfmBOoogsRWJp0aQmTVZwY_nBUOD_DrwTV3-LTQ5KOGYQbzP0CY6luj0) 1h 35 25s LINKWOOD (https://www.discogs.com/master/171302-Various-Firecracker-EP-2)– What’s Up With The Underground? [Firecracker] (https://www.discogs.com/master/171302-Various-Firecracker-EP-2) 1h 41m 05s PEPE BRADDOCK (https://www.discogs.com/master/117650-P%C3%A9p%C3%A9-Bradock-The-Grand-Br%C3%BBl%C3%A9s-Choir-Burning)– Deep Burnt [Kif] (https://www.discogs.com/master/117650-P%C3%A9p%C3%A9-Bradock-The-Grand-Br%C3%BBl%C3%A9s-Choir-Burning) (https://www.discogs.com/master/117650-P%C3%A9p%C3%A9-Bradock-The-Grand-Br%C3%BBl%C3%A9s-Choir-Burning)1h 44m 35s PEVEN EVERETT (https://peveneverettandco.bandcamp.com/album/easy-livin)– Put Your Back In It [Unified] (https://peveneverettandco.bandcamp.com/album/easy-livin) 1h 54m 10s This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amarofpatel.substack.com (https://amarofpatel.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

3. 

   26 Jun 2026

   Moonbeam Levels – June 2026

   Hello sunshine! Agh, this London furnace is all-consuming. Is the world still burning where you are? Walking feels like a major achievement at the moment, never mind scouring the world day and night for music to write about and play to you. My eyeballs are stuck to my lids (out to the blepharitis (https://moorfields.nhs.uk/private/about-moorfields-private/blog-articles/blepharitis-a-practical-guide-to-managing-eyelid-inflammation) crew), my body is turning a cold shower warm in seconds and food just don’t hit like it used to. A man cannot live on salads and watermelon alone. But my appreciation for linen and coconut water has reached new heights 💦 Last Friday, I got suited and booted for my best friend’s wedding. That was a test, and I’m not just talking about the speech (which went well). Imagine wearing a coat in this madness, aka being a doggy. Finchy has just thrown up and is panting by my feet as I type this. Solidarity with pooches, plants, kitchen staff and all living things under stress. According to the UK’s Met Office, between 2015 and 2024 the number of days exceeding 30°C in the UK more than trebled (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9d2xl3555xo) compared with the 1961-1990 average. And we ain’t seen nothing yet. Look at this (https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/blog/2026/uk-could-see-45c-by-2056-scientists-reflect-on-1976-heatwave-anniversary) prediction for 2056. The forecast across the continent is also blazing orange. “The European Environment Agency says the 27-country bloc and its governments aren’t protecting (https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/newsroom/news/europe-is-not-prepared-for) their people from extreme temperatures,” Politico (https://www.politico.eu/article/3-reasons-why-europe-cant-stop-sweating-this-week/) reports, “assessing the threat (https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/european-climate-risk-assessment) of heat stress for the general population as critical in this decade, and ‘catastrophic’ from mid-century onward.” We urgently need a revolution in myriad facets of industry, from manufacturing and energy production to transport, construction and urban planning. Enough talk. The fact that no more than 6% (https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/solar-roadmap/) of UK homes are currently reaping watts from this scorching summer (compared to roughly 25% in the Netherlands and 22% in Belgium (https://www.eliterenewables.co.uk/blog/solar-power-statistics-uk-global-trends-2026/)) makes the situation an even bigger joke. Perhaps most of the other 94%, like me, are put off by the £5,500-£8,000 (https://www.renewableenergyhub.co.uk/main/solar-panels/how-much-do-solar-panel-systems-cost) upfront cost for a standard 4kW solar PV rooftop system and the 6 to 10 years it will take to pay for itself (though assistance (https://www.uswitch.com/gas-electricity/solar-panels/guides/grants-funding/) is available for low-income households, among others). Weaning off fossil fuels and reducing emissions (https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/progress-in-reducing-emissions-2026-report-to-parliament/) are only part of the solution. How about building and adapting (https://ukgbc.org/our-work/topics/resilient-buildings/how-can-we-adapt-our-buildings-to-climate-change/) homes so bedrooms are more bearable at night. Providing more shady streets (https://www.fastcompany.com/91564406/european-cities-are-using-clever-design-solutions-to-fight-extreme-heat-will-they-work) lined with trees to diffuse the heat and courtyards (https://monocle.com/affairs/urbanism/seville-summer-heat-management/) to take shelter. Or being more merciful to public transport passengers. In London, only 40% (https://www.the-londoner.co.uk/playing-it-cool-at-37degc-our-quest-for-air-con/?ref=the-londoner-newsletter) of underground trains are air-conditioned, though you would barely notice them. How have you been adapting and surviving? Hacks and tips appreciated. Ok, that’s enough about the weather and ecological peril. As you can see below, there is a ridiculous amount to share, more than I could squeeze into a wobbly live session at the studio (http://radio.sistermidnight.org). Dive in and hit me back with your favourite moments. A couple of gifts: * I’m always trying to stretch the definition of “writer” and expand my practice. So I wrote a poem (https://amarofpatel.substack.com/p/a-poem-for-refugee-week) on the theme of exile, published to coincide with Refugee Week. Can you spare a few minutes to read it and tell me what you think, please? * You may remember that I am a voluntary director at Sister Midnight (http://sistermidnight.org), Lewisham’s first community-owned (https://reset-network.eu/cooperation-over-commerce/) music venue, which opens later this year. For a new radio series called Brick by Brick, I sat down with founder Lenny Watson to join the dots between early days in a Deptford record shop, an unsuccessful campaign to buy a local pub, the many challenges in renovating an old working man’s club and why it’s taking so long. Listen here (https://radio.sistermidnight.org/shows/brick-by-brick). Stay cool but close… Amar ***** MARK JENKIN (https://invada.bandcamp.com/album/rose-of-nevada)– Kneebone Barton [Invada] (https://invada.bandcamp.com/album/rose-of-nevada)British filmmaker Mark Jenkin has garnered much praise for Cornish allegories Bait (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWPi3CZLnfU) and Enys Men (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7Pwf94_XLY), but did you know he also loves messing around with tape loops (https://thequietus.com/subscriber-area/playlists/guest-playlist-mark-jenkin/)? For his latest 16mm film Rose of Nevada (https://www.roseofnevada.co.uk/home/), we again find him building unease with ease as a composer, in addition to his other duties as writer, director, cinematographer and editor. Isn’t that a bit much, you ask? Well, one man’s control freak is another’s auteur. Jenkin knows exactly what we should be hearing from scene to scene as George MacKay and Callum Turner realise they have joined a fishing vessel that’s been lost for three decades and transported them to 1993. His score gently ripples and drifts in ominous tones and plangent yet distant strings, perfectly conveying the disorientation of both men and a hint of the supernatural about their predicament. Quick fact: Kermode (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiHJ_Y-WTX4) said the BFI put this weird little mystery in more than 100 cinemas nationwide. DEITADO NA BARRA (ROUGH) (https://flee.bandcamp.com/track/deitado-na-barra-rough-bonus-track) (Bonus Track) [Flee] (https://flee.bandcamp.com/track/deitado-na-barra-rough-bonus-track) 4m 15s Candomble is a foundational religion and spiritual belief system of Afro-Brazilian culture involving the worship of divinities known as orixás (https://originalbotanica.com/blog/list-all-orishas-yoruba-deities?srsltid=AfmBOorRGmSyirvaayFmk8htC1gN-mvc57BQDtKbcbzVbCw02U-rU_fn) through music, dance, rituals and offerings. Drums and chants are used to induce a trance-like state, allowing practitioners to ”channel the invisible” as master percussionist Airto once said. Oshun/Oxum was one of the first I encountered through Osunlade (see below), who is an ordained priest of the Yoruba religion Ifá. Oshun is the orixá of beauty, love and fertility. Candomble originates from the African ancestors brought to Brazil by Portuguese colonialists who forbade them from practicing their own beliefs. So they had to preserve these spirits under Catholic names. There were violent state crackdowns (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2004/1/1/candomble-brazils-african-religion) during the rule of President Vargas and until 1977 it was illegal to perform drum rituals in the streets of Bahia. This rhythm is taken from a project called Candomble: Sacred Rhythms of Brazil. ZENA (https://zenaforeva.bandcamp.com/album/temesgen) – Temesgen [Brownswood] (https://zenaforeva.bandcamp.com/album/temesgen) 8m 45s I caught Yohan Kebede (keys, synths) of Kokoroko and Menelik Claffey (bass) at Cross the Tracks festival (https://www.instagram.com/p/DY9Z40WDtQH/?img_index=1) in May and was quickly intoxicated by their jaunty take on ethio-jazz. It’s as if Badbadnotgood and Shuggie Otis went to bandcamp in Addis Ababa with masters Hailu Mergia and Mulatu Astatke. Zena (https://www.afropop.org/articles/an-interview-with-zena-london-addis-ababa-and-everything-in-between) is about respecting their musical heritage – the “tezeta” (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jht-PyHHVis) of it all – while projecting traditional sounds into the present and adding a new dimension. Let’s go with the title track from their last EP, simply because I love the reason it’s called ‘Temesgen’. A word that means “Thank God” in Amharic. I’ve never heard my mother receive good news without saying it aloud,” says Yohan. Join them in the dance asap and don’t be afraid to get your “eskita” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8igkBpuEv4E) on. HI-TEK (https://coalminerecords.com/store/collections/hi-tek/hi-teknology-25th-anniversary-2xlp) – Get Ta Steppin’ (featuring Mos Def and Vinia Mojica) [Coalmine] (https://coalminerecords.com/store/collections/hi-tek/hi-teknology-25th-anniversary-2xlp) 13m 30s Hi-Teknology should be in more conversations about the best hip-hop albums of the 2000s. A jewel from the Rawkus (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBjNi4z4-Os) era when independent hip-hop was in the ascendancy, putting conscious lyricism over deft beats. It’s recently been repressed with all the trimmings on its 25th anniversary. The Cincinnati producer first caught the ear with ‘Fortified Live’ (https://www.discogs.com/release/132551-Reflection-Eternal-Fortified-Live-2000-Seasons?srsltid=AfmBOopLcQuQSWntvOcJKVrY5JPR0D4lfK9uuV4Dnjb2VlGaH3sVbMD9) and all-time great Black Star (https://www.discogs.com/release/119096-Black-Star-Mos-Def-Talib-Kweli-Are-Black-Star), before working on Talib Kweli’s (https://www.discogs.com/master/88738-Talib-Kweli-Hi-Tek-Reflection-Eternal-Train-Of-Thought) solo project. On his debut solo offering, he gets to flex in all types of ways. ‘Get Ta Steppin’ is the kind of transcendent vibration that stops you in your tracks, calms the central nervous system and makes you kiss the sky. I’ve always appreciated Mos/Yasiin’s singing tone but this song would be a shadow of itself without the graceful tones of Vinia Mojica (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w26TbGy_i48&list=PLaCnvrMg5-ra4PletNB0jprMaqsmXB4uN&pp=sAgC). JACKIE MITTOO (https://www.juno.co.uk/products/jackie-mittoo-in-cold-blood-record-store-day-vinyl/1133008-01/) – Sky King Jack [17 North Parade] (https://www.juno.co.uk/products/jackie-mittoo-in-cold-blood-record-store-day-vinyl/1133008-01/) 18m 00s How did Jackie Mittoo’s In Cold Blood come into my life? Who knows. My memory is so atomised these days, I find myself telling tales and making up stories to plug the gap. The important thing to know is that is this a heavy heavy set he cut alongside the Aggrovators – Sly & Robbie on riddim, Tommy McCook and Bobby Ellis on horns, Winston Wright on organ – with Bunny Lee producing. Not only that, King Tubby is engineer so you know these vibrations will zing. ‘Sky King Jack’ shakes and slinks along in ghostly fashion under Jackie’s mystical runs, begging for a reload. The remastered vinyl has decent liner notes and archival images to pour over. SONNY ROLLINS (https://www.discogs.com/master/174522-Sonny-Rollins-The-Cutting-Edge?srsltid=AfmBOorkj3Yi2VUjoikqpdhlNdtC3QPAQWGl879dmCWDZPg1hYR_gtVv)– The Cutting Edge [Milestone] (https://www.discogs.com/master/174522-Sonny-Rollins-The-Cutting-Edge?srsltid=AfmBOorkj3Yi2VUjoikqpdhlNdtC3QPAQWGl879dmCWDZPg1hYR_gtVv) 22m 05s Despite having made a stack of albums (https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/may/26/sonny-rollins-greatest-recordings-jazz) since the 50s, many of them revered such as The Bridge and Tenor Madness (with Trane), saxophone colossus Sonny Rollins remained an ineffable enigma to me as a player. I knew him more for his rigour and dutifulness to the music that had him practicing days upon end on the Williamsburg Bridge, than for a signature sound or style. He remained, as Peter Keepnews put it in his NYT obituary (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/25/arts/music/sonny-rollins-dead.html), “ultimately unclassifiable”. Sonny could bop with the best of them, full-bodied and agile an improviser as you could find, but I prefer his controversial 70’s period when he responded to the times by opening up to guitars and breakbeats. This is the title cut from his 1974 live recording at Montreux Jazz Festival, featuring Mtume on percussion and Stanley Cowell on piano. For a spiritual séance with the man on death and other matters, read this (https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/02/24/magazine/sonny-rollins-interview.html) incredible interview. GENIUS (https://bbemusic.bandcamp.com/album/danza-secreta-lost-and-hidden-grooves-from-argentina-1970-1980) – Bermilyia Avenue [BBE] (https://bbemusic.bandcamp.com/album/danza-secreta-lost-and-hidden-grooves-from-argentina-1970-1980) 28m 40s My top selection from a recent collection of lost and hidden Argentinian grooves called Danza Secreta. So many candidates on here, trust me. Props to Buenos Aires selectors Ric Piccolo and Ariel Harari. The overarching is funk, soul and cosmic disco as resistance music. Some of you will know that the country was in the grip of a far-right, authoritarian dictatorship from the 70s into the early 80s, known as the Dirty War (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=163VC75cLAM). The people’s spirit of rebellion manifested also as musical experimentation and a quest for new sounds and styles. HARRIET TUBMAN (https://harriettubman.bandcamp.com/album/the-terror-end-of-beauty)– The Terror End of Beauty [Sunnyside] (https://harriettubman.bandcamp.com/album/the-terror-end-of-beauty) 32m 44s HARRIET TUBMAN AND GEORGIA ANN MULDROW (https://harriettubman.bandcamp.com/album/electrical-field-of-love)– We You Rise (https://harriettubman.bandcamp.com/album/electrical-field-of-love) (https://harriettubman.bandcamp.com/album/electrical-field-of-love)[Pi] (https://harriettubman.bandcamp.com/album/electrical-field-of-love) 39m 05s Listening to prolific music medium Georgia Ann Muldrow raving about Harriet Tubman on The Questlove Show (https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=ekSvEly9iaI) compelled me to revisit their recent joint album. While a jazz major in NYC, she discovered guitarist Brandon Ross (Henry Threadgill’s Make A Move), bassist Melvin Gibbs (Black Rock Coalition, Defunkt) and “liminal thrash monster” drummer JT Lewis playing in Galapagos Arts Space, aka the juke joint of her dreams. Around two decades later, a fateful collaboration at Detroit Jazz Festival was the catalyst for Electrical Field of Love. Though Georgia’s studio output might suggest otherwise, both parties travel the spaceways between composed and improvised music, channelling spirits and feeling out unusual textures. The trio generates a compulsive intensity that melds Get Up With It-era Miles, doom metal and Meshell Ndegeocello in dub, as ‘The Terror End of Beauty’ (Gibbs’ tribute to Sonny Sharrock) and ‘We You Rise’ testify. Definitely one to check live. Perhaps this is the Georgia we’ll get at The Pitchfork Festival (https://pitchforkmusicfestival.co.uk/artists/georgia-anne-muldrow/) in London this November. Noname and Cleo Reed are also on that bill. LORAINE JAMES (https://lorainejames.bandcamp.com/album/detached-from-the-rest-of-you) – The Book of Self-Doubt [Hyperdub] (https://lorainejames.bandcamp.com/album/detached-from-the-rest-of-you) 45m 00s Whether it’s under her own name or as Whatever the Weather, Loraine knows how to reel in the listener with her intricate, ruminative take on electronic music. Latest album Detached From the Rest of You has her opening up even more, slipping into “IDM Popstar” mode and using her voice to work through angst, insecurity and a few other issues. I love the way melody and rhythm are constructed to flicker on tracks like this. The collaborations with Miho Hatori and Tirzah really complement the mood of this set as well. NÍDIA & VALENTINA MAGALETTI (https://nidiavalentina.bandcamp.com/album/estradas-versions-2) – Ta A Bater Ya (Cosmic Analog Ensemble Version) [Latency] (https://nidiavalentina.bandcamp.com/album/estradas-versions-2) 47m 55s We live for a version on Moonbeam Levels and this radical reimagining of the album Estrada is stacked with a plethora of ginormous rhythms. I missed the collaboration between the producer and drummer when it came out in 2024. But it doesn’t matter. I wager the source material would be hard to detect even if I had. Take the title track, for instance. Could you get two more different interpretations than Sherelle’s ferocious jungle and the chuggy tropical bounce of Yu Su? I’m feeling Charif Megarbane and the Cosmic Analog Ensemble’s squelchy take on ‘Ta A Bater Ya’. WESSELTOFT SCHWARZ (https://buggewesseltoft.bandcamp.com/album/duo) – Where is the Edge? [Jazzland Recordings] (https://buggewesseltoft.bandcamp.com/album/duo) 50m 30s A pleasant discovery on some newsletter of past releases, maybe Rush Hour. I wasn’t aware that pianist and composer Bugge Wesselftoft and producer Henrik Schwarz had made a whole album together in 2011. Considering some of their past releases, it’s evident they were in close orbit and moving towards one another. There is a shared tension, which is how I would describe their collaboration Duo. ‘Where is the Edge?’ is a spontaneous club jam where the musicians trip the line between improvisation and live electronic production. ALEX NUT PRESENTS SUM OF ITS PARTS (https://alexandernut.bandcamp.com/album/alex-nut-presents-sum-of-its-parts-the-message-ep)– The Message (Boddhi Satva’s Ancestral Soul Dub Mix) [Eglo] (https://alexandernut.bandcamp.com/album/alex-nut-presents-sum-of-its-parts-the-message-ep) 54m 05s Another month, another very discerning couple of productions from Eglo main man and DJ supreme, Alex Nut. No quickfire sketches here though. Both are, in fact, a labour of love, “the culmination of years of crafting, shaping and chipping away at some very special recording sessions with some very talented musical friends,” he says. ‘Hello High’ breezes through like one of those late-night live four-four jams from Moodymann, while ‘The Message’ winds through a dense thicket of spiritual jazz frequencies and carries us to a higher state of consciousness. Players include Sam Crowe on keys, Junior Ali-Balogun on percussion and Duane Atherley on bass. I’m feeling Boddhi Satva’s dub right now with its entrancing percussion. CHARLIE DARK (https://galarecords.bandcamp.com/album/ten-years-of-gala-compilation) – Foundation & History [Gala] (https://galarecords.bandcamp.com/album/ten-years-of-gala-compilation) 1h 00m 10s South London’s annual dance music gathering Gala (https://thisisgala.co.uk/about/) is one of the real success stories of recent years on festival circuit. Hard to believe it’s already been ten years. This living document brings together close friends and affiliates ranging from Chaos in the CBD, Joe Armon-Jones & Maxwell Owin to Dreamcastmoe and Marcellus Pitman. The one that gave me chills though has no music. It’s “old-school SE15” community builder and music archivist Charlie Dark MBE in spoken word mode, reminiscing about Shaka playin’ heavyyy, a sound with no name shakin’ Lazerdome, SE school reunions and rivalries in the dance… Charlie is such a charismatic storyteller – check his sessions (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs9KDdkjcTA) at 180 Studios – and brings his past to life in such vivid detail. The message is clear: know your history but also plug into the now as more gets made. Fingers crossed we see this man back on stage. I missed his Have Box, Will Travel (https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2008/apr/22/theatre) one-man play years ago. He can hold a theatre and then some. IG CULTURE (https://igculture.bandcamp.com/album/the-many-districts-of-soulful-shanghai)– Talkin’ Bout Mine [Kindred Spirits] (https://igculture.bandcamp.com/album/the-many-districts-of-soulful-shanghai) 1h 2m 50s Alex is also a seasoned broadcaster and did a really enjoyable show (https://www.nts.live/shows/alexander-nut/episodes/alexander-nut-9th-may-2026) with IG Culture a while back. It was about time someone gave him his proper dues as a pioneer and conduit for some of the best underground Black British Music of the past 30 years. From MC duties on Young Disciples Road to Freedom (https://www.discogs.com/release/39336-Young-Disciples-Road-To-Freedom) and Roots Manuva’s Brand New Second Hand (https://youtu.be/7n6p_w2vFy0?si=WHHd5Mi8tvpVnboy&t=264), to hip-hop production for Dodge City (https://www.discogs.com/artist/29996-Dodge-City-Productions?srsltid=AfmBOoo4p0BKMFnUVLQkFZWFvBAiWv6SJBW05H8qhVgphdAnAcyLvu6i), bruk experiments as New Sector Movements (https://www.discogs.com/artist/1692-New-Sector-Movements?srsltid=AfmBOorO8GrhABMWZc9QcVaPYLPDLBl-PuBi-vBW3ndG81GdYlnKxb8U) and being a driving force in the Co-Op (https://ra.co/features/2670) movement, IG has consistently been on some other sh*t. This is an old, hard-to-find tune that was a bit of a Plastic People favourite, built for flexin’ in the darkness. IG’s still at large. Check his recent remix (https://www.phonicarecords.com/product/kokoroko-brownswood-remix-editions-009-musclecars-brownswood/211501?mc_cid=6ee00f1d81&mc_eid=bb157ccafd) for Kokoroko. GRAMM (https://grammpersonalrock.bandcamp.com/album/personal-rock) – legends/nugroove (TM) [Fairtiche] (https://grammpersonalrock.bandcamp.com/album/personal-rock) 1h 7m 45s Jan Jelinek’s Loop-Finding-Jazz-Records (https://janjelinek.bandcamp.com/album/loop-finding-jazz-records) was a masterclass in brooding, late-night minimal house and ambience. After-dark experiments in “hypnotic repetition”. Jazz not jazz. I thought that was his debut album. But no, two years earlier in 1999, Source released Personal Rock under the name GRAMM, a more enigmatic cousin that rattles and hums, flutters and breathes down our ear canals. Jan conceived it for “home listening” (https://igloomag.com/profiles/an-interview-with-jan-jelinek-farben) but there’s an undeniable dancefloor in the mind about this unique record. For all the geeks out there, this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypMLVPxleJQ) video on how to sound design like the man is very good. TEENA MARIE (https://yorubasoulmixes.bandcamp.com/album/yoruba-soul-mixes-vol-23) – CASSANOVA BROWN (Yoruba Soul Mix) (https://yorubasoulmixes.bandcamp.com/album/yoruba-soul-mixes-vol-23) 1h 13m 55s Taken from volume 23 of Osunlade’s cheeky remix series, it’s time for Lady T to get the Yoruba Soul treatment. An afro four-four flip of the ballad (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APIUAryZnWs) ‘Cassanova Brown’, which you can find on her 1983 album Robbery. Teena is one of my favourite artists of all time. The voice alone sends me. It all began with ‘Portuguese Love’. Let me tell you about it (https://www.instagram.com/p/CKRm1dRnl37/?img_index=2). But we must recognise her arrangement and productions skills as well. That’s you killer grooves like this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6nzSNWTU5Q) still hit so hard. Craving a feature-length documentary (mini one here (https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xjy3os)). Who’s up for it? HANNA (https://casavoyager.bandcamp.com/album/ghost)– Beyond Infinity [Casa Voyager] (https://casavoyager.bandcamp.com/album/ghost) 1h 20m 00s I have been a huge fan of the elusive Warren Harris (https://www.discogs.com/artist/4633-Hanna) since Theo Parrish included him on a special mixtape he made for us at Straight No Chaser in the 2000s. As Hanna, he’s cultivated this unique pocket of body-and-mind music, where tracks burst out of the speakers with warm basslines, deep chords and shimmering keys, gradually taking you over. Check the Bella EP (https://www.discogs.com/master/1809140-Hanna-The-Bella-EP), Time Hotel (https://www.discogs.com/release/466697-Warren-Harris-Hanna-Time-Hotel) and album Exquisite Style (https://www.discogs.com/release/265855-Hanna-Exquisite-Style) for starters. Casa Voyager got their hands on some hard-to-find releases from the early days. Take advantage. *ELECTRIFYING MOJO (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6pSOvC9dFg)– Turn the Page interlude (excerpt from (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6pSOvC9dFg)The Mental Machine (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6pSOvC9dFg) published in 1995-96 by J Stone Press) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6pSOvC9dFg) 1h 26m 10sDuring the 80s and 90s, Electrifying Mojo (https://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2015/05/electrifying-mojo-feature) was a crucial conduit to music ranging from Parliament Funkadelic and Sly Stone to Prince, Kraftwerk, Devo, Depeche Mode, Cybrotron and what came to be known as techno. The WGPR and WJLB radio DJ would beam this extraordinary galaxy of sounds into homes with such theatre and ceremony that he had the tapers poised night after night hanging on his every word. His scale of influence is almost immeasurable. Juan Atkins, Jeff Mills, Moodyman… they all give it up to him. Professing to be no more than “a figment of the imagination” and “a face in the crowd”, presiding over something akin to a secret society (The Midnight Funk Association (https://www.detroithistorical.org/learn/online-research/collection/archive/card-identification-midnight-funk-association?_gl=1*13c3hoe*_up*MQ..*_ga*NjQwMzI0Nzg5LjE3ODIxMzg5ODc.*_ga_9RTJQ3M2D2*czE3ODIxMzg5ODYkbzEkZzAkdDE3ODIxMzkwMjAkajI2JGwwJGgw)), Mojo soon became the no-format radio DJ on people’s lips from Cincinnati to Ontario and beyond. But did you know published a collection of writing in the Mid-90s? It’s called The Mental Machine, a “book-opera” of poems, prose and social commentary for African Americans of the Metro Detroit area in particular. Copies (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/157995197470?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D303466%26meid%3D2813fc910b7a43d6934fcb366a8163a7%26pid%3D101875%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D257267739265%26itm%3D157995197470%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2332490%26algv%3DSimplAMLv11WebTrimmedV3MskuWithLambda85KnnRecallV1V2V4ItemNrtInQueryAndCassiniVisualRankerAndBertRecallWithVMEV3CPCAutoWithCassiniEmbRecall&_trksid=p2332490.c101875.m1851&itmprp=cksum%3A1579951974702813fc910b7a43d6934fcb366a8163a7%7Cenc%3AAQALAAABcOrUAJyocs9zq5pLBX3YtmatWsILip3iH8cXvCuqAHQycQTv%252F0%252FsvMD%252FiujDLuk04YfjG4hB1bvoSoZT22fSr86l4ZShqsEbKB92VPEA3U8iJy4PIJKdxno0JaAN1O0l9SNW8FeXf9POlGhR7no0dngpp41JhUposDyp8wrIWePZ2WVit%252Fs77Ssad66Av4xRoqDxMcBWKviySNTWEz9szTXy3anBrGNRiz%252Bink9i60EVrtyTMZLdIubkPdbiQungMFTJ%252FH5%252BK%252BOYhBcE%252BpOHMT%252B8%252Btgt7JByTYmYBzK3%252FKLRxJJdSpSEXTh3yIswQVJ5S3JfPifELl%252FaldgC0yKEKDwdkY5JnBH7p59mXYqXGm%252FxIVVwuChD2Rdy1Nrn2Vc%252BXc8kcpomfB1tICB84H9qDLNMOxPnCJE%252BiPl9ZGMut%252FwoGL3QxSTWa%252FwRqHXxTlrAYhpQ0kF2bkDX62aFvKy8p8dhYiNaVY0pTjC08jttV%252FDN%7Campid%3APL_CLK%7Cclp%3A2332490&itmmeta=01KVQX9Y2QCX61HKXVHRGZ2NH1) are floating around but the audiobook (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6pSOvC9dFg) is the full experience. He laments the crime, violence and prejudice that pervades society and muses on big topics such as happiness and death. He then tries to answer the question “what now?”, instilling self-belief and preaching self-actualisation. It felt right to bring in his prophetic voice at this juncture with an excerpt called Turn the Page. Another great bit is where he talks about how the mind will not survive unless we dream. “Dreams are the wings of the mind.” Why now? Well, Mojo is celebrated among several other local legends and grassroots community builders in a podcast series about the D called Living for the City (https://www.youtube.com/@LivingfortheCityPod), hosted by poetic and cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib. Highly recommended. Here’s why (https://www.instagram.com/amarofpatel/reel/DZhs6liM8iZ/). ABSTRACT THOUGHT (https://cloneaqualungseries.bandcamp.com/album/hypothetical-situations) – Bermuda Triangle [Clone Aqualung Series] (https://cloneaqualungseries.bandcamp.com/album/hypothetical-situations) 1h 28m 35s Here’s Drexciya (https://daily.bandcamp.com/lists/drexciya-album-guide) by another name, providing more techno “music beamed through dimensional waves by abstract thought”. Labelled as Storm #4, it was first released on Kombination Research in 2003, resurfacing a few months ago and floating into my periphery. I would happily take a ride on any of these tunes, but warning – some are more bumpy than others. Let’s just start with number one, ‘Bermuda Triangle’, to which James Stinson and Gerald Donald wanted you to complete the following: “What if the triangle pivoted over the island of Jamaica, what would become of the population?” Read on at Drexciya Research Lab (https://drexciyaresearchlab.blogspot.com/2005/08/abstract-thought.html). SHEEFY MCFLY (https://sheefymcfly.bandcamp.com/album/baddies-only)– You’re Mine (featuring Bethlove) [Cape St Francis] (https://sheefymcfly.bandcamp.com/album/baddies-only) 1h 34m 55s We’re at the upper limit of my bpm range here but Detroit mover and shaker Sheefy McFly’s EP Baddies Only is so fun I had to include something from it. Conceived as a love letter to the women of the city’s underground, this is full-on ghettotechtopia. The Amp Fiddler collaborator and AUX88 remixer pounding us with the boom-clap and calling in vocalists such as Bethlove (whose original Sheefy flipped into an underground hit), DJ Mobetta and Lola Damone. If you’re into gettin’ “turnt” and behaving badly, this is the release for you. Sheefy is also a visual artist (http://instagram.com/sheefymcfly). That’s his mural Detroit Never Left on the sleeve. MARVIN JUPITER (https://marvinjupiter.bandcamp.com/album/keep-to-myself) – Keep to Myself (https://marvinjupiter.bandcamp.com/album/keep-to-myself) 1h 38m 20s No time to rest on laurels after causing a stir with those bruk-y remixes of D’Angelo (https://marvinjupiter.bandcamp.com/track/the-line) and Don-E (https://marvinjupiter.bandcamp.com/album/lovin-you-marvin-jupiter-remix). The NW London producer has dropped two bombs this month – very much the standard bearer for a new generation who like their soul tuff but sweet for the dance. I can hear multiple phases of Black British Music in the mix, particularly broken legends such as Neon Phusion and Bugz who placed equal importance on the song and the sonics. Out to the players making it lively: Dino Econimides on guitar, Joseph Oti-Akenteng on trumpet and Marvin on Rhodes & Juno 106. You can check some of Marvin’s DNA on a recent NTS show, covering for Bradley Zero on Rhythm Section. THE HUMAN EGG (https://muchogustomusic.bandcamp.com/album/human-egg) – Love Like This [Mucho Gusto] (https://muchogustomusic.bandcamp.com/album/human-egg) 1h 42m 30s DJ Spinna (https://www.discogs.com/artist/1905-DJ-Spinna?srsltid=AfmBOoqk7Wv6jwE1ksleb_GMOSkw1u5rSQcOsggXm7rVRRQoIbrNpwZY) introduced Gilles Peterson ‘Love Like This’ a while back so when the Brooklyn native came on GP’s radio show (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002wrx2) to talk about his transition from early Jigmastas hip-hop days to success in the house and electronic dance worlds, he pulled out the space disco cut. The whole album is a trip, conceived in 1978 by Jean-Pierre Massiera and Bernard Torelli, and coming over like the score to a jazz-funk-rockopera. PJ CITY (https://mrbongo.bandcamp.com/album/mr-bongo-record-club-vol-8) – Straight Forward (Non-Stop) (DJ Nature Re-Edit) [Mr Bongo] (https://mrbongo.bandcamp.com/album/mr-bongo-record-club-vol-8) 1h 46m 30s A standout from the very stacked eighth volume of Mr Bongo Record Club compilation series. Milo (aka DJ Nature (https://www.discogs.com/artist/1098715-DJ-Nature?srsltid=AfmBOoov0y6LDbs0aN2goI613F3AowMqpL65EwDsL_tuVEHKFKMXpjKD)) knows how to move the floor, particularly with the bottom end. You might be familiar with his chugging house productions but give credit to his edits too, like ‘Billy C’. This one, originally released in 1986 on Chicago’s Rise Records, lives up to its title. Nature extends the sizzling disco groove to incite all the shufflers and shimmiers to show out. Also, check Kenny Dope’s edit of The Sylvers (RIP Foster), Tappa Zukie’s ‘Visions of Love’ and that London summer-ready reggae mix of Take Three. CHUCK BYNUM (https://chuckbynum.bandcamp.com/album/you-worked-your-miracle)– You Worked A Miracle [The Sound Council] (https://chuckbynum.bandcamp.com/album/you-worked-your-miracle) 1h 52m 05s I’ve been a fan of BRICK (https://brickthemag.com/) since day dot, particularly the photography. I had no idea they had branched out into excavating and releasing music. ‘You Worked A Miracle’ sounded like the realisation or culmination of something profound for its creator, Chuck Bynum. It’s one of those songs that imparts wisdom, speaks perseverance and hard-earned personal triumph. The hazy video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdDS1-mze-M), featuring Bynum alone and in thrall to the music, was filmed in 1990 during an Arts-in-Correction programme. It’s a perfect encapsulation of what it feels like to lose yourself in this track. One play later, I sprinted off in hot pursuit of his story. And what a story. How a gifted artist went from playing with the likes of Marvin Gaye and DJ Rogers to serving a life sentence in California State Penitentiary for possession of cocaine. This (https://brickthemag.substack.com/p/the-miracle-of-chuck-bynum) wonderful oral history by Sam Butler surveys the long road to this release. What it took for Chuck to make this music, how it brought a family together and the collectors who kept the faith. GENESIS OWUSU (https://genesisowusu.bandcamp.com/album/redstar-wu-the-worldwide-scourge) – Most Normal American Voter [Ourness] (https://genesisowusu.bandcamp.com/album/redstar-wu-the-worldwide-scourge) 2h 1m 30s There’s a riot going on, a “stampede” you might say, and Genesis is at the forefront. Previous album Smiling with No Teeth (https://genesisowusu.bandcamp.com/album/smiling-with-no-teeth-2) was a favourite of mine in 2021. I was instantly drawn to its rebellious and subversive spirit, and the plethora of styles deployed in service to it. Redstar Wu & The Worldwide Scourge manages to feel more cohesive and yet even more effusive and volatile. He’s lamenting the state of the world again, railing against all the “blue-check mania” (‘PIRATE RADIO’) and calling out so-called leaders who flex over nothing (‘BIG DOG’). Catharsis might be around the corner though. In more reflective moments, there’s nostalgia for simpler times when “we ain’t have much but we made it something” (‘4LIFE’). Now here comes the rage again. Kanye supporters, incels, death cult zombies, the Musk, the King… They can all get it. So what now? Nothing else for it but reject numbness and keep climbing “with Sisyphean boulders” (‘ONE4ALL’). Why? For the love. “Joy as an act of resistance, even when the party’s over (‘RUNNIN OUTTA TIME).” I think ‘Hellstar’ is my favourite song but we ain’t goin’ out like that. It’s time for some ‘Most Normal American Voter’ energy’. +++++ OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS KNATS (https://knats.bandcamp.com/album/a-great-day-in-newcastle) – Never Gonna Be A Boxer [Gearbox] (https://knats.bandcamp.com/album/a-great-day-in-newcastle) Sandwiched between Arlo Parks and Shania Twain on Later with (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJzJ1CX1xE0) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJzJ1CX1xE0)Jools Holland (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJzJ1CX1xE0), I discovered Geordie jazz outfit Knats the other night playing this one. Their attitude and energy were undeniable – punchy, shapeshifting and unapologetically from the north (thank gawd). Young Stan Woodward is a sharp frontman, prodding and cajoling with bass in hand, while childhood friend and co-arranger King David Ike-Elechi switches up the rhythm with ease. You’ve also got Sandro Shar on keys and George Johnson standing tall on tenor sax. Second album A Great Day in Newcastle is out on Gearbox, produced by Geordie Greep, which makes proper sense. The addition of Cooper Robson’s commentary really works, adding both everyday Tyneside grit and wit (check opener ‘7 Bridges to Burn’). Knats are touring the UK throughout the rest of the year, stopping by The Exchange in Bristol, MOTH Club in London and Future Yard in Birkenhead among other places. Get involved (https://dice.fm/artist/knats-67883). SONS OF JUMIRA (https://sonsofjumira.bandcamp.com/album/jaliyahs-lament-tomora) – Jaliyah’s Lament (live at NOIIS) [Super-Sonic Jazz] (https://sonsofjumira.bandcamp.com/album/jaliyahs-lament-tomora) Fans of Alice Coltrane’s A Monastic Trio will reach a comparable bliss with Sons of Jumira. Here, the Dutch trio of Julian Tjon Sack Kie (double bass), Mill Voyance (drums, percussion) and Ranie Ribeiro (harp) channel Jaliyah, a West African Mandinka storytelling practice of the Jali (https://standard.gm/senegambia-language-groups-not-tribeethnic-groups/) (griot). There is such a serene balance between the players on this live recording at NOIIS in Switzerland. THE VISITORS (https://jazzdispensary.bandcamp.com/album/motherland-remastered-2026)– Fables of Africa [Craft] (https://jazzdispensary.bandcamp.com/album/motherland-remastered-2026) Out of print since its original release on the legendary Muse Records in 1975, this project by spiritual saxophone brothers Earl (tenor) and Carl Grubbs (alto) is life-affirming music. To be expected when you’ve been mentored by deep ones Eric Dolphy and John Coltrane. The quintet features the lyrical Joe Bonner (https://www.discogs.com/artist/181213-Joe-Bonner) (‘You Gotta Have Freedom’) on piano, Victor Lewis (https://www.discogs.com/artist/298245-Victor-Lewis) on drums and John Lee (https://www.discogs.com/artist/301667-John-Lee-3) on bass. Cut from the original tapes on 180g vinyl, Motherland will have you enraptured by its melodic richness, free spirit and upwards motion. BOARDS OF CANADA (https://boardsofcanada.bandcamp.com/album/inferno)– Prophecy at 1420MHz [Warp] (https://boardsofcanada.bandcamp.com/album/inferno) To come back after 13 years with an album so replete with curious tones and textures is quite a statement of continued intent from one of electronic music’s most revered acts. I make no lofty claims about where it stands in their catalogue but I’m surprised by how polarised (https://www.instagram.com/p/DZCvI5ygC2a/?hl=en&img_index=1) the reception has been among critics. Nothing comes close to the feeling of hearing ‘Roygbiv’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SM4tQcUt_mQ) off Music Has The Right To Children (https://boardsofcanada.bandcamp.com/album/music-has-the-right-to-children) for the first time, but it’s not “hold music’ or “dreary” as one writer (https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/may/23/boards-of-canada-inferno-review-after-13-years-away-their-prodigal-return-is-a-big-disappointment) groaned. It would benefit from fewer cliched sound samples as on ‘Naraka’, certainly, but the depth of atmosphere and melodic richness win out. DUMAMA (https://dumama.bandcamp.com/album/towards-an-expanse)– Eating The Other [Soundway] (https://dumama.bandcamp.com/album/towards-an-expanse) I have been through Towards an Expanse several times trying to select a track but it feels disrespectful to only choose one when clearly the album was conceived to be travelled in one go. Six years on from Kechou collaboration buffering juju (https://dumama.bandcamp.com/album/buffering-juju), Eastern Cape’s Gugu Duma (https://www.instagram.com/duma_ma) ponders how we preserve ritual, memory and ancestry across an ever-shifting album that seems to simultaneously pull us back to the past and way into the future. From Xhosa oral tradition and uhadi (https://garlandmag.com/uhadi/) playing to sonic speculations on circular time (https://www.tiktok.com/@colourfulradio/video/7540026583243918614?lang=en-GB), activated by key collaborator Nandi Ndlovu’s sound experiments. ‘Eating The Other’ is one of the more abrasive moments. Inspired by bell hooks (https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/11052901-eating-the-other), the song reflects on a society that “remains ill despite having the resources to heal”. Post-punk energy, underpinned by a chant the artist’s grandmother sang over the phone before she passed. Duma isn’t just a purveyor of “nomadic future folk”. She is also a researcher and facilitator. Her 2020 contribution to the Embodied Arts Festival asked (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xnGxsuAzxg) a simple yet intriguing question: “How many lives live in our bodies?” Towards An Expanse feels like a continuation of that – an electro-acoustic meditation on “autonomy, agency and liberating the violence of colonial archival practice”, in her words. It’s a tremendous achievement on every level. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amarofpatel.substack.com (https://amarofpatel.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

679,546

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Podcast Authority Score: 33 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

19

Social presence

0

YouTube

93

Engagement

27