Latest Soul Posts

[Future Soul] Josh Jacobson – Twice (Little Dragon Cover)

Posted by Hank - March 14, 2016

Josh Jacobson
Twice (Little Dragon Cover)

Lush vocals, soulful harmonies and crisp beats come together in the music of Brooklyn-based producer Josh Jacobson. Approaching dance music with the sensibilities of a lifelong instrumentalist and singer, Josh crafts thoughtful, organic songs to move your body and mind. Josh is a member of the Moving Castle collective and his music has gathered support from the likes of Nest HQ, Run the Trap, Suicide Sheep, and Rinse FM.

This cover of Little Dragon puts Jacobson’s vocals and jazz-inspired piano playing front & center, paired with layers of atmospheric sound design and forward-thinking electronic production. It’s a first preview of what’s on the way in his upcoming debut EP, which I’m unbelievably stoked for. Oh! And don’t forget to cop this one for free if you dig.

[Electronic Soul] James Chatburn – Cracks And Breaks

Posted by Mitch Marzuola - March 9, 2016

James Chatburn
Cracks And Breaks

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Slow down for a minute. Take a breath. It’s time for a break, and James Chatburn is here to orchestrate it. However your day has been going, you’ll need to find time to relax, and the relieving calm of “Cracks and Breaks” might just be the solution.

The Sydney native soothingly croons along with his own graceful production, expertly crafted with ebbs and flows of his own harmonizations, overdriven guitars, and minimal yet stark drums. There are certain moments over the course of “Cracks and Breaks” that begin to mirror John Legend vocally, and that comparison does not come across without some serious consideration. James Chatburn finds his own lane regardless of the similarities, and his entire catalog merits an endless amount of plays. A collaboration between him and Tom Misch NEEDS to happen at some point. That’s the kind of merger of talent that timeless works are built from. Wrap up the day right with this sleek tune and don’t forget to grab it here on iTunes.

[R&B/Soul] Joe Hertz – Stay Lost feat. Amber-Simone

Posted by Tyler Trew - March 3, 2016

Joe Hertz
Stay Lost Ft. Amber-Simone

Soundcloud

Joe Hertz and Amber-Simone‘s record “Stay Lost” is pure beauty. Juicebox Recordings decided to shed some light on the full single early, as it actually comes out next week through their imprint. We’re glad we caught this one early, as its soulful R&B sound has seduced us entirely. It comes as no surprise that Mista Jam premiered this original BBC Radio 1Xtra.

“Stay Lost” is a masterful ballad that employs live instruments as the backbone for the sensual beat. It has just the right amount of funk it needs give it energy. Joe Hertz and Amber make quite the duo, as their sounds work together in impeccable harmony. Joe is starting the year off strong with this record, setting himself up for a strong 2016 if he can keep it up with releases like this one. Stream it today, and check back for a purchase link when the song drops, or follow his socials to stay up to date on all new content.

R&B
Soul

[Future] Matthew Chaim – Untitled

Posted by Dominic Powell - February 29, 2016

Matthew Chaim
Untitled [prod. Noah Barer & Cavewerk]

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Continuing the recent trend of fresh new talent pouring in from our neighbors to the north, Montreal-based producer and lyricist Matthew Chaim released his latest track “Untitled”. Following up the successful “Vanilla Ways”, Chaim once against enlisted the help of Noah Barer and Cavewerk – fellow Montrealers – on production.

“Untitled” is a catchy, airy track that flows nicely around a crooning, piano and bongo infused hook. While Chaim focuses this song around the always-relatable trope of maturation, this song is sure to hit close to home for many, only increasing its appeal. Stay tuned for more releases of Matthew Chaim’s on the Canada based JUS POP label, and on his Soundcloud page.

[Resident Artist of the Month] Introducing: The Code

Posted by Baseer Ahmad - February 16, 2016

It’s not often that our resident artist is shrouded in such mystery. The Code, however, are used to being the exception by now. Although details are sparse, one thing we can say for certain about the artist-producer duo is that they are systematically working to reinvent R&B. Their music is often a genre-bending blend of sensual vocals, hazy synths and slinky rhythms. After dropping their highly acclaimed debut 1|11 mixtape back in 2014, the UK based group are currently gearing up to release their upcoming Blue Electronica EP later this year. See if you can crack The Code yourself by sampling of some of the songs from the project below, along with a unique remix of Calvin Harris‘ “How Deep Is Your Love”.

’The Code – HDIYL’

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’The Code – Electronica’

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’The Code – Azure’

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’The Code – F**K’

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’The Code – Sedative’

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[Existential Funk] Goldwash – But U Won’t

Posted by Clayton Warwick - January 14, 2016

Goldwash
But U Won't

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I could spend some time revisiting the works of Sartre and Camus in an effort to beef up the anecdotal part of my post, but that would chew up a lot of my time. To be perfectly honest, it’s been over 15 years since I’ve read The Stranger and I really want to get Goldwash’s new tune to your ears as quickly as possible.

Dubbed as Existential Funk, “But U Won’t” boasts a bevy of influences, starting off with a playful little jazz piano melody. From there, we’re welcomed in by some soulful lyrics, a thick ‘n funky bassline, and some accentuating, pitched-down vocal samples. The production quality is second to none, alluding to the fact that this enigmatic musician is primed for plenty of attention in 2016.

As it stands right now, this 21-year-old classically trained artist is relatively unheard of. I highly recommend following him now, so you can one-up all your friends at the end of 2016 with the old fashioned “Who Heard Them First” game.

[NEW] Kanye West – Real Friends (Feat. Ty Dolla $ign)

Posted by Baseer Ahmad - January 8, 2016

Kanye West
REAL FRIENDS & NO MORE PARTIES IN LA (SNIPPET)

Soundcloud

Speculation around the status of Kanye West‘s upcoming album, SWISH, has been swirling pretty constantly since the turn of the new year when Yeezy decided to drop his ~~underwhelming~~ Nike dissing, Jumpman-esque single “Facts”. So when Kim Kardashian West teased the prospect of new Kanye music every Friday late last night, it’s safe to say all his fans had a ~~mini~~ freakout. Comparisons were instantly drawn to Ye’s revolutionary “G.O.O.D. Fridays” series back in 2010 which sent the internet into a frenzy leading up to the release of his much herald album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. While last week’s release seemed more like a throwaway teaser, this brand new single from Kanye seems like the real deal. While Kanye has never been known to mince his words, what makes “Real Friends” special is that it seems to come from an honest and vulnerable place, as he struggles to maintain relationships and questions how many genuinely trustworthy individuals he really has in his life. Packaged with the brand new single also comes a snippet for (what we presume to be) next week’s release, titled “No More Parties In L.A.” which is produced by Madlib and includes a feature from Kendrick Lamar. From the sound of it, things are only about to get better from here.

Hip/Hop
Soul