FELLAS - SILLAGE

Quickly emerging as France’s answer to the likes of BADBADNOTGOOD and Yussef Kamaal, Toulouse’s FELLAS are set to release their debut EP ‘NDONTI’ via Root Records on Friday 13th September.

The final single from the project ‘SILLAGE’ aims to situate the listener within the frames of Sergio Leone’s crime epic ‘Once Upon A Time In America’, seeking to capture the odour of the films opium dens in hazy musical form. Built around a haunting Rhodes loop, with skittering delays and a sleazy backbeat, the track builds into a saxophone-led cacophony, melting away into a four to the floor two-stepper. The band share: “On SILLAGE, we’ve translated scent into music, creating a warm, amber atmosphere that is both captivating and unsettling.”

The forthcoming ‘NDONTI’ EP has been approached by the band as the trailer for future LP ‘DINDI’, introducing listeners to their distinctive, cinematic nu-jazz blend. Moving between brooding trip-hop moods and boom-bap grooves, with disco and neo-soul in the mix for good measure, the compositions on the EP are centred around the concept of wabi-sabi – capturing a raw energy, complete with the unashamed imperfections that are a cornerstone of human nature.

On opening track DINDI, the band shares: “Dindi Is the main character. The song tells the story of a young man who arrives in a new city. He’s alone and delves deeper into a city that becomes increasingly crowded and dirty. We come to understand that he has arrived with bad intentions.”

Alongside bandleader Charlie Burg, FELLAS consists of Robin Safaru (drums), Séraphin Vergniot (bass), Robin Espagnet (guitar) and Léo Colman (keyboards) – a group of friends obsessed with the intersection of film, fashion, and music. Formed from the fire of the Toulouse jazz and hip-hop scene, the band cut their teeth at clubs, where they’re known to collaborate with MC’s and additional musicians to expand their sound even further. Much of their inspiration comes from Charlie’s upbringing – trips back to Italy to see his family and understand his roots – and the rich traditions of black American music, spanning the raw sounds of Pharoah Sanders and Dexter Gordon, all the way through to D’Angelo and 50 Cent.

Jerk - Mood Swings

Jerk returns to some of their core influences, embracing vulnerability, and an authentic experience of the self on the forthcoming ‘Mood Swings’ album. Released via DeepMatter Records, the album is an eclectic collection of pieces spanning varying compositional and production styles, captured on analogue instrumentation.

Channelling the beat-making sensibilities of J Dilla and Madlib, the Brazilian rhythms and textures of Hermeto Pascoal, and the uplifting sonics of Patrice Rushen and Earth Wind & Fire, Jerk comments:

“Mood Swings is a collection of 12 pieces reflecting on gender and mental health. 2022 was a year of political strife for transgender people in America, and a time when I was experiencing some intense emotions–dysphoria, derealization, grief, and romantic love and loss. I wanted to write music embracing this very authentic and vulnerable experience of self.”

Lush saxophone tones, glistening Fender Rhodes, and cyclical beats encompass the project, with weaving synths adding to Jerk’s tapestry of sounds. ‘Mood Swings’ Parts I-III appear throughout, introducing recurring motifs and operating as spacious, atmospheric interludes that glue the album together. ‘Space Case’ builds on the addictive melody introduced in ‘Mood Swings Part I’, with subtle nods to 80s jazz funk in the beat, and melody arranging reminiscent of Brazilian bossa nova.

The record builds upon some of the themes closest to Jerk’s heart, including trans rights, gender identity, and love. Lead single ‘27’ marks Jerk’s age at the time of creating the album, whilst also putting a critical microscope on American lawmakers’ attempts to raise the age of consent for medical transitioning from 18 to 27. ‘I Don’t Question You ’ is an empowering vocal feature building upon the sentiment of fighting for your truth, rather than feeling the need to answer to others, whilst ‘4Sal’ is a poignant dedication to Jerk’s late grandmother. Written in the days following her passing, it’s a heartfelt expression of the process of grief in musical form, in Jerk’s words: “The piece is a dedication to the living burning memory of a fierce woman I was fortunate to have in my life.”

Jerk is the brainchild of composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Joshua Kinney. Based in Brooklyn, NY, they explore the connection between jazz and hip-hop, with compositions blurring the lines between hip-hop beats and instrumental jazz compositions. Their music has found support across BBCR6, Reprezent Radio, Soho Radio, and Jazz FM.

SHOLTO announces new record with 'For The Love of Stripes'

Having found support from tastemakers including Gilles Peterson, Deb Grant, Jyoty and Tony Minvielle for last year’s EP ‘The Changing Tides Of Dreams’, SHOLTO returns with the lead single from his forthcoming debut album, ‘For The Love Of Stripes’ - a stirring, emotive exploration with choral and classical influences at its core.

Drawing inspiration from Mozart’s ‘Lacrimosa’ and the work of David Axelrod, ‘For The Love Of Stripes’ combines moving strings and choral orchestration with swirling flutes and twinkling percussion to create a hazy instrumental with moody, nostalgic undertones. SHOLTO took the imagery of stripes, applying a linear concept to his composition style, he shares:

“Stripes divide space and bind forms, and are inherently associated with in nature as a warning and signalling of the audacious. They grab attention and at the same time tell us to stay away. Throughout history, they have been the outfit for the outcast or maverick - I thought applying this linear concept to a piece of music could be interesting.”

Oscar 'SHOLTO' Robertson is a drummer, instrumentalist, producer & composer based in London. Growing up with a love for jazz, soul, kraut, and 60s & 70s soundtracks, his music expresses a warm array of colours, analogue instrumental grooves and euphoric sentimentality. His music career began in 2013, when a record deal took him to LA, leading to him working with producers like Nick Waterhouse (Allah-Las) before returning to the UK and collaborating with the likes of Inflo (Cleo Sol), and Dan Carey (Wet Leg, Squid). He is also one half of the production duo Sunglasses For Jaws. 

Introducing: FELLAS

Introducing the latest addition to the DeepMatter & Root Records family - FELLAS; The Cinematic Nu Jazz Revolution from Toulouse.

Hailing from Toulouse, France, FELLAS is a groundbreaking Nu Jazz band that seamlessly blends Jazz, Hip-Hop, and cinematic influences to create a soundscape that's as intense and sensual as it is emotionally captivating. Led by saxophonist Charlie Burg, this five-piece ensemble crafts music that transports listeners far from reality, into a world defined by raw emotion and vivid storytelling.

On stage, FELLAS is known for their dynamic collaborations with rappers like Oggy Nilz and Wisley, as well as singers and jazzmen like Daoud. They fearlessly blend influences and genres, resulting in a hybrid musical project that has quickly garnered attention from stylists, designers, photographers, and directors.

Inspired by the likes of BADBADNOTGOOD, FELLAS embodies a childhood dream realized. Their passionate adventure in music promises a future full of innovation and boundary-pushing performances, making them a band that's not planning to slow down anytime soon.

Their debut EP 'NDONTI acts as a trailer for the future LP « DINDI » with the introduction of the character « dindi » and the mentality of FELLAS.

Charlie grew up in France but also, in parallel, with his Italian family. Since he was little, they made him understand that he was a "dindi" and that he belonged to a small clan within his family. As he grew older, he realized that his family was involved in more than one adventurous and often illegal stories. It took him almost 20 years to find out what DINDI means. DINDI comes from Veneto (an Italian dialect from Venice) and means « MONEY ». Charlie discovered the Movie A Bronx Tale and drew a parallel between the movie and his life. He draws inspiration from this to form his group FELLAS and his upcoming album "DINDI."

Their debut single 'DINDI' introduced people to their world in March 2024, and tells the story of a young man who arrives in a new city. The young man is alone and delves deeper into a city that becomes increasingly crowded and dirty. We come to understand that he has arrived with bad intentions. Shortly after, this was followed by 'CAN YOU FEEL MY EYES ON YOU', the second single from their forthcoming debut record.

The band now announce they will be releasing their debut EP 'DINDI' under London-based Record Label, DeepMatter Records this coming August. 

Don't Forget To Have Fun!

Following singles ‘First Touch’, ‘Emerald’ & ‘All Seeds’, Don Glori unleashes his brand new album, with one message - Don’t Forget To Have Fun!

A product of the not-so-underground, genre-bending melting pot that is Naarm (Melbourne, Australia). producer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Don Glori (AKA Gordon Li) unleashes his brand new album ‘Don’t Forget To Have Fun’ via DeepMatter Records.

Following the release of his much-heralded 2022 LP ‘Welcome’, a subsequent sweep of the Australian festival circuit and an EU / UK tour, Don found himself straight back in the studio but coming up short this time around. He explains: “Don't Forget To Have Fun was initially recorded in mid-2022 after several months touring my first album Welcome and at a semi-tumultuous time in my life. Add in a tough 3 days in the studio - broken equipment, illness, burnout from the touring, 40-degree Australian summer heat, a bike accident, and I was left finding it quite hard to enjoy the music. All these things combined made me decide to put the DFTHF session recordings on ice indefinitely.”

Following his relocation to London, UK in 2023, Don managed to tap into a potent creative current, by taking himself to a place of discomfort, and taking his creative back to basics - allowing additional room for experimentation. He says “I revisited the album after moving to London in May 2023, I was living in a tiny room with barely any equipment and my only income was from the slight bit of touring I was doing which was all going towards rent and groceries. It was a good opportunity to redefine the songs from the DFTHF sessions and inject some new life into them. I had just finished touring Europe, moved to a new city, didn’t know anyone, and had all the free time in the world to experiment with wacky, zany ideas. In the end, I re-recorded a lot of the parts on the record in the kitchen of my Whitechapel flat while my housemates were at work. (You can hear the ambulances in the background when you isolate some of the tracks)”.

This invigorating approach helped distill the initial album sketches into a compelling and intoxicating listening experience - with all tracks sharing similar subtle themes and commonalities running throughout. Album opener ‘Pause’ pairs psychedelic influences with a cyclic loping groove and focuses on recognising a safe space that can act as a refuge. Taking inspiration from Steely Dan, Brian Bennett & Azymuth, ‘Emerald’ channels Jazz rock, 70's LA studio energy, with the faster funk sections featuring an unruly amount of mouth percussion, synth lead lines, and vocal melodies that weave in and around the tight horn arrangements. ‘All Seeds’ is a heady blend of samba and Brazilian street soul, with field recordings of Don’s old house in Melbourne providing additional seasoning. ‘First Touch’ is a downtempo 80’s boogie-infused gem, keeping proceedings nice and sleazy. The final three movements move through one fluid composition, charting the disorientating course of a fever dream, through beguiling astral travels, unexplainable occurrences, and transcendent moments.

On the album’s title, Don explains: ‘The name Don't Forget To Have Fun is a nice reminder to myself about the journey of the album. How you can change the narrative by keeping a positive attitude, trusting the process and continually experimenting.’ A true work of art, traversing jazz, funk, soul, RnB, samba and beyond, this record is hard to describe, but even harder to forget.

Natty Reeves returns with new single 'Bloom', featuring trumpeter Jackson Mathod

It’s been a couple of years since we last heard new music from Brighton-based songwriter and producer Natty Reeves. As will become evident upon listening to new single ‘Bloom’, it’s been time well spent crafting a distinctive sound shifting away from hip-hop, and deeper into the world of Brazilian music.

Natty encourages listeners to look out for new opportunities, and not be afraid to take a leap of faith. Working with trumpet player and serial collaborator Jackson Mathod, he creates a gentle atmosphere, blending rhythmic percussion with serene guitars and warm horn layers. He shares:

“This was the first song I made for this project, and I think it sets the tone for the rest of the EP. I want to give a massive thanks to my good friend Jackson Mathod for playing horns on this - I’ve always admired his playing and he really gave this track a lift!”

Informed in equal parts by the songwriting discipline of artists including Ben Watt and James Taylor, as well as the deep harmonic and rhythmic language of Brazilian jazz pioneers João Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Luiz Bonfá, Natty’s forthcoming ‘Mist Over Water’ EP sees him craft a sound that is distinctly his own. Stripped back and raw, the music places Spanish guitar and Natty’s vocals front-and-centre for a free-flowing, tender journey, during which he reflects on the fleeting nature of life, and the importance of looking inwards to grow without putting too much pressure on each moment.

“I wanted to make a project that felt honest to who I am, something that represented my thoughts at this stage of my life. Recently I’ve been thinking about second chances, new growth and how fleeting life is - coming back to the sounds and rhythms I love, not trying too hard to make something that people would find impressive, this is a bit more introspective and forgiving of myself. I just hope that listeners enjoy the sounds and find some peace of their own in these songs!”

As well as working on ‘Mist Over Water’, Natty has been hard at work on other projects. Released earlier this year under his instrumental hip-hop alias Astairé, his ‘Greener Days’ EP is a tasteful blend of hip-hop sensibilities with bossa-nova-tinged passages and uplifting improvisatory flavours. A prolific writer and sought-after collaborator in his own right, he’s also collaborated with the likes of Matt Wilde, Simon Jefferis and Abhi The Nomad. 

Don Glori fuses Samba and Brazilian street soul on 'All Seeds'

Don Glori is arriving hot with a heady blend of Samba and Brazilian street soul, with field recordings of Don’s old house in Melbourne providing additional seasoning. ‘

The final offering lifted from his forthcoming record 'Don't Forget To Have Fun' sees a deeper dive into Don Glori's album with the track 'All Seeds' - a heady blend of Samba and Brazilian street soul that fills the track from the beginning, with further sprinkles of flavouring from the tenor saxophone and clavinet weaving throughout, as the groove-filled track is topped off with field recordings of Don’s old house in Melbourne providing additional seasoning.

Listen to all the singles below, and pre-order the LP in black + limited edition smoked blue vinyl now via Bandcamp and the DeepMatter Store.

Myele Manzanza returns with his latest single 'Pencarrow'

Returning with his first single since the release of ‘Crisis & Opportunity, Vol. 4 – Meditations’, Myele Manzanza gets the band back together for a continuation of the fluid trio aesthetics established on the record.

Uniting once again with pianist Matthew Sheens (Ross McHenry, John Patitucci) and bassist Matt Penman (Joshua Redman, SFJAZZ Collective), the track sees Manzanza and his trio at their electric, communicative best. Captured in New York as part of the sessions for ‘Crisis & Opportunity, Vol. 4’, the composition is an ode to the beautiful Pencarrow headland in the Wellington region of New Zealand. Reflecting the rocky, windswept coastline and the quiet isolation prevalent for those living in that area of New Zealand’s north island, the initial musical idea came to Myele whilst on one of many long walks and runs along the Pencarrow coast. He shares:

“Pencarrow is a beautiful headland in the Wellington region of New Zealand, down the coast from a suburb called Eastbourne where I had the good fortune of living for a few years. There's a trail that follows the coastline down to the Pencarrow lighthouses that guide the way for ships entering the Wellington harbour. It's a very exposed and isolated area with high winds and occasionally treacherous ocean waves that crash into the stark, rocky coastline, and steep hills. I would often go for runs or long walks down the coast, and it offered a place to clear my head and get my thoughts straight.”

Known for his genre-spanning, infectiously vibrant music, drummer and composer Myele Manzanza puts rhythm at the front and centre of his work, framing it as the universal life pulse that governs movement, an intuitive connection between body and sound. Having established himself as one of the most energetic and exciting jazz musicians within the thriving worldwide scene, the New Zealand-born, London-based artist has made a major impact on the global music landscape. A founding member of Electric Wire Hustle, he has eleven solo releases to his name and racked up tours and collaborations with Jordan Rakei, Theo Parrish, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Recloose and Amp Fiddler amongst others.

Having developed a strong live presence in his new London base, his band has shared stages with the likes of Hiatus Kaiyote, The Bad Plus, Alfa Mist, and drawing packed houses to esteemed venues such as The Jazz Café and Ronnie Scott’s where he hosts a monthly residency. Over the past three years, the first four instalments of his lauded 'Crisis & Opportunity’ record series have seen Myele garner praise from Mary Anne Hobbs, Cerys Matthews, Jamie Cullum, Huey Morgan, The Guardian, Complex, Jazz FM, Lefto, Worldwide FM, Jazzwise and more. 

The Offline - Les Cavaliers

Cinematic-soul maestro The Offline is back and continuing to brew his signature blend of sunny, cinematic soul on his latest offering, ‘Les Cavaliers’.

Again channelling the spirit of film composers from the 1960s and 70s like Brian Bennet & David Axelrod, ‘Les Cavaliers’ reunites the colourful cast of musical characters found on ‘La couleur de la mer’, including Chris Hill (Drums), Hans-Christian Stephan (Flugelhorn) and Kimo Eiserbeck (Flute). A continuation of The Offline’s ongoing homage to surf spots in the south of France, the playful tune captures the warm summer breeze, the taste of salt in the air, and the laid-back atmosphere that so often comes with the sun beating down on a glorious coastal day. On the track, The Offline shares:

“Les Cavaliers pays tribute to the Aquitaine region of France, which has been a big influence on my music. The track came about a few days after my debut album was released, capturing a moment of relief to turn the page on one chapter, yet anticipation of what will come.”

Aptly named, ‘Thème de la couleur de la mer’ opens proceedings, establishing the core motifs of the record. Haunting flutes and xylophones lead the way into Khruangbin-esque guitar lines, which sit against a hip-hop canvas that returns on boom-bap head boppers like ‘Quelque chose reste’. Retro soul revival takes precedence on deep cuts like ‘Un bout de chemin’, with wah-gated guitars interacting with emotive cello lines and symphonic string & horn sections.

The Offline came to life when composer and photographer Felix Müller travelled the Atlantic coastline in the south of France with his analogue camera, capturing beach life on film. After coming back to Hamburg, he started writing songs as the sonic counterpart to the analogue visuals. His Debut EP ‘En Clair-Obscur’ includes five tracks that capture the essence of his journey and the feeling of a cool summer soundtrack. 

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Don Glori unleashes 9 minute funk-fuelled gem 'Emerald'

Melbourne-raised, now London-based multi-instrumentalist and producer Don Glori channels Mildlife, Azymuth and Steely Dan on bopping psych-jazz-funk cut 'Emerald'.

A mainstay in Don’s live set, the track finally gets the studio treatment, channelling 70s LA studio energy into lush, synth-laden soundscapes, weaving horn lines, floating vocal melodies and grooving funk sections featuring an unruly amount of mouth percussion. 

This is the second single from his forthcoming album ‘Don’t Forget to Have Fun’, out June 7th of DeepMatter Records, following the release of the album’s first offering ‘First Touch’.

Listen to both tracks below, and pre-order the LP in black + limited edition smoked blue vinyl now via Bandcamp and the DeepMatter Store.