Hermitude is back with a new full length release, “Threads” which is darker from previous outings, but still has that dope downtempo vibe.  This particular track has a great piano lead throughout.

Hermitude – Frayed (ft. Steve Clisby)

As always, I just love Kathrin deBoer’s vocals on just about anything.  And to add to my collection of tracks which feature Kathrin’s voice, is her recently released album with her group Belleruche, “The Express”.  My favorite track from this release is, “Like 4 the Hard Way” which has a lazy jazzy feel to it.

Belleruche – Like 4 the Hard Way

Related Post:

Belleruche – Northen Girls

Here’s a cool down tempo jam for the after party — from Frenchman DJ CAM (aka Laurent Daumail).  This is from his last album released in 2007 called “Lost and Found”

From Last.fm:

Parisian hip-hop devotee Laurent Daumail is one of a few but growing number of French artists updating hip-hop for the chill-out crowd, drawing on the beats’n’samples groundwork of producers such as Rakim, DJ Premier, and Prince Paul and combining it with broad, impressionistic strokes of dub, jazz, and soundtrack-y ambience. Like countrymen the Mighty Bop and la Funk Mob, Cam is stylistically closest to Mo’Wax artists such as DJ Shadow and DJ Krush; minimalist, downbeat instrumental hip-hop built from obscure samples and stomp-box turntable accompaniment, bent and twisted into new, artfully arranged compositions.

His debut, 1994’s Underground Vibes, was released on the tiny French label Street Jazz and was followed by a live recording for the Inflammable imprint (one of only a few “live” recordings in a genre so reliant on the temporal concessions of the recording studio). Dubbed Underground Live, the album featured performed extrapolations of many of the tracks from his debut, as well as a few new and improvised tracks. Now nearly impossible to find, those first two albums were reissued in America by Shadow Records, packaged together as the single-CD priced Mad Blunted Jazz (particularly useful since acquiring both on import could run more than 50 dollars!).

Although Cam’s music has found little acceptance in his home country, audiences in the U.K., Japan, and America have begun picking up on his style. In 1996 Cam was featured on, among many others, the sprawling Mo’Wax compilation Headz 2, remixed tracks for such artists as Tek 9 and la Funk Mob, and most recently collaborated on live and in-studio projects with Snooze and DJ Krush (he co-wrote a few tracks on the latter’s 1997 Mo’Wax release, Mi Sound).

DJ Cam – La 4eme Dimension

From myspace:

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2008 !!!!!!!!! DJ CAM IS WORKING ON HIS NEW LP ” SEVEN” .HIS REAL NEW STUDIO ALBUM SINCE ” SOULSHINE ” IN 2002 . “SEVEN” WILL BE THE FOLLOWING OF ” SUBSTANCES ” RELEASED IN 1996 WORLDWIDE BY SONY . DJ CAM IS WORKING ON SOME TRACKS WITH FINK , CHRIS JAMES FROM STATELESS , INLOVE , MC EIHT ……. ************************************************************************

Production and sound on this track reminds me of Air.  Laidback, smooth but also vibrant with silky smooth vocals from Ginger Mackenzie

Biography:

What do you get when Texas girl moves to Berlin?A sexy and sensual mix of poetic, heartfelt, sometimes smooth sometimes gritty, and sometimes coquettish Pop, Nu jazz and Alternative! Ginger Mackenzie has found her voice! If you love Kate Bush, Feist, Regina Spektor, Suzanne Vega and music in this genre, you will love this record!

The Ginger Mackenzie of the past was compared to Jewel and Dido, but the sultry voiced slightly neurotic European influenced Ginger Mackenzie is artistically treading into Kate Bush territory. At the same time, Ginger somehow remains true to her signature catchy melodies and thought provoking lyrical style.

Ginger Mackenzie is back with her first album in nearly 5 years. We think you’re gonna love it!

Landing Gear was produced by Guy Sternberg in Berlin and features an 18 piece Berlin orchestra. This album is a sonic treat for music lovers!

MySpace:	http://www.myspace.com/gingermackenzie
CDBaby:	http://cdbaby.com/found?allsearch=ginger+mackenzie

Ginger Mackenzie – Inside View 

This totally caught me off-guard, I found this on the HOT page on thesixtyone.com. Melting me with her Tracey Thorn-esque voice meets a downtempo soul songstress — this in a word is, WOW. The production on her album is no less amazing. Sometimes using hip hop loops with a jazz guitar and other times messing with loops in a fashion very similar to BENT.

This Track can be found on her 2007 release called, “Smoke Rings”

You can purchase her album here.

Dri – You Know I Tried

Here’s the video for the track as well:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t8hE9X_E-w

This track can be found on Emancipator’s, “Soon It Will Be Cold Enough” album, which was released in 2006.  Love the violins on this track and the beautiful arrangement of beats.  Emancipator was 19 years old when he released this album from college.  For me, this is what Delerium should sound like but doesn’t.

You can read the ongoing of Emancipator on his blog and even get a glimpse of his Music Studio from his Studio Apartment.

Emancipator – Anthem

Chilled, downtempo, elegant, lush are words that come to mind when you listen to Arkestra One.  This album would sit nicely in the collected company of Koop, Nicola Conte, Waldeck and Thievery Corporation.  The entire album is something you would play late at night with a drink in hand.

Short Bio courtesy of last.fm:

Arkestra One are a duo composed by two “British immigrants”, Matthew Timoney (producer) and Nina Miranda (vocalist).  They perform a beat-heavy version of Brazilian pop (Nina comes from Brazil) with a good electronic component.  Their project started with a self-titled debut album in late 2002.

And for the inspiring musicians out there, this is what Matthew uses to create these landscapes:

Technics 1210 / Vinyl manipulation / addiction; Rhodes stage 73 electric piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, Akai/EMU samplers, Rhythm machine drumbox, Korg MS20, Moog Sonic Six, Hammond B3 organ, Vibraphone, Roland space echo 501 tape delay, Watkins copycat tape del7

This track is taken off of Arkestra One’s self titled 2002 release.

Arkestra One – I Really Want You

myspace

If you like Koop, Waldeck, Nicola Conte you’ll enjoy this track by King Kooba. This track as a nice hip, jazzy, downtempo vibe with breathy vocals.

A little more info from King Kooba’s wiki:

King Kooba is the duo of producer Matt Harris (DJ Shuff) and Charlie Tate. They are an electronica DJ duo from the United Kingdom. Legend says that they were formed over a pint of beer at Charlie’s Mom’s pub in London, England. They are currently signed to the Om Records label, and have done work for many of their compilations, such as the Om Lounge series. Their style consists of

a mixture of funk, soul, latin, jazz, and hip hop, with some electronic elements such as synthesizers and drum machines. Some of their music, such as the song “Blue Mosque”, are influenced by Middle Eastern.

[audio:http://www.audiodrums.com/audio/King_Kooba_ Fooling_Myself_Easy_Access_Orchestra_Mix.mp3]

[download]

[myspace]

  From Australia comes Hermitude with their Trip Hop/Jazz/Koop influenced downtempo grooves.

Solid production from the boys from downunder who are currently signed to Elefant Traks.  They have also just released a new EP titled, “Rare Sightings”

 [audio:http://highrize.wordpress.com/files/2007/11/hermitude-dubs-theme.mp3]

[download]

[myspace]

Buy Album: Rare Sightings

Da Sunlounge aka Simon Newby from the UK creats downtempo breakbeat house with soul flavorings.

 [audio:http://highrize.wordpress.com/files/2007/11/dasunloungerudejazz.mp3]

[download]

[myspace]

Nice laid back jam from Flying Lotus.  Flying Lotus is known primarily as the artist who produces many of the bumpers on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim. His great-aunt is the late Alice Coltrane.

[audio:http://highrize.wordpress.com/files/2007/11/flying-lotus-tea-leaf-dancers.mp3]

[download]

[myspace]

Buy Album:Reset EP

Chris Zippel from Germany has just release his album entitled, “Genuine Horizon”.  Album is very chilled out and downtempo electronica.  Vocals on this track provided by Adel Tawil (one half of the german group, Ich + Ich.).

Removed per request

Listen to Chris at his myspace page.

The entire album can be previewed at CD Baby: http://cdbaby.com/cd/moontrane

Isabelle Antena – Omerta (Bossa remix by nicola conte)

This is a groovy down tempo brazilian bossa nova jazz track to start your day off right. Has a very Koop sound to the track.

Downtempo trip hop esque track with a haunting bass line. The bass line itself sounds like it would fit nicely in a Gorillaz track. I love the vocals on this track sung by Kathrin deBoer.

Belleruche – Northen Girls

taken from: BELLERUCHE : Four Songs EP

Nitin Sawhney remix of Sting’s – A Thousand Years

This remix of Sting’s A Thousand Years has a light splattering of electronic elements, a dope dub bassline, and world sounding elements throughout. Nice, chilled, and relaxing.

taken from: Still Be Love In The World (2001)

Ulrich Schnauss - Stars

[audio:http://highrize.wordpress.com/files/2007/09/ulrich-schnauss-stars.mp3]

This track is a massive wall of sound similar to shoegazing acts like Lush, Slowdive, and Cocteau Twins. Give this track a minute or two to be drawn in and drowned in a beautiful mix of electronic bliss and dreamy vocals.

Ulrich Schnauss - Medusa

[audio:http://highrize.wordpress.com/files/2007/09/08-medusa.mp3]
Meduse has swelling vocals that ebb and flow to a soothing wall of sound and a climactic wash, that has a little harder hitting action to it compaired to “Stars”

Both tracks can be found on the Goodbye album by Ulrich Schnauss

Ikon’s downtempo track feels like a cool breeze with vocals that sound very similar to Zero 7.

Ikon -Signs