SOUL UNLIMITED Radioshow 670

The first album highlight is the first installment of the new compilation series “Hopes And Dreams,” released by Tramp Records. The compilation was curated by label head Tobias Kirmayer and presents rare and previously unreleased psychedelic soul treasures. The new series draws inspiration from the “Praise Poems” series released on the same label. The bar has been set high, and this collection of eleven obscure, rare, and above all outstanding songs fully lives up to it. There’s great, previously unheard music to discover here, and Tobias Kirmayer deserves congratulations on this exceptionally successful launch of the new series. Excellent—and therefore the Album of the Week!

The second album highlight comes from Jon Lucien. The album “In Search Of The Inner Self,” released on vinyl for the first time by the label Kent Records, contains recordings Jon Lucien made in 1969, but which, with the exception of the single “Search For The Inner Self,” were never released on vinyl. Jon Lucien had self-released the recordings in 1999 on a CD limited to 100 copies. The songs on the album are consistently great, and so it’s a real pleasure for me to have them on vinyl in my collection. The album can rightly be called an essential Jon Lucien album, standing alongside “must-have” classics like “Rashida” and “Mind’s Eye.” Great!

Inspired by this, I dug up another classic from my collection by Terry Callier. His 1973 album “I Just Can’t Help Myself” was his third and final release for the Cadet Records label. These three albums for Cadet Records were significantly shaped by his collaboration with the legendary arranger, producer, and composer Charles Stepney. On this album, Terry Callier created subtle and nuanced songs that captivate with their quiet intensity. A classic that stands alongside his albums “What Color Is Love” and “Occasional Rain.”

The Milan-based duo The Dining Rooms has released their 12th studio album. They started out in the realm of slow instrumental beats, what was called “trip hop” years ago. Over time, they’ve varied their sound somewhat, shifting toward a song-oriented approach and inviting guest vocalists. On the new album “Lost In The Spinning Sound,” that’s Chiara Castello, who can be heard on eight of the ten songs. The songs oscillate between cinematic sounds, funk, dub, folk, and pop—a mix that sounds quite interesting.

Last but not least, an album many have been waiting for: “News From Planet Zombie,” the new album by The Notwist. The band has always crossed genre boundaries with their music and, as a result, has a broad fan base. The new album is the first since 1995 that the band has recorded together in the studio with an expanded live lineup. It’s an album that radiates an immediate, warm-raw energy, with songs that focus on the global upheavals of our time without losing the band’s humanistic core. Great! Enjoy listening to this episode!

Tracklist:

Soul Unlimited – Radioshow Theme
Camille Yarbrough - Take Yo’ Praise
Mike James Kirkland - Love Scenario
Angels Of Libra - Road To Mandalay
Guamanian Frankie & The Karter's Peanut Organization - Excuse Me Friend
Reflection - She Who Stands Beside Me
Family Progression - Feeling Free
Sha La Das - Young Love & Laughter
Fred Williams & The Jewels Band - Tell Her
Wayne McGhie - The Love You Save
Jon Lucien - We Got Love
Jon Lucien - Search For The Inner Self
Terry Callier - Gotta Get Closer To You
Terry Callier - (I Just Can’t Help Myself) I Don’t Want Nobody Else
Michael Kiwanuka - Tell Me A Tale
Jonathan Jeremiah - See (It Doesn’t Bother Me)
Jeb Loy Nichols - Do The Get Together
Bobby Oroza - I Got Love
Thee Marloes - I’d Be Lost
Jalen Ngonda - Doctrine Of Love
Tiwayo - Sunshine Lady
Suggie Otis - Strawberry Letter
The Dining Rooms - I Don’t Know Why
The Dining Rooms - Lost In The Spinning Sound
Ori Kaplan & Lihu Melamed - Shangri La
Bolbec - En Voiture
American Gypsy - Golden Ring
The Notwist - How The Story Ends
The Notwist - The Turning
Budos Band - Gun Metal Grey