January 9, 2024
→ Aaannddd... We back! I took a few months break to take some perspectives on Le Mellotron, and the relevance of such a project in a world where there's so much music content available everywhere out there. Conclusion is... Who cares! It's all about the passion for exploring, curating and sharing great music. So we keep going, with nothing else than music at stake. The shapes of Le Mellotron to come are unknown and there's a lot of excitement about it. Thanks to everyone who reached out! This week, catching up with new releases from 2023... Starting with very anticipated second LP by iZem and probably my favorite song of his, with the great vocals of Spanish, London-based Clara Serra Lopez. It's been such a joy to be a part of the creative process... Next is "give me ur love" by UK-based Another Chemical Love Story, great laid-back track. Paris-based Neil Bopperson, Le Mellotron resident DJ, released a very meditative and reflexive EP about wellness in general, and specifically in the music world. First release on his new label +33JOY, with spoken word by LA-based Bikbaye Inejnema. Love it! RIP Les McCann, the great American jazz panist and vocalist passed away at the very end of 2023, paying tribute with "Burnin' Coal" from his classic 1969 "Much Les" LP for Atlantic. Wrapping it up with "Bom Bon Boogie", very interesting latin-jazz-funk fusion by Lou Perez. Orquesta Aragon meets Labi Siffre... Looking forward to this new year in music. Happy 2024! Lekin
No Lo Busco
iZem, Clara Serra Lopez
give me ur love
Another Chemical Love Story
Consumption
Bopperson, Bikbaye, Sam Crowe
Bom Bon Boogie
Lou Perez
Burnin' Coal
Les McCann
June 6, 2023
→ This week! Montreal-Portland collab with the new Kaytraminé LP, Australian-based soulful 30/70's 5th album ART MAKE LOVE, one more brilliant talent from Australia with new single "Carpe Diem" by Melbourne-based Horatio Luna, and a new LP by Brazilian fusion jazz Grupo Um on Far Out Recordings. Also looking back at Michigan based Tod Osborn's brilliant Osborne house LP released in 2008 on Ghostly International.
Master P
KAYTRAMINÉ, KAYTRANADA, Aminé
HOLY ROLLER
30/70
Carpe Diem
Horatio Luna
Onze por Oito
Grupo Um
L8
Osborne
May 15, 2023
→ This week! Rising Aboriginal Miss Kaninna releases her first single, Ghanaian King Ayisoba released vibrant new LP on Glitterbeat, and a new delivery from brilliant DJ, record collector and taste maker Rebecca Vasmant's label with Glasgow-based collective Azamiah. Looking back at Sunbear's 1977 LP with funky and enchanting "Let Love Flow for Peace" and the great puerto rican Bobby Valentin's folky "Fire And Rain" from his 1970 LP "Algo Nuevo" on Fania.
Blak Britney
Miss Kaninna
Good Things God Knows
King Ayisoba
Night Woman
Azamiah
Let Love Flow for Peace
Sunbear
Fire And Rain
Bobby Valentin
April 4, 2023
→ This week! New Daptone Records signee Jalen Ngonda with its infectiously energetic soul new single, Italian project Larry Manteca revives exotica music, the amazing live South African act BCUC is back with a new album due in June and a first haunting single "Pieces of Isht". Flying South to Caracas for a re-issue of Andrés y sus Estrellas's first 1976 LP and back North to the US for the Spanish version of classic "Groovin'" by The Young Rascals.
If You Don't Want My Love
Jalen Ngonda
Ufo Bossa - Remastered
Larry Manteca
Pieces of Isht
BCUC
Linda Caraqueña
Andrés y Sus Estrellas
Groovin' (Spanish Version)
The Young Rascals
March 28, 2023
→ This week! A focus on a sound emerging and mixing ambient, soul & disco and pop with the beautiful works of three projets from the UK, Australia and New Zealand (Qwalia, The Lahaar and Summer Vee)... Great stuff! Then off to the Americas with Peruvian salsa and boogaloo pianist Alfredo Linares and Chicagoan eight-piece band The Eight Minutes, who's 1972 LP "An American Family" on Perception Records is being re-released via BBE Music.
Sound & Reason
Qwalia
Work Work Work
The Lahaar
Judas
Summer Vee
Vuelve
Alfredo Linares
