it’s no secret that we love all kinds of music at colectivo futuro, given the diversity of our crew and collaborators we are always striving to share what we like to call “goodmusics” from across the board. whether it’s the latest UK bass dance-floor burner, the crooning of an in-the-making folk and soul star, or the latest crossover between underground electronic music and future pop; we believe any kind of music has a time and place. to quote Dr. John, one of the artists behind one of our favorite albums so far this year: “because music is broadening, and the more music you listen to, the more you have to draw from.” (Clash Magazine, June 2012). without further ado, here’s our favorite 5 albums so far this year (click on covers to purchase)

michael kiwanuka – home again [polydor]

The long anticipated release of ‘Home Again’ by Michael Kiwanuka, winner of the BBCs sound of 2012, absolutely eclipsed our expectations. This is his first full-length release under Polydor Records, after his first EP release back in April 2011. This is an album full of gems from an artist full of talent, who’s been drawing comparisons to classic north American soul artists, such as Otis Redding & Bill Withers. From its opening song to its closing number Kiwanuka submerges us in a world full of sweet and vintage 70’s soulful country and folk. Remarkable singles include mid-tempo, groovy cuts such as ‘Tell Me a Tale’, sweet country ballads like ‘Rest’ and ‘Bones’, and some great folk numbers such as ‘Home Again’ and ‘Always Waiting’. An album worth listening from top to bottom that doesn’t aim to introduce new sounds or trends, but one that reminds us how nice and sweet it is to go back to our roots and enjoy the passing of time. (by arash fattahi)

john talabot - ƒin [permanent vacation]

Is John Talabot the product of hype? some people might argue that, but the artist who began his career as D.A.R.Y.L., has been making a name for himself with EPs and remixes on Permanent Vacation, Young Turks, and his own imprint Hivern Discs.  the record kicks off with ‘Depak Ine‘, which sets a proper precedent for what is an enjoyable listen from start to finish. ‘Fin’ which translates to ‘the end’ is described by Talabot himself as the end of a cycle of sorts, with the goal of creating a complete listening experience without resorting to big club cuts. this is a record full of haunting melodies and hidden grooves, that owes as much to Chicago House as it does to the psychedelic concoctions of Animal Collective. some of the absolute highlights here are both collaborations with Pional titled ‘Destiny’ and ‘So Will Be Now’, 80s sounding and aptly titled ‘When The Past Was Present’, and tension driven ‘El Oeste’. this album certainly makes John Talabot one to watch for the future! (by miguel colmenares)

dr. john – locked down [nonesuch]

On Locked Down, the legendary Dr. John releases a brilliant new album with ten strong cuts, excellently produced by Dan Auerbach of grammy-winning retro-rockers, The Black Keys. Mixing Nigerian afrobeat, dub effects, and the guitar of the aforementioned Mr. Auerbach into his gumbo pot of New Orleans R&B and funk, jazz, rock & roll, gospel and so on, Dr. John is back in full force with arguably some of his best recordings since his sides with the Meters and Allen Toussaint. Simultaneously an exercise in retro techniques, yet clearly very modern, it’s so refreshing to see an American legend making an album this good, so late in their career. And who wouldn’t want to hear this live? Locked Down, right album, right time. (by oli brunetti)

bonobo – black sands remixed [ninja tune]

standout remix albums are hard to come by; yet bonobo’s outstanding ‘Black Sands’ LP, released back in 2010, makes an impressive comeback in the form of a well curated selection of renditions thoroughly embedded in the current state of affairs of the UK bass scene. from start to finish this is a more than enjoyable listen that takes the listener through moments of introspection with cuts such as ‘All In Forms’ remixed by NYC based Mike Slott and ‘Stay The Same’ re-imagined by Mark Pritchard; while also adding slices of heavy dance-floor manipulation with the upbeat reenactments of ‘Eyesdown’ by both Floating Points and Machinedrum. the greatness of this record is perhaps the fact that it’s a must for DJs in the know and headphone listeners alike, leaving no room for it to be left behind. (by miguel colmenares)

dva – pretty ugly [hyperdub]

DVA, aka Scratcha, finally dropped his Pretty Ugly album, an inevitable favorite here at colectivo futuro. For us, this is an album that has definitely lived up to its hype. DVA continues to develop his unique style that has to date encapsulated elements of grime, house, funky, broken beat, rnb and so on to a full album, containing various quality vocal performances from the likes of Fatima, Cornelia, A.L., Natalie Maddix, Muhsinah, Zaki Ibrahim and the multi-talented Vikter Duplaix. Some have criticized its variety, or ‘lack of focus’. But to quibble over a consistently engaging and original album packed with so many heavy dancefloor tracks sitting next to deep electronic soul jams, seems a little trite. (by oli brunetti)

other standouts so far this year include the left of centre soul & funk of awE naturalE by THEESatisfaction, the Madlib produced Seeds by Georgia Anne Muldrow, the sudden tranquility of Orcas by Orcas aka Benoît Pioulard & Rafael Anton Irisarri, and the hauntedness of Iradelphic by Clark

No stranger to change, from a teenager with his own pirate station to national radio at the BBC, the career of veteran radio and club DJ, Gilles Peterson, recently took a major turn. Only a couple of weeks ago, Gilles left BBC Radio 1, home to his award-winning Worldwide show for the last 14 years, to start a new chapter at BBC Radio 6. Although  many listeners were left saddened at the news of his departure, the new show kicked off with a bang, with Peterson clearly excited about the new, longer format, which now broadcasts for three hours on Saturdays and during broad daylight!

Over the last decade or so, Worldwide has documented many exciting currents of music. Music that often slipped between typical genre terms, ‘joining-the-dots’ between overly-defined styles – jazz, hip hop, soul, electronic music and so on; providing historical context, delving regularly into his deep record collection and highlighting important reissues, while unearthing gems from round the globe. Gilles ended his tenure at Radio 1 with an excellent series of retrospectives, charting the show’s journey through time and various styles of music – while simultaneously giving a reminder of the number of acts the show was responsible for giving important exposure to at an early stage, such as The Roots, M.I.A., Moodymann, The Cinematic Orchestra and many more.

So it is without much further ado that we give you a very special interview with the man himself, making this the first interview edition of colectivo digs! You can listen to Gilles Peterson on BBC Radio 6 Music every Saturday from 3-6pm London time (10am – 1pm EST) - bbc.co.uk/6music or you can alternatively catch up via listen again

5 minutes with…

GILLES PETERSON (BBC Radio / Brownswood / LDN)

bbc radio 6 | worldwide | lost tape connection | twitter: @gillespeterson 

* You’ve had one of the longest running shows at Radio 1; what were your proudest achievements during your time there?

Wow. So many good times. Achievement wise, probably winning a Sony Gold Award but managing to play artists like Amy Winehouse and Jay Electronica at Demo Stage was good. Being able to share a studio with John Peel is the thing I cherish the most…

* In your mind, how will the new show differ from that on Radio 1, apart from the obvious difference of doing it in daylight?

The new show just gives me the opportunity to stretch out even more – to really push the musical boundaries even further. I feel that the audience is very proactive and that interaction is very exciting for me - daytime is brilliant – I’m really enjoying that!

* Do you think the new timeslot will allow for your music to reach a different group of listeners? And if so, will you program the music with that in mind?

I suppose there are things to take into consideration here – yes the nerds are still listening but I can really feel that there are many people who don’t really know what I do and are just super open to hearing great music – that is so fresh to me. I think the new time slot will really allow me to break music. I’m hoping to find the right balance between new and old and obvious and random!

* It sounded like you really enjoyed the first show? What are you most excited about regards the change?

I just want to get into a relaxed place with the show where I can really feel like I’m in my front room with a bunch of mates flicking through music – everyone’s dream basically!

* Are there artists new or old that you’d like really like to focus on more, since the switch to BBC Radio 6 Music?

Not really, I’m just hoping that the music doesn’t ever dry up! The best thing about living in the UK for me is that it’s a constant fountain of music and art and youth culture and fashion. It’s still on the top of the charts globally for me. There’s a constant source of fine stuff as long as you search for it!

* Of all your shows at Radio 1, have you got a favourite?

The last show was a lot of fun getting all my old producers in but otherwise I really enjoyed doing shows with Roy Ayers and Questlove and my interview with Theo Parrish on the same show as a Maida Vale session with Meshell Ndegeocello – that was a classic show!

* You had so many amazing live sessions. There must be too many to choose from, but if you could, what would you say was your most memorable?

The last one between Tigran Hamasyan and LV was pretty special – a good collaboration always works for me. Dwele with Roy Hargrove was good too…

* Will you continue to commission live sessions for the new show, and if so, is there anyone you’d really like to feature that you can tell us about?

We will still be doing bits and also using the live lounge area. I’m hoping to get Eska in in a couple of weeks’ time before her show at the QEH – she’s the most amazing unsung British singer out there. That will be a good one to start with…

* And finally, what is your favourite thing about living in London?

Leaving for a few days and then coming back…

this time around we want to dedicate our colectivo digs feature to the amazingly talented, southampton based artist, Will Ozanne aka gang colours, whose album will drop 27/02/12 on world renowned, future musics label brownswood recordings. discovered by the equally talented, ghostpoet, who introduced him to the brownswood family via a remix for his debut single, Will’s style is very much rooted in UK garage and modern r&b, but not without the addition of his very own personal touch. his music oozes passion and individuality, something that is ever so apparent while experiencing his gear-laden live show. it’s in the live environment where one can truly connect with Will and his music, which is why we recommend attending any of his scheduled shows, which you can track here.

• Wed, Mar 7 | 7:00 pm
  The Castle, Manchester Free
• Thu, Mar 8 | 7:00 pm
  Vortex Jazz Club, London £8
• Sun, May 6 | 10:00 pm
  Stealth, Nottingham (Dj Set)
• Fri, May 11 | 10:00 pm
  Aka Aka Roar @ Life, Brighton (Dj Set) TBC

in his bio, Will summarizes his particular soft spot for slow, dreamy electronic sounds with a few words: “Whenever I used to get an album, I’d always be drawn to the slower song. Even on Dizzee Rascal’s ‘Boy In Da Corner’, I loved that track ‘Brand New Day’; it was just really simple and quite emotive”. and it’s clear from start to finish that “The Keychain Collection” is an album swamped with emotional cuts that often hint at Will’s own personal experiences and childhood memories.

you can preview the album via brownswood’s soundcloud page, or better yet if you’re in london you can go buy it from rough trade before the official release date. in the meantime feel free to connect with gang colours via facebook or twitter @gangcolours for future happenings. also, we recommend listening to his two spotify available EPs by clicking here.

Gang Colours – ‘The Keychain Collection’
LP / CD / Digital released 27th February 2012
Brownswood Store / Amazon / iTunes

Gang Colours – The Keychain Collection // Album Teaser by Brownswood

For the next Colectivo Digs feature, we would like to call your attention to Memphis’ Gavin Mays aka Cities Aviv.  Shout outs to Memphis for this fantastic submission into the eclectic hip-hop landscape. The Memphis rapper draws inspiration from a wide variety of music, ranging from soul to minimal wave.  90’s hip-hop is no stranger in his creative mood board. Although surrounded by three six [mafia] albums, Memphis rap, and other underground rap influences, Mays, spent his time listening to metal, alternative rock and punk, and even became part of a hardcore band–Copwatch.  After Copwatch disbanded, Mays, decided to give writing rhymes his full attention. As per his profile on tumblr and facebook, his mission statement is to make pop music for the unpopular.

The 22-year-old idiosyncratic Memphis rapper’s main body of work can be heard in the debut CD, Digital lows. In digital lows, cities hits us with an uncommon flow, precise wit, and amusement-laced ferocity from an outsider/insider perspective onto hazy tracks and the occasional jaggy boom-bap beat. Cities aviv brings some serious personality and originality, evident in his references to 90’s cult bands, 90’s hip-hop, rhythms and witty rhymes.  Digital lows won’t be anything you can pigeonhole either; it is intended to be all over the place, just like the scatterbrained rapper.

So now that you know what’s up, keep track of Cities Aviv via his twitter: @citiesaviv and be on the lookout for his next batch of old school inspired, twisted, and future searching beats & rhymes.

Photograph by Stefano Pesarelli, winner of national geographic 2011 photo

you’ve probably already seen about a million top lists of 2011, but that won’t deter us from sharing our most memorable records of the year. we asked our contributors to provide their favorite lists and when all the results came together these were the albums that provided the year’s most outstanding listens.

listen to our favorite albums of 2011 on spotify

+ drake - take care [cash money] another fantastic effort by drizzy proving that you can combine superb production values with enough pop appeal to get any party going. outstanding track: HYFR (hell ya f***ing right)

+ the weeknd - house of balloons [self released] no other artist had a better year, the weeknd went from nowhere to everywhere by releasing 3 outstanding albums and giving them away for free! swag. outstanding track: the morning

+ gil scott-heron / jamie xx - we’re new here [young turks] a fantastic recontextualisation of the late great’s final album and a clear example of the production wizardry of the british wunderkind. outstanding track: the crutch

+ sbtrkt - sbtrkt [young turks] bass musics meets pop music and what a wonderful thing it is; the best thing about this record is you can either dance to it or simply sing along. outstanding track: something goes right

+ the horrors - skying [xl recordings] future sounding album that proves rockers can sport synthesizers without sounding overly cheesy. outstanding track: moving further away

+ the war on drugs - slave ambient [secretly canadian] a proper rock album full of atmospheric soundscapes, slave ambient is awfully reminiscent of some of the best krautrock records ever released. outstanding track: your love is calling my name

+ thundercat - the golden age of tomorrow [brainfeeder] surprising debut album from soul bassist extraordinaire with co-production by the one and only flying lotus. outstanding track: it really doesn’t matter to you

+ james blake - james blake [atlas recordings] dubstep’s prodigious child gifts us a very personal album full of introspective moments, transcending genres and flirting with timelessness. outstanding track: to care (like you)

+ hype williams - one nation [hippos in tanks] equally mysterious as its creators, this album is one hell of a trip! always on the verge of falling apart, the album is abound with far-out synth explorations providing great and often weird results. outstanding track: break4love

+ cities aviv - digital lows [self released] another proof that you don’t have to be signed to a label to stand out. bringing together the most disparate of influences, this memphis-based rapper oozes originality and flair. outstanding track: a beautiful hell

+ africa hitech – 93 million miles [warp] our favorite bass music related album of the year by far. combining a host of influences, this record will lift all the right spirits and set the feet in motion. outstanding track: our luv

+ m83 - hurry up, we’re dreaming [m83] a more than worthy return of epic proportions, making it seem like they never really went away. perhaps one of the year’s most emotionally charged records. outstanding track: midnight city