Mndsgn aka Ringgo Ancheta is a prolific beat maker, producer, radio host and label owner from San Diego. Snaxx is the second of two albums of unreleased tracks he wanted to release before his next studio album.

Snax (one x ) came out last year and now we have Snaxx (two x’s) and wow if this is the stuff that’s going unreleased then what else must he be doing! I love Mndsgn’s music as he takes you in one direction then another from the woozy psychedelics of his first ep Yawn Zen (which can seriously trip you out) to the last full album Body Wash on which he repurposed influences from 1970s and 1980s boogie and R&B into a conceptual cosmic epic.

On Snaxx he goes back to beat making and produces a stunning album of wonky basslines, languid dreamy beats but with a sense of meaning and purpose. Add some perfectly used guests Jon Bap, Asal Hazel and Pink Siifu and with each track pretty much below three minutes and you have not only the perfect soundtrack to summer but an album that can almost seem to alter time as you enter it’s almost ambient dreamlike world.

Pure Pleasure have been on fire recently with a string of outstanding jazz reissues from labels such as Strata East and Tribe and that rich vein of form now continues with a welcome reissue of Weldon Irvine’s Liberated Brother.

This was Weldon Irvine’s debut as a headliner on his own label Nodlew (Weldon backwards). He had previously been in Kenny Dorham and Joe Henderson’s big band before signing on with Nina Simone as the legendary singer’s organist, bandleader, arranger, and road manager. It was during this time and at Simone’s request he wrote ‘Young Gifted And Black’ after two weeks of writers block the words came to him in a moment of inspiration.

After splitting from Simone he set out on his own releasing Liberated Brother in 1972 and the follow up Time Capsule in 1973 truly finding his own voice with his unique fusion of jazz, funk, soul, blues, and gospel and combined with his social consciousness and spirituality created a timeless sound.

After the 1979 album Sisters it would another 15 years till he would release an album as leader again but in the intervening years he would be rediscovered and embraced by politically minded rappers such as Boogie Down Productions, A Tribe Called Quest and Leaders Of The New School all of whom sampled his work. Unlike some of his contemporaries he embraced this new generation of artists as mentor and guide as well as helping musically artists such as Mos Def, Q-Tip and Common.

Irvine never lost his social conscious and in 1999 called upon Mos Def, Talib Kweli and Q-Tip to record The Price of Freedom, a searing indictment of police brutality inspired by the death of Amadou Diallo, a defenceless African immigrant shot dead by New York cops.

On April 9, 2002, Weldon Irvine committed suicide outside a New York City office complex — he was just 58 years old.

Liberated Brother stands as a testament to an artist at the peak of his art uniting aspects of his life, love of music, spirituality and social consciousness into a truly groundbreaking album

Available here

We’re hooked on this at the moment with it’s nod to classic early American 60’s pop that sounds like you’re driving along the coast to go surfing put through a lo-fi pop blender.

The track Chlorine is a melancholy ballad inspired by Otis Redding and John Waters. Watch it here

Another track from the album is Miss Me and is as SadGirl guitarist/vocalist Misha Lindes explains : “This song is about realizing someone close to you isn’t the person you thought you knew and kind of coming to terms with the fact that they may never share the same values as you. Getting to that point where you decide that it’s no longer worth the effort and it’s better to walk away with what’s important to you still in tact.” 

It’s a tormented love song that transports the listener back to slow dances at a previous generation’s sock hop, only to be subverted by a chorus of “miss me with that bullshit.” 

The good news is there’s a whole album as good and it’s available here…………

Abba _ Voulez Vous 2LP
Bastille – Doom Days Ltd Col LP
Bill Callahan – Shepherd In Sheepskin Vest 2LP
Blu & Exile – True & Livin’ LP
Bob Marley – Legend 35th Anniversary LP
Bruce Springsteen – Western Stars CD / Ltd Col LP
Burial – Claustro / State Forest 12″
Buzzcocks – A Different Kind Of Tension Col LP
Buzzcocks – Singles Going Steady Col LP
Gas – Konogsforest 2LP
Jordan Rakei – Origin Ltd Col LP
Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures Col LP
Kate Tempest – Book Of Traps And Lessons LP
Kitty Kat Fan Club – Dreamy Little You LP
Laurence Pike – Holy Spring Ltd Col LP
Madonna – Madame X CD / LP / Pic Disc 2LP
Mndsgn – Snaxx Ltd Col LP
Noel Gallagher – Black Star Dancing 12″
Ohbliv – Soulphonic LP
Pheromoans – County Lines Col LP
R.E.M – In Time: The Best Of LP
Shellac – End Of The Road 2LP
Tusks – Avalanche LP

Bob Dylan – The Rolling Thunder Revue 14CD Box Set / 4LP Box Set
Colin Potter – Here 2LP
D.O.A – Hardcore 81 LP
D.O.A – 1978 LP
Dope Knife – Things Got Worse Col LP
DJ Yoda – Homecooking LP
FKA Twigs – EP2 12″
Genesis – Seconds Out 2LP
Hoo – Centipede Wisdom LP
Is Bliss – Strange Communications LP
Jake Xerxes Fussell – Out Of Sight LP
Katie Ellen Still Life LP
Kinkajous – Hidden Lines LP
Liam Gallagher – Shockwave 7″
LLoyd McNeill – Treasures LP
Neil Young & Stray Gators – Tuscaloosa CD / 2LP
Peter Perrett – Humanworld LP
Pink Floyd – Division Bell Ltd Col 2LP
Placebo – Placebo LP
Santana – Africa Speaks 2LP
Sting – My Songs 2LP
The Divine Comedy – Office Politics Col 2LP
The Shining Levels – The Gallows Pole LP
Vanishing Twin – The Age Of Immunology Pic Disc LP
Various – Northern Soul All-Dayer LP

THE PRETTY THINGS CD REISSUES

Emotions
Get The Picture?
Parachute

ECM VINYL REISSUES

Charles LLoyd – Voice In The Night 2LP
Jan Garbarek – In Praise Of Dreams LP
Manu Katché – Neighbourhood LP
Nils Petter Molvaer – Khmer LP

NEW ON ECM

Heinz Holliger – Zwiespräche CD

Doves – The Last Broadcast 2LP
Doves – Some Cities 2LP
Doves – Lost Souls 2LP
Ghost-Note – Swagism 2LP
Gnoomes – Mu! Ltd Col LP
Lee Scratch Perry – Rainford Ltd Col LP
Melodie Group – Being & Nothingness CD / LP
Ohbliv – Give Thanks LP
Pink Floyd – Transmissions 1967-68 CD
Pip Bloom – Boat LP
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets – And Now For The Whatchamacallit Ltd Col LP
Richard Hawley – Further Ltd Col LP
Rory Gallagher – Blues 2LP
Sacred Paws – Run Around The Sun LP
Soundwalk Collective with Patti Smith – The Peyote Dance 2LP
The La’s – BBC In Session Ltd Col LP
The Servants – The Sun A Small Star 7″
The Streets – Everything Is Borrowed LP
Various – Vision & Revision 80 Years Of Topic Records 2LP
Vinyl Williams – Opal Ltd Col LP

NEW ON ECM

Anna Gourari – Ellusive Infinity CD
Paul Bley Trio – When Will The Blues Leave CD
Rabbia / Petrella / Aarset – Lost River CD

14KT – For My Sanity LP
Amyl And The Sniffers – S/T Ltd Col LP
Bauhaus – 1979-1983 Vol 1 CD
Billy Childish – Punk Rock Ist Nicht Tot! 1977-2018 3LP
Black Mountain – Destroyer Ltd Col LP
Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career LP
Cate Le Bon – Reward Ltd Col LP
David Bowie – Diamond Dogs Ltd Col LP
Devin Morrison – Bussin’ 2LP
Faye Webster – Atlanta Millionaires Club Ltd Col LP
Flying Lotus – Flamagora 2LP / Del 2LP
Honeyblood – In Plain Sight Ltd Col LP
Jonathan Richman – SA LP
Johnny Moped – Lurrigate Your Mind Ltd Col LP
Morrissey – California Sun CD / Ltd Col LP
OST – Rocketman CD
Primal Scream – Maximum Rock N Roll 2CD / 2LP Vol1 / 2LP Vol 2
Sebadoh – Act Surprised Ltd Col LP
Seba Kaapstad – Think LP
Shafiq Husayn – The Loop LP
Swimming Tapes – Morningside LP
Tears For Fears – The Hurting LP
The Amazons – Future Dust Deluxe LP
The Gil Evans Orchestra – Out Of The Cool LP
The Oscar Peterson Trio – We Get Requests LP
Waterboys – Where The Action Is CD / LP

Alex Lahey – The Best Of Luck Club Ltd Col LP
Black Midi – Talking Heads v. ltd 12″
Black peaches – Fire In The Hole LP
Brad Mehldau – Finding gabriel CD / LP
David Bowie – Boys Keep Swinging 7″ Pic Disc
Death Valley Girls – Glow In The Dark Ltd Col LP
Djinn – Djinn Ltd Col LP
Ebo Taylor , Pat Thomas & Uhuru Yenzu – Hitsville Revisited LP
Erland Cooper – Sule Skerry LP
Hey Colossus – Four Bible Ltd Col LP
Interpol – A Fine mess 12″
L’Epee – Dreams 12″
Mermaidens – You Maintain The Stain Ltd 7″
Olden Yolk – Living Theatre Ltd Col LP
Papir – VI LP
Patience – Dizzy Spells Ltd Col LP
People Under The Stairs – Sincerely The P LP
Qasim Naqvi – Teenages LP
Ras G – Down To Earth Vol 3 LP
The Ballet – Matchy Matchy LP
The National – I am Easy To Find CD / Ltd Col 2LP / Ltd Col 3LP
Thea Gilmore – Small world Turning LP
Zig Zags – They’ll Never Take Us Alive LP

OPTIC NERVE INDIE 7″s SINGLES CLUB

The Wake – Plastic Flowers
Wedding Present _ Go Out And Get ‘Em Boy

ECM TOUCHSTONES CLASSIC ALBUMS REISSUED £8.99 EACH

Keith Jarrett – At The Blue Note – Saturday June 4,1994, First Set
Arild Andersen Trio – The Triangle
Art Lande & Jan Garbarek – Red Lanta
Don Cherry & Ed Blackwell – El Corazon
Edward Vesala – Lumi
Jan Garbarek & Bobo Stenson Quartet – Witchi-Tai-To
Gary Burton & Chick Corea – Crystal SIlence
Gary Burton – The New Quartet
Jack DeJohnette – New Directions
John Surman – The Amazing Adventures Of Simon Simon
Miroslav Vitous – Journey’s End
Ralph Towner – Diary
Steve Swalow – Home
Bill Connors – Of Mist And Melting
Bennie Maupin – The Jewel In The Lotus
Dave Holland Trio – Triplicate
David Darling- Cello
Gary Peacock- Guamba
Enrico Rava – Easy Living
John Abercrombie/Marc Johnson/Peter Erskine – John Abercrombie Marc Johnson Peter Erskine
Julian Priester – Love, Love
Steve Kuhn – Trance
Paul Motian – Tribute
Susanne Abbuehl – Compass
Trygve Seim – Different Rivers

Clinic – Wheeltappers And Shunters Ltd Col LP
Cristina Quesada – Think I Heard A Rumour CD / LP
David Bowie – Rarities 1966-68 CD
Death & Vanilla – Are You A Dreamer? Ltd Col LP
Gong – The Universe Also Collapses Ltd Col LP
James Blake – Assume Form Ltd Col 2LP
Jamila Woods – Legacy! Legacy! Ltd Col 2LP
Mac Demarco – Here Comes The Cowboy Ltd Col LP
Mahatma X – A Mobtown Suite Vol II LP
Mo Horizons – Music Sun Love LP
Morrissey – Wedding Bell Blues 7″
Nevver – Disforia 10″
Nobody – All Too Familiar LP
Pharoah Sanders – Africa 2LP
Reginald Omas Mamode – Where We Going? LP
Reto Bieri and Meta 4 – Quasi Morendo (ECM) CD
Robert Glasper – Canvas 2LP
Sleaford Mods – Discourse 7″
Still Corners – Strange pleasures v. Ltd Col LP
The Brian Jonestown Massacre – Smoking Acid LP
Various – We Made The Future For You 2LP
Whitesnake – Flesh & Blood 2LP

1800 – Big Supermarket Ltd Col LP
Barrie – Happy To Be Here Ltd Col LP
Big Thief – U.F.O.F Ltd Col LP
Bobby Oroza – This Love Ltd Col Lp
Chocolate Watchband – This Is My Voice Ltd Col LP
Editors – Blanck Mass Sessions LP
Filthy Friends – Emerald Valley Ltd Col LP
Frank Carter – End Of Suffering Indies Only LP
Giggs – Big Bad 2LP
Local Natives – Violet Street LP
Nolan The Ninja – Sportee LP
Paper Tiger – Rogue Planet LP
Reigning Sound – Abdication….For Your Love Ltd Col LP
Stereolab – Mars Audiac Quintet 2LP Black vinyl
Stereolab – Transient Random-Noise Bursts With Announcements 2LP
The Felice Brothers – Undress LP
Vampire Weekend – Father Of The Bride Ltd Col 2LP
Various – Pacific Breeze Japanese City Pop, AOR and Boogie 1976-86 2LP
Viagra Boys – Street Worms Ltd Col LP

Incredible Spiritual Jazz reissues

Abdullah Sami – Peace Of Time LP
Adele Sebastian – Desert Fairy Princess LP
Dadisi Komolafe – Hassan’s Walk LP

Optic Nerve Reissue 7″S

The Wake – Plastic Flowers
The Wedding Present – Go Out & Get Em Boy