Tru Thoughts – albums 2023

This round-up of the LPs that Tru Thoughts has released in 2023 covers everything from House, Neo-Soul, Broken Beat, and Jazz to Downtempo Beats, Dubs, Soul, Electronica and the many genre cross-pollinations in-between. 2023 has delivered new music from Tru Thoughts’ more established artists, our most recent signings, and has also seen a selection of inspired remixes – more of which can all be found in the Release section of our Bandcamp.

Hint – Hot Take Intake
‘Hot Take Intake’ is the curated celebration of highly respected underground producer, remixer, and DJ Hint, following the ten-year anniversary of his ‘Daily Intake’ album. Sitting alongside remixes from ‘Daily Intake’ courtesy of Maddslinky, C.O.N.E, Darq E Freaker, Alphabets Heaven and LPZ are reworkings from the man himself under both his Hint and current Titeknots moniker plus a selection of unearthed gems and previously unreleased tracks. With previous supporters of Hint including Benji B, Tom Ravenscroft, Mary Anne Hobbs, and Huey Morgan (BBC 6Music), John Kennedy (XFM), Clash Magazine, DJ Mag, The Needledrop, Mr Scruff, Ben UFO and Rinse FM, this selection is unmissable for long-term fans and new crate diggers.

WheelUP – We Are The Magic
‘We Are The Magic’ is the sophomore album from producer and DJ WheelUP aka West London’s Danny Wheeler. Built around concepts such as the law of attraction, humanitarianism and spiritualism ‘We Are The Magic’ adds to the broken beat canon while showcasing WheelUP’s most mature and forward-thinking work to date. The LP boasts contributions and collaborations with a host of talent: Kaidi Tatham, Sam Interface, Abacus, Victoria Port (Anushka), Toya Delazy, Spaceship Coyote, Destiny Will, Brint Story, Steelo and more.

Ebi Soda – Ugh (Bonus Edition)
Following the aptly named ‘Bedroom Tapes’ EP comes ‘Ugh’, a collection of tunes from Ebi Soda’s first ventures into professional recording. The band have made sure to carry their DIY-centric identity with them, creating a beautifully produced record with the band’s raw energy still at the forefront. Explosive drum grooves and heavy usage of electronic effects characterise the fluid jams we hear on ‘Ugh’, with the project’s opener ‘Ecchi’ setting the tone straight away, as the song moves from upbeat dance-y rhythms to a nightmare-inducing dub soundscape. Features come from regular collaborators and friends, NW London singer-songwriter Chloé Bodur on the Trump-diss ‘Run For President’ and J Harli on the radiant ‘Summer One’. The Bonus Edition repress of ‘Ugh’ on limited edition yellow vinyl features unreleased dubs from intergalactic sound dealer Ash Walker.

Kuna Maze – Night Shift
Brussels-based producer, multi-instrumentalist and DJ Kuna Maze, presents his debut album ‘Night Shift’, a concept record built around the journey into the night. Musically the release evokes the nostalgia of sweaty and smoky jazz clubs but through the prism of modern electronic music. This ethos is projected through Kuna Maze’s live band, a melting pot between the jazz and club culture of the then and now. Acting as an anthesis to the sunlight imagery often associated with broken beat, house and jazz music, ‘Night Shift’ is an ode to the city after dark, a hypnagogic whirlwind into the unknown.

 Fybe:One – This Is Ours
‘This Is Ours’ is the new LP from South London-based producer, DJ, illustrator, and graphic designer Greg Haynes AKA Fybe:One. Stemming first from collaborations with singer and songwriter Liam Bailey, the sophomore album features previous Double A single “Don’t Let Go feat. Liam Bailey”/“We Go Down Smooth feat. Georgia Blackwell”, alongside tracks taken from Fybe:One’s “Sky Loops” EP. His first full album with Tru Thoughts, the release is a cumulation of experimental production and a celebration of varied vocal offerings.

 MELONYX – Soul Glow
‘Soul Glow’ is the debut album from Georgia Copeland and Nadia Latoya AKA soul sister duo MELONYX. Produced by renowned producer and fellow Nottingham-based artist Joe Buhdha. ‘Soul Glow’ is the embodiment of a series of prevalent themes and conversations had between MELONYX throughout their friendship and time working together. Drawing on influences from the worlds of Hip Hop, Neo Soul, and Lovers Rock, from the opening title track “Soul Glow” to album closer and focus track “Keep Stepping”, the release serves as a mantra, reminding the duo of their worth; as a manifestation of the growth and evolution yet to come; and as a way of shedding a light on the high value, power, and energy of Black women. It invites the listener into the MELONYX universe, created as a reminder to allow oneself the kindness and freedom of self-acceptance. ‘Soul Glow’ saw praise across the board from Sleaford Mods and Elton John to Victoria Jane and Mr Scruff.

Slowe – Where The Mind Wanders
‘Where The Mind Wanders’ is the debut album from Bristol-based producer, multi-instrumentalist, artist and songwriter, Slowe. This project is a window into Slowe’s mind, with each song reflecting a different aspect of her inner world. With a musical landscape that ebbs and flows, Slowe poetically addresses the struggles of self-doubt and the beauty of fulfilment and joy. The tracks showcase the versatility in Slowe’s production, with different expressions mirroring the furthest corners of her mind, “both introspective and immersive, each track is a dive into the depths of the human psyche, exploring the intricacies of emotions and thoughts that often go unspoken” she explains.

Palm Skin Productions – A Swarm In July
Palm Skin Productions – AKA versatile musician and producer Simon Richmond (whose CV includes Mo’ Wax, Depeche Mode, REM, Pulp, Neneh Cherry, and The Bays) – presents ‘A Swarm In July’ a proverbial inspired record. ‘A Swarm In July’ is a concept record that offers an alternative set of hacked proverbs to mirror the movement of the music and its path from ambience to rhythm, from harmony to noise, from its closed-in intimacies to its soaring expansions. The album looks at what happens when you choose to shift the crop – when you find the story within the story. As Simon eloquently puts it: “A proverb. A phrase. A saying. A Say-ing – the performance of that which has been said. A maxim. A truism. True-ism – the ideology or the myth of truth? Whose truth? Who puts you in the picture? What is the crop, the edit? When can you trust a truism in the world of deep fake? If every story is dependent on its beginning and end, how many stories are there, dormant, within the prescribed boundaries? Pre-Scribed – already written – typeset for us.”

The Sindecut & Ijeoma – Late
Pioneering British Hip-Hop crew The Sindecut, featuring founding member DJ Fingers, and New York-based Geordie, singer-songwriter Ijeoma share their debut album ‘Late’, the cumulative outcome garnered from a 20-year creative collaboration and vision. ‘Late’ is being released as a super limited edition, hand-numbered, run of 500 vinyl, never to be repressed (in any format, variation or colour) ever again. Talking about the album ‘Late’, Karl, aka DJ Fingers, says: “This album is a long time coming. I think the time has allowed us to mature in how we want to sound, and we are just attempting to build on our momentum creatively and are forever grateful to be collaborating with the musicians we work with.”

Shapes: Collide
Tru Thoughts proudly present ‘Shapes: Collide’, the latest addition to the label’s series of essential compilations curated by A&R, label founder and co-owner, DJ Robert Luis.
After 24 years of independently releasing music, the ‘Shapes’ LPs celebrate the best of our wide-ranging and international roster, with established acts on the label, such Japanese MPC-wizard Anchorsong, Grammy-nominated LA-trio Moonchild and the imagined orchestra of Joe Acheson, Hidden Orchestra, sitting alongside newer signings, including London-based singer/songwriter Steven Bamidele, the new alias from Irish producer Cian McCann (Zero T) aka Bruk Rogers and the dynamic producer, keyboard duo Born47 & Onj. The 36-track digital album includes fresh releases, classic catalogue pieces and imaginative remixes from influential names across many different scenes, like Seoul-duo Salamanda, Gilles Peterson’s STR4TA, Ashley Beedle’s North Street West trio, pioneer of the broken beat movement IG Culture, and many more.

Steven Bamidele – Summing Up
‘Summing Up’ is the debut album from singer, songwriter, and producer Steven Bamidele. The album is a deeply personal project that has seen Steven using lyrical exploration as a form of self-therapy, often unpicking themes of racial identity, family, and self-reflection. Tackling subjects that include his childhood, mental health struggles and his relationships with those close to him, Steven Bamidele writes with an openness and integrity throughout ‘Summing Up’ that allows the audience to share and understand his stories, while also seeing a reflection of their own.

Call Sender – Lost To The Storm
Call Sender is the collaborative brainchild of UK based multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and engineer Paul Elliott and US Bay-area resident multi-instrumentalist, recording engineer and drummer Michael Reed. Birthed from drumming clips uploaded online during the pandemic, Michael and Paul fostered their creative partnership through the medium of Skype, resulting in a timeless jazz-funk LP ‘Lost To The Storm’, despite living on separate continents and yet to meet in person. Taken from the namesake of a vintage intercom, Call Sender’s debut album ‘Lost To The Storm’ has an old-school vintage foundation with a modern perspective. Influenced by iconic acts such as Klaus Weiss, Miles Davis, and Nino Nardini, as well as obscure library tracks, experimental music, European film soundtracks and a hip and funky sonic aesthetic, Call Sender’s music is nostalgic without being pastiche, has a sense of travelling at its core, having been recorded in different parts of the globe, while never hesitating on the direction of the music.

Moonchild – Reflections  
‘Reflections’ is the new EP from GRAMMY-nominated LA-trio Moonchild aka Amber Navran, Andris Mattson, & Max Bryk. Inspired by the band’s iconic Tiny Desk performance (now on 5 million views), the ‘Reflections’ project sees the band reimagine and revisit old songs, including some of the trio’s biggest hits. An essential collection for all Moonchild fans, ‘Reflections’ is available on black and limited edition mint vinyl and CD. Talking about the new acoustic re-imaginings, Max Bryk from the West Coast trio adds: “Reflections, an EP covering our older songs, naturally shows some of our growth as musicians over the last 10 years. Amber’s vocals, in particular, are a fantastic example of that. A more subtle example of growth is our musical maturity and restraint. Leaving space for the music to breathe. I think that’s the main reason we created this new project, and we are excited to share Reflections with our fans.”

Sandunes – The Ground Beneath Her Feet
Sandunes’s third transcendental album, ‘The Ground Beneath Her Feet’, challenges the celebration and reward for individualism, instead homing in on humanity’s “collective spirit, authentic expression… subverting the norm of what’s expected”, serving as a reminder to do more of that which connects the earth and the body. The album shares its name with a Salman Rushdie novel and the book’s humanist message that arrives from newfound awareness. It speaks to the sentimental foundations involved in making a home – when a tangible version of it doesn’t exist, “finding home in relationships, in ritual, in music and memory”. The project isn’t bound to any one genre but by Sandunes’ emotions and reflections on the evolution of identity, particularly of womanhood and the modern world. Moving through the dynamic, electronic soundscape are soulful jazz currents, utopian synth moments and dancing percussion.

Tru Thoughts 2023
Tru Thoughts presents our annual round-up compilation, curated by label head Robert Luis. ‘Tru Thoughts 2023’, showcases our eclectic and international roster, with selections spanning from Neo Soul, Alternative Pop, Jazz, and Contemporary Classical to Grime, Broken Beat, DnB, and Electronica.