— Issue 94 —

Our Album this month is a seminal spiritual jazz classic from 1970s Detroit. “Oracy” by The Positive Force With Ade Olatunji is an atmospheric mix of music and spoken word. A reissue of a very rare release, this is a snapshot of a difficult time in politics, race relations, and social unrest, and evokes echoes of the Last Poets and Gil Scott Heron. The record is made even more powerful by the clarifying presence of a gifted poet, whose incisive words retain their urgency many years later.

And now the 12” - ‘Cranes In The Sky,’ was originally written by Beyonce’s baby sister Solange alongside Raphael Saadiq, for her album back in 2016 that was cited by Rolling Stone as one of the most important 500 records of all time. The words exploring a fearless journey inward, pulling up the root of a problem, and the first glimpse of blue sky after the storm has passed.

Fast forward to last year - Ross Allen and Andy Thompson’s Foundation Music Productions enlist the expertise of Baltimore club legend, Dj Oji, together with Tracy Hamlin (Pieces Of A Dream), to take Solange’s breakout delivery to the dancefloor. Soulful vocals will heal you, while the mid-tempo moments will mellow the masses, and UK Funky grooves will keep the shuffle moving along way into the early hours. Play loud!