Tru Thoughts 25th-anniversary edition of the seminal ‘Shapes’ series, highlights the label’s catalogue from its inception in 1999 to the present day 25 years later. Curated by A&R, label founder and co-owner, DJ Robert Luis, ‘Shapes 25’ is a 30-track compilation split into two parts, each exploring a different facet of the label’s eclectic roster.
Part One offers a taste of soul, downtempo and jazz releases. Part Two highlights club and dance floor anthems, including an exclusive, previously unreleased remix of Sandunes‘ “Follow Me feat. KAVYA” by the “godfather of dubstep“, Zed Bias (aka Maddslinky and Phuturistix).
Sandunes and MOBO-nominated Zed Bias team up for the dark-swing, UK bass remix of “Follow Me“, debuting on ‘Shapes 25’. The original track from Sandunes‘ latest album, ‘The Ground Beneath Her Feet’, is reworked into a dubstep-influenced floor filler in celebration of Tru Thoughts 25th birthday. Alongside “Look Around the Corner”, part one of this two-part compilation dives into Tru Thoughts essential downtempo works, featuring seminal pieces from Nostalgia 77, Hidden Orchestra, Belleruche, Kinny, Wildcookie (better known as Freddie Cruger & Anthony Mills) and The Bamboos. It also includes big tracks from the roster’s aliases. For example, Lanu, the experimental side project of Lance Ferguson, guitarist and leader of The Bamboos, represents the Australian funk and soul scene with the “Dis-Information – 12″ Mix”. The late Frederik Lager, known alternatively as Red Astaire and Freddie Cruger, also makes two appearances on the compilation, with “Serious Drug” and groove-laden “The Hustle” serving as a celebration of his memory.
Off the back of its use in Dua Lipa’s headline set on Glastonbury’s Pyramid stage, Flowdan’s “Welcome to London” (produced by Plastician) injects a grime showstopper to the mix. In addition to tapping into the prestigious Recording Academy of the United States via the Grammy-nominated Moonchild and Grammy-winning Hot 8 Brass Band, both featured in this celebratory edition of ‘Shapes’, the label is firmly rooted in the underground scene. Tru Thoughts has consistently supported emerging talent bubbling beneath the mainstream surface. A testament to their connection with these scenes is the signing of Zed Bias and Omar’s “Dancing feat. Fox”, which, as Robert Luis explains, was “a big tune doing the rounds on dubplate for a while before we finally released it”.
In the spirit of musical connection, a handful of standout remixes are incorporated into the tracklist. Namely, WheelUP‘s BBC 6 Music playlisted rendition of Tiawa‘s “Soldiers“, a rare and iconic Brit-funk style rework by STR4TA (aka Gilles Peterson and Jean-Paul “Bluey” Maunick) of Anushka‘s “Bad Weather“, and an extended dub of Sefi Zisling madeby Mahogani and Defected Records recruit Obas Nenor.
Leading the charge on the percussive side of the roster is Magic Drum Orchestra, a powerful 20-piece collective formed by Ralph Cree and Glyn Bush (aka BiggaBush) with “Ragga Samba”. Their infectious samba-infused dance beats have also seen syncs in Vice Principals on HBO and placement in Google and Nike ads.
Closing the compilation are four tracks exemplifying the versatility of the roster even within the club scene: Nikitch & Kuna Maze’s “La Di F…Da”, their Brazilian leaning house record, Palm Skin Productions acid-tinged, Detroit-inspired single, “Trickle Up”, jazz outfit Ebi Soda’s playful horns and breakbeat drums making up “Yoshi Orange”, and sUb_modU’s synth-heavy take on Fela Kuti’s classic “Expensive Shit”, supported by the late Virgil Abloh. SHAPES 25 (COMPILED BY ROBERT LUIS)
TRACKLIST:
Bonobo – Terrapin Moonchild – The List Quantic & Alice Russell with the Combo Barbaro – Look Around the Corner Nostalgia 77 – Cheney Lane The Bamboos – I Don’t Wanna Stop feat. Kylie Auldist Belleruche – Anything You Want (Not That) Steven Bamidele – Kaleidoscope feat. Scarlett Fae Hidden Orchestra – Spoken Flowdan – Welcome to London (Radio Edit) Tara Lily – No Way Out Wildcookie (Freddie Cruger & Anthony Mills) – Serious Drug Kinny – Water for Chocolate feat. Souldrop Sly5thAve – Exodus Sefi Zisling – The Sky Sings feat. Layla Moallem, Jasmin Moallem & KerenDun (Obas Nenor’s Extended Dub) Hot 8 Brass Band – Sexual Healing
Part 2
Quantic – Furthest Moment Omar & Zed Bias – Dancing feat. Fox Bruk Rogers – Get Low Tiawa – Soldiers (WheelUP Remix) Lanu – Dis-Information – 12″ Mix Freddie Cruger & Red Astaire – The Hustle Anushka – Bad Weather (STR4TA Remix) Bryony Jarman-Pinto – Moving Forward (Cosmodelica Remix) Magic Drum Orchestra – Ragga Samba Nirobi & Barakas – Bungee Jump Against Racism Nikitch & Kuna Maze – La Di F… Da Palm Skin Productions – Trickle Up Ebi Soda – Yoshi Orange (Radio Edit) sUb_modU – Expensive Shit Sandunes – Follow Me feat. KAVYA (Zed Bias Remix)
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