:n-the-m:x | August 2026

Welcome to our monthly mix series with each episode spotlighting 10 tracks that we were particularly excited about across various shows on Blue-in-Green:RADIO. This month showcases a selection providing over 30+ minute excursion from some versatile takes on contemporary soul and afrobeat as well as some sublime electronica and neo-soul gems to round out the mix.

Music this month comes courtesy of...

'Sables du Temps' by J. Dynamite (Mighty Eye Records)

'Whisper' by eleven76 (Legere Recordings)

'Karma Piranha' by Archie the Goldfish

'Mawogany' by As Valet featuring Lauriane Ludosky (Oioji Records)

'Don't Forget Me Love' by Thee Heart Tones (Big Crown)

'Rangirua' by Zeal.H

'Vessel of Love' by Cacartu

'Face Against the Window' by Candice Hoyes (La Reserve Records)

'Blend' by Brainstory (Big Crown)

'Aphelion' by Sheiky Ground

:n-the-m:x is exclusive to our Mixcloud channel so be sure to check back at the end of every month for future round-ups.

'Fin' by Archie the Goldfish

It's been said a million times in a million different ways but, as we all now know, everything that has a beginning... has an end.

And it doesn't always need to be a sad thing - some of the best stories in the world have epic conclusions that resonate with us for years after their closing sentiment.  In this case, it's now the time to bid farewell to the inspired narrative as woven by Archie the Goldfish.

As the brainchild of Chris Bestwick and Graeme Flowers, Archie the Goldfish began life in 2020 - during the dark days of face masks and hand sanitizer - as a way for teh friends to maintain the flex of their musical muscle.  Over the course of the years that passed, Bestwick and Flowers would go on to release three EPs and two standalone singles, recruiting an excellent array of collaborators as part of the journey.

Guitarist Chris Bestwick boasts a resume that has seen him perform alongside revered names including James Taylor and Ali Slimani as well as creating music as part of the Finnish collective Timeforsoul and most recently as part of the tram 92 duo alongside Anthony Barilla.  Bestwick's credentials are matched by his Archie the Goldfish collaborator, Graeme Flowers, who not only served as a member of the funk & soul band Down to the Bone but has also chalked-up performances with the Brand New Heavies and Kyle Eastwood among countless more names.

'Fin' finds Bestwick & Flowers bringing Archie back to its instrumental roots with four sleak numbers that pay delicious homage to the duo's music up to this point in time.  From the vibrant big band-esque 'Karma Piranha' that opens the EP to the introspective lament of 'Archie Sleeps with the Fishes' that closes it, the EP is a wonderful tribute to Archie's seven-year journey that will hopefully go on to find new discovery from music enthusiasts in time to come.

Through past reviews, we often pontificated about the concept behind Archie the Goldfish even asking whether the duo's music was something of a reflection of how the proverbial 'Archie' sees the world from its bowl.  One thing that does now seem apparent is that Archie was very much a product of its time.  From its genesis during the bleak and testing quarantine period - where creativity was a saving grace for artists - to its witty stance on the burgeoning impact of AI on the arts, astutely observed through their EP, 'Archiefishal Intelligence'.  Even musically, Archie proudly displayed his penchant for a musical gumbo of styles from jazz and jazz fusion to neo-soul and R&B stylings, and even drawing from broader sonic palettes at times, all gifting listeners some exceptional releases in the process.

'Fin' may bring the story to its natural conclusion, but the music they've left behind feels anything but final. Like all good stories, Archie's journey ends here — but its ripples will continue to travel outward for some time yet. 

New Music Round-UP ::: August 2026

'Tum Tum Tum' by MOMO.

Having now achieved the incredible milestone of his eighth studio album, Marcelo "MOMO." Frota bestows 'Tum Tum Tum' on to new and devoted listeners continuing his affiliation with Agogo Records.  It still doesn't seem that long since the unbridled joy of 'Gira' - album #7 - had us swooning into our headphones as we marvelled upon the undeniable masterpiece that it is.  And whether we're discussing Frota's current project or any of the magnificent seven that came before it, MOMO. albums have always boasted a wonderfully rich and diverse sound that finds the guitarist and producer able to take a little from the storied route his music has navigated to date.  Now based in London, the Brazilian artist's journey has chartered a course from Brazil to Spain, Portugal, the US and now South London.  While 'Tum Tum Tum' celebrates twenty years since the debut MOMO. release ('A Estética do Rabisco'), it is also an album that is indicative of all that came before it.  Showcasing subtle homages to psychedelic soul, alt-folk, UK jazz and Brazilian Tropicália - and featuring musical contributions from Marcos Valle and trombonist, Rosie Turton - Frota's hushed and smoky vocals elegantly bind all of these wonderfully disparate elements turning them into an enriched cohesive gem.  Here's to another twenty, Mr Frota!

'Avalon' (Live at Total Refreshment Centre) by Year of the Bear

Marking the second live video released from the UK quartet, Year of the Bear, the latest effort determinedly puts them on the right path in establishing themselves amidst an already strong musical landscape.  With 'Side by Side' released a little over two months ago - also unveiled as a live video from Total Refreshment Centre - the collective's penchant for spirited and eclectic compositions exudes from their two releases to date.  Their distinct perspectives on jazz seems poised to find inspiration from a range of genres and styles as diverse as the fast-paced nature of broken beat and electronica while also masterfully being able to capture neo-classical traits twinged with a distinctive cinematic quality.  Comprised of pianist Jim Baldock, saxophonist Matt McNaughton, bassist Beau Barnard and Chris Hardwick on drums, the Year of the Bear quartet collectively boast a wealth of experience, honed through years of session work, collaboration and work as leading artists in their own right.  Under their new guise, there's certainly a magic that the foursome have stumbled onto together that suggests that the tracks unveiled so far could be leading to something notably special.

'See You in Space Cowboy' by Yumeji

Clearly incapable of putting a foot wrong, French duo Yumeji make a long overdue return with another glorious summer-infused single in 'See You in Space Cowboy'.  Through past standalone single releases - 'Abyss of My Tea', 'Sponge Queen' and 'Midnight Moves' - Yumeji display an undeniably cool take on contemporary R&B and alternative-soul that finds them exuding swathes of personality in all aspects of their music.  From their witty penmanship to their slick production, Yumeji have definitively cracked the code for contemporary soul bliss.  Comprised of bassist Thegirlfromtutu and vocalist Hermione Bayle, their influences have continually been cited as ranging from similarly big personalities in Jamiroquai, George Clinton and Angie Stone - colossal names within their respective fields and artists who each possess an innate ability to balance musicianship with an unmistakable sense of character.  It is this same spirit that duo channel so effortlessly, taking cues from the funk, soul and jazz realms while filtering them through a distinctly personal lens.  As with past Yumeji singles, there's an affectionate playfulness that underpins the music which, again, adds to their unwavering charm.  Another single, another step towards solidifying Yumeji as a preeminent name in today's eclectic soul landscape.

'Dreams & Riddles' by Paul Griffin x Socool

The prolificity of Canadian, DJ, producer and vocalist Emily "Socool" Sobool continues to know no bounds as she celebrates the release of her latest EP, 'Dreams & Riddles'.  Always relishing the opportunity to create music with like-minded creatives, Socool's latest project pairs her with electronic music-maker Paul Griffin whose proclivity for synthesizers and sweeping electronica landscapes makes for a dream pairing through their first collaborative project.  Boasting a wonderful display of seven original pieces, the duo tap into a compelling middle-ground that takes Socool slightly outside of her natural downtempo aesthetics and into more groove-riddled, dreamy pop territory which she comfortably adapts to, making the stylistic departure feel surprisingly effortless.  Similarly, for Griffin, whose past releases include the broad electronic soundscapes of 'Facets' and the more introspective nature of 'Descends' adapts just as well to 'Dreams & Riddles' enthralling new direction.  The project's title track, along with the brilliant menacing bounce of 'Live Wire', highlight the point in spectacular fashion with sublime vocals alongside sophisticated and nuanced production that results in a project tailor-made for the summer.

'Vibes From Rome' Episode 01 ::: with Fab MonTrò

Airing the 4th Sunday of the month at 10pm (UK), Blue-in-Green:RADIO is proud to introduce our brand new monthly show - 'Vibes From Rome' with Fab MonTrò…

Music enthusiast, blogger and podcaster, Fabrizio is an incurable vinyl collector, forever on the hunt for new genres and records to listen to and share. It's no coincidence that radio and the DJ booth were, for a good stretch of his life, his natural habitat. Having not yet hung up the needles, he keeps applying the principles of jazz — his first love — to his work (the "real" kind, in the service of ethical finance) and to everyday life, convinced that improvisation and inspiration arise from the convergence of different elements, much as his "mentor" Herman Poole Blunt, aka Sun Ra, used to preach. To the prophet from Alabama he also owes his devotion to Afrocentrism, from the rediscovery of traditional sounds all the way to electronics, his not-so-healthy obsession. Since 2024 he has been hosting a live podcast featuring interviews and guests — musicians, DJs, producers, cultural communicators — produced by Rhizome, a streaming platform and record shop based in Rome.

You can listen back to Episode #1 which features a delectable selection of tunes navigating a scintillating course of spiritual jazz gems melding beautifully into ambient and electronic territory.  Check out the playlist in full below...

1. Pharoah Sanders - Greeting to Saud (Elevation, 1974)

2. Steve Reich - Electric Counterpoint (Electric Counterpoint, 1987)

3. Rocket Number Nine & Four Tet - Roseland (Roseland EP, 2013)

4. Brian Bennett - Solstice (Solstice, 1978) 

5. Kool & The Gang - Summer Madness (Light of Worlds, 1974)

6. Dexter Wansel - Theme From the Planets (Life on Mars, 1976)

7. Floating Points - Nespole (Elaenia, 2015) 

8. Rocket Number Nine - Black & Blue (MeYouWeYou, 2013) 

9. Clark - The Pining Pt. 1 (Iradelphic, 2012)

10. Squarepusher - Lambic 9 Poetry (Ultravisitor, 2004)

11. Four Tet - Castles Made Of Sand (single, 2004)

12. Alessandro Asso Stefana - The House (Alessandro Asso. Stefana, 2024)

'Glera' by Marco Benevento

Continuing with their incredible run of scintillatingly soulful releases this year, New York's Big Crown Records introduce the latest release by Marco Benevento, 'Glera'.

Sitting alongside the brilliance of Les Imprimés' further adventures into 60s/70s folk-soul with 'Fading Forward' and Thee Marloes' 'Di Hotel Malibu' whose dusty, analog textures lovingly nod to their Indonesian heritage, 'Glera' showcases Benevento's similarly charisma-laden project which comes with high expectations.

With a long-standing affiliation as a collaborator with Leon Michels and Big Crown Records, pianist and producer Marco Benevento marked his official induction into the label's threshold through the fantastic lead singles, 'Frizzante' and 'Turandot'.  Boasting an incredible career that has seen the New York-based Benevento helm releases that date back to 2002, his distinctive psychedelic and cinematic soul soundscapes have become something of a trademark for his music to date.  'Between The Needles & Nightfall', from 2010, captured his musical perspectives perfectly and the trademark dusty analog aesthetic has carried through to his debut with Big Crown.  

Even as a collaborator, Benevento has leant his talents to some incredible names having notched up session work with Lady Wray, El Michels Affair, Madlib, Amy Helm and Kali Uchis.  

And through 'Glera', Big Crown seem to have found Benevento at his absolute best.  A fourteen-track selection that revels within the pianist's passions for expansive musical landscapes, tinged with psychedelic inspirations and soulful nostalgia.  Album opener 'Frizzante' offers up an infectious introduction swiftly followed by the undeniable charm, sweet soul and superb production that is 'Turandot'.  Featuring an exquisite vocal from Italian singer Marianne Mirage, 'Turandot' proves as perfect a demonstration of Benevento's 'Glera' as he could offer up.  

The album continues with this nuanced perspective of contemporary sounds with the playful 'Big Top' and the deliciously abrasive 'Houdini'.  Harpist Elizabeth Steiner captivates on 'Miss Neptune' as does Brooklyn trumpeter and luminary Dave Guy on 'Sorgini'.

Ultimately, 'Glera' feels like a fitting homecoming for Benevento - a record steeped in the multitude of styles and sensibilities that have defined his work to date yet still a record imbued with the unmistakable warmth and character of the Big Crown universe. 

'BURN' by On-Ly

"Built on the bedrock of Jazz and the jazz-adjacent."

This is the tagline at On-Ly's Bandcamp page and it's such a deliciously tantalising description of a person's vast ranging musical scope.  Long touting his affections from everything from Miles Davis' ambitious reinvention of jazz in the 1970s to hip-hop's boom-bap golden era of the 1990s to the sonic textures of house music, On-Ly's perceptions of the "jazz-adjacent" continue to carry with them the weight of variety and dynamic expectation from audiences.

Pianist, producer and all-round multi-faceted genius, Joshua "On-Ly" Smeltink, adds his name to the ever-expanding list of Australian based artists who seems to be expressing incredibly inspirational takes on neo- and future-soul, broken beat and nu-jazz.  Artists like Finn Rees, Allysha Joy, Cinta, Benjamin Samuels and Don Glori are all names helping to usher in innovative new takes on their respective genre – and genre-less – music.  Likewise, Smeltink's imaginative compositions, that find their inspiration amongst a litany of styles and influences, are equally at the forefront of ground breaking and progressive leaps forward.

As adept at helming all aspects of a solo release by himself as he is leading a full ensemble, Smeltink's roll call of credits has often included duties from piano, synthesizers, drums, percussion, djembe and trumpet and then delving further into the weeds as the producer, mixer and engineer of his releases as well.

Through his latest project, 'BURN', Smeltink finds himself embracing all aspects of his music that have endeared him to listeners the world over.  A project that relishes the joy of boundaryless fusion, the glee of collaboration, the thrill of improvisation... all aspects of the ever-evolving glorious gumbo that constitutes jazz in the 21st century.

Alongside some remarkable collaborators including guitarist Daniel Waddingham (Mia Rose B, DRYP), percussionist Phil Stroud (JK Group, Australiana) and bassist Horatio Luna (30/70 Collective, Jitwam), 'BURN' soars as a free-spirited exercise within the definitive take on "jazz-adjacent".  The vibrant opener in 'Recondite' segues brilliantly into the lazy funk-laden drawl of 'Gabbro'.  'Causation' lends itself to Smeltink's affection for house through an intricately-composed gem and the cheeky bounce of 'My Love' is sure to raise a warm smile.  

The album's centrepiece however surely lies within the magnum opus that is 'Opro Cosmic'.  A mind-bending empyrean workout that navigates a scintillating course over its eight-plus minutes and represents every ideal that 'BURN' was built upon.

While openly embracing the ideas and concepts across a multitude of genres, 'BURN' never loses sight of its identity.  An album that finds its happy place in the spaces between definitions, On-Ly navigates those spaces with confidence and imagination and delivers a definitive treasure in the process.

'Futuristica 20' by Futuristica Music

Our story begins in 2006.  Well, it actually begins quite some years prior to that...  In the wake of the UK's wavering affections for trip-hop and the 90s broken beat scene, Simon Skolfield regarded London's soul music landscape as it eagerly eyed new direction.

By way of the Break Reform trio, Simon was coming off his own successes for a project that garnered three full-length albums and that had taken him across the world.  Following Break Reform's dissolution shortly after 'Reformation' in 2005, Skolfield still found himself primed to contribute to a scene that was now influenced by hip-hop, neo-soul and soulful house.

So with a litany of close friends, music-makers and collaborators all keen to make their own contributions and to share their own voices, Futuristica Music was born.

In its inaugural year, the label was able to boast new singles and 12" releases from artists including Kamara, Stark and Electric Conversation and also helm the release of the label's first full-length in Low Budget Soul's 'Strangers to the Ordinary'.  Comprised of Randolph Matthews, Marcia Escoffery, Nanar with production from Tris Browne, the album would officially kick-start the next twenty years for the Futuristica family.

With releases that have heralded soul music's shifting dynamic over the last twenty years, Futuristica has been bolstered not only by its indelible ability to discover incomparable new talent but by the bonds and connections they have forged as a soul music community.

Twenty years is an incredibly long time particularly in regards to shifting, emerging and evolving trends amidst - not just a UK landscape but a global one.  While hip-hop, jazz and R&B have each had their respective ascents and shining moments in the last twenty years, Futuristica have been there ushering in new names and talents that have gone on to achieve phenomenal successes in the years since...

We'll forever tout the brilliance of the Parisian four-piece, Electric Conversation.  Through their two album releases with Futuristica ('Communication' and 'Electric Conversation'), their sensational music has ensured that their legacy has continued to flourish through the vast range of projects that As Valet, LaNote and Gus La Tempete have gone on to deliver since the untimely passing of their bandmate Oz.

Now a revered name in contemporary jazz, Nick "Emanative" Woodmansey's first two full-lengths came to listeners through the hallowed Futuristica halls.  'Space' and 'Time' delivered in progressive and electronica-tinged spiritual jazz that stands as definitive masterpieces to this day.

Georgie Sweet - currently enjoying the success of recent album 'I Swear to You' through First Word Records - made her formal introductions to the music biz with her Futuristica-hosted 'Misunderstood' debut.  Now one of the country's leading names for neo-soul and R&B, Sweet hasn't even begun to realise her potential.

And then there's Deborah Jordan.

As a sincere and compassionate songwriter, Jordan has always managed to convey so much through her music making her one of the most profound and earnest voices of our time.  Through her solo releases as well as key contributions to as part of Silhouette Brown with Kaidi Tatham & Dego and Robert Mitchell's Panacea, Jordan finds a way to inject her charm and personality into each venture despite the varied styles of each.

Futuristica Music has always strived to convey distinct and unique talent and perspectives and the above only offers a glimpse of a twenty-year legacy that further includes esteemed contributions from Rise/Mecca:83, Jazz Chronicles, Kira Neris, Marc Rapson, Peter Franks Group, Replife and Stark.

'Futuristica 20' delves into a 20-track selection that typifies the label's vast-ranging musical scope - from the jazz-inspired boom-bap of Jazz Chronicles' 'All We Know' or Kira Neris' 'Sweet Twilight', the more electronic and dance-oriented sounds of As Valet's 'Condescendant', the sublime neo-soul of LaNote's 'When A Woman' or Low Budget Soul's 'I Warned You', or the more acoustic soul treats of Georgie Sweet's 'Sorry' and Deborah Jordan's 'Want it Back'.

Ultimately, 'Futuristica 20' is less a greatest hits package than it is a celebration of community.  Across two decades, Simon Skolfield and the Futuristica family have cultivated a catalogue defined not by fleeting trends but by trust, artistry and a genuine belief in giving singular voices the space to flourish.  This compilation serves as both a fitting reflection on an extraordinary legacy and an exciting reminder that the label's story is still being written.

:n-the-m:x | July 2026

Welcome to our monthly mix series with each episode spotlighting 10 tracks that we were particularly excited about across various shows on Blue-in-Green:RADIO. This month showcases a selection providing a near 50-minute excursion from some versatile takes on contemporary jazz as well as some sublime electronica-infused nu-soul to round out the mix.

Music this month comes courtesy of...

'So Fly' by SV & Alyssa Jane

'Rectify' by Seravince

'Finders' by Richard Spaven featuring Wildchild (Edition Records)

'Birds & Drones' by Biomania (Most Least)

'Live Wire' by Paul Griffin & Socool

'Running' by Danny Keane (MVKA)

'Cacao' [Radio Edit] by Brent Bieckhead (Birckhead Music Group)

'Re-education' by J. Dynamite (Mighty Eye Records)

'Borders' by EYM Trio featuring Varijashree Venugopal

'Stellar Variation' by Secret Garden (A.MA Records)

:n-the-m:x is exclusive to our Mixcloud channel so be sure to check back at the end of every month for future round-ups.