It's always nice to be able to present a new label and this time that's the English Freestyle Records, founded in 2003 and mainly specializing in funk, jazz, soul and Latin music.
For those who want to get an idea of the range of genres the catalog of the Freestyle Records label contains, the 'Black Feeling' releases of Australian Lance Ferguson might offer a nice introduction. The albums are conceived as if it were compilations, but in fact all tracks were played by Lance and his band operating under different pseudonyms. The track lists of both albums offer a diverse menu ranging from soul and funk over Latin and even a dash of reggae. The first 'Black Feelings' album already appeared back in 2007, the second volume has just been released.
Venezuela born but Manhattan raised Ray Lugo aims for a vintage feel on his albums; with his backing band The Boogaloo Destroyers (a reference to the mixture of rhythm & blues, Latin and soul invented and made popular in New York) he reinterprets classics by greats like Ray Barretto, Mongo Santamaria and Willie Rosario. And how! For this super short album, lasting barely 33 minutes, you will most definitely need the repeat button!
Australian band Shaolin Afronauts' 'Flight Of The Ancients' is heavily influenced by Fela Kuti's afrobeat and Mulatu Astatke's Ethio-jazz and much more recommendation than that this band in our opinion does not need. Oh yeah, nice album cover by the way!