TOKiMONSTA – Eternal Reverie

Soulful hiphop, lounging r&b, quality chill-out electronics. It’s such an understated and elegant album, so good to listen to. Perfect soundtrack to a day when I’m just going about my things and want something to keep me smoothly sailing along.

This has quickly become one of the soundtracks of this year, and by yet another fantastic female artist; this is a women’s year, no question about that.

Lady Blackbird – Slang Spirituals

Feels to go from the first album‘s jazz sound towards mainstream pop territory. It has some strong hooks, and also some rather quiet, singer-songwriter type songs. I liked more jazz better, but this is still a fine record. Random: Like a Woman is such a great soundtrack song, I could image it played to pieces in movies. The album cover is terrible though, that’s a pity.

Lady Blackbird – Black Acid Soul (deluxe edition)

I don’t often post about jazz records because I rarely listen to new jazz music, which is not nu jazz. This one is soulful funk and jazz, and it was a surprisingly amazing listen; set my mood beautifully to positivity on an otherwise cloudy afternoon. I specifically mention the deluxe edition because of its second record with some extra nice stuff, remixes and some nu jazz sounds over there.

Moodymann – DJ-Kicks

Hugely satisfying and absolutely relaxed mix of tracks through the hiphop-soul-groovy-nujazz axis. This is why I listen to good selections like the DJ Kicks or Late Night Tales releases in the first place. I mean not the specific genre but the top-notch selection.

Janelle Monáe – The Electric Lady

I listen to a very little amount of pop music so it’s no surprise that I am a late comer to take a bow for this album that was released in 2013. However I just cannot not put this one up here and note that this is what exceptional pop music sounds like. All those r&b “superstars” should stand in line to learn some tricks here. Featuring of Prince and Erykah Badu is powerful of course, but the record as a whole is way more that that, and with many faces of many genres beyond r&b.