VARIOUS – Luke Una Presents E Soul Cultura Vol. 2 (w/ Obi Strip & Zine) – 2LP – Gatefold Vinyl [JUN 9]

2LP – Black Vinyl housed in a Gatefold Sleeve with Obi Strip & Limited Edition Fanzine written by Luke Una.

Soul Cultura Vol. 1 seemed to land at exactly the right moment. Post-lockdown, optimism was back on the rise and the dance floors swelled again. For many listeners, Manchester based DJ Luke Una‘s intriguingly woven pattern of new, old, rare and under-discovered music from around the world became the soundtrack to rejuvenated positivity. Piccadilly Records made the release their top compilation of the year, with Rough Trade placing it as their number two. The enthusiasm from the industry was mirrored by record buyers and demonstrated that in the right hands, moving through genres, tempos and decades can make perfect musical sense.

This second volume gives another opportunity for Luke to share his journey of the past four decades of staying up late and getting transcendental whilst listening to holy grail music as the city slept. It at times ventures into the deeper, spiritual, soulful, downtempo, experimental aspects of his tastes. From the conscious, street soul fusion gospel of Veronica Mickie‘s ‘Lost Children‘, to an excursion into Swiss, psych, progressive rock in the form of Pyranha, then onto the classic Indian music-inspired electronic workout of Andi Otto‘s ‘Bangalore Whispers‘. Luke hints at his softer side in Avis; a sweet, obscure cover version of Minnie Riperton‘s ‘Baby, This Love I Have‘, as well as championing local heroes in the shape of Manchester’s Yargo and their driving, obscure, proto-house belter, ‘Marimba‘. There’s also Japanese, electronic, slo-mo heaviness from 1979, courtesy of Bach Revolution. House music is integral to the Soul sound and is represented by Nav Aktah‘s deep remix of Mr Scruff, and then there’s Isis ‘In Essense‘; a track of such majestic brilliance that it has never left Luke’s record bag.

The selection is eclectic, global, and plucked from different times and spaces. In theory, perhaps they shouldn’t work together, but there is a mysterious link that makes them gel as a whole. That’s what Luke does best. He creates a sort of musical alchemy, unifying the diverse.

Tracklist:

1. Real Thing – Children of The Ghetto
2. Avis – Baby, This Love I Have
3. Veronica Mickie – Lost Children
4. Rare Silk – Storm (Arp Duppy Chip Mix)
5. LFO – Shove Piggy Shove
6. Bach Revolution – D.E 108
7. Andi Otto – Bangalore Whispers (feat. MD Pallavi)
8. Unnayanaa & Irfan Rainy feat. Ibtisam – Taht Min Aini (Alberghina Remx)* Vinyl Only
9. Michael de Albuquerque – We May Be Cattle But We All Got Names
10. Pyranha – Clepsydre
11. Yargo – Marimba
12. Okyerema Asante & Black Fire – Play a Sweet Rhythm on Them Drums (feat. Plunky)
13. Mr. Scruff feat. Nke – Giffin (Taken re-edit Speechless dub mix)
14. Isis – In Essense
15. Frank Hatchett – Malibu Nites