Space Jazz

A Global Journey Into Trip-Hop, Rock and Jazz

The material on Quango's Space Jazz echoes the psychedelic organ-grinders of the '60s, stirring a bitches brew of cosmic funk and conjuring the spirit of celestial future blues. Jamming with Mwandishi and the Headhunters, strutting with Charles Kynard, traversing galaxies with Sun Ra -- these artists draw inspiration from the past to concoct a forward-thinking futuristic fusion. Embrace a new visual perception with Akasha, swing to the interstellar rhythms of Pnu Riff and Vert, float with the mighty sounds of Love TKO and inhale the medicinal properties of the Solid Doctor. Gravity is optional: space is the place...

Tosca
Tosca is the brainchild of the Vienna-based Richard Dorfmeister and Rupert Huber. Both met in school where they shared the same enthusiasm about music. Very soon they formed their first group called Dehli 9, which was a wild collective, experimenting with tape machines and Indian influences, mixed with poetry lyrics. After school everybody went their way. Rupert decided to work in the experimental music scene, while Richard teamed up with Peter Kruder to form the producer/DJ duo Kruder & Dorfmeister and formed the G-stone label. In 1994 Richard and Rupert met again to do a new thing called Tosca. Initially a fun project, they released their first 12-inch, "Chocolate Elvis," which combined classical samples with NYC street-blues samples. They have since released two full-length albums, Opera and Suzuki, along with companion dub EPs. The world of Tosca is always connected to the city Vienna, sounds seen through a rain drenched cab windscreen, a low world full of bluesy gentleness.

Solid Doctor
Solid Doctor and Horsemilk are split personalities of Steve Cobby, who, manifests yet a another persona as one half of Fila Brazilia, together with Dave McSherry. For nearly a decade, this crew has been one of pop's best-kept secrets. Bunkered down in the foggy northern British fishing town of Hull, the reclusive duo has released six instrumental albums of sunny, funky, spacious grooves. All are deceptively gentle patchwork of sound that hide avant-garde ideas behind an effortless musicality. Fila Brazillia predate Air and Groove Armada. They have remixed Radiohead, Busta Rhymes, Black Uhuru and The Orb. In 1999 the duo started their very own label, 23 Records.

Akasha
Akasha are a musical partnership that was formed in early 1994 between Charlie Casey and Damien Hand. The Brixton duo sent their first demo to the newly launched Wall of Sound, and in February of 1995 the label released Akasha's debut release Jazedelica EP. This genre-defying melange of psychedelically tinged jazz was warmly received across the boards with fans ranging from the top of the drum 'n' bass fraternity to purist jazz buffs. In the wake of a deluge of polished, sanitized coffee table acid jazz, Akasha boostered the scene with a fresh injection of creativity and stylized credibility. Says Charlie Casey, "Acid Jazz. I thought that it would combine jazz and acid-brilliant. But it turned out to be a really insipid version of British rare groove. I think that's when we decided to set the record straight and that it inspired us to do something." The duo's brand of electronic jazz is a cascading cocktail of beat poetry, psychedelic electronic murmurings, speakeasy edits and stark, languid sequences. Akasha have also released the Cinematique full-length.

Love TKO
Love TKO, formerly known as Sexy TKO, was formed in Tokyo in 1989, when Tycoon Tosh and Kudo, both part of the highly respected Major Force collective, met Loretta Heywood and recorded the Japanese club classic, "Touch Me, Take Me." As a follow up to this, Tosh and Kudo asked Loretta to write another song for the TKO project before she left Japan in 1990. Loretta called in her friend Yuka and "Tribe Of Love" was born and quickly became a UK dance classic. After moving to London, Tosh and Kudo hooked up with Howie B and the result was the Major Force West collective -- these sessions, released on Mo' Wax, are the source for the two Love TKO tracks featured here.

Meat Katie
Meat Katie is the UK based producer and DJ Mark Pember. His musical involvement began as a member of the Ceasefire project on Wall Of Sound alongside Derek Dahlarge and Jason O'Bryan. After leaving to concentrate on a solo career, his production skills began to shine through, molding an eclectic mix of funk grooves, soulful jazz and dusty '70s beats to create the melting pot that is Meat Katie. A regular at clubs such as Home, Scala, Heaven, Mass and Fabric, Mark has also started his own label imprint, Whole Nine Yards.