Morten Martens is the man behind Les Imprimés. Born, raised and working in Kristiansand, Norway, he keeps himself in the background while making his heartfelt, highly infectious and unique soul music. With his lead single “Falling Away”, he paints a picture of love slipping away. His new album “Rêverie” will be released on 11 August via Big Crown Records.

With his solo debut “Wait Til I Get Over”, Durand Jones, frontman of the great soul band Durand Jones & The Indications, embarks on a very personal musical journey to his hometown of Hillaryville, Louisiana, and lets the listener participate in the diverse musical culture of the black community of the American South. Jones succeeds in creating an album that exudes the scent of “magnolias on a hot summer day” while reinterpreting the traditions of Southern Soul for the 21st century.

A musical match made in heaven: Thundercat and Tame Impala have joined forces for their first single “No More Lies” and hit the sweet spot between their two individual, complementary styles with laser precision. For us, one of the best single releases of this spring.

American soul sensation Thee Sacred Souls release a previously unreleased favourite from their live shows with their new single “Running Away”. The classic up-beat burner shows how versatile the Californian trio is. A song that would definitely cut a fine figure at the next Northern Soul Weekender.

On his new album “Sundown”, Eddie Chacon embarks on a meditative journey through the shallows of life. As on his comeback album “Pleasure, Joy and Happiness”, he is accompanied by his brother in spirit, the multi-instrumentalist John Carroll Kirby. It seems too early to speak of a late work for an artist who is just 59 years old. But “Sundown” shows a reflected singer and songwriter who draws his wisdom from his life’s experiences. This is how soul music has to sound in the 21st century.

Los Angeles-based soft psychedelic synth duo Pearl & The Oysters go all out for “faux-baroque glam” on their latest song “Read the Room”. They receive vocal support from none other than Laetitia Sadier of Stereolab. The new single is a precursor to the duo’s new album “Coast 2 Coast”, which will be released on Stones Throw on 21 April.

On his latest record “What’s Trending”, the American singer-songwriter Leo Sidran continues his deeply personal examination of the all-too-human, today’s social circus and family life, which he already so skilfully laid out before us with an open eye and fine intuition on the previous album “The Art Of Conversation”. Enriched with funk, West Cost and even hip-hop elements, Sidran grooves his way through the pitfalls of everyday life in a swinging and elegant way, supported by numerous family members, including his father, the legendary jazz musician Ben Sidran, inviting us to smile and reflect and showing impressively that he has long since become an accomplished chronicler of his environment, a musical Woody Allen, if you will. What Leo Sidran observes, writes down and sings has a universal meaning that applies to life in Brooklyn as well as to the rest of the world. “What’s Trending” is an album that should be listened to carefully.

After the Hamburg-based soul outfit Angels of Libra and Irish singer Nathan Johnston took off last year with their excellent debut album, the Angels are giving even more boost with their first single “Revelations” from their forthcoming second album, which will be released on 17 March, and are finally overcoming the force of gravity. Almost weightlessly, the musicians weave soul, library and film music into a rousing mix. Major Tom would have liked the video released for the new single.

Surprise Chef’s sound draws from ’70s film music, the funky side of jazz and samples that form the basis of hip-hop. In April and May the Australian band will finally come on a big European tour and will also play some concerts in Germany. With their new video “Spring’s Theme live at the Legendary Diamond Mine” they get their fans in the right mood for the upcoming shows.

On their sixth album “Pollen”, the self-reflective indie-pop duo Tennis from Denver, Colorado, find meaning in the little things and continue the successful path they set out on with their predecessor “Swimmer” – modern pop music that evokes the glamour of the 80s but is firmly anchored in the present, not least thanks to a punchy production. And yes, Alaina Moore’s voice is as ethereal as ever.

Light in the Attic releases the latest chapter in its acclaimed Japanese City Pop series, Pacific Breeze, which delivers a mesmerizing blend of AOR, R&B, jazz fusion, funk, boogie, and disco from the country’s flourishing bubble era of the ‘70s and ‘80s. The highly anticipated Pacific Breeze 3: Japanese City Pop, AOR & Boogie 1975-1987, continues the exploration with songs that push the boundaries of the genre and offer glimmers of the next waves of music, including Shibuya-kei, hip-hop, and electro.

Dutch artist Benny Sings announces his new album “Young Hearts”, which will be released on 24 March via Stones Throw Records, with a new single and a video.

Singer, songwriter and pianist Izo FitzRoy is back and demonstrates with the powerful ballad “God Gets A Little Busy Sometimes” that she is one of the great voices of the British soul and gospel scene. The haunting song is the first single from her upcoming album “A Good Woman,” which will be released in April 2023 on Jalapeno Records.

The second STR4TA album by Gilles Peterson and Jean Paul “Bluey” Maunick is an opulent mix of twangy bass, spacey synthesiser melodies, clicking beats and floating, ethereal voices. Inspired by the seminal chapter in British music history, Brit-Funk, and the formative years of Gilles and Bluey.

For their first studio album, the Hamburg soul outfit Angels of Libra teamed up with the Irish singer-songwriter Nathan Johnston, after they had already attracted attention with singles with Shawn Lee and Maiiah. The result is an authentic album full of elegantly grooving, varied and atmospheric soul music, characterised by tasteful horn arrangements, a great rhythm section and the right amount of analogue warmth, but not least by Nathan Johnston’s striking voice – one of our soul albums of the year.