Talkin Loud Classics: Urban Species - Listen (1994)

Urban Species released their ground breaking classic album Listen to an eagerly awaiting public in May 1994. Described by Melody Maker as “Possibly the finest début of 1994” and “The best album Talkin Loud have ever put out” by Sky Mag, the album received universal acclaim and was an immediate success. Commercial chart success came with the hit singles Spiritual Love and Brother, firmly confirming their arrival and unprecedented exposure of a UK rap act.

The band was also finding success across Europe, most notably in France, where they even managed to eclipse their UK achievements. In the United States they developed up a following among New York’s underground scene, receiving considerable airplay. The album was released on London Records after a breathtaking performance at the New Music Seminar in New York, with a showcase that blew away both media and public alike. Over the next 18 months they would take their unique blend of Hip-Hop to places as far afield as the Far East and Africa, making many friends along the way.

[BBC Music]

'Spiritual Love' - 'Brother' - 'Listen' with MC SOLAAR -

Talkin Loud Classics: The Plot Thickens (1994)

Galliano was a London based acid jazz group, which started up in 1988. The group was the first signing to Eddie Piller and Gilles Peterson's Talkin' Loud label. The original members were Rob Gallagher (vocals), Constantine Weir (vocals), and Crispin Robinson (percussion). Other important members include Valerie Etienne, who participated in the recording of all their CDs, along with other musicians such as Mick Talbot on keyboards, Crispin Taylor on drums and Ernie McKone on bass guitar.

Galliano achieved the peak of its success in 1994 with The Plot Thickens, a major work that fuses the extreme harmonies and rhythms of jazz with up-to-the-minute urban soul on tracks such as Twyford Down, with its numerous changes of tempo, or Travels the Road and Long Time Gone.

Frontman Rob Gallagher continued to perform (as of 2006) as Earl Zinger. In the late 1990s, Gallagher broke Galliano up, and pursued his latest musical project, 2 Banks of 4.

[wiki]

'Long time gone' - 'Twyford Down' - 'Cold Wind'

Talkin Loud classics: The Young Disciples - Road to Freedom (1993)

One of the most important albums to emerge from the acid jazz scene.

By David O' Donnell - BBC music AZ

Young Disciples' Road To Freedom encompasses many of the sounds that epitomised the emerging acid-jazz scene of the early ninties.

Young Disciples formed in 1990 when American vocalist Carleen Anderson relocated to London and met Marc Nelson and Femi Williams. After signing to Talking Loud records in 1991, the group released the singles Get Yourself Together and Apparently Nothin, the latter of which became a hit in the charts. Off the back of Apparently Nothing's success, their impressive debut record Road To Freedom was released.

Road To Freedom combined muscular funk with jazz and R&B influences, whilst also maintained strong links with British Hip Hop, and as a result Road To Freedom benefits from Masta Ace and Maceo Parker guest appearances.

These wide ranging influences, combined with Carleen Anderson's low, smoky vocals and the clever, unpredictable productions, means that a decade and a half later, Road To Freedom is still deemed to be one of the most important albums to emerge from the acid jazz scene.

"Apparently Nothin' - 'All I Have In Me' -

Talkin' Loud 20th Anniversary

A tribute to the 20th anniversary of Gilles Peterson's Talkin Loud label -- featuring a selection of cuts hand-picked by Japanese DJ Toshio Matsuura! The cuts here definitely fall on the more cutting edge side of the Talkin Loud sound -- and Matsuura also has a good ear for some of the key remixes that came out on the label's 12" singles back in the day. Cuts include "At Les" by Innerzone Orchestra, "Strung Out" by MJ Cole, "Slack Hands (Aphex mix)" by Galliano, "Planet Plan (Yellow Productions mix)" by United Future Organization, "Brown Paper Bag (Photek rmx)" by Roni Size Reprazent, "Nervous Track" by Nuyorican Soul, "Blank Cells" by 4Hero, "Stolen Moments" by United Future Organization, "Freedom (free for all mix)" by Young Disciples, "Tryin Times (headstrong voc mix)" by Courtney Pine, and "Jacob's Ladder" by Incognito.

4HERO "Blank Cells" - Incognito "Jacob's Ladder" - Young Disciples "Freedom (free for all mix)"