Here’s five albums from the collection again, worthy of revisiting - or ripe for a first time acquaintance. Paleface from Helsinki, St Pauli Dance Core and Jan Delay from Hamburg, The Notorious B.I.G. from New York and Nina Simone from Tryon, North Carolina.
Här är fem album från samlingen igen, värda att återupptäcka eller mogna för upptäckt. Paleface från Helsingfors, St Pauli Dance Core och Jan Delay från Hamburg, The Notorius B.I.G. från New York och Nina Simone från Tryon, North Carolina.
Paleface: Helsinki-Shangri-La (2LP, 10th Anniversary).
Den som har läst bloggen vet att jag nyligen kort-recenserade det här albumet som ett av 40 CD album. Men sedan dess har jag köpt tio-års-jubileumsutgåvan på vinyl (originalalbumet plus en skiva live med Paleface & Räjähtävä Nyrkki). Och det är den utgåvan jag recenserar här.
Titelspåret Helsinki-Shangri-La är en av de bästa samhällskommentarer som skrivit om Helsingfors de senaste decennierna. Ett superbt hiphop-spår. Och titelspåret är minst lika aktuellt nu som för tio år. Kommer att lyssna på det ofta.
Annars är albumet en intressant mix av hiphop och närmast klassisk finsk folksång, med samhällsinnehåll. Talonomistaja låter som en gammal folksång medan Merkit för oss tillbaka till hiphop-scenen igen. Där mellan finsk musik från ett antal decennier rör sig albumets ljudbild, det är hiphop som influerats av den finska sångskatten och den stereotypa finska folksjälen.
Riisto Räppääjä är hiphop med basen snarare i den finska rocken än funk- eller soulbeats. Inget illa med det, det är ju finsk hiphop och Paleface förtjänar snarare beröm för att bygga sin hiphop med inspiration från beståndsdelar ur den finska ljudbilden. Dessutom är resultatet mycket bra.
Kalpeaakin Kalpempaa är en underbar version av A Whiter Shade Of Pale och en stämningsfull avslutning på ett strålande album. Helsinki-Shangri-La är ett väldigt finskt album, men det är inget typiskt finskt hiphop album och det gör det faktiskt bara ännu bättre. Blandningen av gamla ”ralleja” kombinerat med rock och progressiva hiphop-texter och rytmer fungerar utmärkt.
Finsk är stämningen också när Merkit drar igen på live-vinylen, men själv spåret är progressiv text till klassisk hiphop-rytm. Elokuun Leijona tar i sin tur influenserna från reggaerytmer.
Live-disken är utmärkt och förmedlar fina vibes från Tammerfest 2011. Saknar ändå verkligen Helsinki-Shangri-La i livematerialet på bonusskivan, men är desto nöjdare att Palefaces suveräna single Vaalirahakynytys med jazzduon Nieminen & Litmanen finns med, här i en betydligt hiphopigare version. Hela paketet gör full rättvisa åt firandet av Helsinki-Shangri-La. Och är tillräckligt bra för att motivera inköp, även om man redan har originalalbumet. Åtminstone för mig. Snyggt.
Like I earlier wrote about the original album on CD: Old time ”ralleja” vibes combined with contemporary hiphop makes a fine musical brew and title song Helsinki-Shangri-La and the A Whiter Shade Of Pale-version in Finnish is excellent. Not a typical Finnish hiphop-album and actually all the better for it. This is the 10-year anniversary version, on vinyl and including a second disc live from Tammerfest 2011. This is actually a very Finnish album, with influences from traditional Finnish folk songs, ”ralleja” and Finnish rock as well as typical hiphop. It is hiphop with a very Finnish soundscape in the background. The live disc is more typical hiphop, with funky, but also reggae influences. Progressive texts set to cool rhythms. I really miss Helsinki-Shangri-La on the live disc, but I am very happy that the great single Vaalirahakynytys, with jazzduo Nieminen & Litmanen, is here in a hiphopier live version. Great double album, great enough to buy even though you may have the original album from before. For me at least.
Starkt, Paleface, Strong.
St. Pauli Dance Core (Various Artists).
This is a 13 track double EP compilation. So in the strictest sense, not an album at all. However, as it is long in running time, like an album, I see it as an ”album”, dig? Acid/Hardcore is what is was labelled as in the Hamburg shop where I bought it. House grooves are also present. It is connected to St. Pauli, but there’s no background info on the cover. Music for clubbin’, obviously, but which club? Well, there is a logo for Unit, and according to info on discogs Unit was the first club in Hamburg that played electronic music, and was located on Talstrasse in St. Pauli. That makes sense, and explains the title. I bought it for the St. Pauli connection and thus guessed it could be cool. And yes, it is. Originally it is said to have come with a sticker, St. Pauli Against Racism. That would make it all the better. Unfortunately my copy doesn’t have that sticker. It would have been a nice bonus.
The music on Dance Core is rather fine electronica-based cuts for nights clubbin’ rather than home listening. You would prefer to draw the volume knob to 11 and dance away than sit back, listen and analyze. So, not ideal for home stereo systems then (if you have neighbours). But, hey, you can easily enjoy for example the brilliantly named One Nation Under One Housegroove either way. And at the same time enjoy the title pass to Parliament’s funk classic One Nation Under A Groove. Cool. Das Auge by XPC also brings together interesting influences. Whether this is music reminding of the Unit vibe or actual favorites on the Unit dancefloor remains a mystery. For now. The cover only states: ”This compilation is forced by Unit”. I guess this is actual dancefloor killers at Unit, setting the vibe for club nights there.
This album, then, works as a means, from a safe distance at home, to experience club music, in this case Unit in St. Pauli. It’s convenient, safe and perhaps some feeling of light ”edginess” to not watch, but hear from, club scenes. Of course this kind of music is always produced to dance to rather than to listen to. And if it is good enough you can do both. This dancecore album has it’s moments also for listeners, like the before-mentioned cuts and Visual Attack by Endless Loop, which strongly starts the second disc. Marcello Mancur’s No. 95 is a track quite suitable for both club dancin’ and home stereo listening while X-Dream’s DJ’s Hardattack is more strictly aimed for the dancefloor and less well suited for listening.
Repitcher sets a darker intensified dance mood with Thing on side D, and the hard dancecore intensity is upheld on Master, on the only double EP side containing four cuts. Electropia by Electropia closes the double loop EP. There’s nothing wrong with this cut, it’s actually kinda cool, but it doesn’t feel like a piece for ending an album, or a night out. At least it is not faded out, but has a proper ending.
Jan Delay & Disko No 1: Earth, Wind & Feiern - Live Aus Dem Hamburger Hafen (2 LP + 7”).
Jan Delay is one of the greatest contemporary German artists, a personal favorite, and live he and Disko No 1 are almost unbeatable. I saw him live in Stuttgart in 2025, celebrating 25 years as an artist. So cool. Beginner, Absolute Beginner, solo as Jan Delay. All good, all great. A live album from home city Hamburg is thrilling, and Earth, Wind & Feiern is of course a fun travesty on Earth, Wind & Fire. And yes, it’s a rump-swinging mix of disco, soul, funk, hiphop and reggae.
Intro is not any intro, but the superb Mercedes Dance Intro, and on this high level the live album begins and continues strongly with Klar. Side A is party on from start to finish, which is the groovy and head-bangin’ Turlich, Turlich. I listed this as one of the best albums in 2022, and so it has remained. Just brilliant.
The discosoul of Large opens side B, before the cool reggae-grooves of old fan favorite Vergiftet. Given the title, many songs from album Earth, Wind & Feiern are present here in live versions, three of them ends Side B. Best of them is Zuruck, that is set to a sweet, swingin’ rhythm, with some nice horns excelling. Lächeln features a very prominent and memorable bassline. I like.
However, late part of side B and early part of side C is the moment you often experience in concert when the energy level is on a lower flame, slightly catching the breath from an early climax before the latter part highlights. This is also where you play the more unknown or lower-grade hits. This part of the album is not bad, never worse than ok and mostly really good. Disko lifts the bar again with its captivating and dancable discosoul. Party on! Ska-rhythmic and charming Saxophone continues the party vibe that reaches its peak on wonderful Eule.
Side D takes the listener down to quieter moments, to catch the breath, with sweetly chilled Alexa, before Intro/Raveheart slowly begins pumping up party grooves again. The whole album (and concert) ends with an impressive and ass-shaking, brain-boiling finale, wonderfully intense Oh Jonny, followed, of course, by anthem St. Pauli. That would be a strong ending on any Jan Delay concert, like the one I saw in Stuttgart 2025, but it is an wildly explosive live peak here, on home turf in Hamburger Hafen.
Pure Magic.
And then we are also spoiled with a fine pink-colored double A-side bonus 7” single, at least on the first edition of this album.
Die Bass & Die Gang rolls along fine without adding anything significantly new. Alles Gut is slower and the better cut, mostly thanks to a relevant text and a warm and sensitive chorus.
One of the absolutely best albums of 2022, and still totally stunning.
The Notorious B.I.G.: Ready To Die.
In hindsight, this album title was sadly relevant, as Biggie was killed at a young age and the hiphop and larger music world lost a great talent. Both he and Tupac fell victim’s to insane drive-by shootings, at roughly the same time.
On this album, though, Biggie is still very much alive and presents a premium collection of hiphop cuts. Juicy cruises fine for starters and Gimme The Loot doesn’t leave much to fantasy, set to a heavy, funky rhythm. It is an example of a hiphop ”Black CNN”, reporting from the neighborhoods where corporate white media never visits, if not for demonizing the place and it’s people.
So you wanna be hardcore?, begins Biggie acidly on Machine Gun Funk, before some more rappin’ and storytellin’. The I love to. do the funk line is repeated many, many, many times before the cut fades out. Yeah, love the funk. And an even heavier, thumping funk rhythm is pumpin’ in Warning. Another great rap, to another superb soundscape. Until it ends in a nighttime discussion leading up to a shoot-out. Considering the history of Biggie, and his demise, you can’t but feel a chill.
Unbelievable is rollin’ on and Method Man guests on The What. Respect is another great rap tale of black lives from the boroughs of New York. Diana King does a good job on additional vocals. But Biggie’s storytelling is, again, in focus. The start on One More Chance is rather embarrassing, and grows to a relationship rap it is Biggie that is asked for a new chance, not the other way round). His ”They don’t call me big for nuthin’” line sounds rather juvenile, and is a hint to the answer on next song’s question: I wonder why you call me Big Pop-pa?, in Big Poppa. Well, Biggie is better on social commentary and more serious storytelling than on hiphop machismo numbers. The beats, on the other hand, are always great.
Nina Simone: Sunday Morning Classics (2 LP).
On the cover, this compilation is described as seriously chilled out tracks that are ”the perfect companion for your easy going Sunday mornings”. I don’t know if RCA market dept. has even listened to the album, or haven’t understood the lyrics, but some of them are extremely far from easy going Sundays. Mississippi Goddam, I Wish I Knew How To Be Free, Baltimore. Just to name three. All fantastic songs, but serious and deep, not easy going.
Of course this album is wonderful to listen to on Sundays too, and great for chillin’ out, but it’s not easy listening muzak. It is superb songs, beautifully sung by one of the emperors of soul, with an astonishingly sensitive delivery, be it black power anthems, heartbreaking soul and wonderful covers of classics. Seriously chilled out vibes, ok, and sometimes easy going, but not so easy going when you actually start to hear, and think, what Nina sings. This is concious stuff, and need to be heard and respected for it, way too good to be dismissed as easy going Sunday morning muzak.
That said, I love to hear this album on Sundays, it chills me, it moves me, it inspires me, and not necessarily in that order.
Side A starts gloriously with classic Mr. Bojangles, a beautifully sad and concious tale, that immediately puts you in a Nina Simone mood. A-side also include stunning classics Angel Of The Morning, Baltimore as well Blues For Mama.
Side B continues the vibe. Jazzy I Want Some Sugar In My Bowl is sweetly sung, followed my favorite cut, I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free, crescendoing and increasing pace like a freighttrain steamin’ up. I remember the first time I heard this song and how it smashed into my consciousness. Wow. And it has lost none of that energizing feel. In The Dark slows things down to a relationship piece, yearning for togetherness, grapping a moment in the dark. Nina Simone is superb as soul singer, jazz singer, in short, she is a superb singer. She puts her very own grip on I Shall Be Released. Overall, the B-side is strong on themes of lust and love, which is as close a topic to Nina’s repertoire as black conciousness.
Side C starts on a high note with social commentary in great Backlasher Blues, continued by life-affirming class-concious high-spirited anthem Ain’t Got No-I Got Life. A wonderful highlight. To Be Young, Gifted And Black is another song on the fight for equality, and against racism. Set in a time when justice and equality was questioned, a little like in today’s dark trumpian days for America and democracy. Ending this side with covers of two fine classics - Turn, Turn, Turn! and Just Like A woman - Nina again shows what a fantastic and personal interpreter she if of other people’s songs. Here she slows them down, jazzifies, and makes them her very own. Nice.
Side D brings in a few live cuts too, In The Morning not least, and that is essential, as Nina Simone is also a truly breathtaking performer live. Just listen to the absolutely stunning resistance and protest anthem Mississippi Goddam here. What a high-water-mark. The compilation ends with a emotional and rhythmical live version of Miriam Makeba’s Westwind. Perhaps a somewhat surprising end, but a strong piece of relentless percussions and Nina's intimate voce.
Earlier on side D, O-o-h Child presents a positive future vision of comfort, told from adult to a child, that things are gonna get easier, and boosted by a gospel choir. It is sweet and hopeful, and contemporary also for these later dark times. Yesterday approximately 8 million people protested and demonstrated against ”the mad king” trump administration on the streets all over USA, and in some global cities like Paris, London and Amsterdam. This song could have been sung from a mother to a child then, it feels that contemporary. We all need to believe and hope that better days are coming.
Sunday Morning Classics is a great collection, and offers so much more than Sunday morning chills, even if it delivers that too. It gives a fine introduction to Nina Simone’s genius, but I really recommend the 4 CD box set next, or the box set with all her albums. Nina Simone is not one of the best female singers of all time, she is simply one of the best singers. Every tone might perhaps not be technically perfect, but every tone is sung with great conviction and soul. If a tone would break, it is because life itself breaks. Thus, it is perfect, even if every note is not necessarily technically perfect. It’s impossible to not be moved by Nina Simone’s voice, at least if the listener has any humanity left inside.
So there you have it, five more albums to enjoy. In a time when AI-made copycat songs are currently topping charts, it is a relief to hear human genius, hard-earned musicianships, and stellar performances by real artists like Nina Simone, Jan Delay and Paleface.
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