{"title":"HOPE STREET","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"emma-donovan-the-putbacks-dawn-lp","title":"Emma Donovan \u0026 The PutBacks - Dawn (LP)","description":"\u003cp\u003eAcclaimed indigenous vocalist Emma Donovan and Melbourne rhythm combo The PutBacks come together to bring you Dawn, an LP of hard hitting and heartfelt soul songs telling stories of grief, struggle and redemption. Dawn is a gritty, uniquely Australian record, simultaneously classic and contemporary. The songwriting is in turns optimistic, angry and melancholic, and on occasions bruisingly honest. The music is fluid, live and raw, recorded in one room on eight channels of analog tape and the electric connection between Emma and the band comes through in every beat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDawn takes some cues from the burgeoning soul revival, but it’s a far looser interpretation than many releases in the style. This is no attempt at reviving a bygone era. There’s no horn section. There’s more rock in there. There’s more country in there. There’s more, in Emma’s words, “blackfella music” in there. The songwriting is more akin to classic Aboriginal bands like Coloured Stone than it is to Sharon Jones. The sentiment is personal, for both Emma and the band, and forward looking, rather than revivalist. Shades of every soul record you ever liked sneak through: Al Green’s Hi Records era? Check. Aretha’s Classic Atlantic recordings? Check. Stacks of Stax? Check. It’s all there, but all different. Dawn is it’s own thing, indigenous Australian soul. From the ferocious opening salvo of “Black Woman” to the sweet and gentle comedown of Over Under Away, Dawn is above all a journey through Emma’s life written in song.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HOPE STREET","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":961638453,"sku":"L-HS015","price":16.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0068\/0042\/products\/hope-street-recordings-emma-donovan-the-putbacks-dawn-lp-lp-5050580623293-l-hs015-photo-photo-photo-1048211945.jpg?v=1613029691"},{"product_id":"san-lazaro-la-despedida-lp-gatefold","title":"San Lazaro - La Despedida (Gatefold LP)","description":"\u003cp\u003eLa Despedida - Spanish for \"The Farewell\" - is a breakup album. A psychedelic, post-apocalyptic meta-breakup album by a band that has broken up more than once. For over a decade, San Lazaro have been playing and writing original Latin music in Melbourne. A tribe of lost Latinos, cobbled together from all over the Spanish speaking world. From Chile to Cuba to Catalonia, they've come together at the Southern end of Australia to sing the songs they needed to sing and tell the stories they needed to tell.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis album, like San Lazaro, is more than the sum of its parts - more fortunate accident than grand design. There's so many different influences that its origins are hard to pinpoint. It's a reflection of a world where children of a dozen diasporas ended up in the same adopted city, dreaming of motherlands they don't quite remember, cannibalising and co-opting stories and musical influences from each other's lives to make meaning in their own.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLa Despedida is composed of storytelling that is honest, unapologetic and unambiguously personal. Not just breakup songs, but protest songs, songs of insomnia and midnight ennui, songs about losing friends to drug addiction, songs that promise music can save us. Unconcerned by the fact no-one around them has any idea what they are talking about, San Lazaro have put together a collection of Spanish language songs that reflects the alienation and uncertainty of 21st century suburban life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe music is a synthesis of far flung elements from all over Latin America's musical history: Afrocuban Rumba, Son Montuno, Peruvian Cumbia from the 1960s, New York Salsa from the 1970s, and more than a few echoes of the Chilean protest-folk movement that was extinguished in the coup of 1973. All the influences all together - unbound by borders or eras.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt's not glamorous, unlike much of contemporary Latin music. The simple almost-live production allows for the musicians' craft and identity to shine through. It's distorted and psyched-out and echo-drenched but it always feels like the same band playing in the same room, no matter what corner of the Latin world they're nodding to. This is a band that has been playing together for a long time, and the self-assurance and confidence that goes with that makes La Despedida an ambitious record that feels effortless and natural.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HOPE STREET","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":18669462465,"sku":"L-HS025","price":21.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0068\/0042\/products\/hope-street-recordings-san-lazaro-la-despedida-lp-gatefold-lp-5050580652859-l-hs025-photo-photo-photo-11646369729.jpg?v=1641500965"},{"product_id":"san-lazaro-la-despedida-cd","title":"San Lazaro - La Despedida (CD)","description":"\u003cp\u003eLa Despedida - Spanish for \"The Farewell\" - is a breakup album. A psychedelic, post-apocalyptic meta-breakup album by a band that has broken up more than once. For over a decade, San Lazaro have been playing and writing original Latin music in Melbourne. A tribe of lost Latinos, cobbled together from all over the Spanish speaking world. From Chile to Cuba to Catalonia, they've come together at the Southern end of Australia to sing the songs they needed to sing and tell the stories they needed to tell.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis album, like San Lazaro, is more than the sum of its parts - more fortunate accident than grand design. There's so many different influences that its origins are hard to pinpoint. It's a reflection of a world where children of a dozen diasporas ended up in the same adopted city, dreaming of motherlands they don't quite remember, cannibalising and co-opting stories and musical influences from each other's lives to make meaning in their own.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLa Despedida is composed of storytelling that is honest, unapologetic and unambiguously personal. Not just breakup songs, but protest songs, songs of insomnia and midnight ennui, songs about losing friends to drug addiction, songs that promise music can save us. Unconcerned by the fact no-one around them has any idea what they are talking about, San Lazaro have put together a collection of Spanish language songs that reflects the alienation and uncertainty of 21st century suburban life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe music is a synthesis of far flung elements from all over Latin America's musical history: Afrocuban Rumba, Son Montuno, Peruvian Cumbia from the 1960s, New York Salsa from the 1970s, and more than a few echoes of the Chilean protest-folk movement that was extinguished in the coup of 1973. All the influences all together - unbound by borders or eras.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt's not glamorous, unlike much of contemporary Latin music. The simple almost-live production allows for the musicians' craft and identity to shine through. It's distorted and psyched-out and echo-drenched but it always feels like the same band playing in the same room, no matter what corner of the Latin world they're nodding to. This is a band that has been playing together for a long time, and the self-assurance and confidence that goes with that makes La Despedida an ambitious record that feels effortless and natural.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HOPE STREET","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":18669647617,"sku":"CD-HS025","price":13.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0068\/0042\/products\/hope-street-recordings-san-lazaro-la-despedida-cd-lp-5050580652873-cd-hs025-photo-photo-photo-11646565057.jpg?v=1647990775"},{"product_id":"the-bombay-royale-run-kitty-run-lp","title":"The Bombay Royale - Run Kitty Run (LP)","description":"The Bombay Royale has always used vintage Indian cinema as a creative touch stone for their songwriting and the musical influence of greats such as RD Burman, Anandji \u0026amp; Kalyanji and Illayaraja looms large. Not surprisingly their production philosophy is also grounded in this era and has been heavily influenced by the Daptone approach, with most of their songs tracked live in single takes and overdubbing kept to a minimum.  Whilst the tracks on 'Run Kitty Run' retain this type of philosophy the band has also explored new stylistic territory.  Songs such as ‘Run Kitty Run’ and ‘Bhediya’ venture into the psych-surf domain of bands such as Messer Chups and Los Straightjackets. ‘I Love You Love You’, ‘Nucky Day Nucky Dah Nucky Doo’ and ‘Ballygunge’ have an angular 80's vibe, infused with gated snares and the spirits of Talking Heads and David Bowie. ‘Mera Naam Hai Lucky’ tips its hat to Bhappi Lahiri (Bollywood's undisputed Disco King). ‘Mauja’ taps into Parvyn Singh's Punjabi background whilst also drawing on the desert rock sounds of bands such as Tinariwen. RoboBeeZ is a 12\/8 sci-rock shuffle with an Yma Sumac vocal lead that is undoubtedly the theme for a TV series involving transformers, robotic horsemen and green screen facilitated time travel. ‘Raan of Kutch’ is inspired in equal measure by John Bonham and the 70's Persian Psyche rock of artists such as Googoosh. Gunslinger’s Lullaby features the Skipper crooning his way through a murder ballad that is equal parts Budos Band and Lee Hazelwood.  'Tumi Ami' could be drawn from a lost Radiohead record (had they been from Kolkata) whilst the closing track of side A is one of the band's personal favourites - ‘Zhooti Naina’ - an Abbey Road-esque journey, progressing from its haunting opening vocal opening through to its climax in a kind of Kawali inspired religious ecstasy.","brand":"HOPE STREET","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40061039373,"sku":"L-HS030","price":19.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0068\/0042\/products\/hope-street-recordings-the-bombay-royale-run-kitty-run-lp-lp-659123089111-l-hs030-photo-photo-photo-25465580621.jpg?v=1613832008"},{"product_id":"leisure-centre-mind-full-cd","title":"Leisure Centre - Mind Full (CD)","description":"Melbourne R\u0026amp;B slow jammers (and heart throbbers) Leisure Centre are proud to announce the release of their long awaited debut album, Mind Full. Expected this July, the album, which sits on a darker and more electronic plane to their previous EP, takes their staple of 808 kick drums and tight vocal harmonies into almost Little Dragonesque territories. Mind Full sees the band experiment with frenetic drum programming, cascading synthesizers and intimate vocals.\n\nDrummer, singer, songwriter and producer Hugh Rabinovici says “the sentiment in the songs is gentle and familiar, often tackling personal ideas around anxiety, mental health and well-being, with a few love songs thrown in, ‘cause how goods love? It’s real good”. The songs have that feeling about them too, with an innocent playfulness in ‘Don’t Let Go’ (featuring Bec Rigby of The Harpoons) and Audrey Powne’s effortless and powerful lead in ‘Those Days’. \n\nThe album is a tour of extremes, from the sparse minimalism of title track ‘Mind Full’ to the exuberant disco maximalism of ‘Sucka’. It’s also a perfect marriage of lofi and hifi digital technology: Hugh Rabinovici originally created demos using only Garageband on an iPhone 4, with the final mixes by Bob Knob still retaining some elements from those humble beginnings.\n\nMind Full is Leisure Centre's first major release since their 2016 EP, One Plus One. Expect more sweet lead vocals, more stacked harmonies, more live instrumentation, more electronica, more digital, more analog, more bump, more grind and more vibe.","brand":"HOPE STREET","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":7370319659056,"sku":"CD-HS033","price":14.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0068\/0042\/products\/hope-street-recordings-leisure-centre-mind-full-cd-cd-659123103626-cd-hs033-photo-photo-photo-2232772886576.jpg?v=1613352215"},{"product_id":"the-putbacks-the-putbacks-cd","title":"The Putbacks - The Putbacks (CD)","description":"The Putbacks - Melbourne’s dirtiest, darkest and heaviest funk rhythm section - bring you an album of crunchy post-soul post-jazz mystery-cinema instrumentals for your turntable and your sampler. Produced by Paul Bender (Hiatus Kaiyote) and featuring collaborations with luminaries such as Bilal and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, this record is a hard-hitting, abstract journey into an alternate reality where The Meters specialised in Sci-Fi soundtrack art and Dick Dale played guitar on Madlib records. Known for their instrumental 7inch funk cuts and their collaboration with Emma Donovan, this self-titled LP is the first full-length release to the band’s name and is well worth the wait.\n\nThe Putbacks take their cues from the great house bands of the 60s and 70s soul studios - The MGs, The Meters and The Wrecking Crew, as well as film composers from David Axelrod and Lalo Schifrin to Adrian Younge and contemporary instrumental groups like BADBADNOTGOOD and Khruangbin. The band play together with an uncanny rapport and near psychic intuition. Minimal, spooky, and elastic, The Putbacks slide from dance floor fire to cinematic interlude and back, from densely composed music to free improvisation, blurring all the lines in between. From the screaming guitar of the Bilal feature The Ways to the oily funk groove of Hold On and the soaring strings on No Man No, The Putbacks is destined to be a classic.","brand":"HOPE STREET","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":12515810181168,"sku":"CD-HS034","price":12.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0068\/0042\/products\/hope-street-recordings-the-putbacks-the-putbacks-cd-cd-659123110327-cd-hs034-photo-photo-photo-3804281733168.jpg?v=1612792902"},{"product_id":"the-public-opinion-afro-orchestra-naming-blaming-cd","title":"The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra - Naming \u0026 Blaming (CD)","description":"After a long wait, Melbourne’s Public Opinion Afro Orchestra (The POAO) is set to release their second album, ‘Naming \u0026amp; Blaming’, a pulsing, percussive journey into classic afrobeat. Recorded by a 17 piece ensemble, led by fierce vocals and a howling horn section, it’s a fitting 21st-century response to the world-shaking music of 1970s Nigeria. The result is true to the afrobeat blueprint of hypnotic, extended songs, improvisation and political comment but adds to the formula a host of pan-African influences and hip-hop elements that reflect the deep ranging roots of the band.\n\nAs the title suggests, and in true afrobeat tradition, Naming \u0026amp; Blaming pulls no punches. It is an outspokenly political record, a cauldron of strong opinions where indignation and optimism coexist. Led by the vocals of MC One Sixth and singer Lamine Sonko, the critique of colonialism is applied to both the African and Australian experience, the battles of many cultures informing the group’s ethos as does the importance of community and staying true to one’s convictions. Uplifting visions of a brighter possible future as laid out in “No Passport,” the album’s rambunctious opening song, are balanced with honest reflections on injustice like guest Robbie Thorpe’s take on Australia’s chequered history in the title track.\n\nFor the Naming \u0026amp; Blaming cover, the band was honoured to have the opportunity to work with one of the originators of the Afrobeat movement Lemi Ghariokwu, the legendary collage artist and illustrator responsible for all of Fela’s most famous album covers of the 1970s. This relationship is what the POAO is all about, paying respects to the culture and keeping it alive and relevant in the 21st century. Over the last decade, The POAO have established themselves as a firm festival favourites with their contemporary approach to Afrobeat.","brand":"HOPE STREET","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":13621144715312,"sku":"CD-HS032","price":12.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0068\/0042\/products\/hope-street-recordings-the-public-opinion-afro-orchestra-naming-blaming-cd-cd-659123112420-cd-hs032-photo-photo-photo-4141317816368.jpg?v=1613855016"},{"product_id":"various-artists-over-under-away-lp","title":"Over Under Away (LP)","description":"Over Under Away - Volume I is the first compilation LP from Melbourne independent label Hopestreet Recordings and is released to celebrate their 10th anniversary.\n\nIt features 10 tracks from Hopestreet’s first generation of artists: psych-Bollywood SciFi orchestra The Bombay Royale, cinematica pioneers The Cactus Channel, soul queen Emma Donovan and her mighty band The Putbacks and dusty country soul from The Meltdown, plus a couple of rarely heard gems, an afrobeat rap cut by One Sixth and a Marvin Gaye inspired environmental panic anthem by Zillanova feat. Cisco Tavares.\n\nOver Under Away is the label’s creation story. The material in Volume I was created in Hopestreet’s infancy, when the same people played in all the bands, and everyone who worked in the office was also making the records. If a compilation put together out of nine different albums sounds unusually cohesive, it’s because the same people performed, wrote and produced all the songs. Putbacks guitarist Tom Martin leads the charge, appearing on 8 out of 10 cuts. All production and engineering duties were shared by label founders Bob Knob and Tristan Ludowyk. These days are past, but the aim of Over Under Away - Volume I is to represent the seed that grew into the label as it is today.\n\nThe compilation takes its name from a song on Emma Donovan \u0026amp; The Putbacks’ 2014 album Dawn. Over Under Away is a story of struggle, perseverance and, above all else, patience. About growing from small beginnings to “sing and shout and talk up loud.” Hopestreet began as a recording experiment, an afternoon goof between friends in a decrepit factory in Brunswick. The only ingredients were an Otari tape machine, some decent musicians and little bit of goodwill. When the label started, 7a Hope Street was surrounded by a desert of vacant industrial property. Now it’s surrounded by gleaming new apartment complexes. In that moment between decay and gentrification a little magic happened. Now the label, like it’s surroundings continues to evolve, but this compilation celebrates that fleeting point in time and everyth","brand":"HOPE STREET","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":31086038974512,"sku":"L-HS037","price":22.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0068\/0042\/products\/hopestreet-recordings-various-artists-over-under-away-lp-lp-682670889088-l-hs037-photo-photo-photo-13349973557296.jpg?v=1614004787"},{"product_id":"emma-donovan-the-putbacks-crossover-lp","title":"Emma Donovan \u0026 The Putbacks - Crossover (LP)","description":"Iconic Indigenous Australian soul singer Emma Donovan and powerhouse rhythm combo The Putbacks present their much-anticipated sophomore album Crossover.  Personal, powerful lyrics and masterful musicianship combine to deliver a uniquely soulful LP, reflective of Emma's unique experience and the deep, dark, sophisticated funk that only The Putbacks can provide.","brand":"HOPE STREET","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":37528126521527,"sku":"L-HS040","price":24.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0068\/0042\/products\/hopestreet-recordings-emma-donovan-the-putbacks-crossover-lp-lp-686162826957-l-hs040-photo-photo-photo-22730343809207.jpg?v=1612509590"},{"product_id":"san-lazaro-serendipity-ep","title":"San Lazaro - Serendipity (EP)","description":"","brand":"HOPE STREET","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39846725615799,"sku":"E-HS013","price":14.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0068\/0042\/products\/hope-street-recordings-san-lazaro-serendipity-ep-ep-5050580606883-e-hs013-photo-photo-photo-29173017018551.jpg?v=1621551117"},{"product_id":"emma-donovan-the-putbacks-blackfella-whitefella-b-w-down-city-streets-7","title":"Emma Donovan \u0026 The Putbacks - Blackfella Whitefella b\/w Down City Streets (7'')","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThis October Emma Donovan and The PutBacks have brought together some very special guests to release a new 7” single featuring two classic Aboriginal Australian songs. Emma is joined by Tim Rogers of You Am I and rapper Joelistics on a version of Warumpi Band’s 1985 anthem Blackfella Whitefella and by Archie Roach on a deep soul rendition of his late partner, Ruby Hunter’s, heartbreaking hit, Down City Streets. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThis release supports the massive grassroots movement led by SOS Blak Australia, an organization dedicated to supporting Aboriginal communities in remote Western Australia currently under threat of closure. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eEarlier this year SOS Blak Australia issued a worldwide call to action to stop these closures occurring. In response to this, Emma and all the artists involved have come together to declare that they stand with the Indigenous people of Australia in support of their right to self-determination on their traditional lands. All involved have donated their time free of charge and all proceeds from the record go to SOS Blak Australia. \u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"HOPE STREET","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39846759399607,"sku":"F-HS023","price":9.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0068\/0042\/products\/hope-street-recordings-emma-donovan-the-putbacks-blackfella-whitefella-b-w-down-city-streets-7-7-f-hs023-photo-photo-photo-29173211431095.jpg?v=1621552319"},{"product_id":"zretro-zretro-lp","title":"Zretro - Zretro (LP)","description":"\"Zretro are a Naarm based duo made up of vocalist Zima and producer 2nd Thought. Their self-titled debut LP blends 90s R\u0026amp;B vocals with golden era hiphop production and elements of Kwaito and Afrobeats. Zima’s voice is honey sweet, 2nd Thought beats sound fresh out of an MPC and their album is tied together by the elastic bass guitar contributions of jazzy house don Horatio Luna. Raw, simple production lets the beats and vocals dominate with only minimal instrumental accompaniment.\n\nUnsurprisingly, given Retro is right there in the name, there’s a huge 1990s influence throughout Zretro’s music. There’s slick RnB and West Coast flavour of equal parts SWV, Boyz 2 Men and Death Row in a lot of the vocal delivery, tempos and melodies. There’s also a decidedly grimy East Coast boom bap tinge to the boxy MPC drums and that brings to mind Hi-Tek, Alchemist and Pete Rock productions. The other thread, less obvious but woven throughout the album is the influence of early 2000s Southern African music. There’s musical and lyrical nods to Afrobeats, Kwaito and SA House and inspiration from pop stars like Brenda Fassie, to underground icons like Mzekezeke.\"","brand":"HOPE STREET","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41219201761463,"sku":"L-HS041","price":29.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0068\/0042\/products\/hopestreet-recordings-zretro-zretro-lp-lp-3616845749379-l-hs041-photo-photo-photo-31573644247223.jpg?v=1652717806"},{"product_id":"hannah-macklin-mu-lp","title":"Hannah Macklin - Mu (LP)","description":"Hannah Macklin’s debut LP ‘Mu’ is a glittering piece of cosmic orchestral neo-soul. Jazz-informed vocals \u0026amp; production merge triphop and prog influences and join the dots between Homegenic era Bjork or Portishead and contemporary artists like Solange. \n\nWhat’s Mu about? Mu is about everything: Songs about heartbreak and parting share the album with songs marveling at the scale of the universe. Mu is a concept from Zen and Chan Buddhism that means: “nothingness” and also, “pure awareness.” The awareness at the source of all things. In Hannah’s words: “There is so much life in every moment. Endless patterns, algorithms and instances repeating and changing and adapting. Spiraling outwards from the source. What source? The source.” In search of the source, Hannah has composed and arranged an undefinable, cinematic album that leads the listener on a winding path through her imagination. \n\nSonically as well as thematically, Mu is an album of extremes and lofty ambitions. Fragile and delicate vocal and violin textures contrast with crunchy noisescapes and brooding synthesizers. Hannah’s commanding voice shares the spotlight with a string section and is backed by spacious production featuring many acoustic instruments. Sonically, producer Nick Herrera has brought a reassuring chunkiness to this unplugged palette, in particular the head nodding drums that anchor Hannah’s celestial musings . Like a film soundtrack or a symphony Mu is best listened to and understood as a whole - it circles back to themes and refrains and re-examines them. Sometimes a song is a song, sometimes it’s a soundscape dreaming of a song. \n\n“When making this album, I had a specific concept for how I wanted the music to sound. I don’t mean in terms of genre… it was more of a visceral, sensory concept which I knew I could only realise by allowing myself to experiment and create simultaneously, believing in my rough ideas enough to grow them, to weave them into stories... I have decided to call the album “Mu” to signify the empty chasm I allowed to hold within me whilst these songs were born.\"","brand":"HOPE STREET","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41714149163191,"sku":"L-HS044","price":24.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0068\/0042\/products\/hopestreet-recordings-hannah-macklin-mu-lp-lp-754003288391-l-hs044-photo-photo-photo-32520152580279.jpg?v=1678399113"},{"product_id":"immy-owusu-lo-life-lp","title":"Immy Owusu - LO-LIFE! (LP)","description":"Immy Owusu’s debut LP LO-LIFE! draws on the work of West African giants such as Ebo Taylor and William Onyeabor as well as psychedelic troubadours like Rodriguez. Immy’s sound, which he describes as “lo-fi highlife” is a synthesis of his Ghanaian roots and his own experiences growing up in coastal Australia. \n\nImmanuel Kwabena Dreessens-Owusu grew up in two worlds: the sea bleached lifestyle of Torquay and the Surf Coast with its rock n roll soundtrack, and the musical heritage of his Ghanaian \/ Dutch family. Immy’s father Kojo Noah Owusu is one of Australia’s best regarded West African musicians and his grandfather Koo Nimo is a legend of Ghanaian Highlife and Palm Wine music active since the 1960s. From them Immy learned Asanti music and its instruments, added a fuzz pedal and began to experiment.        \n\nLO-LIFE! was live-tracked with an all-star band, featuring members of Surprise Chef, Karate Boogaloo and The Senegambian Jazz Band. Immy’s voice, singing in both English and Twi, is commanding throughout the record while the band weaves its magic around him. Immy’s delicate fingerpicked electric guitar dances around, anchored by Lachlan Stuckey’s hypnotic riffs on the second guitar, Henry Jenkins’ pulsing bass and Julius Sackey’s deft drums. Jethro Curtin’s quirky monosynth leads take center stage when Immy isn’t leading and Kojo blesses the sessions with Kpanlogo drum rhythms, Akan drum appellations and a rambunctious talking drum overdubs that interject and comment throughout. The final touch is provided by the powerful backing vocals of Kuukua Acquah, Pia Nesvara, Izzy Adjei and Julius Sackey.","brand":"HOPE STREET","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41728137527479,"sku":"L-HS045","price":24.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0068\/0042\/products\/hopestreet-recordings-immy-owusu-lo-life-lp-lp-754003288292-l-hs045-photo-photo-photo-32553815212215.jpg?v=1679524124"},{"product_id":"ella-thompson-domino-lp","title":"Ella Thompson - Domino (LP)","description":"Ella Thompson’s Domino is a spooky, bittersweet collection of cinematic soul cuts influenced by 1970s Italian 'Giallo' film scores, with luminous vocals that draw a line between 60s icons like Nancy Sinatra and contemporary soul artists like Kadhja Bonet. Ella’s effortless singing and haunting lyrics paint angular pictures in the moody darkness. \n\nThe sparse production is intentionally cinematic, deeply influenced by the music of Italian ‘Giallo’ film scores of the 1970s, particularly by composers like Piero Piccioni but comparable to current artists like Adrian Younge or Bad Bad Not Good in a meditative mood. Minimal but propulsive bass and drums know when to hang back, as they do in the title track and when to step forward as they do in the chugging, deep and funky rhythm section work on the single Never Fight The Way You Feel. \n\nAll the instrumentation used in Domino was created by Frollen Music Library, a library music project by the musicians behind Karate Boogaloo, Henry Jenkins, Hudson Whitlock and Darvid Thor, all long-term collaborators and friends of Ella’s. \n\nElla has returned to making music under her own name in 2023 after years of releasing music with her electro-pop duo GL and cult indie band Dorsal Fins. One of Australia’s truly accomplished singers, Ella’s range ranges from art music to cinematic soul, jazz, and pop. In addition to her solo project and bands, she has been a featured artist for numerous acts, most notably deep funk pioneers The Bamboos and Mark Ronson.","brand":"HOPE STREET","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41968869376183,"sku":"L-HS046","price":20.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0068\/0042\/files\/hopestreet-recordings-ella-thompson-domino-lp-lp-754003289367-l-hs046-photo-photo-photo-33296715153591.jpg?v=1697576486"},{"product_id":"immy-owusu-sensible-j-spiritual-war-10","title":"Immy Owusu \u0026 Sensible J - Spiritual War (10\")","description":"Inspired by the Zamrock movement of the 1970s, Immy Owusu \u0026amp; Sensible J’s swirling psych\/afro\/funk EP ‘Spiritual War’ is a rowdy, boisterous selection of songs about injustice, insanity, and the inanity of modern life in the burning house that is late capitalism. Owusu, a Ghanaian Australian singer and multi-instrumentalist, bonded with South African Australian drummer, beatmaker, and producer Sensible J (Sampa The Great, Cool Out Sun, Remi) over a shared love of the raw sounds of 70s African music, in particular Zamrock artists like Witch and Amanaz, and cooked up the EP in J’s iconic House Of Beige studio. Immy played guitar, percussion, and miscellaneous instruments, including the recorder, as well as vocals, while J provided drums, bass, and keys, and a roster of guests added vocals.","brand":"HOPE STREET","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52222885331313,"sku":"T-HS048","price":19.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0068\/0042\/files\/hopestreet-recordings-immy-owusu-sensible-j-spiritual-war-10-lp-immy-owusu-sensible-j-spiritual-war-10-784085102964-t-hs048-photo-photo-photo-1153817503.jpg?v=1743618771"},{"product_id":"ojiaji-love-company-lp","title":"OjiAji - Love \u0026 Company (LP)","description":"Having carved out his space within the scene as the guitarist and vocalist in the raw R\u0026amp;B three-piece Izy, Ojiaji, aka Ryotaro Noshiro, is finally presenting his new solo work. His debut album, \"Love \u0026amp; Company,\" is a tribute to the art of being present for others, honoring the legacy of his mother’s nurturing spirit, and fostering a more empathetic world. Warm, lo-fi, and jazzy in nature, the album features some of Melbourne’s finest instrumental musicians from Surprise Chef, Karate Boogaloo, Nikodimos, and more. OjiAji’s gentle and soulful voice pulls us in with catchy melodies, and his colorful and idiosyncratic guitar playing is reminiscent of the leftfield sounds of Connan Mockasin. Produced by Henry Jenkins (Surprise Chef) and Kuzich.","brand":"HOPE STREET","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55310639104369,"sku":"L-HS049","price":25.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0068\/0042\/files\/hopestreet-recordings-ojiaji-love-company-lp-lp-ojiaji-love-company-lp-784085103459-l-hs049-photo-photo-photo-1175198960.jpg?v=1750883579"},{"product_id":"various-artists-hopestreet-recordings-sweet-16-mixtape-cassette","title":"Various Artists - Hopestreet Recordings Sweet 16 Mixtape (Cassette)","description":"This year Hopestreet Recordings turns ‘sweet’ sixteen, a milestone for an artist-run micro label. In what was once the truest statement of young love, Hopestreet presents the world with a mixtape of hits and deep cuts and brand-new edits and remixes from the vault: crunchy MPC reimaginings by beatmaker\/producer Sensible J on one side and a seamless all-vinyl DJ mix from musician and record connoisseur Lachlan Stuckey of Surprise Chef and College of Knowledge.\n\nFrom sharehouse to rave space to studio complex, the cavernous 7-9 Hope Street, Brunswick, is one of the few creative warehouses to remain in an inner-city suburb experiencing violent urban renewal and gentrification. In 2009 a recording experiment began, which became Hopestreet Recordings, who survive there to this day. The label was founded by Bob Knob of The Bombay Royale, Tristan Ludowyk of The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra, and Tom Martin of The Putbacks. In the early days, everyone who worked in the office was also making the records and early 7” singles with ‘a super nice vibe’ became record box staples. The label has been a home and a launchpad for luminaries including The Bombay Royale, Emma Donovan \u0026amp; The Putbacks, The Meltdown, and Ella Thompson, among many others. Fast forward to 2025, and the project’s catalogue is now 50 records deep, nurturing a community of musicians who make soul\/R\u0026amp;B\/funk\/Latin\/Bollywood psychedelia and more.","brand":"HOPE STREET","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":62885716459889,"sku":"C-HSRX003","price":12.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0068\/0042\/files\/hopestreet-recordings-various-artists-hopestreet-recordings-sweet-16-mixtape-cassette-cassette-various-artists-hopestreet-recordings-sweet-16-mixtape-cassette-784085105408-c-hsrx003-photo-photo-photo-1215757023.jpg?v=1767880827"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.fatbeats.com\/collections\/hope-street.oembed","provider":"Fat Beats","version":"1.0","type":"link"}