Estelle Montenegro is a project of Burbank/CA based producer Kenneth Graham, who ranks among the top new artists of electronic music in the US. His Lakeside album was produced especially for Elektrolux and covers a wide range of styles from Ambient to Deep Tech-House. The highly unique connection of space sounds and minimal club vibes makes this a real highlight for the label, showing why Kenneth has already achieved cult status.
Cosmo Vitelli owns the Crazy Horse West, a strip joint in California. He's laconic, a Korean War vet, and a gambler. When we meet him, he's making his last payment on a gambling debt. Then, he promptly loses $23,000 playing poker at an illegal local casino. The guys he owes this time aren't so friendly, pressuring him for immediate payment. Then they suggest that he kill a Chinese bookie to wipe off the debt. Vitelli and the film move back and forth between the double-crossing, murderous insincerity of the gamblers and the friendships, sweetness, and even love among Vitelli, the dancers, a dancer's mother, and the club's singer, Mr. Sophistication.
Keb' Mo' and Taj Mahal have been friends and colleagues for years but 2017's TajMo is the first time the pair have recorded an album. It also marks the first time Taj Mahal has entered a studio since 2008 – Keb' Mo' last released an album in 2014 – and if this seems like it should be a momentous occasion, what's striking about TajMo is how casual the whole affair is. The duo designed TajMo to be an upbeat, life-affirming listen, something that emphasizes how the blues can also offer a good time.