Uploaded April 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
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#FirstWordRecords #Jazz #Fusion
Album: The Liminality of Her (Deluxe Edition) [ALBUM]
Track: 4 of 14
Title: Liminal
Artist: Amanda Whiting
Label: First Word Records
Cat#: FW332
Formats: Digital
Digital Release: 11th April 2025
About This Release:
First Word Records is very proud to present a deluxe edition of Amanda Whiting's 'The Liminality of Her' album, featuring three brand new tracks along with a remix from label-mate, Quiet Dawn.
Amanda Whiting is a highly-acclaimed Welsh harpist & composer. A virtuoso in her field, this classically trained musician quickly established herself as an essential player in the UK jazz scene, carving her own unique sound, following on from the paths forged by Ashby and Coltrane.
Following the release of 'The Liminality of Her' a year ago, the album featured in Spotify's 'Best UK Jazz of 2024' and received glowing reviews in Mojo, Jazzwise, Somewhere Soul, Bandcamp, Clash, AllMusic, Harp Column, Apple Music and HHV, to name a few, along with numerous 'Album of the Year' nods and various other accolades, garnering praise critically and publicly.
Over the past few years, she's had the support of radio stations & tastemakers such as BBC Radio 2 (Jamie Cullum), BBC 6 Music (Cerys Matthews, New Music Fix). BBC Radio 3 (Soweto Kinch, Breakfast Show), BBC Wales (Adam Walton), Selector Radio (Sian Eleri), NTS Radio (Patrick Forge), FiP (Laurent Garnier), Soho Radio (Tina Edwards) and Jazz FM (Tony Minvielle, Chris Phillips, Robbie Vincent, Dom Servini), who also nominated her for 'Instrumentalist of the Year'.
This album exemplifies Amanda's talents as a performer and composer, taking in an array of hypnotising sonics from the worlds of jazz; from fusion to spiritual and beyond. A confident display of purposefully blissful compositions that saunter as much as they soothe, whilst being unafraid to lean into some deep uptempo grooves.
Amanda describes the theme of this project as "liminality... that place in between, the transition from one place to another. No longer what it was, yet not what it's going to be.
The harp always presents itself at these moments. It's a sound that causes an emotion. My instrument chose me. It's been with me through every chapter of life. It's how I speak, especially when there are no words.
This album is a rite of passage for "her". A feeling of alchemy, a feeling of liberation. Moments of inner searching, intertwined, waiting but moving forward. Never looking back.
'The Liminality of Her' encompasses the highs and the lows. The nomadic love of freedom and spirituality. It's all so much bigger than you or I…"
For this special deluxe edition, Amanda takes on Hammerstein & Rodgers's classic 'My Favorite Things', presents two new compositions ('Mary Over There' and 'At Ease') and French multi-instrumentalist Quiet Dawn provides a dancefloor friendly remix of the single 'Intertwined', featuring the vocals of Brighton-based singer PEACH.
Amanda joined the First Word label roster via a collaborative project with Don Leisure, 'Beyond The Midnight Sun', as well as a feature on his Welsh Music Prize nominated project 'Shaboo Strikes Back'.
She's previously performed, toured and collaborated with a wildly eclectic set of artists, including Matthew Halsall, Rebecca Vasmant, DJ Yoda, Gizmo Varillas and Chip Wickham (who also features on this project), whilst previously releasing three solo albums on Jazzman Records, and a remix project for Scrimshire's Albert's Favourites imprint, ending 2024 with a divine seasonal album 'A Christmas Cwtch', also on First Word.
She's performed with her own trio at numerous festivals across Europe, including We Out Here, and had headline shows at The Jazz Cafe and Hootananny in London, with an upcoming show at the legendary Ronnie Scott's in June 2025.
'The Liminality of Her (Deluxe Edition)' is released digitally on April 11th 2025.
Download & Stream: https://kud.li/fw332
Subscribe: https://sb.kud.li/UC_iUEtWIfatGspcK52G3Gug
Official stream from First Word Records. Distributed by Kudos Records.
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#FirstWordRecords #Jazz #Fusion
Album: The Liminality of Her (Deluxe Edition) [ALBUM]
Track: 4 of 14
Title: Liminal
Artist: Amanda Whiting
Label: First Word Records
Cat#: FW332
Formats: Digital
Digital Release: 11th April 2025
About This Release:
First Word Records is very proud to present a deluxe edition of Amanda Whiting's 'The Liminality of Her' album, featuring three brand new tracks along with a remix from label-mate, Quiet Dawn.
Amanda Whiting is a highly-acclaimed Welsh harpist & composer. A virtuoso in her field, this classically trained musician quickly established herself as an essential player in the UK jazz scene, carving her own unique sound, following on from the paths forged by Ashby and Coltrane.
Following the release of 'The Liminality of Her' a year ago, the album featured in Spotify's 'Best UK Jazz of 2024' and received glowing reviews in Mojo, Jazzwise, Somewhere Soul, Bandcamp, Clash, AllMusic, Harp Column, Apple Music and HHV, to name a few, along with numerous 'Album of the Year' nods and various other accolades, garnering praise critically and publicly.
Over the past few years, she's had the support of radio stations & tastemakers such as BBC Radio 2 (Jamie Cullum), BBC 6 Music (Cerys Matthews, New Music Fix). BBC Radio 3 (Soweto Kinch, Breakfast Show), BBC Wales (Adam Walton), Selector Radio (Sian Eleri), NTS Radio (Patrick Forge), FiP (Laurent Garnier), Soho Radio (Tina Edwards) and Jazz FM (Tony Minvielle, Chris Phillips, Robbie Vincent, Dom Servini), who also nominated her for 'Instrumentalist of the Year'.
This album exemplifies Amanda's talents as a performer and composer, taking in an array of hypnotising sonics from the worlds of jazz; from fusion to spiritual and beyond. A confident display of purposefully blissful compositions that saunter as much as they soothe, whilst being unafraid to lean into some deep uptempo grooves.
Amanda describes the theme of this project as "liminality... that place in between, the transition from one place to another. No longer what it was, yet not what it's going to be.
The harp always presents itself at these moments. It's a sound that causes an emotion. My instrument chose me. It's been with me through every chapter of life. It's how I speak, especially when there are no words.
This album is a rite of passage for "her". A feeling of alchemy, a feeling of liberation. Moments of inner searching, intertwined, waiting but moving forward. Never looking back.
'The Liminality of Her' encompasses the highs and the lows. The nomadic love of freedom and spirituality. It's all so much bigger than you or I…"
For this special deluxe edition, Amanda takes on Hammerstein & Rodgers's classic 'My Favorite Things', presents two new compositions ('Mary Over There' and 'At Ease') and French multi-instrumentalist Quiet Dawn provides a dancefloor friendly remix of the single 'Intertwined', featuring the vocals of Brighton-based singer PEACH.
Amanda joined the First Word label roster via a collaborative project with Don Leisure, 'Beyond The Midnight Sun', as well as a feature on his Welsh Music Prize nominated project 'Shaboo Strikes Back'.
She's previously performed, toured and collaborated with a wildly eclectic set of artists, including Matthew Halsall, Rebecca Vasmant, DJ Yoda, Gizmo Varillas and Chip Wickham (who also features on this project), whilst previously releasing three solo albums on Jazzman Records, and a remix project for Scrimshire's Albert's Favourites imprint, ending 2024 with a divine seasonal album 'A Christmas Cwtch', also on First Word.
She's performed with her own trio at numerous festivals across Europe, including We Out Here, and had headline shows at The Jazz Cafe and Hootananny in London, with an upcoming show at the legendary Ronnie Scott's in June 2025.
'The Liminality of Her (Deluxe Edition)' is released digitally on April 11th 2025.
![Amanda Whiting - What Is It We Need? (feat. Alice Russell) [Audio]
Download & Stream: https://kud.li/fw334d
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#FirstWordRecords #Jazz #Fusion
Album: Can You See Me Now? [EP]
Track: 2 of 6
Title: What Is It We Need?
Artist: Amanda Whiting (feat. Alice Russell)
Label: First Word Records
Cat#: FW334D
Formats: Digital
Digital Release: 6th June 2025
About This Release:
First Word Records is very proud to bring you a brand new EP from Amanda Whiting, entitled Can You See Me Now?
Amanda Whiting is a highly-acclaimed Welsh harpist & composer. A virtuoso in her field, this classically trained musician has established herself in recent years as an essential player in the UK jazz scene.
Over the past few years, shes had the support of radio stations & tastemakers such as BBC Radio 2 (Jamie Cullum), BBC 6 Music (Cerys Matthews). BBC Radio 3 (Soweto Kinch), Selector Radio (Sian Eleri), NTS Radio (Patrick Forge), FiP (Laurent Garnier), Soho Radio (Tina Edwards) and across Jazz FM, who also nominated her for Instrumentalist of the Year.
Amanda joined the roster of Worldwide Award-winning independent London-based label First Word Records in late 2023, initially via a collaborative project with Don Leisure on Beyond The Midnight Sun, as well as a feature on his Welsh Music Prize nominated project Shaboo Strikes Back.
She followed the Liminality of Her record late last year with a divine album of seasonal favourites, from Bill Evans to Vince Guaraldi, on A Christmas Cwtch.
Amandas 2024 album The Liminality of Her featured in Spotifys Best UK Jazz of 2024 and received glowing reviews in Jazzwise, Somewhere Soul, Bandcamp, Clash, AllMusic, Harp Column, Apple Music and HHV, to name a few, along with numerous Album of the Year nods and various other accolades, garnering praise critically and publicly.
Mojo Magazine cites Amandas compositions as cinematic, lyrical and lissom by turns.
Amanda has previously performed, toured and collaborated with a wildly eclectic set of artists, including Matthew Halsall, Rebecca Vasmant, DJ Yoda, Gizmo Varillas and Chip Wickham, whilst previously releasing three solo albums on Jazzman Records, and a remix project for the Alberts Favourites imprint.
Shes performed with her own trio at numerous festivals across Europe, including We Out Here, and had headline shows at The Jazz Cafe and Hootananny in London, with an upcoming show at the legendary Ronnie Scotts in June 2025.
Can You See Me Now? is another triumphant opus from Whiting; laidback, deliciously jazzy and thematically inquisitive, featuring some exceptional production and accompaniment from Adam Scrimshire (Alberts Favourite). The EP begins with the crackling Old Ways intro (inspired by Naderman No.6 for Harp) leading into opening track Contented; an epic ethereal piece of tranquil spiritual jazz, complete with the gloriously powerful vocal harmonies of Faye Houston. This sets the mood perfectly for this project, as we head into a short solo for Whiting on Still which appears as it says on the tin. A moment of calm. Lead single What Is It We Need? commences with dusty upright bass from Whiting Trio member Aidan Thorne, ahead of a beautiful goosebump-enducing lead-vocal from the national treasure that is Alice Russell (Tru Thoughts); an absolute powerhouse in her own right. Intent picks up the pace a touch with some delightfully skippy jungle-esque drums from Jon Reynolds. It Could Be follows; a soulful string-laden stepper, again featuring Faye Houston, and hits like the delicate breath of a Summer breeze. We close the set with the appropriately-named Moving On, which takes us out with a slightly-warped phasing dreamlike ambience.
In Amandas words thematically, the EP is about the journey as a woman and the stages of life. Standing up and being seen. An important and profound message in the world today!
We must stand tall, dont self abase or dim your light
The past has gone. Now step up, be intent, move forward, move on
Dont be silenced. Feminine energy is our might.
Lift your veil, show your worth. We are women, we are strong.
Can you see me now?
Can you hear my dreams?
Can you feel my intentions?
Im here to be seen.
Can You See Me Now? is due for release on vinyl & digital, June 6th 2025. Amanda Whiting - What Is It We Need? (feat. Alice Russell) [Audio]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xCF8Ei__Asg/mqdefault.jpg)
![Allysha Joy - reset : (feat. Annalisa Fernandez) [Audio]
Download & Stream: https://kud.li/fw304
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#FirstWordRecords #SoulRampB #NeoSoul
Album: The Making of Silk [ALBUM]
Track: 3 of 11
Title: reset :
Artist: Allysha Joy (feat. Annalisa Fernandez)
Label: First Word Records
Cat#: FW304
Formats: Vinyl LP/Digital
Digital Release: 13th September 2024
Physical Release: 13th September 2024
About This Release:
First Word Records is proud to bring you ‘The Making of Silk’, the brand new album from Allysha Joy.
Allysha Joy is a deeply-expressive singer, songwriter, producer & keys player hailing from Naarm (Melbourne), known for both her solo work and as front woman for 30/70. A uniquely-talented artist, her husky soulful voice, formidable Fender Rhodes prowess and raw poeticism has garnered legions of attentive fans the world over.
As an integral performer in the modern day jazz-soul scene, previous support has included selectors Gilles Peterson & Jamz Supernova (BBC 6 Music), Jamie Cullum (BBC Radio 2), China Moses (Jazz FM) & Laurent Garnier (PBB France), along with stations such as NTS, Lot Radio, KEXP & KCRW, and publications including OkayPlayer, Dazed and The Vinyl Factory.
Along with a recent foray into the USA market with a string of successful shows, Allysha Joy has performed alongside acts such as Snarky Puppy, PJ Morton, The Teskey Brothers, Kokoroko and Children of Zeus, to name a few.
Joy has previously released two full-length solo albums Acadie : Raw in 2018, Torn : Tonic in 2022 and an EP, Light It Again in 2020, along with countless collaborations and features over the past few years.
Entirely self-produced and affectionately poured over, The Making of Silk is about a new understanding of the meaning of love.
Joy says, its the kind of love that bell hooks writes about, that lives in the poetry of Mary Oliver, Hafiz and the passionate dreaming of a Koryusai painting. It’s about a love that is compassionate, that lives in open conversation, deep listening, the front lines of social movement and would never seek to stifle the light in you. It’s about accepting our aloneness, the impermanence of all things and still forever wanting to prove it wrong, to say that I understand that all things change, all things end, hurt exists, but I will love regardless.
Riding on the waves of rich string arrangements, layers of vocal harmony and the raw poeticism she is known for, Allysha Joys next album is embodying love.
‘The Making of Silk’ is due to be released on vinyl & digital worldwide, September 13th 2024. Allysha Joy - reset : (feat. Annalisa Fernandez) [Audio]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xg5-jX0oPpU/mqdefault.jpg)
![Werkha - Narrow In (feat. Daudi Matsiko) [Audio]
Download & Stream: https://kud.li/fw340
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#FirstWordRecords #ElectronicaDance #BeatsampBreaks
Album: Unsung Irregular [ALBUM]
Track: 3 of 11
Title: Narrow In
Artist: Werkha (feat. Daudi Matsiko)
Label: First Word Records
Cat#: FW340
Formats: Vinyl LP/Digital
Digital Release: 10th October 2025
Physical Release: 10th October 2025
About This Release:
First Word Records is very proud to present the new album from Werkha, Unsung Irregular.
This is his third full-length studio LP, and is comprised of 11 tracks showcasing Werkhas unique blend of jazzy breakbeat-tinged electronics and analogue aesthetics. It includes the singles S-Bend, Toast Rack, and two collaborations; Everyday (feat. Ríoghnach Connolly) and Narrow In (feat. Daudi Matsiko) - a pair of revered artists with roots in folk music, complimenting the close connection to nature found throughout Werkhas productions.
——
Werkha (aka Tom Leah) is a multi-instrumentalist born in Rusholme, Manchester. His previous releases on Worldwide Award-winning independent London-based label First Word Records include The Rigour EP (2020), and the All Werk Is Play LP (2022), carrying on from his initial output on the Brighton-based Tru Thoughts label.
Hes had previous support from a wide range of tastemakers such as Gilles Peterson, Nemone, Don Letts, Jamz Supernova and Zakia (BBC 6 Music), Mo Ayoub (BBC Radio 1), Julie Adenuga, Scratcha DVA, BBC Manchester, Worldwide FM and Rinse FM.
Alongside his own releases, hes collaborated and remixed with Quantic, A Certain Ratio, Marcos Valle, Eska, Chunky, Andrew Ashong and extensively with Keisha Thompson and Bryony Jarman-Pinto, to cite a few.
Werkha has done full band and solo performances across the UK and Europe, touring with the likes of Bonobo, Chet Faker, Rebecca Vasmant and Mr Scruff, and sharing billing with Crazy P, GoGo Penguin, Todd Terje, Lefto and MCDE, gracing stages at legendary venues like The Roundhouse, The Jazz Café and Manchester Cathedral, and various festivals including Glastonbury, SXSW, We Out Here, A Love Supreme and Latitude.
Additionally to playing live, Werkha is a formidable DJ, recently doing a mix for Selector Radio (British Council) and previously for the likes of Tom Ravenscroft & Afrodeutsche (BBC 6 Music), NTS, Primavera Sound and Reform Radio.
——
Werkha is a thoughtful, conscientious artist, whose approach to creating is innovative, unique, ever evolving and deeply groovy.
Putting community at the centre of much of what he does, Werkha worked for a mental health arts charity in Stockport, outreach in rural Cumbria and does continual collaboration with Reform Radio to curate opportunities for upcoming Mancunian artists. As Werkha says, the music we love to listen to doesnt exist unless we water the roots from which it grows.
In recent years, he has been creating and building his side-project, Saturama - a live audio-visual experience aimed at reconnecting to our rainforests in the UK, which has received support from organisations like Plantlife, Manchester Museum and RSPB Wild Haweswater, with more exciting collaborations in the pipeline.
——
The new album Unsung Irregular is a deeply considered and thematically rich project, exploring hidden disabilities and spotlighting the power of irregularities that often go unnoticed.
Werkha says as an album title, Unsung Irregular is an anchor point that brings together a lot of the meaning behind each individual track... its a meeting of beauty and a mishap of the form – an irregularity that I hope I can give a voice to.
More than a reflection on chronic pain, Unsung Irregular is a celebration of movement, and the resilient power of music to transform discomfort into rhythm. Scoliosis has shaped his life in ways both visible and invisible, and the album traces those contours with unflinching honesty.
I dont outwardly use my own vocals on records, so I reach for different sounds and instruments to represent the stories I want to tell.
The process of healing is written into every detail: field recordings, processed vocal textures, geographical references. From the conspicuous architectural reference point of Toast Racks title, to tracks like By Helm and Weak Point which are linked not just by theme, but by sound design; echoing physical locations and personal milestones in Toms recovery.
Theres a vocoder I used on a sample of my voice on By Helm… I used that same texture sidechained to kit in &apos... Werkha - Narrow In (feat. Daudi Matsiko) [Audio]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xqyyUdSXhuo/mqdefault.jpg)
![Kaidi Tatham - Silkie Bantam [Audio]
Download & Stream: https://kud.li/fw317
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#FirstWordRecords #ElectronicaDance #BrokenBeat
Album: Miles Away [ALBUM]
Track: 5 of 10
Title: Silkie Bantam
Artist: Kaidi Tatham
Label: First Word Records
Cat#: FW317
Formats: Vinyl LP/Digital
Digital Release: 28th March 2025
Physical Release: 28th March 2025
About This Release:
First Word Records are very proud to bring you a brand new album from the legendary Kaidi Tatham.
Miles Away is the sixth full-length solo project for the award-winning London-based independent label.
Comprised of 10 new tracks, performed entirely by the multi-instrumentalist himself once again, this is an array of forward-thinking eclectic electronic jazz. Rhodes, pianos, synths, strings, horns and flutes weave in & out atop of vibrant percussion and mind-bending drum patterns, forming a sound that is uniquely King Kaidi.
We begin with the delicate groove of Misty Garden, before the infectious synth-boogie of Sweet Cherry Punch. The almost-Quincy / EWF vibes of lead single So Happy follow, ahead of the mid-tempo stomp of Kanji. Silkie Bantam keeps the energy nice while picking up the BPM a touch, as we reach the half-time title track Miles Away, which also features Kaidi on vocals. Hipsteppin does what it says on the tin; another slice of infectious bruk-tinged jazz-boogie. Then its the return of frequent collaborator, the super-dope MC Uhmeer (aka Jazzy Jeffs son!) on the smooth soulful hip hop bounce of Wave. Hydration brings the funk; clavi keys and some weighty live bass accompany some truly knockin drums that switch in & out. The set closes with a real treat for the reggae steppers; Ku Deh is a short sweet touch of uplifting rock steady.
For those that dont know, Belfast-based Kaidi Tatham has been an innovative powerhouse in the world of British black music for decades. From his early days as one of the pioneers of the broken beat movement, to his recent prominence as a key-player for DJ Jazzy Jeffs PLAYlist project, he has inspired an array of artists and tastemakers across the globe, from Madlib to Gilles Peterson.
The list of artists hes worked and collaborated with reads like a fever dream - Amy Winehouse, Mulatu Astatke, Soul II Soul, Leroy Burgess, Nubya Garcia, Slum Village, Andrew Ashong, Marcos Valle and beyond. Additionally to a number of releases with 2000 Blacks Dego and The Herbaliser, hes also dropped records for Theo Parrishs Sound Signature and Alex Nuts Eglo Records, taking in a number of aliases along the way, including Agent K, Shokazulu, Blakai, Da One Away and Likwid Biskit - the latter two projects alongside IG Culture (New Sector Movements / LCSM). Hes also worked with fellow First Word label-mates like Children of Zeus, Allysha Joy, Darkhouse Family and Eric Lau.
As ever, this album is another truly diverse set from the Grammy-winning Kaidi Kyat, exuding quality and good vibes throughout, crossing genres and borders with intergalactic energy, taking us Miles Away.
Miles Away will be released 28th March 2025 on vinyl & digital. Kaidi Tatham - Silkie Bantam [Audio]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/y9QxKED6hHA/mqdefault.jpg)

![Above The Clouds, Kidkanevil & Magic Manfred - Change (feat. Jon 1st) [Audio]
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#FirstWordRecords #RapHipHop #InstrumentalEastCoast
Album: Change [SINGLE]
Track: 1 of 2
Title: Change
Artist: Above The Clouds, Kidkanevil & Magic Manfred (feat. Jon 1st)
Label: First Word Records
Cat#: FW349
Formats: 7 Vinyl/Digital
Digital Release: 24th April 2026
Physical Release: 24th April 2026
About This Release:
First Word Records proudly present the second single from Above The Clouds (aka kidkanevil & Magic Manfred), taking on another underground hip hop classic, Change.
Change was originally performed by Shadez of Brooklyn, produced by Da Beatminerz and most notably appeared on DJ Premiers legendary New York Reality Check 101 mix compilation back in 1997.
This 7 vinyl release follows on from last Summers MF DOOM cover Arrow Root, which received strong support from the likes of Japans DJ Koco and Philadelphias DJ Jazzy Jeff.
This new instrumental reinterpretation also features cuts by Leicester-based turntablist, Jon1st - a DMC World Online Champion, as well as being a producer & musician in his own right, collaborating on music with a number of hip hop, D&B and electronic artists.
One of the original First Word roster, UK Producer/DJ and all-round laptop music geek kidkanevil has developed a distinctive and progressive sound over the years, gleefully exploring the beats and bleeps of the electronic music universe to international recognition. Leeds born, sound system bred and raised on a (un)healthy diet of video games and anime, his solo work inhabits the curious space between bass frequencies and otaku culture. But as a devoted teenage backpack rap nerd, somewhere in the back of kids mind was a lingering desire to reconnect with his first love, hip hop.
Not long after moving to Berlin he joined a studio space in graffiti plastered Kreuzberg, where he met multi instrumentalist wizard Magic Manfred; a disciple of all things boogie, disco, funk and soul. Born and raised in Berlin, and currently a touring musician for many an act, Manfreds musical map joins the dots from piano lessons at four, to starting a band with his teenage friends, leading him to his true calling - the bass - via the club vibrations of his hometown, which introduced him to the world of DJing and production, and a stint studying in the explosive London jazz scene to finalise his Jedi training.
Bonding over their mutual love of 90s hip hop, a friendship and musical kinship developed, coupled with a desire to honour past eras but push things forward, Above The Clouds was born; named after their joint favourite DJ Premier beat, with a touch of irony regarding their basement based studio of a windowless variety.
kidkanevil explains further We started the project with a few covers, just as a way to get warmed up and in a certain creative headspace, of which Change by Shadez Of Brooklyn was one. We both loved DJ Premiers New York Reality Check 101 mix when we were teenagers and this track was a favourite. The elements really lent themselves to live interpretation, and as an instrumental there was space to bring some nice movement with the bass and stuff. Hopefully we found the balance between paying tribute and finding our own pocket. For the final seasoning we hit up the homie and turntable wizard Jon1st to recreate the cuts, of which he did an immaculate job of course.
The b-side Urgh is one of our favourite beats weve made so far; the title is just how it makes us feel! We actually recorded the piano with two iphones as left and right and it sounded kinda cool so we went with it...
Change / Urgh is released on limited 7 vinyl & digital platforms, April 24th 2026. Above The Clouds, Kidkanevil & Magic Manfred - Change (feat. Jon 1st) [Audio]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/yYD5NIH0pYE/mqdefault.jpg)
![papaya noon - crybaby [Audio]
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#FirstWordRecords #SoulRampB #ContemporaryRampB
Album: through the moods [EP]
Track: 6 of 6
Title: crybaby
Artist: papaya noon
Label: First Word Records
Cat#: FW365
Formats: 12 Vinyl/Digital
Digital Release: 10th July 2026
Physical Release: 10th July 2026
About This Release:
First Word Records are proud to bring you the debut EP from papaya noon - ‘through the moods’.
papaya noon are a Cardiff-based duo comprised of vocalist Annie Mirza and multi-instrumentalist Greg Marriott.
Formed five years ago, they make jazz-infused R&B music that incorporates their mutual love of classic soul, hip hop & electronica.
The duo have already amassed an impressive fan-base online, garnering over 80,000 followers across their socials, and receiving praise from such luminaries in the US as Missy Elliot, Snoop Dogg, Queen Latifah, 9th Wonder, Bootie Brown & the late great Fatman Scoop.
This is a result of their unique style, captivating grooves & deeply catchy hooks, encompassing a distinctive blend of soul music, from retrospective 90s vibes to alternative futuristic flavours, creating a sonic palette that’s wonderfully contemporary, yet very much their own.
All their music is written, performed & produced single-handedly by the duo themselves, who’ve managed to create a magically powerful potion from their plant-filled Cardiff studio space, and generated huge anticipation for their future output in-turn.
The future is NOW, as papaya noon are finally ready to unleash their music into the world.
‘through the moods’ is a 6-track EP of delicious alternative r&b vibes, already set to become future soul classics.
Sonically rooted in warm, textured instrumentation & layered harmonies, the duo have triumphantly built a huge soundscape that feels simultaneously nostalgic & futuristic. Smoky late-night ballads nestle alongside infectious uptempo jams, leaning into their jazzy boom-bap & neo-soul influences, whilst showcasing their phenomenal spread of talents as performers and songwriters both.
The duo explained that the EP navigates “neurodivergence, trauma & loss, with tenderness & honesty. Rather than presenting trauma as a spectacle, we’ve attempted to approach it with the softness and complexity that it merits”.
From the first single release ‘blush’, to the downtempo sweetness of ‘blindside’ or ‘morning light’, to the pacier ‘on your side’ & EP closer ‘crybaby’, each track on this project exemplifies their unbridled ability to produce deeply infectious earworms, whilst thematically encompassing unflinching lyricism that’s deeply personal.
Already hailed by some as “the Welsh Moonchild”, papaya noon were named as one of Clash Magazine’s “must-see” acts at FOCUS Wales in 2025, bringing their music to life on stage with their 5-piece live band, additionally performing at Brick Lane Jazz Festival, The Great Escape, Inglefest, Nowadaze, Swn Festival & Good Vibrations Society, as well as NXNe and BreakOut West in Canada, and supporting the likes of Hot 8 Brass Band & Reel People.
With everything already pointing to the duo swiftly becoming one of the hottest new soul acts in Britain, this is only the beginning of the journey for papaya noon…
‘through the moods’ will be released on vinyl & all digital platforms on Fri 10th July. papaya noon - crybaby [Audio]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/y_TC0fY2PZk/mqdefault.jpg)
![Victoria Port - Barefoot In The Garden [Audio]
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#FirstWordRecords #SoulRampB #Soul
Album: Barefoot In The Garden [EP]
Track: 5 of 5
Title: Barefoot In The Garden
Artist: Victoria Port
Label: First Word Records
Cat#: FW343
Formats: 12 Vinyl/Digital
Digital Release: 7th November 2025
Physical Release: 7th November 2025
About This Release:
First Word Records are proud to present the sophomore solo EP from Victoria Port.
Barefoot In The Garden is a 5-track selection merging classic soul with contemporary sounds.
Put together from sessions recorded at the world famous Abbey Road Studios in London, and Victorias home studio Candle Shop, this project exemplifies her talents as a singer-songwriter, developing upon the building blocks of her debut EP Did it Again and Victorias work as one half of electronic-soul duo, Anushka (BBE / Tru Thoughts / Brownswood).
On this EP, Victoria is accompanied by a wealth of talented artists in their own right, including frequent collaborators Hemai and JNR Williams, the highly-acclaimed drummer Moses Boyd, and vocalists such as Lea Lea, to name just a few.
The sonic tapestry stitched together on this EP epitomises the quality of British soul music of modern times; a vintage symphonic feel approach with modern-day production techniques, encompassing the Ronson-era of the late great Amy Winehouse, to the pack leaders of nowadays such as SAULT and Jungle. Its a logical progression considering Victorias lifelong influences of US luminaries like Minnie Riperton, Gladys Knight, Nina Simone and Dionne Warwick.
Her fanbase includes Gilles Peterson (BBC 6 Music / Worldwide FM) who has tipped her as an exciting emerging new artist whose sound fits alongside current successful acts like Cleo Sol, Lynda Dawn and Yazmin Lacey.
Victorias previous EP had support from a wide range of tastemakers, including Cerys Matthews, Huey Morgan, Somewhere Soul, Mo Ayoub (Selector Radio), Ronnie Herel (Mi-Soul Radios One to Watch), Tony Minvielle (Jazz FM) and across platforms like Rinse FM, NTS, Soho Radio and Global Soul, whilst her work with Anushka also received airplay from Annie Mac, Jamz Supernova, Huw Stephens and BBC Radio 1.
Victoria says this EP comes from a place of nostalgia. Its kind of reflective of parts of life up to this moment, culminating in Barefoot in the Garden. I guess its me starting to understand the things that are truly important to me. How I want to love and be loved, the way I want to spend my time, and just me starting to filter out a lot of the noise. Sonically its been such a dream to explore elements of old soul and jazz with so many incredible musicians, and to put our own unique spin on the genre.
Already a seasoned live perfomer, additionally to various live appearances solo past & forthcoming including We Out Here, Jazz Cafe, Koko and the London Jazz Festival, Victoria Port is set to be one of the leading lights in the world of British soul music. This EP provides some solid examples as to why.
Barefoot In The Garden is due to be released on vinyl and digital, November 7th 2025. Victoria Port - Barefoot In The Garden [Audio]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zDTrEiQWjpM/mqdefault.jpg)
![Werkha & Ríoghnach Connolly - Everyday [Audio]
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#FirstWordRecords #ElectronicaDance #Electronic
Album: Everyday [SINGLE]
Track: 1 of 1
Title: Everyday
Artist: Werkha & Ríoghnach Connolly
Label: First Word Records
Cat#: FW339
Formats: Digital
Digital Release: 22nd May 2025
About This Release:
First Word Records is very proud to bring you new music from Werkha, featuring the vocals of Ríoghnach Connolly on Everyday.
This is the second track taken to be taken from Werkhas third full-length solo project, to be released in late 2025, following on from instrumental cut S-Bend which received airplay from Gilles Peterson (Worldwide FM) and Don Letts (BBC 6 Music), amongst others.
——
Everyday illustrates Werkhas unique ability to build a tapestry of organic and electronic sounds. A glorious piano riff, twinkling synths, and live bass glide across an almost footwork-esque skippy percussive rhythm track, all accompanied by luscious flute, vocals and harmonies performed by the absolute powerhouse that is Ríoghnach Connolly.
Vocalist / lyricist / flautist Ríognach was named BBC Radio 2s Folk Singer of the year twice, and RTÉs Best Folk Singer in 2025. Based in Manchester, she is also a member of several bands, including Honeyfeet (Wah Wah 45s) and folk duo The Breath, signed to Peter Gabriels Real World Records. With a wildly eclectic palette, her style weaves between traditional Irish influences to jazz and soul, which has seen her grace stages across the globe.
——
Werkha explains that Everyday started as an idea quite a few years ago. I was curiously trying to catch a mood of melancholy in the original piano part.
I love sitting down with an instrument and an image in my mind. This particular one was about the idea of suspended movement. It was the image of hair in the wind being the only still thing, which prompted this idea.
Fast forward a few years and that theme of movement became relevant to this particular body of work. I explored the idea of a feature vocal on this track, not discounting my own vocal efforts (which will stay safely in my own mind and hardrive for now!)
Reaching out to Ríoghnach was something that felt like it made sense. Weve worked together in the context of music outreach here in Manchester, and Ive also remixed Honeyfeets cover of You Go To My Head.
The joy of working with Ríoghnach on this was in the way the mood of the song quite suddenly developed into one of hope...
——
Werkha (real name Tom Leah) is a multi-instrumentalist born in Rusholme, Manchester. Additionally to his own material, hes worked on releases with Quantic, A Certain Ratio, Marcos Valle, Eska, Chunky, Andrew Ashong and extensively with Keisha Thompson and Bryony Jarman-Pinto, to cite a few.
Hes played shows across the UK & Europe, touring with the likes of Bonobo, Chet Faker, Rebecca Vasmant and Mr Scruff, and gigs with Crazy P, GoGo Penguin, Todd Terje, Lefto and MCDE, as well as performing at legendary venues like The Roundhouse, The Jazz Café and Manchester Cathedral, and various festivals including Glastonbury, We Out Here, A Love Supreme and Latitude.
Previous support has come from a wide range of tastemakers such as Zakia, Jamz Supernova, Scratcha DVA, Mo Ayoub and Julie Adenuga.
Additionally to music making, Werkha has been working with a mental health arts charity in Stockport, as well as collaborating with Reform Radio to curate opportunites for upcoming Mancunian artists. As Werkha says, a commercial music entity doesnt exist without a grassroots industry to propagate it.
Hes also been creating and building another side-project, Saturama - a live audio-visual experience aimed at reconnecting to our rainforests in the UK, which has received support from organisations like Earth Percent, Plantlife, Manchester Museum, RSPB Haweswater and Kendal Mountain Festival.
Currently on a hiatus travelling South America, Werkha has an abundance of new material set to be unleashed into the ether; this single being the second drop from a deeply personal project exploring his own vulnerabilites, and his story of working though those.
Following on from previous releases on First Word (The Rigour EP from 2020, and the All Werk Is Play LP from 2022), this track is taken from Werkhas forthcoming album Unsung Irregular, which is scheduled for release in Autumn 2025.
Werkha is a thoughtful, conscientious artist, whose approach to creating is innovative, unique, ever-evolving and deeply groovy. Were very excited to present th... Werkha & Ríoghnach Connolly - Everyday [Audio]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zEAXVc6FEYI/mqdefault.jpg)
![Tall Black Guy - Mon Amie Detroit (7 Version) [feat. Ozay Moore] [Audio]
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#FirstWordRecords #RapHipHop #InstrumentalEastCoast
Album: 8 Miles to Moenart (10th Anniversary Edition) [ALBUM]
Track: 5 of 10
Title: Mon Amie Detroit (7 Version)
Artist: Tall Black Guy (feat. Ozay Moore)
Label: First Word Records
Cat#: FW316
Formats: Vinyl LP/Digital
Digital Release: 18th October 2024
Physical Release: 25th October 2024
About This Release:
First Word Records is very proud to bring you the 10th anniversary edition of Tall Black Guys debut LP 8 Miles to Moenart!
It includes two brand new jazz interpretations (From Home To Work, And Back and Running The Motor), recorded with a live band, as well as a new intro cut (Black Detroit), and an alternative mix of the single Mon Amie Detroit, previously only available on 7 vinyl.
The original vinyl LP release was a one-time limited edition pressing; this being the first time this project has been available on wax since then, and also includes entirely new artwork and photography.
From humble origins in Detroit, raised on a healthy diet of Motown, jazz and hip hop, Terrel Wallace (aka Tall Black Guy) has become a standard bearer for the hip hop beats scene. Through a steady stream of soulful productions filled with incredibly clever sample flips and deft production chops, he has won fans across the world, including Gilles Peterson, Benji B, Don Letts, Lefto, Tom Ravenscroft, Lord Finesse, Huey Morgan, Anthony Valadez and countless others, along with sessions for Boiler Room and more.
8 Miles To Moenart literally brought Tall Black Guy full circle, and proceeds to do so once again. Detroit was where he started making music, and its to his hometown he took inspiration for this debut album. Taking in low-slung hip hop, downtempo house and jazz-tinged street soul, its a record of rare focus. It encapsulated the musical heritage of Detroit, through the looking glass of Tall Black Guys own signature sound.
Follow up releases included his sophomore First Word album Lets Take A Trip (which also featured the likes of Masego, Daniel Crawford, Miles Bonny and Moonchild), and records on Ubiquity, Bastard Jazz and Street Corner Music, to name a few, along with a steady slew of limited self-released edits amd productions, most recently with his #7DayVaults series.
Hes worked with a number of formidable artists worldwide, including recent extensive work with Zo! (Little Brother), Ozay Moore, Deborah Bond and Dee Jackson (80s Babies), as well as collaborations with 14KT and First Word label-mate Allysha Joy, to name just a few. He is also an integral player for DJ Jazzy Jeffs infamous PLAYlist Retreat sessions, along with more First Word family, Kaidi Tatham and Eric Lau, as well as artists like James Poyser, Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Questlove, and he was a core contributor to First Words Nothing Leaves The House series, along with Eric, Mr Thing and kidkanevil.
Tall Black Guy has firmly established himself to be one of the most influential producers working today.
Terrel says I made the bulk of this album back in Detroit around 2012/2013, before I relocated to the UK. Ive been back living and working in the States for a while now, and its great to look back on this project. But while its nice to reminisce, its important to look forwards, so I wanted to include something new here to represent my progression as an artist, so theres some new versions included, that I created with the help of some jazz musician friends of mine.
8 Miles to Moenart (10th Anniversary Edition) will be released on digital & vinyl on October 18th 2024. Tall Black Guy - Mon Amie Detroit (7 Version) [feat. Ozay Moore] [Audio]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zZt1XY8Whk0/mqdefault.jpg)
![Bastien Keb - Nightbus 3AM [Audio]
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#FirstWordRecords #Jazz #CrossoverJazz
Album: Ghouls [ALBUM]
Track: 6 of 19
Title: Nightbus 3AM
Artist: Bastien Keb
Label: First Word Records
Cat#: FW345
Formats: Vinyl LP/Digital
Digital Release: 14th November 2025
Physical Release: 14th November 2025
About This Release:
First Word Records are very proud to bring you Ghouls, the 6th studio album from Bastien Keb.
Through the reflective and introspective multi-mood journey of its 19-tracks, this album spans psychedelic-chamber-funk, warped anti-ballads, cinematic instrumentals, Ethio-jazz & ethereal ambience.
Part soundtrack, part beat-tape, part memoir, this is a dreamlike soundscape sewn together from half-forgotten memories & late night breakdowns.
Entirely sample-free, this album is full to the brim with musical experimentation, with Kebs compulsion to make all the individual pieces of music independently; combining strings, harps, saxophones, theremins, clarinets, flutes and trumpets.
He signals to the fuzzy, nostalgic nebulous of mid 90s skate videos, as well as harking back to the scores & moods of movies like The French Connection, Taxi Driver, The Warriors and La Haine. There are whispers of sounds in the air from jazz clubs, street preachers & Turkish restaurants.
Keb describes the sonic experience of this album simply as this… Youre half awake, and half asleep, but youre warm…
For this 19-track opus, Keb is joined extensively by Malik Ameer Crumpler; a poet, composer, editor and professor based in Paris, whos been involved in numerous albums while writing for various forms of experimental media.
A multi-instrumentalist originally from the Midlands, Bastien Keb (aka Sebastian Jones) previously released his highly-acclaimed album 22.02.85 on First Word back in 2017; this new album being a very welcome return to the Worldwide Award-winning UK independent label.
His music has been widely supported across BBC Radio in the past by DJs including Gilles Peterson, Huey Morgan, Huw Stephens, Jamie Cullum, Lauren Laverne, Mary Anne Hobbs, Nemone and Tom Ravenscroft. This is in addition to glowing press reviews from the likes of Pitchfork, The Guardian and The Line Of Best Fit.
Hes built up a steady fanbase through his extensive catalogue over the years, with material for labels like Def Pressé, Gearbox, One-Handed Music and most recently for Shabaka Hutchings Native Rebel Recordings imprint, on a collaborative project with South Londons Confucius MC (Speakers Corner Quartet).
Keb concludes this record is for anyone feeling lost in a world that seems to have lost itself without knowing it. Its for the people who know that the world is missing the beauty of the lights in the distance, whilst being distracted by new shoes and flashy phones...
Ghouls is due to be released on vinyl & digital worldwide, November 14th 2025. Bastien Keb - Nightbus 3AM [Audio]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/za0RZn7UlUA/mqdefault.jpg)