ElecSoul — Autumn 🍂

Soulful, melodic sounds, deep grooves and musical connections

Welcome back to ElecSoul. This autumn’s selection moves between soulful house, jazz, broken beat, hip-hop, Afro-electronic rhythms and deeper, more hypnotic sounds. As always, it’s about following the connections between different musical worlds and letting the records tell their own stories.

A few personal connections run through this episode, too — from artists I’d love to bring to Stroud, to a band we’ve had the pleasure of sharing a stage with.

The tracklist & further listening

1. Werkha — S-Bend

Werkha — official Bandcamp track and background

I really love Werkha’s music and the way he brings organic instrumentation, intricate rhythms and electronic production together. “S-Bend” has a beautiful sense of movement, with a weighty bassline, rising synths, sharp percussion and strings from his frequent collaborator Simmy Singh.

There’s a personal story behind it, too. Werkha, the Manchester-born producer Tom Leah, describes the track as a reflection on living with scoliosis and the journey towards recovery. The music becomes a celebration of movement, resilience and finding silver linings. I’m working on getting him to Stroud sometime — hopefully we can make that happen.

2. Anchorsong — Butterflies

Anchorsong — artist and music search

Anchorsong, the project of Japanese-born, London-based producer Masaaki Yoshida, is known for building intricate electronic compositions from layered samples, percussion and carefully constructed loops. His music often has a wonderfully organic, almost live quality, even when assembled electronically. “Butterflies” brings another texture into this journey between rhythm, melody and atmosphere.

3. Danny Tenaglia feat. Scott White — Come Together

Danny Tenaglia — track background and interview

There’s something wonderfully haunting and hypnotic about the sound loop in “Come Together”. It draws you in through repetition, gradually building a sense of tension and connection rather than relying on an obvious musical payoff.

Tenaglia has spoken about wanting to make a dancefloor track about people coming together and stopping hatred. Scott White’s vocals were recorded in the same session as another track on the album Hard & Soul. The long-form arrangement also reflects Tenaglia’s roots in an era when DJs let records develop over extended stretches of time.

4. Nathan Haines feat. Eo — Just Holdin’ On (Christoph El Truento Remix)

Nathan Haines — official Bandcamp track and credits

New Zealand saxophonist and producer Nathan Haines has spent decades connecting jazz harmony with dancefloor rhythms, working with artists including 4hero, Masters at Work, Louie Vega and Atjazz. This remix features rapper Eo, with Christoph El Truento bringing a fuzzy, lo-fi sensibility to the original’s jazz and hip-hop foundations. It’s a lovely example of how a track can move towards house without losing its musical character.

5. Ibibio Sound Machine — Mama Say

Ibibio Sound Machine — official website | Listen to “Mama Say”

This one has a special connection for me. My band, Ngoma, had the pleasure of supporting Ibibio Sound Machine at The Sub Rooms in Stroud last year. They’re such an exciting group, bringing together West African musical influences, Nigerian poetic imagery, synths, funk, disco and post-punk energy.

“Mama Say” comes from their 2024 album Pull the Rope, a record that takes their sound further towards the sweaty, communal energy of the dancefloor. Having shared a bill with them, it’s a pleasure to feature their music here.

6. Main Source — Looking at the Front Door

Main Source — track and artist background

Main Source were a hugely influential hip-hop group associated with the early-1990s New York scene, best known for their sample-rich production and jazz-inflected approach to beat-making. “Looking at the Front Door”, from their landmark 1991 album Breaking Atoms, is a reminder of how hip-hop producers transformed fragments of jazz, soul and funk into something entirely new.

7. Johnny Guitar Johnson — I Need

Johnny Guitar Johnson — track and artist search

A blues-rooted moment in the selection, bringing a different musical language into the mix. The relationship between blues phrasing, repetition and feeling has always been part of the wider story of soul, jazz and dance music.

Tracks 6& 7 were taken from Good Times 3 (Joey & Norman Jay MBE

8. Nicola Conte — Terra Em Transe

Nicola Conte — official Bandcamp release and background

Italian DJ, guitarist, producer and bandleader Nicola Conte has long explored the connections between spiritual jazz, Brazilian music, bossa nova and contemporary soul. “Terra Em Transe” draws on early-1970s Brazilian jazz and modal hard bossa, with contributions from Swedish saxophonist and flautist Magnus Lindgren.

The title references filmmaker Glauber Rocha’s Terra em Transe. Conte has described the composition as a dedication to Rocha and to free thinkers willing to confront political contradictions and abuses of power. A beautiful example of music that connects dance, jazz and a wider cultural history.

9. Scott Fitzgerald — Drum Hustle

Scott Fitzgerald — track and artist search

A rhythm-led selection that keeps the focus on percussion and groove. I’m leaving this one to the music rather than adding an unverified backstory to the artist or recording.

10. The Dangerfeel Newbies — What Am I Here For? (Kai Alcé remix)

The Dangerfeel Newbies — Kai Alcé remixes on Bandcamp

Atlanta’s Dangerfeel Newbies bring together influences from jazz, blues, soul, funk and hip-hop. Kai Alcé, founder of the influential NDATL Muzik label, has a deep understanding of the relationship between those traditions and soulful house.

The NDATL remixes retain the warmth and musicality of the original while bringing it into a deeper, more extended house setting. It’s a great example of Atlanta’s contribution to the wider soulful house movement.

11. Ralph Lawson, Wulf N’Flow & Carl Finlow — Blues Dimensions (Wulf’s Jam)

Ralph Lawson — artist and track background

Ralph Lawson is a key figure in the UK house scene, best known for his 20/20 Vision label and his long-standing contribution to Leeds’ club culture. Carl Finlow is another respected electronic producer, with a catalogue spanning house, electro and techno. This collaboration brings those different strands together, with Wulf’s Jam adding another angle to the groove.

12. Jimpster — What U R

Jimpster — official Freerange Records artist page

Jimpster, aka Jamie Odell, is one of the defining figures in UK deep house. Through his own productions and his Freerange and Delusions of Grandeur labels, he has helped champion house music with warmth, musical detail and a strong connection to jazz and soul.

“What U R” was released on Freerange Records in October 2026, making it a fresh addition to this episode. It’s a fitting reminder that deep house continues to evolve while keeping its musical roots close.

13. K-LONE — Holdup

K-LONE — artist and track background

K-LONE is a British producer and DJ whose music moves between UK club sounds, intricate percussion, bass-heavy rhythms and more subtle, atmospheric textures. As co-founder of Wisdom Teeth with Facta, he has helped build a space for adventurous, rhythmically rich electronic music.

I’d absolutely love to have K-LONE perform at one of our Sonar Sessions nights. His approach to sound and rhythm feels right at home with the sort of open-minded musical journey we want to create.

Catch me at Stroud Shindig

I’ll be back at The Sub Rooms on Saturday 14 November 2026, joining the lineup for Stroud Shindig alongside Antwerp Gipsy Ska Orkestra and Year of the Dog.

It’s always a pleasure to play for the Stroud crowd, bringing together jazz, soul, funk and house for a proper town party.

See you there!

Event details and tickets — The Sub Rooms

All the listings for this show will be available at djrobbieduncan.com/elecsoul — just click on the show title Autumn.

Thanks for listening, sharing and continuing to explore the music with me.

Robbie Duncan — ElecSoul