RADIOHOP – All We Do

So the four guys from Amsterdam-based RADIOHOP just released their debut album “All We Do”. Coming from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, the biggest and most diverse conservatory in the Netherlands, the group has this great mixture of jazz, hiphop, soul, and fusion and is pretty beat-oriented which makes them one of the hottest new groups coming from our neighbors. Comprising of Joshua Lutz on keys, Johnny Biner on guitar, Joel F Svedberg on bass, and Euan Jenkins on drums, they also write all of their music and cite artists such as Azymuth, Herbie Hancock, and Kaidi Tatham as their influences.

The Tatham part is probably most prominent on the brilliant album opener “Zathura” (which we actually featured here back in August of last year,) where warm keys and guitar ride over a strong and sassy beat with voluminous harmonies and some witty broken beats thrown in. I also really dig the slower number “June Hill” and “Mad Summer” actually reminds me a lot of “Summer Madness” by Kool & The Gang. There is some sweetness on the airy and cool “Farsight” which features some great guitar work and acoustic piano for a change. Great one! “Birthday Boi”, which was already released as a single last year, is another irresistible groover and stays in your ear forever. I’m not really a fan of “Stop Playin'” with rap vocals by Ill Camille so I usually skip over to Wayne Shorter’s “Fall” with its mid 70s Herbie keys and spoken word by Sydney Lowell.

More broken beats meet hip hop and fusion can be heard on “Phases” and with “Tales”, they add another hip joint. They manage to find this really unique sound. Flutist Finn Peters contributes more oomph on the fusiony album closer “Tribute”. “All We Do” is available on Gatefold vinyl with limited copies of only 300. And they are on tour see below:

5/09 Rotterdam – BIRD
5/18 Den Bosch – Jazz in Duketown
5/22 Darmstadt – Frischzelle
5/23 Frankfurt – tba
5/24 Cologne – King Georg
5/29 Utrecht – ‘t Oude Pothuys
6/01 Amsterdam – Black Gold In-store
6/22 Amsterdam – Melkweg (Album Release Party)
6/24 Amsterdam – Hidden Gem Live Studio Session
6/30 Braamt – Lago Lago Festival