Illicit Grooves was born in the early 90s as an event with Bob Hill and guest DJs playing 'grooves from the global leftfield'. Born from the jazz dance, acid house and rare groove scenes, the music policy has always been about playing any music with feeling.
In the 25 plus years of heading up Illicit Grooves and Across The Tracks as a DJ, radio broadcaster, music journalist, producer and promoter what keeps Bob's fires burning and what gives him the key to the world are the collaborations with other individuals and collectives on the scene.
The Return of the Illicit Groove
01/09/2019 KC
- Global
- Jazz/Funk/Soul
Andrew Ashong
02/09/2019 KC
- Electronica
- Jazz/Funk/Soul
- Spiritland Is 3
A Monday night with Andrew Ashong, playing soulful music from the heart. As well known for his DJ sets as his live performances, we are delighted to welcome him at Spiritland to kick off our third birthday week.
Piers Harrison
03/09/2019 KC
- Balearic
- Downtempo
- Spiritland Is 3
With a record collection that stretches out far into the wilder reaches of jazz-fusion, proto-house, wonky dub, new beat and ambient music, we're always delighted to welcome Piers back.
And it's Spiritland's Third Birthday too – join us for special offers through the week.
Bill Brewster
04/09/2019 KC
- Balearic
- Eclectic
- Jazz/Funk/Soul
- Spiritland Is 3
The DJ's DJ returns.
Lord of the dance, king of the mountain and disco deity Bill Brewster does his thing on Wednesday night for your listening pleasure.
And it's Spiritland's Third Birthday too – join us for special offers through the week.
Spiritland Selectors
05/09/2019 KC
- Balearic
- Eclectic
- Jazz/Funk/Soul
- Spiritland Is 3
Spiritland Selectors play a deep, eclectic and imaginative selection of music across the board from minimal and downtempo to rare boogie and forward-thinking electronica, always played from the heart and from the bottomless record collections of four Spiritland residents – Michelle Kelly, Sam Don, Miche and Paul Noble.
And it's Spiritland's Third Birthday too – join us for special offers through the week.
7pm - 8.30pm Paul Noble
8.30pm - 10pm - Sam Donnison
10pm - 11.30pm - Miche
11.30pm - 1am - Michelle Kelly
Dan Bean
06/09/2019 KC
- Eclectic
- Jazz/Funk/Soul
- Spiritland Is 3
A firm friend of Spiritland before it even existed, Bozak bozo Dan returns play us records new and old from his very solid collection.
Truth be told we're not entirely sure what Dan will play on this occasion, but that matters not – it's always gold.
Minus Kendal
07/09/2019 KC
- Global
- Reggae/Dub
- Spiritland Is 3
An old head on young shoulders, weekend resident Minus returns for another session of his residency.
A weekend worker at Flashback Records and host of his own monthly radio shows on NTS and Balamii, Minus is a natural cratedigger, to be found playing anything from gospel to krautrock, disco and all stops in between.
Sophie Callis
07/09/2019 KC
- Global
- Hip Hop
- Jazz/Funk/Soul
- Spiritland Is 3
Sophie has graced decks worldwide with her signature fusion of jazz funk, soul, boogie, disco, electro, and house.
Steadily building her repertoire, Callis has played alongside the likes of Gilles Peterson, Norman Jay and Trevor Nelson. From underground clubs and festivals to exclusive events such as the Cannes Film Festival, Monaco Grand Prix and Hotel Costes Paris, Sophie continues to make regular appearances at many reputable venues and parties worldwide.
A decade ago, Sophie joined the world's first all-female broken beat / nu-jazz collective Ladybugz, leading to a weekly show on Ministry of Sound Radio and many festival line ups. She also joined forces with Soho Radio at which she presents her weekly show 'Callis in Wonderland'.
Glenn Kitson
08/09/2019 KC
- Balearic
- Downtempo
- Spiritland Is 3
Sunday night is on with streetwear don and long time pal of Spiritland, Glenn – the man behind The Rig Out.
He'll dropping all manner of vinyl gems sourced from here, there and everywhere.
Anne Frankenstein
08/09/2019 KC
- Hip Hop
- Jazz/Funk/Soul
- Spiritland Is 3
One of our favourite DJs, and one of the finest on the London circuit.
A resident at Spiritland, her strictly-vinyl sets typically feature unfathomably deep selections of disco, funk, soul, jazz, afrobeat and late-night exotica.
Vince Vella
09/09/2019 KC
- Electronica
- Global
- Jazz/Funk/Soul
Producer, DJ and percussionist, Vince Vella blends a deep knowledge of Afro-Cuban, and tropical rhythms with electronics.
Alongside producing he's an accomplished percussionist who's studied in Cuba and Brazil. His love for Cuba continues, where he co-produced the Havana Cultura series with Gilles Peterson, Roberto Fonseca, Simbad and dubstep pioneer Mala. He collaborates with some of the best musicians in Cuba including Julio Padron (Irakere), Danay Suarez, Changuito (Los Van Van) and Los Aldeanos.
VV has shared the decks with the likes of 4Hero, Gilles Peterson, Kenny Dope, Charlie Dark and performed at major festivals and venues like Glastonbury, Roskilde and The Barbican.
Vince has remixed Mobo award winners Sons Of Kemet and 4Hero among others, his productions have received support by the likes of Benji B, Osunlade, Gilles Peterson.
Jasper Kirton
10/09/2019 KC
- Global
- Jazz/Funk/Soul
Jasper Kirton, hailing from the south west, is a seasoned DJ & producer. His sets are exciting and eclectic explorations of jazz, soul, funk, electronic music and beyond, that combine records from digging trips around the world with a passion for spinning that began as a child.
Having made many appearances on radio stations and venues across the capital and the UK, and with time and experience both on his side, Kirton is set to continue making waves in the UK and beyond.
GeraH
11/09/2019 KC
- Global
- Jazz/Funk/Soul
Geraldo Oliveira (GeraH) is an inquisitive Brazilian record collector now based in London.
Having played at a good deal of underground clubs and parties in São Paulo, he also created Laca Negra, tapping into multiple facets of soul, jazz and R&B at different bars.
Last year GeraH co-founded Dublab Brazil (Brazilian branch of Los Angeles station Dublab) with DJ Zinco and the journalist Monica Herculano.
GeraH is eager to share his collection in London, as well as his experience in production, spreading Brazilian vibes in the old continent.
Ambient Casserole
12/09/2019 KC
- Eclectic
- Global
- Jazz/Funk/Soul
Marissa Cetin (Resident Advisor) and partner Tim Anderson bring their monthly show back to Spiritland, throwing in a few beats too.
Anticipate a January evening of livelier-than-ambient jazz, drone, synth and house sounds to warm the soul.
Simon TK & Ben Fester
13/09/2019 KC
- Electronica
- Jazz/Funk/Soul
- Space Music
Australian pals Simon TK (Skylab Radio, Wax’o Paradiso) and Ben Fester (Heavenly), join forces to play on the Spiritland system.
Lucid Stannard
14/09/2019 KC
- Electronica
- Global
- Jazz/Funk/Soul
Resident and founder of Lucy's Disco and female-centric Womb 2, Lucid Stannard has been spreading her wings rapidly throughout the UK, Berlin, the Med and even Uganda.
Spotted by London’s party heavyweights Percolate in early 2016, they gave her a slot on their stage at Secret Garden Party festival and since then she's played with the likes of John Morales, A Guy Called Gerald, Rune Lindbæk and Mark E to name a few, at parties such as Gottwood, Secret Garden Party, Festival No 6, Love International, Percolate, Future Boogie, Locomotive and the Good Life.
Cedric Bardawil
14/09/2019 KC
- Global
- Jazz/Funk/Soul
Cedric Bardawil has travelled from Hawaii to Japan to Lebanon and back, searching for forgotten records and their stories.
In 2014 he initiated the ongoing Soul Time In Hawaii party, over the years playing alongside DJs including Red Greg, Psychemagik, Patrick Forge, Jamie Tiller and John Gomez.
In his sets he looks for a balance between an obscure and popular sound, selecting records that engage with a crowd. Interested in weaving together listening and dance music, he often plays extended DJ sets where he can bring different tempos and sounds together.
When he’s not playing music, he’s been sharing his knowledge as a guest on radio stations including NTS Live, Red Light Radio and Worldwide FM, as well as writing for publications including The Vinyl Factory. He runs his own label and music platform for the arts, Fourth Sounds, hosting live performances by musicians including Laraaji and Peter Zummo.
Don Grizz
15/09/2019 KC
- Global
- Jazz/Funk/Soul
An avid record collecting DJ within the audiophile scene and joining the resident roster at Spiritland, Dons seamlessly sows different styles and genres into one musical journey.
A founding member of improv night Open Sauce featuring acts from labels such as Ninja Tune, Big Dada, Wichita Records - with recent DJ sets at EartH, Grow, Two Tribes to name just a few - his selection encompasses variations of jazz, funk, dub, reggae, tropical- organic grooves, north african middle eastern, disco, balearic, beats and anything in between.
Expect to have your musical cosmos expanded.
Dragos Munteanu
15/09/2019 KC
- Balearic
- Downtempo
- Eclectic
NTS, Balamii and Red Light Radio regular Dragos delivers a Sunday afternoon selection showcasing his deep passion for all things Jazz, and it's influence on contemporary music of all genres.
Pedro Ricardo
16/09/2019 KC
- Global
- Jazz/Funk/Soul
Known in his hometown Porto for his flair with the records, Pedro relies on a strong, organic groove, promising to bring to the dance floor the warm rhythms of Funk and Disco hand in hand with a kind of House that never takes off from its soulful tradition. Working through different aliases he has been releasing music for the past 5 years: first as Bababa with Extended Records (2015); then as Hai with 1980 (2017); and in his own name Pedro with Onda Onda Music (2017). In 2018 Pedro and Jenna Camille released This is What I'm Going Through EP with Wolf Music Recordings, with solo follow-up She is EP in 2019. This year also saw the first of Pedro's self-releases on his own label Hear, Sense and Feel, in a shift towards sounds closer to home.
Sofia
17/09/2019 KC
- Downtempo
- Electronica
- Space Music
Passionate Argentinian record digger Sofia Iskali brings her charisma to the decks with a broad selection of eclectic and obscure, sensuous sounds.
Tropical Disco Hustle
18/09/2019 KC
- Global
- Jazz/Funk/Soul
Named after Cultures Of Soul’s defining album ‘Tropical Disco Hustle’, we aim to celebrate, not appropriate, the immense talent and music that came out of the Caribbean, South America and the African continent during the late 70’s and early 80’s.
Avi Del Mono
19/09/2019 KC
- Electronica
- Hip Hop
- Jazz/Funk/Soul
Malaga-raised Avi has nurtured an acquired taste over the years. His aptly-named Hear No Evil show on NTS & Radar Radio has become a landing spot for hip-hop, jazz, soul and warm electronica – nothing but good music that steers away from the mainstream.
Now residing in London, the part-time photographer has worked alongside influential communities including Boiler Room, NTS and Livin' Proof.
Marshmello (NTS)
20/09/2019 KC
- Eclectic
- Electronica
Starting off on the dancefloor, moving to the mic as an MC and then to the decks, Marsha has played a huge part in the UK dance scene for over 20 years.
With roots in the Red Bull Music Academy and the UK's first underground internet and pirate stations like Interface FM, Nu Wave Radio and Deja Vu, Marsha hosted the first broadcast on NTS Radio and has since become an essential part of the family with her bi-weekly show Midnight Marauder.
Vesa Liede
21/09/2019 KC
- Eclectic
- Jazz/Funk/Soul
Excellent taste? Check. All vinyl? Check. Weekend resident? Check.
Long time aficionado of all things beats, breaks and B-Boy culture, cratedigger Vesa returns with his enviable record collection for a rhythm section-led Saturday.
Ralph Tee (Expansion Records)
21/09/2019 KC
- Disco
- Jazz/Funk/Soul
Record label boss, radio broadcaster and lifelong soul aficionado Ralph Tee is here for a Friday night of upbeat, smiles for miles music. His knowledge of and passion for sharing the rare grooves is second to none.
Ralph has been a club DJ since the 1970s & broadcasting on radio since the 1980s, with deep roots in the UK soul scene.
Mark Greenfield
22/09/2019 KC
- Balearic
- Downtempo
- Eclectic
Regular-for-a-reason selector Mark G checks in for another sweet and soulful afternoon session.
Resolution 88 – ‘Revolutions’ album playback
22/09/2019 KC
- Jazz/Funk/Soul
A special listening party in celebration of Resolution 88’s first album on vinyl – and their third studio album overall.
Hear the record played in its entirety for the very first time in public, on the unique Spiritland sound system.
With the release of their first two albums and live shows supporting Snarky Puppy, Roy Ayers, Marcus Miller, Larry Mizell & the Blackbyrds, Butcher Brown, Yellowjackets and more, Resolution 88 have already established themselves as one of the UK’s leading exponents of funk jazz.
‘Revolutions’ represents a lot of firsts - the first time Resolution 88 have recorded to multi-track tape, the first time that they’ve included a real string and brass section, the first time they’ve included special guests on record and the first time they’ve pressed an album on vinyl. Imagine a combination of an undiscovered Herbie Hancock album from the mid-70s, rare-groove samples from the golden era of hip hop (ATCQ, Pharcyde etc) and the new London sound of bands like Yussef Kamaal.
Max Van de Put
23/09/2019 KC
- Eclectic
- Jazz/Funk/Soul
Max has stretched far across the corners of the globe, bringing back a groove-focused outernational sound.
Holly Hollister
24/09/2019 KC
- Eclectic
- Global
- Jazz/Funk/Soul
Focused on music to make you groove, Holly enjoys playing everything from 80bpm headnodders and 120bpm broken beat jives to the 140 anomalies.
Her sets reflect all that she absorbs through online radio, festivals and the inspiration the Soulquarian movement and Gilles Peterson have provided.
She's recently played Kala Festival in Albania and is a resident at Cafe Artum, Digbeth Dining Club, Birmingham.
Previously Holly has played Birmingham nights; MoHo, Neighbourhd and been a supporting DJ at Leftfoot events.
King Dom
25/09/2019 KC
- Global
- Jazz/Funk/Soul
- Reggae/Dub
Vinyl collector King Dom began playing out aged 17 – moving through Brighton's underground clubs in the 1990s to Sydney, where he worked the clubs, big venues and dive bars till his fingers bled.
Recently in his thirst for diving headlong into discovery, he's been "sloshing around in the underbelly of Lovers Rock", including through gigs with Dennis Bovell.
Expect soul, folk, lovers, two steppers, jazz, strings, bits and pieces brought together to tell a story with beautifully blurred lines.
John Coltrane – Exclusive ‘Blue World’ album playback
26/09/2019 KC
- Jazz/Funk/Soul
Hear an exclusive playback of John Coltrane's unreleased album 'Blue World', recorded the same year as 'A Love Supreme', on the eve of its release.
DJ support comes from Tony 'Jazz Dad' Higgins (BBE).
In 1964, the National Film Board of Canada asked John Coltrane to record the soundtrack for a French-language film titled "Le chat dans le sac". Amazingly, no announcement was made that the iconic Coltrane was adding new performances to this film.
In June of that year, Coltrane's 'Classic Quartet' entered Rudy Van Gelder’s studio and recorded five previously-recorded Coltrane originals. For many years, viewers of the film who recognised the music thought that they were listening to the original recordings, though in fact they were new and had never been heard.
Now, with the release of Blue World, we can hear these newly-discovered recordings for the first time.
Mark Gurney & Adrian Leach
27/09/2019 KC
- Disco
- Jazz/Funk/Soul
- Library Music
Having spent almost 40 years collecting records, clubbing and DJing, Mark decided to start an event of his own, creating a night and website that digs deeper than most playing a whole spectrum of music involving likeminded friends and DJs.
Independent Movement began in 2007, a London club night with guest DJs from the UK and around the world playing new discoveries, underplayed gems and hard to find tracks – but mainly plain old great records.
Mark will be joined by good friend Adrian Leach. Creator and host of the long running Happy Jazz Radio Show since the 90s , Adrian's musical tastes range from global modern jazz from the 60s to current day and vintage Latin, Brazilian, African and Caribbean to name a few.
A seeker of independent, forgotten labels and under played jazz from the 80s with a real penchant for black music from South and Central America that currently occupies his buying / listening time. Adrian savours the unusual and is happy to share the sounds around.
Leopold
28/09/2019 KC
- Global
- Jazz/Funk/Soul
Max Gershinson alias Leopold is a DJ and radio host based in London – host of the Natural Element show (previously on Radar Radio) and Cue Music on Netil Radio.
Expect worldly soul, boogie and stretched-out mellow goodness.
Colin Curtis
28/09/2019 KC
- Disco
- Jazz/Funk/Soul
In Colin's words – "when you consider how fast the DJing world is moving these days, 50 years in the game is a ludicrous thing to contemplate".
Having lived, danced and DJed through the eras of Northern Soul, jazz-funk and house, few can claim to have contributed to UK dance music more than Colin Curtis.
Growing up in Stoke on Motown and Radio Caroline, Colin first started DJing in 1967 and became a figurehead for some of Northern England’s most iconic clubs, including the Blackpool Mecca, Rafters in Manchester and Nottingham’s Rock City.
His experiments with electro and house, alongside Hewan Clarke at The Playpen in Manchester also had a profound impact on the musical direction of the Haçienda. These days his career is viewed with similar superlatives as Mancuso, which we discuss in the below, alongside a look into his life as a record collector and the new jazz dance fusion compilation he’s curated for Z Records.
Iko Chérie
29/09/2019 KC
- Balearic
- Downtempo
- Pop
Spiritland favourite Marie – nom de guerre Iko Chérie when creating her 'psychedelicate surf pop' – returns for another of her special French-inspired, pop-tinged, laid back and breezy sessions.
Charles Vaughan (Birdland Kissa)
29/09/2019 KC
- Eclectic
- Global
- Jazz/Funk/Soul
"South London neo-jazz dudester of many cowboy hats" – Charles Vaughan is an eclectic DJ whose sets vary from pulsating jazz, international oddities to classic disco selections and soulful house cuts.
Having played at venues such as Pickle Factory, Shoreditch Platform and Bussey Building, Charles' expansive sets broadcast new and familiar sounds with infectious energy, no matter the style.
