Helmuth Brandenburg 'Love Like A Man' (Rucksack Records)

Helmuth Brandenburg
'Love Like a Man (LTF Edit)' / 'Cool Steppin'
(Rucksack Records)

At the very end of last year this total gem was released, and it should have been in our rundown of the best 45s of 2023. I mean, WOW. WHAT. A .45.

I'm a big fan of LTF, his take on production, sonics and arrangements is first-class. Attaining 'nasty-face' grit when the beats drop, making sure the melody is perfectly tuned in, and wrapping it all up in a succinct arrangement for the dancefloor. The lead track here 'Love Like A Man' is a perfect example, taking an old big band jazz record, and completely remaking it with much panache, and a loose feel that gives it that human touch. It's a total banger that will satisfy jazz heads and BBoys n' girls alike.

Here's what Anton says "This tune is way more than just another cover of a popular song. I made sure to create a NEW track out of it. Helmuth Brandenburg surely felt the potential of the original bassline to up the tempo and blow away the listener with a full-blown orchestral sound. Just check the original—it contains all elements of a real funky library gem: killer deep bass, a heavy drum rhythm, fuzz guitars, early synthesizers, and a massive horn section. Well, actually, there are no breaks in the original so I couldn’t resist adding some from my own crates!"

The flip 'Cool Steppin' is a stone-cold heavy-duty beats nugget of the highest order, a perfect doubles tool for DJs that can handle it.

Listen and Buy: Bandcamp