Two years on from the release of their fourth studio album, Pure Fantasy, Hardkandy return with a AA-side pairing that illustrate two very distinct aspects of their sound.
Having made a triumphant comeback in 2022 with an album that drew praise across the board, from BBC 6 Music’s Deb Grant to revered “DJ’s DJ” Colleen “Cosmo” Murphy, the outfit’s main producer Tim Bidwell delivers both a brand new piece of music and an extended version of a popular cut from said LP.
The former is Yonder, an easygoing, instrumental track that harks back to the golden era of trip hop and prog rock. In contrast the latter, Interflude, which although perhaps too short for many in its original form, is nevertheless a firm fan favourite from Pure Fantasy, and one which here benefits from an extended dirty funk workout complete with blistering Philips Organ and trashy drums that sound something like a bunch of insects having a bar fight with The Meters!
We hope you enjoy these two unexpected and contrasting summertime delights from one of our long-time, and favourite family members.
Reactions And Radio Play
Radio play from Laurent Garnier (PBB Radio), The Pressure Drop Show, Aja & Claire Simone’s Ketch A Vibe 743 Show, Veronique Prebolin (Radio Krimi, France), Karl Phillips (Source FM, LIskeard Radio, Cavern FM and Camp Radio)
Featured in Quobuz’ “New in Soul / Funk / RnB”
“Super funkyyyyyyyy” Laurent Garnier (PBB Radio, Radio Meuh, Worldwide FM)
“What the hell!!??!! That interlude ish is hard!!!” DJ Breakplus (Various, Switzerland)
“Lovely.” Jazzanova (Kaleidoskop, Radio Eins, WDR, Berlin)
“Love it!” Alena Arpels (Various, UK)
“A welcome return!” Rob Da Bank (Radio 1, London)
“Cool tracks” Robert Lochmann (Radio X, Frankfurt; Radio D59B, Belgrade, Berlin)
“Like it” Robert Luis (Tru Thoughts / Unfold Radio on 1BTN (101.4FM), Brighton)
“Yes! Love it ..” DJ Soulist (Various, Paris)
“Emotional music.” Cesare Cera (Nu Lounge / Gru Radio / Radio Fujiko / Ex-Forno / Radio Bologna Uno, Italy)
“Lovin’ it!!!” Markus Milz (Radio Corax 95.9 FM, Germany)
“Love these guys.” Jamal Ahmad (Jazz 91.9fm WCLK Atlanta, Ga, 91.3 KPVU, Houston)
“Beautiful tune!” Olivier Cavaller (De La Bonne Musique, France)
“Love the spacey feel to yonder. Nice! Interlude has a groove! Wicked drums” DJ Expression (What’s Hot Radio, UK)
“Both tracks are great between cinematic and groove.” Amar Kabouche (Fauve Radio, France)
“Cool ones” Tjerk Coers (Armada Music, Netherlands)
“Nice tracks!” Jason Deckstatic (No.8, XL, Space Ibiza NYC, 1 Oak Southampton, USA)
“Both big tracks in their own right, will be supporting!!” Alan O’Malley (Multi Storey Soul Radio Show, RTE Pulse Dublin, Ireland)
“A real beauty of a tune!” Aja Allsop (Aja & Claire Simone’s Ketch A Vibe Show, UK)
“Good groove and dynamic.” Veronique Prebolin (Radio krimi & Mosaïque fm, France)
“Love the “walking beat” in Hardkandy that really gets my head swaying.” Jay Paul (WRUV-FM Burlington, VT USA)
“Interlude is dope!” Nigel Evans (Tru Thoughts, Brighton)
“Two great tunes from Hardkandy on this release…” Sven Thomschke (Radio Z 95.8 Nuernberg, Germany)
“Bliss!” Ed (Deep South Sounds, Ireland)
“Really lovely!” Ross Wakefield (Frankson / Hideout Sessions Podcast, UK)
“Brilliant stuff” Aldo Vanucci (Brooklyn Radio, UK)
“Nice classic trip-hop remind!!” Iván Mera Higher Street (Higher Street, Spain)
“Great – will play” DJ Lamp (Coalition, The Hub, Radio Reverb, Coastway Radio, Brighton)
“These two, ‘Yonder’ is trippy, hoppy and classic Hardkandy whilst ‘Interlude’ is all out fuzzy organ from the church of funk, jittery guitar and even something of the flute gang at the end for the jazzy b-bouys.” Gerry Hectic (You And The Music (YATM) blog with Will Sumsuch (Colour & Pitch), UK)
“Interflude is a lot of fun. Great to see Hardkandy back!” Jon Freer (Freer Sounds)
“Yonder is a really beautiful track, love it’s pace and timeless jazzy vibe” DJ Mr Lob (Various, Melbourne)
“Deep, cinematic and funky!” Tiago Santos (Radio Oxigenio, Portugal)
“Wonderful” Phil Horneman (Wicked Jazz Sounds, Amsterdam, NL)
“Love the spacey feel to yonder. Nice! Interlude has a groove! Wicked drums” DJ Expression (Whatshot Radio)
“Nice groove” Enrique Domenech (Freeforms Radio, Spain)
“Pure Fantasy was such a great album. Nice to have some more material. Yonder is such a great track.” Jim McMaster (TNGC Radio, UK)
“Absolute wonderful!” David Hanke (Motor Jazz, Germany)
“Lovin’ it!!!” Markus Milz (“Further in Fusion” radio corax 95.9fm, Halle, Germany)
“Very nice track.” Timos Koklas (Reverb Nation, Greece)
“How fresh, how distinct, how nice.” Måns Strömberg (Radio Helsinki, Finland)
“Good vibes!” Matteo “Pzzo”” Chelini” (Various, Italy)
“Loving Yonder – what a lush, languorous, sultry, smoking builder with added Baker Street saxophony. Bliss.” DJ Drummie Dave (Various, UK)
“Really good – a welcome return.” Steve KIW (1 Brighton FM, UK)
“That breakbeat is funky as!” DJ Osric (RTRFM, Perth, Western Australia)
“I really like both tracks.” Nelson Ramalho (The Weekend Warm Up, Power FM Ireland)
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