Various Artists - Somewhere Soul: Rituals Volume 02

Mr Bongo welcomes Somewhere Soul for the second volume in the Rituals compilation series, a carefully curated collection of exclusive, genre-spanning tracks from contemporary emerging artists and underground forerunners. Compiled by Somewhere Soul founder Josh Mason-Quinn, Rituals Volume 02 is structured as a 24-hour musical journey, following the changing character of a day from a gentle morning beginning through to the energy of the dancefloor. Across its four stages — Rise, Radiate, Retreat and Release — the collection moves through ambient folk, jazz, soul, Brazilian MPB, instrumental psychedelia, boogie, Afro-Latin grooves and electronic music.

The Rise section begins with Naissam Jalal's “Bath of forgiveness in the moonlight (Duet Version)”, followed by Blue Lake's specially written “Skyview” and music from Ines Loubet and Sofia Grant, Tiago Caetano and Verushka. As the day gathers momentum, Radiate brings together Mediterranean jazz-funk, breezy boogie, UK jazz fusion and Afro-Latin sounds, with Gianni Brezzo, Joao Selva, Fr1th & Simon Jefferis, Konkolo Orchestra and Ireke among the featured artists. The compilation's breadth reflects Somewhere Soul's long-standing focus on human-led music discovery and giving emerging artists a platform.

Retreat shifts into the hazier atmosphere of sunset. Kennebec and Tristan de Liege's “Willow” features string arranger Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, while Rachel Kitchlew's harp-led “A Path To You” provides a quieter counterpoint. Mikoudi and China Bowls contribute the cinematic soul-jazz of “Tide”, alongside Orbital Ensemble's vinyl-only “Landro”, The Offline and Gentle Nature. The final Release section turns toward the dancefloor with Turkish city pop from Peki Momes, tropical disco from Daniel Monaco, deep house from Alexander Flood and Landing Eagles' breakbeat street-soul closer “Be On My Side”.

From its origins as a music blog, Somewhere Soul has developed into an international music-discovery platform while retaining Mason-Quinn's emphasis on personal curation. Rituals Volume 02 translates that approach into a physical compilation: a start-to-finish sequence intended to connect disparate styles through mood, pacing and the progression of a day. This edition is available as a double-vinyl set, including an indie-only double pink vinyl option, and brings together twenty tracks selected to celebrate the breadth of the contemporary underground music scene.