soundway delves deeper into south africas rich music legacy and influences with this great compilation from esa williams.

the 2013 album from lord echo back on double vinyl via soundway.

fully restored reissue of the 1985 afro-disco-rap gem from free youth.

the eagerly awaited debut album from the mauskovic dance band comes via soundway records.

a massively sought-after soca-cover of the sade classic brought back to vinyl by soundway.

official soundway reissue of the 1986 reggae disco hit by george & glen miller.

original plus esa & mervin granger remix of the 2001 south african house monster from penny penny.

2019 repress! 1980s west african disco crossover from the international soleil band from guinee, west africa.

highly sought after track remastered from the original master tapes, paired with a deep remix from julien dyne. for fans of: kenya special compilations, julien dyne, lord echo, mangase/hafi deo 12”, electric wire hustle, steve spacek...

repress 2019 - “just do you” is the first single from underground super-producer lord echo s hotly anticipated 3rd album “harmonies”. so long has it s gestation been that it has reached a status reserved only for the mythical and the absurd. some say it will never be finished with the album devouring its host creator and assuming a life of its own - but this first single proves other wise.
lord echo emerges from the darkness with a gleaming diamond in his hand - a slice of pure disco dub indulgence with all the rough trimmings that have made him a cult favourite from tokyo to trinidad.

for fans of: sudan archives, kamasi washington, laraaji, carlos niño, mark de clive-lowe, zap mama, miguel atwood-ferguson, josef leimberg

excellent slamming disco

late 80s highlife from ghana on 12 inch vinyl.

felbm aka eelco topper new soundway for traditional jazz

soundway records delivers a beautifully remastered reissue of brazilian duo grupo controle digital’s only album, “a festa É nossa”. first released in 1988, the album is now housed in a tip-on heavyweight sleeve with restored artwork.

new zealander julien dyne is a multi-instrumentalist with a long and impressive history of collaborative, live and solo musicianship. best known for his solo work on bbe and having worked with the likes of theo parrish, steve spacek, andreya triana and lord echo - one of soundway’s most successful artists. dyne has also accumulated a number of accolades over the course of a 10-year career including but not exclusive to being hotly tipped by both moodymann and gilles peterson.
dyne’s new project for 2018 is an 11-track lp on miles cleret’s extolled soundway label. demonstrating a shift in gears and movement toward a more uptempo, afro inspired sound ‘teal’ melds instrumental flair with astute production and a persistent grain of impassioned, effortless soul. the album features fellow new zealanders lord echo and mara tk, long term band-mate ladi6, fat freddy’s drop trumpeter toby laing, plus australian vocalist tim guy and jazz luminaries jonathan crayford and john bell. this is a body of work for the listener and the dancer alike with a mood as fitting for headphones as it is for the floor, with the double vinyl album cut loud at 45 rpm.

the boundary-pushing colombian group returns to soundway records with another unique album: dreamy psych-folk, blending traditional latin rock with tropicalia, and lush string and choral arrangements. meridian brothers’ sound is a huge palette of influences and inspirations. drawing from traditional latin rock (including colombian, argentinian and mexican) as well as brazilian tropicalia, for this album alvarez incorporates string instruments - in particular the cello, both bowed and plucked - a timbre rarely used in his previous works.

some crate-digging compilations are often the result of someone hand-picking their choice favourites from another country’s musical history, perhaps unaware or uninvolved with its cultural lineage in the process. on this release - a treasure trove of synth jams, pop, samba boogie, balearic and electro from 1980 & ‘90s brazil - the tracks are picked by millos kaiser, one half of the brazilian duo selvagem, who are at the helm of throwing some of the country’s best dance parties. it’s a rare compilation that offers brazilian music actually picked by a brazilian.
this collection of sixteen tracks doesn’t comprise tracks scoured from deeply in-demand records, the rare sort that sell for eye-watering sums and that collectors spend years tracking down. they are the sort you’d find for a few quid should you come across but, as kaiser says, “the problem is finding them. they aren’t rare because everyone wants a copy but because no one wants them, not even the dealers.”

djs and fans alike can look forward to another helping of lord echo, with a new 12” and digital package that features some fresh takes on his high-rolling summertime opus “the sweetest meditation” - the second single from his latest hit record “harmonies”.
expect inventive slices of disco dub fine tuned for the eccentric club experience, exploring the instantly recognisable soul sounds of mr mara tk.
the 12” contains a new club-friendly mix cooked up and trialled by the lord himself on a recent european dj excursion, a remix by long time collaborator, artist and record fiend julien dyne, a black ark style disco-dub of a rare early version as well as the original mix heard for the first time with the unmistakeable fidelity of a 12 inch record spinning at 33 revolutions per minute - higher highs, deeper lows, greater dynamic range.
in short - everything the modern music lover’s collection could possibly require for fulfilment. please enjoy™

from disco to disco: best-of des ghanaischen keyboarders und sängers auf 180 gramm doppel-vinyl. repress without the free mp3 dl card.

soundway presents the debut ep from the mauskovic dance band - a potent, modern blend of afro-caribbean rhythms and space-disco. afro-colombian styles such as champeta and cumbia are integrated with 80s no-wave drum machines and synths: shaking and pulsing direct from amsterdam.

soundway releases new compilation of rare 1980s south african ‘bubblegum’ & boogie
in 1980s black south africa a local form of pop music evolved as the disco boom died down and slowly mutated. it was often ubiquitously described as bubblegum - usually stripped-down and lo-fi with a predominance of synths, keyboards and drum-machines and overlaid with the kind of deeply soulful trademark vocals and harmonies that south african music is famous for. compilers miles cleret (soundway) and dj okapi (afrosynth records) present a selection of 18 rare, handpicked 1980s cuts that highlight the period that nestles in between the ‘70s (where american-influenced jazz, funk and soul bumped shoulders with local mbaqanga) and the ‘90s when kwaito and eventually house-music ruled the dancefloors of urban south africa.

back in print by popular demand, strut bring back the debut compilation by sofrito aka djs hugo mendez and frankie francis
- limited reissue of debut sofrito compilation lp from 2011
- mighty shadow ‘dat soca boat’ subsequently used on malibu tv ad in 2012
- includes exclusive edits of tracks by victor uwaifo and safohene djeni
- cover and package artwork by lewis heriz
for fans of:
fela kuti, orlando julius, quantic, mighty sparrow, lord kitchener, nyboma, franco, nemours jean-baptiste, analog africa, soundway, fania records, invisible city, gilles peterson

soundway records presents the debut solo album from the ever-energetic diron animal, lead singer of the band throes + the shine.
born and raised in the ghettos of cazenga in the angolan capital of luanda, the portugal-based artist is known for his incredible stage presence and unique fashion sense. influenced by traditional african music, diron brings modern electronic production and multilingual vocals to his album, which explores the realities of growing up in harsh conditions. the impact of such a life on himself and his local community is thematically apparent: pessimism, greed, and ambition feature - and yet the overarching message is that of opportunity, hope and channelling one’s struggles into creativity.
spell-binding rhythms, bass hooks and original lyrics abound, spanning portuguese, kimbundu and english.

nachpressung von 1979 mit extrem rarer, südafrikanischer disco-funk-fusion.
obwohl die movers während der siebziger in den townships südafrikas eine große nummer im disco-sektor waren und am laufenden band höchst erfolgreich zahlreiche schallplatten veröffentlichten, ist die formation heute nur noch spezialisten wie den experten bei soundway ein begriff. den londoner archivgräbern um labelchef miles cleret haben wir nun die nachpressung der erstmals 1979 herausgebrachten lp -kansas city- zu verdanken. die bietet exakt den sound, für den die movers seinerzeit berühmt waren, nämlich eine zündende fusion aus funk, disco, jive und marabi, einem etwa 1920 in südafrika entwickelten genre, das afrikanische musikstile und afroamerikanisch geprägten jazz verband. das line-up der movers wechselte häufig. an den aufnahmen der sechs stücke auf -kansas city- waren jabu sibumbe, l rhiko, lloyd lelosa und sankie chounyane beteiligt. die produktion verantwortete david thekwane.

ein afrofuturistisches album aus tansania, das tradition und elektronik hypnotisch verschweißt.

reissue of the highly sought after nigerian funk-rock album, moving effortlessly between reggae, jazzy afrobeat and psych rock. soundway fans first got a taste of jay-u’s infectious beats with the track ‘some more’, featured on the soundway compilation “nigeria disco funk special: the sound of the underground lagos dancefloor 1974-79”. originally released by emi nigeria in 1977, this now-rare album was written by jay-u and engineered by disco-boogie artist goddy oku. opening with the up-tempo reggae number “reggae deluxe”, the album descends into mind-blowing jazz-funk featuring several killer saxophone solos. the journey ends with a trip into psych-prog rock, with a sound not dissimilar to that coming out of the early 70s british rock scene.

repress - without dl code - susso, aka bassist / producer huw bennett, creates music inspired by, and directly sampling, the magnificent sounds of the mandinka people, recorded during a recent trip to gambia. initially travelling with the aim of gaining perspective as a musician and to discover a new world of music first hand, huw found himself humbled by such a welcoming community of artists, mostly belonging to the celebrated susso and kuyateh griot families.
the tracks are composed entirely from original source material, field recordings and huw’s talents as a multi-instrumentalist, performing tuned percussion from the region including the mandinka balafon, kutiringding drum, aswell drawing on his skill as a professional upright / electric bassist. the music produced has a contemporary electronic sound, whilst still paying homage to a traditional gambian aesthetic. keira (meaning peace) guides the listener through huw’s journey up the river gambia, being welcomed into remote dusty villages, where your people are the most important thing in life

triple lp and bonus 7 inch with 8 page booklet. includes free mp3 download with 8 extra tracks.
soundway records present kenya special: selected east african recordings from the 1970s & 80s - a treasure-trove of rare and unusual recordings from east africa. kenya special is accompanied by detailed liner notes, original artwork and photographs. it follows on from soundways much acclaimed african special series that to date has focused on the highlife and afrobeat output from 1970s nigeria and ghana.

the genre-crossing 8-track album is the first of a trilogy, inspired by one of the colombian-native’s local legends jaime llano gonzalez, a colombian hammond organist famous for playing traditional colombian music such as pasillos, bambucos, cumbias, and foreign rhythms such as foxtrots or waltzes, in an ambient style.
the vinyl release includes a download code.

schwarze standard-vinyl version. erstes gesangsalbum des experimentierfreudigen und freigeistigen londoner kollektivs.

limited dj friendly double vinyl edition.
harmonies is the new long player from underground super-producer lord echo. the new album solidifies his already distinctive mutations of reggae and rock steady with disco, african soul, techno and spiritual jazz. in other words, the lord has returned from the wilderness with a bounty for his followers. eat of the bread of life and enjoy access to his crazy world of sound.

classic alert! ltd 180g lp in tip-on sleeve
a very rare lp originally released in 1983 has made its way to soundway and been mastered with the utmost care. the only known recorded album by the band, it also features the track “fella’s doing it in lagos” which was included on and inspired the name for soundway’s hit compilation in 2016. band members: austing d. ilukhor, charles chiagoro, geofrey ochiagha, hawly adeyefa jnr, klesye edward doja, shola damole, stanley ifejoku.

auf -ennanga vision- begleiten wir den londoner produzenten jesse hacke (owiny sigoma band, elmore judd, gorillaz) auf einer klangreise, die uns von der englischen kapitale nach uganda führt, und damit von der hauptstadt des pop mitten ins herz von afrika. co-steuermann und erster kollaborateur von hacke ist der ugandische sänger und multiinstrumentalist albert ssempeke. bei ihrer eigenwilligen, um nicht zu sagen abenteuerlichen unternehmung erhalten die beiden beistand durch eine reihe von gastsängern aus dem norden ugandas, die unter der dortigen bevölkerung einen legendären ruf genießen. damit setzt sich die formation aus einer runde von experten zusammen, welche die dj-ikone gilles -acid jazz- peterson zu den worten -one of the finest musicians, thinkers and world selectors in the uk- hinriss. sie sorgen für einen hypnotischen sound, der traditionelle ugandische folk-musik mit aktuellem pop der westlichen hemisphäre zu einem organischen ganzen verschmilzt. dabei findet die einsaitige, für afrika so typische geige genauso ihren platz wie eine 200 jahre alte mundharmonika. für das infektiöse klangbild bestimmend sind jedoch in erster linie elektronische instrumente aller art sowie parallel gespielte xylophone.

limitierte version mit goldenem 180 gramm vinyl und klappcover! erstes gesangsalbum des experimentierfreudigen und freigeistigen londoner kollektivs.

2017 reissue - following his recent studio album with afrobeat academy, >love and death<, his first international release, ghanaian highlife guitar legend ebo taylor teams up again with strut for a long overdue definitive compilation of his seminal 1970s recordings, >life stories<.
tracks include the anthemic >heaven<, sampled by usher on his hit with ludacris, >she dont know, the original version of the poignant >love and death< and the rare 15-minute nugget, >aba yaa<. the package features rare photos, original album artwork and sleeve notes by soundway records miles cleret.

double vinyl re-issue of the classic lord echo debut. features the huge single thinking of you. available for the first time on general release outside japan. look out for the brand new album harmonies from lord echo - part 3 in the trilogy.

formed in 2015, vanishing twin came together to make an exploratory record that marries oblique english pop with a palette of arkestral sounds. having previously released a string of conceptual cassettes under the name orlando, founder cathy lucas named the group after her vanishing twin, an identical sister absorbed in utero, when they were both still a cluster of cells.

harmonies is the new long player from underground super-producer lord echo. the new album solidifies his already distinctive mutations of reggae and rock steady with disco, african soul, techno and spiritual jazz. in other words, the lord has returned from the wilderness with a bounty for his followers. eat of the bread of life and enjoy access to his crazy world of sound.

the highly anticipated return of ondatropica from colombia, produced & conceived by quantic and frente cumbiero. heavyweight 180 gram double vinyl in gatefold sleeve with extensive liner notes.

ghana soundz was the first ever soundway compilation and became recognised worldwide due to the licensing of the oscar sulley track, ‘bukom mashie’ to the soundtrack of hollywood blockbuster, ‘last king of scotland’.
pounding rhythms, blaring horns and pumping vocals – the music is a document of a time forgotten when flares and cuban heels strutted the streets and night-spots of accra, the sizzlingly hot and humid capital of ghana. influenced as much by traditional rhythms and local highlife as by the music of fela kuti, james brown and santana, these tunes had almost become extinct – until now!
ghana soundz was the first of three collections of rare afro-beat, afro-funk and afro-fusion that miles cleret painstakingly travelled the length and breadth of ghana to assemble, the third compilation to be released late 2009.
2017 repress - double vinyl in gatefold sleeve.

repress available! soundway records present a new compilation of twenty rare and mostly unavailable tracks from the slick and sassy world of nigerian pop music and club culture of the early 1980s. comes on triple 12 inch + bonus 7 inch vinyl, download code and 8-page booklet in gatefold sleeve.

dexter story hooks up with kamasi washington and nia andrews.

despite the renewed interest in music from kenyas past, finding these tracks and their rights holders hasnt become any easier. only a handful of music archives around the world harbour collections of kenyan music, and just a few private collectors in kenya and abroad have been sharing catalogue info online or privately. one of the problems with east african music of this era is that much of it was originally released only on 45 rpm, seven-inch vinyl singles, many of which were only ever produced in tiny runs of a few hundred. 45s with their thin, paper sleeves do not age as well as lps and are often far more susceptible to the elements

formed in 2015, vanishing twin came together to make an exploratory record that marries oblique english pop with a palette of arkestral sounds. having previously released a string of conceptual cassettes under the name orlando, founder cathy lucas named the group after her vanishing twin, an identical sister absorbed in utero, when they were both still a cluster of cells.
the vinyl release includes a downloadcode.

british quintet me and my friends are set to release their captivating and mesmerising second album, hide your way, on soundway records this summer. a unique and singular blend, it’s the sound of english folk colliding head-on with the golden-era music of 1970s west africa and the caribbean. towering vocal harmonies, soaring cello and clarinet lines, colossal basslines and drum patterns combine on an exquisite rollercoaster-ride of the emotions from euphoria to melancholia and back again.