ltd 2021 repress - a wide ranging, eclectic and progressive musical outlook has always been the lack of afro approach. his latest material follows suit as he harnesses disparate musical styles ranging from funk, soul and hip-hop to create a contemporary yet vintage musical escapade of superb songs. on his 4th studio album for freestyle records, the influences, sounds and musical textures are more eclectic than ever. below, adam talks us through some of the his favourite moments on *music for adverts*.

vampisoul shines a light on a largely forgotten chapter of colombia’s musical history.

drummer amir bresler, born in 89, has been established as one of the most sought after israeli drummers, performing in israel and abroad at prominent local and world stage jazz festivals. starting his musical education at the age of 13, amir was first exposed to jazz music at the age of 15 upon his enrollment for the jazz program at the thelma-yellin national high school of the arts from which he graduated with honors. in 2010 amir joined the world renowned bass player, singer and composer avishai cohen, in concerts globally. avishai cohen is considered to be one of the most successful jazz artists in the world today. amir also performed alongside visiting musicians like sam yahel, joel fraham, mark turner, kirk lightsay, dwayne bruno. in addition, amir played with various israeli artists among these are, daniel zamir, omer klein, kutiman, nitai hershkovits, yotam silbrestein, amos hoffman, gilad abro, shai maestro, to name a few. this release is comprised of two tracks, originally composed and recorded for meinl cymbals drummers-videos-series. these tracks were later chosen by amir to be officially released. the first track, afro golden line, is inspired by 70s african high-life music (specially from ghana and nigeria) this is an odd-meter afro-beat track. featuring sefi zislings distinct trumpet melody and uzi ramirez s playful guitar. the second track, fish, is taken from lbts old mixtapes (originally with vocals by kerendun). it was re-recorded at amirs studio while bassist beno hendler & keyboardist nomok composed the third part of the track. both tracks were produced with rejoicer.

ron juan back at it on his own label after the last year’s debut with the sunny record “o pais do sol” and the stunning solo track “black jungle” released on the zurich’s deepart sounds label. now it’s the turn of “musica complessa”, a journey trough four exceptional tracks hand made in his studio combining jazz, funk, afro and house music. all the tracks come from original arrangements played and recorded with both real and synthetic instruments to create different sounds for the music world who don’t needs hits, but timeless music for his soul!

bar musica is a brand new label that promises to inject plenty of charm and originality into the underground house and techno world. the first release kicked up quite a storm from label owner bartolomeo, and the second release features a trio of great originals by j paraguai, with a remix from long time electronic talent bruno pronsato. rumba is up first and is a full fat, corrugated house track with tribal percussion, punchy drums that swing down low and afro vocals. it is a dynamite groove with roughshod tin pot hits that are carefully treated and bring a lovably wild side to the track. thesoundsays founder and berlin based new yorker bruno pronsato has been on the fringes of the underground for more than a decade with inventive eps and lps on labels like hello? repeat and bosconi. his remix is stripped back to a forceful and rubbery techno groove. blistered synths rip up the middle and spooky voices, trippy effects and manic loops all make it a freaky late night or after-hours tune that will send floors wild. ble is then another j paraguai, and this one is again unhinged and urgent, with intense synths exploding above shuffling, tightly knotted minimal drums and sweeping pads. it’s pure wtf music for brave djs and dancers and is a truly original production. then last original atles is rugged and impactful in the way in combines house and techno into new ideas. it is stripped back to little chopped loops that bury deep in your brain and have you in a trance in no time. as such, it rounds out a fine ep and keeps this exciting new label going off in great style.

after the success of the first three volumes, musica sol y mar are back with a fourth installment of balearic sound for 2013. the album contains tracks such as in alto mare from sultry italian singer loredana berte who delivers a killer piano-led groove that has been a summer favourite in the mediterranean since its release in the early 1980s, the dope slo-mo cosmic groove of my baby my by us soul singer sue ann cardwell which was a big hit on the white island as well as being popular with the afro and cosmic djs in italy.

dancing time: the best of eastern nigerias afro rock exponents 1973 – 77 by the funkees mines the rich musical output of 60s and 70s nigeria. for the 5 year period this compilation spans the funkees output crackled with dance floor fire.
having featured on three of soundways most popular titles, across the definitive nigeria special compilation series, soundway felt the funkees output deserved closer inspection. presented here are 16 slices of funky afro-rock grooves hand picked by soundways miles cleret from a selection of the bands 45s and 2 long players.
pressing on heavyweight 180 gram vinyl in gatefold cover, including code for free mp3-download of the full album.

gotan projects christoph h. müller and peruvian percussionist rodolfo munoz (chinchivi, sandunga) have teamed up to create radiokijada, a unique musical adventure based upon afro peruvian rhythms and culture, a crossover of powerful percussion, strong melodies, deep basslines and contemporary production methods

sandman project’s long awaited debut album “where did you go?” is a borderless amalgam of brass heavy sounds, a document of a band whose musical tendencies mimic their open-minded ethic where ethio-jazz, afrobeat, american soul music and psychedelic, mediterranean funk traverse.

as a true reference cultural media, trace completes its musical offer with a first collection of 3 vinyls! find the cream of afrobeat selected by trace and journalist osman jr. with manu dibango-ebo taylor-shina williams...

triple vinyl in tri-fold sleeve.

batov records presents a full-length foray into the musical world of italian producer and multi-instrumentalist ayala, with particular emphasis on his love of african music, from afrobeat to disco.

the new album from belgian band black flower is a vibrant, hypnotic mix of ethio jazz, afrobeat, psychedelia and oriental influences, inspired by mulatu astatke, fela kuti and varied western musical traditions. limited pressing on coloured vinyl.

the new album from belgian band black flower is a vibrant, hypnotic mix of ethio jazz, afrobeat, psychedelia and oriental influences, inspired by mulatu astatke, fela kuti and varied western musical traditions. regular pressing on black vinyl.

afro-latin

repress - pursuing their explorations in the vast corridors of international funk and disco music, favorite recordings and bruno patchworks hovart present us voilaaa. with this first single composed of 2 tracks that clearly reveal the afro-disco inspiration of this new experience, favorite also expands its new series of disco 12inch singles recently launched with several fine reissues, but this time with one of its special homemade production recipe. under the imprint of the label and after their long years of collaboration in the achievement of projects such as the dynamics, mr president, mr day, patchworks galactic project, or taggy matcher, the insatiable french producer therefore returns to his first love and specialty, disco music, staring this time at the african and caribbean influences. indeed, as everywhere in the 70s and 80s, funk and disco movements were extremely influential in these regions, and in most cases, the combination of the festive, yet sometime futile nature of disco, and the instinctive, deep, sometimes rough nature of african music, sounds like a perfect balance. aiming to find back this energy and specific sound, patchworks quickly began producing a few tracks, using his unique and ruling beats and bass lines as foundations, this time he dresses all with guitars, keyboards and brass distorted with vintage and diy effects pedals and boxes. with a very dynamic music scene around him in lyon, where there is no shortage of artists with african origins, he decided to surround himself with singers from the region, even if it means to accompany them on unusual musical paths. a more than successful bet with a result surprising of authenticity, as it’s unveiled by these first two titles alongside sir jean and pat kalla, both from a musical background as rich than different. with an album planned for the end of the year, that promises to be as explosive and magnetic, patchworks and favorite recordings make a strike again and confirm them a little more if needed, as the true warrant of the modern dancefloors loyalty, to the spirit of their mythical ancestors

ltd repress - trio ternura (or tenderness trio) consisted of two sisters, jussara, jurema and their brother robson. their father, umberto silva was a revered brazilian songwriter and recording artist who introduced his children to the music world at a very young age. after performing some songs on broadcast television and at festivals early on, their father umberto and brother, beto scala wrote a gira for the trio to record. the song is a tribute to nature, spirituality and mindfulness. the hommage is made through a form of cantico (chant) or saudação (salutation), aimed at invoking an orisha named oxossi. otherwise known as saints, orishas are the deities worshiped in the afro-brazilian religion of candomblé. african religion and culture have had an undeniable impact in brazil, especially in music and on artists with african roots as its rituals were often accompanied by music comprising highly percussive drumming. as a result, a gira, an homage to a candomblé deity recorded in 1973 involves mesmerizing polyrhythms from the very first few bars and throughout, followed by the sisters soaring vocals and impeccable instrumentation. its a song that they can really identify with, in their own words it has the dancing, the expression, the lyrics and musical relaxation - something very brazilian. originally released on polydor in brazil, fully licensed and remastered from the tapes - mel012 comes forth in its 7-inch original vinyl format and digitally, b/w trio ternuras stunning version of gato barbieris last tango in paris and is accompanied by the first bilingual melozine.

the legendary record that sparked the afro-beat renaissance of the 90s is back. the black vinyl release includes a download code.

the southern hemisphere ep features 4 tracks inspired by the immensely rich and diverse musical tradition that south america and africa offers.

musical blog and house party craft music from saint petersburg launches a new label. for the first release they ve invited talented musician funkyjaws from grodno. his music has been releaseed by labels such as kolour ltd, shadeleaf music, pusic (austria) and others.

created in brussels in 2015, azmari is a twisting musical journey that fuses psychfunk, afrobeat, ethiojazz and dub.azmari draw on influences including temiz, herbie hancock, cymande, the heliocentrics, fela kuti, john berberian, the soul jazz orchestra and much more.

on this third release, deviant disco keeps on digging up lesser known gems of various origins and delivers a hot batch of four brand new edits. the french label sticks to its peculiar aesthetics and welcomes you once again to an enthralling musical trip — starting with tchamy patterson’s groovy & percussive afrobeat only to spiral into barnes and ygalove s hypnotic the mongol raid slow-mo trance edit, and steering from la decadanse s tropical and sensual rework of yves simon vintage hit amazoniaque all the way down to eric vincent s obscure 80s french erotica.

no artwork - standard cover - alma negra records are proud to present james stewart, resident dj and co-promoter of monthly night black atlantic club at le sucre in lyon, with his cotonou ep! james stewart is the host, resident dj and co-promoter of monthly night black atlantic club at le sucre in lyon. borrowing the term black atlantic from renowned scholar paul gilroys 1993 book, stewart presents black music as a transnational, incredibly diverse cultural exchange. an avid lecturer on the subject and founder of the blog afrosouldescarga, he merges an intellectual approach with the musical and creative side of things: as an active conga player and percussionist, member of voilaaa sound system and showhost at radio nova. this ep is the work of of a mature and thoughtful musician, combining different musical influences at a high level of production. alma negra records are proud to present james stewart with his cotonou ep!

the legendary record that sparked the afro-beat renaissance of the 90s is back on limited transparent orange vinyl with download code included.

its time to deliver the second ep from adana twins latest mix compilation and with this one we set the focus to the more organic and off kilter leanings from lehar, sbth, acid pauli, musumeci and stereocalypse. kicking things off is italys lehar with his super slick ‘blue wolf where robust percussions culminate in a potent groove laying the foundation for lush sonic melodies that transport you into uniquely sublime spaces. sbth follows with the exceptionally unique ‘4w1r6 where they forgo the standard four-to-the-floor approach and employ a distinguished and uncommonly unique 3/4 time signature to full effect creating a swelling and brooding number assuring a definite, clear memory long after it ends. flipping to the b-side we see the renowned acid pauli in top form as he relies heavily on thick organic percussion and plush musicality with his ‘greetings from orgonon before switching gears as musumeci delivers a stunner with ‘invaders where past meets present as disco, techno and house all meet in one harmonious culmination. to round out the ep, stereocalypses ‘jubeelee! is an expertly crafted venture into the modern techniques of infectious afro-house concluding an extremely well rounded ep showcasing the diversity of adana twins selection and diversity.

alex dorothée was born in guadaloupe, and lived between paris and his hometown. he began his musical career as part of the band: the will boy, vautours and les junior de paris. he has released 8 albums and several singles. harmonie exotic will re-propose you the reissue of the album “au krisma discothèque” released in the mid 80s.

ltd repress! for their first afro-brazilian compilation the german jazz & milk label teamed up with tahira, one of sao paulo s most active djs andmusiccollectors. levanta poeira (afro-brazilian music & rhythms from 1976 - 2016) highlights a few of his favourite dj pearls and encompasses brazil s various regional musical styles influenced by african and amerindian forms. while most foreign music lovers tend to approach brazilian music by having american music genres such as jazz, soul, funk, disco as a reference, tahira s personal wish was to showcase the rich musical roots and facets of his country by featuring carefully selected artists and bands from the past 4 decades. most of these tracks will be made available on vinyl for the very first time with a highlight certainly being tahira s -a toda menina baiana- remix (vinyl-only) of one of brazil s absolute musical heroes, gilberto gil.

limited edition of 750 individually numbered copies on orange 180 gram vinyl.
the jamaican sonia pottinger was once called “the most important jamaican woman involved in music business”. dancing down orange street is a collection of some of her famous productions for different artists. the album captures the moment when rocksteady transformed into reggae by speeding up a little and moving towards a more jerky and less smooth musical palette. famous singers as delano stewart and ken boothe are present on the album with multiple tracks. the vocal trio the melodians (known for their hit “rivers of babylon”) provide a couple of beautifull songs. even after all those years (released for the first time in 1969) the compilation remains a treasure of showcasing some of the finest songs produced by sonia. sonia pottinger was married to music producer lyndon pottinger and started to record musicians in 1996. during the late 60’s she produced songs for joe white, the melodians and toots & the maytals.

gyedu’s first album, released in 1975. super funky highlife tunes here. includes the killer tunes fa no dem ara, this hustling world and akoko ba. the album is written and produced with ebo taylor. gyedu-blay ambolley unleashed his unique brand of -simigwa- music on an eager yet unsuspecting world in 1975 with the release of this, his debut album. suffused with his larger-than-life personality, this lp ia an absolutely irresistable manifesto of his heavy afro-funk simigwa philosophy. long sought after by collectors, academy lp’s and voodoo funk have teamed up once again to revive this incredible record from the vibrant musical scene of 70’s west africa. mastered from the original master tapes and featuring the rather remarkable original sleeve, this is an ultra high-quality reissue that continues the reputation acadamy has built up with its previous releases!

!!! 2018 repress !!! of nu guinea’s outstanding ‘world’ ep – the neapolitan duo is set to release new material on tartelet later in the year as part of the labels 10 th anniversary. the beautifully dislocated bougainvilles live lays out some warm analogue textures across a live percussion base, while the vocal edit of title track nu world ploughs a similar furrow to obscure 80’s afro-disco, with rich musical synth work over a pacey afro groove and undeniable jazz-funk flair. the flute mix passes over the vocal refrain from mix one and just gets down and wigs-out on those solos - an absolute killer! exotica dance club sounds like herbie visited the salsoul studios with his banks of analogue gear and jammed out into the small hours, as we head home on the beatless outro, all synth washes and lavish ear candy.

acclaimed purveyors of magical (classic) world and soulful grooves, diephuis & jephte guillaume, release their colourful summer afro jam, baba m fa njika - featuring the electrifying voice of cameroon’s songbird, barbara gwanmesia. as you’d come to expect from this duo, baba m fa njika’ is a musical feast of earthy afro beats, hypnotic synths, infectious sax and rhythmic vocal chants, which, pirouetting around barbara’s magnetic croon, throbs with the love, hope and gratitude that the lyrics exude. there could be no better expression of positive power than that unleashed on this gem release from the prestigious shelter records.

just in time for summer, rnt drops a 3-tracker of tropical heat from brazilian outfit balako. although relative newcomers, their production prowess has been known to their rio de janeiro musical community and beyond for some time, and is on full display here. the a-side showcases their knack for modernizing the canonical brazilian mpb sound, from the deceptively demonic build of batuque, to the acidic-leaning lilt of deixa acontecer. the flip side takes a hard turn left of field with honey honey honey, a 9 minute opus of afro-brazilian disco insanity, primed for those balmy summertime roof parties.

following fine scalpel-focused outings from ltj and les inferno, many of many aliases stefano de gama returns to samosa with a trio of subtly tooled-up disco edits. a-side -son of slave- sees him join together bits of soulful disco-era classics -slide- and -son of slide- to form a tasty new whole. while heavily compressed and noticeably chunkier than either of the original tracks, de gama s version is loose enough to please those who think edits should merely be dj-friendly re-arrangements. turn to the flipside for the lolloping, low-slung afro-funk goodness of -1972- and the throbbing peak-time disco celebration of filter-sporting closer -star buk-. this too boasts booming drums and bass, but also enough musical looseness to avoid the usual disco-house pitfalls.

over the course of the last decade, black pepper label boss jose manuel has proved to be one of electronic music s finest contemporary alchemists, conjuring percussive, intoxicating and otherworldly musical treats for such labels as tusk wax, kinfolk, kill the dj, optimo trax and music for dreams. the genius of manuel s productions lies in the italian s ability to conjure cracking cosmic compositions out of a diverse range of global rhythms, instruments and influences. rarely has this been more evident than on his debut release for nunorthernsoul, a four-track serving of dancefloor mysticism that puts mind-altering rhythms and saucer-eyed instrumentation front and centre. track, for example, the light and dreamy wrapped sumptuous balearic synthesizer chords and melodies around gentle hand percussion and drifting zambian vocals on the sublime journey in lusaka followed by the feverish, trance-inducing african rhythms, delay-laden chants, psychedelic acid lines and jangling jew s harp motifs of intense opener journey in lusanda , a ritualistic afro-cosmic onslaught ripe for peak-time plays. if the ep opener is all about being flat on your back and staring skywards, the follow up is all about druggy, heads down sweatiness! manuel s deep love of indian music is explored on journey in mumbai , where exotic sitar lines, fluttering clarinets and echoing, densely layered female vocals rise above a thick, tabla-fired groove. it s naturally hugely evocative and atmospheric - a fine dose of emotion-rich spirituality capable of inducing hallucinations in the straightest of listeners. to complete the ep, our hero travels even further east for journey in osaka , a fittingly percussive exploration of japanese music s past and present that also includes audible nods towards the poly-rhythmic drums of west africa. it s a superb combination of traditional instrumentation, 21st century electronics, heavyweight rhythms and mood-enhancing melodic flourishes. like the rest of the journeys in...ep, it s both hugely alluring and impeccably produced

after two incredible eps, wayne snow the nigerian-born, berlin-based vocalist and songwriter now presents his debut album on tartelet records. freedom tv is the natural sequel to the max graef produced tasters red runner (2014) and rosie (2015) a project marinated in afro-caribbean, soulful grooves and topped by waynes effortless falsetto acrobatics. as the title suggests, freedom tv is an album with themes of liberty, struggle and creative identity pumping through its veins. within ten tracks, snow fluently meanders between musical styles: from low-tempo soothers like album opener cooler and fall to the syncopated bruk of the rhythm and cosmic funk escapades found on nothing wrong. production comes from three varied and solid sources. the tag-team between snow and fellow berliner, max graef

dj rou & lite orkestra proves to be one of those original, eclectic and interesting projects for the musical research of the current scene. they got to know each other in the summer of 2014 and a character affinity was born immediately, later transformed into a very strong artistic empathy, so much so that in the immediate future they decided to meet often between bologna and verona for jam sessions, sharing ideas. in the summer of 2017, cognitiva records, label runned by sofatalk, became aware of the project and decided without hesitating to press 1.2,3, original tracks of the release “the ambassador’s way ep”. the compositions are a combination of the electronic drums of dj rou (mpc, korg electribe and other gears), the contrabass and the guitar of lachi + thomaspizzini, better known as lite orkestra. the result is a hybrid exuberance between jazz, afro and the experimental flow that derives from the roots of the jam sessions

philippe cohen solal (of gotan project) celebrates the 50th anniversary of summer of love, covering one of its anthems “aquarius / let the sunshine in” of hair the musical which premiered on stage in october 1967. a complex but soothing modern reggae moombathon riddim carried by the ethereal harmonies of legendary jamaican reggae singer horace andy (massive attack, skylarking, ain’t no sunshine...) with a delivering coda sung by an empowering choir.
¡ya basta! records asked two legends of the underground scene, somewhat connected to the spirituality of the song, to remix this take. first with an afro house / deep-house take of the master of the genre @boddhi-satva, and jack of all trades, mashup virtuoso @jstar-1 (remixer of major lazer / dj vadim...) for a retro catchy drum n bass/uk bass remix. finally lazy flow and face-t deliver a dancehall filler of a remix.

(180gr) after a twenty-year search for the man behind the cult 70s jazz-funk group opa, far out are honoured to present barrio opa: a new work from fattoruso and his team of world-class musicians, including the sensational candombe drumming of the renowed silva brothers. recorded at sondor studios, montevideo, the album is the natural development of the original opa sound, fusing afro-uruguayan rhythms, jazz harmony and heavy funk attitude, under hugos unique musical vision. more recently fattorusos music has been sampled by the likes flying lotus and madlib.

grammy award winner louie vega is known worldwide as one of the finest creators and purveyors of house music, both as an individual artist / producer / dj and as partner with kenny dope in the renowned production team known as masters at work. his multiple musical talents have also brought him much acclaim in the genres of salsa, afro-beat, jazz, hip-hop and soul. last year he reached another career milestone when his album “louie vega starring...xxviii” was nominated at the 2017 grammys for best dance album, which further solidified his position as one of the industry’s premier artist / producers. but not everyone knows about louie’s deep respect, admiration and knowledge of the disco genre that laid the foundation for so much music that moves crowd on dancefloors and festivals today.

grammy award winner louie vega is known worldwide as one of the finest creators and purveyors of house music, both as an individual artist / producer / dj and as partner with kenny dope in the renowned production team known as masters at work. his multiple musical talents have also brought him much acclaim in the genres of salsa, afro-beat, jazz, hip-hop and soul. last year he reached another career milestone when his album “louie vega starring...xxviii” was nominated at the 2017 grammys for best dance album, which further solidified his position as one of the industry’s premier artist / producers. but not everyone knows about louies deep respect, admiration and knowledge of the disco genre that laid the foundation for so much music that moves crowd on dancefloors and festivals today.

alma negra records are proud to present james stewart, resident dj and co-promoter of monthly night black atlantic club at le sucre in lyon, with his cotonou ep! james stewart is the host, resident dj and co-promoter of monthly night black atlantic club at le sucre in lyon. borrowing the term black atlantic from renowned scholar paul gilroys 1993 book, stewart presents black music as a transnational, incredibly diverse cultural exchange. an avid lecturer on the subject and founder of the blog afrosouldescarga, he merges an intellectual approach with the musical and creative side of things: as an active conga player and percussionist, member of voilaaa sound system and showhost at radio nova. this ep is the work of of a mature and thoughtful musician, combining different musical influences at a high level of production. alma negra records are proud to present james stewart with his cotonou ep!

a native of the caribbean coast of colombia, abelardo carbono achieved legendary status in his country’s storied ranks of musical icons by combining the homegrown sounds of cumbia with the chiming guitars of west african soukous, enormously popular with the local tropical sound systems, and drenching the whole thing in his off-kilter, surreal and slightly psychedelic sensibility.
with the exception of a well-received compilation of songs from his 1980s heyday, carbono has been rarely heard from outside the sweaty dancehalls he still commands in his hometown of barranquilla. now, names you can trust has welcomed the reclusive guitarist and singer back to the vinyl format with a simmering afro-carib beast of a cut, recorded with the assistance of will -quantic- holland on rhythm guitar and mario galeano frente cumbiero, ondatropica on keys and in conjunction with lucas silva of palenque records & polen records. it’s a true cross-generational and international collaboration that is uniquely possible via colombia. the first release of this expansive & power packed studio session is a cover of vallenato pioneer guillermo buitrago’s la piña madura. this updated take veers heavily towards africa on a rock solid foundation of bass and drums, with abelardo’s trademark guitar and quirky vocals leading the way.

following afrobeat makers vol.1 (sold out), comet is pleased to announce the second volume of the afrobeat makers collection, due for release in june this year: the tony allen’ original afrobeat patterns revisited by few of the best international dj/producers, with among them: doctor l (paris), thiago franca (sao paulo), mps pilot (amsterdam), or gnowee (paris) tony allen has spread afrobeat to the corners of the globe, a perfect synthesis of tradition and sophistication – his various collaborations with great artists from all genres and styles are a truly proof of his openness. doctor l, paris based music producer, is a sound activist going through the musical galaxies, fusioning from 80’s punk rock, to hip-hop, electronica and afrobeat ... in 2000, already on comet records, he brought lagos afrobeat towards the third millennium with the album black voices by tony allen, and even send it to the moon, with his other project, psyco on da bus. since 2002, dj/producer mps pilot (nl) has immersed himself in the cutting-edge tropical bass scene. in every possible direction and slippage between all different genres, mps pilot maps the crosspollination and divergence of contemporary music. he performed on 3 continents, both in remote desert or major festivals. thiago franca is a producer, musician and saxophonist from são paulo arts scene, this year with his power afro-punk trio meta meta, they released for the first time in europe (mais um discos -uk), their debut album metal metal. thiago is meanwhile developping his african rooted solo outfit, sambanzo, and was also in criolo’s touring band for two years, where he met tony allen, which led to two collaborations on the the afrobeat makers and meta meta’ albums.

born in cameroon, vicky began banging the drums at the age of 9. by 13 he had moved onto bass and within a couple of years he was playing every night from 10pm to 5am in the castel douala cabaret. at the age of 19 vicky moved to paris to study banking and commerce and cram in even more music. he took classes at Épinay-sur-seine conservatoire music school and it was here that he met bandmates of his dikalo project. word spreads and he soon becomes one of the most sought after bass players in the afro arena. his session work features on many scenes stars, manu dibango, eko tala am, kemayo, sammy massamba, toto guillaume and many more. a chance meeting with the gibson brothers also see him play on two of their hit albums. in the 80s vicky moved to the us for spell and excels as a session bassist and touring musician. we pick up the story in 1981. with his stature as a musician and bass player riding high he takes a detour to nigeria to record with the afrodisia label in lagos. the thank u mamma album is the result. it is repressed for the first time, here in 2018 on the revitalised afrodisia label. musical proceedings open up with the heartfelt ode to his mother thank u mamma, smooth pop meets afrobeat boogie. marina driv slows things down with its smoldering jazz. side two opens with its not serious a catchy vocal number underpinned with funky guitars and striding basslines. stormy rain is lazy guitar jazz swansong. we close off the album with the ever so funky you. slick funk grooves powered along with a dose of slap bass. as a side note vicky actually plays left handed but with a upside down right handed bass. this upside-down precursor making his effortless slap playing even more impressive. vicky went on to record a two other albums and still tours and plays as an ever-in-demand session musician.

lumberjacks in hell welcomes deep house vet andy compton and shamrock for a trip into plush disco, laid back funk and more besides. bunny chow was reportedly recorded in south africa, and features the vocal talents of asli on a number of the tracks. you can certainly hear the afro influence creeping into the simmering groove of the title track, while aslis vocals shine through the clearest on the downtempo tones of everything is gravy. nifanyeje is another warm trip through afro disco replete with noodling guitar lines and a crisp drum machine beat, while roga mziki ends the record on a high note with a final blast of that infectious, sunkissed sound the pair have clearly mastered on their musical adventure

after the success of the first full album ‘dagxnacht, the group formed by gilles helsen (keys) and freek vreys (guitar) expands with jazz-percussionist cas kinnaer. the musical recipe of seizoensklanken remains the same: instrumental compositions balancing between colourful afrobeat and intimate electronica.

for the past 15 years the tanzanian megalopolis of dar es salaam has had one of the most exciting underground electronic music scenes in east africa. a constellation of micro-scenes from mchiriku, sebene and segere all the way to its latest mutation of singeli that finally after years of lurking in the underground has exploded into the mainstream and taken over bongo flava as the music of choice amongst tanzania s youth. born in the sprawling working class neighborhoods of tandale and manzese, singeli s signature sound consists of fast paced frantic loops interlocking with each other, with influences from zanzibars tarab music all the way to south african afro-house coupled with mc s who often spit satirical lyrics about the challenges facing tanzania s youth, from police corruption to the complications of dating girls when you are broke. if there is one studio that stands out amongst the hundreds that dot dar es salaam s musical landscape it is sisso records. centered around producers, bwax, sisso, bampa pana and yung keyz morento and mc s dogo niga and makavelli, they were early pioneers of the singeli sound. whilst some singeli artists have begun fusing their music with more traditional tanzanian hip hop, sisso have remained uncompromising in their sound, always raw, fast with a punk diy aesthetic that can at times verge on noise and gabber, to produce a spell binding music that is like no other sound system culture in the region.

sterns edits returns after the sell-out success of its debut edition with another two catalogue reworks from ben gomori. this time he turns his attention to burkina faso s much-loved taxi-driver-turned-singer, amadou balaké. balaké ( porcupine in mandinka) is burkina faso s proudest musical export, and in 2013 he recorded his final album before passing away: in conclusion. the record saw him revisit some of his most popular tracks from his remarkable 50-year career, backed by an eight-piece burkinabé band who took the country s traditional sounds and brought them into a contemporary light. gomori retains the essence of the original recordings which were mostly captured in one take and marries them to vigorous afro-house stylings. bar konon mousso (musicien c est pas quelqu un) in which balaké tells of a bar lady being unimpressed by his profession, gets a gentle push towards the modern dancefloor, its wonderful sax lines resplendent. massa kamba is taken for a drive down the more traditional route, with commanding drums bolstering the original grooves and a marvelous triple harmony brass section at its core. balakes freewheeling style suits the hypnotic feel of the edits to a tee. sterns edits is an official collaboration between african music stalwarts sterns music and london s ben gomori.

the new ep by rroxymore signals another audacious step forward for one of the most daring artists in the electronic music diaspora. thoughts of an introvert part 1 is born out of introspection, out of the necessity to disconnect from the frenzy of crowds and to create a soundtrack to an inner landscape which exists beyond the reach of government and dogma. in the words of the artist, -it is a sonic diary of sorts, cataloguing the events of a world which has not yet been invented, in the form of three mesmerizing dance tracks free of nostalgia and the expectations of style.- the spatial afro futurist funk of prodrome finds rroxymore balancing darkness and optimism as only she can. the title track, thoughts of an introvert is instantly familiar and carries a soothing utopian spirit, so needed today. mycetozoa, the closing track is bouncing, drum driven and mad, a celebration of rroxymore s complex musical mind, offset by irresistibly banging toms and rolling rimshot patterns. it is a track which is at once melancholic, happy, vulnerable, and full of hope. everything seems possible on the dancefloor this music was written for