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™

off the back of the recent gumba fire compilation, soundway selects more sure-fire disco burners: a 4-track, dancefloor-orientated ep drawing from the heads label out of south africa.

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.

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.

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.

soundway records are to release the only lp by nigeria’s number-one producer of the 1970s and early 80s, sound president odion iruoje. available for the first time since the 80’s, it’s limited to 1000 copies worldwide and is pressed on 180g vinyl. the album features a limited tip-on sleeve.

ghanaian afro funk and boogie from sidiku buari is the focus of the next soundway 12”. the two tracks are taken from an obscure 12” release from 1983 that unfortunately had a pressing defect on “anokwar”, so with some twiddling and editing hide & smile have restored it ready for some overdue dance-floor use once again.

eine interkontinentale familienangelegenheit weitet sich zur kosmischen gemeinschaft aus. die vinyl-lp erscheint inklusive downloadcode.

das vinyl kenya special remix bietet einen klingenden vorgeschmack auf eine kompilation, die das label soundway demnächst unter dem titel kenya special: selected east african recordings from the 1970s and 80s veröffentlicht. damit ist jetzt schon mal klar: dieser sampler wird ein fest! die 12 inch beinhaltet zwei geremixte stücke der kollektion und zwei exklusive songs - mithin handelt es sich also um vier songs, die man als afro-aficionado in der sammlung haben sollte.
inklusive mp3-downloadcode.

fantasma, the latest project of south african innovator and creative pioneer spoek mathambo, is a five-man collective which weaves together electronica, hip-hop, traditional zulu maskandi music, shangaan electro, south african house, psych-rock and punk to form a unique, original and fresh hybrid. the godfather of bacardi house, producer dj spoko joins with former machineri guitarist andré geld- enhuys, drummer michael buchanan and maskandi multi-instrumentist bhekisenzo cele to complete the line up. fused by spoek mathambos futurist vision, fantasma pulls inspiration from all corners of south africa: the sounds and spirits of townships and cities as well as the rural countryside. it is diverse not only in its membership but also in its forward-looking music. the 2x12 inch vinyl includes 2 bonus tracks and download code.

soundway records, along with the goethe-institute and adaptr.org, present ten cities a new compilation including, amongst many others, the likes of bristol dubstep producer pinch, lisbon-based producer batida and kenyan group just a band. the 3x12 inch vinyl edition includes free download code with bonus track.

a kaleidoscope of rainbow textures and rhythms disperse into the exotic soundscape of *tropical*. electronics, real folk instruments and noise-making objects feature here generously on this six-track concept album, blending together a sonic palette influenced by a rich variety of music, people and places. the material was initially written over the course of a few months during what seneviratne called *a beautiful burst of inspiration*. working with veteran producer asier leatxe ibanez d opakoa (electric lady studios, nyc), seneviratne then set about disassembling all the songs and re-working them meticulously, enriching the sounds by adding a huge range of live instrumentation, before processing the audio through vintage analogue studio gear. the vinyl lp comes with download code.

soundway records present a special summer tribute double a-side 12- with two tracks from african musicians that both passed away within a couple of months of each other at the end of 2013 / start of 2014. both tracks are perfect summer tropical dj fodder for the dancefloor.

frisch aus der vergangenheit: chico manns trip durch die zukunft der musik. pressung auf 180 gramm vinyl, mp3-download inklusive.
magical thinking ist bereits das fünfte album von chico mann aka marcos garcia, seines zeichens multiinstrumentalist mit schwerpunkt gitarre und bekannt als mitglied des orchesters antibalas. in der jüngeren vergangenheit machte der beat-freestyler aus brooklyn durch gastspiele bei tv on the radio, the roots und dam funk sowie remixe von little dragon und alice russell auf sich aufmerksam.

featuring the sultry vocals of new york based kendra morris, the slinky and catchy album version of *same old clown* is joined on the ep by deeper re-workings from usa dj and re-edit king kon (kon & amir, nitetime), who provides both a vocal and dub remix as well as uk producer linkwood, known in underground circles for his groundbreaking mix of future-boogie, house and detroit techno on scotlands excellent firecracker recordings imprint.
*same old clown* is taken from chico manns forthcoming album *magical thinking* out 15th april on soundway records.