double vinyl in gatefold sleeve with 24 page lp-size booklet and download code for high quality wav / mp3 files.
a great compilation can open the gate to another world. who knew that some of the most exciting afro-funk records of all time were actually made in the small west african country of benin? once analog africa released the first african scream contest in 2008, the proof was there for all to hear, gut-busting yelps, lethally welldrilled horn sections and irresistibly insistent rhythms added up to a record that took you into its own space with the same electrifying sureness as any favourite blues or soul or funk or punk sampler you might care to mention.
ten years on, intrepid crate-digger samy ben redjeb unveils a new treasuretrove of vodoun-inspired afrobeat heavy funk crossover greatness. right from the laceratingly raw guitar fanfare which kicks off les sympathics’ pile-driving opener, it’s clear that african scream contest ii is going to be every bit as joyous a voyage of discovery as its predecessor. and just as you’re trying to get off the canvas after this one-punch knock out, an irresistible afro-ska romp with a more than subliminal echo of the batman theme puts you right back there. ignace de souza and the melody aces’ “asaw fofor- would’ve been a killer instrumental but once you’ve factored in the improbably-rich-to-the-point-of-being-nat-king-cole-influenced lead vocal, it’s a total revelation.

incl dl code, dam swindle present ‘high life, their second studio album due on the 28th may on the duos own heist recordings. the heart of the album was recorded over a three week period at their amsterdam studio in march 2017, and the release will coincide with the fifth anniversary of the label. since forming in 2011, the dutch duo have carved a unique place for themselves in the scene. their sound - which merges references from multiple decades into one smooth aesthetic - quickly rose to popularity for its careful blend of soul and rhythm, taking cues from their passion for obscure records, with influences ranging from house and funk to afrobeat and soul. dynamic live shows and dj sets afford them a packed touring schedule across the globe, whilst their label heist recordings is credited with consistently breaking new artists. the album explores the intersection of live and electronic music, with much of the improvised material left largely untouched to maintain its organic sensibilities. dam swindle describe the album as an electronic album with a live approach, combining our love for house, ambient and jazzy harmonics, making it a record interesting for the club, as well as a pleasant album to put on at home.

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.

2018 has a lot in store for london spiritual jazz outfit emanative, with a full double lp and several remixes forthcoming, as well as some full live band appearances and dj gigs. “planet b” is the band’s first release of the year and it takes them in a slightly different direction, on a completely different vibration entirely, with an epic nine minute, almost post punk, afrobeat, disco and jazz inspired piece aimed at the leftfield dancefloor.

as part of the ten-year anniversary dekmantel presents the final record in a ten-part-ep series. split into two parts due to its immensity, the final instalment is a re-issue of tony allens asiko (in a silent mix) originally released in 1999 and remixes by motor city drum ensemble and ricardo villalobos. the first part features a grandiose 29-minute ricardo villalobos version of the afrobeat masters cut. a true collaboration of giants.having been a regular at the festival for several years now, villalobos delivers a remix, one of his longest to date, that only he can produce. allowing the percussion to breathe into a monumental rhythm, villalobos warps the vocals, restructuring the bass and drums into a rolling dub-fusion of techno that is characteristic of his remixes to date, yet still breathtaking in its execution. afrobeat-minimalism, with dub-infused fire, and near psychedelic ambience that perfectly synchs the worlds of tony allen, and ricardo villalobos, two legends who’ve helped re-shape the face of music. highlighting the diversity of sounds that have come to represent the dutch label and festival series, the eps to date have encompassed a range of artists and genres, featuring label favourites, as well as whole bunch of debuting artists. the ep series kicked off in march 2018, and over the course of a year featured the likes of gigi masin, lena willikens, burnt friedman, donato dozzy, the egyptian lover, palms trax, and more.

favorite recordings proudly presents combattant, first ep by pat kalla produced by bruno patchworks hovart. pat kalla is a musician, singer and storyteller. patrice of his birth name, in tribute to the great lumumba! lover of words, french language, and music of course. born in lyon, from a cameroonian father, musician and political activist, and a french and literary mother, he explores from his childhood the soul, the slam, the funk and the art of telling stories, life being a great one. after years of touring alongside many bands (conte & soul, legend of eboa king, mento cloub, voilaaa sound system), and several acclaimed titles on the two albums by voilaaa, he comes back with this project to put a bit of primordial lightness in a rainy world: a tribute to the african culture in honor of a father with sawa origins, the tribe from the people of makossa. jojo ngallé, moni bilé, pain, manu dibango, franco, rochereau, kabasele, fela, françois nkotti & the black style, all these legends vinyls have turned on the family turntable and the collection has whetted the child s appetite. through this new trip, he revisits styles that are sometimes little known to western audiences, such as high-life, makossa, angolan music, afrobeat, afro-disco and others. we could talk about franc cfa, we could talk about jacques foccart, but we will rather dance, because -the dancer seems naive, but his feet must be connected with earth to understand history backed by the super mojo disco, a hyperactive band from lyon with deep groove and positive energy, pat kalla offers us an anti-crisis project, where swaying and feel-good humor is mandatory! an album soon in the crates, beware cest medicament

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.

following cottams critically acclaimed i cant carry on ep, which marked the inaugural release on fatcat records new electronic sub label fcr, the highly-rated dj/producers new 12inch drops also via fcr. locked in the groove is a groovy, boogie chugger, which powerfully ebbs and flows over nearly 11 captivating minutes, and sample heavy dub is all dark n heady eastern atmospherics, whilst dreaming of another place is a fathoms deep, epic journey into mystical and majestic dub-house. an avid participant in preston s early rave scene, paul cottam inevitably pursued djing, progressing to warm up slots for his techno heroes surgeon and regis. tentative steps into production using ableton were met with such encouragement that cottams debut releases began to appear. a set of four untitled, un-marketed and unpromoted vinyl self-releases created a huge organic stir with record collectors, attentive journalists and djs including moodyman, gerd janson and soul clap. this buzz was helped in part by speculation on his identity, but was primarily due to his simple yet effective, flavour-filled and groovesome tracks that blurred the boundaries between re-edits, reworks and originals, moving between slow-mo chug and more straight-up house, whilst encompassing elements of disco, hip hop, nu soul and afrobeat.

strut presents the new album from the modern day leader of afrobeat, seun kuti. the youngest son of afrobeat legend fela kuti is as incensed by injustice as his father ever was and, with his mighty new album black times including a feature from carlos santana, he honours the revolutionaries who have gone before and rallies the torch-bearers to come.

xoa continues to lay out a formidable interpretation of african-infused dance music for the modern age, following on from lauded appearances on shake, one house and soundway. alongside contours, he comes to banana hill with some next level transcendental head-quaking business that reaches from the roots of afrobeat right through to contemporary fx dubbing business. -too much talking- is a proper eyes-closed roller for the hazy moment in the dance, and -express- ramps things up to a strident tempo layered with a barrage of congas and djembes. the hectic pace is offset by swooning melodies, all wistful synth splashes and plucky guitar chops, stirring the soul as much as the feet.

the man who put the beat into afrobeat is back! part of the tony allen reissue series on kindred spirits, featuring remastered versions and original restored artwork. a must for afro-beat fans around the globe. 2018 repress

cosmic handshakes sees the pairing of 2 extremely talented detroit natives - blair french & todd modes - who take elements of disco, techno, jazz, house, afrobeat, latin music, dub and electronics and filter them through their own unique view of dance music. steeped in soul, live instrumentation, sampling and analogous alchemical studio processes, french & modes give us an exhilarating and fresh take on the deepest smoked out, after hours sounds of the city of detroit. in the mist is the duo s second release, following on from 2013 s the delicate details , released on the m1 sessions imprint. the last 2-3 years has seen the pair individually release music on a plethora of varied and esteemed global labels such as fit sounds, claremont 56, rocksteady discos and more. we at gghq are very excited to finally share with the world what we feel is hands down one of our favourite releases yet. a compelling body of work from front to back, the tracks on in the mist work perfectly as a self contained home listener, or as we ve found, just as well on a darkened dancefloor, leaving the choice up to you, the listener.

repress of this album by the drummer of fela kuti. produced by doctor l. incl asiko as sampled by jaydee for commons hot shit! featuring remastered versions and ariya (psyche juju mix) as bonus track, which was not part of the original release. tony allen completely rewrote the books on what was possible within the afrobeat genre with his stunning 1999 album, black voices. when one considers exactly what is going on throughout black voices, it is quite mind boggling, as it is almost impossible to associate a minimalist, electronic feel with the massive walls of sound which allen was known to create.

décalé. is a fresh new label based in biarritz ( france ). décalé. focuses on reissuing worldwide -french speaking- music from the 80 s / 90 s. travelling into multiple genres : synth-pop , west indies , new beat , occitan folk , afrobeat , ... and taking taste in weird and obscure records. for it s first release , décalé. started with one of the most awaited french zouk ( in the ear of the beholder ) albums : nar chiveol – -esperance music wir-. originally released in 1988 on a private press in guadeloupe and the same year on west indies records in paris . -apocalypse now ho- is now a well known banger for diggers and décalé. wanted to show the whole album that is really surprising by crossing west indies genres. from disco west indies with -séance de nuit- and -spleen maria- , weird rumba funk with -fo nou pédalé- to early biguine inspiration with -separation kc-. to close this album , - apocalypse now - and - swingue zouk la - sounds like a revolution didn t yet happen in carraibean music.

four tracks of stunning french disco in a wide range of styles: from 80 s afrobeat to underground canadian cosmic groove, here is another bullet from the parisian gang!
a1/ guehi jean pantalon s craqué guéhi jean is a key figure of ivorian music and many of his records mixing funk, jazz and afrobeat are sought after nowadays. having left africa in order to make it in france, he recorded this digital afrobeat hit in paris, then went back to his native country where he died in 2012. despite his talent, guéhi jean didn t get the recognition he deserved.
a2/ michel conte & cie s magoshan a disco anthem composed for quebec cultists wearing flares, or the main theme from an obscure series? anyway it is time to acclaim magoshan s pulsing come back on the dancefloor!
b1/ jean-michel gascuel s dominus this french composer who collaborated with pierre schaeffer was also a great lyricist working for the likes of vivian vee or suzy andrews, and a fashion designer. with its latin touch, this track is a little ufo standing out of the rest of his french productions, so let us be blessed by dominus domine dominarum.
b2/michel robidoux les planètes this track by composer michel robidoux featured on a kidisk with a book called -visitons les planètes avec goldorak- and was released in canada in 1980. this incredible space jam was chosen as a macaroon for this new ep – our tribute to an amazing composer who wrote more than 325 songs and even collaborated with leonard cohen.

heaven sent from nigeria’s tumultuous east, the apostles have been preaching a particular blend of funky psychedelic soul/rock fusion for over forty years. on banko woman they threw a little afrobeat into the mix, creating an afro-funk disco bomb that has been energising dance floors ever since.

nigeria’s kingsley bucknor’s ‘just u and me’ lp gets the long-awaited reissue treatment from melbourne’s left ear records. after cutting his teeth playing with fela in the 70’s and releasing two afrobeat lp’s kingsley travelled the globe before finding himself in london, it’s here that he laid down 6 distinctive electro-funk tunes inspired by african rhythms and music he’d heard through his travels in the states and in europe. originally issued on kinglsley’s own kab records in ’85 and according to kingsley the release was well received at the time, but due to constraints of international marketing the record remained mostly unknown outside of his homeland. fast-forward to 2017 and the stage is set for a new global audience to appreciate the distinct sound of kb.

limitierte pressung auf rotem vinyl.
schon 2005 gründete sich das schweizer quartett aus mitgliedern der lausanner jazz-szene. doch von anfang an lag der fokus von olivier bill (querflöte), pierre-henry beyriere (bass), marc siegenthaler (keyboards) und sylvain rütti (schlagzeug, percussion) auf den tanzflächen der clubs, ihre groovebetonte, überwiegend instrumentale musik hat neben eleganten einflüssen aus jazz, soul, funk, afrobeat und psychedelia stets auch einen knackigen einschlag von 60’s beat, garage und lofi.
auf »released!« versammeln die musiker zehn brandneue wie auch bereits auf raren 7”-singles veröffentlichte songs und remixes. echte acid jazz-freaks kennen die kracher ›wonder zebra‹ oder ›v. l.a. m. (lack of afro remix)‹ vielleicht schon, ›hurricane train‹ kommt hier im soulbrigada-remix, und mit ›jump the gun‹ und dem rap-feature von afu-ra gibt es sogar einen vocal-track.
gemein ist allen tracks ihr feinsinniges gespür für coole grooves und melodien, die prägnanten flötenmelodien und die erstaunlich kraftvolle rhythmussektion, das alles in einer produktion, die transparenz und räumlichkeit perfekt mit analog knisterndem retro-charme verbindet. genre-feinschmecker, dj’s und testimonials können sich jedenfalls jetzt schon auf die schweizer groove-experten einigen.

the haggis horns are a funk-fuelled powerhouse that rock audiences the world over, they rip up the dancefloor with the virtuosity of trained jazz musicians combining heavy breakbeat funk, soul, hip-hop and afrobeat. the group has thousands of gigs under their belt and have played with household names such as mark ronson, jamiroquai, martha reeves & the vandellas, amy winehouse, john legend & the roots and the brand new heavies.
after the success of hot damn!, keep on moving and what comes to mind their next album shows the boys blasting out their unique brand of dance floor funk with regular collaborators lucinda slim and john mccallum on tracks ranging from up beat breaks to down tempo slinkyness. also on the album is rapper doc brown who helps create a distinctive hip-hop feel that runs through their latest studio offering.

following on from his massive feel it in my bones release (which gained support from the likes of moodymann, the black madonna, gilles peterson, sassy j, seven davis jr) and a killer remix for afrobeat legend dele sosimi north london producer books returns to xvi records with two storming edits, kicking off their new high praise series in fine style. in the groove hits the ground running, immediately throwing the listener into the middle of peak-hour, loft party hysteria, its soulful vocals swirling overhead whilst the driving, unrelenting rhythms create a sweaty, electrically charged delirium. on the flip, ‘passage of time takes a slightly more introspective approach, its shuffled hats and hazy keys giving way to majestic, uplifting horns guiding the way down a psychedelic black hole, its laid back groove providing a perfect soundtrack to the voyage, as planets spin by in the darkness.

after mukatsuku records summer hammond organ screamer from billy hawks (mukat 052) the label goes deep on an international funk tip. few years ago label manager nik played in france and the promoter pulled out a biosis now 45 that he never knew existed up till then and was generally thought to be a long album track only. an extensive search revealed nothing online including popsike/discogs/ebay except a tropical seller who d just bought a huge caribbean collection with the record included saying he d never seen it before either and he was keeping itâ&#128,¦failing to secure a copy themselves the label licensed it instead and created their own 45 edit which retains all the funk & soul of the elongated album version into a 7 inch friendly format. on the flipside and 1973 tumba safari from afro train get s a funky afrobeat re touch for peak time club play that would save you several hundred pounds on an original if you could actually find a copy !

two killer tracks licensed from oriki music and taken from the recent akwaba abidjan compilation. these two monsters from de frank jr are straight up deep and funky afrobeat from 1970s ivory coast. more essential dancefloor delights from mukatsuku strictly vinyl only singles only label

true to traditional form, where the gods are in peace pays respect to the forefathers of afrobeat with compositions spanning nine to 15 minutes in length. with a blessing from the fela kuti legacy early in the band’s career, antibalas has long been revered for re-popularizing the classic afrobeat sound while adding their distinct new york city grit to the mix. influences of punk rock, free jazz, and hip-hop seep into their expansive works to define a truly 21st century translation of the afrobeat genre and beyond.
the vinyl lp includes a download code.

new release from paris based producer ohes, this one is mostly oriented to an exotic and very personal interpretation of dance music, from discoid house to robotic afrobeat, here is a subtile melange of encouraging drums, driving melodies and ritualised sequences.

limited to 250 handstamped copies! mm discos strikes back again with a new edit compilation.

for over 40 years orchestre poly rythmo de cotonou has combined traditional beninese music with soul, funk, afrobeat, rhumba and cuban rhythms to create this infectious soundà hailing from benin, west africa, orchestre poly rythmo de cotonou has been churning out incendiary afro grooves since 1966. on bosq meets poly rythmo uptown, bosq tastefully reworks 4 of orchestre poly rythmo s legendary recordings. as a die-hard fan, bosq took a subtle approach to the project. according to him orchestre poly rythmo has been a strong influence on his work and he wanted to be respectful to the original tracks. bosq focused on making the tracks dj friendly by beefing up the low end, rearranging and stretching parts out, and adding in extra percussion and a drum machine. the result is a 4-track ep of bumpy afro disco, psychedelic funk, frenzied afrobeat, and sunny soulful grooves. based in medellin, colombia, bosq has released a collection of music on ubiquity records, soul clap records, fania records, razor-n-tape, and more. since 2015, sol power sound, out of washington, dc has released deep sounds inspired by rhythms and traditions from around the globe. the label s output includes afro-latin stompers, re-edits of lost disco grooves, heady percussive tech workouts, and other sonic treats. four stone-cold classic orchestre poly rythmo de cotonou tracks re-shaped by bosq for the dancefloor today..

2017 reissue -- tony allen is the co-creator of afrobeat, and one of the most distinctive and in-demand drummers on the planet. no one swings like this nigerian rhythm man ? with that amazing, loose-limbed, poly-rhythmic technique that has powered some of the funkiest and most challenging dance music ever created. and lagos no shaking is his most powerful and personal album to date: a return to core values, a testament to the fact that afrobeat is best served straight ? hot, hard and percussion-heavy.
>lagos no shaking< is a spectacular homecoming for tony allen, an acerbic, unflinching love letter to the city that gave him life in rhythm.

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.

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.

• all female outfit with a heavy dance floor version of nina simone’s “see line woman”, done in afrobeat style • co-written by tom brenneck (of the dapkings, the budos band and the menahan street band) • engineered by sydney mills of steel pulse • unreleased music from the vaults

ltd to 100 copies + insert
helena hauff s label continues to subvert all expectations by celebrating the truly underground and ignoring all expectations to provide obvious club material in line with her dj sets. instead we get treated to blood sport, a daring post punk band with a whiff of the pop group in their frenzied, messy style and plenty of sonic trickery occurring in between the intricate playing. -harsh realm- has the textural finish of earliest cabaret voltaire, but with a little more deft playing from the intensely talented players. -boiled in dust- meanwhile has a distinctly afrobeat-meets-industrial spirit that makes for striking, original material that should appeal to lovers of the truly alternative side of british music culture.

afrocentrist philou makes his debut on basic fingers with a trio of deep-seeded treats comprising one original and two game-changing edits. this homage to the senegal/mali mountain region softly ignites with the cosmic yearns and mild acid grounding of lumumba s revenge. it sets the scene for two takes on regional traditions tartits tribe adds a driving afrobeat and hypnotic swing to an ancient tombouctou desert song while fadimata s dibabba is a dense and inebriating weave of senegalese instruments and chants

adesse versions brings his cut and paste ethos to razor-n-tape with a varied pair of edit heaters. on this stellar 12inch, rnt takes it back to their early format of one track per side, and these two cuts can certainly carry it. bumpin nyc is an anthemic latenite boogie cut, with a hypnotic bass line and hometown shoutout, while sistem- flips an afrobeat sample into a dark and groovy club track. vibes for days!

formidable 3 track 12inch from the far north. sabothoka on the side a delivers a real cry for freedom in the form of an afrobeat disco dancefloor crowd pleaser that will make you smile, this track was a rune lindbaek floorfiller at the infamous club nomaden in oslo, norway. on side b changeling kicks off and does not disappoint, with its peak time acid house guitar loop, heavy head nodding drums and vocal it s a surefire winner. finally on b2 we have strong, a carnival style dubbed out reggae vibe with some cheeky effects and subtle flows. long live the wild pitch! dj support: todd terje rune lindbaek rahaan severino (horse meat disco) yyyes please all tracks i like yam who yeah some killer vibes there agent 86 (melbourne) oh man killer material thank you so much. andy carroll (cream/ibiza)

anchorsongs ceremonial bekommt das vinyl-treatment in form einer doppelvinyl. ceremonial ist das zweite album des elektronikproduzenten anchorsong auf tru thoughts. das album besticht durch seine nach außen gerichteten klänge, eine kombination aus moderner und retro-musik. der unglaublich talentierte japanische musiker masaaki yoshida besitzt immer noch seinen ganz typischen trademark-sound, lässt sich aber auf diesem album auch von einflüssen wie afrobeat bis hin zu tropischen klängen inspirieren.

aufwändig produziertes sammlerstück für genrekenner und musikfreunde.
was kommt heraus, wenn experten musikliebhabern eine freude machen wollen? eine kompilationsserie wie die -wanted collection-! die vom französischen label wagram entworfene vinyl-reihe widmet sich dem thema black music und damit den vier genres soul, funk, afrobeat und reggae. pro genre also eine platte, und das jeweils mit remasterten perlen, die connaisseure ihres fachgebiets aus den persönlichen plattensammlungen ausgegraben haben. um dem ganzen ein optisches krönchen aufzusetzen, wurden die veröffentlichungen durch exklusive aufnahmen des britischen fotografen chris steel-perkins designt. die -wanted soul--edition enthält zwölf fantastische songs von unter anderem nancy holloway, millie jackson, tobi lark, dorothy moore, darondo, joe simon und dee edwards.

liebevoll gestaltete funk-kompilation mit remasterten hits vergangener jahrzehnte.
das französische label wagram veröffentlicht im rahmen der kompilationsserie -wanted collection- zeitgleich vier optisch attraktiv in szene gesetzte lps rund ums thema black music. alle platten erscheinen als 180-gramm-vinyl und bieten ausschließlich soundtechnisch auf den neuesten stand gebrachte floorfiller aus den genres funk, soul, afrobeat und reggae. abgerundet werden die sampler durch exklusive schnappschüsse des britischen fotografen chris steel-perkins. die -wanted funk--edition bietet ein dutzend schweißtreibender stücke von größen wie ray camacho, the fatback band, robert jay, uncle louie, little beaver, king floyd und the philly armada orchestra. für liebhaber und kenner ein augen- und ohrenschmaus!

it’s no exaggeration to say that geraldo pino and his band the heartbeats kickstarted the whole soul/funk/afrobeat scene in west africa. mixing highlife, funk and jazz, and using the latest equipment, they laid waste to all before them. in 1966 fela kuti was a jobbing musician, eeking out a living with highlife bands. when gerlado pino came to town, it changed his life.
“pino tore up the scene,” he recalls in an interview with carlos moore. “i knew i had to get my shit together. and fast!”

first ever reissue of “salsita mami” by lisandro meza y su combo gigante, a highy sought-after discos fuentes “salsa dura” classic lp originally released in 1970. lisandro meza is one of colombia’s most talented all around musical giants. equally adept at playing musical instruments as he is at composition and singing, meza has recorded just about every type of colombian genre as well as his own decidedly colombian versions of salsa, afrobeat, funk and disco.

glyn -bigga- bush began his production career with rockers hi fi in the early 90s, co-writing several studio albums, a host of remixes and the infamous dj kicks - the black album. in 2000 he went solo as both biggabush and lightning head, making albums for sonar kollektiv and stereo deluxe as well as many more remixes. his sound reflects his love of dub reggae, analogue synthesisers and intricate rhythms, with influences of samba, afrobeat, the deep dubscapes of rhythm & sound and most recently the more interesting end of 140bpm bass music. this ep is his first vinyl release since the late 00s and takes in a number of bass-heavy rumblers with classic biggabush twists and turns, starting with the steppas delight of mangrove monkey, relentless subs and skanks of sounds & blues, post-dubstep breaks on dash way com and finishing with a minimal 4/4 fx soundscape on footsie index.

saine & smith consists of jaja saine and leo smith. two talented djs/producers from stockholm. both are diaspora kids - jaja saine s background is in west africa and leo s in barbados. so their debut release is a kind of heritage reflection, with twisted elements of decadent scandinavian dance music, which echoes generally in their sound. a. lord vanlig - inspired from afro-caribbean traditional folk music from the 60s. a melodramatic blend of cheer and sorrow. with capturing and repetitive drums combined with a compact kick and sweet overlay of melodious keys and child laughter. b. sir viktig – a deep house banger with haunting ghost like pads, catchy afrobeat samples and vocal snippets.

astraea is a prime example of the ambition on ephemerals third album egg tooth , fusing together simple repetitive motifs a la steve reich in a constantly evolving and building mesh of sonic textures. the band are now moving forward with some hand-picked remixes to be released alongside the original on 12- vinyl. laolu is fast becoming the go-to remixer in serious house circles with his incredible remix of dele sosimi afrobeat orchestra on innervisions. spanish producer begun is known for an innate ability to create sublime heartfelt electronic music. his approach has seen him remix the likes of bastille and given him a platform to regularly perform live across the globe. ephemerals have recently featured on the hit single by kungs - i feel so bad astraea support: dj support : gilles peterson, danny tenaglia, dennis ferrer, richy ahmed, tensnake, horse meat disco, jody wisternoff, toyboy & robin, paolo mojo, eagles & butterflies, hector romero, eelke kleijn, sabb, james teej, andy daniell, yotto, wanklemutt, dario d attis, mano le tough, nic fanciulli, kid kenobi, doc scott, qdup, marc hype, nutritious

das erste studioalbum des ghanaische gitarristen, komponisten und produzenten seit über 20 jahren, eingespielt mit afrobeat academy und der deutschen funkband poets of rhythm! 2017 reissue

segun bucknor fell in love with american soul music as a student at new york’s columbia university. otis redding, wilson pickett, sam cooke and ray charles hadn’t made much of a splash in africa at the time and when bucknor returned to nigeria in 1968, he was determined to bring the sound to a wider audience.
the result was brand of afro-soul that in turn became a proto-type of afrobeat. with his bands, the assembly and the revolution, he released a few politically charged tracks, but even with his energetic dance trio, the sweet things, turning up the heat, bucknor couldn’t compete with fela kuti.

unafraid to push boundaries, ephemerals third album, egg tooth, explores new directions: their modern soul and r&b songs now tinged with flavours of jazz, afrobeat, psychedelia and bluesy cinematic orchestral arrangements. with influences ranging from nina simone to kate tempest, steve reich to alice coltrane, egg tooth sees songwriter hillman mondegreen and singer wolfgang valbrun combine beautifully, marrying direct and honest lyricism with powerful vocal delivery. it s an album with recurring themes of rebirth, love, world politics and philosophy in a varied and eclectic collection of songs - an eclecticism perhaps a reflection of ephemerals diverse backgrounds: the singer wolfgang is a new yorker living in paris, the writer in nottingham, the sax player lives in france, while the keys, trumpet and rhythm section are in bristol, sussex and london.

a sensational mix of west african afrobeat tradition and contemporary european urban culture, reminding us of ebo taylor, for the traditional element, and hugh masekela for its mix with jazz. daniel dzidzonu takes it further down the jazz road and introduces even rock and fusion. as a result this record is one of the key albums of the new afrobeat generation, or in the case of daniel, the afro-european generation of today.

a sensational mix of west african afrobeat tradition and contemporary european urban culture, reminding us of ebo taylor, for the traditional element, and hugh masekela for its mix with jazzdaniel dzidzonu takes it further down the jazz road and introduces even rock and fusion. as a result this record is one of the key albums of the new afrobeat generation, or in the case of daniel, the afro-european generation of today.

dele sosimis album you no fit touch am was released in 2015 to much universal acclaim. a perfect document of the lessons the keyboard master and vocalist learned in fela kuti s ranks during the 70s and 80s, but brought firmly up-to-date and with contemporary social comment as vital to the afrobeat genre as any rhythm or instrument. in 2016, to take that forward thinking even further, wah wah 45s commissioned four huge remixes from a quartet of the uk s most interesting new production names. that was just part one of the story though this year the label can reveal the final four remixes to be taken from this hugely popular and influential project.

night visions is a collection of stories which dance alive over an infectious blend of afro-latin rhythms and contemporary dancefloor beats. told by a variety of characters, drawn from the vibrant imagination of chico mann, these stories take place in an endless night, where we move through dimly lit clubs, jungle moonlight, pitch black desert plains, and the internal shadows of personal darkness. while the characters often stumble and search blindly in the dark, the persistent presence of a distant light provides an underlying direction and hopefulness to all the songs. captain planet s production, informed by his regular crowd-moving dj sets, keeps the album sounding effortlessly danceable & contemporary. meanwhile, chicos vocals have an instant classic appeal, hinting at old cuban rumba and vintage afrobeat lps. the two are aided by guest vocals from regular collaborators kendra morris & brit manor, as well as some talented friends who contributed additional horns, guitar & marimba