known more for their dubby kosmische and psychedelic post-disko, glasgow label invisible inc seem to be wandering closer to the realms of the nightclub dancefloor these days. not that anyone s complaining. with recent outings by strange culture and sordid sound system taking the lead, this one by budapest s bal5000 is quite possibly their most dancefloor friendly release yet. all four cuts inhabit a space somewhere at the very edge of house but are steeped in soaringly cosmic italo-esque synth lines and bubbling, motorik arpeggios reminiscent of early 80s minimal.....the result is a real sonic treat: hypnotically transcendant, yet beautifully melodic, and all solidly underpinned by some seriously low-end sub-bass, tight rhythms and pistol-sharp snares.

the 8th release of polybius trax will be an ep of myriadd, name which craig stainton (mantra / bunker den haag / solar one music) distils acid house that evokes us to the golden age of the genre. analogue drums, droning acid bass and 303-bating riffs. delivers the hard-hitting jack-attack that is -a new day” the utterly chicago- fuelled. melancholy synth and ethereal melodies that ascend and dissolve into neon clouds. infectiously funky drums, warm, enveloping synth atmospherics and elevated by lush, bass acid lines that make the body sweat on the dance floor

the foundation of this dub album was created by some of the finest sessions musicians ever to grace the studios of 1960s & 70s jamaica. their instruments were the cornerstone to countless dub lps that began to surface in the early 70s and continued on into the 80s creating a whole new genre of music. as they did back in the early days of dub, the kingston all stars gathered together in kingston, jamaica at mixing lab studios and laid down a series of riddims that would lay the groundwork for what comes next: the singers. both greenwich farm rasta, prince alla, and falsetto, cedric myton of the the congos, contribute vocals to the album but half of the riddims on this lp are, to date, unreleased, and have yet to be voiced. in essence, this album is a sneak peak into upcoming releases. the style of riddims that were created during these sessions range from the cumbia influenced reyes dub to the ethiopian jazz flavored kebra dub that pays tribute to the african sound system, kebra ethiopia sound and shows the wide variety of influences that fuel these musicians. tracks like dub ova combine ansel collins keyboard work with hux browns infectious grooves to create a funky rhythm that you have not heard the last of.

the foundation of this dub album was created by some of the finest sessions musicians ever to grace the studios of 1960s & 70s jamaica. their instruments were the cornerstone to countless dub lps that began to surface in the early 70’s and continued on into the 80’s creating a whole new genre of music. as they did back in the early days of dub, the kingston all stars gathered together in kingston, jamaica at mixing lab studios and laid down a series of riddims that would lay the groundwork for what comes next: the singers. both greenwich farm rasta, prince alla, and falsetto, cedric myton of the the congos, contribute vocals to the album but half of the riddims on this lp are, to date, unreleased, and have yet to be voiced. in essence, this album is a sneak peak into upcoming releases. the style of riddims that were created during these sessions range from the cumbia influenced reyes dub to the ethiopian jazz flavored kebra dub that pays tribute to the african sound system, kebra ethiopia sound and shows the wide variety of influences that fuel these musicians. tracks like dub ova combine ansel collins keyboard work with hux browns infectious grooves to create a funky rhythm that you have not heard the last of.
limited pressing on yellow & green marbled vinyl.

funky collaboration by etienne & tc80

legendary dj daniele baldelli, who was resident at the infamous cosmic club on lake garda and pioneer of the cosmic sound, joins forces with italian maestro dj rocca and takes file under disco on a journey into outer disco space. famous as an extremely eclectic and open-minded dj, here baldelli transports this approach to the production of funkynoizer . and in the hands of a master producer like rocca the result is a track which fuses dub, afro, disco and electronic elements seamlessly into a tasty alternative discoid brew. remix action comes from brasilian duo selvagem (big fans of baldelli) whose reputation grows and grows with every spin of each record and every release that passes through their talented hands. here they dress the original in leopard skin pants and throw into into an all night, outdoor carnival party where anything goes. next up pete herbert & dicky trisco take the original on a heads down disco trip and work it to the bone. live driving bass, funky clav and a glorious piano line do a wonky waltz with the the afro dub essentials of the original. finally the man himself dj rocca treats us to a very classy disco-boogie version that would have rocked legendary parties back in the halcyon days of nyc disco

next up on detroit wax is a phenomenal two track ep from the prolific eddie fowlkes(techno originator - godfather of techno soul). renowned for their ability to seamlessly fuse together elements of urban techno & urban house and old school funky influences, and the dj production from the home land of detroit. side a. a deep vocals from naa dee(from the lu, swiss) has soulful ness that heats up the track into inspirational movement on the dance floor that just don t stop on the dance floor. side (b). this is a surefire dancefloor detroit destroyer that would be right at home in any dj s create already gaining heavyweight support from the likes of loco dice, norm tally, robert diezt, juan atkins, delano smith, shall i continue?

repress !!!radio slave readies a double a-side to mark the 100th release on rekids this february. having recently celebrated ten years, the consistency of music on matt edwards’ rekids is indisputable with releases from nina kraviz, mr. g, david morales, peggy gou and dj deep to name a few. aside from his a&r abilities edwards’ extensive understanding of electronic music is evident in his various pseudonyms. amongst these radio slave is easily his most illustrious and most fitting for the seminal label’s milestone 100th release. containing all the hallmarks of a radio slave production, ‘another club’ merges looped vocals with thudding kicks as echoing stabs and infectious hats work their magic. on the flip, ‘feel the same’ is a funky slice of detroit inspired house. early support from chris liebing, ryan elliot, dj hell, gerd janson, laurent garnier, dj deep, markus suckut..

funky motuno disco sounds

“nassau funk” vereint die wichtigsten tracks der von den bahamas stammenden band the beginning of the end. die compilation enthält ihren klassiker “funky nassau” sowie “when she made me promise”, welches als intro zu pete rock & cl smooths “they reminisce over you” gesampelt wurde.

afrika bambaataa, rapper, producer, dj from the south bronx, new york. afrika bambaataa is one of the originators of breakbeat djing and is respectfully known as the godfather of zulu nation and amen ra of hip hop culture. in 2007 has been nominated for induction into the rock hall of fame and in 2008 he has been honored by the bronx museum of arts. afrika bambaataa’s long career is pointed by many hits and masterpieces such as reckless, unity, just get up and dance and pupunanny. countless collaborations with artists such as ub40, james brown, boy george, leftfield just to name few of them. afrika bambaataa has recorded with many labels from tommy boy to capitol records and profile but it is with the italian label dfc (expanded music) that he has releases most of his recordings. bring it up is the new release on dfc label produced by dj/producer paul carpenter. this release includes three versions in big room/edm style along with a mega-mix and a full acapella collection of all previous recordings released by bambaataa on dfc label. two lyrics videos come to support the release.

los angeles based producer nick alvarado and vocalist everyman have teamed to form little giants, who aim to make proper hip-hop music for your mind, body and soul. pairing inspired, thought-provoking lyrics set over crisp, funky beats, the sounds of little giants harken back to the golden era of hip-hop.

nice price deal !!! the technoid site of clap your hands. the first track by knopf & seferyn feat. polymax is reworked by yakine (robsoul, cadenza lab). accompanied by another funky house tune by the boys. 3 different cuts! club potential approved!

best selling sophomore albums are one of the music industry’s rarest gems. one example of such a gem is jamiroquai’s second album “return of the space cowboy”. improving on their infectious blend of funky r&b and acid jazz, jamiroquai delivered “return of the space cowboy” in 1994, hitting the charts with a vengeance and amassing global recognition as the leading pop funk band.
incredibly groovy and tight, jamiroquai expanded their compositions into the realms of jazz and this was accompanied by a positive but critical message regarding human rights and environmental issues. the hits “space cowboy” and “light years” propelled “return of the space cowboy” into all-time favourite status among alternative pop lovers all over the world. now with enhanced and remastered audio, pressed on audiophile 180 gram vinyl.

duff breaks is composed of 40 breaks and sound effects compiled for easy use in any set or production. a companion for any serious dj or amateur record collector. duff breaks is the frst of an essential vinyl series transforming the sound of music and helping funky beats and drops conquer the world.

limited edition of 250 copies, featuring 2 hot funky tracks from tom hooker, never before released on vinyl.

fourth floor was a major us player in supporting the london garage scene in the late nineties. responsible for very early releases from todd terry (known as masters at work at the time) the imprint also released seminal classics from fallout, the morning after and arnold jarvis, take some time out both of which made the cut for this double 12inch release. included on this 8-track package are some contemporary edits from luke solomon of rhythm faktor dream on (organ grinder mix) and love root funky emotions (another mix), plus outstanding records from royal orchestra, m.o.d.e., bamboo and the break boys. 4 to the floor presents fourth floor records is part of the 4 to the floor series. lovingly selected and compiled by luke solomon, the 4 to the floor series also delves into the movin records, sub-urban, faya combo, soulfuric and slip n slide catalogues, digging for those lightbulb moments of musical discovery. fulfilling his role as your friendly record shop assistant, lukes 4 to the floor series comes correct with brand new vinyl lp collections and digital albums from these now legendary house labels, plus official label merch to accompany all of the releases, for that full rack-raiding experience.

et bosconi soundsystem finally has landed on the label with a four tracker ep. born as a dj project orginally in 2009, bss features three of the central personalities those have defined in a way the sound mark of the label through the years since its foundation: label owner fabio della torre, mass prod and rufus. this debut release has named -back to front- not only as a work and life statement but also recall one of trio s very intimate baddest habits (please do not misundertand..) first scandalous cut of the front side -( she wipes ) back to front- is the powerful combination of a bouncing and tight 909 groove plus a pulsating fat bass enriched here and there by psychedelic synth lines properly made to excite your pelvic moves between the decks and on the dancefloor.a2 is a voyeuristic happy, funky, progressive and glorious deep techno weapon for the ecstatic peak time moments. on the back side you ll find the cheeky mood of the modular melodic joints of the swinging b1 track named -three healthy birds- and the granitic and new-not-old skool organ vibe of the senselessly titled b2 -i <3 my pinus-. stripped down club music for no puritans

g-machine returns to planet earth with five boogie bangers from space!

for its 6th release on ed banger records busy p asked his longtime friend from los angeles mayer hawthorne to write a love song. while the world is going crazy, the only answer is love. the song was recorded between threesome studio in paris and mayer’s own in l.a. to complete this ep, we’ve asked uk’s finest producers. the mysterious kda who’s topping uk’s charts, delivers an infectious remix with mental drums and funky twist. hot chip’s main man joe goddard has been one of my favorite producer ever. it was about time to have him on board! reckonwrong dropped the hottest ep of 2015 on young turks sublabel whities. his remix is pure magic. exotic beats with techno flavours. last but not least, we went experimental on this one! this is the first flow machines remix. the goal of flow machines is to research and develop artificial intelligence systems able to generate music autonomously or in collaboration with human artists.

christopher rau steps up for release number fourteen. funky and up-tempo house packed with his trademark playfulness.

james dexters star has been rising for a while now - the young brit turning out killer tracks regularly on the back of hugely well received dj sets. on his second outing for dessous recordings, dexter does what he does best - four slices of deep, funky and vibing house music for the floor. lead track drift is typical of dexters flair for subtle, edgy sounds, wrapped inside a warm and inviting groove. elements come and go, but the shuffling, infection feel runs throughout. take me is a more upfront vibe with a seriously bumping groove - dexter clearly well versed in the roots of house music from chicago. ‘whose rules ?’ is a snappy, bright and lively production, with a sub bass that will troubler some of the world’s best club systems in the coming months. the light, jazzy vocals offsets the groove perfectly - sure to be a big tune for a wide variety of djs. the last track of the release is disco deep - and it pretty much does exactly what it says - a swung, groovy feel punctuated by disco claps and balearic flourishes that will sound as good on the beach as in the basement.

game of chance makes for such potent material on the dancefloor. from the funky bleep techno tones of “planet pan” to the dubby immersion of “divenire”, with the snappy shuffle of “any robots here” to the blissed-out pads and snaking beat of “point of view”. this is refined and reduced dance music that radiates warmth and champions groove, subtly preaching positivity in the most elegant of ways.

nice price deal !!! a new label from lille, france, gaazol arrives with their first release from japan s yoshitaca, resident of the esteemed imprint fasten musique. title track -induced arousal- is a deep and funky acid tinged house workout that should prove versatile either later or earlier in the night. the a side is completed by ittetsu s bass heavy remix with tight percussion and just the right touch of drama. finally, the entire b side is devoted to the rolling bassline of yoshitaca s -gypsy queen- which never lets up. this fine package is exclusively presented on 180gr. vinyl.

the incredible doublepack with exclusive unreleased tracks by marcellus pittman rich white delano smith mike huckaby keith worthy malik olston and others all the artists are essential creators and perpetuators of the musical heritage of the motor city

„ourselves is entering the third round. but what can one expect from a house label? with the v/a homelike, you committ yourself to the mission of house music in all its various manifestations and take it to the floor. kicking off the ride is sello s “loop my ass“. soulful vocals driven by massive kicks, string sounds and heavy bass. simply timeless. what else could you want? jan ketel & siggatunez pick up the pace with “today is the past of tomorrow“. analog basslines and deep chords shake hands with shuffling hihats. no big hoo-ha. the focus is simply on groove and atmosphere. the boys from rose records, m.ono & luvless, are making their debut on ourselves with house music par excellence. funky and floating, the “walnut express“ keeps pushing through your speakers announcing party. lootbeg s “remembrin“ perfectly rounds up the release and lets you fly away. hovering pads seemlessly interwoven with arp sounds and classical drums telling you that house is your home, simply homelike!“

the practice of pseudoscience, a three track ep by m parent, is the second vinyl release from the us based label chem club records. having been inspired by peripheral thoughts about pseudosciences, this ep is washed in steady emotional build ups using airy reverb, scattering percussion, throbbing stabs and solid kicks. the title track (a1) uses these elements to move towards a piercing synth peak while cycle of intellect (a2) spaces out these features as it creeps to a dubby impactful end. the b side temazcal rites was directly motivated by a scorching summer day when the intensity of the sun sparked an idea for a sizzling percussive experiment. what were left with is a funky but emotive soundscape that tops off the ep in a unique fashion.

after being compared with mayer hawthorne on his first world acclaimed* classic soul album, treat me right, john milk is back with paris show some love a piece of modern and engaged r&b. synthesis between jay dilla and prince, john milk delivers a genuine and solid recording based on real to real tape machines and electronic sounds. previously working as artistic director of his own record label (karecords) and collaborating as a singer with mr president and blundetto (heavenly sweetness, favorite recording) john milk is now on a new vibe, merging all kind of recording processes, live recordings on reel to reel 8 tracks tascam, introduicing beatmaking and hip-hop culture with numerous machines, samplers and keys... a musical patchwork which has been open to all kinds of experi-mentations. songs where composed on top of instrumentals. the creative processs is about delivering the right energy once the music transmits the appropriate atmosphere. all songs are focus on having catchy hooks as much as conscious lyrics. paris show some love is a message album. creating music in the city of love during one of the most violent year for a long time... this contradiction has been the fuel to his creativity.the song «paris show some love» is specialy dedicated to the tragic night of november 13th 2015. john milk offers a person-nal reflexionon our capacity to find our way and moves beyond the lines and create.

the first inner shift encounter with ewan jansen was several years ago on a pair of test pressings, from mike grant of moods and grooves. the label hadn t even begun yet, but ewan created a huge impression and wasn t to be forgotten by them later. ffwd to 2016/17, enter: return to hyperbola. the first track in, you get a good tech house/deep house vibe called docking lane , fully equipped with lovely atmospheres, a driving kick and intelligent chords. next is bulkhead, mainly defined by a full-sounding, broken beat rhythm and expressive keyboards. b1 is deceleration , another 4-4 deep house number, but witha subtle quirkiness and over all moody feel. on the b2 is perspex, featuring a funky bass, nice pads and elevating keyboard part. dont miss out, ewan never fails to impress.

please welcome t.m.a with their debut ep “apparillo” on heulsuse. t.m.a are two talented producers with a strong feeling for deep house with a funky touch. their ep consist out of two tracks. the title track “apparillo” has a catchy, powerful synth line and a solid groove. “wendal”, the second track, is full of beautiful melodies with a lovely arrangement and atmosphere. heulsusenpower!
cassette includes a free downloadcode – redeem via bandcamp.

the cold busted label unearths more funky nuggets from the fertile russian soil with this brilliant 7“ single from moscow’s anatoly ice. dj, producer, and host of the funk and beyond parties and radio show (running for nearly ten years), anatoly ice has been drawn to the swing of a phat beat for a long while. this single bursts with old school funk and new school attitude, beginning with ”something happened (2me)“. a vintage drum kit and melodic horns are joined by a big hip hop rhythm as the vocals and horn section are expertly cut up and rearranged. the song’s catchy hook – also the title – is left nearly intact and should playfully dance around any b-boy’s head as he does his thing. flip the record for ”light”, which exhibits a strutting breakbeat and some g-funk sauce in its prominent synth line. funky piano, guitar, and bass provide the backdrop, soundtracking a midnight cruise through the bad (as in good) part of town. hold tight … anatoly ice is at the wheel.

new orleans’ grammy-nominated hot 8 brass band release their fifth lp, ‘on the spot’. in true hot 8 style, this album pairs hard-hitting, heart-on-sleeve sentiment with party-fuelling beats, hooks and grooves, raw funk and charismatic hip hop vocals mix with big easy jazz elegance. expect unshakable horn riffs and bubbling bass as the record transports you right into the centre of an electrifying hot 8 party crowd.
the double vinyl release includes a download code.

javonntte may hail from detroit but his sound more naturally aligns with the likes of kai alce and that soulful, bumping atlanta vibe. this 12- for troubled kids makes for a perfect case in point, not least on killer opening track -walking in the rain- with its irrepressibly funky groove and on-point vocal turn. -yes house- takes things in a more stripped direction without compromising on warmth, while -united we dance- heads towards an even more club-ready approach full of booming bass and sharp swinging drums. that s just the a-side, and with even more soul-powered goodness spilling out of the flip, there can surely be few house heads out there that wouldn t find a loving home for this record.

long time minus artist jon gaiser is back with his fourth studio album on richie hawtin’s influential techno label, simply entitled ‘iii’. the first signals from the album are sent with march single ‘on the way.’ it is a funky track with wriggling synths executed in undeniable gaiser fashion. textured hi hats and loopy bass all work on sucking you into the colorful and trippy groove. add into the package a typical big remix from sci+tec boss and techno megastar dubfire and you have one of the most essential releases of 2017.

die legendäre detroit-ikone alan oldham a.k.a. dj t-1000 ist mit seiner brandneuen ep -ratchet traxx- erstmalig zu gast bei bpc. mit vier hochexplosiven tracks serviert oldham die essenz seines bangin funky ass techno: schnurgerade programmierte 909, dazu ultra-straighte basslines und vocal-samples, die sich stetig und gnadenlos in die sinne fräsen. und immer überrascht der meister mit eigenwilligen breaks und sublimen details. kurz, ratchet traxx hat das zeug zum klassiker und bringt perfekt auf den punkt, was man vom detroit technos renaissance man erwartet. don t play this at home kids

soul, disco, funk reworks. support by: kraak & smaak, dj sneak, alexander barck (jazzanova)...

sweet soul und funky grooves von baltimores frankie & the spindles aus den jahren 1968-1977 mit produktionen von george kerr und bunny sigler, die ursprünglich nur als heutzutage schwer zu findende 7” singles veröffentlicht wurden, erscheinen nun erstmalig auf lp.

bristol boogie dons - the allergies, are back with another hot 7inch single to rip up dancefloors, and once again they ve got champion mc and producer andy cooper (ugly duckling) to assist in their funky endeavours. feedback for previous album as we do our thing and single with andy cooper album of the day on bbc 6 music with additional support from shaun keaveny, lauren laverne, nemone, craig charles don letts, and radcliffe and maconie andy cooper and the allergies also performed a dermot o leary bbc radio 2 session and a loose ends session on bbc radio 4. hit top 3 in the itunes uk hip hop chart (47 main overall) #1 on juno download the previous single rock rock featuring andy cooper was featured on channel 4 s sunday brunch and rock rock used to soundtrack euro football qualifiers on itv (both national television station) rock rock was tune of the month in mixmag rock rock also went to 1 on juno download hip hop chart on release.

ant plates vinyl only ventures continue unabated, taking a break from the yse saint laur ant releases and turning to minus the majors instead. whether its just plate in another one of his guises or not is unclear, but the music certainly fits in with the more exploratory, downtempo nature of previous vinyl only releases. he looked is an especially funky number that revolves around crafty beats and warm moog-esque synth ripples. things get more broken on jizz jazz, and then drongo manages to go even further out to sea in its quest for the perfect balance between funk and freakiness.

having lurked in the tape scene for many moons, al-90 brings his dishevelled house sound to the dancefloor with this single for tape throb. despite the name of the label, this is in fact destined for vinyl, and leads with the fuzzy yet funky cheremushki groove, assisted in the process by monokle. there s a whiff of gerry read s dusty production values present on fluid, but al-90 seems locked into a more discernible beat. that changes on cataract with its degraded hardcore breaks drowning under a sea of unforgiving processing, while tape throb label boss the cyclist is an appropriate choice of remixer to finish the record with a crunchy yet focused version of cheremushki groove

from the westcoast of sweden neunaugen gives you three funky-space-electro-acid tracks for the dancefloor. no chance to sit still when this is played. electro boogie!

julio bashmore & t.williams! debut release on bash & t s new collaboration label. a three track ep picking up where uk funky left off, drawing elements from house and techno. a fusion of groove and sound built for the club.

weil das leben mehr zu bieten hat: glamour-pop mit markanten gaststars.
pressung auf pinkfarbenem vinyl, downloadcode inklusive.

stripped down to the bone, nothing else in this room but you and the analog sounds of smooth guitar and funky boogie bass lines. mesmerizing with a touch of class, this ep highlights uplifting choral stabs and ever changing rhythmic moments. the louder you turn these songs up the more you gain subtle changes in the driving force known as the pagoda.

madhouse number 2 sees kerri dropping his 4 track panic ep on us, released in 1992 the whole record sounds amazing today - as fresh as ever! driving, funky, stripped back and with that trademark kc drum programming get on up kicks things off with an intoxicating mix of all the above and some loopy, dubbed out sax.. this one is pure heads down late night business! insomnia again utilises some choice samples the eagle eared among you will no doubt spot, paired with epic piano stabs and a cavernous kick-drum, slamming! flip the record over for something wrong , a solid grooving, gospel-esque monster that hits hard, classic! finishing out the ep is the amazing love is over , undoubtedly inspired by the garage and zanzibar with it s nod to some classic cult killer disco jams that form the basis of the track, looping, raw and moving hard, one for the heads! rarely do you get such a well rounded ep of different versatile flavours, exactly the reason why kerri is rightfully a legend in dance music. essential stuff indeed. this is the one of the first of a series of official madhouse / kerri chandler reissues for 2017. every title has been remastered by kerri chandler himself, from all original sources and each reissue has been legitimately released in full conjunction with kerri and madhouse records. and, as if that wasn t enough, all the reissues will be coming in the classic madhouse records house bag. snoozing not advised!

days of being wild continues their collaboration with berlin based french producer franz matthews, releasing his first solo ep, the spacey, cosmic ostkreuz. half of the duo languages, whose 1st ep the label released at the end of last year, franz matthews explores a very different sound on his first solo effort, all space disco, retro synths and funky guitars out. title track ostkreuz has been road tested by the days of being wild crew on dance floors all around europe all of last year and has created euphoria and anticipation in equal measure. this is a cosmic hit from outer space, all constructed around well known ingredients that thanks to franz matthews musical and melodic talent rise here to epic heights. the b-side guns of rixdorf is another devastating peak time tune. while remaining in the same vein as ostkreuz, it feels more high energy with its irresistible funky guitars calling and responding over a driving bass. days of being wild always try to pair producers with remixers that will shed a new light on their work. its no exception with ostkreuz, who gets the reinvention treatment from no other than moscoman and rodion aka the claydermans. the cosmic vibe is still here hovering on top in the opening chords of the remix, but soon enough a sub, housier bass makes its way in the mix and wont let you go until the end. carried by shuffling claps and a bouncier beat, the groove here is totally re-invented, taking ostkreuz from peak time to the darker edges of after land.

mihai popoviciu has carved out a reputation for being one of the most innovative producers of electronic music active in europe today. the man from romania has established himself both as a highly respected producer releasing on labels such as highgrade, international gigolo and dessous and as a killer dj performing all over the world. fiction is his 4th release on poker flat recordings, and delivers four distinct flavours to sink your teeth into. i should is a slinky groover, with a slippery, evolving bassline, tight, funky percussion and a sultry female vocal. working just as effectively early in a set as a peak time moment, its bound to get rinsed in the coming months. twisted is a little harder - a straighter beat signals a more heads down approach, and the bassline is sure to trigger some dancefloor scenes wherever it gets played. next up is title track fiction which perhaps makes a reference to mihai’s background, with fragments of eastern european melodies woven into the beautiful synth work, all tied together over a spacey yet driving rhythm track. last but by no means least is interconnected - a straight up deep bomb with echoes of classic chicago deep and acidic house in its warm and sensual vibe.

in 1979, emma dorgu decided it was time to act. he’d torn up the lagos live scene with the thermometers and conquered the airwaves with the single, ‘world people’. but there were injustices afoot, not just in nigeria, but in south africa and zimbabwe and across the continent as well, and he felt that something needed to be done. roverman was his politicized call to action. blackman akeeb kareem lent him the instruments and let him rehearse in his sitting room. dorgu sets his stall out early in the reggae-tinged ‘free my people’ calling for freedom for south africa, freedom for zimbabwe, indeed, freedom for all. thankfully political injustice hadn’t rid emma completely of his urge to get on down. the new york ghetto funk of ‘roverman’ and ‘loving’ and the straighthead boogie of ‘afro fever’ leaven the message with a funky beat and an irresistible pull towards the dancefloor. on roverman emma dorgu has achieved that that rarest of beats, an album that challenges your mind while it speaks to your feet. protest music has never sounded so funky.
(peter moore)

it’s hard to get a handle on nigerian musicians nash dodoo, charlie cuul and jonas caulley. in 1980 they released an album of face-melting gospel boogie as the bml chapels. and in the same year, calling themselves the beta yama group, they put out free love, a belated love letter to san francisco’s summer of love and an album altogether focused on more worldly concerns. free love is a small slice of haight-ashbury transported to the polygram studios in lagos. ‘te revoir’ is mamas and papas jamming with sergeant pepper’s beatles. ‘free love’ offers a respectful nod towards je t’aime-era serge gainsbourg. sure, ‘revolution’ gets hard and funky and ‘rain’ flirts briefly with a calypso reggae sound, but the majority of the album is cheesecloth and flowers in your hair. insanely rare – and worth buying for the freaky cover art alone – free love is a funky, reverb heavy call for love, peace and sweet, sweet loving. what more could you want from an album?
(peter moore)