Search "Bacao Rhythm Steel Band" 171 Items

Plus 4 Unreleased Bonus Songs! This is a band project from the late 1960s with a very young Bobby Marin, a leading figure in the invention of BOOGALOO music, a cocktail of Latin music, Rhythm & Blues, Soul and Rock’n’Roll oft he day clearly geared towards the western pop music that made the top of the charts. As he grew up on 107th Street in Harlem / NYC he and his mates played a game called Stickball during the day which is a street variation of baseball originating from the New York area while at night he rehearsed with a doo wop ensemble named THE LATIN CHORDS and others from his team got together in a percussion group in buildings on the opposite site of the street. It was no miracle that both groups soon merged into one act that became the 107TH STREET STICKBALL TEAM producing this sole LP in 1969 with a 7“ decoupled probably upfront that featured the two album tracks „On old Broadway“ and „Mojo shingaling“. Well shaped originals of the full length vinyl go for 200,00 € now as a mono pressing, while even those which fetch lower prices never fall beyond 100,00 €. Therefore this reissue on Everland Records suits us fans of outstanding 1960s music fairly well with even four bonus tracks added that band leader Marin unearthed from his personal vaults. This is clearly a typical album in the field of BOOGALOO music of the later 1960s. Western popular music such as beat with British roots, American soul music with lush arrangements and orchestration and the well known elements of bossa nova, salsa, cha cha cha and merengue team up in an exciting sound that gave us some very intense albums during the short span of it’s real popularity in between 1966 and 1969 around NYC but also far out in the latin world. The anthems of one’s life in the Bronx or in Harlem given by the likes of Tito Puente could be felt pouring out of the relaxed, yet intensely pulsating rhythms from drums and percussion on this record while the melodic constructions on top of this groundwork were either soul inspired such as with the hauntingly dreamy opener „On old broadway“ with a great pop appeal and beautiful horn section and vocal arrangements, had a bluesy approach such as the ballad „Look to me“ in three – quarter time at first but adopting a latin melody and cha cha cha beat towards the end of the song or showed a 1960s pop beat affinity with the vocal melodies on top of a bed of ever grooving mid paced salsa rhythms with powerful horns accompanying the basic structures as you can hear it in the two minute shorty you put a hurt in my heart. But this was only one side oft he coin. There were even more traditional latin songs to be found here which were even sung in Spanish. „Toma Guajira“ could easily be an evergreen on the dancefloor in every bar in Havanna. The mixture was breathtaking for you did not get away from dancing and twirling to the enthralling rhythms upon which sometimes the instruments could take a frantic path such as the organs or the saxophone in the soul inspired instrumental „Barbara with the kooky eyes“, which has this typical late 60s atmosphere. Wherever you put the needle in the groove the music will grab you by the heart and legs. The four bonus tracks fit well with the original album and if you would not know they were added only for this reissue you would never realize they would have stayed unreleased for about 50 years. „Come live with me“ is a hot blooded latin groover with a late 50s soul and doo wop feel merged with cumbia and salsa elements. The melodies drag you straight into the clubs of Cuba’s capital. „Rosemary with the funny knees“ is rather modern soul pop and Northern soul of the day in which more of these Cuban aspects appear for a moment but with the late 60s sound prevailing. It feels like the band drifts from one one world into the other and back without losing a beat. „Hey mama“ is a cross of 60s doo wop vocal music and Latin sounds that makes up a prototypical boogaloo style dance floor sweeper. „Lost in the jungle“ adds some 1950s exotica elements to the haunting 60s pop with latin rhythm groundwork and once more frantic performances from the horns and the singers make it an instant classic. I could go on raving about this album but instead I recommend to buy a copy of the reissue and get the full boogaloo experience. If I should limit myself to only one record from this style it would certainly be this.

It was made the way they made electronic music in the good old days, all analog everything, right after synthesizers shrunk to a manageable size and you didn’t have to trek down to a university to use one anymore. Electronic music as practiced and developed by pioneers like Dick Hyman and Raymond Scott and Wendy Carlos is precise and intentional. In making his first electronic album, Younge took his cues from them, reminding a contemporary audience what a synthesizer, deep in its heart, really could be. “Black Noise” is men talking to men about women; “Lemonade” is a woman talking to women about men, and they both orbit around a failure we take for granted like the sun: loving you is complicated. It’s a skill; we forgot. Adrian Younge calls “The Electronique Void” an academic album, by which he means it is both instructional and informational. There’s a problem at the heart of it, a woman who’s been told that she’s loved, but she doesn’t recognize that, can’t feel it, may have heard it all before, may be worrying about the wrong things. Jack Waterson, long a guitarist in Younge’s band, plays the role of narrator, sounding professorial and rather superior as he lays out for the woman where she’s erred. That vocoder you hear is Adrian, talking to her on a subterranean level, the way an artist must. The discourse on the album is the kind of thing that happens when you go blonde and then you can’t keep ‘em off you. These truths are cold and hard, and our hero begrudges the well-meaning advice being rained down upon her as any independent woman would. The science of love, its formulas and if-then constraints, causal relationships and observable properties, is best taught experientially, but learning it hurts so, so bad. Music, especially electronic music, reliant as it is on abstraction and unrepentant as it is about hijacking your physiological responses to tempo and rhythm and dynamics, is a way to get there without going through it.

After two hip-hop albums (Got To Get Down in 2016 and Impact in 2017), the unpredictable Afro Latin Vintage Orchestra comes back to its fundamentals with a new instrumental album: MORPHEUS which repositions the band in the spirit of their previous spatial, almost cosmic albums Last Odyssey (2012) and Pulsion (2015), both released on Ubiquity Records and acclaimed by spiritual and fusion jazz lovers, library music fans, as well as rare grooves diggers (ALVO’s first 4 vinyl albums now being out of stock).
Each new ALVO new release is a millesimal which evolved and learned from its predecessors. Masta Conga, who’s still leading the herd, has for main purpose to explore the musical space-time, gaining ground on never before revealed tracks, followed by his now faithful team of atypical and farseeing musicians.
Compared to Miles Davis and his On The Corner by Wax Poetics, the band dives again in this “realm of psychedelia and beyond”, in particular with the contribution of Indian musicians. Twirling around violins, superimposed patchy keyboards and effects, just as if their conductor wasn’t already sufficiently influenced by Pierre Boulez and others such as Hiroshi Murakami…
The result is however more uncluttered and loaded with multiple vibes than its predecessor Pulsion, which already carried the ceremonial characteristics of cult movie soundtracks. Tracks “Moksha”, “Air” and “Morpheus” are the perfect demonstration, and far beyond their names. Simple grooves, lunar, but terribly efficient, emphasized by a mix that puts focus on these fiddly contributions of ethnic instruments, on percussions and horns on a drip of delay, reverbs and other space-echoes.
On the other side, the very rhythmic “Descarga Uno”, “Descarga Dos” and “Super Dopamine” show that the Parisian crew hasn’t lost its good habit to look around latin, ternary, and syncopated rhythms, in the ALVO only style!
A new millésime, a Grand Cru maybe, but for sure to taste and appreciate in all weathers including space ones.

When Ajax Tow travels in his Pop Western landscapes, you can be sure there’s always a perfect 70’s road trip soundtrack. Italians cowboys meeting the legendary Miriam Makeba in Rennes suburbs... For his 3rd album The Soul Vegetable Orchestra, Ajax Tow is bringing us on a ten tracks sonic adventure, where many inspirations and references collide. The succession of tracks inspires many feels and moods from sipping a good old bourbon, dance in the kitchen, or gallops though the plains of Napoli. We can found the influence of Danger Mouse paying hommage to the late Ennio Morricone (Roma, 2011), a cinematic side of Shawn Lee and Misha Panfilov, from music library à la JeanClaude Vannier to the Band Voilaa, a little glimpse of pimped Ninja tune, a reworked organic Mo’Wax vibe, all mixed up and spiced up with a Tricky style. This album is also the result of a collaboration with Dan Voisin (Modul-Club, Eighty…) at the production and drums with Rennes city scene musicians who gives a hand on this album: Romain Baousson (Coupe Colonel, Bikini Machine…) on drums, Sax Machine and Racecar (Saxtoys Records) on horns and vocals, Dj Marrrtin (Funky Bijou, Lord Paramour) on beatmaking, Medline (My Bags) on Flûte. As a special guest, the late and legendary Miriam Makeba appears on “Magic Miriam”. “Feel it” is definitely setting a west coast on the LP with a Jurassic 5 inspiration, accompanied by a spicy rhythm, MC Racecar (Sax Machine) flows and lyrics brings even more energy to the track. On “Movie” and “Silence”. Ajax Tow give us a nice taste of his favorite psychedelic blends, romantic and intimate at the same time, where we found back Fuzz guitar with 60’s Eric Clapton style (Cream era) and Pink Floyd synths Flavors. The cinematic style and first notes of “So What” reminds Air first EP and the beautiful bass of “Melody Nelson”. For the dessert, “Smallville” is a kind of wedding cake with 70’s loops sprinkling that brings us to Phillipe Sarde’s La Grande Bouffe soundtrack, but with a more contemporary feeling.

Artist and musician Alex Puddu, whom many already know for his “Danish Pornography” series and solo records, has written and produced the second album for his soulful band The Moonfires. A second coming that showcases strong R&B classic melodies and tight grooves that bring the listener up to a level of great funk bands like New Birth, Ohio Players, Mandrill, and Black Heat. The amazing album cover, showing King Kong spreading panic in the city, has been made by Italian comic-book and science fiction artist Giuseppe Festino, the same that, back in 70’s, illustrated the paperback covers of the popular sci-fi Urania series.
The opening Stones-inspired title-track “Gotta Keep it Rollin” kicks off the groove, building up with steady organ and a killer blues guitar riff, accompanying a street-story-telling by lead singer Duane Hobson. The second track is “Kill Me with the Rain”, a funky tune with powerful afro winds section, rock-funk guitar, and a great vocal leading all the way through the strong melody. “Woman” is a truly sexy-funk tune with Afro-vibes all throughout and catchy lyrics. The album’s first single, and probably the strongest tune on the album, is “Thunder Road”, a feel-good, up-tempo R&B song with catchy hook line and a sleazy organ playing along the tight rhythm section. The A-side closes with “Weekend Pleasure”, a powerful instrumental piece that lives up to the groove, and builds up to a cool break with a great bass solo.
The B-side starts strong with a cover of The Four Tops from the score “Are You Man Enough” – a great version of one the band’s top tunes! The following song is another album favorite, “Soul on Fire”: a well-produced tune played tight, and a perfect score for a street gang, warriors-type movie, as if it was written in 1979. The album continues on with two up-tempo tracks, “Funky City” and “Voodoo People” – definitely something for the dance floor! Crazy organ, funky riffs, massive percussion and congas taking the album to another level. The last song is a perfect ending, another great composition by Puddu: “King of The Night” – a strong West Coast ballad with prominent piano, played smooth all through, accentuated with a great vocal performance and a classic saxophone solo on the end.
“Gotta Keep It Rollin” is Alex Puddu at his groovest!!!

The Ancient Cosmonauts are a collective formed by the Munich trumpet player Michael Treetop Voss (Feed LA, Poets Of Rhythm). The band explores the spaces opening in a harmonically undefined cosmos of singular voices structured by the beat of drums. With lyrics based on the fundamental experience of human life, the Ancient Cosmonauts connect with their listeners using the language of soul, the energy of funk and the freedom of jazz. “Free as I Wanna Be” was initially written and performed as a solo piece for trumpet. It is centered around ideas of self-determination and empowerment, which are prerequisites for both individual and collective freedom. The arrangement begins with an up-tempo conga and hi-hat pulse as the listener is immersed in the emerging elegiac horn melody. Driving collective rhythmic parts and the duet of lead singer Cris Soaz and Treetop add contrast and context to fully reflect the joys of freedom. The flip side “Intergalactical Travel” is a musical meditation on the idea of the Voyager probes (first launched back in 1975) as they continue on their trajectories into infinite space and their frail and fading connections to their terrestrial birthplace.

This is the reissue coming as one LP not double vinyl. We do have some double vinyl versions left, if you would rather have that. Last batch. //// Shrouded in mystery, hailing from Hamburg, Germany, Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band (BRSB) releases their long awaited debut “55” on Brooklyn’s own
Big Crown Records. Long time multi-instrumentalist and band leader Bjorn Wagner spent a few months in Trinidad & Tobago where he became fascinated
with Steel Drums. His initial intrigue with local steel pan music culture led him to learning the instrument both through help of local players and on his
own. After he became proficient on the pans Bjorn had his own instrument built from a used oil barrel by legendary pan man Louis C. Smith.
Upon returning home to Germany, Bjorn set out to blend the Tropical Steel into his already sharply honed Funk, Soul, and Hip Hop sensibilities. The
outcome is an updated take on a classic format, a truly unique sound. Their first two recordings were covers of The Meters “Look A-Py-Py” & “Ease Back”
which they self-released on a 45. Looking back on these two sides you can tell they were just getting their chops up for what was to come next. This is
evidenced by how all hell broke loose when they went on to cover 50 Cent’s hit PIMP taking the DJ and vinyl collecting communities by storm. Many
people thought the recording was the original sample and probably still do to this day when it is played.
The original Mocambo pressing sold out quickly and is now a collector’s item fetching heavy prices when it changes hands. It was this tune that made
the introduction between Bjorn and Danny Akalepse of Big Crown. They immediately hit it off and starting making plans to do a full length project with
the band.
Keeping in the tradition of Steel Drum records, 55 is a journey through re-interpolations and covers with an updated approach, pushing Steel Pan music
to uncharted territory. Flawlessly bringing previously untouched genres into the steel pan cannon ranging from Underground Hip Hop tunes to staple
Funk tracks and some of all that falls in between. BRSB’s 55 is reinvigorating tunes both well-known and helping to shed some light on tunes still largely
undiscovered. However, some of the strongest tunes on the album are original compositions, from spaced out Disco vibes on “Beetham Highway Ride”
and “Port Of Spain Hustle” to the ugly face inspiring drums of “Laventille Road March”.
Recorded to analog 8 track tape at The Mocambo Studios in Hamburg, 55 is a gritty, punchy journey in sound drawing on music from around the world,
using production aesthetics from across both eras and genres, all coming together seamlessly. If the 45s that have already come out on Mocambo, Plane
Jane, and Truth & Soul are an indication, this full length is going to be a staple to both casual listeners and Disc Jockeys alike.

Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, The Kings Of "Wait, What Is This!!!" Are Back With Another Two-Sider That Has A Little Something For Everyone. Both Of These Songs Are Pulled From Their Forthcoming Full Length Album Expansions.The A Side Is A Gritty, Gully, And Neck Snapping Cover Of The Timbaland Produced Jay-Z Club Hit "Dirt Off Your Shoulder". The Signature Crushing Bacao Drums Start The Show And The Moment They Start Playing The Top Line On The Steel Pans All Bets Are Off. They Push The Tune To New Heights And Places Adding Brass Arrangements And Working Around The Original Riff Never Losing The Groove. The Way They Walk The Line Between The Original And Making It Their Own Will Woo Hip Hop Heads And Funk Enthusiasts Alike.The B Side Finds Brsb Taking It Straight To The Discoteque And Ushering Everyone To The Floor As They Cover Sylvester's Underground Classic "I Need Somebody To Love Tonight". While Bacao Have Laid Down A Few Four On The Floor Numbers On Previous Albums This Is The First One Making Its Way To A 7" And We Are Sure It Will Get Their Music Into A New Sector Of DJs Playboxes.

Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band return with another set covers bound to get you out of your seat and on your feet. The mysterious German steel pan outt is working on their fourth studio album now and treat us to another must have two-sider to hold us over while they nish it. This one is sure to become another favorite among DJs worldwide. On the A side BRSB take on a huge hit with an eerie cover of Drake's "Hotline Bling". The intro melodica hints at the melody and when the beat drops and the top line plays on the pans all bets are off. The B side is something of a Big Crown family affair as Bacao covers "Murkit Gem" from El Michels Affair's Yeti Season album. The tune lends itself to the pans with its infectious melodies and the way BRSB plays it, it takes on a James Bond spy chase energy that works perfectly.

Big Crown Records presents the Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band’s smashing cover version of “P.I.M.P.”. Following up on the smashing success of their debut album “55” and a string of essential 45s, this is the third label to press this staple tune. Three labels, three times, three different B sides. Back in 2008 Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band released its smashing cover of 50 Cent's P.I.M.P. which was long thought to be the original sample for the tune. The Mocambo pressing already hard to come by and fetching top dollar on the internet has become an underground classic. Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band treat the tune to their signature smashing drums and bass heavy production, taking the original loop and turning it into a full composition. Brass and steel pan parts putting it somewhere between reggae, steel funk, and the “Superfly” Soundtrack. Side B is the proper reggae offering from Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, a cover of the legendary John Holt’s classic “Police In Helicopter”. Another must have two sider, another Big Crown sure shot.

Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band follow up their 2021 "Expansions" album with another solid 7" offering.The A side, "Represent," is one of the stand out tracks from Expansions. BRSB cover the DJ Premier produced Nas classic taking the original and expanding the arrangement with guitar and brass riffs. Tuba chugs along the drum break while the steel pans hammer out the infamously infectious melody of the original sample making this an easy winner in Hip Hop circles and beyond.The B side is a non-album cut available on this 45 for the first time ever. Bacao covers the Mtume classic "Juicy Fruit" made popular again when The Notorious B.I.G. sampled it for his smash hit "Juicy." This is a sure head turner when people realize they are dancing along to a new version of the classic melody.

Big Crown Records is proud to present Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band’s new 45, “Scorpio” b/w “8th Wonder”. Coming after the smashing success of their debut full length “55” they drop 2 B-Boy classics back to back on this tough two sider that comes in a beautifully illustrated picture sleeve.
The A side “Scorpio” is a killer cover of the Dennis Coffey breakbeat staple. BRSB turn up the tempo a touch on the original doing the tune justice with crushing drums they have become known for. This is sure to be in every breakbeat enthusiasts box. The B side features the non album cut, BRSB’s cover of The Sugarhill Gang’s 8th Wonder, a tune that lends itself to pans like it was written for them. Another dance floor winner sure to be in DJs sets the world over shortly.

Following up on the massive worldwide success of their debut album 55, Bacao Rhythm & Steel band is back with another heavy duty offering. Picking
up where they left off and incorporating a ton of new recording techniques they take a huge step forward with The Serpent’s Mouth. Named after the
eight-mile strait between the island of Trinidad and the coast of Venezuela, The Serpent’s Mouth is a journey through both originals and covers,
combining classic elements that wide-eared music fans already know, and mashing them up in new and unique ways.
Take “1 Thing” – on it, the group attacks the galloping, chopped Amerie smash hit, with singing pans that follow the R & B vocal. The sound is crisp
and up-front, arguably more muscular than the 2005 original. On “Great To Be Here,” they take on the Jackson 5 B-Boy favorite (which stretches back
to the Zulu Nation / Bronx block party days) – uncoincidentally, the original version featured a guitar lick that emulated a steel pan run. Here, it gets
an even more pulsating groove, adding open-drums breaks throughout, to get DJs salivating. The group veers through more inventively-constructed
covers as the album’s sequence continues, including Gang Starr’s “All For The Cash”, Mary J. Blige’s “I Love You”, and the recently unleashed first
single, “XXplosive” and “Burn,” paying tribute to both Dr. Dre and Mobb Deep for a bi-coastal funk party. And, as band leader Bjorn Wagner states,
“My favorite cover on the album is probably ‘Crockett Theme,’ which is the theme to ‘Miami Vice.’ I always loved the melody, and the cosmic vibe of
the song, and I was honestly surprised that it worked without synthesizers.”
This time around the group’s originals are even stronger, as evidenced by cuts like the flute-fueled break-fest of “Hoola Hoop”, the slow and spacey
“Touchdown”, and the album’s title track, the future-epic-adventure-movie-soundtrack cut “The Serpent’s Mouth.” Wagner explains, “I wrote the song
with Bernhard Hummer as an instrumental fantasy story – think of pirates, smugglers and a dangerously beautiful sea passage towards the island. It
became an allegory for our mind travels into the world of the steel pan.”
The Serpent’s Mouth is sure to please past fans and newly-minted ones alike. It seems like a new era for Steel Drum music is upon us, and Bacao is
firmly leading the way into the hearts of music fans around the world.

British Funk Renegades - Baker Brothers: A Legacy of Groove and Innovation
Since 2001, British funk luminaries the Baker Brothers have been at the forefront of the UK funk scene, consistently redefining the genre while staying true to its roots. Their groove, deeply embedded in soulful nostalgia, draws inspiration from legendary acts such as Steely Dan, Sly and the Family Stone, The Doobie Brothers, D'Angelo, The Roots, The Meters, and Prince.
Renowned for their electrifying live performances, the Baker Brothers deliver an "in-your-face" experience that takes audiences on a journey through their extensive back catalogue, spanning eight studio albums and four live albums. These albums feature collaborations with notable artists, including Hamish Stuart of the Average White Band, Snowboy, and soul divas Vanessa Freeman, Hannah Williams, Acantha Lang, and Katie Holmes.
With over ten tours in Japan and numerous European tours under their belt, the Baker Brothers have proven their enduring appeal. They continue to navigate the challenges of band life with unwavering creativity and passion, using music as their vehicle to overcome life's hurdles.

As they forge ahead with new creations, the Baker Brothers' signature sound—characterised by tight horns, a driving rhythm section, and irresistibly funky guitar riffs—remains as killer as ever. Their journey is a testament to their longevity and their unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of funk.

To change your mood or mental state - change your Vibration A fragment from the Kyballion has deeply resonated with the band in recent years. Everything is mental, as Above so Below. Balthvs deeply believes in these tenets, and their manifestation is through music. Melodies that try to resonate deep within and generate a different type of Vibration. From the psychedelic experience arises a more balanced lifestyle, and from arduous and uncertain times arises the desire to have inner peace of mind. Music is medicine for the soul and the trio plays this music to wind down, relax, and be more present. It's music from the 21st century, a time when the world has deeply connected to one another via the digital realm, cultures are now free from geographic boundaries, they influence, mesh, and collide with one another. Turkish melodies meet Latin rhythms, from instrumental tunes to Spanish and English lyrics. The band freely takes from all corners of the world, and it reflects on the global audience they have slowly amassed in the past 4 years. Third Vibration is a celebration of life; a deep respect for the power of music.

Türküola’s new vinyl release of Kayalarınoğlu 2023 is based on Barış Manço & Kurtalan Ekspres’ 1975 album “2023”. On the other hand you can hear tracks like “Estergon Kalesi”, “Ben Bilirim Ben Bilirim” as well. “Estergon Kalesi” was the latest single released before the 2023 LP and “Ben Bilirim” was the A side of the single which contained single version “2023” at the flipside. In addition to these additional tracks you can hear the unedited version of “Kolbastı” first time on vinyl.
2023 was Manço’s most experimental album which contained a lot of electronic sounds of analogue synthesizers and also early drum machines. The track “Kayaların Oğlu-2023” has a touch of early electronic music of its age just like Jean Michael Jarre and Chezlaw Niemen. “Ben Bilirim” is a power funky song while the band’s experiments in Baykoca Destanı drives us to concept albums of pogressive rock groups such as Genesis, Yes, Renaissance etc. You can hear moody Anatolian Rock ballads in “Uzun İnce Bir Yoldayım” and “Yol Verin ağalar Beyler”. In both tracks you can hear a powerful rhythm section formed of two drummers and one percussionist.
The cover art also reflects the esthetic approach of Türküola during 1970s and 1980s. After the accurate reissues of 2023 by different companies, Türküola gives a new path to interpret the album once again but this time in a new vision.

Bella Brown & the Jealous Lovers Unveil "Soul Clap" LP: A Fusion of Retro Soul/Funk and Modern Grooves
Los Angeles-based retro soul/funk sensation Bella Brown & the Jealous Lovers are set to ignite the music scene with their highly anticipated LP, "Soul Clap." Born from the creative genius of Grammy Award-winning vocalist/songwriter Carol Hatchett, Bella Brown emerges as a diva with a fiery stage presence, drawing inspiration from the likes of Tina Turner and Sharon Jones, and channeling the empowered female leads of 70s Blaxploitation films. Led by producer/bassist/songwriter Daniel Pearson, The Jealous Lovers assemble an impressive ensemble of A-list musicians, boasting pedigrees that include names like Mick Jagger, Elton John, Whitney Houston, Prince, and Stevie Wonder. This musical collective is on a relentless quest to redefine the boundaries of music, infusing soul and funk with elements of jazz, rock, and Afro-Caribbean influences.
The essence of "Soul Clap" is derived from the cultural phenomena it is named after—a shared and improvised rhythm-making by a collective. The LP, spanning 40 minutes of pure musical bliss, invites the audience to immerse themselves in the groove and discover their individual truths in the music.
The title track, "Soul Clap," and the infectious "Living Proof" serve as funky dance bangers, echoing the spirit of Bohannan and The Tramps. These tracks, punctuated with jazzy improvisations and soulful horn arrangements, are simple yet joyful expressions of shared humanity and self-love.
"Coming For You" is Bella's audacious response to the soul/funk classic Apache, boldly announcing her and The Jealous Lovers' arrival on the modern soul landscape. "I Found You" takes a northern soul love song approach, reminiscent of Gloria Jones with a touch of modern influence, giving it a distinct Amy Winehouse feel.
Bella Brown seamlessly weaves social commentary into her art. "Bang Bang Bang," an uptempo, funky Motown groove, cleverly uses Curtis Mayfield's sense of sarcasm to reflect on American gun culture. "Lady Time" takes a driving afrobeat groove, employing brassy horns and reggae-like echoes to address the issue of homelessness.
However, the album is not without its lighthearted moments. "Fast As Lightning" celebrates a cleaner future by imagining Jimi Hendrix joining Ike and Tina Turner's band to create a classic Chuck Berry car song. "There Is Love" blends horns, strings, and vocals reminiscent of The Stylistics over a Chi-Lites style rhythm section, to create a lush message of support to those among us that may find the world a bit overwhelming at moments. Finally, "What Will You Leave Behind," is a revamped version of the group's sold-out vinyl 45 release. This track serves as a powerful call to action for a better future, delivered over a straight-up Motown groove with a funky Sly Stone finish.
Bella Brown & the Jealous Lovers have crafted an album that transcends genres, embracing the roots of soul and funk while pushing musical boundaries.
"Soul Clap" is a celebration of individual truths, shared experiences, and the timeless power of music.

Peruvian Latin soul and rock pioneers Beto Villena and We All Together deliver a true-to-original rendition of the vocal-harmonies wonder that is 'Suavecito', originally brought to fame by Malo in 1972. A sophisticated sweet soul "rola" for those into the lowrider sounds. 'Suavecito' has been called "The Chicano National Anthem". It was originally recorded by Santana-related band Malo in 1972 and reached the Billboard's Top 20. This Peruvian version, released on Discos MAG that same year, features Beto Villena and We All Together (WAT's Carlos Guerrero on lead vocals). Villena was one of the most accomplished trumpet players in Peru with a successful career in the Latin soul and tropical scenes while We All Together were one of the epoch-making groups in the history of Peruvian rock. A perfect blend of talents delivering a true-to-original rendition of the vocal-harmonies wonder that is 'Suavecito'. A sophisticated sweet soul "rola" for those into the lowrider sounds. On the flip we find Black Sugar, Peruvian pioneers in mixing funk influences with rock and Latin rhythms. 'Viajecito' is one of the strongest tracks of their debut album, starting off with a psychedelic guitar-driven intro then throwing layers of infectious percussion and piano. The track gets a turn once the horns and vocal section start, resulting an amazing jazzy Latin soul dancer.

Grab while you can. The tracks have already received very strong radio responses from around the world. Both tracks being supported by Gideon Coe and Cerys Mathews at BBC Radio 6 Music, whilst Nasser Bouzida from the band discussed the rhythm influences of Return Of Baron Samedi on the Cerys Mathews show. Specialist funk shows from Australia, Germany, France, Canada and the US have already been supporting these tracks. The tracks are also set to appeal to fans of one of Big Boss Man's biggest tracks 'Sea Groove', which is currently one of the UK's biggest home-grown funk recordings on Spotify currently close to 7 million streams. These are the first new releases from Big Boss Man since their fourth album Last Man on Earth on Blow Up Records.

Grab while you can. The tracks have already received very strong radio responses from around the world. Both tracks being supported by Gideon Coe and Cerys Mathews at BBC Radio 6 Music, whilst Nasser Bouzida from the band discussed the rhythm influences of Return Of Baron Samedi on the Cerys Mathews show. Specialist funk shows from Australia, Germany, France, Canada and the US have already been supporting these tracks. The tracks are also set to appeal to fans of one of Big Boss Man's biggest tracks 'Sea Groove', which is currently one of the UK's biggest home-grown funk recordings on Spotify currently close to 7 million streams. These are the first new releases from Big Boss Man since their fourth album Last Man on Earth on Blow Up Records.

Once dubbed the Magic City, by 1983 Gary, Indiana, had fallen on hard times. Over the previous decade the steel capital of America hemorrhaged half its population, including the Jackson 5, and changed its distinction to America’s murder capital. Lost in this transition was Billy Foster & Audio’s, joyfully beaming, self-titled disco-jazz LP. Recorded under the watchful eye of Bill McQueen, Foster and his band serve up a culmination of his musical experiences, utilizing his jazz training on the piano-forward ‘Sometimes’ and employing his synthesizer pop finesse on ‘I Need Your Love’.

Hoping to plant his flag in Gary’s musical canon, Foster issued the LP via his own Equistar imprint, distributing the release as far as a tank of gas could carry him. Two follow ups appeared in ’86 and ’89, but by that point Gary was in deep decline. Audio disbanded in 1993, the year Gary claimed its murder capital distinction. Original picture sleeve, remastered, LTD Edition 180g vinyl press.

Limited edition on clear red vinyl!

As they set to work on their highly awaited sophomore album, Black Pumas broadened their palette to include a dazzling expanse of musical forms: heavenly hybrids of soul and symphonic pop, mind-bending excursions into jazz-funk and psychedelia, starry-eyed love songs that feel dropped from the cosmos. The debut was nominated for 7 Grammys and reached one million album equivalents. Chronicles Of A Diamond arrives as the fullest expression yet of their frenetic creativity and limitless vision.

Regular edition without the print.

As they set to work on their highly awaited sophomore album, Black Pumas broadened their palette to include a dazzling expanse of musical forms: heavenly hybrids of soul and symphonic pop, mind-bending excursions into jazz-funk and psychedelia, starry-eyed love songs that feel dropped from the cosmos. The debut was nominated for 7 Grammys and reached one million album equivalents. Chronicles Of A Diamond arrives as the fullest expression yet of their frenetic creativity and limitless vision.

Limited Edition - comes on clear vinyl including an art print.

As they set to work on their highly awaited sophomore album, Black Pumas broadened their palette to include a dazzling expanse of musical forms: heavenly hybrids of soul and symphonic pop, mind-bending excursions into jazz-funk and psychedelia, starry-eyed love songs that feel dropped from the cosmos. The debut was nominated for 7 Grammys and reached one million album equivalents. Chronicles Of A Diamond arrives as the fullest expression yet of their frenetic creativity and limitless vision.

Released in 1974 with a "quadraphonic" sound. Brilliant songs by a cohesive band that knew how to materialize a memorable and original fusion project at an international level.

If Latin funk exists, it's thanks to pioneering bands like Black Sugar, a Peruvian group created in the early seventies that recorded two fundamental albums for the Afro-American and Latin genre. A pair of albums that are now re-released by the Valencian label Discos Monterey with the usual sound and visual quality to which we are accustomed. The roots of this band come from the Far-Fen (syllables for Farfisa and Fender), formed in the late sixties by guitarist Víctor "Coco" Salazar and Miguel "Chino" Figueroa on keyboards. One night they were spontaneously joined by the sensational voice of Carlos "Pacho" Mejía. In the seventies, in the Peruvian capital there was a shortage of "white" sugar and the darker cane sugar was consumed. Hence the group's name. Peru was in the midst of a dictatorship and the military were against music that did not come from Peruvian folklore.

Rock and roll with foreign roots languished due to the imposition of the established power, and Black Sugar emerged, whose main skill was to mix, with enormous passion and fascinating ability, Latin sounds and the funk that came from the United States.

The result is two memorable albums, with a large part of their own songs and most of them composed by Pacho. The first, with an eponymous title, was released in 1971 by Sono Radio, whose musical director Jaime Delgado Aparicio was in charge of the fiery arrangements with generous brass and energetic percussion. Released with the credits in English, they managed to break into the Top Ten of the Miami charts with the song "Too Late". They even received an offer to record their next album in the United States, but decided to stay in their country. That second album was released in 1974 with a "quadraphonic" sound, taking advantage of the label's magnificent studios. From the mid-seventies onwards the desertions began and it would not be until 2010 that the project would be recovered with some historical and younger musicians.

To listen to Black Sugar is to go back to the Peruvian night of the seventies with fiery music, full of sensuality and rhythm. Brilliant songs by a cohesive band that knew how to materialize a memorable fusion project, very original and at an international level. Two unique albums reissued by Monterey that will delight all lovers of Afro-Latin sounds and good music in general. Alex Magic Pop

The late Bobby Baker originally from College Park Georgia, was an original member of the American rhythm and blues band The Coasters formed in 1955. He sadly passed away in Feb 2022.Bobby was hired by Dana V Andrews & David Futch (originally from Detroit Co-owner of Davida Inc & founder of Gospel Label Futch Music Record with his brother Josh) with an amazing group of musicians including the incredible Patrice Rushen for this project. ‘Everything Has Got To Be Alright’ Is an ultra rare Gospel Crossover Funky Soul 45 and it’s by far the rarest on Davida Inc records Music perfection!

Timmion Records introduces a new instrumental group Bronze, Silver & Brass, an eight-piece brass ensemble that is about to make waves with their debut 7" vinyl single "Conrad's Lesson" b/w "Ward to Ward". This banger of a release blesses you with two spectacular tunes that showcases the group's influences from soulful stage band music to NOLA street funk.On the A-side, "Conrad's Lesson" delivers a pulsing midtempo groove, driven by funky drums and adorned with beautifully mellow horn melodies. Meanwhile, the B-side gem, "Ward to Ward" offers upbeat New Orleans second line funk, exuding the spirit of celebration and joy through syncopated beats and spirited horn arrangements.Inspired by the soulful sounds of Kashmere Stage Band, Curtis Mayfield - and of course contemporary trailblazers such as Young Blood Brass Band and Hot 8 Brass Band - Bronze, Silver & Brass boldly blend a gumbo that that oozes musical love without excuses. With this debut single, they invite listeners to celebrate the rich heritage of brass music while keeping things severely funky. Get ready and march to the infectious rhythms of Bronze, Silver & Brass.

Transparent Red Vinyl.Timmion Records introduces a new instrumental group Bronze, Silver & Brass, an eight-piece brass ensemble that is about to make waves with their debut 7" vinyl single "Conrad's Lesson" b/w "Ward to Ward". This banger of a release blesses you with two spectacular tunes that showcases the group's influences from soulful stage band music to NOLA street funk.On the A-side, "Conrad's Lesson" delivers a pulsing midtempo groove, driven by funky drums and adorned with beautifully mellow horn melodies. Meanwhile, the B-side gem, "Ward to Ward" offers upbeat New Orleans second line funk, exuding the spirit of celebration and joy through syncopated beats and spirited horn arrangements.Inspired by the soulful sounds of Kashmere Stage Band, Curtis Mayfield - and of course contemporary trailblazers such as Young Blood Brass Band and Hot 8 Brass Band - Bronze, Silver & Brass boldly blend a gumbo that that oozes musical love without excuses. With this debut single, they invite listeners to celebrate the rich heritage of brass music while keeping things severely funky. Get ready and march to the infectious rhythms of Bronze, Silver & Brass.

180gr reissue. Cover and vinyl are close to NM.

Finland’s best kept secret Chicken Grass is releasing a long-awaited debut album - Chicken Grass Chicken Grass has been playing together for 25 years and has developed a unique sound (Swamp Soul !) over the years. The band gets inspiration from different styles of afro-american rhythm music: funk, soul, hip hop and jazz. You can hear influences from the roots but also from today’s modern music. The band consists of some of the best musicians in Finland. The members are: Tapio Wiik (voc, keys), Janne Valppu (bass), Mikko Räisänen (guitar), Olli Tuomainen (sax,flute) and Janne Mathlin (drums). Sensational singer Princess Shaw from New Orleans features on two songs. The album was recorded live in Philophon studio in Berlin with grammy awarded producer Max Weissenfeldt (Poets Of The Rhythm, Dr.John) and sound engineer/producer Stibbo Spitzmuller. The recordings were done with vintage gear, which lends the album a retro yet fresh feeling. Chicken Grass wanted to make an album like the old classics in the 60’s and 70’s, which meant recording it live without any loops or samples. Chicken Grass is not ”fakin the funk” as they say! The first 45 single from the album (Snakebites/Trading Bullet) got a lot of positive feedback from music lovers all around the world. It was released by the legendary Tramp Records. Radio shows like the Craig Charles funk soul show on the BBC Radio 6 Music have been playing the single. A Finnish radio DJ even said ”this band is going to be the future of Finnish music”. Each song in the album is unique and stands on its own. You can hear the whole spectrum of funk and soul in the album. There are vibes from James Brown and Jimmy Castro Bunch (Have A Break), Curtis Mayfield style gospel soul (Sister Rosetta’s Train), P-Funk inspired modern funk (Woman), Blue-Eyed Soul (Street Haze), Isaac Hayes and psychedelic soul (Right Face), Dubby Blues (Jailbird) and African disco-funk (Pyroclastic). The band also focused on the quality of the lyrics. All in all, the album is a perfect combination of styles and genres, old and new, hi-fi and lo-fi, but the sound is still unique Chicken Grass. The more you listen to the album, the more it grows on you. You can hear the depth of the songs and the experience of the band with each playthrough.

There’s a moment before each Con Brio show — before the backflips, the guitar solos, the buoyant horn lines over bass, drum and synth — when all seven band members come in for a huddle. It's a way to say grace; an acknowledgment of live music as a team sport; a moment of stillness before they explode. "Let's work," they say, their heads bowed together. And then they do.

Named for an Italian musical direction meaning "with spirit," Con Brio is a San Francisco Bay Area band that plays soul, psych-rock and R&B as fresh and freethinking as the place they call home. With charismatic singer Ziek McCarter bringing "the dance moves, splits and all, of James Brown" (KQED) and a band that "comes across like a party punk version of Sly and the Family Stone" (Consequence of Sound), Con Brio is known to convert anyone who sees their electric live show.

Founded in 2013 by veteran players with vastly different musical backgrounds*, the band quickly became a favorite up and down the West Coast, then across the U.S., and then overseas in places like Japan and the Netherlands.

Explorer, out on July 6th, both builds on the success of Paradise and serves as a travelogue of sorts — a reflection on the two years of nearly nonstop touring that followed their first record's success.

Having proved themselves on an international stage, Con Brio breaks new ground on Explorer, expanding beyond raw energy and retro sounds toward a more contemporary, layered production style, all delivered with road-tested confidence. On "I Wanna" — a lusty, mischievous ode to the art of catching a stranger's eye across a crowded club — McCarter pours his voice, richer than ever, over a thick, irresistibly danceable rhythm from Jonathan Kirchner (bass) and Andrew Laubacher (drums).

"Body Language" slows that theme to a simmer, with a nimble, lyrical horn line from Marcus Stephens (saxophone) and Brendan Liu (trumpet) front and center. Songs like "United State of Mind" and "Royal Rage," meanwhile, reflect on America's current moment, urging strength and perspective in the face of cynicism and apathy. Over a cheerful guitar lick from Andrews, the former track sings the praises of travel, the ways it can make the world feel bigger and smaller all at once — and how sometimes you have to leave home to see it with fresh eyes. "Rage" is a rally cry, a call to resistance, with Laubacher's kick drum leading the march: "Feeling the world pulling apart, where is the we in who we are?" asks McCarter. "When will it end, where do we start?"

Then there's Con Brio's tendency to upend expectations: they've never been afraid of a little genre-bending. "Heart Shaped Box" began as a fun cover the band arranged on a whim on a rare day off on tour; within weeks it became one of the most exciting moments in the band's live show. On the record, it's a playful yet potent tribute, served surprisingly well by horns and a smart, slinky synth line from Patrick Glynn.

Ultimately, Explorer is a leap for Con Brio in more ways than one. It's a big record, with plenty of joy, a few growing pains, and more questions than answers. What does it mean to be an American band traveling the world in the year 2018 with a message of hope and tolerance? The record sounds, unsurprisingly, like a band on the verge. Wherever Explorer takes them, they go with open eyes. They're ready to huddle up, take the stage, and get to work — where they've found that, night after night, the things that divide us don't stand a chance on the dance floor.

Limited to 300 copies.

In the late 1980s, as techno and house made its way around Europe, mutating as it hopped from city to city, one young DJ from Curacao made a mistake that would inspire a brand new sound. While he was performing at Den Haag's Club Voltage, DJ Moortje accidentally dropped a dancehall track at 45RPM rather than 33, and let it play out. Thirsty for a hi-NRG sound, the crowd loved the squeaky vocals and rapid beat, and bubbling (or bubbling house) was born.For the next couple of decades, bubbling was a crucial part of Holland's Afro-diasporic club landscape. And as a new generation of wide-eyed young DJs and producers began to take the reins, it evolved accordingly. In the late-2000s, Den Haag-based teenage prodigy Guillermo Schuurman followed in the footsteps of his uncle DJ Chippie (one of the genre's co-founders) and cousins DJ Daycard, DJ Master-D, Stiko Jnr and DJ Justme, and began performing and writing beats. Using Fruityloops, he fused familiar bubbling rhythms with rap and R&B samples, trance synths and electro house wobbles, and his tracks quickly became a regular fixture on the Dutch circuit."Bubbling Inside" is a collection of Schuurman's most essential cuts from the era (2007-2009), with a couple of newer productions added for context. Crafted solely for the dance, most of these tracks were never properly released and have been painstakingly hunted down and collected by the Nyege Nyege Tapes together with Sascha Roth from Pantropical in Rotterdam and De Schuurman himself. Hearing them together highlights just how forward thinking the young producer was, steering a Dutch institution into the future.2008's 'First One' is a proto-Berghain belter, with booming bass-heavy kicks underpinning the kind of cheeky melodies that remain the calling card of the genre. 'Pier Je Bil!!' ratchets up the tempo, twisting bubbling's syncopated dancehall kicks into a rapid-fire club clatter and decorating them with steel-pan melodies. Elsewhere, 2019's 'Domina' shows how Schuurman's production style has developed as...

In the late 1980s, as techno and house made its way around Europe, mutating as it hopped from city to city, one young DJ from Curacao made a mistake that would inspire a brand new sound. While he was performing at Den Haag's Club Voltage, DJ Moortje accidentally dropped a dancehall track at 45RPM rather than 33, and let it play out. Thirsty for a hi-NRG sound, the crowd loved the squeaky vocals and rapid beat, and bubbling (or bubbling house) was born. For the next couple of decades, bubbling was a crucial part of Holland's Afro-diasporic club landscape. And as a new generation of wide-eyed young DJs and producers began to take the reins, it evolved accordingly. In the late-2000s, Den Haag-based teenage prodigy Guillermo Schuurman followed in the footsteps of his uncle DJ Chippie (one of the genre's co-founders) and cousins DJ Daycard, DJ Master-D, Stiko Jnr and DJ Justme, and began performing and writing beats. Using Fruityloops, he fused familiar bubbling rhythms with rap and R&B samples, trance synths and electro house wobbles, and his tracks quickly became a regular fixture on the Dutch circuit."Bubbling Inside" is a collection of Schuurman's most essential cuts from the era (2007-2009), with a couple of newer productions added for context. Crafted solely for the dance, most of these tracks were never properly released and have been painstakingly hunted down and collected by the Nyege Nyege Tapes together with Sascha Roth from Pantropical in Rotterdam and De Schuurman himself. Hearing them together highlights just how forward thinking the young producer was, steering a Dutch institution into the future.2008's 'First One' is a proto-Berghain belter, with booming bass-heavy kicks underpinning the kind of cheeky melodies that remain the calling card of the genre. 'Pier Je Bil!!' ratchets up the tempo, twisting bubbling's syncopated dancehall kicks into a rapid-fire club clatter and decorating them with steel-pan melodies. Elsewhere, 2019's 'Domina' shows how Schuurman's production style has developed as h...

Combining the sounds of Afrobeat, Ghanaian Funk, and Ethio Jazz, Derobe (Pronounced Day-Row-Bay) Dance Band creates a unique brand of heavy dance music tinged with dark intensity. Their debut 45, "Gogoplata" b/w "Kem Dahg," was recorded at Secret Stash in late 2013. The haunting melodies and intense driving rhythms crafted by this 13 piece Minneapolis based outfit make this record a must have.

After two 7 teasers already this year, The Diamond Street Players drop their debut self-titled LP this (month). The album brings you 10 delicious mid-and-uptempo grooves chock full of gritty and soulful Hammond organ instrumentals, backed up by the perennially hard-and-funky DSP rhythm section . Two vocal tracks round out the set, with Amanda Joy making her hypnotic vocal debut on Million Miles, and the powerhouse Adryon de Leon (Orgone and Matdor! Soul Sounds) bringing the OH, SO HEAVY How Many Lies, How Many Times to LP glory.This studio band, led by organist & producer, Spencer Garn was recorded and mixed at Gemcos Diamond Street Studios in Atlanta, GA. If you thought the days of studio house bands (Stax, Motown, Muscle Shoals) were gone forever, then hop in and take a ride down Diamond Street with these players!The first two singles, Million Miles (feat. Amanda Joy), and the timeless and timely dance-floor burner How Many Lies, How Many Times, were written and produced in conjunction with Leo Black (The Dynamites), and are on this full LP including Spencer Garn's blistering B-sides from those 45s, Organ Workout and Murky Retrograde. Bada Dum Dum, the Players own sing-along party anthem, needs no language-specific lyric for any super soul dance party to join in.You get some old school New Orleans vibes on Clean Slate & Suzy's Boogaloo, and some Gemco-pedigree deep funk/soul instrumentals on Grease Gun, & Split the Difference.No dull moments on this LP, folks. Jump in that car on the cover and take that funky ride on wax.

Ridiculously rare vinyl, superb musicianship, and a Playboy Club are ingredients that make the Don Cunningham Quartet's Something For Everyone album so tasty. Luv N'Haight is proud to preserve and re-issue one of the most collectible, highly sought-after jazz-dance records.

"Bunnies plus food and drink equals good time."Brad Holiday's original liner notes (featured on the back of this album) tell it like it was. Don Cunningham, Marion Miller, John Mixon, and Manny Quintero formed the Don Cunningham Quartet and played ‘The Living Room’ at Hugh Hefner's St. Louis branch of the Playboy Club between 1965 and 1968. Their music was different from that of the jazz mainstays playing in ‘The Penthouse Room’. It was also different from any act in St. Louis at the time.

"Before forming the Quartet, I traveled to Fiji, Australia, the Caribbean and beyond as part of the Johnny Mathis group," explains Cunningham. "On these tours I discovered the "island sound," which was something I'd never been exposed to before. It was enchanting, mysterious and sexual."

The Quartet's unique blend of exotica, Latin and Brazilian rhythms, jazz and easy listening was a perfect fit for the Playboy Club. "I was influenced by having seen Arthur Lyman, Cal Tjader, Willie Bobo, Mongo Santamaria, and Harry Belafonte play live. Not to mention that I was buying all the Les Baxter I could get!" adds Cunningham. The band's sound caught the attention of Bob Webb, a wealthy local businessman. As a friend of piano player Marion Miller he'd learned of the Quartet’s popularity. "I don't want to work, you work, I'll put up the money," Miller recalls Webb 's words. Webb fronted the funds for Miller to create Exclusive records, releasing three albums and two 45rpm singles, including the Something For Everyone LP.

"The music was only sold locally. We never looked up a distributor and we really didn't have a regular record deal," says Miller. Don Cunningham only remembers selling and giving-away the album at Playboy appearances and to a few friends outside of club hours. Only 500 copies were ever printed, some mono, some stereo, it's not known how many of each format.

Of all the tracks on the album "Tabu" has been the biggest hit with the jazz-dance crowd. That track is the reason many collectors have the album on their wants lists. It remains a tune worthy of heavy DJ play. "Something For Everyone" has been at the top of my wants list for about 10 years now. All my other wants I have managed to track down over the years, but to own an original copy of the Don Cunningham album is as illusionary as driving a Rolls Royce," says producer/DJ Rainer Truby of Compost Records. "Not only is it a rare album it is also a good one. "Tabu" to me is the mother of all jazzdance records! A welcome release! I'm curious to check the rest of the LP, but "Tabu" is more than enough of a reason to stroll down to your local record dealer," he adds.

Miller and Cunningham are surprised but obviously very happy with the current interest in the album. Both are still active musicians and hope that this re-issue may stimulate even more work for them. At time of writing Cunningham was on the road with his wife, appearing as The Cunninghams on tour with the Count Basie band. "It's great that the album is being re-issued. There's truly a quality of music on it that has been missed for so long. In a way it's world music - Polynesian, samba, Brazil, jazz, West Indian. It has the energy of Latin and funk records. It's inspired by - but is not really - easy listening, you couldn't exactly sleep in our "Quiet Village!"" says Cunningham.

Andrew Jervis. Ubiquity, February 2003.

UK only
UK promo by Ballantyne Communications; tour by Earth Agency.
No spot in music is immovable. No music can sit still but it's hardly ever as true as it is for Dowdelin, a band that can't be tied down to a single geography and genealogy. The creole language, Caribbean rhythms, urban energies, dazzling virtuosity, sensual electro: The group evolves in a unique place where genres and colors, heritage and audacity can merge.

Lanmou lanmou, Dowdelin's second album, muddies the waters, blurs the lines, bewilders. It does everything to assuage naysayers such as the conservatives and the lazies, the defenders of an official form of reggae, the right kind of zouk, the trademarked version of jazz or the historically validated biguine. As with the languages, culture and nations of the Caribbean which are never quite European nor completely African, it would be daunting to try and define where exactly Dowdelin is located on the official landscape of music in a Creole afro-futurism, at the crossroads of the black Atlantic...
The Dowdelin experiment finds its roots in a blend of encounters and loyalties: David Kiledjian AKA Dawatile, producer and multi-instrumentalist composer met Lyon-born singer from Martinique, Olivya. Together, they would jam and write songs in English. But, nothing felt right, until she started singing in Creole. Then everything made sense : the language of the French Antilles in the West Indies deployed its revolutionary universality.

David then got back in touch with Raphaël Philibert, a percussionist, saxophonist and singer who has always been involved in developing the field of gwo ka, the heavily percussion-based traditional music of Guadeloupe, of which his relative, Georges Troupé, is a pioneering defender. All this gave birth to Dowdelin and the obvious is striking.
We're reminded that when the poet and theoretician Édouard Glissant speaks of Creoleness as a whirlwind of unpredictability, he speaks of an adventure that couldn't be foretold in the world's istory : From Europeans and Africans forced into a third continent with an insane dream to build a New World, languages, cultures, music in other words mixed heritages, catharsis, diziness, resiliance were born through the mass crimes of slavery and the dispoilment of Native American populations.

Dowdelin released their debut album, Carnival Odyssey, in 2018.Connoisseurs took an appetite for that music with constantly shifting boundaries and countless relatives. This is confirmation that purity activists will always have problems with mixed identities saying things such as "This isn't jazzy enough for my festival", "It's too much for mine" ... But many concerts were performed mostly in Great Britain and France and quite a buzz among those who love unbound music.
The band then expands with the arrival of Greg Boudras, a drummer who has worked with David on other projects such as Vaudou Game, Fowatile, The Bongo Hop to name a few, in order to bring reinforcement to Dowdelin and he70 craft this second album.
What's the blueprint for it ? "We're not trying to pile up experiences or willfully make a collection of experiences," David sums up. It's more about feelings, about combinations that occur subconsciously. So sometimes we come up with things that surprise even us, like a fragment of an English synth pop hit, that only we recognize. The same recipe's never used twice: it can be a song I made at home with my instruments and my daughter's toys or sound designs to which Raphaël and Greg add rhythmic elements that change everything, or even more collective compositions… "

Then the verses emerge, written in Creole, English or French by David and Raphaël, who also happens to be a trained linguist and knowledgeable in the miscellaneous varieties of Creole. Messages of love and struggle, of brotherhood and memory ... And, from one track to the other, the generous burst of creolization is still at work, biguine blending with hip hop, contemporary jazz mixing with reggae, Creole expressing itself through the vast array of musics to which it is related...

A household name in Nigeria, Dr. Orlando Owoh enjoyed a durable popularity that has cut across generational lines in his home country and beyond. Leading groups such as the Omimah Band and the Young Kenneries, Owoh remained popular even as Nigerian tastes shifted to the newer Juju and Fuji styles! Before this transition, the hot style in Nigeria and Ghana was called Highlife. It developed from a traditional Yoruba genre called “palm wine music”, overlaid with danceable guitar rhythms, and, in the hands of many musicians, it also contained a strong element of Trinidadian calypso. Owoh combined this aesthetic with a traditionalist spin on things to make his own brand of excellent sound. His story, like that of many musicians, is a progressive journey in which we can see his choice in musical trends shaping in response to the events in his life. He travelled far in the music world before his passing in 2008 and is remembered to this day even outside of his devoted Nigerian fans. Dr. Orlando Owoh left us with a musical legacy spanning over forty years and he became one of the leading proponents of highlife music with over 45 classic albums to his name, including many hit singles. Owoh played drums and sang with the Kola Ogunmola Theatre Group (one of the most prominent ensembles in the country) when Queen Elizabeth visited Ibadan, Nigeria, in 1956. Performing with several bands, Owoh realized that music in West Africa was developing in a new direction and started taking lessons on the electric guitar. Owoh notched several hits in Nigeria in the 1960s, but his career was slowed between 1967 and 1970 by the country’s civil war. Owoh fought for the Nigerian government against the country’s Biafran rebels. After the war he recorded a major hit called “Oriki Ilu Oke,” and his fame spread to Nigerian expatriate communities. In 1972 he played in London, England and went on to play shows for large audiences featuring South African legend Miriam Makeba. After receiving a doctorate degree in music he was known as Dr. Orlando Owoh. In Owoh’s music, the sophisticated Caribbean-style horn arrangements of Highlife were deemphasized in favor of Owoh’s guttural voice, guitar, percussion, and down-to-earth lyrics. Owoh’s grassroots take on Highlife music and provocative lyrics led him into political realms in the turbulent Nigeria of the 1980s. Orlando Owoh entered each of his decades of performing with his prowess and popularity undiminished. Heard today, his music sounds distinctly more traditional than that of other Highlife bands and strongly evokes the music’s rootsier base. He also generally remained true to the small guitar-band format of Highlife, rather than adapting his style to the huge, kinetic ensembles. He sang mostly in Yoruba, but recorded music in English on occasion. His recordings, like those of other African musicians, consisted of long, dance-suitable medleys of connected pieces; they gave only a small slice of what would occur during an actual Owoh performance, which might last all night. Dr. Orlando Owoh left his mark on the world in multiple ways. To Nigerians and Ghanaians, he will not be forgotten for his contributions to their culture, and his reinvention of existing genres and trends. To the political world, he will not be forgotten for how he stood against the establishment. And of course to the music world, he will never be forgotten for how he united the planet under songs that Africa should be proud of. Like a proud canary, his songs elevated the world to a height that can never leave us. The album we are presenting you today (Dr. Orlando Owoh And His Young Kenneries from 1977) comes swinging right out of the gate with a set of no less than Nine monster tunes. Expect nothing less than some of the best traditional Juju, Yoruba and highlife tracks that will leave you captivated from start to end. This is a quintessential record that every serious collector or fan needs to have in his/her collection. Originally released in 1977 on Decca Records Nigeria, Tidal Waves Music now proudly presents the first official reissue of this seminal album. This is also the first time the album is being released outside of the African continent. This unique record comes as a deluxe 180g vinyl edition (strictly limited to 500 copies worldwide) with obi strip and featuring the original artwork.

The Ebony Rhythm Funk Campaign hailed from Indianapolis and consisted of quite a few members. With its early inception they were called Ebony Rhythm Band with some singles on Lamp records in 1969. Over the years with many band member changes and falling outs The Ebony Rhythm Funk Campaign was formed around 72/73. The new band acquired a recording contract with Universal City, a subsidiary of major label MCA. The group released one self entitled Lp in 1973. The group had some success but didn't acquire any further recording time with MCA. Band members Lester Johnson, Michael Woods and Pamela Tanner plus a few others went on to record a Billboard hit with "How's your wife and my child" on Carl Davis Innovation ll record label in 1975. An LP deal was negotiated which led to their 1976 Lp "Watchin' you, watchin' me" for Chi Sound records in 1976. Super Disco Edits in conversation with Trombone player Michael Woods discovered an earlier Lp that was recorded and funded by the band during 1973/74 Michael had kept the studio reels and some 47 years later we finally helped him get them baked and transferred. The A side later got released on the "Watchin you watchin me" LP but in 1976 they changed the song into a more disco funk polished version, the discovery of these 1973 reels captures a much more raw funk workout, which we feel is superior than the latter. Flip over the single to what is a beautiful sweet soul ballad written and sung by Pam Tanner. The sparse nature of the production tenderness of Pams vocals has already caught the attention of some of the Firme lowrider kats on the West Coast.

"Ebony Rhythm Funk Campaign" is a sweet funk group from Minneapolis that was evolved from four musicians who were friends and all left high school together to play in a band back in early 1970's. In 1973, they released their first and most successful album for MCA under the production of Wayne Henderson who is well known as trombone player of Crusaders. After the release, the band returned to their hometown and started recording in Chitown records studios in 1974~75 but the master tape had not been published by some reasons and forgotten for decades. These unheard treasures recorded in the middle of their career will be finally unveiled for the first time. You'll find how these lost tracks are superb and not any less gripping than their 2nd album released after these recording. You can listen to the single from UK disco label Super Disco Edits which will be released as an advance single of this album. For fans of sweet soul / psych funk.

Mega Rare 1974 Jazz Funk Rock Album Recorded By Argentina's Top Jazzmen Pocho Lapouble, Ricardo Lew And Adalberto Cevasco (Also Members Of Quinteplus, Jorge Lopez Ruiz's Band And Gato Barbieri's Group Among Many Others).Includes The Irresistible Fast-Paced Funk Rock Track 'Se Acabó El Recreo' And The Ethereal 'Todo En Su Medida Y Armoniosamente' And 'Haceme Shaft', Featuring Patricia Clark On Vocals And Unexpected Moog Arrangements.First Time Reissue, With Remastered Sound And Original Artwork. -Info: Those Into World Jazz Will Be Aware Of The Amazing Modal, Big Band And Post-Bop Jazz Recordings Released In Argentina In The '60s. The Body Of Work Produced By The Likes Of Chivo Borraro, Jorge López Ruiz Or Enrique Villegas Would Be Able To Rival The Recordings Of Their American Counterparts.The Following Decade Would See A Great Openness To The Exploration, With A Jazz Language, Of Other Musical Genres, With A Certain Preponderance Of Rhythm. The Members Of El Trio Are Part Of A Jazz Generation With A Greater Propensity To Experiment With Electricity And With What Could Be Considered An Avant La Page Exercise Of What Soon Afterwards Would Be Called Jazz Rock -It Is Music Composed And Played, In The Faraway Buenos Aires, At The Same Time Miles Davis Adventured Into New Fields, With Such Records As "In A Silent Way" Or "Bitches' Brew"."Todo En Su Medida Y Armoniosamente" Reflects That Same Spirit Of Experimentation And Fusion Of Diverse Influences With An Eye On Both Rock And Local Folklore. It's Not Surprising That The Protagonists Of This Recording -Pocho Lapouble (Drums), Ricardo Lew (Guitar) And Adalberto Cevasco (Bass) - Had Accompanied Gato Barbieri Himself In His Project "Latinoamérica" Shortly Before The Release Of This Album Where The Presence Of Rhythms From The Southern Hemisphere Infused The Avant-Garde Jazz Of The Argentine Saxophonist. Drummer Pocho Lapouble Had Also Created Quinteplus, Which In 1972 Released A Single Studio Lp Inspired By Those Same Premises Of Fusi...

Ella Thompson’s Domino is a spooky, bittersweet collection of cinematic soul cuts influenced by 1970s Italian 'Giallo' film scores, with luminous vocals that draw a line between 60s icons like Nancy Sinatra and contemporary soul artists like Kadhja Bonet. Ella’s effortless singing and haunting lyrics paint angular pictures in the moody darkness. The sparse production is intentionally cinematic, deeply influenced by the music of Italian ‘Giallo’ film scores of the 1970s, particularly by composers like Piero Piccioni but comparable to current artists like Adrian Younge or Bad Bad Not Good in a meditative mood. Minimal but propulsive bass and drums know when to hang back, as they do in the title track and when to step forward as they do in the chugging, deep and funky rhythm section work on the single Never Fight The Way You Feel. All the instrumentation used in Domino was created by Frollen Music Library, a library music project by the musicians behind Karate Boogaloo, Henry Jenkins, Hudson Whitlock and Darvid Thor, all long-term collaborators and friends of Ella’s. Ella has returned to making music under her own name in 2023 after years of releasing music with her electro-pop duo GL and cult indie band Dorsal Fins. One of Australia’s truly accomplished singers, Ella’s range ranges from art music to cinematic soul, jazz, and pop. In addition to her solo project and bands, she has been a featured artist for numerous acts, most notably deep funk pioneers The Bamboos and Mark Ronson.

For Fans Of Khruangbin, El Michels Affair, William Onyeabor.Fantasy 15 Is A Band Of Mortal Fighters Striving To Prevent An Evil & Merciless Digital Government From Destroying The Entiregalaxy...Armed With Analog Synthesizers And A Never Ending Supply Of Primordial Rhythms Reminiscent Of Nigerian Funk, Brazilian Tropicalia And New York City New Wave, The Rebel Group Works Diligently Day And Night To Save All Of Humanity From The Horrors Of Robotic Automation. When They Are Not Busy Saving The World, Fantasy 15 Serve As The House Band For Philadelphia-Based "Synth & Soul" Record Label Eraserhood Sound. The Group Are Proud To Beam Their Latest 45 "Burgundy Mist B/W Percy St." Into Earth's Atmosphere In Early 2021.Lead Single "Burgundy Mist" Is A Lush, Tropical Slow Jam Featuring A Sophisticated Rhythm Section, Electrifying Guitars, And Euphoric Flutes. Flip Side "Percy St." Features A Hypnotic Groove, Bolts Of Analog Synthesizer, And Angelic Vocal Harmonies. This 45 Proves To Be Another Masterful Slice Of Intergalactic Synth Funk From Fantasy 15.

Acid Jazz Group label Countdown Records is proud to present 'Shake A Tail Feather' - a Vinyl/CD collection from Fast Eddie, one of the early '80s most exhilarating live groups, and a favourite of the Rhythm and Soul powered Mod scene of 1980s. Initially called 'The Investigators', Fast Eddie emerged from Billericay in the wake of Thames Delta Blues pioneers, Dr. Feelgood. Having gained a following playing the raw R&B of the Pub Rock circuit, the band diversified their sound to incorporate classic soul repertoire, alongside their own material, which is documented throughout this collection.

Significantly, the group was also managed and produced by a certain young Eddie Piller - our founder - in his first foray as a music Mogul. In the Spring of 1982, he took the band to Pye studios near Mable Arch, to cut what would be their first record. Copies were sold via fanzines or direct through London record stores, on his own imprint he called 'West Suspect Records', marking the start of Ed's career as a record man. Consequently, this collection marks an important document in the formation of Well Suspect Records, Countdown Records and the wider Acid Jazz Story.

Acid Jazz Group Label Countdown Records is proud to present 'Shake A Tail Feather' - a Vinyl/CD collection from Fast Eddie, one of the early '80s most exhilarating live groups, and a favourite of the Rhythm and Soul powered Mod scene of 1980s. Initially called 'The Investigators', Fast Eddie emerged from Billericay in the wake of Thames Delta Blues pioneers, Dr. Feelgood. Having gained a following playing the raw R&B of the Pub Rock circuit, the band diversified their sound to incorporate classic soul repertoire, alongside their own material, which is documented throughout this collection.

Significantly, the group was also managed and produced by a certain young Eddie Piller - our founder - in his first foray as a music Mogul. Consequently, this collection marks an important document in the formation of Well Suspect Records, Countdown Records and the wider Acid Jazz Story. The LP contains a sharp selection of 16 tracks from their recordings, while the CD and digital version extends this with 4 extra tracks. Their storming versions of 'Shake A Tail Feather' and 'Out Of Sight', show their love of classic club soul, while 'Help Me' and 'My Babe' prove that they could play the blues with plenty of rhythm and feeling.

The ascending soul sensation Fat Generous embarks on a heavenly collaboration Wai Wan. This record is an invitation to their soulful world of jazz influenced funk and R&B, Fat Generous have been making waves in their hometown playing alongside the likes of Fatboy Slim and Sister Sledge, and their raw onstage energy has gained the stamp of approval from the godfather funk himself, George Clinton. Recorded at the height of a record breaking heatwave, Fat Generous have captured the blissful respite of a 'NightTime Cool Breeze' in a silky laid back groover that formed their debut single back in September. Amassing over 30,000 streams in the first month, alongside radio play and feedback from the likes of Craig Charles & Giles Peterson. Channeling carefree vibes reminiscent of Roy Ayers’ 'Everybody Loves The Sunshine'. On the second side a Record Store Day exclusive track 'Shake Your Body Down' 'Shake Your Body Down' is an unparalleled journey through the funk filled cosmos, a collector's dream that pays homage to the pioneers of funk while paving the way for a new era of groove. This release is the precursor to a bigger release schedule for the band a good vibes only DIY recording project that has been produced by legendary nujazz producer, Wai Wan, whose fingerprints can be found all over releases on Chrysalis Records and Virgin Records. This record is a scene setter that introduces you to the groovy rhythms that Fat Generous deliver in excess at each of their live shows unique performances that lean on the group’s tight knit ability to improvise and reimagine their own music. Limited edition heavyweight 7 inch vinyl in a picture sleeve. Get the debut release and you're ahead of the curve.

This next Toy Tonics EP takes one more step into a futuristic sound that connects Broken Beat, House & Neo Soul. The EP was produced by Fényan. France based dancer and producer (originally from Martinique) who hooked up with Kosmo Kint. Soul singer raised in New York and since one year part of The Toy Tonics crew in Berlin. Fenyan & Kosmo Kint met shortly after Kosmo Kint’s first release on Toy Tonics (the „Get lost“ EP with french producer Mangabey). Together they created three magic sparkling pieces of music. A unique sound inspired by the UK Jazz sound and the broken beat scene. A great further step in the evolution of uptempo Neo Soul dancemusic. Fényan’s rhythms are special. The groove is unique. This music makes you dance differently. No wonder as Fenyan (his real name is Kwame) is a professional dancer. He is travelling around the world teaching dancing with his own dance company and is a judge on international dance battles. Besides dancing he has ben producing beats since the age of 19 on his MPC. Influencd by the great names of deep jazz and fusion, but also inspired by the music from his origin Martinqiue: Zouk, Biguine, Bélè… you can feel this in the programming of his beats. Besides the MPC Fenyan tried many instruments, but mainly it’s the keybaords and the trumpet what he feels well with intuitivly. Kosmo Kint lives in Berlin since three years. He came from NYC where he was singing in Soul bands, hanging out with musicians and also writing songs for other artists. he is one of the many artists that moved from the big apple to Berlin recently. He joined the Toy Tonics crew almost 2 years ago to work on new styles between House and Soul.

There is no doubt about it, Funkadelic’s 1971 masterpiece is a classic recording. Ignored for years, it is now considered to be one of the all-time greats; an intoxicating mix of funk, soul and rock that showcased a group who were unlike any others at the time.

The album’s critical reputation rests on its title track. An extended instrumental, Eddie Hazel lays down more than 10 minutes of astounding improvisation, over a simple rhythm section. It is said that the album was recorded after the band had taken some yellow sunshine acid, and George then asked Eddie to play as if he had just heard that his mother had died, and then as if he had heard that she was in fact still alive. The resultant joyous release makes for one of the most exhilarating listening experiences that one could wish for.

However this is more than simply a one track album. There are shorter more direct songs such as ‘Hit It And Quit It’ and ‘Can You Get To That’ that give a sense of the pop sensibilities that lie behind all the weirdness. It is a measure of bandleader George Clinton’s production skills that he is able to successfully integrate these numbers with the proto heavy-metal of ‘Super Stupid’ or the apocalyptic ‘Wars Of Armageddon’.

* Record Store Day Black Friday 2023 (UK & Europe) exclusive release * Limited 180g Vinyl Edition (1000 copies) with obi strip * Rare 1972 Conceptual Funk-Soul-Jazz album * Comes with extensive sleeve notes * First Ever Vinyl Reissue Galt MacDermot (1928-2018) was an award-winning Canadian-American composer, pianist, writer of classical music and theatrical pieces. MacDermot also composed music for several film soundtracks (like the 1970 blaxploitation film ‘Cotton Comes To Harlem’) and released several exceptional jazz and funk albums on his own label Kilmarnock Records. He is best known for his work on the Grammy winning 1967 musical Hair (which also produced several number-one singles like “Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In”) and Two Gentlemen of Verona (1971) for which he won a Tony Award. In 2009 Galt MacDermot was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame and in 2010 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1979, MacDermot formed the New Pulse Jazz Band, which performed and recorded his original music. Galt MacDermot's music is extremely popular with collectors of jazz and funk. Working with jazz and soul musicians such as Bernard Purdie and Idris Muhammad, MacDermot created pieces that used African rhythms (he made the study of African music his speciality). In recent decades, his work has become popular with hip-hop musicians including Busta Rhymes, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Gang Starr, Action Bronson, Public Enemy, MF Doom, Madlib, J Dilla, Obie Trice, Naughty By Nature, Run DMC and Digable Planets…the list is endless. The album we are proudly presenting you today (Ghetto Suite written in 1970 and released in 1972) is considered one of the most ground-breaking records ever issued on Galt MacDermot’s Killmarnock label and consists out of a selection of songs and poems by Harlem/Bronx school children, set to Galt’s music, and sung by vocalist Angela Ortega. Given That Galt’s handling the music, you can bet that there’s plenty of nicely executed funky touches-supported by rolling bass-work, snapping drums, and organ virtuosity. But the real charm of these groovy tunes comes from the lyrics, which have a simple and to the point way of dealing with issues of racism, poverty and other issues of the time. The story telling is surprisingly gripping even after all these years. The whole album creates an extremely personal direct sensitivity to the environment of Ghetto kids…telling us with defiantly honest intensity what it was like to be young and black, the drugs and the deaths, the topic of incarceration…or simply the fact of being battered by the frustration of Ghetto existence. Ghetto Suite is way more than an entertainment record, it has been used by teachers and counsellors to inspire and motivate the muted voices of the black inner cities…documenting both their anguish and their triumphs. Tidal Waves Music now proudly presents the First Ever vinyl reissue of this exceptional conceptual album (originally released in 1972 and a highly sought-after pricey collectable ever since) This unique record now comes as a deluxe 180g vinyl edition (strictly limited to 1000 copies) with obi strip and features the original artwork and extensive sleeve notes. Released exclusively for Record Store Day Black Friday 2023 (UK & Europe) and available in participating stores on November 24, 2023.

Back IN Print 2022 Edition - Limited Edition of 300 copies Recorded Live in Hyattsville, MD 1975-2015. George really had no interest in releasing this record. "Seeing Is believing, they don’t need records, trust me I did that, today they getting it live". So this record is that, live tapes from the house, recorded on a government issued cassette recorder from National Library Service for the Blind. George calls these his practice tapes for songwriting, and performance warm-up, and never beyond his ears were they intended to travel. "You just got to see me live if you want to really see me.. so when we get there just plug me in, and point me at that crowd". Last time I saw George they had him wired to the club system. He unplugs his Yamaha keyboard, licks the tip of the power cord and taps a beat on it, finally plugging in, synth lights up, tones all at zero, beats at zero. Then he builds from there, counting blind through a preset one hunderd factory tones and rhythm patterns. "I gotta start off at zero, and go from there." After the Marshmellow Band disperesed, he got this Yamaha keyboard, same one he’s been playing since 1990, endless scrolling over the same presets, trying to make them fit, tempo down, tapping while telling the story and asking if that feels right to you. "This always gonna be different live."Some selections on this album are original material from home sessions prior to George’s 1980 self- released LP. The rest, just a sampling from the Smallwood mind’s library of classic song writers. - Andrew Morgan (Peoples Potential Unlimited)

How does one express the bone-chilling loneliness of having lost the love of his or her mate, even as the relationship continues in the present tense? We would venture to say that “Element Of Love”, the inaugural 45 on S’plat Records, and the record debut of vocalist Gervis Myles, pretty well answers the question. The song and the performances elevate this record well beyond many efforts which seem to get lost in the mannerisms of soul, but ultimately miss the point. Gervis Myles tears into the song, which has the feeling of a scorching King Records hard soul lament from, say, 1960. He moans, shouts, unleashes falsetto outbursts, and hits ever more impossibly high non-falsetto notes as the song goes on. Bootsy Collins commented: “Y’all takin’ me back while moving forward. I love the way you funkin’ with me!” The band, which we call “Suite Crude Revue”, consists in this instance of Andrew Spadofora on saxophone, whose solo work on the record contributes considerably to its searing intensity, John Paul Simons (upright bass), Bryan Rogers (piano), Dave Schoepke (drums) and Daniel Zelonky on guitar. The B side, “I’m Thirsty,” is a rhythm and blues stomp about drinking away “woman problems.” Standout piano work from Rogers and a blistering solo by Spadafora, in addition to the raw vocal performance, make one want to …. drink! Written, arranged, and produced by Daniel Zelonky (aka Low Res).

The Ghetto Brothers' "Power-Fuerza" (1972), one of the best Latin funk albums ever recorded_ Produced by boogaloo don Bobby Marin, this masterpiece is a sonic testament to the Ghetto Brothers' fusion of resilience, cultural richness, and musical innovation. Each track is a vibrant tapestry, weaving together the raw energy of the South Bronx streets and the soulful melodies born from the trio's Puerto Rican heritage. Out of print for quite some time now, we are so happy to make this obscure Latin funk gem available again! The Ghetto Brothers embraced music, crafting a potent, NYC-flavored musical fusion that caught the attention of record mogul Ismael Maisonave (Salsa Records). Their collaboration resulted in the recording of eight tracks in a single electrifying day at Manhattan's Fine Tone Studios, skillfully produced by Latin studio maestro Bobby Marin (Harvey Averne, La Lupe, Brooklyn Sounds_). This musical odyssey showcases the band's ability to seamlessly blend genres, creating a NYC-flavored stew that captivates listeners with its authenticity. The hypnotic rhythms, infectious guitar riffs, and impassioned vocals reflect the Ghetto Brothers' commitment to expressing their unique experiences and uplifting their community through the universal language of music.

Originally released on Gloria and her husband Walter Whisenhunt’s label Selector Sound as a 7in single, “Love Is A Hurtin’ Thing” features her soaring vocals
backed by luscious strings, orchestral horns and a searing guitar. On the flip is “Brother Less Than A Man” which sounds like a proto Funkadelic
/Parliament psychedelic funk bomb. Pressed as a 7in single on the House Guests label, it highlights a grittier side of her singing that matches the song’s depth and intensity. Backed by a rhythm section featuring Bootsy Collins and brother Catfish who along with Gloria and her husband founded the label
after leaving James Brown’s band. Look for the similarly titled anthology of Gloria’s ouput on the Selector Sound label to drop later in 2015.

Harari was formed in the late sixties and originally known as The Beaters, the South African group consisting of guitarists Selby Ntuli & Monty ‘Saitana’ Ndimande, bassist Alec Khaoli and drummer Sipho Mabuse decided to change their name to Harari during a tour through Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in 1976. The name is taken from a township outside Salisbury (which is now the capital, Harare). With their afro-rock/funk/fusion style they achieved huge successes back home and in the neighbouring states, and they were the first local black pop/rock band to appear on South African TV.

The Beaters/Harari had been disciples of ‘Soweto Soul’ – an explosion of township bands drawing on American soul and inspired by the assertive image of Stax and Motown’s Black artists. They supported Percy Sledge on his 1970 South African tour (and later Timmy Thomas, Brook Benton and Wilson Pickett). But their watershed moment was a three-month tour of Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) where they were inspired by the strengthening independence struggle and musicians such as Thomas Mapfumo who were turning to African influences. On their return, the neat Nehru jackets that had been the band’s earliest stage wear were replaced by dashikis and Afros. In the process, they created a sound that was labelled all too simply as ‘Afro-rock’ but was really a fusion of funk- and rock-inspired rhythms with African roots.

In 1976 Harari were also voted South Africa’s top instrumental group and were in high demand at concert venues across the country (they were the first Black band to headline their own show at Johannesburg’s Colosseum Theatre). Harari released several albums and their South African based label (Gallo), even got them a two-album deal with the US major label A&M. Their single, 'Party', entered the American Disco Hot 100 in 1982. After the untimely death of Selby Ntuli in 1978 they would go on to record more albums with a new line-up but it was never the same again. By 1984 the group disbanded, and Harari’s members launched successful solo careers.

Harari was a band that was deeply rooted in pan-African politics, the parallel cross-influences of the Black Panther Movement and Black Consciousness. African American soul music and Soweto Soul contributed to the way Harari became purveyors of all the styles we know today as Afro-soul, Afro-pop and Afro-jazz. The Beaters/Harari left behind a body of work that fused traditional African sounds with rock, funk, jazz, soul and psychedelia into a unique and coherent sound. It shows their ability to capture the many genres flying around South Africa during a time of intense political and cultural shifts.

The album we are presenting you today (Genesis from 1977) comes swinging right out the gate with a set of six monster anthems, explosive up-tempo jams, gorgeous vocal harmonies and chants, Afro-centric fusions of rock, funk and indigenous influences. The album is packed with mesmerizing drum-grooves, psychedelic improvisations and catchy Afrobeat rhythms. This is a quintessential Harari record that every serious collector or fan needs to have in his collection.

Originally released in 1977 on Gallo Records South Africa (and later repressed in 1982 on the same label), Tidal Waves Music now proudly presents the first official reissue of this rare album (original copies tend to go for Large amounts on the secondary market…that is if you’re lucky enough to come across one). This is also the First time ‘Genesis’ is being released outside of the African continent. This unique record comes as a deluxe 180g vinyl edition (strictly limited to 500 copies) with obi strip and featuring the original artwork.

Harari was formed in the late sixties and originally known as The Beaters, the South African group consisting of guitarists Selby Ntuli & Monty ‘Saitana’ Ndimande, bassist Alec Khaoli and drummer Sipho Mabuse decided to change their name to Harari during a tour through Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in 1976. The name is taken from a township outside Salisbury (which is now the capital, Harare). With their afro-rock/funk/fusion style they achieved huge successes back home and in the neighbouring states, and they were the first local black pop/rock band to appear on South African TV.

The Beaters/Harari had been disciples of ‘Soweto Soul’ – an explosion of township bands drawing on American soul and inspired by the assertive image of Stax and Motown’s Black artists. They supported Percy Sledge on his 1970 South African tour (and later Timmy Thomas, Brook Benton and Wilson Pickett). But their watershed moment was a three-month tour of Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) where they were inspired by the strengthening independence struggle and musicians such as Thomas Mapfumo who were turning to African influences. On their return, the neat Nehru jackets that had been the band’s earliest stage wear were replaced by dashikis and Afros. In the process, they created a sound that was labelled all too simply as ‘Afro-rock’ but was really a fusion of funk- and rock-inspired rhythms with African roots.

In 1976 Harari were also voted South Africa’s top instrumental group and were in high demand at concert venues across the country (they were the first Black band to headline their own show at Johannesburg’s Colosseum Theatre). Harari released several albums and their South African based label (Gallo), even got them a two-album deal with the US major label A&M. Their single, 'Party', entered the American Disco Hot 100 in 1982. After the untimely death of Selby Ntuli in 1978 they would go on to record more albums with a new line-up but it was never the same again. By 1984 the group disbanded, and Harari’s members launched successful solo careers.

Harari was a band that was deeply rooted in pan-African politics, the parallel cross-influences of the Black Panther Movement and Black Consciousness. African American soul music and Soweto Soul contributed to the way Harari became purveyors of all the styles we know today as Afro-soul, Afro-pop and Afro-jazz. The Beaters/Harari left behind a body of work that fused traditional African sounds with rock, funk, jazz, soul and psychedelia into a unique and coherent sound. It shows their ability to capture the many genres flying around South Africa during a time of intense political and cultural shifts.

The album we are presenting you today (Genesis from 1977) comes swinging right out the gate with a set of six monster anthems, explosive up-tempo jams, gorgeous vocal harmonies and chants, Afro-centric fusions of rock, funk and indigenous influences. The album is packed with mesmerizing drum-grooves, psychedelic improvisations and catchy Afrobeat rhythms. This is a quintessential Harari record that every serious collector or fan needs to have in his collection.

Originally released in 1977 on Gallo Records South Africa (and later repressed in 1982 on the same label), Tidal Waves Music now proudly presents the first official reissue of this rare album (original copies tend to go for Large amounts on the secondary market…that is if you’re lucky enough to come across one). This is also the First time ‘Genesis’ is being released outside of the African continent. This unique record comes as a deluxe 180g vinyl edition (strictly limited to 500 copies) with obi strip and featuring the original artwork.

Top reissue of their in demand 1976 LP by the super group. Includes the long jam ''Oya Kai'', keeps on going.. Also holds their known tune ''Musikana'', killer groove. Alec Khaoli, Selby Ntuli and Sipho Mabuse with their first album as Harari made a great debut channeling a raw energie following up their LP as the beaters. The Beaters – Harari was released in 1975. After changing their name, Harari went into the studio late in 1976 to record their follow-up, Rufaro / Happiness. In 1976 they were voted South Africa’s top instrumental group and were in high demand at concert venues across the country. Comprising former schoolmates guitarist and singer Selby Ntuli, bassist Alec Khaoli, lead guitarist Monty Ndimande and drummer Sipho Mabuse, the group had come a long way from playing American-styled instrumental soul in the late sixties to delivering two Afro-rock masterpieces. Before these two albums the Beaters had been disciples of ‘Soweto Soul’ – an explosion of township bands drawing on American soul and inspired by the assertive image of Stax and Motown’s Black artists. The Beaters supported Percy Sledge on his 1970 South African tour (and later Timmy Thomas, Brook Benton and Wilson Pickett). But their watershed moment was their three month tour of Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) where they were inspired by the strengthening independence struggle and musicians such as Thomas Mapfumo who were turning to African influences. On their return, the neat Nehru jackets that had been the band’s earliest stage wear were replaced by dashikis and Afros. “In Harari we rediscovered our African-ness, the infectious rhythms and music of the continent. We came back home inspired! We were overhauling ourselves into dashiki-clad musicians who were Black Power saluting and so on.” Sipho Hotstix Mabuse, talking of the band’s time spent on tour in the (then) Rhodesian township from where they took their name. As well as expressing confident African politics, Alec Khaoli recalled, they pioneered by demonstrating that such messages could also be carried by “...happy music. During apartheid times we made people laugh and dance when things weren’t looking good.” The two albums capture the band on the cusp of this transition. One the first album Harari, Inhlupeko Iphelile, Push It On and Thiba Kamoo immediately signal the new Afro-centric fusion of rock, funk and indigenous influences. Amercian soul pop is not forgotten with Love, Love, Love and, helped along by Kippie Moeketsi and Pat Matshikiza a bump-jive workout What’s Happening concludes the album. The second album Rufaro pushes the African identity and fusion further, with key tracks Oya Kai (Where are you going?), Musikana and Uzulu whilst the more pop-styled Rufaro and Afro-Gas point to where Harari were headed to in years to come. The popularity and sales generated by these two classic albums saw them signed by Gallo and release just two more albums with the original line-up before the untimely death of Selby Ntuli in 1978. Whilst they went on to greater success, even landing a song in the US Billboard Disco Hot 100 in 1982, it was never the same again. “Harari’s music still speaks directly to one of my goals as a younger artist: to express myself as an African without pretending that I don’t have all these other musical elements – classical, jazz, house – inside me.” (Thandi Ntuli, niece of Selby Ntuli).

"I use music as a medium to talk to other people", Sun Ra once revealed. The Düsseldorfer Stefan Schwander would agree with this statement by the avant-garde jazz great, though he would not necessarily sign his name to it. He also speaks to people through music. Yet he also likes to let music talk to music. Since 2008, as Harmonious Thelonious, on numerous EPs and two albums, he blends the reduced patterns and structures of American minimalist music with African, Latin American and Caribbean rhythms.

For his new work "Santos", which he sees as an LP with a unified concept, he embarked on a mental journey to the north of the African continent and became entranced by Moroccan trance music. The resulting pieces are light, with traces of pop, interweaving the atmospheres of the Master Musicians Of Joujouka and Gnawa music with the driving force of techno. This time Schwander invited a handful of guest musicians to serve as sound sources. The Berliner Ghazi Barakat, former bass player of Stereo Total and man behind the psychedelic experimental project Pharoah Chromium, contributed modified sounds from his Moroccan flute. A second guest musician is the Cologne-based composer Volker Zander, who has long played double bass and electric bass with Calexico. For songs like "Mountains" or "Belloumi" he played a melody on the Turkish Tambur, lending an oriental flair to the vital rhythms of the tracks. The intricate rhythmic patterns also incorporate instruments such as banjo, mandolin and Afro-Cuban drums, played by the percussionist Stefan Suhr, who studied Afro-Cuban ritual drumming in Cuba. Schwander's electronic sequencing blurs these organic sources and brings them into a fluid dialogue with his electronic ideas. For a piece like "Rendez-vous of the Dead", for example, Harmonious Thelonious projected himself out of the studio onto the Djemaa el Fna square in Marrakech. Here, every evening after sunset, local musicians meet and play themselves into a frenzy on distorted mandolins. Harmonious Thelonious translates this dream into a quaking dance monster whose home might be a techno club with an experimental sonic approach. Of course, most of the pieces of "Santos" are heavily danceable, although this time Harmonious Thelonious' tracks roll a little slower than previously. Their rugged beauty has also given way to a very smooth sound. His music, however, has lost none of its complexity. The many voices speak together, propelling each other toward something that traverses traditional genre boundaries, creating a playful trance.

The cover of "Santos" underscores this: It is a collage designed by the artist himself, depicting his notion of an all-star band. Everyone must decipher for themselves exactly who is to be found there. Here, once again, the pictures are not direct portrayals, but veiled references to an emotional state hidden far beyond the visual realm. Just like the music of Thelonious Harmonious, which uses various layers tell countless stories.

This is the first ever vinyl release of Ikebe Shakedown’s debut release. The sound of the album is still as heavy as an angry herd of elephants! Recorded at Dunham Studios in Brooklyn with the help of members of The Budos Band, these tracks are rough and tough to be sure and offer a variety of different sounds from the band. Ikebe seamlessly blends the raw emotion and passion of ‘70s African Funk with the danceable horns and rhythms of American soul music! The records is housed in a heavyweight gatefold tip-on jacket and comes with a download.

J.Lamotta has gone from strength to strength since her 2019 sophomore album “Suzume” (1,2 mio. Spotify-Streams), garnering support from the international music community and touring across Europe and Asia, incl. the iconic Blue Note Tokyo. Now she’s back with her brand new EP entitled “Brand New Choice” moving on from the organic sound of the very successful retro band album “Suzume”, the new EP shows fresh flavors in her music and contains contributions from a variety of producers. Its futuristic R&B sound is achieved through extensive use of synths and up-to-date rhythms and makes it Lamotta’s most contemporary release so far.

The EP’s 1st single “Can't Refuse” already marks that new direction the artist J.Lamotta is going for: while soulful R&B vocal harmonies remain, hard hitting hiphop-drums drive the song forward bringing a new energy to her music accompanied by lyrics reflecting on relationships and sexuality and a music video with J.Lamotta's signature aesthetic at the forefront, “Can’t Refuse” gives an exciting and impressive first taste of the whole “Brand New Choice” EP and what to expect from it.

And while the singer/producer’s previous releases already focused on lyrics and personal delivery “Brand New Choice” follows a similar path but goes even deeper and gets more personal than ever - revealing a liberal, independent and robust thinker using her music to express not only the artist J.Lamotta but the Rotem Alagem too.

The 2nd single “Hope So” - which is also the opener of the EP and will drop on June 12th accompanied by another video shot in Tel Aviv - makes that pretty clear. Dealing with the end of the past, sharing its tears over hard hitting drums and warm synths while honoring the late great Aaliyah and keeping up with that current zeitgeist is what sparks the whole spirit of “Brand New Choice” and the 2020 version of J.Lamotta.

The very tasteful artwork just like the whole visual conception of the record comes from J.Lamotta’s befriended and also Berlin based designer Gabriella Achandinha.

Only 1 per customer!

The second part of the Jacob F. Desvarieux anthology on Endless Flight brings three more productions of the fabled french zouk veteran with roots in Guadeloupe. The song “Sika” by Georges Decimus, bass player of Desvarieux’s band Kassav, features outer-national synth works driven by salsa-like percussions and sweet steel-drum melodies, dancing around the seducing zouk guitar chords of Desvarieux. A truely moving psychedelic zouk gem, that is for the first available on vinyl only since its release on Georges Decimus’s solo debut mini-album “La Vie” in 1983.