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Hailing from Minneapolis, MN, Black Market Brass is a 10-piece group performing their own brand of originally composed Afrobeat/Afrofunk music, as well as completing authentic renditions of the classic 1970's West African sound. Taking their cues from the godfathers, the band draws on complex polyrhythmic percussion, driving bass lines, dizzying guitar interplay, rolling keyboards, and room-commanding brass. The result? An eclectic blend of cool deep funk and driving Afrobeat grooves that will lure you to the dance floor and never let you leave.

"War Room" and "The Thick" represent the group's continuing evolving sound. Tracked with Leroi Conroy at Colemine Records HQ in Loveland, OH, these tunes simply burn!

Mampön are back! unleashing their Afrobeat enchantment on a new 45 release.

Crafted for the dancefloor, "Si Algún Dia Has De Caer" combines party beats with Spanish lyrics. Hectór Rodriguez, the band's guitarist and lead singer, creates a deep connection between celebration and introspection on an enchanting vocal-rhodes introduction before the rhythm takes you for a dance.

On the B-side, Mampön maintains the Afrobeat tradition as more than just dance music—it's a protest, a resistance. "Papeles Rotos" portrays people as slaves with rights on wet, torn paper, urging listeners to forge their path regardless of the cost.

Mampön emerges as a true soft power, destined for every dance floor, spreading Afrobeat magic.

A sophomore three-tracker: singer Mbene Diatta Seck in sombre consideration of street-kids and parental neglect, buoyed by propulsive drumming and trenchant bass; a second version without vocals, laying bare the poly-rhythmic interplay between marimba and percussion; and a mesmeric six-minute instrumental, with bassist Thierno Sarr grooving out on the top string of his instrument, bringing an elusive Manding flavor to the deep Mbalax mix.

Hamburg maestro Erobique, known for his improvisational spirit and irresistible disco anthems, visited drummer/producer Max Weissenfeldt at his Joy Sound Studios in Ghana. Together with Philophon artist Florence Adooni, he created the swinging catchy tune 'Mam Tola' there, which she sings in her mother tongue Frafra, a prime example of Afro-Soul. On 'Bach In Afrika', Erobique transforms a deep Kumasi-style drum'n'bass jam into a frenetic baroque ceremony by masterfully operating the Hammond 'Extra Voice' in a J.S. Bach-like manner.

2016 was the year for Idris Ackamoor & the Pyramids: their album "We Be All Africans" (produced by Philophon and released on Strut Rec.) vaulted them among the global top acts of the current Spiritual Jazz renaissance. The strengh of the group is its deep connection to Africa: not just that their music is inspired by the spirit of Africa, they actually founded themselves on an extended trip to the Motherland in 1972.

On that trip Idris Ackamoor visited the tiny town Bolgatanga in Northern Ghana to play with local Frafra musicians - an experiance which changed his life. Now, after 45 years, Idris dives once more into the magical music of the Frafra people by teaming up with master musician Guy One, the no. 1 Kologo artist of the vital music scene of Bolgatanga. On "Tinoge Ya Ta'a Ba" Guy One sings about the power of unity - a unity you hear clearly on this Afro-Euro-American cooperation: a driving rhythm, a eulogizing saxophone, a gripping voice and in total a journey into another dimension.

Dngdngdng is Dengue Dengue Dengue's new alias for this release of extra sensory perception. The duo have projected rhythmic visions of lost continents, unknown worlds and the unseeable past and future that is present all around us. By channeling rhythmic patterns from the matrix they're able to translate the waves of radiation around us which originated at the cosmic event which created the universe. Dngdngdng reach deep into their sonic imagination to draw from interlocking time signatures and variant tempos. From the cosmic interference and mathematics Dngdngdng create a polyrhythmic theme that brings the sound of continents lost and imagined to our ears. Dengue Dengue Dengue have established themselves as one of the most pioneering artists on the leftfield electronic scene in recent years with heavyweight support by the likes of Boiler Room, Resident Advisor and Bandcamp weekly.

Comet presents the first release from its new Disco Highlife series, featuring remastered originals by Ghanaian legends Ebo Taylor & Pat Thomas and disco reedits by LeonxLeon and Leo Nanjo.
Founder of Comet Records, Eric Trosset, started working with those great heroes of West African music, back in 2010. Taking on the role of manager/publisher, Comet teamed up with Strut Records and musician/producer Ben Abarbanel Wolff to revive Ebo Taylor‘s international career with a string of album releases: Love & Death, Appia Kwa Bridge and Life Stories. In 2014, he collaborated with Pat Thomas & The Kwashibu Area Band on a new album, gathering together the old ‘pals’ (Ebo Taylor, Pat Thomas, Tony Allen) in producer Kwame Yeboah’s studio in Accra.
It is with great pleasure that Comet launches this new series. Let's make this beautiful and timeless music the soundtrack to an unforgettable summer!
On side A, comes “Enye Woa” by Pat Thomas, originally released in 1988 on Nakase Records and taken from the album Me Do Wiase. It’s killer disco cut, and as innovative a piece of highlife as it was 30 years ago. Paris-based producer LeonxLeon has been cooking up songs in his Parisian home-studio since 2013. He did a remarkable remix of Cerrone's "Funk Makossa" and more recently released his new Rokanbo EP on Cracki Records. His remix of “Enye Woa” is a classy modern disco cut with funky bass and spacey synths.
On side B is “Atwer Abroba” by Ebo Taylor, a stand out up-tempo track from the album Twer Nyame, originally released in 1978 on Philips West African Records. Tokyo-based multi-instrumentalist/producer/arranger Leo Nanjo formed the first Japanese afrobeat group, Kingdom Afrorocks. Since the band broke up in 2014, Leo has been producing and arranging music with various collaborations, such as DJ Muro, Pushim and Misia. This is a trippy afro-futurist, broken-beat reedit with highlife grooves flying to deep space.

Just in time for summer, Sol Power Sound is proud to present its 4th release, the Djidjo Vide EP, a 1-2 punch of Afro house by label heads, the Sol Power All-Stars.

Djidjo Vide, the title track on the A-side, features DC (via Togo) Afrobeat band, Elikeh. It's a vibey slice of propulsive Afro house about finding joy in the face of hardship. Massama Dogo's commanding vocals (sung in Mina) combined with the driving bassline, and aggressive horns (performed by DC's Sticky Bear) make Djidjo Vide a summer sure shot for a roof-top jam, beachside dance floor, or nightclub near you.

The B-side, Tell Me Why is darker and deeper, chock full of percussion, a chopped vocal sample, and in-your-face afrobeat horns (performed by Matt Rippetoe and Joe Herrera of DC's the Harry Bells). It's a late-night beatdown that will set things off proper in a dark room!

Label cover. Few paper scuffs.

Jamaican born and Toronto raised, KG Russell is an unsung journeyman who followed the DIY path with his compelling output. Only a handful of collectors have been aware of the few releases via his private imprint Rain Sound - of which little information is known and copies very seldom seen.

A striking stand-out of Russell’s work comes via his Dance With Me album - a self-produced jewel originally recorded in 1988 with help from friends Tony Cameron and Orville Malcom on session duties. The brilliant blender of synth-soaked soul was released in 1990 on cassette only. Roughly 200 copies were manufactured and personally handed out to local record stores around Toronto.

Crown Ruler returns, plucking out three superior cuts for Last Dance and breathing new life into each via an impressive remastering effort from Melbourne sound wizard Daniel Elleson. Finally pressed to wax, this EP is clearly deservent of the 12” treatment. An island-tipped-electro-come-proto-house string of melters , guaranteed to prick the ears of lovers of the obscure and exotic. Last Dance is full of curious influences. It could be described as Caribbean flavored drum machine r’n’b. From the title track, a hypnotic boogie dancefloor filler, to Talk To Me, an electro rap meets smooth-jazz love jam, and finally Dance With Me, a bent and wasted soul ballad - Russell bares it all in another lost treasure given some TLC and repurposed for today’s DJ leaning ear

Originally released in 2002 the Martin Solveig remixes of Madan by Salif Keita is one of those rare releases that even now, 22 years on still gets played everywhere from festivals in Croatia to super clubs in Ibiza. Anyone who has graced any dancefloor in the past 20 years will no doubt instantly recognise this one!

Afro house with a French touch, Salif Keita, often referred to as the 'Golden Voice of Africa' lends his impeccable vocals to flawless production by Martin Solveig.

Until now the only way to obtain a copy on vinyl would be to pay close to £50 on second hand market. For the first time since its original release in 2002, South Street International have remastered and officially reissued this modern classic. Both the Exotic Disco Mix & Exotic Disco Dub are included here, one side each & cut loud for maximum enjoyment.

Jean-Phi Dary's much-anticipated *MIND* project gets its first release with the *For Peace Remixes EP*. The record is
set for release on September 20, 2024, via Comet Records. Featuring the extraordinary talents of French producer
*I:Cube*, who brings his extensive expertise in the electronic scene to reinterpret Dary's original MIND compositions in his
own unique way.
The record opens with a masterful blend of rhythmic precision and electronic depth, infused with Dary's signature style with
a mindful, meditative quality. This 3-tracker delivers a dynamic and immersive experience with *I:Cube* signature rhythmic
excellence and sharp focus on dance floor ready grooves.
Jean-Phi Dary, a producer and keyboardist with deep roots in Paris, London, West Africa, the Caribbean, and the United
States, has crafted his debut project MIND to serve as a culmination of his musical journey. With sounds inspired by legends
such as Herbie Hancock, Wally Badarou, and Brian Eno - Dary's work is bedded deeply in the modern modular synth
culture and enriched by his collaborations with renowned artists like Tony Allen, Papa Wemba, and Jeff Mills - who Jean-
Phi is currently collaborating with on "Tomorrow Comes The Harvest" with their album Evolution out last year, soon to be
followed by a worldwide tour in 2024!
His innovative use of technology and analog instruments, combined with the unique contributions of I:Cube make the *For
Peace Remixes* a notable release.
*Artist Quote* "I had the opportunity to use magnificent samples of the voices of singers from the Maroni River in French
Guiana on certain tracks, these voices of the Bushinengé people reconnect me to my Guyanese and neg-maroon origins,
my mother was born on the river and my father grew up in the Amazon region..”

Rare South African Afro-Fusion from 1984 First vinyl reissue Since 1990 First ever release outside of the African Continent Comes With Double-Sided Insert 180g Black vinyl limited to 500 copies (w/obi strip) / Stimela were a popular and successful South African Afro-fusion outfit led by guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, producer and arranger Ray Phiri. The band was formed under the name ‘The Cannibals’ during the 1970s when Phiri got together with drummer Isaac Mtshali, keyboard player Thabo Lloyd Lelosa and bass player Jabu Sibumbe. They initially started out as instrumentalists, but later evolved to Afro-fusion when they joined forces with vocalist Jacob “Mparanyana” Radebe in 1975. The story of ‘The Cannibals’ ends when Radebe died in 1978 but the ‘Stimela’ story was only just beginning.

In 1979, after a life-changing experience in Mozambique (where they were stranded for three months) the bandmembers had to sell all their belongings to take a train home. This trip was a watershed moment as it was here where they conceived the new name for the band: The Zulu word for “locomotive-train” Stimela.

Stimela would soon become little short of an institution in their home country of South Africa. With soulful tunes and gripping lyrics, the band has recorded platinum-winning albums such as Fire, Passion and Ecstasy, Shadows, Fear and Pain & Look Listen and Decide. In addition to recording their own material, the group supplied instrumental accompaniment on albums by a lengthy list of legendary artists. Stimela would go on to gain global fame after being featured on Paul Simon’s iconic 1986 ‘Graceland’ album and the mega tour that followed.

Ray Phiri would enter into many successful collaborations with major acts and artists such as Harari, Joan Baez, Willie Nelson and Manu Dibango. In 2017 he was diagnosed with lung cancer and died at the age of 70. Phiri has received many awards in recognition for his contribution in the music industry, one of these is the Order of Ikhamanga awarded to him by the South African president. This was to honor his sterling contribution to the South African music industry and the successful use of arts as an instrument of social transformation.

Stimela is the tale of a South African band who have battled their way through dark days to take their rightful place in the forefront of the South African apartheid-era music invasion. One of their most memorable tracks “Whispers in the Deep” was even restricted from being broadcasted by the old South African Broadcasting Corporation.

On the album we are presenting you today (Fire, Passion and Ecstasy from 1984) the unique sounds of Ray Phiri’s Stimela are fully showcased. Expect infectious hypnotic build-up grooves, cinematic lowdown jazz-funk, Afro-soul, delightful reggae, gospel influences and funky synth-boogie sounds…all with a touch of early eighties new wave and hints of Island disco mixed with sensual bubblegum pop. It comes as no surprise that the album has now become a sought-after item due to its addictive and original-sounding nature, a must-have for any self-respecting record digger!

These recordings completely encapsulate Stimela’s fusion style. They managed to craft a modern South African sound that continues to influence SA musicians to this day. Never in a rush, yet always with a sense of purpose and direction – like the steam train after which they took their name.

Tidal Waves Music now proudly presents the first reissue of this fantastic Afro-fusion classic since 1990 (originally released in 1984 on Gallo Records) & this is also the first time the album is getting a release outside of the African continent. This rare record (original copies tend to go for large amounts on the secondary market) is now finally back available as a limited 180g vinyl edition (limited to 500 copies) complete with the original artwork. Also included is a double-sided insert containing rare pictures of the band.

Mexican sensation Pahua comes to Razor-N-Tape via a huge remix project featuring some of the hottest producer names in current outer-national dance music.

Remixers on this 12” includes both staples and newcomers to the RNT production stable. Label co-head JKriv turns in a late-nite bass mix of the exceedingly popular ‘Porque Yo,’ Captain Planet delivers a percussive & thumping afro-house flip to “‘Espantapajaros’, Tigerbalm brings her chugging international disco flair to ‘Pa’lante,’ Prince of Queens digs deep with a housey dub of ‘Calla,’ and Londoner Clive From Accounts takes ‘Cana Brava’ into moody nu-disco meets amapiano territory.

With a collection of remixes as prolific and solid as these, RNT opted for an expansive 12” and 7” package which features seven of the remixes across two slabs of vinyl, with gorgeous artwork that flips the moonrise eclipse motif of the original Habita album cover perfectly in a slick device that reveals a crescent moon as the record is removed from the jacket.

This package honors the essence of the original music, while flipping it in quintessential RNT club-ready fashion.

Continuing his journey, the former member of Egypt 80 and last trumpeter of the Black President Fela Kuti releases his second album: APP (Accumulation of Profit & Power). Muyiwa Kunnuji and his band Osemako, which has been extensively recasted since Moju Ba O - which had already laid the foundations of his afroclassicbeat - have had quite an evolution, and are eager to share a recipe that has been patiently elaborated and stewed, both on stage and in the studio. A complex mix of deep musical and cultural heritages as well as a claimed and combative Pan-African culture, APP sets the bar still one step higher in the message, but also and especially in terms of composition and polyrhythms. Inspired by Western African highlife as well as the purest afrobeat of the Afrika 70 era, and even incorporating elements of South African marabi or Central African soukous, the whole does not sound less perfectly personal, tailored, with a natural and disconcerting ease. But this easiness is only an apparent as Muyiwa devoted himself body and soul to the composition and harmony during the gestation of these tunes so widely inspired and yet intensely personal. APP will thus delight fans of African music in the broad sense as well as connoisseurs, and just as much fans of funk grooves or jazzy solos; it is a deeply plural album. Multi-influenced, multicultural, multilingual, a slice of life as much as an initiatory journey, on which hovers the spectre of Covid, which has also largely inspired this second ‘effort’. Standing against absurd sanitary rules or the accumulation of profits by the powerful of this world and other pseudo-philanthropists, APP, again, reminds us of the great Fela, as much by the use of an acronym to entitle the album as by the themes addressed or the mixing of genres. A warrior album, filled and full of revendications, but also of calls for open-mindedness. An intensely human, sincere, combative album, and however radically enthusiastic and optimistic.

Originally released in 1990 ‘Voaria’ was written by Benjamin Nhassavele and produced & arranged by the late Tata Sibeko, the revered South African producer and member of Kabasa. Taken from the LP of the same name ‘Voaria’ was released at a time when early house music was emerging as a key influence in the South African musical landscape, an evolement of the Bubblegum pop sound that had fused disco and boogie with township funk. Characterised by Roland kick drums, Yamaha DX7s and Juno Synthesisers the Kwaito sound is the musical heartbeat of ‘Voaria’.

As well as being in Novidade, Benjamin toured the world extensively as part of Alec Kaholi’s Umoja and ‘Voaria’ is a song about his desire to go back to Maputo, his hometown in Zimbabwe. Featuring Benjamin on lead vocals ‘Voaria’ comes in 2 versions, a main House mix on the A side and the Clubhouse mix on the flip which switches up the arrangement placing more emphasis on the magical groove. The 12” is housed in a full sleeve jacket by Bradley Pinkerton based on the original release design.

This deep soul-jazz double-sider, recorded on October 3rd 1972, was released as a seven-inch single on Motella, one of the many labels of the Mavuthela Music division of Gallo Africa (now Gallo Record Company). Mavuthela was founded by the talent scout and producer Rupert Bopape in 1964. This recording of 'The Toreadors', a one-off session group, was produced by Ray Nkwe who worked as an independent producer for several different companies and was responsible for organising many African jazz-oriented sessions in the 1970s and early 80s.

Double sider 12" including the bubblegum club track ''Let's Make a Deal'' by Linda "Babe” Majika, which was originally released on the rare 'Don’t Treat Me So Bad' lp in South-Africa, 1988. On the flip, you’ll find the deep late-night saxophone driven tune ''Step Out Of My Life'' which includes Don Laka on the keyboard and is produced by Ray Phiri, who also founded the popular South African group 'Stimela'. The song was originally released in 1989 and finally sees a reissue, pressed as a loud DJ-friendly 12-inch.

“You don’t need to be a fan of Gwoka or even Antillean music in general to fall in love with the deep, expressive voices of the singers of the genre. Artists like COSACK, ANZALA and ESNARD BOISDUR have fascinated music lovers around the globe for decades. It’s not only the drumming style accompanied by their beautiful melodic intonation, but also the revolutionary spirit of these songs that make them a unique and powerful document of the culture and the history of the Antilles and the Caribbean.
I remember the first time I listened to this type of drumming and signing, live at the re-enactment of the slave riots, and being completely emotionally overwhelmed by it. Some of my record collector/DJ colleagues and friends – first and foremost Hugo Mendez and Émile Omar – shared the same fascination for the genre and kept inspiring me, and countless others, by their DJ sets at Tropical Discoteq in Paris, where I have had the pleasure to be one of the residents for five years and counting. At one of those nights, I met my friend Pascal Rioux from Favorite Recordings and told him about an amazing unreleased track I received months before, on a home-burned CD, from ESNARD BOISDUR. Among other beautiful songs, it contained one outstanding track, a mix of modern Gwoka and Zouk called “MIZIK BEL”.
When I started playing that track out, there were fierce reactions on both ends. The crowds loved it and after a while you could hear people cheer when they heard the first notes. Many DJs and labels wanted it, demanded it, and would even go as far as to block or unfriend me if I refused to comply. It became clear to me that the track had to be released on vinyl for the first time and made accessible to people who wanted to play it, while giving the original artist full credit. At the same time, I knew a remix version of the track that would pay respect to the original could only be created by getting the original stems, and not by editing the main track and pressing it into an “electronic dance corset.” Pascal agreed to the idea and started the licensing work and the search for the stems, which resulted in an ongoing three-year quest that was crowned by the finding of the ADAT containing the original tracks.
As AFRICAINE 808, Dirk Leyers and I spent considerable time trying to re-create the composition of the original, respectfully slicing and re-arranging it, adding new instrumentation, and recording additional percussion and talking drum with our percussionist ERIC OWUSU (Pat Thomas/Ebo Taylor). We stretched it, adding a krauty synth part without losing the focus of Esnard’s beautiful voice and lyrics, describing Caribbean music in all its diversity and beauty.
With this in mind, I hope you can now enjoy the beauty of “MIZIK BEL” as much as we have so far.” – (DJ NOMAD, June 2019).

Afrotronic is the new album by legendary Dutch dance pioneer and producer Eddy de Clercq, inspired by African rhythms and atmospheres.

All songs on the Afrotronic album are influenced by music from Southern to North Africa. Largely recorded in South Africa, not only electronically but also with an instrumentation of typical African instruments played live, such as the mbira (kalimba) and traditional drums and percussion. Exotic instruments adding a fresh characteristic sound to the music, not programmed via any existing electronic soundbank.

The plaintive vocals of a muezzin on 'Ibrahim' and the melody of 'Topaz' are unmistakably North African. The funky dance track 'Miss Ghana (Afro Baby)' is sung by the Ghanaian singer Consular. Although not typically African in origin, the didgeridoo, perhaps the oldest wind instrument on earth, plays the leading role in the North African-inspired instrumental 'A Track Called Africa'.

Inspired by his travels through South Africa and his love for the African languages of that country, Eddy wrote texts that he had translated into Xhosa. 'Coral Reef' was the first song recorded with South African singers Yemu Matibe and Alungile Sixishe, supplemented with classical arrangements for cello and piano. The original English text describes the loss of coral reefs worldwide due to climate change.

Afrotronic has ultimately become an adventurous, electronic, jazzy album, in which influences can be heard from Afro-pop, Dub Step, Deep House and South African Amapiano.

Transparent Vinyl.Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 Unveil Dynamic Collaboration with Damian Marley in Latest Single `Dey', to be released on a limited edition 7" clear vinyl on September 6th. A Historic Moment for African Unity and Art between Seun Kuti and Damian Marley.Grammy-nominated Nigerian musician Seun Kuti has once again set the music scene ablaze with the announcement of his electrifying new single, `Dey' featuring reggae icon Damian Marley that will be available on all major streaming platforms on June 26th on independent Milan label Record Kicks. The single will also be released on a limited edition 7" vinyl, featuring the instrumental version on side B, to be released on September 6th.This much-anticipated collaboration combines the raw energy of Afrobeat with the rhythmic vibes of reggae, creating a musical masterpiece that is sure to captivate audiences worldwide. `Dey' is the first single from the much-awaited new album by Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, `Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head)' that will hit the streets on October 6th.Produced by a collaborative dream team of top-tier producers that includes pop/rock superstar Lenny Kravitz (executive producer) and Fela Kuti's original engineer Sodi Marciszewer (artistic producer), `Dey' delivers a timeless fusion of sounds that pays homage to the rich musical traditions of both Nigeria and Jamaica while pushing the boundaries of contemporary music.Seun Kuti expressed his deep sentiment about the new single `Dey' featuring Damian Marley, emphasizing its special significance. He described the song as one that wrote itself, highlighting its spontaneous creation. He sees it as a historic moment for African unity, art, and brotherhood, emphasizing the significance of collaborating with Damian Marley, marking the first time Kuti and Marley have been on a record together, symbolizing the rebuilding of a bridge."The song depicts African unity and African art" Seun Says. "We are two performers, both from the dynasty of Africa, with a huge continental divide, sing...

High-in-demand B-Edits return with a Jazz Funk heavyweight and a Tropical deep cut.

Soundway presents a collection of 18 burger highlife, electronic afrobeat and reggae tracks, highlighting a time when the burgeoning Ghanaian diaspora across Europe and North America was utilising new music technology and recording techniques. A period of movement, emigration and innovation. The dawn of the 80s saw an increase in emigration following a period of political upheaval at home, with many Ghanaians moving to Europe - especially Germany - to find work. Musicians recording both at home and abroad began to blend highlife with outside influences, taking inspiration from US disco and boogie, European new wave and Caribbean zouk and soca, reflecting new surroundings and cementing musical connections forged in London, Hamburg, Toronto and New York. Ghana Special celebrates this key period of musical innovation and cultural exchange that redefined the parameters of Ghanaian music and accelerated the cultural exchange between West Africa and Europe. Features rarities from legends including Pat Thomas, Rex Gyamfi and Gyedu-Blay Ambolley and deep cuts from lesser known artists like Abdul Raheem, Starlite and The Godfathers. Includes extended liner notes, original covers and neverbefore-seen photos. Gatefold 3LP includes deluxe 8pg booklet; 2CD is 6-panel wallet including 24pg booklet.

Reissue of Amédée Ô Suriam's banger 'Hot Shot' in editted form, comes with two very dope remixes by 'Manoo'.. Sourced from the master tapes and properly remastered!

Amédée Ô Suriam was one of those flamboyant souls touched by grace. Percussionist, author, composer, singer, stylist, sculptor, the Martiniquan put his divine inspiration at the service of a hybrid and visionary creation. His sudden death in 1992, while in his thirties, left behind him "Tension Hot-Shot", his only solo release from 1989. A resolutely avant-garde track, whose fusion of traditional African and Caribbean music with the beginnings of the house movement in Europe is underlined by the subtitle "Afro House" on the A side of the EP, a term that was barely used until then. It is this mysteriously precursory track that Chineurs de House has found, remastered and reissued today, finally shedding light on the fascinating work of an artist who had fallen into oblivion.

Vocals (Tension Hot-Shot) : M.C. Kann, Amédée Ô Suriam & Marie-José FA Chorus-Keyboard (Tension Hot-Shot) : Luther Pérau Chorus (Tension Hot-Shot) : Prosper St-Aimé, Rémi Laposte Synth-Bass (Tension Hot-Shot) : Fred Montabord Saxophone (Tension Hot-Shot) : Pietro Lacirignola Structure (Tension Hot-Shot) : Allan Dee, J.C. Broche

"A Bangin South African bubblegum tune, with house club mix on the flip!"

The start of the 90's brought the final wave of House music that would cement it as the future of South Africa’s music scene. In the years leading up to the new decade, Disco had already naturally evolved into the very early stages of what would become South Africa’s signature House sound, with Instrumentals and Dub Mixes earning themselves spots on the Pantsula records leading the charts of the late 80s, it would be an influx of remixes appearing on import singles that would make the “House mix” the premier b side sound for those bubblegum artists trying to stay relevant in the 90’s. The House remixes coming from Chicago and New York dominated the airwaves at first, eventually gaining genre status by the later part of the decade as International House or just International for short. At the time this would have been synonymous with House music everywhere else in the world. After a years of these tracks getting remixed by the touch of the local talent, International no longer fit the description of what the music was and Kwaito became the sound of the streets. In the studio, Kwaito was the sound of the next generation of producers that was coming up under the Disco legends of 80s. In total it took less than 5 years total for the sound to evolve. It would be in this transition period between International and Kwaito, with the help of the new wave of studio talent, that we find the ingredients that gave birth to a short lived yet unique African House sound. After a long career with the soul group The Savers, Morgan Kwele cut two solo records under his own name in the late 80’s. Without much success and after being dropped by EMI, Morgan was picked up by Peter Snyman and independent Sounds of Soweto. At the time it was becoming a premier label for the emerging house sounds. M’du and Joe Nina would both end up working at Snyman’s studio, and it would be their collaborating project LA Beat that would launch their respective careers further. For his new album Morgan would team up with legendary producer and long time friend from the 70s Koloi Lebona. They would work together once more and record what most likely became Morgan’s final Album. The title track Vakonwana became the lead single, with the original bubblegum version on the A side for the old timers and the Club Version on the flip for the late nite parties.

By 1995 Kwaito was already a well established and distinguishable sound compared to the International House Remixes that preceded. The tempo was slowed down, Soulful vocal samples were replaced by catchy and repetitive hooks and versus sang in vernacular. The new hit sound had a template and studios worked around the clock to pump fresh releases into the demanding market. After the successful 1995 release of Import mixes Vol 4, The Groove City team behind the productions now decided to venture into the territory of Mid Tempo. They would craft an album for a young frontman with the help of Kwaito pioneer Oscar Warona, and without much trouble, the team had their first hit on their hands. Filling the boots of their cars with copies of the cassettes and taking the stock to various townships around Johannesburg the tape quickly circulated and sold out every new batch that was printed. Demand was high for the release but as with much of the music at the time, the fast paced demand for the music moved on. Without a follow up release Scotch failed to ride the momentum built by the debut and remained largely unknown although he is still in the music industry to this day. Even with their first artist release being a success, the following years proved more difficult in reaching such a large audience for the Kaleidosound studio. With popularity for the genre growing, the simple templates for early classics were changing as Kwaito fused with hip hop. Rapping took over as the preferred vocals for the masses. Mysterious production teams and labels that served as guides for music lovers were eclipsed by frontmen and groups that could draw crowds. The fight for fresh sounds continued as the airwaves became the main battleground for artists and the more club oriented music was pushed back underground, eventually evolving into some of the earliest examples of Deep House seen on the continent. The Kaleidosound production team would finally strike gold again in 1997 when reviving Groove City for vol. 5 which acted as the debut for the newly formed group Chiskop. The group would become superstars of the new commercial era that followed, sparking solo careers for the members and creating some of the biggest hits the genre knew. To this day Scotch remains one of the best albums to come out of the golden era of Kwaito. Although it was outperformed by other groups from the time it has a special place for those who knew it and can still be found as a treasured piece in many collections. The various people involved created a one off fusion of sound that has remained fresh for 25 years. Playful lyrics over floaty grooves resulted in favourites like “Jam Alley” which uses catch phrases from the beloved TV show and “Bafana Bafana” guaranteed to get the boys on the dance floor. Here you have these two tracks taken from the album pressed on a club ready Maxi Single for the Deejays

The Bees are a textbook case of the chew and spit cycle that was the late 80’s South African music industry. Although their unknown story is likely unique, it is just as likely that it is no different to that of many other young artists who dreamed of getting their music heard at the time. By 1988, the independent record label was no longer as uncommon as it had been at the beginning of the decade. As the 80s went on, more seasoned A&R reps and Producers that had gained experience and connections from their work under major labels would be trying to cash in on a market they helped create. Without the need of big rooms or expensive recording equipment, the digital advancements allowed many Producers to open or work in smaller studios and promote unknown artists under their own imprints. They would then have their catalogs marketed and distributed by the same major labels they had been working for just years prior. This would open up the possibility of a new era of stars as potential talent no longer had to be pitched to major labels in hopes of them taking a chance on a new signee over their already established artists. With the market growing and a struggle to keep up with the demand for new sounds this agreement would allow the major labels to put new emerging artists or groups on their catalog with little investment and high reward if it happened to be a hit. ON Records was just one of the independent players at the time. Ronnie Robot had just signed the unlikely trio The Bees in hopes of adding a hit group to his label roster that consisted of solo acts. Despite the debut’s fresh house inspired sound, it failed to catch on was outsold by the bubblegum disco the label was known for. Over the years unsold back stock and promos would build up with the distributor. Luckily this allowed sealed copies from the label’s catalog to survive into the 90s when the distributor’s stock was unloaded and picked up by legendary Johannesburg jazz shop Kohinoor. Here sealed copies of the Bees first attempt sat under appreciated for over 20 years before becoming a hot title after they started circulating online and became club staples. This is how the first album of an unknown group with no success was able to become a collectors item and earn a reissue over 25 years later. With their first record behind them The Bees were ready move forward and get back into the studio. A suggestion from producers had the trio change camps and go work with the newly formed Creative Sound Recordings, the label that promised “Music for the Future” and ended up being an essential studio in the early years of Kwaito. They would work with producer Chris Ghelakis and guitarist George Vardas, while a young Marvin Moses sat behind the desk. Musically the sophomore album was as good as a follow up as you could get. Building on the first album, Mashonisa delivers catchy melodies backed by heavy drum programming that would score points with any Pantsula. The Black Box inspired “ Never Give Up” was one of two tracks chosen to be pressed as the promo for the album, hoping to trick listeners with their catchy version of the hit( A year later the label would release their first volume of Black Box covers sang by neo soul diva BB, it would be a great seller). The label printed up an unknown amount of these in a last attempt to push the release in Shabeens and on Radio. The cheaper route of flooding the market with promo copies would only pay off 25 years later when unplayed copies started being rediscovered and had survived the years in a quantity that original run of the full album could not. Once again it was clear that with no mainstream appeal, the quality of the music on its own was not enough to garner any success at the time. The album flopped worse than their first and failed to make it past it’s initial run, making it one of the harder titles to get from the CSR catalog. Mashonisa would be the last attempt from the Bees. They would disappear from the scene as quickly as they appeared. Of the three members it is only known that lead Singer Solomon Phiri continued in music fronting a wave dance group before he mysteriously vanished in 1993, never to be heard from again. Through a combination of luck and circumstance the group, which is unknown in South Africa to even the most plugged in musicians, producers and radio hosts of the time, managed to finally get some of the recognition they deserved 30 years later. Unfortunately this small blip of fame would happen with none of the band members present to give their side of the story, or even aware of how their two albums became popular enough to be printed on different continents in a new millennia. The Bees suffered the same fate as countless other artists of the time, who thanks to emerging independent labels and willing producers were given an opportunity to have a short career, only to be replaced by the meat grinder of the music industry when they failed to produce a hit.

Mini LP with insert. The musical vagabond returns to spread his Gospel of L.O.V.E. San "Dr." Proper presents his third EP on Dopeness Galore with a selection of kindred sounds and spirits encountered around the earth while on tour. The result is an intriguing six-track EP that documents the musical collaborations that sparked to the pulse of cities like Casablanca, Bogota, Amsterdam and Medellin, straight back to the dungeon of Volkshotel where they fused these tracks in an Amsterdamic fashion. "where we did some afternoon-jams alongside some after-effects to spread the gospel of sentiment and love.” L.O.V.E. part 3 features upcoming artists such as Mr. Cruz, Elias Mazian, Bobbi and V. Bannier as well as local musicians from studios around the world, moulding a colorful record with traditional Arabique, Latin-Americain and western influences to create that unmistakable Proper sound.

New band from Bongo Joes agitated hometown Geneva! Just somewhere between dub tape, afrobeat and dancehall... like a lost gem of a retro-futurist soundtrack or a dusty trap song from outer space. Just listen to IVORY to catch the vibe : furious claps, deep kick, melow synth and souly vocal. Drum machine and madness are maybe the two feet they stand on. So free your mind and just dive into this post-tribal dance.

As three face of the same coin, Raphaël Anker (Imperial Tiger Orchestra), Gabriel Ghebrezghi (Ghostape, Tapes Adventure, Uberreel) and Ines Mouzoune will catch you on their spinning game... and you'll not stay indemn.

The late 1980s in the rainbow nation was a time when disco was mutating into what was becoming known as Bubblegum: pop music aimed at the black population of South Africa.
Bubblegum was a response to Western styles like disco and the fast spreading house music which originally came from the black ghettos of Chicago and New York. When the second Summer of Love took over the UK in 1988, first house, and other electronic music styles conquered South Africa as well. DIY - do it yourself - a motto that had already appeared in the punk movement, lifted the young local scene to the next level. With a minimal set up - keyboards, some drum machines and samplers it was suddenly possible to make music without having to rent expensive studios.
1 of 3 12" in a compilation of tracks from The ON label which was active in South Africa between 1987-1992, an era following the end of the apartheid regime and defining the new sound of Young Black South Africa in the early 90s

The late 1980s in the rainbow nation was a time when disco was mutating into what was becoming known as Bubblegum: pop music aimed at the black population of South Africa.
Bubblegum was a response to Western styles like disco and the fast spreading house music which originally came from the black ghettos of Chicago and New York. When the second Summer of Love took over the UK in 1988, first house, and other electronic music styles conquered South Africa as well. DIY - do it yourself - a motto that had already appeared in the punk movement, lifted the young local scene to the next level. With a minimal set up - keyboards, some drum machines and samplers it was suddenly possible to make music without having to rent expensive studios.
The Bees are probably the best known group, releasing only a few album in 1988-1989 and a handful singles that are now highly collectible. Their sound is electronic, hypnotic and highly danceable.
As is the case for Themba Wawelela is a prolific South African artist/producer who is best known under the monniker ''Little Big Man''
1 of 3 12" in a compilation of tracks from The ON label which was active in South Africa between 1987-1992, an era following the end of the apartheid regime and defining the new sound of Young Black South Africa in the early 90s

Afro7 is back and this time we’ve dug deep in the CBS Kenya vaults and found four fantastic soulful reggae tracks of early 80’s origin! First song is the bouncy ‘FIRE’ by Kenyan Black Savage Band (played out on the Worldwide show by Gilles Peterson back in the start of Summer 2018) Track two on the first side is Nigerian Sheila and Desmond Majek’s laidback soulful ‘GOT THE FEELIN’ and flip it for two fantastic tracks by the Kenya coastal outfit Ovid, check out the synth drum machine laden KARIBUNI and the party number OPERATOR. Mastered by Frank The Carvery. EP comes in super deluxe cardboard jacket made in Thailand with silk screened coastal-inspired artwork made by California resident Steve Roden. Limited to 500 copies, one copy per customer.

There is always a good backstory to the music that Emotional Rescue releases and this EP is a case in point. It comes from Betty & The Code Red and Betty was the girlfriend of Tunde Obazee, a Nigerian-born artist who used music as a "non-violent tool to express his socio-political opinions on global injustice." The pair would entertain people on campus by playing anything they could get their hands on, informed by the old Edo folk songs they had grown up around. They went on to live in Italy and the US and start a family as well as lay down self-released songs that have become cult classics. A selection of them feature on this, the first of two EPs from the pair.

Betty & The Code Red is a life and creative partnership between Benin-born Tunde Obazee and his girlfriend Betty. The pair grew up in Nigeria and would play all manner of instruments to entertain people at the local school before staying together as they went on to live in Italy and the US. Obazee performed at colleges and universities despite no formal training and eventually recorded a selection of tunes together including a small album on relatively new bits of gear like the Yamaha RX7. Especial has collated some of their best work across two new EPs, this being one of them.

Aweh is back to present Shukuma, the highly anticipated collaboration between label head Esa and South African Kwaito legend Kamazu from Soweto. This record, created between 2020 and 2022, is a testament to the power of musical synergy and South African cultural aweh-ness.

As part of Shukuma, the title track and the EP also lies the future Kwaito classic, Muntu. This dance floor banger not only showcases the creative prowess of Esa and Kamazu but also features a collaboration with Dirty Bungalow, adding a unique touch to the overall EP. Muntu has already been featured in the esteemed podcast series, The Invisible Hand.

To further enhance the experience, Esa has collaborated with talented artists Floating B_strd and Sanoy to create an exquisite art piece that perfectly captures the essence of Shukuma. The final artwork will be revealed on the official release day, adding an element of surprise and anticipation. This is a Kwaai Collab you don't want to miss.

Excursions in Gwoka vol. 2 is another adventurous outing for the Beauty & the Beat label that takes them ever deeper into the gwoka scene of Guadeloupe. it is the celebrated carnival outfit Akiyo who are in focus here with two tracks taken from second and supremely hard-to-find long player, Mouvman, in 1993. 'Deboule' is a real heater with bustling drum funk and chatting tribal vocals all run through with synth wizardry from Marie-Galante Jacques-Marie Basses. 'Blo' is just as steamy and intern with percussion, whistles and big beats all making quite the impact. Breakplus adds a London twist to 'Deboule' while CW adds a cosmic air to 'Blo.'

Originally released in 1991, PT House’s debut album ‘Big World’ signaled the arrival of a young Soweto rapper named Nelson Mohale (later better known as Dr House) on South Africa’s early house and kwaito scene. Teaming up with producer Danny Bridgens — an up-and-coming studio hand and session guitarist for the likes of Yvonne Chaka Chaka and Margino, also releasing as The Stone and Leroy Stone — the pair drew influence from US & UK hip-house contemporaries but were determined to give their sound a local flavour, as well as a positive vibe that looked forward to a brighter future. PT House’s four-track debut was a bold statement that still holds up today, reissued for the first time on Afrosynth Records.

Not new, but new to us. Future Rootz & Dinked teamed up to release this DJ 45, taken from the 2019 "what Goes UP Remixed" LP. These tracks are guaranteed to rock dancefloors worldwide: "NO Band News" remixed by Maga BO and "cut THE Infection" remixed by the SOL Power ALL Stars.

Selection of all winners from the Music Team label - mid 80s to early 90s gems on here!

One of South Africa’s biggest independent labels for more than a decade, Music Team offered working musicians a shot at fame via access to top studios, producers, songwriters and session musicians, as well as distribution via a number of imprints: CTV, Red Label, Solid, Spinna, Mambo Music and others. Artists in the stable who tasted success would typically release a few albums over as many years before moving on to other labels or falling off the radar as times changed. At their peak, according to label boss Maurice Horwitz, Music Team was selling a million records a month, and was at the forefront of South African pop music as it evolved from soul to disco and beyond.

Afrosynth Records’ ‘Music Team Sampler’ dusts off six rare and long-forgotten gems from the Music Team catalogue, originally released between 1986 and 1992. Four are typical of the label’s take on the popular ‘bubblegum’ sound of the day — Isaac ‘Cool Cat’ Mofokeng’s ‘Candy’, ‘I Won’t Let You Go’ by Linda Oliphant, Jappie Lebona’s ‘My Love is Yours and ‘Instant Love (Eyami Lendoda)’ by Thandi Zulu (aka TZ Junior). Two instrumentals — Mr. Ace’s ‘Ace 1’ and ‘Axe Chop’ by The Hard Workers, a studio project by Music Team’s in-house producer Tom Mkhize — meanwhile hint at the imminent rise of kwaito and house.

Forged in the fire of a cruel and volatile political system that was gradually unraveling, instead of addressing political realities these indelible pop songs sought to provide an escape to a world where love and music were all that mattered.

Azumah was the coming together of a group of talented young dancer-musicians from Soweto (South Africa) with musician and instrument-maker Smiles Mandla Makama of eSwatini (formerly Swaziland). Long Time Ago is the surprising and enticing, resultant album from 1985, recorded in the house of theatre stalwarts Des and Dawn Lindberg in Johannesburg. Produced by David Marks (3rd Ear Music, Hidden Years Music Archive Project), Des Lindberg and Smiles Makama, this album takes us back to a priceless musical moment in the dark and wild eighties of apartheid South Africa. Smiles Makama is a gifted and visionary music-maker. He was born in South Africa but grew up in eSwatini, the small kingdom enveloped by South Africa and Mozambique on each side. He tells the story of the process leading to the recording of this remarkable album: “I was invited from Swaziland by a Soweto-based group, Azumah. […] One of the members knew that there was a wizard in the mountains in Swaziland, building instruments. As I was in the mountains in my hut and then I saw people arrive. They found me. It all started there.” Instead of simplistic images of a generic ‘Africanness’ or ‘South Africanness’ and pictures of constructed and exotic ethnic identity, a contemporary, fresh listen to this album encourages an appreciation of the composition and musical skill at play in this music. Few people speak about the individual innovation and experimentation involved in the creation of this music (or the music of Amampondo for instance). “Woza Moya” sticks out as a dark and melancholy creation, different tonally to what has come before, evoking the work of Naná Vasconelos or Don Cherry. One thing that remains the same decades later is that encouraging deeper listening to the sounds of the mbira, the nyunga-nyunga, the uhadi or makhoyane bows is still challenging. Discouraging the superficial, short-lived acknowledgement of this ‘unchanging’, ‘African cultural expression’ is the everlasting hurdle. This is made so much easier by albums like Long Time Ago: when artists create music to be loved and entangled with, to be challenged by, derived from the musical roots and structures of these instruments and then expanded upon with creative freedom, risk, humour and funk. Azumah did this in 1985 and we have this album again today, newly released, to remind us of that moment and the moments since when musicians have urned inward and done similar. As Smiles has it: “Indigenous music doesn’t fade out. It’s just waiting to be discovered, all the time.”

Official LP reissue of 'Peace & Harmony' by Nigerian funk royalty Harry Mosco, Originally released in 1979. Incl the big tracks ''Sexy Dancer'', ''Step On'' and ''Do It Together'' Isle Of Jura digs deep going back 40 years for the reissue of Harry's 1979 album which is something of an undiscovered gem that touches upon Disco, Funk, Boogie, Soul and Dub. Harry passed away in 2012 and we’ve worked closely with his son on the reissue.
Harry Mosco is best known as the founder of legendary 1970s Nigerian Afro-Funk band The Funkees. Originating as an Army band after the Nigerian Civil War they lead the wave of upbeat music produced by young artists in Nigeria in response to the darkness of the recently concluded civil conflict. Following a notable hit single ‘Akula Owu Onyeara’ the band split in 1977 and Harry pursued a solo career.
‘Peace & Harmony’ was Harry’s third LP continuing the rich vein of form found in previous albums ‘Country Boy’ and ‘Funkees’ (For You Specially). He was a visionary who wrote, arranged and produced each song on the LP assisted by Mark Lusari on engineering duties (P.I.L, Jah Wobble & Prince I), whose Reggae and Dub influence can be felt on title track ‘Peace & Harmony’ and ‘Peaceful Dub’. The LP contains two certified floorfillers of Studio 54 era Disco Funk in the shape of ‘Sexy Dancer’ & ‘Step On’ and two slow jams, the soulful ballad ‘She’s Gone’ and horn lead album closer ‘Do It Together’. Mr Funkees was printed on the cover to help record buyers make the connection between Mosco and his former band

He was born in Sierra Leone in the 1930s. Fact is that Gerald Pine was son to a lawyer working in Nigeria, lost his mother and sister at a very young age and found relief in music. He played social clubs by the early 60s with his newly founded band THE HEARTBEATS delivering cover-versions of American hits and Congolese rumba tunes that were then utterly popular in the West Africa area. Due to the influence of Congolese popular musicians Franco and Dr. Nico he adopted the more exotic sounding stage name of Geraldo Pino and he moved on from there. THE HEARTBEATS literally played until their fingers bled in popular night clubs in Sierra Leone, became one of the highest earning bands of Western Africa and were even able to put up their own television show after television had been introduced in Sierra Leone in 1962. All those developments put Geraldo Pino and his band in the position as leading figures in the African popular music that even a legend such as Nigerian cult musician Fela Kuti, who is often credited with originally creating the so called “Afro Beat” style stated Geraldo Pino and THE HEARTBEATS as major influence which even made him setting sail to the USA to introduce his musical vision over there for he could not match with Geraldo Pino concerning popularity in Africa. This of course is a whole different story. Geraldo Pino lived and played in his area, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria and created some of the hottest funky sounds with sophisticated sound gear, outstanding clothing and songs that made your blood boil. After a few 7” releases throughout the 1960s the first real album of GERALDO PINO & THE HEARTBEATS hit the scene in 1972. “Afro soco soul live” is as the title suggests an album that has been recorded at a concert and Geraldo Pino often communicates with the utterly enthusiastic audience, gives longer announcements between the songs or introduces his lead guitarist before he starts a simmering solo. All songs here have an average length of six minutes and despite their composed parts they show this free jammy flow. The basic style is funk with soulful vocals which gets mixed up with traditional African percussion grooves. This album swallows you with its mesmerizing rhythms. It's afro funk at best with a frantic atmosphere whirling up from the ever flashing percussive arrangements. The funky Hammond B – 3 organ is omnipresent on all the tracks and duels with the wild and completely unleashed lead guitar from time to time. Repetative chord progressions and harmonies decorate the solid rhythmmical base and deprive you of your senses while you get deeper and deeper into a trance like state moving and floating along on the dancefloor. Due to the crisp and clear sound this record gives you the feeling of being right at the scene, everything sounds and feels so vivid, even after more than four decades. So it is no wonder that this record is a popular gem in Western Africa but how is the reception from the European and American fans of furious funk music? Well, Geraldo Pino has become a legend in his home area but just a short time before his death in 2008 people from the Western World really discovered him and his amazing band. Original copies of this album go for several hundred USD if they ever turn up. So a reissue of this sacred gem of African funk music from the early 70s has been long overdue. A record that is made to let dancefloors smoke and tremble and the musicianship is sheer amazing!

Laolu, the acclaimed Swiss-Nigerian producer and DJ, is set to release his highly anticipated EP titled Try, marking a pivotal moment as the first release under his newly launched record label, Siembra. Known for his transformative remixes and immersive club tracks, Try captures Laolu's signature blend of evocative beats and precise production. Leading the EP is the single ‘You Don’t See Me’, a collaboration with South African vocalist Nomvula, whose tender voice intertwines seamlessly with Laolu’s production. The track embodies the emotive, atmospheric qualities that have earned Laolu a loyal following worldwide while reflecting his desire to collaborate with one of the great voices of the vibrant South African music scene. The title track ‘Try’ features the distinct vocals of SeeMeNot, a standout artist from Defected Records additionally, the EP includes ‘Creature of the Night’, a track powered by one of house music’s most iconic voices, Starving Yet Full.

"Try EP marks an important milestone as the first release on my new label, Siembra. This record represents the latest evolution of my sound, a fusion that draws from both my European roots and West African heritage, seamlessly blending electronic and live music. It’s a sound crafted with both instinct and precision, embodying my deep love for dance music and a newfound passion for songwriting," Laolu explains. With these powerful collaborations and Siembra's commitment to artistic freedom, Laolu continues to elevate his creative journey. The EP sets the tone for Siembra’s future releases, offering fans a fresh, innovative blend of cultural influences in club music that moves both the heart and the dancefloor.

Singer, actress and cultural conduit for peace, Liraz releases a new collection of four songs, primed with an intensity and a raw musical revolt, energising the Middle Eastern musical landscape, sung in Farsi and driven by her deep desire for positive energy and much needed global harmony and light.

This is a recent recording straight out of Ethiopia, courtesy of the Sheba Sound crew.

Sheba Sound tour the Ethiopian hinterlands, capturing the mesmerising sounds of local talented musicians, using state of the art pop-up recording studios.

The process was captured in the highly acclaimed, award-winning documentary: Roaring Abyss, by Joaquin Piñero:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Roaring-Abyss-Quino-Piñero/dp/B08329VLRL

The hugely anticipated next release from the Sheba Sound archives, under license to NuAfrique (My45) features crazy, untapped talent of Nebeyu Hamdi, with the Sabat Bet Gurage Band, based in Welkite, western Ethiopia.

The original recordings from 2013 receive ethio-funk bassline overdubbing treatment from Addis Abeba's inspired masenko-bass man of the moment, 'Bubu' Teklemariam.

The full package receives ultimate mixing treatment at The Yard Studio by master dub producer Nick Manasseh (Roots Garden).

The B-side of this EP release features 3 exclusive ethio-dub cuts. Manasseh's inspiration of deep masenko bass and tribal drum rhythms is evident through his dub treatment of the originals. Playing the tracks back through his mixing desk like it was an instrument, the results are completely unique pulsating, punctuated Ethio-dub rhythm tracks.

Watch out Shaka – the Ethiopians are bringing their own dub cuts to town!
Interactive acoustic map of Ethiopia: http://shebasound.com/
Info & DJ bookings, contact: jonbanes@gmail.com

On the eve of her 80th birthday, Dona Onete - "the grande dame of Amazonian song" - returns with Rebujo, a love letter to her hometown of Belém, situated deep in the Amazon. Rebujo brims with two music styles born in Belém: carimbós, influenced by African grooves, and bangues, a ska-type rhythm, plus there's a cumbia, brega ('romantic' music) and samba. Since the release of her 2017 album Banzeiro, Onete has become a superstar in Brazil - she composed and sung the theme song for one of Brazil's biggest soap operas (A Força do Querer), been awarded the Brazilian Ordem do Mérito Cultural in recognition for her contribution to Brazilian culture + her video for 'No Meio do Pitiu' has an impressive 9.2m views on Youtube Outside of Brazil she's performed at Roskilde, Womad (UK, NZ & AUS), Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Festival and TFF Rudolstadt and is a global spokesperson for indigenous cultures.

Senegalese kora master Sourakata Koite began music from pretty much day one. "All the Koite are musicians!," he says. Indeed he is a member of a family of djeli (or griot in french), the hereditary caste of musician-storyteller-historians in West Africa. After moving to Paris in the late 70s he began to play in different bands and for musicians like Manu Dibango, Toure Kounda, Mangala, Mah Damba and more. During a festival in Holland, a music producer form Plexus Records heard him and asked to make a recording. In 1984 in an old chicken coop near Delft, Koite recorded the entire album in one take, including overdubs. The rich sonics and deep sound beautifully presents Koite's virtuosic and entrancing renditions of traditional and original tunes. With the reissue of en Hollande, Awesome Tapes
From Africa continues its mission of bringing tapes posted on the ATFA website over the years, including this one, to music fans all over the world.

A deep mystery surrounds the movie “Nell’anno della Luna” (In the year of the Moon) and its soundtrack, which was released one year later. A beautiful work that lingers in between swing and melodies, in a fad that was popular a few decades earlier, complemented by some elements of novelty borrowed from beat and rock. The title track, “Alla brasiliana” and “Samba Querida” sound more traditional, while titles like “Afro Swing”, “Underground”, “Beatmania” (all featuring the vocal ensemble I 4+4, led by Nora Orlandi) represent a more adventurous side of this soundtrack.

The 4th in the DDS 12” series, NZO helps stake the label’s 15th year of operations with a typically Janus-faced
approach to classic >< contemporary club ruffage. Tune to tune, she decimates and distills familiar tropes in
singular, whirring syncopations designed to prompt bodies to move in fresh new ways. It’s all primed for
proper animist magick, bound to snag rhythm fiends with its shape-cutting manoeuvres.
Working deep in the hardcore ’nuum’s 30 odd year tradition of concrète sampler chicanery, the four tracks
find fractured vocals and echoes of club classics revitalised and reset with advanced drum ingenuity.
160BPM opener ‘Concentrate’ appears like Hessle Audio’s Joe stripped for parts, whilst ‘Mallet’ swivels like SND
remodelling Afrobeats’ palette of tuned percussions, next to what could almost be a lost Various Production
edit in the sublime tension of syrupy R&B and frothing drums on ‘Come Alive’.
The EP ends with its standout, ‘Body & Soul’, an undulating ama simmer punctuated by dub chords like some
lost Basic Channel production re-cast for the lovers.

close to NM

After reissuing Hedzoleh by Hedzoleh in 2022, a collaborative effort by Meakusma and Soundway, this new 12inch features remixes by Jimi Tenor, Mark Ernestus, Gavsborg and Waltraud Blischke, transporting and transfusing Hedzoleh's tracks into new spheres and circumstances. Hedzoleh Soundz were one of the first and most original ‘Afro’ bands from 1970s Ghana, playing an unusual mix of traditional music and western rock as part of the West African Highlife scene. The music for the Hedzoleh album was used by legendary South-African trumpeter Hugh Masekela as the backbone to his afrojazz classic, “Masekela – Introducing Hedzoleh Soundz”. The Hedzoleh Soundz Remixes 12inch features an eloquent, deep, deeply poppy even, dub by Mark Ernestus, Jimi Tenor taking the original Rekpete track into even more joyous territory, adding some subtly hypnagogic touches at the end, Gavsborg transforming Y Yes Baa Gee Wo into a beat-based drone of sorts, a toolin the right hands, and a majestic experimental twist by Waltraud Blischke, sampling one Hedzoleh track and one unreleased solo track by Sascha Todd, son of Hedzoleh bass player and vocalist Stanley Todd.

This record came about with the support of Ostbelgien.

Introducing the 'Saltpond City Band'. A buoyant 8-piece outfit hailing from Ghana, blending soulful highlife and percussive funk in their new album 'Boko A Ko', forthcoming on Meet Me There Records.

The Saltpond City Band was initially formed by the legendary Ghanaian highlife musician Ebo Taylor and is now led by his son, keyboardist and lead vocalist, Henry Taylor.

The album 'Boko A Ko' is a blend of highlife, funk and afrobeat, woven into a refreshing take on traditional Ghanaian highlife. With the core of the band set deep in the highlife experience, Taylor and company deliver a combination of driving horns, fluid percussion and earthy vocals. The album features Ebo Taylor himself on 'Mennbo Wobi', which also showcases Ghanaian flute extraordinaire Dela Botri adding fine elements of melodic escape.

The forthcoming album is set to be released on the brand new label 'Meet Me There Records' (mmtr). Mmtr is a community-based project aiming to put the artist first. With profits split 50:50 between artist and label, 25% of the label profits will go directly towards the building of a recording studio in the local community of Dzita in West Ghana, Wornana Studios, which will become one of the first accessible recording studios in the Volta region.

'Boko A Ko' is already receiving praise from highly acclaimed artists and DJ's, but is also an example of what else is to come from Mmtr and is paving the way for new and unexplored talent that is coming out of the Ghanaian and West African music scene.

Comet Records presents Afro Rhythms Vol. 2, the first repress of Comet’s singles and Remixes from 2009 – 2017 with floor filler tracks from Tony Allen Afrobeat pioneer 'African Man" remix by Ricardo Villalobos & Max Loderbauer along with the afro deep house reedit of "Cotton’s Field" by French producer Jeff Sharel, the "Awakening" remix from Krazy Baldhead, former artist of Ed Banger and producer of electro malian band Donso and finally Africaine 808 to end this Afro Rhythms comp with their stunning remix of Afrobeat classic tune "Afrodiscobeat". A proper trawl through the vaults of Comet Records.

South Africa is in fact the only country in the whole African continent that has developed a strong Jazz tradition. Initially influenced by the great American stylists, (Ellington, Gillespie...) South Africa gradually developed its own soulful style based on a distinctive taste for melody and a deep sense of groove. Masterfully selected from the so-called Golden Age of the genre, (late Fifties / early Sixties), this compilation represents the best introduction to the work of a large and varied body of musicians and composers who inevitably developed their music as part of the historical Anti-Apartheid struggle, and as means of self expression in the dark times of exile. Kippie Moeketsi, Hugh Masekela, Dollar Brand, Chris McGregor, Dudu Pukwana, Mongesi Feza, Barney Rabachan, Nick Moyake and of course the queen Miriam Makeba are just some of the main voices represented here. A bunch of true warriors. in one word: A must!

Comet Records is excited to present Afro Rhythms Vol. 1 the first repress since 1999 of Singles and Remixes out of Black Voices’s LP from Tony Allen Afrobeat pioneer, along with the iconic Psyco On Da Bus creating a new sound between experimental, electronica and afrobeat, both albums produced by sound activist Doctor L. The compilation is a proper trawl through the vault of the early years of Comet Records featuring producers and artists as IG Culture, Eska, Catalyst aka Alex Attias, Psycho On Da Bus Featuring Doctor L and Tony Allen, Cinematic Orchestra and the legendary Parisian duo Chateau Flight. The tracks "The Drum" and "Brotherhood" produced respectively by IG Culture (Son Of Scientist) and Cinematic Orchestra are part of The Allenko Brotherhood Ensemble project, a collaboration between the unique drumming style of Tony Allen and the best in contemporary producers. Comet label continues its hypnotic elliptical orbit through radical funk realms and dancefloor wormholes, connecting to five decades of music from four continents and still heading for the future, a pure and positive light to guide our way on.

Sheba Sound tour the Ethiopian hinterlands, capturing the mesmerising sounds of local talented musicians, using state of the art pop-up recording studios. The hugely anticipated next release from the Sheba Sound archives, under licence to Nu Afrique features crazy, untapped talent of Nebeyu Hamdi, from the Sabat Bet Cultural Gurage Band, based in Welkite, western Ethiopia. The original recordings from 2013 receive ethio-funk bassline overdubbing treatment from Addis Abeba’s inspired masenko bass-man of the moment, ‘Bubu’ Teklemariam.

The full package receives ultimate mixing treatment at The Yard Studio by master dub producer Nick Manasseh (Roots Garden).

The B-side of this EP release features 3 exclusive ethio-dub cuts. Manasseh’s inspiration of deep masenko bass and tribal drum rhythms is evident through his dub treatment of the originals. Playing the tracks back through his mixing desk like it was an instrument, the results are completely unique pulsating, punctuated Ethio-dub rhythm tracks.

Watch out Shaka – the Ethiopians are bringing their own dub cuts to town!

It's been a long journey from the day in Nigeria when we found, inside an Alpha Kuffa - Messiah I sleeve, a blank test press of the Yangaman Bob Lp with a little Top Rank sticker on it to the day we met the producer, the great and brilliant George Dureke, who gave us the test presses of the remaining unreleased albums from his Top Rank label, till to the complicated audio Restoration handled by Colin Young and Bassi Maestro. After two years of hard and intensive work it's finally arrived the time for this compilation to be ready and see the light! Eight Unreleased Digital Roots tracks made in Nigeria in the late 80s, never released or pressed, if not on a couple of test presses made on recycled plastic. Surely it includes some of the most interesting Reggae Music made in the Roots Land call Nigeria! Now Ready to be spreaded worldwide!

Following up on their well-received single “Only Now” featuring a remix with label mate Bosq, Warsaw Afrobeat Orchestra deliver a knockout debut album full of heavy Afro and island-inspired tunes.

The album title Wëndelu means “Wanderer” in the native African Wolof language and is a fitting name for the album which explores the wide-range of sounds from the African diaspora and infused with their own traditional Polish folk, jazz and rock sensibilities. Tracks such as “No Such Thing”,“Let It Flow” and “Usurpation” reflect an obvious Reggae and Dub influence while the uptempo numbers on the album “Close To Far” and “Which Direction” veer towards Afro-Disco and Funk.

Formed in 2012, the 10-piece band consists of musicians that have worked and collaborated with each other in different projects ranging from rock, jazz, folk, reggae and funk in the ever-evolving and musically diverse underground music scene in Poland. Inspired by the masters of Afrobeat, world music, as well as African tribal music which is evident in their lyrics and choruses that repeat and weave in and out of deep, hypnotic grooves infusing it with a transcendental quality.

Soundway Records presents the eponymous debut LP from in-demand Amsterdam five piece The Mauskovic Dance Band – fusing no-wave dance punk, Afro-Caribbean rhythms and space disco in a “controlled explosion” (The Quietus).
Entirely self-produced, the band has reiterated their favourite elements of the 70s and 80s legacy of the Afro-Latin psychedelic music of Colombia and Peru, interpreting it through the context of modern day Amsterdam. The output is a lo-fi No Wave groove all its own - rooted in a deep love of champeta, Palenque, psychedelic cumbia, chichi, classic afrobeat and picó soundsystem culture.
Since the release of their “Down In The Basement” EP on Soundway Records in early 2018, the band have found themselves on a hectic European touring schedule – not to mention being involved in other side projects. Following stints with Turkish psychedelic folk rock group Altin Gün, and touring with the re-formed 70s Zamrock outfit W.I.T.C.H., Nic Mauskovic also teamed up with Dutch neo-psychedelic artist Jacco Gardner to form the “cinematic Balearic disco” duo of Bruxas (released by Dutch institution Dekmantel) – and together, they mixed The Mauskovic Dance Band debut album in Lisbon.
Lead single Space Drum Machine encapsulates the band’s prototypical brand of busy rhythmic patterns interwoven with insistent synth stabs and vibrant disco toms, layered with an elastic guitar riff drawing inspiration from Kenyan kikuyu and benga styles. High-pitched vocals describe being on a flight together and inciting each other to press a button of unknown consequence with “push it, push it” - and push it they do, at breakneck pace. And of course, the undeniable influence of Amsterdam’s hotbed of underground dance producers shines through as it does on all tracks - with the vintage psychedelic swirl of synthesiser, lo-fi drum machines and tape recording.

Following on from the first edition released earlier this year, Les Disques Bongo Joe are pleased to announce "Ayiti Kongo Dub Ep#2" by Chouk Bwa & The Ângströmers. Following on from 2020s acclaimed album Vodou Ale, Chouk Bwa turn up the heat for this exhilarating trip into their bush of ghosts by introducing a new stripped down line-up to fire up the dance floor, based exclusively on the drums and rhythms of the Haitian kongo rite and deep electronic dub expansions by their trusted Belgian counterparts The Ângströmers. As Afro-Caribbean polyrhythms meet bass-weight dub electronics, the two part EP has documented the group experimenting with a stripped back form which focuses on the dimension of trance. Opening with a cermonial chant and designed to enduce dancefloor delirium, the first track taken from the EP is the raw, high-octane, primordial techno of "Zemedo".

Hassan Wargui is a self taught musician, composer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and an expert in the songcraft and poetry of the Tachelhit speaking Amazigh tribes of the Anti-Atlas mountains in the south of Morocco.

He was born in 1985 in the rural community of Issafen, which lies between Taroudant and Tafraoute in the Anti-Atlas mountains of Southern Morocco. His music draws from the deep well of Amazigh, or Berber, cultures that have long been suppressed across North Africa after the region underwent a process of Arabization following the Arab invasions of the 7th Century.

Hassan grew up in an isolated mountain community in which art and music is embedded into daily life. This allowed him to develop an excellent musical sense, a deep understanding of the complex poly-rhythms that underpin Amazigh music, and time to become proficient on the banjo which, since the ascendency of the popular modern folk movement involving groups such as Nass El Ghiwane and Jil Jilala in the late '60s and early '70s, has been the preferred instrument of the region. Like many musicians from the region, Hassan built his first instruments himself, and it wasn't until he moved to Casablanca in his teens to find work which was scarce in his local community, that he was able to save for his first real banjo.

Since then Hassan has been active in the Amazigh musical community and has worked with a number of groups, notably Groupe Lbouchart, Imanaren and Etran Tiznit, as well as recording prolifically as a solo artist using Fruity Loops as a home studio. In 2009, Jace Clayton (DJ/Rupture) stumbled across a CD by Imanaren on a stall in Casablanca medina and this led to a fruitful series of collaborations in 2009 and 2011 (you can learn more about their work together here.)

Tiddukla (which translates to Friendship) is one of Hassan's numerous group projects and he recorded the album with friends in 2015 and self released it through YouTube due to the lack of music infrastructure in Morocco. The Tiddukla album is raw and hypnotic and sees Hassan and his group channeling the deep and contemplative sounds of classic Amazigh groups such as Izenzaren, Archach, Izmaz, all of whom risked their freedom by daring to sing in Tachelhit at a time when the language was still forbidden, and when Amazigh people were fighting for their rights to be recognised.

Hive Mind are thrilled to be able to release Hassan's beautiful music, and to introduce the fascinating rhythms of the Anti-Atlas Mountains into the wider world. We're incredibly proud to be able to support this fiercely independent and hugely resourceful and tenacious artist who has been able to continue creating music for over a decade without any real support from Morocco's music industry and while holding down a variety of day jobs. We really hope you enjoy his music as much as we do.

A great mix of Zouk, Afro-Funk and Boogie from the Ivory Coast, 1983. Cool synths, electric guitar, Afro-Caribbean rhythms...
Four long tracks, including the massive afro-disco-boogie “Africa Mawa” plus two cool afro/Zouk tracks and a deep ballad with psych guitar.
Featuring Congolese musician Denis Bibi Den’s Thsibayi and his band The Best, “Sensible” was recorded at Abidjan, Ivory Coast, after Denis Tshibayi was requested to play live there. M. Sacko helped with the production / edition and the album was originally released first as a tiny private pressing in the Ivory Coast and later in France on the Tangent label. During that time, Denis Thsibayi also recorded for Earthworks/Rough Trade and in the following decades he recorded with Adrian Sherwood (On-U Sound Records), Alpha Blondy, etc.

The Original Sound of Mali’ compiled by David ‘Mr Bongo’ Buttle, Vik Sohonie (Ostinato Records) and Florent Mazzoleni.

Malian music is a deep, lyrical form of African music. Those of us deeply entranced by Malian culture, and, in particular, the immense hypnotic beauty of Malian music, have put together a selection of songs from across the country.

No booklet in this Version.

Galathea is the new project by DJ Massimo Napoli, and the title of his first solo album. Borrowing the name from the homonymous Nereid from the Greek mythology, the album is a deep dive into dub, spiritual jazz and African surroundings. Over 12 tracks, the LP conceals a strong personality. Departing from club culture with particular emphasis on electronic dub, Galathea unfolds into many influences and styles, making it a unique listening experience. Mediterranean culture, afro and cinematic melodies, jazz, spiritual echoes, and soothing beats lead the listener into a subliminal escape, where the fluidity and the convergence of genres freely progress into a dream-like journey. In "Spiritual Wind," the essence of spiritual jazz can be perceived on the central 5/4 rhythm, the deep double baseline, and the vocals. In "Afrique," the melody and the rhythmic Nigerian Afro-funk blend with dub tonalities into a subtle listening experience, enriched by Kadi Koulibaly's vocal performance. In "Dune," the album moves from Africa to the Caribbean; it is a tribute to the Cuban and Puerto Rican culture, sonically achieved with the interplay of Latin rhythms and dub sounds. “Black Sand" is an Afro dub jazz composition; John Lui's poignant vocal performance accompanies the dub sounds and African instruments. In "Scirocco," the warm and hypnotic atmosphere merges with Asian hues; it is reminiscent of the Shurhùq (or "midday wind") - a warm wind that blows from the Southeast over the Mediterranean Sea. The result is an explosive combination of music traditions with the addition of dub timbres. In "Simeto," Asian influences merge with jazz. The delicate sitar blends with dub atmospherics like river ripples gently flowing towards the sea. Simeto (in ancient Greek "Symaithos") is the river flowing into the Ionian Sea from the slopes of Etna. "Sunset Dub" was written in collaboration with musician and producer Salvo Dub; the song starts with a dynamic, percussive session and progresses into minimal dub tonalities and electronica. "Sirens" is an ethereal song composition enhanced by the sounds of the sea and the sea birds, as well as the haunting sirens' voices. "Karma Blues" is an Afro-blues track with impact. The kora and the reggae singing perfectly paint the recording and its gentle and atmospheric progression. "This is African Jazz" is inspired by the Savannah sounds; it carries the listener on a refined journey accompanied by an African dub and percussions. "Amanecer" was conceived as a soundtrack to welcome the sun, with the strings accompanying the sea sounds and the chanting of the sea birds.

The Original Sound of Mali’ compiled by David ‘Mr Bongo’ Buttle, Vik Sohonie (Ostinato Records) and 
Florent Mazzoleni.

Malian music is a deep, lyrical form of African music. Those of us deeply entranced by Malian culture, and, in particular, the immense hypnotic beauty of Malian music, have put together a selection of songs from across the country.

E & S Brothers’ 1985 album Taduma holds a unique yet overlooked place in the history of South African dance music. When Shadrack Ndlovu and Ernest Segeel teamed up with Dane Stevenson, owner of Blue Tree Studio in downtown Johannesburg, and journeyman producer Taso Stephanou, South Africa’s bubblegum era had just begun, spurred on by the success of Shangaan disco. The relative success of their debut 12” ‘Don’t Bang The Taxi Door’, marketed aggressively at taxi ranks throughout the country, helped put the Blue Tree label on the map and E & S were invited back to record a full album: Taduma, featuring on keyboards Dr Buke, an in-demand session player from Soweto.

Rooted in Africa, yet purely electronic, Taduma was a moderate hit, spurred by tracks like ‘Taxi Door’ and ‘Mhane’, its hypnotic refrain ‘Mhane, famba na wena’ meaning ‘Mother, I am going to you’. Other tracks like ‘Mapantsula’ and ‘Be Careful’ place Taduma within the street-savvy ‘pantsula’ style and dance synonymous with consecutive waves of music from disco to kwaito, house and beyond, while ‘Sikele Masike’ repurposes a traditional Shangaan work song. Vocally E & S are closer to rapping than singing, in a combination of English and vernacular – predating other credited pioneers of kwaito in SA like Senyaka and Spokes H. Driving the music instead of vocals are waves of searing synths over rudimentary but explosive drum machine sounds – the word ‘Taduma’ meaning the sound of the drum.

Remastered from the original tapes and reissued for the first time, Taduma will be available on vinyl and digital platforms from early 2022 via Afrosynth Records.

Les Ya Toupas is a band formed in 1976 by Bopol Mansiamina (Bass - Success Mode, 4 Stars ..), Manuaku Waku (aka Grand Zaiko Wawa) and Ray Lema (Piano, Organ and Guitar) Between 1976 and 1978, they recorded several 7inches including the famous title “Je ne bois pas beaucoup” (1976) compiled on the series of Sofrito (Tropical Discotheque ) in 2011. In 1978, they recorded this unique and unclassifiable instrumental album, Les Ya Toupas du Zaïre, produced by Gérard Akueson (founder of Akue Records and Abeti's producer). The LP is composed of minimalist Afro Jazz rhythms and Deep Funk grooves that are close at times to a tropical trance, all played by musicians who used to offer more classic Rumba rhythms. It is their only album before the departure in 1979 of Ray Lema for the United States and then France. Ray Lema's departure follows a violent disagreement which opposed him to the dictator Mobutu then in place in Zaïre. Let's not forget that the album was released in 1978 and can be seen as their last musicial project.