V/A Opika Pende: Africa At 78 RPM (Dust-To-Digital) 4cd + book box 59.00
We've raved about the amazing Dust-To-Digital label before, their releases are always incredible, from the recordings to the liner notes to the packaging, few can touch these guys when it comes to elaborate and over the top packaging. But let's take a second to gush again a bit about aQ pal Jonathan Ward, who besides having one of the most incredible collections of industrial music (not industrial as in Throbbing Gristle, but as in music created by and for corporations, commercials, etc), also runs the amazing Excavated Shellac blog, which is a treasure trove of lost recordings, and Ward writes beautifully about the records and their provenance. Ward curated the amazing Excavated Shellac: Strings lp on Parlortone a while back, which we can't recommend enough, but this long in the works boxset does that compilation one better. Or maybe four better. Four discs overflowing with incredible sounds, all gathered from 78rpm shellac phonograph records, most of which have never been heard outside of Africa, as these discs were not recorded for ethnomusicologists or as the liner notes suggest "curious Westerners", but for the local population, and thus were much more difficult to track down, but as we stated above, Ward's collection of 78s is stunning, and essentially, this boxset is like a physical version of his blog, with his extensive liner notes on each of the ONE HUNDRED (!) tracks here, totally fascinating and informative, not just discussing the song, but offering an overview of the time, the culture, and more extensively going into the hunt for, and discovery of these records, as well as the reasons behind their limited distribution and the difficulty of tacking down records from different regions. It's as good a read as it is a listen (like the blog!), but the music, so divine, so varied, from pretty much every region of Africa: Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Kenya, Congo, Cameroon, Malawi, Burundi, Seychelles, Namibia, Angola, Niger, Somalia, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt and beyondÉ The tracks range from celebratory, almost high life sounding folk music, all tribal drumming and call and response vocals, to hushed intimate solo performances of just voice and buzzing strings, some songs are wild and chaotic and full of joy, others are mournful and melancholy, we could go track by track, but pretty much everyone who's heard this has been immediately smitten, and if you're a fan of that Excavated Shellac lp (or the blog), any of the other Dust-To-Digital comps or anything on Sublime Frequencies, this is a must have.
And as mentioned above, the packaging is incredible, a book sized red and yellow cloth slipcover, inside the 4 cds housed in a fold out 8 panel full color dvd style gatefold sleeve, alongside a massive soft cover book, filled with tons of photos, as well as Ward's extensive liner notes. So totally recommended!!
MPEG Stream: CHEIKH AMIN HASANAYN "Surah Al-Haaqqa, Pt. 1 (Arabic; Egypt)"
MPEG Stream: MOHAMED BEN HAMADI, DIT MAROCAIN "E Zzine Emlih Yamana (Arabic; Algeria, Morocco)"
MPEG Stream: CHEIKH EL AFRIT "Enna Nehoub, Pt. 2 (Arabic; Tunisia)"
MPEG Stream: LES GRIOTS DE TAHOUA "Chanson de Dyahadi, Pt. 2 (Hausa; Niger)"
MPEG Stream: YETNA TADDEGHEGN "Ere Ye Agerie Lidj (Amharic; Ethiopia)"
MPEG Stream: GROUPE DE JEUNES FILLES DE BAMAKO "Celu Mankan (Bambara; Mali)"

V/A Ouaga Affair (Savannahphone) cd 17.98
While there has been no shortage of awesome collections of sounds from West Africa in the '70s, this collection somehow steps ahead of the crowd as it fantastically focuses on the much overlooked sounds coming from Burkina Faso, between the years 1974-1978. Combining heavy psych grooves, Afro-funk, rich orchestration and rock, into a sound that is warm, warbly and infectious. The recordings sound quite lo-fi, not an aesthetic decision as is the style these days, instead, a result of resources in the region during this era being extremely limited. But luckily it suits the music perfectly, as the songs jump out on their own without the need for fancy studio polish. And the echo, reverb and understated production really would make so many of today's lo-fi hipsters drool in envy. Another strength of the compilation is how well it works from start to finish, really feeling like a unified album and not just a random mix of songs from a singular time and place. Some tracks burn while others melt, some smolder, and others swing. With an overall vibe and sound that falls somewhere between The Psych-Funk 101 compilation we've been digging so much, and some of the recent comps from labels like Soundway and Honest Jons that have also done much to shed light on so many of the amazing sounds coming out of Africa in the '70s.
MPEG Stream: VOLTA JAZZ "Mama Soukous"
MPEG Stream: CISSE ABDOULAYE & SUPER VOLTA "A Son Magni"
MPEG Stream: MAMO LAGBEMA "Sind M'bassa"

V/A Ouelele (Comet ) cd 17.98
'Ouelele' is a wonderful collection of early 70s Afrobeat rarities (with the earliest track being from 1967) with with tracks by Letta M'Bulu, Philip Cohran & The Artistic Heritage Ensemble, J.M. Time & Foty, Manu Dibango, Smahila & the S.B.s, Marius Cultier, Ginger Johnson & His African Messengers, and more!

V/A Ouled Bambara (Twos & Fews / Drag City) cd + dvd 17.98

MPEG Stream: BRAHIM BELKANI "Sandiya"
MPEG Stream: HASSAN ZOUGARI "Ouled Bambara"
MPEG Stream: ABDELKBIR MARCHANE & AHMED BAQBOU "Chalaba Titara"

V/A Psych Funk 101: A Global Psychedelic Funk Curriculum (World Psychedelic Funk Classics) cd 16.98
Looking at the cover of this comp, what catches our eye? Well, of course the words PSYCH and FUNK in big electric pink letters. Pretty much had us right there, we're easy like that. But then the fine print on the sticker on the front adds an extra tingle of excitement: "None of these tracks have ever been reissued"! So what we have here is a survey course on some obscure shit, an international collection of freaky, fuzzy, funky jams from the golden years, circa 1968-1975 or so, mostly from groups we'd never heard of before. The ones did know were a good sign, being super groovy and decidedly eccentric. (Though we do have to point out that at least a few of the cuts here actually have been reissued before, that's how we knew 'em!). Here's the lineup: Hunsu Ozkartal Orkestrasi (Turkey), Kukumbas (Nigeria), Mulatu Astatke feat. Belaynesh Wubante and Assegedetch Asfaw (Ethiopia), Kim Sun (South Korea), Petalouda (Greece), Mehr Pooya (Iran), Staff Carpenborg and The Electric Corona (West Germany), The Group (Italy), Armando Sciascia (Italy), Wadih Essafi (Lebanon), Omar Khorshid (Egypt), Metin H. Alatli (Turkey), George Garanian with The Melodiya Jazz Ensemble (Russia), and Eskaton (France). 14 tracks in all, all of 'em b to the a to the d to the ass. Get ready for plenty of percolating percussion, infectious bass lines, analog synth buzz, chicken scratch guitar, greasy organ, drugged out FX, and in many cases Middle Eastern or African or other 'exotic' ethnic elements as appropriate to their nation of origin. Highlights are almost impossible to pick. All the African stuff is killer (Ethiopiques fans take note), so are the Turkish tracks (you want weird? check out how the Metin H. Alatli cut somehow segues from Richard Strauss Also Sprach Zarathustra 2001: A Space Odyssey monolith music to stoned cocktail bellydance improv!!), so is everything else. We dig how eerieness and jazziness are combined on "The Feed-back" by The Group (aka Gruppo di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza, featuring Ennio Morricone), and also Armando Sciascia's suspenseful "Circuito Chiuso" is pretty eerie too. Both are from Italy, where it seems that it's hard NOT to sound like you're scoring a phantasmagoric horror flick a la Goblin. Also, we love love love the grandiose extended electro-funk from Magmoid progsters Eskaton that closes out the disc. But why keep writing about this, you know you need it - unless your record collection already includes all these rarities, and there's no way it does.
Lovingly compiled with the help of DJs like Cut Chemist and Stone's Throw's Egon, Psych Funk 101 is truly a lesson in, well, a variety of awesome vintage funkiness, in the tradition of other cool comps like Prog Is Not A Four Letter Word, Obsession, Trap Door, and the Afro-centric Love's A Real Thing. Housed in a handsome digipack, it boasts a thick, 36 page booklet featuring a two-page spread on each track, with full color repro of the original LP or 45 sleeve from whence the cut originated, along with a page of text giving more info than you'd expect.
FYI this also came out on vinyl, but was gone so fast, we don't have any to list. However, we are told it is being repressed, soon we hope...
MPEG Stream: PETALOUDA "What You Can Do In Your Life"
MPEG Stream: OMAR KHORSHID "Rakset El Fadaa"
MPEG Stream: ESKATON "Dagon"

V/A Psych Funk 101: A Global Psychedelic Funk Curriculum (World Psychedelic Funk Classics) 2lp 17.98
Now available on vinyl! Yay!
Looking at the cover of this comp, what catches our eye? Well, of course the words PSYCH and FUNK in big electric pink letters. Pretty much had us right there, we're easy like that. But then the fine print on the sticker on the front adds an extra tingle of excitement: "None of these tracks have ever been reissued"! So what we have here is a survey course on some obscure shit, an international collection of freaky, fuzzy, funky jams from the golden years, circa 1968-1975 or so, mostly from groups we'd never heard of before. The ones did know were a good sign, being super groovy and decidedly eccentric. (Though we do have to point out that at least a few of the cuts here actually have been reissued before, that's how we knew 'em!). Here's the lineup: Hunsu Ozkartal Orkestrasi (Turkey), Kukumbas (Nigeria), Mulatu Astatke feat. Belaynesh Wubante and Assegedetch Asfaw (Ethiopia), Kim Sun (South Korea), Petalouda (Greece), Mehr Pooya (Iran), Staff Carpenborg and The Electric Corona (West Germany), The Group (Italy), Armando Sciascia (Italy), Wadih Essafi (Lebanon), Omar Khorshid (Egypt), Metin H. Alatli (Turkey), George Garanian with The Melodiya Jazz Ensemble (Russia), and Eskaton (France). 14 tracks in all, all of 'em b to the a to the d to the ass. Get ready for plenty of percolating percussion, infectious bass lines, analog synth buzz, chicken scratch guitar, greasy organ, drugged out FX, and in many cases Middle Eastern or African or other 'exotic' ethnic elements as appropriate to their nation of origin. Highlights are almost impossible to pick. All the African stuff is killer (Ethiopiques fans take note), so are the Turkish tracks (you want weird? check out how the Metin H. Alatli cut somehow segues from Richard Strauss Also Sprach Zarathustra 2001: A Space Odyssey monolith music to stoned cocktail bellydance improv!!), so is everything else. We dig how eerieness and jazziness are combined on "The Feed-back" by The Group (aka Gruppo di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza, featuring Ennio Morricone), and also Armando Sciascia's suspenseful "Circuito Chiuso" is pretty eerie too. Both are from Italy, where it seems that it's hard NOT to sound like you're scoring a phantasmagoric horror flick a la Goblin. Also, we love love love the grandiose extended electro-funk from Magmoid progsters Eskaton that closes out the disc. But why keep writing about this, you know you need it - unless your record collection already includes all these rarities, and there's no way it does.
Lovingly compiled with the help of DJs like Cut Chemist and Stone's Throw's Egon, Psych Funk 101 is truly a lesson in, well, a variety of awesome vintage funkiness, in the tradition of other cool comps like Prog Is Not A Four Letter Word, Obsession, Trap Door, and the Afro-centric Love's A Real Thing. Housed in a handsome digipack, it boasts a thick, 36 page booklet featuring a two-page spread on each track, with full color repro of the original LP or 45 sleeve from whence the cut originated, along with a page of text giving more info than you'd expect.
MPEG Stream: PETALOUDA "What You Can Do In Your Life"
MPEG Stream: OMAR KHORSHID "Rakset El Fadaa"
MPEG Stream: ESKATON "Dagon"

V/A Rough Guide To Afro-Peru (Rough Guides) cd 13.98

V/A Rumble In The Jungle (Soul Jazz) cd 21.00
When we first got wind of this comp, for some reason, we just assumed it was gonna be another amazing Soul Jazz reggae comp, it didn't even occur to us that it would be a collection of killer classic jungle jams from the early nineties. But we threw it on, and were just knocked on our asses, transported back to '93/'94 when we first discovered jungle, particularly, ragga-dancehall-jungle or whatever you wanted to call it, a killer blend of traditional Jamaican dancehall, and this new breed of sped up hip hop that had grown out of the rave scene in the UK.
The history and genealogy is complex, but there's been plenty written about it, the liner notes here are particularly informative, tracing the development of ragga-jungle from the early Reggae sound systems, through the rave scene, UK hardcore hip hop, and beyond. Ragga jungle was a flash in the pan, existing for 3 or 4 years before most of the folks making it moved on to two-step, garage, drum and bass and on an on. But for our money, this was it. This was THE music we had been waiting for. We have loved dancehall forever, the harder and faster the better, so here was the toasting and melody of dancehall, draped over chopped up stuttering and pounding hip hop beats, all sped up into a rhythmic frenzy.
If there's one track that sums it up for us, it's DJ Zinc's "Super Sharp Shooter", with its interminable vocal and squelchy synth intro, the loping creeping reggae groove, the buzzing melody, the simple shuffling drum beat, the slowed down Method Man sample, and that's all before the track actually even drops, and when it does... Whoooowheee. We remember hearing this for the first time in one of the few clubs in SF that played jungle back in the day, and it nearly knocked us out of our seats. We ended up buying a DJ mix tape from one of the DJs spinning, and thankfully it had "Super Sharp Shooter" on it, and from that point on, we listened to it over and over every day, in the car, cranked as loud as it would go, bass pumping (as much as the bass could be said to pump in a crappy old van). So fucking heavy and hooky and funky. When the track finally kicks in, it's massive, relentless serpentine pass line, ultra complex drums, funky and groovy but so tangled and dense, every once in a while the bass line locks on a single not and just hooooooooolds steady until it drops, hard, and we're off on another junglistic jam. As far as we're concerned this would be worth it just for this track, but thankfully, the rest of the disc is just as kick ass.
Lots of familiar reggae and dancehall names, Ninjaman, Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, Cutty Ranks, and for those in the know, the rest of the names read like an early nineties jungle all star lineup: Ragga Twins, Poison Chang, Ragga Twins, DJ Zinc, Shy FX... but even if you don't know any of these names, the music speaks for itself. Check out "Original Nuttah" by UK Apachi & Shy FX, beginning with some super hooky sing songy reggae vocals before the track launches into a maddeningly dense rapid fire snare workout underpinning a raw and tongue twisting flow. Furious and intense and so goddamn good. Then there's tracks like Ragga Twins' "Illegal Gunshot", with its playful and circusy melodic loop, but juxtaposed with some seriously aggro toasting, some Bomb Squad like production, and some outrageously funky drumming.
Pretty much every track on here is a killer, never has a record so much made even us non-dancers want to head for the dancefloor and go fucking nuts. The cool thing about this stuff, is even if you're dancefloor phobic, is that these tracks are so dense and multi layered, full of convoluted rhythms and mad drumming and rapid fire rhymes and wild toasting and strange melodies and killer grooves, that they're almost as fun to listen to as they are to dance to. Almost.
Like all Soul Jazz stuff, gorgeously packaged and extensively researched. Tons of liner notes, track notes, photos, all wrapped up in a full color slipcase.
MPEG Stream: DJ ZINC "Super Sharp Shooter"
MPEG Stream: RAGGA TWINS "Illegal Gunshot"
MPEG Stream: ASHER SENATOR "One Bible"
MPEG Stream: POISON CHANG "Press The Trigger"

V/A Rumble In The Jungle (Soul Jazz) 2lp 24.00
When we first got wind of this comp, for some reason, we just assumed it was gonna be another amazing Soul Jazz reggae comp, it didn't even occur to us that it would be a collection of killer classic jungle jams from the early nineties. But we threw it on, and were just knocked on our asses, transported back to '93/'94 when we first discovered jungle, particularly, ragga-dancehall-jungle or whatever you wanted to call it, a killer blend of traditional Jamaican dancehall, and this new breed of sped up hip hop that had grown out of the rave scene in the UK.
The history and genealogy is complex, but there's been plenty written about it, the liner notes here are particularly informative, tracing the development of ragga-jungle from the early Reggae sound systems, through the rave scene, UK hardcore hip hop, and beyond. Ragga jungle was a flash in the pan, existing for 3 or 4 years before most of the folks making it moved on to two-step, garage, drum and bass and on an on. But for our money, this was it. This was THE music we had been waiting for. We have loved dancehall forever, the harder and faster the better, so here was the toasting and melody of dancehall, draped over chopped up stuttering and pounding hip hop beats, all sped up into a rhythmic frenzy.
If there's one track that sums it up for us, it's DJ Zinc's "Super Sharp Shooter", with its interminable vocal and squelchy synth intro, the loping creeping reggae groove, the buzzing melody, the simple shuffling drum beat, the slowed down Method Man sample, and that's all before the track actually even drops, and when it does... Whoooowheee. We remember hearing this for the first time in one of the few clubs in SF that played jungle back in the day, and it nearly knocked us out of our seats. We ended up buying a DJ mix tape from one of the DJs spinning, and thankfully it had "Super Sharp Shooter" on it, and from that point on, we listened to it over and over every day, in the car, cranked as loud as it would go, bass pumping (as much as the bass could be said to pump in a crappy old van). So fucking heavy and hooky and funky. When the track finally kicks in, it's massive, relentless serpentine pass line, ultra complex drums, funky and groovy but so tangled and dense, every once in a while the bass line locks on a single not and just hooooooooolds steady until it drops, hard, and we're off on another junglistic jam. As far as we're concerned this would be worth it just for this track, but thankfully, the rest of the disc is just as kick ass.
Lots of familiar reggae and dancehall names, Ninjaman, Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, Cutty Ranks, and for those in the know, the rest of the names read like an early nineties jungle all star lineup: Ragga Twins, Poison Chang, Ragga Twins, DJ Zinc, Shy FX... but even if you don't know any of these names, the music speaks for itself. Check out "Original Nuttah" by UK Apachi & Shy FX, beginning with some super hooky sing songy reggae vocals before the track launches into a maddeningly dense rapid fire snare workout underpinning a raw and tongue twisting flow. Furious and intense and so goddamn good. Then there's tracks like Ragga Twins' "Illegal Gunshot", with its playful and circusy melodic loop, but juxtaposed with some seriously aggro toasting, some Bomb Squad like production, and some outrageously funky drumming.
Pretty much every track on here is a killer, never has a record so much made even us non-dancers want to head for the dancefloor and go fucking nuts. The cool thing about this stuff, is even if you're dancefloor phobic, is that these tracks are so dense and multi layered, full of convoluted rhythms and mad drumming and rapid fire rhymes and wild toasting and strange melodies and killer grooves, that they're almost as fun to listen to as they are to dance to. Almost.
Like all Soul Jazz stuff, gorgeously packaged and extensively researched. Tons of liner notes, track notes, photos...
MPEG Stream: DJ ZINC "Super Sharp Shooter"
MPEG Stream: RAGGA TWINS "Illegal Gunshot"
MPEG Stream: ASHER SENATOR "One Bible"
MPEG Stream: POISON CHANG "Press The Trigger"

V/A Secret Museum Of Mankind - Music Of North Africa - Ethnic Music Classics: 1925-48 (Yazoo) cd 16.98

V/A Shangaan Electro: New Wave Dance Music From South Africa (Honest Jon's) cd 17.98
With the abundance of amazing comps and reissues of lost gems from all over Africa in the 1970s, it can get easy to forget that there is the here and now, and that there is equally damaged, brilliant, fucked up and contagious sounds being made throughout the globe RIGHT NOW! Don't get us wrong we love all the reissues of '70s psych glory that's being dug up and rediscovered all over the world, including so much from Africa, but damn it's so refreshing and invigorating to get a set of brand new sounds from across the globe being created at this very moment that grabs a hold of our imagination in such exciting ways. Shangaan is a new form of dance music coming out of Soweto that merges the sounds of traditional mbira (thumb piano) music with hyperactive synthesizers. It really is like nothing we've heard before. Call and response glory wrapped in 180 bpm craziness!
In some ways this feels like the spazzy cousin to the great Congotronics compilation from a few years ago, as that also showcased a new form of charged and body moving sounds coming out of Africa. But this is even more dance minded. You have to make sure you go online to YouTube and check out the actual dances that are performed to this music, so spirited, full of a new folklore and such a psychedelic aura. The sound of the songs is kind of like some early Nintendo game getting hijacked by Omar Souleyman armed with a karaoke machine and a troupe of boys, girls, men and women all ready to move on their feet as fast and furiously as possible. There are parts of the music that sound like Fever Ray played on the wrong speed, or what we imagine M.I.A. would blast at an afterparty. Forget about the World Cup, this may be the most mind blowing cultural phenomenon going down in South Africa that we are lucky enough to get to hear and appreciate NOW. Beyond recommended!
MPEG Stream: TSHETSHA BOYS "Nwampfundla"
MPEG Stream: TIYISELANI VOMASEVE "Vanghoma"
MPEG Stream: ZINJA HLUNGWANI "N'wagezani"
MPEG Stream: NKATA MAWEWE "Khulumani"

V/A Shangaan Electro: New Wave Dance Music From South Africa (Honest Jon's) lp 22.00
With the abundance of amazing comps and reissues of lost groovy gems from all over Africa in the 1970s, it can get easy to forget that there is the here and now, and that there is equally damaged, brilliant, fucked up and contagious sounds being made throughout the globe RIGHT NOW! Don't get us wrong we love all the reissues of '70s psych garage glory that's being dug up and rediscovered all over the world, including so much from Africa (like, The World Ends comp on this very list), but damn it's so refreshing and invigorating to get a set of brand new sounds from across the globe being created at this very moment that grabs a hold of our imagination in such exciting ways. Shangaan is a new form of dance music coming out of Soweto that merges the sounds of traditional mbira (thumb piano) music with hyperactive synthesizers. It really is like nothing we've heard before. Call and response glory wrapped in 180 bpm craziness!
In some ways this feels like the spazzy cousin to the great Congotronics compilation from a few years ago, as that also showcased a new form of charged and body moving sounds coming out of Africa. But this is even more dance minded. You have to make sure you go online to YouTube and check out the actual dances that are performed to this music, so spirited, full of a new folklore and such a psychedelic aura. The sound of the songs is kind of like some early Nintendo game getting hijacked by Omar Souleyman armed with a karaoke machine and a troupe of boys, girls, men and women all ready to move on their feet as fast and furiously as possible. There are parts of the music that sound like Fever Ray played on the wrong speed, or what we imagine M.I.A. would blast at an afterparty. Forget about the World Cup, this may be the most mind blowing cultural phenomenon going down in South Africa that we are lucky enough to get to hear and appreciate NOW. Beyond recommended!
MPEG Stream: TSHETSHA BOYS "Nwampfundla"
MPEG Stream: TIYISELANI VOMASEVE "Vanghoma"
MPEG Stream: ZINJA HLUNGWANI "N'wagezani"
MPEG Stream: NKATA MAWEWE "Khulumani"

V/A Shangaan Shake (Honest Jons Records) 2cd 17.98
Here we have a fantastically frenetic compilation from the always SO SO killer Honest Jons Label. Shangaan Shake compiles all of the releases from the "MEETS" 12" series in which current electronic heavy hitters and aQ faves like Actress and Demdike Stare took on the "Shangaan" dance music sound of South Africa (a genre celebrated by Honest Jon's great Shangaan Electro compilation 2 years ago, as you hopefully are aware). We didn't ever list any of the 12"s, they flew out of here too fast, but we were looking forward to listing this collection, which ends up being a high powered, schizophrenic double disc set of ass shaking dance floor BLISS! But this ain't yer typical floor fodder...oh no. True to form, Honest Jons only asked the best of the truly far out electro experimentalists to contribute to the series...fucked up foot work, abstract drifty dream techno, stripped down long form minimal workouts, spacey ghost vibez DUB, and super-future slo-mo ELECTRO!
The Oni Ayhun (alias of Olof Dreijer of aQ faves, The Knife) Meets Shangaan Electro is the first tune to really set it off for us, a super frantic and hypnotic electro shuffle, the original vox from the Shangaan source being endlessly pitch bent into some truly bizarre yet catchy as hell melodies, while the hi-hats and claps stutter and fall out of phase, resulting in an hallucinatory funky freak out! Peverelist follows suit, but somehow ups the WTF quotient with his take on Tshetsha Boys. Starting with some industrial sized hi-hats, drifting in a syncopated haze, before a simple mid tempo electro drum pattern enters on an unexpected beat. It chugs along like this for a minute before yet ANOTHER hi-hat pattern enters bringing the track into a subtle yet transcendent groove, the sound design of which is seldom heard on this planet. Excitingly NEW sounds for sure. Actress, of course you know by now, will not bring something to light unless it is of the utmost quality, and here he does not disappoint. His take on Shangaan is truly mesmerizing, a jam that starts out as a sort of blissy dubby techno groove, albeit with some seriously deranged synth squelches and disassociated Shangaan vox atop, is all of a sudden transformed into something entirely different with the introduction of some discordant, Liquid Sky meets Rinse Dream meets Badalamenti sounding cyber-skronk keys! These chords are the twist yr ears up element, ultimately subverting your expectations and leaving you with something that feels entirely FRESH! Old Apparatus (whose Tapeworm cassette was a big highlight last list), turns the tempo down a bit, and treats us to some spooky ass Shangaan rub-a-dub! Pristine synths and that killer xylophone sound stretched and reverberated through a vast cave of FAR-I DELAY. We COULD go on and on...the rest of this double disc comp maintains this top shelf quality, with highlights ranging from the legendary Theo Parrish's ruff neck cut-up Mancingelani remix, to Demdike Stare's haunted house dubwise fraidy-pants minimal Soweto soundscape...not to mention forward thinking contributions from aQ faves Villalobos/Loderbauer and Hype Williams, as well as a funky ass Detroit style electro BBC mix from the venerable Afro-Futurist, Anthony "Shake" Shakir!!!
Ahhhh!!! Too much good stuff! Honest Jon's have outdone themselves, by first of all sharing this Shangaan goodness with the world, and then following it up with a perfectly concise and meaningfully curated remix series, by some of the best, brightest, and down right weirdo-futurist producers of the now! Essential!
MPEG Stream: ACTRESS "Actress Meets Shangaan Electro"
MPEG Stream: OLD APPARATUS "Old Apparatus Meets Shangaan Electro"
MPEG Stream: DEMDIKE STARE "Demdike Stare Meets Shangaan Electro"
MPEG Stream: HYPE WILLIAMS "Hype Williams Meets Shangaan Electro"
MPEG Stream: RICARDO VILLALOBOS & MAX LODERBAUER "Ricardo Villalobos & Max Loderbauer Meet Shangaan Electro"

V/A Shrine of Afrodigital: Future Sounds From the Motherland (Ocho) cd 19.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
"Shrine of Afrodigital" is sort of a sequel to the "Shrine of Afro-funk" that Ocho released last year. This compilation presents tracks from urban African artists exploring the future of afro-beat, drawing from legendary artists to up and coming afro-house dj's and remixers. The album is unfortunately a bit of a disappointment. The most notable tracks being Tony Allen's vocoder laden "Ariya", a Senegalese hip hop track from Youssou N'Dour's label which features sampled snippets from traditional Senegalese musicians, and a fairly catchy Rai-House track from Cheikha Rimitti. Also on this disc are Femi Kuti (remixed by Francois Kevorkian), Cesaria Evora (remixed by Body & Soul, a.k.a. Francois K. & Joaquin Clausell), Vivian N'Dour (who pays homage to Aaliyah's "Are You That Somebody), Babacar Faye and more.
RealAudio clip: ALLEN, TONY "Ariya"
RealAudio clip: KANTIOLIS "Comportement"
RealAudio clip: RIMITTI, CHEIKHA "Nakhla"

V/A Singing For Life: Songs Of Hope, Healing, And HIV/AIDS In Uganda (Smithsonian Folkways) cd 16.98
This is one of those records that reminds us of how totally powerful and intense music can be, affecting people in such deep and meaningful ways. Faced with how the HIV/AIDS crisis has devastated so much of Africa, a movement in Uganda has arisen to use music, dance and performance as a means to address, educate, empower and raise awareness in the community about all aspects of the epidemic. While there are many records made for good causes, and plenty of projects with the best of intentions, this is one with music as raw, true and intense as the cause and the people it serves. The sound is mostly vocal driven a capella numbers accompanied only at times by hand claps, raw percussion, and sounds of nature. So cool. This is not some feel good watered down benefit record, the songs are powerful and have titles that translate to "Death Killed All The People", "The Graveyard Is Our Home", "AIDS Finished Us" and "Is Someone There?". The intensity and raw honesty is felt so directly in the tone and resonance of every one of these songs. Comes with a 36 page booklet filled with information and translation of all the songs, this whole collection is proof that music does have the ability to enlighten, educate and empower.
MPEG Stream: MEETING POINT KAMPALA "Abange Ab'eno? (Is Someone There?)"
MPEG Stream: BUKONA WOMEN'S GROUP "Silimu Okutumala! (AIDS Finished Us!)"
MPEG Stream: WALYA SULAIMAN & PADA "Eitu Lilimuki? (What Is In The Luggage)"

V/A Sleeping In The Market: Ethiopian Music & Sounds From Amhara (Latitude) cd 14.98
Another new disc from Locust's Latitude imprint. This one, recorded by Yayehe Smon, documents a trip he and his brother took along with their father to Ethiopia. Being good documentarians they brought their recorders and started rolling tape (well, more likely they brought their mini-disc recorders and burned a lot of discs, but it doesn't slide off the tongue as well.) Five of the eight tracks here are from children and teens, some of them singing as they play in the streets, either spontaneously making up songs or singing a capella cover versions of local hits. The first track, sung by a nine year old girl, is reason enough to own the cd. She has to have the most insane vocal chords and singing technique in the world. We certainly haven't heard anything like it before. Imagine if Buffy Saint Marie (ie: super fast and intense vibrato) took up yodelling and you kind of get the idea. Except that she's singing this soulful Amharic tune with a melody that leaps all over the place. Never heard anything like it. The other songs by children, whether singing solo or in groups, are accompanied by fiddle. Of the non-children tracks, there's a nice solo flute piece performed by a blind beggar, a peasant singing as he threshes wheat, and one of a professional itinerant male/female duo with accordian accompaniment.
MPEG Stream: "Laluyeah"
MPEG Stream: "Bale-Whashinto"

V/A Something Is Wrong (Honest Jons) 2cd 26.00
Another fantastically curated collection of magical and mysterious and mostly unheard songs from Honest Jon's, these vintage recordings from East Africa, recorded between the years 1938 and 1957, and categorized as 'native records', in that this was music that was intended for sale to native Africans, not the white colonialists or various traders or laborers, and these recordings helped capture and preserve popular music, the various styles popular before the influence of imported sounds from abroad and various immigrants. These sounds were specific to various villages and represented many different languages and styles. The other cool thing about these performances, is that they were specifically by non professionals, since earning a living making music was nearly impossible, instead these were regular folks, who were often called upon to entertain, at weddings or parties, at markets or for various rituals. The liner notes, like all Honest Jon's liner notes, go into incredible detail, about the various styles of music, the difficulties in translating the languages, the musicians, the performances, the recording processes, it reads like a primer on East African music, and like it should be part of a college course, in fact, we often think smart schools would be snapping these guys up to teach courses in world music, but beyond the background, it's the sounds that count, and the sounds here are incredible, so strange and lovely and mysterious and at once warm and intimate and emotional and totally alien and fantastical.
The first track is the perfect example, a super hypnotic stretch of relentless vocalizing over a barely audible string melody, the sound distorted, the vocals more like testifying, it's not until the very end of the track where the vocals drop out that you can hear how strangely frantic the string playing really is. And from there on out, there's never a moment that's less that totally wonderfully lovely, whether the sound is super melodic and folky, or minimal and rhythmic, buzzy and droney, moody and emotional, we lack the vocabulary to truly describe these sounds, other to say that they move us, and that they're so absolutely beautiful, sometimes haunting and mournful, other times effusive and celebratory, always breathtaking.
The cd comes in a beautiful hardcover style book, with a massive booklet inside, filled with extensive liner notes and vintage photos. The vinyl version is spread out over two double lps, the first with the same title as the double cd contains all the music from the first disc, while the second, containing the music from the second disc, is titled Bellyachers, Listen!
MPEG Stream: SSEKINOMU "Wireless"
MPEG Stream: ALI AND PARTY "Enyi Wa Hiari"
MPEG Stream: J.P. NYANGIRA "Hongo Owiti"
MPEG Stream: WERE OMITO "Aoko"
MPEG Stream: WASONGA MUGA "Robert Opio"
MPEG Stream: SIMON OGAYA "Joseph Wamidha"

V/A Something Is Wrong (Honest Jons) 2lp 22.00
Another fantastically curated collection of magical and mysterious and mostly unheard songs from Honest Jon's, these vintage recordings from East Africa, recorded between the years 1938 and 1957, and categorized as 'native records', in that this was music that was intended for sale to native Africans, not the white colonialists or various traders or laborers, and these recordings helped capture and preserve popular music, the various styles popular before the influence of imported sounds from abroad and various immigrants. These sounds were specific to various villages and represented many different languages and styles. The other cool thing about these performances, is that they were specifically by non professionals, since earning a living making music was nearly impossible, instead these were regular folks, who were often called upon to entertain, at weddings or parties, at markets or for various rituals. The liner notes, like all Honest Jon's liner notes, go into incredible detail, about the various styles of music, the difficulties in translating the languages, the musicians, the performances, the recording processes, it reads like a primer on East African music, and like it should be part of a college course, in fact, we often think smart schools would be snapping these guys up to teach courses in world music, but beyond the background, it's the sounds that count, and the sounds here are incredible, so strange and lovely and mysterious and at once warm and intimate and emotional and totally alien and fantastical.
The first track is the perfect example, a super hypnotic stretch of relentless vocalizing over a barely audible string melody, the sound distorted, the vocals more like testifying, it's not until the very end of the track where the vocals drop out that you can hear how strangely frantic the string playing really is. And from there on out, there's never a moment that's less that totally wonderfully lovely, whether the sound is super melodic and folky, or minimal and rhythmic, buzzy and droney, moody and emotional, we lack the vocabulary to truly describe these sounds, other to say that they move us, and that they're so absolutely beautiful, sometimes haunting and mournful, other times effusive and celebratory, always breathtaking.
The cd comes in a beautiful hardcover style book, with a massive booklet inside, filled with extensive liner notes and vintage photos. The vinyl version is spread out over two double lps, the first with the same title as the double cd contains all the music from the first disc, while the second, containing the music from the second disc, is titled Bellyachers, Listen!
MPEG Stream: SSEKINOMU "Wireless"
MPEG Stream: ALI AND PARTY "Enyi Wa Hiari"
MPEG Stream: J.P. NYANGIRA "Hongo Owiti"

V/A Soul of Angola: Anthologie de la Musique Angolaise 1965/1975 (Lusafrica) 2cd 38.00
Here's a double cd compilation of Angolan shantytown pop from 1965-1975, with a similar lineup of artists as the "Angola '60s" and "Angola '70s" comps we've already been carrying: Artur Nunes, Os Kiezos, Urbano de Castro, Oscar Neves, Jovens do Prendo, Os Bongos, and many many more. Some tracks are sunny and energetic, some sad, slow and languid. Electric guitars, and rhythms from the Congo, Brazil and the Carribean all combined with native Angolan music. This is stuff from a creatively fertile, politically explosive era of Angolan history, when it was a Portugese colony on the verge of independence. Delightful music, but bittersweet, as the liner notes point out that several of the artists on here didn't survive the violence in their country in the late '70s.
RealAudio clip: AVOZINHO "Mama Divua Diame"
RealAudio clip: ARTUR NUNES "Dito Ze"

V/A Take Me To Jamaica (Pressure) cd 17.98

MPEG Stream: ALERTH BEDASSE & CHIN'S CALYPSO SEXTET "Mussa And John Tom"
MPEG Stream: LORD COMPOSER & THE SILVER SEAS HOTEL ORCHESTRA "Gal A Gully/Matilda"
MPEG Stream: LORD TICKLER "Limbo"

V/A The Danque!! (Afrodisiac) cd 12.98

V/A The Rough Guide To The Music Of Malaysia (World Music Network) cd 14.98

V/A The Rough Guide To West African Gold (World Music Network) cd 14.98

V/A The World Ends: Afro Rock & Psychedelia In 1970's Nigeria (Soundway) 2cd 25.00
This one's pretty much an "add to cart" no-brainer; the subtitle says it all, "Afro Rock & Psychedelia In 1970s Nigeria". And it's on the wonderful Soundway label, who've brought us such prior treats as Nigeria Rock Special, Nigeria Disco Funk Special, and Ghana Soundz. Really, do you need to know more? There's 32 killer cuts spread across the two cds here, from almost as many bands, exuberant electric guitar wielding garage acts most of 'em, and funky too, super funky. Anyone eager for a sequel to that Nigeria Rock Special in particular, start freaking out now! Some of the names here are familiar from that comp or other reissues, but we don't think there's any overlap songwise. Others are way more obscure to our ears. So you get Ofege, Ofo The Black Company, The Mebusas, The Hygrades, Colomach, and The Action 13, alongside, among others, P.R.O. (People Rock Outfit), Chuck Barrister & The Voices Of Darkness, The Thermometers, The Comrades, The Ceejebs, The Funkees, The Hykkers, Bongos Ikwue, The Lawrence Amavi Group, The Ify Jerry Krusade, Sonny Okosuns & Paperback Limited, Cicada, The Identicals, and even a band called The Semi Colon! The Semi Colon's song is pretty badass, by the way, with Moog-y "Blow Your Head" style synth and wicka-wicka chicken scratch guitar, shades of The JB's for sure, James Brown's backup band probably a big influence on a LOT of these groups, along with psych rock from the West as well, especially various Frisco ballroom jammers. While there's variety, there's definitely a Nigerian scene "sound" of the era on display here, and that scene must have been a pretty competitive one, these bands are HOT. While there's some lovely, mellowed-out moments (like PRO's laidback ballad of "Blacky Joe"), mostly this collection consists of uptempo, dancefloor filling groovers, full of percolating percussion, wild wah-wah, and soulful vocal exhortations. A few have horns, there's a lot of funky electric organ, and in all cases, the rhythms are, not surprisingly, first and foremost the focus, driving these songs into your heart, mind, and soul via the involuntary head nodding, foot tapping, get up and get down reaction your body will have to 'em...
The compilation takes its name from The Black Mirror's "The World Ends", found on disc two. Meanwhile, "Soundway" by Wrinkars Experience, from disc one, could be the theme song for the label! Kinda akin to a Nigerian "Nuggets", this is indeed yet another awesome Soundway comp, one of our faves from them so far and that's saying a lot. Can't argue with two discs this funky and fuzzed, though! Comes nicely packaged with a 44 page booklet featuring a plenitude of liner notes and vintage photos. Totally recommended.
MPEG Stream: TONY GREY SUPER 7 "Yem Efe"
MPEG Stream: CICADA "Oli Nkwu"
MPEG Stream: THE LIJADU SISTERS "Life's Gone Down Low"
MPEG Stream: THE COMRADES "Bullwalk"

V/A The World Ends: Afro Rock & Psychedelia In 1970's Nigeria (Part 1) (Sound Way) 3lp 32.00
NOW ON VINYL!! Separated into two volumes, both a bit pricey sorry to say, but might just be worth it for vinyl fiends, one of the best Afro-funk-psych compilations in recent memory! Plus each volume has TWO bonus tracks not on the cd version! Here's more or less what we said about that:
This one's pretty much an "add to cart" no-brainer; the subtitle says it all, "Afro Rock & Psychedelia In 1970s Nigeria". And it's on the wonderful Soundway label, who've brought us such prior treats as Nigeria Rock Special, Nigeria Disco Funk Special, and Ghana Soundz. Really, do you need to know more? There's 32 killer cuts spread across the two cds here, from almost as many bands, exuberant electric guitar wielding garage acts most of 'em, and funky too, super funky. Anyone eager for a sequel to that Nigeria Rock Special in particular, start freaking out now! Some of the names here are familiar from that comp or other reissues, but we don't think there's any overlap songwise. Others are way more obscure to our ears. So you get Ofege, Ofo The Black Company, The Mebusas, The Hygrades, Colomach, and The Action 13, alongside, among others, P.R.O. (People Rock Outfit), Chuck Barrister & The Voices Of Darkness, The Thermometers, The Comrades, The Ceejebs, The Funkees, The Hykkers, Bongos Ikwue, The Lawrence Amavi Group, The Ify Jerry Krusade, Sonny Okosuns & Paperback Limited, Cicada, The Identicals, and even a band called The Semi Colon! The Semi Colon's song is pretty badass, by the way, with Moog-y "Blow Your Head" style synth and wicka-wicka chicken scratch guitar, shades of The JB's for sure, James Brown's backup band probably a big influence on a LOT of these groups, along with psych rock from the West as well, especially various Frisco ballroom jammers. While there's variety, there's definitely a Nigerian scene "sound" of the era on display here, and that scene must have been a pretty competitive one, these bands are HOT. While there's some lovely, mellowed-out moments (like PRO's laidback ballad of "Blacky Joe"), mostly this collection consists of uptempo, dancefloor filling groovers, full of percolating percussion, wild wah-wah, and soulful vocal exhortations. A few have horns, there's a lot of funky electric organ, and in all cases, the rhythms are, not surprisingly, first and foremost the focus, driving these songs into your heart, mind, and soul via the involuntary head nodding, foot tapping, get up and get down reaction your body will have to 'em...
The compilation takes its name from The Black Mirror's "The World Ends", found on part 2. Meanwhile, "Soundway" by Wrinkars Experience, from part 1, could be the theme song for the label! Kinda akin to a Nigerian "Nuggets", this is indeed yet another awesome Soundway comp, one of our faves from them so far and that's saying a lot. Can't argue with music this funky and fuzzed, though!
MPEG Stream: THE HYGRADES "Somebody's Gotta Lose Or Win"
MPEG Stream: TONY GREY SUPER 7 "Yem Efe"
MPEG Stream: CICADA "Oli Nkwu"
MPEG Stream: THE LIJADU SISTERS "Life's Gone Down Low"

V/A The World Ends: Afro Rock & Psychedelia In 1970's Nigeria (Part 2) (Sound Way) 3lp 32.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
NOW ON VINYL!! Separated into two volumes, both a bit pricey sorry to say, but might just be worth it for vinyl fiends, one of the best Afro-funk-psych compilations in recent memory! Plus each volume has TWO bonus tracks not on the cd version! Here's more or less what we said about that:
This one's pretty much an "add to cart" no-brainer; the subtitle says it all, "Afro Rock & Psychedelia In 1970s Nigeria". And it's on the wonderful Soundway label, who've brought us such prior treats as Nigeria Rock Special, Nigeria Disco Funk Special, and Ghana Soundz. Really, do you need to know more? There's 32 killer cuts spread across the two cds here, from almost as many bands, exuberant electric guitar wielding garage acts most of 'em, and funky too, super funky. Anyone eager for a sequel to that Nigeria Rock Special in particular, start freaking out now! Some of the names here are familiar from that comp or other reissues, but we don't think there's any overlap songwise. Others are way more obscure to our ears. So you get Ofege, Ofo The Black Company, The Mebusas, The Hygrades, Colomach, and The Action 13, alongside, among others, P.R.O. (People Rock Outfit), Chuck Barrister & The Voices Of Darkness, The Thermometers, The Comrades, The Ceejebs, The Funkees, The Hykkers, Bongos Ikwue, The Lawrence Amavi Group, The Ify Jerry Krusade, Sonny Okosuns & Paperback Limited, Cicada, The Identicals, and even a band called The Semi Colon! The Semi Colon's song is pretty badass, by the way, with Moog-y "Blow Your Head" style synth and wicka-wicka chicken scratch guitar, shades of The JB's for sure, James Brown's backup band probably a big influence on a LOT of these groups, along with psych rock from the West as well, especially various Frisco ballroom jammers. While there's variety, there's definitely a Nigerian scene "sound" of the era on display here, and that scene must have been a pretty competitive one, these bands are HOT. While there's some lovely, mellowed-out moments (like PRO's laidback ballad of "Blacky Joe"), mostly this collection consists of uptempo, dancefloor filling groovers, full of percolating percussion, wild wah-wah, and soulful vocal exhortations. A few have horns, there's a lot of funky electric organ, and in all cases, the rhythms are, not surprisingly, first and foremost the focus, driving these songs into your heart, mind, and soul via the involuntary head nodding, foot tapping, get up and get down reaction your body will have to 'em...
The compilation takes its name from The Black Mirror's "The World Ends", found on part 2. Meanwhile, "Soundway" by Wrinkars Experience, from part 1, could be the theme song for the label! Kinda akin to a Nigerian "Nuggets", this is indeed yet another awesome Soundway comp, one of our faves from them so far and that's saying a lot. Can't argue with music this funky and fuzzed, though!
MPEG Stream: THE HYGRADES "Bullwalk"
MPEG Stream: THE COMRADES "Somebody's Gotta Lose Or Win"

V/A The World Is Shaking: Cubanismo From The Congo, 1954-55 (Honest Jons) cd 17.98
Another rich and immersive vintage compilation from the always reliable Honest's Jons label, The World Is Shaking focuses on a highly productive period during the fifties of urban popular music that was the seed for what would become Congolese Rumba, one of the African Continent's most popular musical dance forms of the sixties and seventies. We often hear of the westwardly influence of African music on West Indies, Cuba and the Caribbean Islands, but not so much in reverse. Yet the Congo in the fifties after suffering centuries of decimation from slave traders and Belgian colonial rule, embraced the Latin music of South and Central America like no other country. Many factors contributed to this, including the exports of radios and records from slave trading countries as well as the increasing popularity of early American Jazz music and European Torch singers that attracted Congolese musicians to play less traditional and indigenous musical forms in order to get work in colonial nightclubs. But perhaps the biggest factor was the arrival of recording equipment to the region that allowed radio stations to record and broadcast local musicians allowing them to become more disciplined in their musical approach due to the strict limitations of the three minute song format. And so with more records and bands, popular nightlife increased. Inspired by 78's from Latin America, musicians would often adopt the tunes and rewrite the lyrics in their own language. Adwika Depala, one of the more successful players recorded his own take on the popular latin song, El Manicero (The Peanut Vendor), changing the word for peanut (Mani) to a women's name (Moni), offering a lament to a jilting lover that local audiences perhaps related more to than the original lyrics. The danceable rhythms provided by guitars, horns, and accordions with occasional moments of odder instrumentation like banjo and kazoos sparked attraction in audiences hungry for modernity as well as a renewed sense of identity. Honest Jon's scores again!
MPEG Stream: LAURENT LOMANDE "Maboka Marie"
MPEG Stream: ADIKWA DEPALA "Akei Cimetierre"
MPEG Stream: BOMIFACE KOUFOUDILA "Tokowela Angelique"
MPEG Stream: JEAN MPIA "Tika Koseka"

V/A The World Is Shaking: Cubanismo From The Congo, 1954-55 (Honest Jons) 2lp 22.00
Another rich and immersive vintage compilation from the always reliable Honest's Jons label, The World Is Shaking focuses on a highly productive period during the fifties of urban popular music that was the seed for what would become Congolese Rumba, one of the African Continent's most popular musical dance forms of the sixties and seventies. We often hear of the westwardly influence of African music on West Indies, Cuba and the Caribbean Islands, but not so much in reverse. Yet the Congo in the fifties after suffering centuries of decimation from slave traders and Belgian colonial rule, embraced the Latin music of South and Central America like no other country. Many factors contributed to this, including the exports of radios and records from slave trading countries as well as the increasing popularity of early American Jazz music and European Torch singers that attracted Congolese musicians to play less traditional and indigenous musical forms in order to get work in colonial nightclubs. But perhaps the biggest factor was the arrival of recording equipment to the region that allowed radio stations to record and broadcast local musicians allowing them to become more disciplined in their musical approach due to the strict limitations of the three minute song format. And so with more records and bands, popular nightlife increased. Inspired by 78's from Latin America, musicians would often adopt the tunes and rewrite the lyrics in their own language. Adwika Depala, one of the more successful players recorded his own take on the popular latin song, El Manicero (The Peanut Vendor), changing the word for peanut (Mani) to a women's name (Moni), offering a lament to a jilting lover that local audiences perhaps related more to than the original lyrics. The danceable rhythms provided by guitars, horns, and accordions with occasional moments of odder instrumentation like banjo and kazoos sparked attraction in audiences hungry for modernity as well as a renewed sense of identity. Honest Jon's scores again!
MPEG Stream: LAURENT LOMANDE "Maboka Marie"
MPEG Stream: ADIKWA DEPALA "Akei Cimetierre"
MPEG Stream: BONIFACE KOUFOUDILA "Tokowela Angelique"
MPEG Stream: JEAN MPIA "Tika Koseka"

V/A Traveling With My Portable Electric Phonograph : Vol. 1 (Monk) lp 22.00
Known primarily for their American blues reissues, Monk now joins the ranks of Dust To Digital, Honest Jon's and Mississippi Records in the international field with this amazing vinyl compilation featuring music from Africa and India recorded during the 1940s and '50s. While the title and cover art would suggest this was the work of a singular traveller/collector who either had a portable record cutter or player and recorded or collected recordings of many of the hotel bands on his travels through Africa and India, we could find no such actual accreditation. Instead these tracks seemed to be pulled from the vast EMI archives, mostly from their South Asian bureau.
A little online research tells us that many of the African songs are the work of the Zulu, South Africa's largest ethnic group. The songs tend to incorporate traditional Zulu choral vocals into a sound heavily influenced by the western jazz many Africans were absorbing in the wake of British colonial rule. The songs from India likewise show a cross cultural blend of styles, showing at least one positive thing to come out of the generally brutal nature of imperialism. One of the band leaders, Teddy Weatherford, was a veteran of the Chicago jazz scene in the 1940s, while scores of refugees came over following the Japanese invasion of Burma in 1942, so this really is representative of the rapidly changing world of the day. Despite international turmoil, the artists here prove that the transcendent power of music can always shine through no matter where things are going. Bravo.

V/A Tumbele! Biguine, Afro & Latin Sounds From The French Caribbean, 1963-74 (Soundway) cd 16.98

V/A Tumbele! Biguine, Afro & Latin Sounds From The French Caribbean, 1963-74 (Soundway) 2lp 23.00

V/A Urban African Club (Out / Here) cd 15.98

V/A Wallahi Le Zein!!: Wezin, Jakwar, And Guitar Boogie From The Islamic Republic Of Mauritania (Latitude) 2cd 22.00
We got our first real taste of Mauritanian music via the Hadrami Ould Medeh single that we reviewed on the last list, which we described like this: "fluttering flutes, muted wah wah guitars, shuffling drums, and the vocals, emotional and oh so lovely", which it most definitely was, but it definitely did not prepare us for this a collection of, as the title suggests: Wezin, Jakwar and GUITAR BOOGIE From The Islamic Republic Of Mauritania. Guitar boogie? Sure some of those Sublime Frequencies comp featured some guitar playing that loosely resembled boogie, a little bit of buzz and distortion, Group Bombino let loose once in a while, but we sort of assumed that the above title was a bit of a creative exaggeration, that is until we pushed play. And immediately, some heavy, fuzzy, circular riffing, all wound around a muted rhythmic pulse, the sound slipping from low end riffy chug to wild psychedelic tangle. This is most definitely psychedelic boogie, it just so happens it's being played in some backyard or living room on the other side of the world.
The history of Mauritanian music is pretty fascinating, as is the provenance of this music, and the booklet/liner notes go into great detail, but for now, all you need to know, is originally, music in Mauritania was played either on the tidinitt, an hourglass shaped lute with 4 or 5 strings, which is played exclusively by men, and has since been replaced by an electric tidinitt, which became popular as a faster form of dance music developed. Then there was the ardin, a type of many stringed harp, played only by women. But as this comp, and the liner notes make clear, the electric guitar has become the instrument of choice, originally the amplification made it easier to play for bigger crowds, but soon, a style of playing was adapted to this new music, and the classic Mauritanian music was transformed into something totally new. This heavily distorted, strangely flanged groovy boogie flecked African folk. The songs here may drift and shimmer, but they inevitably explode into some super droned out cyclical buzz drenched riffage, the drums following along, sometimes the sound growing so intense and frantic, one can almost imagine the sort of energy this evokes in a crowd. And that's the other interesting thing about Mauritanian music, there is no music industry, no record labels, no real recording studios, yet music is happening all the time, in homes, and weddings, parties, every night, in town squares, and when someone hosts a function and has musicians perform, they record the performance, as a sort of keepsake, which is often thrown into a drawer, or an old box. So Matthew Lavoie, who compiled this collection, over the course of years and many visits, gathered up as many recordings as he could and sifted through boxes and boxes of tapes, as many of them were unusable, recorded on broken boomboxes, or with a microphone in the back of a room capturing more conversation than music, but the selections here, hand picked, are indeed divine, and so powerful, the music trancelike, raga-like, melding certain Western musical tropes with traditional African sounds, and the traditional sounds that over the years have grown less and less traditional, or in fact have simply created new musical traditions.
Just listen to the samples, this stuff is so hard to describe, to do it justice, this is the ultimate instance of 'you just gotta hear it', the sounds are cyclical, repetitive, looped sounding, mesmerizing, hypnotic, heavy, and buzzy, and distorted, the melodies so completely enthralling, the rhythms as propulsive as the guitar playing, the recordings too, raw, in-the-red, intimate and urgent and emotional, so passionate, unfettered by any concerns removed from the actual joy of music making, and the interaction between performer and audience is evident in the vocal response to these jams, the crowd singing along, hooting and hollering, the vibe wild and loose and alive, the music magical and incredible. Easily some of THEE most amazing sounds we've ever heard. And definitely our new favorite world music comp.
Housed in a nice 6 panel full color digipak, with a massive booklet, jammed with liner notes as well as tons of photos, and lots of info on the musicians, the various songs, a history of Mauritanian guitar playing and more!
MPEG Stream: MOHAMMED GUITAR "Banjey & Medh"
MPEG Stream: KEBROU "Banjey 'Boogie'"
MPEG Stream: BAB OULD HEMBRA "El Shams W'Al Qamar"
MPEG Stream: MUHAMMED CHEIKH OULD SYED "Chewr"
MPEG Stream: JEICH OULD CHIGHALY "Wezin"

V/A Waza: Blue Nile - Sudan (Wergo) cd 17.98
Here's a recording that ought to appeal to fans of the Orgues A Bouche, the Central African Banda Linda Horns, or the Aluar Horns ( featured on the Explorer East African Ceremonial & Folk Music disc we listed late last year). The music on this disc is that of the Waza trumpet ensembles of the Berta people. The Berta are a distinct ethnic group living in the borderlands between the Sudan and Ethiopia who've long struggled for years to remain culturally autonymous against the forces of the surrounding dominant ethnic groups. The Waza trumpet ensemble, the most important musical expression of the Berta, was originally performed as a sort of status symbol by local chiefs to demonstrate their power. The ensemble generally consists of 10 to 12 trumpets ranging in length between 50 and 180 centimeters and accompanied by percussion -- in the form of wood blocks -- and often a chorus of female singers. Like the Banda Linda Horns, each horn player in a Waza ensemble plays only one note and through rigorous group cooperation participates in producing a stunning polyphony. Along with the large Waza trumpet ensembles on this disc, there are several recordings of smaller ensembles of flute, percussion and choruses. This release from Wergo comes deluxely packaged in an oversized slip cover along with a seventy page booklet of detailed liner notes, photos and even musical transcriptions.
MPEG Stream: "If You Say My Name, I'll Fuck You!"
MPEG Stream: "Where Do You Go?"

V/A Welcome To The Party (Jazzman) cd 17.98

V/A West Africa: Drum, Chant & Instrumental Music (Nonesuch) cd 12.98
Originally released in 1976 as "Africa: Drum, Chant & Instrumental Music", this is a collection of recordings made in Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali. Like the other CD in this series "East Africa: Ceremonial & Folk Music" there's a wide variety of instrumentation, given the wide geographical span from which the recordings were captured. Unlike that disc however, much of the tracks on here consist of solo improvisations on various instruments, drums and voice. Much of the tracks are subtly altered cyclical tunes which were recorded either during a musician's daily endless practicing or during an actual ceremony, such as the Tuareg Medicinal Chant which is intended to excite "the sick person to dance in an increasingly vigorous manner until either cured or exhausted." The warbling tones of the lead vocalist are accompanied by a droning chorus and percussion. The buzzing of the chorus and the warbling singer is made even more creepy by random screams which are said to represent the devil being chased away.
RealAudio clip: "Bounkam Solo"
RealAudio clip: "Tuareg Medicinal Chant"
RealAudio clip: "Kouco Solo"

V/A World Psychedelic Classics 3: Love's A Real Thing (Luaka Bop) cd 14.98
About time this AQ Record Of The Week from about four or five years ago got repressed, it's been absent for much too long, considering all the recent interest in Afro-funk reissues! And this collection has got some ESSENTIAL jams on it for sure, so we're glad it's back, and you will be too if you didn't already get one. Here's what we wrote about this when we originally listed it:
It's hard to argue with this one. Indeed, we're gonna do quite the opposite and make it a Record Of The Week! This collection, the third in the World Psychedelic Classics series on Luaka Bop (David Byrne's "world music" label), after an Os Mutantes collection and that incredible Shuggie Otis album, is further subtitled: "The Funky, Fuzzy Sounds Of West Africa". Stress on the funk we thinks. Yup, authentic '70s West African funk with a 'delic bent. Really really hard stuff not to like.
The dozen tracks here have got it all: Afro-centric chants, polyrhythmic percussion, James Brown style raspy yelps, wicked organ workouts, and even hard wah-wah acid fuzz jams (Ofo & The Black Company's bad-ass "Allah Wakbarr" is about the last word in that department, though we'd like to hear more). Though some come closer to the compilers' stated concept than others, all the tracks are winners, from the moody, marimba-based soundtrack theme of Manu Dibango's "Ceddo End Title" to the Cuban stylings of No. 1 de No. 1's "Guajira Van" to the percolating political space-funk of William Onyeabor's "Better Change Your Mind". And Alison simply says that "Ifa" by Tunji Oyelana and the Benders is her favorite. Probably because it sets itself apart from the other tracks by utilizing a more scrappy electronic sound to back its stripped-down politically-bent Afro-pop-style lyricism.
All the tracks come from the decade of the '70s, and the bands that recorded them hail from the West African countries of Ghana, Guinea, Senegal, Mali, Gambia, Benin, and Nigeria (but only two tracks overlap with the now-out-of-print 3cd Nigeria 70 compilation). And we think the compliers did a damn fine job, though it seems any survey of West African psych shoulda included a track by Blo, the closest thing to Cream the continent produced as far as we know. Ah well... we can hope for a second volume someday perhaps. Meanwhile, anyone who digs James Brown, Fela, Funkadelic, Orchestra Baobab, or more recent AQ reviewees Konono No. 1 and Black Merda, for instance, will certainly find that love IS a real thing when it comes to how you're gonna feel about this compilation!!
The liner notes go on about the psychedelic aspect of these bands, and while this stuff is definitely far out and groovy it's way more James Brown than brown acid. Mention of Haight-Ashbury seems a stretch, and the music of these bands has got as much or more to do with their motherland than, say, the generally more Western-derived psych we've heard from Thailand, Cambodia, or Turkey on various other comps we've carried. Then again, when you look at rock music influencing African music, you've got a full-circle phenomenon to examine. And when we reviewed the (currently unavailable) Love Peace & Poetry: African Psychedelic Music compiliation some months back, the stuff on this new comp is exactly what we felt was missing and should have been included.
In any case, proper psych or not, and with or without much fuzz, this is definitely FUNKY.
The attractive cd booklet includes notes on each track/artist, complete with color album sleeve art where available. Nicely done. Furthermore, this is an "enhanced cd", allowing those with the appropriate computer technology to witness a video of Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou Dahomey's track "Minsato Le, Mi Dayhome".
MPEG Stream: SUPER EAGLES "Love's A Real Thing"
MPEG Stream: MANU DIBANGO "Ceddo End Title"
MPEG Stream: OFO & THE BLACK COMPANY "Allah Wakbarr"

V/A Zanzibara 1: Ikhwani Safaa Musical Club (Buda Musique) cd 15.98
Back in stock!
We've been totally digging the always amazing Ethiopiques series, documenting the rich history of Ethiopian music, and it just keeps getting better and better with each volume. You think that would be plenty to keep the folks at Buda Musique busy, but apparently not, as they've gone ahead and launched a new series entitled Zanzibara, chronicling the Swahili popular music of the East African Coast. Future volumes will be more archival, but this first installment celebrates Ikhwani Safaa, Zanzibar's (and most likely Africa's too) oldest music club, which turned 100 in 2005. These recordings, captured in Zanzibar in 2004 and Dubai in 2005, feature some of the region's most revered singers and players, all gathered to play classic songs and celebrate the last 100 years. The music here is dramatically different than anything in the Ethiopiques series, much more moody and hypnotic, less festive and jubilant, but no less captivating. The interesting thing is that the music here sounds unlike any of the African music we are familiar with and instead sounds much more Indian or Arabic. The vocals especially, sound distinctly Indian, as well as the swooning soaring strings. Lush, moody, swirling, slightly saturnine, and absolutely wonderful.
MPEG Stream: "Vingaravyo Vyote Si Dhahabu"
MPEG Stream: "Cheo Chako"

V/A Zanzibara 2: L'Age D'Or Du Taarab De Mombasa - 1965-1975 / Golden Years Of Mombasa Taarab (Buda Musique) cd 15.98
Second installment in this new series from the folks who brought us the absolutely essential and nearly perfect Ethiopiques series. This new series chronicles the Swahili popular music of the East African Coast. The first installment (now back in stock, see elsewhere on this list) celebrated Ikhwani Safaa, Zanzibar's (and most likely Africa's too) oldest music club, which turned 100 in 2005. This second volume is more archival and is drawn from recordings made from 1965-1975. Mombasa Taarab is a dizzying mix of African music with Arabian, Asian and European influences. Which is why this music sounds as Indian or Asian as it does African, in fact much of the time more so. There is a definite Bollywood influence, in fact Bollywood films had become very popular in Mobasa and many singers would take certain elements from those films, voice, melody, instrumentation, and then translate them into Swahili taarab songform. Fans of the Ethiopiques series should definitely be all over this series. As well as fans of Indian film music. We've been listening to this like crazy (and the first volume which we just got back in). We can hardly wait to hear the next one!
Massive booklet, with extensive liner notes, and in-depth notes on each artist.
MPEG Stream: MANTANO JUMA "Dada"
MPEG Stream: YASEEN MOHAMED "Ndege Kaa Ufkiri"
MPEG Stream: ZUHURA SWALEH "Ya Zamani"

V/A Zanzibara 3: Ujamaa - Le Son Des Annees 60 En Tanzanie / The 1960s Sound Of Tanzania (Buda Musique) cd 15.98
Okay, it might seem too easy to say with this new volume of the Zanzibara series that if you dug the first and second you're gonna love the third, but it's true. Zanzibara 3 is another terrific compilation from the Buda Musique label (the folks behind the awesome Ethiopiques series). If you're new to the series, we'll let ya know that the spotlight shines a loving glow on the coastal music of Eastern Africa. As the title tells, this time it's from Tanzania in the '60s -- seventeen tracks from Jamhuri Jazz Band, Nuta Jazz Band, Atomic Jazz Band, Morogoro Jazz Band, and Dar Es Salaam Jazz Band! Although the names of the five groups featured here all have the words "Jazz Band" in them, holding them to that genre's commonly thought of parameters is far too limiting. Performed on guitars, horns, percussion, bass, and some amazing voices, these songs also possess a bright brassy shine akin to Caribbean Calypso music and gentle lilting rhythms like those of many Latin American artists of the same period. Wonderful!
MPEG Stream: NUTA JAZZ BAND "Nimechoka"
MPEG Stream: ATOMIC JAZZ BAND "Kaka Umenishinda"

V/A Zanzibara 5: Hot In Dar - Le Son La Tanzanie 1978-1983 (Buda Musique) cd 15.98
Already up to number 5 in the Zanzibara series, obviously modeled after the amazing (and seemingly discontinued) Ethiopiques series, but focusing more on the the Eastern coast of Africa: Mombassa, Tanga, Zanzibar, the Comoros, etc. While in some ways the sounds are similar to the music in Ethiopia, like any region, the sounds of Tanazania, the focus of this volume, have their own distinct vibe and feel. Right off the bat, the sound is way more vocal based, jazzy too, with lots of horns, and very bright shiny melodies, in fact much of this reminds us of mariachi music, the same sort of shuffly rhythms, horn fanfares and vocal harmonies. The high life feel is all over these tracks, festive, celebratory, to these ears, it sounds like party music, dance music, music of love and happiness and sunshine, although like much music, even the happiest sounding on the surface, often carried with it deeper darker emotions. This music was the soundtrack of daily life in Tanzania, playing constantly on the radio, influenced by the West for sure, but so much it's own special and unique sound. Fans of the first few volumes will definitely dig, as might fans of the Ethiopiques releases, but really, anyone into high life and sunshiney African grooves, will no doubt find this collection fantastic.
Includes a big booklet, with incredibly in depth liner notes and tons of amazing vintage photos!
MPEG Stream: MLIMANI PARK ORCHESTRA "Visa Vimenichosha"
MPEG Stream: DAR INTERNATIONAL ORCHESTRE "Baba Anna"
MPEG Stream: VIJANA JAZZ BAND "Niletaka Iwe Siri"

V/A Zimbabwe: Shona Mbira Music (Nonesuch) cd 12.98
Possibly the most highly represented ethnic group in this collection -- at least in the African portion -- the music of the Shona account for three separate albums in the Explorer Series. I suppose that may not be so surprising as the mbira -- or as it's more commonly called the "thumb piano" -- has enjoyed a certain preferential treatment in the U.S. when it comes to exposure, due to its dulcet tones. And if there ever was a group who could lay claim to being masters of the mbira, I suppose it would be the Shona. And the backlash that follows is a lament that mbira music is the type of music you can give your grandma as a present without offending her. A built in nu-age predisposition. But, so fucking what. Yeah, sure, a lot of opportunistic world beat and nu-age artists have exploited the instrument's disposition, but that doesn't make it any less worthy an instrument for our ears. And hearing it played in a cultural context sans nefarious commercial interests ought to wipe out any negative associations. Shona Mbira Music was originally released in 1977.
RealAudio clip: MHURI YEKWARWIZI "Nhemamusasa"
RealAudio clip: MHURI YEKWARWIZI "Nyamaropa Yekutanga"

V/A Zimbabwe: The African Mbira of the Shona People (Nonesuch) cd 12.98
Another excellent reissue from the Nonesuch Explorer series, this one originally released in 1971. The mbira, in common vernacular often called a "thumb piano", is any number of instruments consisting of a board in which metal prongs of different lengths have been attached, the plucking of which produces a beautiful muted bell-like tone. The core of the songs here are repeated melodic patterns plucked on the mbira. The mbira player is accompanied by a percussive rattle (hosho), while the two players together form vocal melodies derived from the pattern meted out by the mbira. The songs are wonderfully cyclical, with ever subtle inflections added to the melody by gradual turns. Lulling, elliptical and simply wonderful.
RealAudio clip: MARAIRE, DUMISANI ABRAHAM "Misorodzi"
RealAudio clip: MARAIRE, DUMISANI ABRAHAM "Ndini Baba"

V/A Zimbabwe: The Soul of Mbira: Traditions of the Shona People (Nonesuch) cd 12.98
Possibly the most highly represented ethnic group in this collection -- at least in the African portion -- the music of the Shona account for three separate albums in the Explorer Series. I suppose that may not be so surprising as the mbira -- or as it's more commonly called the "thumb piano" -- has enjoyed a certain preferential treatment in the U.S. when it comes to exposure, due to its dulcet tones. And if there ever was a group who could lay claim to being masters of the mbira, I suppose it would be the Shona. And the backlash that follows is a lament that mbira music is the type of music you can give your grandma as a present without offending her. A built in nu-age predisposition. But, so fucking what. Yeah, sure, a lot of opportunistic world beat and nu-age artists have exploited the instrument's disposition, but that doesn't make it any less worthy an instrument for our ears. And hearing it played in a cultural context sans nefarious commercial interests ought to wipe out any negative associations. The Soul of Mbira was originally released in 1973.
RealAudio clip: ERICK & MONDRECK MUCHENA "Taireva"
RealAudio clip: MUCHATERA MUJURU "Nyamaropa Yevana vaVaMushonga"

V/A Zulu Stomp!! South African Garage Beats!! (Nosmoke) cd 25.00
There was a time when the idea of a record like this would blow our minds. "There was crazy psychedelic garage rock in South Africa in the fifties and sixties?" But by now, we're sort of spoiled, by the hundreds of world music reissue labels, not to mention the thousands of lost gems and rare records of all stripes from all over the world. So yeah, the fact that this record exists is not hugely surprising, but we are pretty thrilled that it's so good. That all these bands in white South Africa, still under Apartheid, emulating groups like The Beatles and Bill Hailey And The Comets, could come up with stuff this buzzy and psychedelic and super rocking. The root of the music on display here is definitely the early rock and roll we're so familiar with, but the bands here are fierce, the guitars buzz, the drums pound, even the simplest songs are transformed into barnstormers, almost uniformly these groups are characterized by super blown out, ultra distorted guitars, fuzzed out organs, and super intense yowled vocals.
Freedom's Children's cover of the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" is the perfect example. Covered probably thousands of times, it's barely recognizable here, until the vocals kick in, starting with a super distorted stop start intro, then some fuzzy psych leads over a dense groove, the verses are clipped and strangely arranged, with almost a new melody, played by a jagged guitar, the chorus too is drenched in distorted guitar, so goddamn good we almost forget that we're sick of that song. And the originals hold up just as well, the A-Cads, The Upsetters, John E. Sharpe & The Squires, The Bats, Finders Keepers, killer grooves, wild and rocking, loose and groovy and freaked out and frenzied, catchy as all hell and completely as good as if not better than the bands they were trying to sound like. Very few bands we'd ever heard of, but all of them kicking or asses. Maybe one of our favorite international garage rock reissues yet. Includes extensive liner notes, on the songs, the bands, and the political and social climate in South Africa at the time, and what part rebellious revolutionary music played.
MPEG Stream: A-CADS "Watch Yourself"
MPEG Stream: UPSETTERS "Daddy Rolling Stone"
MPEG Stream: FREEDOM'S CHILDREN "Satisfaction"
MPEG Stream: JOHN E. SHARPE & THE SQUIRES "LSD"
MPEG Stream: RONNIE SINGER "I Want You"

V/A Zulu Stomp!! South African Garage Beats!! (Nosmoke) lp 32.00
There was a time when the idea of a record like this would blow our minds. "There was crazy psychedelic garage rock in South Africa in the fifties and sixties?" But by now, we're sort of spoiled, by the hundreds of world music reissue labels, not to mention the thousands of lost gems and rare records of all stripes from all over the world. So yeah, the fact that this record exists is not hugely surprising, but we are pretty thrilled that it's so good. That all these bands in white South Africa, still under Apartheid, emulating groups like The Beatles and Bill Hailey And The Comets, could come up with stuff this buzzy and psychedelic and super rocking. The root of the music on display here is definitely the early rock and roll we're so familiar with, but the bands here are fierce, the guitars buzz, the drums pound, even the simplest songs are transformed into barnstormers, almost uniformly these groups are characterized by super blown out, ultra distorted guitars, fuzzed out organs, and super intense yowled vocals.
Freedom's Children's cover of the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" is the perfect example. Covered probably thousands of times, it's barely recognizable here, until the vocals kick in, starting with a super distorted stop start intro, then some fuzzy psych leads over a dense groove, the verses are clipped and strangely arranged, with almost a new melody, played by a jagged guitar, the chorus too is drenched in distorted guitar, so goddamn good we almost forget that we're sick of that song. And the originals hold up just as well, the A-Cads, The Upsetters, John E. Sharpe & The Squires, The Bats, Finders Keepers, killer grooves, wild and rocking, loose and groovy and freaked out and frenzied, catchy as all hell and completely as good as if not better than the bands they were trying to sound like. Very few bands we'd ever heard of, but all of them kicking or asses. Maybe one of our favorite international garage rock reissues yet. Includes extensive liner notes, on the songs, the bands, and the political and social climate in South Africa at the time, and what part rebellious revolutionary music played.
MPEG Stream: A-CADS "Watch Yourself"
MPEG Stream: UPSETTERS "Daddy Rolling Stone"
MPEG Stream: FREEDOM'S CHILDREN "Satisfaction"
MPEG Stream: JOHN E. SHARPE & THE SQUIRES "LSD"
MPEG Stream: RONNIE SINGER "I Want You"

V/A (ESHETE, ALEMAYEHU) Ethiopiques Vol. 22 : More Vintage! (Buda Musique) cd 15.98
When it comes to stunning consistency of excellence it doesn't get much better then the Ethiopiques series. Twenty plus releases and they have yet to release a dud. Last time out they focused their attention not on the vintage era of the grooves of Ethiopian pop but instead it was a brand new recording of tender and solemn solo piano by Tsegue-Maryam Guebrou, a record which we totally fell in love with. With volume 22 the series flashes back to the past for another big dip into the vaults of Alemayehu Eshete, one of the biggest stars from the golden-age of Ethiopian music who alongside Mahmoud Ahmed, Tlahoun Gessesse and Mulatu Astatke helped define that sound. In fact Eshete was previously the star of the ninth volume of the Ethiopiques series as well. But judging from this release, the man left a very sizable legacy, as this disc is filled with absolute treasures without a throwaway track in sight.
With instrumentation that's so tight, and breaks that would make any lover of psych/kraut/rare groove's jaw drop, this is a collection that we've already been spinning over and over ever since it came in to AQ. Eshete's voice and presence feels so sure and confident, with a unique vocal style that's been compared to an Ethiopian James Brown crossed with Elvis Presley. There are moments in these songs that catch such deep grooves and moments that sound like they could be pulled straight from a Can song. You just can't beat the warmth of these stripped down analog recordings. You want to be in a room filled with smoke and candles when you listen to this. Eshete made such amazing songs that just drip with sweat, while oozing elegance too. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Tenageri"
MPEG Stream: "Yebeqanal"

V/A / ETRAN FINATAWA Rough Guide To Desert Blues / Introducing Etran Finatawa (Rough Guides / World Music) 2cd 14.98
Over the last several years, the access we've had to new sounds coming out of the Saharan desert have been so mind-blowing. Bands like Tinariwen, Tartit, Terakaft, Etran Finatawa, have all become some of our favorite bands, a sound so hypnotic, we're continually mesmerized by their warm grooves and trance inducing guitar playing and percussion. This collection showcases the best of these West African desert blues player, like all the aforementioned groups, as well as tracks by Amadou & Mariam, Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba, Samba Toure, Tamikrest, and more. It's also very fitting that there is an Ali Farka Toure track included as it was really his music and influence that spawned the sound that these bands are keeping alive and expanding in such incredible ways. What makes this a must have is the bonus disc which is the first album by Etran Finatawa, whose latest disc we raved about last list. What a smoking debut it was, it shows that even from their beginnings there was something so intense, soulful and beautiful about their music. A total must have for sure, and the compilation disc is the perfect gateway for anyone looking to get turned on to the good stuff coming from the West African desert.
MPEG Stream: TARTIT "Achachore I Chachare Akale"
MPEG Stream: ETRAN FINATAWA "Surbajo"
MPEG Stream: BASSEKOU KOUYATŽ & NGONI BA "Bambugu Blues"
MPEG Stream: MALOUMA "Yarab"
MPEG Stream: ETRAN FINATAWA "Aliss"

VIEUX FARKA TOURE s/t (World Village) cd 17.98
There is a long tradition of famous offspring failing to achieve the same level of success and/or artistry as their more talented folks (Jacob Dylan, Lisa Marie Presley, Julian Lennon, Ziggy Marley, etc...) So you can understand why we might have had some reservations when we heard that the son of the late great Ali Farka Toure, was coming out with his own album. Those reservations disappeared the second we pressed play. We were immediately swept away by the soulful and richly melodic sounds of Vieux's amazing music. There is no doubt that he was blessed with much of the musical talent his father possessed, and it's obvious that this music needed to be heard. His dad had actually forbidden him to play music when he was growing up as he didn't want him to face the same hardships that he did. Luckily Vieux rebelled, unable to suppress the music that clearly flows through is veins. This debut is so good! There is of course a deep similarity to the sound of his father, but in a way that feels so connected and yet with a soul of its own. Ali Farka actually appears on the record on two tracks, the last recordings he made before his passing last year. Toumani Diabate, the renowned kora master also plays on the record adding a layer of delicate beauty to Vieux's songs. It's funny how Vieux actually means old in French, and in so many ways when you listen to his songs, despite his young age there is a richness and quality and timelessness to his voice and music that has you feeling like you're listening to the music of an old-soul. In many ways this is like a calmer side to the great new Tinariwen record we are still so in love with. A wonderful debut and we can't wait to see what the future holds for Vieux!
MPEG Stream: "Sangare"
MPEG Stream: "Diabate (Featuring Toumani Diabate)"
MPEG Stream: "Wosoubour"

WAX POETICS Issue #39 magazine 9.99
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
It's the special "Africa" issue of this rad journal devoted to jazz, funk, soul, and hiphop grooves past and present. Hence, Fela Kuti on the cover. Inside, you'll also find pieces on Orchestre Poly-Rythmo, Pax Nicholas, Rail Band, Orchestra Baobab, Tony Allen, and plenty more.
As always, the magazine is packed with colorful photos of vintage record sleeves, and plenty of enthused writing about the music from other knowledgeable musicians/DJs/collectors...