Hip-Hop News

The return of Norwegian producer, musician, graphic / fashion designer and erstwhile goalkeeper Espen Horne is something quite momentous for Wah Wah 45s. The label's debut release, the now seminal Magnetica, was produced by the man himself, and in the best part of 25 years that followed he never lost his connection with the label and remained very much part of the Wah Wah family.

Now, almost a quarter of a century later, Espen returns with his first solo material under his own name since that club classic from 1999. Having produced music under the pseudonym of Bobby Hughes (his goalkeeping moniker when playing for Wigan!) and alongside soulful reggae vocalist Caitlin Simpson as Kinny and Horne for Tru Thoughts, Espen is back with another vocalist of a similar ilk, and one who is well known to fans of Wah Wah 45s.

Faye Houston was one of two great front women for the label's much loved, and much missed, dub outfit Resonators. On the A-side she returns to the fold with Espen on the deeply spiritual soul-jazz beauty Bakeren. It's the first taste of Espen's debut LP for the imprint, The Anatomy of Serene Eloquence, due out this winter.

The opening spoken words set the scene:

"For han bor helt alene på en bitteliten øy" which translates to "Because he lives all alone on his tiny island" and sums up perfectly how Espen lives his life in the beautiful, lush Western Norwegian coastal town of Bergen, surrounding himself with nature and focusing on it as one of the main inspirations for his new music.

This was never more the case than during the pandemic, when Espen began work on his new album. Grateful for the natural wonders that surrounded him, but keen to reach out to fellow humans to collaborate with, he started sharing musical ideas on-line with Faye, organist Rory More and bass player & vibes master Alexander von Mehren. Adding Eirik Blästernes on keys and Ivar Thormodsceter on drums were the finishing touches that created a very special and very moving piece of music that sets the scene for the album. The love and respect that the musicians share for each other, and their surroundings, is explicit in this song. A song which, rather wonderfully, draws its inspiration from an early 1970s Norwegian children's record, naturally.

On the flip, Bergen Sunraysemploys the talents of another sublime vocalist - this time rapper and singer Selim Mutic who is also, quite aptly, from the Norwegian's home town referenced in the song's title. The track was the first piece that Espen started working on in this new collection of songs, and what started as a rough sketch was soon picked up to be used as part of the Visit Bergen tourism campaign! The song's lyrics talk about loving their city for what it is - "raindrops, snowflakes, sunrays", all in one day! It's a melancholic and soulful love song to Bergen that incidentally also marks the first time that Mutic has written and performed a piece in English!

Curious keys come courtesy of Eirik Blåsternes alongside driving drums from Ivar Thormodsæter, but it's Chris Holm's heavy bassline groove, itself inspired, in typical Espen Horne style, by an obscure choral Christian record from 1970, that really propels the track forward.

After a ten year pursuit, Efficient Space finally presents Late, Late Show, the last recordings of influential Sydney-via-Newcastle band pel mel. Taped in the mid-’80s, these charmingly unvarnished sessions pare the combo back to their core, producing blue-collar sophisti-pop to a danceable LinnDrum beat. From the funky disco-not-disco of ‘Mr President’ to the effortless pop perfection of ‘Fool’s House’, the six tracks reveal a creatively open and well-oiled pel mel before they inevitably disbanded.

Formed in early 1979 as a misfit sextet from steel and surf town Newcastle, pel mel were inspired by New York and UK’s post-punk imports. Cutting their teeth speeding through originals and Joy Division, Wire and The Buzzcocks covers every Friday night to a regular turnout of dole bludgers, students and the under-age, the band would also cross-pollinate with electronic-leaning support act The Limp. In 1980, they decamped to Sydney to join the city’s flourishing alternative music scene alongside the likes of Laughing Clowns, Tactics, The Reels, Wild West and the M Squared crew, making an indelible mark with two albums and several singles as the only domestic signee of Factory’s Australasian licensee GAP Records. Catchy and intelligently experimental without being noisy, their musicianship and enduring legacy continues to be lauded by peers.

Undoubtedly some of their strongest output, this previously unreleased demo suite documents pel mel free from the pressures of a commercial outcome, naturally elevating them to a class alongside Orange Juice, Antena and Young Marble Giants.

‘Over And Over’ is simply the greatest ever 7-inch disco edit, a nine-minute anthem which retains (or maybe even enhances) its appeal in the smaller format.

The tripped-out soul of ‘I Need Somebody To Love Tonight’ also has a great shorter version. Neither have been reissued since their original release.

The summer of 2016 marked the fortuitous meeting of two talented musicians, Zaidi Kiggundu (Ziggy Funk) and Jamie Mcshane, at a music festival. Sharing a love for Funk, Jazz, and Soul music, the duo knew they had to collaborate on a project together. Both Zaidi and Jamie had established music careers, bringing their unique backgrounds and experiences to the table. They also had their own music labels, contributing to their respective scenes.

Their collaboration began with a series of demo sessions at Jamie's studio in Scotland. Together, they laid down the foundation for their debut album, which they named 'Fortuitous.' This album fused Funk, Jazz, and Soul with a contemporary touch, paying homage to the classic albums of the past that deeply inspired them. Despite facing challenges such as scheduling conflicts and the disruptive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Zaidi and Jamie remained committed to completing the project.

To bring their musical vision to life, they enlisted the help of top-notch musicians on horns, including Ewan Mains, Konrad Wisniewski, and James Steele. With their contributions, the album 'Fortuitous' delivers solid grooves and captivating arrangements, showcasing the duo's dedication to their craft. The quality of the music caught the attention of Splash Music, who eagerly embraced the project. What started as a chance encounter and a few simple ideas many years ago has now transformed into a fully realized album, ready to be released to the world for everyone to enjoy.

Official reissue of this obscure Hawaiian psych-pop rarity.
Meticulously restored for reissue by Jessica Thompson.
Pressed at Gotta Groove Records.
A beautiful album celebrating Hawaii’s warmth and spirit. Enterprising composer and musician Eddie Suzuki made his own path throughout his lifetime. Born on October 4, 1929, Suzuki worked as a young shoeshiner in 1940s Honolulu, saving enough money to take piano lessons. In high school, he led a big band orchestra of 16, and sometimes up to 40 members. By the age of 18, he owned a piano shop that pivoted to become Honolulu’s top guitar store.
For Eddie Suzuki, music always came first. In 1973, after performing and composing songs for many years, Eddie Suzuki and his group, New Hawaii, recorded the now impossibly rare album, High Tide.
The LP isn’t a rock-outfit, local music journalist Wayne Harada ruminated in a 1973 review. Rather, it’s one man’s vision and version of the now Hawaii. A seasoned mix of psych, Hawaiian, and pop sensibilities, the music on High Tide gave the listener a look into Eddie’s singular vision celebrating the sights and sounds (and spirit) of Hawaii.

Madre Lingua is a collection of songs born via the constant interactions among the Artists that gravitated around Mother Tongue in the first two years since its opening.
On the back of this continuous exchange of musical ideas and vibes MT’s own Patrick Gibin full time coordinator and producer of many of the songs here worked on this project like painting a blank canvas inviting Tiombé Lockhart, Kaidi Tatham, K15, Mark de Clive-Lowe, Tommaso Cappellato, EDB, Gary Superfly and the mysterious 黒舌 (Infectious Madness) to bring their colourful and heartfelt contributions to this unique collection of songs.

Highly anticipated debut from 2020 breakthrough artist, London-based musician and poet Arlo Parks.
“My album is a series of vignettes and intimate portraits surrounding my adolescence and the people that shaped it. It is rooted in storytelling and nostalgia
- I want it to feel both universal and hyper specific.” - Arlo Parks
This album news continues an outstanding year for Arlo, who was included on the BBC Sound Of 2020 poll and Radio 1 Brit List, as well as the Dazed 100 list,
and was named as an ambassador for mental health charity CALM.
Winner of the BBC Music Introducing Artist Of The Year 2020.
Includes the Radio 1 A-listed singles ‘Black Dog’ and ‘Hurt’.
First LP pressing is on 180g deep red vinyl with foldout poster and digital download code

‘Nitely’ is the debut album from Jonny Wildey; written recorded over three years at North London’s creative haven Total Refreshment Centre.

Although ‘Nitely’ will be his first release under his own name, Wildey has been making electronic music under the name Alphabets Heaven for the last decade, releasing a string of acclaimed singles on Nightmares On Wax, Tru Thoughts, Soundway, and King Deluxe.

Recording upstairs at Total Refreshment Centre proved an inspiration in itself for Wildey – he recorded at night, which happily meant that some of the most exciting music around was happening in the same building: “The TRC had gigs on at the time, so I’d go there, start working on something, then would see the Neue Grafik Ensemble, or some amazing jazz band, and go back upstairs and carry on working, which was a lot of fun.” Unsurprisingly, he soon attracted some like-minded collaborators – ‘Nitely’ features Danalogue (The Comet Is Coming, Soccer96), Emma Gatrill (This Is The Kit, Laura Marling), Marcus Hamblett (James Holden, Timber Timbre) and London based beat master Deft (Yip Wong).

‘Nitely’ represents a musical shift, with Wildey embracing more traditional songwriting and a drawing upon his wide range of musical tastes – Shuggie Otis, Yes, Arthur Lee’s Love, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, A Tribe Called Quest, John Frusciante, Milton Nascimento, Steve Miller. “I really just wanted to take a lot of influences from the 70s and 80s that I was maybe a bit embarrassed about earlier in life and try and apply that to everything I’ve been doing for the last 10 years. I’m not ashamed to write songs and put my vocals at the front, which is a huge step for me. The big connecting thing is that a lot of the music I like is fun – say, Shuggie Otis has a lot of what I like in dance music, in that it just feels so light – it will just make whatever you do feel a bit better, that’s the kind of music I wanted to make.

Spanning 12 tracks, ‘Nitely’ is a record from the heart; it’s direct, warm and unequivocally honest. The sound palette of the record effortlessly meshes the crunch and warmth of 70’s funk & soul (Lonely, Violet, Your Dreams), the dreamy air of bedroom pop (Don’t Fall Asleep, Love is Out There) and sub heavy frequencies from beats/electronica (Roll, Too Much). The result is a modern day Pop / New Soul classic, an album that from start to finish is an endearing look into the mind of Wildey. It’s familiar-yet-new, nostalgic and straight forward, wearing its emotions very clearly on its sleeves.

Repress!

10 Years after his last LP on Vinyl, the Legendary FUNKMASTER OZONE, one of the Kings of the Underground Funk Movement is back with an explosive New LP! As always on his records, there is a P-Funk side and an E-Funk side. There are all the elements that have characterized its unmistakable sound since the beginning of the Funkmaster Ozone Era!

Power Analog Synthesizers, Talkbox, Vocoder, DMX, 808 and his absolutely amazing Funk touch. The LP includes a featuring with the wonderful voice of JAMIE DAVIS & the touch of H.M.KLOTZ in the song 'Freaky Friday', an incredible Master Piece which seems to have come directly from the 80s! And also a great collaboration with another superb artist like EDDY FUNKSTER on 'Integrity'. The LP, is a full trip into the universe of Funkmaster Ozone, a must have reléase!

This Autumn, Nicole Willis rolls out with her third album made together with The Soul Investigators "Happiness In Every Style". It is bound to send shivers through backs all around the world. As the name suggests, the new album will offer variety and tilt towards a more positive note after the murky "Tortured Soul" from two years back.

This means Nicole and the boys have made things a bit more soothing for the listener, offering upbeat modern soul and even embrace more sophisticated melodies alongside their highly evolved raw funk sound. To get a taste of this, one only has to put on "Let's Communicate" or "One In a Million" to have their hands clapping and toes tapping in no time, or respectively, witness the dance floor explode. From minor key ballads such as "Thief In The Night" to the unapologetically poppy "Angel", the new album is bound to bring to the hearts of humans in every shade and style.

Whether you know Nicole Willis from before or not does not hold any weight here. After hearing her with The Soul Investigators on this new album, you will know they are for real, and out to offer you everything you need to fill up your soul supply. With Nicole's insightful lyrics and the band's hard-hitting music you are in good care.

‘Yemaya’ is the long-awaited new album and Tru Thoughts debut from future soul and electronica duo Anushka. Therelease features proceeding singles “You My Love”, “Speak To Me” and “Brave” which have seen support from the likes of GillesPeterson, Lauren Laverne, Jamz Supernova, Nemone (BBC 6Music), Jack Saunders (BBC Radio 1), EARMILK, Music Is My Sanctuary, Clash Magazine and Toshio Matsuura.

Released on limited edition transparent numbered double vinyl, the LP takes its name from the Orisha Yemaya – the Goddess ofthe Sea, protector of women and the Eternal Mother in the Santeria/Yoruba religion. It is believed in Santeria that Yemaya guidesand supports her children, helping them to grow; as explored with the reference to the life-giving essence of water in focus track“Bad Weather”. Celebrating their progression and those who have helped them on the way, the title expresses the oneness that theduo felt making the record.

This growth is explored on album opener “So Far Journey”. Written by Victoria Port (singer/songwriter) as a “call to the ancestors”,the track explores coming back to yourself and who you truly are after a period of feeling displaced and lost. With astrally chargedsynths from Max Wheeler (producer), it sits alongside the cosmic love story of “You My Love” and the luminous “Serenity”.Speaking of the latter, Port adds: “It’s that feeling when a person makes it feel like home wherever you are. When something isstressful and you know they can help you find your peace”.

Junei, the guitarist behind The Space Army Band, who would team up with his brother, General Lee, to form The Lost Weekend remains a pivotal character amongst the music scene of his hometown, Gary, Indiana.

Working closely with local indie groups & producers, such as Gordon Keith of Steeltown (Jackson 5's first manager), Junei would spend the 70s writing & recording whilst touring with artists such as The Emotions, Curtis Mayfield & Albert King.

Junei's calling card came to be in 1987, when he released his single 'Let's Ride' & 'You Must Go On' on local imprint, Pharoah's Records. The following year, he teamed up with Bernard Walker to produce a signature of that late-80s bedroom indie sound, cemented by the ideology & instruments used.

As Junei recalls..

"Bernard Walker approached me based on my reputation around town. He told me about this song that he wrote called "My Lover." Initially, he wanted to record a demo but I convinced him that I could do an actual finished production of his song, right from my small project "tape based, 8-track" basement studio. The sessions took place in Gary, Indiana in the basement of my parents home inside my small bedroom recording studio. The equipment used was a Fostex 1/4" 8-track recorder, Fostex 1/4" 2-track recorder, Fostex 12-channel mixer, Sennheizer vocal microphone, Korg DW8000 Synthesizer & a Roland R8 Drum Machine. As he sang the lyrics, I began composing what I heard in my head, then I recorded to tape each instrument one at a time (keyboards, drum machine, etc..) until we were satisfied with the production, then he laid down his lead vocals and I helped him sing the background vocals. Afterwards, I did some tweaking and then I transferred it to my 2-track reel-to-reel recorder, and that was it. He was totally pleased of the outcome."

A modern soul number that fits today's disco sound, and on 45, what's not to love here ?

"Sweet Maybe" is a driving slice of sassy modern soul. A honeyed, sizzling affair with proper live band delivering the goods and featuring Bart Davenport on vocal duties. Over on the flip, the Synthstrumental version is a party jam that romps along in full-on disco-funk mode.

If there's one thing that drives Casbah 73 as a DJ and a producer, more than anything else, it is his love for the music. An all-encompassing, life-consuming affair that gives shape and direction to the distinctive sounds he creates, whether on the dancefloor or in the studio. And he has been on fine form of late, with a superb string of releases combining craftsmanship, live musicians and dance floor suss.

Featured singer LA's Bart Davenport is an old Lovemonk friend of
The Loved Ones, Incarnations & Honeycut fame.

An internet image search of the Welsh countryside looks exactly like you might have pictured it. The grassy knolls, grass-topped rooftops, horses and lambs on the green pasture, the winding roads; beauty that manages to dodge the cliché by a hundred miles. When it comes to the instrumentals of Jeb Loy Nichols' album "Jeb Loy", recorded far away from his Wales home in a Finnish basement studio, modern pastoral soul might as well be the appropriate term.

Void of Jeb's raspy vocals, but still featuring his acoustic guitar, an air of serenity emerges from the tracks. The crow has flown away into the grey clouds leaving the misty airwaves for the drums and bass, guitars, organ and horns, the familiar tools of Cold Diamond & Mink. And these fellows know how to build an ambience, just have a listen to the instrumental version of "Living It Up".

"Jeb Loy" might be the independent soul album of the year. But as all of the single releases from it are vocal tracks, this release is your only chance to cop these instrumentals. You'll find that they have stories of their own to tell. Some pretty, others joyful and all inspiring.

Two brass-powered monster tracks from Deptford
Northern Soul Club Records.
Irene And The Scotts’ 1967 smash goes for around
£150 a copy these days. A Detroit soul side
arranged by the legendary Dennis Coffey,
produced by Motown man Bob Babbitt, co-written
by Ray Monette (later a member of Motown act
Rare Earth) and featuring the mysterious Irene’s
punchy torch vocal backed by Chicago soul band
The Scott Brothers. Rife with brass stabs and a
glorious sax break - an absolute floor filling gem.
Backed with The Chantels’ ‘Indian Giver’ from
1966, which first appeared on the Verve label (a
copy of which would now fetch around £275 a
throw). A super-rare soul side from the Bronxbased all-girl doo wop pop outfit who found the
funk in the mid ‘60s. Delivered over a hypnotic
backbeat, ‘Indian Giver’ is a horn-laden uptempo
groove with a drummer on double-time. An
absolute handclapping, split-inducing dance
classic.

This is a Coke Bottle Green version of the vinyl.

Dip your soul into this new album by Jeb Loy Nichols, full of gritty grooves, mellow melodies and life-fuelled lyrics. Timmion Records reintroduces to the world a seasoned wordsmith and singer through 10 shining examples of rootsy modern r&b that fuse together southern soul, folk music and world class balladry. Led by Jeb's intimate acoustic guitar and raspy incantations, while supported by Cold Diamond & Mink's tight rhythm section, you are in for a helluva ride.

The album, simply named "Jeb Loy" is a testament to the artist's decades long career, spanning soul, country and r&b. Signed to Capitol Records in the late 90's and making it as far as MTV with his video for "As The Rain", Jeb was fairly soon dropped by the major label. Since then, the American-born artist has churned out a steady output of material from his country-side home in Wales. The songs on "Jeb Loy" are clearly drawn out from experiences in life lived, relationships and moments on the road. In tunes like "Living It Up" the listener is pulled inside a mesmerizing groove and Jeb's understated social commentary, evoking a mood that should sit well with fans of Menahan Street Band. On "Not There Yet" Jeb builds on the motif of crows, which become familiar to the listener through many of the album's tracks, looking at the birds in the sky as a reflection of his personal state of being.

Timmion is putting out several songs from "Jeb Loy" on singles, but the album is something to be experienced in itself. It's in that rare vein of classic independent folk soul albums, like Larry T & The Family or Willie Wright's "Telling The Truth", which work like magic on rainy lazy sunday afternoons. It's the perfect companion for those transcendental occasions, when things in this chaotic world seems to make sense, just for a moment.

Modulor and Octave Lab are delighted to announce the first official reissue of Kellee Patterson’s ‘Kellee’ LP. Recorded in 1976, ‘Kellee’ is the second album for the amazing lady soul singer after her debut album ‘Maiden Voyage’ released on Black Jazz Records. Produced by Gene Russell, who also produced ‘Maiden Voyage’, this album includes some great soul & jazz cover songs. Barry White’s masterpiece “I’m Gonna Love You Just A Little More, Baby”, The O’Jays “I Love Music”, The Stylistics “Stop, Look & Listen To Your Heart”, Grover Washington Jr “Mister Magic” and Kenny Logins “Time To Space”... ‘Kellee’ is a must-have record for every jazzy / soul music fan.

Mary J. Blige, the legendary singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist and honorary Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, will re-release her acclaimed 1994 sophomore album, My Life, on Nov 20 via UMC. The album, which celebrated its 25th anniversary November 29, 2019 will be released in two physical forms: a 2cd and a standard weight black double vinyl. From her No. 57 hit “You Bring Me Joy” to her No. 22 version of Rose Royce’s 1976 soul classic “I’m Going Down,” My Life was one of Blige’s most creatively vital works to date.

Originally out on CD, this mix was for a free compilation for a clothes trademark, this is finally out on vinyl:) Boots Groove:)

Neroli starts a new series of one offs releases within its own catalogue, with a seven inch double a-sider from Nicola Kramer. The urge to finally put on wax these beautiful songs produced by Domu in 2008 was the sparkle that brought Volcov to create this Neroli From The Archive series references to his old label Archive and the From the Archive radio shows and compilations are pretty clear. Nicola Kramer was the phenomenal voice behind many Domu, Rima, Bakura songs with appareances also on Jazzanova and Chateu Flight releases. But especially on her only solo album The Other Side, from which these two songs are taken, she shines immensely with her unique ghostly soulful tones.

On today’s episode of LA’s Most-Blunted, the POOLS boys are back with a brand new sample-laden selection of beats and blends!

Picking up where their previous RNT outing ‘Innertubes’ left off, the 12 tracks of 'Sunned’ layer found and filtered sounds over rough’n’ready MPC beats, dripping with delay and vibey ambience. Each track boasts its own unique soundscape and structure, but taken together as a collective listen the record has a zoned-out and sun-drenched quality that is…well, unmistakably POOLS.

Tune in, light up and vibe out!

In 2020, Dance Music don, Ashley Beedle was approached to edit the unreleased track which had a UK 12” vinyl release in 2021 on the charity A's and Bees label. Having heard the track in all its glory, Ramrock Boss Lady, Jo Wallace immediately thought that a 7” edit would sound like a Blackpool Mecca classic that never existed!

And so, the editing process began again and, this time, the North Street Collective came up with ‘Superfine Feeling’ 7” Edits and, in the true tradition of soul tracks, named them Pt1 & Pt2. An exuberant, uplifting, Mecca Soul unreleased monster finally receiving the talcumed dancefloor love it deserves 44 years later!

Saitana’s debut Baby Don’t Go in 1976 saw him return to the producer of the Beaters first album, Ray Nkwe,
whose JAS Pride label was undergoing a mid-70s boom. In contrast with the mod sensibilities of the early
Beaters, Saitana came out of the gate with a completely new look to suit the times, sporting an impressive
Afro, an embroidered dashiki and an amicable grin on the album’s cover. A mix of Soul, Folk, Blues and Rock
the debut from Saitana is not to be missed. Recently mentioned by Trevor Noah as one of the albums that
influenced him as a youth. Taken from the original reels.

Soul Jazz Records are releasing this latest Studio One compilation which features non-step 100% stone-cold classic Studio One killers! Spanning 40 years of the legendary label, this album is a fitting tribute to Clement "Sir Coxsone" Dodd and is a who's who of Jamaicaan Reggae.

Studio One Records is excited to announce the release of their new boxset, the Studio One U.K Red series! Featuring 16 classic tracks from artists such as Ken Boothe, The Heptones, and Ernest Ranglin, this collection is a must-have for any music lover. Get your copy now and experience the sounds of Studio One Records!

• 1971 Invictus records release, The Glass House features the distinguished voices of Pearl Jones, Ty Hunter, Larry
Mitchell and Scherrie Payne. Each selected with great care to form HDH’s only mixed- gendered vocal group
• Scherrie Payne, sister of Invictus start Freda, who co-wrote many of the groups songs before joining The Supremes
in the mid 1970s
• ‘Crumbs Off The Table’ #7 in the R&B and Pop charts. Other stand out tracks include ‘Look What You’ve Done To
Love’, ‘If It Ain’t Love (It Doesn’t Matter) – a Payne/Hunter duet.
• Demon Music are proud to reissue the groups debut album on 180g heavyweight vinyl with printed inner sleeve

The rola cracks off with Joe sweet talking his way out of ending up in the dog house.

Reality Jonez, known for his falsetto on "A Million Girls", joins Thee Baby Cuffs, convincing her once again that there's a million girls in the whole wide world but "You're My Reason".


Just in case plain English ain't enough, Gilberto further convinces her in Spanish, "Mi Chicanita, mi chula baby, you're my reason".


Joe goes on into a barrio love story, "I try to stay out of trouble, but sometimes, trouble seems to find me, all I need is someone I can tell my troubles…." And just to let her know she's special, Joe and Gilberto end with, "without you, there is no me."


The rola is packed with gutsy dynamic vocals, bilingual lyrics, harmony and a rhythm section spoiled in Gold, Diamonds and Mink Coats by none other than Finland's finest, Cold, Diamond and Mink.

"As Purple is to Lavender..."

With our Africa Airways series flying high we felt it is time to introduce a new compilation focusing on the unique contribution from some of Africa's most recognised female artists and some lesser known ones for good measure. We are excited to be launching this on Women's Day 2018 as our way to highlight the incredible, yet under-acknowledged musical contribution that African women have given to the funky sounds of Africa. Taking our cue from the Alice Walker essay "In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens", the creative sparks that inspired this collection of songs were formed in their Mothers' Gardens by Mothers who paved the way for their daughters to keep the creativity of black women alive through their strength and resilience. Whilst we have a bit more of a message with this one, we wouldn't be Africa Seven if it wasn't damn funky at the same time!

We kick things off with the infectious sound of South-African Letta Mbulu. Letta started her career playing alongside fellow heavyweights Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masekela as cast members of King Kong in the 1950's and has since gone on to become one of the most influential south-African artists, even featuring on Michael Jackson songs, as well as being recognised for her contribution both musically and to that of the country's liberation struggles. With a crate-digger, secret weapon version of her classic Kilimanjiro single, "Kilimanjiro, Take Us Higher" is longer and has all the disco groove and delight you need and desire from such a star.

Uta Bella takes over from Letta, with a powerful Africa Seven return. "Enyin" is a glamorous disco scorcher heightened by glittering keys and irresistible West African vocals. One of Nigeria's unsung pioneers, and first female pop bandleader, Mona Finnih continues the flow with an effortless boogie number "Ani Kewa Jo" which just keeps on giving for nearly 7 glorious minutes. This devastating 80's number "Nou Ke Sa Inmew" from Cida Desvarieux follows up Uta and is dealt in two halves. Firstly a hit of beautiful vocals and slap bass controls the floor before handing over to the powerful guitar riffs and horns which groove out for the rest of this number. Wrapping up the first side with a classy reggae inspired number "Time Waits For No One" is Christy Essien, the grand dame of Nigerian pop, who was never far away from the issues affecting women in the Nigerian music industry.

Side two, enter Togolese singer Akofa Akoussah causing a storm with "Tango", delicate at times yet with a ferocious, unforgiving energy. Next a more obscure offering from Carmen Ezumah with vintage afro goodness in the form of "Tala Tala". Moving on, we have the Nigerian Lijadu sisters (dubbed "the West African Pointer Sisters") with one of their most notable hits "Danger". Our penultimate offering is another dose of obscurity, sandwiched between two greats, with Kenyan Bakambi N'Kela's uncompromising "Kilimanjoro".

Mothers' Garden finishes the way we started. With another one of Africa's leading ladies and music royalty, Miriam Makeba. Nicknamed Mother Africa, Miriam is famed for her huge musical contributions, her role in fighting the apartheid and for becoming a UN Ambassador. "Xica Da Silva" is a cover of Jorge Ben and the slow, hypnotic rhythm allows for the power of Miriam's voice to shine through.

Some serious swagger emerged on Shelby S. Singleton’s SSS International label, including the funk-soaked, Allen Toussaint-penned ‘There’s A Break In The Road,’ Mickey Murray’s relentless ‘Sticky Sue,’ Bettye LaVette’s standout revival of ‘Piece Of My Heart,’ and more sensational workouts! Cut by Kevin Gray and pressed on gold vinyl at Third Man Pressing!

!!! A DOSE OF PSYCHEDELIC FUNK & BLUE-EYED SOUL !!!

It's been a minute since Perfect Toy Records last hooked you up with a wild ride down that ol' psych-soul highway but the blacktop beckons once more with the sourcing of material for Down & Wired Vol. 5 by veteran follower of the 'way of the dusty crate' - Chan The Man!

This one begins, aptly enough, with an irresistible cover of Hit The Road Jack, by turns languorous and fiery from Bay Area-based Lydia Pinkham & The Denver Hot Flashes. Of course, working up a head of speed, is intoxicating and the next three cuts, from Changes, The Changing Times and Abe, Malka & The Basic Bronx, deliver increasingly scorching psych-funk laced with wah-wah guitar. Things get heavier again as Side A draws to a close with a brace of rock-oriented cuts – an uptempo blues groove from Reb and a psych-rock nugget from Dallas.

The second half of the LP, like the first, also opens with a cover – this time with The Nassauvians' heavy take on Baby Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood followed by a dirty slab of 60s garage rock from The Continentals. After that, things take a mellower turn with The Ladds' lowrider love song, I Found A Girl, (the first ballad to be featured in the series!) before getting back to the psych-rock on a short edit of the original 9-minute long It's Love from German Christian rock band Oratorium. Wrapping things up for Vol.5 are Caesar & His Romans' garage classic Black Lantern and The Bobbies' funked up cover of Jerry Lee Lewis's, She Put Me Down.

In short, it's another triumphant set of dope obscurities (once againaccompanied by detailed liner notes and never-before-seen photos of the artists) and a tribute to the dusty-fingered digging skills of Chan The Man.

It's been a minute since Perfect Toy Records last hooked you up with a wild ride down that ol' psych-soul highway but the blacktop beckons once more with the sourcing of material for Down & Wired Vol. 6 by veteran follower of the 'way of the dusty crate' - Chan The Man!

This release opens with two consecutive covers, the first of which is What's Happening's instrumental Latin-jazzy cover version of Nancy Sinatra's Bang Bang followed by Hercules & The Black Majic's raw take on counter-culture anthem War. Then it's the turn of E.S. Grit to deliver proto-stoner rock on Petty Insinuations and Canadians the Klaas Craats Six to unleash a heady cocktail of funky psychedelia and garage fuzz on their sole 45 release. Mercy Men's Fifth Street, by contrast, delivers unadulterated deep funk and is followed by blistering funky rock on Staff & Managements' aptly-named instrumental, Fresh Dirt.

The second half of this collection is opened by two amazing finds - Snapdragon's super-funky organ-led Hardluck and Ron Lynch & Bene Regesh's psychedelic garage-rock number Evil Woman. Subsequently, Carolina Tikis and The Raiders keep the revs up with a brace of instrumentals - funky garage rock and a garage/RnB hybrid respectively - which are slipstreamed by some uplifting bubblegum guitar fuzz from The Cynch. The final cut is an unreleased live recording from Mike Peace & Filet of Soulpitched somewhere between garage rock and 'country funk'and while it may havestanky lo-fi production values it is not only one of the best cuts on the entire release but the band have arguably the funkiest rhythm section too!

In short, it's another triumphant set of dope obscurities (once againaccompanied by detailed liner notes and never-before-seen photos of the artists) and a tribute to the dusty-fingered digging skills of Chan The Man.

A second volume of late 50s and early 60s Cambodian slow rock, pop and R&B tracks - following the first volume's featuring as compilation of the week on Lauren Laverne's BBC 6Music show.

From the late 1950s onwards a music scene developed around Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh, inspired by the prevalence of imported rock & pop records arriving in the country from US & UK and also chanson and bolero records from France & Latin America. This collection documents some of these early home-grown slow rock, pop & rnb 45 recordings from the early 60s, prior to the further embrace of US psych & garage rock-orientated sounds in the mid 60s and into the Vietnam war era.

A high quality selection of little known and underrated Soul, AOR and anything in between!

As a spare time dj and only one of the many thousands of record collectors on this planet (but avowedly one of the not so many from Austria) it's a wonderful feeling to share some of my personal favourite songs with fellow music lovers from around the world. I don't wanna bore the pants off anyone out there as the music clearly speaks for itself. But then I think that I should shine some light on particular songs of my choice selection.

The twelve tracks on this album display a wide range of genres with some being difficult to categorize. Call it whatever you feel describes it best. I would say it is authentic music with a whole lot of soul. A fact which should be mentioned (and which makes me proud to be honest) is that many of the songs have not found its way onto a compilation album yet. Rarity was not the prime reason though, however some of the original records do not turn up often and thus might be considered 'rare'. During the last couple of months I have had listened to this selection at least a hundred times. For some reason I am still not tired of it and this is what I hope for you to experience too.

Roman Bloecker – December 2021

Amanaz were serious, and they made a serious stab at an album. They titled their album Africa, according to original band member Keith Kabwe, “because of how it was shared and how its inhabitants were butchered and enslaved, its resources stolen… all the atrocities slave drivers committed. “ Thus, their “Kale,” a blues sung in Nyanja, that traced the continent’s arc from slavery to Zambia’s independence closes the album. Kabwe and rhythm guitarist John Kanyepa have a winsome softness to their vocals, which sit politely aside the feral growl of drummer Watson Baldwin Lungu, bassist Jerry Mausala and bandleader/lead guitarist Isaac Mpofu. Africa’s vibe ranges from anxious (“Amanaz”) to escapist (“Easy Street”) to straight-up pissed-off. On the “History of Man,” his voice whiskeyburned, his distorted guitar buzzing like swarming hornets, Mpofu indicts his species.
There’s a darkness to Africa not found on any other Zamrock records, and a melancholy drifts throughout, specifically on Mpofu’s more restrained “Khala My Friend,” which stands as an effective, bleak situation for the Zambian everyman, the average citizen of a struggling, new nation, who might have had relatives in conflict-torn countries on the horizon, who might have been struggling to find his next meal, who might have seen a bleaker future than his president promised. Then there’s the clear Velvet Underground-influence on the nostalgic “Sunday Morning,” which, as Kabwe
recalls, was the first song written for the album, back in 1968, when Velvet Undergound and Nico was a new release - and the underground funk of “Making The Scene.” The album also tackles traditional Zambian music and early-‘60s rock – punctuated, of course by Kanyepa’s wah-wah and Mpofu’s fuzz guitars. But every time Amanaz get too deep, too violent, they come back with an accessible song and woo their listener back to the groove. “Green Apple” is a civil song, featuring Kanyepa’s sighing guitar. It is a perfectly arranged album, from the dichotomy of Mpofu’s and Kanyepa’s lead and rhythm guitars, to the vocal harmonies, to the rhythm section’s sense of space and time, which allows Africa’s funk to build. Inexplicably, Africa was given two separate mixes and two separate presses: one version is dry, with the vocals and drums mixed loud, the other slathered in reverb, with the vocals and drums disappearing into the mix, and with the guitar solos mixed much louder. We’ve presented them both here as they each have their appeal: it’s up to the listener to pick the one he or she prefers. This is a highpoint of the Zamrock scene and we hope that this can be seen as its definitive reissue.