Hip-Hop News

When you mix Guinea, Mali, Senegal, Cuba and Australia, you find yourself with many cultures. We represent Africa, sure, but also we represent diversity. That is the essence of Ausecuma Beats. We want to come together, to bring all people together to share the knowledge of what we have learnt.

We all see the hard work that lies ahead in the future. It’s not easy, and we all have different ways of thinking. But there is also something we all share, and that is humanity, and family. We have to teach our children, to help them on their journey.

This album can be defined by the song Tombo. It’s about giving respect to your teacher. All the knowledge we bring to this album has come from someone who in their turn gave it to us. If you like the music, you hear it, you dance, great! But remember, someone created this, they gave it to us, and now Ausecuma Beats are giving it to you. So we dedicate this album to our teachers.

The name of this album is Musso; it means woman. We want to dedicate this album to those who gave us life. It doesn’t matter how strong we are, how tough we are, or how lucky we are in the chances we have been given. There is always someone who is worrying about us; there is no-one who can be thinking about us more than our own mother. So this album especially is dedicated to the women in our lives, and is sending respect to all women around the world. - Boubacar Gaye, Melbourne, July 2021

This collection of 12 luk thung* songs from the 1960s-70s, all produced by Surin Phaksiri, is a superb showcase of cross-genre/multi-national fertilization, with Latin, jazz, western pop, Indian and Japanese music seamlessly melding with the musical culture of Isan (northeast Thailand), which is strongly rooted in Laotian culture; indeed, the Isan language, as featured in these songs, is a form of Laotian. Esteemed producer Surin Phaksiri, an Isan icon, always strove to drive Thai music forward, with innovative techniques and open ears, introducing international elements as well as Lao influences, including the use of the khaen. Many of the singers here, all famed and respected, have Lao roots, and it is predominantly through music that the Isan Lao-Thai culture has entered the Thai national consciousness. These lovely and joyous songs are, for the most part, previously unavailable outside of Thailand; more than half are first-time reissues. The wide range of songs here includes covers of Japanese folk and pop songs, a paean to marijuana, proto-Thai funk, a ramwong-style** dance tune, a cover of a Bollywood classic, some straight-ahead luk thung, a unique Indian-style luk thung, and a gorgeous answer song to a movie hit. An array of gems, available on vinyl and CD, with English translations of the lyrics and Soi48’s liner notes. Cover art by Shinsuke Takagi (Soi48)

* Lukthung: A musical genre whose name means ‘country person’s song’ or ‘children of the field’. The name became established in the latter half of the 1960s and now has the status of a national genre of popular song unique to Thailand. The lyrics of luk thung songs deal mainly with the rural idyll, comparisons between the city and the countryside, life in the big city and current affairs. There are certain typical traits to the music, but no official musical form.

** Ramwong: A unique form of Thai dance music, fostered as a means of promoting national pride and unity. Similar to Japanese Bon Odori, participants form a circle and dance together. The term can refer to the particular style of music, or the actual dance.

1981 South African Soul-Funk-Jazz from the master tape vault of the As-Shams/The Sun label by the creator of the Black Disco albums. As underground jazz fermented in the social and political powder keg of early-80s South Africa, composer and bandleader Pops Mohamed retired the Black Disco moniker in favour of Movement in the City. Their second offering yielded one of the most treasured releases in the As-Shams catalogue by way of Black Teardrops (SRK 786150), a singular blend of down-tempo and atmospheric South African rare groove featuring Dollar Brand saxophonist Basil "Manenberg" Coetzee and bass wizard Sipho Gumede on stand-out cuts like "Lament" and "Camel Walk." This carefully restored Sharp-Flat reissue in an edition of 500 puts the album back in print for the first time in 40 years.

‘The Afro Modern Seventies Sounds of Soweto’s First Nightclub

• Over ten years in the making, this is the first compilation from South African vinyl re-issue specialists Matsuli Music

• Ten track double gatefold album journey through jazz, funk, fusion and disco, detailing the incredible story and sounds behind the Soweto nightclub during the height of apartheid

• Uniquely South African take on the trans-Atlantic sounds of Philadelphia, Detroit and New York City

• Cover artwork by Zulu Bidi (of Batsumi fame) with unseen photographs, and liner notes by Kwanele Sosibo featuring interviews with key musicians, players and a former president of South Africa

• Audio mastered and cut for vinyl by Frank Merritt at The Carvery with heavyweight 180g vinyl pressed at Pallas in Germany

A night-time haunt in the backstreets of Soweto run by a well-known bootlegger should have been a prime zone for nefarious underworld activities. Instead, it nurtured an underground of a different kind. Soon after its opening in 1973, Club Pelican became a spot where musicians steeped in the tradition of South African jazz began to cook up experimental sounds inspired by communion, competition and the movements in funk and soul blowing in from the West. Located in an industrial park on the western edge of Orlando East, Soweto, Club Pelican was off the beaten track, among a matrix of railway and industrial infrastructure. In a different time and place, this would have been a prototypical nightclub location, except there was no local precedent to follow. This was Soweto’s first night club.
In the intervening years, this location has served to heighten the now-defunct spot’s legendary status as a singular venue, one that ruled the night in the Seventies. Initially called Lucky’s and established in 1973, the Pelican’s impact on the Soweto cultural landscape was immediate. Lorded over by a charismatic figure known as Lucky Michaels, the club became the jewel in a nondescript collection of family businesses. It boasted a diverse pool of talent in its succession of house bands and an A-list of ghetto-fabulous singers as

its cabaret stars. Its VIP section was a veritable who’s who of Soweto society and its stage, hosting a mix of the day’s pop culture infused with the creativity and individual histories of the musicians, the Pelican filled a live music vacuum.
One Night in Pelican captures the halcyon seventies period with a single nightclub embodying an indomitable spirit of its troubadour players. While schooled and rooted in “standards” and local forms, the music could take any direction, at a moment’s notice. This compilation features all the key groups and players of the time: Abacothozi, Almon Memela’s Soweto, The Black Pages, Dick Khoza and the Afro Pedlars, The Drive, Ensemble of Rhythm and Art , The Headquarters, Makhona Zonke Band, the Shyannes and Spirits Rejoice.’

Kaito Winse comes from a Burkina Faso griot music family, where from an early age he was formed in the tradition of his family and the region of Sourou in the north of Burkina Faso. Kaladounia means ‘Here the world’. As a griot, Kaito is the message bearer for the traditions of Burkina Faso. This debut album takes its impetus from the desire to perpetuate these traditions. The tama, the toutlé and the Fulani flutes accompany the songs addressed to Ancestors and newborns, and appeal to the force of planet earth. Many musical and spiritual techniques are updated and unveiled on this album. “Kaladounia” also takes its inspiration from the richness of human values and the need to communicate with nature. His mouth bow leads the voice and carries uplifting messages. His voice rises in Mooré, Samo or French and pays homage to women, to their courage, to love and to life. His album reveals the mastery of traditional musical techniques and rhythms, a spirituality rooted in ancestral values of men and nature, and a powerful and striking voice you won’t forget. This is the world, this is the place to do good things.

La Bestiole Records and La Bagnolette join together to create new label Stima and make available again one the most hard to find oddity of the parisian fusion gwoka scene with Dou Van Jou officially licensed from Jimmy Blanche himself.
Side A includes four tracks of the original 1987 album, with the hot dancefloor number “Misik A Moun A Kaz”.
Side B contains Baerlz’s housy remix of “Misik” and the unreleased song “Kimbe” that Jimmy kindly gave us from his private tape recordings made in the 80’s.

Charismatic trombonist and pianist Malcolm Jiyane debut album as frontman is more than merely one individual’s breakthrough. Workshopped and recorded within two days in Johannesburg, UMDALI stretches the idea of what it means to improvise within the context of jazz.

Operating from the fringes of the South African jazz scene, the enigmatic yet charismatic trombonist and pianist Malcolm Jiyane delivers a major contribution to the canon -- one shaped around dedications to key figures in his personal and professional life. Several years ago, Jiyane was dealing with the death of a band member, the birth of a daughter and the passing of his beloved mentor Johnny Mekoa, founder of the Music Academy of Gauteng, which Jiyane attended from a young age. These life-altering events give shape to the music’s emotional register and its thematic concerns.

In Black Music, his book of essays and critiques, Amiri Baraka makes the point that jazz musicians, be it in the construction of solos or in other aspects of composition, always draw on the works of their contemporaries or elders. How much outsiders pick up on that is really dependent on how au fait they are with the music. In this album, Jiyane finds comfort in this well-trodden path. Two songs make for great examples. Umkhumbi kaMa, a jazzfunk track celebrating the creative force as inhabited by women, the motif to Herbie Hancock’s Ostinato (Suite for Angela) is a clear reference, connecting in one swift move, not only the musical traditions of the Black Atlantic but also the struggles and triumphs of women across space and time. On the same note, the free-form Solomon, Tsietsi & Khotso, conjured in the same jam session that yielded SPAZA’s UPRIZE!, appears here in a more fleshed out form as Senzo seNkosi; a tender dedication to Malcolm Jiyane Tree-O bass player Senzo Nxumalo.

Jiyane’s path to the realisation of his debut album as frontman is more than merely one individual’s breakthrough. Workshopped and recorded within two days in Johannesburg, UMDALI, not unlike Miles Davis’ landmark Kind of Blue, stretches our idea of what it means to improvise within the context of jazz.

An imprint union of Meakusma, Ominira and Viola Klein continuing a vivid relationship between Senegal, USA, Belgium and Germany.
Florent Kandety’s voice of N’aie Pas Peur rebuilt by Julion De’Angelo (Sound Signature) on Side A.
Mbalax rhythms by Sabar ensemble Abdou Aziz, Abdoukhadre & Adramé Diop arranged by Viola Klein (Meakusma) feat. a beat by Whodat on side B.
Yes. Growth is constant transformation.

Deep Nigerian late 80's Digi-Roots Reggae LP . Loaded with dope digital roots riddims filled with mad synths , deep conscious lyrics and a deep bassline, it's quite unique as the two main track comes with a raw Dub which isn't very common on any other African Reggae albums , the last track call “If I'm To Rule The World” is a very interesting blend of Reggae and Boogie.

The Lp never really saw a commerical issue and was probably pressed in very few promotional copies for Radios and Djs making the original nearly impossible to be found nowdays.

The cover has been fully restored and Audio remastered , the LP we'll comes with an insert with Lyrics , original pictures from back in the days (and a few new ones) , a newspaper article from 1990 and an extensive interview by Sharon Escco Wilson.

Black So Man. For Black Is Also Man. Tout Le Monde Et Personne. He blames ‘Everybody and No one’.
Clealry, Bingotoma Traore was not trying to get rich, or entertain: he wanted to change the world. And all it took to get there was four cassettes, all recorded between 1994 et 1998. In that time he went from extreme poverty, sellings eggs in the streets and killing pigs at the factory, to being the biggest pop star in his native country, Burkina Faso, and a legend all over Western Africa.
Corruption, ill governance, education, colonisation… All his songs were history and philosophical lessons for the ghetto youths, the unemployed, and the many people who could identify themselves with him.
He died 20 years ago, mortally wounded after going through a car crash. Today, his videos still ranks millions of views on social network. No one has forgotten him. And his fight is more relevant than ever.
Rest In Power Black So Man (1967-2002). Thank you to his son Ange Fela Traore and his ex-wife Adji Sanon (to whom he dedicated the song ‘Adji’ included here) for their trust in us leading this reissue project. Half of the profits from the record goes to them.

The double LP ‘Mamari’ by Muito Kaballa Power Ensemble from Cologne (Germany) will be released on 28 May on outernational Brussels label Rebel Up Records. It represents the vast musical development of the Muito Kaballa project since the release of the first album 'Everything is Broke' in 2019 on German label Switchstance Recordings.

Muito Kaballa, also known as Niklas Mündemann, started out as a one-man show on the streets and quickly gained attention through his loopstation performances. After the recording of the first album Niklas Mündemann wanted to move away from the entertainer image and explore new musical ideas. When he met musician Jan Janzen, the two instantly decided to create a band and take the project to the next level. The band now consists of members Nora Beisel on vocals, André van der Heide on drums, Leonard Gaab on percusscions, Marie Tjong-Ayong on trumpet and flugelhorn (replaced recently with Lilli Thomas on trumpet), Till Weise on bass, Benjamin Schneider on guitar, Tim von Malotki on baritone sax, Jan Janzen on keys and Niklas Mündemann on tenor sax, flute and synthesizer. The result is a jazz album that brims with afrobeat, afro-cuban and funk influences and current activist thoughts on social equality, racial politics, climate change and more, all through the voices & bodies of this young ensemble.

‘Mamari’ is the title song and first single. Bass player Till Weise composed the song about which he says; “When I first wrote Mamari, I wanted to create a song that I could play alone while singing along to it. Mamari is a song with a groove heart that moves forward fast and at the same time stumbles. Like riding a bike with bent wheels or the way how camels move, which is called the pace gait, or in arabic: Mamari.”

‘Aga Aga’ is named after a lake close to Cologne called Aggertalsperre. There happened to be an incident with our percussionist Leonard Gaab almost drowning in the ice cold lake - naked. The song fuses Mali blues with Afro Cuban influences.

‘Money. Equal. Trouble’ broaches the issue of our relation to money in ironic manner. The groove is fast and definitely evokes the desire to dance. It is inspired by classical Afrobeat.

‘Chung’ is the new arrangement of the former version on the album ‘Everything is Broke’ from 2019. It represents the development of the Muito Kaballa project and combines diverse influences from Maroccan Gnawa to Hip Hop and Jazz.

‘Tin Tin’ is another rearrangement that was issued before on the album ‘Everything is Broke’. It’s a melancholic song that transports heavy vibes as well as dance moods. The song is influenced by Afro Cuban music as well as Cumbia.

‘Don’t Go’ thematizes political issues in our society in a protest swagger. It might not be profound, but it defenitly reflects upon a certain feeling of anger and frustration about political issues. The song turns that anger into a powerful and danceable groove that takes the people away.

‘There’s Always Sun’ is a praise to life. With all its twists and turns, slow moments as well as groovy moments, it takes into account the different turns life can take. It accompanies that journey with the catchy message that there is always sun, even though we might not always see it.

'Curupira' is the 2nd single of the album. The Curupira is a mythological creature that was known for being able to communicate with the inhabitants of the forest, notably alarming them about danger. With this song we want to alarm you, and ourselves. “We need to understand that there is no Curupira, it’s all on us”. Curupira lives inside each and everyone of us. We need to let it out and fight for climate justice together.

Curupira was also released as an EP with a remix of Ghanaian-German producer Lee Bass (Gato Preto) and serves as a fundraiser to support the project of Resgate Climático in Brazil. They recently started to actively protect and reforest land in the northeastern state of Bahia that once used to be pristine rainforest. Under the current political circumstances and the record wildfires in the country, their work has become more important than ever.

After his first LP Stranger Já Catem Traboi, Tchiss decided to further experiment with reggae and funaná, inspired by the local rhythms of the island of Santiago. Gathering some of the best Cape Verdean musicians of the time, in 1984, together with Zé António on guitar, Bebethe on bass and Alírio on drums, he recorded his second LP Já Bô Corre D’Mim. An album that sings of a young man far from home, his unrequited love and saudade, the struggles of street life in a foreign land and a world of inequality. Recorded in just 3 days at the Pomodoro Studio in Sutri, the album fully expresses the deep and layered sound of Tchiss’ music, where upbeat tempo, powerful vocals and electrifying guitar solos tangle together in a dynamic mix of traditional melodies and cosmic reggae.

After the double LP 'The Loningisa Years 1956-1961', released in 2017, Planet Ilunga continues to explore the monumental oeuvre of Congo's most legendary band O.K. Jazz. This new 2LP compilation 'La Rumba de mi Vida' displays the full extent to which O.K. Jazz and its bandleader Franco explored Congolese rumba in the sixties and early seventies. Each of the four sides on this double LP presents a different facet of O.K. Jazz. The songs presented on this album justify why Franco was (and still is) regarded as the greatest portraitist of Congolese society.

Side A presents tracks published in the early seventies on Franco’s label Editions Populaires. This was a period in which Franco took full control over the orchestra and was integrating a new sound into the band such as the return of the acoustic guitar and collaborations with artists from the first generation of Congolese rumba such as Manuel d'Oliveira and Camille Feruzi. Side B includes some of the first recordings O.K. Jazz made abroad, when the band went to Brussels in the early sixties to record for the Surboum African Jazz label. Side C features five charming covers that O.K. Jazz did, mostly of Cuban artists. Side D shows the band’s sensitivity for composing songs firmly rooted in the vast universe of Congolese folklore, and for writing lyrics in languages other than Lingala, Kinshasa’s lingua franca.

Almost all of the 23 titles on this compilation have not been re-released previously and were restored and remastered from the original 45 rpm or 78 rpm release. This release would not have been possible without the precious help from many connaisseurs and collectors of Congolese rumba. A special mention goes to Stefan Werdekker, Hama-Dinga Ya Makilo and Samuel Malonga for their kind assistance during my research.

Comet Records presents the Tony Allen & Afrika 70 reissue series with the classic late seventies first four solo albums of Tony Allen remastered and restored: Jealousy, Progress, No Accomodation for Lagos & No Discrimination, all coming in an heavy Deluxe Tip-On Jacket.
1978's No Accommodation for Lagos, Tony Allen's third solo album, is an effortless Afrobeat masterpiece. The Afrika 70 band floats through two of Tony's heaviest and most churning compositions.
With this album, we start to hear Tony Allen's unique style of Afro-Funk that he would explore for decades to come as a solo artist - it is groove-focused, a rolling meditation on rhythm.
The first track, "No Accommodation for Lagos" is one of Tony's most pointed and churning songs, recorded in a chaotic period following the army raid of Fela's compound. There is a seriousness to the funk, a real burning purpose in the performance of every instrument, from the horns to the shekere. Tony's performance is supercharged - he clearly showed up to the studio that day with a fire in his heart. The followup track, "African Message," is an Afrobeat compositional staple. Tony sits back in the cut through most of the supremely funky track until about seven minutes in, when he steps into the spotlight to express himself fully - his emotions, his frustrations, his convictions - in a fiery duet between his drumkit and his voice. The percussionists coalesce around him in support, lifting Tony up as he gives it his all.
Tony Allen was a musical and compositional visionary, and this album finds him beginning to explore that vision outside of Fela's immense gravitational pull. They are the start of a new era in Tony's fruitful career as a solo artist, opening the floodgates for his distinctive Afro-Funk sound and laying the foundation for the next generation of Afrobeat musicians to come.

For the first time ever Think Of One on vinyl! Around the turn of the century the Belgian fanfare Think Of One got fascinated by the North African shabi rhythm.This LP compiles their 3 Marrakech Emballages Ensemble CDs, recorded in 1999, 2000 and 2002.

Neon Danza brings you a belter of an EP of retro global house and disco reworks from Aroop Roy.

The producer has tracked down 3 super rare cuts and turned them into timeless dancefloor anthems.
'Tabu Afrique' is an unstoppable 80's Afro-disco monster, with sassy vocals and Soukous guitar licks.
'Magia' is an extended mix of a Brazilian classic with epic vocals and uplifting mid-tempo groove. Finally 'Na Boko Samba' is on a deeper tip, featuring an infectious chorus, and equally catchy synths and an 80's house beat.

Avant-garde cosmic sounds from Senegal, Wau Wau Collectif's "Yaral Sa Doom" is a groundbreaking album spanning borders and musical scenes. Inspired from West African tradition, Sufi praise songs, spiritual jazz, and dub rhythms, the effect is a genre defying entry in outernational sound. Hypnotic percussion loops across sweeping pads, call and response chants echoes layer over electronic beats, and children's voices sing out to recordings of crashing waves. In 2018, Swedish music archeologist and leftfield musician Karl Jonas Winqvist traveled to Toubab Dialaw, Senegal, a small fishing village turned hub of Senegal's bohemian art scene. Over the next weeks, local musicians, percussionists, poets, and beat makers came together, sketching out ideas and recording free improvisation. Winqvist returned to Sweden, trading recordings back and forth over WhatsApp with Senegal based collaborator and studio engineer Arouna Kane. "Yaral Sa Doom" is a Wolof phrase that means "educate the young." Central to the album is this theme of education, with songs that directly address social issues facing contemporary Senegal, education, and immigration. "Today you must educate children with an instrument and art, when you teach them an instrument you teach them to use their spirit," says Djiby Ly. With over 20 contributing performers from Senegal and Sweden, Wau Wau Collectif's debut is layered and complex, yet maintains a central vision. "It's like diving into the sea," explains Kane. "There are all different species of fish swimming around, but together they make the ocean." Nonetheless, it's also a geographic anomaly, made possible only by exchange of the internet age. An exceptional recording on its own, "Yaral Sa Doom" is a visionary entry in the future of transglobal collaboration

Bandé-Gamboa is a project made up of two All-Star bands, created to reinterpret extremely rare or unreleased tracks from Guiné-Bissau and Cabo Verde, a project explicitly dedicated to the living memory of Amílcar Cabral, the intellectual force and strategist behind the independence of both countries, whose dream was to have them forever united.

The project was created by Executive Producer/DJ/Digger Francisco “Fininho” Sousa and produced by Guts, with the aim of bringing to light musical compositions that either never had success despite their potential, or were never released at all. The band comprises of only outstanding musicians from both Guiné-Bissau and Cabo Verde, mixing older and younger generations. The tracks from Cabo Verde focus mainly on stretching the possibilities of musical languages within Funaná, and the tracks from Guiné-Bissau are a modern take on traditional rhythm Gumbé, rarely seen in stages worldwide. The album “Horizonte - Revamping Rare Gems From Guiné-Bissau and Cabo Verde” is in-between a compilation and a band recording, joining the knowledge of decade-long research on the music of both countries with the talent and creativity of world-class musicians.

Comet Records presents the Tony Allen & Afrika 70 reissue series with the classic late seventies first four solo albums of Tony Allen remastered and restored: Jealousy, Progress, No Accomodation for Lagos & No Discrimination, all coming in an heavy Deluxe Tip-On Jacket.
Tony's solo album, No Discrimination, marks an important turning point in Tony Allen's musical life. Tony had recently left Fela's band, which was clearly an emotional yet necessary change as Allen sings of love and brotherhood throughout his fourth solo album. No Discrimination, both in composition and sound, is a blueprint for the future of Afrobeat, decades ahead of its time. The songs are a mixture of old and new - fusing the classic Afrobeat compositional style with modern production and ideas. Classic tunes like "No Discrimination" and "Ariya" pushed boundaries for what Afrobeat could be, which a wave of Afrobeat bands would pick up on decades later.
With No Discrimination, Tony begins to move Afrobeat into the future, which he would continue doing for the rest of his career.
Tony Allen was a musical and compositional visionary, and this album finds him beginning to explore that vision outside of Fela's immense gravitational pull. They are the start of a new era in Tony's fruitful career as a solo artist, opening the floodgates for his distinctive Afro-Funk sound and laying the foundation for the next generation of Afrobeat musicians to come.

FUTURE AFRO-LATIN JAZZ HOUSE FROM MASTER PERCUSSIONIST, MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST AND COMPOSER GABRIELE POSO.

A true multi-instrumentalist, Gabriele Poso found a particular affinity for percussion at a young age, studying in Puerto Rico and Cuba. His latest album ‘Batik’, to be released on Soundway Records, is once again entirely selfproduced and features guest vocalists Nailah Porter, Nina Rodriguez, Quetzal Guerrero & Sofia Rollo.
Following a long-term collaborative partnership with Osunlade / Yoruba Records, as well as albums on BBE and Agogo Records, Gabriele Poso has garnered acclaim from reviewers and selectors including Gilles Peterson. On ‘Batik’, Poso further develops and matures his sound - exploring his extensive roots in Afro-Cuban percussion, while delving into the realms of jazz and soulful house. Much of the album features Poso on not only vocals but many of the instruments - including percussion, guitar and kalimba. With mixing by renowned Spanish DJ and producer Kiko Navarro, the lead single “Africa Linda” is an up tempo live take on Latin house, featuring American-born soul singer Quetzal Guerrero on vocals.

Soundway are proud to present two blistering LP's of afro rock funk from Nigerian multi-instrumentalist & his band MonoMono. Both with bonus 12"s

Soundway Records presents the eponymous debut LP from in-demand Amsterdam five piece The Mauskovic Dance Band – fusing no-wave dance punk, Afro-Caribbean rhythms and space disco in a “controlled explosion” (The Quietus).

Entirely self-produced, the band has reiterated their favourite elements of the 70s and 80s legacy of the Afro-Latin psychedelic music of Colombia and Peru, interpreting it through the context of modern day Amsterdam. The output is a lo-fi No Wave groove all its own - rooted in a deep love of champeta, Palenque, psychedelic cumbia, chichi, classic afrobeat and picó soundsystem culture.

Since the release of their “Down In The Basement” EP on Soundway Records in early 2018, the band have found themselves on a hectic European touring schedule – not to mention being involved in other side projects. Following stints with Turkish psychedelic folk rock group Altin Gün, and touring with the re-formed 70s Zamrock outfit W.I.T.C.H., Nic Mauskovic also teamed up with Dutch neo-psychedelic artist Jacco Gardner to form the “cinematic Balearic disco” duo of Bruxas (released by Dutch institution Dekmantel) – and together, they mixed The Mauskovic Dance Band debut album in Lisbon.

Lead single Space Drum Machine encapsulates the band’s prototypical brand of busy rhythmic patterns interwoven with insistent synth stabs and vibrant disco toms, layered with an elastic guitar riff drawing inspiration from Kenyan kikuyu and benga styles. High-pitched vocals describe being on a flight together and inciting each other to press a button of unknown consequence with “push it, push it” - and push it they do, at breakneck pace. And of course, the undeniable influence of Amsterdam’s hotbed of underground dance producers shines through as it does on all tracks - with the vintage psychedelic swirl of synthesiser, lo-fi drum machines and tape recording.

Esa's compilation Amandla: Music To The People holds diverse dancefloor tracks from over the world. The first compilation in 2019 for Soundway and a comprehensive picture that connects the dots of Esa’s musical journey.

Growing up in Cape Town, South Africa, during the last days of Apartheid, Esa recalls the immense power that music had in resisting oppression and division. “Amandla, Awethu”, which literally means “the power is ours”, was an ubiquitous chant echoing throughout the politically charged atmosphere of the time – a call to unite, and a call from which this release derives not only its title, but its intention as well.

“Music was a crucial way of bringing people and communities together”, reflects Esa, “and it’s what I hope to achieve with this compilation, too”. For Esa Williams is not only a musical polymath but also passionate about connecting people through music – be it as a skilled DJ, an educator in production, a band leader reigniting the legendary Ata Kak band from Ghana, or a collaborator with the likes of Tanzanian artist Mim Suleiman. A firm favourite on the DJ circuit, he held a monthly residency at Phonox London for over 6 months - bringing guests such as Nu Guinea to Brixton audiences - as well as delivering memorable sets at Dekmantel, Atlas Festival, Boiler Room and more.

The last few years have seen a recent surge in interest in South African music from the 80s and 90s, including bubblegum, which was recently showcased on Soundway’s critically acclaimed 2018 compilation Gumba Fire: Bubblegum Soul & Synth Boogie in 1980s South Africa, put together by DJ Okapi. It was only natural that the label looked to delve deeper into the country’s rich musical legacy and tap another of its esteemed ambassadors for the role of compiler.

The result is a rainbow of complementary electronic styles hailing from not only South Africa but further afield, including zouk from Brazil and the French Antilles, as well as Afro-futurism. Together, they form a comprehensive picture that connects the dots of Esa’s musical journey – from growing up in South Africa, to artists he has encountered in his worldwide travels who have helped develop his identity as a musician.

Heavy reissue of this seminal record from 1979 by the two brothers that would from the better known group ''Toura Kunde''! A beautiful blend of Afro disco stompers & mellow Reggae tunes.. Big one! Comes in gatefold vinyl illustrated with photos from the artists’ archives and liner notes by Frank Tenaille, the band’s official biographer. TIP!!

Hi-Life & Afro-Funk essential from Ghana! The legendary K. Frimpong's fantastic rare second album recorded in 1975 at Ghana Films Studio. K .Frimpong was born on July 22nd 1939 at Ofoase in the Ashanti-Akim district and entered right into music after elementary school by joining "Star de Republic" and later “Oko's Band” after which he left to K. Gyasy's band where he worked for more than 6 years. As a prolific songwriter and singer, here's the reissue of his 2nd album, a modern fusion of Hi-life and the traditional beat called "Ahyewa".The excellent background is given by the Super Complex Sounds band which makes the Ahyewa beat abundantly, dancable, and colourful. Originally produced on “Ofo Bros”, label of the Ofori brothers in Kumasi, this two long sides recording were divided in 6 themes each sides, and make a deep 16 minutes long hi- life trance. A must have vinyl of percussive Afro-Funk & modern Hi-life for all the music connoisseurs.

The Colorful World of Arp Frique is the exotic and super funky debut album of Niels Nieuborg. After his surprising, very well received debut release on Rush Hour, Arp Frique continues collaborating with Orlando Julius, Ed Motta, Americo Brito, Ronald Snijders and more! Tip!
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Pulsating NYC style live disco vibes, interwoven with both Caribbean and Cape Verdean sounds, are themes throughout the record with danceability always guaranteed and a healthy finishing touch of weirdness present across most tracks. First single 'Nos Magia' was shortlisted for Track of the Year 2017 at Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Awards and has been given airplay by BBC Radio 6 Music, BBC Radio 1 and NTS whilst club DJs Antal and Hunee have all supported the track in their sets.

The Arp Frique alter ego is a reference of course to two things Nieuborg clearly appreciates in music: firstly the sound of the Arp synths and secondly, by referring to Chic's 'Le Freak', he is also showing love to the genre of disco. Be sure to know however, that you are not listening to edits of seventies jams. Arp Frique's music may sound vintage and authentic at times but all tunes are original and made with live instruments. Mind you though, that all compositions are the product of the insatiable creative urge' of just one man.

As part of a wholly different career,
Nieuborg once owned a venue and programmed various venues and festivals, like his latest succes, 'Festival Magia' With that knowledge in the back of your mind, the impressive cast on the album - which follows on 2017's 'Nos Magia' EP (Rush Hour) - seems logical. Nevertheless, the status level of the contributors is astonishing. There's a Cape Verdean funana song featuring legend Americo Brito on vocals, an infectious Brazilian disco funk hit-to-be with Ed Motta, two tracks with Surinam's famous Ronald Snijders on flute, three collaborations with afro-beat don Orlando Julius and so much more... immerse yourself!

Limited 7 inch for Recordstore day 2021 (July 17th drop). Taken from Arp Frique's upcoming album "The Seed"!

For over 40 years Orchestre Poly Rythmo de Cotonou has combined traditional Beninese music with soul, funk, afrobeat, rhumba and Cuban rhythms to create this infectious sound...

Hailing from Benin, West Africa, Orchestre Poly Rythmo de Cotonou has been churning out incendiary Afro grooves since 1966. On 'Bosq Meets Poly Rythmo Uptown,' Bosq tastefully reworks 4 of Orchestre Poly Rythmo's legendary recordings. As a die-hard fan, Bosq took a subtle approach to the project. According to him Orchestre Poly Rythmo has been a strong influence on his work and he wanted to be respectful to the original tracks. Bosq focused on making the tracks DJ friendly by beefing up the low end, rearranging and stretching parts out, and adding in extra percussion and a drum machine. The result is a 4-track EP of bumpy Afro disco, psychedelic funk, frenzied Afrobeat, and sunny soulful grooves.

Based in Medellin, Colombia, Bosq has released a collection of music on Ubiquity Records, Soul Clap Records, Fania Records, Razor-N-Tape, and more. Since 2015, Sol Power Sound, out of Washington, DC has released deep sounds inspired by rhythms and traditions from around the globe. The label's output includes Afro-Latin stompers, re-edits of lost disco grooves, heady percussive tech workouts, and other sonic treats.

Four stone-cold classic Orchestre Poly Rythmo de Cotonou tracks re-shaped by Bosq for the dancefloor today...

DJ Feedback:

GILLES PETERSON - All sounds great to me. You've got my support on this EP. I will play for sure.

MAX ESSA - These kind of sweaty afro-disco flavours always light things up real nice at Bar Bonobo in Tokyo. Four irresistible tracks to choose from here - this will never leave the bag!

JUSTIN ROBERTSON - Orchestre Poly release is massive! That's radio tackle for sure..

DOM CAPELLO YES I like this a LOT!

Still deeper forays into the musical landscape of the Windrush generation. A dazzling range of calypso, mento, joropo, steelband, palm-wine and r’n'b. Expert revivals of stringband music, from way back, alongside proto-Afro-funk. An uproarious selection of songs about the H-Bomb and modern phones, prostitution and Haile Selassie, mid-life crisis and the London Underground, racism and solidarity, the Highway Code and a 100% West Indian Royal Wedding.
For example some frantic British-Guianan joropo music-hall about Eatwell Brown from Clapham, who starts out biting off a piece of his mother-in-law’s face at a party, then devours everything in his path… a chunk of Brixton Prison, a Union Jack, a policeman’s uniform. Or Marie Bryant — collaborator of Lester Young and Duke Ellington — taking time off from skewering the South African PM Daniel Malan at her West End revue, to contribute some arch, swinging filth about uber-genitalia. Superior sound, courtesy of Abbey Road, D&M and Pallas; lovely gatefold sleeve; full-size booklet, with full notes, and fabulous previously-unseen photographs, including a set from the family archive of Russ Henderson (who led the first, impromptu Notting Hill Carnival march, in 1966).

African, funky, sarcastic, bewitching, green, ecstatic: these words collide to describe Vaudou Game and all of them are true.

Noussin is the fourth album of the french Afro Funk band. Forced into lockdown, like much of the planet, Peter Solo and his Vaudou Game had no choice but to retreat into the studio. A reunion to once again invoke the spiritual forces of the Voodoo Deities. A reunion that was Initially imagined for an EP…yet these spiritual forces behind that imagination yearned for something more, and as we all know, these forces are impossible to push away once they have decided to stay.

Under the strain enforced by the current socioeconomic climate, as much as by the environmental peril that faces us all today - they diverted the course of the groove towards daring new vibrations. Without extinguishing or diminishing its highly communicative power, they released Vaudou Game from its origins of pure Afro-Funk to gradually engage into compositions which crystallized themselves into tones resembling more rock than funk.

On this fourth album, with an entirely revisited line-up, Peter Solo separates for the first time in his career from his brassy guard, leaving saxophone, trumpet and trombone outside to invite an arsenal of keyboards to define, with him, this new voodoo sound. A sound, as usual, built on vintage and precise analogical material - grime even on the white side of the tape, a blunt instrument used to blanket anything that strived to shine too much in the mix.

Graced with tapered guitars stringing out rhythmic bumps or withdrawing a few beats to indulge in infectious solos, this album is boisterously alive with vintage 70's Funk, infused with a few digressions into other ethers of the funk timeline, nicking different sounds and frequencies to render the black and white keys of an inspired keyboard to reach new euphoric levels of melodic acidity.

Tearing off the enigmatic mask to reveal his true face: on a few titles, Peter Solo ventures outside of his sacred voodoo range to reconnect with his London years, these titles feature small nods to the time he spent in “The Smoke” where the incantations of British music culture were written within him.

Noussin which means “Stay strong” in Mina, a dialect spoken in the south-west of Togo. Noussin, a message of hope as much as a call to come together to weather the turmoil and to come out better on the other side. Don’t let them grind you down…Noussin!

Music in Exile is excited to announce a new 12” maxi-single release from the “King of Music”, GORDON KOANG. Titled Coronavirus / Disco, this double-A-side release share’s Gordon’s messages of peace, love and positivity, and is his first original offering since his acclaimed Unity album was released in late 2020.

The first single, Coronavirus, was penned by Koang in July 2020 as a response to his personal experiences of the global pandemic. As his hometown of Melbourne went into lockdown, Gordon resided in the outer suburbs of Melbourne with his cousin, Paul, and his four-stringed, guitar-like instrument, the thom. Throughout this single, Gordon offers his condolences to those affected by the pandemic, alongside messages of his faith in frontline workers and the hope that circumstances will improve soon. “People suffer a lot. I ask that God gives the doctors the big wisdom to defeat the coronavirus. When people hear my song, I hope that this music counsels them. The song has a lot of meaning, it is telling them to be hopeful.”

With the cancellation of a national tour and numerous festival appearances, Covid-19 had not only impacted Gordon’s career here in Australia but also his opportunity to visit family he hadn’t seen in five years. After receiving Australian permanent residency, Gordon and Paul were now able to visit family in Uganda, however this was made incredibly difficult due to border closures and the potential health risks. Taking a last minute opportunity, Gordon and Paul travelled to Africa and whilst excited to visit their families, they also experienced the impact of the pandemic on their home communities. “In Africa, it is not like us here, there is no medicine and in Africa there is also no Centrelink if you are in lockdown. It is difficult getting services. Even getting food is difficult.”

After two weeks in hotel quarantine, Gordon and Paul returned to Melbourne, eager to record music once more. With lockdown lifting, Gordon headed to the studio with a new band featuring Zak Olsen (ORB, Traffik Island) Jack Kong (Baked Beans, Traffik Island), David “Daff” Gravolin (ORB), and Jesse Williams (Leah Senior, Girlatones). This new release is the result of these studio sessions, jamming and recording at Button Pusher in Preston, Melbourne.

For the DJ’s out there, both tracks will feature on a limited edition, 12” maxi single vinyl complete with pull-out poster from Gordon, encouraging listeners to stay positive during this difficult time.

“My condolences to you, my audience in lockdown. We are all suffering from coronavirus. Let us stand firm and be strong. Let us look after each other, until the time comes when God brings us together. I give my condolences to people who have died of coronavirus, in aged care and disability. We are heartbroken for everyone. Let us take it easy, and pray in our houses, all around the world. If you believe in God, pray to the God you believe in, and they will help you. God will give us the chance to go back to normal and open all events. Even if it is a bad time now, there will be a change and it will be a good time for us. Thank you to everyone.” - Gordon Koang

9 African germs that will move your mind to this special combination of highlife, funk and jazz

FORMAT - 7" LIMITED EDITION - 300 COPIES

Wagram turn their attention to the hip-swivelling world of Afro-disco and Afro-Funk, putting together a sizzling set of pan African sounds covering a whole host of dance styles from all over the continent. Deeper diggers may recognise some of these gems from individual reissues over the last few years, but this is the only time you'll find them all in one place.

Atsushi Yano returns to Omena LTD with "Whole Rotta Love".
Another excursion in jazz-flecked free form funk blended with trippy disco and afro.
In short - like Maurice Fulton, Fela and Miles Davis jamming together.

Hailing from the Voodoo backwoods of Benin, Oladele Franck Komolou, founded the band Frankosun And The Family in Helsinki 2013. Since then, the band has conquered peoples hearts with their amazing music, shows and energy. Heavily influenced by the rhythms and history of the Nago.

The word “Nago” derives from the word “Anago”, a term Fon-speaking people use to describe Nago – Yoruba speaking people residing in Benin. The Nago–Yoruba community is characterized by the masked dance called Guèlèdè – a special dance rich in songs, music, epic and lyrical poems under the rhythms, and sounds of tam-tams.

The band excellently combines 70’s and 80’s style beninese and nigerian afrobeat with afrofunk and afrorock. The awaited- debut album “Frankosun And The Family” will be released in Spring 2020 in Vinyl- and Digital Formats!

Afrikan Sciences carry the torch and grant the sight. This is his second offering for the ESP Institute. On the A side, 'The New Dun Language' shows us the meaning of loose. Literally everything about this masterpiece takes its time and operates in its own space, rhythms work together but stand apart, timbres inherently laidback are made aggressively present, like the diffused attack of a shaker that’s shook with such purpose it’s no longer granular but razor sharp. The soundstage drops all around you like percussion shrapnel, splitting your attention every which way, while the string lines remind you that no matter how deep inside your head you’ve gone, there is always a nearby exit to the comforts of familiarity.

Flip the record over, however, and the track 'In His Convenient Way' will even further discombobulate your sense of self. Do you have dreams you’re on a merry-go-round and with each revolution you try to hop off, but you can’t? Each time you cycle around, the tension grows and grows? Well, this is like that, menacing but not dark, a demented odyssey through an impossibly thick swamp where you swear the trees are whispering to you but can’t quite understand their language, yet still you manage to communicate. As the time passes, and you near end of the track, the impenetrable veil slowly lifts and you realize you’ve been in control all along. These two songs will two songs will help to contemplate, heal and transcend.

After setting the souls on fire with the exciting “Madera Negra EP” from Nina Simmons, Salgari Records is back on vinyl with Chalanga to dive yourself in the sea of emotions of “Paradisea EP”.

Afro Cosmic House surrounded by hypnotic beats and shamanic saxophones, organic grooves and ancestral flutes.

Was there ever a more appropriate time to dance your way back into life? Let the 10-piece Spanish Mampön Afrobeat collective show you the way.

All the essential Afrobeat ingredients are present and accounted for: seductive build-up of the main theme, stabbing horns, mad percussions, jangly guitar riffs and the hypnotic call & response vocals – in Spanish! Cultural fusion at its best. Inevitably jo...