Hip-Hop News

Repress!

Wah Wah 45s are proud to present the full debut album from Afrobeat supergroupEparapo. Having come togetherduring the unprecedented events of the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement, and despite being a project born from the privations of lockdown, their music is ultimately an expression of hope, resilience & resurgence.

The word "eparapo" means "join forces" in Yoruba, the language of Afrobeat. It's also the title of a track by the late, greatTony Allen- drummer for Afrobeat legendFela Kutiand lifelong friend and mentor of our very own "Afrobeat Ambassador",Dele Sosimi. Not only did Tony help to invent Afrobeat, he always looked for ways to push the boundaries, never content with recreating what had gone before but constantly expanding and developing the genre. This project hopes to pay homage to his legacy, and that of Fela Kuti himself. Its aim is to innovate, fuse and diversify while still retaining the essence of the music.

The force behind Eparapo is bassist, composer & producerSuman Joshi.He has been a member of Dele Sosimi's Afrobeat Orchestra for nearly a decade and has performed on stage with the likes of Tony Allen, Seun Kuti, Ginger Baker & Laura Mvula. He is also bassist with UK jazz ensemble Collocutor and fusion project Cubafrobeat.

"The Eparapo project was conceived during a time of lockdowns & government scandals. The music that makes up this album was written and recorded against a backdrop of societal upheaval, culture wars and rising wealth inequality. With little scrutiny or resistance from the mainstream media, our human and democratic rights were being eroded and our institutions debased. Even our right to protest is now under threat. This is a call to action, an expression of frustration & anger at what our nation has become. It's saying that enough is enough, it's time to join forces and make our voices heard. It's time to take to the streets."Suman Joshi

The title track is an epic eleven minute musical representation of this frustration and anger, where the musicians really let loose and allow their voices to be heard. As the only instrumental track on the album it acts as a call to action that is central to this body of work. Featured vocalists on the album are Fela Kuti disciple and Wah Wah 45s artistDele Sosimi, who appears on the singlesBlack Lives Matter,From London To LagosandWho Invented Back & White?as well as a more recent recording,Follow The Money; and London based, Ghanaian born master percussionist and vocalistAfla Sackey, who takes lead vocals on the mournful yet somehow hopefulBeautiful City.

The rest of the group comprises of highly rated UK jazz vocalistSahra Gure; saxophonist, composer, producer and bandleader of the renowned forward thinking jazz outfit Collocutor,Tamar Osborn; keyboard player, producer and front man for Lokkhi Terra and Cubafrobeat,Kishon Khan; one of the UK's finest and most in demand trumpeters,Graeme Flowers, who has played with Quincy Jones, Gregory Porter and many more; trombonist for Bellowhead and mainstay of Dele's Afrobeat Orchestra,Justin Thurgur; and finally drummer for Steamdown and Sons of Kemet, as well as the man behind the Nache project,Eddie Wakili Hick.

The album will be available digitally and limited edition vinyl LP, with striking artwork by our award winning designer Animisiewasz.

An ode to the music of Zimbabwe past and future, representing the country’s two major cities - Bulawayo and Harare.
The Bulawayo side sees longtime township legends Bulawayo Kwela meet UK producer Danalogue (The Comet is Coming). Reverb-drenched drums and snatches of Penny whistle back the words of the poet Albert Nyathi for a leagues-deep dub Conference. “Nomalenga” stays true to the Township Kwela style that the group has been playing for over 30 years.
The Harare side sees David Tapfuma (longtime collaborator with Stella Chiweshe) deliver an ode to the ghettoes of the capital, accompanied by a solo mbira. Cape Town’s ESA delivers a subtle treatment of the original, drifting the mbira hook into 3am dancefloor territory on a cloud of synths…

Reissue of this legendary album from Orchestra Baobab. Remastered from tapes.

Released in 1981, the legendary album "Mouhamadou Bamba" is the masterpiece of the Orchestra Baobab, which has dedicated more than ten years of existence. Under the direction of the percussionist saxophonist Issa Sissokho, of the irremovable guitarist Barthélémy Attiso the band records this album at the Golden Baobab studio in Dakar directed and produced by the young producer Ibrahima Sylla.
The Baobab symbolizes both the rooting in Senegalese traditional values and the ability of the tree to reach heights, the sound of the group is a perfect syncretism of Senegalese and Afro-Cuban imaginaries in which the montunos of electric guitars and vocal improvisations in wolof language marry subtly to the rhythms of cuban son and other boleros.

This second volume of Mangle Rojo is a tribute to the spirit of celebration and diversity that reigns in the festivities of Colombia´s town squares. We created this compilation in vinyl format, in which we continue to explore the traditional sounds of the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, which have a rooted Afro tradition.

We begin this journey with field recordings of traditional groups such as Sexteto Tabalá from Palenque de San Basilio, who plays the sextet format heir to the Cuban Son and Los Alegres del Telembí, exponents of the marimba music of the Colombian South Pacific.

We continue this voyage with proposals that fuse traditional rhythms with modern instruments and musical genres: The popular singer Nelda Piña makes a featuring with the afrobeat orchestra La BOA and the marimba band Saborimba, from a small town on the Pacific coast, collaborates with urban musicians.

In addition, we find new protagonists like the big band formats that have been popular in Colombia since the beginning of the 20th century: the Papayera band (Calentanos Brass Band) and the Chirimía format (Chirrimía Balsámica), this last one with the collaboration of the renowned singer Alexis Play.

Finally, we invite artists who use traditional rhythms to develop electronic proposals, such as Ghetto Kumbé and the well-known singer Nidia Góngora.

Hibotep is of Somali ancestry. Born and raised in Ethiopia, she currently lives in Kampala, Uganda. A walking, breathing example of the diversity of Kampala’s arts and culture scene, Hibo Elmi is, amongst other things, a DJ, filmmaker, fashion designer, installation artist, rapper and producer. A self described cultural nomad, pushing forward a genre she calls Industrial Shamanism.

With his new album, Gecko Turner confirms that he is a standout artist in the global groove scene, a must for the outernational sounds aficionados.

Somebody From Badajoz is the fifth studio album in his much lauded discography and his first in seven years, eagerly anticipated by both his fans and himself: "this business of dedicating yourself to music and making songs... it's a long game."

With the release of his first two, remarkable, albums, Guapapasea! (2003) and Chandalismo Ilustrado (2006), Gecko started cultivating what one astute journalist defined as Afro-maduran soul—the "maduran" bit referencing Extremadura, a region in central-western Spain.

Badajoz, Gecko's birthplace, is the biggest city in the area, on the border with Portugal, by the Guadiana River. It is a place that oozes history, where there is constant movement at the border, and people's character is friendly and open-minded with foreign habits.

Gecko's Afro-maduran soul isbuilt on Afro-American music and drenched in Brazilian, African, Latin American and Jamaican sounds. There are also echoes of a youth marked in equal parts by our man's admiration for the Beatles and the flamenco that could be heard everywhere in Badajoz in the seventies. It makes for a singular sound and a musical language of its own—spicy, succulent, full of nuances, but with a very personal flavour.

The album opens with the Nigerian talking drums of Twenty-twenty Vision, (neo) soul in a magical falsetto, carried by a sumptuous orchestral arrangement with a cinematic flavour: "I'd been thinking about doing something called 'Twenty-twenty Vision' for some time, making a play on words with the vision we have of the world after the year 2020 and the medical expression, which, in ophthalmological terms, means 'normal or complete vision.' Beyond that particular song, I think that's the mood of the album: a look at society in the twenties of the 21st century and the feelings and demons it produces."

It's followed by De Balde, a very special song born from a posthumously discovered lyric by the great writer Carlos Lencero, a regular collaborator of Camarón, Pata Negra, and Remedios Amaya, and also from Badajoz. While conceived as a fandango, Gecko has moulded it into his sound in such a seamless way it now seems as if the words could only have been written to be embraced by the percussion, brass, and backing vocals heard on the album. It's the only lyric on Somebody From Badajoz not written by Turner, still it sits rather comfortably with the rest, sharing the same emotivity and sensitivity, as well as the trademark humour and irony.

Other tracks see more protagonism for the rhythm.The beat-driven Ain't No Fun Preachin' to the Choir features Gecko's vocals walking the thin line between singing and talking over a phenomenal afro-disco-funk-infused trailblazer. In Am I Sad? it's impossible to not bob your head to the queen of Papatosina's mongrel rhythm, as close to the banks of the Guadiana river as it is to the shores of the Mississippi. Qué Siesta Tan Buena, He Babeao Y To! is an ode to the snooze in true Afro-Maduran fashion. And in Come And Try, the Caribbean influence is evident—lovers' rock that invites you to dance in good company.

In these songs, and throughout the album, for that matter, the musicians accompanying Gecko, who himself plays many of the instruments as well, shine brightly. All hailing from Extremadura, Javi Mojave (percussion), Álvaro Fdez 'Dr. Robelto' (bass), and Rafa Prieto (guitar) have been carrying him with delicate forcefulness since he started out as a solo artist. At the same time, the wonderful and essential voices of Deborah Ayo, Astrid Jones, Fani Ela Nsue, and Miriam Solís give the album a sunny variety of colours. And there are many more—a sensational group of musicians contributes dazzling harmonic bursts to many of the songs. The palette of sounds is very diverse and rich in textures and nuances, including, for example, the ngoni, bells, and various repurposed kitchen utensils.

The groove is always around, moving between the magical border sound of Everybody Knows Somebody From Badajoz and Little Dose, the silky soul of The Sibariteo Appreciation Society, and the exultant celebration of End Of The World (which surprisingly sees Gecko turning to the occasional use of autotune), a piece that could be used for the final credits of a Monty Python film and, in fact, closes the album.

Gecko Turner has done it again with Somebody From Badajoz, looking to the future without losing sight of the roots. In times of upheaval all over the globe, when people are looking for purity, he delivers a formidable piece of work: risky, optimistic in spite of everything, and with a decidedly bastard sound. Let's rejoice.

Blanc Manioc present NYAMAKALA BEATS N°3 their third compilation, and frst-ever vinyl release, due in the spring of 2022.
The label, once again, brings together its extended global musical family - Cardozo, La Dame, Asna, Mc Waraba, Praktika, Aunty Razor, Sheitan Brothers and Pedro Bertho. Blanc Manioc also showcase new family members - Sly A10, Chabela, Pangar and AnyoneID. Rising starts of Abidjan, Oyoki Onanayo and Stelair, and South African heroes, Aero Manyelo, Shujaa Bora, Pulo N'Dj and Mc Swordman also join the family with contributions to the release.

Running parties, festivals and courses in Abidjan (Le Maquis Electroniq), Blanc Manioc pioneer extraordinary talents between Africa and Europe. As well as presenting their frst vinyl release, Blanc Manioc will launch "Blanc Manioc party” this year, a live event following the "Nyamakala" principles (Nyamakala" means "the antidote of evil” in Mandinka) curing the people through dance.

First Reissue for this almost impossible to find record, this beautiful soul blending disco was recorded in one shot by Keith Paul in 1977. Fully remastered, it gives justice to one of the most hidden treasure of Guyana's music. Keith Paul recorded every instrument on this record. The liner notes interview by Saultone founder will give you the whole story and get deep in the secret of this incredible voice and talent.

Tumblack is a special reissue of a fantastic and rare percussive Afro Disco from 1978. This perfectly blends elements of African styles, afrobeat, funk and disco tracks. Contains the famous funk disco track "Caraiba" much used by funky-afro DJs.

Following on from Le Motel’s knockout release in February, Brussel-based producer DJ JM lands on Maloca Records with a new EP ‘Squash’. The prolific producer is known for his impressive output of production-only mixes and releases on labels such as Nervous Horizon, Goon Club Allstars, and Even The Strong. The DJ JM project was first established in Vilnius, Lithuania in 2015, becoming quickly known for off-kilter club records. Heavily driven by percussion, DJ JM continues his powerful stride, this time providing six weird and wonky dancefloor anthems. With the Maloca Records ethos built upon global collaborations, on this record DJ JM teams up with Ugandan MC Swordman Kitala on ‘Funicular’. Launching Maloca Records in 2020, Le Motel aims to bring together an international network of makers which was highlighted on the label’s first compilation, Maloca Vol. 1. The release focused on a terrestrial and borderless percussive sound that has been bubbling in clubs and Le Motel’s orbit, featuring tracks from Nick León, OMAAR, DJ JM, Dengue Dengue Dengue, Coen, DJ N.K. and Tsongo. Maloca has also released solo EPs from Howie Lee, Farsight and Griffit Vigo.

Ebo Taylor “Twer Nyame” is being reissued on vinyl by Comet Records, pressed on high quality vinyl, with label designs and artwork as per the original release.
Originally released in 1978 on Philips-West African-Records. Classic highlife sounds; uptempo grooves, vocals, tons of percussion, guitar, horns and organ lines. Featuring
the stand-out ‘Atwer Abroba’.

Ebo Taylor is one of Ghana's finest producer/arrangers.

Taylor was heavily influential in the unique sound that emerged from the country in the 70's; a combination of traditional Ghanaian with Afro-beat, jazz, and funk rhythms.

He worked with bands including Stargazers Band, Broadway Dance Band, Black Star Highlife Band (with Teddy Osei and Sol Amarfio who later joined Osibisa), Apagya Show Band and fellow musicians C.K.Mann, Gyedu-Blay Ambolley and the legendary Pat Thomas.

The wisdom of Tony Allen's words was as deep as his grooves, and these two sentences, which announce the dozen songs that follow, truly capture the spirit of There is No End. Tony’s motivating concept and desire was to work with younger artists, and especially the new generation of rappers, and give them voice in a time of global turmoil when music has never been more important – not necessarily as a "weapon" for the future in the manner of Fela's violently political songs, but also as medicine to heal a fractured world today.



For all those who knew him, he was a deeply spiritual man whose life's mission was not just to create a new musical language, but to pass it on to subsequent generations. In thinking back on the incredible process of creating this album without Tony physically present to guide him, producer Vincent Taeger remarked that his friend and mentor "was a teacher without speaking... a drummer and a guardian, with a great artistic vision and that vision filled the songs even after he had left us." Ben Okri, like everyone else involved in this valedictory album, had a very similar experience, declaring in awe that "this man could have lived another 150 years and kept creating new worlds. He had become the master shaman of his art. He knew himself and his mind. He wanted the album to be open to the energies of a new generation... but like a great mathematician or scientist who found a code of for a new world, with just a few beats, he created this extraordinary canvas." Featured artists include Skepta, Sampa The Great, Lava La Rue, Danny Brown, Damon Albarn and many others

Second volume of this collection of pure Funk, Afro Beat and African Funk music is out!
This chapter, as previous one, includes highly respected artists such as Mandrill, The Wild Magnolias, Manu Dibango, Fela Kuti, Tony Allen, Buddy Miles and many others, but also includes the very rare and exclusive long version of “Sangadongo” from Niagara.
All these artists guarantee the high quality of this collection, a record that any funk lover can’t miss: the real funk from the origins and the groove in its free form.

Ghanas Linda Ayupuka spielt zeremonielle Fra Fra-Musik über schnelle Feuertempi und hypnotische Drumloops, die auf eine internationale Palette elektronischer Tanzstile verweisen, vom DJ-geführten Balani Show-Straßensound Malis über Electro-Acholi bis zu modernem Dancehall/R&B. Auf 'God Created Everything' fängt sie die Unmittelbarkeit früher Aufnahmen von Größen wie Oumou Sangaré und Rokia Traoré ein, um sich als neues westafrikanisches Gesangstalent zu präsentieren. Ihr Produzent Francis Ayamga (Top Link Studios), Live-Drummer von Ghanas King Ayisoba und Produzent der meisten Tracks auf dessen jüngstem Album für Glitterbeat, hebt Lindas Gesang mit seiner spielerischen Produktion von Laptop-DJ-Samples und abstürzenden Drum-Pads in den Himmel.

"(Linda) exists somewhere between the Malian singer Oumou Sangare´ and the lo-fi-to-the-future beats heard on the Nyege Nyege Tapes label." - NPR - All Songs Considered - Best Of 2022

"Combining traditional instrumentation and call-and-response vocals with sparkling synths, rapid-fire beats, and drum machine polyrhythms. Ayupuka achieves an electrifying syncretism on this album, giving Fra Fra gospel its rightful place on the global dance music stage." - BANDCAMP, Best Of 2022

"An uptempo blend of choral chants and sparkling, 80s electro synths." - THE GUARDIAN, Albums Of The Month

"Linda Ayupuka fait du gospel façon disco au Ghana et chante son amour de Dieu sur des synthés entêtants." - LE MONDE

"A mashup of gospel, disco and savannah sounds, produced with all the D.I.Y vim of Balani Show, Nyege Nyege Tapes and the Awesome Tapes roster." - PAN AFRICAN MUSIC - Best Of 2022

"Super interesting!" - GILLES PETERSON, BBC 6MUSIC

On the eve of her 80th birthday, Dona Onete - ‘the grande dame of Amazonian song’ - returns with Rebujo, a love letter to her hometown of Belém, situated deep in the Amazon.

Rebujo brims with two music styles born in Belém: carimbós, influenced by African grooves, and bangues, a ska-type rhythm, plus there’s a cumbia, brega (‘romantic’ music) and samba.

Since the release of her 2017 album Banzeiro, Onete has become a superstar in Brazil – she composed and sung the theme song for one of Brazil’s biggest soap operas (A Força do Querer), been awarded the Brazilian Ordem do Mérito Cultural in recognition for her contribution to Brazilian culture + her video for ‘No Meio do Pitiu’ has an impressive 9.2m views on Youtube.

Outside of Brazil she’s performed at Roskilde, Womad (UK, NZ & AUS), Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Festival and TFF Rudolstadt and is a global spokesperson for indigenous cultures.

- 3rd album of funky Brazilian/Amazonian grooves from the ‘Diva of the Amazon’, mastered @ The Carvery
- David Byrne, Caetano Veloso, Gilles Peterson, Cerys Matthews all big supporters

Three dance floor hitters by the Dutch Arp Frique. "Nos Magia" holds collaborations with Nigerian funk originator, Orlando Julius, and Cape-Verdea legend, Americo Brito. Nnew cuts that could easily have been made in the 70s! Big tip! Arp Frique is Niels Nieuborg from the city of Rotterdam, who has been actively involved in the Dutch live music scene for years, working with Cape Verdean & Surinamese musicians especially. After all these years, he finally presents his own true musical output. "Nos Magia" is a classic sounding, but unheard Cape Verdean funana song featuring the old skool Americo Brito on vocals. The b-side holds two collaborations with afro-beat protagonist Orlando Julius.....enjoy!!

After Joao Selva, Dowdelin, The Bongo Hop, Underdog Records continue their exploration of the Black Atlantic with IREKE.Ecstatic brass, 70’s keyboards, elastic guitars, round bass and world percussion: from this sonic heritage, Ireke makes a unique fusion, enhanced by the audacious contribution of his dub science, and a few electronic touches

IREKE

Ireke? Sugar cane in Yoruba. Like her, the duo loves tropical climates and intoxicating rhythms, quick to liberate the bodies gathered on a dancefloor. Afrobeat urgency, funk suppleness, dub alchemy, highlife jubilation: with Tropikadelic, Ireke summons the heritage of the masters and the audacity of machines to give life to new sonic territories. At the crossroads. For the love of groove.

From the West, with their ears to the Black Atlantic, Julien Gervaix and Damien Tes- son are both children of the collective and of improvisation, playgrounds for these complete multi-instrumentalists.

The first one puts his talents of arranger-saxophonist at the service of the Nantes collective Soulshine and of numerous formations - in turn funk or rhythm’n blues - where swinging is the rule.This is notably the case of the afrobeat group Walko, in which Julien Gervaix had the honour of sharing the stage and the studio for several years with Kiala Nzavotunga, guitarist extraordinaire for Fela Kuti and Egypt 80. Meanwhile, Damien Tesson was being trained as a dubmaster-guitarist-arranger at the reggae roots school with the digital option of the Vendée collective Shi Fu Mi Temple.This initiation led Damien Tesson to join, among others, the Nantes-based group BIBA (Bingy Band) and then to collaborate with Jideh High Elements, a key figure on the international dub scene, Roberto Sanchez and the team of his Lone Ark Studio, as well as Sana Bob, a famous reggae singer from Burkina Faso.And then, life being well done, the paths of Julien Gervaix and Damien Tesson ended up crossing within the jazz-funk combo Playtime, before meeting again in the Vendée a few years later.

With an obvious tropism for Afro-Latin grooves, tropical colours, electronic tricks and furious swaying, the two musicians create Ireke like a glass of well arranged rum. Here’s to us, here’s to you! As if guided by the spirit of the plant, Ireke toasts the immense richness of these danceable rhythms, true generators of life, connection and energy.

Like Legba, the Yoruba orisha of intersections and crossroads, Ireke thrives in the between worlds.Aware of the lineage of goldsmiths who preceded them, Ireke

knows his classics and humbly draws inspiration for Tropikadelic from the musical genius of Pat Thomas, Poly-rythmo Orchestra, King Tubby,Tony Allen, Fela Kuti, Maître Gazonga, Ernesto Djédjé or the Vikings of Guadeloupe. Ecstatic brass, 70’s keyboards, elastic guitars, round bass and world percussion: from this sonic heritage, Ireke makes a unique fusion, enhanced by the audacious contribution of his dub science, and a few electronic touches patiently flushed out in the studio - which the duo considers as an instrument in its own right.

Finally, to give voice to his compositions, on Tropikadelic, Ireke calls upon an army of serious enthusiasts, each member of which has come up with his or her own lyrics. Thus, alongside Ireke, we find the groove griot Pat Kalla (“Femme qui Danse”,“Love Is Jokin”), the Franco-Laotian reggaeman Amatah Keo (“Man Bo Diak”), the Vendée- based Agnès Hélène (“Petit à Petit”,“Oh Ma Chérie”) and Charly Sanga (“Bas Les Masques”,“Oh Ma Chérie”), the Burkinabè lion Sana Bob (“Métissage”) as well as the Nantes soulman Jy Cooly (“Kinkeliba”).

For the duo, music is above all a collective practice, an active liberation, a rhythmic approach to letting go, a source of communicative joy... In short, groove is the weap- on! And Ireke knows how to use it.

repressed !

Toy Tonics regulars and Munich based House & Disco specialists Coeo step up for their 'Dance Routines' on the vinyl-only Resista.

On the A side is a Gabonese Boogie weapon with a beyond funky bassline and body-rocking drums mixed with an amazing vocal, triumphant horns and syncopated guitar hits.

Over on the B1, a rolling Giorgio Morode-esque Disco synth bass is layered with jacking Proto House drums and Arabic chanting for a track that wouldn't be amiss in a Hot Mix 5 show.

Finally the B2 whips up a percussion frenzy with a deep droning bass stab and a hypnotic call and response vocal.

As always the artwork has been completed by the very talented Pedro Carvalho de Almeida.

Vinyl Only.

Greece is maybe not the first country that comes to mind when you think of Afrojazz. (Interpret 'Afrodyssey Orchestra' unexpectedly hit the scene some time ago after the release of In the Land of Aou Tila, their debut album — while that first album was going to the hands of the few lucky ones who managed to discover the band back then, Afrodyssey Orchestra were already booking more studio time in order to start working on further recordings.

Three years later, we’re proud to present you 'Under the Sun', with seven new compositions, that reflect the logical evolution, the band has experienced during this time, including some fine-tuning in their line-up. A melange of African polyrhythms, jazz, a scent of the Balkans and a fling with Afrobeat that holds hands with their beginnings — all this devised through the prism of the vast Greek musical universe. It's the - one and only - Greek band out there, playing music influenced by the mother continent!

In early 2022 bandleaders Eric Owusu and Yannick Nolting went to Ghana to work on the first tracks of the upcoming sophomore EP.
Down in Accra they joined forces with Eric's former bandmates from the Kwashibu Area Band.

In the well known Kwashiman area, Jembaa Groove teamed up with legendary producer and multi-instrumentalist Kwame Yeboahs at his Kwashibu Music Studio. The rhythm section was completed by iconic drummer Francis Osei and US-based Paa Kow.

The track features rising Sheffield - based Ghanian Singer K.O.G, who has become a household name in the UK Afro-Jazz Scene and who's raw and powerful singing style Yannick and Eric thought would be the perfect match for this tune.

"Sweet My Ear" is about a new day breaking in. A new dawn. A new vibe and energy coming up. A hymne to sweetness. Received thru all the senses. The smelling, the tasting, the hearing, the feeling.
Symbolized thru the imaginary female energy/character, Yemanja, also known as the goddess of the sea.

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

Local Talk is back again with a fantastic album from Soulphiction who gets deep, down and dirty with this bumping selection of timeless house tracks across 3 pieces of beautifully packaged vinyl...

Dusty grooves and soulful emotion form the foundation of this release, which also takes influence from Jazz, Hip Hop and Afrobeat.

Soulphiction aka Michel Baumann is one of Germany's most respected artists who is also known under the equally successful and iconic alias Jackmate.
This is the third time Soulphiction has featured on Local Talk including his recent single "Beehive". Other labels to have featured Soulphiction tracks and remixes include Lumberjacks in Hell, Rebirth, Pampa and Philpot Records.

A master of both mood and texture, this release showcases the studio wizardry of a true sound-smith.
Chunky percussion with shuffling rhythms form the backbone of the grooves, which are fleshed out with intricate melodies and funky basslines that move mind, body and soul.

Like the tracklist of a J Dilla mixtape, this album flows with a purposeful care combined with a storytelling blend of emotions rarely heard in a house music long player.

Executed to perfect precision, this album is an instant classic and a must-have for home listening along with a club setting.

South Africa's reputation for expanding dance music again with Amapiano.
The past five years have seen amapiano, South Africa’s electronic music movement born in the townships of the country’s Gauteng province, evolve from an underground sound to a nationwide mainstream staple. Even with its commercial success though, amapiano’s DIY ethos has continued to disrupt music creation and distribution in the country. Most amapiano commercial successes today began their careers on cracked versions of production software like FL Studio, distributed their work through file sharing platforms like datafilehost and marketed it using social media pages they controlled and influenced. Amapiano Selections, the debut album by DJ and producer Teno Afrika, gives listeners outside the movement’s online release economy an insight into the high-burn nature of amapiano that has spawned a distinct typology under its larger umbrella. Twenty-one-year-old Lutendo Raduvha has spent the bulk of his life moving between different townships on the outskirts of Johannesburg and Pretoria in the Gauteng province. The palette of amapiano styles on the album reflect these influences.

But at first, South Africa’s youngest electronic music movement lived underground with a small, loyal following. “Amapiano is a genre that I chose because I have a passion for it,” says Teno “I started following amapiano in 2016 because I wanted to explore how it’s produced. It was not taken seriously in our country.” Interestingly, Teno Africa only gives vocals prominence on the closing track “Chants of Africa.” As a way of making their music recognizable and relatable for broadcast, amapiano producers have sometimes overly relied on vocals in the form of singing, catch-phrases and party refrains for the purpose. “It was my decision not to use vocals on this project,” says Teno “The reason is I wanted people to feel my instrumentals and style because this is my first album.” On his closing track the young producer gives a glimpse of the considered approach to music which buoys anticipation for greater things from his future releases.

Philophon's house band The Polyversal Souls is back with two classic songs from the back catalog.

The first one is Sad Nile, taken from the band's debut Invisible Joy (PH33001) from 2015, but in a re-mastered version which added some extra fire to the hypnotic rhythm and the lovely melancholic ethopian melody.

The second one is Florence Adooni's catchy highlife twister Mam Pe'ela Su'ure as an instrumental. The melody is passionately played on the flute by Philophon artist Jimi Tenor.

Since his introduction in the 60’s, Roger Damawuzan has lit stages on fire, whether it be with The Rickers Orchestra or with The Melo-Togo Orchestra (taking home 2nd place for the first National Festival of Tologese Music). His first 7" vinyl Wait For Me is a holy grail for diggers all around the world. It was such a hit that Togolese music is and will forever be stamped by Roger Damawuzan. He was principal in introducing Gazo, Akpesse and Kamou rhythms to modern day soul music. Relentless and unstoppable, Roger Damawuzan is now making a comeback with a heavy funk 7 inch!

This release contains an unreleased single from the album Seda , which will be available on October 14th 2022. Such a force of nature, this album could have been only captured, if not mastered, by one studio. Such mission was accomplished by the legendary studio OTODI (Office Togolese of Disks) by utilizing solely analog equipment to translate and to breath all of Damawuzan’s soul into this album. Roger Damawuzan could have been supported by only one group. Led by Peter Solo, the members of the Vaudou Game and Lomé’s most talented musicians are at Damawuzan’s disposal for this new soul DJ friendly vinyl.

A Ghanaian funk LP from the afrofunk master. one of Ebo Taylor's rarest and most sought-after!
Ebo Taylor and The Pelikans is being reissued on vinyl by Comet Records, pressed on high quality vinyl, with label designs and artwork as per the original release.

Originally released by Ghanian Abookyi label in 1976, Ebo Taylor and The Pelikans is one of Taylor’s most elusive releases, and marked the first time he sang on the seminal Ghana Funk anthem “Come Along”.
The album saw the legendary musician, producer, composer and arranger joining forces with 12-piece Cape Coast Ghanian band ‘The Pelikans’ led by Bessa Simmona with rhythm guitarist Fifi Orleans Lindsay.

Put simply, there has never been a musician and artist quite like Ebo Taylor. As an artist, arranger, musician and producer he’s a combination of James Brown, Nile Rodgers and Quincy Jones: He not only created some of the greatest funk songs ever recorded but as much if not more than that, his genius as an arranger gave the signature sound to high life and afrobeat that was made famous by his one-time London roommate (from when they were both music students, in The early 1960s) Fela. And his funky guitar brought a percussive sound to the rhythm section that didn't exist before.

Orange Vinyl

With their head-bopping, hip-thrusting, zalghouta-inducing tunes, Restless Leg Syndrome have tastefully-crafted a mélange of global references and in their work. The Vienna-based group is made up of longtime DJ and producer d.b.h and turntable maestros Chrisfader and Testa.
Over the course of 2021, RLS dropped four eclectic EPs that seamlessly fuse long-forgotten tunes with foot-stomping breaks

We've selected two hits from "Totem" and crafted this delicious 7" inches!
Side A sees the standout track "Represent the Fucking Planet", that really underscores the trios' appreciation for drums that knock.
On the B side we take a deep dive into our most hidden inner-self with the hypnotic "Spirit".

On the heels of his already critically acclaimed (yes, already!) retrospective, World Spirituality Classics 3: The Muslim Highlife of Alhaji Waziri Oshomah, Alhaji Waziri Oshomah — the Oyoyo King, the Godfather of Afemai Music, the Etsako Super Star, Mr. Please Please Please, Mr. Dynamite — returns with Vol. 3.

Along with the other four volumes of the series, Vol. 3 is now available—for the very first time!—as part of a complete set (in a box): Vol 1 - 5 (1978 - 1985) (November 4, 2022).

Waziri hails from a small part of Edo State in southern Nigeria called Afemailand, known for being a harmonious region where Muslims and Christians live—and dance—together. And there, as a devout Muslim and an exemplar of religious piety in his community, Waziri’s music fuses Etsako/ Afemai folk styles with pan-Nigerian highlife and pop to create a sublime vehicle for his Islamic philosophy that gets everyone—Muslims, Christians, whoever—on the dancefloor.

Every song on Vol. 3 (one of which you might recognize from The Muslim Highlife) strikes his signature balance of traditional music, highlife, and funk, as he entreats you to stay on the straight and narrow, though there’s nothing straight about his beat.

The classic debut album from Grammy-nominated Malian singer-songwriter Fatoumata Diawara, ‘Fatou’ was originally released in 2011 to great critical acclaim and features guests Toumani Diabaté on kora, Tony Allen on drums and Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones on bass. Since the release, Fatoumata’s profile has further grown thanks to her features with Disclosure, Gorillaz and Africa Express.
To celebrate this year’s Love Record Stores initiative, the release now sees a special limited edition yellow vinyl pressing.

2LP Gatefold release of the celebrated Amapiano Now compilation from NTS. Showcasing some of the most notable South African artists from the centre of the scene, from DBN Gogo to Vigro Deep, Mr JazziQ to Kamo Mphela. Whether lengthy hypnotic instrumentals with jazz indebted key solos or rugged township productions, Amapiano Now is a celebration of this essential sound and a document of the evolution of post-apartheid club sonics. Curated by Shannen SP & Joe Cotch, with NTS.

IzangoMa are a 15-piece ensemble from Pretoria, South Africa, led by vocalist and guitarist Sibusile Xaba and DJ/producer Ash K.
The fifteen-piece kaleidoscopic ensemble IzangoMa might only be releasing its debut offering on the esteemed UK-based label Brownswood Recording this coming Northern Hemisphere Spring, but the collective’s roots stretch back to the meeting of SibusileXaba (vox/keys) and Ashley Kgabo (synths/snare drum/drum machine) in 2016. The album is the logical next step in a journey.
SibusileXaba reveals a side to his virtuosic talent at cardinal opposites with the familiar folk sound the largesse knew him for.
Kings rejoice in laughter on album opener “Agenda Re-member”, while the music cascades carefree over frequencies expressing joy and positive living. In this world, IzangoMa’s world, the moon sings sweet melodies and the children rejoice in laughter. Worries are but a distraction, and joy is the ultimate quest. It’s a declaration of love in its highest, lucid, uninhibited form.
“Yes you photo man, yes you video man, we love you, we really really do,” he sings on “Johnny Dyani”, his punching voice puncturing dimensions and acting as a vessel that expresses unity with the multiplicities of the creative communities he’s involved with. It’s also a hat tip to the late, influential Johnny MbizoDyani, he of the mighty Blue Notes alongside Louis Moholo-Moholo, Chris McGregor, MongeziFeza, et al.
“Birds (Of A Feather)” is frantic, searching, surfing — a shroom trip laced with ones and zeros; a galactic self-serve of Astronomical importance. If the assignment is to explore and then break the limits of free expression, this song encompasses the better set of results of that experiment. It’s neither beginning nor end, only a constant seeking — for truth, for satisfaction, for more. It recalls visions of ones who existed before time; the very First Nations of this land we call Southern Africa, with all its combinations and permutations, all its complexities laid bare for all to ‘ear. Method is eschewed in favour of madness, and that’s just how the band digs it.
“Le NnaMfana” is what happens when Nyabhingi drum riddims escape to the future. “I pledge my allegiance to the Almighty/ zonkekelezinye bullshit,” Xaba assured us, his voice projecting until it transcends the hills and valleys of ancient dwellings and courses through cursed modernity as well as city-limit encampments where the natives have been banished. It spells freedom for the Black universal imagination, and pleads to African people worldwide to look beyond the daily shackles of Capitalism, chains imposed upon by systems not of their own construction. Le nnamfana — me too, my man. By the time he sings “education bullshit,” one can’t help but think of Pink Floyd and Dead Prez, polar musical opposites united in their dislike of the formalisation of a knowledge that shuts plenty of people across race and creed out; a filter to prop up subservience over independence.
“Out Of This World” is a two-step and ispantsula gravy train. The rhythm carries keyboards, synths, and all manner of percussive overload to ’the beautiful being’ that Xaba shouts out when the song starts. Mother on earth, mother in all. Songs for mothers worldwide, this is the message and the theme. Conception beyond; no deception in this pond. Ponder the quest, ride along, ignore the bumps and trample upon hindrances. Be free.
The only way to extrapolate meaning from this future-forward debut is by viewing it as a collective effort, not the top-down composition of any one person. While the duo of Xaba and Kgabo forms the backbone, it’s the collective which feeds into the cycle that expands each time, adding something new on each iteration.
“It’s never effort; it’s always joy,” says Ashley, reflecting on the fluid nature of how ideas find them while they’re jamming to the tunes of their own creation, to which Sibuile adds: “Even this idea of this music being a voice of remembering the feminine energy — that wasn’t there. It developed as the music was leading us. And funny enough, every song is talking about mothers. This wasn’t something that we planned.”
The ensemble is a Southern African link-up of Mozambican and South African musicians. Sibusile tells it best: “I had this idea of working with my students from Mozambique. When I first met them during exchange workshops, they were young men. We’d return every year to find these great human beings growing into these phenomenal musicians. We felt like it would be nice to incorporate them into this thing that we were doing.”
IzangoMa are Cosmic sgubhu with the alchemic powers of Sun Ra mixed with township styles ranging from pantsula to bubblegum, wrapped up and delivered in layers of spiritual chants, healing harmonies, and all manner of electro-analogue sonics transmitted in a big band-style ultrasound exploring themes of Creation as seen through the all-knowing feminine energy that transcends time and space, standing assured in its position as the cornerstone of their foundation. This is rhythm music; it spills into crevices ever-evolving, and revolts against a revolution yet to be finalised.

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

Wau Wau Collectif's second album, Mariage, is instilled with a newfound sense of purpose. Expanding upon the inspirational themes of their acclaimed 2021 debut, Yaral Sa Doom (Educate The Young), this long distance collaboration from musicians in Senegal and Sweden's Karl Jonas Winqvist is an even more stylistically expansive affair. Joyful children's songs collide with fuzzy guitar solos and thumping hip-hop beats. Shimmering synths lift off from the plunky percussion of the balafon and versatile sounds of the 22-string kora. Familiar voices from the first album return with more explicitly political lyrics, while the music feels both rhythmically dense and sonically weightless, flowing from one spellbinding moment to the next. For Mariage, band members from each country were inspired to include a wider array of instrumental flourishes unique to their cross-continental collaboration. "Yay Balma" revolves around the cycling riffs of Jango Diabaté's xalam guitar, as this song's fuzzy tones and soaring sax solos open side two with a bang. "Pitchi Goubidi" provides a stark contrast, with the kora played like a harp and Gilbert Badji's gravelly lyrics about "the bird of the night" disappearing into dubbed-out chamber pop. Winqvist's omnichord hovers back into focus on "Yonou Natangue," a free-floating jam that maintains the messages of Wau Wau Collectif's debut, promoting youth education to address the social issues facing contemporary Senegal: "Peace is the better wealth / The way to wander."

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

Experience the upbeat, feel good music from village to town, and town to village. A beautiful excursion through a landscape of memories lived and futures imagined with electronic rhythms, soulful vocals and Ndebele chants from the heart of Zimbabwe.
Traditional chiming guitars and gorgeous male harmony voices meet the toughest of drum machine kick drums and juddering synths to create something that is both reminiscent of 1980s ‘Jit’ music and a classic electro sound with heavily compressed 808 drums gut-punching through the speakers

Nyami Nyami Records presents a reissue of a rare gem from the Gramma Records catalog , the historic Zimbabweean label. Dumisani Maraire, the leading creator of modern mbira, settled in the USA in the late 60s where he popularized the traditional music of the Shona people.

Tichazomuona is the first album he recorded in liberated Zimbabwe, in 1986, with his wife Maichi and daughter Chiwoniso.

You can hear the very young singer on lead vocals on the title track, long before she went on to perform solo on the international stage.

We launched Nyami Nyami with her last recording Zvichapera and are happy to also release now her very first.