Jay Sound - "Reflections Of Love" (feat Josefine) (6:33)
Review: Fusion Sequence is a new offshoot from the Mellophonia label that kicks off with a heavyweight release both literally - its 180g vinyl - and metaphorically. It features seven different artists offering up one track each on what is a widescreen exploration of fresh deep house. They are A Vision of Panorama, Eternal Love, Pool Boy, Wolfey, Laseech, Larry Quest and Jay Sound and between them everything from cuddly depths to more moody late-night deepness is covered on an EP that brings plenty of new perspectives. A fine inaugural 12", then.
Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra, Op 34 (17:12)
Review: This recording of the Philadelphia Orchestra performing Sergei Prokofiev's 1936 story and orchestral score Peter and the Wolf was recorded in 1977 and was originally released in 1978. The role of the narrator on the recording was initially offered to both Peter Ustinov and Alec Guinness who both turned it down, before David Bowie agreed to take on the role, supposedly as a Christmas present to his son. On the B-side is another equally as charming piece of recent classical history, Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide To The Orchestra as narrated by Hugh Downs.
Review: Courtial With Errol Knowles's Don't You Think It's Time album gets a first ever vinyl reissue here, and gets deluxe treatment. The original was recorded in 1976 in San Francisco's Bay Area and soon became a real collector's classic for its vital soul and jazz funk sounds. To be honest, the cover art alone is worth the entry price here, but the sounds sure are sublime, with wiggy synth lines weaving their way in and out of the funky drumming on 'Don't You Think It's Time,' 'Best Of Friends' offering lush string sounds and silky grooves and 'Love Nevermore' having a bit of a samba shuffle next to the acoustic guitars and golden Rhodes chords.
Review: E-bony's Digital Dawn album is about "defining his identity as an artist" and it comes through INDUSTRIAS MEKANIKAS. This 12-tracker welds together electro and techno with plenty of personal sound perspective and dark textures that keep it decidedly underground. Collaborating with Noamm on four tracks, their creative synergy adds depth and elevates the record's complexity with the likes of 'Matrix Kod' getting gritty and eerie, 'Aurora Noir' bringing snappy kicks and coruscated acid lines and 'Data Delight' fizzing with pixelated synth sugariness.
Review: E. Live returns to Star Creature HQ with his third full-length release, 'Soft Approach,' and it's a jazz-funk-infused and boogie-powered blast-off. Following the success of 2020's Boogie For Life and Cloud Vibes from 2022, this new long player marks a triumphant evolution in his solo journey. With a nu-school disco flair and jazzier undertones, E. Live expertly balances accessibility and sophistication to make for a well-crafted trip overall. Drawing inspiration from musical luminaries like Roy Ayers and Patrice Rushen, these tunes promise to captivate fans of danceable rhythms and refined musicality alike. This release solidifies E. Live's reputation as a trailblazer in the contemporary Boogie scene and confirms he is destined for seismic waves in 2024.
Review: Steve Earle's Jerry Jeff is truly poignant album. The third in a series of tributes to what the main man describes as "first-hand teachers, the heroes I was lucky enough to sit across the room from so I could listen and learn up close," in this case he's talking about Jerry Jeff Walker.
So this is a record about paying homage to those that inspired and influenced, while also presenting another fine example of why Earle himself is considered one of the contemporary greats, no doubt inspiring and influencing the next generation of folk and Americana troubadours. And by that we mean one of the finest vocalists to ever grace those canons, and a master instrumentalist to boot, capable of delivering tracks at once powerful and thick with atmosphere, yet also delicate and vulnerable. Utterly captivating, you might say.
Review: Some rare dancehall history is brought to light with this new reissue from Acid Jazz. Originally released only as a white label promo via Jah Thomas's Midnight Rock, Early B Meets Super Cat compiles early Channel One sessions powered by the iconic Roots Radics and features two standout artists: Early B and a then rising Super Cat, whose energetic side-stepping vocals allowed Thomas's production prowess to shine. Though only promo copies were pressed initially, this release allows a new generation of fans to deep dive into formative dancehall grooves full of crisp rhythms, vintage dub tones and real vocal energy.
Review: This album collects together some of the very earliest pre-Black Sabbath recordings by the group then called Earth (until the permanent name change in 1970), as well as including some pre-Judas Priest Glen Tipton tunes from Flying Hat - these tunes were from a 1973 demo that was recorded a year or two before. There is also a special bonus cut 'Blue Suede Shoes' that was performed as Black Sabbath and mighty one of their earliest ever sessions to make it onto tape and now vinyl for the first time.
Review: The reissue of Earth, Wind & Fire's Greatest Hits album brings so many timeless classics back to the fore while celebrating the iconic band's soulful blend of funk, r&b and disco which so defined an era. This collection captures their iconic tracks like 'September,' 'Boogie Wonderland' and 'Shining Star' and shows the vibrant brass, infectious rhythms and harmonies that made them such legends. Remastered for enhanced audio quality, the reissue invites listeners to experience these chart-toppers with fresh clarity s is a must-have to experience the energy and spirit of one of music's most influential bands.
Review: The music of Earth Wind and Fire is pretty inescapable, but you won't find us complaining. The American soul, disco and funk collective have crafted some of the greatest dance floor tunes of all time, and they still bang decades later. This Ultimate Collection gathers together the best of them on nice heavyweight yellow vinyl. From the epic 'Boogie Wonderland' to the more sentimental 'Fantasy' via super funky gem 'September' there is plenty to love here. First released in July 1999 on Columbia Records, it claimed high in the album charts and remains an invaluable collection.
(Don't Worry) If There's A Hell Below, We're All Going To Go (6:02)
People Get Ready (4:20)
Getting Over (2:14)
I'll Bet You/California Dreamin' (3:43)
Popcorn/Oye Como Va (5:50)
I Love You For All Seasons (3:04)
East Of Java (2:06)
Walk On By (2:40)
Review: How much soul and funk does East of Underground deliver? A lot, that's how much. This raw and righteous gem from 1971 was originally issued by the US Army and handed out to troops during the Vietnam War, which means that original copies are insanely rare and pricey. Thankfully, this reissue brings it back to the people, minus the less memorable Soap LP. What remains is pure fire: gritty covers of Curtis Mayfield, Funkadelic, James Brown and more, all of which are played with heart and urgency by a group of enlisted musicians. Bonus fact: their take on The Fuzz's 'I Love You for All Seasons' became the backbone of US trap star 21 Savage's 'A Lot.'
Review: The first and still cult classic jazz album Eastern Rebellion from the eponymous band was released in 1976. The collective didn't waste any time in getting back in the studio to record a follow up and so came their magnificent Eastern Rebellion 2 just 12 months later. It is a frantic and classic set of free-form jazz from the group that consists of Cedar Walton on piano, Bob Berg on tenor-sax, Sam Jones on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. The four pieces that make up this album were all penned by Walton and cover plenty of ground from hard bop to straight jazz.
Review: Another BBC Sessions edition compiles nearly two decades of live-in-studio performances from Echo & The Bunnymen, tracing the Liverpool legends' rise from wiry post-punk outsiders to accomplished songwriters. John Peel and Janice Long oversaw the sessions with eagle's eyes, as production polish from classics such as 'The Killing Moon', 'Rescue' and 'Lips Like Sugar' reveal the band's skeletal brilliance and moody immediacy. Something of a guide to the band's career arc as a whole, we hear the way paved for a more expansive, melancholic texture in the later years, despite an ever morphotic, modulable lineup. The Cult Legends reissue set offers longtime fans and newer listeners a chance to hear the Bunnymen with studio intimacy and live spontaneity; less theatrical than their stage shows, but just as haunting.
Review: Liverpool's legendary Echo & The Bunnymen add to their 30-plus years of service to music with a new album, of sorts, that in fact delivers two new compositions and 13 other songs plucked from their vast and expansive catalog. Long-time fans will no doubt be pleased to hear the new beatless tinges given to their 1984 classic "Seven Seas", while of course the album is a perfect diving point for new audience to come to grips with the band too. Take, for example, the gnarlyish drawl of "Nothing Lasts Forever" that helps offset the Bowie-like tendencies heard in numbers like "Lips like Sugar" and "The Somnambulist". Sounds like a cliche, but seriously, still as good as it ever was.
Review: Echo & The Bunnymen's first ever best-of compilation, first released in 1985, gets a reissue. Accruing all the hits, we begin with the seminal 'Rescue' before careening through 'Never Stop', 'The Killing Moon' and 'Seven Seas', recalling the new wave band's emotive drawl and gushing instrumentals, coinciding with the time in which their contemporaneous album, 'Songs To Learn and Sing', was released.
Review: Rhino have embarked on a grand reissue mission and plan to put out all of the Echo & The Bunnymen's first four albums. Here we have a remastered version of Ocean Rain on 180-gram black vinyl. It was the fourth of the band's albums and was related back in 1984. It reached number four on the UK Albums Chart thanks to singles like 'Silver', 'Seven Seas' and personal favourite 'The Killing Moon.' The album got the band back to the top of their game after the rather less than warm reception to previous album Porcupine the year before thanks to its new found romantic sweetness and the band's bittersweet melodies.
Review: Echo & The Bunnymen came back with renewed vigour when they reformed in 1997 and recorded Evergreen. The album was headed up by 'Nothing Lasts Forever', which lodged in the UK's musical psyche as the Britpop wave receded and everyone was craving a little more maturity in their indie bands. 25 years on, the album ranks as of the band's finest, as vital to their story as the classic 80s records, and it's a welcome treat to see it pressed up once again, on fetching white vinyl with a yolky centre, no less.
Review: Glenn Echo and Daniel Meineck are back on Detroit label MotorCity Wine with their first new music in two years following their well-received Partly Cloudy album. What Happened to Yesterday? is, we are told, the first of two albums from the pair that will arrive several months apart. It finds the pair get super hazy and dubby, with psychedelic charm swirling around their absorbing grooves next to subtle cues taken from the diverse likes of DJ Premier and King Jammy. There is a superb Moog-based cover of De La Soul's 'I Am I Be', Afro-Carribean disco in 'Dancehall of Grandeur' and epic jazz-rock on Volcano Sound' so dig in and prepare to be wowed.
Explanation Of The Funk (feat Dre King & DJ Stylus) (4:08)
Three-Season Crank (feat Raja Kassis) (6:11)
Slip 'n Slide (5:22)
Alligator Confrontation (5:09)
Off The Rails (5:57)
Pull My String (4:50)
Bleeps, Sweeps, & Creeps (2:30)
What Happened To Yesterday? (5:07)
Black Bird Dub (4:47)
Review: Glenn Echo & Daniel Meinecke won plenty of acclaim with their last outing What Happened To Yesterday?! and now they quickly back it up with a third outing on MotorCity Wine Recordings What Happened To Yesterday? Vol 2 is another blend of heady, dubby sounds with cosmic dance vibes that span serval sub-genres with ease. 'World In My Head' kicks off with lo-fi and low-key depths, and further downtempo tracks like 'Explanation of The Funk' with Dre King's trumpet and DJ Stylus's cuts, and 'Three-Season Crank' with Raja Kassis's guitar further sink you into blissed-out beats. The flip side has dancefloor-friendly jam 'Off The Rails,' then moves into dubby, meditative territory and ends with the gorgeous 'Black Bird Dub' which allows Echo's eclectic production and Meinecke's keyboard mastery to shine.
Review: Jakarta-based Ecilo returns to Voyager Recordings with a new album that taps into a familiar style - sci-fi atmospheres with dancefloor-ready techno - but he does it with rare skill. He's been honing this style since 2008 on labels like AXIS, ARTS and Planet Rhythm and these latest tunes have had early plays from dons such as Luke Slater, Ben Sims and Svreca. 'Taken' sets the seen and launches you into deep space, and the rest of the EP powers on with the singing circuit boards of 'Fractal Mesh' quick to mesmerise, the purposeful low end throb of 'Something We Don't Understand' impossible to escape from and 'Ready The Armada' channeling archetype Jee Mills style comic techno minimalism.
Hollow Dream (feat Annie Barker & Joseph Shabason) (3:26)
Around The Fire (feat Nightlands) (2:51)
Corner Of The World (feat Nat Birchall & Thore Pfeiffer) (4:02)
Amazing (feat Nubo) (2:23)
Ancient Love (feat Jamael Dean, Nat Birchall & Sharananda) (3:50)
The Will Of The One (feat Jonas Knutsson, Laraaji & Oceananda) (4:27)
North Star (feat Green-House & Nubo) (3:08)
Understanding (feat Miguel Atwood-Ferguson) (4:07)
Review: The absorbing Crescendo album is the fruit of a collaboration between Swedish producers Emil Holmstrom and Peter Wikstrom of Ecovillage. They are joined by a talented ensemble of musicians who all share a passion for improvisation and experimentation. Recorded between 2019 and 2022 in Los Angeles and Umea in Sweden, the album explores a fusion of jazz and ambient and as it goes it aims to break new ground and challenge conventional ambient music. Featuring ten tracks, each of which offers a unique mood and style, Crescendo ranges from uplifting and energetic compositions to mellow and dreamy soundscapes. With vocals spanning soft whispers to powerful chants, the artists' creative vision and spirit is well reflected.
Review: You could definitely be forgiven for thinking Elusive Mojo was a much older piece of work, which isn't to say it sounds dated or out of place today; more highlighting the timelessness of high octane heavy metal, its fall out of the limelight but persistence to continue doing what it does very well indeed. Forget the washed up old guard refusing to put a pin in ideas that have repeated themselves for decades, Ecstatic Vision represent the vanguard of a sound we hold dear to our hearts, but don't encounter at its freshest often enough.
Taking a lead from the psychedelic-leaning early metal outfits like Hawkwind and Aphrodite's Child, simply put Ecstatic Vision growl and wail in all the right places, unleashing track after track of juggernaut energy, insane riffs and solos, and industrial power. Steaming ahead of the rest, this latest offering is the kind of record that threatens not just to blow through your hair like a mighty wind, but rip each strand off at the follicle.
Review: Stockholm-based composer Isak Edberg's second release on XKatedral - arguably the finest contemporary classical label in the Swedish capital. This time round we're given two extended pieces, running towards 30-minutes each, both of which are instrumentals and focused largely on minimalist piano notes, meaning the use of space and emptiness is also prominent. The title track, which opens the package, sets the tone and pace well, with each key allowed to breathe, refrains hanging on by a thin echo fading into the deep expanse of nothingness that seems to sit behind the instrument itself. 'Vestiges' complements this perfectly, again ensuring there's plenty of what's not happening in between the staccato off-keys. Fully committing to a more experimental side of the new classical spectrum, it's one you'll want to keep revisiting again and again.
Review: Multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer edbl aka Ed Black's new album 2010 Mixtape is another wonderful journey through an array of hip-hop styles, great songwriting and standout production skills. Following his edbl and friends series, this project highlights his love for hip-hop and features a host of UK artists from the alternative r&b and soul scenes. With mellow grooves, jazzy chords and vibey keys, 2010 Mixtape pays tribute to the great influence those styles have had on edbl's own sound. Named after the year he discovered hip-hop, the album features tons of highlights such as collaborations including Guvna B on 'Symbols,' Manik MC on 'Arcades' and KinKai on 'Too Much Shit To Do', all of which bring with soul.
Annita Ray & The Nature Boys - "Frankie's Song" (2:27)
Don Carson & The Casuals - "Jungle Bungalow" (2:30)
Bob Romeo & His Jungle Secret - "Sahara" (2:35)
Don Carson & The Casuals - "Yes Master!" (1:58)
Marti Barris - "Ahbe Casabe" (2:44)
Gene Chandler - "Lonely Island" (1:45)
Biggie Mcfadden - "Big Rock Steam Roller" (2:19)
The Big Square From Nowhere (3:13)
Robie Lester - "Green Flamingo" (2:40)
John Harris - "Monterey" (alternate version) (2:44)
Jam Session '78 (1:35)
Review: Eden Ahbez was a the prototypical hippie in California, writing songs and recording through the 40s to the 60s and penning Nat King Cole's hit single 'Nature Boy' amongst others. This album, his definitive 1960 opus, is a unique curio which touches on jazz, spirituality and much more besides, but ultimately sounds utterly unique, much like Ahbez himself was. There's a romantic lilt to his playing, a little sadness but also much innocence and joy in these songs. If they don't stir up the inner nature child in you, you must have a heart of concrete. Alongside the standard Epsilon reissue of the album is this stunning, wood-cover edition which gives the album a special kind of prominence, not to mention tapping into the earthly magic of Ahbez's music.
Review: There's a juxtaposition of gravel and soaring, almost-gliding quality to the epic guitar work that welcomes you into Eden Gardens. It's as though the refrains and chords are so expansive they envelop everything from ground level to stratosphere. The work of Papir and Cause Sui members Martin Rude and Jakob Skott, the result is both technically impressive and spiritually beneficial. Post-rock that makes you feel genuinely freer than before pressing play.
As grand as it sounds, there's also something very real happening here. For some, this kind of stuff may come across overblown and inflated, but then there's no pomp and pageantry present. And by that we mean the parts that exist are well balanced and you can understand why they are there without necessarily knowing. Everything feels right, and in the correct place, which is probably the best recommendation we can give.
Review: Following last year's Cheetah Bend album, Detroit maverick Jimmy Edgar returns with another beguiling conceptual LP. This time we find the prolific experimenter taking influence from liquid matter and the physicality of digital art as he explores the fertile hinterland between hip-hop, techno and contemporary funk. From neo-R&B swoonery to uncompromised club-tearing grit via industrial strength beat abstraction - featuring collabs with the likes of Trinidad James, 10kCaash, Milk and ZelooperZ - this is one of Jimmy's most far out and explorative bodies of work so far. Stay hydrated.
Review: Cameroonian legend Victor Edimo's rare and collectable Decca Nigeria album Thank U Mamma enjoys its first reissue since being released in 1981. Five tracks tight but crammed full of vibes, this is one of the funkiest, sunniest and most vibrant albums to come out of Lagos in the early 80s. From the blissed, bless 'thank you' vocal loop of the title track to the blazing feels of "Marina Drive" to Victor's signature freak bass licks on "You", this is such a beautiful album from start to finish.
Review: Scottish producer Tony Scott graces Prologue for the first time with a debut album under the Edit Select guise - now as established a name as his old Percy X work was. The Munich label is cultivating quite the reputation for techno album projects, with excellent longplayers from Mike Parker, Echologist, Dino Sabatini and of course Voices From The Lake in recent times and we can add Phlox to that pile. The Scotsman's collection of mesmerising and sometimes big-room techno productions is a perfect match for the Prologue aesthetic, pitched perfectly between moments of emotional ambience and "hypnotic monsters for the dance floor". Look out for a new rendition of "Bauer", which appeared on the Berghain 03 Mix CD and the Dino Sabatini collaboration "Survivors Of The Pulse".
Review: Much loved UK outfit Editors have that tag because they always manage to confound expectation and stay one step ahead. They first emerged more than 20 years ago now as a group of friends who formed a band at university. Their debut album was Mercury Prize-shortlisted and since then thy have always been bold and brave in their approach. EBM is their first album since Blanck Mass became a full time member and, as the title suggests, is heavily influenced by EBM with physical and angular grooves, soot black moods and real urgency.
Review: Following his Original Mr Cool Ruler album being reissued back in summer by Lantern Rec, Octave Lab now gets in on the action by serving up his I Do Love You album from 1972. It's a delightful work of lovers' rock and roots magic that is centered around his impossibly pure and soulful vocals. They convey all manner of emotions from pain to joy over clean dubs and acoustic guitars. The hooks are catchy and their rhythms percussive, with joyous like 'Don't Stop' and more rueful vibes such as 'You're Eyes Are Dreaming' all sounding as good as ever.
Review: Together Again!!!! reunites trumpeter Howard McGhee and saxophonist Teddy Edwards in a jazz collaboration originally released in 1961 that is as energised and electric as the title with all its many exclamation marks. This reissue is part of the Acoustic Sounds Series and showcases the exceptional talents of McGhee and Edwards alongside Phineas Newborn Jr. on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Ed Thigpen on drums. It has been cut from the original master tapes by Bernie Grundman so the AAA lacquers enhance the album's rich sound. It's a mini-classic of the jazz world and it never sounded better.
St Germain - "Alabama Blues" (Todd Edwards dub mix) (5:39)
Indo - "R U Sleeping" (Todd Edwards mix) (5:59)
Sound Of One - "As I Am" (Todd Edwards mix - version) (6:13)
Kim English - "Tomorrow" (Todd Edwards dub) (7:31)
Daft Punk - "Face To Face" (4:02)
Todd Edwards - "Shut The Door" (7:24)
Todd Edwards - "Push The Love" (7:46)
Todd Edwards - "The Dream" (6:49)
Review: Todd Edwards is affectionally known as Todd the God because of his skills. Those skills are two fold - he famous fomented this own style of garage with quick beats and cut up vocals used like an extra instrument in the mix. But he is also a badass DJ who can slam through house and garage with high energy and plenty of charger. As such, he is rightly celebrated here with an overdue entry into Defected's long running House Masters series. All his most famous joints make the cut, from the bumping remix of St Germain to the lively vocal soul of his dub of Kim English via originals like his jazzy, chord laced anthem 'Push The Love.'
Review: This is Eels' most immediately rewarding album Mark Oliver Everett, also known by his stage name E, was on miracle form: it's like some kind of divine intervention played a role in him being able to lay these stone cold bangers. Of the hits,'Souljacker (part 1)' is the most striking with its menacing, memorable riff that adds edge to any scene. Film buffs among us will know it from Wim Wenders' 'Twelve Miles To Trona' short film (2002) where it's a beautiful fit. Another highlight is the haunting 'Bus Stop Boxer', which is intense and emotionally charged in its depiction of the violence of loneliness. For 'Dog Faced Boy', it's been said that PJ Harvey collaborator John Parish wrote most of the music in Bristol and then E added lyrics and other embellishments when they were in LA together - few co-writes come out this well.
Theme For A Pretty Girl That Makes You Believe God Exists (1:27)
Checkout Blues (3:12)
Blinking Lights (For Me) (1:56)
Dust Of Ages (2:20)
Old Shit/New Shit (3:09)
Bride Of Theme From Blinking Lights (1:50)
Hey Man (Now You're Really Living) (3:01)
I'm Going To Stop Pretending That I Didn't Break Your Heart (3:42)
To Lick Your Boots (3:26)
If You See Natalie (3:38)
Sweet Li'l Thing (3:21)
Dusk: A Peach In The Orchard (1:11)
Whatever Happened To Soy Bomb (2:27)
Ugly Love (2:54)
God's Silence (1:19)
Losing Streak (3:04)
Last Days Of My Bitter Heart (4:52)
The Stars Shine In The Sky Tonight (2:14)
Things The Grandchildren Should Know (3:16)
Review: Talk about taking your sweet time. Anyone want to hazard a guess at how long Blinking Lights & Other Revelations took to finish? Thought not. In truth, Eels started work on it in 1998, but it wouldn't see the light of day until 2005. Marking the start of a new era for the band, contractually at least - their deal with David Geffen and Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks Records having dissolved the previous year - the album was high concept, too.
As per frontman E, writing on the band's official website at the time of Blinking Lights' release, the record is about "God and all the questions relating to the subject of God." Suddenly the extended production period makes sense. Then you see it has 33 tracks listed on the sleeve and it all becomes clear. A classic piece of alternative rock with big, bold ideas, it should always be remembered as one of the first landmarks to come from America this millennium.
Review: Egyptian Lover has been kicking out the jams now for a full four decades. His famously hardware-driven sound is pure bay-popping perfection and has seen him define and redefine electro many times over. Staying true to his signature 80s west-coast electro sound, his new album 1987 echos classics of his like 'Egypt, Egypt' and Thebes of them all, 'I Need a Freak', by blending signature Roland 808 beats with Kraftwerk and hip-hop influences. He's a veteran at this stage, but he still moves a floor like few others can.
Review: This work by Alf Emil Eik is a serene and soothing soundtrack for moments of relaxation, meditation or peaceful ambience. Eik's ethereal melodies transport listeners to a realm of inner peace and timeless beauty. Each track blends intricate layers of sound and evokes serenity and wonder while the harmonies resonate deeply within your soul. Uplifting yet introspective, the music invites reflection on the beauty of life and the mysteries of existence. A fusion of classical, ambient and new age influences abound here and prove Eik to be a master composer.
Review: Originally only available as a digital download on Billie Eilish's D2C store, this new vinyl version which features the album's isolated vocal recordings and presents a raw and stripped-back version that highlights the power of Billie's voice. Pressed exclusively for RSD Indie Black Friday, it includes a unique inverted album cover. The original album is some of the cult pop singer's most daring work to date, exploring a blend of genres and defied trends during the creative process with her brother Finneas in Los Angeles. It made for another cohesive and emotionally impactful journey from start to finish.
Review: A veritable French fusion institution; classically trained Cameroon musician Eko Roosevelt Louis was responsible for a catalogue of exciting jazz funk, disco and afrofunk records throughout the 70s and remained active touring Europe until the 90s when he returned to Cameroon to inherit the role as tribal chieftain from his grandfather. Released in 1979, Funky Disco Music was his third album and packs some of his most powerful compositions. The triumphant title track says it all; laidback, charming and full of positivity it sets the scene for the whole trip. Highlights include the rock-tinged soul chugger "Une Chanson Sans Paroles", the highlife uplift of "Doi Da Manga" and the smouldering showstopper finale "Emen Ango". Dig deep and enjoy... Africa Seven promise more Eko reissues in the near future.
Review: Drissi El-Abbass's Rai Sidi Bel Abbes - Volume 2 is a superb eight-track compilation that tells the evolutionary story of Rai music from the late 1970s to the 1990s. Released by Nashazphone on four sides of wax, it highlights El-Abbassi's soft vocals and innovative fusion of traditional Algerian music with electronic elements which came after he started his career with Les Aigles Noirs and later collaborated with guitarist Ahmed Zergui. El-Abbassi embraced synthesisers and drum machines to shape a modern Rai sound that has stood the test of time and tracks like 'Maak Probleme' and 'Datli Laakal' blend nostalgic melodies with bold production to offer a vivid portrait of Rai's creative transformation.
Review: Viaje Sideral is a cosmic journey led by El Leon Pardo and his ancestral instrument, the kuisi, which is a pre-Colombian flute that traditionally symbolises resistance and survival. This second album from Pardo explores humanity's connection with the stars by blending Caribbean percussion, analogue synths, deep bass, electric guitars and the distinctive sounds of kuisis and trumpets. The tunes channel the tropical psychedelia of the 70s and 80s while incorporating ambient and electronic influences from artists like Terry Riley and Kraftwerk. Viaje Sideral is a great mix of dreamlike astral sounds with tropical rhythms that mean both the earthly and the cosmic are explored.
Review: The extraordinary talents of The El Michaels Affair seem to know no bounds. Last time out they served up an album inspired by an imaginary film, and this time on Yeti Season they impress with a whole new bunch of inspirations. Right from the off the album takes us to Turkish-styled funk and an almost Mumbai-esque take on soul, all with the sort of big grooves and lovely horns that often define the band's output. Full of drama, emotion, and worldly influences, this is another stunner from the unstoppable El Michaels Affair.
Review: The instrumental version of the underground classic Glorious Game is a collaboration between El Michels Affair and Black Thought which showcases Leon Michels' signature "cinematic soul" sound in all its considerable glory. Since the release of Sounding Out The City in 2005, Michels has consistently pushed musical boundaries and has produced for many top names. In Glorious Game, he merges soul-tinged, bottom-heavy beats with Black Thought's deeply personal lyrics and, inspired by hip-hop's sample-based production, crafts new compositions that sample and reinterpret his own work to create dynamic, loop-driven instrumentals. The album is released on Big Crown Records which marks a debut partnership which will be interesting to follow.
Review: First issue of this previously unreleased Oriental psych monster from the 'organ king of Casablanca and second part of Abdou El Omari's Nuits-trilogy combining traditional rhythms with spaced out modern sounds. This album contains heavenly compositions for the Moroccan diva Najma Samih and some moody instrumentals in a similar vein to the first album. A very curious mixture of traditional Middle Eastern Music with lounge, and even rock music style drumming on several tracks. High quality pressing. Artwork and label design by Pieter Heytens.
Review: Ammar El Sherei's intoxicating instrumental album Oriental Music was written in 1976 and has remained a cult classic for all the deep diggers, world music lovers and curio obsessives. For this record, the iconic Egyptian artist, composer and producer actually served up his own take on six classic compositions by another Egyptian legend, Mohamed Abdel Wahab. The results are utterly hypnotic and majestic melodic affairs with organic drums and percussion and North African melodies that worm their way deep into your brain and transport you to the hustle and bustle of a dusty open air market or street side coffee spot.
Review: Ammar El Sherei's 1976 instrumental gem is one of those cult albums that record collectors love to have in their arsenal to, well, show off with. It finds the legendary Egyptian composer reinterpreting seven classics by Mohamed Abdel Wahab and in doing so he waves traditional Arabic melodies into funky arrangements and electric keyboard experimentation. This hypnotic fusion highlights El Sherei's unique perspective and knack for bridging heritage and innovation. Curated and annotated by Arabic music expert Mario Choueiry from Paris' Institut du Monde Arabe, this reissue features newly remastered audio and original Soutelphan artwork so is a no-brainer for fans of vintage yet adventurous Arabic grooves.
Review: Nadah El Shazly returns with her second album and first on One Little Independent and Backward Music. The Egyptian-born, Montreal-based artist blends experimental sonics with Arabic roots and improvisation on Laini Tani, and crafts music that slips between worlds and takes you with it. The whole record pulses like a hot night stretching into morning. It's sweaty, surreal, and endlessly alive and each track is a vivid fragment: defiant, euphoric or quietly raw. El Shazly's lush vocals and layered metaphors weave a dreamstate of meaning and mystery that bold and chaotic yet controlled so is a record to get lost in, then hit repeat as you try to decode its hidden truths.
Review: If you read any interviews around Elbow's ninth studio album, Guy Garvey's open admissions that this is the Bury, Greater Manchester band's most patient and hushed work to date are unlikely to pass you by. The frontman is clearly pleased with what the outfit managed to pull together, offering a great example of why remote working during lockdown actually led to some pretty inspired projects if you look in the right places.
Whether Flying Dream 1 would have sounded like this had it been made through a standard studio process is a big question mark we're not in a position to answer. The group themselves are probably still pondering that one. What is clear is that it feels like a coherent, complete work, which is somewhat at odds with the reality of members contributing individual elements from different locations. Technicalities aside, this is a step away from the grandeur Elbow are often associated with, and distinctly void of gnarl, and it sounds
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