Review: Drop Music marks a quarter of a century of reliable and ever-on-point sounds with a special series of EPs that embodies what it's always been about, offering up both classics and never-before-released tunes. This one kicks off with 'Make A Move' which is chunky low-slung tech. It unfolds at a relatively slow tempo but that gives the fat acid gurgles time to really hit. Inland Knights then serves up the next three cuts, starting with the bass bin bothering sounds of 'Push It', the more silky tech loops of 'Long Time' and the vocal-laced acid-tech swagger of 'Same Talk.' Here's to the next 25 years.
Review: Melbourne producer Rami Imam is back with a new outing on his own Ponda Records which was established in 2020 as a platform for his cross-cultural sound explorations. Safara very much lives up to that across six tacks of energetic house and disco house that comes with just the right amounts of nostalgia and innovation while drawing from the cultural sounds of Afro-funk, highlife, Arab disco, Bollywood, Afro-Cuban jazz, Libyan reggae and Algerian Rai. Those varied sonic traditions are bolted into modern rhythms using iconic synths like the Juno 106 and Moog Model D alongside piano and strings. This is music for the mind, body and soul.
Review: Space Echo returns with a bold funk-fuelled trip here that is powered by irresistible rhythms built on downtempo grooves. The track reflects on war-driven forces destabilising communities and Gianluca Petrella's trombone work channels pure Fred Wesley-esque funk energy while 1970s-inspired choral arrangements amplify its introspective message. Alongside this, Agosta's remix of 'Mother Forgive Us' from The Invisible Session's Echoes Of Africa transforms the track into a futuristic Afro-funk odyssey with tribal percussion tubing up next to pulsating electronics. A great package with a message of climate urgency that calls for a reconnection to nature.
Review: The Ethiopian Ibex Band's 1976 album Stereo Instrumental Music is being re-released as a cornerstone of Ethiopian music. This record is credited with shaping the modern sound of Ethiopian music and the band's enduring influence can be felt in the works of legends like Aster Aweke, Girma Beyene and Mulatu Astatke. Created by Giovanni Rico and Selam Woldemariam, Stereo Instrumental Music is part of a significant legacy that challenges the idea of a "golden age" of Ethiopian music and highlights the constant evolution of the sound. The Ibex Band, later known as The Roha Band, has remained central to that and Ethiopia's wider scene.
Review: Popularly known to fans as "Ice" - a rare case of hypocorism in colloquial fan band nicknaming - Strut Recordings document a rare record from the vaults of the luminary Lafayette Afro-Rock Band, one that is arguably the closest in their catalogue to the signature sound defining their earlier work. Marked by an especially complex funk rhythmology, this record was pressed contemporaneously with the infamous Soul Makossa and Malik sessions; but compared to their earlier works, Afro Agban pushes deeper into jazz-rock territory. 'Ozan Koukle' has espceially become a known but coveted missing link for turntable taxonomists, who'll thank their lucky stars for the fact that it is now available in full.
Marqueza Mercado - "Cumbia En El Magdalena" (3:34)
Marqueza Mercado - "Mujer Costena" (3:47)
Marqueza Mercado - "Que No Muera El Folclor" (2:36)
Review: In 2019, Resistencia Sonora was born as a collaborative project uniting urban and rural ethnic-peasant resistances in Montes de Maria, Colombia's western Caribbean. Rooted in a musical epicentre renowned for gaita, cumbia, bullerengue, son palenque, son de negro and accordion styles like porros and pajaritos, the initiative celebrates and preserves the region's rich folkloric life. This album documents festive gatherings, knowledge exchange and co-creation inspired by composer Andres Narvaez, a social leader and land-rights activist. His vision brought musicians together to uphold traditions and honour regional elders and this limited edition vinyl includes a 12-page bilingual booklet with extra background.
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