Philou Louzolo

Review: It's always unwise to judge a label that's still taking its' first steps, but Banoffee Pies has barely put a foot wrong since launching a couple of years back. Here, the Bristol-based imprint continues with its' successful split release formula, gathering together a quartet of tracks from up-and-coming producers. Beaner kicks things off with the bumpin', low-slung deep house grooves and delay-laden guitar samples of "It Takes Two", before Philou Louzolo raises the temperature with the looped horn samples and thumping beats of "Alter Ego". Flip for the dreamy Balearic house goodness of Ron Wilson's "Albino Turtle", and the bongo-laden, after-party deep house shuffle of Mome's "Assatta".

Review: Brescia, Italy based imprint Rebirth offer us some lushious deep house, this time given some fine remix treatments. French duo Villanova get their track "On The Loose" given a fine rework by the Godfather of Deep House himself Larry Heard on this lush and sublime trip that clocks in at just under nine minutes in all its emotive glory and retaining Elbi's powerful vocals. Italian duo Easy to Remember are on the flip and their track "Smokey" gets the re-rub by Philo Louzolou on this jazzy and soulful broken beat excursion reminiscent of Atjazz or Restless Soul. Just stunning!

Review: Afrocentrist Philou makes his debut on Basic Fingers with a trio of deep-seeded treats comprising one original and two game-changing edits. This homage to the Senegal/Mali mountain region softly ignites with the cosmic yearns and mild acid grounding of "Lumumba's Revenge". It sets the scene for two takes on regional traditions; "Tartit's Tribe" adds a driving afrobeat and hypnotic swing to an ancient Tombouctou desert song while "Fadimata's Dibabba" is a dense and inebriating weave of Senegalese instruments and chants.

Review: REPRESS ALERT: From the label: "This EP is a dedication to the Amsterdam based Alkebulan Project. Philou and Villy are both members of this project, the project brings artists from Africa & African Diaspora together. The Alkebulan Project is on a mission to change the perception of Africa an it's citizens. Nigerian artist Villy and his group "Villy & The Xtreme Volumes" are on a mission to educate Africans with their message calling for a revolution in Africa, politically and socially in all aspects. Philou has a combination of Congolese, Nigerian and Sierra Leonean heritage and it is in these roots that he has built his sound. His passion for the continent of his ancestors is fervent and his projects are challenging commonly held preconceptions about Africa. His goal is to challenge negative stereotypes, by making African cultures more approachable through music. Much love for Rudy Asibey for founding The Alkebulan Project and bringing the artists together and many thanks to Marcel Vogel for giving us the opportunity to tell our story through."

Review: Banoffee Pies Records launches its first white label to date, and it's a three-pronged collaboration by new and exciting faces in the scene. First up is Philou Louzolo and his excellent "Afrofuturism Dance", a solid house jerker with lively tribal influences, folloed siftly by Wendel Sield and his moodier, jazzier piece entitled "History Of Black People". On the flip, Huntleys & Palmers MMT proceeds to drop some Gipsy King house in the form of "Ton A Ton", backed by the more funky disco shades of "Pangae Flute". Nice and diverse for ya!