Kalita Vinilo y CD

Review: Addmoro were a lesser known Los Angeles-based disco outfit active throughout the late 70s and early 80s, and their sound was unique for its ahead-of-its-time weight and phonk, not to mention a difficult-to-match versatility, both traits evidenced by this Kalita reissue of the obscurity 'Rock & Roll Skate' here, first released on their very own Addmoro Records. The titular A-sider and 'Keep On Tryin' were released originally in 1985, with the former coming as a ploddy but groovy hard-hitter - which could've easily predicted the reams of modern-day producers who would the style on for size decades later (but not quite achieve it so well) - and the latter a surprise-taking curveball in a stumbly-funky, disco-electro mood.

Review: 'Adzagli (Jungle Funk)' and 'A Song For You (Ayawa)' have never before been released on vinyl. Kalita has acquired the rights to do so though so we are now treated to two next-level slices of West African disco from Amsterdam's Kofi Ayivor. They have been taken from his 1981 classic and much sought-after album 'Kofi' and have been cut nice and loud for extra impact. As well as the lively and vibrant, instrument-rich originals, DJ and producer Mendel has cooked up his own remixes of each recording using the original multitrack session tapes. Pure fire.

Review: Kalita Records have secured rights to a first ever reissue of Wilson Boateng's 'Asew Watchman' and 'Mabre Agu' tunes as well as serving up two new extended mixes from Amsterdam-based producer and DJ Mendel for more useful dance floor deployment. Originally privately released in a small run by Wilson himself, these sought after highlife tunes were recorded in London and put out in 1988 and have been pretty much impossible to find ever since. They are phenomenally upbeat and feel good sounds with plenty of highlife melodies, lush synthesizers, disco and boogie beats finished in a truly authentic Ghanian style.

Review: The hard-digging record fiends at Kalita are back with more brilliance. This one is the first-ever retrospective of work by Jamaican-born artist Desmond Chambers. The first tine is a proudly politically aware tune previously only avialbel on his 1987 album Tiger Born, while the single 'The Morning Show' has before now only been available as the B side of little known single 'I Have Seen Love In Your Eyes.' The two other tracks are mega cult, hugely loved acid-infused dub snakers with boogie-infused rhythms. Original copies will cost you a huge amount so make sure you snap this one up asap.

Review: Kalita Records have secured the first ever official reissue of Jivaro's lovely Saturday Fever album. It is said to be one of the best ever kwaito and bubblegum pop records to have ever come from the fertile South African scene and was first released on Maurice Horwitz's Music Team label in 1989. It serves up plenty of sick prog-house grooves and post-boogie sounds, with fat synths, tiny drum machine programming and a catchy Afro vocals that energise and enthuse any DJ set. This has been sourced from the original master tapes so you can be sure it sounds fat.

Review: Now this is the kind of disco-soul we should be propping up. An outsider disco favourite, Sweet Clover's 1979 'You're What I Need' is a creaky, wonky honker of a tune, blending traditionally 'theque-worthy vocals with lo-fi, laboured beat, unusual for productions at the time. Production was handled by writer and producer Willie McClain, a criminally little-known talent behind a slew of acetates backing names like Ernest Rodgers and Arena Allen. The talkbox on the B2, the unreleased 12" version, is sublime. Don't miss out on this mega-weird new reissue from Kalita.

Review: Were you aware of the burger highlife phenomenon that swept through Ghana in the 1980s? Taking the West African sound of highlife and infusing it with the synths and drum machines of disco and boogie, a vibrant fusion culture emerged with hit upon hit of infectious, funky-as-hell party gear undeniably rooted in African culture. This diligent compilation from Kalita looks to some of the most important artists from this wave of electrified highlifers, including Thomas Frempong and George Darko, and of course looking between the cracks for the more obscure gems that should get even the well-schooled excited to check this one out.

Review: Kalita's Borga Revolution compilations are pure joy, tapping into the boom in electronic music in Ghana in the 80s and 90s. The first volume came out last year and carried work from the likes of Thomas Frempong and George Darko. On this second instalment we get a whole host of new names to bring us more of that West African heat, and the hits just keep spilling out. Check the urgent stomp of 'Soca For Your Pleasure' by Alan Cosmos & His Bam-Baara Soundz, or the rugged soul and deadly grooves bursting out of Pope Flyne Ackah's 'I Think You Are Right (Jepense Que Tu A Raison)'. If you were into the first edition, this is only going to bring you more delights from an overlooked corner of Africa's musical history.

Review: Kalita returns with the third instalment of its Borga Revolution! series, continuing its deep dive into the sound of Burger Highlife, a genre born of traditional Ghanaian melodies, synths, drum machines, and disco groove-matics. Emerging in the 1980s during a time of great political turmoil, public strife and mass emigration, the style evolved as Ghanaian musicians abroad began blending their roots with the digital tools of their new homes. Volume 3 showcases rare and elusive cuts by the likes of Obibini Takyi, Osei Banahene, and Okyerema Asante, as well as keystone figures George Darko and Lee Dodou. The collection paints a fuller picture of a moment where innovation thrived in exile, and highlife was reshaped through transcontinental influence and technological experimentation.