Reissues
Reflection
AKA's 1970 debut album Do What You Like (GM 201CD) combines earthy, heavily buzzing, and fuzzed-out rock monuments in the vein of classic UK and US bands with a few tunes in the Continental European heavy rock style, with big chorus lines and a bit of a pop thrown in for good measure, plus great melodic ballads and pop tunes in their native Indonesian language. The Indonesian band carried their trademark sound through whole recording career, including Reflection, their fifth album, originally re…
Chanteuse
Since the early 1970s, Jacqueline Humbert has collaborated as performer, visual artist, and designer with leading innovative artists, filmmakers, choreographers and composers worldwide. Her approach to vocal performance has influenced many composers, and the works in Chanteuse represent a new and exciting extension and reinterpretation of the "song" genre. Humbert on the release: "Chanteuse is a collection of new or previously unreleased songs, many of which were written for me by a broad range …
Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard
Highlighting Wyatt’s interests in township arrangements and ensemble playing, made explicit by calling a track "Team Spirit", Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard inverts the inward meditations of Rock Bottom outwards. The result is a set that startles with its rhythmic instinct and shape shifting composition. Drawing on both Wyatt’s breezy way with a time signature, and his ability to use his voice as a truly resonant instrument, the record contains not so much songs as abstract chamber pieces that ba…
Pacific Ocean
Early Dawn present a reissue of Pacific Ocean's self-titled album, originally released in 1968. It's a wonder they weren't touring the whole world and playing on huge stages in front of thousands of fans. This 1968 album smashes in like a hot stone with that soulful drive otherwise only Steve Marriott and Humble Pie could provide. A definite recommendation for fans of good old hard classic rock.
Two Lines
1995 release. Two legendary composer/performers, David Rosenboom and Anthony Braxton, join forces on Two Lines to unite composition with improvisation, "new music" with "new jazz". Starting from David Rosenboom's notated score for Two Lines and his musical computer program, these musicians have achieved, to paraphrase Rosenboom, created a composition that is immediately heard. Duets with interactive HMSL software. Includes Rosenboom's Two Lines, plus compositions in collaboration with Braxton: L…
Splatter
Internationally renowned musician and composer Roscoe Mitchell since Sound, his debut on Delmark in 1966, has defined a unique language based on a creative approach toward jazz and its relationship with contemporary music. Splatter, drawn from two concerts at the AngelicA Festival in Bologna in 2017, presents the most recent developments of this research. Here are two pieces from his cycle "Conversations for large orchestra". A project based on the transcription and orchestration of some pure co…
Rains In The Tropics
Gene Rains is a hot tip within the tiki scene. His works are not as known as those of Martin Denny or Les Baxters, but musically they play in the same league. Rains colourful compositions write their own story. Once the record starts playing, you'll be taken on a orchestral journey through polynesian isles, treasures in the jungle, old stone gods and also take a short side trip with songs like "Chines Nights" or "Bangkok Cock Fight".
Sondi
First time reissued on CD outside of Asia! Sondi Sodsai represented Thailand in the Miss Universe 1959 beauty pageant. She went by the alias "Sondi Sodsai" in her acting career because her last name "was too difficult for foreigners to pronounce“. The same year her sole album "Sondi" was released on Liberty Records in the USA. The fact that it was produced by the star of the Exotica scene; Martin Denny, led (and still leads) to a huge interest in this record. Lot's of new songs where written for…
Dance Sing And Listen
This album from 1963 is somewhat of a curiosity for it was actually conceived as educational, open-minded children's music. Despite the fact that the sound you listen to here is mash up of story telling for kids and simple, happy sing-along music mixed with loads of electronic effects making it an utterly spacey affair, original copies in great condition fetch up to 250,00 US$ among collectors. Now this reissue will make sure, this cult album can be enjoyed by more people crazy for early 60s ele…
Insane 80s Tracks from the Insane Label
Insane Music, run by Alain Neffe, has been one of the greatest and biggest Tape-Labels promoting the international cassette-culture of the 80's. Full of raw analogue electronics, and plenty blood-curdling screaming, thise selection feature BeNe GeSSeRiT, Pseudo Code, Human Flesh and I Scream
Sweet Funk Music
Who said that all Nigerian afrobeat from the 70s was dark and though provoking with a melancholic edge despite the ongoing powerful grooves and a more or less political message denouncing the the methods of the country’s leaders to increase their own wealth and power while the simple people suffer. Well, this 1978 album by bandleader Thony Shorby Nyenwi proves this idea wrong. What we have here is a sacredly rare gem, fetching 300 € for a copy in playable condition. A crown jewel of Nigerian afr…
I've Been Loving You
“I’ve Been Loving You” sees Manford Best finally laying the ghosts of The Wings to rest and emerge as a serious player in the glittering new world of Afro boogie. Recorded in London, with Nigerian super producer, Jake Sollo, at the desk, it is a highly polished collection of disco classics, guaranteed to fill any dance floor in the world. The title track gets the party started with an irresistible bass line and chirpy horn section. Written by Best while he was still in The Wings, the song is unr…
Alpha & Omega
In the mid eighties FM radio stations took over the airwaves in Nigeria. They wanted fresh new styles to play andin creasingly radio personalities like Bisi Olatilo, Ruime Effetie and Shea Martins were turning to reggae. Nigeria’s Freak Father Number One, Benis Cletin, saw the writing on the wall and created his deeply philosophical roots reggae opus, ‘Alpha & Omega’. Benis delivered a set of songs that tapped unashamedly into reggae’s message of peace and love. The title track is a philosophica…
She Is My Woman
She Is My Woman is Murphy William’s loose, funky and spontaneous call to the dance floor. It’s an infectious collection of good-time tunes that the band seem to be enjoying as much as the listener. Williams was a stalwart of the Nigerian music scene, joining Godwin Omabuwa’s Cassanova Dandies at 17 before becoming one of the two lead vocalist of The Apostles from Aba. He was famous for his distinctive four octave voice, a voice that legendary label boss, Godwin Tabansi decided was perfectly suit…
Let's Dance Together
William Onyeabor wasn’t the only Nigerian experimenting with synthesizers in the 70s and 80s. Goldfinger Doe was twiddling knobs too, no more so than on Let’s Dance Together – a prime slab of cosmic Afro boogie funk, recorded with legendary percussionist, Mike Umoh (a.k.a B.M.S.) Goldfinger met Umoh playing with Bongos Ikwue & The Groovies. Bass player Bashiru Musa, was a fellow Groovie too, and when the three hit the studio to record Let’s Dance Together, the groove was already tight and hot. T…
Co-Operation
After years of gigging around the east Nigerian music scene, Foundars 15 finally hit the jackpot when they recruited legendary bass player, Marshall Udo. Charismatic and confident, Udo immediately energised the band, bringing a new funky and psychedelic vibe as well as a bunch of songs he’d workshopped with the Funkees. The tone of the album is set early. Nek Adirika’s searing guitar lick announces ‘We Are On The Move’, a track that is both funky and determined. ‘Co-operation’ is a horn-driven s…
I Want You Girl
In mid-seventies, Nigerian bands came and went with alarming regularity, rising meteorically from the slums to stardom and falling back again just as quickly. Masisi Mass Funk from Anamara State was one such band. But during their brief moment in the stratosphere, they produced a funk gem in I Want You Girl. The band was championed by Ebere Ikoro from the Hygrades. He took them under his wing after an ill-advised collaboration with Soly Dibong. They were originators not imitators, he said. He pr…
Cold Fire
The self-proclaimed funkiest band on the west coast of Africa, the Heads Funk Band, could arguably make that claim for the whole continent. Featuring the slick guitar of Felix ‘Feladey’ Odey, the slinky drumming of Eddie Offeyi and the swirling keyboard chops of Kevin ‘Fortune’ Coburn, nobody was funkier. And that’s not even taking into account the dance floor monsters they were releasing at the same time as Akwassa. Cold Fire was their second album as the Heads Funk Band. Where their first albu…
Live In Europe - Fonk Afrika
OFO The Rock Company (originally known as OFO The Back Company) were Nigeria’s first acid-rock band. Blending Hendrix and Deep Purple with shamanism and a pro-black philosophy, they cut their teeth at Fela Kuti’s Afrika Shrine, developing a fearsome live reputation that intimidated every other band in Lagos. No one wanted to follow the guys from OFO, not even Fela himself. Lead by the charismatic Larry Ifedioranma, OFO The Rock Company considered themselves a musical cult. Their live shows were …
Girls For Sale
Before he was Nigeria's self-proclaimed Mr Lover Boy, Felix Lebarty was an upcoming musician in the country's Edo-Delta region. His big brother, Aigbe, was a legendary Highlife bandleader, but Felix paid his dues playing guitar with Thony Shorby Nwenyi and the Collection of Stars, along with fellow 'star' Mighty Flames bassist, Willy Nfor. Perversely, Girls For Sale was released after Lover Boy, the slick disco album that cemented his place in Nigerian music history. It is a collection of tracks…