The SLAM! Years (1983-1988)
Songs Libyan-born singer and producer Hamid El Shaeri recorded for the Egyptian cassette label SLAM! between 1983 and 1988, after moving to Cairo via London: synth-heavy Arabic pop and funk, including his track Ayonha.
Modern Music
Reissue of Modern Music, the fifth and last album by the Egyptian group Al Massrieen, led by composer Hany Shenouda and first released in 1984: Arabic-language funk, disco and pop with electronic instruments, originally pressed in Lebanon.
Yerevan Nights (Soviet Armenian City Pop 1986-1992)
Available October 30th, 2026, this compilation pulls back the Iron Curtain to bring a bevy of physically unreleased music of Soviet-era Armenia. Songs that were exclusively broadcast on radio and television, stored on reel-to-reel tapes, and shelved in a government-owned vault alongside tens of thousands of various recordings by Armenian artists - all inaccessible to the public. Fully licensed from Public Radio of Armenia, with additional clearance from all composers or their living descendants …
Central Asian Synthesizers (Tape)
qorakitobchi aka Anvar Kalandarov is a music archaeologist, musician and producer from Tashkent, Uzbekistan whose work is dedicated to uncovering forgotten sounds from across Central Asia. In recent years he has emerged as a singular voice documenting the region’s musical heritage, co-compiling Synthesizing the Silk Roads for Ostinato Records and curating Digging Central Asia: Musical Archaeology Along the Silk Road split release for Death Is Not The End, alongside presenting his own Maqom Soul …
Hodori Rocks: Uncanny New Wave Sound From The 88 Olympic Land
The 1980s for Korea began with “Seúl, Corea,” and the promise of hosting the next Olympic Games brought a sense of hope even amid political instability. That optimism also spread to Korea’s arts and culture, including the gayo pop scene, which was recovering after the 1975 marijuana scandal and the restrictive “gayo purification movement.” A key symbol of renewal was Cho Yong-pil’s single “Short Hair” (단발머리), which felt like a sign that the 1970s were over—and that mood influenced Korean pop mus…
Thailand's Golden Sounds
Baa Records’ Thailand's Golden Sounds (80's Synth-Pop & Disco) is a vibrant compilation spotlighting the evolution of Thai pop as synthesized textures and disco grooves emerged from Bangkok’s Golden Sound studios. With a focus on overlooked 1980s gems, these tracks fuse local melodic sensibilities with Western production tricks, capturing a unique and danceable era both nostalgic and unexpectedly forward-looking.