Kokoroko return with this exclusive Double A Side vinyl of 'Baba Ayoola' and 'Carry Me Home' released via Brownswood Recordings on 25th June 2021. Both singles achieved huge support upon digital release by BBC Radio, BBC 6 Music, 1Xtra, Afropunk, Clash, Rolling Stone France & NPR. 'Baba Ayoola' was written as a tribute to the grandfather of the band's alto saxophonist Cassie Kinoshi and is 'an invitation to celebrate life'. Whilst 'Carry Me Home' was inspired by conversations with the masterful Dele Sosimi, whose technical ability in bridging the gap between the West African afrobeat sound of his roots, and the London energy of his upbringing, has directly informed the ever-impressive capabilities demonstrated by London's eight-piece collective, Kokoroko.
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Issue Two of SEEN focuses on decolonising electronic music and features photography from Alina Akbar and writing from Iyunoluwanimi Yemi-Shodimu, Amelia Fearon, Dhruva Balram, Jessica Rogers, Jad Ghazali, Dr Zakiya Mckenzie, Sashwati Mira Sengupta and Stephanie Ewurama (aka SCAPA). Articles include a project linking Mancunian and Palestinian artists, an interview with AFRODEUTSCHE, the ethics of sampling and a reggae orchestra led by a visually impaired Jamaican. Long reads include a look at a Ghanaian festival, a thinkpiece on solidarity and protest sounds in South Asia and the diaspora and the role of social media platforms in framing beauty standards in electronic music. A review of our panel at WOMEX in October 2024 is featured too. For the launch contributors Amelia Fearon, Jessica Rogers, Sashwati Mira Sengupta and Iyunoluwanimi Yemi-Shodimu will be in conversation with the SEEN founders, exploring the themes of the latest issue. The night will feature a DJ set from Taxi Cab Industries (who also designed the issue) with the magazine on sale to the public. No tickets are required for the launch at 7:30pm. Learn More
Bringing together over 50 of Jamaica's greatest session musicians, whose work spans from the birth of reggae in the late 1960s until today, Roots Architects is the largest gathering of Jamaican musical talent on one all-instrumental album. Never before have so many veterans, who helped create the immortal rhythms that made reggae internationally successful, been assembled to play on new material without vocals. This album aims to celebrate and pay tribute to the unsung heroes of reggae music: the rhythm builders or Roots Architects. Learn More
Placenta is the fourth collection of broadly imaginative and highly collaborative Carlos Niño & Friends music released on International Anthem in the last four years. It is also the first new music to be released by Carlos Niño & Friends following the November 2023 release of André 3000’s New Blue Sun – an album which Carlos produced alongside André, while co-writing, co-creating/playing, and co-mixing every song. Learn More
Following a first iteration which set the tone for our newly-minted Heimat series in explosive fashion, here comes the much anticipated second batch of our zeitgeistian take on today’s scene’s, its current potential and destination. Showcasing productions from artists keen to roll up their sleeves and sail into the impassible status quo, this new number packs the kind of red-hot hammering and cutting-edge punch we’ve been so adamant to push and defend over the past decade. Learn More
In full gatefold LP form comes the latest Brazilian boogie compilation by Horse Meat Disco, selected selectors of the best rarities in the disco genre. Curated mostly by founding member Luke Howard and with added consultations from crewmates James Hillard, Severino Panzetta and Jim Stanton, a lifetime of frolicking among samba troupes, carnival processions and yearly Rio visitations went into the choices you hear here, consummating one man's intuitive taste for a sound whose appeal stretches far wider than its nation of origin. Mr Bongo invited Howard to their Brighton HQ for an extended on-site selection, proving its off-the-cuff expertise: early electronica experiments from Ze Carlos blend voluminously with Jorge Ben pennings and mouth-watering Luiza Maura 7" cullings, proving a hand-picking that is at once eclectic and unifying.
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Resavoir - the collaborative project led by Chicago producer/composer Will Miller - presents their second self-titled album. The new 'Resavoir' is a subtly radiant symphony interweaving modern-day soul-jazz with bedroom beats, synth serenades and twilight sonatas. It represents Miller’s most assured and refined work to date. Imagined, instigated and produced by Miller, who ties the diverse sounds into an expansive, coherent whole, 'Resavoir' features a wide and vibrant cast of collaborators, including Elton Aura, Whitney, Akenya, Matt Gold, Eddie Burns, Lane Beckstrom, Jeremy Cunningham, Irvin Pierce, Macie Stewart, Peter Manheim and more.
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"Chakalaka Jazz" is a compelling compilation curated by DJ and collector Fred Spider, in collaboration with Heavenly Sweetness. This 2xLP collection delves into the rich tapestry of South African jazz and jazz-funk, spanning tracks from 1969 to 2003. The compilation's title, "Chakalaka Jazz," draws inspiration from a traditional South African relish made from tomatoes, onions, and chili. This relish is known for its spicy and diverse flavors, mirroring the eclectic and hybrid nature of the tracks selected. Featured artists include Victor Ntoni & Clarence Wilson, Gibson Kente, The Soweto Boys, The Drive, The Cliffs featuring Winston Ngozi, The Four Sounds, Jazz Ministers, The Tailfeathers, Clarke Cassidy, Zim Ngqawana, and Johnny Dyani. These artists contribute to a compilation that not only showcases the diversity of South African jazz but also highlights its evolution over three decades. JAZZ CHILL. The 2xLP is presented in a gatefold sleeve, with artwork by Romy Brauteseth and design by Laurent Belando. The compilation has received acclaim for its insightful selection, capturing the essence of South African jazz's golden years. Simon Ndlovu from All About Jazz/SA commented, "This is a super compilation which captures the essence of our South African jazz.
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Chicago-based composer, improviser, multi-media artist and underground legend, Rob Mazurek, joins forces with modular-synth maestro and light magician, Alberto Novello for a blacklight invocation that hurls us out into new and uncharted sound-dimensions. Learn More
Recorded at Studio Somil, Rio De Janeiro in 1972, the album was produced, arranged, directed by the self-taught, Arthur Verocai. Previously he had worked on many records in various capacities, with artists including Jorge Ben, Ivan Lins and Celia, but this album gave him the chance to do his thing in it’s most pure form. Learn More
Liner Notes by Marcus J. Moore: Over the past few years, concert patrons have stopped the musician Carlos Niño after gigs to ask two simple questions: “Are you a shaman?” “I hear the medicine in your music, can I come to your next ceremony?” The queries are fair enough: Looking at Niño, a tall man with a wild beard and kind eyes, one would think he’s from some faraway time and could maybe cast spells. Once you get to know him, you find that he’s just an incredibly sweet guy with a laid-back demeanor, and that he isn’t some guru claiming to have an all-access pass to the otherworld.
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For the third release in our Mr Bongo Cuban Classics series, we reissue the iconic 1974 debut album by the mighty Grupo Irakere. Led by Chucho Valdés, son of Cuban pianist and bandleader Bebo Valdés, the band would go on to become of the most influential and successful groups emanating from Cuba in this period. Learn More
The now iconic ‘Live from Studio S2’ memorizing performance gets a sought after limited vinyl edition and now features all four tracks from the session including the previously unreleased ‘Hawaii Oslo’ and ‘Glass’ which will also be available to stream and download. First premiered on the Gondwana Records YouTube channel on Sunday March 28th 2021 at 8:00 PM / 9:00PM CET, it has since become a global success reaching 3 million views and counting and has earned Rani many more devoted fans. Learn More
The cult Melodies International label run by Floating Points and Mafalda starts a new series here. Melodies Record Club will find each curated by a different guest DJ or producer with the first one selected by the always on point Kieran Hebden aka Four Tet. He picks some of the tracks he used to spin at the legendary Plastic People and first up is an extended version of 1975 tune 'De I Comahlee Ah' by jazz stars Jackie McLean and Michael Carvin. Chris McGregor's Brotherhood Of Breath takes care of the flip with the big band energy and excellent horn work of 'MRA.'
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To celebrate 3 years since the release of Andrew Ashong & Kaidi Tatham’s now classic Sankofa Season, Kitto Records invite some of their favourite artists to remix and reimagine the music. The result is an all-star line up that crosses genre and generations to produce a truly cracking EP, one that is clearly rooted in the original music while also moving into new, unexpected territories. Whether it is dubstep pioneer Mala bringing a heavy and sophisticated twist to ‘Low Ceilings’, or breakthrough post-punk artist Wu-Lu flipping ‘Washed in You’ into a completely new realm, complete with a captivating feature from the one and only Lex Learn More
This latest offering is a testament to Guts' curatorial flair, stitching together rhythms from across the globe. Each track is carefully chosen to highlight soulful grooves and infectious melodies, all while maintaining a sense of discovery. The release moves effortlessly between vibrant Afrobeat, laidback funk, and hypnotic Caribbean influences, creating a natural flow that feels like an intimate DJ set. This is music with heart and authenticity, a celebration of the dancefloor's rich diversity.
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Flowing water is an essential element of Earthly existence, a living force, a process of nature, a path-making which combines infinite sources mixing imperceptibly into a singular energy. It’s also a potent metaphor. A childlike wonder at flowing water’s presence and power, all the impressions it makes and creative neurons that it fires, happens to be a personality trait shared by Evan Shornstein (aka Photay) and Carlos Niño. The two producers/musical connectors may have grown up and reside a continent and daily realities apart — Photay in the forest serenity of New York’s Hudson Valley, Niño on Los Angeles’s ocean-adjacent west side — yet this magnetic power of fluidity, its sound, its meaning, what it can teach us about art and circulation, mesmerizes them both. Learn More