Global Grooves — All Formats  

A brilliant criss-crossing of group from this cool trans-global group – a set recorded in London, but with roots in Venezuela, LA, and Ghana – served up with a sound that's even greater than the sum of its parts! Malcolm Catto recorded the record – and really helps bring a funky energy to the record, by working alongside lead studio help from Jack Yglesias of The Heliocentrics – pushing here into a space that's even more offbeat than the grooves of that group! There's loads of rich acoustic instrumentation – especially percussion – and Mulatu joins the record at one spot, furthering the exotic appeal of the set. Some tracks have an almost ethnographic vibes, while others are a bit more contemporary – although the overall sound is more than worthy of placement on the Soundway label. Titles incude "Arena", "Cumbacutiri", "Fly Through The Lightning To Speak With The Sun", "El Negrero", "Escape To The Palenque", "Manicero", "La Familia", and "Speak To The Spirit Of The Sea".

A brilliant criss-crossing of group from this cool trans-global group – a set recorded in London, but with roots in Venezuela, LA, and Ghana – served up with a sound that's even greater than the sum of its parts! Malcolm Catto recorded the record – and really helps bring a funky energy to the record, by working alongside lead studio help from Jack Yglesias of The Heliocentrics – pushing here into a space that's even more offbeat than the grooves of that group! There's loads of rich acoustic instrumentation – especially percussion – and Mulatu joins the record at one spot, furthering the exotic appeal of the set. Some tracks have an almost ethnographic vibes, while others are a bit more contemporary – although the overall sound is more than worthy of placement on the Soundway label. Titles incude "Arena", "Cumbacutiri", "Fly Through The Lightning To Speak With The Sun", "El Negrero", "Escape To The Palenque", "Manicero", "La Familia", and "Speak To The Spirit Of The Sea".

An Afro Funk treasure from the 70s – a rare album recorded by Pax Nicholas, a singer and percussionist who was part of Fela's legendary Africa 70 band! The album's got a sound that definitely echoes that heritage, but with a groove that's pretty weird too – more stripped down than most of Fela's work, with a thin keyboard part that often pulsates under the horns, creating an offbeat, edgey vibe in the music! Nicholas' groove is almost like taking Fela, and putting it through an odd sort of filter – one that turns things slightly sideways, and brings a really fresh sound to more familiar Afro Funk modes – kind of with the same other-worldly feel we love in some Ethiopian work of the time. Tracks are all nice and long – and plenty jamming – and titles include "Na Teef Know De Road Of Teef", "Ataa Onukpa", "Na Six Feet", and "You".

Turns out, it DOES run in the family – a great talent for Afro Funk grooves, with the same deeply soulful elements that made Fela Kuti's music so great back in the 70s! This smoker from Femi was recorded at the legendary Afrodisia studios in Lagos – with a nice degree of edge in the mix, which really helps preserve all the grit in the grooves you'd hear in classic Afro Funk from years back! There's none of the too-polished, too-contemporary sounds that might otherwise hurt the energy of the group on record – and instead, all the best bottom bits of the percussion, the snakeyness of the keyboards, and the raspiness of the horns comes through beautifully. Titles include "Dem Bobo", "Nobody Beg You", "E No Good", "No Blame Them", "Make We Remember", "Can't Buy Me", and "Bad Government".

Seun Anikulapo Kuti returns with another strorming set of neo classic Afro Funk in the great tradition of his father – once again fronting the incredible Egypt 80 group! It's remarkable stuff that finds Seun – the youngest son of Fela – standing up as a visionary talent. He's not only living up to an immense legacy, but moving forward with it in ways that will absolutely stand the test of time. The insistent rhythms and intense energy of the Egypt 80 group – led by Lekan Animashaun – are Afrobeat perfection, with Seun's forthright vocals out front of it. But their approach here is anything but a retread of family glories. The songs are urgent and fierce, and there are subtle modern florishes in the production – thanks in part, no doubt, to co-producer Brian Eno. Titles include "African Soldier", "You Can R Un", "Rise", "Slave Masters", "For Dem E Ye", "The Good Leaf" and "Giant Of Africa".

Massive music from the Congotronics series – most of it making an initial vinyl appearance here in this luxurious box set! There's way more here than you'd expect – six full records of music, a bonus single, and a beautiful book too – plus digital information for all the music too, so you can download everything to your favorite portable device! The set's overflowing with some of the most killing contemporary sounds from Africa – including the albums Congotronics 1 by Konono No 1, the compilation Congotronics 2 – Buzz'n'Rumble From The Urb'n'Jungle, the album In The 7th Moon by Kasai All-Stars, the album Tres Tres Fort by Staff Benda Bilili, and the brand-new Konono No 1 album Assume Crash Position! The box also has a specially designed book with loads of photographs from the contemporary scene in Kinshasa, plus a 7" single with two exclusive tracks – "Coupe-Jarret" by Kasai Allstars & Akron/Family, and "Bana Mbende" by Kasai Allstars. And if that's not enough, the bonus USB drive includes 9 more videos, in addition to all the music from the albums above!

Some of the funkiest, clubbiest work we've ever heard from the African scene of the 70s – great grooves that would be right at home on the New York dancefloors of the time! The style here is definitely drawn from disco, yet is a lot more funk-based too – more in the farther reaches of the disco underground of the late 70s – with some of the offbeat touches you might hear from some of the P&P family of labels. Basslines are often stronger than the beats – and although strings and other elements are sometimes used to sweeten the grooves – the approach is never too commercial, and never softens up the funky rhythms at the bottom. Kiki plays keyboards, sings a bit, and does a great job on production – working under his own name, and with some other key projects as well. Titles include "Disco Dancer", "24 Hours In A Disco", "Sexy Dancer", and "Keep On Dancing" by Kiki Gyan – plus "Loving You" and "Disco Train" by KG Band, and "Pretty Pretty Girls" by The Twins.

Some great work that will completely redefine your ideas about calypso music – especially if they're mostly relegated to cliches about Harry Belafonte! The tracks here were all recorded by Rupert "Lord Invader" Grant in New York during the late 40s and early 50s – and done with a rough-edged quality that really lives up to the dynamic promise of the title! Most tunes are heavy on acoustic percussion underneath the vocals – used starkly and strongly to underscore the brash lyrics of the songs. CD features 17 tracks that include "Chicago Chicago", "New York Subway", "Out The Fire", "Ten Thousand To Bar Me One", "Cousin Family", "When You Hear I Die", "Labor Day", and "Brown Girl In The Ring".

A strong collection of poignant songs about the hardships, the hopes, and the basic need for a quality life for this leaving Africa – from Somali via Canada rapper K'Naan, to Saba Saba, Zubz, Daara J Family and many more. Steeped in hip hop, the titles include "Money Talk" by Rapturous, "15 Minutes Away" by K'Naan, "Green Card" by Saba Saba, "Time To Heal" by Zubz, "Unite" by Daara J Family, "Green Passport" by Modenine feat Sage Hasson, "Immigration Clandestine" by VA Capsi Revolution and more.

Some of the funkiest, clubbiest work we've ever heard from the African scene of the 70s – great grooves that would be right at home on the New York dancefloors of the time! The style here is definitely drawn from disco, yet is a lot more funk-based too – more in the farther reaches of the disco underground of the late 70s – with some of the offbeat touches you might hear from some of the P&P family of labels. Basslines are often stronger than the beats – and although strings and other elements are sometimes used to sweeten the grooves – the approach is never too commercial, and never softens up the funky rhythms at the bottom. Kiki plays keyboards, sings a bit, and does a great job on production – working under his own name, and with some other key projects as well. Titles include "Disco Dancer", "24 Hours In A Disco", "Sexy Dancer", and "Keep On Dancing" by Kiki Gyan – plus "Loving You" and "Disco Train" by KG Band, and "Pretty Pretty Girls" by The Twins.

Some of the funkiest, clubbiest work we've ever heard from the African scene of the 70s – great grooves that would be right at home on the New York dancefloors of the time! The style here is definitely drawn from disco, yet is a lot more funk-based too – more in the farther reaches of the disco underground of the late 70s – with some of the offbeat touches you might hear from some of the P&P family of labels. Basslines are often stronger than the beats – and although strings and other elements are sometimes used to sweeten the grooves – the approach is never too commercial, and never softens up the funky rhythms at the bottom. Kiki plays keyboards, sings a bit, and does a great job on production – working under his own name, and with some other key projects as well. Titles include "Disco Dancer", "24 Hours In A Disco", "Sexy Dancer", and "Keep On Dancing" by Kiki Gyan – plus "Loving You" and "Disco Train" by KG Band, and "Pretty Pretty Girls" by The Twins.

Seun Anikulapo Kuti returns with another strorming set of neo classic Afro Funk in the great tradition of his father – once again fronting the incredible Egypt 80 group! It's remarkable stuff that finds Seun – the youngest son of Fela – standing up as a visionary talent. He's not only living up to an immense legacy, but moving forward with it in ways that will absolutely stand the test of time. The insistent rhythms and intense energy of the Egypt 80 group – led by Lekan Animashaun – are Afrobeat perfection, with Seun's forthright vocals out front of it. But their approach here is anything but a retread of family glories. The songs are urgent and fierce, and there are subtle modern florishes in the production – thanks in part, no doubt, to co-producer Brian Eno. Titles include "African Soldier", "You Can R Un", "Rise", "Slave Masters", "For Dem E Ye", "The Good Leaf" and "Giant Of Africa".

A quartet of the most furiously grooving, dancefloor ready numbers from the African Music Today compilation on Truth & Soul – featuring modern African combos working in the tradition of Fela, Tony Allen, Mulatu and others! The 7" EP version features an Ethio jazz inspired Zafari, the heavy percussion grooves of Friends Of The Family, and a great on Original Brothers that takes inspiration from Mulatu and serves him proudly. Includes "Zafari" by King Masuru, "Percussive Movement" (Parts 1 & 2) by Friends Of The Family, and "Black Out" by The Original Brothers.