Really mad music from the French scene at the end of the 60s – work that's even weirder and more wild than some of the big names of the time – as if someone locked up Pierre Henry, Serge Gainsbourg, and Areski in the studio – and told them to come up with something new and unique! Evariste is a singer who's got a great understanding of modernism, but also often sings with a very primal sort of energy – not afraid to scream and shout when he wants, and very tuned towards the fuzzy guitar, heavy drums, and moody organ on his tunes – some of which was played by the great Eddy Louiss! Michel Colombier helped with some of the arrangements, and the music here also bears hallmarks of his genius in the studio – which makes the whole thing a great overlooked chapter in French music, and one that really ties together so many different stands from the scene. Titles include "Ma Mie", "Les Pommes De Lune", "La Faute A Nanterre", "Evariste Aux Fans", "Je Ne Pense Qu'A Ca", "Je Chante Pour Vous Faire Marcher", and "Dans La Lune". CD

Great grooves from the French scene of the 80s – a time when Parisian musicians were picking up a lot of the electro soul elements from the New York scene, but also mixing them with other currents of European and African dancefloor modes! This set's a bit later than the first volume in the Chebran series, and maybe even more compelling too – as the increased electronic elements in the music make for loads of wonderful touches that are waiting to be rediscovered by a 21st Century audience – the expected beats, keys, and basslines – but also some great ways of electrifying the vocals, especially when the lyrics are more chanted than sung. There's a huge world to discover here – and titles include "Ta Face Preface" by Brigitte & Michot, "Jawla Feli" by Hamidou, "C'Est Tabou" by Marie Jose Fa, "Funky Rap" by Phil BArney, "Lipstick (Shout)" by JM Black, "Ettika (vers maxi inedite)" by Ettika, "Propriete Privee" by Sammy Massamba, "Dansez Le Raksi" by Nordine Staifi, "Cairo Connection" by Philippe Chany, "Qu'Est Ce Qui Ne Va Pas" by Alfio Scandurra, "Break Magic Dance" by Creole Star, "Yamna" by Ganawa, and "La Rage Du Funky (rmx)" by Manu. (Funky Compilations, French) CD

One of our favorite record labels of all time finally gets its due – in a wonderful package that not only brings together some of the coolest cuts from the legendary French imprint Saravah Records, but also tells the story behind the company and it's groundbreaking approach to music! Saravah was born from the fame of Francis Lai's soundtrack for A Man & A Woman (Un Homme Et Une Femme), and from the lyrical contributions of Pierre Barouh – but immediately after, the company began pursuing a musical path like no other – taking on strands of jazz, world music, and the hippest styles in France – and creating new music that was unlike anything that had ever been recorded! Some of the best moments from the legendary label are here – including tracks that have the Art Ensemble of Chicago working with singers – Marva Broome on "Mystifying Mama", Alfred Panou on "Je Suis Un Sauvage", and Brigitte Fontaine on "Comme A La Radio" – plus more titles that include "Monsieur Chimpanze" by Michel Roques, "Sicilienne" by Maurice Vander, "Delhi Daily" by Baroque Jazz Trio, "Le Bruit Et Le Bruit" by Beatrice Arnac, "EDF Power" by EDF, "Trane's Call" by Georges Arvanitas, "Saudade" by Pierre Barouh & Baden Powell, "Je Jouais Le Piano" by Jacques Higelin, "Desert Angel" by Cohelmec Ensemble, and "80 AB" by Areski. CD

One of our favorite record labels of all time finally gets its due – in a wonderful package that not only brings together some of the coolest cuts from the legendary French imprint Saravah Records, but also tells the story behind the company and it's groundbreaking approach to music! Saravah was born from the fame of Francis Lai's soundtrack for A Man & A Woman (Un Homme Et Une Femme), and from the lyrical contributions of Pierre Barouh – but immediately after, the company began pursuing a musical path like no other – taking on strands of jazz, world music, and the hippest styles in France – and creating new music that was unlike anything that had ever been recorded! Some of the best moments from the legendary label are here – including tracks that have the Art Ensemble of Chicago working with singers – Marva Broome on "Mystifying Mama", Alfred Panou on "Je Suis Un Sauvage", and Brigitte Fontaine on "Comme A La Radio" – plus more titles that include "Monsieur Chimpanze" by Michel Roques, "Sicilienne" by Maurice Vander, "Delhi Daily" by Baroque Jazz Trio, "Le Bruit Et Le Bruit" by Beatrice Arnac, "EDF Power" by EDF, "Trane's Call" by Georges Arvanitas, "Saudade" by Pierre Barouh & Baden Powell, "Je Jouais Le Piano" by Jacques Higelin, "Desert Angel" by Cohelmec Ensemble, and "80 AB" by Areski. CD