... LP, Vinyl record album

Killer grooves from the Kenyan scene of the 70s – sounds that are very spare, and very timeless – often just percussion, a stringed instrument, and chanted vocals – all served up in a very driving, hypnotic blend! The set collects tracks from a time when the initially rural nyatiti style had moved into the cities, particularly Nairobi – and seemed to pick up an intensity along the way, so that the relatively lean and traditional mode somehow gained greater urgency, and in a way that makes for a surprising amount of power with just a few key elements! Titles include "Adele Obonyo" by James Obwanda, "Ojul Otieno" by Ochieng Ragwel, "Odola Richard" by Oganga Joginda, "Ndonji Oyang O" by Lucas Odote, "Samuel Ayany" by Ogola Opot, and "Dr Were Were" by Ogwang Lelo K'Okoth. LP, Vinyl record album

Killer cuts from two different studio groups led by the legendary Fruko – work that bristles with all the best raw energy from the more underground side of the Discos Fuentes label in the 70s – plenty of percussion, really rootsy basslines, and a fair bit of electric guitar and keyboards snaking through the mix! Wganda Kenya serve up cuts that are every bit as great as the material on their other records – while Kammpala Grupo work in plenty of cool moogy keyboards, almost creating some sort of sound library blend with more earthy Colombian rhythms! Titles include "El Nativo", "Chao Amor", "La Riphyta", "La Trompeta Loco", "El Gallo Africano", "La Yuca Raya", "King Kong", and "Caimito". (Latin, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

Really wonderful work from the early 90s scene in Khartoum – sounds that have a much more 70s-styled sound than you might expect! That sound is in keeping with Kamal Keila, who was never a mainstream artist at all – and instead made material like this away from the limelight, which might account for the older spirit – as the music mixes together currents of vintage American soul, particularly some of the Texas horn-heavy bands of the late 60s – plus a bit of Ethiopian flair in the rhythms, and maybe even a bit of bluesy inflections in Keila's voice – even though the music is hardly in the realm of blues at all! The whole thing is as compelling as it is righteous – a quality you'll certainly discover in the English language lyrics of the set, which comprise about half the material. Titles include "Agricultural Revolution", "Sudan In The Heart Of Africa", "Muslims & Christians", "African Unity", "Taban Ahwak", "Ya Shanifi", and "Ajmal Youm". LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool group, and one who are every bit as groovy as they look on the cover – a hip early 70s Indonesian quartet, and one who mix together equal parts rock and funk – but all with a very trippy sound throughout! These guys are incredible – an under-discovered group who've clearly drunk deep of some of the best Anglo influences of the time, but also then come up with a unique hybrid of their own – singing English at times, Indonesian at others – and mixing up fuzzy guitars with freaky rhythms in styles that are often a few years behind the rest of the world – more late 60s funky than you might expect from the date of the tracks, but in a way that's A-OK with us! The groove and the group are plenty playful throughout – and titles include "Come On You dance", "Rock & The Sea", "Jakarta City Sound", "Haai", "Let Us Dance Together", "Indonesia My Lovely Country", "Bye Bye", "Mengapa Begini", and "Kampung Halaman". LP, Vinyl record album

The world of Dexter Story just keeps getting bigger and bigger – not just because he's a richly collaborative player, but also because he's got this musical style that really opens up to so many different elements – but without ever sounding like he's trying to crash them together in any sort of inorganic way! Instead, Dexter draws evenly from spiritual jazz, Ethiopian rhythms, underground soul, and some of the best strands of 21st Century grooves – opening up the door for his own wonderful lead lyrics, while creating and exploring a planet of his own. Guests on the record include Carlos Nino on percussion, Te'Amir Sweeney on drums, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson on strings, and Randal Fischer on tenor – and the set features guest vocals from Haile Supreme, Marie Daulne, Endeguena Mulu, Sudan Archives, Jimetta Rose, and Kibrom Birhane – although Dexter gets plenty of time in the lead too. Titles include "Mamdooh", "Buna Be Chow", "Gold", "Techawit", "Shuruba Song", "Bahir", "Abebaye", and "Jijiga Jijiya". CD features the Japanese only bonus track "Wejene Aolo" – which features work from Kamasi Washington! (New Grooves, Global Grooves) CD

Melodic psychedelia from 70s Iran – an incredible full scale anthology of recordings by guitarist and vocalist Kourosh Yaghmaei from the pre-revolution years – and an absolute treasure! Kouroush often recorded with his brothers – Kourosh singing lead and playing guitars or bass – with Kamran Yaghmaei on guitars and backing vocals and Kambiz Yaghmaei on keys and backing vocals. Other players contribute drums, bass and occasional additional elements – harmonica or horns on few tracks. The sound is a really wonderful amalgam of western garage, psych and strains of funk with native Iranian modes and tempos. The songs here sink in on an emotional level without us knowing a word of the language – the passionate vocals work wonderfully in that regard – but musically, it's innovative stuff that's nicely tripped out and heavily rhythmic, without compromising the melodic sensibility. The heavy duty 3LP set features 21 tracks in all – in a sweet 6 panel gatefold with a 24 page booklet – featuring extensive notes and photos, with Kourosh's story told in autobiographical detail. Like other recent Now Again packages, it's really beautifully done! Titles include "Gol E Yakh", "Dar Enteha", "Paiz", "Leila", "Del Dareh Pir Misheh", "Shirin Joon", "Ghazal", "Mosafere Shahre Baran", "Saghe", "Niyayesh", "Saraabe Toe", "Baroona", "Khaar", Bachehaye Khoobe Koocheh" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A mad mix of sounds from the glory days of Indian cinema – served up in a package that offers up a much broader blend of styles than other Bollywood collections – as it features numbers from the late 50s all the way through the early 80s! Some of the tracks here have a rockish vibe that's great – romping rhythms, organ and guitars, and a sharp vibe that's contrasted by some of the fuller numbers from later years – including a few nuggets from the heyday of Bollywood funk! The whole thing is upbeat and grooving all the way through – with work by Mohammad Rafi, Asha Bhosle, Kishor Kumar, Kamal Hasaan, Geeta Dutt, Lata Mangeshkar, and others – from films that include Ek Phool Char Kante, Sholay, Aazhi, Bhoot Bungla, Intinti Raamayanam, Blackmail, Junglee, and Howrah Bridge. LP, Vinyl record album

An expanded version of this famous series of funky tracks from the Turkish scene – a set that pulls up plenty of gems from the past, then has all their funky bits made even funkier through the talents of Baris K! If you've dug funky Turkish tracks and Arabesk rock from the 70s, you'll get the sound of the set – but know that thanks to Baris' work, the whole thing's an all-killer, no-filler collection – with cuts that include "Cemalim" by Erkin Koray, "Ayrilik" by Edip Akbayaram, "Ikimiz Bir Fidaniz" by Kamuran Akkor, "Hal Hal" by Nazan Soray, "Yaz Gazeteci" by Deriyoklar, "Derman Bulunmaz" by Ersen & Dadaslar, "Nem Alacak Felek Benim" by Cem Karaca, "Donme Dolap" by Modern Folk Uclusu & Aysegul Aldinic, and "Disko Kebap" by Urfali Babi. (Funky Compilations, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

The Mr Bongo Record Club just seems to get hipper and hipper as the volumes go on – to a point where this fifth edition in the collection is overflowing with tracks that we might never have heard otherwise! Plus, the scope of sounds here is really great too – a mix of styles from around the globe, but also not a "world music" styled compilation – as the selection handled in a way that more shows that funk and soul are really universal – something we learned from the folks at Mr Bongo many years back! There's even a few Japanese tracks too, and one or two contemporary surprises – in a set list that include "Ready For War" by Eamon, "Duplo Sentido" by Tete Da Bahia, "Romance" by Hiroshi Suzuki, "Nebine" by Malouma, "Sing A Song" by Willy Chirino, "You Are Delicious" by Mave & Dave, "Oooh Baby" by Pamoja, "Tiba Kamo" by Philip Malela, "Rise Up (disco mix)" by Tyrone Evans, "I Hate Telling A Lie" by Stimela, "Let's Be Happy (disco mix)" by Gyedu Blay Ambolley, "Kakashi" by Yasuaki Shimizu, and the original version of "I Believe In Miracles" by Mark Capanni – later made famous by The Jackson Sisters! (Funky Compilations, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

Music from Mr. Dale, Peter Ram, Rupee, Rameses Browne, Monsta Vibes Crew, Nahtalee, Kamouflazh, Full Force, Spida, Kamouflazh, Rupee, and more. (Reggae, Global Grooves) CD

A really fantastic look at a scene we might never heard otherwise – served up here in a selection of cuts that have a really surprising vibe! Forget everything you know about Indonesian music, as the work here seems to draw most heavily from the European scene at the time – particularly some of the cooler grooves that were coming out of French clubs as things got a bit more playful and catchy after the disco years – and maybe with a dose of UK electro pop elements too! The work has a strong 80s vibe overall – and is different than you might expect from all three of the styles referenced in the title – maybe more of a hinterland past the bigger names on Virgin Records during the decade – catchy, well-produced, but a lot more interesting than chartbound material too. Titles include "Musik Kami" by Gito Rollies, "Waktu Kian Berarti" by Chaseiro, "Langkah Kemuka" by Andi MM, "Kenangan Asmara" by Grace Simon, "Denny" by Lidya Kandou, "Catatan Kisah" by Rafika Duri, "PHK" by Iwan Fals, and "Jakarta Kasmaran" by Denny Malik. CD

A very cool group, and one who are every bit as groovy as they look on the cover – a hip early 70s Indonesian quartet, and one who mix together equal parts rock and funk – but all with a very trippy sound throughout! These guys are incredible – an under-discovered group who've clearly drunk deep of some of the best Anglo influences of the time, but also then come up with a unique hybrid of their own – singing English at times, Indonesian at others – and mixing up fuzzy guitars with freaky rhythms in styles that are often a few years behind the rest of the world – more late 60s funky than you might expect from the date of the tracks, but in a way that's A-OK with us! The groove and the group are plenty playful throughout – and titles include "Come On You dance", "Rock & The Sea", "Jakarta City Sound", "Haai", "Let Us Dance Together", "Indonesia My Lovely Country", "Bye Bye", "Mengapa Begini", and "Kampung Halaman". CD

Get ready to have your mind completely blown – because this compilation is one of those completely rare ear-opening experiences that will let you know that there's a hell of a lot of music in the world that you've never heard before – even if, like us, you've heard plenty of funky music over the years! The grooves here definitely live up to the title – as they're completely funky throughout, and in ways that are plenty appealing to fans of Anglo funk, but which have all the Mideast touches you'd expect in the instrumentation – a mad mix of east and west, sacred and secular, with the kind of completely unique vibe that will grab you like the first time you heard Ethiopian soul or Turkish rock! We'd honestly never heard most of this music before – and even though we've dug previous releases on the Habibi Funk label, this namesake set is the moment when they really knock it out of the park, and let us know that they're on to something completely brilliant. Comes with a great set of note, which help the uninitiated like us – and titles include "Casablanca Shuffle" by Belbao, "Wang Dang" by Bob Destiny, "Bsslama Hbibti" by Fadoul, "Sah" by Al Massrieen, "Soul Brother" by Dalton, "Al Asafir" by Kamal Keila, "Rouhi Ya Hafida" by Mallek Mohamed, "La Coladera" by Freh Khodja, "Tape 19.11" by Ahmed Malek, "Ayonha" by Hamid El Shaeri, and "Games" by Samir & Abboud. LP, Vinyl record album

With tracks by Craig Armstrong, Nils Petter Molvaer, Dreadzone, Swati Natekar, Trilok Gurtu, Photek, Tuu, Vibrasphere, Ali Farka Toure, Dub Tractor, dZihan & Kamien, and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. (New Grooves, Global Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

Groovy rock from Iran – 60s & 70s material that's got the raw and rumbling grittiness of some of best garage rock of the time and others that flirt with psychedelia – most with the Middle Eastern flourishes blended beautiful with western rock and beat sounds! Wonderful stuff all around, regional garage psych beat grooves ripe for discovery! aIncludes "Uncle Chainmaker" by Zangoleah, "Avenue Of Love", "Way To Life" by Kambiz, "Take Leila Away" by Tigers, "Bartender" by Big Boys, "Rain And Rain" a great cover of the Rolling Stones hit "Play With Fire" by Takkhalha, "Shirley" by Ojubeha and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic longform grooves from the Tabansi Studio Band – a cool combo who worked to support Nigerian artists on the Tabansi label, but who have a sound here that's very much their own! These tracks are a lot wilder and more freewheeling than any of the group's music behind a singer – and although there's some vocalizations on the record, the main focus is in the ever-shifting, always-groovy rhythms – and the brilliant mix of guitar, basslines, and sax parts that criss-cross the tunes! Most numbers are around the 15 minute mark, but build up in ways that are very different than more familiar Afro Funk – and titles include "Kama Sofoa", "Aka Ji Ego Ga Anu Nwam", "Wakar Alhazai", and "Lokoel Azumi Ta Wuce". CD

Fantastic longform grooves from the Tabansi Studio Band – a cool combo who worked to support Nigerian artists on the Tabansi label, but who have a sound here that's very much their own! These tracks are a lot wilder and more freewheeling than any of the group's music behind a singer – and although there's some vocalizations on the record, the main focus is in the ever-shifting, always-groovy rhythms – and the brilliant mix of guitar, basslines, and sax parts that criss-cross the tunes! Most numbers are around the 15 minute mark, but build up in ways that are very different than more familiar Afro Funk – and titles include "Kama Sofoa", "Aka Ji Ego Ga Anu Nwam", "Wakar Alhazai", and "Lokoel Azumi Ta Wuce". LP, Vinyl record album

Melodic psychedelia from 70s Iran – an incredible full scale anthology of recordings by guitarist and vocalist Kourosh Yaghmaei from the pre-revolution years – and an absolute treasure! Kouroush often recorded with his brothers – Kourosh singing lead and playing guitars or bass – with Kamran Yaghmaei on guitars and backing vocals and Kambiz Yaghmaei on keys and backing vocals. Other players contribute drums, bass and occasional additional elements – harmonica or horns on few tracks. The sound is a really wonderful amalgam of western garage, psych and strains of funk with native Iranian modes and tempos. The songs here sink in on an emotional level without us knowing a word of the language – the passionate vocals work wonderfully in that regard – but musically, it's innovative stuff that's nicely tripped out and heavily rhythmic, without compromising the melodic sensibility. The heavy duty 3LP set features 21 tracks in all – in a sweet 6 panel gatefold with a 24 page booklet – featuring extensive notes and photos, with Kourosh's story told in autobiographical detail. Like other recent Now Again packages, it's really beautifully done! Titles include "Gol E Yakh", "Dar Enteha", "Paiz", "Leila", "Del Dareh Pir Misheh", "Shirin Joon", "Ghazal", "Mosafere Shahre Baran", "Saghe", "Niyayesh", "Saraabe Toe", "Baroona", "Khaar", Bachehaye Khoobe Koocheh" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Heady sounds from the Cambodian scene of the late 60s – a set of work that mixes together modes that may well have Cambodia sounding like the the most psychedelic nation in Southeast Asia! The music here is of two types – one a transformation of older Cambodian styles with a strong influence from European pop and rock, the other a more direct version of psychedelic modes – with lots of heavy, freaky guitar lines in the mix! The vocals on both styles are often recorded with a version of echo that's much more East Asian than anything ever used in the Anglo world – and taken together, the two modes of expression make the whole album a really rich collection of fresh sounds. Titles include "I Wonder" by Eng Nary, "Navy A Go Go" by Sinn Sisamout, "Rom Sue Sue" by Liev Tuk, "Jam 10 Kai Thiet" by Ros Serey Sothea, "Yuvajon Kouge Jet" by Yol Aularong, "Jomreang Oun Chreang" by Choun Malai, "Do You No Wrong Again" by Thra Kha Band, and "De Quoi Pleures-Tu" by Baksey Cham Krong & Mol Kamach. LP, Vinyl record album