A beautifully warm record from the great Letta Mbulu – maybe the closest she ever came to cutting a straight soul album, although a set that still has plenty of nice nods to her South African roots as well! The music's got a smooth, sweet groove – and at some of the best moments, Letta steps in with a quality that feels like some of the best UK soul of the mid 80s – not exactly Sade, but not far off either. Other tunes have a bit more of a Afro pop feel, but very slightly – and titles include "The Village", "Nomalizo", "Nkedama", "Sweet Juju", and "Down By The River". LP, Vinyl record album

Erol Buyukburc is dressed like a geeky spaceman on the back cover – which is maybe why he used a bikini-clad woman on the front – and he definitely sounds like he's out of the world on some of the cooler tracks on this rare debut album from the 70s! The music comes from the same scene as Baris Manco and Erkin Koray – and is maybe a bit less psych-influenced than both of those singers, but still has a wonderful criss-crossing of east and west in the Turkish pop modes of the time! Keyboards have a thin quality that often works well with the wangly guitars – and echo comes into the production at many moments, really helping to cook up a great sound together. Titles include "Dandini", "Bile Bile Lades", "Guz Sarkisi", "Hep Sen Varsin", "Hop Dedik", "Dedim Dedi", and "Civciv Cikacak Kuscikacak". LP, Vinyl record album