Amazing music you've probably never heard before – all from the tiny island of Mauritius in the 70s, and served up in a stunning mix of funk, blues, and soul! The grooves here are very offbeat – with rhythms that belie the island's location in the Indian Ocean near Madagascar, mixed with more contemporary touches on electric guitar, bass, and keyboards – set to lyrics that are often sung in French, usually with these haunting changes and oddly melancholy modes – all of which makes for music that's every bit as emotively powerful as it is downright groovy! Strut Records have always turned us on to new and unusual sounds – but this time around, they've really done something special – and the collection is one of our favorite releases ever from the long-running label. Titles include "Afro Mauricien" by Georges Jean Louis, "Mo Mari Fini Alle" by Catherine Velienne, "Elida" by Michel Legris, "Mone Lasser Dire Toi" by Harold Berty, "Bhai Aboo" by Claudio, "Mo Parrain" by Christophe, "Manuel Bitor" by John Kenneth Nelson, "Eliza" by Georgie Joi, and "Soul Sock Sega" by Ti L'Afrique. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most unique musical talents we've heard in years – finally given his due in this wonderful collection of work from the late 70s and early 80s! Alain Peters works in a style that's beyond description – a global mix of elements from both the Caribbean and Africa, but often given a slight South Asian spin, given that Alain spent a fair bit of time exploring the cultures of the Indian Ocean – which he weaves here into a hypnotic blend of percussion, guitar, and extremely evocative French language lyrics! Rather than stepping on and pilfering from a range of cultures – Peters is instead a unique citizen of the post-colonial world, and allows himself a boundary-less space to stretch out beyond any simple generic descriptions. If we had to try to relate this music to anything, we might say that it's at the level of some of the most perfect experiments on the Saravah Records label – with a similarly haunting, live-changing vibe. Titles include "Mange Pou Le Coeur", "La Rosee Si Feuilles Songes", "La Peche Bernica", "Wayo Manman", "Rest'La Maloya", and "Ti Pas Ti Pas N'Arriver". LP, Vinyl record album