Mad mad work from the great Nino Nardini – one of the greatest keyboard players to ever grace the sound library scene! This album was never officially issued, but is an incredibly strong bit of "commercial music", created initially for use by radio and TV stations, but just as good as anything that was on the market at the time. The music is a mix of jazz funk and 70s exotica – played on electric and acoustic instruments, mixing piano, moog, and congas into a swirling blend that's similar to the group Mandingo, but which also has lots of other 70s soundtrack elements. The track "Jungle Obsession" begins with a nice little drumbreak, then rolls into some wild bass-y moog riffs punctuated by other bits of computer music. Other tracks have voices, percussion, and even a bit of strings – and the whole thing's an extremely fresh bit of jungle funk! Titles include "White Snake", "Bali Girl", "Murmuring Leaves", "Jungle Spell", "Creeping Danger", and "Mowgli". Features the bonus tracks "Tropical" and "Safari Park". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album – not just in Brazilian music, but in all modern music in general! The set's a legendary manifesto for the Tropicalia movement in Brazil – and features key works by all the leading musical luminaries in the movement – including a few later stars who are heard here at their most edgey! The work is as groundbreaking today as it was at the end of the 60s – a brilliant testament to the power of artists to really break down boundaries in art and music, and find a way to mix the political with the popular at the same time. Titles include a fantastic version of Gal Costa and Caetano Veloso singing "Baby", the "Tres Caravelas" duet between Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, Gil's great reading of "Bat Macumba" with Costa and Veloso, Nara Leao singing "Lindoneia", Os Mutantes performing "Panis Et Circenses", Gilberto on "Geleia Geral, Caetano doing "Coracao Materno, and Rita Lee, Gal Costa, and Caetano Veloso singing "Enquanto Seu Lobo Nao Vem". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet bit of funk from Hawaii – and a legendary bit of free soul that's been winning global fame for decades! Lemuria is the brainchild of Kirk Thompson – who plays piano, bass, keyboards, and vibes on this very spiritual set of tracks. Master Henry Gibson was one of the executive producers, and he also plays conga on the set – which recalls some of the more spiritual collective funky projects from the early 70s Chicago scene, given a bit of a tropical twist. Many tracks feature vocals by "The Ladies Of Lemuria" – a lovely trio that's got a bit of an Emotions sort of sound – but the jazziness of the tracks is a lot freer than the backings the Emotions ever got, with more of a west coast Fantasy Records kind of approach, touched with some Stevie Wonder-like warmth. Really great all the way through – and impeccably put together, despite the indie origins of the record. Titles include "Get That Happy Feeling", "Hunk Of Heaven", "Dreams", "Mister U", "The Making Of You", and "Mystery Love". Features a full record of rare bonus tracks – including "Don't Say There Ain't No Heaven", "Somebody's Talkin", "Who Do You Love", "All I've Got To Give (alt)", and "Mister U (alt)". LP, Vinyl record album

A mindblowing look at a really stunning musical moment in Indonesia – a postwar period when older sounds from the nation were updated with more western-styled instrumentation – yet often at a level that still retained all of the charm of their roots! If you dig Indonesian gamelan or vocal performances, you'll find plenty to love here – as rhythmic and melodic elements from those worlds are mixed with jazz instrumentation, electric guitar, and plenty of percussion that often seems to draw a bit from Latin inspirations as much as it does from larger local ensembles and their musical legacy. The style is maybe a bit like musical shifts that were taking place in other Southeast Asian nations at the time – but the results are far less slavish to western pop, and still really retain all the cultural care of earlier years – sometimes in ways that are a lot more lean and personal, with extremely beautiful sounds throughout. Maybe one of the best collections the Soundway label has ever given us – with the usual detailed notes, and tracks by artists who include Orkes Kelana Ria, Mus DS, Zaenal Combo, Yanti Bersuadara, Band Nada Kentjana, Orkes Tropicana, Nada Kantjana, and Chris Byantoro. LP, Vinyl record album

The first-ever collection to look at the lost sound library work of Ezy Minus – born Enzo Minuti, and a very self-contained talent who worked out of his own Studio 67 on the scene in Bologna! There's a scope of material here that's really great, and a bit different than some more familiar sound library music – definitely some of the funk you'd hope for, but also some more song-based moments, and plenty of jazzy currents that definitely will have us digging for more of Ezy's work in years to come! Titles include "The Island Of Secrets", "Nuvole Che Passano", "Discoteca", "Arapuru", "Tropical Dream", "Opening", "Southern Traffic", "Vocal Blues", "Situazione", and "Afro Vocal". LP, Vinyl record album

A lean take on the double-length self-titled set from this mighty funky combo – one that brings together a range of great funky 45s, plus a few other hefty nuggets! If you don't know the group, they're totally great – as Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band go back to the funkiest moments of the 70s steel pan scene from the Caribbean – but also have a harder edge that comes from the group's ties to the Mighty Mocambos, and other corners of the deep funk universe! These cuts are funk first, steel drums second – and have a wicked groove that's actually hipper than most of the original steel drum records from back in the day. Titles include "Queen Of Cheeba", "Port Of Spain Hustle", "Tender Trap", "Dog Was A Doughnut", "Beetham Highway Ride", "Pimp", "Bacao Suave", "Jungle Fever", and "Tropical Heat". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous little album from Joyce – a rare session originally only issued in Italy, recorded in a folksy style that's a bit different than her other work! Tracks are all pretty short – many under 2 minutes long – and feature spare guitar, percussion, and lovely vocals from Joyce – really stretching out here in the laidback and open-ended format. The record is a magical treasure, and one of the best she ever recorded – a unique mix of jazzy and folksy stylings, all held together with some of the loveliest vocals ever recorded by a Brazilian singer! Titles include "Pelo Telefone", "Pesadelo", "De Frente Pro Crime", "Joia", "Chora Doutor", "Fado Tropical", and "A Historia Do Samba". LP, Vinyl record album

A smoking overview of work from the glory days of the Venezuelan scene – that moment when the nation's economy was opening the doors to rich new avenues of expression – including the important Discomoda label, which recorded all the gems on this set! The vibe is great – kind of a sideways take on NYC Latin modes of the years involved, but with some of the rootsier elements you might expect from Colombian work too – all presented with really stark, simple, no-nonsense production that really makes the music burst out loud! The selection of tracks here is great – all killer, no-filler, with a focus on the best Discomoda grooves from this stretch – 21 tracks that include "Mambo Tema" by Genaro Y Sus All Stars, "Disparo Goajira" by Nelson Y Sus Estrellas, "No Salgas De Tu Barrio" by Los Kenya, "Fiesta En Venezuela" by Los Satelites, "Lija" by Rodrigo Mendoza, "Mi Rendencion" by La Renovacion, "Analiza" by Principe Y Su Sexteto, "Juana Guaguanco" by Supercombo Los Tropicales, "Algo Diferente" by Johnny Sedes Y Su Orquesta, "Muneca" by Los Megatones De Lucho, "Pero En Caracas" by Sonora Venezuela, "Maracaibo" by Microbanda Marabina, and "Oye Como Suena"b y Orquesta Sonoramica. LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool soundtrack, and one that offers up a weird and wonderful mix of modes from the mid 60s – bits of surf guitar, garage rock, country, and more – all brought together in a wonderfully evocative mode that hardly needs the images of the offbeat film on the screen! The whole thing is a really great dip into a 60s underground that's not often as well represented in the world of compilations and reissues. Titles include "Tropic Waters" by Steve Waltner, "Melody On The Moon" by The Travelers, "Crying Guitar" by Johnny Blue, "Walk Through The Valley" by Kay Johnson, "Far Away" by Ron Heiss & The Low Notes, "Tarantula" by Jody Reynolds, and "Lost Horizon" by Tommy Dae's High Tensions. LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool soundtrack, and one that offers up a weird and wonderful mix of modes from the mid 60s – bits of surf guitar, garage rock, country, and more – all brought together in a wonderfully evocative mode that hardly needs the images of the offbeat film on the screen! The whole thing is a really great dip into a 60s underground that's not often as well represented in the world of compilations and reissues. Titles include "Tropic Waters" by Steve Waltner, "Melody On The Moon" by The Travelers, "Crying Guitar" by Johnny Blue, "Walk Through The Valley" by Kay Johnson, "Far Away" by Ron Heiss & The Low Notes, "Tarantula" by Jody Reynolds, and "Lost Horizon" by Tommy Dae's High Tensions. LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning tribute to the music of Jorge Ben – a host of classic covers from the 60s and 70s, all of which share Jorge's love for an upbeat, soulful groove! The set's exploding with life and energy – that new sort of groove that Ben first unleashed on Brazilian music in the 60s, which was quickly taken up by most of his contemporaries – as you'll hear on the wonderful tunes in this set! There's a ridiculous amount of music on the collection – over two dozen tunes, a number of which we'd never heard before – and although Jorge doesn't sing on any of them, the vocalists are all clearly inspired by his sense of warmth and soul. Every cut's a groover – and titles include "Quem Mandou" by Osmar Milito, "Zazueira" by Wilson Simonal, "Pulo Pulo" by Elza Soares, "Se Voce Quiser Mas Sem Bronquear" by Doris Monteiro, "Tenha Fe Pois Amanha Um Lindo Dia Vai Nascer" and "La Vem Salgueiro" by Os Originais Do Samba, "Carolina Carol Bela" by Os Brazoes, "Speed" by Sonia Santos, "Rei Do Maracatu" by Cyro Aguiar, "Cosa Nostra" by Os Mutreteiros Grilados, "Fio Maravilha" by Marijo, "Pais Tropical" by Wilson Simonal, and "Mas Que Nada" by Elza Soares. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most seductive sound library albums ever recorded by Piero Umiliani – a set that was originally issued under his Zalla pseudonym, but which has all the best jazzy grooves of some of his famous soundtrack material from the end of the 60s! As on those records, Umiliani plays a host of great keyboards, especially organ – over rhythms that are mellow-stepping and slightly funky – often updated with modes borrowed from bossa nova, but brought into a more sensuous Italian soundtrack setting – balanced with nice touches on flute, guitar, and other instrumentation as well. The whole thing's wonderful – as lovely as your favorite soundtrack work by Umiliani, Piero Piccioni, or Armando Trovajoli – with titles that include "Porta D'Oriented", "Tanto Lontano", "Pianure D'Asia", "Oriente Rosso", "Prime Nebbie", "Nel Parco", "Vecchie Strade", and "Laguna Tropicale". LP, Vinyl record album

Coco Maria hosts a mighty cool radio show on BBC Worldwide – one that showcases all sorts of unusual Latin music hybrids that have come up over the years – including a good range of contemporary music, such as the tracks featured on this really well-done compilation! The music here has echoes of older Colombian, Tropical, and Afro-Cuban modes – but often served up with really inventive arrangements and instrumentation that turn things completely around – not in any sort of Latin remix style, but with more of a groove that shows what some of the more unusual Latin hybrid combos have been working on! Titles include "Children's Favourite" by Guess What, "Lepidoptera" by Iko Cherie, "El Bravo" by Candeleros, "Vamonos Cocos" by Raz Olsher, "Off The Groove" by Ronald Snijders, "Always Ready To Smile" by Juan Hundred, "Seguimos Sonriendo" by Acid Coco, and "Sacudete" by Lola's Dice. LP, Vinyl record album

A sublime live set from British trumpeter Matthew Halsall – a set that maybe sounds even more organic and spiritual than some of his already-amazing work in the studio! There's a great sense of majesty here – as Halsall leads a wonderfully cohesive lineup that stretches out on long tracks that seem to get even more out of the space of the concert venue than they might in a smaller recording room. The group features Matt Cliffe on tenor and flute, Liviu Gheorghe on piano, Gavin Barras on bass, Alan Taylor on drums, Jack McCarthy on percussion, and Maddie Herbert on some especially nice use of harp – understated, and never dominating the music, but a really crucial part of the album's sound! Titles include "Canopy & Stars", "Mindfulness Meditations", "Joyful Spirits Of The Universe", "Harmony With Nature", "Tropical Landscapes", and "Salute To The Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

A definite wild safari of grooves – an unusual batch of tracks that mix together 70s disco modes with other global touches – all served up in a mighty groovy style! Electric and acoustic instruments run side by side here – congas next to keyboards, riffing guitars next to chanted vocals – and the tracks often remind us of some of the coolest work coming out of the French scene during the late 70s club years – although it's clear that these tracks come from a wide variety of sources. Titles include "Ayala Red" by The Mighty, "Simbora" by Simbora Orchestra, "Safari Love" by Resonance, "Sunara" by Crispy & Co, "Bilboa Dance" by Sweet Bananas, "Ramses Theme" by Ramses Ballet, and "Mayaguana" by Antillas Mayores. LP, Vinyl record album

A mix of post-Tropicalia Brazilian rock and some of the more soulful elements filtering through the country's music in the early 70s – and one of the most enigmatic albums by this unique singer! Sergio's got a sound that's incredibly hard to describe – at once sweet and melodic, but also kind of twisted, in an intimate singer/songwriter mode. The production of the album is compressed with a number of post-Beatles touches that make it sparkle like work by Caetano Veloso in the mid 70s, or some of the Peruvian rock by groups like We All Together – and hearing the record gives us the same sort of excitement of new discovery as when we heard their best work. Titles include "Rulzito Seixas", "Viajei De Trem", "Pobre Meu Pai", "Labirintos Negros", "Filme De Terror", and "Lero E Leros E Boleros". LP, Vinyl record album

A record with "samba" in the title, but a set that hardly sounds like samba at all – given that the record is one of the groundbreaking 70s albums from the legendary Tom Ze! Ze first rose to fame as an experimentalist in the Tropicalia scene – but here, he's years past that movement, yet still one of its most creative proponents – working in a mode that takes older Brazilian rhythms and infuses them with all the new sounds, styles, and sense of poetry that Tom was bringing to his music – often quite playful, but at a level that's quite moving as well. The whole thing's got the subtle "beyond language" power of some of the best by Caetano Veloso – even though Tom Ze is completely his own man throughout. The set features arrangements from Jose Briamonte, production from Heraldo Do Monte, and titles that include a rootsy take on "A Felicidade", plus the nutty instrumental "Tom", and the original tracks "So", "Ma", "Vai", "Ui", "Indice", "Hein", and "Mae". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most legendary albums from groundbreaking Brazilian music pioneer Tom Ze – and a record that introduces itself with an equally legendary cover image! (Hint: that's not an eyeball on the front.) Ze had already been recording a bit by the time of this record – but this set is easily his most experimental album ever – a record that even makes the work of the late 60s Tropicalia generation sound a bit more catchy and tuneful – as Tom's drawing here from all sorts of strands of avant poetry and instrumentation. The vibe is almost like some of the most experimental Saravah Records albums of the period – unusual songwriting served up in an approach that mixes hard percussion, spare production, quirky guitar, and some of the strangest vocals ever recorded in Brazil. Titles include Complexo De Epico", "A Noite Do Meu Bem", "Dodo E Zeze", "Brigitte Bardot", and "O Riso E A Faca". LP, Vinyl record album

A groundbreaking collection of work from the legendary Tom Ze – and a record that really helped introduce his genius to the world outside of Brazil! Although it's hard to understand from the perspective of over a decade – especially one that's seen Tom Ze rise to fame again – when this compilation was first put together, the music of Tom Ze had all but fallen off the musical map of Brazil. Ze was one of the founding fathers of Tropicalia – and unlike other members of that group, who rose to great fame during the 70s, and straightened up their act a bit – Ze always remained a committed modernist, continually inventive well into the 70s and 80s – really coming up with amazing sounds that are always compelling, challenging, and often have a nicely quirky feel as well. The style's incredibly hard to pin down – and in fact, we might describe the recordings as being "anti-style" – but if you've heard any of Ze's work, you know you're in for a treat. The collection brings together material from a number of different labels – and titles include "Ma", "Doi", "Hein?", "Cademar", "Um Oh E Um Ah", "Augusta Angelica E Consolacao", "O Riso E A Faca", "Ui", and "A Felicidade". LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool, complicated set of grooves – Peruvian tropical at its best, with plenty of sweet guitar lines mixed in with lots of rootsy percussion! Kroffer Jimenez handles the lead vocals, and has this style that leaps one minute, swells the next – very individual, and kind of a perfect match for the offbeat qualities of the record – really setting things apart from standard chicha with the way he handles the lyrics! There's a completely unique feel to the set all the way through – and titles include "Oh Que Bueno", "Mala Mujer", "Fiesta En El Callejon", "Ritmo En Furor", "La Surenita", "La Tamalera", "La Planidera", "Como Baila Lucy", and "Elvira No Se Vira". LP, Vinyl record album