Freak and fuzz from an ultra-cool Venezuelan group of the early 70s – one who are as experimental as they are funky – effortlessly mixing together some wicked work on guitars and keyboards with some heavy rhythms on the bottom! The overall sound is more late 60s than you'd guess from the date in the title – and almost feels like some of that Detroit work that would have a psych combo picking up soulful currents from Motown, but recording in a garagey style that gave the whole thing a really great edge! That's definitely the vibe here – on some killer cuts that include "Superlombriz Atomica", "Sodoma Y Gomorra", "Solo No Puedo Vivir", "Oyeme Guajira", "Vi Una Luz", and "Tu Me Caes Mal". LP, Vinyl record album

Really tremendous stuff – and kind of a genre-defining compilation – one that will ship our listening for years to come! We've heard a bit of 70s Iranian music before, but this overstuffed package really opens up our ears – to a range of funky, freaky sounds that go way beyond just the kind of unusual psyche that folks have been passing around for years – and more into the kind of amazing and unreal sounds you might expect to find more in Indian music of the time! As with some Indian cuts, there's a wicked blend of Western funk and Eastern exoticism going on here – while others have a haunting feel that's a bit more regional, especially the vocal numbers – and throughout it all, the set continues to deliver some really wonderful surprises, with a track list that's very well thought out – and supported by great notes too. Titles include "Baanoye Sahar Aavaaz" by Soli, "Jodayee" by Afsar Shahidi, "Nefrin Nameh" by Dariush, "Ki Bood" by Neli, "Gharibaneh" by Beti, "Dokhtar Khoshgel" by Aghassi, "Khana Khana" by Habib Mohebian, "Kavire Del" by Marjan, "Do Ta Cheshmoon" by Mahsati, and "Woman" by Shahram. CD

A seminal debut set from Edip Akbanyram – a 70s Turkish singer whose music is every bit as compelling as arabesk rock by Baris Manco or Erkin Koray! Like both of those artists, Edip mixes older Anatolian roots with a freakier, fuzzier style from the psych generation – mixing electric guitar with offbeat Eastern phrasing, rootsy percussion, and very hip production that gives the whole record a sound that's as bold as it is brooding! Like Koray at his best, the music often has a bit of a groove – not entirely funky, but with these strong undercurrents that really move us – despite the barrier of language. Titles include "Bosu Bosuna", "Dumanu Dumanu Oy Bizim Eller", "Kukredi Cimenler", "Seve Beni Beni", "Deniz Ustu Kopurur", "Yakar Inceden Inceden", and "Daglar Dagladi Beni". LP, Vinyl record album

A much-needed look at the huge legacy of female singers in Turkish music during the 70s – one that stands as a great complement to so much of the recent reissues of male artists from the same time! Much of this music shares qualities with reissues on labels like Pharaway Sounds or Finders Keepers – in that the singers often have a strong sense of drama, mixed with a really evocative blend of modern and older instrumentation – electric and acoustic, Western and Eastern, all served up as a way of pulling folk roots into a more urban milieu! The package is very well-done, and not only features detailed notes, but also English translations of the lyrics – for songs that include "Var Oy" by Ferda Gul, "Vamyorum" by Gulden Karabocek, "Ara Leyli" by Gul Sorgun, "Vikilla Koyler" by Dilber Dogan, "Bir Sans Daha Ver" by Huri Sapan, "Tut Kalbimi Tut" by Nese Alkan, "Olmeden De Vasamak" by Esmeray, and "Sen Bir Vana" by Gonul Vazar. CD