Hot off a crazy year of constant touring from January to December, which included a two-week stint as the backing band for Ghanaian legend Funky Rob, Flammer Dance Band returned to the studio, buzzing with spontaneous energy and inspiration.

Seven musicians squeezed into a hot and sweaty soul shack, in pursuit of the funk. Five days later, they emerged with 'Gynger', an album that captures the raw, dynamic spirit of their well-oiled, psychedelic funk machine.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Everyone's favourite Norwegian afro-beat psyche-funkers are back with a new album! Lots of Fela vibes on this one but ramped up with some outlandish experimentation which puts them as much in allegiance with fellow north European pagans Goat as it does the Nigerian godfather of funk.

TRACK LISTING

A. Bandet Gar
A. Trenger Ikke Dra
A. Na Na
B. Ekko Av Degb Selv
B. Glad
B. Gynger

Major Keys return with another jazz funk gem that has never before been released on a 12 inch. We go back to 1977 for one of the era defining albums, Gary Bartz magnificent Music is My Sanctuary. The title track from the double Grammy award winning saxophonist’s LP is an evergreen floor filler, finally seeing it’s long overdue 12 inch debut; a remastered, high volume DJ’s delight. Featuring Syreeta Wright on vocals, Bill Summers & James Mtume on percussion with arrangement by the one and only Larry Mizell, we have an assembled players list at the top of their game. The lyrics, joyful and heartfelt sum up exactly what music means to people, all underpinned by that glorious sax. One for the Heads and the feet, it’s a record that you will go back to time and again.

On the flip is the lesser known Carnaval De L'Esprit, a masterclass in jazz funk, this truly is the sunshine sound. It will lighten the weariest of souls and signals Major Keys as a buy on sight label.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Music Is My Sanctuary
B1. Carnaval De L'Esprit

Another big Shaka tune from the late 1980s - Bionic Singer's anti-apartheid shot 'Botha Warning' - coming out of the same Jamaazima vaults as Hugh Maddo's Pop Style LP that we reissued late last year under the kind courtesy of the imprint's Nami Harmon.

The late Bionic Singer a.k.a Osbert Maddo, or more commonly Madoo, was brought up in East Kingston and as a child attended the legendary Alpha Boys School. He began singing together with his brother UU Madoo (aka Hugh Maddo) and soon became a regular on the Stereophonic soundsystem during the late 1970s. Recording mainly with Joe Gibbs & Errol Thompson and for Winston Riley's famed Techniques stable through the early '80s, he then moved to the US in 1983. Ceasing to record for a period, he returned towards the end of the decade under the Bionic Singer alias on the Bronx-based Jamaazima label, recording this searing indictment of South Africa's apartheid government under P.W. Botha following his stroke in 1989.

TRACK LISTING

1. Botha Warning
2. Warning To Botha

'Alagbon Close' was the first of Fela’s albums to have a sleeve designed by Ghariokwu Lemi, whose artwork fast became an integral part of Fela's catalogue and Afrobeat's message. The disc was named after the headquarters of the Nigerian Criminal Investigation Department in Lagos. The title track concerns two police raids on Fela’s house, in April and May 1974. On the first occasion, they came looking for weed but could not find any. On the second, they attempted to plant a joint on Fela, but he grabbed it and swallowed it. He was detained at Alagbon Close for three days, while the police waited for the evidence to drop into his slop bucket. Fela was locked in a communal cell the prisoners jokingly called Kalakuta Republic (“kalakuta” is Swahili for “rascal”). His cellmates engineered a 'feces switch' and Fela was pronounced innocent. On his release he renamed his house Kalakuta Republic. “Alagbon Close” calls out the Nigerian police’s violence and arrogance and apparent immunity from prosecution. “Nothing special about uniform,” sings Fela. “Uniform na cloth na tailor dey sew am like my dress,” replies the chorus (meaning: just because you are wearing a uniform does not make you above the law). 

TRACK LISTING

1. Alagbon Close
2. I No Get Eye For Back

"Kamikaze Dub" by Prince Jammy is undoubtedly one of the most beloved albums by dub music lovers and a record to have in every self-respecting record collection. An album for any time of the day, or season, that never bores and indeed has aged very well always amazes and stimulates.

Re-released for JAMDUNG distributed exclusively by KUDOS in limited edition LP from the original master tapes is available again at an affordable price, but hurry!

Jamaican Dub music first appeared in the mid-70s under the guidance of the creative master mind, King Tubby. By the late 70s, two of his top co-workers, Scientist and Prince Jammy were ready to branch out on their own, and they did.

Jammy's record came out first and that's why "Kamikaze Dub" (1979) is often cited as the album that raised the bar for good. After its release, many Jamaican producers aspired to create the same swirling psychedelic minimal sound that Jammy presented on these near perfect tracks.

The musicianship on here is outstanding as well, with other Dub stars taking part such as Sly and Robbie on drums and bass, Augustus Pablo on keyboards, 'Deadly' Headley Bennett and Bobby Ellis on horns, as well as many others.

TRACK LISTING

1. Throne Of Blood
2. Brothers Of The Blade
3. Shoalin Temple
4. Kamikazi
5. Oragami Black Belt
6. Fist Of Fury
7. Opium Den
8. Swords Of Vengeance
9. Downtown Shanghai Rock
10. Waterfront Gang War

Love International and Test Pressing commemorate yet another cracking festival with the latest instalment in their collaborative compilation series for their LIXTP label. For The Sound Of Love International #006 they’ve chosen Jay Donaldson aka Palms Trax as their selector. He’s a regular at Love International.

The Berlin-based DJ, known for his eclectic sets and long-running NTS show "Cooking With Palms Trax," delivers a diverse selection of tracks gathered from his global journeys.

The album opens with Linda Waterfall’s Clarity. A fabulous flight of late 1970s spiritual jazz-influenced folk from the late Seattle-based singer / songwriter, who released her debut on Windham Hill.

Sebastian’s Follow My Heart is a soulful soft rocker, a sax-y seduction theme.

On Did It Have To Be Me, glorious gospel choir-like backing lifts Frank E. Jeffries Jr.’s cool croon, and the spirits of anyone lucky enough to be listening.

Two tracks travel from `90s South Africa. El Pedro’s La Luna is a pumping piece of S.A. bubblegum. Novidade’s Masingita features great guitar picking and warm, welcoming group vocals.

Dieta Berliner & Jean Baptiste’s Paula & Kaspar transports us back to Berlin and forwards to 2012. A B-side secret weapon from Dieta’s short-lived Pakalolo City Records.

Culled from a cult Canadian 45 Angelo Mallia’s Hideaway is cute, catchy tumbling TR-808- driven synth-pop.

A piece of plugged-in Belgian `80s prog-rock, Zardoz’s brilliant Brasilia Drums pits its titular percussion against big cosmic synths, and segues into a new age-y journey.

Danish keyboard virtuoso Gert Thrue shows off his chops on I Play The Body Electronic. Feeding everything through psychedelic phasing effects, and overdubbing some fab Fender Rhodes

In Trance 95 might be one of the better known acts here, since the Athens-based duo’s work has been collected on Veronica Vasicka’s Minimal Wave, and in the 2010s they also supported Depeche Mode. Their 1991 single, Warm Nights Driving On Wet Streets, is chunky chill out room gear.

Frenchman Alain Salvati is behind Flayer’s Wanna Get Back Your Love, which first appeared in 1983, oddly on an Italian 12. Rediscovered at the turn of the millennium it’s become a bona fide modern Balearic anthem.

The closing cut, Jeancky’s Variations Sur Protestation, kind of brings the album, musically, full circle. Returning to the late `70s with campfire congas, bongos, and gentle acoustic strumming.

The majority of the tracks included were self-released / privately pressed and in many cases the often mysterious artists’ only recorded outings. So, in putting this together Palms Trax has unearthed hidden gems, creating a magical, floor-filling journey through music.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Linda Waterfall - Clarity
A2. Sebastian - Follow My Heart
A3. Frank E Jeffries Jr - Did It Have To Be Me
B1. El Pedro - La Luna
B2. Novidade - Masingita
B3. Dieta Berliner Feat. Jean Baptiste - Paula & Kaspar (Club Mix)
C1. Angelo Mallia - Hideaway
C2. Zardoz - Brasilia Drums
C3. Gert Thrue - I Play The Body Electronic
D1. In Trance 95 - Warm Nights Driving On Wet Streets
D2. Flayer - Wanna Get Back Your Love
D3. Jeancky - Variations Sur Protestation