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SOUNDWAY

Hotline

You Are Mine

    Classic disco LP from Nigeria, reissued by Soundway on 180g vinyl with tip-on sleeve.

    This very rare Nigerian disco classic LP, originally released in 1986, is the only known recorded album by Hotline and features the track 'Fella's Doing It In Lagos', which gave its name to our recent 'Doing It In Lagos' compilation.

    Nigerian boogie funk record, with a heavy Synth moog sound. All tracks killer. The most incredible thing about this group is that they had a very unique sound. This Nigerian group were miles ahead of their time.

    TRACK LISTING

    Can You Do It?
    Stay Close
    Let’s Merge
    Fella’s Doing It In Lagos
    Desire
    You Are Mine

    Various Artists

    Ghana Special 2: Electronic Highlife & Afro Sounds In The Diaspora 1980​-​93

      Highlighting a time when the burgeoning Ghanaian diaspora across Europe and North America was utilising new music technology and recording techniques. A period of movement, emigration and innovation.

      The dawn of the 80s saw an increase in emigration following a period of political upheaval at home, with many Ghanaians moving to Europe - especially Germany - to find work. Musicians recording both at home and abroad began to blend highlife with outside influences, taking inspiration from US disco and boogie, European new wave and Caribbean zouk and soca, reflecting new surroundings and cementing musical connections forged in London, Hamburg, Toronto and New York.

      Ghana Special celebrates this key period of musical innovation and cultural
      exchange that redefined the parameters of Ghanaian music and accelerated the cultural exchange between West Africa and Europe.

      TRACK LISTING

      1. The Godfathers - Ebe Ye Yie Ni
      2. Pat Thomas - Gye Wani
      3. Pepper, Onion, Ginger & Salt - M.C. Mambo
      4. Andy Vans - Adjoa Amisa
      5. George Darko - Kaakyire Nua
      6. Rex Gyamfi - Obiara Bewu
      7. Starlite - Anoma Koro
      8. Abdul Raheem - Alaiye
      9. Jon K - Asafo
      10. Kwasi Afari Minta - Barima Nsu
      11. Marijata (feat. Ata Kak) - Otanhunu
      12. Gyedu Blay Ambolley - Apple
      13. Dadadi - Jigi Jigi
      14. Charles Amoah - Fre Me (Call Me)
      15. Ernest Honny - New Dance
      16. Bessa Simons - Sii Nana
      17. Nan Mayen - Mumude
      18. Nana Budjei - Asobrachie

      The Circling Sun

      Spirits

        Channelling spiritual/modal jazz and Latin rhythms, they simultaneously reference the greats such as Sun Ra, Pharoah Sanders and Alice Coltrane, while maintaining a fresh perspective on ensemble dynamics.

        Perhaps the group's name is no coincidence - each instrument seems to be in orbit around the concept of symbiotic synergy - and everyone is given equal space to shine; from a psychedelic Korg, to a delirious saxophone or the gentle ripples of a harp. There's a huge array of keyboards, skilfully manned by the likes of Guy Harrison and Cory Champion (Clear Path Ensemble), with a standout acoustic piano solo by Harrison on "Plume". Not to be outshone, the wind section delivers ecstatic saxophone riffs , futtering flutes and solid horn choruses throughout. Meanwhile, providing vital foundational support are the percussion (Soundway alumnus Julien Dyne), vibraphone, acoustic bass and full choir arranged by Matt Hunter.

        It's a testament to their harmonious relationship and skill that this debut album instantly sounds like a classic from a group that might have been together a decade.

        STAFF COMMENTS

        Barry says: A blissful fusion of spacey lounge music, swooning Latin rhythms and tastefully subtle ensemble vocals drifting around a percussive jazz-funk core. It's a beautifully rendered impression of a group of players at the peak of their game, working together in perfect harmony.

        TRACK LISTING

        1. Bones
        2. Kohan
        3. Veneer
        4. Spirits Part 2
        5. Bliss
        6. Plume

        Lord Echo

        Rarities 2010 - 2020: Japanese Tour Singles

          Fans rejoice - Lord Echo's limited vinyl-only singles are compiled on a vinyl album presented in an embossed Japanese printed sleeve and obi strip.

          While we patiently await new music, we can revel in versions that escaped the typical overthinking that occurs during the album process, instead reflecting the spontaneity and freedom of a touring artist. All tracks bar one (‘Thinking of Dub’) were initially released on short-run 7” singles for Echo’s early Japan tours, made only available to dedicated fans who attended the live shows.

          The country holds a special place in his heart thanks to the warm hospitality of its citizens, in particular tour organiser and label owner Kenji Sakajiri from Wonderful Noise (with whom Soundway is co-releasing the vinyl album). That said, cultural differences made for unforgettable if not unique experiences of performing in Japan – from DJ etiquette which compelled him to stay to the end of the party no matter what, to a near-religious moment of dancing to Pat Metheny around a bonfire in the woods. A regular visitor to Asia will also be familiar with the concept of “lose-face”, and in the case for Lord Echo it was processing the crushing shame of DJing a digital set alongside heavyweight Japanese collectors or next to signage stating “Real DJ Vinyl Only”.

          Humbling moments aside, the Japanese obsession with detail and quality can also produce a high level of experience, one that left such an impression upon Echo that the track ‘Nightclub Daydream’ is inspired by the near-utopian clubs he visited and the sound systems that drive them. Unexpected perhaps that such an atmosphere of perfectionism also unleashed creative bursts, resulting in a heavy, subby version of “In Your Life” with Lisa Tomlins taking over vocals, an upbeat reggae cover of William DeVaughan’s “Be Thankful For What You Got”, or a version of “Woah! There’s No Limit” with influences of soul and early hip-hop amen breaks.

          Without further ado, Soundway presents Lord Echo’s ‘Rarities’, a collection of sought- after singles now made very much accessible to you the people.

          TRACK LISTING

          1. Be Thankful
          2. In Your Life (Lisa Tomlins Version)
          3. Nightclub Daydream
          4. Floating Bridge
          5. Woah! There's No Limit (Alternate Version)
          6. Thinking Of Dub
          7. Makossa No. 2
          8. Cosmic Echoes In Dub

          Rex Omar

          Rex Omar

            Soundway, presents the four premier cuts for a new self-titled EP, along with Kele Ngele taken from his 2004 album Ajala. Finally given the vinyl treatment, it's a London-centric blend of street-soul-come-highlife 90s RnB, certain to captivate the discerning ear. Staying true to its original colab effort, London based producer Aroop Roy steps in with a modern rework of the four-to-the-floor scorcher Dada, revisited and repurposed for today's dancefloor.

            TRACK LISTING

            Side 1
            1. Dada
            2. Tokota
            3. Konka

            Side 2
            1. Osisi
            2. Kele Ngele
            3. Dada (Aroop Roy Rework)

            Circus Underwater

            Circus Underwater

              Soundway presents Circus Underwater's 1984 self-titled masterpiece Remastered and extended to a double LP, this deluxe version includes six unreleased tracks unearthed from the original 1/4" tapes, and presented with an insert, including never-before- seen photos and the fascinating story behind the music.

              Featuring artwork from Grateful Dead collaborator, David Lundquist, the album encapsulates a unique moment in time. Echoing the story of a generation that grew up in the 50s and 60s where music was everything, two friends embark on a journey of experimentation which begins in the beatnik suburbs of Washington DC and travels to the heart of hippie San Francisco. The result is an opus that fearlessly blurs the boundaries of genres and embraces diverse influences. Elements of prog, rock, ambient and wave music culminate in an odyssey that seamlessly bridges the gap between the spaced- out creativity of the 70s and electronic music of today.

              Original artwork by David Lundquist. Mastering and lacquer cuts by Frank Merritt, The Carvery Studio, London. Artwork restoration by Javi Bayo.

              TRACK LISTING

              1. Big Buck Meets The Perpendicular Fish
              2. Trees Walk
              3. The Surface Of The Water
              4. Rugaru By Itself
              5. I Wash My Hair With Limes
              6. She Dreams Of Golden Gloves Dancing
              7. Entrance Of The Deacon
              8. Weeping Of Electric Sheep
              9. First Hump Of Stately Plump
              10. Thunder Daughters Underwater
              11. Requiem For The Glass Trapeze
              12. Muddy Ghosts Running From Rain
              13. Behind The Altar There Is A Carousel

              Ayo Manuel

              1983-90

                Soundway Records presents Ayo Manuel '1983-1990', a collection of selected works by one of Nigeria's DIY pioneers.

                This mini compilation selects the stand out cuts from his two albums Love Candidate and Party Time, showcasing the evolution of Ayo's music

                Side A is led by Song Of Love (Instrumental) - mid- tempo, synth- heavy music toeing the line between lo- fi crunch and sophisticated charm.This is followed closely by afro-disco melters Don't Stop and the aptly titled Fun Time. Both with strong American, disco- funk leanings but full of Nigerian flavour, they come signed, sealed and delivered for any discerning dancefloor.

                Sojourn (Ajo) lights up side-B, a coming-of-age journey that sets the tone for the rest of the album. With slick US production, but with its feet firmly planted in Yoruba culture, we find a more developed artist combining talking drums with distinct '90s production, that deliver a unique blend of afro- pop. Gboro Mi Ro echoes the influence of Nigeria's biggest musical export, Fela Kuti, but still retains its own particular character. Do Good follows in the footsteps of its predecessors but with added drama and depth.

                TRACK LISTING

                Song Of Love (Instrumental)
                Fun Time
                Don't Stop
                Sojourn (Ajo)
                Gboro Mi Ro
                Do Good

                Yoruba Singers

                Ojinga's Own - 2023 Reissue

                  The 1974 debut album Ojinga's Own (along with the single Basa Bongo/ Black Pepper) by Guyanese Afro-Folk band The Yoruba Singers has been remastered for the first ever vinyl reissue

                  The Yoruba Singers formed in Georgetown, Guyana in 1971. Despite their name they were not from Nigeria, but identified strongly with the area from which so many of the African diaspora in Guyana and neighbouring regions were originally descended.

                  The group started adapting Guyanese traditional folk music as well as writing their own - blending a mixture of protest, social commentary, blues, and genres inspired by the times. Beginning with 12 people sharing vocal duties, most of the early repertoire was inspired by folk songs that started life on plantations or in religious settings accompanied by a few sparse musical instruments.

                  Integral to the Yoruba Singers' sound are echoes of Obeah traditions which are very closely related to the Santería religion of Cuba and the Orisha and Shango traditions of Trinidad and Tobago. Calypso and steel- band culture from nearby Trinidad and Tobago was to some extent part of the musical DNA of the group, but they were naturally also influenced by the massive volume of rocksteady and roots-reggae coming from Jamaica.

                  TRACK LISTING

                  Ojinga's Own
                  What To Do
                  Stay Away
                  Uncomprehensidensible Radio-Matic Woman
                  Neighbour Jean
                  Go-Go
                  Massacura Man
                  Woman A Dead Ya Fuh Man
                  Ka Duma
                  I've Got To Be Somebody
                  No Intention

                  Yoruba Singers

                  Basa Bongo / Black Pepper

                    Guyana folk music reinterpreted and infused with Afro-roots and culture, reissued on vinyl for the first time

                    A year after their debut album 'Ojinga's Own', the Yoruba Singers from Guyana released the singles 'Black Pepper' and 'Basa Bongo'. These two songs were recorded in Barbados and released on the Green Shrimp label and became extremely popular throughout the Caribbean and South America. The music also became an integral part of the very beginnings of what was later to become the Champeta Criolla sound in the Caribbean coast of Colombia.

                    TRACK LISTING

                    Basa Bongo
                    Black Pepper

                    Pigeon

                    Backslider EP

                      Dressed as if they would be equally comfortable starring in a modern spaghetti western as they are cutting slick silhouettes on a festival stage - are Guinean singer Falle Nioke, Graham Godfrey on drums, Steve Pringle on keys, Tom Dream on guitar and Josh Ludlow on bass.

                      As Pigeon develop and hone their sound further, Afro-disco remains at the core while jazz and no-wave make way for new elements of electro, rock and synth pop. The introduction of sequencers and drum machines sprinkles a little more structure into the mix, however the recording process still very much embodies the DIY spirit of band members that enjoy jamming together.

                      With previous support from Gilles Peterson, Elton John, Iggy Pop, Bandcamp, NPR, Uncut and many more, the new Pigeon EP will undoubtedly fly off the shelves.

                      TRACK LISTING

                      1. Mama Yo Mama Yo
                      2. Ikanabore
                      3. Trust
                      4. Backslider
                      5. Infinity (Radio Edit)

                      G.C. Cameron

                      Live For Love

                        Soundway reissues the vocal and instrumental versions of 'If I Love You', from GC Cameron, the lead singer of the legendary soul group The Spinners, the 12" EP also includes two unreleased recordings from the same session - 'Live for Love' and 'Thank You Baby'.

                        Hailing from McCall Creek, Mississippi, G.C. Cameron rose to fame at 22 years of age, when he joined Motown Records to become lead singer of legendary group The Spinners. After a string of well received releases, including chartbusterIt's A Shame, co-written and produced by Stevie Wonder, Cameron left The Spinners to pursue a solo career.

                        It was a trip to Fantasy Studios, San Francisco in 1977, where Cameron teamed up with Harvey Faqua, Greg Crockett and Elgie Stover to realise what is arguably his finest work. A full album was recorded, but only two tracks saw the light of day, via the short-lived UK label, Flamingo.

                        Soundway presents a four track EP, comprised of the two in- demand cuts previously released on Flamingo - the deep and dubby disco-workout If I Love You (Instrumental) and soul drenched ballad Live For Love, coupled with two unreleased recordings rescued from the abyss after 45 years of collecting dust. The modern- soul- dancer Thank You Baby, backed by Jeanie Tracy and Martha Walsh, is a jewel that displays Cameron's full range whilst the vocal to If I Love You elevates the recording to dance- floor- ready and joins the dots that never existed.

                        TRACK LISTING

                        A1. If I Love You
                        A2. If I Love You (Instrumental)
                        B1. Thank You Baby
                        B2. Live For Love

                        King Wellington / Frends

                        Shango / Mystery Music

                          Soundway presents a double-sider of raw, West Indian funk from 1977.

                          Led by King Wellington's 'Shango', the stand-out cut harvested from hisSooner Or Later LP finally gets the 45 treatment it deserves. Inspired by the Shango ritual with its roots in Yoruba culture, traces of Calypso music are driven by hypnotic bass and Wellington's signature vocal, making up a musical blend only found in the Caribbean.

                          Hidden on the B-side, 'Mystery Music' fronted by Canadian musician Tony Springer, embarks on a dreamy, dynamic and even a touch psychedelic trip. Steel pans coupled with floating horns, electronic keyboard effects, crisp drums and subtle guitar licks cook up a soundscape baked by the Trinidad sun.

                          While original copies climb their way to impossible-to-find status, enthusiasts will be excited to hear this sought after piece of music is available on the 45 format again.

                          TRACK LISTING

                          Shango
                          Mystery Music

                          The Lahaar

                          The Lahaar

                            Drawing inspiration from the depths of late '70s NYC proto-rap disco instrumentals, Nigerian boogie, Jamaican dub and modern jazzy house - The Lahaar is a Trans-Tasman collaboration between Julien Dyne, Horatio Luna and Surprise Chef's Lachlan Stuckey, featuring Mara TK and Toby Laing on vocals.

                            The EP embarks on a 5-track rollercoaster - kicking off with "Doin' It", fast-paced jazz- funk peppered with marimba and organ riffs, balanced out by the siren vocals of Mara TK. "Step 2" suddenly brakes and swerves into cruise mode, repurposing the trumpets and dub echoes - picking up tempo in the soulful melancholia of "Work Work Work". In the last two tracks the organs and guitars make a frenetic comeback by way of disco-house, ending with a nod to 70s cop movie funk.

                            For fans of: Julien Dyne, Surprise Chef, 30/70, Ezra Collective, Jitwam, Makaya McCraven, Lord Echo, Fat Freddy's Drop, Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange.

                            TRACK LISTING

                            1. Doin' It
                            2. Step 2
                            3. Work Work Work
                            4. Super (Kiki)
                            5. Chase Scene Part 1

                            Nkono Teles

                            Love Vibration

                              The pioneer of West African electronic music was known for being tapped by over 100 other musicians to produce or arrange their music, from King Sunny Adé, Guy Lobe, even Steve Monite's album "Only You" and more. Having already appeared on Soundway's best-selling compilation "Doing It In Lagos", here more of Nkono's limited solo work is carefully remastered and reissued on vinyl for the first time. One of a small handful of pioneers of the Nigerian electronic music scene in the 1980s (alongside the likes of Jake Sollo & William Onyeabor), Teles was known for being tapped by over 100 musicians to feature on, produce or arrange their music. The list of '80s Nigerian records that his sound and style embellished is seemingly endless: Steve Monite (he arranged and produced the music on the Only You album recently re- issued by Soundway), Dizzy K, Peter Abdul, Odion Iruoje, Steve Black, Rick Asikpo, Feladey, Charly Boy, Majek Fashek & Sonny Okosuns, to name just a few, all engaged his enigmatic production and keyboard services throughout the 1980s. He became known as the first person in Nigeria to push the use of the drum machine into popular music and created a unique and original boogie-funk sound combining these new beats with guitars and an array of new and affordable synthesiser sounds that started appearing in the early 1980s.

                              TRACK LISTING

                              Martin Street Special
                              Love Got A Hold Of Me
                              Hometown Weather
                              Martin Street
                              Love Vibration
                              Party Beats

                              Pedro Ricardo

                              Soprem Bons Ventos

                                Portuguese multi-instrumentalist, DJ and producer Pedro Ricardo
                                releases his debut album, Soprem Bons Ventos, on Soundway Records
                                Currently based in Berlin, Pedro Ricardo has been releasing music for the past eight years under different aliases via labels such as Wolf Music and his own imprint Hear, Sense and Feel. An eclectic DJ and selector, he hosts a radio show on South London's radio Balamii, guested on Mafalda's NTS show and can be found playing in clubs across all Europe.Stylistically, Ricardo became entranced with jazz from an early age, while also becoming enamoured with folk music - rooted in his Portugal childhood, now encompassing sounds from Cape Verde, Brazil, and Spain along the way. He intertwines these instrumental infuences with feld recordings, and electronics, on Soprem Bons Ventos. "The album translates to 'Good Winds Blow', shares Ricardo. "This idea of good winds blowing is intertwined with the feeling of missing something, and sadness. On a positive note, there is still an overarching sense that happiness also lies ahead. Soprem Bons Ventos represents an ode to the past, to those who came before me, connecting with my present and imagining the future."


                                TRACK LISTING

                                1. Soprem Bons Ventos
                                2. Tema 1
                                3. Déhéba
                                4. Ode Ao Gato
                                5. Entre O Vale E O Eco
                                6. Tema 2
                                7. A Marcha Que O Monte Parou
                                8. Cantar Das Kandakinhas
                                9. Tema 3

                                Steve Monite

                                Only You - 2022 Reissue

                                  Shooting, space-synth sounds ripple and vibrate, incessant grooves keep the tracks in motion and Nkono Teles production, a producer often overlooked for his hand in the Nigerian boogie sound, sets the LP into orbit. An album that was largely overlooked on release in 1984, the track list includes the latter day hit Only You and Things Fall Apart, the melody of which was lifted for Young Franco’s 2020 single Fallin’ Apart.

                                  TRACK LISTING

                                  1. Only You
                                  2. I Had A Dream
                                  3. Things Fall Apart (Disco Jam)
                                  4. Welcome My Love
                                  5. Only You (Disco Jam)
                                  6. Things Fall Apart (Vocal)

                                  Various Artists

                                  Sintesis Moderna - An Alternative Vision Of Argentinian Music 1980 - 1990

                                    Soundway's telescope to forgotten and lesser known musical realms extends to Argentina on the triple vinyl compilation, 'Síntesis Moderna - An Alternative Vision Of Argentinian Music 1980-1990' .

                                    A digital rewilding of computer and synth powered music, dripping with an impressive variety of infuence, from Italo disco, electro-funk, post punk, tango, ambience, jazz-fusion, Afro-folk and techno pop, the record is a cultural document of a musical decade transformed after the lifting of restrictions of English language music post Falklands War, and the end of Argentina's military dictatorship. For fans of Ritmo Fantasia compilation, Jonny Rock, Colleen Murphy's Balearic Breakfast compilation.

                                    TRACK LISTING

                                    A1. Carlos Cutaia - Operativo
                                    A2. El Signo - Dimensiones Ocultas (Ric Piccolo Edit)
                                    A3. Ultimate Warriors - Running Away From You
                                    B1. Abaddon - No Es Computable
                                    B2. Toby - Ain't That Better (Harari Edit)
                                    B3. The Originals - Vamos A La Playa
                                    B4. Mike Ribas - Secuencia Sin Consecuencias
                                    C1. Adalberto Cevasco - Reencuentros No 2
                                    C2. Los Moesicos Del Centro - Esquirlas
                                    C3. Divina Gloria - Mediterranee Club
                                    D1. Mike Ribas - Como Son Los Retratos (Harari Edit)
                                    D2. Delight - I Wanna Make You Mine
                                    D3. Gaita - Mueve Tu Cuerpo
                                    E1. Donald - A Ver, A Ver (Ric Piccolo Edit)
                                    E2. Bad Girls - Dance To Dance
                                    E3. Carla Rab - Sexy Films
                                    F1. Los Musicos Del Centro - Aire De Tropicos
                                    F2. Jorge Lopez Ruiz - De Mama Candombe
                                    F3. Jorge Alfano - Fuego

                                    Diving once more into the forgotten corners of the electric Spanish music scene from the 80's and early 90's, Soundway reissue Scan Man's full single "Arabian"

                                    Bringing together a Furious Five retro styled bounce & rhyme and a bite of UK street soul, the track is taken from 2021's hugely popular compilation Ritmo Fantasía. Expect soulful American expat rap layered over sitar-like sounds, and a tumbling, rattling, 808 pattern. Along with the original track and instrumental, DJs Trujillo and Ray Mang serve a souped up instrumental primed for modern dancefloors.

                                    Recorded at the CEV Studios in Madrid, Arabian was the first composition and production of Marcos Manzanares to get an official release. Using an Ensoniq Mirage Sampler (one of the early, affordable synth samplers), and with Stephen Sutton providing the vocals for the track, he first made his entry into the Spanish music scene. A short while later he would go onto make a career for himself under the name of Tension808, releasing with major labels like Sony Music and EMI Chrysalis.

                                    For fans of: Soundway's Ritmo Fantasia compilation, Adonis, 808 State, Inner City, Nu Genea, Afrika Bambaataa

                                    TRACK LISTING

                                    Arabian
                                    Arabian (Instrumental)
                                    Arabian (Mang & Trujillo Long Version)

                                    As the name suggests, Sai Galaxy represents a star-studded cluster of artists from around the world - their varied styles colliding to form a refreshing fusion of classic Afrobeat, disco and West African funk

                                    Drawing from the influence of 70s and 80s Nigerian artists such as Nkono Teles, Jake Sollo and Mike Umoh, the Sai Galaxy collective is on a mission to reproduce the analogue warmth and groove from those decades. Consequently, they lean heavily on 70s production techniques - free from the predictable rigidity of digital sequencing.

                                    Spearheaded by Australian multi-instrumentalist Simon Durrington (from Digital Afrika), the members include Olugbade Okunade - former trumpet player from Seun Kuti's Egypt 80 - as well as guests Gabriel Otu, Ray Lédon and Vanessa Baker.

                                    While the EP seeks to reflect 70s production, glimpses of contemporary elements can be found in the arrangements and harmonies, at times reminiscent of modern artists such as Lord Echo, Bosq and Voilaaa.

                                    As Durrington believes: 'dance is vital to health and community'. And with an EP that urges you to dance from start to finish, consider Sai Galaxy a cosmic tonic for the modern lifestyle. There's also some serious bass weight on the vinyl, meaning the record's gonna more than cut it in the dance. 

                                    For fans of: Kiki Gyan, the "Doing It In Lagos" compilation, Flamingo Pier, Khruangbin, the Space Grapes label, David Mancuso. And yes, it really is that good!

                                    STAFF COMMENTS

                                    Matt says: Stupidly strong, modern afro-disco here from an all star cast of musicians. Hard to pick a favourite track they're all that good! Impressive vinyl pressing too - proper weighty. I like!

                                    TRACK LISTING

                                    Rendezvous Feat. Vanessa Baker
                                    Obio Feat. Gabriel Otu
                                    Don't Wanna Be Your Lover Feat. Raymond Lédon
                                    Get It In The Sun Feat. Olugbade Okunade

                                    Charles Amoah

                                    Sweet Vibration

                                      Following on from the runaway success of Soundway's release of Kiki Gyan's '24 Hours In A Disco', another Ghanaian legend looks to have his time to shine.

                                      One of the most well-known disco and burger highlife artists of the time, Charles Amoah originally began his career as a drummer. Playing with Alex Konadu's band, as well as the likes of Precious Jewels and Nana Tuffour, he then moved to Germany in the early 80s.

                                      His first album 'Sweet Vibration' spawned several hits which went on to be released as separate singles, namely "Scratch My Back" and "Shake Your Body To The Beat".

                                      From the irresistible funk hooks of these singles, to the Lionel Richie-esque instrumentation of "Life's Like Being In A Boxing Ring", or the kraut-rock stylings of "Jungle Rock" - there is little doubt that the blend of disco, funk and highlife that was unique to the Ghanaian-German scene can be experienced in its full splendour on 'Sweet Vibration'.

                                      TRACK LISTING

                                      Shake Your Body To The Beat
                                      Fighting Spirit
                                      Sweet Vibration
                                      Shake Your Body To The Beat (Long Version)
                                      Scratch My Back
                                      Life's Like Being In A Boxing Ring
                                      Jungle Rock
                                      Our Love's On Fire

                                      Various Artists

                                      Ritmo Fantasia

                                        The 21 track selection curated by Trujillo, a Venezuelan producer, DJ and record collector based in Berlin, explores the forgotten corners of the 1980s and early 90s Spanish music scene. Veering through early bleep and hip house, electro, boogie, Iberian pop and much more, it has broad appeal to both Balearic heads and diggers alike. Serendipitously, the cover art for the compilation is an original work by Yves Uro, a figurehead of Ibiza's party scene from the 70s and 80s and whose visionary poster artwork became representative of the white isle.

                                        While some of the artists or producers on the compilation went on to have notable careers, many of the tracks selected here represent "one-offs" for the artists, and on occasion the labels as well. These sometimes self-released, privately-pressed productions, on short-lived imprints with names like Cantos and Prismatic, document the nascent clubland communities - from the capital, to major cities to the north, and east, and also smaller locales, coastal towns such as Marbella, Gijón, and Cádiz. Ritmo Fantasía is the result of over a decade's worth of record collecting by DJ Trujillo, searching out bespoke stores, markets, and dealers. For the first time ever, it brings to light and groups together some hidden gems from an era that without it, would likely remain hidden from view.

                                        TRACK LISTING

                                        Disc 1

                                        1. Puente De Esperanza
                                        2. Amor En El Cielo
                                        3. Me Vas Cantidad
                                        4. I Love My Body

                                        1. Divorcio
                                        2. Déjate Llevar
                                        3. Ciutat
                                        4. Dando Vueltas

                                        Disc 2

                                        1. Tango?
                                        2. Paris Babylone
                                        3. Bianco
                                        4. Flamenco Rap (In The Land Of My Dreams)

                                        1. Arabian
                                        2. Suave
                                        3. Rebelde Silueta

                                        Disc 3

                                        1. No Estas (12" Version)
                                        2. Tabu (Caribbean Dub)
                                        3. Soy Pijo (Boite Pijo Instrumental)

                                        1. Costa Verde
                                        2. Jamás Me Casaría Con Un Pirata
                                        3. Memòries

                                        Thaba

                                        Eyes Rest Their Feet

                                          Thaba is a collaboration between South African singer/songwriter Khusi Seremane and American producer/musician Gabriel Cyr. Tragically in July 2020, while the two were working with Soundway to prepare the release of their first record, Seremane died a few days past his 41st birthday, after battling health issues for several years.

                                          The particular Thaba sound reflects a sonic duality drawing on a double pop heritage of Mbaqanga and Bubblegum artists like The Soul Brothers, Paul Ndlovu and Pat Shange alongside traces of Roxy Music, Grace Jones, Sade, and Talk Talk that’s wrapped up in a modern, electronic, layered, introspective and at times jazz-tinged production style.

                                          Brought together by a shared love of kwaito, 90’s R&B and classic downtempo, Seremane and Cyr collaborated for a decade after meeting online in the halcyon days of Myspace Music. While the pair initially planned for Seramane to guest on a Teleseen track, their ideas eventually evolved into an entire record.

                                          Their debut, Eyes Rest Their Feet, was created remotely over the course of several years, with the core recorded during a 2016 studio session in Cape Town. After returning to New York, Cyr honed these recordings with several Brooklyn based musicians, calling upon members of Antibalas, Underground System, Midnight Magic, Loboko and others. Eyes Rest Their Feet spans genres as well as geography, touching on elements of soul, reggae, synth-pop and beyond, with lyrical themes that explore loneliness and the challenges of human relationships.

                                          Eyes Rest Their Feet not only represents the apex of Seremane’s work as an artist but also a meditation on the transformative power of love and the impermanence of all things.

                                          For fans of: Blood Orange, Young Fathers, Little Dragon, Ntombi Ndaba, Condry Ziqubu, Stimela, Esa Williams, Soundway’s Gumba Fire compilation, Soundway’s Esa Presents Amandla compilation

                                          TRACK LISTING

                                          Old Tapes
                                          Warrior
                                          Vaya Le Nna
                                          Confided
                                          Mungu
                                          Resilient 
                                          Severin
                                          Throw It All Away
                                          Stoma
                                          Brew

                                          Felbm

                                          Tape 3 / Tape 4

                                            Following on from the success of his previous debut album “Tape 1/Tape 2” on Soundway, Felbm delivers Tape 3/Tape 4 - an intimate, emotional, lilting and melodic solo project.  These 14 lo-fi, instrumental, jazz-infused sketches were written on guitar, with cascading keyboards, vibraphone and drum machine. Possessing a restorative and soothing quality, it goes some way to balancing out a chaotic year for the world at large.
                                            With echoes of the dreamier end of 1980s English indie-pop, minimal ambient music and Brazilian bossa-nova, Topper’s musical storybook includes touches of The Durutti Column, hints of Antonio Carlos Jobim and Baden Powell, whilst all set all firmly in the summer fields of Germany and the Netherlands.
                                            The recording method used for the creation and recording of Tape 3 and Tape 4 follows the same as his previous release: all sketches were initially recorded onto cassette on a 4-track tape machine. Most notably a vibraphone finds its way onto almost every track fitting Topper’s sound-palette perfectly: warm yet distinctive, a percussive as well as sustaining sound that evokes some melancholy and a certain timeless nostalgia. Features that most certainly also apply to the other ‘new’ instrument on the tapes: mellotron flutes.
                                            Tape 3/Tape 4 navigates the space between quiet, open, meditative tunes and more solid instrumental works, reflecting his constant search for an optimal balance between stillness and movement.


                                            TRACK LISTING

                                            Filatelie
                                            Tartufai
                                            Tiquetonne
                                            Veluwe
                                            Herausweh
                                            Talmen
                                            Heisei
                                            Brunnengasse
                                            Colorists
                                            Langeweile
                                            Beaufort
                                            Somnambulant 
                                            Regtur
                                            Midori

                                            Various Artists

                                            Body Beat: Soca-Dub And Electronic Calypso (1979-98)

                                              17 obscure Soca B-side versions, dubs, instrumentals and edits as well as vocal tracks influenced by disco, boogie, house-music, soul and the more conscious lyrics of roots reggae. Owing as much to New York, Toronto and London as to the Caribbean cities of Port of Spain, Bridgetown and Kingstown this compilation traces the genre from its explosion in the late 1970s right up to the period just before contemporary soca became established around the end of the 1990s. Compiled by Soundway Records label founder Miles Cleret and DJ/collector Jeremy Spellacey, Body Beat, as with many compilations on the label, explores the fringes of this often maligned (by outsiders) genre. Boiled down to the bare bones of the matter though: soca is party music.

                                              Soca was originally a re-invention of Calypso music; a genre that in the 1970s was fast becoming usurped around the Caribbean by Jamaican reggae and American soul, funk and later disco. The originator of soca (or sokah as he called it), the calypsonian Lord Shorty, began experimenting and modernising on the formulation of calypso in the early 1970s. His first album featured a strong emphasis on East African rhythms and a punchier recording style that emphasised the beat, and introduced arrangements that often owed as much to American funk and soul as to calypso.

                                              Filled with up-tempo tracks from start to finish, the compilation’s lead single “I Want Your Love” by Peter Britto is a soca-house number which originally came out on NYC-based label Hometown Music in 1998. It features the recognisable soca synth beat, along with Caribbean steel drums and horns - but with the obvious influence of New York’s booming house scene, making it an ultimate crossover track for club dancefloors and carnivals alike.

                                              So here you go - seventeen slabs of soca crossover, rapso, electronic calypso, and Caribbean ‘soca-soul’ for your enjoyment - and bound to fit well into modern, open-minded DJ sets alongside the resurgence of burger-highlife, digi-reggae, soukous and zouk.

                                              TRACK LISTING

                                              Cito Jarvis - Fighting Soldier
                                              Roger Bain - Stand Up & Rock Your Body (Instrumental)
                                              *D* Ivan - Fire (Extended Dub Edit)
                                              Bill Campbell - Body Beat
                                              Brother Resistance - Move It (Version)
                                              Adonijah - It’s Alright
                                              Peter Britto - I
                                              Want Your Love
                                              Juno D - Hotter And Hotter (Dub Edit)
                                              Colin Jackman - D’Jab
                                              Jab Dance (Bad Lad Mix)
                                              Levi John - S-O-C-A
                                              Spiking - Liberation Train
                                              Mohjah - Zion Gates (Dub)
                                              Andre Tanker - Wild Indian Band
                                              Touch - Touch Music (Edit)
                                              D’ Rebel Band - Solid
                                              The Millers - Last Days
                                              Chocolate Affaire - Jump To Calypso

                                              Gabriele Poso

                                              Batik

                                                Future Afro-Latin jazz house from Italian master percussionist, multi-
                                                instrumentalist and composer Gabriele Poso. Featuring guest vocalists Nailah Porter, Nina Rodriguez, Quetzal Guerrero & Sofia Rollo. Following a long-term collaborative partnership with Osunlade / Yoruba Records, as well as albums on BBE and Agogo Records, on ‘Batik’ Poso further develops and matures his sound - exploring his extensive roots in Afro-Cuban percussion, while delving into the realms of jazz and soulful house. Much of the album features Poso on not only vocals but many of the instruments - including percussion, guitar and kalimba. With mixing by renowned Spanish DJ and producer Kiko Navarro, the lead single “Africa Linda” is an up tempo live take on Latin house, featuring American-born soul singer Quetzal Guerrero on vocals.

                                                TRACK LISTING

                                                Batik
                                                Black Sand
                                                Equitoreal
                                                Xango
                                                Suite For Tambores
                                                Africa Linda
                                                Sokere
                                                Kumave
                                                Lime Tree

                                                Lord Echo

                                                Curiosities

                                                  Soundway Records completes the Lord Echo album collection, finally reissuing the second album in the trilogy from the in-demand New Zealand multi-instrumentalist and producer. Originally released in 2013, ‘Curiosities’ is now available as a DJ friendly double LP for the first time.  The entirely self-produced album blends jazz with disco-tinged neo-soul, reggae and classic afro-beat in effortless manner - and joins the dots between the more downtempo first album ‘Melodies’ and the disco, electronic, club-ready of his third album ‘Harmonies’.
                                                  The album also features a dub-funk cover of Pharoah Sanders’ “The Creator Has A Master Plan”, with vocals from Lisa Tomlins.

                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                  Endless Dawn
                                                  Bohemian Idol (feat. Toby Laing)
                                                  Digital Haircut
                                                  Street Knowledge
                                                  Molten Lava (feat. Leila Adu)
                                                  Put It In My Head (feat. Mara TK)
                                                  The Creator Has A Master Plan (feat. Lisa Tomlins)
                                                  Ghost Hands
                                                  What Is That Feeling / Arabesque

                                                  Here the ever reliable Soundway Records reissue Free Youth’s long sought-after 1985 single “We Can Move” - one of the first known examples of Ghanaian hip hop, emerging at the dawn of ‘hip-life’ (hip hop meets highlife). It was the trio’s only release and originally pressed on 7” vinyl, but now comes fully restored, remastered and available for the first time on 12” vinyl along with the original cover art.
                                                  Free Youth comprised three main members: Terry “Sir Robot” Bright, Lenny “Nii Addy” Dimple, and Abednego “King Abed” Ayim Bright. In the early 80s they began performing in clubs and parties across Accra, with friends and other dancers occasionally joining them on stage - including Reggie Rockstone, who later went on to find global stardom.
                                                  In 1985, the band were approached by a producer and invited to record at a local studio. Without having written down any music, Terry, Lenny and Abed sang the parts and beatboxed the rhythms to the session musicians prior to recording. Out of this session came “We Can Move”, a blend of hip-hop and Afro-funk with a proto disco-boogie beat, punchy trumpet riffs and melodic rap flow.
                                                  Included in this Soundway release is an exclusive instrumental cover version from Welsh ensemble Drymbago. This replaces the original B side track “Freedom Video Centre” which was an advertising jingle for a business associated with their former producer.

                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                  We Can Move
                                                  We Can Move (Drymbago 2019 Instrumental Version)

                                                  George & Glen Miller

                                                  Easing

                                                    After furnishing us with a fine reissue of the Rebbles' take on "Sweetest Taboo", Soundway stick with the Caribbean, bringing us another soca-tinged treat from music's forgotten past. Long since a holy grail for dance floor diggers, George & Glen Miller's 1979 groover "Easing" perfectly encapsulates the melting pot of late seventies NYC, fusing disco, soul and soca into a swooning, soaring triumph. Restored, remastered and cut loud for the dancefloor, the 12” single features the original vocal on the A-side and the essential instrumental on the flip.

                                                    The Miller brother’s musical journey began in Trinidad and Tobago in the early 70s. During their teenage years they formed The Groovy Millers - a five piece band made up of George, Glen and their three siblings. After a chance meeting with Lord Shorty, they went on to collaborate with one of the Soca stars of the time and firmly plant their feet in the Soca scene of the musically rich Caribbean island.

                                                    Of the five siblings it was George and Glen that pursued a career in music, and in the late 70s the two brothers made the move to North America to develop their music style. Disco dominated the airwaves at the time and a studio session with the prolific Frankie McIntosh resulted in the masterpiece that is ‘Easing’.

                                                    Drawing influence from the blossoming disco and soul scene, George and Glen added Caribbean flavour to the New York sound to startling effect. Soft, subtle keys and guitars are punctuated with layered trumpet and violin riffs, complimenting George’s silken, restrained vocal. Frankie McIntosh’s arrangement shines through with what might be his finest work, placing this track on the mantle with other New York classics of the time.

                                                    TRACK LISTING

                                                    Easing
                                                    Easing (Version)

                                                    Rebles

                                                    Sweetest Taboo (Soca)

                                                      Soundway Records ventures back to the Caribbean: re-mastering and reissuing the original classic 12” single “Sweetest Taboo (Soca)” by Rebles. In the late 80s, as electronic music permeated popular culture, Rebles helped define the soca genre outside of the Caribbean. A wider audience was reached via this cover of Sade’s hit 1985 song “Sweetest Taboo”, with its distinctive synth hook and drum machine picking up the pace, helping push the version to late night dancefloors.

                                                      Also known as D’ Rebel’s Band, the group were the house band for prolific Caribbean label Strakers Records, based in New York, through which this single was originally released. Lead member Denniston Young was a founding member of the disco-soca group Asterisks. He went on to work with many calypso and soca artists, earning plaudits for his composition and musicianship - including from his cousin, legendary calypsonian composer Alston Becket Cyrus, who had hoped to work with him but missed the opportunity before Young passed away in 2009.

                                                      For fans of: Sade, Shadow's "Sweet Sweet Dreams” album, the “Beach Diggin” compilations and of course, Soundway regulars and collectors. 


                                                      TRACK LISTING

                                                      Sweetest Taboo (Soca)
                                                      Taboo (Club Mix)

                                                      Penny Penny

                                                      Shilungu

                                                        Ahead of Esa's "Amandla: Music To The People" comp, Soundway hit us with a heavyweight 12" featuring Penny Penny's impossible to find 2001 kwaito house smasher "Shilingu" with a fresh remix on the flip. The original is a super tough, hypnotic, percussive, groove-driven anthem featuring chanting in Tsonga, celebrating South African icon Penny Penny’s Shangaani roots. On the flip is the acid-soaked “Shilungu (Esa & Mervin Granger ‘99 Mix)”, re-interpreting the track with key elements from the original which are extended into a late night, Chicago House influenced chugger. Esa Williams is an ambassador for the South African music scene within the crowded landscape of the European nightlife - balancing a hectic DJ schedule, a monthly radio show on Worldwide FM and various live projects. 

                                                        STAFF COMMENTS

                                                        Matt says: Ooh yeah. Nice bit of tribal house action to keep me bouncing in my chair this Thursday afternoon. Back with a deep and techno Esa & Granger mix I'm sure you'll be hearing me and Mr. Levi Love smashing this record out at the heady summer dances...

                                                        TRACK LISTING

                                                        Shilungu
                                                        Shilungu (Esa & Mervin Granger ‘99 Mix)

                                                        Felbm

                                                        Tape 1 / Tape 2

                                                          Soundway Records' latest vinyl release offers two chapters of instrumental, lo-fi dreamscapes, exquisite homemade musical sketches, and ethereal jazz harmonies recorded direct to two cassettes.

                                                          In the Felbm project, Dutch multi-instrumentalist Eelco Topper steps away from his previous synthesiser-laden sounds as Falco Benz, towards a much looser, simpler and sketch-like approach. Picking up a number of acoustic instruments, he began experimenting with a Tascam 4-track tape recorder and allowed these sketches to flourish.
                                                          The result is Tape 1 and Tape 2, a two-part project stretching across fifteen tracks - encompassing fluttering piano melodies, subtle jazz drums, rumba rhythms and soothing ambience. The jazz element links back to Topper’s childhood. “I grew up playing drums, switched to playing piano at sixteen and in the meantime I produced hip-hop beats,” he recalls. “I went to study jazz piano at the Utrecht Conservatory, which I finished with pain and effort… I was interested more in electronic and present-day music.”

                                                          This mix of being rooted in traditional jazz composition whilst searching for something more contemporary is the perfect encapsulation of these recordings. Tape 1’s jazz roots are palpable and as things move into Tape 2, it takes on a neo-classical, psychedelic soundscape and cinematic quality.

                                                          “Tape 1” and “Tape 2” digital EP are released separately, but the full album download comes with the vinyl album “Tape 1 / Tape 2”.
                                                          Vinyl album comes with dual front cover that can be flipped over, reflecting the project’s 2 segment structure.

                                                          TRACK LISTING

                                                          A1. Birkelunden
                                                          A2. Funicular
                                                          A3. Monolocale
                                                          A4. Sternenhimmel
                                                          A5. Bladerdek
                                                          A6. Memoirists
                                                          A7. Sakura
                                                          B1. Tandem
                                                          B2. Anderstein
                                                          B3. Birkach
                                                          B4. Herfstzon
                                                          B5. Maktene
                                                          B6. When It Rains
                                                          B7. Samensmelten
                                                          B8. Takumi

                                                          The Mauskovic Dance Band

                                                          The Mauskovic Dance Band

                                                            Entirely self-produced, the band has reiterated their favourite elements of the 70s legacy of the Afro-Latin psychedelic music of Colombia and Peru, interpreting it through the context of modern day Amsterdam. The output is a No Wave groove all its own, rooted in a deep love of champeta, Palenque, psychedelic cumbia, chichi, classic afrobeat and pic soundsystem culture.

                                                            Since the release of their successful “Down In The Basement EP” on Soundway Records in early 2018, the band have found themselves on a hectic touring schedule - not to mention being involved in other exciting side projects. Following stints with Turkish psychedelic folk rock group Altin Gun, and touring with the re-formed 70s Zamrock outfit W.I.T.C.H., Nic Mauskovic also teamed up with Dutch neo-psychedelic artist Jacco Gardner to form the “cinematic Balearic disco” duo of Bruxas (released by Dutch institution Dekmantel) - and together, he and Jacco mixed The Mauskovic Dance Band debut album in Lisbon.

                                                            Constantly in demand for live shows - not only does The Mauskovic Dance Band’s music flourish on stage particularly in a club, this time it was made in one. The album was recorded in the storage space of Amsterdam’s Garage Noord, a recent addition to the scene but already a favourite amongst clubgoers for its forward-thinking programming. Its industrial yet intimate nature permeates the album, lending it a pulsing, hypnotic and hazy atmosphere.

                                                            Heavily championed by DJs and tastemakers, they were selected by Gilles Peterson for the Brownswood Bubblers Thirteen compilation and nominated for Track of the Year at the Worldwide Awards in London. But 2019 marks the year to deep dive into the “percussione and spazio” sound of The Mauskovic Dance Band.

                                                            TRACK LISTING

                                                            Drinks By The Sea
                                                            Space Drum Machine
                                                            Same Heads
                                                            Dance Place Garage
                                                            Alto In Vacanza
                                                            Late Night People
                                                            Percussione & Spazio Sounds
                                                            It’s The Wrong Goodie

                                                            Dexter Story

                                                            Bahir

                                                              Dexter Story is an artistic spirit in the truest sense of the phrase. From his work as a multi-instrumentalist for acts like the Sa-Ra Creative Partners, to his management role with Snoop Dogg and his turn producing Dayme Arocena’s 2017 album Cubafonia, Story understands the business from every conceivable angle. But over the past four years, Story has experienced a rebirth, a realignment of focus towards his own musical vision and story.

                                                              Initially inspired by the music and cultures pervasive throughout the Horn of Africa, Story translated his experiences into the album Wondem, followed closely by the single Wejene Aola featuring jazz luminary Kamasi Washington, both on Soundway Records. If Wondem was a brief glance into Story’s new creative vision, Bahir is a pinpoint refinement of that purpose.

                                                              On Bahir, he melds his world into the one he fell in love with so strongly while in Africa. One way in which he’s done so is by incorporating musicians from both sides of this coin. LA luminaries are featured throughout, as are African contemporaries he encountered throughout his travels.

                                                              Sudan Archives gives a show-stealing vocal performance on “Gold”, while the Ethiopian producer Endeguena Mulu adds impenetrable and psychedelic texture to the album’s title track.

                                                              So Bahir finds the polymath musician not stuck between two worlds, but as a member of both. We get Ethiopian jazz tonalities, Tuareg grooves, ekista dance rhythms, Afro-funk, Somalian soul and forays into more contemporary jazz rhythms, too. Angelenos like Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and Josef Leimberg give the record its backbone, while African artists like the Ethiopian singer Hamelmal Abate give Bahir its glimmer and shine.

                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                              Techawit
                                                              Bila (feat. Kibrom Birhane)
                                                              Gold (feat. Sudan Archives)
                                                              Electric Gurage
                                                              Mamdooh
                                                              Buna Be Chow (feat. Jimetta Rose)
                                                              Ras (feat. Haile Supreme)
                                                              Jijiga Jijiya (feat. Marie Daulne)
                                                              Desta’s Groove / Shuruba
                                                              Song (feat. Hamelmal Abate)
                                                              Bahir (feat. Endeguena Mulu)
                                                              Abebaye (feat.Marie Daulne)

                                                              Shaluza Max / Tabu Ley Rochereau

                                                              Manganese / Hafi Deo

                                                                Soundway Records present a special summer tribute double A-side 12" with two tracks from African musicians that both passed away within a couple of months of each other at the end of 2013 / start of 2014. Both tracks are perfect summer tropical DJ box essentials for the dancefloor.

                                                                On the first side South African singer Shaluza Max's massive Mashkandi / house anthem from 2002 gets a first release on vinyl. This track was a huge hit in South Africa and around the world on its release. With a soaring Zulu vocal and big sound it's a fitting reminder of a very talented musician who worked as a very well respected producer, composer and arranger. He died tragically young at the age of 47 in January of 2014.

                                                                On the flip we drop a fairly unknown track from the mid 1980s from one of the biggest names in African music, Tabu Ley Rochereau. A kind of almost Balearic proto-house congolese pop cut with drum machines and trademark sweet Congo horn section, 'Hafi Deo' is a beautiful track that fell into obscurity outside the Congo by perhaps being too smooth for the 'world music' crowd in the mid 80s. Tabu Ley passed away in November 2013 in his late 70s with over 250 albums and 3000 songs to his name. A true pioneer of the Congolese soukous sound, he was also one of the most influential African musicians of his generation.


                                                                TRACK LISTING

                                                                Shaluza Max - Mangese
                                                                Tabu Ley Rochereau - Hafi Deo

                                                                Jon K / Pat Thomas

                                                                Asafo / Enye Woa

                                                                  Those effin heroes at Soundway hit us with the first in a new series of 12” releases aimed at making hard-to-find and in-demand dancefloor tracks available again on loud DJfriendly pressings. These two late 1980s Ghanaian highlife cuts are taken from the catalogue of Nakasi Records. Nakasi was run by the late producer Nana Asiedu (Big Joe) - a well-known figure in the Ghanaian and African music community of 1980s London.
                                                                  The A-side showcases a track from Jon K’s second solo album, which was a reworking of a traditional Fanti language Asafo company song "Asafo Beesuon". Made famous by C.K.Mann on his seminal album ‘Funky Highlife’, this version very much reflects the more westernised late 1980s sound of highlife music recorded in the UK, Holland, Canada and Germany for both ex-pat Ghanaian audiences and those back home in West Africa.
                                                                  On the B-side, Pat Thomas (the brother in-law of Big Joe) needs little introduction having been touring the world extensively in recent years with the Kwashibu Area Band. Somehow this dancefloor-heavy cut has eluded recent compilations and reissues. With horns arranged by long time friend and collaborator Ebo Taylor, it’s an instantly recognisable sound that also features Rex Gyamfi - himself a well-known purveyor of 1980s ‘burger-highlife’

                                                                  STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                  Patrick says: Not only does this 12" carry the Soundway seal of approval, it also lands in our lap with a scorching flip of traditional fanti song Asafo Beesuon, which you may know from CK Mann's "Funky Highlife". You probably don't know this killer late 80s version which tears the floor up somewhere between boogie, house and Afro-funk - in other words, essential tackle!

                                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                                  Jon K - Asafo
                                                                  Pat Thomas - Enye Woa

                                                                  Grupo Controle Digital

                                                                  A Festa E Nossa

                                                                  Soundway Records delivers a beautifully remastered reissue of Brazilian duo Grupo Controle Digital’s only album, “A Festa E Nossa”. First released in 1988, the album is now housed in a tip-on heavyweight sleeve with restored artwork. With the title track “A Festa E Nossa” having recently circulated the last few years in the DJ sets of influential tastemakers, the album has become highly sought after by electronic fans and collectors alike. Lo-fi synths and cruising bass lines permeate the record, influenced by the group’s Brazilian contemporaries at the time such as Tim Maia, Claudio Zoli, Secos E Molhados, and rock outfit Made In Brazil.

                                                                  Band members Billy Jaguar and Gel Valiery regularly performed in various groups in Sao Paulo throughout the 80s and 90s, but after Gel passed away, Grupo Controle Digital was no more - the band and the album faded into obscurity and Billy became a priest, working with gospel music. It remained that way until Brazilian DJ Millos Kaiser (from label Selva Discos, and one half of the Brazilian street party group Selvagem) tracked down the remaining member of Grupo Controle Digital to be able to include one of their tracks on the highly anticipated Soundway compilation “Onda De Amor: Synthesized Brazilian Hits That Never Were (1984-94)”, which was released in July 2018.

                                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                                  Noite Eterna
                                                                  Zero Grau
                                                                  Sentimentos
                                                                  O Gato E O Rato
                                                                  Vital O Marginal
                                                                  A Festa E Nossa
                                                                  Paanico Geral
                                                                  Mundo Cao
                                                                  Primavera
                                                                  Barra
                                                                  Pesada

                                                                  Various Artists

                                                                  Onda De Amor: Synthesized Brazilian Hits That Never Were (1984-94)

                                                                    Some crate-digging compilations are often the result of someone handpicking their choice favourites from another country’s musical history, perhaps unaware or uninvolved with its cultural lineage in the process. On Soundway’s latest release - a treasure trove of synth jams, pop, samba boogie, balearic and electro from 1980 & ‘90s Brazil - the tracks are picked by Millos Kaiser, one half of the Brazilian duo Selvagem, who are at the helm of throwing some of the country’s best dance parties. It’s a rare compilation that offers Brazilian music actually picked by a Brazilian.

                                                                    Whilst names such as Ricardo Bomba, Villa Box, Fogo Baiano, Electric Boogies and Batista Junior may not be household names, they tell an untold, yet rich and important part of musical history in Brazil. If the 80s has a bad reputation amongst traditionalists in Brazil then the 1990s are even more derived and deplored. This going against the grain and plucking gold from such forgotten periods is what makes this such a charming, unique, character-loaded and fascinating collection of music. It’s a release that is loaded with smooth grooves, bubbling bass, glistening synthesisers, funk strutting guitar lines and sheen of production that undeniably marks it of its time.

                                                                    For Kaiser this compilation is about reintroducing music during a period of reappraisal, catching a new wave and hoping contemporary listeners will ride it with him. “The idea is to do justice to these songs. Songs that combine all the right ingredients that should have put them on radio playlists when I was growing up or at least in the cases of more adventurous DJs”.

                                                                    Millos Kaiser is a DJ, digger, vinyl junkie/dealer born in Rio de Janeiro and living in Sao Paulo for the past 8 years. He launched the dance party/club night Selvagem with partner Trepanado in 2010, bringing thousands of dancers one Sunday a month to a public square in the heart of Sao Paulo.

                                                                    As both a solo artist and part of the DJ duo with Trepanado, Millos Kaiser has played all over Brazil as well as touring in the US and Europe, including festivals such as Dekmantel. Selvagem has also had remixes and edits released on labels such as Disco Halal, Disco Deviance, Hello Sailor, Music For Dreams and Beats In Space Records

                                                                    STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                    Patrick says: Selvagem's Milos further cements his reputation as a total gee with this sunny set of MPB, Balearic boogie and synth-funk winners from his native Brazil. There's plenty of paradise to go around, but I'd suggest you start with V Nia Bastos' stellar Sade cover...

                                                                    TRACK LISTING

                                                                    Ricardo Bomba - Voc Vai Se Lembrar
                                                                    V Nia Bastos - Tabu (The Sweetest Taboo)
                                                                    Rosana Mendes & Grupo Veneno - Reague 
                                                                    Grupo Controle Digital - A Festa Nossa 
                                                                    Villa Box - Break De Rua (Vers O Longa)
                                                                    Batista Junior - Cheira
                                                                    Dado Brazzawilly - Saramandaia
                                                                    Anacy Arcanjo - Toque Tambor 
                                                                    Fogo Baiano - O Fogo Do Sol
                                                                    Dod Da Bahia & As Virgens De Porto Seguro - Africamerica
                                                                    Via Negromonte - Love Is All
                                                                    Electric Boogies - Electric Boogies
                                                                    Os Abelhudos - Contos De Escola (Millos Kaiser Edit)
                                                                    Nanda Rossi - Livre Pra Voar (Millos Kaiser Edit)
                                                                    Andr Melo - Onda De Amor
                                                                    Regi O Abissal - Feminina Mulher (Instrumental)

                                                                    The Mauskovic Dance Band

                                                                    Down In The Basement EP

                                                                      Soundway Records presents “Down In The Basement”, the debut EP from The Mauskovic Dance Band - a heady, tropical blend of cumbia, Afro- Caribbean rhythms and space disco, resulting in a vibrant hypnotic groove destined for bustling dancefloors. The Mauskovic Dance Band is the brainchild of the Amsterdam-based producer and musician, Nicola Mauskovic. A seasoned drummer, he finds himself constantly in demand - as part of Turkish psychedelic outfit Altin Gun, a recent tour with the revival of Zambian legends W.I.T.C.H., and a worldwide tour with psych-pop artist Jacco Gardner, with whom he then went on to form the dance-oriented duo Bruxas (released on Dekmantel).

                                                                      Throughout this hectic schedule Nic still found time to begin studio experiments that would eventually lead to several 7” singles, released on Swiss label Bongo Joe Records in 2017 under the name “The Mauskovic Dance Band”. Following this, he tapped long-time collaborators Donnie Mauskovic (vocals, keys, effects), Em Nix Mauskovic (guitar, synth, percussion), and Mano Mauskovic (bass) to make the jump from record to stage. Soon they caught the ear of fabled underground Cumbia producer Juan Hundred, who left his home on a Caribbean island to join the band on drums.

                                                                      With each band member of varying heritage, the group draws inspiration from diverse genres: primarily Afro-Colombian styles such as champeta, palenque, cumbia and the pic soundsystem culture, as well as the Afro-Disco and No-Wave scenes in their current base of Amsterdam. The city’s hotbed of underground producers has also brought an electronic edge to the band, with vintage drum machines and synthesizers effortlessly melding with Afro-Latin rhythms and slick guitar riffs to create a contemporary sound rich with cultural influence.


                                                                      STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                      Millie says: The Mauskovic Dance Band providing all the tropical disco grooves, bright and zesty this is the exact sort of twelve inch to get the Summer vibes in full swing. Take a listen and float to a faraway island of your choice, ahhhhh.

                                                                      Various Artists

                                                                      Gumba Fire: Bubblegum Soul & Synth Boogie In 1980s South Africa

                                                                        Compilers Miles Cleret (Soundway) and DJ Okapi (Afrosynth Records) present a selection of 18 rare, handpicked 1980s cuts that highlight the period that nestles in between the ‘70s (where American-influenced jazz, funk and soul bumped shoulders with local Mbaqanga) and the ‘90s when Kwaito and eventually house-music ruled the dancefloors of urban South Africa.
                                                                        In 1980s black South Africa a local form of pop music evolved as the disco boom died down and slowly mutated. It was often ubiquitously described as Bubblegum - usually stripped-down and lo-fi with a predominance of synths, keyboards and drum-machines and overlaid with the kind of deeply soulful trademark vocals and harmonies that South African music is famous for. Alongside French-Caribbean Zouk this kind of music has slowly been making its way into the DJ sets of many of the most open minded selectors around the world. This compilation is in many ways a sister release to the hugely popular compilation of Nigerian boogie and disco that Soundway released in late 2016 : “Doing it In Lagos: Boogie, Pop & Disco in 1980s Nigeria”.
                                                                        The album takes its name from the band Ashiko’s track of the same name Gumba Fire that features on the compilation. The term is derived from gumba gumba, the term given to the booming speakers of the old spacegram radios that broadcast music into South Africa’s townships and villages. The phrase later evolved into Gumba Fire to refer to a hot party. Put this record on and feel the heat!


                                                                        STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                        Patrick says: As we seem to have reached the end of the great Afro disco excavation (I joke, I hear a new banger every two weeks), things jump forward from the disco era to the time of boogie and proto house with this mega collection of bubble gum bangers selected by Soundway and Afrosynth boss DJ Okapi. Everything on here is excellent, but Condry Ziqubu's "She's Impossible" is way in demand, and this is your only chance to get it without breaking the bank.

                                                                        TRACK LISTING

                                                                        LP 1:
                                                                        The Survivals - My Brother
                                                                        Stimela - Mind Games
                                                                        Hot Soul Singers - Hlala Nami
                                                                        Zoom - Wayawaya
                                                                        Ashiko - Gumba Fire (Madlakadlaka) 
                                                                        Monwa & Sun - Heartbeat

                                                                        LP 2:
                                                                        Ntombi Ndaba - Do You Trust Amajita?
                                                                        The Black Five - Selallane 
                                                                        Starlight - Picnicing
                                                                        Zasha - Hayi Ngodlame
                                                                        Joshiba - Gloria
                                                                        Sabela - Africa

                                                                        LP 3:
                                                                        Condry Ziqubu - She’s Impossible /
                                                                        General Peter Maringa - Listen To Me
                                                                        Zasha - Arrow Dub
                                                                        Ozila - Wola Wola

                                                                        CD:
                                                                        The Survivals - My Brother
                                                                        Stimela - Mind Games
                                                                        Hot Soul Singers - Hlala Nami
                                                                        Zoom - Wayawaya
                                                                        Ashiko - Gumba Fire (Madlakadlaka) 
                                                                        Monwa & Sun - Heartbeat
                                                                        Ntombi Ndaba - Do You Trust Amajita? 
                                                                        The Black Five - Selallane
                                                                        Starlight - Picnicing 
                                                                        Zasha - Hayi Ngodlame
                                                                        Sabela - Africa
                                                                        Condry Ziqubu - She’s Impossible
                                                                        General Peter Maringa - Listen To Me 
                                                                        Zasha - Arrow Dub
                                                                        Ozila - Wola Wola

                                                                        Diron Animal

                                                                        Alone

                                                                          The mighty Soundway Records keep their relentless release schedule right on wallet emptying track this week with the debut solo album from the ever-energetic Diron Animal, lead singer of the band Throes + The Shine. "Alone" offers infectiously rhythmic dance music from the Angolan streets, fusing electronic production with traditional music.  Born and raised in the Angolan ghetto of Cazenga, the now Portuguese-based instrumentalist’s new record is a melting pot of musical styles and cultures. “I come from tribal music” says Diron. “I had a traditional music group, then I moved to a Capoeira group where I was a main corrido and I played batuque. Around that time I also started introducing Hip Hop and Kuduro styles. Then I mixed Kuduro with Hip Hop and Kuduro with Rock. Now I am making music for all people and all ages.” With a foot firmly set in his ghetto roots, the album is a personal exploration: “Cazenga is a place where a lot of the Angolan dances were invented, where children roam around barefoot and have no food but can transform their struggles into creativity”, says Diron.
                                                                          This movement and struggle is at the core of the new record. Traditional African styles blended with Portugal’s frenetic electronic music style, culminate in a vibrant, energetic and rhythmic record that deals in both adversity and positivity. Furthermore, spell-binding rhythms, bass hooks and original lyrics abound, spanning Portuguese, Kimbundu and English. On “NCrazy”, he teams up with celebrated South African rapper Spoek Mathambo to portray life in the ghetto - a place where children may roam around barefoot and food is scarce - but where a positive attitude could be the difference between breaking free or not.

                                                                          TRACK LISTING

                                                                          Kema
                                                                          Ghetto Ghetto
                                                                          Love Family
                                                                          Oxala Kuanbote
                                                                          Don’t Stop
                                                                          Diculo
                                                                          Bitch My Love
                                                                          LM
                                                                          Help

                                                                          Lord Echo

                                                                          The Sweetest Meditation Remixes

                                                                            Lord Echo have quickly risen to fame through three impeccable albums which have seen New Zealand's Mike Fabs become a regular fixture in the more discernable record shops throughout the world. Three different mixes of "The Sweetest Meditation", taken from his "Harmonies" album released earlier this year. The A-side features the original mix (present here for the first time at 45RPM) alongside a re-vamped club version. Both allow the lucious arrangement and instrumentation plenty of room and space to make their impact. The song has a definite structure, with verses, choruses and instrumental bridge sections beautifully penned and well sequenced. I guess the club version buffs up the kick and the low end a bit more to carry it across the party island speaker stacks that this track so well deserves. On the flip Julien Dyne offers up his own intrepetation of the stems - keeping that upbeat funky vibe but switching up the instrumentation - replacing organic with electronic and adding bucket loads of synthy goodness. Finally, if you thought you'd had enough we get an excellent, tropical island 'dub' to complete the package. 


                                                                            Brand new signing XOA maintains a foundation in broken beat and house music, while drawing from classic afrobeat, funk and jazz - making this release more right-now than a fake news feed about Kim Jong Un. Headed up by multi-instrumentalist (and Gentleman’s Dub Club member) Nick Tyson, XOA fuses golden era 1970s afrobeat with deep grooves and contemporary electronic productions sizzling with analogue synths, guitars and percussive rhythms. Collaboration has always been at the heart of the project, with an emphasis on live instrumentation, crucial to transmitting a rich energy on the tracks.

                                                                            Hailing from London, Tyson has been building a keen following with his live gigs and DJ sets, including a sell-out live show at the Jazz Cafe featuring Eva Lazarus and Dele Sosimi on vocals. The new release on Soundway reflects his steady progression towards sophisticated production and collaborative processes, as well as his ability to effortlessly cross multiple genres.


                                                                            TRACK LISTING

                                                                            Mass
                                                                            Mon Ecole
                                                                            Diaspora
                                                                            Echoes

                                                                            The Movers

                                                                            Kansas City

                                                                              Soundway's reissue experts strike gold once again with a fresh press of this 1979 Township disco funk masterpiece from one of South Africa’s most prolific bands of that era. Incredibly rare and highly coveted, "Kansas City" sees The Movers groove through a relentless sequence of irresistible basslines, infectious percussion and wild guitar licks. The Movers enjoyed huge success in the 1970s, releasing album after album of ground-breaking sounds, including fusions of South African marabi jazz, funk, disco and jive. The line up of the band shifted throughout its existence - however this particular album produced by David Thekwane features musicians Jabu Sibumbe, L Rhikoti, Lloyd Lelosa and Sankie Chounyane. 

                                                                              STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                              Patrick says: Afro disco fire right here! The Movers bring the grooves from start to finish on this funked up LP, providing plenty of ammunition for the DJs out there. Standouts include "For Your Love" stylings of "Kansas City" or the sequencer driven cosmic funk of "Funky Fly".

                                                                              Msafiri Zawose

                                                                              Uhamiaji

                                                                                Rarely heard Tanzanian gogo music meets slick electronic production, for a borderless but powerful fusion sound. Tanzania’s Msafiri Zawose has been one of the biggest slept-on musical forces from the region, but all that is about to change with the imminent arrival of a new album that will redefine the boundaries of gogo music. The Wagogo people are Msafiri’s traditionally nomadic tribe from the center of the Tanzania, known for their musicality and made famous by Hukwe Zawose - Msafiri’s father, who toured the world as a part of Peter Gabriel’s Real World roster in the 80s and 90s. The album has been produced in collaboration with Sam Jones from Sound Thread, whose recent works with Orlando Julius and remixes for Mugwisa International and Sarabi have been rapturously received.
                                                                                The tracks remain profoundly ‘gogo’ with traditional instruments and singing, but are infused with an organic electronic aesthetic. This is an afro-futurist journey that takes in dub, Balearic, ambient and electronic vibrations alongside Zawose’s hypnotic playing and emotive, plaintive vocals.

                                                                                STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                Patrick says: Hypnotic, percussive and trance inducing grooves from Msafiri Zawose here. Fusing traditional rhythms and melodies with buzzing synth bass, off kilter mallets and fx abuse, the Tanzanian musician has created a killer LP which should find favour with the more exotic fringes of the disco/Balearic communities.

                                                                                Steve Monite / Tabu Ley Rochereau

                                                                                Only You / Hafi Deo - Frankie Francis / Nick The Record & Dan Tyler Edits

                                                                                The ever-reliable Soundway come more than correct this week with a vinyl only DJ 12" featuring two mega re-edits of GIANT Afro dancers from Steve Monite and Tabu Ley Rochereau. Now a firm favourite in many a DJ's record bag, Nigerian disco-boogie king Steve Monite's hit "Only You" (featured on Soundway's recent "Doing It In Lagos" compilation), is given a rework by Sofrito's own Frankie Francis. Frankie switches up the arrangement, boosts that pinging bassline and adds a little extra club thwomp to deliver a definitive dance floor mix of this Afro-disco bomb. Sublime synthlines, impassioned vocals and insane space echo fly at you from all sides as this masterpiece unites the club in bass-led ecstasy. On the B-side, Nick The Record teams up with Idjut Boys' Dan Tyler to take on "Hafi Deo" - a beautiful taste of breezy tropical Congolese pop from Tabu Ley Rochereau. Dubbing out most of the vocals, tweaking the arrangements and adding the requisite amount of tape delay, Nick and Dan reshape this proto-house scorcher in time honoured fashion. Imagine hearing Boyd Jarvis and Shep Pettibone back to back in a Congolese jungle - ace!

                                                                                STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                Patrick says: Soundway's biggest dance floor heaters get the edit treatment here, with Frankie Francis turning up the heat on Steve Monite's synth disco smasher, and Nick (The Record) and Dan (The Idjut) offering a classic dub mix of loved up afro winner "Hafi Deo".

                                                                                TRACK LISTING

                                                                                A. Steve Monite - Only You (Frankie Francis Disco Jam Mix)
                                                                                B. Tabu Ley Rochereau - Hafi Deo (Nick The Record & Dan Tyler Re-Edit Dub)

                                                                                Jay-U Experience

                                                                                Enough Is Enough

                                                                                  Reissue of the highly sought after Nigerian funk-rock album, moving effortlessly between reggae, jazzy afrobeat and psych rock. Soundway fans first got a taste of Jay-U’s infectious beats with the track ‘Some More’, featured on the Soundway compilation “Nigeria Disco Funk Special: The Sound Of The Underground Lagos Dancefloor 1974-79”.

                                                                                  Originally released by EMI Nigeria in 1977, this now-rare album was written by Jay-U and engineered by disco-boogie artist Goddy Oku. Opening with the up-tempo reggae number “Reggae Deluxe”, the album descends into mindblowing jazz-funk featuring several killer saxophone solos.

                                                                                  The journey ends with a trip into psych-prog rock, with a sound not dissimilar to that coming out of the early 70s British rock scene. (*Note: track 5 from the original recording is not included in this reissue)

                                                                                  For fans of: The Funkees, William Onyeabor, Soundway’s “Nigeria Disco Funk Special” compilation, Soundway’s “Doing It In Lagos” compilation

                                                                                  The Heliocentrics

                                                                                  A World Of Masks

                                                                                    The Heliocentrics are a group for which genres are meaningless and boundaries invisible. Since first appearing on DJ Shadow’s 2006 album "The Outsider" the group have gone on to release a string of records that float through jazz, hip-hop, psych, krautrock, and musique concrete whilst collaborating with numerous genre heavyweights from Mulatu Astake to Gaslamp Killer and picking up prestigious fans along the way, such as Madlib and the recently departed David Axelrod.
                                                                                    The primarily instrumental group, who operate out of their vintage analogue studio in East London called the Quatermass Sound Lab, bring in a new singer on album number four - a young Slovakian singer called Barbora Patkova. The result is an album that takes the band, already solidified in ever-expanding grooves and rhythms into new previously unexplored dimensions.
                                                                                    The group’s deep-set ability to craft music intuitively and impulsively stems from a desire to avoid typical processes or generic structures. Since its conception, the band's music has mainly been created from live improvisation. This musical approach gives the band its own sound and identity -"for anything to happen it must be at that time from the people in the room, and on the spot". A decade of such sonic adventures has resulted in a tightly knit bond that the group refer to as “almost a form of telepathy” with “musical changes that otherwise would be near impossible to write."

                                                                                    STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                    Patrick says: Interdimensional groove machine The Heliocentrics open up a sonic portal and speed straight through the swirl on this heady LP of genre-blending, boundary pushing madness. Funky and psychedelic, it's the kind of thing you could only imagine making with a Ouija-board and Norman Whitfield's spirit.

                                                                                    Ennanga Vision

                                                                                    Ennanga Vision

                                                                                      This post-modern African soundtrack follows London producer Jesse Hackett’s heady musical journey into the heart of Uganda - recording with chief collaborator, multi instrumentalist and singer Albert Ssempeke and featuring assorted vocal legends from the north of the country. The music blends a fully electronic sensibility with unusual, hand-crafted, African one-string fiddles, a 200-year-old harp and an enormous, group-played xylophone. It mixes traditional Ugandan folk songs and modern pop forms into a new vision. Hackett is influenced as much by the music of the African continent as he is by European electronic compositions and soundtrack scores. The sounds of hauntingly-dark vocoded vocals, crushed electronics, and poly-rhythmic drum machines sit alongside chiming African fiddles, rippling harps and children's laughter. He is a member of Owiny Sigoma band having sung on and co-written a lot of their work spanning three albums. He is also touring keyboard player for the Gorillaz and has released records on Stones Throw, Honest Jon’s and DEEK Recordings, to name a few. Albert Ssempeke is the son of a prestigious royal court musician who played in the days of the old Buganda kingdom – one of more than twenty five musical siblings, Albert is simultaneously an educator, performer and preservationist of this intricate and complex traditional form of music. Here he plays over ten traditional Ugandan instruments including Amadinda (xylophone), Ngindidi (fiddle), Endongo (harp), Ennanga (flute) and many more.

                                                                                      TRACK LISTING

                                                                                      New Sunshine
                                                                                      Otim’s War
                                                                                      Like A Football
                                                                                      Essembi (Money)
                                                                                      Killing Ghosts
                                                                                      Happy Birthday Wonder (Acholi)
                                                                                      Abbanna Kange (Children Of My Father)
                                                                                      All This Blue
                                                                                      Amadinda Eyeball
                                                                                      Kampala Auto Chase 
                                                                                      Endongo Moogs
                                                                                      Silimu (Aids)
                                                                                      Jaja (Grandmother

                                                                                      Lord Echo

                                                                                      Melodies

                                                                                        Much loved by our most stylish customer (none other than Pasta Paul), Lord Echo's fusion of disco, dub, Afrobeat and funk has found plenty of fans recently, so this is the perfect time for a lavish double vinyl reissue of the classic Lord Echo debut "Melodies". Alongside his huge version of Sister Sledge's "Thinking Of You", we get plenty of smooth grooves, analogue sounds and humid textures perfect for a midsummer's smoke sesh. Previously only available in Japan, this peach of a debut LP is essential listening for the recent converts.

                                                                                        TRACK LISTING

                                                                                        Rhythm 77
                                                                                        Blueberry Jam
                                                                                        Wang East
                                                                                        The Book Keeper
                                                                                        That's Right / Terabu 
                                                                                        Honest I Do
                                                                                        Cosmic Echos
                                                                                        Miracle Dance
                                                                                        Sword Cane
                                                                                        Thinking Of You

                                                                                        "Harmonies" is the new long player from underground super-producer Lord Echo. While his growing legion of fans clamoured for new material, Lord Echo descended into obscurity in the industrial backwaters of New Zealand where he lived alone and went completely insane trying to complete the record.  The new album solidifies his already distinctive mutations of reggae and rock steady with disco, African soul, techno and spiritual jazz. In other words, the Lord has returned from the wilderness with a bounty for his followers. Eat of the bread of life and enjoy access to his crazy World of Sound.
                                                                                        “I generally only work with people I know quite well personally - so this included Tony Laing (Fat Freddy's Drop), who is a long time friend and collaborator, Leila Adu - a fantastically versatile composer and songwriter, the excellent singer and producer Mara TK (Electric Wire Hustle) who I was living with at the time and of course the fabulous Lisa Tomlins, whose rendition of Thinking Of You by Sister Sledge was such a hit off the last record.”

                                                                                        TRACK LISTING

                                                                                        Whoa! There’s No Limit Ft Mara TK
                                                                                        Life On Earth Ft Mara TK
                                                                                        The Sweetest Meditation Ft Mara TK
                                                                                        C90 Eternal
                                                                                        Low To The Street (Full Version) Ft Lisa Tomlins
                                                                                        In Your Life
                                                                                        Just Do You (Album Version) Ft Mara TK
                                                                                        Makossa No. 3
                                                                                        Note From Home Ft Toby Laing
                                                                                        I Love Music Ft Lisa Tomlins

                                                                                        Ondatropica

                                                                                        Baile Bucanero

                                                                                          Here is the second record from the widely acclaimed Ondatropica project produced by Will ‘Quantic’ Holland and Mario Galeano. In the words of Will and Mario: “The premise of the second album was to record in Bogota and Old Providence Island (Isla de Providencia). Two contrasting locations, but united by their reputation as musically creative hubs - Bogota, with its subversive underground expressing an active, punky, DIY mentality and Providence reinterpreting and updating a Colombian national identity through a proud renaissance of regional folklore coupled with a fervor for dancehall and reggae sounds. Rather than separate the stylistic Anglo-, French- and Spanish-Caribbean influences, our goal was to explore the common ground and the ways in which these different styles synthesise.' Fuelled by bushy rum, the LP sessions, often including up to 35 musicians, captured the dialogues between Calypso and Gaita, Accordion and Lapsteel, Clave and Mandolin, even synthesizer and a horse’s jaw bone. Beautifully presented as a Gatefold LP and CD with extensive liner notes and photos by B+, this Soundway release is a treat for all the senses.

                                                                                          Various Artists

                                                                                          Doing It In Lagos: Boogie, Pop & Disco In 1980s Nigeria

                                                                                            Keeping their unbeaten record intact, Soundway Records present a new compilation of twenty rare and mostly unavailable tracks from the slick and sassy world of Nigerian pop music and club culture of the early 1980s. Buoyed by an explosive oil boom and a return to democracy after a series of military dictatorships, Nigeria's economy in the years of the early '80's was mirrored by its recording industry as countless young artists and groups hit the airwaves and dancefloors of the capital and beyond. It was a glossy, brash new form of pop music born out of ashes of late 1970s disco and funk and, just as in America, was the soundtrack to a new generation for whom money, style and flirtation trumped the overblown psychedelia of the previous decade. Eager to sound as American as possible with no hint of the fervor for afro-beat, afro-rock and afrocentric thinking that the 1970s had thrown up, a new generation of young artists and performers turned their backs on their cultural roots in music and sought a new kind of stardom and fame firmly connected to the glossy, snazzy world of the 1980s that was erupting in the USA and Europe. The 1970s flares and cuban heels began to disappear, in their place came sleek suits, rolled-up sleeves, bow-ties, jumpsuits, leather jackets, greased hair and a firm nod in the stylistic direction of Michael Jackson.

                                                                                            STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                            Patrick says: It's 2016 and by now you've heard your fair share of African disco comps. You haven't however, heard an official set featuring remastered versions of Steve Monite's 'Only You', Oby Onyioha's 'Enjoy Your Life' and Livy Ekemezie's stunning 'Holiday Action'. It's worth the entry fee for those three tracks alone, so with SEVENTEEN (!) other killers on here, you should snap a copy up.

                                                                                            TRACK LISTING

                                                                                            CD 1
                                                                                            Hotline - Fellas Doing It In Lagos
                                                                                            Peter Abdul - Don’t You Know
                                                                                            Steve Monite - Only You
                                                                                            Oby Onyioha - Enjoy Your Life
                                                                                            Kio Amachree - Ivory
                                                                                            Livy Ekemezie - Holiday Action
                                                                                            Willy Roy - Don’t Give Up
                                                                                            Danny Offia & The Friks - Funk With Me
                                                                                            Rick Asikpo & Afro Fusion - Too Hot
                                                                                            Terry Mackson - Distant Lover

                                                                                            CD 2:
                                                                                            Ofege - Burning Jungle
                                                                                            Odion Iruoje - Indentify With Your Root (Cd Only)
                                                                                            Mike Umoh - Shake Your Body
                                                                                            Burnis Moleme - Where Is The Answer
                                                                                            Sony Enang - Don’t Stop That Music
                                                                                            Veno - Groove I Like
                                                                                            Godfrey Odili - Let’s Do More Music
                                                                                            Toby Foyeh - Ore Mi
                                                                                            Gboyega Adelaja - Colourful Environment
                                                                                            Lexy Mella - On The Air
                                                                                            Nkono Teles - Be My Lady (Mix)

                                                                                            Dexter Story

                                                                                            Wejene Aloa Feat Kamasi Washington

                                                                                              For his next release on Soundway Records, Los Angeles-based Dexter Story hooks up with long time friend and compatriot of music, the saxophonist, jazz composer, producer and band-leader Kamasi Washington.This is a record that no lover of Ethio-Jazz, Afro-Beat or Funk should be excused for not owning.  A fierce, rumbling electro Ethio-Funk groove provides the platform for an intense and powerful interplay between Washington on tenor sax and Todd Simon on trumpet. An instrumental cover version of Tilahun Gessesse's1970s cut of the same name, it's Story's homage to the  oppressed Oromo people of Southern Ethiopia. Backed on the flip by the one cut from Story's 'Wondem' long-player that did not make it to vinyl when the LP version was cut, Nia Andrew's sublime and atmospheric collaboration on Eastern Prayer will keep all those happy who
                                                                                              grumbled at its exclusion from wax first time around.

                                                                                              STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                              Patrick says: Dexter Story and Kamasi lock into a deep Afro-funk groove on the A-side here, while the flip finds Dexter and Nia Andrews in soulful and spiritual mode.

                                                                                              Various Artists

                                                                                              Kenya Special - Volume 2

                                                                                                Working in a fine and forward thinking establishment like Piccadilly, you come across a lot of obscure and unheard music - and letting you into a little secret, you don't love all of it. But, there are some records which unite every single member of staff and the majority of customers in bright eyed enthusiasm. Soundway's "Kenya Special" compilation was one of these treats, a true milestone in East African compilations and an eye opening, ear pleasing journey into a far flung corner of the world. Now Soundway return with the latest in their African 'Special' compilation series, returning to Kenya to collect 20 extremely rare recordings, undiscovered in previous compilations. This time round, the team of compilers have gone to even greater lengths to share a small part of what is slowly being accepted as an essential element of East Africa’s cultural heritage: the history of recorded popular music. The songs you'll find within this triple LP set bend the rules, break away from existing genres and sometimes experiment with foreign music trends. The approach to musical rediscovery behind "Kenya Special : Volume Two" has its origins in a youthful movement of vinyl collecting as well as, to some extent, club culture. In other words, it's a gift to the DJs, dancers, collectors and frankly, anyone with ears.

                                                                                                This week sees gruesomely named London ensemble Vanishing Twin release their debut album "Choose Your Own Adventure" via Soundway Records. The band enlisted the help of producer Malcolm Catto (Heliocentrics, DJ Shadow, The Gaslamp Killer) and began work at his London studio, Quatermass Sound Lab, last spring. Recording the basis for eight tracks, they blended structure and improvisation in pop songs that describe a personal mythology through the adventures of Lucas' vanished twin. Formed in 2015, Vanishing Twin came together to make an exploratory record that marries oblique English pop with a palette of arkestral sounds. Having previously released a string of conceptual cassettes under the name Orlando, founder Cathy Lucas (Innerspace Orchestra) named the group after her vanishing twin, an identical sister absorbed in utero, when they were both still a cluster of cells. Drawing on sounds outside of the usual pop vocabulary, the group used forgotten drum machines, home-made electronics, vibraphones, tablas, and harp to invoke the esoteric psychedelia of lost soundtracks, radiophonic experiments and minimal music orchestras. In a studio that Catto built for maximum atmosphere and minimum interfere, and crammed with obscure vintage equipment, he brought his own distinctive sonics to the table, informed by outsider jazz, Italian library music and ethnographic field recordings. Vanishing Twin is made up of singer Cathy Lucas (Fanfarlo, The Oscillation) drummer Valentina Magaletti (Raime, Tomaga, Uuuu, Neon Neon), bassist Susumu Mukai (Zongamin, Floating Points), library music head Phil M.F.U. (Man From Uranus, Broadcast) on strange sounds, and film maker and visual artist Elliott Arndt on flute and percussion. 

                                                                                                TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                Vanishing Twin Syndrome
                                                                                                Telescope
                                                                                                Floating Heart
                                                                                                Eggs
                                                                                                Under The Water
                                                                                                The Conservation Of Energy
                                                                                                Choose Your Own Adventure
                                                                                                Truth Is Boring
                                                                                                It Sends
                                                                                                My Heart Into A Spin

                                                                                                Susso

                                                                                                Keira

                                                                                                  Susso, aka bassist / producer Huw Bennett, creates music inspired by, and directly sampling, the magnificent sounds of the Mandinka people, recorded during a recent trip to Gambia. Initially travelling with the aim of gaining perspective as a musician and to discover a new world of music first hand, Huw found himself humbled by such a welcoming community of artists, mostly belonging to the celebrated Suso and Kuyateh griot families. The tracks are composed entirely from original source material, field recordings and Huw's alents as a multi-instrumentalist; performing tuned percussion from the region including the Mandinka Balafon, Kutiringding drum, as well as drawing on his skill as a professional upright / electric bassist. The music produced has a contemporary electronic sound, whilst still paying homage to a traditional Gambian aesthetic. Keira (meaning peace) guides the listener through Huw's journey up the River Gambia, being welcomed into remote dusty villages, where your people are the most important thing in life.


                                                                                                  Me And My Friends

                                                                                                  Hide Your Way

                                                                                                    The sound of English folk colliding head-on with the golden-era music of 1970s West Africa and the West Indies.

                                                                                                    Second album from British quintet Me and My Friends. Towering vocal harmonies, soaring cello and clarinet lines, colossal basslines and drum patterns combine on an exquisite rollercoaster-ride of the emotions from euphoria to melancholia and back again.

                                                                                                    Bound by a mutual love of the sun-drenched vintage sounds of afrobeat, soukous, highlife and roots reggae, the UK-based five-piece re-invent these influences around the instantly recognisable voice and finger-style guitar of songwriter and singer Nick Rasle. The band's sound involves a meeting of diverse musical backgrounds: Fred Harper's gospel-influenced drumming and James Grunwell's deep basslines provide the bed for Sam Murray's growling clarinet tone and Emma Coleman's strident cello and flawless ear for vocal harmony. 'Hide Your Way' sees the band embarking on a deeper exploration of the playfulness and rhythmic agility which has come to define their sound. A rich and varied pool of musical ideas sits alongside a plaintive lyricism, as the songs tell tales of regret, corruption, loss and deceit. The result is something fresh and original, marrying the emotional vocal power of folk music with early jazz and delta-blues singing and the driving rhythms of West-Africa's golden era and the heart and soul of the great roots-reggae songwriters.

                                                                                                    Flamingods

                                                                                                    Majesty

                                                                                                      Flamingods are set to return with 'Majesty', the band's third album and debut release on Soundway Records. 

                                                                                                      With this new album the five-piece have taken their sound in a new direction with a rich and multi-layered album brimming with diverse influences that reflect their multi-cultural backgrounds.

                                                                                                      The shimmering 10-track album crosses blissful psychedelia with a rich spectrum of the band's sonic inspirations.

                                                                                                      'Majesty' was written and arranged with a conceptual narrative, cohesive both musically and lyrically, following the story of protagonist Yuka on his journey of enlightenment. The record is split in two, morning / light / good (tracks 1-5) and evening / dark / evil (tracks 6-10) that unravels track-by-track as the record plays out.

                                                                                                      STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                      Patrick says: Possibly Bahrain's best known (or only) musical export, Flamingods have cooked up three albums in as many years, all without the most fleeting appearance on my radar. That is, until my girlfriend played me the stunning 'Anya', a subtropical sibling to Jonathan Wilson's 'Desert Raven' which blew my mind wide open. Gently psychedelic, totally musical and wonderfully exotic, 'Majesty' is a trip from start to finish.

                                                                                                      Family Atlantica

                                                                                                      Cosmic Unity

                                                                                                        'Cosmic Unity', like the band itself, mirrors the mixed-up, intercontinental terrain of their home town. Moving through genres as diverse as psychedelic highlife, steel-pan Ethio-funk, calypso, baião and scorching equatorial jazz underpinned by deep afro-Atlantic dance rhythms, they have created a cohesive, forward-looking sound that echoes classic tropical recordings of the past whilst still sounding fresh and contemporary. Lush string and horn arrangements give way to acidic commentary on the immigration system and slavery as well as incantations of unity.

                                                                                                        Producer and multi-instrumental director, Jack Yglesias (also a core member of the underground pysch-jazz-funk unit The Heliocentrics) leads the explosive ensemble. Alongside Jack, the band features the powerful vocals and poetry of Venezuelan diva Luzmira Zerpa and the percussive West African mastery of Nigerian/Ghanaian Kwame 'natural power' Crentsil as well as Adrian Owusu (Guitar).

                                                                                                        Joining them as guests on the album are two musical legends. The Sun Ra Arkestra's bandleader Marshall Allen on alto saxophone, ewi and vocals, and Nigerian Afro-beat colossus Orlando Julius on tenor sax who was at the time of the recording living with Yglesias and Zerpa. The diversity of the Family Atlantica project is reflected in the lyrics, with singing and poetry in Spanish, English, Yoruba and Portuguese. This is a rapid-fire, rhythm-heavy journey, simultaneously moving between the past and future of trans-Atlantic roots music.

                                                                                                        Fumaça Preta

                                                                                                        Impuros Fanaticos

                                                                                                          Having made a name for themselves as a cutting edge, genre-bending live and recording act on their debut, Fumaça Preta's 'Impuros Fanáticos' pushes one step further. Crossing psychedelia, free jazz, metal, tambu, voodoo, fado and a lot more, the album is a musical cocktail and a journey of experimentation.

                                                                                                          From the meticulous recording of discarded metalwork in an abandoned factory in the middle of the Spanish desert, to a late night voodoo ritual in a remote village on the Venezuela/Brazil border, to steel drums recorded in a disused military base in Czech Republic, the record has a truly unique sound and feel, whilst retaining the band's frenzied grooves at its core.

                                                                                                          2015 was a year of change for Fumaça Preta. Rising popularity and constant touring created conflicts and changes that translated directly into some of the darker, more contemplative moments on the record. Alex Figueira took over vocals, which expanded the language, with the addition of Spanish, and spectrum with the addition of Spanish and various melodic elements, creating a musical depth beyond that of the first.

                                                                                                          "Fumaça Preta offer a cracked Latin American psychedelia that jives to the wiggier end of Tropicalia... while drinking deep from the Butthole Surfers' manky goblet of insanity" - The Quietus

                                                                                                          "A deranged blend of heavy metal histrionics, tropicalia, psychedelia and shouting in Portuguese." - Financial Times

                                                                                                          "Steaming tropical concoction." - The Wire

                                                                                                          Dexter Story

                                                                                                          Wondem

                                                                                                            On his debut Soundway Records release, Story distils his diverse background in soul, funk, jazz and folk idioms into his own unique and worldly voice. Borrowing from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Somalia, and Kenya, this collection of East African-influenced music is a testament to Story’s decades of dedication to artistic excellence.

                                                                                                            ‘Wondem’ was written and recorded in Story’s personal studio in downtown Los Angeles and one of his closest associates, producer, composer and musician, Carlos Niño co-produced the record. It was mixed at Niño’s home studio.

                                                                                                            In addition Story worked with an array of collaborators on the record. Renowned multi-instrumentalist Miguel Atwood-Ferguson featured on the percussive track ‘Mowa’ and international producer and artist Mark de Clive-Lowe plays piano and synthesizer on a number of songs, in particular on ‘Yene Konjo’, where his acoustic piano playing there was originally inside of the main section of the song but Story felt it was so beautiful that he moved it to its own highlighted place.

                                                                                                            Outside of ‘Wondem’ Story has used his many talents in a supportive role serving a who’s who of iconic artists throughout his career. From tenures as Snoop Dogg’s product manager and Meshell Ndegeocello’s day-to-day representative to performing with post-millennial luminaries like Dwight Trible, Quadron, Sa-Ra Creative Partners and Gaslamp Killer, Los Angeles-based Story has a proven track record of lending the assist to established and emerging artistry.


                                                                                                            Muyei Power

                                                                                                            Sierra Leone In 1970s USA

                                                                                                            Muyei Power or Orchestre Muyei (muyei means ‘our country’) was one of the top dance bands of the 1970s in Sierra Leone. This album, Soundway's first collection of music from this West African country is an album of rock-infused, afro-funk music from a group that traveled the world throughout the mid 1970s. Fusing elements of electric Congolese and Nigerian music with fast, syncopated, uptempo modernised arrangements of traditional music, Muyei Power produced a series of unique single-only releases that have been unavailable for 35 years. The rare recordings featured here are a glimpse of a dynamic and powerful band at the very height of its powers.

                                                                                                            Even though lyrically Orchestre Muyei focused on traditional themes and songs, the arrangements and formulation of the instrumental side of things still very much reflected the mixed nature of urban Sierra Leone music, exemplified by a small collection of bands that also included Afro National, Sabanoh 75 and Super Combo.

                                                                                                            For the early part of 1970s the band toured extensively throughout Sierra Leone, Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire before making a handful of 45s in local TV and radio studios. The recordings featured here however come from a period of touring the college circuit in California during late 1975 and early 1976. Later that year, as they played the colleges of the east coast, they gave the tracks to the owner of the African Record Centre in Brooklyn, New York. He initially released two of them on his in-house Makossa Records label as 7" singles in 1976. The tracks from 75 / 76 were then not heard of again until 1979 / 80 when the African Record Centre released many of them on a series of Makossa Records 12”s that sounded far superior than the records that had been released a few years earlier.

                                                                                                            Orchestre Muyei Power finally split up in 1979 leaving no proper album releases and only a handful of recordings for us to enjoy all these years later.

                                                                                                            The CD & LP both come with detailed liner notes, with the vinyl being pressed on 180g vinyl with a free digital download insert code.


                                                                                                            Various Artists

                                                                                                            Highlife On The Move - Selected Nigerian & Ghanaian Recordings From London & Lagos 1954-66

                                                                                                              In conjunction with compiler and highlife researcher Dr. Markus Coester, Soundway Records present a very special release. Double CD and triple 180g gatefold vinyl (with a bonus 7 inch). This 45 includes the two first ever recordings by a certain Fela Ransome Kuti with his band The Highlife Rakers. Recorded by Melodisc in London in 1960 both tracks have been unearthed after more than fifty years in hiding.

                                                                                                              In many ways this compilation is a prequel of sorts to Soundway's groundbreaking Nigeria and Ghana Special compilations, telling the early story of modern highlife's foundation and formulation. It traces the music from West Africa to London, adding elements of jazz, mambo and calypso along the way and paving the way for the afro sounds of the 1970s.

                                                                                                              Accompanied by a 44 page CD booklet and 12 page vinyl booklet, the notes by Dr. Coester include rare photographs, labels and advert reproductions alongside some stunning and very rare recordings.


                                                                                                              Brand new electronic compilation on the Soundway Label. 50 electronic music producers and instrumentalists from Berlin, Bristol, Cairo, Johannesburg, Kiev, Lagos, Lisbon, Luanda, Nairobi, Naples were invited to collaborate in studios over the course of more than six months.

                                                                                                              As a result, hip-hop from the squats of Naples, dubstep and bass from Bristol and Lisbon, experimental techno from Berlin and jazz-tinged deep-house from Kiev are thrust upon the pumping kuduro of Luanda, the free-thinking crackled electronica of Cairo, the afro-jazz of Lagos and Johnannesburg, and the Sheng street slang of Kenyan hip-hop and rap.

                                                                                                              A selection of the results of these cross-continental experiments can be heard on this record. Includes cuts featuring Vakula, Octa Push, Pinch, Rob Smith, Wura Samba, Diamond Version and many more.

                                                                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                              1. Octa Push Feat. Isaac - Khuchende Halala (4.55)
                                                                                                              2. Pinch Feat. Temi Oyedele - Are You Coming With Us? (5.43)
                                                                                                              3. Dirty Paraffin Feat. Hannes Teichmann - Choborops (4.25)
                                                                                                              4. Lunabe & Djeff Feat. MC Sacerdote & MC Yola Noivada - Temedo (5.42)
                                                                                                              5. Batida Feat. Cannibal - Mama Watoto (3.11)
                                                                                                              6. Just A Band & Octa Push - Boom Boom Boom (3.51)
                                                                                                              7. Lunabe Feat. MC Sacerdote - Quero Falar (3.02)
                                                                                                              8. Rob Smith Feat. Jah Device & Sasha Perera - Work! (4.35)
                                                                                                              9. Wura Samba & Gebru_der Teichmann – Antere (4.43)
                                                                                                              10. Diamond Version, Bikya & Wetrobots - DV_BK_WR_01 (3.51)
                                                                                                              11. Vakula & Planet Lindela Feat. Okmalumkoolkat, Thuli Mdlalose, Tshepang Ramoba & Moonchild - Ten Cities Masala (4.45)
                                                                                                              12. Perera Elsewhere Feat. Aremu - Ebora (Spirits) (2.29)
                                                                                                              13. Dubmasta, Hannes Teichmann & Leon Ersamus Feat. Afurakan - 10 Henry Nxumalo Street (6.27)
                                                                                                              14. Diamond Version, Bikya & Wetrobots – DV_BK_WR_01 (6.37)
                                                                                                              15. Afrologic Feat. Aremu, Temi Oyedele & Wura Samba - Omode Mewa (Ten Little Children) (4.34)
                                                                                                              16. Vakula & Planet Lindela - Jozi Sunset (7.36)
                                                                                                              17. Oren Gerlitz Feat. Karun - Orange Green (2.49)

                                                                                                              Various Artists

                                                                                                              Music From Planet Earth - A Soundway Collection

                                                                                                                'Music from Planet Earth' is a compilation of music selected from some of Soundway Records' current roster of active artists. More than ever in 2014 the moniker 'world music' seems redundant. A term used to lump everything that isn't from a certain place or sung in a dominant language into one category that receives less attention from nearly all mainstream music media is an unhelpful one to say the least. Soundway Records aims to support new (and old) music that doesn't always fit into a convenient genre. That could be a band based in London formed of musicians from 6 countries making hybrid pop music sung in a Nigerian dialect. It could be music made in South Africa by five people of completely different age, race and background. It could be synth-funk sung in Spanish and English by a New York native of Cuban heritage. It could be made by an English producer who hooked up with purveyor of psychedelic cumbia from Bogota and put together a super-group of Colombian session players. Or an Angolan-born Portuguese producer based in Lisbon working with MCs, dancers and musicians from Nairobi, Luanda and Newcastle. A collective of Aucklanders with backgrounds as diverse as Nigeria, Trinidad and Sudan rocking crowds and making music in New Zealand. Surrealist Electronica with Arabic vocals from Brittany by way of Brooklyn or Spanish / Sri Lankan experimental sound textures forged late at night in Camden Town. Call it anything, we might not have the answers just please stop calling it 'world music'.

                                                                                                                Batida release new album “Dois” via Soundway Records. Strands of afro-house, kuduro, benga, semba, samples from The Clash and old Angolan movies and afro-beat tracks, African MCs and musicians from all over the world are all deftly mixed together by Pedro Coquenão.

                                                                                                                Inspired by the multicultural hotbed of his home city of Lisbon and trips to Nairobi and back to Luanda, ‘Dois’ was predominately produced in his own garage-studio over a two-year period.

                                                                                                                In 2012 Batida’s explosive self-titled debut came out on Soundway Records. Mixing the syncopated rhythms of Kuduro with elements of 1970s Semba and Congolese-influenced guitar licks, Pedro Coquenão won fans for an album that “demanded movement” (The Line of Best Fit) and “gave a view of the old and new, the West and Africa.” (The Guardian)

                                                                                                                Much of the remix and sampling spirit from the first record remains but ‘Dois’ also features live instrumentation along with a host of different guests.

                                                                                                                English, Portuguese, Quicongo and Zulu languages all feature on ‘Luxo’ with Spoek Mathambo (South Africa) & his crew contributing the lyrics together with Angolan MC Sacerdote and a guitar riff by Duncan Lloyd (Maximo Park). On 'Céu' Coquenão pushes things in a deeper direction, dis-assembling and reforming elements of the Francois & The Atlas Mountains studio sessions of the track 'Les Plus Beaux' .

                                                                                                                TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                Side 1
                                                                                                                1. Pobre E Rico
                                                                                                                2. Ta Doce
                                                                                                                3. Mama Watoto
                                                                                                                4. Luxo
                                                                                                                5. Bantu
                                                                                                                Side 2
                                                                                                                1. Ugali
                                                                                                                2. Fica Atento!
                                                                                                                3. La Vai Maria
                                                                                                                4. Chat With Mr.Ochieng
                                                                                                                5. Ceu

                                                                                                                Fumaça Preta

                                                                                                                Fumaça Preta

                                                                                                                  Fumaça Preta’s hard hitting, free-wheeling debut LP brings together elements of tropicalia, psychedelic rock, fuzz funk, musique concrete, acid house, radiophonic electronics, hair metal, voodoo and African, Brazilian and Latin rhythms. Beaming down from another planet and sonically stretching across decades, ‘Fumaça Preta’ is released on Soundway Records.

                                                                                                                  Fumaça Preta (pronounced Foomassa Pretta, meaning Black Smoke) started as a studio experiment when Alex Figueira, a Portuguese-Venezuelan producer and percussionist, invited some old friends to join him in the tiny analogue studio he built on the back of his house in Amsterdam.

                                                                                                                  After producing 2 critically acclaimed 45s, Fumaça Preta continued to work in the Barracão Sound Laboratory, swiftly producing their debut album. All musical boundaries collapsed during recording as the band drew upon their vast array of varied influences.

                                                                                                                  Live, Fumaça Preta becomes a quintet that swerves in and out of endless musical avenues but never loses the rock solid heavy psychedelic groove that drives them.


                                                                                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                  1. Pupilas Dilatadas
                                                                                                                  2. Toda Pessoa
                                                                                                                  3. Eu Era Um Cão
                                                                                                                  4. Você Enlouqueceu
                                                                                                                  5. Recitando à Toa
                                                                                                                  6. Espelhos Fundidos
                                                                                                                  7. Fumaça Preta
                                                                                                                  8. Amor Tece Dor
                                                                                                                  9. Vou Me Libertar
                                                                                                                  10. Tire Sua Máscara
                                                                                                                  11. Perdidos

                                                                                                                  My Panda Shall Fly

                                                                                                                  Tropical

                                                                                                                    My Panda Shall Fly AKA musician and visual artist Suren Seneviratne, is set to release ‘Tropical’ via Soundway Records.

                                                                                                                    A kaleidoscope of rainbow textures and rhythms disperse into the exotic soundscape of ‘Tropical’. Electronics, real folk instruments and noise-making objects feature here generously on this six-track concept album, blending together a sonic palette influenced by a rich variety of music, people and places.

                                                                                                                    The material was initially written over the course of a few months during what Seneviratne called "a beautiful burst of inspiration". Working with veteran producer Asier Leatxe Ibanez d'Opakoa (Electric Lady Studios, NYC), Seneviratne then set about disassembling all the songs and re-working them meticulously, enriching the sounds by adding a huge range of live instrumentation, before processing the audio through vintage analogue studio gear.


                                                                                                                    Meridian Brothers

                                                                                                                    Salvadora Robot

                                                                                                                      Meridian Brothers are back with a new studio album, the bizarre and wonderful 'Salvadora Robot'. Heading deeper into the tropical rhythms of Latin America and the Caribbean each song on the album focuses on a different style and playfully twists it into Meridian Brothers's surreal landscape.

                                                                                                                      Originally formed in 1998 it was the previous album 'Deseperanza' that brought Álvarez's Meridian Brothers to the attention of the wider world. Released worldwide in 2012, the album's unique aesthetic and freaked-out blend of Latin rhythms and psychedelic grooves won him new fans the world over. DJ and tastemaker Gilles Peterson selected 'Guaracha UFO (No Estamos Solos...)' as his favourite track of 2012.

                                                                                                                      'Deseperanza' focussed heavily on salsa rhythms but on his new release Álvarez based each track in a different Latin American style. For example 'Somos los Residentes' finds it inspiration in Dominican Republic merengue while 'Baile ultimo....' is a slow and sad reggaeton. The lyrics talk of a man who has been sent to the electric chair because he was dancing too much reggaeton, a style that isn't accepted as "good taste" within Colombia.

                                                                                                                      Soundway’s second foray into South East Asia is focused on North-East Thailand, the epicentre of Molam and Luk Thung Isan music. Hypnotic phin and khaen riffs, pulsing, electrified country rhythms and heartfelt vocals punctuate another journey into the lesser known reaches of 1970s Thai music.

                                                                                                                      In this second volume of 'The Sound of Siam' the focus is firmly on the music the sounds of north-east Thailand, or Isan and attempts to show how a genre evolved and developed from essentially an acoustic tradition with specific geographic roots, to one that started to incorporate other instruments and influences that reached out to the Isan diaspora around the country.

                                                                                                                      The term molam is actually two separate words pushed together: Mo meaning ‘expert’ or ‘doctor’ and lam meaning ‘to sing’. Hence the literal translation means ‘singing expert’. Many molam records have extended intros that allow a vocalist to establish the theme of the song, as well as flex their improvisational muscles.

                                                                                                                      Luk Thung (literally ‘song of the countryside’) is a much broader, rural style that had a bigger impact nationally. Artists like Saksiam Petchompu began fusing this style with molam, a move which propelled him to national fame. You can hear the influence of western funk, as well as Thai arrangements, on the luk thung Isan (as the hybrid became known) smash Jeb Jin Jeb Jai included here.

                                                                                                                      'The Sound of Siam 2 - Molam & Luk Thung Isan from North-East Thailand 1970 - 1982’ features 19 tracks, many appearing outside of Thailand for the first time. Both CD and double LP and is accompanied with detailed liner notes written by compilers Chris Menist and Maft Sai.

                                                                                                                      TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                      1. Angkanang Kunchai - Kid Hod Chu
                                                                                                                      2. Panom Promma - Mainaa Tam Pom Loey
                                                                                                                      3. The Petch Phin Thong Band - Bump Lam Plearn
                                                                                                                      4. Angkanang Kunchai - Teoy Salap Pamaa
                                                                                                                      5. Saksiam Petchchompu & Pornsurapon Petchseethong - Jeb Jing Jeb Jai
                                                                                                                      6. Montien Tienthong - Kor Kai
                                                                                                                      7. Onuma Singsiri - Lam Plearn Toe Lhong Tong
                                                                                                                      8. Petch Asia Band - Lam Plearn Tua Yaang
                                                                                                                      9. Banyen Sriwongsa - Ramwong Saraphan
                                                                                                                      10. Thepporn Petchubon - Pa Gun Tor
                                                                                                                      11. Thonghuad Faited - Eua Aree See Sor
                                                                                                                      12. Angkanang Kunchai - Lam Plearn Mee Mia Laew Pai
                                                                                                                      13. Banyen Sriwongsa - Lam Plearn Kon Baa Huay
                                                                                                                      14. Thepporn Petchubon - Saam Gler Tiew Krung
                                                                                                                      15. Angkanang Kunchai - Yak Si Glap Isan
                                                                                                                      16. Chanpen Sirithep - Lam Plearn Kiew Bao
                                                                                                                      17. Thepporn Petchubon - Fang Jai Viangjan
                                                                                                                      18. Yenjit Porntawi - Lam Plearn Gok Kaa Kao
                                                                                                                      19. Rome Sithammarat - Sao New Look

                                                                                                                      Ibibio Sound Machine finally release their hotly anticipated debut album on the ever brilliant Soundway Records. The self-titled set sees the group effortlessly combine diverse genres with an ease I've not heard since the days of LCD Soundsystem, pulling together elements of West African highlife, disco, post-punk, psychedelic electro soul and nasty ass P-funk. On the squelchy bassed "The Talking Fish" and the 6 Music fave "Let's Dance" and the more traditional highlife cuts "I'm Running", "Uwa The Peacock" and "Woman Of Substance", Ibibio Sound Machine pack the wax with pure effusive energy. Elsewhere, "The Tortoise", "The Talking Fish" and "Prodigal Son" are bursting with raw funk power, with British / Nigerian vocalist Eno Williams in particularly fierce form. Folk stories, recounted to Eno by her family as a child in her mother's South-Eastern Nigerian Ibibio language form the creative lyrical fabric of the album, as can be seen with the natural and proverbial track titles. What I love most about this record is the fact it flows together as an album so well, with a nice progression from highlife to funk and electro disco aided by the excellent musicianship of the players. The album has soul in abundance, bookended as it is by two beautiful spiritual pieces, but will keep the dancefloor just as happy as the congregation. After all, they're pretty much the same aren't they?


                                                                                                                      TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                      A1. Voice Of The Bird (Uyio Inuen)
                                                                                                                      A2. I'm Running (Nya Fehe)
                                                                                                                      A3. The Talking Fish (Asem Usem Iyak)
                                                                                                                      A4. Let’s Dance (Yak Inek Unek)
                                                                                                                      A5. Uwa The Peacock (Eki Ko Inuen Uwa)
                                                                                                                      B1. The Tortoise (Nsaha Edem Ikit)
                                                                                                                      B2. Woman Of Substance (Awuwan Itiaba)
                                                                                                                      B3. Prodigal Son (Ayen Ake Feheke)
                                                                                                                      B4. Got To Move, Got To Get Out! (Ana Nkpong Ana Nwuoro)
                                                                                                                      B5. Ibibio Spiritual

                                                                                                                      Continuing further into the music of 1970s East Africa, Soundway present a limited edition 10" of raw, bluesy garage-funk-rock from Jimmy Mawi.

                                                                                                                      Jimmy Mawi was a Madagascan guitarist based in Nairobi in the mid 1970s. He cut only three 45s for EMI East Africa on their Pathe imprint that have virtuallydisappeared from sight in the nearly 40 years since they were recorded. Soundway reproduce four of the best tracks here on a super limited edition 10". Fuzz guitars, raspy vocals and metronomic drumming combine for an exhaustive afro-rock workout.

                                                                                                                      Earlier this year Soundway released their compilation 'Kenya Special: Selected East African Recordings' from the 1970s & ‘80s. Accompanied by a limited remix 12” these releases represent Soundway’s first releases from the East African country and follows from their much acclaimed African ‘Special’ series that to date has focused on the highlife and afrobeat output from 1970s Nigeria and Ghana.


                                                                                                                      TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                      Black Dialogue
                                                                                                                      I Want Get Up
                                                                                                                      Black Star Blues
                                                                                                                      Let Me Keep Away From You

                                                                                                                      Debruit & Alsarah

                                                                                                                      Aljawal

                                                                                                                        Soundway records present a unique record: a modern, haunting take on Sudanese music heard through the sonic lens of French artist / producer, Débruit and the poetic, ethereal lyrics and melodies of Sudanese-born singer Alsarah.

                                                                                                                        'Aljawal' (The Traveller) is a nomadic reflection for the 21st century. Each song reflects a new stop in the journey, with new cities and new people along the way. When Alsarah first heard Débruit's music she sensed and recognised a fellow traveller through the space and geography of his influences, a sense of time and history coupled with a forward-thinking futuristic outlook.

                                                                                                                        Various Artists

                                                                                                                        Kenya Special - Selected East African Recordings From The 1970s & '80s

                                                                                                                          Soundway Records present 'Kenya Special - Selected East African Recordings From The 1970s & '80s' - a treasure-trove of rare and unusual recordings from East Africa. Spread out over two CDs and one triple LP, 'Kenya Special' is accompanied by detailed liner notes, original artwork and photographs. It follows on from Soundway's much acclaimed African 'Special' series that to date has focused on the highlife and afrobeat output from 1970s Nigeria and Ghana. 'Kenya Special' is a collection of 32 recordings (most of which were only ever released on small-run 45rpm 7" singles) that stand out as being different or unique as well as some classic genre standards. From Kikuyu language 'liquid soul', Luo benga and Swahili afro-beat to genre-bending Congolese and Tanzanian tracks recorded in Nairobi, 'Kenya Special' sees Soundway yet again taking the less trodden path. Many of the tracks featured here are peppered with innovation and experimentation highlighting how diverse the music scene in Kenya was at the time.

                                                                                                                          In 1970s Kenya the two threads of rumba and benga loosely dominated the music scene. Benga quickly became Kenya's unique contribution to afro-pop; spreading like wildfire through the interior countryside with its fast, 4/4 machine-gun beat and intricate electric guitar layers. The Congolese take on Afro-Cuban rumba was introduced by touring bands many of whom settled in East Africa - influencing bands from Kenya and Tanzania to come up with their own take on this popular style. Alongside these styles were small ensembles and hotel-sponsored bands, playing a blend of music that often included rock & roll riffs, elements of 'afro' music (influenced by West African musicians like Fela Kuti), and multiple other combinations from South African and Zambian guitar styles to disco, funk and Swahili coastal rhythms like chakacha. Painstakingly compiled, assembled and researched over two years by a team of five people from five countries (Kenya included), 'Kenya Special' is a collection that looks beyond the mainstream and brings new life and recognition to some little known gems and forgotten classics of Kenya's past.


                                                                                                                          Chico Mann

                                                                                                                          Magical Thinking

                                                                                                                            Displaying his mastery over an arsenal of studio weapons and synthesizers, Chico Mann (aka Marcos Garcia) scores his fifth long player against a backdrop of pop sensibilities and guest vocalists. The album draws as much on 80's funk, boogie and electro as merengue and Afro-beat.

                                                                                                                            A member of Antibalas, multi instrumentalist and guitarist, Garcia has in the past worked with the likes of TV On The Radio, The Roots and Dam-Funk as well as remixing Little Dragon and Alice Russell.

                                                                                                                            His most recent LP 'Analog Drift' (2010) was released through Wax Poetics Records, an album that he toured throughout the US. Jon Pareles (NY Times) praised his live show's "far-reaching electronica" that had the ability "to dissolve decades, along with borders".

                                                                                                                            Where previous Chico Mann material drew heavily on his Afro-beat roots, his upcoming LP 'Magical Thinking' taps in to a new vein of thinking, where the 80s funk, boogie and electro sounds of New York and Miami dominate the sonic landscape. Featuring a selection of guest vocalists, and mixed by Brooklyn producer / musician Jeremy Page (That Handsome Devil), 'Magical Thinking' is Chico Mann's most ambitious and accomplished project to date.


                                                                                                                            Kiki Gyan

                                                                                                                            24 Hours In A Disco 1978 - 1982

                                                                                                                              Hailed as Africa’s answer to Stevie Wonder, Ghanaian multi-instrumentalist Kiki Gyan was a musical wunderkind who by 1975 had risen from the lowly status of high school dropout to being ranked eighth in a poll of the greatest keyboardists in the world (occupying the rarefied air of the top ten with heavyweights like Steve Winwood, Billy Preston, and Stevie Wonder) as well as becoming an in-demand session player in the top recording studios of London - all before his twenty-first birthday.

                                                                                                                              Out on his own, he produced a series of highly ambitious disco records aimed at positioning him as an international star, but weighed down by the excesses of the era, Gyan saw his meteoric rise matched by an equally swift fall back into obscurity. Loved dearly by his contemporaries and sorely missed since his death in 2005 the story of the life of Kofi Kwarko ‘Kiki’ Gyan is one often told with warning by his friends to the new generation of aspiring Ghanaian popstars.

                                                                                                                              Soundway Records now collects the best of Gyan’s work as a frontman and solo artist, featuring an array of electrifying disco grooves that still sound contemporary (and in some cases futuristic) decades after their initial release.

                                                                                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                              01. Kiki Gyan - Disco Dancer
                                                                                                                              02. Kiki Gyan - 24 Hours In A Disco
                                                                                                                              03. Kiki Gyan - Keep On Dancing
                                                                                                                              04. K G Band - Disco Train
                                                                                                                              05. The Twins - Pretty Pretty Girls
                                                                                                                              06. Kiki Gyan - Sexy Dancer
                                                                                                                              07. K G Band - 4Loving You 

                                                                                                                              Tunji Oyelana

                                                                                                                              A Nigerian Retrospective 1966-79

                                                                                                                                During the golden age of Nigerian music in the 1970s, as thousands of records were produced in a wide spectrum of styles and marketed to an immense audience of ardent consumers, very few people - including the producers of the music themselves - seriously entertained the possibility that any of these popular entertainments could be considered as art.

                                                                                                                                Enter the multifaceted artist Tunji Oyelana. Equal parts singer-songwriter, actor, bandleader, dramatist, comedian and academic, Oyelana elevated the realm of pop music by infusing it with the poetic storytelling of Yoruba folklore. Backed by his crack backing group, The Benders (named for their ability to traverse - and blend a variety of styles) Oyelana blended the fashionable sounds of highlife, afrobeat, afrorock, funk, calypso, juju and reggae and transformed them into something timeless and utterly unique.

                                                                                                                                Tunji’s first records came out in 1969 but it wasn’t until two years later that the first record credited to Tunji Oyelana & The Benders, ‘Agba Lo De’ b/w ‘Koriko Nde’, was released. The record turned out to be the smash that put the name Tunji Oyelana & The Benders on the national map. More significantly, the record’s unique sound - along with that of Fela Ransome-Kuti’s ‘Jeun K’oku’ (‘chop and quench’), which arrived mere weeks before it - signaled the emergence of a new era and a new genre in Nigerian music.

                                                                                                                                Oyelana himself attributes his life as a professional artist to meeting Wole Soyinka, one of the unimpeachable doyens of Nigerian arts. They met in 1960 at the age of twenty-one, commencing a partnership that endured for more than five decades. In 1983, Soyinka joined The Benders for the album Unlimited Liability Company, which proved to be wildly popular with audiences across the country but angered Nigeria’s civilian government with its satirical critique of political corruption. Years later, Soyinka and Oyelana would run afoul of military dictator Sani Abacha while touring internationally with Soyinka’s play The Beatification Of Area Boy in 1996 and find themselves charged with treason, forcing them into exile until Abacha’s death in 1998.

                                                                                                                                For Oyelana himself, the golden age continues as he lives with his family in London and continues to perform several nights a week at Emukay, the restaurant and cultural centre that he runs with his wife, which has become a mecca for fans eager for the privilege of beholding a living legend at work.


                                                                                                                                Meridian Brothers

                                                                                                                                Deseperanza

                                                                                                                                  Bogota’s Meridian Brothers release their delightfully surreal and playful album ‘Deseperanza’ on Soundway Records. Traditional instruments, electronics and distorted vocals are dragged through an array of influences to create a world that is as original as it is unclassifiable.

                                                                                                                                  Straddling the line between new and old, Meridian Brothers’ mischievous blend of Latin rhythms and psychedelic grooves is the creation of Eblis Álvarez, one of the key figures of the experimental music scene in Bogota, where his contemporaries label him a genius. As with all of the Meridian Brother’s releases, every instrument on ‘Deseperanza’ was played and recorded by Eblis himself.

                                                                                                                                  A true avant-garde guitar player and composer he also plays in Mario Galeano’s band Frente Cumbiero and was one of the 42 musicians involved in the recording of Ondatrópica, released this summer through Soundway Records.

                                                                                                                                  ‘Desesperanza’ (meaning hopelessness in English) was recorded in 2012 and is dedicated exclusively to salsa and tropical music, twisting it through a dark and theatrical soundscape but never abandoning the traditional aesthetics.

                                                                                                                                  Ondatropica

                                                                                                                                  Ondatropica

                                                                                                                                    Ondatropica release their debut album through Soundway Records. The project, conceived by Colombian musician Mario Galeano, the force behind the band Frente Cumbiero, and English producer Will Holland AKA Quantic, brings together an iconic group of top Colombian musicians representing both the classic and more modern styles of la musica Colombiana. The album is released on CD and triple vinyl LP.

                                                                                                                                    Ondatropica fuses traditional Colombian styles such as cumbia, gaita and champeta with boogaloo, ska, beat-box, MCs, dub and funk to create a progressive album that re-interprets the tropical musical heritage of Colombia with new approaches in composition, arrangement and production. Artists such as Fruko, Anibal Velasquez, Michi Sarmiento, Alfredito Linares and Wilson Viveros (to name but a few) joined a group of younger Colombian musicians, including members of both Mario’s band Frente Cumbeiro and Quantic’s Combo Barbaro, to (re)generate the excitement that positioned Colombian music as one of the most influential in South America.

                                                                                                                                    STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                    Philippa says: Ondatropica was put together by Colombian musician Mario Galeano (Frente Cumbiero), and UK producer Will Holland (Quantic). The pair bring together an iconic group of top Colombian musicians representing both the classic and more modern styles of la musica Colombiana.

                                                                                                                                    Los Miticos Del Ritmo

                                                                                                                                    Los Miticos Del Ritmo

                                                                                                                                      From the sweltering tropical depths of Cali, Colombia Will ‘Quantic’ Holland’s studio band Los Miticos Del Ritmo (The Mythics of Rhythm) return with an album of hip-shaking, dancefloor quaking instrumental cumbias.

                                                                                                                                      Assembled using vallenato and cumbia musicians living in Cali, Los Miticos del Ritmo are a seven-piece studio band put together by British musician, producer and now Colombian resident Will ‘Quantic’ Holland. Recorded in Will’s home studio in Cali, his approach was to produce an album with the aesthetics of 1960s tropical recordings made in Colombia and the Caribbean. Careful attention made to preserve the analogue quality of the recording at every stage. The album includes covers of Queen’s ‘Another One Bites The Dust’, Michael Jackson’s ‘Don’t Stop’, The Abyssinians' reggae classic ‘Satta Massagana’ and Gildardo Montoya’s ‘Fabiola’ (as featured on Soundway’s ‘The Original Sound of Cumbia’ sit along side original cumbias on this feel good, house party cumbia LP. The record was recorded entirely on 4 track tape, using a process of overdubs and tape transfers to record multiple sessions at different times with different musicians. As Holland began to play the dub plates of the project in his DJ sets around the world, tracks like ‘Cumbia de Mochilla’ and ‘Another one Bites the Dust’ slowly became sure-fire dancefloor winners.

                                                                                                                                      ‘The idea of the record was to record something that sounded like a lost cumbia classic,’ said Will in a recent interview with Soundway ‘Like something dug out of a Barranquilla basement after decades of humidity and dust. In a modern climate of mashups and sampling, it seemed refreshing to record something with musicians doing covers and approaching new ideas for cumbia, rather than rehashing old tricks.’


                                                                                                                                      The Funkees

                                                                                                                                      Dancing Time - The Best Of Eastern Nigeria's Afro Rock Exponents 1973 - 77

                                                                                                                                        ‘Dancing Time - The Best of Eastern Nigeria’s Afro Rock Exponents 1973 - 77’ by The Funkees is the latest title on Soundway to mine the rich musical output of 60s and 70s Nigeria. For the five year period this compilation spans The Funkees output crackled with dancefloor fire. Presented here are 18 slices of funky Afro-rock grooves hand picked by Soundway’s Miles Cleret from a selection of the bands 45s and 2 long players.

                                                                                                                                        In the early 1970s The Funkees were the number-one east Nigerian band and the only outfit to seriously challenge the popular Lagos based rock combos MonoMono and BLO. It wasn't long before promoters in the UK came calling and The Funkees packed up their instruments and moved to London where they quickly established a fierce reputation on the live circuit.
                                                                                                                                        Here they recorded two seminal albums before finally breaking up in 1977 amidst some controversy. This collection features for the first time all of their Nigerian 45s alongside the best of their UK album material and is accompanied by a full interview with original member Sonny Akpan, who still lives in the capital.


                                                                                                                                        Rob

                                                                                                                                        Make It Fast, Make It Slow

                                                                                                                                          Soundway re-issue Rob’s second album for the first time outside Ghana.

                                                                                                                                          Rob was an enigmatic recording artist from Ghana who cut two albums for the legendary Essiebons label in 1977. Neither of these were big domestic hits at the time and have since become prized amongst collectors in recent years. The title track from this LP was always one of the most popular on the first Soundway release "Ghana Soundz" and over the years the label have been asked many times to re-issue the LP in its entirety. A stranger, slower offering than his more dancefloor funk-laden and Spartan first LP, this record sees Rob in similar territory but with the tempo switched down and the introspection turned up.

                                                                                                                                          Rob’s trademark horns dominate and are supplied by the Mag-2, an army band founded by leader Amponsah Rockson, who named it after the army unit the band played for - the “magnificent” second battalion. In 1977, Rob traveled to the coastal town of Takoradi in search of Mag-2, which had an entire section of its line-up dedicated to horns, with the intension of laying out his proposal to them. Luckily for Rob, the band took him up on it.

                                                                                                                                          With religious overtones and a broody, slightly off-key atmosphere at points it’s certainly one of the stranger Afro-funk records to come out of West Africa but with tracks like "Loose Up Yourself" and "Make It Fast, Make It Slow" he nails it for sure.


                                                                                                                                          Batida

                                                                                                                                          Batida

                                                                                                                                            Being the first of a string of brand new projects, this eponymous first album sees Soundway taking a slightly different direction in 2012 and beyond. Championed mostly for their work in un-earthing and re-releasing classic, rare and vintage tropical recordings, Soundway have started signing new acts that have drawn on and been inspired by the kind of music found on the label’s groundbreaking compilations and re-issues. What originally started out as a radio show designed to promote new African music has slowly evolved into a collaborative project crossing continents.

                                                                                                                                            Here the label releases the debut album from Batida, the brainchild of Angolan / Portuguese DJ Mpula aka Pedro Coquenão. A distinctly modern and vibrant project with its feet firmly rooted in the past, Batida combine samples from old 1970s Angolan tracks with modern electronic dance music. Music is the starting point but through dance, graphics, photography, radio and video, Batida expands, taking in politics and social commentary but always bringing it back to the party.

                                                                                                                                            Whereas nearly all of kuduro (Angolan electronic music) has no obvious references to its country’s musical heritage, it is deeply engrained in Batida’s music. Sampling tracks from 1970s Angola, Batida is a reinterpretation of Angola’s musical past, bringing it firmly into the modern day. Batida’s high energy live show features dancers, live samples, percussionists, MCs alongside visuals and images (both archive and new) of Angolan streets, war and fragments of tribal life.


                                                                                                                                            STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                            Philippa says: The brainchild of Angolan / Portuguese DJ Mpula aka Pedro Coquenão, Batida are a distinctly modern and vibrant project combining samples from old 1970s Angolan tracks with modern electronic dance music.

                                                                                                                                            Edzayawa

                                                                                                                                            Projection One

                                                                                                                                              This extraordinary, dark, moody and experimental offering from teenage Ghanaian Afro-rock outfit Edzayawa (pronounced Ed - Zye - Ow - Ahh) is one of the more obscure and unique releases that Soundway have brought back to life over the past ten years. Arriving in Lagos from Togo in the spring of 1973 the band were taken under the wing of Fela Kuti. After a run of appearances on the bill at his Shrine club they were signed by EMI Nigeria’s visionary in-house producer Odion Iruoje. Over two days in May 1973 they recorded "Projection One", which was their one and only release before disbanding two years later.

                                                                                                                                              The majority of their songs were based around a 6/8 rhythm influenced by the music of the Ewe people from the South East of Ghana and Western Togo. With themes that draw heavily on traditional folklore and deep philosophy the album has a heavy feel that sets itself well apart from the much of the lighter happier highlife of the previous decade. Alongside Fela’s first few albums, Blo’s "Chapter One" and Mono Mono’s "Give The Beggar A Chance" this was one of the very earliest Afro-rock LPs released in West Africa and has remained out of print for nearly forty years. "Projection One" never got a release in the band’s home country of Ghana and apparently sailed way over most peoples heads at the time. Very much like the debut Hedzoleh Soundz album that Soundway re-issued in 2010 (another Ghanaian band that were recorded in Lagos, produced by Iruoje on the recommendation of Fela Kuti) the only copies that made it back to Ghana were the few that the band took back themselves.

                                                                                                                                              Soundway will release "Projection One" here in it’s full original format on gatefold vinyl as well as on CD for the first time: remastered and accompanied by liner notes that contain the reminiscences of band leader Nana Danso (who subsequently founded and now runs the Accra-based Pan African Orchestra).

                                                                                                                                              Black Truth Rhythm Band

                                                                                                                                              Ifetayo - 2024 Reissue

                                                                                                                                                Soundway return once more to the Caribbean and are proud to present ‘Ifetayo’ by Black Truth Rhythm Band originally released in 1976. Led by the charismatic Oluko Imo, ‘Ifetayo’ was the only release from the Afro-centric, Trinidadian band and is re-issued here for the first time on CD and vinyl. Whereas most of their peers at the time were looking to the funk of the USA & James Brown for inspiration, Black Truth Rhythm Band looked to Africa, fusing rhythms from Africa and the West Indies with elements of jazz, funk, calypso and soul.

                                                                                                                                                In 1975 Imo took his musicians into the studio to record the album ‘Ifetayo’. Imo played bass, kalimba, conga, flute and percussion as well as lead vocals. The album was released the following year in 1976 and despite being released in the US, remained an underground, albeit unique and forward thinking record that has remained out of print for years now. ‘Ifetayo’ was to be the only release from Black Truth Rhythm Band but Imo continued his music and love of African rhythms, going onto record with Fela Kuti in 1988 and later on perform with members of Fela’s Egypt 80 band.

                                                                                                                                                TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                                Ifetayo 
                                                                                                                                                You People
                                                                                                                                                Save D Musician 
                                                                                                                                                Kilimanjaro 
                                                                                                                                                Aspire 
                                                                                                                                                Umbala
                                                                                                                                                *Imo 

                                                                                                                                                Bonus Track Available On SNDWLP033X Version Only.

                                                                                                                                                Remi Kabaka

                                                                                                                                                Black Goddess OST

                                                                                                                                                  Soundway Records are proud to present the Afro-jazz soundtrack to Ola Balogun's legendary movie from 1978. The film was written and directed by Balogun (recognised as one of Nigeria's most renowned directors) but shot and cast in Brazil. The Soundtrack was composed by one of Nigeria's most successful and original musicians Remi Kabaka (who has played with Steve Winwood and Ginger Baker amongst others).

                                                                                                                                                  The Record was originally issued in both Nigeria and Brazil, but recorded in Lagos, using four of the Nigerian music scene's most innovative players: Remi Kabaka himself, alongside Biddy Wright, saxophonist Dele Okonkwo and Mono Mono frontman Joni Haastrup. The result is a truly unique and experimental afro-jazz recording that has been out of print for many years, until now.


                                                                                                                                                  Michi Sarmiento

                                                                                                                                                  Aqui Los Bravos! - The Best Of Michi Sarmiento Y Su Combo Bravo 1967 - 77

                                                                                                                                                    Soundway remain in Colombia for the follow up to "Cartagena! Curro Fuentes & The Big Band Cumbia & Descarga Sound of Colombia 1962-72", with a collection of pure Colombian dancefloor thunder; 16 tracks of the finest guaguancós, descargas and cumbias recorded by legendary bandleader Michi Sarmiento y su Bravos, and released on the infamous Discos Fuentes label between 1967 and 1977. Born into a musical family in 1938, Michi, a musical-child prodigy of sorts, began playing the cabarets, casinos and cathouses of Cartagena in the late 1950's. By 1967 he had formed his Combo Bravo (the band consisted of two trumpets, Michi on tenor sax and clarinet, guitar and piano, electric bass, tumbadora, timbales and a young Joe Arroyo on vocals) and began to play live alongside other exciting young groups such as Toño y su Combo, Los Seven del Swing and Puerto Rico y su Combo. Along with infectious dance porros and cumbias, Michi y sus Bravos specialized in rumbling guaguancós, descargas and hot covers of early salsa and boogaloo hits. Michi's LPs on Discos Fuentes, brilliantly produced and recorded by Mario 'Pachanga' Rincón, were packed with fast-paced dancefloor burners featuring pumping bass, insistent montunos, sax solos and nasty metallic percussion.


                                                                                                                                                    The Sweet Talks

                                                                                                                                                    Kusum Beat

                                                                                                                                                      Sweet Talks were undoubtedly amongst the top five biggest bands in Ghana in the 1970s recording a string of hit albums. "The Kusum Beat" was originally released in 1974 and became somewhat of a household favourite with heavy  emphasis on the 'Afro' through its traditional rhythms and motifs, blended  together into a modern mix that combined highlife, funk and Afro-beat. Like small handful of seminal Ghanaian albums, "The Kusum Beat" has stood the test of time and sounds as original and unique today as it did back in 1974 thus original pressings are in high demand and can be found on record exchanges for significant prices. This was the second album from the band who were formerly known as El Dorados later to change their name to Medican Lantcis before settling on The Sweet Talks having moved to a live residency at the legendary Talk Of The Town nightclub in the port town of Tema, just outside the capital of Ghana - Accra. It is here they established a name for themselves as one of the most exciting young bands in the country. "The Kusum Beat" is far from typical of their trademark sound but shows just how versatile an outfit they were - able to turn their hands to any one of a number of styles. It’s a great reminder of how open-minded, experimental and curious the music scene in Ghana was back in the first half of the 1970s.


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