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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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)

Java, the most populous island in the archipelago of over 17,000 islands and 1300 distinct ethnic groups, and its capital city Jakarta, was where most of the post-colonial national identity, politics, administration and music production was centered. Traditional songs from Java, Sumatra, Bali and beyond were reimagined by a small group of state-sponsored musicians that also composed and arranged new music. These songs aimed at consolidating a geographically disparate country with a new language and new ideas of national character.

This compilation brings together a handful of these recordings that combine elements of regional popular music, Islamic Gambus, Javanese & Balinese Gamelan and Kroncong, with jazz, Afro-Latin music & instrumentation, and vocal harmonies influenced by banned American doo-wop and rock & roll.

The results are a unique blend of styles that have remained mostly insulated from the world outside of Indonesia until a recent worldwide resurgence in the interest of recorded music of all forms has shone a new light on these nearly forgotten recordings.

TRACK LISTING

Orkes Teruna Ria - Bulan Dagoan
Yanti Bersaudara - Gumbira
Orkes Suita Rama - Tepui Tepui
Band Nada Kentjana - Djaleuleudja
Orkes Lokananta - Nganggo Teklek Nang Krikilan
Orkes Teruna Ria - Budjang Talalai
Orkes Kelana Ria - Ya Mahmud
Orkes Teruna Ria - Geleang Sapi
Zaenal Combo - Ampat Lima Dalam Djambangan
Zaenal Combo - Seruling
Orkes Kelana Ria - Sojang
Mus D.S. - Neleng Neng Kung
Orkes Gumarang - Malin Kundang
Orkes Tropicana - Pantjaran Kasih
Orkes Teruna Ria - Tak Ton Tong
Orkes Lokananta - Tari Bali
Orkes Kelana Ria - Emplek Emplek Ketepu
Mus D.S. - Ahai Dara
Orkes Kelana Ria - Semoga
Zaenal Combo - Kaden Sadje
Orkes Irama - Gendjer Gendjer
Orkes Teruna Ria - Modjang Parahyangan
Orkes Sendja Meraju - Bubuj Bulan
Mus D.S. - Tautjo Tjiandjur
Nada Kantjana - Nelengnengkung
Ivo Nilakreshna - Ka Huma
Zaenal Combo - Tandung Tjina

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

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

As pockets of new jazz scenes emerge around the world, it's apparent that New Zealand's bubbling microcosm in Wellington interprets the genre through a unique lens

Clear Path Ensemble bottles the energy of that burgeoning movement and distils it into moody morsels of differing styles. From electric jazz to ambient, experimental, house and funk - it's a DIY, jam- session attitude towards composition, as the band members freely cherry- pick from a vast orchard of influences.

Citing inspiration from '70s ECM catalogue, the ensemble channels the "expansive and astral" elements of electric jazz, with an introspective dynamic. At times it's fused with catchy synth hooks, smooth basslines and shuffling beats, while other tracks morph into moody electronic soundscapes, and even Sun Raesque free jazz.

Led by percussionist Cory Champion, the band released their debut self- titled album with HHV in 2020, followed by a headline performance at the 2021 Wellington Jazz Festival. Champion has played drums alongside some of New Zealand's most revered contemporary musicians (Lord Echo, Lucien Johnson and Mara TK to name a few), and also produces leftfield deep house and techno under the name Borrowed cs, which partly informs the ensemble's electronic production.

Says Champion: "for a long time I had ambitions to make this project but always planned on it being recorded traditionally. Ultimately, I was encouraged by a new DIY spirit in contemporary jazz, where electronic music production techniques are fully integrated in the recording and production of great new contemporary jazz music."

TRACK LISTING

Kihi
Drumatix
Revolutions
Absolvo
Interlock
Solar Eclipse
Sunrise Motif
Plazma Plaza
Talking To Water
Tennis Ball

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 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

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

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

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

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

Esa Williams is not only a musical polymath but also passionate about connecting people through music - be it as a skilled DJ, an educator in production, a band leader reigniting the legendary Ata Kak band from Ghana, or a collaborator with the likes of Mim Suleiman or Auntie Flo. A firm favourite on the DJ circuit, he held a monthly residency at Phonox London for over 6 months - bringing guests such as Nu Guinea to Brixton audiences - as well as delivering memorable sets at Dekmantel, Atlas Festival, Boiler Room and more.

The last few years have seen a recent surge in interest in South African music from the 80s and 90s, including bubblegum, which was recently showcased on Soundway’s critically acclaimed 2018 compilation Gumba Fire: Bubblegum Soul & Synth Boogie in 1980s South Africa, put together by DJ Okapi. It was only natural that the label looked to delve deeper into the country’s rich musical legacy and tap another of its esteemed ambassadors for the role of compiler.

The result is a rainbow of complementary electronic styles hailing from not only South Africa but further afield, including zouk from Brazil and the French Antilles, as well as Afro-futurism. Together, they form a comprehensive picture that connects the dots of Esa’s musical journey - from growing up in South Africa, to artists he has encountered in his worldwide travels who have helped develop his identity as a musician.

One such artist is South African icon Penny Penny, whose kwaito house anthem “Shilungu” has been made available for the first time on vinyl since its original 2001 release - both on Amandla, as well as on the compilation’s 12” teaser released by Soundway in May 2019. Penny Penny’s first album “Shaka Bundu”, while a hit in South Africa on its initial cassette release in 1994, it was reissued by Awesome Tapes From Africa in 2013, propelling him and the sound of Tsongah disco into the global spotlight. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Patrick says: Big up yourself Esa! Not only is this man a thoroughly nice chap, talented producer and globetrotting collaborator, he also has ALL THE TUNES. If you're after the finest diasporic dance floor bangers old and new, this is the comp for you. Special mention goes to the essential instrumental version of Alaska's "Accuse", Matt Ward's favourite Kwaito banger 2014...

TRACK LISTING

A1. Penny Penny - Shilungu
A2. Alaska - Accuse (Instrumental)
B1. Ze Spirits Band - Tucheza (Esa Extended Mix)
B2. Nonku Phiri - S F (feat. Dion Monti)
B3. Os Panteras - Melo Do Anjo (Outra Edit)
C1. Pascal Latour - Lague Yo (Boulo Edit)
C2. Masalo - Yera (feat. Doussou Koulibaly)
D1. Esa - Pantsula Traxx
D2. Narchbeats - Cheeks
D3. DJ Spoko - #Justsnares

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)

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)

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)

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)

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

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 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)

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

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

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)

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.

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

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
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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

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".

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.

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)

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 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.

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

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

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.

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)

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.

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, 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.

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 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.

'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.

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

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.

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)

'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’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 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.

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

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

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.

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.

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 

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 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.

‘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.

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.

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.