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WAH WAH 45S

Cover of The Confluence by Dele Sosimi & The Estuary 21.

Dele Sosimi & The Estuary 21

The Confluence

Wah Wah 45s

    Dele Sosimi, the UK based Afrobeat ambassador, former band member of Fela Kuti’s Egypt 80 and co-founder with Femi Kuti of the Positive Force finally unleashes his full debut album with The Estuary 21 (masterminded by British musician Sam Duckworth, aka Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly) entitled The Confluence LP.

    Having released The Confluence EP together early last year, Dele and Sam’s new record seeks pastures new exploring soul, jazz, r’n’b, funk and of course Afrobeat for an eccentric and life-affirming record brimming with feelings of freedom and possiblity.

    Dele and Sam were introduced at Felabration 2012, the annual commemoration of the music of Fela Kuti in Lagos, Nigeria. Nearly ten years passed before the two musicians connected in Sam’s hometown of Southend-On-Sea (UK) in a post-lockdown creative boom, recording
    the first EP over a burst of week-long sessions in 2021.

    After the Confluence EP was released to much fanfare in early 2023, the two musicians realised that there was still plenty to put to tape, creativity was still oozing and thus the initial idea of a few tracks soon led to the idea of a fully-fledged album project.

    TRACK LISTING

    A1. Ride Out The Storm (feat Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly)
    A2. Mo Se B'ola Tan (feat Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly)
    A3. For The Love Of It
    A4. Ori Mi
    A5. You Don't Have To
    B1. E Si M'edo (feat Lizzy Dosunmu)
    B2. Open Up (feat Snowboy & Sam Eagle)
    B3. Otito Ti Jade
    B4. The Rumblings
    B5. Alagbara Ma Me Ro (feat Lizzy Dosunmu)
    B6. Stories (feat Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly)

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    Cover of Attic by Lawne.

    Lawne

    Attic

    Wah Wah 45s

    Formed in 2019, Lawne is the result of a meeting of minds between old friends and self confessed music nerds Joe Nicklin and Joe Martin. Their sound draws upon myriad influences with dub, electronics, hip hop, psych, jazz, post-punk and Afrobeat all somehow ingrained within the mix.

    It's something that evolved during at a time of change for both of them, as Joe Nicklin explains:

    "The start of this project coincided with me moving onto a canal boat, which was a hugely rewarding time of my life but not without its challenges. You can hear some of my boating vents coming through in the lyrics of Beta Pan and Ame Tova.

    Another challenge during this time was trying to figure out a way of still playing and recording drums that wasn't going to break the bank. I decided to start renting a tiny storage space near Caledonian Road in North London, that I would convert into a makeshift studio and soon learned that corrugated iron sheets aren't the best walls for a drum booth. My friend cut me some curtains and a few egg boxes later we were able to insulate the thing, sort of.

    These limitations meant that we had to keep recordings pretty simple and I feel like this set the tone for the whole record. Whether it was digging out my childhood bass guitar for Joe to play, squeezing every last drop out of Logic presets or mumbling into a SM57 for the first time, we made do with what we had and I'm proud of the charming thing we were able to create. I felt like I was learning on the job at times for this album and I'm grateful for what it has taught me, whilst being excited for what we can do next. As I was moving off the water and out of my lockup, the album masters were also starting to trickle through. A fitting close to that chapter of my life and the making of our first album."

    Joe Martin reflects more on how their unique sound came about:

    "It's interesting thinking back to the sound we were exploring when we first started writing together, and how different much of the record is to that original sound. We didn't set out a clear musical direction and that meant we were rarely constrained stylistically, we could shift between genres and feels and grooves, take inspiration from the new and the old and it still sat comfortably with what we were trying to do. I think the eight tracks we landed on illustrates that nicely.

    The record's named after the self storage unit we used as a studio for many years, there's something quite poetic about parting ways with the space within weeks of the album coming out; a final homage to the place it all started."

    STAFF COMMENTS

    Barry says: Snappy latin percussion, swirling bass and psychedelic washes of reverb is the order of the day on the brilliant 'Attic'. Frenetic passages are beautifully offset with groove, and tension builds slowly before drifting away in the blink of an eye. It's a wonderfully measured, grooving beauty.

    TRACK LISTING

    1. Mamasong (Album Version)
    2. Beta Pan (Album Version)
    3. Pool
    4. Selva
    5. The Huge Balloon (Album Version)
    6. Ame Tova
    7. Heather's Leather (Album Version)
    8. To Live Here

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    Cover of Destination by Afla Sackey & Afrik Bawantu.

    Afla Sackey & Afrik Bawantu

    Destination

    Wah Wah 45s

    On the label from Ghanaian vocalist and djembe drummer Afla Sackey with his band Afrik Bawantu, he has fulfilled the dream of blending traditional Ghanaian music with sizzling Afrobeat grooves, topping it off with anirresistibly funky twist! Their unique blend of vibrant African rhythms with brisk, animatedhorn sections and heavy bass-lines bring a fresh perspective to the Afrobeat genre.

    Destination provides a much needed moment of positivity in these turbulent times, as Afla himself explains:

    "With focus, determination, hard work, patience, ambition and dignity - even though the journey Is long and tough, with these qualities, we will arrive at our destination successfully!"

    The album is full to the brim with such life affirming messages, such as in the trackTogetherness, encouraging us to put aside our differences and unite as one…

    "We have to start looking beyond colour, race, gender and religion to work together with love and unity to create peace and heal the world for the next generation to come."

    As well as the celebratoryShake Your Booty, which encourages listeners to come together and party like there is no tomorrow.

    "Forget about your stress, your worries and have a great time. Feel free, engage with everyone and dance till you drop as life is too short. So have fun while you can."

    The first single to be released from the album,It's Not Easy, which concerns itself not only with the trials and tribulations of life but also how we learn by living the day-to-day, also talks about a theme that runs throughout the album - the idea of travelling the globe to broaden our horizons and help us understand how other people live their lives.

    The follow up single,Mofeemo Ke Eno, talks about jealousy, but again from a positive viewpoint, as Afla explains:

    "Every human being came to this world with their different destinies. So never want to be someone else, as their destiny is different from yours and never get jealous about someone's progress as tomorrow will be your turn."

    Similarly,Mind Your Business talks about just that - staying in your lane and concentrating on your own concerns and ambitions, and Be Careful stresses that every action has a reaction….

    "With the action you take in life, as most times, the repercussions will not affect you only but your loved ones as well."

    Finally, Sane Ye (There Is Trouble) looks at the bigger picture of wars and global crises, yet once again Afla brings these issues back to the self…

    "We have to look at ourselves and find out where we have gone wrong to be able to fix these issues affecting us as humans."

    STAFF COMMENTS

    Barry says: A blazing selection of frenetic West African rhythms and funky horns, with flickering guitar and snappy percussive paddling. It's a brilliantly inventive fusion of the traditional forms with Sackey's celebratory vocals on top.

    TRACK LISTING

    1. Togetherness
    2. Mind Your Business
    3. Be Careful
    4. Sane Ye
    5. Destination
    6. Shake Da Booty
    7. It's Not Easy
    8. Mofeemo Ke Eno

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    Cover of Don't Blame The Youth by Youthsayers.

    Youthsayers

    Don't Blame The Youth

    Wah Wah 45s

    Youthsayers are an ongoing and enduring South London community project, founded byRobin HopcraftandIdris Rahmanof our very own, legendary Afro-reggae outfit Soothsayers.

    Youthsayers was established in 2016 and ever since has consistently provided free of charge opportunities for young people to come together, learn an instrument and perform music under the tutelage of Robin and Idris. This has been made possible, in part, through donations from local businesses and private benefactors, but also live fundraisers and now through commercially released music!

    Don't Blame The Youth, due for release on June 28th, is a snapshot of the current Youthsayers band, and recent alumni, who've gone on to form other bands in the world of jazz, reggae and beyond, including recent signings to Gilles Peterson's Brownswood imprint,Oreglo.

    Over the course of eight tracks the band deliver their own unique takes on classic and contemporary pieces of music from the world of dub and Afro-jazz, including covers ofTheon Cross,Fela Kuti,Cedric IM Brooks,The Fontanellesand of course, Soothsayers themselves.

    The album also showcases the Youthsayers students' own writing abilities, not only on their original composition,Citizens Not Subjects, written alongsideLevitation Orchestra's director and trumpeterAxel Kaner-Lindstrom, but also via a re-working of theTommy McCookinstrumentalTenor On The Callwith lyrics re-written by Youthsayers' clarinet playerGiacomo Del Reiand re-namedWe Keep Playing, the debut single to be taken from the album.

    Every single penny of profit from this LP will go directly to the Youthsayers project. If you would like to take part in the programme, or donate to the cause, please go towww.youthsayers.net.

    TRACK LISTING

    1. JJD
    2. Eagle Song
    3. Ethiopia
    4. We Keep Playing
    5. Candace Of Meroe
    6. Citizens Not Subjects
    7. Goodnight Rico
    8. Afrocat

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    Cover of Sun Dogs by Jamie Finlay.

    Jamie Finlay

    Sun Dogs

    Wah Wah 45s

    With their expansive arrangements and complex harmonies, you can hear the spiritual jazz influences of Lonnie Liston Smith and Pharaoh Sanders on the two opening tracks, Destroy Create Part 1 and Rain Will Come. These are followed by the Ethio-jazz leaning Staring at the Sun, with its pounding baritone sax chorus and ethereal vocals. Next up is the stripped back psyche soul of Family, the album's first single, with a haunting performance from Ellen Beth Abdi. Parhelion calls to mind Headhunters-era Herbie, with its off kilter jazz-fusion vibe, and is followed by the bittersweet Give Back My Love, which comes across like Stereolab and Everything But The Girl meets Rotary Connection. Penultimate song Destroy Create Part 2 leads us into broken-beat territory, and finally, with its pulsing bass line, layered vocal harmonies and crescendos, the closing track, Daylight, is an optimistic future anthem, bringing to mind the work of Charles Stepney, the Mizell Brothers and James Mason.

    Sun Dogs was recorded between 2022 and 2023 with a core band of Jamie Finlay working with keyboardist, arranger and producer Matt Steele, drummer Erroll Rollins and singer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Ellen Beth Abdi (A Certain Ratio), who appears across the album, and features on its three singles. The album features collaborations with singer, producer and saxophonist Caitlin LM, Kemani Anderson of Secret Night Gang and supporting musicians Bryan Corbett (trumpet/flute), Chris Bowden (saxophones), Hannah McGuigain (vocals), Dan Carpenter (trumpet) and Atholl Ransome (saxophones). The album was mixed by Jamie Finlay together with engineer Phil Kirby (Mr. Scruff, 808 State).

    TRACK LISTING

    1. Destroy Create (Part I) [feat. Kemani Anderson]
    2. Rain Will Come
    3. Staring At The Sun (feat. Caitlin LM)
    4. Family (feat. Ellen Beth Abdi)
    5. Parhelion
    6. Give Back My Love (feat. Ellen Beth Abdi)
    7. Destroy Create (Part II) [feat. Kemani Anderson & Ellen Beth Abdi]
    8. Daylight (feat. Ellen Beth Abdi)

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    Cover of Little Anchor by Bev Lee Harling.

    Bev Lee Harling

    Little Anchor

    Wah Wah 45s

    Bev Lee Harling returns with her first solo recording in almost a decade. She won the hearts and musical minds of DJs across the board with her 2012 debut LP, Barefoot In Your Kitchen, which BBC 6Music's Gilles Peterson made his Album of the Week. Now the gifted singer, violinist and composer returns with twelve beautiful pieces of music that tell a very personal story of the years since.

    Having swapped the busy streets of North London for the calmer shores of Hastings in Sussex to bring up her young family, it's fair to say that Bev's priorities might have changed somewhat over the past few years, but the music was never far away. Her new environment, and musical family (including multi-talented partner and album co-producer Frank Moon) added plenty of fresh inspiration to her recordings, and we're very excited to share her new album, entitled Little Anchor, with you this Autumn.

    The album is in some senses a travelogue, a 9 year journey of a creative womannavigating the landscape of parenting. Each song is a snapshot taken at a differentlocation in time, in a world where finding balance between creative freedom and motherhood is still a struggle, from the uplifting and euphoric Beautiful Life, to the heavy and harassed Only Got A Minute.

    Between the unexpected joys of parenting, grappleswith mental health and feelings of inadequacy, and fighting for every second ofcreative time while slowly accepting a life very different to the one that existedbefore, this unedited family album emerged bursting with quirky childhoodmemories, dark musings and celebrations of musical passion and legacy.

    Each song carries breakthrough personal moments in rebuilding strength as an artist, as a person, as a parent. Even down to a very emotional moment with Ray Davies of The Kinks, during a songwriting retreat, where album closer This Violin String, a deeply personal ode to her recently departed mum, was written…

    "Everyone turned up writing on guitars and piano and I just had my battered old violin. I felt totally out of touch with my former confident musical self and had zero confidence in what I was doing after an intense period of car crash parenting. I wrote it, performed it on the same day and then sobbed my guts out in front of a bunch of total strangers (sorry Ray!). Something shifted for me in the act of being quite so vulnerable though and I found my mojo again in writing solo with my violin."

    The personal nature of this record is self-evident, it bursts through every note and word in each song. We're very excited to be able to share such a special album,afresh foray into the always unpredictable, experimental and playful world of Bev Lee Harling.

    TRACK LISTING

    1. Dirty Dragonfly
    2. Beautiful Life
    3. Is It OK?
    4. If I Told You
    5. Man Under My Bed
    6. Lay Down In The Tall Grass
    7. Only Got A Minute
    8. Nights At The Circus
    9. Going Back Home
    10. Ghost Swimming
    11. Tears On Your Heart
    12. This Violin String

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    Reduced Cover of So Long by Kutiman.

    Kutiman

    So Long

    Wah Wah 45s

      This release marks 20 years of Wah Wah 45s as a record label, and to celebrate they have tempted internationally renowned producer, videographer and film-maker Kutiman to the fold for this one-off RSD special. ‘So Long’ sees the man famed for his Thru You videos and Netflix documentary Presenting Princess Shaw, delivering some deep psychedelic, orchestral soul. On vocal duties is none other than Wah Wah 45s family member, Honeyfeet front woman and member of the Afro-Celt Soundsystem, The Breath and so much more -Gaelic powerhouse, Rioghnach Connolly. Remix duties come courtesy of another family member, Gene Dudley, with his first production for a couple of years, taking Kutiman’s composition into string laiden Balearic dance floor territories. “So Long” will be Wah Wah 45s’ third ever 10-inch release, with another specially designed custom sleeve courtesy of our in-house designer Animisiewasz.

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      Cover of We Know (Remixes) by Hunrosa.

      Hunrosa

      We Know (Remixes)

      Wah Wah 45s

      As bottom end provider for Cinematic Orchestra and Paper Tiger, Hunrosa (AKA Sam Vicary) already has something of a pedigree for a man of such tender years. His music glides effortlessly between Bonobo at his most sonorous, Jon Hopkins at his most ethereal and Flying Lotus at his most freaky.

      Currently based in Manchester, his music captures the wild organic senses of his Cornish childhood, anchoring it with a darker 2am undercurrent. Following the success of "Ransom" (a firm favourite of BBC 6 Music’s Tom Ravenscroft) Hunrosa returns with his newest offering "We Know". An eerie, ethereal track full of haunting atmospheres, Vicary enlists Austrian percussion maestro Manu Delago, who lends his hang drum expertise to the proceedings weaving it amongst the twisting, intricate beats and Anna McLuckie’s delicate vocals.

      Here, as a bonus release, here we get a tasty white label 12" with three reworkings from burgeoning producers Lavan, Etherwood and Danvers. Newcomer Lavan is up first, moulding the organic melodies and earthy percussion into a dubbed out, soulful and bouncy 4/4 number. Hospital Records golden boy Etherwood (whose band Hunrosa is also a member of) brings a late-night liquid DnB atmosphere into play, harnessing the raw emotional power of the lyrics, as reverberating piano chords strike out into the darkness. Having turned the heads of Bradley Zero and Gilles Peterson with his recent releases, CoOp and WotNot Music’s Danvers resets the atmosphere with a zen like extended intro, before launching headfirst into a hypnotic and enthralling looped rhythm section. The groove locked in place, it rises and falls with precision, joined by spaced-out synths throughout the nine-minute duration, allowing the majestic instrumentation to gather pace as the spine chilling vocals drift overhead.

      TRACK LISTING

      We Know (Lavan’s Never Forget Dub)
      We Know (Etherwood Remix)
      We Know (Danvers Remix)

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