Gasper Lawal – Ajomasé LP [STRUT503]

November 2, 2025October 30, 2025 hipodrome!k7 records, african, album, funk, gasper lawal, jazz, outernational, re-release, reissue, strut recordsLeave a comment

Ajomasé is the groundbreaking debut album by legendary Nigerian percussionist Gasper Lawal. Originally released in 1980 on his own label CAP, Strut are proud to now bring this unique album back to the racks. Lawal’s style was forged through decades of high-level percussion work with the likes of Stephen Stills, Barbra Streisand, George Clinton & Funkadelic, Manfred Mann, Alexis Korner, Vangelis and Ginger Baker’s Air Force band. Dissatisfied with existing genre labels and production norms, Lawal began recording his own album in 1976 at Vangelis’ own studio in London’s Marble Arch before switching to long, drawn-out night shifts at Surrey Sound Studios, using downtime between The Police’s sessions for Outlandos D’Amour. Lawal meticulously self-produced, composed, and overdubbed the album over four years, assembling an elite group of musicians from both Nigeria and the UK. The instruments used were often hand-built, including a powerful one-of-a-kind drum carved deep in the Nigerian bush. “This music is not about trends, about what is commercial or a “sound” of a particular moment,” explains Lawal, “it is about music to be felt, that gives pleasure. It is nurturing and meditative.”

Auntie Flo – Birds of Paradise LP [ASOF010V]

October 27, 2025October 27, 2025 hipodromea state of flo, african, album, auntie flo, brian d'souza, houseLeave a comment

‘Birds of Paradise’ draws on d’Souza’s global club experience while deepening his connection with the natural world. Built around classic Roland drum machines and iconic vintage synths, the record is a joyful, body-driven celebration of rhythm and movement, but one grounded in ecology and place. The album’s spiritual centre lies in Saligao, Goa, near d’Souza’s maternal homeland where his Auntie Florie (where the name is derived from) is buried. Where he found his ‘paradise’ nearby, staying in a converted fisherman’s hut and recorded dawn choruses from a riverside studio overlooking mangrove-lined waters. Environmental textures from Japan also make their way into the music, creating a sonic map rooted in lived experience.

Ozobby Horn – Born to Move [AF1012]

September 20, 2025September 22, 2025 hipodromeafrican, afrobeat, afrodelic, album, cinedelic records, funk, ozobby horn, psychedelicLeave a comment

Ozobby Horn was a very obscure band from Nigeria composed of three musicians that only released one and only very hard to find cult album that has finally been reissued by Afrodelic. “Born To Move On” is an absolutely killer album that sums up the best of 1970s Nigerian sound. Heavy wicked psychedelic Afro-funk; phat drums and hefty, chunky bass with shredding fuzz guitar insertions on a bed of analogic keys.

J.E. Movement – Ma Dea Luv [AFS057]

September 12, 2025September 12, 2025 hipodromeafrican, afrobeat, afrosynth records, album, bubblegum, elliot faku, house, james nyingwa, je movement, nu beat, outernational, re-release, reissueLeave a comment

J.E. Movement’s groundbreaking ‘Ma Dea Luv’. Toward the end of the 1980s South Africa’s recording industry was booming. Searching for a sound that could cross over to all in the country’s segregated society while also eyeing international success, a new duo emerged that quickly rendered its ‘bubblegum’ predecessors obsolete. Drawing on international trends and crafting lyrics for local ears, J.E. Movement – a duo made up of James Nyingwa and Elliot Faku – exploded onto the local scene with their debut album, ‘Ma Dea Luv’. The future had arrived. The six tracks on J.E. Movement’s 1988 debut give firm nods to UK Street Soul, New Jack Swing and Stock Aitken Waterman’s ‘Hit Factory’ sound and infuse them with an African rhythmic flair and homegrown lyrical sentiment.

François Nyombo – I’m Cool [STRUT294D]

March 15, 2025March 14, 2025 hipodrome!k7 records, african, album, francois nyombo, funk, jazz, lafayette afro-rock band, strut records, topomic recordsLeave a comment

Strut Records / !K7 Music, under exclusive licence from Topomic Records, present this 1976 gem from François Nyombo.

VA – Duomo Sounds Ltd: Nigerian 80s Disco Music To Move Your Soul [LIVST005]

January 12, 2025January 10, 2025 hipodromeafrican, afrobeat, bindiga, christy ogbah, compilation, disco, duomo sounds, funk, Johnny o, mike umoh, odion livingstone, outernationalLeave a comment

Humphrey Aniakor started Duomo Sounds after a trip to Milan. The idea was to produce a new sound for the emerging generation. A sleek funky but refined, Nigerian disco sound. This compilation captures all of that intention with a broad array of artists. The music is sometimes sung in local Nigerian languages and sometimes in English but always with an African Accent. Modern grooves for an African market. After several months spent hanging out at studios in Los Angeles and New York, observing the musicians, producers and engineers at work. He went to nightclubs to study what kind of sonic textures made the crowd move. And when he felt he had gotten the hang of it, he returned to Nigeria to set up his record label. A label that would showcase the au courant, cosmopolitan face of the Nigeria’s emerging young generation. That would encompass the boundlessness of imagination, focus, persistence and craftsmanship. That would deliver music that touched the soul.

ESA – A Muto [ISLE026]

September 15, 2024September 13, 2024 hipodromeafrican, disco, esa, funk, isle of jura recods, outernationalLeave a comment

Big tune from Cameroonian outfit, ESA, originally released on an LP in 1986. For the first time ‘A Muto’ by Esa is given an official reissue. Not only does this mark a first as a stand along single, but the reissue contains previously unheard Instrumental, Dub and Keys Versions alongside an Acapella.

VA – Kampire Presents: A Dancefloor in Ndola [STRUTLP273]

August 10, 2024August 8, 2024 hipodromeafrican, afrobeat, compilation, funk, kampire, outernational, strut recordsLeave a comment

Strut introduces a pioneering new compilation ‘A Dancefloor In Ndola,’ curated by revered East African DJ, Kampire. This release marks an evolution in Strut’s approach to compilations, showcasing emerging DJ talent from across the world and embracing an innovative approach to musical discovery from the next wave of selectors. Forging her reputation through memorable sets for the Nyege Nyege Festival in Uganda over the last decade, Kampire now tours worldwide and is celebrated for her brilliantly curated sets spanning the full range of African music styles from the ‘70s and ‘80s to the present day. Although born in Kenya to Ugandan parents, Kampire spent her formative years in Ndola, Zambia. ‘A Dancefloor In Ndola’ is inspired by artists and songs that formed part of her soundtrack during that time. The compilation flows through different East African and South African genres from Congolese rumba and soukous to 1980s township bubblegum and the rich guitar-led sounds of Zambian kalindula.

VA – Togo Soul 2 [HC79LP]

April 14, 2024April 11, 2024 hipodromeafrican, afrobeat, akofa akoussah, compilation, funk, gregoire lawani, hot casa records, mamo lagbema, outernational, roger damawuzanLeave a comment

Hot Casa Records present Togo Soul 2: Selected Rare Togolese Recordings from 1974 to 1989. A treasure-trove of rare and unusual recordings mostly recorded in Lomé during the 70’s and 80’s. A fusion of traditional voodoo chants, raw soul and even Electro Funk . Finding these tracks and their rights holders hasn’t become any easier even after few trips all over this west African country bordered by Ghana , Benin & Burkina Faso. Hot Casa Records, with the kind help of Roger Damawuzan, selected thirteen tracks, a snapshot of some hundreds of rare and often forgotten tapes from the most prolific, professional and exciting phase of the country’s recording history included international stars like Akofa Akoussah, Gregoire Lawani to Roger Damawuzan compared as the James Brown from Lomé to forgotten tapes and brilliant songs in Mina, Kabyié and Fon language. Many of the tracks featured here are peppered with innovation and experimentation highlighting how diverse, the music scene in Togo was at the time even if the political context influenced their creation. Many of the original albums these tracks are taken from high prices online due to their rarity and so it’s with great pleasure that we present a selection here that evokes a golden boomtime in Togolese music history.

Lafayette Afro-Rock Band – Soul Makossa LP [STRUTLP300]

April 13, 2024April 11, 2024 hipodromeafrican, afrobeat, funk, lafayette afro-rock band, pierre jaubert, re-release, reissue, strut recordsLeave a comment

Second in a series of reissues from Pierre Jaubert’s Parisound studio archive on Strut Record is Lafayette Afro Rock Band’s elusive funk/Afro original album, ‘Soul Makossa’ originally released in 1973. Drawing inspiration from Motown’s work ethic, Jaubert initiated regular rehearsals with Ice. The band, residing in Paris and immersed in the African-dominated Barbesse district, began infusing African elements into their music frequently performing with Paris-dwelling Camaroonian and legendary composer Manu Dibango. Rechristening themselves Lafayette Afro Rock Band, the group’s musical direction shifted towards predominantly instrumental compositions, characterized by a weightier, more intricate Afro-funk sound. Their debut recording under this new moniker, ‘Soul Makossa,’ made a powerful impact with a dynamic rendition of Dibango’s classic, coupled with the intense break of ‘Hihache’ and the contagious ‘Nicky.’ Initially released by Musidisc in France and later in the U.S. via Editions Makossa, the album omitted the title track due to publishing clearance issues.

Lafayette Afro-Rock Band – Malik LP [STRUTLP299]

April 13, 2024April 11, 2024 hipodromeafrican, afrobeat, funk, lafayette afro-rock band, pierre jaubert, re-release, reissue, strut recordsLeave a comment

First in a series of reissues from Pierre Jaubert’s Parisound studio archive on Strut Record is Lafayette Afro Rock Band’s elusive funk/Afro original album, ‘Malik,’ originally released in 1974. Drawing inspiration from Motown’s work ethic, Jaubert initiated regular rehearsals with Ice. The band, residing in Paris and immersed in the African-dominated Barbesse district, began infusing African elements into their music frequently performing with Paris-dwelling Camaroonian and legendary composer Manu Dibango. Under the new moniker Lafayette Afro Rock Band, the group’s music transitioned to predominantly instrumental compositions, featuring a denser Afro-funk sound. Their inaugural recording with the new name, ‘Soul Makossa,’ included a compelling rendition of Dibango’s classic and the impactful break in ‘Hihache.’ The subsequent release a year later, ‘Malik,’ refined their sound with the percussive Afro party jam ‘Conga,’ the atmospheric vocoder and piano-led piece ‘Djungi,’ and the robust funk of ‘Darkest Light.’ Despite a limited impact upon its initial release, ‘Malik’ found appreciation as hip-hop culture flourished in the ’80s, establishing itself as a rich source of samples and riffs. ‘Conga’ was featured in the ‘Ultimate Breaks And Beats’ series, while the opening horn line from ‘Darkest Light’ became a pivotal hip-hop motif, employed by Jay-Z, Public Enemy, Wreckx ‘N’ Effect, and many others

VA – Congo Funk! Sound Madness From The Shores Of The Mighty Congo River: Kinshasa/Brazzaville 1969-1982 [AALP098]

April 7, 2024April 8, 2024 hipodromeafrican, afrobeat, analog africa, compilation, funk, outernationalLeave a comment

The making of Congo Funk!, a journey to the musical heart of the African continent, took the Analog Africa Team on two journeys to Kinshasa and one to Brazzaville. Selected meticulously from around 2000 songs and boiled down to 14, this compilation aims to showcase the many facets of the funky, hypnotic and schizophrenic tunes emanating from the two Congolese capitals nestled on the banks of the Congo River.

VA – Africamore – The Afro-funk side of Italy (1973-1978) [FLIES65]

March 30, 2024March 28, 2024 hipodromeafrican, african revival, afrobeat, beryl cunningham, chrisma, compilation, four flies records, funk, i-robots, lara saint paul, outernational, prognosi riservata, ramasandiran somusundaram, soul, walter rizzati, weyman corporationLeave a comment

Continuing Four Flies’ dedication to delving into lesser-explored periods of Italian music, Africamore takes us on a captivating journey into the intersection of Afro-funk and the Italian soundscape during the six years between 1973 and 1978 – a time when disco was looming on the horizon and the nightclub market was rapidly expanding. Before reaching Italian shores, the infectious sound originating from African and Afro-Caribbean roots traversed both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, landing on New York dancefloors, where DJ Dave Mancuso discovered “Soul Makossa” by Manu Dibango. In 1973, from Mancuso’s Loft parties, the song’s hypnotic groove spread to the rest of the globe, including in Italy, where it sparked a wave of imitations and variations. Tribal influences thus found their way into Italian soul-funk and early-disco productions released between 1973 and 1978. Combining feel-good vibes with driving rhythms, world-style percussion, and even synths, all these productions pushed the boundaries of dance music at a time when disco had not yet taken over. In doing so, they sowed many of the seeds of the later Italian cosmic scene and its unique mixture of African elements, disco-funk and electronic music.

Starlight – Starlight [AFS054]

October 29, 2023October 26, 2023 hipodromeafrican, afrobeat, afrosynth records, album, disco, emil zoghby, john galanakis, re-release, reissue, starlightLeave a comment

South African production duo of Emil Zoghby and John Galanakis were responsible for a string of high-quality disco singles in the early 80s, typically cover versions of international hits — Klein & MBO’s ‘The Big Apple’, Sly & the Family Stone’s ‘Family Affair’ & David Joseph’s ‘You Can’t Hide (Your Love From Me)’ — backed with their own compositions. When Starlight hit the market with an album in 1983, it featured only one cover, the local hit ‘Picnic’, along with five of the duo’s original compositions, including their similarly styled response, ‘Picnicing’, which replaces the original’s sax with spaced-out synth stabs. Then there’s ‘Jah Jah Love’, an ecstatic disco sermon of dancefloor dynamite weighing in at over eight and a half minutes. Other tracks on this landmark album — ‘Let’s Go Dancing (Boogie Boogie)’, ‘Keep On Moving’ and an eponymous instrumental — offer a similar fusion of classic disco with newer Italo and proto-house influences: machine music with a human touch. Remastered from the original master tapes and reissued for the first time, Starlight is available on vinyl and digital platforms, 40 years after its initial release, via Afrosynth Records.

Esa & Kamazu – Shukuma EP [AWEH003]

September 26, 2023September 26, 2023 hipodromeafrican, afrobeat, aweh, esa, esa williams, house, kamazu, kwaitoLeave a comment

AWEH is back to present Shukuma, the highly anticipated collaboration between label head Esa and South African Kwaito legend Kamazu from Soweto. This record, created between 2020 and 2022, is a testament to the power of musical synergy and South African cultural aweh-ness. “Shukuma” transcends being a mere EP; it invites listeners on an journey that celebrates the profound talents of Esa, Kamazu, and the creative minds that contributed to its realisation. Through the fusion of traditional Kwaito elements and contemporary influences, this release truly showcases the artistry behind the music. In an era dominated by recording reissues, “Shukuma” emerges as a standout, embodying the fusion of artistic expression and cultural exploration.

Nakibembe Embaire Group – Nakibembe Embaire Group [NNT045]

May 21, 2023May 18, 2023 hipodromeafrican, album, gabber modus operandi, harsya wahono, nakibembe embaire group, nyege nyege tapes, outernationalLeave a comment

In Nakibembe, a small village in Uganda’s Busoga kingdom (one of the country’s four remaining constitutional monarchies), locals have long reserved a communal area for musical performances and social events. In the middle of this space lies a deep pit that serves a single purpose: to amplify the embaire, an immense xylophone made up of between 15 and 25 wooden keys that stretches across the trench. Log xylophones are common throughout East Africa, but the way the music is played by the Basoga – an Eastern Bantu ethnic group – is specific and unique, with its own tuning, dances and supplemental instrumentation. Up to eight players can surround the embaire and play simultaneously, overlaying hypnotic polyrhythms while additional members of the ensemble add vocals or play shakers and drums. Nakibembe Xylophone Group are one of the last remaining groups that perform with the embaire, and as anyone who’s caught their live performances will know, they create a complex and layered wall of sound that’s completely transfixing wherever it’s presented. The band are a regular fixture at Nyege Nyege festival, and in 2020 appeared in Berlin at the legendary Berghain nightclub alongside Jakarta-based vanguards Gabber Modus Operandi and Harsya Wahono. On the group’s debut album, they present five tracks as an ensemble and three tracks in collaboration with Indonesian trio. Heard together the music demonstrates not only the remarkable sound of Nakibembe’s own kinetic interaction, but sonic ripples that correlate with more distant forms, from Indonesia’s metallophone-led gamelan music to the heady digital processes of the sound art sphere.

Arp Frique – Analog People Digital World [CW005]

March 4, 2023March 2, 2023 hipodromeafrican, afrobeat, album, americo brito, arp frique, colorful world, disco, funk, mariseya, outernational, rush hour, sumyLeave a comment

Arp Frique returns with a new album after a string of releases, leaving the cratediggers and dancefloor tastemakers with underground classics like Nos Magia, Voyage and Nyame Ye. On ”Analog People Digital World’ he embraces the digital coldness of Yamaha’s classic DX7 synthesizer to create a refreshing listening experience using only the FM synthesis-based sounds from this machine to find new heat for an analog world, reflecting on the digital revolution we are living through. The album features Ghanaian songstress Mariseya (Omampam, Jah Kingdom, Digital World, Roi Salomon), Cape Verdean OG Americo Brito (Go Now Wetiko) and Surinam funkstar Sumy, who joins the record on the opening track “Spiritual Masseuse”. Arp Frique closes the album with “Duncan Truffle”, a very intense and wobbling instrumental echoing Bootsy and Bernie Worrell on a solo exercise. Expect an analog-digital exploration of lofi funk, highlife, zouk and reggae.

Ahl Nana – L’Orchestre National Mauritanien [RMLP011]

February 12, 2023February 9, 2023 hipodromeafrican, ahl nana, album, arabic, outernational, radio martikoLeave a comment

Lost recordings that defined the modern sound of the Sahara. This album contains the first recordings of modern music from the Sahara and mark the birth of the genre that is known in the West as ‘Desert Blues’ or ‘Desert Rock’. Ahl Nana changed the folk music of the Sahara to modern, cosmopolitan music by using Western instruments like the electric guitar. They paved the way for artists like Ali Farka Touré, Tinariwen, Mdou Moctar or Bombino. Although the group is still active today, they only recorded 2 LPs and a handful of singles. All these recordings took place in 1971 at the Boussiphone studios in Casablanca. The records were never distributed and therefore remained unknown for almost 50 years, until Radio Martiko discovered a batch of unsold factory stock a few years ago. On this album, you will find a selection of these revolutionary recordings.

Balka Sound – Balka Sound LP [STRUTLP322]

November 20, 2022November 18, 2022 hipodromeafrican, afrobeat, album, balka sound, outernational, strut recordsLeave a comment

Strut present the first ever compilation of Balka Sound, bringing together their influential 1980s recordings. Hailing from Congo-Brazzaville and led by revered vocalist and ngonfi player, Nkibi “Lusialala” Albert, Balka Sound created their own unique musical world, re imagining traditional Congolese Balka rhythms with electric guitars, electric bass and drums, alongside the traditional 5-string ngonfi.

Gordon Koang – Community LP [MIE020]

November 20, 2022November 18, 2022 hipodromeafrican, afrobeat, album, gordon koang, music in exile, outernationalLeave a comment

South Sudan’s undisputed ‘King of Music’, the Juba-via-Melbourne eccentric outsider Gordon Koang, returns with his second full-length of original material since emigrating to Australia, the masterly titled follow-up, Community. Eight tracks recorded in Melbourne with a cast of the city’s finest musical minds, including Zak Olsen, Jesse Williams, David “Daff” Gravolin and Jack Kong, the record draws upon Gordon’s pitch-perfect pop sensibility and compulsion for composing irresistibly catchy melodies. Add to this brew the extensive creditienals of his collaborators, who are known for their work with Trafik Island, ORB, Leah Senior and more, and you have yourself a perfect blend of East African pop and vintage psychedelia that is surely one of the most interesting records of the year, outstripping it’s Australian counterparts both in songwriting, production value and downright good energy.