outernational
Sorry Bamba – Du Mali [ASVN045]
One of the most pivotal figures in the history of Malian music is Sorry Bamba. His work spans five decades and his music bridges the gap between Mali’s cultural traditions and new the music which arose from the musical cross overs which occurred in Mali’s post-Colonial period. Bamba was born in 1938 in Mopti. This is dissected by both the Niger and Bani rivers and known for its rich cultural diversity. Bamba’s father was a distinguished veteran of Emperor Samory Toure’s military and a nobleman in Malian society, however, this meant young Sorry was forbidden to make music, as under the nation’s caste system, music was an art form reserved for the Griots.
Denis Mpunga & Paul K – Criola Remixed [MFM023]
Having thrilled dusty-fingered crate diggers with a reissue of Denis Mpunga and Paul K’s impossible-to-find mid-’80s cassette album Criola – an unusual but rather fine combination of post-punk and traditional Congolese music – Music from Memory has decided to give some of the tracks the remix treatment. As you’d expect, there’s many more hits than misses. Dutch rising star Dazion delivers a wonderfully cosmic revision of “Intermezzo B” full of fluttering new age synth lines and drum machine polyrhythms, while Tolouse Low Trax turns “Veronika” into a woozy and dreamy chunk of dub-flecked, loved-up downtempo bliss. Late night dancefloor thrills are provided by Interstellar Funk’s intergalactic tribal techno take on “Intermezzo 2” and Prins Emmanuel’s tactile take on “KWEI!”, which sits somewhere between dub disco, boogie and proto-house.
VA – Pop Makossa: The Invasive Dance Beat Of Cameroon 1976-1984 [AACD083]
Now Analog Africa returns to put the record straight. Pop-Makossa shines a light on a glorious but largely overlooked period in the story of Cameroonian makossa, when local musicians began to replace funk and highlife influences with the rubbery bass of classic disco and the sparkling synth flourishes and drum machines of electrofunk. The resultant compilation, which apparently took eight years to produce, is packed full of brilliant cuts, from the heavily-electronic jauntiness of Pasteur Lappe’s “Sanaga Calypso” and horn-totin’ Highlife-disco of Emmaniel Kahe and Jeanette Kemogne’s “Ye Medjuie”, to the dense, organ-laden wig out that is Clement Djimogne’s “Africa”.
The Pop Makossa adventure started in 2009, when Analog Africa founder Samy Ben Redjeb first travelled to Cameroon to make an initial assessment of the country’s musical situation. He returned with enough tracks for an explosive compilation highlighting the period when funk and disco sounds began to infiltrate the Makossa style popular throughout Cameroon.
VA – Terra Incognita [ERC034]
Emotional Rescue starts its 5th year by shining a light on one of Europe’s best underground 80s’ label in Spain’s Auxilio De Ciento. Their Terra Incognita Volumes I and II collated an international mix of synth-pop, new wave, world and industrial sounds to a small but appreciative following. Released in 1985 and 1986, the Volumes have become highly regarded and rightly sought after, finding a place in discerning playlists from London to Amsterdam and Dusseldorf to Glasgow. Here, taking a premise of avoiding the songs unearthed on other recent reissues, is a unique album itself. Starting with Denis Mpunga & Paul K’s esoteric Criola, a fusion of fourth world ideals and poly-rhythmic funk. The music of Mal, Bene Gesserit and La Caida De La Casa Usher, however, soon highlight that the decade also belonged to dark, minimal synth as to shiny balearic ideals. The inclusion of Hector Zazou with Bony Biyake and their contribution Komba, is a fitting continuation from their cult Noir Et Blanc LP before, things continue with US avant-artist Danny Alias and his humorous Big Brother “response” to Laurie Anderson’s Superman O. Image Pour Image loose indie-pop and the inclusion of seminal Beast Of Burden lead again to a Zazou contribution, this time in his collaborative Stranger In A New Light, before the compilation eclectically ends with the dadaesque Lakota and the post punk dub of Instead Of’s closer, Angels .
NST Cophie’s – Bian Kou [KALITA12001]
Kalita Records announce their first release, the three choice cuts from NST Cophie’s 1980 private press Ivory Coast Afro-disco album ‘Mon’Da Center’. After moving to Paris in 1976 and having played with other well-known bands such as N’Bamina, Osibisa, and with numerous artists including Jimmy Hyacinthe and Papa Wemba, ‘Mon’Da Center’ was Ernest’s first solo album. Pretty much unknown except to the most hardened of diggers, ‘Bian Kou’, ‘E Clolo’ and ‘Mioukouna’ are guaranteed to set any dance floor alight, with hypnotic Afro-disco grooves, killer drums and angelic female vocals.
VA – Ethiopiques Box [HS164VL]
If you’ve been digging the brilliant Ethiopiques series of compilations, which shine a light on the lesser-known Ethiopian music scene of the 1960s and ’70s, you’ll love this lavishly produced box set. Put together by series founder Francis Falceto, the box boasts fresh pressings of six impossible-to-find 7″ singles and a booklet containing extensive liner notes. The musical treats come thick and fast, quickly jumping between evocative Ethiopian jazz, unique fusions of rhythm and blues and traditional East African styles, Hammond-heavy groovers and exotic dancefloor workouts that defy easy categorization. Includes tracks from great Ethiopian artists like : Mulatu Astatke, Girma Beyene, Mahmoud Hamed, Getatchew Mekuria, Tilahun Gessesse.
Pasteur Lappe – Na Man Pass Man [ASVN015]
Following on from the Pasteur Lappe compilation ”African Funk Experimentals” LP, we are really pleased to be re-visiting Pasteur with a repress of his second album from 1979, ”Na Man Pass Man”. The story begins in the 60s with a charming 19 year old Nicolas ”Pasteur” Lappe becoming a sensation on Radio Adele in Douala, Cameroun. He goes on to become the editor of the Douala Gazette newspaper and become friends with other African music stars such as Tala AM, J Moboule and Fela Kuti. He also works tirelessly promoting new and upcoming local Cameroonian talent. After moving to Paris, a stint in journalism school and publishing a book of poems ”Chansons Negres” he finally settles into a new life of music in Paris. His second album ”Na Man Pass Man” is made in 1979 with the backing band and production collective called the Zulu Gang, which include Douglas Mbida (who went on to release several top flight albums himself) and Jacob Desvariaux (who went on to form Kassav). The album is full of diverse sounds; from driving funk, sweeping disco grooves, syrupy ballads, reggae, Jackson-five-esque pop to finger-lickin’ soul. At its core though is the custom ”Sekele” groove… a movement to encompass the dance, grooves and vibes from his native Douala.
Alessandro Alessandroni – Afro Discoteca [FLIESDJ001]
Four Flies Records is back in full force, this time with an EP that looks at the more sophisticated and modern dancefloor… The Italian label embarked on another journey of rediscovery, a specialty they seem to master. The destination of this trip was a dusty vault in Africa, where a famous Italian musician moved years ago… The Italian film and TV industry provided in the 60s and 70s countless opportunity for talented musicians to compose and produce a rich variety of music: soundtracks, library music, experimental music – an infinite amount of recordings that still represents a paradise for the most curious and passionate diggers. So here we have the proof that there’s still lot to discover. Alessandro Alessandroni is one of those pioneers, a maestro that built the legend of Italian soundtracks and library music along with Ennio Morricone, Piero Umiliani and many others. His vault testifies how prolific had been those times, with hundreds of tapes and obscure recordings from that period. Among the many, a dusty tape bearing the hand-written label “Afro Discoteca” captured the attention of Four Flies. The music contained in the tape had never been released until now.
Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek – Nem Kaldı [CATADG024]
Brand new Anatolian Psych-Pop sensation. 4 heart-melting gems where Turkish Folk meets groove and electric action. Young singer/multi-instrumentist Derya Yıldırım teams up with fantastic drummer Greta Eacott (G-Bop Orchestra / One-Take records) and 3 quarters of Catapulte Records’ Orchestre du Montplaisant (Antonin Voyant, Graham Mushnik, Andrea Piro). With members originating from Turkey, Germany, France, Italy and Great Britain, Grup Şimşek (pronounce « Shimshek ») encapsulates the Outernational generation.
Denis Mpunga & Paul K – Criola [MFM019]
The last Music From Memory is a mini LP of works by Denis Mpunga and Paul K. Combining elements of traditional African music with experimental electronics, the Belgian/Congolese duo released only a handful of tracks, scattered across a few rare LP and cassette compilations that were put out in the mid eighties by obscure european labels . This release also includes a few previously unreleased songs that were found on the original master tapes.
VA – Synthesize The Soul: Astro Atlantic Hypnotica From The Cape Verde Islands 1973-1988 [OST002]
In the 1980s, that feeling transpired across Lisbon, Paris, Rotterdam, and Boston, as one the largest waves of migration from a single country, propelled by political instability and economic uncertainty, sent thousands of Cape Verdeans to the West’s cities. Through 18 diverse tracks, this compilation reveals how immigration from the Cape Verde Islands to Europe and the United States gave us an alternate history of the electronic music that dominated hearts and minds across the world in the late 1990s. But the story doesn’t start in a major Western cultural hub, rather in the small cluster of islands 400 miles off the Senegalese coast, and offers an unparalleled insight into the longterm cultural splendor catalyzed by migration.
South African Jazz selected & compiled by Antal
VA – Africa Airways Three: The Afro Psych Excursion 1972-1984 [ASVN030]
The Africa Seven label might not have been around for very long, but the London-Paris dynasty has certainly established itself as a no.1 outlet for rare, unhinged world music. This is Africa Airways Volume 3: The Afro-Psych Excursion, a gorgeous compilation spanning the years 1972 to 1984, and it clearly offers some of the most magnetic tunes that they label has put out thus far. There isn’t a mediocre song in here and, as the saying goes, it’s all-killer-no-filler; take African Black’s “Nzango”, for example, a twisted, FX-heavy tribal experiment, or the more soulful highs and lows of tunes like “Zinabu” by Bunzu Soundz. Rough, dusty, completely psyched-out, and inimitable the whole way through; if you’re looking for something that’ll get the heads turning, and the diggers jealous, then this is your LP.
The Beginning Of The End – Funky Nassau LP [ALSTON77001]
Seminal early 70’s Bahamian Funk of the highest order. The debut LP from the Munnings brothers legendary outfit. “Funky Nassau” is one of the most sought after Soul/Funk records ever with it’s highly original blend of US black music styles and Bahamian roots. A very famous band in their native Nassau, the group only had 2 full length albums under their belts along with a slew of 45 singles but have managed to stamp their name on the ears and minds of record lovers since they first burst onto the scene. The obvious track to reference here is the title track “Funky Nassau” a breakbeat fuelled monster dance cut that has supplied hungry samplers with sounds for decades (everyone from The Prodigy & The Roots among those who have used the cavernous drum break!), the rest of this excellent LP also includes the amazing Funk of “Come Down” and a whole host of other brilliant sun-drenched tracks. Absolutely essential. Here’s your chance to own a true classic! You’d be hard pressed to find another well rounded debut LP, this one is pure joy from start to finish.
Tilahun Gessesse – Sima! [MRP030]
During the 1970s, Tilahun Gessesse enjoyed a successful career in his native Ethiopia. Blessed with a sublime voice, he specialized in creating popular hybrids of hot American styles – most notably soul and jazz – with traditional Ethiopian styles. Sima!, which is named after one of his most revered 7″ singles, gather together music from numerous releases throughout the 1970s. It boasts numerous gems that see Gessesse combine his bold, snaking vocals with rocking rhythms, modal jazz mysticism, and heart-aching ballads. Given the standards of recording studios in Ethiopia at the time, much of the material is notably lo-fi, sound wise, but in many ways that enhances the intoxicating feel of the music. A killer selection from one of the leading vocalists from the golden age of Ethiopian music, ranging from 1969-1975. If Ethio-funk, soul and pentatonic, Sun Ra-esque moods are your bag, you’ve come to the right place.
Tanzania Soundsystem – Highlife 012 [HGHLF012]
Introducing the next release on Highlife – our secret weapons by the mysterious Tanzania Sound System. If you’ve caught us playing anywhere this year, you’ll have heard at least one of these. Now it’s time to share the goodness…
Sory Bamba Du Mali – Sory Bamba Du Mali [ASVN035]
In 1979 Sorry produced his third LP for the Paris based Sonafric group. Long out of print Africa Seven is pleased to be re-issuing the LP with the authorization of the newly reformed Sonafric group. The re-issue benefits from extensive restoration and re-mastering to a spectral analysis level, bringing and polishing long lost and distorted sounds. The six track masterpiece opens with ”Mayel”. It blends Afro-space grooves, cowbell and swirling organ with psych guitar and punchy horns. ”Kanaga 78” was named after his band of the time. Sounding as fresh (if not more so) in 2016 as it did in 1979 the hypnotic bass, expansive drums, twisting organ and snakelike fuzz-guitar all combine to create a masterpiece of African psychedelia. ”Bayadjourou” closes off Side A of the LP with its pulsating, incessant organ hook-line and driving tom drums while adding in layers of Malian vocal from a female chorus and Sorry himself. Side B opens up with ”Tjamantie Kolo” which is powered by driving conga and drums layered with traditional vocals and distorted picked electric guitar lines. ”N’Nebakaidi” focuses on the song writing skill and delivery of Sorry who delivers a masterful vocal over grooves which somehow manage to sound melancholy but somehow also forlornly uplifting at the same time. The LP closes with ”Nani Nani” which is a brass driven wall of African sound.
EKO – Funky Disco Music [FBNM014]
The latest vinyl slice from Fly by Night Music sees us head to the depths of central Africa via Paris to track down a feast of rare seventies afro funky jams from Cameroonian master musician EKO. We’ve brought FBNM favourite Riccio along for the journey too, who has provided us with a fantastic Rerub coaxing out some modern dancefloor sensibilities and production sparkle. Eko Roosevelt Louis has had a music career spanning over forty years, born the grandson of a Kribi tribal chief, his musical persuasion beginning humbly with his village’s local church before his formal education at the Senegal conservatoire and Paris’ École Normale de Musique. EKO made a number of jazz funk and disco records in the mid seventies during a stint recording and touring in and around France before returning to Cameroon to take over his grandfather’s tribal chieftaincy, a role he still holds today! Alongside this position of office EKO has continued to work with music, performing, teaching and even leading Cameroon’s national orchestra! The tracks we have selected for reissue are all taken from EKO’s third album, Funky Disco Music which was recorded in Paris and released on his own Dragon Phenix imprint. Sung in a combination of English and EKO’s native tongue we’ve lined up a real excursion in feel good afro-jazz, funk and soul made purely for dancing feet and boogying butts.
VA – Surinam Funk Force [RHMC002]
A compilation of highly collectable and rare Surinamese 45’s and LP cuts. Compiled by Antal Heitlager & Thomas Gesthuizen this is the follow up to the Kindred Spirits released Surinam! compilation. This volume goes even deeper into the field of 70ties and 80ties funk music from the Surinamese dance floors.
The Hipodrome Of Music 