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The music on this EP was conceived in China, between 1989 and 1993. The original tracks were mixed to DAT in real time, in a small neighbour-proof studio inside my apartment in Macau, a 19th floor with a view to the hurricanes. There's a small, unexpected or improbable story behind each track, some little magic fused with the local atmosphere, certainly guaranteeing their lasting authenticity 25 years later.

TAIPEI DISCO
Late 80s Guangzhou was an exotic city where the traditional past coexisted in harmony with the present and even already with the future.
I'd rather spend my weekends in Guangzhou than diving into Hong Kong consumerism - as most ex-pats in Macau did. I took a cab at the border and travelled 150 Km through chaotic roads with family and friends until reaching the hot, humid, mega South China metropolis.
We ate on street joints in the evenings, went on to a karaoke bar and ended up at Taipei Disco, the only proper club in town. All the others were inside hotels and played generic music or they were seedy, sleazy, smoky cabarets.
Taipei Disco used to be a cinema and played cantonese pop music and anglo-saxon pop/rock (that was new). The spacious dance floor was generously lighted, the atmosphere was airy and modern. Boys and girls were in the habit of dancing in pairs, one in front of the other, observing a respectful yet sensual distance. When the girl took a few steps back, the boy went along and vice versa. With legs and feet (more than the upper bodies) synchronized with the music, they never exceeded in extroversion. Cool.
I always carried a MicroComposer and a portable DAT recorder in my travels through China and weekends in Canton. Any spontaneous musical idea was imediately recorded and memorized. The MicroComposer allowed multitrack recording, which was very handy on the road. Based on the emphatic choreography of Taipei Disco's dancers, i started to compose a rhythm track while sitting at a table, with headphones, listening to Cantopop in the background. As if by magic - not a rare occasion in music - everything began fitting together. Odd as it may seem, the track ended up sounding more germanic (Kraftwerkian) than Cantonese pop.

The story ends in a circle: the cantonese DJ at Taipei Disco, whom i used to ask to play certain records, wanted to play my music at the disco when it was basically only just a rhythm track and little else. From a cupboard under his set up he took out a battered keyboard (unrecognizable brand) and invited me to play over the track with the available sounds on the keyboard. The circle was complete, with Cantonese clubbers happily dancing forwards and backwards, as if it were another Cantopop hit.
I didn't get payed but the house offered us free ice cream cups in which little Portuguese flags were sticked.
The track would be finished later, in studio, with vocoder strings ensemble and synth solos.

TAIPEI DISCO (LIVE)
The live version of 'Taipei Disco' was recorded during a live set at the China Pop venue, in Macau, 1993. China Pop was a rock club built in the ample space of an old fishing warehouse, located in the labyrinthic Inner Harbour area. It was decorated with large Mao Zedong and Cultural Revolution posters and memorabilia and had a unique atmosphere, fusing Pop Art with film noir. We began our performance at 1AM, pretty early for Macau's nightlife standards. We were lucky. An audience showed up. And in Macau there were always several friends among the audience, which tranformed a musical performance into a relaxed party.
The atmosphere was particularly surreal on that night. The front row was dominated by French Crazy Horse dancers, a sort of Oriental Moulin Rouge. The girls had finished their last performance of the evening at the Crazy Horse and were still energized from their show. During our performance, right in front of us and perfectly synched, we could hear the famous irreverent screams of can-can dancers. You always had to expect the unexpected in Macau.

RED MAMBO (IMPROMPTU)
I was familiar with the Portuguese-speaking African countries well before having lived in China. I found myself returning several times to one in particular, always attracted by its magic and very distinct, identitary culture and music: Cape Verde.
During the early years of DWART a lot of the inspiration for drum machine rhythms (Roland's TR series) came from African music, especially from new musical trends that gained full autonomy with Cape Verde's independence from Portugal, as was the case with funaná.
I had the privilege of having known and befriended some of the greatest Capeverdian composers, musicians and singers during the 70s and 80s, such as Bana, Luís Morais, Cesária Évora, Paulino Vieira, Chico Serra, Tito Paris, and historical bands such as Bulimundo (ambassadors of funaná) and Os Tubarões (great innovators of morna, coladera and funaná, with the sonic impact of an afro-beat big band).
When Luís Filipe de Barros began playing Os Tubarões for the first time on Portuguese radio, that was the turning point for African music in Portugal. The 'Tabanca' album was so widely heard and talked about that it quickly got a Portuguese release through one of the big labels of the time.
The mystic of this band from the Santiago Island would reach the East. Os Tubarões played to a packed room in Macau in 1992, and after the bombastic gig we arranged a dinner and party at my place.
We ate and drank generously and the moment came for a jam session at the small studio on the 19th floor. Because Os Tubarões didn't all fit in the studio, we recorded an impromptu with only three of the musicians: Tótó Silva (electric guitar), Mário Russo Bettencourt (bass) and Zeca Couto (piano). And there we were improvising without barriers, suddenly detached from cultural roots, labels and constraints, a truly unique moment. The track is now being released exactly as it was recorded, imbued with the real communion between the musicians. And it could only be titled 'Red Mambo'. I wish to dedicate it to the memory of Ildo Lobo and Jaime do Rosário, founders of Os Tubarões, sadly and too soon departed from the land of music.

Seth Troxler & The Martinez Brothers' Tuskegee Music welcomes Chicago legend K- Alexi Shelby for a new EP that features some essential solo cuts as well as two great collaborations with Tony Lovlesss.K-Alexi is a genuine Chicago great. He's been at the core of the scene since the eighties and releasing his raw grooves on DJ International, Trax and Transmat, as well as his own K Klassik label. He has recently remixed for Seth Troxler's other label, Say It Play It, but is now back serving up the sort of engaging originals that have made him such an enduring star.
Excellent opener 'Cherry K Moon' is a raw slice of deep and soulful tech. The driving bassline melts your mind as afro percussion and driving drums make for a solid groove below. It's one for the late-night hours that will twist and turn any crowd inside out. The superb 'Dark Smile' is less tense and more house oriented in nature, with preacher style vocals up top and busy kicks down low. Live, chattery hand claps bring an organic feel and synth stabs inject looseness that will get hands in the air.
The pressure then builds through the manic Tony Lovlesss collab 'Anal Probe', a powerful techno track with hi tech drums and taught synths freaking you out as they ride up and down the scale. Their second track together 'Fly Shit' is more playful with radiant synths opening it up to the skies and lively, funky drum programming bringing a real sense of a sun kissed terrace party. Last of all, the standout 'Run With Jackals' feat. A.D.M is another heavily percussive track with rattling toms, vocal chants and hammering hits all adding up to a compelling afro-house rhythm. These are all innovate tracks that explore various different moods and grooves with a real sense of quality.

Meet Me On The Corner is taken from the band's sophomore album, Orange Whip, which itself was BBC 6Music's Album of The Day on its release. It follows previous singles Whatever You Do and Sinner, which garnered support from Craig Charles, Tom Ravenscroft and Huey Morgan. The song showcases Honeyfeet at their funkiest and chunkiest. A pounding beat beefed up by bass, guitar and brass propels forward while Rioghnach Connolly sings lyrics that could be straight out of the playground, but suggest something deeper, possibly mystical even, in its demands for a dalliance on the street.

Remixes on this more foot friendly single come courtesy of homegrown legends of funky house music, Crazy P who come through with both a vocal and dub version. Honeyfeet's latest opus is turned into a straight up soulful disco monster by the boys from Nottingham, with Rioghnach's rasping vocals playfully meandering over Hot Toddy and Ron Basejam's crisp beats and trademark live bass. Elsewhere, much hyped Russian production don, I Gemin, delivers his take - still aimed at the dance floor of course, but a slightly deeper house affair based around jazzy keys and chopped up vocals that take the song into more sonorous territories.

As a bonus, the 12" package also features the acclaimed remix of previous single, Sinner, courtesy of erstwhile Polish Innocent Sorceror, Envee - his shuffling, moody take only previously being available on vinyl via a super limited (and now impossible to find) 7-inch release late last year. For the last couple of years Honeyfeet (whose name comes from a line in the Blues Brothers film) have been a conduit for the ideas and expressions of an exotic mixture of Manchester based musicians. This genre-defying band incorporate styles including jazz, folk and hip hop into their music.

The band are fronted by Rioghnach Connolly - also known for her work with Real World artists Afro Celt Sound System and The Breath - "A remarkable singer and flutist who...can ease from Irish traditional influences to soul" (The Guardian). The line-up is completed by Rik Warren (vocals/harmonica), Gus Fairbairn (tenor sax), Biff Roxby (trombone/vocals), Ellis Davies (guitar), Lorien Edwards (bass guitar), John Ellis (keyboards) and David Schlechtriemen (drums).

Since their self-released debut album, 2013's It's a Good Job I Love You, keyboardist John Ellis jumped on board as full-time member, bringing his unique musical presence. This enabled the development of a more texturally adventurous style, as witnessed with the dual atonal solo between himself and guitarist Ellis Davies on Sinner. Similarly, for their current LP, Orange Whip, engineer, bassist and spiritual guide Lorien Edwards makes his Honeyfeet recording debut, so completing the 'kitchen' of this very special band.

- The album, Orange Whip, is out now.

Second up on our Bobby Boyd unreleased recording we have some dope mid 80s material from Bobby, 'I Like What You Do To Me' is Boogie / Proto House joint that is totally my bag, feels like it should be in a 80s movie weightlifting montage (in a good way) it just works on the dance floor so well.

On the flip things get even stronger with the proto-house banger 'Girl Like You' a sick soulful number with with a biggest swinging kick drum I have ever heard, both proper club material.

If your not a rare soul or disco collector Bobby's name might not be a name your familiar with but as one of the founder members of Lafayette Afro Rock Band you will have experienced his music and influence which is far reaching.

Earthboogie's debut album, Human Call, rightly earned praise on its release earlier in the year, with listeners responding positively to its sticky and humid dancefoor fusions of African and South American rhythms, chunky dub disco, retro-futurist house,
spacey analogue electronics and sun-kissed Balearica. Hot on the heels of that release, Leng Records has sourced new remixes of two album highlights - 'High Minded Man' and 'Silken Moon' - from Running Back label boss Gerd Janson and synthesizer-wielding Balearic boogie stalwart Pete Herbert.
It's Janson who steps up frst, offering up two total overhauls of 'High Minded Man' that re-cast the undulating, Afro-fred original as a dreamy, drum machine-driven chunks of vintage deep house goodness. Where Earthboogie's album version bobbed
and weaved around horns and live bass, Janson's Deep House Mix places the duo's original chanted vocals above a bouncy, polyrhythmic rhythm track, Larry Heard style chords, Kwaito-esque electronic bleeps and a smooth, soul-stroking bassline. Janson's
Deep House Dub, which strips out the vocal for a more sparse and ethereal listening experience, is also included on the EP.
The EP's other remix comes from sometime Reverso 68 member Pete Herbert, who gets his mitts on previous single 'Silken Moon'. While he retains some key elements from Earthboogie's original - specifcally the vocals, Afro guitars and house stabs - he
naturally adds a little of his own rubbery electronic disco favour via spacey synthesizer fourishes and a massive electronic bassline that brilliantly tracks the rising and falling
movement of the main melody. It has the feel of a terrace anthem in the making.

Repressed!


Following his collaboraton with Nicolas Jaar's Clown & Sunset label,
Ecuadorian-based producer Nicolá Cruz has self-produced and self-recorded this landmark
album.
Infuenced by new digital technology, blended with local culture, Cruz builds his tracks layer
by layer, instrument by instrument, drum by drum, exploring local
indigenous and Afro-cosmologies in a modern setng - using homeland traditons and
rhythms to build on a vibrant history of visual and sonic art, catapultng them into the 21st
century. The results of which will easily apply to fans of John Talabot, Romare, Clap! Clap!
and Nicolas Jaar.
'drifs efortlessly and at will between down-tempo electronica and woozy, beat-
driven house' Consequence Of Sound
'Woozy club music of lost innocence' Oslo World Music Festval

Taking a turn to some of its roots, Emotional Rescue offers a reissue of Ramjac Corporation's UK house/breaks anthem Cameroon Massif!. First released on the increasingly cult-status Irdial Discs in 1990, this was very much the sound of the big bang explosion of Acid House morphing and splintering, as subsequent multi-genres developed, formed, imploded and reformed in new ways that still subsists today.

Within the melting pot of anything goes, chemically-enhanced optimism that spread across the UK during that return to the summers of love from 1987 onwards, the nascent sounds coming from Chicago and Detroit were mixed with a hybrid of 80s British influences, taking in European synth pop, US electro, new beat, hip hop and reggae. Out of this appeared a new sound, mixing that love of techno and house with dub bass and break beats into a proto-jungle swirl.

Like many growing up through the ever-evolving 60, 70s & 80s British music scene, Paul Chivers' early years of learning piano and guitar, moved from Beatles era pop to take in punk, jazz and anything an eager musical mind could explore. Developing a long-term interest and study of Cuban and Afro-drumming, his acquisition of an Atari and sampler soon moved to programming of both drum machines and TB303 and with that, Ramjac Corporation was born.

Playing live at some of the earliest raves in 1988, as often through luck and "right time, right place", including the infamous Back To The Future and Energy parties, Ramjac went from playing from 50 to 10,000 ravers in a matter of months, as the nation was gripped, depending on your cultural standing, by either a mixture of drug apocalypse paranoia or ecstatic celebration.

It was a meeting with Akin Fernandez, founder of Irdial Discs, that led some of the first studio experiments and creation of Cameroon Massif!. Utlising Akin's in-house studio and production skills, alongside Chivers' jazz influenced outlook of improvisation over arrangement, the track took shape, mixing the live programmed percussion, heavy doses of phase, delay and reverb and Sun Ra inspired keys that resulted in a number of mixes of Massif!.

Collected here are the original 12" "Massive" and "Massing" mixes, plus a special live version taken from the "Live At The Brain" reunion gig of 2009. The sought after 1990 versions and original Live mix are taken a step further with this 13 mins + mix, in essence a resampling and remixing reversion with didgeridoo and live on mic MCing, that gives a real glimpse of those early live sets. With more Ramjac Corporation material upcoming and a live reel-to-reel show appearing soon, the return of Cameroon Massif! is now.

Soul Jazz Records' latest album 'Yoruba! Songs and Rhythms for the Yoruba Gods in Nigeria' is newly recorded in Lagos, Nigeria. The album is co-produced by Soul Jazz Records label head Stuart Baker and Laolu Akins (founding member of the legendary 1970s Nigerian Afro-Funk/Rock group Blo). Yoruba! features an array of local master drummers led by Olatunji Samson Sotimirin and singers (featuring the lead vocals of Janet Olufanmilayo Abe) performing heavyweight Afro-rhythms, with talking drums, Bata and Dundun drums and a mass of percussion in these deep spiritual and sacred songs used to honour and worship the traditional and ancient Yoruba gods in Nigeria, West Africa. 
The enormous impact of Yoruba and West African music and culture is worldwide - from the first Afro-centric explorations of African-American jazz musicians in the 1950s such as Art Blakey, Randy Weston and Dizzy Gillespie, the explosion of Nu Yorican Latin music in New York City starting in the 1960s - Mambo, Boogaloo, Latin funk and soul - through to the sacred and powerful Afro-derived music of the religions of Santería in Cuba, Candomblé in Brazil and Voodoo in Haiti, which all came into existence on account of the Atlantic slave trade which began over 400 years ago. On a wider scale West African music remains the primary root of all African-American musical forms - from New Orleans jazz to Bronx rap, gospel, soul and more.
This album features songs honouring the Nigerian gods of the Yoruba traditional religion - Yemoja, Obatala, Ogun, Sango and others - as well as a selection of instrumental cuts focussing on the Bata and Dundun drums. The album comes complete with extensive text and photography included in the 40-page outsize booklet/gatefold double vinyl + inners showing the influence of Yoruba culture throughout the world and the social and historical context for the music contained here.
Watch out for a limited edition remix of the project by Osunlade, also forthcoming on Soul Jazz Records.

Two of Russian electronic music's rising stars, Phil Gerus and Alexander Lay-Far, invite you to join them at the Solitary High Social Club. While table service is provided, they'd much rather you throw caution to the wind and head to the dancefoor.
Before joining forces in the studio, both Moscow-based musicians have delivered a string of memorable solo productions. Lay-Far has previously released a wealth of material on such labels as Local Talk, City Fly, Lazy Days and 4Lux Black, while synthesizer fetishist Gerus has showcased his electrofunk and disco-fred cuts on Futureboogie Recordings, Sonar Kollektiv, Public Release
and Superior Elevation Records.
The fve tracks that make up Solitary High Social Club deliver a perfect marriage of the two producers' distinctive solo styles, combining the rich musicality of Lay-Far's house productions with the spacey, intergalactic electronics of Gerus's discoid adventures. In many ways, it's a marriage made in heaven - or in Lay-Far's celebrated In-Beat-Ween Studio, at least.
The duo's spacey and melodious musical fusion is arguably best exemplifed by lead cut City 2 City, Star 2 Star', a widescreen, mid-tempo disco epic rich in tactile Rhodes riffs, supernova synth solos, delay-laden drum beats, tumbling melody lines and heavy analogue bass. Fittingly, the track returns in Reprise' form - think sweeping, weightless ambient bliss - to round off the EP.
Elsewhere, the duo provides further proof of their combined musical talents.
Check, for example, the gentle drum machine electro beats, cascading new age melodies and sparkling, stretched-out synthesizer chords of the impeccably beautiful Am I Tripping', or the devilishly percussive, mind-altering brilliance of Love Life', where mutant electro bass, wide-eyed chords and alien melodies rise above a heavy, Afro-infuenced groove. As for Snowfakes On Her Lips', you'll struggle to fnd a more confdent and positive dancefoor workout all year. Blessed with killer piano parts, darting analogue synth-bass and a range of disco-tinged musical fourishes, it's by far and away the most celebratory moment on an already happy-go-lucky EP. It confrms, too, our initial hunch: at the Solitary High Social Club, life is always good.

Multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Adam Gibbons (aka Lack of Afro) is back in some style with 'Back To The Day', a beautifully produced summer sizzler crammed full of infectious hooks, top musicianship and most importantly, vibe by the bucketload! Taking a nod from classic material by artists such as The Jackson 5, Earth Wind & Fire (and more recently Vulfpeck), 'Back To The Day' is Lack of Afro doing what he does best and then some - blending the old and new with big drums and heavy percussion to come up with a crossover classic that's entirely his own, whilst all the while developing his abilities as a songwriter.

Providing a dynamite vocal once again is regular collaborator Elliott Cole. Not just the voice of the track, he also plays guitars and bass, whilst ably backed up by some stellar musicians including George Cooper (Haggis Horns) on keys, Rory Simmons (Blur, Jamie Cullum) on trumpet, string and horn arrangements and Harry Harding (Yola Carter) holding down the backbeat on drums.

Keeping the dancefloor packed and turning the party vibes right up to 11, 'Take It Up A Notch' (featuring the brilliant Wax & Herbal T and taken from the critically acclaimed 'Back In Business EP') completes what is arguably one of the strongest single packages of the year!

Lack of Afro continues to go from strength to strength. 2016's 'Hello Baby' (released on his own label LOA Records) picked up a BBC 6 Music 'Album Of The Year' nomination & appeared in the Top 10 of the iTunes R&B / Soul chart in 21 countries worldwide. More recently, Adam's music continues to be used across all aspects of film & TV by networks such as ABC, Fox, NBC, Sony Pictures & the BBC whilst he also has released music on Universal & Warner Brothers Records.

Both tracks are taken from the new album 'Jack Of All Trades', released on LOA Records in May 2018 and supported by a live band UK tour in May & throughout various festivals throughout the summer.

Foxy Red Recordings is proud to announce their first vinyl release consisting of four deep & funky House tunes by TiTLEZ!
If you're up for the warmth, depth, and feel of the classic House sounds of Chicago - look no further! TiTLEZ's new EP delivers the goods while going for a diverse, organic, and eclectic productionapproach. You can expect punchy drums combined with live(ly) percussion samples, jazzy piano chords, and spacey pads, among otherstudio trickery.
The tracks on TiTLEZ's new EP are carefully produced and naturally dynamic, not only mesmerizing the audience with beautiful
soundscapes but also telling powerful stories in a heartfelt, honest, and emotional way. 'Family Affairs' is all about taking the listener on an atmospheric journey and exploring the needs and desires of human beings... while bringing massive grooves to the floor!
Side A features 'Longing' and 'Love', two tracks that focus on the story of love and loss, making for a dreamy, spacey, and nostalgic tone and stretching out the line between love that imprisons and the one that sets free. On side B, 'Fame' and 'Richness' tell the story of wealth and recognition, putting a modern twist on the classical notion of these concepts.
TiTLEZ is a driven, talented, and diverse music producer and his sound is influenced by Afrobeat, Latin grooves and jazz, which all play a vital role on his tracks.
As a result of his kaleidoscopic influences, TiTLEZ developed a unique blend of deep house with a tech and afro twist with an edgy and authentic feel. His work is all about telling stories and conveying that deep, warm feeling to his audience. TiTLEZ's tracks stand out for their diverse approach and catchy vibes, showcasing world-class production aesthetics and excellent musicianship from this promising artist.

A native of the Caribbean coast of Colombia, Abelardo Carbono achieved legendary status in his country's storied ranks of musical icons by combining the homegrown sounds of cumbia with the chiming guitars of West African soukous, enormously popular with the local tropical sound systems, and drenching the whole thing in his off-kilter, surreal and slightly psychedelic sensibility.

With the exception of a well-received compilation of songs from his 1980s heyday, Carbono has been rarely heard from outside the sweaty dancehalls he still commands in his hometown of Barranquilla. Now, Names You Can Trust has welcomed the reclusive guitarist and singer back to the vinyl format with a simmering Afro-Carib beast of a cut, recorded with the assistance of Will "Quantic" Holland on rhythm guitar and Mario Galeano (Frente Cumbiero, Ondatropica) on keys and in conjunction with Lucas SIlva of Palenque Records & Polen Records. It's a true cross-generational and international collaboration that is uniquely possible via Colombia. The first release of this expansive & power packed studio session is a cover of vallenato pioneer Guillermo Buitrago's La Piña Madura. This updated take veers heavily towards Africa on a rock solid foundation of bass and drums, with Abelardo's trademark guitar and quirky vocals leading the way.

Known for his pioneering and multi-instrumental blend of jazz and Afro-Eastern musical traditions, Yusef Lateef has never been content to use his music to merely entertain, but has long strived to his encourage his audiences to engage their minds as well as their ears. This approach was evident even on his groundbreaking debut album as leader, the aptly titled, Jazz For The Thinker, released in 1957. Unlike most debut efforts in jazz at the time, this album is made up entirely of Lateef's own original compositions, further proving that this was a man with a vision right from the start! Here Lateef, on tenor sax, is backed by Curtis Fuller on trombone, Hugh Lawson on piano, Ernie Farrow on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums.

Born in Cameroon, Vicky began banging the drums at the age of 9. By 13 he had moved onto bass and within a couple of years he was playing every night from 10pm to 5am in the Castel Douala Cabaret. At the age of 19 Vicky moved to Paris to study Banking and Commerce and cram in even more music. He took classes at Épinay-sur-Seine Conservatoire music school and it was here that he met Bandmates of his Dikalo project.

Word spreads and he soon becomes one of the most sought after bass players in the Afro arena. His session work features on many scenes stars, Manu Dibango, Eko Tala AM, Kemayo, Sammy Massamba, Toto Guillaume and many more. A chance meeting with the Gibson brothers also see him play on two of their hit albums. In the 80's Vicky moved to the US for spell and excels as a session bassist and touring musician.

We pick up the story in 1981. With his stature as a musician and bass player riding high he takes a detour to Nigeria to record with the Afrodisia label in Lagos. The "Thank U Mamma" album is the result. It is repressed for the first time, here in 2018 on the revitalised Afrodisia label.

Musical proceedings open up with the heartfelt ode to his mother "Thank U Mamma", smooth pop meets afrobeat boogie. "Marina Drive" slows things down with its smoldering jazz. Side Two opens with "Its Not Serious" a catchy vocal number underpinned with funky guitars and striding basslines. "Stormy Rain" is lazy guitar jazz swansong. We close off the album with the ever so funky "You". Slick funk grooves powered along with a dose of slap bass. As a side note Vicky actually plays left handed but with a "upside down" right handed bass. This upside-down precursor making his effortless slap playing even more impressive.

Vicky went on to record a two other albums and still tours and plays as an ever-in-demand session musician.

On 30thMarch, Wah Wah 45s will release ORANGE WHIP, the new album by their latest signing, Honeyfeet. The outfit, who have received praise from the likes of The Guardian, have also set festivals alight up and down the country with their unique melange of sounds.

For the last couple of years the Honeyfeet (who name from a line in the Blues Brothers film) have been a conduit for the ideas and expressions of an exotic mixture of Manchester based musicians. This genre-defying band incorporate styles including jazz, folk and hip hop into their music. Someone once called it Folk-Hop and Barrelhouse-pop, and that's just vague enough to make sense.

The band are fronted by Ríoghnach Connolly - also known for her work with Real World artists Afro Celt Sound System and The Breath - "a remarkable singer and flautist who...can ease from Irish traditional influences to soul" (The Guardian). The line up is completed by Rik Warren (vocals/harmonica), Gus Fairbairn (tenor sax), Biff Roxby (trombone/vocals), Ellis Davies (guitar), Lorien Edwards (bass guitar), John Ellis (keyboards) and David Schlechtriemen (drums).

ORANGE WHIP finds the band at their most incredibly diverse. Opening with recent single Sinner (received radio play from the likes of 6 Music and BBC Manchester), which showcases Ríoghnach's extraordinary agile and emotive voice, the album moves with dizzying swagger on songs covering a wide range of subjects. Quickball tells the story of being so infatuated with someone you want to eat them, while Whatever You Do addresses the fear-mongering of the press over folk-hop and oom-pah, and Demons deals with love and redemption on a blast of harmonica-driven country, sung by Rik Warren.

Rik also takes lead vocal on a re-working of Robert Johnson's Love in Vain, a song showing Honeyfeet's more reflective side, his Skip James-esque drawl bringing an eerie quality to the lyrics about a doomed relationship. The band reshape the progression too, swinging the tune slowly and creating a little underground blues club in the midst of the recording.

Elsewhere the band go all New Orleanian on Colonel Hathi's Trunk Juice, a sinister tale inspired by trombonist Biff Roxby's horn riff recalling one of the elephants of The Jungle Book. Further showcasing their virtuosity, on one of the album's best moments - especially the nuanced vocal performance by Ríoghnach, who was raised on Irish folk - on Hunt and Gather the band do their own take on prog-folk, with a flute and cello melody running alongside a brass counterpoint.

Ríoghnach turns in another incredible vocal on the album's final track - future single Meet Me On The Corner. With a pounding beat, it is one of the album's main highlights. Guitar and brass propels Ríoghnach to sing lyrics that could be straight out of the playground, but suggest something deeper, possibly mystical even, in it's demands for a dalliance on the street. It closes the album on a high note, for a band who have that rare ability to distil all their disparate influences, while always sounding like their unique selves.

ORANGE WHIP heralds the sound of a remarkable band going overground.

Ghanaian music legend Ebo Taylor returns with perhaps his finest album to date.
But don't take our word for it. That's coming straight from the man himself.
And he should know after more than 60 years in the business.
The 81-year-old composer, arranger, guitarist and vocalist has been a key figure in the evolving afro-funk sound since the Seventies, working with the likes of Apagya Show Band, CK Mann and Pat Thomas.
Famously, he rubbed shoulders with Fela Kuti while studying in London in the Sixties, before going on to lead the Ghana Black Star Band (featuring Osei and Sol Amarfio from Osibisa) and later the Uhuru Dance Band back in Ghana. Like Fela, he is always pushing forward, constantly reconceptualising his sound and
attuning it for a new generation. Part teacher, part messenger.
Listen to Yen Ara and you will not only hear the high-energy afrobeat, sweet highlife, jazz and konkoma influences that he's famous for. There is also a disco pulse and hard-hitting percussive edge to the tracks, which were produced by Justin Adams (Tinariwen, Rachid Taha, Robert Plant) and recorded in the live room at Electric Monkey Studio in Amsterdam. An Ebo Taylor for these times, you might say.
His group, the Saltpond City Band, are all handpicked local musicians featuring two of his sons. An appropriate line-up on an album whose titles means we'.
And they are on fine form, ripping through tracks such as 'Krumandey' (a surefire party starter) and 'Mind Your Own Business' (a simple message delivered over a frenetic drum rhythm).
Elsewhere, 'Aboa Kyirbin' will please fans of tough afrobeat grooves, while Taylor could well be inciting a riot at his next gig with 'Mumudey Mumudey', We hear him calling for 'preshaaah' and leading us into a call and response as the trumpet takes us higher. And the lift of those horns on 'Ankoma'm' evokes some
of his finest work such as 'Love & Death' and 'Come Along', the latter recorded with the Pelikans and featured on a recent Mr Bongo reissue.

It was May 2017 when Earthboogie's debut release dropped on Leng. The soundsystem-loving East London duo rightly won praise for a fne EP that brilliantly joined the dots between all things intergalactic, terrestrial and tribal.
Having spent the last ten months recording their adventures, Izaak Gray and Nicola Robinson return with Silken Moon', the frst single from their forthcoming debut album, Human Call.
In typical fashion, Silken Moon' cannily combines musical elements from a myriad of styles - most notably Afro-disco, samba and mid-tempo Chicago house - to create a humid hybrid that defes easy categorization. There are bouncy organ riffs, undulating acid lines, clipped Afro-funk guitars, tons of tropical percussion and the chanted, carnival-friendly vocalizations of guest singer Nina Miranda.
The release comes backed with remixes from two members of the extended
Leng family: long-serving producer Felix Dickinson and Turkish rising star Ali Kuru. Dickinson sticks close to the original of Silken Moon' with a mix built around gently jacking machine drums and Earthboogie's sweaty guitar licks while Kuru takes Human Call' in an altogether more cosmic direction. Pushing the track's psychedelic TB-303 lines and tropical textures to the fore whilst
adding his own mind-altering electronics - most notably a fat new synth bassline - Kuru cleverly re-casts the track as a pulsating, late night throb-job.

Most of the musicians who gathered to record this fantastic spiritual jazz record for the Strata-East label on May 24th, 1974 had crossed each other's paths in various musical pairings over the preceding few years. Husband and wife team Dee Dee Bridgewater (vocals) and Cecil Bridgewater (trumpet) had been working together on albums like Frank Foster's "Loud Minority", and Roy Ayers' "Coffy" and "Virgo Red". Ten weeks before the "Freedom Of Speech" session, the couple had been joined in Tokyo by Cecil's brother Ronald Bridgewater (tenor saxaphone) to record Dee Dee's debut album, the beautiful "Afro Blue". Also in the studio on May 24th, 1974 was Donald Smith, (piano, vocals), fresh from recording on his older brother Lonnie Liston Smith's "Cosmic Funk" - on which Ronald Bridgewater had also played percussion. Cecil McBee (bass) was also there - just two weeks before, he'd completed his own Strata East date "Mutima", and in February he'd played on Mtume's "Rebirth Cycle" - with both albums also featuring Dee Dee Bridgewater on vocals. He'd also played on Lonnie Liston Smith's "Astral Travelling".

So 1974 was a huge year for all five of these people. Donald Smith and Cecil McBee were six months away from recording on Lonnie Liston Smith's massive "Expansions", with McBee fitting in a few Pharoah Sanders albums in between.

AND THEN, THE MYSTERY ... So with all this fervent activity, the question has to be asked ...Who was Billy Earl Parker Jr (drums), the leader of this session

Billy Parker remains unlisted as a musician on all major jazz sites. His only other recording appears to be as a percussionist on Charles Tolliver's "Impact" in 1975. Then there's nothing.

Finally, by backtracking one of those Zoom info pages, I found a summary of a "SUNY Rockland Community College" 2002 press release that no longer exists :

"Billy Parker's Fourth World Legacy Concert ...The concert, Billy Parker's Fourth World Legacy, is the eighth annual tribute honouring the late percussionist and RCC educator, Billy Parker. A long-time Rockland County resident, Parker began his affiliation with RCC in 1987, building its jazz program and maintaining his life-long tradition of teaching and inspiring others. A lifelong student himself, Parker was near completion of his doctorate in music education at New York University when he died in 1996.

But then people began to read this blog post, and in the comments, Aaron Fuller said :

"Billy Parker was my uncle. He was an incredibly talented, smart, and kind man. I'm very happy to see that folks are still enjoying his masterpiece. Just to give you a bit more information about him... He was born and raised in Buffalo, NY and then attended college at Michigan State University. He met my aunt in Lansing. They lived in NY and toured in Europe for quite a while. Sometime later they relocated to Nyack, NY and he ended up on the faculty of the community college while he pursued advanced degrees from NYU. He was an Ellington scholar. Although his name isn't well-known even among the most avid jazz fans, I think that if you were to talk to some of the great NY musicians that were around in the late 60s and 70s you would find that most knew him. He also had a huge impact as a music educator and I have no doubt that his former students are all over the place, continuing to put his love of the art into practice."

Wonderwheel is happy to welcome in Montreal based producer & don dada Poirier for his first release on the label, the "Be Alright" EP. Moving away from the traditional dancehall, dub and soca sounds he's become known for, Poirier delivers a 4 track of Afro-House influenced dancefloor firestarters. "Sowia" heads to South East Africa with it's floating guitar hooks, big bassline, and vocals in Portugese from Canadian-Moçambican singer Samito. "Ginobili" goes into deeper territory with four to the floor drums, heavily chopped percussion, and a hypnotizing distorted Mbira line, while "Camera" continues the tropical vibe with a nod to Semba with it's driving guitar lines, staccato synth lines and thumping drums. "Antilles Trax" rounds it out as the extended instrumental version of "Sowia".

Shelter is one Alan Briand, a young Parisian producer with a strong melodic centre producing a sound that pulls on the Zouk, the Afro, the Balearic and the Ambient palette. Zon Zon Zon is only his fifth release and his first mini album, following the series on International Feel that has brought us material from Len Leise, Wolf Muller and CFCF.

International Feel first met Shelter on a trip to Paris a few years back. It sounds like a story from a Nick Hornby novel, but there's a record shop in Paris called L'International Records, run by a guy called Dave who has a group of young French DJs, producers and promoters that visit the store, hang out and buy and listen to music - a story no doubt currently being repeated throughout the world as new generations immerse themselves in the culture. Shelter is a producer who has sucked up all that he has been hearing around him for a number of years and is now producing a quality sound, pulling on the exotic.

The seven tracks on this mini-album are taken from an extensive pool of Shelter's melodic magic. Some people lead on the beats, some on the production, but Alan focuses on the melody, with the beat closely tied in as support. Señor Zalla starts the album with an afro vibe, closely followed by the Zouk-style of Zon Zon Zon and Port-au-Cœur's mellow Balearic tones, as Shelter twists nature's sounds into his own sonic world. Bucolica, an upbeat wonder of a track, turns to the ambient mantra of Courant Rouge and it's distant cousin Courant Bleu, a classic rhythmic balearic piece with syncopated melody and delayed drums. La Volière (the French can make even bird cage sound beautiful) brings the album to a close with a smile in the mind's eye.


Zon Zon Zon is universal. It could easily have been created in Ibiza or Canada, Australia or Africa. It was in fact recorded at Paris 11, where Shelter forged beauty through the sounds of nature and uncovers a wisdom in its simplicity. We can expect good things from Alan. Here's the first chapter.