Pop & Rock Vinyl New Releases - News

The ozric's 1989 first true album reissued on double heavyweight vinyl for first time. One of the most influential bands to emerge from the UK's festival scene, the Ozrics layer ambient and ethereal landscapes with freeform dub trips, incredible rave grooves and psychedelic progressive rock.

For over 30 years, the Ozrics have experienced the vicissitudes of the rock and roll life. The band has flourished through a number of line-up changes, spawned several side projects, created their own record label, scored a hit record and sold over a million albums world-wide. And yet, the basic motivation behind the band's existence has never wavered. Their signature blend of hippy aesthetics and raver electronics with spiraling guitars, textured waves of keyboard and midi samplers, and super-groovy bass and drum rhythms connects fans of progressive rock, psychedelia and DJ culture.

'Pungent Effulgent', the Ozric's first 'official' album after self-releasing material on cassettes, is the first produced to label standards and retains their explorative style based on improvisations whilst performing live. The vinyl features a bonus live performance of the 19 minute roller "Ayervedism" originally taken from the Ozric's self-made cassettes sold at gigs and festivals. The band's early influences from peers such as Hawkwind, Gong and Pink Floyd are evident in this transformative release.

Stunning jazz soundtrack for the 1967 movie based on the Italian cult comic series Satanik.

A great blend of 60s mood and Italian jazz composed by the dynamic duo Roberto Pregadio and Romano Mussolini for the 1965 movie based on the mega cult Italian comic hero KRIMINAL.

first issue of anywhere of this 1977 recording from Rome - continuation of Strut and Art Yard's Sun Ra release programme following successful compilations by Marshall Allen (2014) and Gilles Peterson (2015) - official reissue mastered from first generation reel to reel tapes - LP features photos by H.L. Lindenmaier, sleeve notes by the Arkestra's Knoel Scott and new cover design featuring work by Lewis Heriz

Strong "loft jazz" from an upcoming Finnish trio recorded at Helsinki's We Jazz Festival. Composer/drummer Sami Nummela leads his fellow musicians, trumpeter Tomi Nikku and bassist Joonas Tuuri into deep yet melodic soundscapes on the 7 tracks included here. The group draws inspiration from the travels of their invited adventurer hero J. Bowman, whose expedits are documented on the liner notes taking the form of a journal. The intimate surroundings of a Helsinki cafe, an impromptu recording place, gives the set a strong feeling, not unlike that of the 1970s NYC loft jazz scene. The music sounds free at heart, yet is very melodic at the same time, and the young band excel in finding just what it takes to make a good composition swing.

Released as clear and black vinyl versions, comes with a free download.

Airplay: Finnish National Broadcasting Company YLE, Bassoradio Helsinki, Radio Helsinki, Deutschlandradio Kultur

Strong "loft jazz" from an upcoming Finnish trio recorded at Helsinki's We Jazz Festival. Composer/drummer Sami Nummela leads his fellow musicians, trumpeter Tomi Nikku and bassist Joonas Tuuri into deep yet melodic soundscapes on the 7 tracks included here. The group draws inspiration from the travels of their invited adventurer hero J. Bowman, whose expedits are documented on the liner notes taking the form of a journal. The intimate surroundings of a Helsinki cafe, an impromptu recording place, gives the set a strong feeling, not unlike that of the 1970s NYC loft jazz scene. The music sounds free at heart, yet is very melodic at the same time, and the young band excel in finding just what it takes to make a good composition swing.

Released as clear and black vinyl versions, comes with a free download.

Airplay: Finnish National Broadcasting Company YLE, Bassoradio Helsinki, Radio Helsinki, Deutschlandradio Kultur

Reuniting the best session musicians Japan had to offer to make an album that would evoke the atmospheres of South Pacific islands, the kind of places Japanese people spend their vacations in. Pacific (1978) is a treat to the ears, its theme of the southern Pacific ocean and its warm cerulean waters relax its listeners with a fusion of city pop, soft jazz, and that good old 1970's funk while remaining surprisingly fully instrumental throughout all contributions from artists Haruomi Hosono, Shigeru Suzuki, and Tatsuro Yamashita. A true cult LP and an inspiration for a lot of, so called, vaporware' music.

Recorded at Helsinki's We Jazz Festival, the new LP "Origami" by the Jaska Lukkarinen Trio offer a solid glimpse of the remarkable creative power of one of the best working groups in the vibrant Finnish scene. Drummer Jaska Lukkarinen (of Dalindèo), sax man Jussi Kannaste and bassist Antti Lötjönen (of The Five Corners Quintet) play jazz which relies on the strong dynamic of the group. They swing at times, turn inwards for some deep meditative passaged on occasion, and find their own personal way within the music. Think pianoless small groups in the vein of some of Jimmy Giuffre's best work, for example, and you're in the right mindset.

On this LP, the Jaska Lukkarinen Trio capture the essence of their music and the innovation in the moment which is at the very core of all great jazz music. They tackle the music of a close collaborator Valtteri Laurell Pöyhönen (of Dalindèo and Ricky-Tick Big band), and deliver a which set brimming with fresh musical ideas, and this music has appeal well outside of the hard core jazz crowd. This music is approachable yet deep with layers at the same time. Recorded on analogue equipment, the set echoes a the classic sonic palette of live jazz recordings, while offering music which looks ahead at all times. The LP release includes an article about the project + a digital download with the bonus track, "Beauty Passing By".

(A) A1. Black Coffee
(B) A2. I've Got You Under My Skin
(C) A3. Easy Living
(D) A4. My Heart Belongs To Daddy
(E) A5. It Ain't Necessarily So
(F) A6. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
(G) B1. A Woman Alone With The Blues
(H) B2. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
(I) B3. When The World Was Young
(J) B4. Love Me Or Leave Me
(K) B5. You're My Thrill
(L) B6. There's A Small Hotel

Sérgio Mendes & Bossa Rio's Você Ainda Não Ouviu Nada! (1964) is a true milestone in the evolution of Brazilian instrumental music post-bossa nova. Infinitely sophisticated, but still full of swing, Bossa Rio (Tiao Neto, bass, Edison Machado, batteries, Edson Maciel, Raul de Souza and Hector Costita, metals) deal here with the reinvention of bossa classics and original songs
180g vinyl.

A psychedelic jazz monster from stone cold Estonia' - Frank Raines, Funk Night Recs

Jazzbeatjäätis really reminds me of Hancock's Mwandashi or Sextant era with Bennie Maupin.' - Alain Mion, Cortex

Forerunners of underground Estonian jazz-funk since 2013, Estrada Orchestra is a 5 pieces band based in Tallinn. Loosely defined genre borders situate the group of master improvisers into equal parts psychedelic grooves and avant-garde. Although names like Herbie Hancock and Mulatu Astatke pop into mind, the list of kindred spirits of Estrada is far and beyond to find.

Established producer and bass player Misha Panfilov brings his expertise in film music, deep funk and Eastern Bloc obscurities, while Volodja Brodsky smooths things out with fusion influences behind the Clavinet and Rhodes. Both composers are equally obsessed with all that's jazz. Flutist Ilja Gussarov, the solist and shaman of the bunch, orchestrates the crowd into a tribe with a vibe that shines in a live setting. Sashko Petrov on tenor sax and percussion adds the slick soul of a vagabonder to the recipe. Madis Katkosilt of provides a solid backbone with heavy beats and just the right amount of crunch on the drums.

After their self-named début album flew off the shelves in 2015, Estrada Orchestra puts out their 2nd LP Jazzbeatjäätis in 2017 via French imprint Stereophonk. Having gigged in Tallinn Music Week, Positivus and numerous festivals in Estonia the jam band is ready to take on the international stage with support from the likes of Shawn Lee, Greg Foat and Alain Mion.

Originally released in 1959, Chega de Saudade is the debut album from João Gilberto and is often credited as the first bossa nova album
180g vinyl

A good concert is like a journey. When it starts you might not know what episodes await you, but in your heart you can feel which direction it will take you in. The Miramode Orchestra offers just this type of enriching, exhilarating experience. Although they meander between coordinates including jazz, electronica and groove, the seven musicians can never be tied down to a single musical location. The sound created by a four-man rhythm section and three horn players is always flavoured by a certain ambition, but never fails to let souls fly and get bodies sweating!

Their debut album Restless City' announced the band as fans of both exploration and experimentation. Why break down barriers when you can simply soar over them - after all, they only exist in the mind. It is therefore no surprise that collaborations have already included not only a range of artists more at home in genres such as hip hop, soul and modern club culture, but also a string ensemble. The latter returned to the studio for the band's forthcoming album Tumbler', which is set for release in early 2017 on Agogo Records. There is a noticeable shift towards more song-like structures: The vocals of Inèz Schäfer, Dan Freeman, Mara von Ferne and the band's keyboard player Eren Solak are taking Tumbler to another level.

At times it is difficult not to hear a touch of Bon Iver, 4hero or Cinematic Orchestra. Yet just as listeners are ready to slot a song into a pigeonhole, the Miramode Orchestra whisks them away to a new, unexpected stop on their journey.

3 is the third album by the French covers band Nouvelle Vague, initially released 16 June 2009. As with their previous release, the album consists entirely of cover versions, mostly of post-punk and new wave songs from the 1970s and 1980s. Four of the tracks are performed as duets, featuring the song's original vocalist performing alongside one of Nouvelle Vague's female singers.

Nouvelle Vague is the 2004 self-titled debut album by the French band Nouvelle Vague. The album consists entirely of easy listening and bossa nova versions of songs that were written and recorded during the post-punk/new wave era. The band's name is a play on words, new wave and bossa nova being the literal translations, in English and Portuguese respectively, of the French phrase Nouvelle Vague, which is itself a reference to the French cinema movement of the 1950s and 1960s. The songs are recorded with female vocalists who had not previously heard the songs they would be covering.

Bande à Part is Nouvelle Vague's second album, initially released in 2006. Like their eponymous first album, it is a collection of bossa nova cover versions of 1980s new wave tracks. The music video for "Dance with Me" references the famous dance sequence from Jean-Luc Godard's film Bande à part (1964).

For his second solo album in 20 years Roger Raspail, a true legend on percussions, wished to reunite all the musicians who he has had the chance of performing alongside and that have marked him. The result is this wonderful intersection of jazz, cadense and Gwo Ka.
With only two albums in a career lasting over forty years, the least one can say is that Roger Raspail takes his time - and great care - before he puts his vision of the world to music. A big drummer who has featured on hundreds of albums, the native of Guadeloupe is finally taking centre-stage. I had other priorities: meeting people, sharing things, exchanging.' Free jazz or Cap-Verdean morna, Caribbean swing and Congolese rumba, spiritual funk and trance from the Sahel, the guy from Guadeloupe is one of those backing musicians whose humility only serves to underscore and enrich his musicality. Caressing one minute, banging the next, his expert fingers know how to bring the best out of the skins. Drumming is in his genes. He's been linking and binding for decades, working on projects whose sheer variety says all there is to say about his open-mindedness and his ability to adapt. This is what this compilation is about: sounds that seem worlds apart, a jigsaw whose pieces, if assembled end to end, would tell a different story of our world. On this album he describes diversity at work, but behind that there's a sense of deep roots from which he draws his identity. Creolized', to paraphrase the West Indian essayist Édouard Glissant, for whom the poetry of any relationship is based on the presence' of all languages. This desire to encompass vast swathes of musical territory has never prevented him from tending to his own garden, to quote a different philosopher. Quite the opposite, in fact. Roger Raspail has never surrendered an ounce of originality, starting with the seven rhythms that go to make up gwo ka, the drum that is his island's hallmark.
Whatever happens, I'll always be a gwo ka, and that is a firm part of my roots, my genes and my blood. I can't help thinking, dreaming, eating and charming through and with gwo ka. This drum and this music have given me everything. The clear trade-off, though, is that my music sounds like gwo ka, whichever type of instrument I play. Gwo-ka, like jazz, reggae or any other form of musical resistance, is a philosophy of life.' Born in December 1953 in Capesterre Bel Easu, Roger Raspail grew up with that sound, the echo of the emancipation movements of the 1970s. After some early experience with his mentor Rudople Coppry, with whom he learned to make his own drum, Roger Raspail left the tropics to settle on the other side of the Atlantic. When I left Guadeloupe it was to listen and look at things further afield.' He turned pro in the mid 1970s and was a regular at the American Center, which sucked in experiences in free jazz from all corners. It was a time of awakening, followed by a dazzling array of appearances as a percussionist during the 1980s. It became difficult to keep track of his collaborations, although one particularly long-lasting one was with Cabe Verde Show. One could also cite the cult flautist Eugène Mona, the barefoot diva Cesaria Evora, the zen pianist Mal Waldron, and the brilliant guitarist Dominique Gaumont.
At the beginning of the new millennium, he recorded his first album for Marge. He then had to wait for almost twenty years, recording over two hundred records with others, before he was once again the leader. Dalva' is his beloved' granddaughter's name, and thus a natural successor to his first album, Fanny's Dream', which took its name from his daughter. It all sounds so obvious, because the repertoire shows off the many facets of a musician who has always brought his own spirit to his music. Bossa, calypso, rara, soul jazz, beguine, cadences... Composed over many years, this compilation of mostly new tracks is a perfect excuse to travel into the heart of the creole world, an opportunity for the MC to play with old friends, always in good company. All of them follow the same course through this archipelago of sound that surpasses any divisions between black and white, any clear boundaries, any fixed categories. This album is not about enclosing orthodoxy, it's about opening people's minds.
As proof of this, his accompanying musicians hail from a range of backgrounds, but they are all part of his family'. As the songs progress, we meet some of his old friends, and some he got to know more recently. Here again, there is no point in drawing up a full list, but it's worthwhile mentioning a few names. Jacob Desvarieux harks back to their many exchanges during the 1980s, and in particular to two albums by Kassav' led by Roger Raspail. The same goes for Patrice Caratini, a double bassist the percussionist met over thirty years ago - We had recorded an album at the Dréher with George Brown, Richard Raux, Mal Waldron and Roy Borwos' - and stayed in touch with throughout the 2000s. It's also the case of the quintessential pianist, Alain Jean-Marie, whom Roger Raspail heard paly in Guadeloupe before catching up with him in Paris at the famous concerts at Le Dunois with Dominique Gaumont, Alan Silva, Bobby Few and lots of other avant-garde jazz musicians...' Younger but no less close, the cellist Vincent Ségal was also part of this unblinkered musical family. Vincent happens to be Alain Jean-Marie's nephew. I met him at concerts and recording sessions with Morena, Alain's wife, and then we did a two-week tour of Guadeloupe. That cello-ka duet was one of my best experiences ever.'
There's also the London-based Trinidadian singer Anthony Joseph - the little brother from a big island near Guadeloupe' - whom he met in Parisian clubs before they truly collaborated on various albums, the latest of which was Kumaka', which bears Roger Raspail's imprint. But Raspail's most iconic collaborator is perhaps not the best known: It's a lovely story. Reda Samba was barely nine years old when I invited him to play on my first album, his father, Mokhtar Samba, was the drummer. Twenty years on, and the job's his!' How symbolic that this is a long-term affair, and that once all the tracks on this album have been assembled, they might just paint the most accurate self-portrait of its creator.

Premium funk, jazz and breakbeats - rare original 1995 LPs !! act now!

The unreleased Euro pysch score to the French/Portuguese X-rated version of The Devils meets The Witchfinder General! Synchronised by Spanish anti-establishmentarian, sexual liberator, die-hard independent filmmaker and unrepentant voyeur Jess Franco (Vampyros Lesbos/De Sade). Composed entirely by French composer Jean-Bernard Raiteux aka Jean-Michel Lorgere (Sinner/Harlem Pop Trotters) and presented here in full soundtrack form for the first time.

Proudly claiming the dubious accolade of the Spanish sexploitation version of The Devils as the distributor's most bankable asset, this previously banned 1973 European witch flick would rip the art house facade from Ken Russell's well polished box office smash and push the envelope way beyond the closet titillation of the gentrified new wave controversy seekers. Delivered on a comparable shoestring budget as the 55th feature in Jess Franco's filmography of approximately 203 completed movies, The Demons (Les Démons), directed under the Anglicised pseudonym Clifford Brown, took many of the Franco's sexually stylistic watermarks (epitomised in his Vampyros Lesbos trilogy) adding witchcraft, possession and nunsploitation against a rural Mediterranean backdrop before disappearing into the woods. Whilst clearly taking inspirational plot cues from Michael Reeve's The Witchfinder General (UK 1968) and drawing comparisons with scenes from Eiichi Yamamoto's Belladonna Of Sadness (Japan 1973) this B-Movie reduction of Franco's wide palette of colourful ingredients has in recent years provided enthusiasts/champions/defenders of the workaholic horrotica bastion with a rare and treasured addition. Future-proofed by an essential component, omnipresent in Franco's films, it is the mysterious commercially unobtainable soundtrack music that cements the unwaning interest in his risqué brand of unconventional shock/schlock sinema (not hindered my the enigmatic title card misinformation that often surrounds the original composers) and the music herein that has given Franco's harshest critics a second chance/reason to reevaluate this man's unapologetic art.

Following on from Finders Keepers previous expanded release of Bruno Nicolai's score for Franco's 1970 adaptation of De Sade (FKR069) this record stands as another tribute to Franco's life which he lived through the mechanisms of a camera with relentless zeal and a passion to challenge every aspect of movie making along the way. UNDERground, OVERambitious, RIGHT on, LEFTfield, BELOW the radar but ABOVE criticism. INdulgent and OUTrageous, but never middle of the road, Jess Franco was many things but he wasn't pretentious and never delivered art for art's sake and I feel honoured to have spent time with him. Franco was in fact a realist, he kept both feet firmly on the ground and a keen eye behind the right side of the lens and if Jess did have any demons his films were his exorcisms, the critics were the bloody judges and his legacy (through the medium of X-rated cinema of variable quality) is immortal.

New Orleans' Grammy-nominated Hot 8 Brass Band release their ffh LP, 'On The Spot'. In true Hot 8 style, this album pairs hard-hitng, heart-on-sleeve sentment with party-fuelling beats, hooks and grooves, raw funk and charismatc hip hop vocals mix with Big Easy jazz elegance. Expect unshakable horn rifs and bubbling bass as the record transports you right into the centre of an electrifying Hot 8 party crowd.
The ttle of the new album refers to the glorious, rare moment in a New Orleans parade when the band stops to take a break but keeps noodling with their instruments for the crowd. Vibing, keeping the energy up, when they're completely in the moment they sync up and the magic happens - a new tune is created: On The Spot. Their ffh LP sees Hot 8 commitng this live sound and spirit to record like never before - note the exclamaton captured on tape at end of the ttle track: Did we just make that up!'
These 11 tracks have helped the band get through their up and down moments, 'On The Spot' honours fallen friends and the city of New Orleans, and showcases new heights achieved afer coming back from the deepest lows. We stll break down a lot,' says bandleader and tuba player Bennie Pete, but now it's tears of joy. We keep everything in our hearts, but we keep on.'

New Orleans' Grammy-nominated Hot 8 Brass Band release their ffh LP, 'On The Spot'. In true Hot 8 style, this album pairs hard-hitng, heart-on-sleeve sentment with party-fuelling beats, hooks and grooves, raw funk and charismatc hip hop vocals mix with Big Easy jazz elegance. Expect unshakable horn rifs and bubbling bass as the record transports you right into the centre of an electrifying Hot 8 party crowd.
The ttle of the new album refers to the glorious, rare moment in a New Orleans parade when the band stops to take a break but keeps noodling with their instruments for the crowd. Vibing, keeping the energy up, when they're completely in the moment they sync up and the magic happens - a new tune is created: On The Spot. Their ffh LP sees Hot 8 commitng this live sound and spirit to record like never before - note the exclamaton captured on tape at end of the ttle track: Did we just make that up!'
These 11 tracks have helped the band get through their up and down moments, 'On The Spot' honours fallen friends and the city of New Orleans, and showcases new heights achieved afer coming back from the deepest lows. We stll break down a lot,' says bandleader and tuba player Bennie Pete, but now it's tears of joy. We keep everything in our hearts, but we keep on.'

The culmination of sensory exploration. Initiates International presents you with a new collection of "Kosmiche Musiche" - a potent mix of hard rhythms, direct horns and spatial electronics.

Get yoursnow.

Baast returns with a follow-up to their cosmic jazz funk opus "Dimensions", with another set of esoteric "Kosmiche Musik" on their new offering "Bazaar." Channeling the same energy filtered through a more "worldly" vibe, the heavy focus is on polyrhythmic percussion producing a decidedly Middle Eastern flavor in a similar vein to Krautrock standouts Embryo and Passport.

The brainchild of R. Scott Dibble and DJ Johnny Basil, Baast's live performances are a mix of theatrical rock, jazz improv, and extended funk sojourns once they lock into a groove. 2016 has been a coming out party of sorts for once-underground hero DJ Johnny Basil. After a 20 year hiatus from producing music, hunkering down and delving deep into his esoteric studies while amassing one of the more impressive record collections focused on library music, his ascension has been ignited by his exposure to a young and eager audience as a tour DJ for cult surf-rock crusaders The Growlers. Leaving crowds mesmerized throwing down hard Disco and Funk while exploring the groove alongside them gyrating and slithering shirtless on stage. Drawing a visually striking resemblance to Iggy Pop, and sartorially decked in '70s vintage regalia, he's inspired a write-up from Vice outlet Thump dubbing him "The Man You Wish You Were", putting him in the running as a real-life "Most Interesting Man In The World".

Fresh from being named by the OC weekly staff as "Best Local Celebrity of 2016" and loaded with several new projects outside of Baast including his recently released excursion into Nu-Disco with the aptly named Basil & Rogers and Sleaze/Glam Rock outfit Kandi Jones, as well as several upcoming appearances in music videos and fashion shoots, DJ Johnny Basil's long-overdue "shine" is only destined to burn that much brighter.

Popcorn classic on the original looking labels with original flipside.

Spaceways features live performances by Sun Ra and his Arkestra recorded in New York City in 1966 and 1968. Free and "spacey" as ever, the recordings capture Sun Ra in his absolute element with over a dozen Arkestra members backing him up. The recording was remastered for vinyl and pressed on audiophile-grade vinyl at Pallas Group in Germany. Previously released on CD only and as Disc 2 of Sun Ra Calling Planet Earth, this is its first ever vinyl release!

Two time Grammy winning producer Terrace Martin (Snoop, Kendrick Lamar, Herbie Hancock) started his own label - Sounds Of Crenshaw - under the Ropeadope umbrella with the release of Velvet Portraits. The core band is Terrace Martin, Curly Martin, Robert 'Sput' Searight (Snarky Puppy), and Brandon Eugene Owens. Guests include vocalists Rose Gold, Tone Treasure, Uncle Chucc & The Emotions, and Lalah Hathaway. Featured guests are Kamasi Washington, Robert Glasper, Thundercat, and Tiffany Gouche.

For fans of Dilla, Madlib, DJ Mitsu, Onra, Stones Throw, Jazzy Sport. Very occasionally you stumble across a digital album on one of the many internet music sharing platforms that just stops you in your tracks. Mahatma X 'A Mobtown Suite Vol 1' is a case in point. If ever there was an album crying out for a vinyl release it's this one. Step forward Home Assembly to put matters right. Mahatma X was formed in 2013, initially as an instrumental beat-tape project by producer MALK in St. Andrews, Scotland. He would later be joined in Philadelphia by Jhana Gumption as live drummer and Jahred as MC. The group mixes live instrumentation with samples to create Hip-Hop reminiscent of its golden age. Spanning 17 instrumental tracks over two sides of wax 'A Mobtown Suite Vol 1' has the flow of a beat-tape, with tracks bleeding into one another, going off at right angles, or colliding bumper to bumper. Deep and soulful. Phat, jazzy and funky as! - and all delivered with a bucket full of punk attitude. From the Adderley sampling opener 'come thru' to the flutes and breaks of 'Mahatma and the White Devil', flutes (again) and warm, gospel organ of 'thishustlegame' and the spacey synths and deep, dubby bass-line of 'worddagawd' you know you're in for an exhilirating ride. But then you begin to notice other elements that seem to elevate this record above what is now a fairly crowded genre. Notably, there's the languorous, stoned guitar refrain on 'We Live in Bawlmer, Baby'. And it's there again amongst the snares and samples of 'Bright Moments' and the sun-kissed 'Mad Poetik'. All evidence that as well as being skilled in dealing dope beats, there's also a sensitive musician at the heart of this record, most addictively realised in the sweetly melancholic smoke and woodblocks of 'Gloriaaa'. It would be almost too easy to summon up the ghost of Dilla or the oddball sampling techniques of Madlib as comparisons but they're undeniable - albeit passed through a hazy filter. Pressed in a LTD edition of 300!!

Soul Jazz Records' new album features the truly intense, hypnotic and fascinating Vodou drums of Haiti, a stunning collection of trance-like rhythms and beats traditionally used to induce spirit possession in the Vodou religion.
Soul Jazz Records first journeyed to Haiti in 1996 to record a series of three albums about Haitian Vodou music and culture. One of these, 'Voodoo Drums', featuring the drum rhythms used to bring about spirit possession, struck a striking chord with listeners and amazingly went on to become one of their best-selling albums. "I haven't heard anything quite like this, the rhythms are very deeply orchestrated yet it also sounds
like improvisation. There are tonalities and textures coming from this album like I've never heard. A great album by Soul Jazz, very well recorded. Some of the sounds I have no idea how they are getting them! This album is bending my ear and setting off the dancing devils in my soul!! Unreal!"
Guardian In 2016 Soul Jazz Records returned to Haiti once more to record a new second volume of the same intense Vodou drumming. Recorded in the capital of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, some 20 years after their first visit, this album also features the very same musicians, the Drummers of the Société Absolument Guinin. "This record, which consists entirely of recordings of vodou drumming made in Port-Au-Prince, is one of a series of Soul Jazz releases exploring Haitian music, all of which are worth your attention. Nonetheless there's something about the intensity and virtuosity of this particular drums-based album that's particularly transportive. It captures the extraordinary complexity and sophistication of these ceremonial rhythms, which shift, interlock and switch angle of attack with a logic that's near-indecipherable as a listener unable to see visually how they unfold.
These drum rituals are central to Haitian vodou, their power to awe and mesmerise isn't dimmed through being relatively unfamiliar with the traditions that underlie them, these recordings are dynamic and riveting in their intricacy and power." Quietus
Like the first album, these new recordings somehow manage to walk the line between serious ethnological authenticity and a connection with the energy and intensity of the dance rhythms of
techno and house music that make them quite unique:
"Soul Jazz yet again come correct with the roots and culture. This amazing set of ritual breakbeats Haitian style has to be the most phenomenal, left field battle breaks album you could imagine. The rhythms used cause spirits to manifest themselves in the physical world, all powerful, some benevolent, others less so. Enjoyable and really quite mind expanding, this is recommended to
anyone who thinks traditional music is not for them. Really unparallelled, both in terms of quality and the competition." Boomkat
This album is released worldwide on heavyweight double LP + download code, deluxe CD and digital album.

Stone cold killer classic jazz funk long player.. zoning and beautiful...TIP! CD version.
.
Thesda - Spaced Out was originally pressed in 1979 in a run of just 100 LPs. These original LPs were only distributed amoungst friends and family of the artists and as a result they are extremely sort after. The LP a cosmic journey blending jazz funk soul and disco is a into one of the most unique and high quality private press releases of its time. This killer jazz funk album is fully licenced and reissued for the very first time by Left Ear Records."