International Recommendations May 2014

Review: Killer new Sofrito 12" with hypnotic Carnival rhythms, DIY electro and vital Compas experiments from the Haitian archives! Lead in the way is a subtle edit of "Zanmi Camarade" from Claudette & Ti Pierre by Stockholm's Tropical Treats crew, this 1979 cover version of the folk song that is quite bewildering, with haunting vocals weaving a spell over a heavy polyrhythmic drum machine groove and arpeggiated synth backing. Just as impressive is the Siwo update of Ti Marcel's rugged, hypnotic Rara track "Nan Point La Vie" is dominated by the single-note 'Vaksin' bamboo flute, which Sofrito call "nature's sub-bass". Holding it down on the B Side is some untreated material, with an Ibo Combo cover of Coupe Cloue's evergreen "Mateau" complemented by a "Pile ou Face" from Les Loups Noirs which was a highlight of the Strut compilation Haiti Direct.

Review: Ninos Du Brazil is an enticing prospect. Formed by Italian experimentalists Nicolo Fortuni and Nico Vascellari, the duo fuses live Brazilian percussion with the low-slung pulse of New York post-punk rock and the droning electronics that Hospital Productions is most famous for. The result is a humid, feverish set that gleefully moves between murky intensity ("Sombra Da Lua"), tropical minimalism (the rain forest hypnotism of "Legios Du Cupins"), full-throttle percussive wigouts ("Sepultura") and loose carnival freakery ("Miragem"). For the most part, the electronic elements are subtle, with densely layered percussion and occasional chants taking centre stage. It's a mixture that makes for riveting listening.

Review: Secret Stash dig into the archives of Nigerian funk and present a gem from one of the country's most influential musicians. In the early 1970s, Harry Mosco formed the now legendry funk-rock band, The Funkees. In search of greater opportunity and a wider audience, the group moved to London in 1973. Four years and two albums later they disbanded. Meanwhile, back in Nigeria, prominent businessman GAD Tabansi was interested in getting into the music business, and signing the Funkees was his top priority. He traveled all the way to London to meet with the band only to find out they'd broken up. Tabansi returned home with no record deal. Mosco had already formed a new group called Africanium with drummer/singer Willie Bestman. Later that same year (1977), they recorded an album at TMC Studios in London. It was originally intended for release by EMI, but instead, Mosco licensed the album, titled For You Specially, to Mr. Tabansi for release on his new label. Despite Tabansi's attempts to capitalize on the success of Mosco's previous recordings with The Funkees, For You Specially was released with very little commercial success. Big applause to Secret Stash for this reissue which will hopefully give the album some belated but well deserved praise.

Review: Project Mooncircle continue to dig into the deepest pockets of contemporary electronic music and pull out truly unique delights. But this debut album from Argentinean Barrio Lindo is a whole new level. Even the title (a Mapuche tribe word for virgin water, untouched by man or beast) shimmers with specialness. Fusing the sonic spirit of his motherland's folk with synthesis and sampling, the entire album weaves an otherworldly, ultimately spiritual web that charms you from the off. Perhaps one of the first modern producers to make sense of the panpipe, Barrio's approach, technique and execution commands full attention.

Review: Ray Lugo & The Boogaloo Destroyers' first full length, 2011's Mi Watusi, was a pitch-perfect tribute to Latin boogaloo, a distinctive fusion of dancefloor styles - think soul, funk, rhythm and blues, samba and mambo - which developed around New York's Harlem neighbourhood in the 1960s. This sophomore set delivers much of the same, with producer Lugo and his bandmates paying tribute to the genre in the most authentic of ways. Full of rasping horns, Puerto Rican vocals, Latin-influenced percussion and heavyweight funk rhythms, Que Chevere offers a thrilling and effervescent blast from the past packed with deliciously heavy and life-affirming highlights (check the jaunty "Batongo" and ludicrously percussive "Teremoto").

Review: Ray Lugo & The Boogaloo Destroyers' first full length, 2011's Mi Watusi, was a pitch-perfect tribute to Latin boogaloo, a distinctive fusion of dancefloor styles - think soul, funk, rhythm and blues, samba and mambo - which developed around New York's Harlem neighbourhood in the 1960s. This sophomore set delivers much of the same, with producer Lugo and his bandmates paying tribute to the genre in the most authentic of ways. Full of rasping horns, Puerto Rican vocals, Latin-influenced percussion and heavyweight funk rhythms, Que Chevere offers a thrilling and effervescent blast from the past packed with deliciously heavy and life-affirming highlights (check the jaunty "Batongo" and ludicrously percussive "Teremoto").