Analog Africa Germany Vinyl & CDs

Review: During the 1960s and '70s, there were few greater exponents of "Forro" - a North-Eastern Brazilian style with some similarities to traditional styles of Colombian dance music - than Camarao. The talented accordionist, composer and band-leader recorded a string of fine albums between 1964 and '74, and it's tracks from these that make up The Imaginary Soundtrack to a Brazilian Western Movie, Analog Africa's fine retrospective of the Camarao's work. Musically, it's a blast - a real melting pot of jaunty, grab-a-partner styles and sounds, rich in memorable horn lines, dazzling solos and fast-past accordion motifs - while the accompanying 12-page, LP-sized booklet tells the Accordionist's story in impressive detail.

Review: Ernesto Djedje is rightly known as the king of Ziglibithy and has been since not long after he first made his mark back in the 60s. He started out as a guitar player and leader of Ivoiro Star, before eventually going it alone and moving to Paris. He later returned to his native Cote d'Ivoire in 1974 and created his own musical mix of funk, soul, Makossa and disco before dying in odd circumstances in 1983. This Roi Du Ziglibithy, LP was first released in 1997 and now gets reissued on Analog Africa. One of his best-known works, it's a perfect example of his unique fusion sound.

Review: No Food Without Taste If By Hunger is the 20th compilation in Analog Africa's Limited Dance Edition series and it also happens to be a mega-rare classic from the world of Edo funk. The Good Samaritans from Benin City, Nigeria released a very small run of the original in 1982. It is an infectious album of hypnotic basslines layered up with trance-like grooves trippy psychedelic guitars that make for an utterly unique kind of funk music. Newly mastered, pressed to 180g vinyl with a silk screen printed cover, and limited to just 2000 copies, this is a rare chance to own such a landmark album.

Review: Hallelujah Chicken Band are said to be the band that modernised Zimbabwean music, in turn revolutionising the music industry in their country. The collective first formed when a young trumpet player, Daram Karanga, offered to put together some musicians to entertain workers at a local copper mine. The collective's reputation soon grew even as the line-up continued to change and now this heavyweight reissue Take One pulls together all of their biggest hits. There are also some rare cuts recorded between 1974 and 1979 including, and all have been remastered from original tapes and vinyl sources for the first time since the 1970s.

Review: According to the extensive and enlightening accompanying liner notes, few groups did more to modernize Zimbabwean music during the 1970s than the Hallelujah Chicken Run Band. Take One, the first international compilation of the band's work, does a good job in showcasing their then revolutionary approach. Musically, they eschewed the then popular sounds of Afro-rock, cha-cha-cha and Congolese rumba in favour of a vibrant, electrified take on indigenous Zimbabwean music complete with politically charged lyrics delivered in the local Shona language. It's basically what would become known as Chimurenga, and as Take One makes clear, nobody did it better. A genuinely essential musical history lesson that entertains from start to finish.

Review: This is a new record of unearthed delights by Leon Keita, a longtime singer and multi-instrumentalist from Mali. On the eponymous 'Leon Keita', we hear Malian music fused with sensibilities from Sudan-Guinea and Burkina Faso, with modern pop and electronic influences, impeccably played in a smattering of crisp guitars, love-sung lyrics and laboured rhythms. All laid to a fresh pressing, the A-side hears three rather relaxed beauties, while the B moves into more idealistic and hedonic directions, not least the conclusive 'Dakan Sate, Korotoumi'. Brought back to our attention by Analog Africa, 'Leon Keita' serves yet another top serving and reminder of Mandingue culture, the influence of which stretches across the world; 'Dalaka' was a recent hit, making it as far as the Colombian coast.

Review: Following our 70s Peruvian cumbia compilation by Ranil last year, we decided to return to Latin America to highlight the work of one of Peru's undisputed masters of the electric guitar: Manzanita. This 13th release in our Limited Dance Edition Series includes 14 mostly instrumental compositions of electrifying Peruvian cumbia and guaracha. Manzanita's unique guitar lines rest on confident foundations that shifts gears effortlessly.

Review: Analog Africa is back with another of its eye-opening and mind-altering trips into musical wonderment here as the 20+ year-old label digs deep into the Andean city of Quito. It's the Ecuadorian capital and home to the music which makes up this vital collection and which owes so much to Polibio Mayorga. He spent much of his musical career trying to - and succeeding in - modernise the ancient rhythms of his region, namely Huaynito, Sanjuanito and Albazo. He did so with cutting-edge - at the time - electronic equipment and a trusty Moog and the result of his effort was that he is now regarded as a pioneer of tropical psychedelia. Dig in deep to hear how that happened across these superb 16 sounds.

Review: Initially discovered by the label via cassette tapes picked up in Jo'burg's Kohinoor store back in 1995, The Movers feature on the 35th in Germany's Analog Africa's series of band spotlights. As its title suggests, this captures the band's work across the lion's share of the 70s, and tracks like 'Hot Coffee' and '2nd Avenue' are irresistibly, instantly groovy, but also a fascinating sonic crossroads where African jit music meets the funk and soul of the US and the funkier end of the guitar music coming out of the UK and Europe at the same time. All executed In the most natural, free flowing, as well, which makes this package even harder to resist.

Review: Even by the consistently high standards of Analog Africa, this release is something special. It consists entirely of previously unheard music by Orchestre Abass, an obscure outfit from Togo who released a handful of singles on Polydor Ghana in the early 1970s. Remarkably, all bar one of the tracks on "De Bassari Togo" were found on a long forgotten reel of tape that had sat on a shelf in a Ghanaian warehouse for the best part of 35 years. That was ten years ago; it's taken that long to track down the remaining members of the band and license the material. In truth, the tracks have aged exceptionally well, with the band's infectious, organ-led sound adding distinct Arabic influences (a result of the band members' time spent studying in Islamic schools) to their heavy funk rhythms and riotous Afro-funk vibes.

Review: Benin-based West African funk fusionists Orchestre Poly-Rhythmo de Cottonou have enjoyed a long career; amazingly, they're still recording now, some 43 years after forming. This excellent retrospective from Analog Africa takes a closer look at their "glory years" between 1969 and '80, putting more flesh on the bones with a superb 44-page booklet featuring interviews with band members. Their style - a riotous, Hammond-heavy mix if funk, high life, Afrobeat, juju, jazz and Rhumba - is distinctive. What makes the compilation more essential, though, is the unashamed quality of the tracks; you'll find few deeper, sunnier Afro tracks than the brilliant "Min We Tun So".

Review: Analog Africa has got their sights firmly set on Peru right now as they drop two vital new records on the same day. This one is the second volume of Sonic Expedition into the Peruvian Amazon with a specific focus on the years 1972 to 1986 across four sides of vinyl. It is a thrilling collection of high-energy Cumbia that indulges plenty of guitar-driven instrumentals that take you deep into the heart of the jungle. From the trilling acoustic riffs of Sonido Verde De Moyobamba's 'La Cervecita' to Los Invasores De Progreso's more slow and sun-kissed 'La Bola Buche,' this is a glorious listen.

Review: A unique political story told in 20 chapters, Angola 2 Soundtrack delves deep into the nine year history of recorded music culture that was born out of the live music oppression set in place by Portuguese rule. Between three labels over 800 recordings were released during this fertile period, each one reflecting Angolan folk and distinctive Latin influences. And these are 20 of the most creative highlights. From the frenetic guitar rhythms and harmonic chants of "Mabele" to the psychedelic highlife shimmers of "Avante Juventude" via the insistent, street-bound sermon of "Snipes", this collection is entrenched in a rich musical history. Complete with well researched booklet and powerful imagery, it's an immaculate lesson in modern music history.

Review: Sonido Verde De Moyobamba feature on the second volume of Analog Africa's Sonic Expedition into the Peruvian Amazon, as well as being behind this brilliant new collection which drops on the same day from the same label. It is a coming together of eight super-rare cuts of guitar and organ inventiveness taken from the five albums the band recorded between 1981 and 1987 for Discos Universal. You would beard pushed to find any Cumbia from the Peruvian jungle that hits as hard as this with its incessant rhythms, mad acoustic guitars and bustling percussion.

Review: Cuba-meets-Cameroon-via-Guinea-and-Senegal, the roots of this African-adopted Cuban sound are as rich, unique and exciting as Amara Toure's tale itself. After years of club performing in Dakar, Amara and his Black & White Ensemble in the late '60s and proceeded to release 10 songs during the '70s. Here, for the first time ever, all of these recordings are united on this immaculately presented collection. From the cobble-kicking percussive Cuban heels and emphatic harmonies of "Fatou" to the deep yearning crooning blues of "N'ga Digne M'be" and the spacey, out-of-this-world guitars and jazzy trumpet lead of "N'Niyo", there's something very special and unique about this collection. With a heart that beats in Africa but a soul that shines with Cuban fire, as Analogue Africa state themselves... It's only taken 10 songs for Amara to become a legend. Very few artists can claim this feat.

Review: Just when you think that the well of obscure music from around the world has run dry, 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".

Review: We are extremely proud to announce our 32nd compilation from the Analog Africa regular serie, "Cameroon Garage Funk", highlighting Yaounde's 1970's underground music scene. The quest to assemble the puzzle-pieces of what seemed to be a long lost underground scene took us to Camroon, Benin and further on to Togo and it was in the cities of Cotonou, Lome? and Sotouboua that we managed to lay our hands on most of the songs presented in this compilation. Since there were no local labels, no producers, and almost nothing in way of infrastructure in Cameroon at that time, the artists had to be everything: musician, producer, executive producer, arranger, financier, promoter and sometimes even distributor. The sixteen tracks on Cameroon Garage Funk pulse with raw inspiration and sweat DYI mood uniting the featured diverse musicians around their willingness to do everything themselves in order to take a chance in the music scene.

Review: We are very happy to announce our 30th compilation from the Analog Africa regular serie, 'La Locura de Machuca 1975 - 1980', telling the story of Colombia's most atypical and peculiar record company: Discos Machuca. The seventeen tracks sound like little else recorded before or since. They exist outside of time or place, as vividly unhinged in 2020 as they were on the day they were first released. You have to hear it to believe it.

Review: Analog Africa's latest must-have release focuses on the little-known musical culture of the Para state on Northern Brazil, and specifically the port city of Belem. Since the 1960s the city's musicians have been serving up unique and exciting new styles that draw as much on West African, Cuban and Caribbean music as they do the rhythms and instrumentation of the Amazonian tribes based nearby. It's these kinds of unique and exuberant fusions - think heavy bass, bouncy ska-style rhythms, punchy Afro-Cuban horns, densely layered drums, celebratory vocals and tropical guitars - that make "Jambu E Os Miticos Sons Da Amazonia" such an essential listen. Context is provided via the included 44-page booklet, whose extensive liner notes track the development of Para's unique musical culture.

Review: Analog Africa's latest must-have release focuses on the little-known musical culture of the Para state on Northern Brazil, and specifically the port city of Belem. Since the 1960s the city's musicians have been serving up unique and exciting new styles that draw as much on West African, Cuban and Caribbean music as they do the rhythms and instrumentation of the Amazonian tribes based nearby. It's these kinds of unique and exuberant fusions - think heavy bass, bouncy ska-style rhythms, punchy Afro-Cuban horns, densely layered drums, celebratory vocals and tropical guitars - that make "Jambu E Os Miticos Sons Da Amazonia" such an essential listen. Context is provided via the included 24-page booklet, whose extensive liner notes track the development of Para's unique musical culture.

Review: A very special release, available for the first time internationally... Here Analog Africa explores the pollination of rural Brazilian music made by Amazon natives and the influence of escaped African slaves. Composed by Mestre Cupijo and recorded between 1975 and 1982, each track blasts and wheezes its own unique narrative. From the frenetic rhumba of "Tubarao Branco" to the spiralling horns and rich chants of "Siria Quente" via sad croons and concrete guitar strums of "Passarinho Siriri" there's a vibrant fusion of elements that will resonate with fans of music from both sides of the Atlantic.

Review: Analog Africa belongs alongside the likes of Awesome Tapes From Africa and Light In The Attic in the annals of great modern day afro rock/beat reissue labels. The imprint has consistently delivered some monumental releases, all of them giving the listener a detailed insight into a particular scene or cultural corner of time. We're pretty sure that many people out there had no idea that there was a 'cosmic' sound in Cabo Verde in the 1977-1985 period, but there you go, you've learned something new. This is all dancefloor fire, and along with a gorgeous fanzine booklet, you have fifteen ridiculously forward-thinking and rare-as-hell electronic funk bombs from Africa. Fill your mind with the underrated genius of people like Antonio Sanches, Jose Casimiro, Bana, and the rest of this amazing crew or like-minded futurists. Release of the week!

Review: Analogue Africa's 33rd compilation from their regular series, "Essiebons Special 1973 - 1983 // Ghana Music Power House", celebrating legendary producer Dick Essilfie-Bondzie's many achievements within Ghanaian music, which coincides with Analog Africa's 15th Anniversary.

Review: After 12 years in the making one can only imagine how excited (and impatient) we are to finally announce the release of "Saturno 2000", the 34th compilation in our Analog Africa's regular serie. For this particular project we've delved deep into the scene of the Mexican's sonideros (sound-system operators) to present the "Rebajada" movement they've created using locally made pitch controls, speakers and sound effects.

Review: This is the sort of album that we record nerds always fall for. The title alone is exciting - who wouldn't want to take a Sonic Expedition into the Peruvian Amazon between 1972-1986? It is a classy collection that brings together vintage cumbia sounds and all its many famously lopsided rhythms and scratch sounds. The tunes come from all over the place but most notably the shores of the Amazon where hundreds of tiny villages all fomented their own subtly different takes on the tried and tested template. This is a rather modern take on cambia too with electric guitars, squeaky Farfisa organs and proto-synths all making the sounds instead of early styles with a big band feel and plenty of accordions.

Review: In 1976, seven Cabo Verdean musicians going by the name Voz Di Sanicolau gathered in a small recording studio in Rotterdam where they laid down an album of fearsome coladeira songs inspired by the music of their home island of Sao Nicolau.

The album took only a few days to record, which may explain the unexpected urgency that fires each track. Treble-soaked electric guitar lines snake back and forth through percussion-and-cavaquinho driven rhythms rooted in the sound of the islands established by the previous generation of Cabo Verdean emigres; subtle keyboards wash through the background, and the vocals, traded between Joana Do Rosario and To-Ze, alternately push the music forward and soar above it. The resulting album is both deeply felt and fiercely executed, and in its grooves one hears the sound of some of the finest Cabo Verdean musicians of their era locked in complete unity of purpose.

It should have been the beginning of something extraordinary; but the pressures of making ends meet forced the musicians back to their day jobs, and Voz Di Sanicolau vanished as quickly as they had appeared, leaving their lone album, Fundo de Mare Palinha, as sole proof of their existence. Forty-four years later the album sounds as fresh as it did the day it was recorded. It is unknown if dutch sound engineer Frans Rolland, who oversaw the recordings, knew he was helping to make history: during these sessions, Joana Do Rosario, whose majestic vocals were crucial to the sound of Voz Di Sanicolau, became the first Cabo Verdean woman ever to appear on a long playing record.