Luaka Bop Vinyl & CDs

Review: The magnificent Luaka Bop label has been showcasing the work of Alhaji Waziri Oshomah - a master of Afro sounds and rhythms that cut deep - for a while now across several albums and compilations. He hails from Edo State in southern Nigeria and is known for holding sermons of the religious as well as musical sort. After various volumes of work and the superb World Spirituality Classics 3: The Muslim Highlife Of Alhaji Waziri Oshomah record comes this new series of gems that show off his unique take on international rhythms across four long, ever evolving and always engaging grooves.

Review: As it is often best done in soul, contemporary band Annie & The Caldwells are a family affair, channelling the depths of heartache and euphoria through danceable Mississippi-born bombasts. Lead vocalist Annie Caldwell leads the band alongside her husband of 50 years Willie Joe Caldwell, and is backed by children Deborah, Anjessica, Toni, Willie Jr. and Abel. Juggling hard work with harder musical playing, Can't Lose My Soul takes aim at modern day soul greatness, documenting quotidian struggles and everyday joys in song, and centring their concept on their locality of Main Street, West Point, Mississippi, where the family have run various businesses for decades. With a record this rooted in community, who better to rep the Southern soul set than the Caldwells?

Review: If you know Blunt's story then you'll already know how genuinely cool, exciting and creative he is. If you don't, look it up - he didn't even start learning to playing music until his mid-30s and he regularly touted his lo-fi, wonky community-spirited fuzzy funk by busking and performing at old people's homes. A big influence on Luka Bop founder David Byrne, Dean Blunt, Dam Funk and many more, this is the first time his work has been available since his highly sought after self-released album Gentle Persuasion. Scuffed, scratched and strangely mixed down, his status as an 'outsider funk' spokesman makes complete sense when heard in all his glory. Genuinely unique.

Review: Over the years, Sam Shepheard's work as Floating Points has become increasingly ambitious, moving further away from his dancefloor roots and closer to spiritual jazz, new age and neo-classical. Even so, it was still a surprise when Shepheard announced Promises, a 46-minute piece in 10 "movements" featuring the London Symphony Orchestra and legendary saxophonist Pharoah Sanders. It's an undeniably remarkable piece all told; a constantly evolving fusion of neo-classical ambience, spiritual jazz and starry, synthesizer-laden soundscapes notable not only for Sanders' sublime sax-playing and Shepheard's memorable melodic themes, but also the intricate, detailed nature of the musical arrangements. It's a stunningly beautiful and life-affirming piece all told, and one that deserves your full attention.

Review: RECOMMENDED
Last October, acclaimed saxophonist Pharoah Sanders turned 80 years young, and his input on this album is testimony to the fact he has clearly aged like a fine wine. Not that this is to suggest preceding outings were anything less worthy than this collaborative project, which sees Sam Shepherd, the British electronic artist better known to most as Floating Points, write nine spectacular arrangements which are then performed by said brass legend, alongside The London Symphony Orchestra.

The results are spectacular, and wildly far-reaching, albeit firmly rooted in jazz with classical undertones. From the movements that made this final cut, some are whisper quiet and delicate to the point of risking breaking off if you were handling haphazardly. Others are booming loud, musical jumbo jets landing at the end of another great crescendo. Whether hushed or monumental, though, we can feel every note and bar of this masterpiece.

Review: Following 2012's fourth volume that celebrated the existential work of Tim Maia, here we find Luaka Bop exploring the legacy of William Onyeabor. A high chief and Kenyan diplomat who allegedly refuses to discuss his music, he self-released eight albums in the 70s and 80s and these are some of the many highlights. Stretching from the New York-influenced post-punk synth funk of "Good Name" to the most authentic Afro fusion of "Why Go To War", Onyeabor's range not only reflects his clear creative skill, but also the ever-developing international language of music during the fruitful period he was active. Who is William Onyeabor? Press play and find out yourselves...

Review: A lesson in how to follow up an incredible album: Tomorrow followed Onyeabor's incendiary Atomic Bomb immaculately. The title track instantly set the scene with more emphasis on electronic elements and studio techniques as William sermonises without pomp. "Why Go To War" is as insistent as its message thanks to a dense lolloping groove of highlife guitars and spiralling keys. "Fantastic Man", meanwhile, takes a leaf out of Parliament's playbook, rolls it up and smokes its own and "Try & Try" closes the show with country subtlety thanks to its slide guitars and blushing keys.

Review: Nigerian funk musician and all round scene mover and shaker William Onyeabor's legacy gets another layer of depth with this tenth anniversary edition. While 'Beautiful Baby' remains rooted in a gentle groove, 'Better Change Your Mind' picks up momentum, as the bassline holds an unyielding sway over the track. 'Atomic Bomb' remains the heart of the releaseia seismic mix of hypnotic synths and undulating bass, the track's mechanical precision and depth still sounding ahead of its time. 'Shame' slows the pace with a more introspective, almost eerie atmosphere, as Onyeabor's hypnotic vocals trace a sense of regret, building into a subtle intensity. The final track, 'I Need You All Life,' intensifies the mood, urgency mounting until the track reaches a fever pitch. It's a tight, diverse collection that highlights Onyeabor's ability to span both the experimental and the deeply human, flowing smoothly from exuberance to contemplation.

Review: In the field of spiritual jazz, there are few albums as seminal as Pharoah. Originally released in 1977 and serving as a landmark for the genre as well as Pharoah Sanders himself, it remains a towering work of understated beauty, using negative space and patient pauses as potent as the notes played. Sanders sadly passed on to the next realm in 2022 amidst a wave of renewed appreciation for his work, and Luaka Bop have taken on the task of reissuing this otherworldly classic in fine style. As well as the original album, a second record features two previously unreleased live versions of 'Harvest Time', and the package comes with a 24-page booklet featuring a wealth of additional material to round out the experience of one of the all-time greatest jazz albums.

Review: The Browns is the family behind the Luaka Bop label's latest soul offering from the Staples Jr. Singers. It's a collective that has been going now for some four generations and they still play regularly totters, but not often these songs. Here, on three originals from the band, Annie, Edward, and R.C., are joined by their children, R.C.'s grandson Jaylin on drums, Edward's son Troy providing vocals, Annie's husband Willie on guitar, and their son Willie on bass. These tunes first appeared in 1975 on the band's only album and are now revisited for the first time. It makes for a truly gorgeous collection of soul sounds.

Review: David Byrne's label Luaka Bop Records is back with another carefully and thoughtfully dug out reissue. This one looks back to a little known gospel album from the 1970s that was recorded when members of the band were just in their early teens. When Do We Get Paid by the Staples Jr. Singers - who are no relation to Mavis and Co - from din 1971 and were a family band. They played local talent shows and grew their reputation with tours across the Bible Belt. This is their one and only record and they sold it from their front lawn after its one and only original pressing. The members all had successful solo careers but this record takes some beating.

Review: The Staples Jr. Singers' album Searching is a remarkable return, blending time-honored gospel soul with a fresh perspective. The Browns—a family of ten from Aberdeen, Mississippi—recorded this album in a single-room church over two evenings, capturing a raw, authentic sound seldom heard today. Originally started in the 1980s but never finished, Searching connects past and present with its timeless music. Highlights include 'Lost In a World of Sin,' where Edward Brown and his son Troy sing about the power of faith, bridging generations with their heartfelt performance. The production, led by Ahmed Gallab (aka Sinkane), captures the intimate, live energy of the family singing together in real-time. The Staples Jr. Singers, known for their rare 1975 album When Do We Get Paid, have seen a resurgence with its reissue in 2022, earning critical acclaim. Now in their 60s, Edward, Annie, and R.C. Brown are joined by the younger generation, ensuring their musical legacy endures. Searching is a great example to the passage of time, resilience, and the enduring power of music. For a group to reform, record and again and even tour like The Staples singers are is truly a great story in music and shows how the music industry can work in a different and ideal way.

Review: Back in 2005, the Luaka Bop and Stones Throw labels jointly issued World Psychedelic Classics 3: Love's A Real Thing - The Funky Fuzzy Sounds Of West Africa with the former releasing the CD edition and the latter a double LP version. As the elongated title suggests, the third edition of Luaka Bop's World Psychedelic Classic series swung the focus to West African music from the seventies and really opened people up to the psychedelic sounds of Manu Dibango, William Onyeabor, Gasper Lawal and a whole other host of artists from West Africa. Luaka Bop have evidently secured the rights for a vinyl reissue of the compilation, and anyone who indulged in their popular fifth volume focused on William Onyeabor will relish the opportunity to pick this up again.

Review: David Bryne's superlative Luaka Bop label is back with a second volume of its Beleza Tropica compilation that aims to shine a light on its African roots. The sound, in a nutshell and like so many genres, started with slaves looking to lighten the mood of their hard labour. The Brazillian take on it has always been more relaxed and evolved in Bahia and Rio de Janeiro. This new collection takes in plenty of the most well-known names from Gilberto Gil to Chico Science & Nacao Zumbi, Moleque De Rua to Os Paralamas Do Sucesso.