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: San Francisco-based musician Doug Hream Blunt is something of a cult icon, despite releasing surprisingly little recorded music. His one and only album release, 2000's Gentle Persuasion, inspired the likes of Dam-Funk, Ariel Pink and Luaka Bop founder David Byrne. Here, the latter attempts to raise Blunt's profile with a deserved retrospective. The San Fran man's trademark style is loose and lo-fi, offering colourful and entertaining blends of off-kilter funk, soul, and '60s psychedelia, with twittering flute lines, tumbling guitar solos and attractive synthesizer wig-outs complimenting his hazy vocals. This results in a near endless stream of highlights, from the bongo-laden sweetness of "Trek", and George Benson guitar solos of "Caribbean Queen", to the crunchy freak-funk of "Big Top".

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: Released on David Byrne's Luaka Bop label, a haven for rare gems from around the world comes Milwaukee-based funk phenomenons Kings Go Forth. The brainchild of rare funk DJ Andy Noble, these guys have come a long way very quickly - their first ever gig was supporting the ultra-tight Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings in front of 700 people!



Though similar in many ways to the Dap's winning revival of retro-funk and soul, what sets the Kings' apart is having three male singers upfront and harmonising beautifully just like the Four Tops and the Temptations before them. You're The One for example is drenched in harmonies during the choruses, while the gritty live sound of the bass and drums is captured perfectly. In fact you'd have to have a sharp ear to realise that this is not some unearthed treasure from 1971, similar to Dj Shadow's re-releases of vintage Texan funk band Mickey and the Soul Generation. The vibe on songs like Get A Feeling is not only perfectly authentic, it's also made for dancing and throwing funky shapes to! Now We're Gone and I Don't Love You No More are fast and energetic to the core, propelled by some fantastic fatback drums. There are some delightful slow tunes too which make great use of the three-part harmonies such as High On Your Love, a doo-wop ballad like you've never heard before, and the anthemic and R&B flavoured Fight With Love.



To make this an even more essential debut, disco production god and inventor of the remix Tom Moulton gets his hands on Don't Take My Heart - an epic Philly soul belter with Moulton's requisite mid-song extended breakdown present and correct of course! Whether you're a hardcore crate-digger or just a fan of sweet soul music, there's so much to get out of this fine debut it would be criminal to give it a miss.

Review: Milwaukee soulboys Kings Go Forth formed in 2007, and recorded The Outsiders Are Back three years later as an implicit paean to the increasing outsider status of soul music over the years. As might be expected for a band working in a style whose subculture was out of fashion - not least in Milwaukee - the "outsider" status was surely earned. Lead members Andy Noble and Black Wolf handled its songwriting and composition; inspired by classic soul and funk sounds of the 60s and 70s, the ten-tracker flaunts a ten-piece band to match, with horns, percussion, and vocal harmonies playing out in an unmistakably buzzing fever-pitch.

Review: After the success of their Who Is William Onyeabor compilation last year, Luaka Bop have curated two ultimate collections that explore every nook and cranny of the near-mythical Nigerian dynamo who self-released eight albums between 78-85 before quitting music never to discuss his work publically again. Cherry picking the best elements of every genre (even ones of the future) Onyeabor's songwriting, coupled with some deliciously creative production techniques, still sound timeless now... The cosmic harmonies of "Heaven & Hell", the twitchy ESG-style punk-funk fusion of "Good Name", the calypso croons of "Crashes In Love", the list goes on. A true celebration of a unique man in African music, both this and Box Set 1 are fascinating documents.

Review: The hive of activity at Luaka Bop themed around the work of elusive Nigerian synth-funk pioneer William Onyeabor doesn't look like slowing down any time soon with the first of two comprehensive vinyl box sets arriving. First brought to wider attention on last year's hugely popular compilation Who Is William Onyeabor?, Luaka Bop's ongoing efforts have to be applauded here as five of the LPs the Nigerian artist self-released between 1977 and 1985 are remastered and made available officially for the first time. Onyeabor's debut LP Crashes In Love is present in it's originally mixed stereo form and along with four other albums, Luaka Bop make space for an additional 7", two booklets and MP3 download codes for all the music.

Review: Just in time for Christmas comes this deluxe celebration of the career of Nigerian mystery man William Onyeabor. Intetest in the born-again Christian's output has been high since the release of last year's superb Who Is William Onyearbor? compilation and documentary. This simply titled nine-CD box set gathers together material from his nine album releases (eight studio albums, plus an alternate version of 1977 debut Crashes In Love), telling the story of his unusual career in full. An accompanying booklet fleshes out the story further, while retaining the mystique that's long accompanied his exotic, Moog-heavy take on African pop and dance music. For those with a passion for African music, it should be an essential purchase.

Review: Now a high chief and Kenyan diplomat, Onyeabor was once one of Africa's most forward-thinking popular music contributors. Released in 1983, toward the end of his eight album discography, the two extended cuts on Good Name reflect the emergence of electronic music and how it influenced African pop culture. With conscious lyrics about value and soul, both tracks capture one of the most exciting times in recent musical history. Truly unique.

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: 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: 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.