Sacred Rhythm US Vinyl & CDs

Review:  Straight from Joe Claussell and crew, Bolla's 'Afrikan Basement' is a release from Sacred Rhythms Soil series; fitting, as this feverishly stripped-down exercise in rhythm assassination couldn't be more suited for the job. Dope afro-latin percussion meets funky wah-wah guitar loops and builds along with an almost psychotic singular note that hums sinisterly throughout, inching a little higher until the record eventually peaks to its crescendo and explodes into a massive wall of stripped-down drums that will have any party's collective ass shaking. While it does capture the essence of the afro-cosmic aesthetic, it nevertheless maintains a steady dose of funk throughout.

Review: Joe Clausell began this project in 2005 and still it keeps giving. An evocative fusion of afrofunk and disco inspiration, most of us assumed his decade's work had culminated last year with the album Makussa. We were wrong; this year he's delivered a series of heavily requested extensions, this beautiful slice of string-surged disco being the most recent. The extra two minutes are exactly what the DJ needs for a much roomier groove that allows the salubrious elements to really strut; the shimmering guitar, the strident strings, the insatiable afro-infused drums. Just when we thought the original couldn't be topped... We were wrong. Again!

Review: Tribal, physical, psychedelic: Joe Claussell's Bolla project is one of his finest creative accomplishments for many fans, and his album Afrikan Basement: Makussa is the gift that keeps on giving. Having previously leaked limited 12"s, Joe's label Sacred Rhythm does it again with another super-limited, one-sided press. Hooky, insistent and far-out for the full 10 minutes, this is shaman material right here. Do not sleep.

Review: Bolla's Afrikan Basement debuted with a warm welcome in 2008 as a limited 7" and is one of the many essential projects Joe Clasusell has been involved with over the years. Now it gets revisited on this tasty 7". The a-side is a special edit of "Makkusa", a steamy, spiritual, deeply layered and emotional house track that is lead by a standout sax line. Joaquin's Sacred Rhythm dub is just that on the flip-side, a punchy rework with groaning vocals and a tribal feel, marching drums and plenty of the steam and sweat that makes his music so unique and powerful.

Review: Joaquin "Joe" Clausell has been using the Bolla alias to deliver authentic blends of indigenous African music and winding deep house since 2005, though it was only earlier this year that he released the project's debut album. This 12" boasts extended, club-friendly versions of tracks from that full-length, the impressive Makussa. There's much to enjoy, from the toughened-up Afro-disco revivalism of "Disco Afri Co Co (Extended Version)", and intense, deep space drum workout "A Means of Communication (Freaky Dub)", to the trumpet-laden Afro-house niceness of "Wandolo Feat Bonga (Freaky Dub Extended)". There's also a fine trip into downtempo pastures in the shape of "Ninaitwa (Called By The Drum)".

Review: Last year, Joe Clausell delivered the first album from the Afro-centric Bolla project he begun way back in 2005, following it up with an essential 12" of extended, dancefloor-friendly revisions. Here, he delivers a follow-up EP along similar lines. There's naturally much to admire, starting with Clausell's own "Personal Boiler Room version" of the jaunty, saxophone-laden "Makusa". He takes a trip to the farthest reaches of the galaxy on "Basement Seance", whose sparse African rhythms and delay-laden vocals work magnificently with the track's decidedly spaced-out synths. "Downward Staircase" is a breezier, jazz-flecked Afro-house jam blessed with luscious Latin piano solos, while the Sacred Rhythm version of "Sangre" is a highly charged, uptempo romp through percussion-heavy, Afrobeat-influenced territory.

Review: Claussell returns to his African trove LP from 2015 Makussa and gives one of its many highlights "Walondo" two more fresh chapters on this limited 45". Still as powerful, spiritual and uplifting, it now comes with a Vokal version where the golden harmonies purr through the mix to sit right centre pew while his Sacred Rhythm stamp can be found coded into the euphoric drive and relentless dancefloor uplift on the B. Beautiful.