Sublime Frequencies US Vinyl & CDs

Review: Tsapiky, a unique style from Southwest Madagascar, captures the exuberant and untamed energy of local ceremonies, performed during rites of passage such as funerals, weddings and circumcisions. Long-lasting gatherings known as mandriampototse combine electric orchestras, raw vocals, and improvisational guitar work; performed on makeshift instruments with patched-up amps, tsapisky creates a hypersound that booms over distances. This compilation delineates the vast variety within tsapiky, expanding out from the urban hotspot of Antananarivo before zooming further out. A product of rural-urban exchange and an evolving, we've hit upon an iron-cast expression of Malagasy culture here, one impervious to erasure.

Review: This remarkable compilation revives the raw, defiant sound of Bourini Records, which was a short-lived but vital Libyan label active from 1968 to 1975. Far from Cairo's polished pop mainstream, these recordings capture a gritty shaabi hybrid sound that emerged from Egypt's more marginalised regions. Featuring 15 mostly Egyptian artists, including standouts like Sheikh Amin Abdel Qader and Abu Abab, this essential collection showcases striking contrasts such as growling vocal theatrics, haunting laments and minimalist instrumentation that come with an outsider energy that found Bourini's artists voicing the struggles and spirit of the everyday. Over 50 years later, this music is still brilliantly urgent and honest.