Wonderwheel US Vinyl & CDs

Review: Chancha Via Circuito, AKA Argentine producer Pedro Canale, has a reputation for doing things differently. This often manifests itself in eccentric but thrillingly forward-thinking productions that join the dots between traditional South American rhythms and instrumentation, dub, hip-hop and contemporary bass music. On his latest full-length adventure - his first for nearly three years - Canale pushes the envelope further, serving up a mixture of breezy, sun-kissed takes on traditional Colombian tropes, dusty, bass-heavy hip-hop instrumentals, mind-altering South American electronica, hazy ambient interludes and life-affirming tropical pop. The result is a joyful and vibrant set that could be the producer's strongest work to date.

Review: Argentine electro-cumbia innovator Chancha Via Circuito (Pedro Canale) has a truly strong sense of give and take. His debut movements saw to Bienaventuranza (2018), a critically acclaimed album deep-setting his role in a gauzy downtempo reshape of the global music idiom. A full remix EP of the record followed, spewing forth fresh interpretations by echelonic music masters, including Euro-techno titan Nicola Cruz on 'Alegria', and Spanish producer Baiuca. Now, finally, comes the third in a three-step movement of remixes, this time hearing Chancha Via Circuito himself offer his own remixing hand to several of said very same artists, the works of El Buho, Nickodemus, and Lagartijeando also in tow. Deep, earthy tunes, full of natural oud harmonics blended with chanting, understated downbeats.

Review: &Chakib is the debut album from Swiss Producer, DJ, and live-act Dominik Traub, also known as Dandara. Infusing influences from Africa, Asia, and Latin America with European techno and house, Dominik's signature sound shines through. The album's inception came after a fateful encounter with Algerian vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Chakib Bouzidi at a festival in Basel. Despite Chakib's untimely passing, Dominik continued the project, honouring his memory by completing the work. Infused with Chakib's voice notes and collaborative recordings, the album serves as a heartfelt tribute and through resilient collaboration and creative influence it emerges as a fine collection of globally influenced dance music.

Review: Earthtones land on Wonderwheel here with their first full-length album. The title encapsulates a message of unity and hope for humanity and aims to emphasise our interconnectedness and the universal bond of love. Rooted in Folkloric Futurism, Earthtones merges global folk traditions with modern technology inspired by pioneers like Mr. Fingers and Kevin Saunderson. Analog synthesisers, vintage drum machines, and folk vocals create a truly unique sound that celebrates the past and the future, spirituality, feminism, and peace. Highlights include '??sanyin' featuring Maikel Alberto Salazar and 'La Mujer Serpiente' with Lido Pimienta.

Review: El Buho's fifth studio album may be his most personal yet. Strata draws from Robin's attempts to grapple with the tension of experiencing happiness, joy and gratitude in our daily lives with loved ones or through sharing music, while the world falls apart around us. This dynamic of trying to live in the moment and enjoy the privileged life we have, yet in the back of your mind there is an overwhelming sense of dread that the world will never be the same and, as climate change really starts to hit home, there are incredibly difficult times ahead. It is about our attempts to find a place of peace, balance and fulfillment between these powerful strata above and below us.

Review: UK producer and remix wizard Robin Perkins aka El Buho has collected together a land more of his works for this second volume of his Tributaries remix series. It shows there evolution of his style across the selections as he serves up his unique reinterpretations of traditional music in his own electronic-organic style. Along the way, he tackles Galician, Estonian, Colombian, Irish, Garifuna, Reunionnaise and French folk music, with the result ranging from club-ready bangers to more pensive and slow psychedelic jams.

Review: Brooklyn-born, New Orleans-based multi-instrumentalist Gitkin delivers a rich fusion of global sounds on Golden Age, his latest ten-track album. Known for his guitar-driven style, Gitkin blends the rhythms of cumbia, North African, and Middle Eastern music, creating a sonic journey that feels both expansive and deeply rooted. As the frontman of The Pimps of Joytime, a staple in the festival circuit, his influence on the soul-funk scene is undeniable. From Bonnaroo to Electric Forest, Gitkin has built a reputation for electrifying live performances. Beyond his own projects, he's produced for artists like Corey Henry, Bernard Purdie and Cedric Burnside, whose Benton County Relic earned a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Blues Album. With Golden Age, Gitkin further explores the intersections of global music traditions, weaving his soulful guitar into a captivating tapestry that speaks to his wide-ranging influences.

Review: Mati Zundel aka. Lagartijeando has been releasing cumbia-esque, Andean influenced dance music since 2010, though it's only in more recent years that the artist has rerouted his craft to LPs, of which this latest record is the fourth. With "camino" translating from Spanish to mean "path" or "way" - the word often carries a spiritual meaning - Zundel here aims to emphasise the many sprouting, vicissitudinous paths down which life may thrust us, despite the ever-present illusion of choice. After moving to Chula, Mexico, the artist drew inspiration from the landscapes and cultures of the northern tip of Latin America, reflecting local intrigues and mountainous mysteries. Armed with regional instruments, such as Andean winds and charango, Lagartijeando produces such danceable dazzlements as 'Cholula' and 'Que Lindo Sale La Luna', which stand out as the most heated songs here, their stylistic range offering a sense of the many choices that remain open to us.

Review: Lagartijeando is a key figure in the alt-Latin electronic scene alongside the likes of Nicola Cruz and Chancha Via Circuito. He makes an essential return here with 7 Caminos, a fourth career long player with Wonderwheel. Recorded between Cholula, Mexico and Tarapoto in Peru, it transports you in double quick time to the South American jungle and Mexican Altiplano volcanoes. Sunny melodies take flight over shuffling rhythms, dubby basslines unfurl like flowers at dawn and intimate vocal whispers bring a human touch to the rhythms. A gorgeous soundtrack to a perfect afternoon of escapism.

Review: American DJ and producer Nickodemus commands an eclectic and global sound, mixing EDM with organic instrumentation and vocals through a cross-cultural musical lens. Coming to his very own Wonderwheel Recordings, Soul & Science is a befitting name thanks to the seeming fusion of electronically-programmed dance beats and regional organics, but this is also one of those albums that could also potentially shatter the hard border between the two connotations. Vocal contributors and instrumentalists from Sudan (Alsarah), Cameroon (Pat Kalla), the Caribbean (Hector "Tempo" Alomar) and Cuba (Quantic) make for a floor-shakingly diverse and humanist appreciation of the collective dance-spirit.

Review: This is the first pressing of Nickodemus' classic Sun People on translucent yellow vinyl and it comes from Wonderwheel. Originally released in 2009 by Thievery Corporation's Eighteenth Street Lounge label, the album features tracks inspired by Nickodemus' global travels and the people he met on the way. Known for his NYC summer soundtrack with Turntables On The Hudson and 20 years of worldwide tours, Nickodemus crafted songs for sun lovers and optimists here and as such listening toit leaves ou with a warming glow. Collaborators from Guinea, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Romania, India, Turkey, the UK and NYC contribute to this vibrant album and make it a truly cultural affair with hits like 'N'dini,' 'Sun Children,' and 'The Love Feeling' all sounding great.

Review: Thornato's Bennu album was first released in 2021 and proved a quick hit. Wonderwheel now reissues it on limited translucent blue vinyl which is as mesmerising as the fusion of global rhythms and electronic beats contained within. From the infectious opening and worldly grooves of 'Bennu' to the darker vocals and heavier drums of 'Rhinoceros', each track showcases Thornato's mastery of blending traditional instrumentation with modern production techniques. Standout cuts like 'Shu Swamp' seamlessly weave together influences from around the world with claps, xylophones, chanting vocals and shuffling rhythms that exude vibrant energy. A truly global blend of bass and beats this album will bring plenty of warmth into your life.