Review: "A.I.E" is arguably one of the most famous tracks by French Guinean band "La Compagnie Creole". While the 1987 original version was a typically joyous chunk of tropical, synth-heavy zouk, it's the lesser-known Larry Levan remixes - commissioned and released by Island Records America in 1988 - that are being reissued here. Levan's bustling "LL Club Mix" can be found on the A-side. It's a cheery affair, with the band's jangling guitars, strong vocals and bubbly synths being joined by elongated organ chords and snappy, club-ready machine drums. Arguably even better is Levan's chant-a-long flipside dub, which naturally gives more prominence to delay-laden drums, a killer zouk bassline and the sustained organ chords.
Jonathan Jr - "Hangin' On To You" (12" version) (5:33)
Isabelle Mayereau - "Orange Bleue" (2:27)
Oro - "Sasa" (3:42)
Fernando Toussaint - "Recuerdos Del Abuelo" (3:04)
Todd Mcclenathan - "High From Our Love" (5:08)
Mario Acquaviva - "Notturno Italiano" (4:22)
Special Occasion - "Flyin' To Santa Barbara" (12" version) (6:36)
Parenthese - "Come Back" (4:03)
Russ Long - "Never Was Love" (4:35)
Pacific Dreams - "Mellow Out" (4:19)
Miller Miller Miller & Sloan - "Key To My Heart" (2:39)
Scott Cunningham - "Blues Take You Over" (3:31)
Review: On his fourth exploration of the world of global "Adult Oriented Rock", French crate-digger Charles Maurice focuses on the period between 1977 and '86. That means a greater emphasis on synthesizers, dusty drum machines and the kind of sparkling melodies that would once have drifted from daytime radio at an alarming rate. There's much to enjoy throughout, from the dewy-eyed synth-soul of Arlana's "When You Call My Name" and the breezy boogie of Omega Sunrise's "Too Hip", to the sparse Balearic bliss of Isabelle Mayereau's "Orange Bleue", the flute-laden easy listening hum of Fernando Toussaint, the sax-happy '80s sleaze of Special Occasion's brilliant "Flyin' To Santa Barbara" and the jaunty Latino jazz-funk of "Mellow Out" by Pacific Dreams.
Stephen Colebrooke - "Stay Away From Music" (4:28)
Andre Marie Tala - "Sweet Dole" (4:32)
Tyna Onwudiwe - "Lite Low" (4:04)
Rebles - "Sweetest Taboo" (Soca version) (3:26)
Ricardo Marrero & The Group - "And We'll Make Love" (2:31)
Koko Ateba - "Si T'es Mal Dans Ta Peau" (4:03)
Sookie - "Tonight" (feat Jeannine Otis) (4:58)
Raphael Toine - "Femmes Pays Douces" (5:40)
Eboni Band - "Desire" (5:09)
Robert J Riggins - "I Need You Now" (4:06)
Salero - "Teardrops & Wine" (3:07)
Momo Joseph - "War For Ground" (4:13)
Claude Genteuil - "Dreams Of Love" (3:00)
Gatot Soedarto - "Sayangilah Daku Kasih" (1:46)
Synchro Rhythmic Eclectic Language - "Pasto" (5:51)
Review: Since the Beach Diggin' compilation series launched a few years back, a number of its obscure, Balearic-minded selections have been given full length reissues of their own. We can probably expect a number of the tracks from this brilliant fifth volume to get the same treatment. As usual, the wide-ranging track list is thick with highlights, from the synth-heavy, French language reggae of Raphael Toine's 1986 bubbler "Femmes Pays Douces" (taken from the artist's frustratingly hard to find Ce Ta Ou album) and vibraphone-laden jazz-funk smoothness of Yasuko Agwa's sought-after "L.A Night", to the barely-known brilliance of Andre Maria Tole's Cameroonian gem "Sweet Dole". In other words, it's another essential selection.
Evasion 85 - "Van La Ka Vante" (Omar Mendez TD Fix) (3:55)
Bessoso - "Para Decir Que Te Quiero" (4:45)
Goma-Laca - "Do Pila" (feat Karina Buhr) (4:38)
Equipe Radio Cidade - "Bon Tempos" (2:34)
Voilaaa - "Spies Are Watching Me" (4:56)
Blyk Tchutchi Loy Dtchutchi - "Mandamento De Deus" (3:43)
Gordon Henderson - "The Highest Bidder" (3:21)
Simon Jurad - "Macadam" (3:35)
Mubashira Mataali Group - "Emaali Ya Bamulekwa Orphans Property" (2:42)
Eko Roosevelt Louis - "Tondoho Mba" (4:41)
Slim Young - "Otan Hunu" (4:48)
Jacinta Sanches & Pedro Ramos - "Vizinha Ka Bale" (3:13)
Andre Marceline - "Candencedisco" (4:17)
Misumami First Touch - "Prove Your Love" (4:01)
Alma Luma - "Princesa Isabel" (3:36)
Review: While he's been offering up some sizzling solo albums of late, French DJ/producer GUTS is still arguably better known as the seasoned selector behind the excellent "Beach Diggin'" compilations. Here he offers up another compilation, this time showcasing tried-and-tested tracks that have been rocking his DJ sets for the last few years. Mostly focused around club-friendly global sounds past and present, the 17-track selection is full of little known killers, overlooked dancefloor workouts and forgotten gems. Highlights come thick and fast throughout, from the horn-sporting boogie-zouk bounce of Evasion 85's "Van La Ka Vante" and the cheeky "Rappers Delight" re-write "Bon Tempos" by Equipe Radio Cidade, to the sparkling Afro-disco heat of Eko Roosevelt Louis' "Tondoho Mba" and the righteous Afro-Brazilian drum workout that is Alma Luma's "Princesa Isabel".
Faut Pas Dire Des Choses Comme Ca (feat Pat Kalla) (4:38)
LYMYE-A (feat David Walters, Pat Kalla & Lass) (5:25)
Manu Ecoute Ca (feat Pat Kalla) (4:33)
Ku La Foon (feat Lass) (4:15)
Francois, Va Te Laver (feat Pat Kalla) (3:59)
Tenor Jam For Manu (feat Boris Pokora) (3:37)
Review: Favorite Recordings presents Voiciii, the third album by Voilaaa - the nom de plume of Bruno 'Patchworks' Hovart. It features guest vocalists such as Pat Kalla and Lass who he has worked with previously, but also new ones such as David Walters, Rama Traore and Ayuune Suule. There's also the addition of saxophonist Boris Pokora. The LP is a tribute to major artists of influential African sounds, such as Fela Kuti and Manu Dibango: from the empowering groove of 'Women Can Do', the late night boogie-down antics with a message on 'Water Get No Enemy' to the spiritual life music of LYMYE-A' - a delightful album from start to finish.
Groove Ma Poule (feat Djeuhdjoah & Lieutenant Nicholson) (3:54)
Daddy Sweet (feat Pat Kalla) (6:18)
Li Dous Konsa (5:59)
Kenk Corner (3:50)
Sa Ce Kado (6:25)
Shake It & Rise Up (4:05)
Nosso Carimbo E Do Mundo (feat Pinduca & Nazar Peirera) (3:53)
Matadou (3:36)
Se Nou Menm (4:06)
Boug Bagay La (4:23)
Penda (feat Emma Lamadji & Kandy Guira) (3:48)
Review: Under the Guts guise, instrumental hip-hop beat-maker turned tropical soul enthusiast Fabrice Franck Henri has become one of Heavenly Sweetness' most reliable artists. "Philantropiques" is Henri's first album for three years and could well be his most expansive and adventurous to date. The set's 14 tracks are as colourful and musically rich as you'd expect, with the storied producer and a range of vocal collaborators conjuring up tracks that draw influence from a myriad of Central American, Caribbean, South American and African styles. The results are uniformly excellent, with highlights including the tropical shuffle of "Mucagiami (feat Vum Vum)", the sun-kissed French Caribbean funk of "Daddy Sweet (feat Pat Kalla)", the Afro-Tropical rush of "Kenk Corner" and the synth-powered brilliance of "Shake It & Rise Up".
Review: In a move towards soulful French electro-funk from the duo that brought us 'Caipirnha', comes the latest new single from DjeuhDjoah & Lieutenant Nicholson. The two producers here bring together a vast cast of musicians playing everything from Moog to claviers, culminating in a texturally rich afro-soul single that urges us to "hold our horses" ('Pas Si Vite') in these troubling times.
Breakfast In Space (Charles Maurice dub version) (4:10)
Review: Should you be hankering after some suitably positive music right now - and let's face it, most of us are - then we'd recommend checking out this fine four-tracker from French jazz-funk combo Aldorande. There are two original cuts to choose from: the languid, laid-back and undeniably sunny breeziness of "Summer Body" - all female scat vocals, bustling jazz-funk bass, sweet pianos, two-step beats and boogie synths - and the bolder, more electronic fizz of "Breakfast In Space", which reminded us a little of vintage weather report. Charles Maurice delivers instrumental Dub versions of both, naturally beefing up the basslines and adding a little extra percussive pressure.
Review: The follow up to 'Sun Circles' is here: 'Jour De Fete' (French for "day of celebration") is a sweltering slab of festive inner city disco of the highest order. Flip the record for a mighty, extended dub by cult hero Conrad McDonnell of Idjut Boys fame. 'Nuff said.
Marco Attali - "J'ai Pris Une Claque" (unreleased) (3:24)
Serge Delisle - "Germaine" (remix) (6:28)
Wai Kop - "Lola" (3:51)
Chris O'Hara - "Sur Les Coussins De La Discotheque" (5:27)
Acayouman - "Funk Around" (6:21)
Djeneba - "Better Day" (Hard Soul mix) (5:28)
David Simon - "Transistor" (instrumental) (5:14)
Marco Attali - "La Releve Du Matin" (instrumental) (4:27)
Shen Et Les Shendys - "Je Ne Suis Que Musique" (3:50)
Eric Chotteau - "Affirmatif-Negatif" (4:20)
Cyrill - "Night Ghetto" (2:57)
Aries - "Braziliana" (3:54)
Review: As he has done three times before, Gallic crate digger Charles Maurice has dipped into his vast record collection and offered up a killer selection of French disco-boogie sounds. The 13 assembled tracks are mostly obscure and uniformly superb, making picking individual highlights an infuriatingly tricky task. Our favourites change daily, but we're currently enjoying the tropical disco brilliance of Dwight Druick's cover of "Georgy Peorgy (Disco Version)", the synth-sporting electrofunk cheeriness of Serge Delisle's "Germaine (Remix)", the thrusting P-funk hustle of Acayouman's "Funk Around" and the near Balearic warmth of "Braziliana" by Aries. As the old expression (sort of) goes, Maurice has once again delivered all killer and no filler.
Review: A warm welcome back to Bruno Hovart's Voilaaa project, traditionally a revivalist Afro-disco vehicle best known for 2015 dancefloor smash 'Spies Are Watching Me'. 'Fache', featuring Pat Kalla, explores similar sonic territory, with punchy Afrobeat horns, woozy chords and crunchy clavinet licks rising above a low-slung, hypnotic, dub disco-meets-Afro-boogie groove. It comes accompanied by a fine, effects-laden instrumental dub and a trio of similarly tasty bonus cuts: the warming, early garage-house and deep house influenced 'Trouble Travel' (featuring Jai-Nah), the languid, soulful and Latin-influenced 'Too Young To Die (featuring Olivia)' and the Afro-speckled disco-goes-jazz-funk loveliness of 'Trop Jeune Pour Sa'.
Bachir Baba - "Dounia" (Babach Flagerman mix) (8:54)
Muharaqa (7:25)
Chouia (4:37)
Review: The intriguingly named Humus Per Tutti label has made us wait well over two years for a seance EP after the tantalising first volume of this self-titled series. It comes from a section of artists who are all editing some worldly source material. First off is a Jean Kefta edit that locks you in a guitar loop while intoxicating vocals up top bring the charm. The Babach Flangerman mix of the A1 is another loopy disco cut with a Middle Eastern flavour and the comes Jean Kefta & Max Houmous's snake charming and psychedelic disco groover 'Muharaqa'.
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Review: Heavenly Sweetness has always dealt in music for the soul that is drawn from the worlds of funk, soul and jazz. This new collection of such tunes is another testament to that with a heavily international and world bent. Oodles of Latin, hip hop and Afro vibes pervade the tunes by Guts aka Fabrice Franck Henri alongside a whole host of collaborators. He's a super prolific talent who has put out some ten albums in just over a decade and Estrellas is one of his best. It comes on six sides of delicious wax and takes you on a trip to sunny climates from Cuba to Brazil.
Review: Ayizan's lone album, 'Dilijans' originally came in 1984. Since then, it has been seen as something of a slept-on, hard-to-find classic. Musically it joined the dots between "compas" (a style popular in Dominica and the Antilles) with folk, jazz, funk and soul. This is the latest reissue and a great chance to cop a record that is the epitome of breezy, soulful, sun-kissed tropical goodness. Top tunes range from the chant-along, carnival-ready flex of the title track and marimba-fired, beat-free brilliance of 'Tem'.
Review: Favourite step up with a 7" of two distinct halves, digging some niche funk cuts up from hidden corners. Leading up on the A side is Paul Fathy with 'Funky Baby Love', which was originally the flip to his 1982 single Je N'Speak Que L'Amour. The track is a pristine slice of disco funk in the Shalamar tradition which can't fail to get a floor filled up good and proper. That track is backed up with 'Karukera C'est Comme ca', a sunkissed slice of zouk goodness from Guadeloupe in 1988 by Corail' - the kind of thing you could imagine Palms Trax rinsing out during a feel-good day time session somewhere on the Adriatic coast.
Review: Favourite Records' new reissues series come with a new concept; each classic track comes with an exclusive bit of artwork on each side of the 12" sleeve. This time, they compile two speedy funk tracks from Crystal and J.E.K.Y.S.; 'Funky Biguine' is an homage to the French ballroom style of the same name, from which it draws influence, while 'Looking For You' is a devotional dream from J.E.K.Y.S., a French band singing in English. Slick, quick, and affecting stuff.
Petit Palace (feat Sages Comme Des Sauvages) (4:07)
Si Rogre (feat Piers Faccini) (3:56)
Le Pied Dans La Tombe (5:22)
Legers (2:31)
Si La Pluie Te Mouille (2:56)
Review: Recorded between France and the volcanic island of La Reunion , beaten by the air of the Indian Ocean, the album, in the words as in the notes, transforms the French song into Creole succulence. On the spot, it is surrounded by musical figures of the island that the duet offered itself of the tasty subtlilities of the sega and the mayola. The notes of accordion of Rene Lacaille, the father of Oriane, the voice of Danyel Waro.
Prof Jah Pinpin 4tet - "The Final Bird (Le Temps D'une Vie)" (3:18)
Review: There is scant little information out there about Yoanson & Karamie. What we do know is that they were young artists from the French African diaspora who met with Nessim Saroussi and his label Ness Music in the late 80s and were encouraged to record the music presented here. It is their only official EP and it is a brilliant mix of Afro-tropical percussions, disco, electro and vocals that call to mind the likes of Arthur Russell. Philippe de Lacroix-Herpin is the man festered here as Prof Jah Pinpin and he brings some of his signature saxophone brilliance to flipside jaunt 'The Final Bird (Le Temps D'une Vie)'.
Review: Musician, painter, sculptor and ceramist Henri Guedon was known affectionately as the grandfather of modern music from the French Antilles. His standout album angst more than a dozen was 1975's Karma. An OG copy is hard to find and pricey when you do, so thankfully Outre National Records have secured the rights to this limited edition and remastered reissue. It is an impossibly lively fusion of soul, funk and world, jazz-rock and reggae, Afro-Cuban rhythms and indigenous African sounds like beguine and gwo ka. Guedon's vocals ride over all the many bristling drum and instrumental tracks to make for a real carnival sound.
Review: Black Devil Disco Club brings its unique sense of style this this special pink vinyl LP which arrives in seriously limited quantities. These are psyched-out takes on disco with a rugged edge but plenty of thinking arps such as on the opener 'Corps Magnifique' with its French spoken words adding an air of romance. 'Corps Magnifique' pairs haggling metal synths with rugged beats and 'Etincelles' then has rugged bass and acidic leads bring menace to the party. The flipside features three more curious and left-of-centre takes on disco.
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: Guts dropped the superb album Estrellas back in late 2022. It was recorded during the pandemic and is a treasure trove of distinctive Afro-Cuban musical traditions, highly percussive sounds, brass-based rhythms and simmering melodies. Heavenly has now put together a mix of special remixes for this limited edition 12". First up 'Por Que Ou Ka Fe Sa' (Poirier remix) is a delightfully airy and light-footed rhythm with gorgeous guitar melodies. The David Walters remix) makes more of the vocal chants and chunky funky drums. 'San Lazaro' (Bosq remix) cuts loose with some summary brass and carefree drums and 'Medewui' (Captain Planet remix) is a shuffling percussive closer.
Review: Okinawa-based, France-born guitarist Paul Mahoux's excellent new EP Lysergie Villageoise marks the fourth release on Nummer's Natural Selections label. It finds him delving deeper into fourth-world music realms and intricately weaving together tracks that encapsulate all of his experimental ideas over the last three decades. 30 years of experimentation. Over the course of the quartet of tunes, Mahoux blends traditional and modern techniques and distils his signature blend of jazz, folk, ambient, and house into something all new that seems both proto and avant-garde. It is rich in emotion, deploying involving to listen to, and a work that transcends the usual genre boundaries.
Review: The fledgling Olindo label keeps on turning heads with this fresh new EP from Paris-based Venezuelans, Insolito UniVerso. Across two cuts the outfit hones in on their signature psychedelic folk sound some five years after the quartet served up their 'La Candela Del Rio' album also on this label. Their deep, multi-layered and richly musical style has evolved well since then with subtle new influences from outside the usual sphere evident when you listen closely. This is another potent pair of tracks for worldly dancefloors and cultured music lovers.
Review: Malik Adouane is a singer who emerged as part of the so-called rai scene but after finding great success decided to evolve his sound and come up with a concept he called "after rai" which mixed up the traditional sounds of Arabic melodies with his own fresh and future-facing visions that you might consider to be 'Arabeat'. The album lays bare his musical vision and includes a highlight in the form of his superb cover of Isaac Hayes' 'Shaft' which cannot fail to get you dancing. This great fusion of Middle Eastern sounds with modern electronic beats is a beguiling one that will get you up and moving in no time.
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