International Recommendations June 2016

Review: They say great things come in pairs, and this is certainly true for these two new Sofrito bombs. However, unlike its companion, SSS016 is more of a boogie monster, and Gordon Henderson's "The Highest Bidder" is a tune that is just so easily hummed thanks to its inimitable vocal, while "Hard World" is more of a stone-cold floor-filler with its fast-paced groove and gritty electronic feel. Both unmissable, both total killers. No surprises here - Sofrito doing what the label does best.

Review: Disco-edged Afro funk by way of Milan, M'Bamina - comprising members from Congo, Benin and Cameroon - enjoyed a 12 year run from the early '70s to the mid-'80s, working with and supporting some of the biggest names possible from James Brown to Manu Dibango. Experimental is their second album (1978) and shows them really finding their groove and some incredibly tight musicianship. Prime examples of their unique funk melting pot include the sudden switches between epic Afro horn blasts and lolloping disco bassline of "Mosi Zole", the glistening universal folk-soul of "Mambu" and the frenetic guitars on the sweaty party blazer "Mamy". All of which still hits hard almost 40 years since it was first recorded.

Review: The Sofrito label rarely, if ever, get is wrong, doesn't it? Once again, the London label bursts through the dance with two utterly steaming Haitian destroyers from Dominica's no.1, and these two cuts are bound to satisfy just about anyone into GOOD music. "Las Mal Parle" is a swinging, instantly hummable rhythm that you can safely leave on repeat for hours at a time, while "Jam Jam" is more of a Latino groove for the big ball dance - another stunner and a perfect companion to the beast that is the A-side. Another solid, timeless record from Sofrito.

Review: We've noticed that it's always a special surprise from France's Versatile, and more so in the last few years since the label has truly began to diversify into countless genres, themes, and acoustic selections. This time we have a more worldly release from Gilb'R and the rest of the crew, one which sees the label boss team up with Abu Sayah and King Ghazi for "Houran", an Eastern meditative swarmer with a deeply mystical air running through its pipes. The dance aspect comes through the remixes: Gilb'R himself adds a bundle of drums and sequenced bass to the Middle-Eastern acoustics of "Shamaleh", Versatile veteran I:Cube spins "Houran" into a brooding techno slitherer, while SEX TAGS kingpin DJ SO-PHAT reinterprets the same tune under a much stringer dose of opiates. The uncredited dub version adds extra juice to an already sublime release. So very much recommended!

Review: There's a beautiful story behind this project... US artist Chief Boima found videos of blind Sierra Leon musician Sorie on YouTube. A successful remix and an even more fortuitous Kickstarter campaign later and Sorie finds himself on a US tour and in the studio making a body of work with Boima that Strut are about to release. It starts right here with the low end pulsations and trembling marimba and heartfelt vocals of "Belle Wahallah" and the softer, slower, steadier early morning cries of "Yeanoh". Complete with remixes from Boddhi Satva and Hagan, this is a stunning package.

Review: LA veteran in London, multi-instrumentalist and all-round legend Claudio Passavanti delivers two blisteringly fresh originals. Loaded with Latin charm, instant sunshine soul and honey-coated vocals of Josue Ferreira, both cuts are exquisitely timed for the summer... "Nacao" is a Brazilian funk with broad nylon string flurries beneath Josue's sentimental command. "Taj Mahal", meanwhile, flips the switch for a full-on carnival anthem with lavish timpani strikes and a vocal chant that echoes with musical memories we didn't know we had. Stunning.

Review: You can rest assured that Now Again will always provide the heat. The absolute heat. They've done it again with this second instalment of Wake Up You!, another magnetic compilation of Nigeria's best music from the tripped-out 70s days. As it turns out, it ain't ALL about Fela Kuti - although we love the man, so please don't take this as any criticism of that God's work. It is, however, refreshing to hear new and mysterious talent from the heart of the Afrobeat movement and, more specifically, to hear such a diverse range of styles within the genre. "Shower Of Stone" by War-Head Constriction, for instance, sits somewhere between Jimi Hendrix and the Sex Pistols, a curious blend of styles that we're always on the lookout for. There is just some much quality gear in here, and it is certainly considered one of those releases that you can easily put on from start to finish without EVER skipping a tune. Pure fire.

Review: Leon Michels and Danny Akalepse only set up Big Crown Records this year, but it's been off to a veritable flyer with a slew of cross-format releases that canvas the constellations of soul, funk and international flavours. The latest act to be anointed with the Big Crown are Okonkolo, a band led by Abraham Rodriguez whose soulful voice is the perfect foil for the bata drums and voices soaring through the horns and guitars of Jacob Plasses's production. The musical prayers that make up Okonkolo's debut EP Rezos (Prayers) are some of the most complex and beautiful that any classical tradition has produced. They are also some of the oldest, addressing Obatala, the creator of the world, Ochun, the goddess of love and beauty, and Chango, God of the drum. The beauty and otherworldliness of these prayers endures, the rhythms and chants reimagined in a way that is somehow both ancient and new.