Heavenly Sweetness France 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: It was France's l'Arome Productions that had first reissued this spectacular selection of Ethiopian soul and funk back in 2009 but, since then, this particular compilation has turned into something of a cult-classic within the digging world, and it has been repressed by Heavenly Sweetness on three different occasions. None of this is in the least bit surprising given just how special the sounds on here truly are, and if you're a fan of Mulatu then this will hit the spot big time! Moreover, tunes by the likes of Samuel Belay, Mahmoud Ahmed - who has appeared on Mississippi's reissue schedule - and Girma Beyene go much further than the usual dosage of far-out funk, leading us to a tense, dimly lit scenario that is both hypnotic and totally different from anything else. Highly recommended, a timeless slice of history.

Review: Since emerging on Blue Note almost 10 years ago Sly Johnson's one-man-band loopery, fiery soul and hip-hop sentimentality has gone from strength to strength. Sitting somewhere between Amp Fiddler, D'Angelo and Jamie Lidell, Mic Buddah is a late night trip around the finest soul moments of the last 40 years. "Nasty Girl" smacks of "Controversy"-era Prince, "Wet" is a smouldering, groaning slice of timeless R&B, "Good Morning" is a beautiful gospel construction laded with deep tenor loops while "Womenarium" fuses a Wonder-style jazziness with modern hip-hop. These highlights are just to start with... This is a hugely accomplished album.