Grafonola

HAILU MERGIA - Yegojam Marnesh / Yegle Nesh (Awesome Tapes From Africa) Very Limited bonus 7” (100 copies only). Comes in a plain white paper sleeve. 2 Extra tracks from first new album in 15 years. Original compositions. Features diverse facets of Mergia’s performances. This bonus 7” of extra tracks are a sonic complement to Hailu Mergia’s new album. Where the album scales angular heights between modern jazz and Ethiopian harmonies, these two tracks explore the heavier side of Mergia’s trio work with drummer Tony Buck and Bassist Mike Majkowski. The band has toured the world together over the last few years following Mergia’s reissuing some of his classic recordings via Awesome Tapes From Africa.

BOBBY BOYD - Love Goddess (Athens Of The North) Athens Of The North have worked with some OGs and veterans in their time but Bobby Boyd is by far one of the biggest and influential. Cutting his teeth in the Lafayette Afro Rock Band before going solo, he recorded a whole host of material that remained unreleased. Until now. "Love Goddess" kicks off the collection with a northern soul stomp, big harmonies backed by a tight, slippery funk groove while "Good News" is golden era Boyd funk with its bright horn work, positive sentiment and driving soul energy. This is an amazing piece of investigatory work by Fryer and co. And there's more, too... Love Goddess / Bad News by Bobby Boyd

VARIOUS - Onda De Amor: Synthesized Brazilian Hits That Never Were 1984-94 (Soundway) Some crate-digging compilations are often the result of someone hand-picking their choice favourites from another country’s musical history, perhaps unaware or uninvolved with its cultural lineage in the process. On Soundway’s latest release - a treasure trove of synth jams, pop, samba boogie, Balearic and electro from 1980 & 90s Brazil - the tracks are picked by Millos Kaiser, one half of the Brazilian duo Selvagem, who is at the helm of throwing some of the country's best dance parties. It’s a rare compilation that offers Brazilian music actually picked by a Brazilian.  This collection of sixteen tracks doesn’t comprise tracks scoured from deeply in-demand records, the rare sort that sell for eye-watering sums and that collectors spend years tracking down.  This collection of sixteen tracks doesn’t comprise tracks scoured from deeply in-demand records, the rare sort that sell fo...

VARIOUS - Napoli Segreta Vol 1: Hidden Gems From The Bowels Of Versuvius ( Early Sounds Italy ) First volume of Napoli Segreta, a meticulous selection of the rarest and most sought after compositions of the 70's and 80's Napolitan disco and funk scene." Recommended!

KAMASI WASHINGTON - Heaven & Earth ( Young Turks ) There's a growing feeling both inside and outside jazz that Kamasi Washington could well turn out to be one of the style's all-time greats. He's certainly making all the right moves, delivering thought-provoking concept albums of eyebrow-raising length that simply refuse to settle on one sound, rhythm, style or sub-genre. Heaven & Earth, his first album for almost three years, continues this trend, comprising angry instrumental answers to America's growing issues with class division and racism, Rotary Connection style workouts, Sun Ra-esque spiritual workouts, funk and soul-influenced burners, spiraling choral and orchestral affairs, and electric fusions of rubbery synth-funk and mind-altering jazz-blues. Typically, the results are never less than sublime, with Washington's virtuoso saxophone playing taking centre stage throughout. 

THE SCORPIOS - Mashena (Afro7) Hot in the slipstream of last year's self-titled debut album comes two brand new adventures from the London-based Sudan-exiled troupe. Both cuts recorded in Abbey Road Studios, both led and characterised by singer Regia Ishag's breath taking vocals; "Mashena" packs a vibrant punch with triumphant horns and insistent, urgent vocal repetition while "Samha" is a much deeper blues piece where Regia's Sudanese vocals take on a rhythmic pattern of their own over a dreamy, star-gazing setting.

VARIOUS - Ethiopiques Box 7" Vol 2 ( Record Store Day 2018) (Heavenly Sweetness) Following the success of the first volume which sold out in 2017 , Heavenly Sweetness decided with Francis Falceto to give a follow up - in the form of this box set of Ethiopian singles. It's a tribute of sorts to the music producer Ali Tango, who produced most of these EPs across 6 X 7". Falceto plunged into his impressive collection of records and there are great names of the golden age of Ethiopian music such as Mahmoud Ahmed, Alemayehu Eshete, Ali Mohamed Birra, alongside less known artists to be rediscovered such as Muluquen Melesse, Alayew Mesfin and Seyoum Gebreyes. Including original artwork and labels, plus a poster and six stickers of all the covers. Limited edition, 2000 copies. ETHIOPIQUES BOX 7" VOLUME 2 by Various Artists