Afrominimal 2 - It's more than just Nigeria

Here's a second mix of African funk: the mood is somewhat different from the previous mix, and is less Nigeria-centred - Mali, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Ghana are all represented, and Nana Vasconcelos is from Brazil... same deal though - the mood is repetitive, driving and groovy throughout. enjoy.

Nana Vasconcelos – Paleto
King Sunny Ade & His African Beats – Synchro System
The Super Rail Band of the Buffet Hotel de la gare de Bamako - Foliba
The Real Sounds – Ozweli Ngai Mbanda
Assagai – Barazinbar
Orchestra Jazira – Love
Bunny Mack – Love You For Ever
Hugh Masakela – U-Dwi
Manu dibango – Abele Dance

here

North by North West - Re-Up

As requested, the North by Northwest comp has been re-upped.

here

Lovers & Rockers: A Reggae Selection

I'd intended this to be an all-British Lovers Rock, Roots & Dub mix, but for whatever reason it didn't work out like that - a few interlopers crept in. Still, I don't like to be a purist for the sake of it, and the results are pretty fucking classy. And it's still mostly British.

All from original 12s, except where stated. I've given the record label, and the year it was released if it was on the label too!

Janet Kay – Silly Games (Pressure 12” 1984)
Winsome – Home Breaker (Fine Style 12” 1986)
Charmain Burnett – So I Can Love You (Hawkeye 12”)
Cornell Campbell – Talk About My Baby (Third World 12”)
Blood Sisters – Ring My Bell: One Blood Dub (Ballistic 12” 1979)
U-Roy – Trenchtown Rock (from Virgin LP ‘Dread in a Babylon’)
Bob Marley & The Wailers – Natural Mystic (Daddy Kool 12”)
Session in Session – Bad Things (Hawkeye 12” 1981)
Dennis Brown – No More Will I Rome (Time 12”)
Jah Screw – Dance Dub (Time 12”)
Jammy – Jah Love Rockers Dub (from Blood & Fire LP ‘dub gone crazy’)
D-Roy Band – Trenchtown Skank (D-Roy 12” 1978)
Cultural Roots – Mr Boss Man Version (Germain 12”)
U- Brown – River John Mountain (Virgin 12” 1978)
Jah Shaka – Very, Very Good Dub (from Shaka LP ‘Commandments of Dub 5’)
Aswad – Warrior Charge (from Island LP ‘Showcase’ 1981)
Natural Ites – Jah Works Mamma (CSA 12” 1983)

Can't get enough of that Blood Sisters dub. It's about as good as a song can be...

get it here

AfroMinimal

A recent haul of African (mainly Nigerian) funk from oxfam reminded me how groovy a lot of this stuff is: they get a riff going, and then play variations on it for 15 minutes, building a minimal hypnotic groove over the course of the song. I've been listening to this shit non-stop ever since, so thought a short mix was in order... So I present for your listening pleasure, AfroMinimal: funky, percussive & repetitive music from west Africa. I hope you like it.

The tracks are:

1: Gasper Lawal - Abio'sun ni

2: King Sunny Ade - The Message

3: Dele Abiodun - Alalo Moko

4: Dele Abiodun - Alalo Moko (Adawa Super Dub)

5: Tunde Williams & Africa 70 - Mr Big Mouth

6: Joe Mensah - Africa is Home

7: TP Orchestra Poly-Rhythmo De Cotonou Dahomey - Minsato Le, Mi Dayihome

linky

re-up here

nice & easy

I've got a difficult relationship with obscurity when it comes to music: songs I think no-one's ever heard of turn out to be massive anthems, and songs I assume are household staples rarely are. Some of the songs here will be familiar, and some not. probably the other way round than I expected... but they all sound great in the sunshine. yup.

Starts in a psychedelic soul kind of flavour, moves on to (I guess) psychedelic rock/folk, reggae and then some Grace.

tracks are:

1. Jan Hammer - Don't You Know
2. 24 Carat Black - Theme
3. James Last - Inner City Blues
4. Odetta - Hit or Miss
5. Psychic TV - cold steel
6. Menehan Street Band - Make The Road by Walking
7. Scott Walker - The Old Man's Back Again
8. D.R Hooker - Forge Your Own Chains
9. Cinematic Orchestra - All Things
10. Electrelane - The Valleys
11. The Tamlins - Smiling Faces Sometimes
12. Sir Collins - Exodus
13. Susan Cadogan - Nice and Easy
14. Camille Yardborough - Take Yo' Praise
15. Grace Jones - La Vie En Rose

you can find it here