Premiere: Matters - A Beginning

Ever one to tell, never one to show, the truth's not lost on me.

At Land's End (Demo)

Swan Lake

Dorothy Ashby - Swan Lake

Asnakech Worku — Kand Yerega Deg New

LP/CD/Tape/Digital available: https://asnakechworku.bandcamp.com

Asnakech Worku — Baynelay Yidal

New album out now https://smarturl.it/yene_mircha
It's been a long, winding road to Hailu Mergia's sixth decade of musical activity. From a young musician in the 60s starting out in Addis Ababa to the 70s golden age of dance bands to the new hope as an emigre in America to the drier period of the 90s and 2000s when he mainly played keyboard in his taxi while waiting in the airport queue or at home with friends. More recently, with the reissue of his classic works and a re-assessment of his role in Ethiopian music history, Mergia has played to audiences big and small in some of the most cherished venues around the world. With his 2018 critical breakthrough "Lala Belu" Mergia consolidated his legacy, producing the album on his own and connecting with listeners through his vision of modern Ethiopian music. Extensive touring after the record revealed an artist who is in no way stuck in the nostalgia for the “golden age” sound. The press agreed, including the New York Times, BBC and Pitchfork, calling his music “triumphantly in the present” in its Best 200 Albums of the 2010's list. 

Mergia's new album "Yene Mircha" ("My Choice" in Amharic) encapsulates many of the things that make the keyboardist, accordionist and composer-arranger remarkable—elements that have persisted to maintain his vitality all these years, through the ebb and flow of his career. The rock solid trio with whom he has toured the world most recently, DC-based Alemseged Kebede (bass) and Ken Joseph (drums), forms the nucleus around which an expanded band makes a potent response to the contemporary jazz future "Lala Belu" promised. "Yene Mircha" calcifies Mergia's prolific stream of creativity and his philosophy that there is a multitude of Ethiopian musical approaches, not just one sound. 

Enlisting the help of master mesenqo (traditional stringed instrument) player Setegn Atenaw, celebrated vocalist Tsehay Kassa and legendary saxophone player Moges Habte from his 70s outfit Walias Band, Mergia enhances his bright, electric band on this recording with an expanded line up on some songs. Mergia produced the album which features several of his original compositions along with songs by Asnakesh Worku and Teddy Afro. An artist still reinventing his sound every night on stage during his marathon live sets, this 74-year-old icon refuses to make the same album twice. His creative process in the studio—starting with the core band, then after listening extensively over weeks and months adding more sounds and instruments—is as urgent and risky as his concerts can be, pushing the band to the outer limits of group improvisation and back with chord extensions during his exploratory solos. "Yene Mircha" captures this live experience and fosters an expansive view of what else could be in store for this tireless practitioner of Ethiopian music.

Hailu Mergia — Yene Abeba

All vinyl psych rock set for the live stream masses hosted by DJ Raj Mahal.

Video of the Live Stream:

https://vimeo.com/406880187

Keep up on more live streams: https://www.instagram.com/soulstrut/

Track List:

India - The Corporation
Deep Gully - The Outlaw Blues Band
The Desert Is A Circle - Alejandro Jodorowsky and Shades of Joy
Maverick Woman Blues - Moloch
Blues News - Jesse Harper
Git Some - Jeff Cooper And The Stoned Wings
life's o.k - Troyka
Greenburg, Glickstein, Charles, David Smith & Jones - The Cryan' Shames
Cinnamon Girl -  Reflections Of Tyme  
Zero Time - Dark
Reputation - Warren S. Richardson Jr.
G.I. Joe - Salvation
Hogin' Machine - Les Baxter
Let The Sunshine - Dennis Coffey
Cago-9 - Paul Baillargeon / Dean Morgan
NADA DULCE NIÑA - Los Mac´s
Old Man Going - Pretty Things
Dark Side Of The Mushroom - The Chocolate Watch Band

Soul Strut Live - Solitary Selections - Episode 3 - Psych Vinyl (April 11, 2020)

We are delighted to premiere,  "Goyo Tuyero", a brand new song from Venezuelan avant-garde folk outfit, Insólito UniVerso, completed during the recent lockdown.  Officially to be released digitally on July 21st, but available from today as a Bandcamp exclusive, alongside "Jota", via Olindo Records.

On their 2018 Olindo Records debut, “La Candela del Río”, Paris-based quartet Insólito UniVerso took inspiration from a wide range of sources, from psychedelic folk & electronic experimentation, to traditional Latin American music, particularly through the rhythms and instruments of Venezuelan folklore. Mixed by The Heliocentrics’ Malcolm Catto and Fumaça Preta’s Alex Figueira, the album was hailed far and wide, championed by Bandcamp Weekly and shortlisted for Best Group of the year in the 2020 Songline Awards.

“Goyo Tuyero'' is a whirlwind of keyboards, synths and maracas. It transforms keyboardist Edgar Bonilla’s transcription of a phone recording he made many years ago of legendary Venezuelan harpist José Gregorio (Goyo) López playing a fantastic & otherworldly composition of his own at an intimate family gathering. Written in the style of a joropo tuyero rhythm from central Venezuela, Goyo Lopez was drawn to its distinctive character, which differentiates it from the joropo llanero of the plains where he was born and raised. Far from simply replicating the style, López jumps unexpectedly out of harmony, giving the sensation of being thrown into outer space. This exact feeling is emphasized in this version adapted for keyboards by adding synths, whilst Andrés Sequera supplies maracas with an added sting.

Goyo Tuyero / Jota

Goyo Tuyero

Exclusive Premiere: Insólito UniVerso "Goyo Tuyero" (Olindo Records)

MIMS is over the moon to share the unnervingly beautiful sounds of "Self-Acting" by multi-instrumentalist, singer and producer, Dave De Rose. 

"Self-Acting" is taken from De Rose's 9th EP, 'Activate', where we find him uncovering further layers of his deep production and songwriting skills. This time coupling his voice with the lush tones and harmonic orchestrations of rising artist, Jaelee Small (Metronomy, Seb Rochford, Ibibio Sound Machine).

On 'Activate', we find Dave De Rose lyrically pursuing subjects around the active healing and power of meditation, human reliance on material facts, contemplations on self-destruction and an abstract take on the natural course of love. All this playfully coloured by masterful sound craft, original rhythms, and sonic texture amalgamations.

Initial versions of these tracks were composed and produced in an instantaneous, spur of the moment way in the aftermath of the end of a personal relationship which left much space for internal reflection and external contemplation. Conversations with friends, photo, audio exchanges could offset a whole track. 

"Self-Acting" was a combination of all three of these inspirations as a conversation about internal peace and meditation ensued, with friend and collaborator Nefeli Papaioannou. Nefeli messaged Dave her guitar part phone recorded from a beach on the Island of Gavdos (Crete). When prompted for a title she simply replied "Self-Acting". 

Connecting the dots, Dave drew the rest. In addition to Jaelee's vocals the track post-production also features the large and sea-rocking drum kit playing of Jon Scott (Mulatu Astatke, Sons of Kemet). Jon is the first ever drummer to feature playing kit on one of Dave's solo records, since he normally plays all drum parts himself.

An Anglo-Italian multi-instrumentalist, producer, composer, educator & sound engineer based in London, Dave De Rose moved to the UK from Rome in 1996 to study Jazz at Guildhall, graduating with distinction & winning their artist development award, whilst working on both live and recordings. 

De Rose has self-released 17 records on his own label (Dave De Rose Records), whilst having toured  & recorded with artists such as Electric Jalaba, Moloko, Roisin Murphy, Bastille, Mark Ronson & The Business International, Mulatu Astatke, Rokia Traore, Jamie Cullum, Scroobius Pip, Raul Monsalve y los Forajidos, Forest Binary, Vula Viel and Trio Trekke. 

De Rose's recent project, Agile Experiments, has caught the imaginations of musicians and the underground experimental jazz community world-wide. Releasing 7 LPs over three years, the project features leading improv and jazz musicians from London and Athens in particular. 

The 'Activate' EP is released on November 20 on digital and an extremely limited edition of 10" lathe cut vinyl records. Just 25!!  Available to pre-order on Bandcamp now!

Head to the website to see a teaser video for "Self-Acting" taken from handycam footage on Gravdos island in Crete, by Nefeli Papaioannou: https://bit.ly/32gnV5q

Pre-Order

Exclusive Premiere: Dave De Rose "Self-Acting"

A remix commissioned by the absolutely amazing Janice Iche. First one I've made and I'm pretty proud of it.

here's the link to her stuff. Support ya girl! 
https://janiceiche.bandcamp.com/album/maajabu-ya-musa-ep

I also did the cover art :)

Janice Iche - Maajabu Ya Musa (Nabalayo Retouch)

Analog Dakar Club for Radio Alhara 12 12 2020

Zé Manel & 2M G-B - Barabde
Americo Brito - Sintado Na Pracinha
Armindo Pires - Sapa Corda
Muangolé - Cumbia Pé di Cabra
Bonga - Pio-Pio
Super Mama Djombo - Pamparira 79
Agrupamento Da Ilha - Bô gosa so txi
Sangazuza - Sun Malé
Super Negro Bantous - Life Responsibility
4 Supers Etoiles - Enfant Bamileké
Boy Ge Mendes - Grito de Bo Fidje
Akedengue - Considérable

Radio Alhara

Analog Dakar Club - Alhara Radio Mix - 12.12.20

Awesome Tapes From Africa is here for you.

Asnakech Worku — Kand Yerega Deg New

Awesome Tapes From Africa

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