RA New Tracks: August 2019

Monday Night Jazz @ Bushnell Park. Hartford, CT
8/12/13
Photo by Joe Chandler

Blue Nile, by Alice Coltrane. Live @ Bushnell Park

"Tche Belew" out now!
Boomkat: http://bit.ly/1u1OrFE
Rush Hour: http://bit.ly/1qYPxC5
Picadilly: http://bit.ly/1s4WPI8
Juno: http://bit.ly/Xc2RrZ

EUROPE TOUR DATES
08.05. DE Berlin XJAZZ Festival
25.05. NL Nijmegen Musicmeeting
26.05. NL Rotterdam Pantropical @ Worm
27.05. NL Amsterdam Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ
28.05. FR Paris Instants Chavires
29.05. CH Düdingen Bad Bonn Kilbi
30.05. AT Wels Alter Schlachthof
01.06. CZ Praha Jazzdock
03.06. CH Luzern Südpol
05.06. HR Šibenik Deboto
06.06. UK London Field Day

 Sofia Jernberg & Hailu Mergia (Awesome Tapes From Africa, Oslo / Washington)
https://sofiajernbergsingercomposer.bandpage.com/
https://www.facebook.com/HailuMergiaOfficial

14.05. DE Eberswalde Jazz in E.
15.05. SE Stockholm Rönnels Antikvariat
16.05. SE Uddevalla Bohusläns Museum (afternoon show) Kontoret (evening show)

The acclaimed and highly sought-after LP by Hailu Mergia and
the Walias, Tche Belew, an album of instrumentals released in
1977, is perhaps the most seminal recording released in the
aftermath of the 1974 revolution. The story of the Walias band is
a critical chapter in Ethiopian popular music, taking place during
a period of music industry flux and political complexity in the
country. 
Hailu Mergia, a keyboardist and arranger diligently working the
nightclub scene in Addis Ababa, formed the Walias in the early
1970’s with a core group of musicians assembled from prior
working bands. They played Mergia’s funk- and soul-informed
tunes, while cutting 45rpm singles with various vocalists.
While the Walias performed at top hotels and played the
presidential palace twice, their relationship with the Derg regime
was complex, evidenced by the removal of one song from the
record by government censors.
Decades later, Hailu Mergia was surprised to see the album
fetching more than $4,000 at online auctions (it helped that the
most popular of all Ethiopian tunes “Musicawi Silt” appeared on
the record). Now everyone has the chance to listen again—or
for the first time—to this timeless pillar of Ethiopian popular
music.

Pre-order

Hailu Mergia and the Walias — Eti Gual Blenai

Out Now! http://bit.ly/1PYEm7M; iTunes http://apple.co/1JceTlK

From the album "Songs of Paapieye"—Out Now on Awesome Tapes From Africa.

Guun—This is the last song played at a funeral, after all the others have been done. It is meant to get all the dancers on their feet and into a dancing mood. The focus is on women and how they run around the gyil players and off into the surrounding area. It is the hottest, most intense part for the performance, where the player is expressing himself as a xylophonist. Guun is rapid-fire music, and it signals the end of the performance for that particular player. Other players will come and perform as well, from the beginning. And the more people dance, the more the deceased will rest happily.


SK Kakraba — Gunn

From the 'Extraordinary Renditions' compilation. 

Produced & performed by Gwilym Gold.

smarturl.it/DEEK-ExRenditions
smarturl.it/DEEK-ExRenditions-iT
smarturl.it/DEEK-ExRenditions-BC

Gwilym Gold - The Root (D'Angelo cover)

TERANGA BEAT proudly presents YISHAK BANJAW on his first international release. YISHAK BANJAW is a composer and keyboard player from Addis Ababa known to his country for his innovative compositions and unique sound. His ability to transform traditional Ethiopian songs into spacey Minimal-Wave gems creates an ultra hypnotic and psychedelic atmosphere, a sound that you have never experienced before.  

Love Songs Vol.2 was recorded in 1986 at Yishak’s house, while he was working for the Police Band in Eritrea. It was released by an Eritrean label on cassette and was also distributed in Ethiopia. However, due to the shaky political situation, Yishak was forbidden to travel anywhere outside his country, including Ethiopia. Consequently Love Songs Vol.2 remained a very obscure and neglected musical experiment. Until now Yishak has released 7 albums on cassette but, unlike many Ethiopian musicians, has never managed to reach a wider and international audience. 
 
On this album Yishak Banjaw chose to play everything on a small Casio PT, “a keyboard for kids” as he proudly mentions. He recorded the whole album live, directly to his tape recorder. Although his main instrument was a Godwin keyboard, he actually preferred to rent the Casio from a friend, as he was blown away by the way it sounded. This choice alone reveals a genuine talent that dared to beyond what his colleagues were doing at that time.

The LP version of the album is a Deluxe Edition and comes with a gatefold cover, a printed insert and an MP3 download code. The CD version includes a booklet with photos and liner notes outlining the story of this unique musician who carried the long tradition of Ethiopia into another level.

Love Songs Vol.2

Fikrehoy Temekeri

YISHAK BANJAW - Fikrehoy Temekeri

Domenico Lancellotti, “Asas”

This is a rare recording of folkloric free jazz soul music by Sam Gendel.
Listen if you want to view paradise.

Sam Gendel - Pure Imagination

(LR141) John Carroll Kirby - Meditations in Music
http://johncarrollkirby.bandcamp.com

*1hr of Autumnal Ambient
*all-instrumental DX7 & Mini Moog Model D
*ltd 150 cassettes
*custom gold foil embossed OCard

CUSTOM CASSETTE

John Carroll Kirby - Meditations in Music - II

LP/CD/Tape/Digital out now September on Awesome Tapes From Africa.

The famous singer's first record, made following her discovery in a talent competition. Acoustic guitar and vocals. The first in a trilogy of recordings, the third volume of which was the first release for ATFA back in 2011.

La Grande Cantatrice Malienne Vol 1

Nahawa Doumbia — Tou Dibile

'Cracks', the sixth track off ‘Weightless’, the second LP from London-based soul/jazz ensemble Teotima, is an example of their fresh and captivating sound which spans the Atlantic from the African continent to Brazil, the Caribbean, the USA and London. 

"The work of being happy — like learning an instrument or a language — feels like something you need to maintain and do regularly", explains musical director and guitarist Greg Sanders.  

 "In the music there’s a lot of times where people are following the written music, but I also try and make sure that there’s plenty of space for improvisation and solos and interaction. So you’re creating the space and conditions for spontaneity and joy by using structure."

Weightless

Premiere: Teotima - Cracks

Limitation Without Distraction — from Nathaniel Young's debut album — Accosting Form, Pure Intent.

Artist: Nathaniel Young
Album: Accosting Form, Pure Intent
Cat No: MOTDLP005
Format: 12” White Vinyl LP, Limited Edition CD, Digital

"Accosting Form, Pure Intent" — Nathaniel Young’s debut album for Mysteries of the Deep — is a contradiction that makes sense. At once raw and elegant, it emerges from a place of constraint and desire. Its individual tracks reflect this paradox as the album unlocks itself like a koan: a riddle that, once solved, dawns on the listener like an epiphany.

Despite the assorted elements at work, a visceral quality binds everything together. Even the record's more subdued works are textured and tangible, at times balancing or playing against the serrated edges of its more structured pieces. Like all compelling works, the sounds here exist in a liminal space that is not entirely classifiable. Still, it is wholly cohesive in both its moodiness and its adeptness.

“The entirety of the LP was written using a Korg MS-20 Mini, Korg SQ-1 step sequencer, Korg Volca Beats, Korg Volca Kick, Behringer Model D, and a Zoom H4N. The core of each track was recorded live in one or two takes and subsequent synth parts were overdubbed after the fact. Since I was working solely with monophonic synths, I utilized a lot of panning in the overdubbing process to help create new harmonics, and even chords in some cases, which really helped flesh out the often extremely monolithic and singular sounding analog synths. Beyond that, as I mentioned, I really focused on creating sequences that I found I could listen to on repeat no matter their level of simplicity.”

All songs written and produced by Nathaniel Young (@nathanielyoung)

Mixed by Oliver Chapoy at Ohm Sweet Ohm, NY 
Mastered by Rafael Anton Irisarri at Black Knoll Studios, NY 
Photography by Candace Price 
Design by Gabriel Benzur 
Words by Taylor Bratches

Worldwide Distribution: wordandsound → what people playy

Accosting Form, Pure Intent

Buy Release

MOTDLP005 - Nathaniel Young - Limitation Without Direction

Super-funky business from Nigerian-born multi-instrumentalist, Peter King; fuses funk, jazz and highlife vibrations. Official Mr Bongo reissue.

‘Omo Lewa’ follows his ‘Miliki Sound’ album, also available on Mr Bongo. Recorded in London, originally released in 1976 by Orbitone, this is one of his finest records.

Licensed from Clinton Roberts.

Omo Lewa

Peter King - Omo Lewa

Physical/Digital - projectpablo.com/vmp

1. Sofware
2. Dead Channel
3. Boingo Myth
4. Scroll Up

Available everywhere September 6th.

Sofware

Download

A2 Pär Och Annika

@samo_dj

Available for pre-order now - Out September 2019

Artwork by Gabriel Cole

Pär Och Annika - Samo DJ, To Apeiron EP (BZR002)

A1 from the upcoming EP!

Furious Frank returns to Butter Sessions with 'Ahora Sí'. The fully fledged house anthem is the result of a cross-continental collaboration with Barcelona based vocalist and producer Ivy Barkakati. 

We're treated to four versions of 'Ahora Sí', all tested and ready for the dance floor and those special moments! Kicking it off, Frank delivers his "Original Acid Mix". A deep, squelchy lurker with nods to late 80's and 90's house music, peaking with thick piano chords and Barkakati's deep Spanish vocals. On the 'Sunrise' mix, the piano and chords become the focus and set the mood for an uplifting journey, bolstered by the raw thump and jack of the drum machines. 

The flip side see's Barcelona based "IVAN" emerge with their version. The duo made up of Ivy Barkakati and Phran of Klasse Wrecks fame slow things down a touch, mangle the chords and inject the rhythm with flattering top-drawer percussion. Vancouver native D. Tiffany rounds the EP off with sub-heavy bass drops, hi-tek rhythms, euphoric vocal slithers and more stingin' acidic vibes. 

Pure and infectious house music for real people!

A1. Ahora Sí (Original Mix)

Awesome Tapes From Africa is here for you.

Nahawa Doumbia — Tou Dibile

Awesome Tapes From Africa

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