Normal service is resumed... more or less, with lots of dance-oriented stuff this week. I really like Bixiga 70, who open this week's list, another track from the excellent Afrobeat Brasil album. Then it's pretty much dance/trance yourself dizzy, in the company of at least a few familiar names, and with a few more nods to African music. The transition comes with the psych pop of The Eves, before the excellent Warm Digits and the beautifully mesmerising Lost Horizons take things home. Just nosing in front for track of the week, though, is Bixiga 70's "5 Esquinas".

Jul 21 - Aug 03 2017

Boyfriend (Lindstrõm & Prins Thomas Remix)

Order on vinyl, CD or digital formats: https://bbemusic.lnk.to/afrobeatbrasil
The African beat has always been essential to Brazil’s music. But now the new generation of musicians, singers and rappers are tweaking the basics of Fela’s funk to fit with samba swing, bossa tempo and nordestino nous.
John Armstrong’s new compilation Afrobeat Brasil features 14 blazing tracks from 2011 to 2017 that nod towards Nigeria, Ethiopia, Mali and beyond – with feet firmly in Brazil.
For the first time outside Brazil, a careful selection of modern Afrobeat- inspired tunes from across several Brazilian genres, taking in cutting-edge players from Rio, São Paulo, Salvador, Porto Alegre –and even Paris. No slavish Fela Kuti copycats these, but rather Afrobeat and other specific African tempos and rhythms used as a blueprint, a building- block for new directions in Brazilian music.

About John Armstrong:
John started playing records in and around London in the late 70s, after a Eureka moment at one of the first New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festivals in the mid-70s, from which he returned with interviews from everyone from Allen Toussaint to Betty Carter (many of which were published in the now-defunct Jazz & Blues Review).
In 2008/9, John wrote, devised, and presented BBC Radio 2’s Viva Latino – which brought a fully-dedicated latin music show to the BBC airwaves for the first time , with worldwide listening figures for the 14-part series reaching 9 million at one point.
Over the last 30 years, he’s put together approximately 200 compilations of latin, afro, zouk, Brazilian music, soul, flamenco, Irish traditional music, and even rockabilly, Cajun, zydeco and rock & roll – making him one of the three or four most prolific compilers in the UK.

John Armstrong presents Afrobeat Brasil

Bixiga 70 - 5 Esquinas

"Frenzy, Fear" features vocals from Hilang Child, and is taken from Lost Horizons' debut album "Ojalá", due for release 3rd November via Bella Union. Pre-order now:

smarturl.it/LH-ojala

Lost Horizons - Frenzy, Fear

@les-yeux-orange sister label @good-plus unleash another dynamite edit release. 'Avidio' takes things back to 80s South Africa with a kwaito groove, packed full of synth marimbas, rapturous vocals and even a clarinet solo.

Read more & buy: http://www.stampthewax.com/2017/07/20/les-yeux-orange-avidio/
Listen on Youtube: http://bit.ly/good-avidio

Listen on Youtube

Les Yeux Orange - Avidio (STW Premiere)

https://BBEmusic.lnk.to/EverythingHappensForAReason
Title track from Kiko Navarro’s latest album, released in March 2017 on BBE, ‘Everything Happens For A Reason’ is presented here in its original 7 minute incarnation, alongside remixes from Kyodai and Myles Bigelow, plus an edit by Vince Watson.

Moved by Steve Reich’s ‘Music For 18 Musicians’, which he caught live at a concert in SIngapore, then impressed by Kerri Chandler’s ingenious re-imagining of ‘6 Pianos’ (also by Steve Reich), Kiko Navarro was inspired to utilise the piano’s percussive attack as the main rhythmic device in a House track. Calling on his regular collaborator (and piano teacher) Isis “Apache” Montero, Kiko explained his concept and the two gradually built up a compelling, syncopated and potent groove. Taking in tribal, orchestral, latin, afro and tech sounds, ‘Everything Happens For A Reason’ is a moving and poignant piece of House music, topped off with spine-tingling vocals added by Isis “Apache” Montero which call to mind the lyric-free, syllabic singing style made famous by Karl Jenkins’ ’Adiemus’ records.

German duo Kyodai have been making major waves on the global House scene for some years now with releases on Freerange, Compost, Pokerflat and Mad Mats’ high flying Local Talk label. Their remix transitions from tough percussion groove into anthemic piano house workout and back again, dispensing a carefully metered dose of dance-floor magic. Multitalented Canadian musician and DJ Myles Bigelow delivers an uplifting version, adding eastern percussion and vivid synth lines. Vince Watson’s subtle edit introduces a smooth melodic techno atmosphere, extending the arrangement out into a vast sonic expanse. An instrumental version is included in the package for the purists, as is a ‘Beatless’ mix, which makes for an intriguing DJ tool, or simply a powerful sunset soundtrack for those chilled terrace sessions.

Kiko Navarro - Everything Happens For A Reason (Vince Watson Edit)

Afrobeat trumpet and sax fanfares are wrapped up in an 808 groove, part of the third volume of Afro Edits from Dublin label Orange Tree Edits.

Read more & buy: http://www.stampthewax.com/2017/07/24/orange-tree-edit/
Listen on Youtube: http://bit.ly/litmus-groove

Orange Tree Edits - Litmus Groove (Jimmy Rouge Edit) (STW Premiere)

Growth of Raindrops (feat. Sarah Cracknell) from the album "Wireless World".

Order from http://smarturl.it/wirelessworld.

Wireless World

Growth of Raindrops (feat. Sarah Cracknell)

Planet

Long-time (3+ years!) curator of a regular weekly 10 track playlist of legit, (mostly) new tracks from Soundcloud, dug up here, there and everywhere. The lists always start out as 10 tracks, but some subsequently get pulled from Soundcloud by the band/artist or the label, so don't blame me for any short lists!

Jul 21 - Aug 03 2017

GordyB