Saints Asleep Deep

Verdadeiro Sentimento

In an ever-expanding musical universe, Azymuth have long existed as a celestial giant, drawing countless artists, musicians and followers into their orbit. Marking fifty years since their 1975 debut album Azimuth, their new album Marca Passo proves that the band’s alchemic brew of Brazilian jazz-funk and cosmic samba soul remains as vital as ever, as the group honours the profound legacy of their departed founders.

Recorded in Rio de Janeiro, Marca Passo is the first full-length release since the passing of founding drummer Ivan "Mamão" Conti in 2023, following the earlier loss of keyboardist José Roberto Bertrami in 2012. Alex Malheiros, the sole remaining original member, sees his stewardship of the band’s musical legacy as his spiritual duty. He is joined by the equally devoted Kiko Continentino (Milton Nascimento, Djavan) on keyboards, who has been with the group since 2016, and new recruit Renato Massa (Marcos Valle, Ed Motta) on drums.

Yet since their earliest recorded music, Azymuth have always been far greater than the sum of their parts. The "three-man orchestra’s" unmistakable sound is rooted in Brazil's MPB studio scene of the 1970s and early 1980s—a time when artists blended traditional Brazilian rhythms with global jazz, rock, and emerging psychedelic and progressive elements. Marca Passo continues this legacy, seamlessly fusing Brazilian musical traditions with global influences while showcasing the exceptional musicianship that powers Azymuth's distinctive, multi-dimensional sound.

The album is produced by studio mastermind Daniel Maunick, responsible for Azymuth’s two previous studio albums, Fênix in 2016 and Aurora in 2011. Daniel’s credits also include albums by Marcos Valle, Sabrina Malheiros and Terry Callier. Azymuth also invited Daniel’s father, British jazz-funk royalty Jean Paul “Bluey” Maunick, of Incognito, to play guitar on a new version of Azymuth’s eighties classic “Last Summer In Rio”, in tribute to the song’s composer, José Roberto Bertrami. Equally, “Samba Pro Mamao” is a new composition dedicated to Azymuth’s beloved original drummer, Ivan “Mamão” Conti.

Marca Passo releases on limited edition blue, red & black vinyl LP editions, CD and digitally on the 6th June 2025, via Far Out Recordings, supported by European and North American tours.

Azymuth - Belenzinho

Azymuth - Last Summer In Rio (Featuring Jean Paul "Bluey" Maunick of Incognito)

Other Worlds And Habitats

Ancestral Machines

Presenting the third single ‘Ron Song’ taken from Melbourne/Naarm multi-instrumentalist Don Glori’s forthcoming third album, Paper Can’t Wrap Fire. An ode to Brazil’s musical heritage, it’s Don’s nod to icons and influences including João Donato and Seu George. Samba-flecked, yet with a distinctive Don Glori groove, it’s doused in buttery Rhodes, hazy vocal harmonies and acoustic guitar riffs. Combine that with a serving of long majestic horn lines and the instantly recognisable cuíca and it’s a one-way ticket to Rio’s sunshine-soaked shores. 
 
Speaking about the track, Don mentions, “The thing I love about ‘Ron Song’ is all the ear candy. The Rhodes was routed through the preamp of an original suitcase Rhodes to give it the proper stereo trem it needed. The guitar just breaking through the ribbon mic contrasts against the very digital chorus on the bass. The bass is pushed out to the sides, using every dial tone sample at once. Texturally it feels like an ear massage. 
 
Alcides Neto laid down cuíca throughout the track and fans of Azymuth/Brazilian music in general will appreciate the partido alto underneath the trumpet solo. It’s as if the cuíca and Rhodes are having a conversation in the outro.”


Don Glori - Ron Song

This one was an unexpected treat. Two of our favourite contemporary musicians, Finn Rees & Sholto coming together and collaborating on a double dose of celestial, cinematic alchemy.

At Mr Bongo we are massive admirers of drummer, musician, and producer Sholto (Oscar Robertson). His two albums on Funk Night Records and DeepMatter Records, had both been highlights of their respective years. We’d gotten to know Oscar and sent him a few records. Included in the package was Australian pianist-composer Finn Rees’ debut album, Dawn Is A Melody, which was one of our favourite releases on Mr Bongo in 2024.

In Oscar's words 'For me it was a standout modern jazz record - encapsulating a spiritual / hazy dreamy soundscape which hugely resonated with me. Glissando keys and harp with lush melodies, I was instantly intrigued.”  

The pair started following each other online and as luck would have it, Finn was staying in London for the summer season, so they arranged to meet. The pair instantly clicked and said it felt like they'd known each other for years. After 40 minutes of chatting, they started to jam. 

'Love In Memory' and 'Bluebell' were recorded over two days - a track a day in Oscar's SFJ studios. Laid down on mostly analogue equipment, the pair utilised Wurlitzer’s, mellotrons, and ribbon mics through Oscar’s ‘70s Studer desk. Composed and crafted without any real intentions, other than a shared appreciation for the same style of music and approach, the tracks started to take shape. The results were as lush, nostalgic and textured as you’d expect from these two brilliant musicians, with a classical feel inspired by artists such as Piero Piccioni, Piero Umiliani, and Henry Mancini. 

For the beautiful string arrangements, the pair recruited the talents of Sholto's long-time friend and collaborator Clementine Brown (Penguin Cafe Orchestra) and Matthew Hayes of 30/70, Allysha Joy, Xpress Point, Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange fame, was brought in to play bass on 'Bluebell'.

So here we have it, a chance collaborative project built on two musicians' mutual respect for each other's outputs. The result is truly breathtaking.


Finn Rees & Sholto - Bluebell

The first single to be taken from СОЮЗ (SOYUZ)'s enthralling fourth album KROK, sees the release of the emotive and personal title track. “Krok” means “step” in Belarusian - and for Alex Chumak and his band this word comes with a lot of meaning. It’s a theme running throughout the album, reflecting the journeys the band has navigated in recent years. 
 
In early 2022, Chumak and original members, Mikita Arlou and Anton Nemahai, joined tens of thousands of Belarusians seeking safety from the political unrest in their homeland and the outbreak of war in Ukraine. Resettling in Warsaw, the band released Force of the Wind in October 2022, garnering widespread acclaim, a string of major European gigs, and led to Polish musicians Albert Karch and Igor Wiśniewski joining the band.
 
Embracing the uncertainty became both the inspiration and main lyrical theme for Alex Chumak, SOYUZ’ composer and arranger. ‘Krok’ was one of the initial songs written for the new album and was the first to feature lyrics. It paved the way for Chumak to find the new poetic language on the record - for the first time in his native Belarusian language. Chumak demoed the song whilst he was still in Minsk in early 2022, and then, as he and his band moved to Poland, he continued developing it. In September 2024, together with other songs, Alex took it on a trip to São Paulo, where he recorded it with the help of his longtime friend and collaborator Sessa and extraordinary musicians Biel Basile and Marcelo Cabral.
 
It is a song about transition and migration, in which this act is poetically reduced to “a step” – into the unknown and unexplored. While singing about it, Chumak also makes a step forward musically. He delivers his very atypical view on samba, which doesn’t pretend to sound Brazilian. A strict yet loose rhythm section is covered with layers of tense acoustic guitars, aleatoric piano lines, and a lush yet restrained arrangement for strings and flutes.
 
This ethereal opening track is taster of the magic to come from СОЮЗ (SOYUZ) new career-defining album.


Крок / Krok

A mix inspired by https://www.reddit.com/r/TheNightFeeling/ and autumn evenings.

Image: painting by Ramsha Tariq: https://www.reddit.com/user/Idontknow649/submitted/ https://www.instagram.com/ramshatariq2/ 

Tracklist
The Chocolate Jam Co. - Suite Chocolate (Mounds)
Brittany Davis - Amid the Blackout of the Night
Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes - Naima
Chip Wickham - Lost Souls
Chico Hamilton - Gengis
O'Donel Levy - Sierra Lonely
Oscar Peterson - Solar Winds
George Otsuka - Castaly
Ryojiro Furusawa - Cum-cum
Ryo Kawasaki - Joni
Vince Guaraldi - There's Been a Change (alt version)
Audrey Powne - Sleep
Batida - Autumn Remains
Elmer Bernstein - Night Mood
Herbie Hancock - Tell Me a Bedtime Story
New Life Trio - Empty Streets

The Night Feeling

Almost fifteen years since the release of her self-titled debut LP on Mr Bongo, reggae’s orator of love Hollie Cook is returning to the label for Shy Girl, her fifth studio album and her most authentic yet. Woven with tight grooves, beautiful vocals and catchy melodies, Shy Girl hears singer and songwriter Hollie Cook revel in her contemporary lovers rock sound, more confident and open to vulnerability than ever before.
 
A sun-drenched exploration of love in all its guises, Shy Girl tells stories of the magical and the melancholy, the heart-lifting and heart-breaking, across 12 luscious, analogue reggae compositions - the culmination of a soft-hued and instantly recognisable “tropical pop” sound that Cook has made her own.
 
Put together across three years and four cities – from LA and NYC, to Vejer de la Frontera in Spain and Cook’s hometown London – Shy Girl was written with long-time collaborators, The General Roots Band, and features a contribution from legendary dub MC Horseman, who lends his voice to the album’s first single ‘Night Night’.
 
The album opens with the title track ‘Shy Girl’, a buoyant and elastic slice of lovers rock that was written in a moment of spontaneous intuition, and bubbles with a charisma and positivity that Cook radiates. “I’m not a natural show-off,” Cook explains. “The Shy Girl theme is me. It’s just about being my most vulnerable self and being as true to the music that Iove as possible.” It is this honesty which shines throughout, from the chugging deep dub of ‘Frontline’, complete with raking electric guitar lines, to the bittersweet roots ballad ‘We Share Love’, which closes out the album.

It's clear to see that Cook’s songwriting draws on a lifetime of musical influences and inspirations. From her father, Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook’s record collection and touring with post-punk icon Ari Up’s The Slits, to her love for strong female-led pop music and the bassweight of London’s sound system culture. Enamoured with the music of Janet Kay and Phyllis Dillon, Shy Girl represents a homecoming and a coming-of-age for Hollie Cook, distilling and refining a shimmering reggae sound that will capture your heart, as it first captured hers. 


Hollie Cook - Holding On

Presenting a joyous double dose of Brazilian pífano magic by João do Pife, taken from his iconic Folclore Alagoano LP and pressed for the first time on 7” vinyl. The infectious, uplifting energy of the instrumental track 'Garoto Do Pife' has been a dancefloor weapon for revered selectors such as Gilles Peterson, Cliffy and the Mr Bongo DJs, and we are proud to be reissuing it for the first time.  

The pífano, pifaro or pife, which creates the distinctive melodies in these tracks, is a simple seven-hole woodwind instrument from the Northeast region of Brazil. Often made out of bamboo or taquara wood, they are rich in folkloric music tradition and paired with percussion instruments to form the Bandas de Pífanos groups, which originated from the Northeastern states of the country. "Pifeiros” such as João do Pife, Edmilson do Pífano, and Carlos Malta brought the pífano into a wider public eye through their albums and vinyl recordings.

A part of pífano maestro João do Pife’s rich legacy, these two mesmerizing and timeless tracks originate from his sought-after 1975 LP Folclore Alagoano, released on the Tropicana label. Born João Bibi dos Santos, in the state of Alagoas (Brazil), João do Pife became an ambassador of Northern Brazilian culture and folklore through his music, which placed the pífano centre stage. 

For this 7" issue, we have curated two of our favourite tracks from the album, 'Garoto Do Pife' and 'Homenagem a Ludugero', that exude a driving and joyous dancefloor energy. With lively accordion and organ accompaniments that weave around João do Pife's sublime pífano playing, they channel a folk spirit that will resonate deep within your soul.

As inspiration for the picture sleeve, we have adapted the original cover photo art for this 7 inch issue. João do Pife’s music, which is housed within, will sweep you away to Northeastern Brazil in an instant.


João do Pife - Garoto Do Pife

http://www.mrbongo.com/department/marcos-valle-10057

http://www.mrbongo.com/product/marcos-valle-the-essential-volume-cd-1261

Marcos Valle was born in Rio de Janeiro and took piano and music theory lessons as a young child. As he grew older he developed a taste for live music at bars and clubs, where he’d listen to jazz. 
With his brother, Paulo Sergio Valle, he wrote a number of hits and made his first album, Samba Demais in 1964. He headed to the United States the following year, where Walter Wanderley successfully recorded the song Samba de Verão. The songs  Preciso Aprender a Ser Só and Terra de Ninguém are also from that period as well as Samba de Maria, O Amor É Chama, Viola Enluarada (recorded with Milton Nascimento), Dia de Vitória, Gente, Seu Encanto and Ao Amigo Tom.

This compilation covers Marcos Valle's samba work from 1968 up to the late 1970s.  Available on CD.


Marcos Valle - Proton Electron Neutron

Not an edit or a remix, just posted as a tribute to one of the greats.

Taken from a 1973 live set by “The Donald Byrd Seven", the lineup features the founding members of The Blackbyrds: Kevin Toney (piano), Keith Kilgo (drums), Ray Armando (conga), Bernard Perry (guitar) and Alan Barnes (saxophone, flute).


Donald Byrd and The Blackbyrds - Flight Time (Live in Boston 1973)

The Waiting Room in The Ghostly Store: http://www.theghostlystore.com/collections/music/products/lusine-the-waiting-room

Lusine - Lucky (Jeremy Greenspan Remix)

I Was a Fool Remixed

I Was a Fool (Matthew Dear Remix)

ELECTRIC GUITARS

Spanking new album ‘The Best of Electric Guitars (re-Strung)’ set for national release on Monday 15th July 2013 on CD & digital download, through Bristol Archive Records.

This is the early eighties at it’s very best, whether it’s called Post-Punk, New Wave or whatever the historians are calling the age in which we evolved the music. These boys took all the best bits of the freedom that punk provided and turned it into something accessible, something you could dance to or at least tap your foot to without being accused of mediocrity.

This album is the journey (in no specific order) through the EG’s development to their break up shortly after the release of ‘Wolfman Tap’, a catchy smooth production which led some reviewers to tag the EG’s funk. It's there, but it’s not alone, here is the diversity of sound that gave this era its reference.

So visualise while you listen, Matthew standing on his drum stool while delivering blows to a variety of misshapen objects. Novel then, much copied since. (Is that the drum stools irritating squeek at the end of ‘Interference’). Imagine or remember their pretty ridiculous outfits and hair in which termites could happily nest.

Dropouts from Bristol Polytechnic (or artists in pursuit or their dream) Neil Davenport (Vocals) and Richard Hall (Bass, Guitar, Vocals) together with Matthew Salt (Drums) paid rent for squat conditions in a shared house in Redland where they were joined by Dick Truscott (Keyboard, Guitar) and Andy Sanders (Guitar, Vocals) who had the sense to live elsewhere, Backing vocals were provided by Sarah and Wendy Partridge.

Here their first offerings to vinyl, ‘Dumb Words’,’ Le Camping’ and ‘Magic Surfaces’ were polished for the first Bristol Recorder, brainchild of Thomas Brooman CBE, he of Womad, among others.

‘Health’/ ’Continental Shelf’ was released as a single on Fried Egg Records and their second single ‘Work’, not written from experience, was a UK Indie chart hit on Recreational Records.
.
Signing to Stiff Records opened doors to Martin Rushents production, 7", 12" and EP delivered, covers designed by Peter Saville.They were the band most likely to!

Although never gaining mainstream fame, Electric Guitars deserve a chance to feature in modern playlists. Sandwich ‘Language Problems’ between Talking Heads and the B 52’s and you can't go wrong.  Play ‘Work’ at a Zumba class and watch them fall like flies!

www.bristolarchiverecords.com


Language Problems - Electric Guitars

Record label. Record shop. Film label. Since 1989.

Marcos Valle - Proton Electron Neutron

Mr Bongo

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