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Following EPs and 12”s on Wolf + Lamb, W+L Black, Life And Death, Bang The Box and their debut on Visionquest, PillowTalk present their debut LP, ‘Je Ne Sais Quoi’. As much a soundtrack to long nights as it is lazy days, there is something about the record that spans everything you want from the band: sun-splashed jams, peak-time party tunes and low-lit moments of intimacy.

The album has been a work in progress since the boys formed the group in their San Francisco studio and was recorded last year during a month at PDX Studios in Portland, Oregon, which sits overlooking the city and the gorgeous Mount Hood. It was a session that allowed the band to work communally, drawing from various ideas, as well as influences, which include the vast Americana of Bruce Springsteen, the wrought post dubstep of James Blake, the deep soul of Sam Cooke and the incendiary jazz of John Coltrane.

‘We All Have Rhythm’ is an anything-could-happen-tonight tune that you’ll want to be listening to at 11pm on a Friday; ‘Lullaby’ is the perfect dose of deepness for a loved-up 6am dancefloor; the off-kilter R&B ghetto tech of ‘4 Walls’ will fit the vibe at a woozy afterparty; and ‘LA To The Bay’ will rouse you and make you feel good the morning after as the sun comes up. This is music to suit all times, because that’s what PillowTalk is all about.

The broad nature of ‘Je Ne Sais Quoi’ came about because Sammy D (vocals), Michael Tello (producer) and Ryan Williams (multi-instrumentalist) pulled the record together from melodies thought up while on long plane journeys, impromptu jam throw downs in Berlin apartments and musical sketches created during long nights into early morning studio sessions sharing bottles of vodka. For instance, ‘4 Walls’ happened during a late night session, with the band throwing ideas around and with friends DOP and Navid Izadi. “We wanted to do something that wasn't a 122bpm 4/4 kick drum track, challenge ourselves musically and lyrically, so we made the song at 144 beats per minute but still gave it a soul vibe,” says Michael. The song took an hour and a half to write, whipped up in the heat and energy of the moment.

This organic way of working was what brought PillowTalk together in the first place. They formed after the three were mucking around on the baby grand piano in Ryan’s kitchen. A guitar and a Wurlitzer, some off-hand vocals, were thrown into the mix in true Doo-wop style. The EP, ‘The Come Back’, dropped on Life And Death in 2011 with their hit single 'Soft' and things started to roll.

Breakout hit ‘Far From Home’ on the ‘Far From Heaven’ EP in the same year was followed by the cheeky ‘Soul Edits’ 12” for Wolf + Lamb’s W+L Black imprint in 2012 which featured their classic remix of Bobby Hebb's, 'Sunny'. Then in 2013, the single ‘Lullaby’ backed with ’We All Have Rhythm’ dropped, giving a clear indication of how ‘Je Ne Sais Quoi' would sound: warm, lush and dreamy.

Though they’ve only been releasing records since 2011, the three have known each other for years. They met through djing parties and have been neighbors and even roommates. ‘Je Ne Sais Quoi’ sees them stepping into their own as a band, a statement of intent born from the highs and lows of their loves, laughs and heartbreaks thus far. 

CREW DOWNLOAD

PillowTalk - If I Try

Stee Downes - Disciples

VINYL RELEASED 23rd Oct 2015

We are more than ten releases in here at Africa Seven. It has been a wild ride... It was eight months ago that we launched our label and released our debut release the Compilation “Africa Airways 01: Funk Connection”.  It did better than we ever imagined and we had to repress the darned thing twice... So predictably for a follow up we humbly present you with “Africa Airways 02: Funk Departures 1973-1982”.  We have unashamedly stuck to the formula of our debut; keeping the funk deep and the groove pan-African.  Heading straight for the afrobeat, dance-funk jugular.  

We open up Volume Two with an absolute corker... “Na Real Sekele Fo Ya” from Cameroonian-in-Paris Pasteur Lappe.  Produced by Jacob Desvarieux of Kassav fame,  this track is an instant grabber;  Think of the Blockheads “Rhythm Stick” goes Afro chant with deep, soulful moog grooves and on-point brass stabs.  Next up is M’Bamina an Italian / Ivory Coast band who swing things heavy with “Kilowi Kilowi”.  Sweeting strings, funky bass lines wrapped around a late 70s style disco groove.  

Ekambi Briallant is next up with his floor tappingly catchy afro soul “Aboki (Mon Copain)”, produced by one of our favorite producers Slim Pezin.   To round off the A-side of the vinyl we present the first outing from the Makeba family. Here the (sadly prematurely departed) Bongi Makeba, daughter of “Mama Africa” Myriam Makeba, shows the world just what an amazing artist she would have developed into.  Bongi wrote a fair number of her mother’s tracks in her later years and “Don’t Do It” shows us what true talent for the song she was blessed with.  The track her powers along with wah-wah guitar and masterful alto sax.  A real treat. 

Friend of Africa Seven and Cameroonian native Jo Tongo opens thing up on Side B.  Jo now lives in New York but back in the 70s he was part of the Fiesta label collective who were cranking out great records in Paris. “Piani” is his purest dancefloor moment, here again in full glory. 	Next up we bend our African remit ever-so slightly and head off to Holland for a James Brown style fuelled funk stomper “Relax.. Before Doing Sex” from Oscar Harris and his crew.  Its big, its bold, its brassy…..  It’s fun.
 
The power trio of Bozambo are next up. Between them they have released over 12 solo LPs and here together with “Get it On The Music” they power through with a keyboard/synyh driven afro-funk groove years ahead of its time… made in 1978 but sounding like 1984.   Misse Ngoh is one great guitarist and a masterful adaptor of the Makossa rhythms of his native Cameroun.  The title track from his Esperance 1979 LP “Tata Ngoh” mixes in his trademark rhythms and grooves with slap bass and striking brass lines. One heck of a catchy song too. 

We round off the compilation with the Queen of Queens, Myriam Makeba.  Possibly / probably the most influential female musician to come out of Africa… ever.  “Mama Africa’s” biography is awe-inspiring and vast, but very hard to summarize in a few sentences... so please check it out for yourself.   From breaking the African sound in the West, to the obsessively catchy “Pata Pata” to the influential, focal role she played in helping bring an end to Apartheid in her native South Africa.  There are many tracks to feature from Myriam but we aren’t about hits here at Africa Seven.  Being the crate diggers we are,  we thought the best way we could honour the lady was to dig the crate even deeper and go with the most obscure Myriam track we could find. “Toyota Fantasy” was recorded during her exile years spent in Guinea with the Esperance team as a one off promotional 7” single giveaway release. Be aspirational, as the lady says. 	  

We hope you enjoy your flight with African Airways 02.  We hope to be fuelling up an aircraft with some psychedelic propellant for volume 3 sometime in 2016... at a vinyl store near you. 

Pasteur Lappe - Na Real Sekele Fo Ya [CLIP]

I Like Your Style

@claapyourhands - Dune

BUY / STREAM: partyfine.lnk.to/DuneALL

Start with two scoops of soft sand and sparkling sunshine by the sea. Blend with friendly laughter splashing along the shore, then add a dash of delight with Santana's elegant vocals in the fore. Sprinkle a spoonful of pure happiness, and spice it up with French style synths. Tie it all together with CLAAP!'s percussive signature. 
Shake with vigor, and voila!
Once again, CLAAP! whips up the perfect recipe to enchant our ears and energize our dance moves during those warm summer nights (and days) with their new EP "Dune"!

The title-track "Dune" gets a hot sugar-free remix by mysterious band High Ceilings.
Cherry on top, Yuksek is treating us with a unique banging afro funk remix of "Summertime" that will turn up the heat even higher.

Finally, we meet again with LA-based Belarusian artist Polina Rabtseva, who shot the sunwashed, feel good video of "Jacques" (CLAAP!'s previous single).
This time, she's taking care of the artwork, charming us with this freehand drawing of a portrait of Santana she actually shot on the Dune du Pilat.

It's Summertime, love is in the Air over the Dune.

CLAAP! - Summertime

Semblance Presents DJ Language "How Do I Move" Version: 1.1

Sorry Sorry (Old School Afro Dub)

Boogie

Gentle New Disco ReEdit of the wonderful song my world from lee fields and the expressions. Produced by Even D and Heinrich Heinrichsen mastered by Show-B

No Meio Do Samba Featuring Toco

S-Tone Inc.