The Funck Beats

This episode of Island Time brings us a special mix from @morgan-greenstreet , a musician, DJ, and journalist based in New York. Here he gives us a deep dive into a style of music called simpa – in his words:

Simpa is a style of neo-traditional popular music of the Dagbani people of the north of Ghana. It exists in two overlapping forms: the live, acoustic session of drumming, singing and dancing – for example the group Kakpag-Yili Wait and See – and the highly produced electro-simpa versions created for sale in the local DVD market. These hard-driving tracks are produced by DJ/producers like Ebony and DJ Chare/Charlie with star singers like Dickson Gawan and Yaa Naraa.

For the traditional version, the drummers build their own drums from metal barrels, even making their own kick drum pedals. Some groups use a trumpet live and these answering melodic lines are represented by synths for the electro versions. The dancers are almost exclusively young women, and the dance is all about rapid, suggestive waist shaking.

I first heard simpa when I was in Tamale in the Northern region of Ghana in 2015. As my friend Saeed Alhassan Dawuni and I were running around town recording traditional music events for an Afropop Worldwide program, I kept hearing incredible local pop music blasting from car stereos and shops. Saeed and I visited a few music shops but they didn’t have anything like the stuff I’d been hearing. Eventually we visited a friend of Saeed’s who filled up a thumb drive with assorted low bitrate mp3s which I combed through for months after the trip, resulting in a Dagbani pop mix for Afropop (https://soundcloud.com/afropop-worldwide/dagbani-pop). One track on that mix really stood out for me, a twenty minute, fast-paced percussion-driven tune (mis)labeled “ebony hiphop.” Saeed identified the artist as Dickson Gawan and the style as simpa, and from there my interest deepened. We’ve been in touch in the years since then and Saeed keeps feeding my need for simpa with regular batches of new tracks. Through Saeed, I’m in touch with Dickson Gawan and plan to visit Tamale when feasible to work on a compilation of simpa for international release. Special thanks as well to Dave Ewenson who recorded “Kakpag-Yili Wait and See” and shared some insights into neo-traditional simpa with me.

Tracks are from Dickson Gawan, Bala Zaaku, Alhassan Kukoo Naa, Sala Takoro and Sumaya Yaanara and all of these tracks are produced by either Ebony or Dj Chare/Charlie. Many of these can be found with accompanying videos on youtube

Image in artwork is from video by Dave Ewenson

Island Time Radio  Mix 39 With Modrums (Simpa Special)

Buy the 2LP/CD/Digital album: https://orcd.co/atakoramanu

BBE Music celebrates the centenary of recorded Ghana Highlife music with a double album reissue of two rare 80s LPs recorded by the late Atakora Manu, AFRO HIGHLIFE and OMINTIMINIM.

Born in Toase, Ghana, a proud Asante, Atakoras musical talent made itself clear from an early age. But it wasn’t until his late teens that he put that talent to use as a performer, first founding the legendary Princess Trio from 1961 till 1963 with drummer Togas and multi-instrumentalist Elder Osei Bonsu.

After a spell from 1963 till 1966 as guitarist with the United Ghana Farmers’ Council Drama Troupe, Manu teamed up with Moses Kweku Oppong to form the legendary Kakaiku No. 2 Band, producing a string of national hit singles over the following three or four years.

There followed a three year break from music until fate struck: Atakora found a job in 1973 as Recording Studio Attendant- and later recording engineer- at Ambassador RecordingStudios in Kumasi, at that time the country’s largest independent label.

On seeing his musical talents behind the studio desk, it wasn’t long before the boss suggested to Manu that he get back to making music himself, an opportunity that he was quick to take up – as will be more than apparent from the hardcore, rootsy Highlife and palmwine selections reissued here.

As well as long-time associates Togas and Elder Bonsei, local Kumasi legends CK Mensah, Amoako Agyeman, Agyei Kyeremanteng (of the famous Keyeremanteng All Stars), and Atta Fofie lent a hand from time to time, along with a handful of other seasoned Ambassador studio session players.

THE MUSIC

A unique selling point here is the mix of vintage, rootsy ‘palmwine’ blues-style guitar Highlife with quirky keyboard electronics, a sound well-established today but revolutionary in the comparatively conservative world of 70s and 80s Highlife. This comes across beautifully in Dada and Cape Coast Cousin, the latter toasting off guitar licks with bubbling wah wah organ.

We find a similar juxtaposition in Asante Kotoko, a shout-out to Kumasi’s champion soccer team, which also features some sweet ‘village’ drumming, and in Meka A Ensa.

But Atakora doesn’t forget the essential role of brass and woodwind in quality Highlife, as can be heard in Super Otete Impomamu, with its twin-sax punctuating riffs, and in the ‘mambo’ sections of the dancefloor killer Osebo Anyami Ankyemi. Atakora Manu passed away in 2015 but left an abundance of beautiful music. This double-album reissue is a long-overdue tip of the hat to one of Highlife’s more underrated stars-universally respected by fellow musicians but still to be properly rediscovered by a new generation of Highlife fans.

Omintiminim/Afro Highlife

Atakora Manu - Cape Coast Cousin

This week HNNH takes a stab at ✌️“accessible”✌️ dance music, with a mix recorded for Synthesis, an event held in Helena at l&c taproom on 11/27. Episode 87 Starlight Thursdays.

Full Track List:

Full Track List:
interplanetary criminal - sensational (breaka remix) [2019]
pillowtalk, gustavo lobo - gonna be with you (kellerkind remix) [2020]
hugo massien - twist & turn [2019]
snax - honeymoon's over - konrad black mix [2007]
benjamin frohlich - drawn from memory (i:cube remix) [2018]
stefano noferini - substrates - hector couto remix [2018]
mr. ho, mogwaa - bail-e [2020]
leftwing : kody, medusa - come over [2019]
jansons, dope earth alien - medicine (extended dub mix) [2021]
pavel petrov - rengar [2015]
rudimental - straight from the heart (feat. nørskov) (jaden thompson extended remix) [2021]
roza terenzi -metal glo (luca lozano + mr. ho remix) [2019]
serge devant, sabb, forrest - waiting (bontan remix) [2016]
roska, tt the artist - killin' it [2017]
nico balducci, medusa - hide & seek [2021]
mr. ho, mogwaa - hustler's billiard [2020]
genish - waves of frequency [2021]
pional - born 2 be wild [2018]
the garden of eden - the garden of eden (the bush mix) [1988]
dj fronter, moonval, macarena - fly to the moon [2021]
adam ten & mita gami - mango [2019]
missy elliot, pharrell williams - wtf (where they from) (with you. remix) [2016]
audiojack - foundations [2021]
matt tolfrey - the untitled - ghetto mix [2014]
tom demac - 205 gti [2017]
pavel petrov, rafael cerato - mr. zurkon [2021]
animal & me - cosmos - hollsön broken mix [2019]
david museen, erik christiansen, cele - love machine (extended mix) [2020]

EP 87 - HNNH - Knee Deep in Josh (Live@SYNTHESIS)

Seven presences move as one through veins of concrete and circuits of cold light. Memories fracture on the glass, ashes glow crimson, and shadows murmur unheard prayers. Sparks ignite ghostly flames as violet smoke floats over a neon abyss. The remnants of the savage past crumble beneath a pale crown, and at the end, a shower of obsidian falls, a testament to seven lions who walk unwavering, eternal and untamed.

Crimson Ash

MAGIK - MIC - WARPED

Sail Drift

RIP Ras G, you will always be remembered as the legend you are.

Tune in for a tribute to Ras G with an hour long mix from the Worldwide FM team.

A staple in the Los Angeles left-field scene as one of the founders of Poo-Bah Records and a member of the Brainfeeder Records crew, Ras G explored space and time through his ancient/futuristic music in his mix.

A Tribute to Ras G & the Afrikan Space Program

I'm Hilarious

Keith

Heavy

Funckyou

Going On

Slow Jam 1

The Funck - The Ohio train

A live mix from a socially distanced landing, after moving <3

Pezdemic Mix 03 - Moving & Landing

This track is a present for all of you in this xmas.

1312 ACAB

Artwork: Luciano Padilla
Photo: Pía Figueroa
Master: Merci Merci
Recorded at Estudio Niebla Stgo. Chile

Misa

Amsterdam based Hip Hop Beats & Production
https://linktr.ee/thefunck
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The Funck - The Ohio train

The Funck

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