Masterful Gregory from 1997, sounding spooked and hunted over a juddering, propulsive Music Works rhythm, fulgent and full-on, with deep, pounding bass, clattering percussion, parping horns, classy backing vocals and harp starbursts… top-notch Gussies.
Two extended vocal versions, and two dubs, all quite different.
Bimmety bim bim.
Ace Berlin house, with a chronic case of the Disco Jerks.
Inspired singing, feel-the-vibes deejaying, and awesome Scientist/Tubbys mixes via Channel One in 1980.
Jeesus Chroyss, we noice.
Majestic and immense Cure, on The Heptones’ Give Me The Right rhythm.
Boogie-down cosmic funk — like full-throttle Roy Ayers. Jimi Adams packs his inner Hendrix off to Funky Town; the horns are the horniest; Mona runs it all down with an irresistible West African tilt.
Three killers heralding the latest phase of this dazzling expression of a dream Dakar-Berlin nexus. All instrumental — though the opener has snatches of singing — with the vocal versions held back for the album.
The music just gets deadlier and deadlier — harder-boiled and deeper; more focussed, confident and dubwise.
Evoking the ancient cultural legacy of the griots, ‘Walo Walo’ is also the name of the sabar rhythm underlying the opener, which features Ibou Mbaye’s percussive synth-work, Mangone Ndiaye Dieng’s kit-drumming, and Bada Seck’s rigorous jolts of lower-pitched Thiol drum. The ‘Groove’ version is tough as nails; well and truly gnarly.
A tribute to the Baye Fall leader, Ndiguel Groove is a sparse, mellow interpretation of the most traditional cut on the album, showcasing Assane Ndoye Cisse’s insinuating guitar lines, Laye Lo’s super-elasticated snare-drumming, and Bada Seck playing the khine drums associated with the Baye Fall. (Short and wide; lightweight but low-pitched.)
Pretty awesome.
Crucial, ecstatic, magnificent disco, rinsed nowadays by the likes of Theo Parrish and DJ Harvey. Producer and writer Jerry Peter’s crowning ten minutes — notwithstanding credits with everyone from Foster Sylvers and Gene Harris to Aretha and Marvin.
Plus the mighty Bourgie Bourgie on the flip.
Outstanding, widescreen, blazing modern roots by way of the Dubmatix crew in Toronto. Horace Andy, too; and a shot of Wackies style and fashion in the mix.
Stalag alert! With Ansel Collins, a killer Big Youth, and King Tubby.
A symphonic layering of phone-taps by Scanner and TT, aka DJ Sprinkles.
Plus some deep, glitchy Ambient by the label-boss, with piano and harpsichord.