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“In the beginning of the pandemic we decided to take a turn and move to a small beach close to São Paulo, right in the middle of the rain forest… water definitely took a major role in our lives. We were living right in between the ocean and a waterfall, it´d rain for days on a roll sometimes and it was an open house where we had the sound of rain 360 degrees around us… I kinda think our music has a little of those different dynamics of water in its different states. Also, it might seem strange but São Paulo is a city in the water too, and it has a very chaotic relationship with it.”
‘The music itself is difficult to pin down: always kinetic and driven by fluid, nimble percussion, with a freeness to the sound overall, but also discipline, as the pair harness and channel the elemental force from which they’ve drawn their inspiration. At times the lines between Takara’s skittish percussion and Boregas’ idiosyncratic synth work and sound manipulation blur into flowing rivers or torrents of sound — here, both water and sound have the ability to awaken in us different memories, and emotional or physical states.
‘We could say say their sound contains clear influences from jazz, classic dub, krautrock, and the outer limits of post-punk. Contemporary allies include Holy Tongue, Shackleton, Oren Ambarchi…’
‘Welcome to the Kalakuta Republic — havin’ a ball.’ Buy this for the wonderful JJD, 23 minutes live and direct, with all the cogs of the Africa 70 band well-oiled and whirring together.
Wildly compelling tapestry of free jazz, dubby electronics, marimba grooves, funk, blues and African folk, recorded in Philadelphia in 1972.
‘My ancestors eventually show up in my music every time I play. I’ve always said that my backyard is Africa.’
Heavy Lloydie Coxsone production (with Sly, Horsemouth, Malawi, Bagga, Chinna, McCook and the rest), featuring Shaka favourites like Homeward Bound and Voice Of The Poor. Tougher than the classic Black Star Liner album.
Big-hearted, wonderful album from 1972, which combines funk with Aylerized gospel and free and soul jazz, without any of them losing out.
Including a killer mix of Homeward Bound, the Creation Steppers’ blazing update of The Skatalites’ Confucius; a heavy Spear and a heavier Fred Locks (with Reggae Reggae Sauce rocking the mic).
The Celtic harpist leading a dozen friends — guitar, piano, violins, flutes, zarb, zither — in spell-binding departures from Breton folk-song, originally released in 1976 but fresh and strange as a vermillion hydrangea in full bloom.
Noguès was to collaborate with Rabih Abou-Khalil, amongst others, but ‘we are reminded here of the Meredith Monk of Greensleeves, there the early albums of Brigitte Fontaine / Areski, elsewhere Emmanuelle Parrenin, Pascal Comelade… Noguès’ poetry is ever-changing: airy (Hunvre), cosmopolitan (Pinvidik Eo Va C’hemener), enigmatic (Ar Bugel Koar), profound (Ar Gemenerez), enchanting (Hirness An Devezhiou). And then there is Marc’h Gouez itself, between nursery rhyme and chamber music, weaving a fabulous, transfixing web. “Brittany equals poetry,” said André… Breton; and Kristen Noguès proves it to be true.’
Lovely stuff; dream-like, captivating; quite different. Check it out.
After two years’ preoccupation with the Miles Davis Quartet, here is Herbie in 1968, ready for the seventies, the old, uptight bebop instincts melting into the balmy, open, innocent textures of fluegelhorn, bass trombone and alto flute, and his own lightly beautiful playing.
‘Classic Vinyl series.’
‘Classic Vinyl.’
The bees knees in soulful rocksteady. The elegant, poised singer rides killer Studio One rhythms by Jackie Mittoo and co, featuring magisterial soloing and beautiful backing vocals. Unmissable classics like How Can I Love Someone and Don’t Know. It’s a must.
Their third LP; generally considered their best. From 1970, with the military crackdown in full swing, and Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil already in exile.
Hard-to-find sides, including a handful of Upsetters and Tubbys, and a late sixties offering — as Winston Cool — engineered by Andy Capp.
Including a secret-weapon version of Baltimore.