2018

Kwaito 12-inch featuring two forgotten bass-heavy cuts from South Africa in the early 90s. ''Vanonyana Lava'' by Volcano is a sought after tune right now (so difficult to get an original copy!) while the Beat Gangsters are a new introduction (to us) from Okapi's vaults..TIP! Hot on the heels the label’s debut release Burnin’ Beat, Johannesburg-based Afrosynth Records’ second release is a 12” of two bass-heavy cuts of obscure ‘90s kwaito from South Africa.Founded in the early 80s by Richard Makhubele, Volcano’s signature brand of Shangaan disco made them one of the most popular bands of the ‘bubblegum’ era, releasing a string of big-selling albums with the Gallo label. But by 1993 things in South Africa were changing fast, both politically and musically. Volcano had left Gallo to join Eric Frisch Productions (EFP) in search of greater independence. On their 1993 album Tshigubu Tshanga they began to experiment with the new house-inspired sound of kwaito courtesy of producer Malcolm ‘X’ Makume, with one track in particular standing out: ‘Vanonyana Lava’.The song, its title Shangaan for ‘These Women’, is according to frontman Makhubele a simple story “about women in a nightclub or a tavern… You buy the women their drinks, but when they’re finished drinking then they run away.” More important than the lyrics is the song’s massive bass hook and distinctly South African groove, which 25 years after its original release have put it back in demand for DJs and diggers mining the South African sound for fresh inspiration.‘Vanonyana Lava’ was a notable departure from the typical Volcano sound. “Kwaito music was becoming bigger, more powerful,” remembers Makhubele of the band’s foray into kwaito. “So we decided to do at least a track and see if people would love it, then we’d do more. By that time the Volcano sound was very popular, and that kwaito sound was slowly coming in the market. Our fans were happy for it.”Volcano soon followed this early kwaito success with The Bold & The Beautiful in 1994, the year of South Africa’s first democratic elections. But with the drastic changes of the decade the band was soon relegated to history as a new generation of young kwaito stars became the voice of South Africa’s youth.On the flip-side of this new release is an even more obscure track from the record bag of Afrosynth Records’ DJ Okapi. The Beat Gangsters were a short-lived studio project made up of Willi Mau Mau and Mad T Doctor, in-house producers for Mob Music, an independent label set up by Eric Frisch (after the demise of EFP) that put out a string of influential club releases in the mid-90s, among the last albums to be pressed to vinyl in South Africa. Named after a popular South African brand of gum, ‘Chappies’ was originally released on the 1995 album Mob Table Dance.

2018 RepressNew Artwork! One of the most mysterious and outsider 'Soca' 45s out there by H.M. 'These Eyes' Timothy.The A-side 'Let Me Love' sounds like doo wop recorded with Oluko Imo's gear. And the B-side 'Soca Hustle' sounds like the Residents jamming a Marvin Whoremonger song with Augustus Pablo. The original 45 is so obscure that even his siblings didn't know that he made music. And rumour has it that, frustrated by its lack of success, Michael threw most of the copies of the 45 in the valley beside his family's house in the hills just outside Port Of Spain. One-time pressing of 500 copies.

From a lost Australian electronic soul gem, to a cult classic: Shahara-Ja’s ‘I’m An Arabian Knight’ has gained much momentum since it’s 2017 reissue, so much so that the Egyptian Lover reached out to the label proclaiming he’d do a remix. The electro innovator who the original release appears to be highly inspired by seemed like a perfect fit for this sleazy late Night groover. The result is 3 fresh mixes using elements of the original session tapes and the perfect touch of the Egyptian Lover’s signature 808

Early Sounds presents this compilation of Qvark’s demo recordings (early 80’s band from Milan) which is an important find to define the sound of late 70's and early 80's Italian club sound.Milan, Italy, 1983. In the midst of the 80s economic boom, which gave an injection of optimism after the heavily political 70s, a group of young local musicians meet every night in a basement to rehearse and record a peculiar breed of Italian disco music.Originated from the ashes of various other projects, and rooted in the broader jazz-funk tradition, the group creates music which is equally inspired by contemporary fusion as well as by the first wave of the italo-disco sound. Over approximately 3 years the band has recorded and played live, until the dismantling of the project towards the mid 80's.Fast forward 35 years and the genuinely mediterranean flavor of Qvark's demo recordings are still enjoyable, both for the actual resurgence of the Italian disco tradition and for the groovy quirkiness of a project which has been too long forgotten. After an intense work of audio restoration of such tapes, heavily affected by time, Early Sounds presents a compilation which is an important find to define the sound of late 70's and early 80's Italian club sound."

New Kenny Dixon release - two of his trademark soulful, jazz fused house cuts.

The comeback of the growing bin‘s favourite private german Jazz Funk gem.Spring is in the air and groove is in the heart for Hamburg’s most loveable record label. Following the freak beat festival of Wolf and Wandt’s ‘Instrumentalmusik’ comes a release that’s been in the pipeline since the organic imprint first took root; the first reissue of the beautiful ’Señora’. Beguiling and brilliant, this private press princess makes you want to dance, dream and do cartwheels, then breaks your heart when you realise you’ll never meet her - a rare beauty indeed. So it’s time to let Basso play cupid and introduce you to the love of your life.Eagle eyed associates might recognise the sleeve as Basso’s everyday avatar, chosen in tribute to his favourite jazz-funk record of all time. Originally released in limited quantities back in 1981, the self titled ‘Señora’ was the sole release from a quartet of German groove maniacs, coming together in one ecstatic union of rhythmic precision, smooth riffing and melodic mastery. Take opener ‘Paul’ for example; a continent away from the West End, this sublime slice of raw guitar, silken keys and gliding bass could have made Mel Cheren proud. From there we’re taken on a journey through the syncopated slide of the jazzy ‘My Way, Your Way’, the samba sway of the mild and mellow ‘Easy Going’ and the poetic piano of ‘Pearl’, a triumphantly esoteric tone poem to close the A-side. ‘Señora’ ups the tempo on the flipside, galloping through tight triplets, fusion guitar and mind expanding synth play. The B2 brings a strolling bassline and tender tonality, executed with all the ease of the Sunday morning which dawns on the extended and expansive cooler which brings the LP to its final emotional release.