12"

The Sofrito Super Singles series is on the cusp of double figures and this offering from collective main man Frankie Francis and the excellent Simbad might just be their best work so far. As ever with Sofrito, there's a sense of music education that comes with this record as the label shines the light on Gwo Ka - the folkloric rhythm of Guadeloupe - and one of its greatest voices in Esnard Boisdur. The focus here is Bosidur's 1991 track "Soufwans" (which translates as Sufferance for those not au fait with Guadeloupian) which in the hands of Francis and Simbad is flipped into a hypnotic house production replete with deep bassline and some killer synths. The accompanying dub mix will probably appeal to the deeper house selectors too as there's some killer drum programming on that one.

Ace London tropical disco crew Sofrito return with another crucial twelve that introduces both us and you to the lesser spotted Nigerian Acid Boogie! The epitome of hen's teeth rarity, Benis Cletin's "Jungle Magic" was originally out on Afrodisia in 1979, and still sounds absolutely amazing today. A tough bassline combines effortlessly with a thumping groove that sits between Lagos and Detroit, whilst a brilliantly crazy acid synth lead lends the track a truly psychedelic edge. Add to this the vocal elements that channel the spirits of Donna Summer and Lee Perry and you cannot help but dance. The flip is just as good, "Money Makes Man Mad" launching straight into an infectious uptempo groove of percussion, funked out guitar licks and cowbell. The playful rhythmic interchange between the organ flourishes and storms of gut punching percussion lay will have explosive results. Highly recommended!

Repress of the debut Sofrito Super Singles which celebrates the Afro-disco and boogie scene of South Africa, - where Salsoul meets Soweto. Comes housed in a new look Sofrito house sleeve. The three track EP features Teaspoon & The Waves - led by veteran alto player Teaspoon Ndelu. They released one album in 1980, covering a mix of disco and funk sounds for the SA dancefloors. Oh yeh Soweto is a cheeky version of Lamont Dozier's Going Back To My Roots - changing the lyrics and toughening up the beats, but with the same killer riffs. Saturday Night Special is from the same LP, a spaced out Afro Disco groove with excellent percussion and psychedelic synths, re-edited by the Sofrito team. The B side features a track by the Nzimande Allstars - another mysterious group of session musicians. The drawn out groove of Highway Sporo Disco fuses a heavy disco backing with jive guitar and stellar horns and organ for a unique taste of the underground sound of the Cape.