Afro

Tired of reading the words “classic”, “masterpiece”, “missing link”, “cult”, “seminal” in every press release? Just trust us on this one: this is the real deal. We have no choice but to use those words and urge you to (re) discover one of the ultimate Afro Disco lost classics. If you’ve never heard it, thank god. If you’re one of the very few connoisseurs who have, get to experience it in a carefully remastered version.How could such a masterpiece stay in obscurity for so long?Well, no one knows where N’draman is. He’s presumed dead, and so is Mr Patrick, the label owner, an ex football player who turned his focus on fashion after suffering a career ending injury.Selling jeans from an outlet in Monrovia (Liberia), he only ventured in the music business for a short period of time, releasing a handful of incredible albums on his Cosmic Sounds imprint. The word on the street was that Nigerian legend William Onyeabor was somehow involved with the production of the album, or maybe playing synths on it. Both those rumours were inaccurate, although N’draman Blintch’s previous and first record “Cikamele”, was indeed recorded at Willfilms, Onyeabor’s studio in Enugu, Nigeria. And some of the musicians playing here were also key members in his pool of session musicians.“Cosmic Sounds” is many things: Psychedelic, politically engaged, funky to death, full of synths, with an artwork to die for, a perfect crossover of African and Western culture. Music for the body and soul. Cosmic disco before the genre even existed. Actually the genre was born the year this record was released. Did Dj Danielle Baldelli hear it? Was it ever played by Larry Levan or Mancuso? In a pre internet era, its unlikely but not impossible. Nowadays most DJs know what’s up now that Africa is on the map. Go and check the discogs page: 550 wants, countless messages of people ready to pay any amount for a copy. The last one sold for 1300 euros, and it was the first to show up for sale in 5 years time.We are extremely honored in carrying the reissue of this gem and have treated the task with utmost respect: both artwork and audio were restored by specialists, and liner notes were written by Temitope Kogbe, an Afro Funk expert who runs the label OdionLivingston, founded with the legendary EMI Nigeria producer Odion Iruoje.38 YEARS AFTER ITS ORIGINAL RELEASE

Selection of all winners from the Music Team label - mid 80s to early 90s gems on here!One of South Africa’s biggest independent labels for more than a decade, Music Team offered working musicians a shot at fame via access to top studios, producers, songwriters and session musicians, as well as distribution via a number of imprints: CTV, Red Label, Solid, Spinna, Mambo Music and others. Artists in the stable who tasted success would typically release a few albums over as many years before moving on to other labels or falling off the radar as times changed. At their peak, according to label boss Maurice Horwitz, Music Team was selling a million records a month, and was at the forefront of South African pop music as it evolved from soul to disco and beyond.Afrosynth Records’ ‘Music Team Sampler’ dusts off six rare and long-forgotten gems from the Music Team catalogue, originally released between 1986 and 1992. Four are typical of the label’s take on the popular ‘bubblegum’ sound of the day — Isaac ‘Cool Cat’ Mofokeng’s ‘Candy’, ‘I Won’t Let You Go’ by Linda Oliphant, Jappie Lebona’s ‘My Love is Yours and ‘Instant Love (Eyami Lendoda)’ by Thandi Zulu (aka TZ Junior). Two instrumentals — Mr. Ace’s ‘Ace 1’ and ‘Axe Chop’ by The Hard Workers, a studio project by Music Team’s in-house producer Tom Mkhize — meanwhile hint at the imminent rise of kwaito and house. Forged in the fire of a cruel and volatile political system that was gradually unraveling, instead of addressing political realities these indelible pop songs sought to provide an escape to a world where love and music were all that mattered.