Back catalogue: International

Review: Ever-reliable funk fusionist Bosq has scored another hit here, this time with the help of Favourite Recordings regular Pat Kalla, a talented French poet and singer. 'Mouna Power' is another great example of Bosq's ability to successfully meld together elements of Afrobeat, Afro-Cuban music and tropical grooves, adding layers of colourful instrumentation (bass, keys, horns, guitars and so on). The excellent original version comes backed with a longer, slightly tougher but no less warming and kaleidoscopic 'Dancefloor Dub'. It contains most of the vocals, more percussion and a greater role for the killer bassline and is probably our pick of the mixes

Review: Africa Seven's A7 Edits offshoot has already proved to be one of the better re-edit series around, primarily because they consistently employ some of the best re-editors in the business, offering them the opportunity to select tracks they want to rework from the parent label's vast catalogue of licensed cuts. This edition - the seventh EP to date - is another action-packed winner. Rising star Alan Dixon delivers a lightly tooled-up, all-action revision of Gyedu Bley Amadou's tropical disco classic 'Highlife', before Barcelona-based John Talabot and Pional re-frame Ekambi Brilliant's 'Afrika Afrika' as a kind of Afro-post-punk/dub disco mash-up. Over on side B, Escapade dances through a bouncy disco-house take on Pasteur Lappe's 'Na Real Sekele Fo Ya', while Jacques Renault expertly rearranges Michael Amara's Afro-disco-funk staple 'New Bell'.

Review: Recorded in a single weekend, 'Yagana' is a choice afro-disco and synth collab from Margate 5-piece Pigeon. With the band drunkenly forming after a pub session, it's got Guinean singer Falle Nioke heading up frontman duties, while Graham Godfrey on drums, Steve Pringle on keys, Tom Dream on guitar and Josh Ludlow on bass take up phat instrumental space. The result is a cosmic space jam and call into a cold universe, facing eternity with a friendly, synthy, and even grungy sonic greeting: "it's been a while".

Review: Pigeon only debuted back in 2022 with their well recorded Yagana EP and it soon won the five-piece band plenty of fans. They now serve up something equally as fresh and that develops their sound further. It is still rooted in Afro-disco but with elements of rock, new wave, synth pop, no wave, jazz and electro. Synths and drum machines define the sounds but with plenty of DIY spirit, all of which has won them continued support from tastemakers as diverse and influential as Gilles Peterson, Elton John and Iggy Pop. These are cultured and authentic summer sounds perfect for days dancing in the rays.

Review: After a string of sought-after releases on labels like Barefoot Beats, Cocada Music, Bongo Synth and Too Slow To Disco, Bernardo Pinheiro brings his seasoned production skills to Onda Boa. It's nothing short of miraculous that this release is considered an effort in 'production' over composition, as these tracks could fool anyone into thinking they were recorded by a live band. That's part of the art, though: with Pinheiro described as a "man at home working in a myriad of styles", we truly do have a jazzdance production master on our hands, and this time he covers from scratch Marcos Valle and Azymuth's classic 'Virabrequim'. On the B, there's also an organic broken beat remix by fellow producer Voilaaa, who demonstrates an equal taste for retraining a live feel in their productions.

Review: Populous's Moonbaton Vol. 1 marks a strong return to Wonderwheel Recordings, offering a tantalizing glimpse into the darker realms of instrumental reggaeton and moombahton. With tracks like 'Flauta Magica, which intricately weaves brooding synths and dembow beats with ethereal flute melodies and 'Sapo,' a foreboding journey layered with monstrous basslines and whimsical melodies, Populous demonstrates his mastery in crafting atmospheric soundscapes. Hailing from Southern Italy, Populous's global approach to music-making shines through, reflecting his diverse influences and musicological background. With previous releases like Night Safari and Azulejos, Populous has established himself as a versatile artist, while also making waves in the fashion world as a sound designer for renowned brands. Moonbaton Vol. 1 sets the stage for an eagerly anticipated series, promising an enchanting fusion of cosmic inspiration and rhythmic exploration.

Review: Irishman Peter Power has become quite a well known figure in Berlin since moving there several years ago and has been one of the figures behind some of the city's now legendary haunts like Kleine Reise (RIP) and the successful Loftus Hall/Bertrams: which has had a great run thus far too. Now the man behind the Ufordia imprint returns with his second outing on Thomas Von Party's Multi Culti, which itself has also made the move to the German capital. Power delves deep into the exotic here, borrowing heavily from African music and getting very atmospheric and esoteric in the process. The life affirming raindance of "Adama Waro" (original mix) is certainly geared for some moments of truth on the dancefloor. Equally spiritual is the traditional percussion based journey of "Mori Baka" (original mix). There's some great remixes by label manager Dreems and Bucharest duo Khidja: the latter's contributions which shine the most, particularly on their balearica infused/Second Summer of Love sounding remix of "Dansakoni".

Review: Comet's "Disco Highlife" re-edit series continues with an EP that draws together original tracks and reworks from two of the Highlife scene's biggest stars: Ebo Taylor and Pat Thomas. The latter can be found on side A, with the tipsy, synth-driven highlife-boogie fusion of "Enye Woa". This is in turn re-edited by LeonxLeon, who has not only extended the original track but also added some superb new spacey synth solos. Turn to the flip for Ebo Taylor's richly percussive, Hammond-laden disco-highlife bubbler "Atwer Abroba" and Leo Nanjo's brilliant remix, which re-imagines the track as a rubbery chunk of Highlife-house drenched in dub delays.

Review: There is scant little information out there about Yoanson & Karamie. What we do know is that they were young artists from the French African diaspora who met with Nessim Saroussi and his label Ness Music in the late 80s and were encouraged to record the music presented here. It is their only official EP and it is a brilliant mix of Afro-tropical percussions, disco, electro and vocals that call to mind the likes of Arthur Russell. Philippe de Lacroix-Herpin is the man festered here as Prof Jah Pinpin and he brings some of his signature saxophone brilliance to flipside jaunt 'The Final Bird (Le Temps D'une Vie)'.