Rocafort Spain レコード& CD

Review: It's been a long time between drinks for Outer Space, a Barcelona based six-piece who last appeared on wax in 2019 via a private press edition of their 2017 set Into The Unknown. You'll be delighted to hear that they're in fine fettle on this Rocafort Records-released "45. A-side 'Not Even Light' is a languid but floor-friendly affair, with ear-catching electric guitar melodies, jazz-funk flourishes and snaking horn lines rising above a chunky, loose-limbed funk break. Over on the flip Catalonian singer Gemma Humet handles lead vocals on 'Dead Planet', a filmic affair with subtle jazz overtones that's as atmospheric as they come.

Review: Brass meets hip-hop on this swaggalicious new single from, yes, you guessed it, the Hip Horns Brass Collective. Boasting over eight band members, HHBC have also enlisted the special trumpet chops of local Italian jazz great Tito Bonacera, as well as the production talent of one HOSS$ Benitez, to produce two slow-sauntering, fat, swelling brass clangers. 'Thunder' steals the A, while 'Marathon Runner' is an intriguing, audiophilic and minimal turnover.

Review: Germany's Mighty Mocambos are one of the flagship funk outfits on the scene right now and this new 45rpm on Rocafort Records shows why. It was recorded live on tape during the Queen 16 B-Girl battle in Berlin back in 2022. Opener 'International Cypher' brings a fresh take on funk with oriental overtones thanks to an electric Phin, which is a Thai guitar, being heavily deployed throughout over bristling drums that are raw and hit hard. On the flip, 'Queen 16 Theme' is more lively and loose limbed with a jumble of drums and expressive horns leading the charge.

Review: Spanish reissue label Rocafort present this wonderful slice of highlife from Konkolo Orchestra, this time on nice blue wax as well as a plain black version. It's not exactly clear where, or indeed when, exactly the band came from, but their sound is all you need to worry about. 'Blue G' is a lilting, shuffling message of love and support for future generations, and from the message to the effervescent musicality, it's a no-brainer. On the flip, 'That Good Thing' is an instrumental that spirals outwards on the sweetest keys, joyous brass and dreamy guitar, driven by a pattering drum section to radiate good vibes wherever it's played.

Review: The popular Spanish ensemble Pyramid Blue come back, and do so in brilliantly fantastic fashion with this red-hot new 7" featuring a captivating mix of Afrofunk and Ethio Jazz. Oscar Martos is the composer and producer who heads up this group and is fresh off big collabs with Tito Ramirez. He manages to draw from modern sounds as well as classic genre tropes here and push both into all new ground with 'Lince Rojo' opening up with an enchanting lead and raw rhythms. On the B-side, 'Doctor One' brings a hint of hip hop edge to psyched-out guitars and cosmic synths.

Review: Rocafort Records took a trip to LA last summer to meet Dan Ubick, a multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer and DJ who is also an original member of Breakestra and founding member of reggae bands The Lions and Night Owls. They decided to hook up on this project which he devised as a couple of instrumentals which then changed form and became the Brazilian-inspired hip-hop sounds you can hear on this 7". Percussion player Bobby Easton, singer Diana Purim and Sadat X from NYC's Brand Nubian also helped add some extra colour.