Soundway レコード& CD

Review: Soundway presents a 7" featuring two rare tracks from Java, Indonesia, recorded in the late 60s. On one side, Rully Djohan delivers a psychedelic organ version of 'Bubuj Bulan', a classic Indonesian song by Benny Corda. On the other side, Munif sings a raw funk tune in Arabic called 'Naghm El Uns'. It amounts to nothing less than a fascinating glimpse into the diverse musical scene of Java at the time.

Review: Eelco Topper's latest release as FELBM is a conceptual affair, with the Dutch producer delivering a 38-minute piece (here split into two parts for vinyl, each of which finishes with a locked groove to give the impression of the track creating an infinite musical loop) that mixes and matches tape loops, cyclical samples, repeating melodic motifs and pastoral-sounding snatches of flute, bansuri, bass trumpet, saxophone and pedal steel. While the concept, inspired by the artist's thoughts about 'the cyclical nature of the world around him" is important, of more significance is the utter brilliance of the piece itself - a genuinely gorgeous, warming, atmospheric and ambient-leaning concoction tailor-made for imagined afternoons in the countryside and woodland walks at dawn.

Review: George and Glen Miller are undoubtedly best known for their West End Records released 1982 boogie-soul classic "Touch Your Life". They released plenty of other records that flitted between soca, reggae, disco, and - in the latter stages of their career - electrofunk. "Easing", which appeared at some point at the turn of the '80s on London label Third World, remains one of their most potent releases - and, in its original form at least, formidably hard to find. This Soundway reissue wisely replicates the track list of the original release, beginning with the title track - a deliciously percussive, musically intricate chunk of peak-time disco smothered in sharp, Afro-funk style horns and George and Glen Miller's lilting reggae-soul style vocals. The flipside "Version" strips out the vocals, allowing listeners to hear in greater detail the pair's impeccable arrangements and instrumentations (particularly the fine orchestration and rich groove).

Review: Blending reggae, disco, soul, funk and roots - comes the reissue of the highly sought-after 7" from 1979 by Gypsy Fari, the first known reggae outfit from Chicago, born in the south side of the city after a chance meeting between St Kitts expat Leroy Webster and local music graduate Kevin Coleman. The pair set out to blur the boundaries of genre with their unique brand of music, spearheaded by Webster's Caribbean roots and fused with the soul and blues of the midwest.On the A-side, 'Chi-Town Reggae' springs out the gate with fast-paced disco-reggae, powered by a relentless rhythm section and Webster's infectious vocal melody. On the flip, 'Hail Jah' is a swaggering, deep roots reggae cut that pays homage to Webster's heritage - which he wrote on the hilltops of the outskirts of Kingston, Jamaica.

Review: Oluko Imo is a legendary figure in Yoruba mythology as well as being revered as one of the progenitors of the Yoruba people. He is believed to be a descendant of Oduduwa, the mythical founder and first king of the Yoruba people, but it's also the name of a Trinidadian musician who blends calypso heritage with Afrobeat and jazz from Nigeria. He recorded his iconic album between Lagos and New York in 1988 and it has long been a cult classic. This reissue features the title track from it - a deep cut and steamy rhythm, and 'Were Oju Le (Eyes Are Getting Red)', a horn led Afro-funk workout.

Review: Soundway brings the West Indian funk from 1977 on the new and raw double-sider. King Wellington's 'Shango' goes first and is a tune taken from his Sooner Or Later album. It now finally makes it onto 45rom for the first time and is inspired by the ritual from which it takes its name with roots in Yoruba culture and hints of Calypso music all powered by hypnotic bass with Wellington's signature vocal adding to this unique Caribbean blend. Canadian musician Tony Springer fronts the B-side cut 'Mystery Man' which is a dreamy and psyched-out trip with electric keys and floating horns.

Review: The Lahaar is a Trans-Tasman collaboration between Julien Dyne, Horatio Luna and Surprise Chef's Lachlan Stuckey, featuring Mara TK and Toby Laing on vocals. Channeling a heady cocktail of inspirations from New York to Lagos, the supergroup easily moves through different styles in quick succession, from uptempo boogie to mega-ploddy dub. Seguing between original bangers and exploitation movie library music, the EP closes on the riveting 'Chase Scene (Part 1)', which casts evadign tjhe law in a surprisingly emotive light.

Review: Soundway Records' marketing team recently described Lord Echo's hook-up with Mara TK, "Sweetest Meditation", as a "high-rolling summertime opus". It's certainly rather good and well worthy of a dedicated 12" single release. The wonderful, jazz-flecked, vibraphone-heavy, dub-disco style original version is featured alongside a brand new Black Ark style instrumental dub (appropriately titled "The Sweetest Dub") which is almost worth the entrance money on its own. There are two fresh remixes, too, from old pal Julien Dyrne and the Lord himself. His "Club Mix", completed on a recent European tour, pushes it further towards leisurely vocal deep house territory whilst retaining many of the elements that made the original version such a sun-kissed summer treat.

Review: After two 45s on Les Disques Bongo Joe, Dutch Afrofunk space cadets make their debut on Soundway with their first full EP. Hurling all their roots and inspirations into a heady, bewitching brew of west African, Columbian, Caribbean, Latin and all-round cosmic fusion, the results are four slabs of world funk gold. "Down In The Basement" updates highlife styles with a salubrious big-bottomed disco twist, "The Opposite" ups the tempo with a little more cumbia charm while "Continue The Fun" adds a dub mentality to the mix as we're chugged to oblivion with heads down introspection. Finally "Tuto Bay" closes somewhere on a Cuban beach with rum-warmed harmonies. Beautiful.

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: The star-studded Sai Galaxy project returns, bringing together West African legends Steve Monite and Rob with multi-instrumentalist Simon Durrington, guitar maestro Alfred Bannerman, and Egypt 80 trumpet player Bade, for a second EP of vital Afro-disco and soul. Following up 2020's 'Get It As You Move' EP, the likes of 'Sometimes It Rains', the homonymous 'Okere', the truth-to-power 'Rich Man, Poor Man', and the live and swinging coda 'Hold Me Tonight' paint a multifaceted picture of a trio, equally as concerned with groove delivery as they are with narrative storytelling. Most emblematic of Sai Galaxy's approach is their inspiration by analog production techniques of similar Afro-soul albums from the 1970s and 80s, adding a modern touch informed by Simon Durrington's Digital Afrika project.

Review: The Yoruba Singers reinterpreted Guyana folk music and infused it with Afro-roots and culture on this double A-side 7". Now for the first time every it gets reissued on vinyl. This release came a year after the group's debut album Ojinga's Own and were recorded in Barbados and released on the Green Shrimp label. They were big regional has with dancers lapping the grooves throughout the Caribbean and South America. The sounds are said to be the building blocks for what went on to become known as the Champeta Criolla sound in the Caribbean coast of Colombia.