Alem vinyl

Tel Aviv based Afrobeat combo Hoodna Orchestra first caught our attention with their fine 2015 debut album, Let Go. They've apparently spent much of the last 12 months working with Ethiopian musicians, with the fruits of their collaborative labours due for release over a series of tidy 7" singles. This one sees them working with singer and poet Demisu Belete, whose superb vocals rise above the band's brilliant, laidback Afrobeat backing on A-side "Alem". The flipside "Dub Alem" goes even further, incorporating traditional instrumentation from the Adyabo Ensemble on a superb chunk of "Ethio-Dub" that fuses that past and present in fine style.