Tags: Bubblegum

Review: Original copies of T.Z Junior's bubblegum-boogie cut "Sugar My Love" are hard to come by outside of the artist's home country of South Africa. It's been that way since the single was first released on Roy B Records in 1985, hence this tidy reissue from the on-point Jamwax label. The title track remains a breezy, melodious, cheery and soul-flecked treat, with T.Z Junior delivering a brilliantly evocative lead vocal over bustling bubblegum synths, delay-laden machine drums and an inspired electrofunk bassline. "Are You Ready For Love", meanwhile, may not be quite as celebrated but is equally as impressive. It's the kind of sun-kissed "bubblegum" treat that would sound perfect blasting out of a soundsystem on a hot summer's day.

Review: Longtime fans of Vive La Musique's impressive ability to both catalog old and release new music will find much to love in this one. Here they home in on South African composer and bass player Sipho Gumede's 'Something to Say', a stunning six-tracker flaunting the musician's distinctive blend of Afro-boogie with an 80s-style montage feel. Warm, inviting and dreamy, tracks like 'Bayabizana' and 'Something To Say' are sexual and freeing dirges, as suitable for long-haul flights and penthouse cocktails as they are for shouting about new love from the rooftops.

Review: KC