Conch Records
Various - Diablos Del Ritmo (ANALOG AFRICA)
Available Here on 2xCD, 2LP Part 1 here, 2LP Part 2 Here
Track List & Soundclips:
01 | Wganda Kenya | El Caterete | clip | |||
02 | Julian y su Combo | Enyere Kumbara | clip | |||
03 | Myrian Makenwa | Amampondo | clip | |||
04 | Wasamaye Rock Group | Wasamaye | clip | |||
05 | Grupo Abharca | Shallcarri | clip | |||
06 | Sexteto Manaure | Bajo El Trupillo Guajiro | clip | |||
07 | Fuentes All Stars | Pégale a La Nalga | clip | |||
08 | Grupo Folclórico | Juipiti | clip | |||
09 | Wganda Kenya | Shakalaodé | clip | |||
10 | Los Salvajes | Amor Salvaje | clip | |||
11 | Calixto Ochoa y Los Papaupas | Lumbalu | clip | |||
12 | Abelardo Carbono | Quiero Mi Gente | clip | |||
13 | Conjunto Son San | Cumbia San Pablera | clip | |||
14 | Conjunto Barbacoa | Calambre | clip | |||
01 | Sonora Dinamita | Eco en Stereo | clip | |||
02 | Peyo Torres y sus Diablos del Ritmo | La Veterana | clip | |||
03 | Sonora Tropical | Lluvia | clip | |||
04 | Pianonegro | La Cascada | clip | |||
05 | Andrés Landero | Busca La Careta | clip | |||
06 | Alejandro Durán | Cumbia Costeña | clip | |||
07 | Andrés Landero | La Pava Congona | clip | |||
08 | Ramiro Beltrán | Agoniza El Magdalena | clip | |||
09 | Cresencio Camacho | Santana en Salsa | clip | |||
10 | Los Alegres Diablos | La Motilona | clip | |||
11 | Cumbia Soledeña | El Garabato | clip | |||
12 | J. Alvear | Cumbia Cincelejana | clip | |||
13 | Juan Piña Y su Muchachos | La Nena | clip | |||
14 | Roberto de la Barrerra y su Piano | Sabrosón | clip | |||
15 | Los Curramberos de Guayabal | La Bulla | clip | |||
16 | Conjunto Típico del Valledupar | La Pegajosa | clip | |||
17 | Carmelo Gutiérrez Y Su Conjunto | Fantasías Del Carnaval | clip | |||
18 | Alfredo Gutiérrez y sus Estrellas | Pájaro Madrugador | clip |
There are a number of theories as to how, in the mid-20th century, African music made its way to Colombia’s vibrant port city of Barranquilla, today’s mecca of Caribbean tropical music flled with the chaos of loud music, frenetic taxis, delicious Sancocho soup aromas and a charminglycolourful aura. Some maintain that a man named “Boquebaba” remains responsible. Others claim that seafaring traders and merchants imported the frst sizeable amount of African vinyl.
An absolute certainty is that in March 2007 Analog Africa founder Samy Ben Redjeb arrived in Barranquilla, by some still considered the “Golden Gate of Colombia”. Unaware the impact it would have, he brought along several African records to be used as trading currency for Colombian music. Ben Redjeb’s collection allowed contemporary diehard music collectors to fnally hold their cherished records and learn the real names of many of their favourite songs, which they had heard through coastal sound systems for nearly three decades. In return, the gesture opened pathways to depths of Colombian music the likes of which he would not have encountered otherwise.
After half a decade in which seven expeditions were made to Barranquilla, Analog Africa is honoured to present “Diablos del Ritmo,” an anthology of – and tribute to – the immense sound of 1970s Colombia. Thousands of records were collected, boiling down to a colourfully diverse selection of 32 tracks (available on double CD, 2 x double LP and digital format), split between Afrobeat, Afrofunk, Psychedelia-inspired rhythms on Part 1 and an array of danceable tropical rhythms on Part 2.
Perhaps nothing epitomizes the lush tropical character of Colombia’s Caribbean coast more than Barranquilla’s carnival, the city’s most important cultural event. The pridefully celebrated occasion was once a grand stage on which record labels of the ‘70s would competitively showcase their best material for the frst time to an endearing public. Competitions continue to take place these days to crown the collector with the most exclusive tracks – and some have been won in recent years with records provided by Analog Africa’s founder. This sort of exchange between African and Colombian music typifes what was happening beneath the surface in 1970s Colombia.
Colombian music in general, especially the music from the Caribbean coast, is heavily infuenced by the drums, percussion and chanting of African rhythms. Music from big players of the day – from Nigeria, Congo, Ivory Coast and Cuba – entered Barranquilla constantly. Afrobeat, Terapia and Lumbalú clashed efortlessly with the tropical sounds of Puya, Porro, Gaita, Cumbiamba, Mapelé and Chandé to create a rich amalgam of irresistible dance music while traditional styles were refned by an elite cadre of accordion players that included Alejandro Duran, Alfredo Gutierrez, Calixto Ochoa, Anibal Velasquez and Andres Landero.
Signifcantly, Colombia is home to the largest black population in the Hispanic world and second only to Brazil in Latin America. And, as such, communities of African descendants, like the Champetuos and the Cimarrones, were empowered by the thick African ether consuming the country, and stirred the musical melting pot even more. The heights Afro-Colombian music had reached by the early ‘80s was nothing short of exceptional. But, none of it could have been possible without two vital engines. One was the Picó sound systems – roaming street clubs dedicated to mobilizing and spreading the rawest music of Africa, the Caribbean and the rest of the transatlantic black world. The second were forwarding-thinking producers. Discos Tropical, named after the palm tree-flled tropical character of Barranquilla, Felito Records and Machuca, amongst several other key players, governed and diversifed the psychedelic and coastal music scene of Colombia.
Alongside an all-encompassing 60-page booklet inclusive of 40 vintage photographs, 24 interviews and documented frst-hand knowledge, the deep cuts of Analog Africa’s 12th compilation will instantly transport any listener to Colombia’s thriving Caribbean coast to indulge in the succulent belly of tropical music’s untold historic tales.
Please note: The 32 songs will all be included on the double CD. For the vinyl release they will be divided into 2 separately available double LPs.
PART ONE: Funky & Psychedelic Sounds (Afrobeat, Palenque Sounds, Tropical Funk, Terapia) PART TWO: Tropical music (Puya, Porro, Gaita, Cumbambia, Mapalé, Chandé)
UPCOMING: Heliocentrics - 13 Degrees Of Reality (NOW AGAIN)
Due out April 2013 on CD & 2LP, to pre-order please contact us at info@conch.co.nz
The Heliocentrics' debut album, Out There (2007) was a confounding piece of work. Drawing equally from the funk universe of James Brown, the disorienting asymmetry of Sun Ra, the cinematic scope of Ennio Morricone, the sublime fusion of David Axelrod, Pierre Henry's turned-on musique concrète, and Can's beat-heavy Krautrock, Out There pointed the way towards a brand new kind of psychedelia, one that could only come from a band of accomplished musicians who were also obsessive music fans. Drummer Malcolm Catto and bassist Jake Ferguson are the Heliocentrics' masterminds and producers, and guitarist Ade Owusu, percussionist Jack Yglesisas and keyboardist Ollie Parfitt hold constant presence within this ever-evolving ensemble.
They have been playing together for over a decade and their collective drive is to find an individual voice. The Heliocentrics search for it in an alternate galaxy where the orbits of funk, jazz, psychedelic, electronic, avant-garde and "ethnic" music all revolve around "The One." Back at Now-Again with 13 Degrees of Reality, the Heliocentrics have returned to develop this epic vision of psychedelic funk, while exploring the possibilities created by their myriad influences - Latin, African, and more. Thus, the electro-Latin fusion of "Descarga Electronica" sits next to weeping strings piled atop "Collateral Damage's" chunky rhythms, which nearly misses the undulating swing of "Wrecking Ball," a dirge as irresistibly funky as it is devastating. No surprise, then, that the Heliocentrics have earned lifetime fans in the likes of questing spirits like Madlib (with whom Catto has collaborated on numerous Yesterdays New Quintet projects), DJ Shadow (both as a touring ensemble and in the studio), Quantic and Ethiopian jazz giant Mulatu Astatke, with whom the Heliocentrics recorded and released Inspiration Information 3, the fourth classic Mulatu album - released nearly forty years after his other three. Out There may have been one hell of an opening volley, but having spent some years in the wild running among mavericks like Astatke and Oriental Jazz pioneer Lloyd Miller, the Heliocentrics have realized that their strongest statements are made somewhere between the persistent fuzz of Owusu's distorted guitar, Catto's impossible syncopation and Ferguson's looping bass lines. 13 Degrees of Reality is one of the most distinctive musical statements you'll hear all year. As promised, we’re giving away one freebie from the album – the stalking, smashing, psych-funk dronefest that is “Wrecking Ball.” If you like what you hear – and we’re sure that fans of Jake Ferguson and Malcolm Catto’s dense production will – then stay tuned. There’s quite a lot more to come. Download: Heliocentrics “Wrecking Ball” Tracklist & Soundclips: SIDE A: 1. Feedback (Intro) 2. Ethnicity 3. Public Safety 4. Mysterious Ways 5. Dreams 6. Collateral Damage SIDE B: 1. Outtake (Interlude) 2. Freeness Part 2 3. Wrecking Ball (Prelude) 4. Wrecking Ball 5. Mind Readers 6. Descarga Electronica SIDE C: 1. A Musical Conspiracy (Interlude) 2. Eastern Begena 3. Hall Of Mirrors (Interlude) 4. Mr. Owusu, I Presume? 5. The Abstract & The Absolute (Interlude) SIDE D: 1. Black Sky 2. Prepare For Lift-Off (Interlude) 3. Path Of The Black Sun 4. Calabash 5. Vibrations Of Fallen Angels (Outro)Various - Jazz Noire 2LP (FANTASTIC VOYAGE)
DARKTOWN SLEAZE FROM THE MEAN STREETS OF 1940S LA
Available Here on 2LP
In response to the great popularity of the CD editions of Jazz Noire and Drink Up – Light Up!, and to meet the demands of vinyl collectors, Fantastic Voyage now releases highlights of both compilations as 2LP vinyl editions, limited to 500 copies.
Jazz Noire is your soundtrack to the mean streets of Los Angeles in the post-war 1940s. This 28-track 2LP selection from the 50-track 2CD set presents studio recordings by the era’s most famous musicians, many of whom were based in, or were habitués of the bars and theatres of The City Of Angels. For music-lovers, Jazz Noire constitutes a fascinating survey of the evolving jazz scene in a period when big band swing was losing ground to smaller jazz combos and the bebop style was developing. It was also the time when what is now known as rhythm & blues was in its infancy. Many of the finest performers of the era are showcased here on studio recordings chosen both for their quality and their ability to evoke the dramatic mood of classic film noir.
The cover and insert text of Jazz Noire have been carefully designed to pay homage to the hard-boiled, lurid detective fiction of the period, the perfect packaging for a compilation which will appeal both to L.A. Noire devotees and also to those looking for an atmospheric survey of the immediate post-war jazz and R&B scene.
TRACKLIST
SIDE 1
- Harlem Nocturne (Johnny Otis, His Drums and His Orchestra)
- If I Ever Find You, Baby (Buddy Johnson and His Orchestra)
- Don’t Explain (Billie Holiday)
- Skid Row Blues (Jimmy Witherspoon with Jay McShann and His Orchestra)
- Gone Again (Wini Brown with Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra)
- LA Blues (Crown Prince Waterford)
- All The Things You Are (Dizzy Gillespie Sextet)
- ’Round About Midnight (Thelonious Monk Quintet)
- Good Dues Blues (Alice Roberts with Dizzy Gillespie and His Orchestra)
- Money Hustlin’ Woman (Amos Milburn)
- You Can’t Tell Who’s Lovin’ Who (Ella Johnson with Buddy Johnson and His Orchestra)
- Weird Nightmare (Claude Trenier with Charles Mingus Sextette)
- Marijuana (Julia Lee)
- Solitude (Leo Parker’s All Stars)
SIDE 2
- Midnight Sun (Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra)
- Pacific Coast Blues (Dinah Washington with Lucky Thompson’s All Stars)
- I Wonder Where Our Love Has Gone (Arthur Prysock with Buddy Johnson and His Orchestra)
- Interlude (Sarah Vaughan with Dizzy Gillespie and His Orchestra)
- Why’d You Do It, Baby? (Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five)
- Billie's Blues (Billie Holiday with Eddie Heywood and His Trio)
- No Eyes Blues (Lester Young and His Sextet)
- Goofin’ Off (Illinois Jacquet and His All Stars)
- Dark Shadows (Charlie Parker Quartet feat. Earl Coleman)
- I Sold My Heart To The Junkman (Etta Jones with JC Heard and His Orchestra)
- San Francisco Fan (Cab Calloway and His Orchestra)
- Fine And Mellow (Nellie Lutcher and Her Rhythm)
- Whiskey And Jelly-Roll Blues (Wynonie “Mr Blues” Harris and His All-Stars)
- Far Cry (Buddy Johnson and His Orchestra)
FaltyDL - Hardcourage (NINJA TUNE)
Available here on CD, here on 2LP+MP3
Welcome if you will, to the coming of age of FaltyDL, AKA Drew Lustman. A producer who's already carved out a name as one of the most exciting talents to emerge in electronic music of late, he's released albums on Planet Mu, supported Radiohead (and topped Thom Yorke's office playlist,) as well as remixed the XX, Scuba and Mount Kimbie - to name but a few. He also has his own label, Blueberry Records, in collaboration with which Ninja Tune presents 'Hardcourage.'
'Hardcourage' is the NYC-based Lustman's masterpiece: an electronic opus inspired by love and crafted with renewed intent and dedication. Lustman often makes mention of attempting to channel the music in his head, to allow it to pour forth direct from his subconscious. In 'Hardcourage' it seems he's succeeded. The music here feels incredibly natural, the songs taking the most perfect of shapes, their emotive rise and swell both subtle and immensely powerful.
Halfway through making the album, Lustman fell in love - the object of his affections rapidly becoming his muse. He's been very lucky in more ways than one: 'Hardcourage' is full of uplift, energy and purpose - it genuinely feels like all the best parts of falling in love.
The album's opener 'Stay, I'm Changed' is much more than just a track that happens to come first, it genuinely opens the album, setting the tone and enticing the listener in to the self-contained world within. From its initially tentative, horn-like synths, it gradually grows in urgency, drama and emotional depth.
Second single 'She Sleeps' is the only vocal track on the album, featuring a brilliant, haunting turn from The Friendly Fires' Ed Macfarlane. The pair bonded over a shared love for garage music, (ironically, garage being the sound Falty has moved away from on the album.) The collaboration feels instinctive and inspired, two minds meeting to make a song with a purity and vulnerability not often found in electronic music.
‘Finally Some Shit/ The Rain Stopped’ feels like the blues lifting. Its pattering drums bring to mind rain against a windowpane, the driving bassline is like renewed resolve captured in music. ‘Hardcourage’ is about ‘when things are in Limbo and having the courage to carry on,’ says Lustman, and nowhere is that more in evidence than here.
The album’s first single ‘Straight and Arrow’ summarises the musical direction Lustman has taken with ‘Hardcourage.’ His move away from a US take on garage has resulted in a masterful brand of atmospheric, soul-drenched house and electronica. As you'd expect, Falty has applied as much vision to the album's close as he has its beginning. 'Bells' has a strong claim to be electronica's greatest love song. Like the clouds parting, the heart leaping, the world seeming to chime with happiness, it's the perfect end to the perfect declaration of love.
‘I didn't make this album with the intent of sharing all of it,’ Lustman has said. That’s obviously served him well. Luckily for us, share it he has.
Track List & Soundclips:
01 | Stay I'm Changed | clip | ||||
02 | She Sleeps | clip | ||||
03 | Straight & Arrow | clip | ||||
04 | Uncea | clip | ||||
05 | For Karme | clip | ||||
06 | Finally Some Shit / The Rain Stopped | clip | ||||
07 | Kenny Rolls One | clip | ||||
08 | Korben Dallas | clip | ||||
09 | Re Assimilate | clip | ||||
10 | Bells | clip |
Drew Lustman aka FaltyDL was born and grew up in New Haven, Connecticut. It’s a place best known as the home of top Ivy League establishment Yale University. Other than that, Lustman explains “it’s a big ghetto.” The young Lustman found himself bouncing between these two worlds, not entirely comfortable in either. “i was a shitty student,” he explains. “I barely graduated, did a lot of drugs, and ended up in rehab at 16/17. Music was my way to get out of it.” He started off playing in jazz and rock bands, but by 19 he’d decided to go it alone and named himself FaltyDL.
There followed a few years of intensive music making interpersed with attempts to find a home for what he was making. Eventually Mike Paradinas of the legendary Planet Mu said he’d release the young producer’s records, “a huge moment,” Falty remembers. Shortly after, he relocated to New York and it was here that his musical career really took off. “My good friend Boxcutter advised me to the slow the BPM down to like 130BPM and was sending me a lot of garage-influenced stuff like Horsepower and El-B, and I started making "Love is a Liability."” Since then, Lustman has looked to expand and evolve his signature sound over two albums, an EP and three singles for the label. In addition, he has released an afrobeat-inspired 12”, “Mean Streets Pt 1” with Loefah’s Swamp81 label, a single on Ramp backed with a remix from Jamie XX and begun releasing collaborations with Machinedrum online. An in-demand remixer, he has made versions for the likes of Seun Kuti (Fela’s son), Mount Kimbie, The XX, Scuba, Photek, Anthony Shake Shakir and others. Recently he supported Radiohead in New York and topped Thom Yorke’s office playlist. In additon to all this, he set up his own label, Blueberry Records, named for both the fruit and the Blueberry Hill he used to climb near his grandmother’s house.
But if FaltyDL was known for his own twisting of the garage template (a music which had crossed the Atlantic, mutated, and now come back to be twisted again) his new music signals another change. “I've moved completely away from that sound,” he says. “Production-wise it’s the best thing I've ever done. It’s about getting sounds I hear out of my head onto the software/synths I’m writing on. Filtering through the sounds in my subconcious. This is the closest I've ever got." Partly the changes are down to that old black magic, love. Lustman met his girlfriend mid-way through the writing of the record (shortly after signing to that cupid amongst labels, Ninja Tune!) and she “became my muse. I didn't make this album with the intention of sharing all of it. Of course some of it, but most was made for one person in particular.” And, more than anything else, that honesty and intimacy shines through.
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