Our favourite Venezuelan polymath Alex Figueira is back with another full length album of burning hot ‘tropical’ psychedelic dancers. For once, he doesn’t do everything himself, inviting the members of the live incarnation of his Conjunto Papa Upa band to bring their instrumental magic to his ever-improving songwriting and vocal chops. With over two dozen genres mashed into this Latin music charged feast, ‘Fruta Madura’, has fire, wit and groove in its belly. Read / Listen.
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Empanadas Ilegales 'La Danza Del Vampiro' (We Are Time) - preview
The Canada-based psyche-cumbia outfit Empanadas Ilegales have a new live album out in April that showcases their irresistible party-starting chops but for now we have this zinger of a first single to enjoy. 'La Danza Del Vampiro' buzzes and vamps with energy and unhinged groove. Read / Listen
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The Belgian Soundtrack: A Musical Connection of Belgium with Cinema (1961-1979) (Sdban Ultra)
If you’re a fan of film soundtracks, sample-hunting or just a lover of evocative music, then this new compilation from the excellent Belgian label Sdban Records is for you. After the discovery of 650 soundtrack LPs in the attic of a former film journalist, the soundtrack addicts and researchers Robin Broos and Tom ‘Pélé’ Peeters waded through the entirety of the haul to bring us this brilliant collection of music that has in various ways, a Belgian connection. There are barely known composers and there are the super-famous, all of them are great. Read / Listen.
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Daniel Ögren 'Fastingen-92' (Mr Bongo) - a review
Originally released in 2020 on Sing A Song Fighter, Daniel Ögren’s brilliantly uncategorisable 'Fastingen-92' LP is being lovingly repressed by Brighton’s Mr Bongo (sing hossana!). A founding member of cosmic soul outfit Dina Ögon and a contributor to Sven Wunder’s musical universe, Daniel is a prime example of Sweden’s new golden age of musicians, producers and labels. Hugely ambitious in scope, he slides easily from cinematic orchestral grooves into Balearic dreamscapes via pan-global dancing oddities without ever being too difficult to understand. In an alternative dimension, this would be topping the mainstream charts. Read / Listen.
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Coco María presents Club Coco ¡AHORA! The Latin sound of now (Bongo Joe) - a review
The acclaimed DJ and radio host Coco María has curated a second compilation of contemporary Latin sounds for Bongo Joe but this time she has passed her cultured eye over the more untamed pan-global proponents of the music and it is brilliant! With contributions from Truth & Lies favourites Alex Figueira and Acid Coco via tracks from scene godfather Eblis Álvarez and wild grooves from Guess What and Candeleros to moments of joyful melody from Las Mijas, this is an essential record for lovers of Latino or tropical psychedelic sounds. Read / Listen.
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Yandl Shyr 'EAD Vol. 1' (Phlexx Records) - a review
Yandl Shyr’s new album for Nottingham’s Phlexx Records is a sprawling and surprising record of psychedelic-indie-electronica initiated by a 6 month journey across Europe and the entwined connections that revealed themselves to him. Not an artist easy to pigeonhole, fans of Tame Impala, Beta Band, UMO, Deerhunter et al will surely find something here to love. Read / Listen
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Alex Figueira 'Mentallogenic' (Music With Soul) - a review
Considering the amount of other projects he has headed, it is surprising how it is only now that we have a debut solo album from the Tropical-Punk auteur Alex Figueira! Written, performed and recorded over a nine day sleepless session, the Venezuelan Amsterdam-based one-man bandito has created an hallucinogenic funk album that draws as much from African, Caribbean and South American music as it does weirdo European cinematic and krautrock ingredients. Read / Listen
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Les Abranis 'Amazigh Freedom Rock 1973-1983' (Bongo Joe) - a review
Bongo Joe have curated a banging compilation of the Berber (Amazigh) expats Les Abranis’ journey from garage rock to disco and beyond. A melting pot of Kabyle traditional sounds and western influences, this is no ordinary tale. Read / Listen
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“Pierre Barouh and the Saravah Sound” (WEWANTSOUNDS) - a review
Saravah was one of the most influential French labels of the 60s and 70s, and Pierre Barouh, singer, composer and producer extraordinaire, was a master at harnessing disparate talents, creating one of the best musical catalogues anywhere. Out there jazz and French underground pop collide with Brazilian and African flavours that sound as exciting now as when they were created. In partnership with Barouh’s son, Benjamin, WEWANTSOUNDS have given us the first ever retrospective of the revolutionary Saravah sound on vinyl and it is immaculate. Read / Listen
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Champyun Clouds 'Champyun Clouds' (Hongo Malo) - an interview & review
Champyun Clouds are Neil Tolliday (aka Nail) and Asa Hudson and during lockdown they have churned out a whole load of great tunes that bridge the gap between The Beta Band, odd soundtracks, Serge Gainsbourg, Flaming Lips and deep electronic warmth seemingly effortlessly. Read / Listen here.
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University Challenged 'Oh Temple!' (Hive Mind Records) - a review
Oh Temple! is a breathtaking double vinyl release of sprawling kosmische spectacle from the brilliantly named University Challenged out now on Hive Mind Records. A psychedelic supergroup who draw us into their dreamlike world via vintage synths, grungy bass lines, pastoral and tape-manipulated guitars, static, dust, vocal samples and illusory field recordings creating an inner-outer soundtrack of wide-eyed wonder. Read / Listen / Watch the ace videos here…
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