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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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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Artwork by Lewis Heriz
Insólito UniVerso 'Ese Puerto Existe' (Olindo Records) - a review
For their second album for Olindo Records, the Venezuelan trio Insólito UniVerso have gone deep into their country’s musical heritage, exploring rhythms and musical strains whilst adding their own psychedelic, experimental vision. With guests including Stereolab’s Lætitia Sadier, the trio have produced a brilliantly written and produced record that is our favourite album of the year so far and one likely to stay in our boxes for a long time. Read / Listen
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Los Kenya 'Siempre Afro-Latino' (Música Infinita/Olindo Records) - a review
A ridiculously fresh sounding Venezuelan salsa LP reissued for the first time since 1968 from one of the most prolific bandleaders of the time, Ray Perez. Hip, sexy, full of swagger and serious playing, Música Infinita/Olindo Records have done this reissue the right way, with beautiful new artwork and a fat remaster from The Carvery. Read / Listen here
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Photo: Daniel Rodríguez
Isaac Sasson 'Canciones de Isaac' (Olindo Records) - a review
Isaac Sasson has released an album of perfectly poised gentleness containing thirteen evocative folky vignettes of life and family in Venezuela and Barcelona. Field recordings of nature accompany his tender voice, exquisite songwriting and light touch multi-instrumentalism. It’s a stunning record. Read / Listen
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Various Artists 'Color de Trópico Vol. 2' (El Palmas Music) - a review
A top shelf compilation of impossible to find music from Venezuela’s boom years (1966 - 78) touching on cumbia, salsa, folkloric and even localised versions of Fela Kuti and Desmond Dekker to get you moving and smiling… Read / Listen here
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Gerry Weil 'The Message' (Música Infinita) - a review
A superb reissue of Gerry Weil’s funky Jazz-Rock opus ‘The Message’ is a snapshot of 1970’s Venezuela and a reminder that the hippie dreamers could create some serious art amongst the spiritual platitudes…Read / Listen here…
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'Africa is Everywhere' - our programme for Houghton Festival 2018
Following on from last year’s programme of explosive and heavy international rhythms centred on the Tropics, Truth and Lies Music are back to host another all day event of films, music and partying. Africa Is Everywhere explores the global influence of African music captured by a series of curated short films and rare footage, and DJ sets that take you on a journey of the continent’s extraordinary musical legacy. The enduring quality of Ethiopian Jazz, the fierce and funky activism of Afrobeat, the enormous reciprocal relationship with the Americas, and the transcendental voices and electronic music of South Africa are threaded together to tell one of the biggest stories in dance music. With DJ sets from South African DJ SNO (Dimensions Directory/Banana Hill), Dr Horn, Truth & Lies Music and Afrodisiac.
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Truth & Lies presents: 'Hip Hop Revolución' Film Screening and DJ Session
Truth & Lies Music Presents a Revolution and Change Special - a free screening of Pablo Navarrete's 'Hip Hop Revolución' (Alborada Films 2015) documentary and a DJ session of music from Venezuela at Rough Trade Nottingham.
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Revolution & Change 'Venezuela & the Tropics' at Houghton Festival 2017
For the inaugural Houghton Festival, Truth & Lies are going to explore ‘Revolution & Change in Venezuela and the Tropics’ through films, talks, design and crates of the funkiest music in the World! (read more to find out what we will be up to...)
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