Californian yoga teacher, DJ and ritualist Serge Bandura’s Earthtones project moves from its ambient foundations to the dancefloor with this spiritually-charged blend of deep house warmth, Latin-infused rhythms and killer vocal contributions from collaborators from Colombia, Ecuador and Ethiopia. Ceremonially funky with moments of ocean deep atmosphere, ‘We Can Live Together’ is his prayer for peace. Read / Listen.
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Elijah Minnelli 'Perpetual Musket' (FatCat Records) - a review
Dub provocateur Elijah Minnelli has finally dropped a record with some guest vocalists and it is immense. Real life reggae legends Little Roy and Earl Sixteen, and the younger voices of Shumba Youth and Joe Yorke take turns interpreting old English folk standards over Elijah’s powerful and haunting dub reggae instrumentals. This is a heavyweight release that has already seen praise from folk royalty Peggy Seeger and is bound to find love from the progressive dub-heads as well as the traditionalists. Read / Listen.
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Maddalena Ghezzi & Ruth Goller 'Dolomite' EP (DēngYuè Records) - a review
The rare talents of Maddalena Ghezzi and Ruth Goller come together for the fifth in Maddalena’s ‘Minerals’ series of releases - a remarkable multilingual odyssey about the journey of water through the Tyrolean mountain range. Reflecting on grief, climate change and shared personal histories, this is improvisational music at its most beautiful. Strange, magical and earthy, ‘Dolomite’ deserves your immersion. 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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Luzmila Carpio 'Inti Watana: El Retorno del Sol' (ZZK) - a review
The great Bolivian Andean singer, producer and activist Luzmila Carpio hasn’t released a new album in a decade (she has made over 25 though!) but she is now back with a beautiful collaboration with Argentinian folktronica producer Leonardo Martinelli that is both charming and deeply emotional in equal measure. Luzmila’s voice has lost none of its power or childlike wonder and her songs of ritual, communion and ceremony merge seamlessly with Martinelli’s soundscapes. A triumph. Read / Listen
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Artwork by Issaya Mellors
Lakiko 'What To Do, How To Live' (Lakiko Records) - a review
This new album 'What To Do, How To Live' from the Bosnian cellist, singer and composer Lakiko is one of the most emotional musical experiences that I’ve experienced in some time. Sung in the ancient Balkan Sevdalinka tradition, she stares unflinchingly into the face of uncertainty and the horrors of the world, her otherworldly vocals and classical-folkloric-experimental cello playing unlike anything I have heard. Can’t recommend this enough really. Read / Listen / Watch
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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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Hidden Waters: Strange & Sublime Sounds of Rio de Janeiro (Sounds and Colours) - an interview
Our good friend and editor of the ace Latin culture magazine Sounds and Colours, Russ Slater, has teamed up with Joe Osborne to bring us Brazilian music nerds a comprehensive look at the wonkier end of the contemporary music scene in Rio de Janeiro and it is a sprawling feast of sounds that only Brazil can offer. We asked co-curator Joe Osborne for some of his thoughts on the curatorial process and here they are! Read / Listen
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Ka Safar - Photo credit Eugene McLaughlin
Ka Safar 'Ancient Tribal Hearts' (2 Headed Deer) - a review
Ka Safar are a thirteen-headed world jazz outfit from the centre of the UK who appear to be trying to reach the centre of the cosmos on their brand new album ‘Ancient Tribal Hearts’. From original Arkestra style groove-freakouts to arrangements of ancient musical and religious notations, this is a remarkable record bursting with energy and ideas that needs to be in the collections of those who love Alice Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Sun Ra et al. Read / Listen
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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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Nilza Costa - an interview
Nilza Costa is a singer/songwriter from Salvador de Bahia living in Italy and her new album ‘Le notti di San Patrizio’ is an uncommon combination of traditional Brazilian rhythms and melodies and European jazz forms. It’s a beautiful thing so I pinged her a few questions.. Listen / Read here
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