Led by Yusuf Mumin, the Black Unity Trio’s solitary 1969 album ‘El-Fatihah’, is regarded as one of the holy grails of African American free jazz expression. A lifetime of esoteric creativity saw the Cleveland, Ohio multi-instrumentalist recording a wealth of music that has never seen the light of day. Until now. From his own private collection, Yusuf sent a CD-R containing four tracks to Matt at Wewantsounds who recognised its value instantly. Here it is. (Probably) recorded in the 70s, with drummer William Holmes the only other performer, this ‘lost’ album is a mysterious, powerful treasure of Eastern influenced tonalities that range from the deeply peaceful to ferocious expressionism. Read / Listen.

The brilliant Geneva label Bongo Joe celebrate 10 years of releasing incredible music with a new compilation that really only scratches the surface of what they’ve achieved but includes some absolute beauties from their catalogue. Post-Franco Spanish industrial funk, Amazigh psyche, folky maloya, Turkish funk, contemporary post-punk, Malawian dancing joy or cinematic Indonesian grooves, there’s a wide world to explore on this record. Read / Listen.

Lophae’s second album of the year is culled from the same sessions that led to their brilliant debut ‘Perfect Strangers’. Going deeper into the extraordinarily rich improvisational skills of the quartet, the Greg Sanders led outfit of Tom Herbert, Sam Rapley and Ben Brown have delivered another impressive collection of instrumental songs with elements of South African township jazz, West African guitar wizardry and a singular rhythmic complexity that is as thoughtful as it is immediate. Wonderful. Read / Listen.

We’re not sure who David is but this previously super-expensive private press record from Jeff Jones’ People’s People band is finally being reissued on Frederiksberg Records and despite it being recorded in California in 1974, it still stands up as exceptional soul jazz inspired by that revolutionary period where jazz, rock, funk and Latino music coalesced musically and culturally. Read / Listen.

The brilliant Swedish quintet Langendorf United return with their second album, ‘Undercover Beast’ and it is equal to their award-winning debut ‘Yeahno Yowouw Land’. Respected by Ethio-jazz legends like Mulatu Astatke and modal fans alike, Lina Langendorf’s deep dive and education in the Addis Ababa club scene and decades of playing with an outrageous list of international artists, have lent her a singular voice, her ferocious saxophone playing drawing fire and ice or singing heavenly lullabies. Based around her complex yet immediate melodies, her synergistic band can take the ingredients of funky Ethio-jazz, Cabo Verdean morna, Cape Town grooves or just plain old cosmic trippery and twist them into a brand new, world class sound. This is very, very good. Read / Listen.

He may not actually be Brazilian by heritage but the German-Spanish songwriter, arranger, guitarist and sound artist Wolfgang Pérez has delivered one of my favourite records to come out of Rio de Janeiro this year. His ‘outsider’s’ viewpoint and with a brilliant crew of Carioca musicians and the recording environment of the acclaimed Wolf Estúdio to create in, has enabled Wolfgang to stretch his already stunning compositional and arranging talents to new heights. Read / Listen.

Who doesn’t love a great compilation? A smartly curated collection of songs from a specific era/country/genre/artist/record label becomes a gateway to a new way of hearing the world. As a kid, it’s the cheapest way to learn and build up your collection, and in some cases, compilations become classic releases in their own right. 2025 is heating up with some incredible compilations so here’s a bunch well worth getting your hands on!

The exhilirating Malawian duo Madalitso Band are back with their third album for Bongo Joe and thankfully, it is more of the same of their big-voiced, irresistible dancing joy. As they stride through their European and UK tour, here are eight new songs to lift the soul and move the body to. With a punchy, festival-ready production and a few guests along for the ride, these guys exemplify positivity and resilience through tough times. Read / Listen.

Recorded live on December 22, 1982, at the Théâtre La Criée in Marseille, this previously unreleased recording sees the ‘Lion of Cameroon’, Manu Dibango at the height of his considerable powers as he and his brilliant eight-piece band roar through a blistering set that showcases his world-beating blend of Cameroonian makossa, Congolese rumba and jazz-funk-fusion. Beautifully captured (and remastered from the original tapes), this is an amazing find from the always exceptional WEWANTSOUNDS label. Read / Listen.

Released in January, Lophae’s ‘Perfect Strangers’ is a brilliantly realised recording of four exceptionally talented musicians locked into one studio room as they improvise and explore bandleader and guitarist Greg Sanders’ beautifully melodic compositions. With the quartet filled out with Ben Brown (Waaju, Mulatu), Tom Herbert (Polar Bear, Acoustic Ladyland) and the gorgeous tenor sax playing of Sam Rapley, the album’s Brazilian, West African and classic jazz stylings are elevated to something extra special. One of the best records of the year no doubt. Read / Listen.