Each week PAM staff rounds up significant new releases available on streaming services. This week, list includes new albums and EPs from Koffee, The Comet Is Coming, Dexter Story, The Polyversal Souls and Del B. Listen below.
Koffee
Rapture EP
New sensation Koffee is leading the new wave of young talent in to take over reggae music with her refreshing spin on the genre. The 18-year-old jamaican artist made noise with her two songs “Toast” (followed by “Throne”), an infectious tune of classic roots-reggae lyrics and a more contemporary sound that reflects the genre’s direction.
As “Toast” continues to rise, (the video counts more than 17M views) Koffee shares her debut Rapture, a five-song EP via Columbia UK Records, including 2 new songs and the already famous ‘Throne’, “Raggamuffin” and “Toast “
With Rapture EP, Koffee is sending a message to the new generation : “I want to make a better world for the generation that’s coming up,” Koffee writes, “to promote love and peace, and even though I’m young, I feel that God has blessed me with talent and wisdom to get the job done.”
Dexter Story
Bahir
After Seasons, released in 2013, and Wondem released in 2015, Californian producer and multi-instrumentist Dexter Story issues Bahir on soundway Records.
Produced with his friend Carlos Carlos Niño, with whom he forms the band Life Force Trio, Dexter’s new album is the outcome of his ethnological work on rhythms and traditions from the Horn of Africa, while he was staying there.
Bahir shakes conventions, drawing inspiration from the likes of Kamasi Washington, The Gaslamp Killer and Daymé Arocena. The album blends Funk, Rock and West African rhythms and features several collaborators such as Sudan Archive, rapper Haile Supreme, singers Jimena Rosa and Hamelmal Abate, nicknamed The Queen of Ethipian Music, as well as Ethiopian producer Endeguena Mulu.
The Comet Is Coming
Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery
London-based trio keeps on furthering its psychedelic explorations releasing a new Cosmic-Jazz album. After being nominated for Mercury Prizes for their acclaimed debut Channel the Spirits released in 2016, The Comet Is Coming maintains the almost cult-like mystery surrounding them with a new burst of organic Free Jazz.
Their second release, Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery is all about the idea of “finding a meaning in the ungraspable and believing in a primordial energy”.
Trans Kabar
Maligasé
The band’s first album is a high energy blend of Rock and Maloya. The quartet’s draws its name from “Kabars”, secular gatherings where Maloya is sung, and dancers and listeners go into a transe when drums are unleashed. This induced state of transe is what gives the other half of their name, as well as the idea of transgression, of style barriers and frontiers. Something the album does really well, channelling Rock’s raw energy with Maloya’s evocative power.
Stream it
Del B
Afrodisiac the mixtape
Ayodele Basil aka Del’B is a Nigerian sound engineer, producer and songwriter. Best known for producing Kcee’s “Limpopop”, élected “Song of the Year” 2013 by The Headies. His first album Afrodisiac : The Mixtape features several high-level collaborations such as Wizkid, Davido, Timaya and Mr.Eazy. He channels Afrobeats and Dancehall in a very danceable and heady blend.
The Polyversal Souls
Addis Abeba Bete
This is the third and last part of the collaboration series between Ethopia’s legendary soul singer Alemayehu Eshete and the Philophon house band The Polyversal Souls. It features Alemayehu’s classic song Addis Abeba Bete in an intimate live performance, recorded during a cultural exchange programme organized by Galerie Listros, Berlin.
The flip side is the complementary portrait to the recently released “Portrait of Alemayehu (Daytime)” and gives an idea of the masters’ fiery stage persona.
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