This week find a remix album of Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry’s Rainford, the first album from French-Senegalese duo Guiss Guiss Bou Bess, the golden era of séga by Bongo Joe and much more.
Set Sela
Guiss Guiss Bou Bess
Created in 2016, Guiss Guiss Bou Bess is a duo from Senegalese Mara Seck — son of well-known Alla Seck who carries the legacy of Sabar — and sociologist and French beatmaker Stéphane Costantini. On their first album, they delivers 12 tracks of electrosabar, between ritual percs and other global rhythms like trap, dubstep, UK garage, drum & bass, afrobass or kuduro.
Guiss Guiss Bou Bess will perform their album at Transmusicales festival in Rennes this Friday.
Listen here
Soul Sega Vol. 2
Various Artists
In the 17th century, slaves were deported from Africa, Madagascar and the pristine islands of Mauritius, Réunion and Seychelles to work on coffee and sugar cane plantations. To escape their daily woes, the slaves were singing, dancing and beating rhythms. Afro-Malagasy-inspired sega, or (t)chega music was born.
During the course of the 19th century, the Creole population’s gradual adoption of Western instruments and traditional melodies of old Europe, laid the foundation for contemporary sega. This crossroads of influences kept expanding, especially in the 50s, when the first gramophones hit the market and all sorts of records were played, from pop to jazz, soul, rock and roll, and even Cuban and Brazilian music. For sega music, this hailed the beginning of an intense period of creativity which would linger on into the 60s and 70s. Schweiz label Bongo Joe captures for the second time the most precious sega treasures on this new thrilling compilation.
Listen here
Nüdes
Moonchild Sanelly
South African songwriter and dancer, Moonchild Sanelly is back with the Nüdes EP. Moonchild Sanelly is the soulful voice who delivers the vibrant vocals on DJ Maphorisa’s gqom single hit ‘Makhe’ which also features DJ Shimza. This year saw Moonchild Sanelly collaborated with Damon Albarn for Africa Express and Beyoncé’s Lion King: The Gift album amongst other.
Nüdes EP features two songs already released this year – the house inspired anthem “F-Boyz” and gqom banger “Weh Mameh.” and two new tracks “Come Correct” and “Boys and Girls”. In an interview for Okayafrica, Sanelly explained: Nüdes is a very empowering EP, and the reason I chose the title is because I’m known for being provocative, being open about sexuality, and liberating women about their vaginas and their sex life and all that jazz.
Listen here
1999 (Super Deluxe Edition)
Prince
Originally released on October 27, 1982, two years before the triumphant and international success of Purple Rain, 1999 is considered by many as the first masterpiece of the gargantuan discography of Prince Rogers Nelson. Just after the release of this double concept album with a futuristic atmosphere, Prince, then in the midst of creative bulimia and recording, had according to an interview given to Rolling Stone in 1985 that he recorded enough songs to offer a sequel to 1999. It is not a sequel, but a more than consistent enrichment that sees the light of day with this super deluxe edition containing about thirty new and rarities in its most complete version.
Listen here
iZem remixes EP
iZem
The second part of the series directed by Guts will be released on December 6th featuring the work of DJ and producer iZem. While iZem usually spends his time connecting theLusophone musics of South America and Africa from his home in the Portuguese capital; he’ll now be tackling genuine afro-funk tracks.
On the A side, iZem sets his sights on the facetious and fiery environmentalist track ‘Ecolo Assiko’. In a tit for tat heated by the band’s insane afro groove, the female voices call for comfort by endlessly repeating : “toujours plus loin, toujours plus fort” (always further, always stronger) as mantra.
Listen here
Heavy Rain
Lee “Scratch” Perry
These re-works from the critically-acclaimed Rainford album invite some further players into the cosmic mix. Brian Eno makes an unexpected right channel entry into “Here Come The Warm Dreads”, a heavily processed sound system overhaul of Rainford highlight “Makumba Rock”. The album also features Wailer’s legendary trombonist Vin Gordon.
Described as a dub companion to the Rainford LP Perry released earlier this year, Heavy Rain also includes two new original songs – ‘Dreams Come True’ and ‘Above And Beyond’. The Upsetter and co-producer Adrian Sherwood radically re-version the original tapes as it’s evidenced in single “Enlightened”.
Listen here
Territoires Vol. 2 (Remixes)
Various Artists
Obsessed with raw drums and cinematic atmospheres, POLAAR draws lines between rave, urban, techno music and also gqom. The record label and club nights promoter focus on an identifiable sonic aesthetic rather than aiming for a particular genre or demographic choice. On their latest release, Territoires Vol.2, the label’s artists such as Only Now, Prettybwoy, SNKLS, Tim Karbon and DJ and founder of POLAAR Flore, dedicated to push hard music from the shadows.
Listen here
Diabar
Gëstu de Dakar
Official first reissue of this Senegalese gem recorded in 1981 and produced by Ibrahima Sylla. At the dawn of the 1980s, Senegal was immersed in the “beautiful era” of Cuban influences, African-American soul and funk. A group of passionate musician friends want to shine in this construction of a revolution in Senegalese music. Their credo will be to claim a spiritual search, that is the meaning of the word Gestü in Wolof. The group of friends gathers around the young guitarist leader As El Haji Malick Diouf who is joined on vocals by Tidiane Bathily, reinforced by Couri Ndiaye and Abdou Bâ, on drums Abdou Kane, on bass guitar Jean-Pierre Gomes, Madiama Diop (saxophone, clarinet) and finally on tumbas Djiby Ndiaye.
They released their first album Diabar in 1981, recorded at Golden Baobab studio under the direction of Senegalese producer Ibrahima Sylla. This unique record of the group will leave the youthful and dynamic imprint of a Senegalese musical revolution like the Orchestra Baobab or the Etoile de Dakar.
Listen here
