Ebo Taylor Pat Thomas
Disco Highlife Reedit Series

Almost 2 years after the success of the album THE TONY ALLEN EXPERIMENTS and a few months after the release of the 7inch AMORE, Nu Genea (Nu Guinea) return to the scene with a new LP published by their newborn label NG RECORDS.After touring the world looking for sounds suitable for their vibrations, NU GENEA (Nu Guinea) decided to go back to square one, Napoli, where Massimo Di Lena and Lucio Aquilina were born and raised. They watched their city from a distance reconstructing its energy from their studio in Berlin, calibrating the synths on the meridian of Vesuvius, the volcano that has always protected and threatened Napoli.NUOVA NAPOLI is the result of a long musical research that has become a historical investigation on the sound that shaped Napoli during the ‘70s and ‘80s, starting from the contamination of genres (disco, jazz-funk, African rhythms) which ended up in Nu Genea’s DNA.In this album the synthesizers fill the spaces between the past and the future, tightening in a single body acoustic instruments, electronics and voices in Neapolitan dialect. It is the first time that the duo has worked with such a large group of musicians, some of whom are exponents of the contemporary Neapolitan scene.WARNING: We recommend listening to Nuova Napoli while walking in the alleys of Napoli’s historic center, around wet clothes hanging and street vendors on tiny three-wheelers.

Following the recent acclaimed first edition of AOR Global Sounds compilation, DJ and producer Charles Maurice’s dug even deeper through international lost productions to create a sequel for this series. The result is AOR Global Sounds Vol.2, a new compilation made of 8 forgotten and rare tracks produced between 1975 and 1983 in all parts of the globe. At the end of the 70s, many artists over the world were deeply influenced by AOR’s famous stars such as Steely Dan and his classic Aja LP, looking to reach the same attention to sound production and details, and this specific Westcoast style mixing together Pop-Rock standards, with Soul (sometime Disco) and Jazz influences.From Renée Geyer Band in Australia, and Boban Petrovic in Ex-Yugoslavia, to Carol Ray Band in France, and Greg Yoder in Hawaï, Charles Maurice and Favorite Recordings built another hot selection of lost tracks clearly infused with this special AOR touch, in a Soulful and Disco way.Fully remastered from originals with the same attention to sound quality than in first edition, AOR Global Sounds Vol.2 (1975-1983, selected by Charles Maurice) is presented by Favorite Recordings in a deluxe vinyl version, housed in a tip-on jacket and as CD.

One of the greatest enigmas of the music scene in mid to late 1970s Harare was The New Tutenkhamen, a band which played an eclectic brand of Zimbabwean township music combining traditional rhythms and western influences. The band included some luminaries of Zimbabwean township music. Elisha Josamu was an alumnus of the fabulously-named Hallelujah Chicken Run Band (alongside Thomas Mapfumo), and Green Jangano’s long-running Harare Mambos, and would later form Two Plus Two with bassist Christopher “Chex” Tavengwa. Jethro Shasha played the drums, and would arguably become the New Tutenkhamen’s most famous export, making continental waves working with likes of Salif Keita. Paul Sekerani played the rhythm guitar, with Amos Chatyoka on the organ, while the enigmatic Maggie Mbuli provided vocals and F. Manda played the sax. The New Tutenkhamen recorded I Wish You Were Mine at Teal Records, produced by Crispen Matema, a talented jazz drummer in his own right who had played drums on the all-time classic Skokiaan, and had backed Louis Armstrong on his 1960 Rhodesia visit. Combining the heavyweight producing talents of Matema and the writing chops of Josamu, The New Tutenkhamen band created an album showcasing various musical styles popular at the time. From the afro-jazz jam session aesthetics of “Tutenkhamen Theme”, “Big Brother Malcom” and “Forever Together”, to the almost Van Morrison-sounding “Sunday Morning”; from the upbeat rock ballad “True Love”, to the funk-infused dance song “Togetherness”; from the bouncy jazz exhortations to work hard in “Ane Nungo”, to the brassy, raunchy foot-stomper “Me & Dolly”. The title track “I Wish You Were Mine” is a ska-infused ballad that wouldn’t be out of place in post-war Birmingham, while the star of the show is “Joburg Bound”, itself a fast-paced rock piece with Motown undertones and funky guitar lines. As a collective effort, I Wish You Were Mine provides a fascinating insight into a fraught time in Zimbabwe’s history, and the bands plying their trade through the turmoil, making music for young people, by young people.

In the beginning of the 1970’s, Guinea-Bissau was a country broken up into many ethnic groups and at the heart of a war for independence. By reviving traditional musical genres as Gumbé and singing in guinean Kriol, José Carlos Schwarz & Cobiana Djazz established an immediate affective bond with their audiences. Through its music and politically engaged spirit of the lyrics, the band played a significant role in shaping the social and political consciousness of the masses. As well as influencing local bands like Super Mama Djombo and giving back a deep sense of cultural identity to bissau-guineans.The explosive birth of Cobiana Djazz brought about other kinds of detonation. Schwarz became involved in urban guerilla activities which resulted in several bombings in the centre of Bissau, leading to his imprisonment and torture. He remained in lockup for a total period of about 2 years, between 1972 and 1974. The process of decolonisation, in the wake of the Portuguese revolution of 25 April 1974, led to the recognition, during the same year, of the sovereign nation of Guinea-Bissau. Schwarz, a key figure in the fight for independence, played an important part in the transition to the democratic regime, profiting from his popularity as an artist. Soon, his criticism (underscoring opportunism and irresponsibility in high places) became a thorn in the side of the political elite. Uneasy with the disquieting effects of his work, government officials effectively separated the author from the masses by assigning him to the embassy in Havana.José Carlos Schwarz met a tragic and untimely death at the age of 27, when his plane crashed on arrival at Cuba's José Martí International Airport, on May 271th 1977.Hailed by african giants like Orchestra Baobab, Letta Mbulu or Miriam Makeba (with whom he recorded his first and only solo album), “Zé Carlos” and his poetry won a lasting position in the annals of Guinea-Bissau. However, this collection of songs remains relatively unknown outside the country and its diasporas.We are proud to offer, in close collaboration with the Schwarz family, this first official reissue on vinyl. Remastered and pressed on heavyweight vinyl.

After a 3rd album recorded between Detroit and Nashville, LAFAYETTE, the duo Nathalie Loriot and Franck Hedin, decided to dedicate to their 60's style "side project", THE SHUFFLES. An unceasing dream had been exciting them for a long time; Compose, produce and record an album of pure, classic 60's soul, with a sharp backing band, backing vocals and guest singers.The Studio Mercredi 9, one of the temples of the vintage sound in Paris, would be the place chosen for the recording. Analog mixer, 24 tape tracks, ribbon microphones, tube preamps and plate reverb, and Fred Carrayol, a sound engineer and studio creator, are the guarantors of the rough sound the duo is looking for. As for the musicians, they had to have strong musical personalities, essential for live tape recording: Daniel Marsala, guitarist, Olivier Ferrarin, drums, Stéphane Benguigui, bass, aka the gang des Niçois, Fabrice Colombani on the tambourine and a guest of choice, Camille Bazbaz playing the piano and the Hammond organ.3 days later the 12 tracks were taped. The following sessions took place at Gum Studio with engineer-mixer Etienne Colin, another old accomplice of the duo. And for the vocal part, the finest of Parisian Soul Gospel scene were invited: Kandie, Felicia, Josephine Spector aka Nathalie Loriot, Mike Louvila, François Valade and Kevin Davy White.The vocal performances are full of sincerity and energy, respectful to the illustrious legends of the genre. The shadow of the legendary Motown, Fame, Stax, Hi Records or Atlantic albums hang over the 12 tracks of this album, a vibrant tribute to the golden age of soul.