Alhaji K. Frimpong
Abrabo

The legend is back! Dizzy K returns with Sweet Music Volume II, the long awaited sequel to 2018’s hit first entry celebrating the music of one of Nigeria’s most beloved artists. This second instalment compiles the best of the best from Dizzy’s final three secular albums of the 1980’s, delivering more infectious Nigerian synth boogie guaranteed to get you moving to the dance floor. The selected tracks showcase a wealth of different genres; Soca, Pop, R&B, Funk, Neo-Soul & Boogie all featuring, with traditional West African music as well as American pop culture forming a dynamic blend of inspiration across the record. Pressed in a very limited run, this is another unmissable collection of never before reissued Dizzy K, and a must have for lovers of left field nostalgic Nigerian sounds. Side A opens with ‘Who’s The Other Guy?’ from 1984’s iconic 'Traffic Jammer' LP. Written and produced with Tony Okoroji, the sought after extended instrumental Mix also makes its way to the comp, the perfect DJ accompaniment for the beach or summer party. ‘No Dime’ is another choice cut from the Traffic Jammer album: Despite the sombre lyrics, the flickering drum beat and twinkly keys invites the listener to bop along over Dizzy’s smooth vocals. 1987’s 'In Color' Album presents Dizzy at his most swaggering. Feature tracks ‘Hold Me Tight’ and ‘Bad-Boy’, both underlined by legendary Nkono Teles production. Dripping in 80’s sheen, the stage is set with stuttering vocal samples, heavy drum patterns and deep twanging bass. Pan-African electro anthem ‘Afrikan Jamboree’ lands as the first single for Sweet Music Volume II. A progressive layering of traditional Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo samples play against a stellar backing track and Dizzy's climbing vocals. Part experimental dance music, part power pop, and an all encompassing celebration of Nigerian and West African culture. Whilst little known, it’s sure to become a favourite amongst diggers and DJ’s, original listeners and those who it passed by the first time around. 14 total tracks curated and restored with love, mastered for Vinyl by Frank Merritt at The Carvery and pressed loud across 2 discs with the DJ in mind, Sweet Music Volume II is set to be another quality entry in the Sticky Buttons catalogue. This much anticipated release is a gift for the fans already familiar, and for those just joining a heady mix of the recognisable and unexpected, packaged together as the authoritative collection of Dizzy K’s most prolific period.

** Available exclusively at The Pusher **After the recent reissue of their first eponymous album, Favorite Recordings proudly presents Vegas, the second LP from Venezuelan band Esperanto. Rare and sought-after for many collectors, it was recorded in between Las Vegas and Caracas and originally released in 1981. Following bandleader Jorge Aguilar in his musical trip to the infamous American city bathing into flashing lights and vivid colors, we're invited to an excursion in Disco, Boogie and Jazz-Funk territories. Finally reissued, fully remastered, Vegas will be available as Gatefold Tip-On Vinyl LP.With great care and attention to details, Esperanto managed to create a very convincing sequel to their Jazz-Funk debuts. Vegas keeps indeed a perfect balance between various influences. Through energic disco beats with intense funky solos, catchy AOR-influenced songs, where Jorge delivers convincing vocal performance, or sunny jazz-funk slow jams, the album still reveals something quite authentic. And this feeling echoes surely the one that could have been felt by Jorge Aguilar while discovering USA on a trip - where it all started for the music he loves. Like sometimes a foreigner's enriching view on some local specialty, he surely brought with the band all his authenticity and young but vibrant experience while convincing at the same time major labels for distribution.With certain notoriety coming with the release of their first album, Jorge Aguilar and his drummer Pablo Matarazzo planned to go to Los Angeles for a few gigs. But once there, they realized their contact had to leave for Tina Turner's tour in Europe. Before that, he invited them to come along to Las Vegas and eventually meet musicians there. Luckily, the plan worked perfectly: Jorge came back to Los Angeles with a lot of contacts then moved to Boston and NYC before finally coming back to Caracas. He told: "I was so impressed with this trip that I told myself that one day I would return to Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The first tracks I did them in Los Angeles with Kenny More, James Gadson and other session musicians from that city. Later, I took the tracks to Caracas where the musicians of the band recorded overdubs. After that, I returned to Los Angeles to master with Bernie Grundman who was still working in his small studio at A & M records studios in Hollywood. As can be seen in the title of some of the songs like "Hollywood", "Vegas", "Kenny's Place", were only the translation of my experiences at the time."

In 2020, L'Osmose began its artistic collaboration by combining 70's psychedelia with catchy rhythms.Blending auto-tune, electric guitars, percussion, and analog synthesizers, their music is a reflection of their incessant experimentation and their desire to explore new sonic avenues.After several radio appearances (couleur3, Worldwide FM, Radiovostok), and opening acts for international artists (Chilla, Yin-yin, OBF, old Farka Touré, Arp Frique), the Geneva sextet has built a certain reputation within the Swiss cultural scene.Spotted by L'Éclair in 2022, the group continues its rise by recording, with their help, a promising first album which they will sign on the Stone Pixels Records label.While waiting for the release of this project, immerse yourself in the raw, sincere and captivating energy that their performances emit.

Pursuing their explorations in the vast corridors of international Funk and Disco music, Favorite Recordings and Bruno "Patchworks" Hovart present us Voilaaa. With this first single composed of 2 tracks that clearly reveal the Afro-Disco inspiration of this new experience, Favorite also expands its new series of Disco 12inch singles recently launched with several fine reissues, but this time with one of its special homemade production recipe.Under the imprint of the label and after their long years of collaboration in the achievement of projects such as The Dynamics, Mr President, Mr Day, Patchworks Galactic Project, or Taggy Matcher, the insatiable French producer therefore returns to his first love and specialty, Disco music, staring this time at the African and Caribbean influences.Indeed, as everywhere in the 70s and 80s, Funk and Disco movements were extremely influential in these regions, and in most cases, the combination of the festive, yet sometime futile nature of Disco, and the instinctive, deep, sometimes rough nature of African music, sounds like a perfect balance. Aiming to find back this energy and specific sound, Patchworks quickly began producing a few tracks; Using his unique and ruling beats and bass lines as foundations, this time he dresses all with guitars, keyboards and brass distorted with vintage and DIY effects pedals and boxes. Surrounded by a very dynamic music scene, where there is no shortage of artists with African origins, Patchworks decided to work with local singers, even if it means to accompany them on unusual musical paths. A more than successful bet with a result surprising of authenticity, as it’s unveiled by these first two titles alongside Sir Jean and Pat Kalla, both from a musical background as rich than different.With an album planned for the end of the year, that promises to be as explosive and magnetic, Patchworks and Favorite Recordings make a strike again and confirm them a little more if needed, as the true warrant of the modern dancefloors’ loyalty, to the spirit of their mythical ancestors ... Voilaaa tout (Thaaat’s all)!!

1981. A new South African band is making waves. Produced by the team “Van Blerk/Roos & Greg Cutler", it includes succulent voices and melodies, psychedelic Moog, Fender Rhodes surrounded by some Afro-folky guitars. This album is definitely a winner.Between 1972 and 1973 Poy-Poy Makhubela appeared on 4 singles with The Young Movers produced by David Thekwane.In 1975, as a lead guitarist, he decided to bring together four musicians to form the band Unity. Jeff Radine (Fender Rhodes, Moog), George Legobye (bass), Edward Modiselle (percussion) and Robert Moema (drum). The members were all from the group The Sound Jaws, except Jeff Radine who was with Rugare and played with Harari, Chicco, The Black Five or Prince Nico.In 1978, after hearing Unity playing in a club, Mike Tswai joined the band as a manager.Poy-Poy has gone on to have a long career, touring the world and playing with some of the South African’s greats including Brenda Fassie, Don Laka, Blondie & Pappa, Dorothy Masuka as well as Kwaito bands like Alaska, Boom Shaka or Trompies.