Various Artists
Panorama

Grand Soleil is an ode the awakening. Composed for Organ and Piano, this 7 tracks album is a soul trip with gospel accents. The great french soul singer LYNN is blessing this record with her airy vocal layers and a dope song: Clouds. Blackjoy closest partner, Blundetto is rocking the drums over minimal drum machine paterns. This record is recommended for the best morning routing.

After years of touring with Hugh Masekela’s band, and being exposed to the music of the Crusaders, George Clinton and his band, Parliament Funkadelic (they toured together). Gboyega Adelaja returned to Nigeria and very quickly became a sought-after keyboardist and session musician. Working on several projects with the Lijadu Sisters, Grotto II, Blackman Akeeb Kareem, Emma Dorgu, Shina Williams, Rick Asikpo and the Nyarku Twins (Basabasa) to name a few. This album is a synthesis of all these experiences. A classy statement of how far he had come and a few indications of what the future holds.

Humphrey Aniakor started Duomo Sounds after a trip to Milan. The idea was to produce a new sound for the emerging generation. A sleek funky but refined, Nigerian disco sound. This compilation captures all of that intention with a broad array of artistes. The music is sometimes sung in local Nigerian languages and sometimes in English but always with an African Accent. Modern grooves for an African market.After several months spent hanging out at studios in Los Angeles and New York, observing the musicians, producers and engineers at work. He went to nightclubs to study what kind of sonic textures made the crowd move. And when he felt he had gotten the hang of it, he returned to Nigeria to set up his record label. A label that would showcase the au courant, cosmopolitan face of the Nigeria’s emerging young generation. That would encompass the boundlessness of imagination, focus, persistence and craftsmanship. That would deliver music that touched the soul.There was hardly a shortage of available musical talent by 1980, as Duomo was preparing to launch. The seventies had seen a massive flowering of bands offering a wide array of sounds and styles. But 1980 proved to be the year that would change the topography of the music landscape and its approach to packaging talent. Artistes like Mike Umoh (erstewhile drummer with Bongos Ikwue and the Groovies), Bindiga (Ghanian afrofunk musicians), Christy Ogbah (who worked as a policewoman) bring their personal artistry to create the new sound.And he would call it—what else?—Duomo. Duomo Sounds Limited.This combination created high-quality Nigerian music but it also marked the end of bands as the focal point for the popular music marketing. After Okotie’s breakthrough, it became clear that the eighties would be the era of the solo artist. And this would lead to the fracture of established bands as members opted to roll the dice on solo careers.

Trevor & Lisa, the Parisian Funk band, is back!L.A. Nights, their new EP on Hi & Fly is a new milestone in the band discography, setting it to a next level. The title track is a cover of the famous Yasuko Agawa’s track (itself based on Light of the world’s “London Town”) inspired by strong Zapp and West-Coast influences. Fat basslines, tight horn riffs and funky talkbox parts galore!“Break Droppin’” and “The Battle” are infectious medleys played by the band with an extended line-up including extra brass, strings and percussions. In “Breaks Droppin’”, you’ll find a carefully selected mix of cuts, ranging from the Hawaiian Hal Bradbury’s “You win, I Lose”, to Julius Brockington’s “This Feeling (Freedom)”, passing through CTI and other sampler friendly tracks.“The Battle” is a b-boy style up-tempo selection, mixing Latin influences with some classic battle cuts and evolving to a Disco finish, with a cover of the great Brothers’ break “Under the Skin”. It is 10’ long, the beats & percussions are heavy and the extended band is in top condition. It won’t let some rest to your feet for sure!Last but not least, it's also the comeback of Hi & Fly, a French diggers' reference since 2000. So, one reason more to have a listen… Enjoy!

** Available exclusively at The Pusher **The “Serie Pegaso” catalog stems from the need to write music and lyrics that have a strong link with the city of Naples, that speak the same language and tell it through stories, loves and memories. There are countless stories and testimonies of people who left the "land of the sun" to migrate elsewhere in search of fortune and work but not many know that there is a small bird, the “Capinera”, which has instead decided to do the inverted path through a long journey from cold and distant lands to then settle and find a new home on Mount Vesuvius. But there is also another story, between reality and legend, which is that of the most beautiful woman in the neighborhood called by everyone 'A Capinera because of her long and enchanting black hair. She was a widow coveted and desired by all but she will remain faithful to her deceased husband throughout her life. The only source of livelihood for herself and her three children was the smuggling cigarette trade although she could choose and get whatever she wanted thanks to her irresistible beauty. This is what the creators of the Capinera project tell us, and they are: Gianpaolo Della Noce (better known as Dnapoli and half of the acclaimed diggers duo Napoli Segreta, Michele Cesare aka Breakstarr (one of the pillars of the city's beat makers scene) both assisted by the sharp voice of Adriana Salomone. Together with the production team led by Dario di Pace and Raffaele Arcella the result is the nostalgic and exotic Reggae-Pop in Neapolitan colors of "Il Volo" (today in exclusive preview on Spotify) and the sparkling disco infected “Suonno”.

Diggin Deeper brings the funk with a Trans-Atlantic split EP from two edit masters.Side A features Philadelphia disco don Michael The Lion, who has earned raves for his work on Soul Clap, Razor-N-Tape and Giant Cuts. His "Keep On Hangin' On" is a raw take on the classic "French touch" style - live vibraphone and bass elements to give a jolt of energy to a loft classic. With "Finally", Michael brings some nasty boogie funk with a groove that will give you the gas face.Side B showcases two tracks from Frenchman Jay Airiness, best known as half of the Parisian disco band Venice Beach. On "Funky Situation," Jay brings some oomph to a disco jazz groove that sails along. But Jay's touch is most evident on "Two of Us”, a boogie-house banger that has made its way into a lot of well-connected DJs sets recently. This 12" has four, diverse joints which can be dropped in different phases of an all-night party - a DJ's best friend!