Jonathan Jr. Special Occasion
Hangin’ On To You / Flyin’ To Santa Barbara

Blessed by the Californian modern funk diva Moniquea , Amadeo 85 is back with a brand new 7". Moogy basses, heavy drum machines and FX from space are the mood of this double sider. On A side, Moniquea transcends this rough beat with her classy style, an ode to the universal party, in the deep boogie funk spirit. On B Side, this drunk Funk Boogie is a space travel produced under the influence of liters of Vinho Tinto, with the support of Bacchus himself.

After gaining a solid reputation over the past few years thanks to his numerous productions for artists such as Drake or Slakah the Beatchild to name just a few, French producer Häzel finally presents his first solo project. Available Mai 16th on 12inch & Digital, these voluntarily J-Dilla influenced 6 tracks build a superb Hip-Hop/Soul opus. ‘Playground’ will also be released on Catblock Records, new label launched together by Favorite Recordings.

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.

Parson Jones is a tree. No joke: in the American duo, neither member is named Parson or Jones. One, singer, is Joshua Hollenstein. The other, multi-instrumentalist and producer, is Kerry Fogarty. So Parson Jones is a tree. “A giant redwood that we spotted near us at Armstrong Woods in northern California.” He has the right to his own plaque. And to his name. Parson Jones is 1,300 years old. He deserved this special treatment. “Sometimes people call us Parson & Jones, they want to know who Parson is, who Jones is,” Kerry laughs.Without demonstration of style, Parson Jones envisages all the music which make the buttocks dance and the brain meditate. Often in the same song, the temperatures play yo-yo, but it is the beneficence, the generosity, the nonchalance of the melodies that have the last word. It does not matter if the dressing is funk, rock, pop, soul, psychedelic, if the tone is euphoric or melancholic: it’s the great and beautiful score of timeless pop-music played by Parson Jones.

Afro funk and Political Soul from Togo.Recorded in the beginning of the 80's and self-produced by Itadi in 1983 , this obscure album contained deep soul and controversial rare grooves backed by the 5 band members called the “Afro Funk Band de Lomé”.Itadi's music is unique, in his second album, he kept the same recipe: a mixture of soul, reggae, hi-life and Funk, with heavy lyrics which sounds like slogans and caused him big trouble after its release. He was obliged to escape the country to USA. A real definition of a revolutionary musician!This deluxe LP contains also two unreleased tracks, interview, and photos and was fully licensed with his family.Remastered by Frank Merritt at Carvery Studio.