V/A The Microcosm: Visionary Music of Continental Europe, 1970-1986

V/A

The Microcosm: Visionary Music of Continental Europe, 1970-1986

Light In The Attic

LITA 143

The follow up to Light In The Attic’s game-changing I Am The Center box set is finally here. The Microcosm: Visionary Music Of Continental Europe, 1970-1986 is the first major overview of key works from cosmically-taped in artists needing little introduction — Vangelis, Ash Ra Tempel, and Popol Vuh — and unknown masterpieces by criminally overlooked heroes like Bernard Xolotl, Robert Julian Horky and Enno Velthuys.

Whereas I Am The Center called for a reconsideration of an entire maligned genre, The Microcosm requests nothing more than an open mind to consider this ambient, new age, neuzeit, prog, krautrock, cosmic, holistic stuff, whatever one calls it — as a pulsating movement unto itself, a mirror refracting the American new age scene in unexpected, electrifying ways, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt the universality of the timeless quest to express “the Ineffable” through music.

Drawing from major label budgets and homemade cassette distributed circumstances alike, The Microcosm demonstrates a depth of peace profound to behold, and clearly expands the boundaries. Lovingly conceived and lavishly presented by producer Douglas Mcgowan (Yoga Records) and liner notes contributor Jason Patrick Woodbury (Pitchfork, Aquarium Drunkard), The Microcosm features stunning cover paintings by Étienne Trouvelot, and labels by Finnish savant Aleksanda Ionowa.

Vangelis - Creation Du Monde




Ralph Lundsten - Bön 5 - Förlåt Oss Våra Skulder (Prayer 5 - Forgive Us Our Debts)




Ash Ra Tempel - Le Sourire Volé




Popol Vuh - Brüder Des Schattens - Söhne Des Lichts (abridged)




Ariel Kalma - Orguitar Soir




Bernard Xolotl - Cometary Wailing (Valley Plateau)




Peter Michael Hamel - Einklang




Francesco Messina - Untitled




Roedelius - Wenn Der Südwind Weht




Deutsche Wertarbeit - Der Grosse Atem




Robert Julian Horky - Dance For A Warrior




Karl Schaffner & Lothar Grimm - Caravan




Suzanne Doucet & Christian Buehner - Shivas Dance




Enno Velthuys - Morning Glory




Deuter - Spirales




Gigi Masin - Ship Beetel

Listen to some choices excerpts from the record below

And buy here https://lightintheattic.net/releases/2637-the-microcosm-visionary-music-of-continental-europe-1970-1986

Manu Dibango - Electric Africa

Manu Dibango

Electric Africa

Tidal Waves Music

TWM10

Manu Dibango needs little introduction, born in Cameroon in 1933, Manu developed a musical style fusing jazz, funk, and traditional Cameroonian music. He’s definitely among the best known African artists outside of Africa. Collaborations were numerous and include top acts like Fela Kuti, Herbie Hancock, Bill Laswell, Sly & Robbie, Don Cherry and Bernie Worrell. In addition to selling hundreds of thousands of copies of the albums he recorded, he played such huge venues as Yankee Stadium and Madison Square Garden.

In 1972, at 40 years of age, Manu Dibango did something almost unheard of for an African artist – he had a pop hit. His song “Soul Makossa” became an enormous hit which influenced popular music for decades to follow. First picked up by David Mancuso (The Loft), “Soul Makossa” took New York dance floors by storm & in July 1973 it became the first disco record to enter the Billboard Top 40—an early instance of Western pop experiencing a paradigm shift thanks to Africa. The song’s chant of “ma-mako ma-ma-sa mako-mako sa” echoes through the greatest-selling pop album of all-time, Michael Jackson’s Thriller, and it’s in the DNA of the music of Kanye West, Rihanna, A Tribe Called Quest, Akon and The Fugees.

By 1985, Dibango was back in Paris, one of the most successful African artists in the world, to start on the recordings for the Electric Africa album. This album hooked Manu and the Soul Makossa Gang up with New York avant garde producer Bill Laswell, jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, Parliament-Funkadelic keyboard player Bernie Worrell, Pan African synthesist Wally Badarou, New York guitarist Nicky Scopelitis, African drummer Aiyb Dieng and Malian kora virtuoso Mory Kante. This means of working gave Manu and Laswell license to fuse synthesizers and kora, talking drums and samples, ngoni and electric guitar. What it all boils down to is world beat in its truest sense.

Electric Africa remains one of Manu’s strongest albums. His deep growl of a honey and sandpaper voice and the energetic honk of his saxophone merge with the seamless samples and the myriad hand percussion and overt funkiness of his band. Herbie Hancock plays on three tracks, contributing an amazing electric piano solo on the title track and interacting with Manu’s sax while weaving to the warp of Mory Kante’s kora during “L’arbre a Palabres.” Similarly but more subtly, Laswell, Badarou and Worrell play dueling synthesizers in and around the band throughout ”Pata Piya.” All of this makes the album an hypnotic & upbeat Afro-Funk classic that will rock every part your body (and mind). Now finally back available as a limited vinyl edition for the first time since 1985.

Buy here: https://lightintheattic.net/releases/3536-electric-africa

Hiroshi Yoshimura - Music for Nine Post Cards (1982)

Hiroshi Yoshimura

Music for Nine Post Cards

Empire of Signs

EOS01LP

Lovely vinyl repress of 1982's ambient masterpiece

Despite his status as a key figure in the history of Japanese ambient music, Hiroshi Yoshimura remains tragically under-known outside of his home country. Empire of Signs – a new imprint co-helmed by Maxwell August Croy, Spencer Doran and distributed by Light In The Attic – is proud to reissue Yoshimura’s debut Music for Nine Post Cards for the first time outside Japan in collaboration with Hiroshi’s widow Yoko Yoshimura, with more reissues of Hiroshi’s works to follow in the future.

Working initially as a conceptual artist, the musical side of Yoshimura’s artistic practice came to prominence in the post-Fluxus scene of late 1970s Tokyo alongside Akio Suzuki and Takehisa Kosugi, taking many subsequent turns within Japan’s bubble economy afterward. His sound works took on many forms – commissioned fashion runway scores, soundtracking perfume, soundscapes for pre-fab houses, train station sound design – all existing not as side work but as logical extensions of his philosophy of sound. His work strived for serenity as an ideal, and this approach can be felt strongly on Music for Nine Post Cards.

Home recorded on a minimal setup of keyboard and Fender Rhodes, Music for Nine Post Cards was Yoshimura’s first concrete collection of music, initially a demo recording given to the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art to be played within the building’s architecture. This was not background music in the prior Japanese “BGM” sense of the word, but “environmental music”, the literal translation of the Japanese term kankyō ongaku [環境音楽] given to Brian Eno’s “ambient” music when it arrived in late 70’s Japan. Yoshimura, along with his musical co-traveler Satoshi Ashikawa, searched for a new dialog between sound and space: music not as an external absolute, but as something that interlocks with a physical environment and shifts the listener’s experience within it. Erik Satie’s furniture music, R. Murray Schafer’s concept of the soundscape and Eno’s ambience all greatly informed their work, but the specific form of tranquil stasis presented on releases like Nine Post Cards is still difficult to place within a specific tradition, remaining elusive and idiosyncratic despite the economy of its construction. This record offers the perfect introduction to Hiroshi’s unique and beautiful worldview: it’s one that can be listened to – and lived in – endlessly.

Buy here: https://lightintheattic.net/releases/3538-music-for-nine-post-cards

The Allergies - Push On

The Allergies' debut album introduced the world to the way they effortlessly fuse funk, soul, disco, hip-hop and breaks into dancefloor-ready nuggets of ear candy. Taking classic sounds and reshaping for the modern age is the signature that won them plaudits across the globe. 

Not ones to rest on their laurels, it hasn't taken long for them to deliver more of the goods on their second full-length album, 'Push On'. As well as taking the successful formula of the first record and expanding on the sound with raw Funk, Psych, Northern Soul, and Boogie influences, The Allergies enlisted two giants of underground Hip-Hop to bless mics on the album as well. 

After a hugely successful collaboration on their debut LP, once again the dynamic lyricism and production skills of the inimitable Andy Cooper (Ugly Duckling) are present and correct in this new collection. Besides bringing the party on tracks like 'Main Event', he also settles scores with 'It Won't Be Me', before destroying all-comers on the battle Rap behemoth, 'Buzzsaw'. Also joining in on the action is UK MC veteran, Dr Syntax (The Mouse Outfit, Foreign Beggars) who prescribes some more healthy Hip-Hop advice on the track 'Remedy'.

Other highlights include the vintage Soul stomper, 'Entitled to That', Sixties uptempo groover, 'Hold You Close', and the fantastic little strutter, 'Get Down On You'. All in all it's a brand new set of future classics from your new favourite funky beatmakers, The Allergies.

Get it below

Junior Byron - Trying To Hold On (CoS Reissue)

Very excited to present another fine Cultures of Soul release, this time the killer Junior Byron track "Trying To Hold On," written and produced by Wild Fire's Oliver Chapman and originally released on the Wild Fire label back in 1985. The A-side includes the original mix as well as the Version.

On the  B-side we've got the  epic "Megamix." The track was reworked by Gerd Janson, who created the mix old-school style with two copies of the record, a mixer, and an EFX box. Adding the final touches to this track is  mixing and mastering engineer LOPAZZ, who mastered many of the best techno tracks in the Get Physical catalog and released the seminal dance-classic "I Need Ya" on Output.  Pre-order for release on October 6th!

Here's a taste of the original cut

 

Pre-order here: https://culturesofsoul.com/collections/all/products/junior-byron-trying-to-hold-on-12

The Eminent Stars - Bar Shift

Release date: 1 September 2017

Genre: Funk / Soul / R&B

Label: Tramp Records

Format(s): 7" EP / Digital

Cat #: TR1043

The Eminent Stars were founded by saxophonist Ben Mendes and drummer Toon Oomen. They both share the love for the great music emerging from cities like New Orleans in the ‘60s and ‘70s: Dr. John, Freddie King, The Meters and many more! Just mix up some soul, rhythm & blues, funk and blues and there you have it: a sound that consists of authentic elements: danceable, intriguing, vibrant and fresh!

Their debut Sittin' In With was released in February 2014, accompanied by a single. In the past three years The Eminent Stars heavily toured in their home country Netherlands and in Europe. They kept writing new songs and here we go with two new, fresh cuts. “Bar Shift” features guest vocalist Bruce James while “Brown Thang” is a smokin' blues-funk instrumental. These two sides give you an excellent foretaste of their second full-length album, scheduled for release in early 2018.

Check out this awesome live performance on video 

 

Pre-order now available from the Tramp Bandcamp store
https://tramprecords.bandcamp.com/album/pre-order-bar-shift-b-w-brown-thang

Aleem - Hooked on Your Love (Don Dayglow Edit)

DD back once again with another slice of hands-in-the-air Disco goodness... this time he's re-worked Aleem's classic featuring Calibur, Leroy Burgess and a young Luther Vandross.

Free Download from the link below

Tony Allen & Afrobeat 2000 - NEPA (Don Dayglow Remix)

More Afrobeat meets Disco here as the devilishly handsome and charismatic Don Dayglow reimagines Tony Allen's 1984 jam NEPA Dance Dub

Free Download too!

Benjamin Ball - I Just Keep Dancing (Soul Clap Edit)

You may recall we previously featured the wonderful Boogie Breakdown -South African Disco 1980 to 1984 compilation a year or so... well, the folks at Cultures of Soul have enlisted the heavyweight prowess of the esteemed Soul Clap crew to remix a track from the aforementioned compilation... and quite a job they've done too. Accompanying the original by Benjamin Ball, this is a 12" that will have the discerning dancefloor on fire from Soul Clap's resident New York to the furthest corner of the globe (I'll be spinning it in Abu Dhabi, that's for sure)

Licensed directly from the artist and housed in a custom disco sleeve this edit won't be available anywhere else. 

Coming out on June 9th pre-order here. 

Tramp Precords - Praise Poems Vol. 5

The ridiculously consistent Tramp Records return with the 5th instalment in their Praise Poems series

True to form, we're presented with a delicious collection of deep, soulful jazz with traces of funk, gospel, blue-eyed soul and blues in varying measure. 

Release date:	9 June 2017
Genre:	Soul / Funk / Reissue
Label:	Tramp Records
Format(s):	2LP / CD / DIGITAL
Cat #:	TR9066

Ambassa feat Nichola Richards - Ride The Samples

“Ride The Samples” is a project that pays tribute to some of the original songs that - thanks to sampling - later became the building blocks of world-famous hip-hop classics.

Following up the sold-out success of the two previous singles released on 7’’ vinyl, “Ride The Samples” is Wakeditown’s first-ever LP. Produced entirely by Italian-born bass player and producer Matia ‘Ambassa’ Gobbo, it features London-born soul singer Nichola Richards on vocals throughout. The combination of an early-80s reggae style on the production and a sweet, soul-infused style of singing makes ‘Ride The Samples’ truly unique. Italian dubmaster Paolo ‘Dubfiles’ Baldini, perfectly completes the sound with his dub-flavoured distinctive mixing style.

“Ride The Samples” is our approach to preserving the mix of these genres, celebrating the original soul samples on which world-famous hip-hop classics are based.

Release date: 2 June 2017

Genre: Reggae / Dub / Soul

Label: Wakeditown Records

Format(s): LP / DIGI

Cat #: WDT0004

The Impellers - As Sampled By (Final LP!)

The Impellers - As Sampled By

So my old mates The Impellers are hanging up their collective boots, at least as The Impellers. I'm sure we haven't heard the last of them individually, but the band have put together a fine, final folio of funk.
Doing what they do best as a live act, they've brought the funk to a well-chosen array of funk and soul as sampled by the creme de la creme of Hip-Hop and Beats, performed live and consecutively, in the style of a DJ mix. As if the LP title didn't give that away.

Farewell, The Impellers, it's been a blast!

Here's what they have to say about it all:  

At long last, here's the 2 x 180g vinyl edition of the final album by The Impellers.

With exclusive hand-drawn art from Jamie Groovement and design by Rob Crespo, we're really excited about how good this record looks. And it sounds pretty decent too.

44 classic breaks, as sampled by the pioneers of hip hop and drum n bass, played and mixed live by a 12 piece powerhouse heavy funk band. 

Played live, but mixed as if by a DJ, this album features versions of breaks sampled by the likes of De La Soul, Eminem, Dre, Eric B & Rakim, Public Enemy, N.W.A, Kendrick, Run DMC, The Beasties, J5, Big Daddy Kane, ATCQ, The Prodigy, DJ Shadow and Goldie (and just about every DnB producer that ever lived). 

Heavy funk, soul and breaks band The Impellers have been killing dancefloors across Europe with this material for the past 5 years but now you can check it for yourself on record for the first time.

***SPECIAL OFFER***

The first 50 copies sold will come with a free vinyl copy of The Impellers' 3rd album, My Certainty

As Sampled By - credits:

Music performed by The Impellers 

Mixed by Chris Evans-Roberts at Ithaca Audio 

Recorded at Yellow Fish Studios 

Mastered by Nick Lewis at Brighton Mastering 

Hand-drawn art by Jamie Groovement 

Design by Rob Crespo

The Impellers are:

Glenn Fallows - Guitar, Piano, Organ

Clair Fallows - Lead vocal

Ed Breaker - Bass

Tom Henderson - Drums

Barry Lalanne - Guitar

Joel Essex - Percussion

Darren Smith - Tenor Sax

Chris Evans-Robert - Alto Sax

Mark Yexley - Trumpet

Emma Black - Baritone Sax

Monsalve Y Los Forajidos - Abeja (Olindo Records)

Afro-Latin vibes from Paris on Lindo Records

Olindo Records is born in London from the music obsessives behind Colectivo Futuro, a cultural node where art forms and people converge. The collective is formed by a group of DJs, graphic designers, and artists who are committed to showcasing and collaborating with individuals and collectives that carry a passionate approach and a common aesthetic.

The label’s first release comes from the Paris-based septet Monsalve Y Los Forajidos, led by Venezuelan bassist Raul Monsalve, the band is an amalgamation of sounds and influences that revolve around traditional afro-latin styles of music with a heavy dose of psychedelia and funk. Both tracks originally appeared on the band’s self-released Volumen Dos album, but are presented here in vinyl for the first time.

The cuts presented here are only a small example of the music championed by the label’s founders on their Boom Music show for Music Is My Sanctuary

With Olindo Records, they hope to cover a wide variety of music for and from the soul.

V.A - Virtue Recording Studio (Tramp)

Brand new on Tramp... Out May 5th in all good stores

Frank Virtue built his first studio, Virtue Recording Lab, in the basement of his Philadelphia home at 8500 Fayette Street. It was here that his trio The Virtues recorded their hit arrangement “Guitar Boogie Shuffle”. The tune reached No.3 on the U.S. Billboard Chart and sold over 2 million copies worldwide. Soon after, Virtue disbanded the group and devoted himself to studio work full time. In 1962 he used the revenue from “Guitar Boogie Shuffle” to finance the opening of Virtue Recording Studios at 1618 North Broad Street.

In the late 1960’s the studio was home to Dyno Dynamic Productions, who released smash records like Eddie Holman’s “Hey There Lonely Girl” and the Volcano’s “Boogaloo Down Broadway”. Virtue Recording Studio offered a package deal allowing artists to pay a flat fee of $300-$500 for the recording of two songs. What resulted were some of the most prized garage and soul 45s, sought after for their unusual, low fidelity sound.

This release includes music legitimately licensed on CD/digital for the first time. Unseen photographs and detailed liner notes can be found in the 12-page CD booklet and the vinyl LP.

Record Store Day 2017

RSD turns 10 today, and as usual heralds a cavalcade of cracking, crackling wax. We think that's cause for celebration and have highlighted the releases we think pack the most punch. Miley Cyrus' gatefold-LP reissue of Bangerz does not make the cut.

Of course, RSD has it's drawbacks and we regret we can't assist if every copy of that Dark Crystal OST you've had your eye on has been poached by some sheister at 3am and is now on ebay for thrice the price.

It's also become somewhat more mainstream and an excuse to reissue albums that either don't deserve it or are on their third of fourth RSD repress (Vangelis' excellent Blade Runner OST, for example) so we're not without our criticisms. However, there are still some notable offers from the main draw, and most good record stores will have their own specialities, not to mention the countless pop-up shops and market stalls. So get out there and get digging!

Here are our Top 5 RSD releases:

Nigerian Soul Power

"Soul Jazz"

Soul Jazz Records’ Record Store Day Exclusive Limited-Edition Nigeria Soul Power 7” Box Set comprising five heavyweight 70s Afro-Funk, Afro-Disco & Afro-Rock seven-inch singles all with unique bespoke label artwork and all digitally re-mastered. Seriouly rare, killer and classic Nigerian 70s Afro-Funk, Afro-Disco & Afro-Rock tunes bought together here in this unique one-off Record Store Day box-set edition.

Record 1 A: Geraldo Pino – Heavy, Heavy, Heavy AA: Geraldo Pino – Africans Must Unite 

Record 2 A: Wings – We’ll Get Home AA: Wings –Single Boy 

Record 3 A: Tony Grey and The Ozimba Messengers – You Are The One AA: Don Bruce and The Angels – Sugar Baby 

Record 4 A: Geraldo Pino – Shake Hands AA: Geraldo Pino – Power To The People 

Record 5 A: MFB – Beware  AA:  Colomach – Kassa Kpa Sama

http://recordstoreday.com/SpecialRelease/9611

TEMPLES/KADHJA BONET

"Fortune"/"I Wanna Be A Free Girl"

Split 7" between Fat Possum artists Temples & Kadhja Bonet. Temples share a b-side from their recently released sophomore album, Volcano. Kadhja Bonet stretches her wings with her take on Dusty Springfield's classic "I Wanna Be A Free Girl"

"Fortune"/"I Wanna Be A Free Girl"

http://recordstoreday.com/SpecialRelease/9479

SUN RA

Discipline 27-11

Recorded during the same 1972 sessions as Impulse's Space Is the Place, Discipline 27-II is definitely cut from the same cloth. The title cut is a side-long space chant number (just like "Space Is the Place"), presumably recorded as one lengthy piece, although the tune itself is divided into three sections (radio edits?). Listeners also get another in the instrumental Discipline series (Ra composed and recorded many Disciplines throughout the '70s); this time it's "Discipline 8." "Neptune" is another great space chant ("Have you heard the latest thing from Neptune?"), but the standout track is "Pan Afro," a great blowing session built on Ra's trademark interlocking horn riffs. A tough one to find, Discipline 27-II is well-worth seeking out, especially for those who like Space Is the Place.

http://recordstoreday.com/SpecialRelease/9612

ARTHUR VEROCAL

Arthur Verocal

Brazilian 1970s maestro Arthur Verocal's folk-jazz magic. The original is super sought after so it's nice to see this quality repress from Mr Bongo. Half speed cut limited edition version. 180g with gatefold paste-on sleeve. Inclues ltd ed print

http://recordstoreday.com/SpecialRelease/9474

SINN SISAMOUTH & ROS SEREY SOTHEA

"Navy A Go Go"/"Old Pot Still Cooks Good Rice"

Dance tracks by two of Cambodia's most celebrated singers, Ros Serey Sothea ("the golden voice of the capital") and Sinn Sisamouth (the undisputed king of Cambodian popular music), as featured on the soundtrack to the critically acclaimed 2015 documentary Don't Think I've Forgotten: Cambodia's Lost Rock and Roll (DTD 042CD/PT 2007LP). "Melding Eastern melody with Western groove in ways that are still strikingly fresh. . . . remains treasured not only by Cambodians but also by rock connoisseurs around the world." --Ben Sisario, The New York Times

A1. Sinn Sisamouth - Navy A Go Go B1. Ros Serey Sothea - Old Pot Still Cooks Good Rice

http://recordstoreday.com/SpecialRelease/9564

Doseone: Enter The Gungeon/Disc Room

Our favourite rapper, possibly (sorry Aesop), Doseone is always making bold and unexpected moves. In fact calling him a rapper is a bit silly, since he's also a composer, painter, producer; a polymath of the highest calibre. His newest output sees him providing video game soundtracks for a couple of indie video games: Enter the Gungeon and Disc Room.

I can safely say I will never play the games themselves, but the audio work is quite remarkable... Disc Room comprises sub-minute snippets of sound designed for individual scenes (levels? chapters?) which are actually consecutive slices of the same song in succession. Enter The Gungeon's audio rattles along too, at a slightly more expansive average duration of around 1:30, and climaxes with the exceptional, eponymous theme, which is just bloody brilliant.

Available exclusively on Bandcamp, which is a shame as I'd love a vinyl copy.

Apostles of Aba: Banko Woman

We're back! Babies, marriages, migrations, new jobs etc reduced CMCFP productivity in 2016 to a resounding zero... but it's time to resurrect the blog. Aptly just after Easter, for resurrection fans everywhere.

Alright so we'll kick off with a new release from one of our favourite reissue labels, Cultures of Soul:

They've got a super rare 45 from highly sought after 70s Nigerian outfit The Apostles of Aba, and have this to say about it:

For over forty years, the Apostles of Aba have stood as the jewel in the crown of the music scene in Eastern Nigeria. Since their formation in 1973, the band has turned out memorable performances in a variety of styles including rock, soul, funk, pop and reggae. Even today, the Apostles continue to thrill audiences in their hometown of Aba with dazzling shows.

Cultures of Soul is proud to present one of the Apostles’ more obscure—yet relentlessly funky recordings: Banko Woman, originally released on the eponymous LP on Love Day Records in 1977. Straddling the world realms of afro-funk and disco, the track has long been a coveted dance floor filler amongst DJs, and for the first time is available for a wider audience. On the B-side is “Faith, Luck & Music,” also from the original Banko Woman album. Coming out as a limited edition 7 inch on May 19th!

Not to be confused with my co-blogger Dann, who is an Apostle for ABBA (don't ask), this is a straight up banger that will be a floor-filler for the more discerning DJs and Funk/Afrophiles everywhere. More like this please!