Paraphrasing the Soul Sonic Force and sorting through today`s releases for tunes that could have graced Alfie & Leo`s Amnesia dance floor.
I seem to have picked a lot of 90-100 BPM chuggers this month. Kicking off with Midori Takada & Masahiko Satoh`s Iron Paradise from their Luna Cruise reissue on WRWTFWW. When I reviewed the LP a little while back, I likened this percussive rattler to Ginger Baker`s stuff with Bill Laswell and I`m sticking to that.
Still in Japan, UK label LAG have made a fine job – full liner notes and obi – of repressing Kisaragi Koharu`s Neo-Plant. Originally from 1986 and produced by Ryuichi Sakamoto, and again noisily electronic and percussive. In the vein of Sakamoto`s own Shogunade and Tibetan Dance, or the hits of his sometime collaborator, Thomas Dolby.
There`s new music from Viennese musician Giuseppe Leonardi on Music From Memory`s Second Circle. Touting a similar fusion of traditional and futuristic sounds to label mates Denis Mpunga, Paul K and Dazion.
From Deek`s Covered In Gloria I`ve gone for Geller & Kaya`s Wham Dub and Sultan Shakes` Oud Ou Ray. Both forthcoming on vinyl samplers, care of Emotional Response.
Invisible City Editions, Gary and Brandon now having gone their separate ways, put out six shots of Sandy B`s Minimal Electronic Kwaito Funk. Straight Outta 1990`s Durban.
Michael Kucyk`s Efficient Space unearths more Antipodean gold. This time from Andy Rantzen. An associate of Sherrif Lindo, whose Ten Dubs That Shook The World is one of those must have records. Rantzen`s E.P. also embraces the Bass with four tracks of subwoofer rattling Digidub. Its booming off-set by gentle aquatic keys, chimes and whistles. If you were into the Androo record from a month or so ago, you should definitely give this a listen.
Back with Music From Memory, and Dub Oven are tipped for imminent 12” re-release. I know it`s sad but I wore a big smile when I saw this news. Since this`ll be the first time I`ve actually owned a record that MFM have picked up for re-issue. Yozo at EAD Records sold me a copy for 2000 yen around ten years ago. Back when I was hoovering up all of his “Post Punk Electro”. Things like Lou Reed`s Original Wrapper and Richard Bone`s Mutant Wisdom. Does this get me into a club of some sort?
There`s yet more off-the-wall Electro from Minoru Fushimi via his In Praise Of Mitochondria collection on Left Ear Records. All things being well, I`ll finally get to meet Minoru on Saturday. Interview soon come.
From Togo via Dalston, Kodjovi Kush raises the tempo up to 110. Nutifaya being my favourite cut from his debut long player, Love In Africa. A showcase for his mix of the 6/8 Agbadja rhythm and Jazz. Reminding, of the vibe at least, of Tony Allen`s classic N.E.P.A.
Italy`s Omaggio launch a new offshoot, Erezioni. Which translates as “erection” and I think will focus on their homeland`s catalogue of frankly Cosmic 7”s credited to porn stars turned sleazy Disco divas. A la Moana Pozzi`s L’Ultima Notte. First up is Sandy Samuel`s groovy (I Like) Sado Music.
Moving over from Italy to Greece, Isigude radically rework Pop sensation Αρλέτα / Arleta`s A Bar Called Shipwreck.
It`d be impossible, and rude, to ignore Harvey`s The Sound Of Mercury Rising compilation. So I`ve included Danza Dell Acqua. Where Tony Esposito does an Andreas Vollenweider.
On the House-ier front, James Booth borrows from Derrick Carter`s Chicago Boompt for Dhoop Stick on Basso`s Growing Bin.
French label Apollonia reissue some classic `90s Italian gear, in the form of Laser`s Body, from Leo Mas & Fabrice`s old Pin Up imprint.
Bogus & Hunter, with remixes from Deep88 and Melchior Sultana, get sax-y with Bad Runner.
Then there`s Ashley Beedle`s deep re-imagining of Mama`s Unmask Me. Now I have to be honest here. The Dub of this tune nearly closed last month`s round up. But I was umming and ahhing about it. Mainly the cute, modern Billy Holiday-isms. So in the end left it off. In the last week or so there`s been a video clip circulating of Andrew Weatherall dancing to the vocal, as he used it to close his Convenanza Festival. A shufty at that should be enough to swing it for anyone.
Track-list
Andy Rantzen – Fantasy Dub – Efficient Space
Geller & Kaya – Wham Dub – Deek / Emotional Response
Kisargai Koharu – Neo-Plant – LAG
Midori Takada & Masahiko Satoh – Iron Paradise – WRWTFWW
Sandy B – Amajovi Jovi – Invisible City Editions
Giuseppe Leonardi – Unsinn – Second Circle
Dub Oven – Dub Oven – Music From Memory
Kodjovi Kush – Nutifaya – Chop Time Music
Minoru Fushimi – Furarete – Left Ear
Tony Esposito – Danza Dell Acqua – Pikes
Sandy Samuel – (I Like) Sado Music – Erezioni
Arleta – A Bar Called Shipwreck – Isigude
James Booth – Dhoop Stick – Growing Bin
Bogus & Hunter – Bad Runner – 12Records
Sultan Shakes – Oud Ou Ray – Deek / Emotional Response
Laser – Body Under – Apollonia
Mama – Unmask Me (Ashley Beedle Vocal) – Batty Bass
