The Big Hustle
Time Traveler

An absolutely legendary album from Lebanon by Issam Hajali’s group Ferkat Al Ard, “Oghneya” stands out as one of the great musical gems of the Arab world. A groundbreaking release from 1978 that represents the meeting point of Arab, jazz, folk and Brazilian styles with the talent of Ziad Rahbani, who did the albums arrangements. Filled with a variety of sounds and genres, from Baroque Pop to Psych-Folk to flashes of Bossa Nova, Tropicalia and MPB, “Oghneya” is like if Arthur Verocai took a trip to Beirut in the 70’s to record an album.Sadly there are two tracks from the original release of “Oghneya” that did not make it onto the reissue. “Ghfyara Ghaza” was replaced by the song “Juma’a 6 Hziran.” while “Huloul” was taken off without a replacement. This happened as a precondition from the band for this reissue to happen. We would have loved to include all tracks, but the decision ranged between having either a reissue like the one we put out or no reissue at all. Thus, an easy choice for us.credits

PPU's first long-play LP highlights some of the early beginnings of one of the label's favorite producers, UKku Kuut. Written and recorded at Uku's home studio in Los Angeles and Stockholm between 1982 & 1989.Some tracks co-written with Maryn E. Coote, famous jazz vocalist who had her beginnings in 1960s Soviet Union. "That's my MOM" recalls UKU, "I remember when I was little, sitting under the mixing board at her sessions". Growing up in studios, Uku's love of music production began early, and over the years he has amassed a vast collection of domestic and soviet electronic gear. In true PPU style this LP is a mix of Uku Kuut's raw cassette demos, forgotten masters and unreleased magic.

2021 repress without the free MP3 download cardOut on his own, he produced a series of highly ambitious disco records aimed at positioning him as an international star, but weighed down by the excesses of the era, Gyan saw his meteoric rise matched by an equally swift fall back into obscurity. Soundway Records now collects the best of Gyan�s work as a frontman and solo artist, featuring an array of electrifying disco grooves that still sound contemporary (and in some cases futuristic) decades after their initial release. Tip!Hailed as Africa's answer to Stevie Wonder, Ghanaian multi-instrumentalist Kiki Gyan was a musical wunderkind who by 1975 had risen from the lowly status of high school dropout to being ranked eighth in a poll of the greatest keyboardists in the world (occupying the rarefied air of the top ten with heavyweights like Steve Winwood, Billy Preston, and Stevie Wonder) as well as becoming an in-demand session player in the top recording studios of London - all before his twenty-first birthday.

The Sonor Music Editions label is serving up a welcome reissue of the soundtrack of the cult Italian cult movie Emanuelle in America. It comes in super limited quantities with just 500 vinyl copies pressed and the whole thing has been remastered for the occasion. The sex thriller movie was directed by the legendary Joe D'Amato and its music was overseen by Nico Fidenco. Fittingly, the sounds are super libidinous, sexy and seductive, with sultry strings and 70s porno vibes never too far away. This one is for adults only, for sure.

Far Out Recordings est ravi de présenter Mora ! et pour la première fois en vinyle, Mora ! II. Percussionniste mexicain-américain et ancien membre du Sun Ra Arkestra, Francisco Mora Catlett a enregistré et sorti son premier LP solo en 1987 en tant que presse privée, mais la suite qu'il a enregistrée au cours des années suivantes avec une section de cuivres jazz élargie à Detroit a été mise en veilleuse pendant des décennies. Mélange panaméricain de rythmes afro-cubains hypnotiques, de batucadas frénétiques et de sambas enflammées, Mora I & II sont les saints graals du jazz latin, dirigés par un héros méconnu du genre. S'installant à Detroit après ses années passées avec l'Arkestra, Francisco s'est mis au travail pour ses débuts éponymes, rassemblant un ensemble de musiciens comprenant le claviériste Kenny Cox, fondateur du légendaire Strata Records, le bassiste Rodney Whitaker du Roy Hargrove Quintet et les percussionnistes Jerome Le Duff, Alberto Nacif et Emile Borde. La suite Mora II est enregistrée peu de temps après avec un line-up élargi qui comprend la légende de la trompette Marcus Belgrave, célèbre pour son travail avec Ray Charles, Charles Mingus, Hank Crawford, Eddie Russ et Wendell Harrison.