Charles Bradley
Changes

Four stunning tracks from South African bass player - Sipho Gumede. Taken from two rare albums originally released in the 80s, the music blends South African roots with Boogie influences and is the follow-up to the hugely successful "Jika Jika" reissue.The release was born through label founder Aroop Roy's relentless search for a copy of the 1983 Peace album, which led to him tracking down the original producer - Greg Cutler - a key figure in South African music from that period and regular collaborator with Sipho. Aroop was blown away by "Uthinina" and "Bayabizana" - two unique tracks, featuring haunting Zulu vocals, African jazz flavours, and epic changes over hypnotic grooves."Something to Say" and "City of Gold" were recorded a few years later in the world-renowned Battery Mobile Studio. Sipho had been working there with Caiphus Semenya and Letta Mbulu and their influences can be heard, with drum machines and American Boogie instrumentation laying the foundation for powerful vocal lines sung in English, with soul and gospel sensibility.The 12" comes with extensive liner notes from Greg Cutler, talking about his time in South Africa. He recalls his experience as a White producer, working with Black musicians under the challenges of apartheid and describes his musical journey with Sipho Gumede, with intriguing details on how the music and production evolved.

Robert PARKERI Caught You In A Lie (Record Store Day 2020)Nola

Killer Afro house project feat What Goes Up RemixedChicago Afrobeat Project ft. Tony Allen remixed byRon TrentJose MarquezSol Power All-StarsMago BoAfroqbanoSound CultureKevin FordAlbum Cover by Slomo

Today, LA producer and underground dance-fantasy legend Benedek has shared his new EP “Zebrano” via Steven Julien’s Apron Records. It’s his first release for the London label, and features a stellar line up of featured artists, from rising Canadian-Ghanaian LA-based singer AKUA and DC's man of the moment dreamcastmoe, to R&B future icon Devin Morrison. It serves as Benedek’s first featured release since his 2011 single with Dam-Funk.While originally lauded for his own hybrid of boogie, garage house, and downtempo grooves, Benedek is traversing new realms with his esoteric innovations. These are all facets of Benedek's sunny and seductive hometown of Los Angeles, and are sonically expressed in his catalog. But as much as he’s embraced the shimmer on the surface, he’s also familiar with deeper, more hidden worlds. His work has found its home on such labels as PPU, LI.E.S., Leaving Records, Music From Memory and more. His expansive catalog includes collaborations with Steve Arrington, Delroy Edwards, Dam-Funk, Joyce Wrice, Tom Noble, Jamma-Dee, Kirin and more.