Far Out Recordings graces us with yet another vital release out of South America. This one by Opa is a little treasure out of Uruguay, not exactly known as a hot-spot for jazz fusion (at least not when compared to Brazil or, maybe, Argentina). This record, shelved for reasons unknown, has finally seen the light of day. There will be no digital release of the album (only vinyl and CD), but you can hear a slice courtesy of Youtube.
There is almost nothing I can add to the lore of Khruangbin except to say that, despite me occasionally talking about albums which are fine for nighttime listening, this one belongs to the sunrise. It has the feeling of an album you would play after an intense night out on the town, and coming down from the high of people around way too many people for too long. From their Bandcamp site: “The title makes it clear. A La Sala (“To the Room” in Spanish), the fourth studio album by Khruangbin, is an exercise in returning in order to go…
This collaboration between Los Angeles’ The Gaslamp Killer and Britain’s funkiest band, The Heliocentrics, is one of those lucky finds you stumble into every now and then, and I say this as someone who isn’t too big a fan of hip-hop. From the release’s Bandcamp site: “The stars would align a few years later, as The Heliocentrics would go on to tour with the GLK Experience as his backing band. This laid the groundwork for a monumental collaboration that was recorded at Quartermass Sound Lab, and would take many years to complete. The resulting album is a testament to the…
Work was busy today, so in lieu of a review, here is a rather joyful offering from Cameroon.
Franco was the pride of what was then (and would be again) the Democratic Republic of Congo, for a brief spell known as Zaire. He went from singing rumba and bolero tunes to developing a funk-influenced sound that lit up most of the African continent. From the Bandcamp site: “This compilation brings together an original selection of 16 tracks from the first three years of Les Editions Populaires. They are a showcase of the sound Franco had envisioned for his band. The focus was less on cha-cha-cha and Spanish lyrics, but on lingering rumba and bolero ballads in Lingala, tradition-rooted…
Takumi Moriya is a totally new name for me, but he is tearing up the dance floor with this title track that blends a soulful jazz with deep funk – perfect for any party.
The new Chicano Batman is expected to drop shortly, and with one track available, expect some funky Latin-tinged psychedelia to come your way.
Four Flies Records is an Italian label which “rescues golden age soundtracks from oblivion,” and we here are MYNTH are thankful for it! This release is a 7-inch record by Italian saxophonist Gianni Oddi (in Italian) which blends a grimy funk with easy/cheesy/sleazy listening grooves. This will definitely appeal to fans of library music as well as soundtracks.
Krivitsky is/are a project out of Israel that meld funk together with a fusion vibe stamped with a quasi-Soviet aesthetic.
Yet another vinyl masterpiece, reissued to perfection, comes to us from Wewantsounds. This gem features a big player in the St. Louis jazz scene, Luther Thomas. From the label’s press release: “A gang reunion, an effort of revitalization, a headbangers’ blowout, a legendary “lost” recording, a snapshot of its time, prophetic of sounds to come – Funky Donkey is all those things, but worth attention most ’cause after 50 years it’s still fun to hear. Alto saxophonist-ringleader Luther Thomas and his St. Louis cohort comprising the Human Arts Ensemble live large on this album, conveying as if right now the…