SEALED

First released in 1992, available for CD only and out of print for many years, Addis 1988 is now remastered and available as limited edition on vinyl for the first time, a stunning reissue 180 grams for audiophiles and collectors.Addis 1988 is the document of a moment in time when Mulatu Astatke was not yet the global Ethiojazz superstar he is today, but a change was gonna come for him, and for the whole world. In Ethiopia, the Derg had started to tumble and fall, Europe saw the wall between East and West gain more and more holes until it came down, Southern Africa witnessed Apartheid taking its final lap before Nelson Mandela was finally set free. With Ofra Haza's Yeminite Songs and Mory Kanté’s ‘Yéké Yéké’ high on the international charts, music of the wider world finally entered the house of Western pop, giving high hopes and deep inspirations for many musicians who were previously excluded. Fuelled by Mulatu Astatke as artistic director, composer, arranger and collaborating musician, Ethio Stars and Tukul Band's Addis 1988 recordings vibrantly sustain the innocence of these musical originators, yet hold up to modern standards with timeless aplomb. The album also helps to fill a gap: the period when Mulatu and his music were largely forgotten outside of his homeland. First released in1992, available for CD only and out of print for many years, Addis 1988 is now remastered and available as limited edition on vinyl for the first time, a stunning reissue 180 grams for audiophiles and collectors.QUOTES: »A fascinating album with a disarming blend of soul, jazz, funk, rock ,reggae and carefully plotted tracks. Great stuff!« fRoots (Aug 1992) »Innovative musicians that deserve greater exposure. The Ethio Stars and Tukul Band work strikingly diverse variations on Ethiopian popular music by performing xperimen-tal sonic surgery on traditional styles and instruments.« SPIN (Feb 1993) »Quality music, capturing the energy and passion of the soul-influenced traditional Ethiopian sounds.« CMJ (Aug 1992)- Mulatu is featured as artistic director, composer, arranger and collaborating musician- Helping to close the gap in Mulatu’s discography between 70s and 90s- A classic – high on the European World Music Charts in 1992- Two very different bands – Ethio Stars & Tukul Band - that emerged out of the cultural melting point Addis- Released for the first time on vinyl- High-quality reissue and remaster for collectors on 180 gram vinyl- Download code included- Released for the first time digitally on all download and streaming services

SJOB Movement's Friendship Train was the second LP by the group and one which saw the group rise to new heights. It's a masterpiece of African music with it's fluid afro beat grooves and spaced out Moog synthesizer sounds. Here is an excerpt from the liner notes written and researched by Uchenna Ikonne:"Prince Bola Agbana might hardly be the most immediately recognizable name in the constellation of Nigerian music stars, but for a significant portion of the last half-century he labored in the shadows, dutifully serving as one of the key movers in its development: An in-demand session musician. An early and respected exponent of funk. A catalyst in the retrofit of juju into a modern pop genre. Most of all, though, he is recognized as the founder, leader, drummer and principal vocalist of the SJOB Movement.SJOB: Sam, Johnnie, Ottah, Bola. For a moment in the mid-1970s, they were le dernier cri in modern Nigerian music, representing the next step in the evolution of afro rhythms, and a new paradigm for the band economy. Their first album, 1976’s A Move in the Right Direction, was a minor sensation and was swiftly followed by Friendship Train in 1977. Then it appeared that the movement stopped moving, and SJOB disappeared from the scene."

The late, great J Dilla is widely regarded as one of the greatest hiphop producers of all time. An innovator who pushed the genre in new sonic directions, the Detroit native born James Yancey crafted timeless soundscapes for the likes of Slum Village, Busta Rhymes, Common, Erykah Badu, A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots, and many more. Since his death in 2006, Dilla’s mother Maureen “Ma Dukes” Yancey has worked tirelessly to further her son’s legacy, and her latest effort is the new posthumous album Motor City. Inspired by Dilla’s beloved hometown, Motor City is a collection of rare and unreleased Jay Dee instrumentals, hand-selected and sequenced by Ma Dukes. Conceived as a “letter” to her son, Motor City is packaged in a limited-edition mailing envelope, complete with a handwritten message from Ma Dukes to J Dilla inside. Both CD and vinyl formats also include access to an exclusive mix of the album by Dilla’s close friend J Rocc, a world-renown DJ and founder of the Beat Junkies.

After two incredible EPs, Wayne Snow — the Nigerian-born, Berlin-based vocalist and songwriter — now presents his debut album on Tartelet Records.Freedom TV is the natural sequel to the Max Graef-produced tasters Red Runner (2014) and Rosie (2015), a project marinated in Afro-Caribbean, soulful grooves and topped by Wayne’s effortless falsetto acrobatics.As the title suggests, Freedom TV is an album with themes of liberty, struggle and creative identity pumping through its veins. Within ten tracks, Snow fluently meanders between musical styles: from low-tempo soothers like album opener “Cooler” and “Fall” to the syncopated bruk of “The Rhythm” and cosmic funk escapades found on “Nothing Wrong”.Production comes from three varied and solid sources. The tag-team between Snow and fellow Berliner, Max Graef — which started on Graef’s 2014 debut Rivers of the Red Planet — is in full effect. The result is six tracks (“Cooler”, “Still In The Shell”, “Drunk”, “Red Runner”, “Rosie” & “Fall”) anchored by Graef’s now-signature brew of warm-to-the-touch boom-bap, soul, jazz and house. Elsewhere, trips to see the French capital and Neue Grafik yielded three stormers: “The Rhythm”, “Freedom R.I.P” and “Nothing But The Best”.Naples-formed, Berlin-based duo Nu Guinea also lend a hand on “Nothing Wrong”, an uptempo jam which will receive remix treatment from Francis Inferno Orchestra as well as the pair themselves. The works of criminally overlooked, Zimbabwean guerilla fighter-poet, Freedom Nyamubaya (?1958-2015), bind everything together. It’s her verses, which occupy the end of soul-searching, Peven Everett-esque joint “Freedom R.I.P” and provide a regular referential touchpoint. More than anything, Freedom TV is the soundtrack for anyone seeking a wholesome exploration of groove.Smooth and contagiously danceable at points, Wayne Snow has arrived in album territory with an assured cool.

The wait is over, Return To The 37th Chamber is El Michels Affair’s highly anticipated follow up to 2009's underground cult classic Enter the 37th Chamber. Churning out classic records since then for the likes of Lee Fields, The Arcs, The Shacks, and tons more, it is clear that EMA's signature sound is stronger & sharper than ever.This time, in addition to re-interpreting the Wu compositions for a live band, EMA pays homage to the production and sonic fog that makes a RZA beat so recognizable. Producer and bandleader Leon Michels recorded the album completely analog, sometimes hitting 6 generations of tape before it was ready for mixing, giving the Return to The 37th Chamber it’s own hazy sound. Adding to the unique fidelity, the record is laced with psychedelic flourishes, “John Carpenter” synths, heavy metal guitars, triumphant horns, and traditional Chinese instruments that make up for the lack of the Wu’s superlative vocals. From start to finish it’s a dark trip that walks the line between RZA’s timeless hip-hop aesthetic and the cinematic soul EMA has become known for.El Michels Affair tackles some classics like 4th Chamber and Wu Tang Aint Nuthin to Fuck Wit, as well as some deeper cuts like Ol Dirty Bastard’s Snakes, Raekwon’s Verbal Intercourse, and Shaolin Brew, Wu-Tang’s contribution to the St. Ide’s Hip Hop endorsement campaign from 1994. This time El Michels brings some of the Big Crown family along for the ride. Lee Fields handles vocal duties on Snakes and is joined by Shannon Wise of The Shacks for their version of Tearz, which pays as much homage to the Wendy Rene sample as it does to the Wu-Tang Clan. Lady Wray makes an appearance on the cover of Method Man’s hit, All I Need, lending her vocal prowess to what gave the Wu one of their biggest hits of all time. Interspersed throughout the record are some original interludes that are like the “rug that ties the room together,” giving Return To The 37th Chamber a cinematic narrative that makes it a proper El Michels Affair record and not just a collection of covers.From the music to the presentation, this album is a perfect example of what can only be achieved through diversity. The end result is as much a kaleidoscope of influences and multiculturalism as the city it was recorded in. El Michels Affair is once again, “sounding out the city” that raised them, pulling elements of art and culture from across the country and around the globe to create an album truly unique in it’s own right.

ATKR with his debut on Ta-ku's & Repeat Pattern's 10inch label BRRWD. BRRWD is a label collaboration between Ta-ku/ repeat pattern & Jakarta Records. AKTR (pronounced actor), is a beat maker from Yokohama city sampling primarily 80s funk. With his familiar yet subtly unique and fresh approach, AKTR is commonly loved by both more hiphop leaning loop heads, and serious connoisseur consumers of Vaporwave alike. He somehow manages to consistently contribute a high level of bliss to this sample/collage culture (or whatever you want to label it) in a quiet yet powerful manner from his humble Yokohama apartment. We are very excited to be one of the stops in his creative journey and hope you will hear what we are hearing.

Voilaaa is one of the many projects led and produced by Bruno “Patchworks” Hovart, who’s proven over the past 15 years, his place amongst the finest producers of groove music in all genres.This time exploring the wide spectrum of the African and Tropical Disco scene, he received a massive international support for Voilaaa’s first album, On te l’avait dit, released late 2015 on Favorite Recordings.Following to that success and pursuing the same direction combining of the festive, yet sometime futile nature of Disco, and the instinctive, deep, sometimes rough nature of African music, Voilaaa’s now presenting its 2nd efforts, Des Promesses.The 13 tracks of the album are again up to expectations, and Voilaaa has not finished feeding international dancefloors with heavy Afro-Disco music. Alongside Bruno at the production, singers Pat Kalla and Sir Jean are back providing their carefree lyrics and Afro vibes, and Senegalese artist Doctor Lass comes to extend the team, with 3 brilliant titles, including a great Funky cover of the classic “Mandjou” by Salif Keita and Les Ambassadeurs Internationaux..