Mandrill - Solid (1975)

Mandrill were a psychedelic funk band from Brooklyn, New York. Formed in 1968 their sound was a heady brew that threw funk, soul, rock and latin influences together. In the early '70s their sound was characterised by energetic funk jams with acid guitar and mindblowing percussion breakdowns, by the time this album was released their sound had become a touch smoother...still cosmic though, and still funky.

Here's a clip of the band playing live on Soul Train in 1973:


Tracklist:

01 Yucca Jump
02 Peck Yer Neck
03 Wind On Horseback
04 Tee Vee
05 Solid
06 Stop & Go
07 Silk

Get it HERE.

Felix Del Rosario y Sus Magos Del Ritmos - Felix Llego

Frantic merengue from the Dominican Republic, I'm loving this at the moment, especially the slower songs.

Tracklist:

01 Si Tu Melones Vendieras
02 Campesino Embullao
03 Sonrisa (Na'ma)
04 Lagrimas Negras
05 To No Comprendes
06 La Tranca
07 Protestando Y Con Razon
08 Ni Cuerpo Ni Corazon
09 El Borracho
10 Ay Cuca
11 Felix Llego

Get it HERE.

Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey & His Inter-Reformers Band - What God Has Joined Together (1981)

Back in July last year I posted this album, which featured some great extracts from Ebenezer Obey's albums from the early '80s. The music on that album is all wonderful, but when the song fades I'm always left feeling a little disappointed, like I might have missed something important. This 1981 album from Obey's amazing band drifts the way juju should, the songs stretch out and subtly shift in pace and texture and you get the impression they could just groove on and on and on...

Tracklist:

Side 1: Eto Igbey Awo / What God Has Joined Together / Ile Oko Ile Eko

Side 2: Ore Oluwa Akari / Olusola Lumous

Get it HERE.

Les Mogol - Danses et Rhythmes de la Turquie (1971)

This is a fantastic slice of folky psychedelia from Turkey. At times its reminiscent of some of the Incredible String Band's quirky stylings, at others its got a hazy, pastoral sound not unlike Popol Vuh. Then there's this:


Hope you enjoy it.

Tracklist:

01 Toroslar
02 Lorke
03 Ilgaz
04 Madımak
05 Iklig
06 Cheminées De Fées
07 Sunset In Golden Horn
08 La Légende Du Mont Ararat
09 Hamsi
10 Fleur Sauvage
11 Cahit's Tune
12 To A Clear Mind
13 Rêve Kaleidoscopique

Get it HERE.

Aboombong - Asynchronic

I don't often (ever, would be more accurate) write posts related to contemporary music, I feel a bit old and don't really spend the time or the money trying to keep abreast of what's happening in today's patchwork of cool underground scenes. I've been quite enjoying some of the dubstep (or whatever you like to call it) stuff that's been drifting through my ears, particularly the Purple Wow Sound mix by Bristol producer, Joker. But we won't talk about that.

Much more out there and freeform than any of that stuff is this great album of clatter, hum and fuzz from the very mysterious Aboombong. The album is an intriguing blend of lo-fi drones, tape manipulation, mangled afro percussion and twitchy free-jazz drumming. And I'm liking it a lot.

Check it out.

Nomades Du Niger: Musique des Touareg, Musique des Bororo (Ocora )

These great recordings were made in Niger in 1963 & '64 by Tolia Nikiprowetzki, who also wrote the notes in the accompanying booklet. Here's an extract:

The Tuareg are nomads of Berber origin, who live in the central Sahara and the steppes - or Sahel - to the south of the desert. They live in tents and raise livestock. They are estimated to be about 500,000 in number. There are some 300,000 in the Republic of Niger, scattered among the northern and middle-western regions.

The recordings presented here were collected among the Tuareg living in the Air of Niger, a mountainous massif stretching across the north-west of the country.

"The most secret and constant preoccupation of the Bororo" writes Henry Brandt "is to be beautiful. For several weeks each year they devote all their artistry and almost all their time to this end"

Thus every year in the rainy season, the Guerewol takes place; this is an important feast which is the occassion for a veritable beauty contest. The young men dress and make upwith great care, while the young women bring out there finest jewels.

The young men, in single file in groups of about thirty, perform an almost motionless dance, singing at the same time. Periodically, the songbreaks off while the dancers open their eyes as wide as they can to arouse admiration, and curl back their lipsto display the dazzling whiteness of their teeth. The young women mix with the spectators. Each girl will choose her fiance for his good looks.

Tracklist:

01 ouane-ouane
02 aboraki
03 ahayalla-ahane
04 henne-amhee
05 tikichkichene
06 tekalelt
07 tailalt
08 ouankalanine
09 musique bororo

Get it HERE.

More Folk & Pop Sounds from Pre-Revolutionary Iran - Various Artists

Okay, here's another 5 of those lovely Persian 7" singles. This is heavy, saturnine music from an area of land that is home to some of the world's oldest civilizations. And a couple of jaunty dance numbers thrown in for good measure. What I find particularly interesting about these old records is the way these songs blend sounds and instuments from traditional Middle Eastern music, from the music of the Balkans and from Western pop styles. Apart from that, I don't know much (anything) about these songs, who performed them or when they were recorded, however I have found a couple of websites that hold information aboout the Iranian music scene of the '60s and '70s:

http://jessekaminsky.com/intercontinental/covers/

http://www.persiandiscography.com/

http://radiodiffusion.wordpress.com/

While you're browsing those sites you can always get today's 10 Persian songs HERE.
As always, any info or translations would be greatly appreciated.