|
|
|
|
viewing 1 To 25 of 256 items
Next >>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CD
|
|
BORNBAD 191CD
|
$16.00
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 3/13/2026
Abdou El Omari was born in 1945 in Tafraout, south of Agadir -- a village suspended between the pink granite peaks of the Anti-Atlas and the waves of the Atlantic. A landscape already musical in itself. He grew up in the dry mountain light, surrounded by the rhythms of nature and Berber's culture. Very little is known about the man -- a veil of mystery still surrounds his life, only deepening the fascination. In the 1970s, as Morocco was transforming, Abdou El Omari shaped a sound of his own -- a visionary blend of spiritual jazz, psychedelic funk, Moroccan traditions, and early electronic experimentation. Today, his work is resurfacing, rediscovered by a new generation of listeners in search of lost horizons. This record stands among its rarest and most precious fragments. At twenty-two, he founded his first group, Les Fugitifs, which gained him local fame. Soon after, he released records and cassettes on labels such as Cléopâtre, Hassania, Boussiphone, Hilali, and his own, Al Awtar, while performing on RTM (national radio and television). He also composed for artists like Naima Samih, Laila Ghofran, and Aicha El Waad. In 1976, through the label Gam, he released his only vinyl album, Nuits d'été -- a record that would become cult decades later, reissued in 2017 by Radio Martiko. In the 1980s, his music grew quieter, more secret. He tried to recover his old tapes from the studios he had recorded in, but gradually withdrew from the scene and returned to hairdressing. A pioneer of musical fusion, he opened paths that would remain unexplored for years. He passed away in 2010, never witnessing the rediscovery of his music by diggers, bloggers, and collectors online. One day, his close friend and poet Aziz Essamadi, rescued a cardboard box from the trash -- a box containing Abdou El Omari's personal archives. It was later entrusted to Casablanca based collector Ahmed Khalil, founder of the label Dikraphone. Inside were treasures preserved by chance: demos, rehearsals, private recordings, unseen photographs -- and a stunning, almost forgotten cassette. Here, El Omari sounds bolder than ever, exploring territories where pop, cosmic disco, electric blues, and Moroccan tradition merge without boundaries. Armed with his ARP Odyssey synthesizer, hypnotic grooves, and the celestial layers of his Farfisa, he expanded the dialogue between deep roots and electronic exploration. This album is the continuation of a vision -- a music of the Moroccan future: rooted, but reaching for the unknown. Colorful, magnetic and timeless, here is music for dancing as much as for dreaming.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
LP
|
|
BORNBAD 193LP
|
$20.50
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 3/13/2026
Ile de Garde isn't just a clever pun paying homage to the blessed German mystic and jack-of-all-trades, Hildegarde Von Bingen. It's the name chosen by three women freshly signed to Born Bad/Carpaccio Cathédrale, who came bearing gifts: six synth-wave tracks based on a drum/keyboard/spoken word line-up. It won't be for everyone, and that's just as well. More of a narrator than a singer, Klara Coudrais performs the lyrics, embodies characters, and puts on a show, in French and in English. Controlled and clinical anger, putting facts in order, whether it's settling scores with some violent bloke or scrutinize a couple on the path to a breakup -- Sylvia Plath meets Diamanda Galás, heckling the audience gently. It sometimes flirts with singing, with reinforcement coming up as backing vocals. Neither John nor Karen Carpenter, Cécile Aurégan layers synths to produce dense, enveloping soundscapes. It's a full starter-main-dessert, but the trio has a strong stomach. Morgane Poulain peacefully taps away at her drums. Track after track, no-frills post-post punk for your ears, with a few surprises. Ile de Garde takes the floor, body-wise. Rage Blossom is a beginning, and you have to be there.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
LP
|
|
BORNBAD 191LP
|
$22.50
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 3/13/2026
LP version. Abdou El Omari was born in 1945 in Tafraout, south of Agadir -- a village suspended between the pink granite peaks of the Anti-Atlas and the waves of the Atlantic. A landscape already musical in itself. He grew up in the dry mountain light, surrounded by the rhythms of nature and Berber's culture. Very little is known about the man -- a veil of mystery still surrounds his life, only deepening the fascination. In the 1970s, as Morocco was transforming, Abdou El Omari shaped a sound of his own -- a visionary blend of spiritual jazz, psychedelic funk, Moroccan traditions, and early electronic experimentation. Today, his work is resurfacing, rediscovered by a new generation of listeners in search of lost horizons. This record stands among its rarest and most precious fragments. At twenty-two, he founded his first group, Les Fugitifs, which gained him local fame. Soon after, he released records and cassettes on labels such as Cléopâtre, Hassania, Boussiphone, Hilali, and his own, Al Awtar, while performing on RTM (national radio and television). He also composed for artists like Naima Samih, Laila Ghofran, and Aicha El Waad. In 1976, through the label Gam, he released his only vinyl album, Nuits d'été -- a record that would become cult decades later, reissued in 2017 by Radio Martiko. In the 1980s, his music grew quieter, more secret. He tried to recover his old tapes from the studios he had recorded in, but gradually withdrew from the scene and returned to hairdressing. A pioneer of musical fusion, he opened paths that would remain unexplored for years. He passed away in 2010, never witnessing the rediscovery of his music by diggers, bloggers, and collectors online. One day, his close friend and poet Aziz Essamadi, rescued a cardboard box from the trash -- a box containing Abdou El Omari's personal archives. It was later entrusted to Casablanca based collector Ahmed Khalil, founder of the label Dikraphone. Inside were treasures preserved by chance: demos, rehearsals, private recordings, unseen photographs -- and a stunning, almost forgotten cassette. Here, El Omari sounds bolder than ever, exploring territories where pop, cosmic disco, electric blues, and Moroccan tradition merge without boundaries. Armed with his ARP Odyssey synthesizer, hypnotic grooves, and the celestial layers of his Farfisa, he expanded the dialogue between deep roots and electronic exploration. This album is the continuation of a vision -- a music of the Moroccan future: rooted, but reaching for the unknown. Colorful, magnetic and timeless, here is music for dancing as much as for dreaming.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
12"
|
|
BORNBAD 072RP
|
$22.50
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 2/27/2026
Reissue in white color vinyl. First time reissue of this French cold-wave/minimal-synth treasure. Originally released in November, 1981.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
CD
|
|
BORNBAD 192CD
|
$12.50
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 2/27/2026
Jessica93, prodigal bastard of the glorious French squat scene, relocated on Born Bad. Geoffroy Laporte, alone against all odds, alternates bass and guitar to build harsh loops with a drum machine spitting pre-Gulf War patterns. That's where it gets tricky: every musical posse claims him. Grunge, sure, but Jessica doesn't indulge in necrophilia. His circuit is punk, he doesn't dress the part though. Cold wave, the atmosphere fits somehow, but the gear does not. Maybe it's time to give it a rest and let Jessica93 cook his great misery broth on her own, called 666 Tours De Périph (666 laps on the beltway). Witnessing Jessica93 live makes you dread that he'll get up the next morning, drive 200 miles and one nap later kick it again. At the heart of this cultural pentacle painted by French weirdos Bryan's Magic Tears, and Carine Krinator, Jessica93 has built a sound validated by years of chosen vagrancy, birthing bands with joyously stupid monikers, in the humid jungle of small labels. Jessica93's debut album had a track celebrating Omar Little, HBO's gay bandit from Baltimore. This story begins on the beltway, where Florence Rey, accidental copkiller turned to political icon of the '90s. A previous album was haunted by bedbugs, this one is essentially about love, a delicious scourge just as hard to eradicate. The record demonstrates the know-how acquired in loop-by-loop construction of ruins that are pleasant to squat in together. There's your classic doom delicatessen, with bits of heavy metal inside, crafted with the manic care typical of hard wankers. Arthur Satàn, who produced and mixed the album at home in Bordeaux, helped him get his head out of the reverb safe house. And Jessica93 took the opportunity to switch to the dark side of the language: French at last.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
CD
|
|
BORNBAD 190CD
|
$13.50
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 2/27/2026
Emile Sornin has a robot in his life. It's not love, but it's not friendship either, and Forever Pavot is releasing an album documenting the affair on Born Bad. After a bunch of bold pop studio albums and a small stack of soundtracks, Emile needed a break. To put an end to it, he embarked with handyman extraordinaire Jonas Euvremer on the manufacture of an automaton destined to make his musician's life easier. Melchior, who gave his name to the record, has the face of a ventriloquist's dummy, two plastic left hands, preppy clothes and a primitive logic circuit. This goodie two-shoes cousin of Bender's is supposed to be doing the interviews and deal with socials for Emile. The plan worked admirably: Melchior is a perfect cover-boy, and his very existence has put our man back to work. They set a path for phat electronic ventures (and by the way, mostly English-speaking). Sub- continental bass and massive drums, heavy-footed and unabashed: as much appreciated as unexpected. The half-android shares songwriting credits and vocal parts vocoded to perfection. Not a jealous lad, Melchior makes way for a guest of choice on "UFO" and "Waiting for the sign": Lispector. Julie Margat sings and collaborated on the lyrics for these two bangers that provide a lot of context (robot angst is real). Kumisolo also sent her "Postcard", more vapor than song, unreal musical cotton candy of arrangements. Domotic, who mixes and co-produces, gives a nice spin to "Count to 10," a hip-hop/kraut crossover with a BEAK> flavor. The Forever Pavot, once a big-band, will be touring as a bass/ drums/keys and vocals trio, with Melchior as guest. Record after record, Emile Sornin has become an increasingly literate musical illiterate. When needed, his music can still become a thicket of ancient and modern finds. Forever Pavot may have gone wild, but remains indebted vis-à-vis the golden age of film music. Forebears deluxe Ennio Morricone and François de Roubaix make Hitchcock-style cameos: discreet appearances that you'll watch out for. His new flirt is all but a toxic relationship. Melchior Vol. 1: the robo-bromance is not over yet.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
CD
|
|
BORNBAD 187CD
|
The journey through French-speaking pop archives continues with this fifth volume, packed with fuzz, gimmicks, and dissent. Far from the charts, the selected tracks display a great creative freedom, often backed by corrosive humor. Welcome to the surprising, kaleidoscopic, and colorful world of the late sixties and early seventies, Wizzz! CD version includes 32-page booklet with liner notes. LP version includes 6-page booklet with liner notes. Featuring Robert Pico, Annie Girardot, Spauv Georges, Zoé, Jacques Da Sylva, Valentin, Jacques Malia, Bernard Jamet, Jean-Pierre Lebrot, Les Concentrés, Les Missiles, Hegessipe, Marechalement Votre, Mamlouk, Mosaïque, Jean-Marc Garrigues, and Penuel.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
LP
|
|
BORNBAD 190LP
|
LP version. Emile Sornin has a robot in his life. It's not love, but it's not friendship either, and Forever Pavot is releasing an album documenting the affair on Born Bad. After a bunch of bold pop studio albums and a small stack of soundtracks, Emile needed a break. To put an end to it, he embarked with handyman extraordinaire Jonas Euvremer on the manufacture of an automaton destined to make his musician's life easier. Melchior, who gave his name to the record, has the face of a ventriloquist's dummy, two plastic left hands, preppy clothes and a primitive logic circuit. This goodie two-shoes cousin of Bender's is supposed to be doing the interviews and deal with socials for Emile. The plan worked admirably: Melchior is a perfect cover-boy, and his very existence has put our man back to work. They set a path for phat electronic ventures (and by the way, mostly English-speaking). Sub- continental bass and massive drums, heavy-footed and unabashed: as much appreciated as unexpected. The half-android shares songwriting credits and vocal parts vocoded to perfection. Not a jealous lad, Melchior makes way for a guest of choice on "UFO" and "Waiting for the sign": Lispector. Julie Margat sings and collaborated on the lyrics for these two bangers that provide a lot of context (robot angst is real). Kumisolo also sent her "Postcard", more vapor than song, unreal musical cotton candy of arrangements. Domotic, who mixes and co-produces, gives a nice spin to "Count to 10," a hip-hop/kraut crossover with a BEAK> flavor. The Forever Pavot, once a big-band, will be touring as a bass/ drums/keys and vocals trio, with Melchior as guest. Record after record, Emile Sornin has become an increasingly literate musical illiterate. When needed, his music can still become a thicket of ancient and modern finds. Forever Pavot may have gone wild, but remains indebted vis-à-vis the golden age of film music. Forebears deluxe Ennio Morricone and François de Roubaix make Hitchcock-style cameos: discreet appearances that you'll watch out for. His new flirt is all but a toxic relationship. Melchior Vol. 1: the robo-bromance is not over yet.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
LP
|
|
BORNBAD 187LP
|
LP version. The journey through French-speaking pop archives continues with this fifth volume, packed with fuzz, gimmicks, and dissent. Far from the charts, the selected tracks display a great creative freedom, often backed by corrosive humor. Welcome to the surprising, kaleidoscopic, and colorful world of the late sixties and early seventies, Wizzz! Includes 6-page booklet with liner notes. Featuring Robert Pico, Annie Girardot, Spauv Georges, Zoé, Jacques Da Sylva, Valentin, Jacques Malia, Bernard Jamet, Jean-Pierre Lebrot, Les Concentrés, Les Missiles, Hegessipe, Marechalement Votre, Mamlouk, Mosaïque, Jean-Marc Garrigues, and Penuel.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
LP
|
|
BORNBAD 024BWLP
|
White color vinyl. Reissue of Stephan Eicher's extremely rare early electro punk recordings from 1980. Think Grauzone meets Suicide meets DAF. Taken from a cassette tape released in 25 copies in 1980, these tracks, recorded hastily on a dictaphone and stolen equipment, already hint at the success that Stephan Eicher would enjoy with his brother the following year and the Grauzone project. In short, cheesy synths, haunting vocals, and tortured drum machines -- discover the dark side of Stephan Eicher!
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
LP
|
|
BORNBAD 192LP
|
LP version. Jessica93, prodigal bastard of the glorious French squat scene, relocated on Born Bad. Geoffroy Laporte, alone against all odds, alternates bass and guitar to build harsh loops with a drum machine spitting pre-Gulf War patterns. That's where it gets tricky: every musical posse claims him. Grunge, sure, but Jessica doesn't indulge in necrophilia. His circuit is punk, he doesn't dress the part though. Cold wave, the atmosphere fits somehow, but the gear does not. Maybe it's time to give it a rest and let Jessica93 cook his great misery broth on her own, called 666 Tours De Périph (666 laps on the beltway). Witnessing Jessica93 live makes you dread that he'll get up the next morning, drive 200 miles and one nap later kick it again. At the heart of this cultural pentacle painted by French weirdos Bryan's Magic Tears, and Carine Krinator, Jessica93 has built a sound validated by years of chosen vagrancy, birthing bands with joyously stupid monikers, in the humid jungle of small labels. Jessica93's debut album had a track celebrating Omar Little, HBO's gay bandit from Baltimore. This story begins on the beltway, where Florence Rey, accidental copkiller turned to political icon of the '90s. A previous album was haunted by bedbugs, this one is essentially about love, a delicious scourge just as hard to eradicate. The record demonstrates the know-how acquired in loop-by-loop construction of ruins that are pleasant to squat in together. There's your classic doom delicatessen, with bits of heavy metal inside, crafted with the manic care typical of hard wankers. Arthur Satàn, who produced and mixed the album at home in Bordeaux, helped him get his head out of the reverb safe house. And Jessica93 took the opportunity to switch to the dark side of the language: French at last.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
CD
|
|
BORNBAD 027CD
|
Think Michou meet les Ramones meet les Shangri La's meet John Waters. Originally released May 31, 2010. Cover photo by Vice Cooler.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
LP + 7"
|
|
BORNBAD 188LP
|
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the release of this indisputable classic of French coldwave and synthwave, including hits such as "Polaroid Roman photo" and "Mots," Born Bad presents a limited-edition reissue, including a bonus 7" with two previously unreleased tracks and a 12-page vinyl booklet. Thierry Müller, who initiated the RUTH project, was not a newcomer when the album Polaroid Roman Photo was released in 1985. As early as 1982, an early version of the track "Polaroïd/Roman/Photo" was released under the project RUTH. "I wanted to write a piece to make the girls dance and make fun of the boys. I plugged a small handmade clock on my Farfisa organ as a sequencer. I had a small Roland synth-guitar, I put the organ in it and that's how it started." Thierry worked on other tracks for the future LP and asked some friends to write other texts. Later, Thierry settled down in the Anagramme recording studio to carry out acoustic sound recordings. But when the sessions were over, he was not too happy with the results of "Polaroïd/Roman/Photo": according to them, they lacked "flamboyance". They decided then to record a new female voice with a professional singer and the sound engineer Patrick Chevalot offered to mix the track in the Synthesis studio "so that it blows out." With his tape ready and the help of Jacques Pasquier (S.C.O.P.A./ Invisible Records) he started to contact record companies. "I visited almost all the major record companies and was thrown out every time. Only at RCA's I found someone interested in my music." The album barely sold 50 copies in 1985, despite the eponymous title being a potential success. In 2004, two DJs (Marc Colin and Ivan Smagghe) discovered the track "Polaroïd/Roman/Photoand," and decided to exhume it from oblivion. They released it on a compilation called So Young But So Cold (Tigersushi) and then with Born Bad records on the BIPPP compilation in 2008. Thanks to them, the track and the album began a new life. Alongside his activity as graphic designer, Thierry Müller carries on producing music under his name, those of ILITCH and RUTH, and with various collaborators.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
CD
|
|
BORNBAD 183CD
|
Here are fourteen tracks of untimely yet unprecedented cross-fertilization from the French West Indies: all types of music rooted in the Creole archipelago have found their way, whatsoever, to the tracklisting. Whether originating from the city or being more rural, they all go back to what Edouard Glissant, in an interview about the place of West Indian music in the Afro-American scope, called "the trace of singing, the one which got erased by slavery." The opening track features one of the emblematic orchestras of this aesthetic identity, criscrossing many music types from the archipelago. The 1974 Ray Barretto guajira is magnificently performed by Malavoi, a legendary Fayolais group. Additionally, the compilation ends on a piece by Los Martiniqueños de Francisco. Practicing the danmyé rounds (a kind of capoeiria) to the rhythm of the bèlè drum, it delivers a terrific Caterete, a kind of champeta of Afro- Colombian obedience which was originally composed by Colombian Fabián Ramón Veloz Fernández for the group Wgenda Kenya. The icing on the cake is Brazilian Marku Ribas, who found refuge in Martinique in the early 1970s, bringing his singing to the last trance-inducing track. The Los Caraïbes cover of "Dónde," a famous Cuban theme composed by producer Ernesto Duarte Brito, has a typical violin and features renowned Martinique singer Joby Valente and his piquant voice. The meaningful "Amor en chachachá" by L'Ensemble Tropicana, a band which included Haitian musicians among whom was composer and leader Michel Desgrotte, also recalls how Latin music was pervasive in the tropics in the mid-1960s. They were the ones keeping people dancing at Le Cocoteraie in Guadelupe and La Bananeraie in Martinique. Around the same time, another "foreign" band, Congolese Freddy Mars N'Kounkou's Ryco Jazz, achieved some success on both islands by covering Latin jazz classics. In a more typically salsa vein, the Super Combo, a famous Guadelupean orchestra from Pointe-Noire that was formed around the Desplan family and had Roger Plonquitte and Elie Bianay on board, adapt "Serana," a theme by Roberto Angleró Pepín. Léon Bertide's Martinican ensemble excelled at the boogaloo which had been composed by Puerto Rican saxophonist Hector Santos for the legendary El Gran Combo. Three years later, in 1972, Henri Guédon, with the help of Paul Rosine on the vibraphone, tackled the Bilongo made famous by Eddie Palmieri. On the high-value collectible single -- the first one released by Les Aiglons under the Duli Disc label -- there is a sticker classifying the track under the generic name "Afro." Digipack CD includes 20-page booklet, and liners notes in French, Spanish, English. LP version includes 6-page booklet.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
LP
|
|
BORNBAD 183LP
|
LP version. Here are fourteen tracks of untimely yet unprecedented cross-fertilization from the French West Indies: all types of music rooted in the Creole archipelago have found their way, whatsoever, to the tracklisting. Whether originating from the city or being more rural, they all go back to what Edouard Glissant, in an interview about the place of West Indian music in the Afro-American scope, called "the trace of singing, the one which got erased by slavery." The opening track features one of the emblematic orchestras of this aesthetic identity, criscrossing many music types from the archipelago. The 1974 Ray Barretto guajira is magnificently performed by Malavoi, a legendary Fayolais group. Additionally, the compilation ends on a piece by Los Martiniqueños de Francisco. Practicing the danmyé rounds (a kind of capoeiria) to the rhythm of the bèlè drum, it delivers a terrific Caterete, a kind of champeta of Afro- Colombian obedience which was originally composed by Colombian Fabián Ramón Veloz Fernández for the group Wgenda Kenya. The icing on the cake is Brazilian Marku Ribas, who found refuge in Martinique in the early 1970s, bringing his singing to the last trance-inducing track. The Los Caraïbes cover of "Dónde," a famous Cuban theme composed by producer Ernesto Duarte Brito, has a typical violin and features renowned Martinique singer Joby Valente and his piquant voice. The meaningful "Amor en chachachá" by L'Ensemble Tropicana, a band which included Haitian musicians among whom was composer and leader Michel Desgrotte, also recalls how Latin music was pervasive in the tropics in the mid-1960s. They were the ones keeping people dancing at Le Cocoteraie in Guadelupe and La Bananeraie in Martinique. Around the same time, another "foreign" band, Congolese Freddy Mars N'Kounkou's Ryco Jazz, achieved some success on both islands by covering Latin jazz classics. In a more typically salsa vein, the Super Combo, a famous Guadelupean orchestra from Pointe-Noire that was formed around the Desplan family and had Roger Plonquitte and Elie Bianay on board, adapt "Serana," a theme by Roberto Angleró Pepín. Léon Bertide's Martinican ensemble excelled at the boogaloo which had been composed by Puerto Rican saxophonist Hector Santos for the legendary El Gran Combo. Three years later, in 1972, Henri Guédon, with the help of Paul Rosine on the vibraphone, tackled the Bilongo made famous by Eddie Palmieri. On the high-value collectible single -- the first one released by Les Aiglons under the Duli Disc label -- there is a sticker classifying the track under the generic name "Afro." Digipack CD includes 20-page booklet, and liners notes in French, Spanish, English. LP version includes 6-page booklet.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
CD
|
|
BORNBAD 185CD
|
Star Feminine Band, hardest working women in Beninese show business, present their third album on Born Bad. These eight young women, from a village that even Beninese can't quite place, started out in hard mode. They had to convince themselves that it was worth a shot, but also their family, their village and an entire continent. André Balaguemon, composer, manager and lyricist, does a lot, while remaining in the background. He put the group together, included his three daughters, houses everyone with his wife Edwige who also manages dances and costumes. He gave them a musical training, and created the framework for them to continue school while rehearsing hard. From local heroes to UNICEF ambassadors, the group has made it. The very existence of this new album is a testament to the perseverance of Grâce, Anne, Urrice, Bénie, Angélique, Sandrine, Julienne, and Ashley. The personnel of this family affair has changed a bit: two new women have joined the group, which conquered bigger stages. This new album brings simple joys: watching them grow from Benin's first girl band to a band in its own right. Star Feminine Band makes straightforward music, taking no detours to express what's missing in the country. The musicians having a lot of fun on this album. It wanders through the vast territory of the countless West African styles. They even make a quick foray into reggae to talk about marriage (with a little rap thrown in), and interweave their voices in multiple languages (Waama, Ditamari, Bariba, Fon, Yoruba). And boy do they have hits. To each is own, but "L'enfant c'est un don de Dieu" (Child is god's gift) is a mighty steamroller, methodically smoothing out the ground for dancing together to its final chorus, singing "debout-les-en-fants / get up, kids!" along. Smoother than the first two albums, supported by fine arrangements, ambitious keyboard parts and more complex vocal harmonies without losing any of their spontaneity, this third opus quietly adds to Benin's musical heritage. As they make clear in "Jusqu'au bout du monde," a clever little number that listeners can already hear swelling up on stage.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
LP
|
|
BORNBAD 185LP
|
LP version. Star Feminine Band, hardest working women in Beninese show business, present their third album on Born Bad. These eight young women, from a village that even Beninese can't quite place, started out in hard mode. They had to convince themselves that it was worth a shot, but also their family, their village and an entire continent. André Balaguemon, composer, manager and lyricist, does a lot, while remaining in the background. He put the group together, included his three daughters, houses everyone with his wife Edwige who also manages dances and costumes. He gave them a musical training, and created the framework for them to continue school while rehearsing hard. From local heroes to UNICEF ambassadors, the group has made it. The very existence of this new album is a testament to the perseverance of Grâce, Anne, Urrice, Bénie, Angélique, Sandrine, Julienne, and Ashley. The personnel of this family affair has changed a bit: two new women have joined the group, which conquered bigger stages. This new album brings simple joys: watching them grow from Benin's first girl band to a band in its own right. Star Feminine Band makes straightforward music, taking no detours to express what's missing in the country. The musicians having a lot of fun on this album. It wanders through the vast territory of the countless West African styles. They even make a quick foray into reggae to talk about marriage (with a little rap thrown in), and interweave their voices in multiple languages (Waama, Ditamari, Bariba, Fon, Yoruba). And boy do they have hits. To each is own, but "L'enfant c'est un don de Dieu" (Child is god's gift) is a mighty steamroller, methodically smoothing out the ground for dancing together to its final chorus, singing "debout-les-en-fants / get up, kids!" along. Smoother than the first two albums, supported by fine arrangements, ambitious keyboard parts and more complex vocal harmonies without losing any of their spontaneity, this third opus quietly adds to Benin's musical heritage. As they make clear in "Jusqu'au bout du monde," a clever little number that listeners can already hear swelling up on stage.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
CD
|
|
BORNBAD 180CD
|
"Hi, it's Arthur. Here's a lesson on how not to fit into the modern music world (while still having fun). I want to make a big album. A brick. An intense, long, rich, dripping, ostentatious block. I want it to give me the feeling that I haven't overthought it. That I've listened to my lowest instincts as a musician, and I want to embark on an adventure while doing it. With its highs, lows, doubts, and moments of intense pride when you feel that massive chaos take the shape of what has, for me, become an odyssey. Forgive this lyricism, but it's also the foundation of this record. My first album, which arrived through the means of a global pandemic and the kindness of the Born Bad label in 2021, opened Pandora's box? I don't want to forget the obscure yet brilliant bands each decade has gifted us, but I also want to confront the ambition of the greatest? I want to tell myself that I don't have to write 'in' the footsteps of the Beatles, Emitt Rhodes, Bowie, or Neil Young, but that I can walk alongside them, as quietly as possible, while always pushing as far as my musical ambitions take me. So here's where it leads: A long, dense double album. The aforementioned brick? I now take the liberty to speak to those who will listen to this record, to share my idea of how to approach it. For me, it's a tribute to the adventurous, sprawling albums of the '60s, '70s, and even today, to be honest. Long, winding, baroque albums, that we listen to throughout our lives, and constantly rediscover. Albums we can listen to in small bits, sometimes one side, sometimes another, not always in the same order, not always in full. These enduring albums, by their very nature, have nourished me and still fascinate me (The Beatles' White Album, The Pretty Things' Parachute, The Kinks' Arthur, Pink Floyd's A Saucerful of Secrets, or the Desert Sessions in a more modern style)? A double album, in a gatefold format, is necessarily a strong, imposing object. So it only makes sense to accompany it with artwork that matches its weight. After all, a cover doesn't disappear once you've placed the record on the turntable. So why not get lost in it while the music does its work? To everyone who buys, steals, or downloads this record, you have my deepest gratitude." --Arthur Satan
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
2LP
|
|
BORNBAD 180LP
|
Double LP version. "Hi, it's Arthur. Here's a lesson on how not to fit into the modern music world (while still having fun). I want to make a big album. A brick. An intense, long, rich, dripping, ostentatious block. I want it to give me the feeling that I haven't overthought it. That I've listened to my lowest instincts as a musician, and I want to embark on an adventure while doing it. With its highs, lows, doubts, and moments of intense pride when you feel that massive chaos take the shape of what has, for me, become an odyssey. Forgive this lyricism, but it's also the foundation of this record. My first album, which arrived through the means of a global pandemic and the kindness of the Born Bad label in 2021, opened Pandora's box? I don't want to forget the obscure yet brilliant bands each decade has gifted us, but I also want to confront the ambition of the greatest? I want to tell myself that I don't have to write 'in' the footsteps of the Beatles, Emitt Rhodes, Bowie, or Neil Young, but that I can walk alongside them, as quietly as possible, while always pushing as far as my musical ambitions take me. So here's where it leads: A long, dense double album. The aforementioned brick? I now take the liberty to speak to those who will listen to this record, to share my idea of how to approach it. For me, it's a tribute to the adventurous, sprawling albums of the '60s, '70s, and even today, to be honest. Long, winding, baroque albums, that we listen to throughout our lives, and constantly rediscover. Albums we can listen to in small bits, sometimes one side, sometimes another, not always in the same order, not always in full. These enduring albums, by their very nature, have nourished me and still fascinate me (The Beatles' White Album, The Pretty Things' Parachute, The Kinks' Arthur, Pink Floyd's A Saucerful of Secrets, or the Desert Sessions in a more modern style)? A double album, in a gatefold format, is necessarily a strong, imposing object. So it only makes sense to accompany it with artwork that matches its weight. After all, a cover doesn't disappear once you've placed the record on the turntable. So why not get lost in it while the music does its work? To everyone who buys, steals, or downloads this record, you have my deepest gratitude." --Arthur Satan
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
CD
|
|
BORNBAD 170CD
|
Martin Circus was formed in the late '60s by bassist and composer Bob Brault as well as lyricist and multi-brass player Gérard Pisani. Both eclectic and talented personalities, they lived between Paris and various French provinces, constantly moving back and forth. By having their friends Patrick Dietschand and Paul-Jean Borowsky sing in French, Martin Circus invented a whole concept. By summoning figures such as Bluebeard, Asterix, Robert Desnos and Frank Zappa, they infused words with bold, playful references to French poètes maudits and countercultural material. The people who saw them on stage witnessed a dangerous and violent aspect to them. There was screaming, there were challenging lyrics blurted out, the audience was exhorted to face their own dullness. Sometimes an angry mood would run through the set and everybody seemed on edge, making the atmosphere even more electric. In 1973, the Martins were invited to join the huge cast of a musical called La révolution française, alongside young Bashung, Balavoine and Les Charlots. They produced some of the best songs on the record. They were also heard on the credits of the À vous de jouer Milord series, which they cowrote with François de Roubaix. Their music blended doo-wop and rockabilly with glam rock and funk music. They eventually hit disco when starring in a really bad, corny film called Les bidasses en vadrouille, which was first intended for Les Charlots. Vogue label president Léon Cabat and his lieutenant Gérard Hugé harbored dreams of greatness for their band. They commissioned a new disco album sung in English. Only three musicians were left in charge, who heavily resorted to some Bee Gees/Village People-aesthetics. Unfortunately, at the time, the disco wave was coming to an end. As the '80s arrived, Martin Circus once again changed the way they looked and their style. Inspired by Devo and their cold dance music, by Buggles' synthpop and Plastic Bertand's postpunk, the three of them crafted a highly modern album, in which Gérard Pisani returned as a lyricist and a saxophone player. As inspired as ever, he wrote genuine punchlines for lyrics, managing to encapsulate and reveal, here and there in just a few words, what was the epitome of the early decade. Despite a few revival attempts without him, the band eventually really came to an end. Throughout their career full of ups and downs, Martin Circus nonetheless managed to keep up with one stable element: contrary to what they seemed, the musicians never took the easy way out.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
LP
|
|
BORNBAD 170LP
|
LP version. Martin Circus was formed in the late '60s by bassist and composer Bob Brault as well as lyricist and multi-brass player Gérard Pisani. Both eclectic and talented personalities, they lived between Paris and various French provinces, constantly moving back and forth. By having their friends Patrick Dietschand and Paul-Jean Borowsky sing in French, Martin Circus invented a whole concept. By summoning figures such as Bluebeard, Asterix, Robert Desnos and Frank Zappa, they infused words with bold, playful references to French poètes maudits and countercultural material. The people who saw them on stage witnessed a dangerous and violent aspect to them. There was screaming, there were challenging lyrics blurted out, the audience was exhorted to face their own dullness. Sometimes an angry mood would run through the set and everybody seemed on edge, making the atmosphere even more electric. In 1973, the Martins were invited to join the huge cast of a musical called La révolution française, alongside young Bashung, Balavoine and Les Charlots. They produced some of the best songs on the record. They were also heard on the credits of the À vous de jouer Milord series, which they cowrote with François de Roubaix. Their music blended doo-wop and rockabilly with glam rock and funk music. They eventually hit disco when starring in a really bad, corny film called Les bidasses en vadrouille, which was first intended for Les Charlots. Vogue label president Léon Cabat and his lieutenant Gérard Hugé harbored dreams of greatness for their band. They commissioned a new disco album sung in English. Only three musicians were left in charge, who heavily resorted to some Bee Gees/Village People-aesthetics. Unfortunately, at the time, the disco wave was coming to an end. As the '80s arrived, Martin Circus once again changed the way they looked and their style. Inspired by Devo and their cold dance music, by Buggles' synthpop and Plastic Bertand's postpunk, the three of them crafted a highly modern album, in which Gérard Pisani returned as a lyricist and a saxophone player. As inspired as ever, he wrote genuine punchlines for lyrics, managing to encapsulate and reveal, here and there in just a few words, what was the epitome of the early decade. Despite a few revival attempts without him, the band eventually really came to an end. Throughout their career full of ups and downs, Martin Circus nonetheless managed to keep up with one stable element: contrary to what they seemed, the musicians never took the easy way out.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
LP
|
|
BORNBAD 184LP
|
LP version. Some record crates deserve a sub-category called "play it again, Sam." Casablanca-level comfort tracks that spin on the turntables without a push. Funk Kraut, Zombie Zombie's second LP on Born Bad, is of this kind. This well-proportioned classic is a fine example of the style the trio has been embodying: instrumental music played live, for synths and drums. And as far as funk goes, it's not Bootsy Collins, but there's a whiff. Space is structured by synth patterns, for optimized drumming: forward, straight and fluid, top-notch suspension (Cosmic Neman/Dr Schönberg take care of business on drums). They treat themselves to a diversion via Darmstadt to take some musique concrete on board: mechanical birds chirp, the odd atonal piano here and there. This was a quick affair, recorded by Laurent Deboisgisson in the studio of Cheveu's singer. A pretty straightforward job, and a far cry from their previous concept album. The cover, designed by Dddixie, sets the tone with its "Motorik Vibes & Stereo Grooves" sticker. Motorik, absolutely, it's autobahn time for 45mn. With "Densité," comes a polyphonic milestone: outright chords! Long, suspended pads, pierced only by fat claps. Clapping hands are not far off. The band shows it has mastered concise pop formats. Zombie Zombie sounds ready to write themes for niche TV series. "Aurillac Accident" documents a haphazard soundcheck which, once in the studio, became a bitter ballad, breaking apart into dubby gravy. Live, the two drummers face each other, and it's always a treat to witness the very fine intertwining that makes the band's signature sound: rich drums, percussion and West Coast synths stabs. This aspect of their work appears in "Snare Attack" and "Double Z," with its jogging hi-hats and creepy little toy piano motifs. Cardio levels are high on "Dodorian," perfect track for depraved spinning classes, with its moving filter, disco arpeggios and flashes of synthetic brass. "Magnavox Odyssey," a nostalgic but bouncy synth lasagna, brings this album to a majestic close, picking up where the band left off: no more singing in Latin, back to basics, play it again Sam.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
CD
|
|
BORNBAD 184CD
|
Some record crates deserve a sub-category called "play it again, Sam." Casablanca-level comfort tracks that spin on the turntables without a push. Funk Kraut, Zombie Zombie's second LP on Born Bad, is of this kind. This well-proportioned classic is a fine example of the style the trio has been embodying: instrumental music played live, for synths and drums. And as far as funk goes, it's not Bootsy Collins, but there's a whiff. Space is structured by synth patterns, for optimized drumming: forward, straight and fluid, top-notch suspension (Cosmic Neman/Dr Schönberg take care of business on drums). They treat themselves to a diversion via Darmstadt to take some musique concrete on board: mechanical birds chirp, the odd atonal piano here and there. This was a quick affair, recorded by Laurent Deboisgisson in the studio of Cheveu's singer. A pretty straightforward job, and a far cry from their previous concept album. The cover, designed by Dddixie, sets the tone with its "Motorik Vibes & Stereo Grooves" sticker. Motorik, absolutely, it's autobahn time for 45mn. With "Densité," comes a polyphonic milestone: outright chords! Long, suspended pads, pierced only by fat claps. Clapping hands are not far off. The band shows it has mastered concise pop formats. Zombie Zombie sounds ready to write themes for niche TV series. "Aurillac Accident" documents a haphazard soundcheck which, once in the studio, became a bitter ballad, breaking apart into dubby gravy. Live, the two drummers face each other, and it's always a treat to witness the very fine intertwining that makes the band's signature sound: rich drums, percussion and West Coast synths stabs. This aspect of their work appears in "Snare Attack" and "Double Z," with its jogging hi-hats and creepy little toy piano motifs. Cardio levels are high on "Dodorian," perfect track for depraved spinning classes, with its moving filter, disco arpeggios and flashes of synthetic brass. "Magnavox Odyssey," a nostalgic but bouncy synth lasagna, brings this album to a majestic close, picking up where the band left off: no more singing in Latin, back to basics, play it again Sam.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
LP
|
|
BORNBAD 179LP
|
For the first time, some hard-to-find tracks released by VOX LOW on different smalls labels. Some tracks have previously only been released on 7". Featuring Tarik Ziour.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
LP
|
|
BORNBAD 177LP
|
The Wild Classical Music Ensemble is a Belgian experimental rock band formed in 2007 by artists with mental disabilities within the social-artistic non-profit organization Wit.h in Kortrijk. Their unique sound is a blend of punk/rock riffs, fanatical rhythms and soaring flutes and fiery synths, over which gravitate multiple, multilingual voices that scratch harshly as much as they comfort. There's something very Belgian about this harshness and noisiness. During the Covid crisis, the disabled members of the Wild Classical Music Ensemble were undoubtedly subjected more than others to the harsh conditions of confinement, alone in their rooms. Damien Magnette was still able to visit them with sound equipment. This was one of their all-too-few windows onto the world. Forbidden to meet, let alone play together, the members of Wild were nevertheless able to compose songs in tandem with Damien. The tracks were then sent to musician friends -- Fabrice Gilbert, Ava Carrère, Wim Opbrouck, Shht, Arthur Satàn, Nathan Roche, and Julien ZLDR -- who added their artistic touch. Jean Lamoot and Carl Roosens joined the adventure, one as mixer, the other as video director. Leader Damien Magnette says: "For over a year, we were all confined. But what about when you're a mentally handicapped person? Well, it's very different from you and me. We have the right to choose, the luxury of deciding for ourselves what rules we want to follow or not. We have free will. They don't. This series of confined songs is dedicated to all the people who have gone through this crisis, deprived of their free will. We send them our thoughts, hugs and kisses full of true love!" The songs respond to a deep desire to look out for each other in adversity (the so obvious 'Comment ça va?' by Johan Geenens and Wim Opbrouck, or 'Waarom ben je boos' by Sébastien Faidherbe with Wim Decoene, the latter full of empathy). A sense of loneliness is logically present on the album ('Dat is mijn verdriet' by Linh Pham, a very real, very concrete and particularly touching poem, or 'Loneliness,' whose text was improvised by Wim), if not an understandable rage ('Je ne veux pas' and 'My Frustrations'). It worth noting that on "On reste heureux", Sébastien Faidherbe composed all the parts in one go, with an optimism that stands out from the anger expressed in his other songs.
|
viewing 1 To 25 of 256 items
Next >>
|
|