Soundway Records is a British-based independent record label founded and run by English DJ and music producer Miles Cleret. It started in 2002 with the release of a compilation of Ghanaian music from the 1970s : Ghana Soundz: Afrobeat, Funk & Fusion in '70s Ghana'.
Since then the label has released a series of critically acclaimed compilation albums and re-issues of African, Caribbean, Latin and Asian music from the 1950s - 1980s. These include the best-selling compilation Doing It In Lagos (2016) and others such as Nigeria Special, Ghana Special & Kenya Special compilation albums that Cleret spent years bringing together.
With these compilations alongside a string of highly sought-after rare reissue albums, the label has also began in 2012 to develop a series of original contemporary releases. These include releases from acts such as Batida, Ibibio Sound Machine, Debruit & Alsarah, Fumaca Preta, Ondatropica, The Meridian Brothers, Bomba Estereo, Family Atlantica, Dexter Story, The Heliocentrics and Lord Echo.
In 2014, Soundway was named by The Guardian as "One of the 10 British Labels defining the Sound of 2014", and in 2017 was named "Label Of The Year" at the Worldwide Awards in London founded and hosted by Gilles Peterson.
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LP
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SNDW 130LP
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$23.00
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 5/24/2019
Soundway Records present the eponymous debut LP from in-demand Amsterdam five piece, The Mauskovic Dance Band -- fusing no-wave dance punk, Afro-Caribbean rhythms, and space disco in a "controlled explosion" (The Quietus). Entirely self-produced, the band has reiterated their favorite elements of the '70s and '80s legacy of the Afro-Latin psychedelic music of Colombia and Peru, interpreting it through the context of modern-day Amsterdam. The output is a lo-fi no wave groove all its own -- rooted in a deep love of champeta, Palenque, psychedelic cumbia, chichi, classic Afrobeat, and picó soundsystem culture. Since the release of their Down In The Basement EP EP on Soundway Records in early 2018 (SNDW 12029EP), the band have found themselves on a hectic European touring schedule -- not to mention being involved in other side projects. Following stints with Turkish psychedelic folk rock group Altin Gün, and touring with the re-formed '70s Zamrock outfit W.I.T.C.H., Nic Mauskovic also teamed up with Dutch neo-psychedelic artist Jacco Gardner to form the "cinematic Balearic disco" duo of Bruxas (released by Dutch institution Dekmantel) -- and together, they mixed The Mauskovic Dance Band debut album in Lisbon. Lead single "Space Drum Machine" encapsulates the band's prototypical brand of busy rhythmic patterns interwoven with insistent synth stabs and vibrant disco toms, layered with an elastic guitar riff drawing inspiration from Kenyan kikuyu and benga styles. High-pitched vocals describe being on a flight together and inciting each other to press a button of unknown consequence with "push it, push it" -- and push it they do, at breakneck pace. And of course, the undeniable influence of Amsterdam's hotbed of underground dance producers shines through as it does on all tracks - with the vintage psychedelic swirl of synthesizer, lo-fi drum machines, and tape recording. RIYL: Jacco Gardner, Bruxas, Nu Guinea, Voilaaa, Sofrito, Meridian Brothers, EUT, Altin Gün.
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12"
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SNDW 12033EP
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Continuing the series of 12" dancefloor singles, Soundway Records presents the highly sought-after track "Hinde" by African Vibration, now re-mastered from the original master tapes. Originally pressed on 7" vinyl in 1987, it was the group's last release together. A unique piece of East African synthesized electronic soul from 1980s Kenya, it was reissued by Soundway on Kenya Special: Volume Two (SNDW 084CD/LP, 2016), but following the acquisition of the master tapes it has now been revitalized. The B side features a deep, extended rework with cruising synth stabs and slick production from one of Soundway's recent recruits, Julien Dyne.
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SNDW 128LP
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Dexter Story is an artistic spirit in the truest sense of the phrase. From his work as a multi-instrumentalist for acts like the Sa-Ra Creative Partners, to his management role with Snoop Dogg and his turn producing Daymé Arocena's 2017 album Cubafonia, Story understands the business from every conceivable angle. Initially inspired by the music and cultures pervasive throughout the Horn of Africa, Story translated his experiences there into his previous album Wondem (SNDW 076CD/LP, 2015), followed closely by the single "Wejene Aola" featuring jazz luminary Kamasi Washington (SNDW 7022EP), both on Soundway Records. If Wondem was a brief glance into Story's new creative vision, Bahir is a pinpoint refinement of that purpose, the fine-tuning and expanding of the world he created on his Soundway debut. On Bahir, Story steps in front of those influences and melds his world into the one he fell in love with so strongly while in Africa. One way in which he's done so is by incorporating musicians from both sides of this coin. LA luminaries are featured throughout, as are African contemporaries he encountered throughout his travels. Sudan Archives gives a show-stealing vocal performance on "Gold", while the Ethiopian producer Endeguena Mulu adds impenetrable and psychedelic texture to the album's title track. So Bahir finds the polymath musician not stuck between two worlds, but as a member of both. We get Ethiopian jazz tonalities, Tuareg grooves, ekista dance rhythms, Afro-funk, Somalian soul, and forays into more contemporary jazz rhythms, too. Angelenos like Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and Josef Leimberg give the record its backbone, while African artists like the Ethiopian singer Hamelmal Abate give Bahir its glimmer and shine. Also features Kibrom Birhane, Jimetta Rose, Haile Supreme, and Marie Daulne. For fans of: Sudan Archives, Kamasi Washington, Laraaji, Carlos Niño, Mark de Clive-Lowe, Zap Mama, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Josef Leimberg.
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12"
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SNDW 12024EP
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$15.50
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 3/15/2019
2016 release; 2019 repress. Originally released in the lead-up to Lord Echo's third album Harmonies (SNDW 090CD/X-LP, 2017), the Just Do You (Disco Mix) 12" has carved out its own special place in many a music lover's heart. In 2016, Lord Echo emerged with a slice of pure disco dub indulgence with all the rough trimmings that have made him a cult favorite. With the real-life concerns of the DJ always foremost in his mind, this 12" has something for every occasion -- two different vocals and a radical excursion into the realm of left-field disco dub. Features Mara TK and Toby Laing.
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12"
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SNDW 12020EP
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2019 repress. On the first side South African singer Shaluza Max's massive Mashkandi/house anthem from 2002 gets a first release on vinyl. With a soaring Zulu vocal and big sound it's a fitting reminder of a very talented musician who worked as a well-respected producer, composer, and arranger. On the flip is a fairly unknown track from the mid-1980s from one of the biggest names in African music, Tabu Ley Rochereau. A kind of almost Balearic, proto-house, Congolese pop cut with drum machines and trademark sweet Congo horn section, "Hafi Deo" is a beautiful track that fell into obscurity.
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12"
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SNDW 12032EP
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$18.00
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 2/15/2019
Following their self-released debut EP, Flamingo Pier (DJ residents Luke Walker, Dominic Jones, and Bradley Craig) have crafted four dance floor-worthy tracks influenced by the boogie, disco, Afro and classic house. Slick, rolling disco synths and punchy drum machines are woven in with Afro-centric percussion and dreamy vocal chants, for an exotic disco-boogie journey from start to finish. Early support for the EP is already coming from Bill Brewster, JD Twitch (Optimo) and Ray Mang. The EP is being released to coincide with the Flamingo Pier Festival in Waiheke, New Zealand.
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12"
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SNDW 12030EP
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Soundway presents the first in a new series of 12" releases which will make available many hard-to-find tracks on loud, DJ-friendly pressings. On Asafo/Enye Woa are two late 1980s Ghanaian highlife cuts taken from the catalog of Nakasi Records. The A-side showcases a track from Jon K, a rework of the traditonal Fanti song "Asafo Beesuon". On the B-side, Pat Thomas needs little introduction; this dance floor-heavy cut has eluded recent reissues. With horns arranged by long-time collaborator Ebo Taylor, it's an instantly recognizable sound that also features Rex Gyamfi, himself a well-known purveyor of 1980s highlife.
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SNDW 126LP
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Soundway presents a reissue of Brazilian duo Grupo Controle Digital's only album, A Festa É Nossa, originally released in 1988. The title track "A Festa É Nossa" having circulated in DJ sets of influential tastemakers, the album has become highly sought after by electronic fans and collectors alike. Lo-fi synths and cruising bass lines permeate the record, influenced by the group's Brazilian contemporaries at the time such as Tim Maia, Cláudio Zoli, Secos E Molhados, and rock outfit Made In Brazil. Band members Billy Jaguar and Gel Valiery regularly performed in various groups in São Paulo throughout the '80s and '90s, but after Gel passed away, Grupo Controle Digital was no more -- the band and the album faded into obscurity and Billy became a priest, working with gospel music. It remained that way until Brazilian DJ Millos Kaiser (from label Selva Discos, and one half of Brazilian street party organizers Selvagem) tracked down the remaining member of the group to be able to include one of their tracks on the highly anticipated Soundway compilation, Onda De Amor: Synthesized Brazilian Hits That Never Were (1984-94) (SNDW 125CD/LP, 2018). Audio restored by Neal Birnie. Artwork restored by Lewis Heriz. Remastered by Frank Merritt at The Carvery, London. Tip-on heavyweight sleeve.
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2LP
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SNDW 129LP
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New Zealander Julien Dyne is a multi-instrumentalist with a long and impressive history of collaborative, live and solo musicianship, and Teal marks his debut for Soundway. Dyne is best-known for his solo work as BBE and having worked with the likes of Theo Parrish, Steve Spacek, Andreya Triana, and Lord Echo (one of Soundway's most successful artists). Dyne has also accumulated a number of accolades over the course of a ten-year career including, but not exclusive to, being hotly tipped by both Moodymann and Gilles Peterson. Dyne's new project for 2018 is an 11-track LP on Miles Cleret's extolled Soundway label. Demonstrating a shift in gears and movement toward a more up-tempo, Afro-inspired sound, Teal melds instrumental flair with astute production and a persistent grain of impassioned, effortless soul. The album features fellow New Zealanders Lord Echo and Mara TK, long term band-mate Ladi6, Fat Freddy's Drop trumpeter Toby Laing, plus Australian vocalist Tim Guy and jazz luminaries Jonathan Crayford and John Bell. This is a body of work for the listener and the dancer alike with a mood as fitting for headphones as it is for the floor, with the double vinyl album cut loud at 45 RPM.
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CD
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SNDW 125CD
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16 rare synth cuts from '80s and '90s Brazil, compiled by Brazilian DJ Millos Kaiser. Some crate-digging compilations are often the result of someone hand-picking their choice favorites from another country's musical history, perhaps unaware or uninvolved with its cultural lineage in the process. On Soundway's latest release -- a treasure trove of synth jams, pop, samba boogie, Balearic, and electro from '80s and '90s Brazil -- the tracks are picked by Millos Kaiser, one half of the Brazilian duo Selvagem, who are at the helm of throwing some of the country's best dance parties. It's a rare compilation that offers Brazilian music actually picked by a Brazilian. Whilst names such as Ricardo Bomba, Villa Box, Fogo Baiano, Electric Boogies, and Batista Junior may not be household names, they tell an untold, yet rich and important part of musical history in Brazil. The release also covers a decade that has been intentionally forgotten and brushed aside by many in the country. Onda De Amor is a release that is loaded with smooth grooves, bubbling bass, glistening synthesizers, funk-strutting guitar lines, and sheen of production that undeniably marks it of its time. For Kaiser this compilation is about reintroducing music during a period of reappraisal, catching a new wave and hoping contemporary listeners will ride it with him. "The idea is to do justice to these songs. Songs that combine all the right ingredients that should have put them on radio playlists when I was growing up or at least in the cases of more adventurous DJs." Millos Kaiser is a DJ, digger, vinyl junkie/dealer born in Rio de Janeiro and living in São Paulo for the past eight years. He launched the dance party/club night Selvagem with partner Trepanado in 2010, bringing thousands of dancers one Sunday a month to a public square in the heart of São Paulo. RIYL: Music From Memory's Outro Tempo Brazil compilation (MFM 016CD/LP, 2017), Spacetalk compilations, Sabor Do Brasil compilations, Selvagem's Boiler Room set, Mr Bongo's Brazilian compilations. Features Ricardo Bomba, Vânia Bastos, Rosana Mendes & Grupo Veneno, Grupo Controle Digital, Villa Box, Batista Junior, Dado Brazzawilly, Anacy Arcanjo, Fogo Baiano, Dodô Da Bahia & As Virgens De Porto Seguro, Via Negromonte, Electric Boogies, Os Abelhudos, Nanda Rossi, André Melo, and Região Abissal. CD version includes 20-page booklet.
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CD
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SNDW 017CD
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...From The French Caribbean, 1963-74. 2009 release. Often overlooked in the English-speaking Caribbean, the scattering drums and soaring clarinets of the biguine ruled the airwaves and dancefloors of Martinique and Guadeloupe in the 1960s. This album showcases the vibrancy of the scene on the islands in the '60s and '70s -- a scene that would go on to develop the all-conquering sound of zouk in the '80s. Uptown bands like Ensemble La Perfecta and Les Loups Noirs combine heavy rhythms and psychedelic effects in an inimitable style -- check out the crazed "Jet Biguine" for a better idea. The deep and introspective sounds of Monsieur Dolor and Guadeloupean hero Robert Loison show the deep African roots of the music -- songs born out of the plantations, with an insistent rhythm and mournful vocals that are unique to these islands. Overlooked outside of Paris, Montreal, and the French Caribbean for many years, this collection redresses the balance by presenting the vital sounds of Martinique and Guadeloupe -- missing pieces of the musical jigsaw puzzle of the Caribbean. CD includes a 24-page booklet with detailed historical notes and rare photos. Features Barel Coppet et Mister Lof, Les Loups Noirs D'Haïti, Abel Zénon, Raphaël Zachille, Robert Mavounsy Quartet, L'Orchestre Jeunesse de Paul-Emile Haliar, Orchestre Combo Zombi et Michel Yéyé, Les Kings, Claude Rolcin et Le West Indian Combo, Anzala, Dolor, Vélo, Les Léopards, Ensemble La Perfecta, Le Ry-co Jazz, Lola Martin, Les Aiglons de Basse Terre, Les Gentlemens, L'Ensemble Abricot, Francisco, Monsieur Dolor et Les Guitar Boys, and Robert Loison.
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2LP
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SNDW 125LP
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Double LP version. Gatefold sleeve. 16 rare synth cuts from '80s and '90s Brazil, compiled by Brazilian DJ Millos Kaiser. Some crate-digging compilations are often the result of someone hand-picking their choice favorites from another country's musical history, perhaps unaware or uninvolved with its cultural lineage in the process. On Soundway's latest release -- a treasure trove of synth jams, pop, samba boogie, Balearic, and electro from '80s and '90s Brazil -- the tracks are picked by Millos Kaiser, one half of the Brazilian duo Selvagem, who are at the helm of throwing some of the country's best dance parties. It's a rare compilation that offers Brazilian music actually picked by a Brazilian. Whilst names such as Ricardo Bomba, Villa Box, Fogo Baiano, Electric Boogies, and Batista Junior may not be household names, they tell an untold, yet rich and important part of musical history in Brazil. The release also covers a decade that has been intentionally forgotten and brushed aside by many in the country. Onda De Amor is a release that is loaded with smooth grooves, bubbling bass, glistening synthesizers, funk-strutting guitar lines, and sheen of production that undeniably marks it of its time. For Kaiser this compilation is about reintroducing music during a period of reappraisal, catching a new wave and hoping contemporary listeners will ride it with him. "The idea is to do justice to these songs. Songs that combine all the right ingredients that should have put them on radio playlists when I was growing up or at least in the cases of more adventurous DJs." Millos Kaiser is a DJ, digger, vinyl junkie/dealer born in Rio de Janeiro and living in São Paulo for the past eight years. He launched the dance party/club night Selvagem with partner Trepanado in 2010, bringing thousands of dancers one Sunday a month to a public square in the heart of São Paulo. RIYL: Music From Memory's Outro Tempo Brazil compilation (MFM 016CD/LP, 2017), Spacetalk compilations, Sabor Do Brasil compilations, Selvagem's Boiler Room set, Mr Bongo's Brazilian compilations. Features Ricardo Bomba, Vânia Bastos, Rosana Mendes & Grupo Veneno, Grupo Controle Digital, Villa Box, Batista Junior, Dado Brazzawilly, Anacy Arcanjo, Fogo Baiano, Dodô Da Bahia & As Virgens De Porto Seguro, Via Negromonte, Electric Boogies, Os Abelhudos, Nanda Rossi, André Melo, and Região Abissal. CD version includes 20-page booklet.
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12"
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SNDW 081LP
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Last copies of this 2016 RSD release. This album, one of West Africa's very rarest, was recorded for the Decca label in Lagos and only ever released in tiny numbers in Nigeria in 1975. A rich mixture of poly-rhythmic Afro-soul, jazz, highlife, and Afrobeat it has an undeniable flavor with Joe Mensah's arrangements, keyboard playing, and vocal style adding an extra sophistication to proceedings. This is the first time the album has been available in its original format since the mid-1970s.
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CD
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SNDW 024CD
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2010 release. A retrospective "discovery price" sampler featuring a choice selection from some of Soundway's favorite tracks they've released from 2001-2010. From the highlife, disco, and rock sounds of '70s Nigeria to the golden age of Panamanian music, Benin's Afro-Latin grooves, Colombia's champeta and all other forms of tropical and Afro sounds imaginable, Afro Tropical Soundz Volume 1 is an essential introduction for music fans who are new to African, Latin, and tropical music and also a superb overview for fans of the label. For the first time ever, Soundway mix and match both sides of the Atlantic from the west coast of Africa to the Caribbean islands, the Isthmus of Panama and beyond. Presented in a brown manila CD digipack, this collection clarifies Soundway's unstoppable thirst for unveiling forgotten chapters from some of the world's richest musical cultures. Soundway's mission is to present the very best in obscure A-sides, B-sides, and album cuts that have remained unavailable -- until now. Artists include: Ebo Taylor, Fruko Y Sus Tesos, Papi Brandao, Lito Barrientos, Oscar Sulley & The Uhuru Dance Band, Les Loups Noirs de Haiti, The Sweet Talks, The Action 13, Los Silvertones, Celestine Ukwu, and Orchestre Poly-Rythmo.
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2LP
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SNDW 013LP
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2018 repress. Soundway present the second volume in their Panama! series, showcasing the unique tropical music created in Panama during the fertile decades of the 1960s and 1970s. Panama is one of the world's great crossroads -- a bridge between North and South America, and home to the great canal that links the Caribbean and the Pacific. After soaking up the varied influences of Panama's diverse population, the dancefloors and bars spat out a heady mix that took in the raw vallenato of neighboring Colombia, the soul and funk of America, the calypso of Trinidad and the son and rumba of Cuba, all combined and re-styled in a uniquely Panamanian fashion, making Panama a central spoke in the wheel of Caribbean music. Writer and compiler Roberto Ernesto Gyemant travelled throughout the country in search of elusive records and reclusive musicians, tracking down hopeful tips and half-remembered names and addresses. Two years of digging through dusty warehouses and old radio stations in search of crackly records and dusty photos led to an exhaustive look at the musical culture of this fascinating country. If you think salsa is the sum total of Latin American music, then think again -- the hot sound of Panamanian musica tipica and calypso Español throws everything into the mix for a non-stop journey through Afro rhythms, carnival sounds, tipica soul, and cumbia madness. Listen to the heavy tamborito rhythm of Los Silvertones and you'll hear where the instantly-recognizable, syncopated beat of modern-day reggaeton was born. Check the countrified re-versioning of Willie Colon's classic "La Murga De Panama" -- a perfect riposte to those that think Latin music begins and ends with Shakira. Listen to "La Escoba" by Alfredo Y Su Salsa Montañera and see that the currently in-vogue sound of cumbia owes as much to Panama as it does Colombia. Also features Papi Brandao Y Su Conjunto Aires Tableno, Maximo Rodriguez Y Sus Estrellas Panameñas, Papi Brandao Y Sus Ejecutivos, Skorpio, Los Superiores, Idamerica Ruiz Con Osvaldo Ayalla Y Sus Conjunto, Los Revolucionarios (Soul Revolution), The Duncan Brothers, The Soul Fantastics, The Exciters, Meñique El Panameño Con Bush Y Los Magnificos, Camilo Azuquita, Los Papacitos, Sir Jablonsky, Lord Cobra Y Los Hnos. Duncan, Ceferino Nieto, Ormelis Cortez Con Su Conjunto Viva Guararé, and Chilo Pitty.
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12"
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SNDW 12028EP
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Four slices of disco-dub heat focused on the Heads label out of South Africa -- a sister 12" to Gumba Fire (SNDW 124CD/LP). William & The Young Five's "You Turn Me On" is a meaty, classic early '80s disco jam. New York's JKriv takes elements of the vocal and dub and reworks them into a condensed dancefloor winner. Sofrito's Frankie Francis gives Adaye's 1980s track "Turn it Up" and the Manyane cut "Thabong" the cut-up treatment, focusing heavily on the spaced-out weirdness of the dub versions. The set ends with "Picnic" by the mostly instrumental studio outfit Starlight.
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2LP
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SNDW 047LP
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2018 repress. Double LP version on 180 gram vinyl; includes download code. Soundway Records present 24 Hours in a Disco 1978-1982, seven cuts of relentless disco grooves from the sublimely gifted Kiki Gyan. Hailed as Africa's answer to Stevie Wonder, Ghanaian multi-instrumentalist Kiki Gyan was a musical wunderkind, who, by 1975 had risen from the lowly status of high school dropout to being ranked eighth in a poll of the greatest keyboardists in the world (occupying the rarefied air of the top 10 with heavyweights like Steve Winwood, Billy Preston, and Stevie Wonder) as well as becoming an in-demand session player in the top recording studios of London -- all before his 21st birthday. Out on his own, he produced a series of highly ambitious disco records aimed at positioning him as an international star, but weighed down by the excesses of the era, Gyan saw his meteoric rise matched by an equally swift fall back into obscurity. Loved dearly by his contemporaries and sorely missed since his death in 2005, the story of the life of Kofi Kwarko "Kiki" Gyan is one often told with warning by his friends to the new generation of aspiring Ghanaian pop-stars. Soundway Records now collects the best of Gyan's work as a frontman and solo artist, featuring an array of electrifying disco grooves that still sound contemporary (and in some cases futuristic) decades after their initial release. Accompanied by detailed liner notes written by Uchenna Ikonne. Tracks recorded by Kiki Gyan and Gyan's bands K.G. Band and The Twins.
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2LP
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SNDW 039LP
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Repressed, originally released in 2012. Gatefold double-LP version; 180 gram vinyl. Dancing Time: The Best Of Eastern Nigeria's Afro Rock Exponents 1973-77 by The Funkees is the latest title on Soundway to mine the rich musical output of '60s and '70s Nigeria. For the five-year period this compilation spans, The Funkees' output crackled with dancefloor fire. Having featured on three of Soundway's most popular titles, across the definitive Nigeria Special compilation series, Soundway felt The Funkees' output deserved closer inspection. Presented here are 18 slices of funky Afro-rock grooves, hand-picked by Soundway's Miles Cleret from a selection of the band's 45s and two full-lengths. In the early 1970s, The Funkees were the #1 east Nigerian band and the only outfit to seriously challenge the popular Lagos-based rock combos MonoMono and BLO. It wasn't long before promoters in the UK came calling and The Funkees packed up their instruments and moved to London, where they quickly established a fierce reputation on the live circuit. Here, they recorded two seminal albums before finally breaking up in 1977 amidst some controversy. This collection features for the first time all of their Nigerian 45s alongside the best of their UK album material and is accompanied by a full interview with original member Sonny Akpan, who still lives in the capital.
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7"
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SNDW 060X-LP
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2017 release. This single is of the two first ever recordings by Fela Ransome Kuti with his band The Highlife Rakers. Recorded by Melodisc in London in 1960 both tracks have been unearthed after more than fifty years in hiding. This 7" was originally released as a bonus to Soundway's vinyl edition of the compilation Highlife On The Move - Selected Nigerian & Ghanaian Recordings From London & Lagos - 1954-66, but due to an accidental over-pressing the label made a small number of these 45s available for sale individually.
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SNDW 12029EP
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Soundway present the debut EP from The Mauskovic Dance Band -- a heady, tropical blend of cumbia, Afro-Caribbean rhythms, and space disco, resulting in a vibrant hypnotic groove destined for bustling dancefloors. The Mauskovic Dance Band is the brainchild of the Amsterdam-based producer and musician, Nicola Mauskovic. A seasoned drummer, he finds himself constantly in demand -- as part of Turkish psychedelic outfit Altin Gün, a recent tour with the revival of Zambian legends W.I.T.C.H., and a worldwide tour with psych-pop artist Jacco Gardner, with whom he then went on to form the dance-oriented duo Bruxas.
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SNDW 041CD
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The Manifest Tone journey began in 2004. During breaks from touring with Antibalas, New York City-born Chico Mann began crafting a more personal sound in his basement studio. A hybrid beast of culture and tone where Fela Kuti and Willie Colon meets Stevie B, Lisa Lisa, Afrika Bambaata, and Kraftwerk, it lives in a landscape shaped by Africa, Cuba, New York, and Miami. These unique experimentations led to the release of Manifest Tone Volume 1 in 2006 and eventually morphed into Volumes 2 and 3 that were finished in 2008 and 2010 respectively. What sounds on paper like a meeting of styles past in reality emerges sounding incredibly fresh and original -- a unique style Chico Mann has dubbed "Afro-Freestyle". This album represents the choicest cuts from Chico Mann's Manifest Tone, Volumes 1-3, that until now were only available digitally.
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2LP
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SNDW 105X-LP
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Limited edition pink neon and blue neon double LP version. 2017 release. Deconstructed musical forms from the kingdoms of Uganda lead by London producer Jesse Hackett, multi-instrumentalist Albert Ssempeke, and singing legend Otim Alpha.
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2LP
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SNDW 070LP
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LP
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SNDW 080X-LP
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Limited edition LP version. Splatter vinyl.
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CD
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SNDW 090CD
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2017 release. Harmonies is the new long-player from underground super-producer Lord Echo. Hotly anticipated for years by his growing entourage of fans, the new album solidifies his already distinctive mutations of reggae and rock steady with disco, African soul, techno, and spiritual jazz. In other words, the Lord has returned from the wilderness with a bounty for his followers.
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