Remix of the Day: 'Ene Nyame (Henrik Schwarz Blend)' by Ebo Taylor & Pat Thomas

Somehow this passed me by until the other day, which unfortunately means I missed out on playing it every day in the summer. I shall remedy the situation by playing it every day in the winter instead, thereby giving myself a slice of sunshine through the dark months. This epic remix manages to skilfully combine Afrobeat and Highlife with house music to stunning effect - the moment the bass kicks in you won't want to listen to anything else for the rest of the day.

Recommended music: 'La Vie Est Belle / Life Is Beautiful' by Petite Noir

If you're one of those (annoying) people who like to pigeonhole everything then I wish you good luck with finding a genre for this. It's so tricky that Mr Noir himself, Yannick Ilunga, has invented his own genre name - noirwave. It seems a suitable description of an album that can be dark, that flows beautifully from track to track, and that has such a broad palette of sounds and influences  it makes most of this year's releases sound two-dimensional in comparison.



You might have heard the single 'Down'  on the radio and been entranced by its rhythms and instantly singable chorus. It's a fantastic way in to the Petite Noir sound - at various times it sounds like Caribou, an Afrobeat band or any number of other (great) things, all of which are woven into a brilliant groove.


'Best' is another outstanding track - it also has a great rhythm, but also some great 80s sounding horns, and is topped of with Ilunga's brilliantly expressive voice and some politically charged lyrics.

You could spend hours and hours going over this record and listing down the influences you can hear seeping from it;s core - from Talking Heads to TV On The Radio, from Tony Allen to Fela Kuti, this album is like an educational masterclass. And despite it's ocassionally dark tones the underlying theme of life being beautiful shines through. I've listened to this a lot this week, in different moods and different places, but it's always left me feeling positive and in a good state. It's definitely one of the best records of the year.

Remix of the Day: William Onyeabor's 'Atomic Bomb' by Hot Chip remixed by John Talabot

Hot Chip's version of 'Atomic Bomb' was one of my favourite tracks from my purchases on Record Store Day last year. Now, fresh for Record Store Day 2015, comes this remix of the track by John Talabot, and it is indeed the bomb. This is going straight on my shopping list for April 18th.

Recommended music: 'Music In Exile' by Songhoy Blues

Living proof that the blues is not only a universal language but that it can also be uplifting, Songhoy Blues have journeyed from playing 4-hour sets in a small club in Mali to hipster hangouts in London, partly through choice and partly by necessity. As exiled musicians themselves, having fled their home towns when music was declared 'haram', they made it their mission to entertain outher lost and exiled souls from northern Mali, and to help fight the notion that making music was a sin. In a place like Mali, with a rich musical heritage, they felt that to live without music would be like living in a prison.

And now, after first appearing on last year's Africa Express album 'Maison des Jeunes', they're here to share their gift with us. The album is packed full of brilliant guitar riffs from Garba Toure, as well as some quieter, more reflective moments. Mixing their own songs with reworkings from the Songhoy ethnic tradition, it's a real blend of African and blues music. Produced by Nick Zinner (from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) it's both exuberant and emotional, raw but powerful. You certainly shouldn't pigeonhole this as 'African' or 'world' music, but instead just place it in the box marked 'good music' - it has the power to reach out and speak to you regardless of whether you understand the language or not.

As good as they are on record you really need to see them live to get the full force of their energy and passion, so if they come anywhere near you then go, you won't be disappointed.

PS Is it just me or is that the most 70s-looking album cover you've seen since, well, the 70s? I don't know if someone has deliberately gone for that look, but that's certainly what they've ended up with. 

Remix of the Day: 'Irganda (Red Snapper Remix)' by Songhoy Blues

With their debut album 'Music in Exile' due out in a couple of days time and more and more live shows being announced, Songhoy Blues are really in the ascendancy. This remix from Red Snapper is an interesting take on the original, slowing it down, adding more drums and really changing the textures of the song. It still feels African, but somehow like it comes from a different country on the same continent.


Here's the original version for you to compare.

Track of the Day: 'Avertissement' by Fouma System

It's taken some years to reach fruition, but this project from Mustaf Mbaye and Troels Kampmann sond pretty special. Keen to work together physically (rather than just collaborating via the internet) they hit the studio in Copenhagen in their bid to make "original, natural music that's a mix of traditions and inspirations". The first fruit of their labours is the 'Mind Mi Dem' EP, from which this track is taken. There'll be more EPs to come this year but for now sit back and take in this heady concoction - despite the fact that neither Denmark nor Senegal are in the World Cup it feels right for the current international mood. Listen and download the track for free below.

Remix of the Day: 'The Way To The Forest (Ibibio Sound Machine Remix)' by Francois & The Atlas Mountains

Two acts with some of the longest band names around combine to create a fantastic voyage through French Africa. The Marvellous Ibibio Sound Machine take the understated African rhythms of the original and hype them up to 10, in the process creating one of the most summery and upbeat tracks you'll have heard all year.

Recommended music: 'Everyday Robots' by Damon Albarn

Could this be the year of the 'mature' album? So far this year Beck's given us the most sophisticated, grown-up and classy album of his career, while Ben Watt has ditched years of dance music, paired up with Bernard Butler, and made a record that any quality singer-songwriter from the 70s would've been proud of. Meanwhile on 'Everyday Robots' Damon Albarn comes up with some of the best songwriting of his life, matching beautiful melodies with confessional lyrics ranging from childhood to frank confessions of his heroin use during Blur's heyday. Essentially a middle-aged meditation on life, this is Damon bearing his soul on who he is and how he's got here.

Written and almost entirely performed by him alone (with mostly just some beat contributions from producer Richard Russell), it owes more to his work with Gorillaz and other projects such as Africa Express and the Bobby Womack album than it does to Blur. There's a lineage to be traced through his history though - having always told stories of other people in his lyrics, he's now turned that lens on himself with amazing honesty. And musically you can draw a line from the brilliant Gorillaz track 'Hong Kong' and the end-of-Blur tracks like 'Fool's Day' and 'Under The Westway', and even things like 'Sunset Coming On' from the Mali Music album.

He's at his most confessional on 'You and Me': "Jab jab / digging out a hole in Westbourne Grove / tin foil and a lighter / the ship across / five days on and two days off" - basically a heroin user's version of the fasting diet. I'm sure that, like me, many people never realised the extent of his drug use, but here it is laid out for all to see.

In the main the music is downbeat, but never sombre or maudlin. There are a couple of lighter moments though. The upbeat 'Mr. Tembo' (about an orphaned elephant) might sound a bit too smiley in isolation, but in the context of the album it serves both as a counterpoint to the more serious tracks and as a way of including his trips to Africa in the story. Meanwhile album closer 'Heavy Seas of Love', featuring surprise guest vocals from Brian Eno, is one of those classic 'Let It Be' type songs, one of those 'things aren't as bad as they seem, I'll help you pick yourself up, you're stronger than you realise' tracks that manages to touch your soul almost without you realising it. And yes, I did just compare Albarn's songwriting to McCartney's.



Despite his constant output I'm not sure Albarn's ever been properly recognised fo rthe quality of his writing, and I wnder if whether subconsciously this is him showing us how he intends to grow old gracefully, putting away the childish things of his youth and taking a gentle stroll into maturity.

Maybe it's because we're a similar age, or because I've always followed his work and enjoyed the way it's developed. Or maybe it's just because this is a damm fine record, but this album moves me in a way that few albums have recently. It's a record that makes you want to sit quietly and take stock of your own life, to be happy with where you are, to spend some time in your own company but then to go out and hug your friends.



Despite the fact that it failed to get to number one (due to Warner's cock-up with failing to press the right amount of vinyl), as the months go by I predict that more and more people will fall under its spell. It's also a dead cert for the Mercury Music Prize this year, so put your money on it now and thank me later.

New music: 'Let's Dance (Yak Inek Unek)' by Ibibio Sound Machine

This massively infectious and upbeat track is the product of a band that are as influenced by classic West African funk and disco as they are modern post-punk and electro. The 8 band members are led by London-born Nigerian singer Eno Williams, who fills her songs full of the African folk tales that her mother used to tell her.



With increased attention on African sounds via the likes of Africa Express and the resurgence of William Onyeabor, the omens look good for their debut album, which is released on 14th March on Soundway Records.

Recommended music: 'Dead' by Young Fathers

It's been nearly a year since I first wrote about Young Fathers (see post here), and in that time they've continued to build a name for themselves while putting together their début album, which will be released on Monday 3rd February.

So what do you get from a Scottish / Nigerian / Liberian hip-hop act? As you might expect, this is not run of the mill gangsta / pimps & hoes rap record. It inhabits its own space in much the same way as Kanye West's last 2 albums - you really won't have heard a hip-hop album like this before. And like Kanye at his best, there are some fantastically melodic hooks and catchy pop choruses in amongst the brilliant rap lyricism.

Take opener 'No Way' for example - hard pounding, almost military drums and raps possibly about life in an African village give way to a sung chorus of "AK-47 take my breath, went straight to heaven" which also incorporates one of the most audacious rhymes on the album - "when you're feelin' Presbyterian". The highlights come thick and fast: 'Low' underscores it's powerful rap with a bagpipe-like drone and more marching band drums, 'Just Another Bullet' layers the vocals up to menacing effect, while 'War' builds a Massive Attack-like track to add another sound to their style. 'Get Up' is full of the band's natural energy, and 'Dip' has another of their big melodies and great choruses. There's more Massive Attack-ness in the menacing 'Mmmh Mmmh', and 'Hangman'steps up the threat level with its "time to meet your maker" threats. In contrast 'Am I Not Your Boy' offers redemption with it's heartfelt chorus that's impossible not to sing along with. The album closes with 'I've Arrived', and after a few listens you can't do anything but agree with that statement - Young Fathers have arrived, and 2014 is theirs for the taking.

You can listen to the whole album below, and once you have you're definitely gonna want to rush off and buy it. My top tip (if you're in the UK) is to get it from the Ninja Tune shop here, where it's the best price you'll find. The album is on the Anticon label (in the US) and Big Dada (in the UK).

New music: 'Jerk Ribs' by Kelis

The influence of producer Dave Sitek (TV On The Radio) looms large over this comeback single from Kelis, from the Afro-centric rhythms to the classy horn section. Meanwhile Kelis sings some personal lyrics about the influence of her father on her life and music. By far the classiest record she's made for a long time, this is a crowd-pleasing, summer-teasing track with an infectious groove that will definitely put a smile on your face while you're cooking jerk ribs on your barbeque this weekend (see what I did there?).

Listen below, and insert your email address after the jump to grab your FREE DOWNLOAD of the track.

Track of the Day: 'Jeeper Creeper (PHON.O Rmx feat. Born In Flamez)' by Sinkane

Pretty unrecognisable from the (excellent) original, this brilliant mix by PHON.O will be on the 12" released on April 20th on City Slang. There's a great bassline, additional vocals from Born In Flamez, and the whole thing comes together in a package that will light up the dancefloor. The single will also feature mixes by Benjamin Damage and Africaine808. Check it out below.

Live - in pictures: Sinkane & Young Dreams - Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, London 3/4/13

There were lots of uplifting, upbeat, warm vibes in the air in Hoxton Square tonight.

Young Dreams - Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen, London 3/4/13

First on the bill were Young Dreams from Norway (London's chill must seem positively balmy to them). With classic 3-part harmonies underpinned by a tinge of African rhythms they played a polished set that really engaged the audience. Definitely a band that I'd go and see again next time they're in town.

Young Dreams 3/4/13

Headliners for the night were Sinkane - currently residents of Brooklyn, NY but with roots from around the globe.

Sinkane, London 3/4/13

Ahmed Gallab, Sinkane 3/4/13

Despite a rather patchy sound mix and intermittent problems with Ahmed Gallab's keyboard they put on a good, if rather truncated, show.













With the wind in their sails and maybe some sunshine outdoors at a festival I imagine that they'll be unstoppable.

Sinkane - Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen, London 3/4/13