Keyboard - Hungry Man

We're set to release Keyboard's rare and much sought after record 'Hungry Man' on 28th July. Available on limited LP and digital formats, it is the first time the record has been released for 35 years. Originally recorded for the EMI Nigeria label and produced by legendary producer Odion Iruoje 'Keyboard' was a one-off studio project formed by Brodricks Majuwa and Isaac Digha from circa 1978. These two session men were often used at the EMI studio and played in multiple recordings that Iruoje produced throughout the era.
This extremely scarce and obscure record features amongst others Ignace de Souza of the Black Santiagos from the city of Cotonou, Benin and Jonni Wood from the band SJOB movement.
Lilting, laid-back, solid, soul-funk grooves and beautiful horn arrangements with synth effects combine for a unique sound but one that is unmistakably from the sound forge of Odion Iruoje and his two front-line studio engineers Emmanuel Odenusi and Kayode Salami. The album is licensed directly from Broderick Majuwa (hailing originally from the Delta region of central southern Nigeria) who played with many bands in the 1970s: starting out with The Severe 7 (a Santana-influenced rock band from Benin City) followed by The Thermometers with Emma Dorgu who cut one 45 for Afrodisia records. Later on he had stints with more famous Nigerian artists Ebenezer Obey and Bongos Ikwue amongst others.
The LP is strictly limited to only 1000 vinyl copies.
Pre-order on any format on the Soundway Store now to receive in instant free download of 'Peaceable World'.
- See more at: http://www.soundwayrecords.com/article/new-reissue-keyboard---hungry-man#sthash.hlitBtpi.dpuf

We're set to release Keyboard's rare and much sought after record 'Hungry Man' on 28th July. Available on limited LP and digital formats, it is the first time the record has been released for 35 years. Originally recorded for the EMI Nigeria label and produced by legendary producer Odion Iruoje 'Keyboard' was a one-off studio project formed by Brodricks Majuwa and Isaac Digha from circa 1978. These two session men were often used at the EMI studio and played in multiple recordings that Iruoje produced throughout the era.

This extremely scarce and obscure record features amongst others Ignace de Souza of the Black Santiagos from the city of Cotonou, Benin and Jonni Wood from the band SJOB movement.
Lilting, laid-back, solid, soul-funk grooves and beautiful horn arrangements with synth effects combine for a unique sound but one that is unmistakably from the sound forge of Odion Iruoje and his two front-line studio engineers Emmanuel Odenusi and Kayode Salami. The album is licensed directly from Broderick Majuwa (hailing originally from the Delta region of central southern Nigeria) who played with many bands in the 1970s: starting out with The Severe 7 (a Santana-influenced rock band from Benin City) followed by The Thermometers with Emma Dorgu who cut one 45 for Afrodisia records. Later on he had stints with more famous Nigerian artists Ebenezer Obey and Bongos Ikwue amongst others.

The LP is strictly limited to only 1000 vinyl copies.

Pre-order on any format on the Soundway Store now to receive in instant free download of 'Peaceable World'.

soundwayrecords.com

We're set to release Keyboard's rare and much sought after record 'Hungry Man' on 28th July. Available on limited LP and digital formats, it is the first time the record has been released for 35 years. Originally recorded for the EMI Nigeria label and produced by legendary producer Odion Iruoje 'Keyboard' was a one-off studio project formed by Brodricks Majuwa and Isaac Digha from circa 1978. These two session men were often used at the EMI studio and played in multiple recordings that Iruoje produced throughout the era.
This extremely scarce and obscure record features amongst others Ignace de Souza of the Black Santiagos from the city of Cotonou, Benin and Jonni Wood from the band SJOB movement.
Lilting, laid-back, solid, soul-funk grooves and beautiful horn arrangements with synth effects combine for a unique sound but one that is unmistakably from the sound forge of Odion Iruoje and his two front-line studio engineers Emmanuel Odenusi and Kayode Salami. The album is licensed directly from Broderick Majuwa (hailing originally from the Delta region of central southern Nigeria) who played with many bands in the 1970s: starting out with The Severe 7 (a Santana-influenced rock band from Benin City) followed by The Thermometers with Emma Dorgu who cut one 45 for Afrodisia records. Later on he had stints with more famous Nigerian artists Ebenezer Obey and Bongos Ikwue amongst others.
The LP is strictly limited to only 1000 vinyl copies.
Pre-order on any format on the Soundway Store now to receive in instant free download of 'Peaceable World'.
- See more at: http://www.soundwayrecords.com/article/new-reissue-keyboard---hungry-man#sthash.hlitBtpi.dpuf

We're set to release Keyboard's rare and much sought after record 'Hungry Man' on 28th July. Available on limited LP and digital formats, it is the first time the record has been released for 35 years. Originally recorded for the EMI Nigeria label and produced by legendary producer Odion Iruoje 'Keyboard' was a one-off studio project formed by Brodricks Majuwa and Isaac Digha from circa 1978. These two session men were often used at the EMI studio and played in multiple recordings that Iruoje produced throughout the era.
This extremely scarce and obscure record features amongst others Ignace de Souza of the Black Santiagos from the city of Cotonou, Benin and Jonni Wood from the band SJOB movement.
Lilting, laid-back, solid, soul-funk grooves and beautiful horn arrangements with synth effects combine for a unique sound but one that is unmistakably from the sound forge of Odion Iruoje and his two front-line studio engineers Emmanuel Odenusi and Kayode Salami. The album is licensed directly from Broderick Majuwa (hailing originally from the Delta region of central southern Nigeria) who played with many bands in the 1970s: starting out with The Severe 7 (a Santana-influenced rock band from Benin City) followed by The Thermometers with Emma Dorgu who cut one 45 for Afrodisia records. Later on he had stints with more famous Nigerian artists Ebenezer Obey and Bongos Ikwue amongst others.
The LP is strictly limited to only 1000 vinyl copies.
Pre-order on any format on the Soundway Store now to receive in instant free download of 'Peaceable World'.
- See more at: http://www.soundwayrecords.com/article/new-reissue-keyboard---hungry-man#sthash.hlitBtpi.dpuf

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Hungry Man is a record with a modest mythos surrounding it. The LP is a one-off studio project between musicians Broderick Majuwa and Isaac Digha along with titan producer Odion Iruoje 'Keyboard' at EMI Nigeria.

The exact recording date of Hungry Man is unknown, though thought to be sometime around 1978, and physical copies have been in short supply for over 35 years. The same could in fact be said of a plethora of exciting Nigerian records from the 60s and 70s that have all but been forgotten and out of reach for decades. However, thanks to the efforts of Soundway Records and similar record companies, some of these albums are now being pulled back out of obscurity.

Hungry Man is amongst these. It is made up of six tracks written and performed by Majuwa and Digha along with a selection of West African stars such as Ignace de Souza of the Black Santiagos and Jonni Wood from the SJOB movement.

The result is a cleanly-recorded, funk-heavy afrobeat journey that at times brims with madcap exuberance and at others sits back in the groove. The crisp guitar production allows each strum to be heard and contribute to the swirling funk drive, while Keyboard’s producing skills, as well as those of his sound engineers Emmanuel Odenusi and Kayode Salami, are undeniable as he ensures Hungry Man sounds resplendent, giving every instrument space amidst tight rhythmic hooks.

The most outstanding feature of the record, however, is the use of brass arrangements that sit high in the mix. Majuwa and Digha use trumpets to lead songs rather than as mere window dressing, and soaring brass performances appear in every track. The trumpet solo on ‘Peaceable World’ is especially jaw-dropping, roaring above the slick hooks put together by the bass and drums.

Keyboard seems happy to let the bass heavy grooves just run, which is to the record’s strength. The tracks are relatively lengthy − the shortest is just over four minutes − affording Majuwa and Digha the space to experiment with sounds and textures. Laconic synths seep through some songs. The second track ‘I Wish You Know’ is perhaps the best demonstration of this, but there is noodling too. In moments on ‘Peaceable World’ the synthesiser drops into an undulating pitch-shifted solo that keeps the mellow, drowsy feel to the song despite its frenetic energy.

The song-writing is solid, though ultimately it comes across as perhaps a little too careful. Moments of excess feel conspicuously planned. Solos end quite abruptly, and some of the songs lack the effervescent energy that could make them readily and immediately revisitable.

The vocal delivery is intuitively close to the music and lyrics are not always audibly clear, but the singing itself is a positive addition to the whole record. Without greater context, the distinguishable lyrics on the record come across as a series of spacey reflections and cogitations: “I wish you know what is my mind, my man” becomes a mantra on 'I Wish You Know'. Yet with closer inspection, the lyrical themes are more profound. The song titles ‘A Big Mess’, ‘Peaceable World’ and, most of all, ‘Tomorrow We Can’t Say’ suggest Keyboard’s broader concern with their place in the world, its state and an uncertain future. But amidst the reverb, the more sincere themes contained in the song titles are, at times, obscured.

By contrast, however, the meaning of the music itself is clear for all to hear and, whatever the deeper lyrical meaning of Hungry Man, its message is one of frenetic fun and glossy, infectious funk.

thinkafricapress.com

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Lilting, laid-back, solid, soul-funk grooves and beautiful horn arrangements with synth effects combine for a unique sound but one that is unmistakably from the sound forge of Odion Iruoje and his two front-line studio engineers Emmanuel Odenusi and Kayode Salami. The album is licensed directly from Broderick Majuwa (hailing originally from the Delta region of central southern Nigeria) who played with many bands in the 1970s: starting out with The Severe 7 (a Santana-influenced rock band from Benin City) followed by The Thermometers with Emma Dorgu who cut one 45 for Afrodisia records. Later on he had stints with more famous Nigerian artists Ebenezer Obey and Bongos Ikwue amongst others.

hhv.de

The Shaolin Afronauts - Follow the Path

The driving force of The Shaolin Afronuats is Ross McHenry, the ARIA nominated composer, bandleader, producer and bassist based in Adelaide. Alongside co collaborators Lachlan Ridge and Dylan Marshall, It is their opmbined wide ranging musical tastes, impeccable production and instrumental skills that always result in music that is original, thought provoking, unexpected and quite beautiful.

2011's debut album 'Flight Of The Ancients' was a critical and commercial success story. The follow up 'Quest Under Capricorn' further cemented the bands reputation for forging their own very particular sound - and now in 2014 - as the band prepare to tour Japan & Europe (including 2 prestigious shows at The Glastonbury Festival) Freestyle Records is proud to present the expansive & epic Follow The Path.

Follow The Path is a 21 track, double album that expands upon and delves further into the musical genres that inspire and influence the group - rhythmic and pulsating afrobeat, and the avant-garde/spiritual jazz inspired by artists such as Sun Ra and Mulatu Astatke.

One superb example of how this band execute their musical vocabulary is Ojo Abameta, a percussive & frenetic number, built on a bed of amazing percussion and topped off with some deeply sweet ensemble horns, the end result is reminiscent of African hi life sounds which acts as a curtain raiser for this incredible album. The albums title track 'Follow The Path' uses afrobeat as a template, but with strong funk undercurrents, as the insistent beat underpins the beautiful ensemble horns and bubbling analogue synth sounds to dramatic and hypnotic effect.

In contrast, the second volume emphasises The Shaolin Afronauts more experimental and introspective side. As an example, the three part suite Outside Beyond/Three Ways Back is a genuine musical journey that takes the listener through many musical moods and textures...;this is deep, spiritually rooted music that locates the band almost in a genre of their very own - having such an original and individual approach and sound.

Tracklist

1.	Ojo Abameta
2.	To The Water
3.	Baie De Sangareya (Intro)
4.	Baie De Sangareya
5.	Sissoko
6.	Lagos Chase
7.	At The Shrine
8.	Interlude 1
9.	Follow The Path
10.	Boogie Back Accra
11.	To The Water (Interlude 2)
12.	Abyssinian Suite, Pt. 1
13.	Abyssinian Suite, Pt. 2
14.	Abyssinian Suite, Pt. 3
15.	Caravan To Tao Ceti (Intro)
16.	Caravan To Tao Ceti
17.	Outside Beyond / Three Ways Back, Pt. 1
18.	Outside Beyond / Three Ways Back, Pt. 2
19.	Outside Beyond / Three Ways Back, Pt. 3
20.	Interstellar Griot, Pt. 1
21.	Interstellar Griot, Pt. 2

New album "Burnt Offering" by The Budos Band coming ...

When it came time to title their new album, one decision was easy: “This isn’t The Budos Band IV,” proclaims drummer Brian Profilio. “This isn’t just more of the same.” The Budos Band embarked on an experimental journey since the release of The Budos Band III in 2010, seeking inspiration from sources far and wide.

While wizards use books of spells and alchemy to mix their masterful potions, the Budos employ heavy doses of continent-spanning psychedelic rock to beckon the occult and conjure the supernatural.  Hence the title of the band’s fourth album: Burnt Offering. 

“We made a conscious decision to embark on a new sound,” explains baritone saxophone player Jared Tankel. The heavy, trippy side the group unveiled on The Budos Band III reaches full flower on new tunes like “Aphasia,” “Trouble in the Sticks” and particularly the title track “Burnt Offering.” “We were messing around with an old Binson Echorec at practice one night and this loop emerged,” recalls bassist Dan Foder.  The droning fuzz guitar is a call to the gods from below and encapsulates the band’s sonic progression perfectly. “This record is fuzzy, buzzy and raw, and more obviously psychedelic,” adds Profilio.

Like a cratedigger’s classic from a parallel universe, “Tomahawk” melds heavy, distorted guitar riffs with bright blasts of brass and bubbling drums. An eerie, ceremonial vibe awakens the slumbering giant “Into The Fog” and prods it to life.

Driven by melodies, rhythms, and changes that animate muscle and bone to move, yet compel the ear to lean in closer, these full-bodied instrumentals push Budos’ music deeper into new territory.
All lingering traces of touchstones of yore—be they Fela Kuti, Dyke and the Blazers, or Black Sabbath—have been wholly absorbed and filtered through the Budos Band’s ever-evolving aesthetic. “We sound nothing like our first record anymore,” confirms Profilio. Anyone content to just slap the old “Staten Island Afro-soul” tag on Burnt Offering and move on clearly didn’t listen to the music first.

The group composed more than two dozen songs in the course of making Burnt Offering, yet only recorded fifteen, further distilling its essence to ten classic cuts for the full-length release. If a new tune failed to capture the rambunctious energy of their live show, if it revised familiar territory or obvious influences, it got cut. Budos was determined to break new ground. “If any band says that’s easy to do, they’re fooling themselves—and not writing good enough songs,” insists Brenneck.
In order to reach the apex of the mountain, the band had to come together like never before. Always a brotherhood, the time spent writing and recording Burnt Offerings saw changes that many bands would have run from, but for the Budos presented opportunities to hone their craft.  “Making this record reaffirmed that we work together really well,” says Profilio.

Burnt Offering breaks from Budos’ earlier records in another significant regard: this is their first album without an outside producer. “We had arrived at a different place sonically and needed see it through completely ourselves,” says Tankel. They still praise Daptone mastermind Gabriel Roth, who worked alongside Brenneck co-producing their first three records, but parting ways at this juncture made sense.

“We know exactly where we’re at,” says Profilio. “We didn’t want to have to explain ourselves if we were in pursuit of a specific sound or vibe.”

“We made the demo that got us picked up by Daptone in my parents’ basement when I was eighteen years old,” Brenneck recalls.  “This album is a continuation of that, fifteen years later … with a lot more records under our belts.”

After all that time, Budos has become more than a band—it’s a brotherhood. “This is a real family band,” says Brenneck. “Guys who’ve been making music for a long time, and friendships that run completely parallel to the music.” They still rehearse religiously almost every week, even if some of those rehearsals encompass just as much drinking, socializing, and listening to music as actual practice.

That camaraderie doesn’t evaporate when they put their instruments down.  On tour, they hit a brewery or pub for lunch en masse before sound check whenever possible, and like to stir up trouble. There are dust-ups and reconciliations. All that kinship comes to a head when they hit the stage. “We’ve seen some things out there that most bands don’t get a glimpse of these days,” suggests Tankel. “All of that craziness just brings us closer together. We couldn’t shake each other if we tried.”
And capturing the intensity of Budos’ electrifying shows on wax, making the grooves vibrate with excitement, was one of the biggest challenges of Burnt Offering. “We record live to tape, with minimal effects,” Brenneck says. Nowhere to hide, then.  The band insisted that each song push the envelope. No room for filler.

The Budos have traveled far and wide—playing across four continents—since the band’s inception. A lifetime of world tours and weekly rehearsals went into the making of Burnt Offering, and the journey is far from over. As long as there are new audiences to thrill and sonic frontiers to explore, they’ll forge ahead. “We haven’t fulfilled our mission,” concludes Profilio. “We’re still very hungry.”

The Budos Band Official

Orlando Julius with The Heliocentrics - Jaiyede Afro

This fall, we’re extremely proud to announce the first ever internationally released new studio album by one of the all-time legends of Nigerian music, Orlando Julius, backed by the incredibly versatile London outfit The Heliocentrics.

On Jaiyede Afro, Julius takes us back to his roots, revisiting several compositions from his early years which have never previously been recorded. The album was recorded at the Heliocentrics’ fully analogue studio in North London. Like their their memorable collaborations with Mulatu Astatke and Lloyd Miller, the band takes Orlando’s sound into new, progressive directions, retaining the raw grit of his early work and adding psychedelic touches and adventurous new arrangements.

Jaiyede Afro is released September 9th on CD, 2xLP and digital formats. The physical formats feature new photos from the recording sessions by Alexis Maryon and track by track interview with Orlando Julius and The Heliocentrics. The release will be supported by a full European touring schedule.

Strut Records

 

Tracklist

01. Buje Buje
02. Love Thy Neighbour
03. Aseni
04. Sangodele
05. Jaiyede Afro
06. Omo Oba Blues
07. In The Middle
08. Be Counted
09. Alafia

Nigerian saxophone legend Orlando Julius’ collaboration with UK psychedelic jazz outfit The Heliocentrics is one of the most satisfying and progressive Afrobeat projects to come along in a while. The full album is due September 8th, but you can hear the lead track “Buje Buje” below.
The Jaiyede Afro album can be pre-ordered now on iTunes, with the track “Buje Buje” available instantly.

Orlando Julius on “Buje Buje:”

“My parents used to tell us stories, folk tales and there were a lot of different stories involving tortoises – they often made tortoises sound like human beings. There was one about a tortoise who had a farm and I always thought, ‘how could a tortoise have a farm?!’ This tortoise is working on his farm and a pretty lady is passing by. So, he cuts his foot with his cutlass and pretends that he is injured so that he can get her attention. The lady comes over and tries to help him and he says, ‘I can’t work with this cut. Could I climb on your back to go to get help?’ She agrees, he climbs on her back and she starts to walk. He says, ‘I’m too far up, could you push me further down your back?’ Finally, the lady realises that he is up to no good, she is very unhappy and tells him to find his own way. Once she has left, the tortoise continues to play this trick on other women.

“I made the story into a song and brought human nature into it – good people and bad people. The song teaches us not to copy something that is bad, fake or deceptive.”

From Venezuela: Tragavenao Orquesta Afrobeat (free album) !!!

 TRAGAVENAO ORQUESTA AFROBEAT.

Es un conjunto musical formado en Maracaibo, Venezuela por varios musicos que absorben influencias a traves de un gran peso del AFROBEAT, JAZZ y FUNK.

Un proyecto musical de Afrobeat que fusionando géneros como jazz, funk, y ritmos Venezolanos consigue un ritmo único y contagioso sin alejarse en su totalidad a la genialidad y pureza del Afrobeat moderno.

Con mas de 10 músicos en escena, se conforma como una orquesta en el 2010 dando mucha energía a su particular sonido étnico.

Originarios de Maracaibo, Venezuela llevan con su música la energía necesaria para sacudir el medio musical reviviendo y dando a conocer el fabuloso trabajo creado por Fela Kuti junto a su corriente musical; conformando la banda como la primera orquesta Afrobeat en Venezuela.

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Is a musical group formed in Maracaibo, Venezuela by several musicians absorbing influences through a great weight of Afrobeat, jazz and funk.

A project that fusing Afrobeat musical genres as jazz, funk, and Venezuelan rhythms with a unique rhythm and contagious without departing entirely to the brilliance and purity of modern Afrobeat.

With over 10 musicians on stage, is shaped like an orchestra in 2010 giving a lot of energy to their particular ethnic sound.

Originally from Maracaibo, Venezuela with his music carry the energy to shake the musical reviving and publicizing the fabulous work created by Fela Kuti with his current musical, forming the band as the first Afrobeat Orchestra in Venezuela.

GET IT HERE!

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