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On this rare pressing from Nigeria’s Tabansi label, reissued by BBE Music, we have the mystery man Ojo Balingo, juju music master.

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Popularised all over the globe by King Sunny Ade in the 1980s, juju music had actually been around for decades before. Resembling highlife music in many ways, juju could be described as a more traditionally African form, mainly played by Yoruba people for Yoruba audiences.

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Although the original sleeve artwork implies that this is a ‘various artists’ album, it’s pretty clear that it’s the same unnamed juju band throughout, performing two long tracks, one on each side. Side 1 calls forth more traditional juju sounds, whilst the darker Side 2 adds funk breaks galore. Psych-rock Hawaiian guitars, talking drums and political lyrics rub shoulders in this almost-unknown 70s juju rarity.

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Ojo Balingo, in Yoruba, means ‘rain comes’, or ‘a breeze comes’. And so it does, with this never-before reissued obscure collectors’ vinyl from the vaults of Tabansi Records.– BBE

Live is a concert recording of The Oracle, made at JazzFest Berlin, where the Chicagoans' 2019 European tour began. It was not an auspicious start. The gig was preceded by a series of racist incidents Dawid and the band suffered during their short stay in Berlin, shamefully including one from JazzFest staff and another from staff at The Ellington Hotel (so named because it stands on the site of the historic Badewanne Jazz Club, which hosted Duke Ellington in the 1950s).

The upside of these incidents was that they replaced any jet lag Dawid and Tha Brothahood may have been feeling with a shot of galvanising fury. If the performances on The Oracle blaze with passion, those on Live are even more intense. Most of the material is from the earlier album, an overdubbed solo set which Dawid assembled herself and most of which she wrote. The only pieces not wholly composed by Dawid are "Destination," whose topline was written by Yusef Lateef, and "What Shall I Tell My Children Who Are Black," which has lyrics by the late Chicago poet and African American activist Margaret Burroughs.

Of the Berlin show, Dawid says, "It was very deep, and really helped me to process all the rage, and uncomfortable things I was feeling. It made me think of all the artists of the past who endured way more than I ever will with this music industry. It was a very freeing and beautiful show. We played our ass off." They certainly did. – All About Jazz

"Charged spiritual jazz that holds a mirror up to Berlin, reflecting the city's unreasonable treatment of Black people. Cathartic, uplifting, and simmering with rage"

Space Is the Place is the soundtrack to a film that was made but never released, and the tunes are among his most ambitious, unorthodox, and compelling compositions. Between June Tyson's declarative vocals, chants, and dialogue and Ra's crashing, flailing synthesizer and organ fills, and with such songs as "Blackman/Love in Outer Space," "It's After the End of the World," and "I Am the Brother of the Wind," this disc offers aggressive, energized, and uncompromising material. Ra's pianistic forays, phrases, and textures were sometimes dismissed as mere noodling when they were part of a well-constructed multimedia package. This comes as close as any of Ra's releases to being not only a concept work but a blueprint for his live shows from the early '70s until the end of his career. Features some previously unissued cuts. – All Music

You know it is a good beat-tape when there is a shout-out! True class and keeping the beats alive with that Pete Rock - Lord Finesse influence Smooth samples and knocking drums, definitely an ode to the golden era of Hip Hop. Vibes are nostalgic on this one, we highly recommend checking it out :) 

First of all, thanks to my mom Carmen Rosa for her support with my
travel with music. Thanks to my family, dad, sister, grandparents,
friends, my hip hop heads and all peoples who’s words keeps me
motivated. Shoutouts to all legends from the Golden Era of New York and my biggest influences in music production like Lord Finesse, Pete Rock, Buckwild, Gustavo Cerati, J Dilla, DJ Muggs, Godfather Don, Da Beatminerz, Marley Marl and many other mastas.
Shoutouts to SterilOne for mastering, Cloudlines.og & Hydrogenii for artwork and a special shoutout to Mario & Satu from POSTPARTUM. Records for making it happen to let you have it!

- Giuseppe Evanny aka Skillz Flav‘

Coastlines are a new production unit formed by DJ/ Producer, Masanori Ikeda and keyboard player from the group, cro-magnon, Takumi Kaneko. In 2018 and early 2019, they made their debut releasing, 2 well received and quickly sold out 7" singles from Flower Records. Although both Masanori and Takumi are renowned for being active in the Japanese dance music scene for many years, they also work together to produce music for video works and that is where their Coastlines project was born. Their musical vision is focused on creating a laid back, for listening, modern library music-like musical sceneries that one can imagine a beautiful & breathtaking "coastline". On top of the down tempo, balearic, jazz fusion and other various musical vibes that Masanori creates, Takumi layers his beautiful, melodic keyboard solos to grand effect. Coastline’s music is all about presenting, a joyous, relaxing, summery soundtrack for everyone's after hours wind down. – Bandcamp

“Complete Communion is a 1966 album by American jazz composer Don Cherry, his first release on Blue Note Records.

Each side of the original LP were suites, side-long compositions working with several themes. Critics have proposed this recording as an important innovation in the free jazz of the time, introducing "an alternative both to athematic improvising and to monothematic pieces".” – Wiki

“Not counting a couple of sessions he co-led with John Coltrane and Albert Ayler, Complete Communion was the first album Don Cherry recorded as a leader following his departure from the Ornette Coleman Quartet. It was also one of the earliest showcases for the Argentinian tenor saxophonist Gato Barbieri, who Cherry discovered during a stay in Rome. While the music on Complete Communion was still indebted to Coleman's concepts, Cherry injected enough of his own personality to begin differentiating himself as a leader. He arranged the original LP as two continuous side-long suites, each of which incorporated four different compositions and was recorded in a single take.” – All Music

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