Vinyl - Latin Inspired

SAAR Records is reissuing, in a limited edition and under its famous label Stella, thanks to the collaboration with Sonor Music Editions for the remastering, the long-playing “A Trip Around The World”, much sought after by vinyl collectors. The album was recorded and produced in Pero (Milan, Italy), with the famous Italian composer. – HHV

While Italian library/soundtrack great Alessandro Alessandroni may be gone, his music continues to inspire a whole new generation of listeners thanks to an increasing number of reissues. Now a pair of the late maestro's arguably strongest albums — A Trip Around the World and Prisma Sonoro — are finally coming back to vinyl.

This spring, we will see the reissue of both albums, with Alessandroni's beloved 1973 library effort A Trip Around the World arriving first. The new pressing of the serious rare — and pricey — album arrives via Stella, with remastering coming courtesy of Sonor Music Editions. – Exclaim

Another Brazilian Funk landmark made by two of the most exceptional instrumentalists of the Soul funk scene of the 70s. José da Silva better know under the pseudonym of Zeca do Trombone is a trombone player who has worked with a multitude of Brazilian artists including Tim Maia and Carlos Dafé Elizeth Cardoso, Beth Carvalho, Milton Nascimento. Roberto Sax or Zé Roberto Simonal is none other than Wilson Simonal’s brother.

The original press of this LP is one of the rarest of Brazilian music. Mad About Record is proud to reissue it for the first time worldwide. – Bandcamp

Ancestral Afro-Venezuelan rhythms meet futuristic Latin jazz, raw funk and Afrobeat on Raúl Monsalve y Los Forajidos’ exhilarating new ‘Bichos’ album for Olindo Records. Venezuelan bassist Raúl Monsalve leads an all-star ensemble of musical trailblazers including “the voice of Venezuela” Betsayda Machado, singer Luzmira Zerpa (Family Atlantica) and drummer Dave De Rose (Agile Experiments, Moloko, Mark Ronson).

Raúl Monsalve has dedicated much of his life to understanding and learning traditional Afro-Venezuelan music, and studying under some of its greatest proponents among the percussionists of his home country, whilst at the same time taking as much interest in the sounds emanating from the fearless edges of jazz, rock, African and early electronic music.

With producer/engineer/drummer Malcolm Catto (Heliocentrics, Quantic, Yussef Kamaal) behind the recording and mixing desk, Raul brought together a like-minded cast of friends from Venezuela, Paris and London, to help him create a fresh sound, capturing the essence of both the African and indigenous roots of Venezuelan music, and the forward-looking sounds of afrobeat, gritty Latin jazz and experimental electronic music. ‘Bichos’, Spanish for ‘vermin’, ‘bugs’, ‘beasts’ but also used in Venezuela to refer to someone as a “nasty piece of work”, draws all these strands together. The album uses a variety of animals, such as the mosquito, butterfly, pig, snake, rooster and flea, to represent a wide range of human qualities, like greed, hate, love & compassion, and their impact on Venezuelan and worldwide corruption & division, the strengths of friendship, family, collaboration, rebellion and survival.

“Bichos” is not only a superb introduction to Raúl Monsalve, but also to a swathe of incredible musicians you might still be unfamiliar with. It’s also a brilliant window into the rich musical seam of Venezuelan music, and an excellent look at how it might interconnect with wider musical parallels. - Olindo