This is Kologo Power 'A Bogatanga Ghana Compilation' CD/LP

This compilation is an African initiative. King Ayisoba once told me "I want to make the world love kologo music like Bob Marley made the world love reggae music."
In 2014 I played on the launching of King Ayisoba's V-CD "Kologo Spirit" at the cultural center in Kumasi, Ghana. The event started at three o'clock in the afternoon with a local children circus, then DJs and then a drumming group from the North East Region of Ghana, the region where kologo music is from. Around six the first kologo player entered the stage and the open-air theatre was filled with about two-and-a-half thousand people, mostly Frafra (the popular name for people from the North East Region and the name of their language). Many kologo players followed that night, which went on until three in the morning. I must have seen about twenty for sure. But backstage there were more guys who didn't even make it to the stage but were playing anyway, backstage, outside and around the scene. Ayuune Sule, Sambo, Stevo, Guy One and of course King Ayisoba played, the audience was amazing, lots of people entered the stage throwing money at the musicians, others came to dance, the night was seriously on fire. It was one of the most amazing musical events I have ever attended.
Ayuune Sule and King Ayisoba told me later there are more than eighty-five kologo players already in and around Bolgatanga, the capital of the North East Region. And two years later I was going to see more. In January 2016 King Ayisoba invited me to Ghana again to join in on his "Batakari Festival" ("batakari" is the name of the traditional cloth many of the kologo players wear). One night in Accra and one night in Bolgatanga and I sure did hear and see many more kologo players and not only on those festival nights. Also in the pito-bars ("pito" is a traditional drink based on fermented millet), cafes, FM stations, houses and studios and at a traditional funeral in Bongo (a village near Bolgatanga) I saw lots of amazing kologo players.
The idea of making a compilation had been discussed on our European tours already a few times. In the van we listen almost solely to kologo music and there is no lack of great tracks. So together we started picking out the tracks we really liked. There was one dogma: "no computer beats". King Aysioba wants to show what is the real kologo power and that is made by, as he calls it: "man power".
Most of the tracks are recorded in studios in Ghana. Some are sung in Frafra, others in pidgin English. Some are with a live band and some are just solo kologo and voice. But all songs represent a force and unveil a very strong musical power. The connection between kologo music and (delta) blues has been made more than once and that resemblance is not written on ice; the personal and the social messages, the strong rhythms, the push that this instrument -with only two strings spanned over a goatskin on a calabash- can give to people to make sure they do not ignore the dance floor, all that makes it worth the work and effort of making at least one kologo compilation.
So in January 2016, when meeting all the kologo players, I had the change to take pictures and do interviews with everybody. Which you find on the insert. And you should know this is just a tip of the syncopating savannah iceberg, but it's a good start I think.
Arnold de Boer / Zea -Amsterdam, March 2016-


Howie Reeve 'Smaller, now' LP

Fresh from acclaimed 7" release with Mike Watt (The Minutemen, fIREHOSE) we’re over the moon to be putting out Howie’s latest album – smaller, now – with illustrious Hamburg based DIY label Red Wig.
Having previously found fame with experimental Indie-Pop band Tattie Toes, Howie has been striding out on his own for several years, acoustic bass in hand, walking boot on footstool. His music is deeply introspective, considered and full of glorious dynamic range. Listening to Howie feels like you’re setting the world to rights – and considering the hell-scape that we’re currently living in, it feels ever more necessary and important.
“smaller, now is a difficult beast to tame. It’s an album that skewers all manner of preconceptions and manages to mix the sublime with the ridiculous to great effect. There is a deep love for the planet and the good in humankind on display here, which adds to the general warm feeling that listening to it can invoke” – Simon Tucker, Louder Than War.
A regular performer in his Glasgow base, Howie has also toured the UK, Europe and Japan relentlessly over the last few years and is currently juggling his baggage allowance in preparation for a May jaunt around Spain and Portugal at the following destinations.
Smaller,now is available on limited12" vinyl packaged in a beautiful handscreened cardboard sleeve, designed by Rocco Lombardi and printed by The Positive Press, London.
Released: 4th march 2016, 300 copies made.


L'ETRANGLEUSE

Live sur SOL Fm 100.7 - Mars 2015 - Oullins / Lyon, Francia.
Invités de Day Off #9 : L'Étrangleuse / Marché Gare / La Curieuse Booking / Le Grada / Le Périscope

Website: https://letrangleuse.bandcamp.com/


HOWIE REEVE - A1C5 / XtraRadio

The list describes his music like this: ‘He exists somewhere between post-punk virtuoso, innovative non-linear avant-gardist, and honest and intimate lyricist’. Shortening the wait for his new album, get to see this.

Website: https://howiereeve.bandcamp.com/


KURWS @ SOTO

Fabulous Kurws @ SOTU Festival 2015 in OCCii Amsterdam 17-4-2015


NOW LISTEN TO RATTLE

One of the most distinctive bands to emerge from Nottingham is Rattle - a duo operating outside of the traditional bass, guitar and drums rock format. Rattle focus almost exclusively on drums and more drums, beneath an overlay of vocal harmonies and percussive effects.

Rattle live at Nottingham Contemporary Arts Centre - 02-03-12


HYPERCULTE LIVE 2015

Impression from the march tour, live in Bad Bonn 13.03.2015.

Hyperculte are: Simone Aubert (Massicot, jmenfous): drums, voice, effects
Vincent Bertholet (Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp): double bass, voice, looper, effects

Bandsite: here.


MASSICOT GENUINE FROM MORSE LP

Finally out - the new record my Massicot! Released on an array of labels (RED WIG, Mon cul c'est du tofu, kakakids, Atypeek music) to spread the word a.k.a. music. Here is a video of a song which is on morse.

MASSICOT: GENUINE, Dalek Session #4, 2015


Lahcen Akil & The Chaabi Brothers LP

Lahcen, est né en 1969, au village de Tamlalte, dans le haut-atlas marocain. Bercé par la musique acoustique et les
chants traditionnels, il débute la musique très jeune.
Auteur-compositeur, il interprète ses chansons qui parlent de la beauté de sa région, en berbère local, le tamazirte et les traduit lui-même en français ou en arabe.
Il interprète ses chansons sur un lothar qu’il a fabriqué lui même,avec un manche en bois, une caisse de résonance en palmier et une peau de chèvre tendue. Il est régulièrement accompagné de son frère aux percussions.
Mais c’est surtout un artisan, il fabrique des poignards berbères, travaille le métal, sculpte différents matériaux.
Lui et son frère maitrisent parfaitement les méthodes traditionnelles de travail du pisé pour la construction des murs, du bois et des roseaux pour les toitures.

Le savoir des bâtisseurs de Casbah se perpétue de génération de génération.

Coproduction avec Do it Youssef, Animal Biscuit, ET MON CUL C'EST DU TOFU?, Red Wig

Téléchargement Libre / Free Download (250)

Lahcen was born in 1969 in the village of Tamlalte in the Moroccan High Atlas. Influenced by acoustic music and traditional songs, he started music very young. As songwriter, he performed his songs about the beauty of the region.
He interprets his songs on a lothar that he made himself, with a wooden handle, a palm soundboard and goatskin. He is regularly accompanied by his brother on percussion. lahcenakil.blogspot.com


Massicot 'Morse' LP

Das Quartett aus Genf wandelt mit einem ausgesprochenen Gespür für fesselnde Rhythmen auf den Pfaden von The Ex, Dog Faced Hermans und den Mekons. 'Morse' ist ihre zweite LP, und wurde in Koproduktion von Mon Cul, Kaka Kids und red wig herausgebracht.

https://massicot.bandcamp.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_GuAa8qA28

Download Morse