Miles Cleret, founder of UK-based Soundway Records, is inspired by music from some of the world’s most colorful cultures. From Africa to Latin America to the Caribbean, Cleret has made it his life’s mission to scour the world for sounds on the brink of extinction, in some cases sourcing the artists and learning about the context of the music, all culminating with the re-release on his imprint.
Anyone can put together a comp, but few put the type of thought, depth and presentation that Cleret does into his releases. The liner notes are like text books, going into the history and back-story of every release. You can tell he doesn’t just want you to hear the music, but he wants you to understand it as well.
For more check out this nice interview with Cleret up on Vice Magazine.
Like many people, I was introduced to Ethiopian music through Mulatu Astatke, the most commercially successful Ethiopian musician, arranger and composer and whose career seems to be enjoying a second wind through renewed interest in his work. But I must admit, beyond Astatke, I don’t know a whole lot, partly because of the obscurity of the music and the fact that I can never remember anyone’s names. However, this gem by Alemayehu Eshete entitled Kochen Messassate is one I will never forget – a late night jazz vibe with heartfelt vocals. I don’t speak Ethiopian so I have no idea what he’s singing about, but it resonates with unparalleled depth and soul.
Academy Records and Frank at Voodoo Funk will soon be releasing the heavily anticipated CD and 7″ box set for the Psychedelic Aliens, an obscure rock outfit from Ghana that released the obscenely rare EP pictured above. Original copies are pretty much non-existent, and thanks to the dusty fingers and hard work of Frank and Academy, this was really the only way anyone was going to hear it. In my mind, this is what reissues are all about – taking something that literally only a handful of people have heard and bringing it to a wider audience, in effect resurrecting a long deflated music career. I can’t wait.
Finally got around to doing a Summer mix, inspired by the Charles Wright and the Watts 103rd Street Rythm Band track “Express Yourself.” Here, it’s covered by Byron Lee and the Dragonaires to great summer effect, setting the tone for the entire mix. A pretty diverse collection of warm summer vibes – something you can enjoy at a BBQ or picnic, or on your stoop sipping sangria. Some longtime summertime favorites of mine here, like Cymande’s “Bra” or Wilson Simonal’s “Nem Vem que Nao Tem,” as well as some recent discoveries. Hopefully everything meshes well together despite the eclectic selection. Enjoy and have a great summer.
Part 1
01. Jorge Ben – Hermes Trismegisto Escreveu
from Africa Brazil, 1976
02. Orchestre Poly Rythmo – Assibavi from Volume ONE “The Vodoun Effect,” 2009
03. Blo – It’s Gonna Be a Good Day from Phase 2, 1974
04. Johnny Osbourne – We Need Love from Truth & Rights, 1979
05. Who Can Get Busy Like This Man – Brand Nubian from One For All, 1990
06. Sister Nancy – Bam Bam from One, Two, 1982
07. Byron Lee & The Dragonaires – Express Yourself from Reggay Splashdown!, 197?
08. Wilson Simonal – Nem Vem que Nao Tem from Alegria Algeria!!! Vol. 1, 1967
09. Marcos Valle – Mem Paleto Mem Gravata from Previsao Do Tempo, 1973
10. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – All the Places from The Main Ingredient, 1994
11. Marvin Holmes – Find Yourself from “Find Yourself b/w Part 2″, 197?
12. Leo’s Sunshipp – Give Me the Sunshine from We Need Each Other, 1978
Part 2
13. Rosinha Da Valenca – Summertime from Um Violao Em Primeiro Plano, 1971
14. Love – Hummingbirds from Forever Changes (Collector’s Edition), 1967/2008 15. Happy End – It’s Summer from Kazemachi Roman, 1971
16. Shuggie Otis – Strawberry Letter 23 from Inspiration Information, 1974
17. Main Ingredient – Summer Breeze from Euphrates River, 1974
18. Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66 – For What It’s Worth from Stillness, 1971 19. Roy Ayers – Everybody Loves the Sunshine from Everybody Loves the Sunshine, 1976
20. McNeal & Niles – Summertime from Thrust, 1979
21. Cymande – Bra from Cymande, 1972
22. Stevie Wonder – All I Do (U-Tern Remix) from Digital Release, 2007 23. Rye Rye – Shake it to the Ground (Arthur King Remix) from Digital Release 2008
I’m excited to offer the first of what I hope to be many guest mixes on D.I.A., and it comes from one of my oldest friends, Dan Thomas-Glass. I’ve known Dan since the 4th grade, so we share a long musical history with each other – through Vanilla Ice and Kriss Kross, playing Weezer and Smashing Pumpkins covers, making push-pause mixtapes, or messing around with two turntables and a mic, our musical trajectories have very much been the same.
Dan is also a great writer and a great poet. He just finished his dissertation on rap and poetry, and is also responsible for the D-I-Y poetry journal With + Stand. The following mix, Sometimes I Think I’m In Love With Painting, is about as eclectic as it gets – a reflection on music as art and time capsule. See his words below and enjoy.
I love music like Frank O’Hara loved painting—like he wished he was a painter, maybe because he had so many friends that were painters. Music expresses things differently than poetry, though they are related—music happens spatially, a friend once said, while poetry moves through time. A song can reach more people in a week than a poem might ever reach, even in 400 years. I envy musicians for that. But all artists share that something that O’Hara is talking about when he says “it is good to be several floors up in the dead of night wondering whether you are any good or not, and the only decision you can make is that you did it.” You did it—that’s what the art is, the doing.
Music for me is very much about friends—the possibility of connections, of knowing friends who know music, of hearing from them about music they’ve heard. So Afro Classics came my way from a friend with the subject line “best beat of the year.” Fever Ray came from Chicago, a best-of-the-year last year. Elvis Perkins came to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass and a friend said “if you hear anything, hear this.” Crooked Still played a show at the Strawberry Music Festival and we took our daughter and watched with several generations, fascinated by the banjo player’s strut.
Music for me is also very much about places—especially places I haven’t been but would like to go. The Nigerian coast, with the Ikenga Super Stars of Africa. The Scottish North Sea, with Frightened Rabbit (and the unmistakable brogue of the singer, so different than the omnipresent British rock accent). Mexico’s rap scene with Nina Dioz.
And music is about moments—when Alan Lomax recorded Haitian folk songs; when Onra discovered old Chinese and Vietnamese vinyl; when Africa and France collided in Paris-based Bwa Bande to create something remarkably like our own Zydeco; when everyone (including the French band Phoenix) wanted to make 80s music in 2009 and 2010.
Also, this moment—nearing to done with a dissertation on rap and poetry, another “son who writes books,” as Serengeti and Polyphonic have it; nearing 30 years old, nearing the summertime, wanting to listen to Flying Lotus and Bon Iver before he was Bon Iver and Diplo turn Feist into M.I.A. and Dirty Projectors and their crazy harmonies. A mix to lay back on the floor with my daughter in the sunshine and think to.
Track List:
1. Onra — The Anthem
2. Frank O’Hara — Adieu to Norman, Bonjour to Joan and Jean Paul
3. Frightened Rabbit — Swim Until You Can’t See Land
4. Serengeti & Polyphonic — My Patriotism
5. Fruit Bats — Revolution Blues/Union Blanket
6. Bwa Bandé — Ké Byen
7. Afro Classics — Rap Fanatic
8. Elvis Perkins — Shampoo
9. Dirty Projectors — No Intention
10. Feist — I Feel It All (Diplo Remix)
11. Francilia — Gede nibo, yo fè rayi mwen (recorded by Alan Lomax)
12. Flying Lotus — Auntie’s Lock/Infinitum (feat. Laura Darlington)
13. Justin Vernon (aka Bon Iver) — Hazelton
14. Crooked Still — Calvary
15. Phoenix — 1901
16. Nina Dioz — Cuando, Cuando
17. Mack Sigis Porter — Back Home
18. Fever Ray — Triangle Walks
19. Ikenga Super Stars Of Africa — Soffry Soffry Catch Monkey
Ebo Taylor is one of the most accomplished Highlife, Afro beat and jazz composers of Ghana. Having studied along side another legend in Fela Kuti from 1962 and 1965 at the renowned Eric Guilder School of Music in London, Taylor is largely responsible for shaping the musical landscape of Ghana, as a solo artist, producer, composer and session musician. I have many of his albums, and all of them are brimming with that African spirit and hypnotic bounce that just makes you want to dance.
Recently I came across this clip from Taylor’s recent show in Paris, together with Kabu Kabu, Karl Hector and the Malcouns, and Afrobeat Academy. Looks and sounds like it was a great show, and it’s great to see people re-discovering and appreciating his music once again. Wish I could have been there.
Afromentals | A Dreams in Audio Mixtape CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD Let’s start the week off right with another Dreams in Audio mix, and one that I’m especially excited about. I continue to focus my attention on African music, and sifting through the records I’ve accumulated over the months I’ve come across a lot of [...]
Pitchfork just posted a nice feature on African music that kind of functions like a “For Dummies” guide. It was originally published way back in 2005, but I guess the rise in popularity of African music justified a re-post, with various edits. The article goes over history, artists, regions, record labels, blogs, and tons and [...]
Frank just got back from another trip to Africa and shared these pics of his digging adventures. It’s safe to say that nobody is iller than him when it comes to vinyl excavation. New mix of the best 45s Frank found on his trip!
Miles Cleret, founder of UK-based Soundway Records, is inspired by music from some of the world’s most colorful cultures. From Africa to Latin America to the Caribbean, Cleret has made it his life’s mission to scour the world for sounds on the brink of extinction, in some cases sourcing the artists and learning about the context of the music, all culminating with the re-release on his imprint.
