Dadawah “Peace & Love: Wadadasow” (1974, Dug Out)
A true Jamaican gem of a record. “Peace and Love” was Dadawah’s debut and remains his only album released under this artist name. It is a dark but deeply spiritual reggae LP (originally released in 1974 on Wild Flower) that shares hymns of Rastafarian love, nationality, and hope. Constructed with …
Nabihah Iqbal “Weighing Of The Heart” (Ninja Tune)
“Something More”, the lead single from Nabihah Iqbal’s début full-length release “Weighing of the Heart”, captures the sweet spot of synth-pop goodness with its hushed in the mix vocals and inviting bass line. Formerly known as “Throwing Shade”, Iqbal creates a cross-genre opportunity for the body to sway unconsciously. While …
Dr. Mary Sullivan Bain “Do You Know Black History” (1985, Backatcha Records)
via Backatcha: A teacher by trade, Dr Mary Sullivan Bain recorded her musical works to be used as an educational and motivational tool in the Miami-Dade public school system she taught in. Dr Bain’s daughter Pruchelle explains, “She found a lot of children didn’t know anything about black history and …
Lemy Leopard “Nobody Else”
After the successful release of the “Hot Nights” EP in 2016, “The Leopard” is back with some new flavours! His new EP “Nobody Else” is an amazing nod to his influences. Nobody Else by Lemy Leopard From New Jack Swing to Deep House music, Lemy brings us once again something …
George Mukabi “Furaha Wenye Gita” (Olvido / Raw Music / Mississippi Records)
via Olvido: An almost mythical figure of African acoustic guitar, George Mukabi’s reinvention of fingerstyle quickly spread from western Kenya throughout East Africa before his tragic death in 1963. Hailing from the Luhya-speaking Kisa Region, George Mukabi combined local elements of the nyatiti lyre and sukuti drum into the bouncing …
Sun Ra “Exotica” (1956–1968, Modern Harmonic)
Across the history of Jazz, there is no wilder, more future-forward composer and performer than Herman Poole Blount, aka Sun Ra. Known as much for his wild on-stage persona as his innovative compositions, Sun Ra was the avant-garde bleeding edge of the Jazz genre, introducing modal composition and electronic instrumentation …
Darkhouse Family “The Offering” (First Word Records)
Cardiff-based duo Earl Jeffers & Don Leisure come together as Darkhouse Family, releasing their highly anticipated debut album on First Word Records titled “The Offering”. They joined the label back in 2016 and released “Solid Gold EP”, a rich and layered project combining elements of Hip Hop, Soul, and D’n’B. …
Bernie Worell “All The Woo In The World” (1978, Tidal Waves Music)
When “All The Woo In The World” was originally released on Arista Records in 1978, it was thought to possibly be a cast-off Parliament-Funkadelic record that just happened to bear Bernie Worrell’s name, giving him a long overdue début release… which is not necessarily a bad thing. Trust. Anything from …
Equiknoxx “Colon Man” (Demdike Stare Records)
via Forced Exposure: “Colón Man” is the debut album proper by visionary Jamaican dancehall artists Gavin Blair (Gavsborg) and Jordan Chung (Time Cow) plus their extended crew, aka Equiknoxx – once again for Demdike Stare’s label. Where their widely acclaimed “Bird Sound Power” primer compilation, issued on DDS in 2016, …