Cheb I Sabbah / La Ghriba:La Kahena Remixed [Six Degrees] For his 2005 release, La Kahena, Algerian born Cheb i Sabbah returned to his North African roots. Collaborating with a wide variety of North African female singers, Sabbah created contemporary folklore, rich with the authenticity of trance ceremonies filtered through the magic of his trademark production skills. The mixing continues as Sabbah has personally selected a team of eleven remixers to further evolve and transform the music on La Kahena Remixed. From the energy of Bhangra, to Morrocan street rap, to trance, to dub, these new collaborations cover the many facets of the outernational dance-floor.
Allen Hart / Old Time Banjo [Voyager Records] Just as the title states; Allen Hart delivers a fine batch of old time banjo tunes. The liner notes give the key and tuning for each song, along with a brief history of the tune and how it came into Hart’s repertoire. The recording quality on the Voyager label is smooth and clear as a bell, close your eyes and it is as if Mr. Hart is sitting with you in your living room. Guest appearance by Clif ‘Ambassador of the Bones’ Ervin. V/A Studio One DJs V.2 [Soul Jazz] The fine people at Soul Jazz records deliver this gem just in time for your summer pleasures. Mek we mek mankine fi stay like how we stay; mek we mek dem fi fayva we; and mek dem rule ova all di fish dem inna di sea and all di bird whe’ up a sky an ova di cow dem and ova all di eart, and ova everything that crawl pon di eart.
The Gentleman Losers / S/T [Buro] The Gentleman Losers are a Finnish instrumental duo that cast a spell on your ears from the first notes of this record. They describe their music as ‘one part ’60s movie soundtrack, one part wooden electronica, all recorded through a ’50s Telefunken mixer we found abandoned in a basement, we wanted to make music from a past that hasn’t happened yet.’ A very laid back and thoroughly modern sound with a subtly cracked veneer; maybe the perfect soporific record of 2006?
V/A Imaginational Anthem V.2 [Tompkins Square] Imaginational Anthem Volume One featured two generations of important acoustic guitarists, from John Fahey and Sandy Bull to Jack Rose and Kaki King. Volume Two expands and builds on this theme with 70+ more minutes of guitar magic; all previously unreleased on CD in the US. 23-year old UK 12-string upstart James Blackshaw opens the record, while the late master Robbie Basho, a clear influence on Blackshaw’s style, closes it. Basho’s track is the only live recording by this groundbreaking guitarist ever released. Riches abound on Imaginational Anthem V.2, with new recordings by former Takomaroster alumni Peter Lang (who made an album with John Fahey and Leo Kottke), Billy Faier (an original Greenwich Village folkie whose late ’50s Riverside records inspired a fellow crack banjo player, Steve Martin) and an archival home recording by Fred Gerlach (a favorite of Jimmy Page). Legendary singer/songwriter Michael Chapman, whose first albums for the Harvest label in the ’60s are now seeing the light again, contributes as well.
Sascha Funke / Boogy Bytes V.2 [Bpitch Control] The second in BPitch’s new immaculate mix series, so what do we have here? How about Sleeparchive back to back with the mighty Derrick Carter? How about man of the hour Trentemoller into DJ Koze’s genius pop project International Pony? Or Villalobos remixed by Isolée? Done done and done. Funke has an ear for melody and a tongue for tart beats and it is no more evident than on this lovely mix. The dancefloor is just the beginning for Mr. Funke, the first chapter of a night that does not end until sunrise on the rooftop.
Also in Stock: Juana Molina/Scsi-9/Acid Mothers/Couch/Dabrye/Salif Keita/Six Organs of Admittance/Herb Diamante/Mojave 3/ Alice Coltrane/Reptet
Forthcoming: London is the Place for Me V.2/Dolemite Soundtrack/Lata Mangeshkar/Fourtet/DJ Spooky
Wall of Sound : 315 E. Pike St. : Seattle WA : 206.441.9880