John Parry, Author at Backseat Mafia

Track: Happening afro-soul fusionists Jembaa Groove present ‘Mokole’ ahead of debut album ‘Susuma’

A lot of bands get together from chance meetings in a bar, or a gig or knowing friends of friends but not usually after a chat in a Berlin kindergarten…

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Album Review: Dowdelin – ‘Lanmou Lanmou’: Creole rhythms and a Soul-Jazz twist make for the sound of now.

It’s been over a couple of years since Lyon located fusionists Dowdelin were last seen bouncing across the WOMAD stage and pulling the horizontal sun soakers up onto their dancing…

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Track: Lyon based post punk experimentalists Societe Etrange preview their pulsating new album ‘Chance’.

New to Bongo Joe’s roster but long established in the Lyon post punk/electronic scene, Societe Etrange look set to oscillate more widely with their pulsating new album ‘Chance’ (released on…

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Track: The Ano Nobo Quartet preview ‘The Strings of Sao Domingos’ album – guitar driven rhythms and sumptuous songs from Cabo Verde’s soul.

From the very noble Ostinato Records comes news of more discoveries as part of their enlightening exploration into the music of Cabo Verde. You may already have been knocked out…

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Track: Buscabulla cover the classic ‘Cantares’ with their sultry synth pop brilliance

Now here’s a winter warmer – Ultra-hip onetime Brooklyn based, Puerto Rican twosome Buscabulla have sneaked out (via Ribbon Music) this cover of the classic ‘Cantares’ to keep us in…

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Album Review: Vis-A-Vis – The Best Of Vis-A-Vis In Congo Style

Remember those stellar studio bands of the late sixties/early seventies – The Meters, The Section, The Wrecking Crew, Muscle Shoals – defining the sound of where a record was made…

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Album Review: Tout Bleu – Otium

London, New York, Paris Munich, everybody’s talking about…well it’s got to be Geneva, home to one of the most vibrant European scenes that gets broadcast to the rest of us…

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Album Review: James McVinnie – Counterpoint

What is it about the tags neo-classical or contemporary-classical that often brings out that immediate ‘not for me’ reaction in people? Too much baggage, too many connotations associated with that…

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Album Review: Richard Dawson & Circle – Henki

Think of those records inspired by plants…Stevie’s sprawling ‘Journey Through The Secret Life of’, Edgar Froese’s pondering on ‘Epsilon in Malaysian Pale’, Genesis hailing a ‘Return of the Giant Hogweed’…

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Track: Zimbabwe’s Gonora Sounds preview their hot stepping ‘Mukoma Shadrek’ ahead of February debut album.

Ah, memories of the first time hearing early cuts from Staff Benda Bilili or Malawi Mouse Boys –eyes closed, the inner smile, that warmth of discovery….It all comes back with…

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