Mr Bongo

Track/Video : Rio producer Ana Frango Elétrico announces new album with delicious, disco-funking single ‘Electric Fish’
Now here’s more signs that the MPB new wave shows no intention of turning tide. Musician/producer Ana Frango Elétrico, one of the key pivots of today’s kaleidoscopic Rio scene is releasing a new album ‘Me Chama De Gato Que Eu Sou Sua’ via Mr Bongo/ selo Risco on 20th October. An artist whose inspired production …

Album Review: Bala Desejo – Sim Sim Sim : The Rio band’s luscious debut marks a new MPB high-point.
For better or worse, most people have a COVID 19 story and that goes for the four young musicians at the centre of new Brazilian band Bala Desejo. Pre the world coming to a halt Dora Morelenbaum and Julia Mestre were building reputations as singer songwriters while guitarist Lucas Nunes and keys-player Jose (Ze) Ibarra …

Album Review: Soyuz – ‘Force Of The Wind’ : “This is Pop”, Belarus meets Brazil style.
The matter of music can be transient. Yes there are roots and traditions but essentially soundscapes demand no borders. Musical minds are left to wander free and for Belarusian collective SOYUZ that means from Minsk across continents to Brazil, a journey that’s now been captured on their new album ‘Force of the Wind’, available right …

Album review: Glenn Fallows & Mark Trefell Present ‘The Globeflower Masters Vol.1′: Brighton duo immerse in faux-film score elegance for your delectation
ARE YOU a sucker for an imaginary soundtrack, filmscore funk? Hell, I am. Ever since the days of Barry Adamson’s inestimably influential Moss Side Story, the score for a Manchester crime flick yet to be made, and its strapline: “In a black and white world, murder brings a touch of colour”. And it really did, …

Album review: The Pro-Teens – ‘I Flip My Life Every Time I Fly’: low-key cinematic funk immaculacy from mysterious Melbourne collective
THE PRO-TEENS – or, to give them all due full credit, Snooch Dood and the Pro-Teens, and we wouldn’t want to be putting Snooch’s nose out of joint quite this early in our relationship, who knows what vengeful redress he might seek – describe themselves as being “a collection of professional teenagers from the Darebin …

Track: Glenn Fallows and Mark Trefell – ‘Faith In Time’: Brighton duo bring the louche soundtrack funk fo’ yo’ soul
ARE YOU a sucker for an imaginary soundtrack, film-score funk? Hell, I am. Ever since the days of Barry Adamson’s inestimably influential Moss Side Story, the score for a Manchester crime flick yet to be made, and its strapline: “In a black and white world, murder brings a touch of colour”. And it really did, …

ALBUM REVIEW: Surprise Chef – ‘Daylight Savings’: a step up and out in cinematic funk
Daylight Savings loses absolutely zero of their off-kilter cinematic charm in stepping up from their debut, All News Is Good News; it’s really very ace

News: Mr. Bongo announce new compilation, ‘Volume 4’, for November
We’ve been a fan of Brighton-based record company Mr. Bongo for some time, with many of their brilliant reissues of world/Latin music appearing on our collective shelves over the years; and we’re delighted that their news of their latest release, volume four of their lauded compilations, has been sent our way (plea directly to Mr …

TRACK: Surprise Chef – ‘New Ferrari’: blaxploitation funk outta Melbourne heralds new LP
SURPRISE CHEF are a Melbourne collective cookin’ up a fine spread of secret instrumental grooves and sketches, and they’re laying the table to invite you over for their second outing for Mr Bongo, Daylight Savings. It’s the follow-up to their debut set, All News Is Good News: an album initially privately pressed, the run sold …

ALBUM REVIEW: Surprise Chef – ‘All News is Good News’
ALL NEWS Is Good News is the debut album by Melbourne instrumental funkmasters Surprise Chef. Originally released in a very limited pressing on the band’s own College Of Knowledge label last November, it was devoured by the breaks cognoscenti and sold out within a week. Receiving heavy rotation at that home of the contemporary groove, …