Welcome to our latest ‘Between The Cracks’. You can read a bit about each album and play it on the website via the Bandcamp player. As always, please support the artists by purchasing their music. We hope you enjoy reading and listening!

Albums

Nyati Mayi & The Astral Synth Transmitters – Lulanga Tales 

A fresh and mind-blowingly twisted album straight outta Brussels. This deep, emotional, jazztronic Afro-bomb comes courtesy of Nyati Mayi & The Astral Synth Transmitters via Bongo Joe. Six tracks of genuinely thrilling music, from the invention to the surprises to the fun. Japanese influences vie with 80s African disco rock to create a fascinating mix of styles and moods. Fans of Papé Nziengui, Noori & His Dorpa Band and Wax Machine should definitely be checking this out. This album will be high on many end-of-year lists if there’s any justice.

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Kolinga – Legacy

I love albums like this one from Kolinga. Little hidden gems that you come across while Bandcamp surfing, new music you didn’t know you needed from an artist you’ve never heard of but now desperately need to hear much more. The combo of Rebecca M’Boungou and Arnaud Estor comes through with some of the most infectious music we’ve listened to for some time. The pair channels genre-blending pop, Congolese rumba, jazz, soul, and hip hop with timeless songwriting prowess. Legacy is everything we need to keep us warm on impending wintry nights.

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Kokoroko – Could We Be More

Having already released several well-received EPs, exciting London eight-piece Kokoroko have released their first album. Across ‘Could We Be More’, we see an exciting mix of styles, all perfectly balanced with beautiful vocals. Funk, jazz, a bit of soul and West African music, you will find traces of all that and more. Influences from Fela Kuti, Ebo Taylor, and Tony Allen are present. Strongly recommended!

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Camilla George – Ibio-Ibio

Continuing her cultural exploration of her Ibibio roots in Nigeria, ‘Ibio-Ibio’ is the latest offering from London-based jazz saxophonist Camilla George. As a bandleader, she brings together an impressive roster of London’s burgeoning jazz scene, including Daniel Casimir (bass), Shirley Tetteh (guitar), Rosie Turton (trombone), Sarah Tandy (keys) and more. The visionary saxophonist creates a heady brew of Afrobeat, hip hop and jazz in her music.

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Leonardo Marques – Flea Market Music

This album by Leonardo Marques is filled with so many beautiful melodies, dreamy textures and arrangements. I plan to spend a great deal of time with Flea Market Music. Highly recommended for fans of Bruno Berle, Jennifer Souza, Luiza Brina, Arthur Melo and similar. If you like this, check out his recent compilation showcasing an array of interesting new Brazilian talent.

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Sarah Davachi – Two Sisters

The hypnotic new offering from Sarah Davachi is one for happy floating. With every song, Davachi allows her compositions time and space to grow; there is a restrained feel due primarily to the calming and patient nature of the music. Album opener ‘Hall of Mirrors is the shortest track, and even that stretches out to six minutes, so Two Sisters is meant for those who enjoy listening to music unhurriedly.

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Daylight Robbery – Moons Of Jupiter

Jazz fusion music with a modern twist. Navigating between jazz and hip-hop, the new Daylight Robbery album for Melting Pot Music is smooth and lush; listening to it is a pleasure. This record has a strong sense of Nujabes and David Axelrod’s spirit. 

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Reissues

Ole Knudsen – Det Handler Om Kærlighed

Let the infectious melodies, shuffling bossa nova style rhythms, and memory lane lyricism of Ole Knudsen’s final album reissued by New York label Frederiksberg Records ease you into the weekend.

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Karin Liungman – I Denna Magiska Tid

If you start a record label and release only one record, make it an excellent one. Arketon was founded by Karin Liungman, who released this magical album in 1989. A rich tapestry of ethereal folk with hints of dream pop, ambient and rock elements, and Liungman singing in Swedish, it’s now reissued via Frederiksberg Records.

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EP’s

Mansur Brown – NAQI Vol​.​1

The varied atmosphere and soundscapes that run through Mansur Brown’s work, ranging from mellow ambient to heavy rock, keep me returning to him repeatedly. He’s crafted seven vivid compositions highlighting his virtuoso guitar playing, weaving rhythms and melodies into a seamless whole. Another stellar offering from Brown that comes lavished with his distinctive stylings

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