A recent release that took us by surprise? That would have to be "Calico Soul", the debut album of nomadic Berlin-based duo Farafi, whose striking combination of captivating vocals and percussive sounds were quick to enthral us. Their story is one of modern roots, travels across the globe and a love for music both heartfelt and spiritual. Darlini Singh Kaul and Joy Tyson met in Goa, in the coastal village of Arambol. There, they discovered their shared adoration of African music, began singing a capella and exploring different musical traditions, from classical Indian to Turkish folklore, Arabic maqam and Western jazz. It didn't take long, before they were joined by friends they had made "in this magical place."

The two were raised in musical families: Darlini in London with Indian/French roots, Joy in Florida with roots in Eastern Europe. Inspired by their diverse backgrounds, experiences and travels, their "eclectic collection of sounds" blends traditional African, Middle Eastern, Indian and Western contemporary music to danceable effect, as Farafi sing in several different languages:

"We resonate with the phonetics of Zulu, Xhosa, Swahili and Yoruba," says Joy. "We often translate English lyrics to multiple languages, and then look at what phrasing fits best for what we have to say." Darlini adds: "When I was a kid, I felt limited by English and French. As I started to sing African songs, a language I had no intellectual reference to, it made me look at the notion of invented languages as a tool to compose purely on a phonetic aspect. This allowed me to express feelings that were beyond a language and sing straight from my heart."

The name Farafi actually derives from the West African Bambara term 'farafina', which translates to 'land of the black skin'. In fact, the two have created their own 'farafish' language (incorporating African vernaculars), intended "reach the depths of all humans" and resonate across the globe. They also play several instruments, including the cajon, Moroccan krakebs and frame drum as well as the West African ngoni, the kashaka and Indian Ghungroos. Their exhilarating sound celebrates the "beauty of expression." It's the "poetry of two free-spirited women, joining their voices together with a world-bound, cosmopolitan sound", spreading messages of "hope, togetherness and freedom." 

We recommend you stream the full album below and enjoy the companion music video to their empowering single "Djanya Wofu", "a true female warrior chant about resilience and resistance."

Thank G*d it's Friday! We survived another week, the world has not yet imploded and Agent Orange is still POTUS. Shabbat shalom everybody and l'chaim! Let us raise our glasses to life in all its glorious absurdity, "Catastrophic Life" that is, as our Jewish Monkeys release their triumphant third longplayer and kick off a string of live dates. After all, who better to comment on modern-day ennui than this band of sharp-tongued, middle-aged, manly manly men?

That's right, Tel Aviv's grandfathers of punk are back to present their latest chef d'oeuvre. But wait, "grandfathers of punk"? Well, they're definitely grand and some of them are fathers and they all bleed punk so let's leave it at that. In fact, several talented young bloods have joined the ranks of the Jewish Monkeys over the past months, flashing polyphonic brass and shredding guitar riffs to keep the old guys on their heels.

The ten new album tracks were all written by the band itself and see the joyous expedition venturing into unfamiliar territory. While their two previous works "Mania Regressia" (2014) and "High Words" (2017) skillfully combined popular shtetl tunes with ska rhythms, this latest masterpiece turns the affair into a true melting pot of styles, adding afrobeat, reggae and funk licks, Caribbean flair, wild guitars as well as a pinch of Balkan sauce to the driving "anarcho-Klezmer" mix. 

And let's not ignore their trademark biting, satirical verses, quick to rub salt in the wound and point fingers at the elephant in the room. But the Jewish Monkeys equally prone to address their own inadequacies as they come to terms with old age, impotence, lying politicians and the incessantly rising temperatures on planet Earth. Social criticism is simply part of the game as is Jewish humour and a knack for emphasising one’s personal shortcomings:

"Today is a very exciting day for us," says the band. "Our new and third album, on which we’ve been working intensively for the last couple of years is out! In the process of making it we took the liberty of being more direct, more critical. We experimented and expanded our boundaries as a band with new genres; musically and textually. So here it is, our new baby: 'Catastrophic Life'. Also, tonight we are going to Germany to start our tour, and we can’t wait to meet new crowds and spread some Jewish Monkeys love!"

That being said, the band will bring its vibrant, life-affirming show to stages in Germany, the Czech Republic, Israel and France this month. Check our shows section to find out more. You can stream "Catastrophic Life" in full and check out the magnificent companion video below. Again, l'chaim!

What sounds like the distant sounds of an orchestra tuning, getting ready to play, subtly merges into the yearning lament of a trumpet, heralding a new dawn. Ethereal, poetic, sublime, abstract yet ever so melodic are the opening moments to British-Bahraini trumpet player, composer and "high priestess of psychedelic Arabic jazz" Yazz Ahmed's recently released third album "Polyhymnia". Expectations for this one are sky high, considering the overwhelming global success of her gorgeous 2017-released sophomore full-length "La Saboteuse", which among numerous rave reviews has meanwhile received consideration as one of the top albums of the decade.

Based in London, a staple of the city's flourishing new jazz scene, Yazz Ahmed was approached by Tomorrow's Warriors back in 2015 and "commissioned to write an extended work, to be performed by members of their Nu Civilisation Orchestra, for a concert at the Women of the World Festival, on International Women's Day." Needless to say, this sparked a prolonged creative process, as Yazz Ahmed set out to gather inspiration and chanced upon the ancient Greek Muse of music, poetry and dance, Polyhymnia. She proceeded to conceive a "suite of moments, each dedicated to women of outstanding qualities, role models, with whom [she] felt a strong connection."

Instead of focussing on "the embodiment of [her] inner-destroyer as the catalyst for creation" on "La Saboteuse", "Polyhymnia" might be see as a sort of anti-muse, "inspiring an intense period of creativity", as the album's six pieces "evolved and expanded" Yazz Ahmed's to take on their current form. The track "One Girl Among Many" even contains parts of Malala Yousafzai's powerful speech to the UN Youth Assembly in 2013. Alongside numerous co-contributors on "Polyhymnia", Yazz Ahmed sets sail on a mission to inspire and achieve clarity through compelling complexity and honour "the stories and achievements of these exceptional women" throughout time. 

You can stream the full album and/or watch her perform the psychedelic version to her 2017 track "The Lost Pearl" below.

Once you see this Lima-based DJ and producer duo perform live, as they distribute their psychoactive potion on stage wearing folkloric masks and weaving intricate electronic tapestries of traditional Latin American rhythms and sounds, you will understand why some people call them the Peruvian Daft Punk. And though we've had Dengue Dengue Dengue and their digital cumbia aesthetic on our radar for quite some time, we curiously never got around to featuring them on Greedy. It just so happens, they released their third full-length earlier this month on Branko's (Buraka Som Sistema) label Enchufada. 

Their latest album "Zenit & Nadir" continues to explore the rich Afro-Peruvian heritage, including distinct rhythmic patterns of ingá, landó, festejo and crioullo music. Always keen on expanding their soundscape, Dengue Dengue Dengue teamed up with members of the renowned Ballumbrosio family, a musical dynasty that has kept said styles, dances and traditions alive. This fruitful collaboration is not limited to the studio however, but has become a vital part of the duo's live shows. "The marriage between the traditional and organic percussion of the Ballumbrosios and Dengue Dengue Dengue’s hypnotic electronic production has created a whole new chapter for the band."

The dark and hypnotic sounds on "Zenit & Nadir" will entrance you, move you and possibly haunt you. Now pair that with a brilliant visual approach and Dengue Dengue Dengue might just become one of your favourite live acts of the moment. You can stream the full album or watch a live showcase below. Also, you might still be able to catch them on tour, boasting their new masks, handcrafted by Barcelona-based artists Twee Muizem.

Oh, the horror! Yes, people. Halloween is once again upon us with its ghosts, ghouls and goblins. Well, actually that would be GOBLIN, you know, the band. If you're into horror soundtracks, then Claudio Simonetti's GOBLIN is sure to ring a bell. Formed in the early '70s, following in the footsteps of bands such as Yes, Genesis, King Crimson, Gentle Giant and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, the now legendary Italian progressive rock band became a global phenomenon behind its best-selling soundtrack work for Italian director and screenwriter Dario Argento's cult horror movies.

In 1975, keyboarder Claudio Simonetti and his band were called onto the set of Dario Argento's "Profondo Rosso" (Deep Red) to replace the original composer, where they proceeded to rewrite most of the score, including the main theme. The soundtrack went on to sell over one million copies and the rest is history. After releasing their own album "Roller" in 1976, GOBLIN composed the soundtracks to Dario Argento's "Suspiria" (1977) and George Romero's "Zombie" (1978) among others. What then ensued was a series of successes, line-up changes, break-ups and temporary reunifications. Simonetti in the meantime launched his own solo career, including the soundtracks to Dario Argento's "Phenomena" (Creepers, 1984), "Demons" (1985) and "Opera" (1988) as well as his own album "Simonetti Horror Project" (1991). And the list goes on. 

Today, Claudio Sinonetti has gathered a new cast around him and, performing as Claudio Simonetti's GOBLIN, is back on stage touring the globe with GOBLIN's goosebumps-inducing original scores. "We don’t want to ignore any band that is currently active with a similar name, we simply want to continue spreading the great legacy of Goblin’s music in our own way, music that has inspired so many bands and so many generations of musicians over the years," he emphasises on the band's website. This Thursday, on Halloween, Claudio Simonetti's GOBLIN will be performing their only concert in Germany live at Lido Berlin, accompanied by horror movie scenes on the big cinema screen and supported by DJ and label head Alexander Arpeggio. So if you dare, do check them out (howl!).

Current line-up: 
Claudio Simonetti (keyboards)
Bruno Previtali (guitars)
Cecilia Nappo (bass)
Federico Maragoni (drums)

Berlin-based independent record label Shika Shika for "music without borders" recently released Hamburg multi-instrumentalist/sound-artist Andi Otto's third full-length "Rwandance", a joint project with Rwandan musician and dancer Evariste Karinganire. In 2018, the two first came together while working on a dance piece by Yolanda Gutiérrez, Jens Dietrich and Dorcy Rugamba, entitled "Planet Kigali", which you can watch in full here. The performance premiered at Hamburg's Kampnagel venue at the tailend of 2018, but inspired Otto and Karinganire to further explore the world of Rwandan music and intensify their collaboration.

“The idea was to first listen to a music archive of songs and instrumental recordings of instruments from Rwanda," Andi Otto explains. "Then I tried to transform this material into my own sound. I was mesmerised from the very first moment when I heard the beautiful language Kinyarwanda alongside these instruments like the Umuduri, a percussive bow instrument, and rhythmical structures, like the 5/4 and 3/4 feelings, which are the basis of many songs.” And so, the two set out to create, using Andi's machines and traditional Rwandan rhythms to process and forge organic tapestries, dialogue and harmony.

After previous releases on labels such as Multi Culti or Pingipung "Rwandance" sees Andi Otto venture even further out beyond the conventional 4/4 mould and create a downtempo electro-organic soundtrack to resituate Rwanda on the musical map. You can stream the full release and/or peep the futuristic trailer to "Planet Kigali" below.

Some four years ago, around the time we started our Greedy venture, we picked up on the wily dealings of Colombian three-piece Los Pirañas, via their second full-length "La Diversión Que Hacía Falta En Mi País". The three musical accomplices met back in high school some 25 years ago and have meanwhile made a name for themselves individually and collectively. Alias Los Pirañas, Mario Galeano (bass), Pedro Ojeda (drums, percussion) and Eblis Alvarez (electric guitar, computer, synths) came together ten years ago and just released album number three on Glitterbeat Records, putting their combined experience and sophisticated retro-futuristic sound palette on display for all to hear. 

"Historia Natural" is the name of the game and a tale of what seems to have come to them so naturally, combining exhilarating rhythms, gorgeously distorted guitar riffs and swirling computerised flourishes. "We don’t use the computer the way most people do," insists Eblis Alvarez (Meridian Brothers). "We take the opposite approach. We don’t build from a computer track. It’s physical, it’s based on what I do, and the computer jumps in. It’s designed to go off in different directions and sounds.” Mario Galeano (Frente Cumbiero) agrees, pointing out that the album was actually recorded live in the studio. “The trio energy is unique. Every sound you hear on the album is us playing live. In the studio we jam and develop different takes on ideas. Much of what we do is improvised. We know each other so well that we’re very connected, the communication between us is completely natural. It’s why we don’t have to rehearse that much.” While Pedro Ojeda (Romperayo) adds: “To me, this album is going back to where we were in high school. We didn’t have so many goals back then. We wanted to play riffs, to express ourselves, to find that rough spirit.”

Through constantly shifting shapes and textures, building on influences from vintage Colombian recordings from the 1950s to '70s as well as a seemingly inexhaustible range of ideas, Bogotá's Los Pirañas run their youthful energy through a well-oiled machine that never ceases to amaze and sounds anything but pretentious. "Really, we’re just expressing ourselves the way we did when we were young,” says Eblis Alvarez. “The difference is that we use computers and contemporary forms to fit into modern culture.” Whatever you want to call it, this album is an absolute riot. You can stream "Historia Natural" in full below. 

"How did I find myself in the back seat of your life / Why did it feel so good, when you stabbed me with that knife?" Ah, the undeniable of joys of holy matrimony, married life or hell, as some may perceive it. Tel Aviv's Jewish Monkeys take their latest single "Catastrophic Life" behind closed doors and into the realms of the subconscious.

Released last Friday, the hilarious companion music video, directed by the infamous A.T. Mann and produced by London's Agile Films, was shot on location in beautiful Bulgaria, while trying to come to terms with some lousy weather. The shoot took place on three days, in different locations, involving an "enormous amount of props and costumes" in order to bring the crazy to life. 

The song (written by Gael Zaidner, Asaf Pariente, Omer Hershman) and video deal with the lonely life of a married man, played by Jewish Monkeys frontman Jossi Reich, aka Joe Fleisch, who finds himself in a marriage that is obviously in decline. As he drifts off into sleep in his separate bed, he manages to escape the daily drudge and humiliation and finds himself in a fantasy world with his fellow band members, a dreamscape that would have Freud in a frenzy, but see for yourselves.

"Catastrophic Life" is the title track off the group's forthcoming new album, set to release on November 8th, which incidentally marks the day the Jewish Monkeys embark on a new string of live dates. 

Japan's Minyo Crusaders are a 10-piece big band of sorts, quite unlike anything we've heard. On a mission to rework Japanese 'min'yō' folk songs into more danceable and let's say accessible arrangements, blending Japanese traditions with Latin, African, Caribbean and Asian flavours, the group has been on a tear, ever since the release of their debut album "Echoes of Japan" on Mais Um back in May. 

With several European live dates ahead in November/December, the Minyo Crusaders recently unveiled a companion video to their boogaloo album track "Tanko Bushi". And it's, you guessed it, quite unlike anything we've seen. Filmed in their native Fussa City neighbourhood in West Tokyo, the clip “stars singer Freddie Tsukamoto as the ‘messenger of min’yō’”, while him and his fellow envoys remind the locals of their rich musical past.

“‘Tanko Bushi’ is a famous dance song, typically performed in mid-August at Japanese Bon festivals. Bon is a Japanese Buddhist custom, celebrated in Japan for more than 500 years, that honours the spirits of one’s ancestors. This custom has since evolved into a family holiday, where people return to ancestral family places to clean their ancestors’ graves, expecting that their spirits will revisit. Originally, ‘Tanko Bushi’ was sung by coal miners, yet thanks to the popularity of gramophone and 78 rpm recordings before WWII, the song became known nationwide”, the video description reads.

You can watch “Tanko Bushi” and revisit “Echoes of Japan” below. And if you’re lucky, you might even get to see Minyo Crusaders live on a stage near you.

Remaining tour dates 2019:
Nov 1st Norway, Oslo – Oslo World Music Festival
Nov 2nd Germany, Hamburg – Überjazz
Nov 4th Germany, Berlin – Gretchen
Nov 7th Spain, Madrid – Sala Clamores
Nov 8th Denmark, Copenhagen – Alice
Nov 9th Netherlands, Utrecht – Le Guess Who?
Nov 10th Germany, Wiesbaden – Schlachthof
Nov 11th UK, London – Jazz Café
Dec 5th France, Rennes – Les Transmusicales

A few weeks ago we were caught off guard by an Instagram ad from Far Out Recordings, teasing two upcoming and now released re-issues of Brazilian artist Ana Mazzotti. The ad was accompanied by an incredibly catchy track that instantly struck a chord and led us to mark the release day in our calendars. As we now know, the track in question was "Agora Ou Nunca Mais", the opener of her 1974 debut album "Niguem Vai Me Segurar". We had never heard of Mazzotti before and so we rely heavily on the album notes, to be able to share some of the backstory. 

Hailing from Caixas in Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul municipality, Ana Mazzotti came to music at an early age. At age five she started playing the accordion, then moved on to piano and by age twelve was already conducting her school's choir. "When rock and roll hit South America in the sixties, a young Mazzotti was one of the early adopters, fronting various guitar groups including an all female Beatles cover band, and an eclectic, eight-piece psychedelic group Desenvolvemento." And then she met drummer, producer and fellow music educator Romildo Santos, who later became her husband and who would introduce her to jazz. 

In 1974 Ana Mazzotti recorded her first album "Ninguem Vai Me Segurar", backed by cult Brazilian jazz-funk combo Azymuth's "original keyboard maestro" José Roberto Bertrami as well as Azymuth's bassist Alex Malheiros and percussionist Ariovaldo Contestini, with Romildo Santos on drums and production duties. The album was even recorded in the same studios that Azymuth recorded their very own debut full-length. Ana Mazzotti returned to the studio in 1977 to re-record her debut and release the album with a new title, running order and cover art, "ostensibly another crack at commercial success following the small scale of the independently funded first release."

Tragically, Ana Mazzotti lost her battle with cancer in 1988 at age 37, having never recorded another album, which was partly due to financial constraints as well as "the prejudice she faced as a female songwriter in a fundamentally sexist society." Brazilian icon, multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger Hermeto Pascoal dubbed her a "super-musician" and rightfully so. 

While Ana Mazzotti's "two gems of spellbinding samba-jazz, lysergic funk and trippy bossa have remained relatively obscure" in the past, Far Out Recordings are now making sure these Brazilian treasures reach a wider audience. You can listen to "Ninguem Vai Me Segurar" (1974) in the player below and "Ana Mazzotti" (1977) on Bandcamp. You can also check out an Vinyl Factory exclusive on her life and work on Mixcloud.

Ghanaian highlife music is as alive as ever and so is the irresistibly charismatic and no doubt iconic "golden voice of Africa" , Pat Thomas. At 72 years and after approximately 50 years in music with the likes of Ebo Taylor, Fela Kuti and Tony Allen, he just delivered his second album alongside Accra's Kwashibu Area Band on Strut Records, proving yet again that age is but a number. And just like its self-entitled, 2015-released predecessor, "Obiaa!" (which translates to "Everybody!") will be sure to have everybody on board in no time. 

Produced yet again by the team of multi-instrumentalist/bandleader Kwame Yeboah (Cat Stevens) and saxophonist Ben Abarbanell-Wolff (Ebo Taylor "Love and Death" and "Appia Kwa Bridge") at Lovelite Studios in Berlin, "Obiaa!" is described as "a deep and soulful journey into the heart of Ghana's indigenous highlife music." But don't let the laidback vibes and smooth arrangements distract you from the mastery and musicianship on display from start to finish, led by Pat Thomas' extraordinary vocals and guitar.

"Obiaa!" is highlife performed in a modern-day context, or as Ben puts it: "Playing highlife around the world taught us what we had to do to move our sound forward.” No sooner said than done, the nine track strong album includes "the modern parables ‘Onfa Nkosi Hwee’ warning against arrogance and ‘Odo Ankasa’ about the value of real love and trust as well as a great new cover of Thomas’ Afro-disco favourite ‘Yamona’." You can listen to the full release in the player below.

Pat Thomas & Kwashibu Area Band are currently on tour across Europe. The following dates remain:

Oct 8th Schlachthof, Wiesbaden, DE
Oct 10th YAAM, Berlin, DE
Oct 11th BERLIN – PR DAY
Oct 12th Alice, Copenhagen, DK
Oct 13th Atlas, Aarhus, DK
Oct 16th 0osterport, Groningen, NL
Oct 18th Grounds, Rotterdam, NL
Oct 19th Paradiso, Amsterdam, NL
Oct 20th Doornrosje, Nijmegen, NL
Oct 25th Biko, Milan, IT
Oct 26th Moods, Zurich, CH

Istanbul's Grup Ses is back at it. This time the avid digger, DJ and producer resurfaced an obscure 1975 one-take album by the should be and maybe soon to be legendary Grup Doğuş, aka the brothers Tufan and Muhittin Aydoğan, guest workers, who emigrated from Turkey to Germany and in 1974 formed their group.

Tufan Aydoğan, playfully dubbed "Hammond Tufan, the Conqueror of all organs" by none other than Barış Manço, was, as you may have guessed, the organist and vocalist of the group, while his brother Muhittin manned the bass alongside Koray Dikmen on drums and Sedat Ürküt on guitar and vocals. While performing in a nightclub in 1975 the band received an offer to record a cassette album, which they did, boasting a remarkable Anatolian pop repertoire, decked out with extensive guitar and Hammond solos, "progressive movements" and indelible psychedelic grooves. Sadly, the album faded into oblivion – until now, that is.

Remastered and released via Ironhand Records back in August, eight brilliant Anatolian pop tunes from the fabled album have now made it onto vinyl for the very first time. The selection mainly features covers of originals by renowned composers and performers such as Barış Manço, Cem Karaca, Üç Hürel and Selda, while Grup Doğuş curiously find multiple ways to outshine their predecessors. You can listen to the full self-entitled album below or click on the teaser video, in case you're in a hurry.