Initially released in 1985 and only one year away from his passing, this expanded and remastered version of Beat guru, inventor and pioneering multi-disciplinary artist Brion Gysin’s ‘Junk’ finally sees a vinyl reissue after 40 years. Produced by the ace French producer Ramuntcho Matta and featuring the cream of the French underground at the time, plus jazz-experimentalist Don Cherry and Senegalese drum legend Abdoulaye Prosper Niang, the record is both deadly No Wave-y funky and definitely a bit strange. The song ‘Kick (Discomix)’ is worth the price of admission alone. Read / Listen.
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TONN3RR3 X BIKAYE 'It's a Bomb' (Born Bad Records) - a review
It’s been forty years since the great Congolese innovator Bony Bikaye released his collaborative cult masterpiece ‘Noir et Blanc’ on Crammed Discs, an album that merged his wildly unconventional vocals with the edgiest of electronic textures. Now, after decades outside of the industry, he has returned with the Parisian production trio TONN3RR3, once again in search of the musical spaces in between. His voice is stronger and more unhinged than ever, the post-club dynamism of TONN3RR3 a perfect foil for his singular sound. Read / Listen.
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Jane Birkin (1946-2023) - a tribute to her music
Jane Birkin was many things to many people during her life - singer, inspiration, fashion icon, actor, mother, activist. Our friend, music scholar and superfan Jono Beard has written a wonderful in depth tribute to Jane’s solo career, the shadow of Serge Gainsbourg’s influence may be a constant companion but she was certainly her own artist as well as a lifelong champion of his compositions. A celebration as opposed to an obituary, enjoy this tribute to a unique talent. Read / Listen
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“Pierre Barouh and the Saravah Sound” (WEWANTSOUNDS) - a review
Saravah was one of the most influential French labels of the 60s and 70s, and Pierre Barouh, singer, composer and producer extraordinaire, was a master at harnessing disparate talents, creating one of the best musical catalogues anywhere. Out there jazz and French underground pop collide with Brazilian and African flavours that sound as exciting now as when they were created. In partnership with Barouh’s son, Benjamin, WEWANTSOUNDS have given us the first ever retrospective of the revolutionary Saravah sound on vinyl and it is immaculate. Read / Listen
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