Featured in the “ethnic” section of Chee Shimizu’s Obscure Sound disc guide, Nyanser is the balearic masterpiece by Swedish guitar maestro Thomas Almqvist. A diverse mixture of mellow […]
World
Pino Palladino’s debut studio LP Notes with Attachments is a collaboration with producer, multi-instrumentalist and guitar maestro Blake Mills. A mixture of West African, Cuban, jazz, funk, and […]
Blending traditional Wassoulou sounds with modern synthesizers and drum machines, South Malian singer Nahawa Doumbia crafted an 80’s Afro-pop classic with her debut release on France’s Syllart Records. […]
An early pioneer of “world music,” Henri Texier takes his double bass to uncharted territory on Varech, blending avant-garde jazz with Celtic, African, Indian, and Middle Eastern elements […]
One of the unsung heroes of the Japanese environmental music scene, Yas-Kaz is credited for introducing Balinese gamelan music to Ryuichi Sakamoto, Midori Takada (Mkwaju Ensemble), and Shoji […]
A holy grail from the 70’s Zamrock scene reissued by Egon and Now-Again, Introduction sets the stage for the pioneering garage-psych rock band that dubbed itself W.I.T.C.H. (We Intend […]
A crucial collection of balearic jazz folk from Spanish singer, guitar player, songwriter Javier Bergia, Eclipse followed a string of reissues surrounding Spanish ambient collective Finis Africae. Bergia […]
The self-titled debut album by guitarist Fatou Seidi Ghali and vocalist Alamnou Akroun is refreshing, raw, and sublimely beautiful. Released on Sahel Sounds, the album was recorded in […]
Hukwe Zawose was the most internationally recognized musician from Tanzania’s Gogo ethnic group (pastoral nomads native to the deserts of Dodoma region), and this flawlessly recorded release captures […]
This recently reissued cult classic from Mexico’s ’70s psych movement is an effortless gem. Manuel Alejandro concocts one intoxicating arrangement after another putting this record squarely between sounds […]
The debut solo album from Asha Bhosle, the legendary Bollywood playback singer whose work spans film, pop, traditional Indian classical music, and folk songs. “Playback” singers worked behind-the-scenes […]
Walias Band was formed in Ethiopia’s capital of Addis Ababa in the early 70’s during a tumultuous time. The band remained prolific alongside contemporaries like legendary vibraphone player […]
When music speaks to both the past, present, and futures to come, it invites listeners to take pause and cherish the moment. Contours’ recent release Balafon Sketches does […]
Japanese traditional music meets jazz, prog, and psych rock on this masterpiece by Osamu Kitajima on Island Records sub-label Antilles. Released during a time when a majority of […]
Founded in 1984 in Brazil’s federal capital of Brasília, Finis Africae features a cast of rotating musicians around the core members Juan A. Arteche, Luis Delgado, and Javier […]
We first heard this wonderful obscurity on the excellent Okonkole y Trompa music blog curated by record collectors Satoshi Yamamura and PAM. Comme Au Moulin is the self-released […]
Ghanian band Edikanfo’s manager had the idea to get Brian Eno on board to produce the the group’s debut album. Eno had some visibility in the West African […]
The result of over a decade of comprehensive research on the pre-Columbian instrumentation of Mesoamerica, Ipan In Xiktli Metztli is Mexican multi-instrumentalist Luis Pérez’s debut album and magnum […]
Anatolian rock was deeply influenced by the psychedelic cultural movements of the 1970s, and Barış Manço played an important role in developing the style that defined the genre. […]
Batsumi’s self-titled debut is a powerful statement against the apartheid state of South Africa. The album was recorded in the segregated township of Soweto just outside Johannesburg, the […]
You may have already heard Brazilian singer Maria Rita through Music from Memory’s excellent Outro Tempo compilations. Still, Glasgow DJ Optimo and Sao Paulo’s Selvagem took the extra […]
Singer Fairuz is often regarded as “the Soul of Lebanon” and, in collaboration with the famed Rahbani brothers, created the modern Lebanese musical tradition. Post-colonial Lebanon in the […]
There’s something endlessly fascinating about music created on cultural borders. Taarab music was popular on the Swahili Coast in Tanzania and reflected the North African, East African, Indian, […]
A brilliant, memorable debut album by Sessa, a Brazilian Sephardic Jew from São Paulo, known for his work with Yonatan Gat as well as his psych/rock/funk band Garotas […]
One of the finest Brazilian jazz funk fusion albums ever recorded, the exquisite music found on São Paulo • Brasil is well deserving of its cult status. Cesar […]
The second of only two records released by the duo compromised of bassist Jorge Degas and percussionist Marcelo Salazar, Muxima finds the pair of musicians taking a much […]
Echoes is a compilation of ethno-wave songs from multi-instrumentalist Frank Harris and Venezuelan singer Maria Marquez. Dating back to 1985, this collection combines both headliners’ strong suits with […]
Brazilian drummer & percussionist Airto Moreira’s second solo LP Seeds On The Ground – The Natural Sounds Of Airto is a “world music” masterpiece that blends a variety […]
Like a lot of great music we enjoy, Roger Melt’s Pleine Lune is completely unique and difficult to place, and also the only solo release from the Geneva-based […]
Bip Redon, Dominique Lentin, his sister Isabelle Lentin (of Virgule IV), and a few other unknown musicians make up the mysterious L’Empire des Sons. Not much is known […]
Overshadowed by the exceedingly sought after India that came before it, along with the more experimental records that came into fruition during the Tropicália explosion of the late […]
Compiled and reissued by the ever reliable Efficient Space, Waak Waak ga Min Min presents the contemporary works of Indigenous Australian outfit Waak Waak Djungi, a group of […]
Arthur Verocai’s eponymous 1972 debut album is considered one of the greatest Brazilian albums of all time. Copies of the original are known to go for more than […]
Echos Hypnotiques is one of those transportive, uplifting records you want to keep handy for days when you need something enjoyable and easy to digest from start to […]
A vibrant album of revelry from internationally renowned self-taught singer/songwriter Ali Hassan Kuban, who is hailed as the Godfather of Nubian music. Raised in Cairo, Kuban became an […]
A highly underrated gem, and one of my first five Discogs purchases when I first began collecting vinyl, mainly for the funky, hypnotic, head-turner “Marabayasa” – a fun […]
Düsseldorf-based DJ, producer, and Salon Des Amateurs resident Jan Schulte, aka Wolf Müller or Bufiman, pulled together this excellent concept album featuring his personal favorite “tropical drum” music […]
If you have a road trip playlist, this album is a perfect addition. There are some songs that just make you want to hit the road and embrace […]
Featured in Chee Shimizu’s Obscure Sound guidebook for record collectors, Bazar De Los Milagros is a masterpiece album from one of the true legends of Argentinian rock. Nebbia […]
A time machine has spasmed and created a glitch merging nostalgic 1950’s Addis Ababa and futuristic 1980’s America into an other-worldly dimension – the result is Hailu Mergia […]
A brilliant, slightly under the radar, new compilation of Urugauyan 80’s new wave pop, fusion, ambient folk and electronics, compiled by Spanish DJ and collector Javi Bayo. Similar […]
Picture the delight of meeting one of the most interesting people you’ve ever encountered, spending an impromptu afternoon with them over a long cup of coffee, picking their […]
A limited edition LP of previously unreleased live recordings from a session at The Museum Of Modern Art, Stockholm, January 16, 1977. Modern Art features “organic music” maestro […]
There is so much to discover about prolific Cameroonian artist Francis Bebey. While some know him for “The Coffee Cola Song” (with an infectious riff on the one-note […]
