Voodoocuts kicks off the single with his stunning edit of Soweto Disco. The original is already extremely infectious and energetic, with a grooving bass, opulent horn sections, wild organ parts and a relaxed reggae vibe. But Voodoocut manages to give the song an extra kick with his skillful rearrangement, drumming and the addition of loops, filters, effects and samples. The edit effortlessly takes the song into the present to deliver a killer cut for the dancefloor.

On the flip side, Shanana is another delicacy from the band’s later creative period. Although the mood is more relaxed, it’s a wonderful song with its distinctive bass and guitar lines, as well as the great organs that are always present. Voodoocuts Edit builds up the song slowly to give the instruments enough space to unfold. A wonderful jazz-funk tune with a disco touch, enhanced by the Voodoocuts treatment.

Artist info

The story begins in the turbulent townships of South Africa in the 1960s, when unknown musicians and brothers Norman and Opa Hlongwane approached Kenneth Siphayi, a wealthy businessman, with the idea of supplying them with musical instruments in exchange for a share of live performances and record sales. Siphayi agreed and even became their manager, providing them with a rehearsal space and an organist. This was the beginning of the band The Movers, whose name was also given by Siphayi.

The Movers developed a unique sound that combined traditional South African rhythms and melodies with influences from American soul, jazz and funk. Their sound was both danceable and emotionally profound. Inspired by the challenges and hopes of everyday life in the townships, their music took listeners’ hearts by storm. Their energetic performances and catchy melodies quickly made them one of the most popular bands in the country. This was reflected in the sales of their first album, Crying Guitar, which sold over half a million copies in the first few months after its release.

But their music was more than entertainment; it was an expression of the hope and resistance of an entire generation. Despite their immense popularity, The Movers, like many other black artists in apartheid South Africa, faced many challenges: Segregation, censorship, and limited opportunities to bring their music to a wider audience. However, they overcame these challenges. Their song Soweto Inn even became the soundtrack for the student revolts of the mid-1970s.

However, the band also experienced repeated upheavals due to a change of band members and the dismissal of their manager in 1976. The gap was filled by the producer, who took a more active role in the band’s musical direction. By the end of the 1970s, none of the original members were still active and the musical landscape in South Africa began to change. The emergence of new musical styles and political pressure from the apartheid government presented challenges to the band. Despite these adversities, The Movers remained active, recording new music and proving their adaptability and creativity.

Even after their active time, the legacy of The Movers has remained alive. Their music is still listened to and appreciated today, and they are considered trailblazers for many musicians in South Africa. More than just a band, The Movers were a voice of hope and cultural expression in a difficult time. Their music remains an enduring symbol of the strength and spirit of South Africa.

After its release, Moyo Wangu quickly became a very sought-after album on vinyl for collectors and DJs. On this third Renegades Of Jazz album, Hanke combines elements of Afrofunk with his love for breakbeats with club appeal.

Having spent his early childhood in Arusha/Tanzania in the early 1980s, producing an Afrofunk album was on Hanke’s list for a long time to reconnect with his time living there. With his love for African rhythms and club music, Hanke produced with Moyo Wangu a blend containing the best of both worlds.

Later, he continued his Afrofunk journey under his Dem Juju Poets alias and released his album Liberated Thoughts here on Matasuna Records in 2017, which also quickly sold out.

Moto Moto is featured on the a-side of our new 45, an infectious opener which captures the hot, vital feeling of a crowded dance floor throughout an amazing night out. Catchy drums and frenzied percussions meet funk guitars, a deep grooving bassline, great horns and vibrant vocals.

Zebra Talk on the b-side is an exciting collaboration with producer and multi-instrumentalist Ingo Moell aka Kabanjak, also known for his projects like Deela and as one-half of Ancient Astronauts. Together they create a mesmerizing tapestry of sound that slowly builds, immersing the listener in the groove and captivating them.

Hanke and Moell continued working together on their new project The Maenads, exploring the depths of electronic club music.

The title track of the album Abahambi composed by Sipho Gumede and also the album opener is also the A-side of the Matasuna release. The song immediately builds up an incredible groove with the first bar and offers an atmospherically dense, 5-minute funk firework. The musicians master their instruments to perfection: be it in the collective playing as well as in the polished solo passages, where they can fully demonstrate their skills. One of the tunes that could run endlessly without ever getting boring.

On the flip side, the song Umlazi composed by Enoch Mthalane is another testament to the sophistication of their arrangements & musicality. Although this song is much slower in tempo, it is in no way inferior to the A-side in intensity. Especially the piano generates a hypnotic groove, which is skillfully continued by the guitar. Another musical treat!

Artist info

The fact that the composers of the songs and musicians of the band are (or were) well-known greats of South African jazz music, but the album respectively the band name Freeway does not appear in any bio/discography is more than curious. Apparently it is considered proven that the band was founded by bass player Sipho Gumede.

Born in Durban (South Africa), Sipho Gumede learned to play the guitar autodidactically until he received his first introduction to jazz from jazz guitarist Cyril Magubane at the age of 16. He switched to bass and then got his first professional music job as a member of the Jazz Revellers band. In 1970 he went to Johannesburg where he met, worked with and toured with some great musicians of that time. He formed several bands with some of them such as Roots, Spirits Rejoice or Sakhile. Gumede also recorded collaborative pieces with other jazz legends before recording his first solo album in 1985. In the following years he was involved in tours of North America, Europe, as well as many African countries. In 2000, Sipho moved back to KwaZulu-Natal, where he taught music and performed for township youth. His artistic productivity did not stop there, however, and he produced a number of other albums. In total, he produced, recorded and contributed to more than 20 albums. He died in July 2004 after a short illness.

Matasuna Records kicks off 2021 with another 7inch. This record features two remixes by German DJ and producer David Hanke aka Renegades Of Jazz, for Afro-latin Funk bands Brownout and Jungle Fire.

Brownout’s remix was first released in 2013 via Paris DJs on a very limited run of 45s and quickly became very sought after. By painstakingly cutting every instrument’s individual notes, increasing the tempo and adding in a punchy breakbeat at the end, David turned Flaximus into an up-tempo dancefloor hit.

Jungle Fire’s song Comencemos that appears on the B side is a cover version of Fela Ransome-Kuti’s song Let’s Start. David added some more Afrofunk elements to the Jungle Fire version and builds a bridge to the original Fela version with the additional elements. The Jungle Fire remix is previously unreleased and will be available on vinyl for the first time.

Artist info

David Hanke has been linked to Matasuna Records since our early days, when he released his Dem Juju Poets debut album on Matasuna in 2017. Most recently he delivered a dancefloor-friendly edit of Mawuli Decker’s “Mololi-Lomko” at the end of 2020, again released on Matasuna. David is constantly producing and surprises regularly with new musical projects, restlessly trying to develop and refine his sound. With his new label, Bathurst, he created a home for all his electronic music projects. Bathurst follows the notion of not focusing on any formats or genres, but caring more about the electronic music Hanke adores.

Nine-piece band Brownout from Austin/Texas, was formed in 2005 by members of the Grammy Award-winning Latin orchestra Grupo Fantasma and have since become a musical force of their own. In addition to three Austin Music Awards, the band has performed at countless events and festivals and has regularly toured the U.S. also as highly sought-after backing band for artists like Prince, GZA and many more. Their albums and singles have been released on labels like Freestyle Records, Ubiquity or Fat Beats.

Jungle Fire is an Afrolatin Funk band from Los Angeles known for their authentic and highly explosive sound. They quickly gained attention of the local Los Angeles scene and beyond, which led to their first release on the Funk and Soul label Colemine. Other releases have been released on Nacional Records, Paris DJs and Razor N Tape. Their second album “Jambú” debuted at #4 on the Billboard Latin charts in February 2017 which led to numerous features in several movies, commercials and TV shows. They create a unique Afro-Tropical sound by combining West African rhythms with heavy funk elements.

“Matasuna Records” has found another musical treat from the African continent for its latest release – a song by the Ghanaian musician “Mawuli Decker“. It was released in 1983 on the rare and sought-after album “Ayo Special” and is available for the first time as a 7inch vinyl single, which is supplemented by an edit from “Renegades Of Jazz“. The esteemed London label “Kalita Records” was able to provide the audio material for new masters and is also acting as music publisher with the new “Kalita Music Publishing“.

On the A-side is the original version of the song “Lololi-Lomko“, sung in the “EWE” language, which is spoken in the south of Ghana as well as the southern parts of Togo. “Lololi” means “There’s Still More Love” and “Lomko” stands for “Please love me” – classical themes that have appeared in countless songs in music history. Although a certain catchiness of the track cannot be denied, it doesn’t seem cheesy at any point. Mawuli, who also contributes the vocals, creates perfectly formed harmonies through his compositions and arrangements, which are especially apparent in the bassline, guitars & brass and of course the vocals.

This was certainly also the idea behind the edit of “Renegades of Jazz” on the B-side, which did not want to break up and alienate the organic composition. Listening closely reveals the approach: a steady tempo, a more powerful bassline and additional drums and percussions bring the song back directly to where it belongs: to the dancefloors of this world!

Artist info

Mawuli Decker was born in 1949 in Ghana, where he also grew up. His musicality has been given to him from an early age, so that he not only attracts attention as a singer, but also plays drums, percussion and bongo. He played in various dance bands, which were very popular in Ghana especially from the middle of the last century onwards and made the Ghanaian highlife known beyond the borders. He has played in various dance bands such as New Planets, Sawaaba Sounds, The Tops, Caprice 73, The Volta Pioneers and others, which have performed in Ghana and other West African countries.

His first release was in 1975 with the band “Dzobi Soundz” on the Polydor label. Further releases of projects with his participation followed, until 1983 when he recorded his album “Ayo Special” at “Otodi Studio” in Lome (Togo) with an illustrious group of musicians.

He is still deeply rooted in music and performs in West Africa and is still very active in recording.

With the help of a Lisbon friend, Matasuna Records has managed to reissue two outstanding songs from the debut album of Angolan musician “Chalo Correia” on a hot & fiery 7inch. Although the album was originally released in 2015, only a handful of people outside Portugal were lucky enough to get their hands on one of the coveted copies. This is unfortunate, as Correias music uniquely combines traditional Angolan styles with new melodies, creating a intoxicating & exotic mix. For this release the tracks were remastered and the title track was even completely mixed again to achieve the best possible sound.

The A-side of the single starts with the title song “Kudiholola”. Kuhohola (correct term in the Quimbundu language of Angola is Kudiholola) which means to heal from a hangover, but where Chalo Correia, takes the title as a restart and a return to the traditions and roots that had been stuck in the past. The melody is embedded in the Angolan Kazukuta style that manages to give life and brilliance to this instrumental where the harmonica fills the contours of the music. Kudihohola is an imaginary microcosm of Angolanity in terms of culture in general, but also the image of interpersonal relationships.

“Chercher Crioula” on the B-side, sung in “Quimbundo” and the choirs in “French”, reports an incessant search for a love that insists on not appearing. This search is not limited to one country or continent but to many places in the world, which makes the author adapt to the places, as time prolongs that same search.

Artist info

“Chalo Correia” is a talented singer and songwriter born in 1968 in “Luanda”, the capital of “Angola”. He grow up in the most intense and blazing musical period of Angola – the 70s. In a time when musician fought for independence, reinventing the Angolan sound in order to re-establish their identity. In his late youth, Chalo met musicians from revolutionary bands like Os Merengues and Os Kiezos, who would influence his future music.

In the early 90s Chalo moved to Portugal, where he practiced guitar and harmonica. Far away from his country, music was the only way to connect with his roots and so he started to create original songs based on traditional & urban music styles of Angola and on early childhood memories. During the last 20 years his music went through a long process of maturation, which resulted in the recording of his debut album “Kudihohola” in 2015. In 2016, this album was nominated as one of the best popular music album at the Angolan Music Awards.

Chalo is a very versatile musician: you can find him with his explosive 5-piece band at concerts in Europe, Brazil and Africa, prestigious world music festivals, or mixing a Portuguese guitar from the traditional Fado with Angolan music in his trio. But you can also meet him at a tireless one-man show, where he plays traditional Angolan guitar chords, handled by syncopated and percussive complex rhythms like Semba – the precursor of Brazilian Samba – among other traditional urban Angolan styles like Massemba, Kilapanga, Rumba, Kazucuta, Kabetula and RebitQa. His vigorous voice sings about the Angolan daily life stored in Chalo’s childhood memories, combined with his life experience as an Angolan immigrant in Lisbon. The harmonica joins his instrumental compositions with energetic melodies that fit perfectly with his new music, combining an old, festive flavored style with a contemporary way of songwriting.

Tracklist:

A Batunga & The Subprimes – Gates Of Ouantou 04:42
B Batunga & The Subprimes – Man In The Field 04:44

Description

Matasuna Records starts the new year 2020 with a brilliant release, featuring two contemporary tracks by Paris based Afrobeat band Batunga & The Subprimes, available for the first time on vinyl.

Gates Of Ouantou from their EP is a great tune that sets the bar for contemporary Afrobeat and has all the ingredients for a timeless classic: the arrangement, the instrumentation and the interplay of the seven musicians in the song are excellent and will immediately draw you into its spell. A real gem and great tune!

Man in the Field on flipside is a cut of their first official album. Unusual is the use of a banjo in an Afrobeat song but not surprising that this fits in very well and also shows that classical structures can be broken up and developed in a new approach/context. Another great piece of this extraordinary band that has been operating under the radar – until now!

Artist info

Batunga & The Subprimes was founded in Paris in 2009 by musicians from different backgrounds, united by the will to mix traditional African music with other elements (Latin, Jazz, Second Line and even Rock) and to bring this explosive mix on the streets & on stage. After many shows all over Europe and beyond, their first official album Man in the Field was published in 2017, followed by their EP Let dem In in late 2019. Matasuna has chosen two extraordinary cuts of these self-released albums to release them on vinyl for the first time.

Tracklist:

A1 Professor Wouassa – Fallou Fall 08:31
A2 Professor Wouassa – Yobale Ma 02:53
B1 Professor Wouassa – Thiaroye Gare 06:56
B2 Professor Wouassa – Beguente Len 04:10
C1 Professor Wouassa – Djongoma 04:32
C2 Professor Wouassa – Iba Niawoulo 07:50
D1 Professor Wouassa – Sama Yone 04:24
D2 Professor Wouassa – Djougoudja 10:09

Description

After their brilliant label debut with “Grow Yes Yes” in 2017, “Professor Wouassa” now returns with their brand new third album on “Matasuna Records”.

The Swiss band’s career spans more than 15 years, where they have played at many major festivals in Switzerland and abroad. The 11 members of the band have perfected their musical qualities over the years and captivate as a well-rehearsed live band with their energetic and rousing shows. So it isn’t surprising that they supported concerts of Afrobeat legends like “Ebo Taylor” or “Seun ‘Anikulapo’ Kuti”.

Their still exuberant creativity can also be heard on their new work entitled “Yobale Ma!”, which in Wolof’s language can be translated as “take me” or “get me”. With their new album they take the listener to their musical island to explore the borders of Afrobeat and beyond.

The song “Fallou Fall” opens the album in a jazzy & big band way, and quickly switches to an afrobeat theme and solo. In the middle the song breaks into an Afro-style pattern, which is performed by “Thaïs Diarra” in Bambara (Malian dialect) in a traditional Mandingo way of singing. The track ends with a Sabar percussion part – a traditional Senegalese drum.

“Yobale Ma” is the single of the album, which is inspired by the funky guitars of a Nile Rodger and some typical fast Ghanaian highlife of Ebo Taylor.

The track “Thiaroye Gare” is about the “Tirailleurs sénégalais”, a unit of the French army who fought for France in WWII. After returning from captivity they were taken in Camp Thiaroye northeast of Dakar. Corrupt and racist colonial officials led to a revolt, which was bloodily suppressed by French troops.
From the musical point of view the song shows a link between afrobeat and funky James Brown rhythms, which ends in a fast afrobeat style with baritone saxophone and trombone solos.

“Beguente Len” in the middle of the album is a kind of interlude that represents Wouassa’s own way of interpreting traditional afro beats and rhythms.

With the two songs “Djongoma” and “Sama Yone” Professor Wouassa leaves his usual afrobeat path to explore the “sound of the islands” (Mauritius, La Réunion, Cape Verde or Cuba) and blend it with their personal and unmistakable style.

With “Iba Niawoulo” the professors investigate a kind of Ghanaian highlife medium tempo with a chord progression from Serge Gainsbourg’s song “Initial BB”. The tracks change in the middle to a fast Rhythm’n’Blues beat, which is accompanied by afro guitars. The singer “Mamadou Diagne” talks about his alter ego in Dakar.

In “Djougoudja” typical afro rhythms are mixed with pure Ethiopian 70’s brass sounds and funk guitars. As heard several times in other songs, the track breaks into a very personal and hard to describe Wouassa beat in it’s middle. At this time, “Mamadou Diagne” recites a big slam about the spiritual ideas and the history of the famous senegalese theologian and poet “Serigne Touba” (Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba). Under his flow some sabar percussions (typical senegalese percussions) build a strong and intense musical rug.

Artist info

Music knows no boundaries and trespasses every geographic wall and culture. Rooted in Lausanne, Switzerland, Professor Wouassa is a living testimony of this – a special blend that brings together the principal Swiss afrobeat players into one groovy pot, cooking uplifting and infectious afro music.

Born in 2003, the combo released their first album Dangerous Koko! early 2011 and soon picked up airplay in such diverse countries as the UK, Greece, Brazil, Canada, only to be reinforced by their incredible live delivery – and soon invited to be the opening act for Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 in the reputed Cully Jazz Festival. After a string of memorable concerts throughout a packed tour, 2015 marks the release of Grow Yes Yes!, mixed by none other than Malcolm Catto (The Heliocentrics, Mulatu Astatké, to name very few) and with featured appearances by afrobeat shining stars Seun Kuti and Ebo Taylor.

Tracklist:

A Heroes of Limbo – Madchester Woman 04:11
B Heroes of Limbo – White Noise 04:01

Description

With its latest release Matasuna Records continues to explore contemporary Afrobeat from different countries. After the last trip to the Swiss Mittelland, this time the journey goes across the English Channel to discover more new & authentic Afrobeat and serve it on a tasty vinyl single.

Madchester Woman takes Ebo Taylor’s African Woman and uses it as a chassis for a cut ‘n shut reworking of Happy Mondays’ 1990 classic ‘Loose Fit’ – a hot and explosive mixture as you can easily hear!

White Noise, featuring vocals from Clair Fallows (The Impellers, Soul Grenades), re-works Disclosure & Aluna George’s electro-house anthem into an uplifting slice of afro-disco dancefloor shuffle.

Artist info

Heroes of Limbo is a new studio project from long-time collaborators, producer and multi-instrumentalist Glenn Fallows (The Impellers, Disposable Breaks, Andres y Xavi) and trombonist/arranger Gram ‘Canyon’ Treldavs.

Reimagining classic and contemporary pop as authentic 70’s Afrobeat and Highlife from Nigeria and Ghana, this first release asks you to fire up your time machine in your mind and wonder what would the Happy Mondays sound like if they’d played at Fela Kuti’s Afrika Shrine, rather than Manchester’s legendary Hacienda Club? What if Disclosure were not a Mercury Prize-nominated electronica duo, but a Highlife Orchestra based in Accra, Ghana?

Tracklist:

A Kill Emil – Matata 04:03
B Kill Emil – Humanidad 04:35

Description

The newest addition to the Matasuna Records label roster is Greek producer and beatmaker Kill Emil. For the upcoming 7inch vinyl single he delivers two great Afro-Tropical joints.

The opening track Matata is a midtempo groover with rhythmic guitar melodies, catchy brass lines and mystical vocal parts. Kill Emil skilfully embeding them into his beat framework by adding various effects and echoes to create a new and hypnotic sound. A delicious Afrolatin joint that gets you moving!

On the flipside another tropical gem delivering some Latin madness. With Humanidad Kill Emil shows his beatmaker skills by chopping the samples, reassembling them and adding some heavy breaks and percussions to boil a hot and stirring mixture. NYC Salsa at its best!

Artist info

Kill Emil has been on the road for almost a decade and has a remarkable output of singles & LPs on various labels. Rooted in Hip Hop he produces tracks with different influences from all over the world. Sophisticated beats, positive grooves and warm loops characterize his sound and make him a sought-after producer and live performer. So it’s not surprising that he regularly tours all over Europe.