Episode 24

Episode 24 was originally posted on November 19, 2018.

Tracklisting:

01) “Rabam Pramong” by Songkhla College of Dramatic Arts.

From the cassette Ram Manora (Banleng Dontri Phuen Mueang Tai, Vol. 1).

Songkhla, Thailand.

From the wonderful Monrakplengthai blog:

“this week, some brilliant southern folk sounds from songkhla! the musicians of the songkhla college of dramatic arts (which seems now to be defunct.. does anyone know the story?) bring us music from the dramatic dance genre of manora (or nora for short), performances of the jataka tales of manohara. the centrepiece of these acts is the elaborately costumed and often remarkably flexible dancers playing the role of kinnari (half-bird/half-human mythological creatures) [see j-card above]. the instrumental accompaniment is provided by thap (paired drums) plus one deeper drum, pi nai (oboe), nong (paired gongs), and assorted clappers, finger-cymbals, etc. occasionally joined by a vocalist. enjoy!”

• Download the cassette.

02) “Secret Heart” by Anoushka Shankar.

From the 2016 album Land Of Gold.

London, UK.

Anoushka Shankar (Bengali : অনুষ্কা শঙ্কর) is a British Indian sitar player, singer, song-writer, and composer. She is the daughter of Ravi Shankar and the half-sister of Norah Jones.

• Visit Anoushka Shankar’s official website.

• Follow Anoushka Shankar on Facebook.

• Purchase Shankar’s music at Amazon.

03) “Ire” by Adekunle Gold.

From the 2018 album About 30

Lagos State, Nigeria.

Adekunle Gold, is a Nigerian highlife singer, songwriter and graphic designer, who describes his music as "urban highlife".

• Visit Adekunle Gold’s official website.

• Follow Adekunle Gold on Facebook.

• Follow Adekunle Gold on Twitter.

• Purchase Gold’s music on Amazon.

04) “Nothing That Lives Has .... Such Eyes” by UFO Över Lappland.

From the 2016 album UFO Över Lappland.

Stockholm, Sweden.

The band’s Bandcamp page says: “Plasmatic space waves peak tubes push bellbottoms and hardcore tudes to raise freak flags for the estranged teens of callous peoples. credits,” while their Facebook page describes them as: “space/rock/punk/freak/whatever collective/band.”

• Follow UFO Över Lappland on Facebook.

• Purchase the album on Bandcamp.

• Purchase UFO Över Lappland music at Amazon.

05) “Camelo” by Bixiga 70.

From the 2018 album Quebra Cabeça.

São Paulo, Brazil.

The Wikipedias tell us: “Bixiga 70 is a Brazilian band that mixes elements of African , Afrobeat , Brazilian, Latin and jazz music . Formed in 2010, the name Bixiga 70 is linked to the address of Studio Traquitana , where the band was born, located at number 70 Treze de Maio Street, in the neighborhood of Bixiga , in São Paulo.”

• Visit Bixiga 70’s official website.

• Follow Bixiga 70 at Facebook.

• Follow the group on Twitter.

• Purchase Bixiga 70’s music on Amazon.

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As always, in the spirit of Interactivity, we offer you the visual map of where each artist we play is from. To switch between seasons, use the little window/toggle thing in the upper-left corner. To see all the seasons’ maps, click here. This week’s artists are represented by the grey/gray map points. Enjoy.

Episodes 21-30

Episode 23

Episode 23 originally posted on November 12, 2018.

Tracklisting:

01) “감은 듯 (Gameun Deut)” by 공중도둑 (Mid-Air Thief).

From the 2018 album 무너지기 (Crumbling).

South Korea.

As you know, our dear friends know, sometimes when trafficking in musical goodness from all around the world, sometimes it is difficult to find out much about some of the artists we play. Such is the case with 공중도둑, or Mid-Air. Tiny Mix Tapes profiles the album thusly:

South Korea’s 공중도둑, or Mid-Air Thief, specializes in the kind of autumn vibes that all of us in the northern hemisphere are craving hard. So it may be a good thing that 무너지기 (Crumbling) took a little while to make its way out of Seoul. It’s hard to tell exactly where the buzz came from, but at some point in late August, this broke into the top 25 rankings for 2018 on RYM, whose lists are always full of left-field gems.

The album’s Bandcamp page doesn’t provide much more information, simply offering: “Voice &

Lyrics: Summer Soul 
Album Cover: 신혜정

It only adds that the artist is from South Korea.

• Purchase the album at Bandcamp.

02) “Dil Mere” by द लोकल ट्रेन (The Local Train).

From the 2015 album Aalas Ka Pedh.

Delhi, India.

The Local Train (Hindi: द लोकल ट्रेन) is an Indian Hindi rock band from Delhi, India with lyrics in both Urdu and Hindi. The group has become one of India’s best-selling groups and is often featured at music festivals.

• Visit the band’s official website.

• Follow the group at Facebook.

• Follow the Local Train on Twitter.

• Purchase the group’s music at Amazon.

03) “Poo Too” by Oneness of Juju.

From the 1975 album African Rhythms.

Richmond, VA, USA.

The album’s Bandcamp page says:

For bandleader James “Plunky” Branch, ‘African Rhythms’ marked a significant return to his home town of Richmond, Virginia after a politically charged five years based on the East and West coasts. His personal journey had taken him from activism at Columbia University to San Francisco where Zulu musician Ndikho Xaba used theatre to “resurrect” Afro-Americans with a new African identity. The first incarnation of Plunky’s band, Juju, drew attention to the struggle in South Africa under apartheid, layering heavy Afro rhythms under uncompromising avant garde jazz.

Allmusic describes the album as: “a group playing with the dexterity of Kool & the Gang, the forward-thinking musical ideas of Herbie Hancock, and the social consciousness of Gil Scott-Heron.”

• Purchase the album at Bandcamp.

• Purchase the group’s music at Amazon.

04) “East Indian Traffic” by Okko Bekker.

From the 1971 album Sitar & Electronics.

Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Prog Archives describes Okko Bekker’s music as: “Freaked out kitschy exotic musical project formed by German krautrockers.” Works for us.

• Purchase Bekker’s music at Amazon.

05) “Shimmy She Wobble” by Otha Turner & The Afrossippi Allstars.

From the 2000 album From Senegal to Senatobia.

Canton, Mississippi, LA, USA.

Otha Turner was one of the most well-known (and one of the last) fife players in the vanishing American fife and drum blues tradition (sometimes included as a sub-genre of “Hill Country Blues.”). Turner even “performed as the "Mississippi Fife and Drum Corps" in episode number 1509 of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood that aired on November 18, 1982.” Turner’s music was featured in the 2002 Martin Scorsese movie Gangs of New York and Scorsese “featured Turner in his 2003 PBS mini-series The Blues.”

• Visit Turner’s official website.

• Visit the official Facebook group.

• Follow Turner’s Twitter account.

• Purchase Turner’s music at Amazon.

06) “Mercy (Variation #1)” by Demon Fuzz.

From the 1970 album Afreaka!

Britain.

According to Wikipedia:

“Demon Fuzz was an afro-rock group which was formed in 1968 and broke up in 1972. Its members had all immigrated to Britain from Commonwealth countries. The band's name means "devil's children or bad policemen". They originally played soul, but the music they heard during a trip to Morocco lead to a change in their style to what has been described as a blend of funk, rock, jazz and African music. Their album, Afreaka!, has become a popular source for sampling.”

• Purchase the album at Amazon.

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As always, browse the interactive map. This week’s artists are represented by the green map-points. To switch between episodes, use the little window/toggle thing in the upper-left corner.

Episodes 21-30

Episode 22

Episode 22 originally posted on November 5, 2018.

Tracklisting:

01) “Nyangezi” by Bernard Rujindiri.

From the 1990 album Musique De L'ancienne Cour Du Rwanda.

Munanira I, Kigali, Rwanda

Bernard Rujindiri (who often just goes by the name “Rujindiri”) is a master of the inanga, “a traditional oval-shaped harp that is made out of wood with strings fastened at the edges and that are plucked to produce musical notes.”

• Purchase the album at Amazon.

• Read Rwanda New Times’ profile of the Inanga.

02) “Krom Phleng Pinpeat” by Phleng Khmer & Pinpeat Ensembles.

From the 1978 album Cambodia, Traditional Music Volume 1.

Cambodia

“The pinpeat (Khmer: ពិណពាទ្យ) orchestra or musical ensemble performs the ceremonial music of the royal courts and temples of Cambodia.”

• Purchase the album at Amazon.

03) “Ya Bay” by Orchestre Thouraya d'Alger/Anissa Zouina/Anissa Thouraya.

From the 1952 album Musique d'Afrique du Nord.

Algiers.

Every once in a while we come across an artist or album that we just can’t find out much information for. The Facebook page for this album includes the helpful information: “Recorded in Algiers in 1952” but we can’t seem to find out much more about it than that; either the artist or the album. Do you have any helpful information?

• Purchase the album at Bandcamp.

04) “Native Mongolia” by Altan Urag.

From the 2004 album Foal's Been Born.

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Altan Urag is a Mongolian band fusing contemporary and traditional elements into something unique. The Wikipedias give further insight: “The members of the band have all been trained in classical Mongolian music, and typically perform with the morin khuur (horse head fiddle), ikh khuur (grand horse head fiddle), bishguur (traditional horn) and yoochin (a type of hammered dulcimer), as well as incorporating khöömii (throat singing) and long song into the vocals.”

• Purchase the group’s music at Amazon.

• Follow the group on Facebook.

• Follow the group on Twitter.

• Follow the group on Instagram.

05) “Hanoii” by Petite Noir.

From the 2018 album La Maison Noir / The Black House.

South Africa.

South African artist Yannick Ilunga has dubbed his own music as “noirwave,” which seems to be as good a descriptor as any. Ilunga explains: “Noirwave is more than just a sound,” he explained in 2015, “it’s a progressive social movement that's rapidly breaking out of the pan-African underground, emerging in the creative output of inspiring minds from across the globe.”

• Visit Petite Noir’s official website.

• Follow Petite Noir on Facebook.

• Read Pitchfork’s review of the album.

• Purchase the album on Bandcamp.

• Purchase the album on Amazon.

06) “Ayne Hulgize Yesasaleshal” by Trio Kazanchis.

From the 2012 album Amaratch Musica.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The group describes its sound as: “Ethiopian Traditional Impro Punk.” The group’s website gives some background information:

It was in December 2008 that bandleader Jeroen Visser found himself jamming with Mesele Asmamaw (Ethiopia) and Fabien Duscombs (France) in various venues in the music Mecca of Addis Ababa, the district of Kazanchis.

It seems fitting that they would find each other in the music clubs of the very historical and cultural district where most legends of Ethiopian music played and where some of them run music venues today. The inescapable electricity that flowed between them whilst jamming led to the formation of Trio Kazanchis, an ode to the district that has brought and continues to bring many musicians and dancers together.

• Visit the group’s official website.

• Follow the trio on Facebook.

• Purchase the album at Amazon.

07) “Derule” by Barış Manço.

From the 2001 complitaion Turkish Delights: 26 Beat, Psych & Garage Ultrarities from Beyond the Sea of Marmara.

Istanbul, Turkey.

As you well know if you’ve heard more than one of our episodes or browsed the website descriptions, we are big fans of international music compilations as a great way to find new music. Turkish Delights is a great one. Barış Manço, was a Turkish rock musician, singer, songwriter, composer, actor, television producer and television host. This particular compilation features Turkish rock groups from the 1960s and 70s, highlighting the early and classic 1966-77 rock periods in Turkey. Someone sent us a digital copy, and unfortunately, we are not finding any purchase information for this compilation outside of eBay.

• Follow Barış Manço at Facebook.

• Purchase the album at eBay.

08) “In The Silence Of The Morning Sunrise” by Agitation Free.

From the 1973 album 2nd.

Germany.

Though not as well-known as some of their counter-parts, Agitation Free were a vital part of what would become known as Krautrock, losing members to such key outfits as: Guru Guru and Tangerine Dream. According to Allmusic:

The German avant-garde rock band Agitation Free formed in 1967 and featured founding members bassist/keyboardist Michael Gunther and guitarist/keyboardist Lutz Ulbrich. Originally known as the Agitation -- a name picked at random from the dictionary -- the group added "free" to their name a year later, inspired by a free concert they performed.

• Purchase the group’s music at Amazon.

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Check out the ongoing interactive map. Check out other episodes here. To switch between episodes, use the little window/toggle thing in the upper left corner. This week’s artists are represented by purple map-points.

Episodes 21-30

Episode 21

Episode 21 was originally posted on October 29, 2018.

Tracklisting:

01) “Apple” by Cibo Matto.

From the 1996 album Viva! La Woman.

New York City, NY, U.S.A.

Cibo Matto (Italian for "crazy food"), was a band formed by Yuka Honda and Miho Hatori in New York City in 1994. Initially, the lyrics were primarily about food, though they later enlarged their template to other topics. The band grew to later feature Sean Lennon, Timo Ellis, and Duma Love for their second album.

• Follow Cibo Matto on Facebook.

• Purchase the group’s music on Amazon.

• Read Pitchfork’s report of the group’s breakup.

02) “Musicawi Silt” by Hailu Mergia and The Walias.

From the 1997 album Tche Belew.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Hailu Mergia was a famed accordionist, pianist, organist and bandleader. This is widely recognized as a classic and fetches thousands of dollars for original pressings. This track was later covered by The Daktaris.

The Bandcamp page says:

Dozens of cherished recordings were made during the legendary “golden age” of Ethiopian music, an era stretching from the early 1960’s through the mid-1970’s. Less-discussed are the songs made in the aftermath of the 1974 revolution that toppled Emperor Hailu Selassie I. The acclaimed and highly sought-after LP by Hailu Mergia and the Walias, Tche Belew, an album of instrumentals released in 1977, is perhaps the most seminal of these recordings. The story of the Walias band is a critical chapter in Ethiopian popular music, taking place during a period of music industry flux and political complexity in the country. 

• Purchase the album on Bandcamp.

• Purchase the album on Amazon.

03) “Rumba Theme” by Julio Gutiérrez.

From the 1986 release Cuban Jam Session (2).

Manzanillo, Cuba.

Julio Gutiérrez was a Cuban music director, pianist, composer and arranger. He was one of the main figures in the music scene of Havana in the 1940s and 1950s, and a pioneer of the Cuban jam session (“descarga”). Havana musicians would often gather after-hours for jam sessions which were often recorded. Many of these sessions have been collected and reissued. NPR says: “The Complete Cuban Jam Sessions were recorded at various locations around Havana from 1956 to 1964 for the historic Cuban label Panart Records.”

• Read/Listen to NPR’s profile of the recently reissued sessions.

• Purchase the Complete Cuban Jam Sessions at Amazon.

04) “Chapters” by Cha Wa.

From the 2018 release Spyboy.

New Orleans, LA, U.S.A.

Cha Wa continues the proud tradition of Mardi Gras Indian funk. From the band’s website:

From the funk-laced beats and bass-heavy sousaphone blasts that kick off their album “Spyboy” to the gritty warmth of singer J’Wan Boudreaux’s voice, New Orleans brass band-meets-Mardi Gras Indian outfit Cha Wa radiates the fiery energy of the best features of the city’s street culture. “Spyboy” was produced by Galactic’s Ben Ellman and features special guests Big Chief Monk Boudreaux (The Wild Magnolias, HBO’s Treme), Nigel Hall (Lettuce, Nth Power), and Danica Hart.

• Visit the band’s official website.

• Follow Cha Wa on Facebook.

• Follow Cha Wa on Twitter.

• Purchase Cha Wa’s music at Bandcamp.

• Purchase Cha Wa’s music at Amazon.

05) “Abraka” by the Funkees.

From the 1974 release Point Of No Return.

Nigeria.

The Funkees were an outstanding Nigerian (though they located to London in 1973) Afro-rock/funk group. The Wikipedias tell us that: “They specialized in a brand of funky, upbeat, highly danceable afro-rock that often featured lyrics sung in Igbo, as well as English.”

• Read Bandcamp’s profile of the group.

• Purchase the group’s music at Amazon.

06) “Fio da Navalha” by Lô Borges.

From the 1972 self-titled release Lô Borges.

Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Lô Borges is a Brazilian songwriter, singer and guitarist. Allmusic says of this release: “The recording is texturally lush and dreamy, at times urgent and bizarre, and filled with the fantastic and intricate guitar playing one would expect.”

• Purchase Lô Borges’ music at Amazon.

07) “Mesmerized” by Moontribe.

From the 2018 self-titled release Moontribe.

Tel Aviv, Israel.

Bandcamp says:

According to the group’s label, the Tel Aviv-based Fortuna Records, the album was submitted on an unmarked two-inch tape—no names, no dates—and one of the songs is “a snake-charming voodoo ritual, in which Moontribe is the Shaman.” All that is known for sure is that the whole album was recorded in a single, unedited session by about a dozen musicians.

The album’s Bandcamp page says:

A deep-space journey between tribal percussion, hypnotizing organs and long echo ripples, all joining in for a snake-charming voodoo ritual of which Moontribe is the Shaman. Expect African drums, hints of cumbia, and distant galaxy exploration in unmeasured doses. An absolute must-have For fans of Sun Ra, Moondog and Idris Ackamoor. 

• Purchase the album at Bandcamp.

• Purchase Moontribe’s music at Amazon.

08) “Kropotkin-Vodka” by Pussy Riot.

From the 2012 album Kill the Sexist!

Moscow, Russia.

Pussy Riot is a “feminist” “protest” punk band from Moscow. Part performance art, all punk rock, the band has risked life and limb to challenge the authoritarian regime of Putin in Russia.

• Read NME’s article: “Who are Pussy Riot? A guide to the Russian activist group who crashed the World Cup Final.”

• Follow the group on Facebook.

• Follow the group on Twitter.

• Purchase books and movies about and by the group at Amazon.

09) “Down Under Again” by African Head Charge.

From the 1986 album Off The Beaten Track.

London, England.

African Head Charge is a psychedelic dub ensemble active since the early 1980s. When you hear the phrase “psychedelic dub,” you’re likely to think of Adrian Sherwood. And you’d be right in this case. African Head Charge was formed by percussionist Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah and has included a rotating cast of players, all filtered through Sherwood’s controls.

• Visit the group’s profile page at the On-U Sound website.

• Purchase African Head Charge’s music at Bandcamp.

• Purchase the group’s music at Amazon.

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Browse the interactive map. To switch between episodes, use the little toggle window in the upper-left corner. This week’s artists are represented by maroon points. Since Google Maps only lets us do 10 episodes per map, we are starting another one here with Episode 21.Enjoy!

Episodes 21-30

Episode 20

Episode 20 appeared on October 22, 2018.

Tracklisting:

01) “Pemoengkah” by Thomas Bartlett & Nico Muhly.

From the 2018 album Peter Pears: Balinese Ceremonial Music.

NY, NY, U.S.A.

This collaboration between American contemporary classical composer and arranger Nico Muhly (Manhattan, in New York City), and Thomas Bartlett (a.ka. Doveman), an American singer, pianist and producer who has worked with Sufjan Stevens, Glen Hansard, The National, Sam Amidon, Rhye, St. Vincent, Nico Muhly, The Gloaming, Martha Wainwright and many more celebrates the Asian music explorations of ethnomusicologist Colin McPhee.

• Visit the duo’s official website.

• Visit the album’s age at Nonesuch.

• Visit Nico Muhly’s official website.

• Follow Nico Muhly on Twitter.

• Follow Thomas Bartlett on Twitter.

• Purchase the album on Amazon.

02) “Beka” by Assagai.

From the 1971 album Assagai.

London, England.

Assagai was a group of South African and Nigerian exiles living in Britain. The only African group signed to the Vertigo label, the group traffics in very good "Afro-Rock,” mixing elements of jazz, funk, rock and African rhythms.

• Purchase Assagai’s music at Amazon.

03) “Payaso” by Phoenix Afrobeat Orchestra.

From the 2018 album Laugh To Keep From Crying.

Phoenix, AZ U.S.A.

The band’s website says: “Beginning with a strict repertoire comprised of classic Afrobeat music, PAO has now penned an abundance of original material that melds the eclectic heritage of the ensemble with that classic Afrobeat style.”

• Visit the band’s official website.

• Like the group on Facebook.

• Follow the group on Twitter.

04) “Makassi” by Sam Fan Thomas.

From the 1984 album Makassi.

Bafoussam, Cameroon.

Sam Fan Thomas is a singer and musician from Cameroon specializing in the Makossa style of Cameroonian music.

• Purchase Sam Fan Thomas’s music at Amazon.

• Follow Sam Fan Thomas on Facebook.

05) “Maok Pi Naok” by Sinn Sisamouth + Ros Sereysothea + Pan Ron + Dara Jamchan, composer Voy Ho.

From the 1996 compilation Cambodian Rocks.

Cambodia.

Sinn Sisamouth was a highly influential and prolific Cambodian singer-songwriter from the 1950s to the 1970s. Cambodian Rocks is a compilation of 22 uncredited, untitled Cambodian psychedelic and garage rock songs from the late 1960s and early 1970s. According to Wikipedia: “The compilation was assembled from cassette tapes purchased by an American tourist in 1994 and released on the Parallel World label in 1996.”

• Download the compilation from WFMU.

06) “Dye Dye” by Segun Bucknor.

From the 2002 compilation Poor Man No Get Brother: Assembly & Revolution 1969-1975.

Lagos, Nigeria.

Segun Bucknor was a Nigerian musician and journalist active during the 1960s and 1970s. He was a pianist and guitarist specializing in genres ranging from soul music to pop music and to funk.

• Purchase Segun Bucknor’s music at Amazon.

07) “La Muñeca” by Rubén Blades.

From the 2018 album Medoro Madera.

Panama City, Panama.

Rubén Blades is a Panamanian singer, songwriter, actor, musician, activist, and politician, specializing in Afro-Cuban, salsa, and Latin jazz music.

• Visit Rubén Blades’ official website.

• Follow Rubén Blades on Facebook.

• Follow Rubén Blades on Twitter.

• Purchase Rubén Blades’ music at Amazon.

08) “Nubes” by Bossa 70.

From the 1970 album Bossa 70.

Peru.

Bossa 70 was a Peruvian group specializing in Funk, Psychedelia, Psychedelic Rock.

• Purchase Bossa 70 music at Amazon.

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Browse the interactive map at your leisure. Or don’t. It’s OK either way. Don’t feel any pressure. You be you. IF you feel like browsing, use the little window/toggle thing in the upper left corner to highlight certain episodes. This week’s artists are represented by black points.

Episodes 11-20