New
Freddie McKay – Harsh Words (LP)
€22.90*
Freddie McKay’s self-produced 1977 LP Harsh Words has finally returned
to circulation. Initially released in Jamaica on Gorgon Records, a
subsidiary of Sonic Sounds, it was issued in the US by Salsoul Records’
sister label Salsoul Salsa Series in 1982. The album includes 10 tracks,
featuring previously issued singles from the ’70s along with exclusive
songs like the title track Harsh Words, Feel So High, and Travelling.
McKay’s gritty, soulful voice is backed by top-tier musicians, including
Sly & Robbie, Fish Clarke, Flabba Holt, Bingi Bunny, Ranchy McLean,
Ansel Collins, Winston Wright, Bobby Ellis, Don D Jr, and Sticky.
The nearly simultaneous reissue of Freddie McKay’s LP Harsh Words by
France’s Only Roots under McKay’s Amethyst label and Switzerland-based
Reggae Fever under the Kismet label raises some eyebrows. France’s Only
Roots claims a licensed release from Freddie McKay’s estate, while
Switzerland-based Reggae Fever acknowledges Patrick Harty as the
producer behind their release. Harty owns Jamaican label Kismet, known
for its unofficial releases.
New
Herbie Hancock – Inventions & Dimensions (LP)
€27.90*
For his third Blue Note album Inventions & Dimensions (1963),
pianist Herbie Hancock began moving away from the modernist hard bop
sound that defined his first two albums Takin’ Off and My Point Of View.
Inspired by explorers like Eric Dolphy and Tony Williams, Hancock went
in search of greater musical freedom by composing a set of ingenious
originals each with their own unique inner logic that did away with what
he considered the established jazz “assumptions” of the time. Hancock
also pared the instrumentation down to feature his piano with Paul
Chambers’ bass and a nuanced rhythmic bed laid down by percussionists
Willie Bobo and Osvaldo “Chihuahua” Martinez. On the album’s
unforgettable cover the designer Reid Miles lets Francis Wolff’s
imposing photo of Hancock on an NYC street do all the talking.
New
Phenomden – Casino True Love (LP)
€35.90*
Mit «Casino True Love» veröffentlicht Phenomden sein sechstes Studioalbum. Es vereint Tiefgang, Leichtigkeit und Wärme. Thematisch bewegt sich das neue Werk zwischen Selbstreflexion, der Verarbeitung von Verlust und der Suche nach Zuversicht. Phenomden erzählt vom Vertrauen, trotz einem gebrochenen Herz wieder neu beginnen zu können. So entsteht ein Album, das Persönliches mit Universellem verbindet.Produziert wurde «Casino True Love» von der Basler Band The Scrucialists, die seit vielen Jahren Phenomdens wichtigste musikalische Wegbegleiter sind. Diese Verbindung wird dann auch im Sound des Albums spürbar: Mal roh und ungeschliffen, mal verspielt und mit Liebe zum Detail, bleibt «Casino True Love» immer organisch.
New
Albert Malawi – Children Of The Emperor (LP)
€23.90*
Big moves from Berlin's Buyreggae! They're back with another essential
release that's guaranteed to get the reggae massive excited - "Children
Of The Emperor" by the legendary Albert Ilawi Malawi. Albert's story
starts at the legendary Alpha Boys School in the late 60s, where he
mastered the drums and worked as a selector for the Alpha sound system.
These formative experiences shaped his musical DNA and launched a career
that this album celebrates in style. But Albert was way more than just a
drummer - he was a complete artist: singer, songwriter, producer, and
selector for the Jah Love sound system, which had deep ties to The
Twelve Tribes of Israel movement and their Rastafarian teachings. He was
right there at the beginning, helping pioneer both Rastafarian culture
and roots reggae as we know it. These 10 tracks from the 70s and 80s are
the real deal - pure authenticity, righteous vibes, deep spiritual
conviction, and serious musicality. This is roots reggae that hits you
in the soul and stays with you forever. Albert brought in the top
session players of the era and recorded at the most respected studios
such as Channel One and Harry J's, with mixing legends like Sylvan
Morris and Errol Thompson working their magic at the controls.
