Ojos de Brujo Celebrate 10 Years with “Corriente Vital” (Lifestream)

The Barcelona collective Ojos de Brujo could never be accused of going about their business conventionally as they celebrate their tenth anniversary with a special recording. A celebration in which many artist friends collaborate on the group’s songs as well as providing two brand new ones: the title track, produced by long time spar Nitin Sawhney and “La Machine” by Juno Reactor. Also included is their lusciously fluid flamenco re-styling of Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry”.

“Corriente Vital” (Lifestream) contains songs from the extensive OdB canon transformed by producers such as Italy’s Tom Waits Vinicio Capossela, Jorge Drexler – the first Uruguayan ever to win an Academy Award (for his work on The Motorcycle Diaries) and Roldan from Cuba’s Orishas as well as the aforementioned Nitin Sawhney and Juno Reactor (who participated in the OST of “Matrix”).

Word has it that “Corriente Vital” could be the band’s last offering for some time as the different members experiment in other areas; and if that proves to be the case it can honestly be said that they kept their freak flag flying until the end, staying true to themselves and their principles.

A large part of Ojos de Brujo’s legend is based on spectacular live shows where they have never been known to give less than 100%. Their performances are rooted in flamenco with flavourings from reggae, raga, rumba, hip hop and house melded into their trademark jip jop flamenkillo. The last chance for the foreseeable future to catch one of the world’s most vibrant and inventive bands in any genre, takes place on April 15th at the Barbican. Prepare for a musical version of El Clásico with multifarious musical fireworks.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35jswgBc0lY]

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Frootful — A Modern Blend of Soul-jazz, Latin, Ska and R&B

Being an accomplished guitarist, Nick Radford also cites players such as Grant Green, Kenny Burrell, Boogaloo Joe Jones and BB King as a constant source of inspiration. The album title, Colours reflects the wide range of moods and grooves found on the album which also features the instrumental and production skills of Lack Of Afro.

Freestyle Records springs into 2011 with the release of the debut album Colours by Frootful, guitarist Nick Radford’s new project. Frootful bridges the gap between past and present, acknowledging influences, while reflecting the creative process of looking back to move forward. Those classic influences include 60s soul-jazz, latin, ska and R&B. Being an accomplished guitarist, Nick also cites players such as Grant Green, Kenny Burrell, Boogaloo Joe Jones and BB King as a constant source of inspiration.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/10205293″]

The album title, Colours reflects the wide range of moods and grooves found on the album. Having played guitar in the Lack of Afro live band for several years, Nick began making some home recordings of his own material. The Colours recording project came about when Adam Gibbons (Lack of Afro himself) seemed suitably impressed by the demos and offered his services to helm the production.

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MundoVibe World Vibes

  //www.mixcloud.com/widget/iframe/?feed=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mixcloud.com%2Fmundovibe2%2Fmundovibe-september-world-vibes%2F&embed_uuid=095d4aaf-5e6d-406d-8b43-6440f82ab803&stylecolor=&embed_type=widget_standard MundoVibe September World Vibes by Mundovibe Music Mix on Mixcloud Trapped Here By Adrian Sherwood 1 […]

Organic Techno — France’s Agoria Releases “Impermanence”

Agoria has created an album that is at the same time constantly changing while also having a unique flow and mood of its own.

Sebastien Devaud, aka Agoria, entered the world of electronic dance music at a peculiar moment in time. Unlike the first generation of techno producers, he’s too young to have been actively listening to early 80’s electronic pop by groups such as Depeche Mode or New Order. But unlike younger DJs and musicians, he’s been exposed to house and techno more or less since the start of these genres.

Living in rural France, Agoria first got hooked to electronic music through listening to Kevin Saunderson’s classic Good Life on the local radio as a twelve-year-old kid in 1988. He was so impressed by the Inner City hit that he spent the following afternoons washing his neighbours’ cars to earn enough money to buy his first 12″. His next revelation came a few years later when one of the first DJ sets he experienced happened to be from Jeff Mills in nearby Lyon. It was the first time that I saw a DJ using three turntables and a drum machine. He really created something completely new rather that just playing records. And the way he moved, his precision and speed, impressed me.

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Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 — From Africa With Fury: Rise

The brian eno produced album sees Kuti finding his own idiosyncratic voice as songwriter, singer, and band leader, heading up Egypt 80, the extraordinary combo first fronted by his renowned father, Fela Kuti.


The mighty ‘From Africa With Fury: Rise’ is produced by Brian Eno, John Reynolds and Seun himself, with additional production by Godwin Logie. Eno – an avowed fan – has nothing but the highest praise for Seun and his band, hailing them for “making some of the biggest, wildest, livest music on the planet.” Co-producer Reynolds (whose work as musician, producer, and mixer spans such artists as Sinéad O’Connor, U2, and Natacha Atlas) agrees, applauding Kuti and Egypt 80’s distinctive Afrobeat as “a musical adrenaline rush.”

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/11305365″]

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Unsound Festival 2011 Guide

FRIDAY APRIL 1st

Unsound Labs: COLLABORATIONS 1
Issue Project Room, Brooklyn – Price $12/$10
HATI (Poland) duo with Z’EV (UK) / ANNA ZARADNY (Poland) duo with AKI ONDA (Japan/USA) / DAWID SZCZESNY (Poland) duo with MERCE (USA)
File Under: Experimental, Improvisation, Electronic, Industrial

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/18422208]

SATURDAY APRIL 2nd

Unsound Labs: TOUR / ARTISTS TALK / SCREENING

Goethe-Institut Wyoming Building, New York – Price – FREE
Tour COLUMBIA-PRINCETON ELECTRONIC MUSIC CENTER,
Listen to sound artists KABIR CARTER + ED OSBORN discuss AURALITY, MOTION, ARCHITECTURE and watch the film MISINFORMATION featuring music by MORDANT MUSIC

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Azam Ali Sings Lullabies on “From Night to the Edge of Day”

Azam Ali’s From Night to the Edge of Day explores traditional lullabies of Iranian, Turkish, Lebanese, and Kurdish origin. And as Azam Ali’s decidedly “grown-up” treatment of them testifies, lullabies are not really just for children. They attempt to cope with difficult lives and the harshness and sorrow of the world, with loss, exile, and pain.

In a career which spans over a decade and includes eight collaborative albums and one solo project, Azam Ali has confirmed her place as one of the most prolific, versatile, and gifted singers on the world music stage today. Her dedication to defying cultural specificity in music, and her unwillingness to settle into one form of musical expression have earned her the respect of both her peers and critics worldwide. When one looks at her entire body of work, it is hard to deny Azam her rightful place among the best singers and composers in music today.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/10930328″]

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Ursula Rucker Talks About “She Said”

TALKING WITH PHILLY SOUL POETESS URSULA RUCKER ON HER FIFTH ALBUM “SHE SAID”

As a poet and performance artist, Ursula Rucker has enchanted critics and fans across the globe with her diverse repertoire, captivating vocals and accessible poetic verse.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, she began documenting her observations of the world when she was just a girl. A graduate of Temple University’s journalism program, Ursula kept her creative writing as a prized, personal possession until she was prepared to share with the world. In 1994, she introduced an open-mic night audience at Philadelphia’s Zanzibar Blue to the beauty and urgency of her poetry.

Word quickly spread throughout the city of Ursula’s poetry and stage performance, which has been described as “strong, vulnerable, wounded and raging.” Producer King Britt invited her to create her first recording, the 1994 single, “Supernatural” (Ovum/Slip N Slide UK).

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