Wednesday, 17 December 2014

African Gems - World Music Album of the Year 2014

If you are going to treat yourself to just one 'World Music' LP with your Christmas money this year, I would wholeheartedly recommend 'African Gems' on SWP Records. This isn't Jit-Jive, nor Afro-Beat or even Saharan Desert Blues. 'African Gems' is a compilation of field recordings made in Uganda, Congo, D.R. Congo, Chad and Cameroun between 1965-1984, where droning horns, polymetric xylophones and percussive soda bottles jostle for your attention. It's an extraordinary set of recordings, occasionally verging on the avant-garde while simultaneously remaining hypnotic and accessible.

Here's a 7½ minute sample, containing brief excerpts from a few of the tracks. Find out more about this remarkable LP here.

Posted by at
Labels: , , ,

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Quite extraordinary. Will bookmark that for future reference.

17 December 2014 at 21:55

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Greatest Hits

  • Clickety Click
    Whoever it was that said time passes more quickly the older you get was bang on the money. In October I'll have been living in this plac...
  • Monday Long Song
    Cosmic Appalachia isn't a descriptor that you come across every day, though in the case of Eight Point Star's 2021 self-titled debut...
  • Monday Long Song
    Devon Irons originally released 'Ketch Vampire' as a 7" single on Lee Perry's Black Art label in 1976, but the following ye...
  • O’er the High, High Hills and Down Yon Dowy Den
    It's way too early to speculate on what might end up being my favourite album of 2026, though I'd put good money on Goblin Band'...
  • 57 Not Out
    Somehow, don't ask me exactly how it happened, I seem to have reached the grand old age of 57. Last time I checked, I could've sw...