Eddie Chacon
Sundown

Limited to 300 copies, vinyl only!Viking of the Sky kicks off with 2 songs from Bibi's first LP Ngayibamba on Heads Productions 1984, which to date remains completely invisible with no info or even a picture of this LP online. Most likely due to heavy government censorship in South Africa at the time, most of the LPs were destroyed due to the political nature of some of the songs. The 2 afro funk tracks on this compilation could almost be classified as "unreleased". all live musicians and sung in both English and Zulu. The next 2 songs are taken from Bibi's maxi dance single "Viking of the Sky" with "I Just Can't Believe You" on the B side, released on WEA Records in 1985. Here we get to the classic mid 80s SA boogie sound featuring banging drum machines, synths, live guitars and bass, and super female backing vocals behind Bibi's powerful voice. The original 12" from 1985 is extremely sought after maxi single by boogie funk vinyl collectors around the world (to date it has only sold once online).And the last 2 tracks are taken from the much sought after Bibi & Satari LP Whisper in the Dark released in 1986 on WEA Records. Again we have a great blend of drum machines, synths, live bass, guitar and gospel influenced backing vocals, produced by 2 of South Africa's most prolific producers - Sidwell Duda and Thokoza Memela.All 6 songs contain upbeat dancefloor friendly music with plenty of live instrumentation played by South Africa's best of the best session musicians that uplift the soul and compel the listener to dance (which is the label mission). Featuring SA's best of the best funky music talent backing Bibi Msomi:Sidwell Duda (Stimuli, Don Laka, Image), Thokoza Memela (The Disco Cats), Satari band featuring Cecelia, Jabu Nkosi (Peace, The Drive, Thetha), Thandi Seoka (Sipho Hot Stix Mabuse, Shalom), Jimmy Mojapelo (The Black Five), Janshi Mayo (Umoja Singers Chorale), Peter Mokoena (Cisco Mokoena), Solly "Ace" Letwaba (Juluka), Bob "Blackie" Sibisi (Brenda & The Big Dudes), Joey Mabe (Mahlathini And Mahotella Queens) and many more.

Approach by Isao SuzukiBBE Music’s highly-acclaimed J Jazz Masterclass Series continues with an album that unites three J Jazz legends with a young musician beginning their professional career. Recorded and released in 1986, ‘Approach’ is both sophisticated and experimental in equal measure, balancing serene ambient moments with thunderous and dynamic explosions of energy.‘Approach’ was originally issued on the Art Union label and sees bass uber-maestro Isao Suzuki, percussion and drumming icon Masahiko Togashi, and keyboard wizard Hideo Ichikawa join together with neophyte guitarist Akira Shiomoto to deliver a first-class showcase of contemporary jazz across five tracks, demonstrating their individual talents working as one unified ensemble.

Being the humble guys that they are, Surprise Chef aren't going to admit they have something very special going down. However, there must be some magic in their studio, or maybe in the fact they all share a house and have formed close bonds, or perhaps from absorbing the DIY ethos of running their own record label that has culminated in such a unique and enchanting sound.'Daylight Savings' is the follow-up to the group's debut album 'All News Is Good News’. That album earned the band a much-deserved following across the world and triumphantly marked their arrival onto the international stage. Their new album was recorded in Spring 2019, almost exactly a year after they recorded ‘All News Is Good News’. It was the weekend that daylight savings time started in Australia, and the studio was filled with the smell of the towering Jasmine bush on the exterior back wall of the house. The record is subsequently filled with the optimism that comes with the impending warmer months and longer days in Australia.Recorded in their own home studio in Melbourne, the production approach for 'Daylight Savings' is a big step up from their debut. Engineer, Henry Jenkins, created enormous-sounding space within this record, using a great deal of creative analogue recording techniques and working in an expansive recording environment. The results are a sound that emulates the massiveness of the late-60s Capitol Records.‘Daylight Savings' was written collaboratively by the whole band and features the core Surprise Chef rhythm section. It expands upon where their debut left off with a leaning more towards 70's jazzfunk than soul and a stronger focus on the rhythm section. There’s the epic drama, ebbs and flows of a vintage David Axelrod or Alain Goraguer cinematic production, plus the influence of El Michels Affair and Melbourne bands Karate Boogaloo and The Putbacks, yet it still sounds uniquely Surprise Chef. You get a sense of that rare attribute of being both a contemporary band and a band you expect it won't be too long before other producers start sampling them.