Various
Outro Tempo (Electronic And Contemporary Music From Brazil 1978-1992)

Scissor and Thread · Francis Harris - Thresholds

Cross-border wiring in the studio for the new RFR release! Russia and Georgia share their musical conscience and deliver a fine split EP for cat. no. 16. RNBWS just recently caused a sensation with new tracks on RFR, and we already know Generali Minerali from his first release for RFR X. So now it’s about to time to melt their creative spirit into a collective EP on vinyl.Generali Minerali and his army occupy the a-side. “Generation of Mars” is musical terraforming in its purest form. Minimally crafted electro, a shot of acid and well-placed melodic patterns are the main ingredients for a magnificent opener.“Dry Water” sticks with the electro leitmotiv. Compared to the A1 we find a closer reference to the dance floor, meandering scanner sounds and a snare, that keeps slapping constantly. This is how we like it!On the b-side RNBWS carry on where Generali Minerali and his troops had left the battlefield. “Galaxy” opens the doors to an interplanetary round dance, the place where mind and body join together in the sense of classic electro.“Nothing but Hardcore” needs no further explanation. UK hardcore in its most beautiful garments, which is so characteristic for RNBWS’ tracks. Interwoven by electro elements, who get to the heart of this EP in terms of stringency.

Even if Ancient Greek isn’t part of general knowledge anymore, the word mega is. Hence, you might admire our modesty to say that Roman Flügel’s first outing on Running Back in 2022 is perfectly headed. Greta, large, mighty and somewhat the love- or brainchild of his earlier Garden Party and the previous D.I.S.C.O., Mega pulls out all the stops: hi-nrg melodies, circus bells, cowboy funk and honey hooks at 140 beats per minute. While it is nearly impossible not to take this bait or decorate it with the Bobby-O medal of honor, Roman proves one more that you can be catchy and classy at the same time.

Rufaro by HarariThe Beaters – Harari was released in 1975. After changing their name, Harari went into the studio late in 1976 to record their follow-up, Rufaro / Happiness. In 1976 they were voted South Africa’s top instrumental group and were in high demand at concert venues across the country.Comprising former schoolmates guitarist and singer Selby Ntuli, bassist Alec Khaoli, lead guitarist Monty Ndimande and drummer Sipho Mabuse, the group had come a long way from playing American-styled instrumental soul in the late sixties to delivering two Afro-rock masterpieces.Before these two albums the Beaters had been disciples of ‘Soweto Soul’ – an explosion of township bands drawing on American soul and inspired by the assertive image of Stax and Motown’s Black artists. The Beaters supported Percy Sledge on his 1970 South African tour (and later Timmy Thomas, Brook Benton and Wilson Pickett). But their watershed moment was their three month tour of Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) where they were inspired by the strengthening independence struggle and musicians such as Thomas Mapfumo who were turning to African influences. On their return, the neat Nehru jackets that had been the band’s earliest stage wear were replaced by dashikis and Afros.“In Harari we rediscovered our African-ness, the infectious rhythms and music of the continent. We came back home inspired! We were overhauling ourselves into dashiki-clad musicians who were Black Power saluting and so on.” Sipho Hotstix Mabuse, talking of the band’s time spent on tour in the (then) Rhodesian township from where they took their name. As well as expressing confident African politics, Alec Khaoli recalled, they pioneered by demonstrating that such messages could also be carried by “...happy music. During apartheid times we made people laugh and dance when things weren’t looking good.”The two albums capture the band on the cusp of this transition. One the first album Harari, Inhlupeko Iphelile, Push It On and Thiba Kamoo immediately signal the new Afro-centric fusion of rock, funk and indigenous influences. Amercian soul pop is not forgotten with Love, Love, Love and, helped along by Kippie Moeketsi and Pat Matshikiza a bump-jive workout What’s Happening concludes the album. The second album Rufaro pushes the African identity and fusion further, with key tracks Oya Kai (Where are you going?), Musikana and Uzulu whilst the more pop-styled Rufaro and Afro-Gas point to where Harari were headed to in years to come. The popularity and sales generated by these two classic albums saw them signed by Gallo and release just two more albums with the original line-up before the untimely death of Selby Ntuli in 1978. Whilst they went on to greater success, even landing a song in the US Billboard Disco Hot 100 in 1982, it was never the same again.“Harari’s music still speaks directly to one of my goals as a younger artist: to express myself as an African without pretending that I don’t have all these other musical elements – classical, jazz, house – inside me.” (Thandi Ntuli, niece of Selby Ntuli).

Jazz re:freshed is proud to present the Sophmore album from saxophonist Marcus Joseph.The album moves between genres from spiritual jazz to hip-hop and features contemporary UK JAZZ luminaries such as Sheila Maurice-Grey (Kokoroko), Nathaniel Cross (Moses Boyd Exodus), Tony Kofi, Ife Ogunjobi (Ezra Collective), Theon Cross (Sons of Kemet), and is produced by Eddie Nache Hick (Sons of Kemet).Hailing from Leicester and of Afro-Caribbean descent, Joseph started playing clarinet at the age of seven. He originally gained airplay on BBC1Xtra as a hip-hop DJ and MC. He was subsequently inspired to pick up the saxophone and study jazz at universities in Leeds, London and New Orleans. Never one to be bound by location, he spent a period of time living in Barcelona.He has since played at landmark events such as Love Supreme and We Out Here.Marcus has supported the likes of Oscar Jerome, Blue Lab Beats as well as The Blackbyrds and has also worked with such luminaries as Dennis Rollins, Arun Ghosh, Dave O'Higgins, Abram Wilson, Gary Crosby and Eska.His work has been supported by Tom Robinson (6Music) and, his new album released on Jazz re:freshed, is a warm fusion of jazz, reggae, hip-hop and contemporary music.

Selva Discos keeps broadening horizons. Its next release celebrates the start of a new series called Novaterra, this time focused on showcasing the music of contemporary Brazilian artists. First up is Zopelar, known not only for his work with the anarchic-techno-punk act Teto Preto but also for the project My Girlfriend and his solo LP, both on Apron Records.The opener "Livre" has a great deep house vibe that makes you think of Prescription Records or Jazzanova, featuring a catchy bossa ad-lib. "NOX" is a Hammond-led tune with a groove bassline and lead that gets you going in no time as if Cesar Camargo Mariano and Larry Young toured together in the late 70's.