N'draman Blintch – Cosmic Sounds

 

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Format: Vinyl LP
Afrobeat/Funk/Disco

REVIEWS

"Absolute killer reissue" - GILLES PETERSON

"Could N’Draman be the next William Onyeabor-esque discovery?" - MR BONGO

"One of the holy grails of Nigerian disco" - MCDE

"Hands down a deserved "all killer, no filler" classification" - RUSH HOUR STORE

"Nigerian disco grail, If you’re into this genre, this is the ultimate bomb" - SUPERFLY RECORDS

"This record is meant to make you dance well into the apocalypse" - BANDCAMP DAILY

"Sounds like the soundtrack to the funkiest space-aged african disco party" - MUSIC IS MY SANCTUARY

"Bonkers Afro disco holy grail" - PHONICA

“One of the most amazing reissue album lately, super funky Nigerian Afro Cosmic disco bombs especially the B1 Cosmic Sounds! Wow!" - ALEX FROM TOKYO

“Should you stumble on an original copy of N'Draman Blintch's 1980 album Cosmic Sounds for sale, it would cost you upwards of 1,000 Pounds. This, then, is a much-needed reissue. It contains four fine cuts that showcase the Ivory Coast-born musician's distinctively intergalactic take on Afro-disco, where spacey electronics and mazy synth lines rise above bustling, high octane grooves” - JUNO

“Afro disco feat some insane drum breaks and synth action, this is peak time territory for all the cosmic dance-floors out there." - CEDRIC WOO (BEAUTY & THE BEAT)

"Amazing, psychedelic, engagé afro-disco from the same milieu as William Onyeabor. Very warmly recommended." - HONEST JONS

"Truly obscure, killer and a true missing link which is known to be elusive, even for hardcore diggers." - DISKUNION

"While the long songs and keys might recall some of William Onyeabor’s music, the overall groove is tighter and a lot more soulful - beautiful tracks that take all the long-form jamming of Afro Funk ensembles, and bring it down to a small combo mode, with wonderful live interplay between drums, bass, keayboards and guitar!" - DUSTY GROOVE

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Tired of reading the words ‘classic’, ‘masterpiece’, ‘missing link’, ‘cult’, ‘seminal’ in every press release? Just trust us on this one: this is the real deal. We have no choice but to use those words and urge you to (re)discover one of the ultimate Afro Disco lost classics. If you’ve never heard it, thank god. If you’re one of the very few connoisseurs who have, get to experience it in a carefully remastered version.

How could such a masterpiece stay in obscurity for so long?

Well, no one knows where N’draman is. He’s presumed dead, and so is Mr Patrick, the label owner, an ex football player who turned his focus into fashion after suffering a career ending injury. Selling jeans from an outlet in Monrovia (Liberia), he only ventured in the music business for a short period of time, releasing a handful of incredible albums on his Cosmic Sounds imprint.

The word on the street was that Nigerian legend William Onyeabor was somehow involved with the production of the album, or maybe playing synths on it. Both those rumours were inaccurate, although N’draman Blintch’s previous and first record “Cikamele”, was indeed recorded at Willfilms, Onyeabor’s studio in Enugu, Nigeria. And some of the musicians playing here were also key members in his pool of session musicians.

“Cosmic Sounds” is many things: Psychedelic, politically engaged, funky to death, full of synths, with an artwork to die for, a perfect crossover of African and Western culture. Music for the body and soul. Cosmic disco before the genre even existed. Actually the genre was born the year this record was released. Did Dj Danielle Baldelli hear it? Was it ever played by Larry Levan or Mancuso? In a pre internet era, its unlikely but not impossible. Nowadays most DJs know what’s up now that Africa is on the map. Go and check the discogs page: 550 wants, countless messages of people ready to pay any amount for a copy. The last one sold for 1300 euros, and it was the first to show up for sale in the last 5 years.

We are extremely honored in carrying the reissue of this gem and have treated the task with utmost respect: both artwork and audio were restored by specialists, and liner notes were written by Temitope Kogbe, an Afro Funk expert who runs the label OdionLivingston, founded with legendary EMI Nigeria producer Odion Iruoje.

38 years after its original release, the world is finally ready to hear ‘Cosmic Sounds’ in all its glory.

Wagadu Grooves Vol. 2 (The Hypnotic Sound Of Camara 1991-2014)

 

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Format: Vinyl 2xLP
African



REVIEWS

"Much more expansive in sound than its predecessor, the album darts sporadically from disco to funk, soul, tropicalia, and jazz fusion. The sonic diversity and compelling performances featured on the album are as captivating as they are infectiously groovy" ★★★★½
FAR OUT

"This collection, and volume one, serve as a statement about what African diasporic communities bring to colonizing countries and perhaps a reminder of the importance of openness in the face of growing Western fascism and the “other-ising” ugliness that is so often at the heart of the ignorance that becomes support for such cruelty”
ROOTSWORLD

"Wagadu Grooves Vol. 2 is a vibrant snapshot of West African music, with Camara ensuring that the intersecting stories of migration, shifting identities, and cultural heritage within Wassoulou’s musical landscape are preserved"
HHV MAG

"Every track is a revelation, with a music that bumps, bobs and, most essentially, grooves along to the electronic sounds of the urban and modern"
MONOLITH COCKTAIL

"The follow up to one of last year’s best releases, infectuous jams from the Malian diaspora. This one pushes the genre into the near-present, endless heat from the vaults of Camara Production, a late 1970s label lead by the legendary Gaye Mody Camara, a towering figure in Malian music and culture"
MISSISSIPPI RECORDS

"The tunes bracket the start of the 21 Century, and really show the new energy that was taking place in France in the latter post-colonial years – presented here in mix of electric and acoustic modes, with inspirations from hip hop, club, and even zouk styles too! Most tracks here only ever came out on cassette, or as digital releases – making first-time vinyl debuts"
DUSTY GROOVE

"Hot Mule are the absolute dons at these comps, but I think they've excelled themselves on "Wagadu Grooves Vol.2". These tracks are sublime! And most of them relatively unknown to your average digger"
PICCADILLY RECORDS

"I don't know how the team at Hot Mule widdled it down to just twelve tracks, maybe they've got volumes 3, 4, 5 and more still to come, I really do hope so"
BBC3 MUSIC PLANET

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In Paris, a creative force of artists molded the cultural identity of the Malian diaspora, infusing the city’s eclectic mix of sounds with their own rich heritage. At the heart of it all was Gaye Mody Camara, a towering figure in Malian music and culture since the late 1970s. Born in Abidjan and raised in Kayes, he grew up fascinated by the rhythms of Wassoulou, steeped in the rhythms of a land shaped by diverse ethnicities and traditions, including the Peul, Bambara, and Dogon. His migration to Paris didn’t sever these ties; instead, it amplified them.

Camara’s entrepreneurial spirit took root early, first in the markets of Paris, where he sold kola nuts and wax fabrics, and later as he built a reputation as a producer and distributor of West African music. Working between Paris, Bamako, and Abidjan, he captured music from artists hailing primarily from Mali and neighboring countries such as Senegal, Mauritania, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, and occasionally The Gambia. Whether flying musicians to studios in Bamako, Abidjan, or Paris, Camara’s productions bridged continents, preserving the sounds of home while documenting the voices of an ever-shifting diaspora.

Where Wagadu Grooves: The Hypnotic Sound of Camara 1987–2016 focused on the sounds of the Soninke, Wagadu Grooves Vol.2 delves into the entirety of Camara Production’s vast catalog, shining a light on the syncretic sounds that resonated through the streets of Montreuil, Saint-Denis, and the numerous migrant housing centers around the city. Here, Malian musicians carried with them the rhythms of Wassoulou, from the traditional harvest dance sogonikun, to djaga, didadi, and sumu, the joyous, female-led celebrations rooted in Mali’s pre colonial traditions.

Yet these were not merely echoes of the past; the city’s gritty undercurrent shaped these soundscapes, blending the hypnotic plucks of the kamélé ngoni, and the rhythms of the djembé with heavy autotune, drum machines and synths, funk arrangements, Afropop, Afro-Zouk, Rap, and even proto house.

Through its 12 tracks originally released on cassette tapes or digitally, Wagadu Grooves Vol. 2 brings to life these rich and diverse sounds, honoring the vision, creativity, and business savvy of Gaye Mody Camara, whose five-decade long career has shaped the sound of Malian communities in Paris and beyond.

Wagadu Grooves: The Hypnotic Sound of Camara 1987-2016 2xLP 

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Format: Vinyl
African/Reggae/Fusion/Disco

"A zinging survey of the dazzlingly diverse, thrilling, neglected releases of Gaye Mody Camara, a young Soninke raised in Mali’s Kayes region, who settled in France in 1977. He started out by selling wax, kola nuts, and other items in Paris; and in no time he was distributing cassette tapes, on his way to producing a multitude of recordings for his own label, Camara Production. A fascinating, precious insight into the modern diaspora of an ancient culture, spanning out as Malian zouk, Mauritanian reggae, and a myriad of grooving, head-spinning directions. Prepared in full collaboration with Gaye Camara; with riso-printed notes."
HONEST JON'S

"It is hard in 2024 to reissue music from the African continent while remaining fresh and surprising. Bingo. Hot Mule takes the podium with this compilation from “Camara production” a label founded in Paris, a reference for the Soninke artistic diaspora and other Malian talents. Very deep, tradi-modern and voices... voices!"
SOFA RECORDS

"Wagadu Grooves: The Hypnotic Sound of Camara 1987-2016 showcases all the different ways the ancient Soninke sound developed through modern production: the delicate, hypnotic lute set alongside the regular beats of a drum machine and heavily autotuned vocals on opener “Kori,” the synthy reggae of “Yexu,” the endlessly transportive “Koolo Fune,” or the swirling disco of “Tenedo.” All blur the borders between tradition and innovation, and are a tribute to Camara’s efforts to keep Soninke culture alive."
SHFL

"With the help of this wonderful vinyl 2LP, a lot could be told about the fluidity of culture, about the history of Africa, but also about intercontinental migration, about nation-statehood and much more. The centuries-old history of these recordings is told in detail in the liner notes and can also be read on the Internet. The music itself tells the story. On “Wagadu Grooves: The Hypnotic Sound Of Camara 1987-2016” you can find traces of disco and reggae, but of course also ancient rhythms, autotune meets traditional instruments."
HHV MAG

"Hot Mule and partners have produced an essential introductory showcase/revitalisation of Soninke sounds: the very epitome of ‘cool’ and enlightenment. And with it, shed that metaphorical light on a story that needs shouting about. I can’t really fault the collection. And so recommend you make room for it, add to your listening list, and better still, purchase a copy ahead of the rush: I’m anticipating it will sell out fast."
MONOLITH COCKTAIL

"10/10 comp"
PALMS TRAX

"This here release is, quite unpretentiously, the stuff of legend, actually several legends wrapped into one phenomenal release."
GREEDY FOR BEST MUSIC

"A way of reliving the Soninké cosmogonies from their beginnings, to their most recent development, stories of prosperity and adventure, of exile and roots, mixed with the sounds of ancient koras or ngoni, just as the digital echoes of synthesizers and vocoders."
DJOLO.NET

"The best thing i've heard so far this year."
MACCA / ONE GLOVE (NTS)

"Beautiful sounds from a very unique label – one started in Paris by a Malian merchant in the 80s, in order to both present sounds from his homeland, and all of the wonderful new variations that were taking place on the cross-cultural scene in France! The body of work is partly a compelling document of culture in diaspora, but more importantly presents a nice range of grooves with a vibe that's very different than mainstream music from the time – especially some of the too-commercialized records that were shifting big numbers on the world music scene."
DUSTY GROOVE

"Beautifullt curated and remastered with the aim of bringing the sound of Camara, and the Soninke diaspora and language to a new audience."
THE CHILLOUT TENT

"A ridiculously beautiful record."
TOM RAVENSCROFT (BBC 6 MUSIC)

"A spectacular collection of funky African grooves"
VINYL EXCHANGE

"I suppose the category is "Electronic griot" and it is consistently high quality, as is the production."
MUZIKIFAN

"The whole thing is beautiful."
ZAKIA (NTS)

"Ranging from driving percussive numbers to melodic ballads, this diverse collection showcases Camara’s sonic evolution and timeless talent. As the tracks blur borders between disco, reggae, and soul, listeners’ ears will delight with the echo of a magical musical experience – a chronicle of harmonic creativity that is a fitting tribute to this formidable artist and his brilliant Camara Production label."
TWISTEDSOULMUSIC.ORG

"A great name and equally great music."
MUSIC PLANET (BBC3)

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The Soninke collective consciousness finds its origins in a founding myth, a blood pact: the legend of Biida and the decadence of the empire of Ghana or Wagadu (evoked by Léopold Sédar Senghor as a land of plenty in his poem Le Kaya Magan). From the 3rd century AD, gathered in the region of Sahel, on the edge of the Sahara desert, the Soninko ruled over their kingdom and its capital Kumbi Saleh. According to folklore, they were blessed with abundant rain and nuggets of gold could be picked directly from the ground.

They owed this prosperity to a providential but cruel protector: the Wagadu Biida, a seven-headed serpent who lived at the bottom of the Kumbi well. Every year, as a reward for his favours, the Biida demanded an offering: the life of the most beautiful virgin woman in the community. Sacrifices took place for generations, until the 13th century AD, when fate chose Siya Yatabéré, Maamadi Sehedunxote's sweetheart.

When the dreadful day came, no one seemed surprised to find the young man armed on his stallion, facing the beast’s lair alongside Siya Yatabéré. The Biida always came out of the well three times before taking his victim. And so it went, until the third apparition when the sky darkened, the thunder rumbled and the wind blew. Maamadi charged at the Biida and cut off its head with his sword. In turn, six other heads appeared and were immediately cut off, each landing on what would become the sites of West Africa’s seven great gold mines. From the seventh severed head arose a curse: "With my end begins a period of calamity for you and your people. For seven years, seven months and seven days, not a drop of water will fall on Wagadu and your gold will turn to dust". According to oral tradition, the murder of Biida symbolises the ethinc group's abandonment of ancestor worship and adoption of Islam.

With the realm in its death throes, the dispersion of the Soninko became inevitable. Nomads at heart, always wanting to go beyond their borders, they first criss-crossed the sub-region or Central Africa (the two Congos), then kept on moving from one area to another in West Africa (mainly Mali, Senegal, Mauritania, Guinea, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau), not only to trade and farm, but also to reach out to others, gather knowledge and gain autonomy...

Centuries later in 1977, Gaye Mody Camara, a young Soninke raised in Mali's Kayes region, settled in France to found his own empire. Initially selling wax, kola nuts and other goods in his Parisian outlets, he rapidly started distributing cassette tapes and eventually producing a multitude of recordings for his own label: Camara Production.

Crossing paths and collaborating over the next four decades with legendary artists, griots and industry moguls like Boncana Maïga, Jean-Philippe Rykiel, Ganda Fadiga, Diaby Doua or Ibrahima Sylla, Camara became one of the great independent music producers of his generation, and a pilar of the Parisian Soninke diaspora.

Released in close collaboration with Gaye Camara and with the assistance of Daouda N'diaye, one of A.P.S' (Association pour la Promotion de la langue et de la culture Soninké) historical members, this selection of songs and accompanying notes aim to shed a light on an intricate culture and its modern music, unjustifiably unknown outside of West Africa and the various diasporas around the world.

Originally released on cassettes or digitally, we have given the utmost attention to bringing this music to a new format. It has been carefully remastered and pressed on heavyweight vinyl.

The release of this compilation coincides with a huge victory achieved by the A.P.S in october 2023: the proclamation by UNESCO of an international day of the Soninke language on September 25th.

Pasteur Lappé – African Funk Experimentals 1979 - 1981 LP 

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Format: Vinyl
African/Funk

Step forward Cameroonian funk master Pasteur Lappe. The story begins in the 60s with a charming 19 year old Nicolas "Pasteur" Lappe becoming a sensation on Radio Adele in Douala Cameroun. He goes on to become the editor of Douala Gazette newspaper and become friends with other African music stars such as Tala AM, J Moboule and Fela Kuti. He also works tirelessly promoting new and upcoming local Cameroonian talent. After moving to Paris, a stint in Journalism school and publishing a book of poems "Chansons Negres" he finally settles into a new life of music in Paris.

Our hero makes a trio of albums from 1979 to 1981 with backing band and production collective called the Zulu Gang which include Douglas Mbida (who goes onto release several top flight albums himself) and Jacob Desvariaux (who went on to form Kassav). The three albums are full of diverse sounds; from driving funk, sweeping disco grooves, syrupy ballads, reggae, Jackson-five-esque pop to finger-lickin' soul. At their core though is the "Sekele" groove... a movement to encompass the dance, grooves and vibes from his native Douala.

Our album opens up with the pulsating percussion and floor-filling bass groove of "More Sekele Movement". We then move onto Africa Seven favourite "Na Real Sekele Fo' Ya" which takes stabby moog bass synth to a whole new level of grooviness. "Sanaga Calkpso" is more experimental in comparison its moog groove would go onto to form the basis of a highlight of the debut Kassav album. "Hiembi Nin" is a song in two parts; half Shaft groove and half synthy Calypso. "Back To Funky" is dance funk and features Maryse Lappe guesting on vocals.

Opening up on side two of the record is the Rhodes and sax led jazz funk of "Mbale", followed by the clavinet groove, sleezy brass and politically charged lyrics. "Sekelemania" is a cool piece of tropical, calypso funk. Lead track from Album 2, the single "ABC" is stomping afro, pop funk delight closes proceedings.

The nostalgic poet, with Africa at his essence Pasteur Lappe, we salute you.