Bob Hill Illicit Grooves
This EP is sheer class. Jingo and both mixes of Wono have and will appear on the playlists of The Illicit Grooves Radio Show as will and have tracks from the album too.
For our 7th release, we present our first 12” EP featuring music by London-based producer and DJ Koichi Sakai, a well-known head in London music circles thanks to his role in co-founding the legendary Afrobeat Vibration nights alongside Dele Sosimi. In collaboration with Ghanaian percussionist and singer Afla Sackey (Afrik Bawantu), this project sees Koichi mixing African percussion instruments and themes with synths and drum machines.
The A Side features the dancefloor workout ‘Jingo’, a fresh take on Babatunde Olatunji’s original featuring vocals and percussion by Afla Sackey and guitar by Mao Yamada, with Koichi on synths and drum machine.
On the B Side, ‘Wono’ the title track from Koichi’s debut LP gets the remix treatment by Osunlade (Yoruba Soul) who takes Afla’s lead vocals and a few percussion elements and turns it into a stripped-down, hypnotic dancefloor monster. On B2, Venezuela producer Pocz aka Carlos Mayoral creates a funked up, latinized version of the original featuring a brand new bassline and jazzy synths.
This EP comes as a lead up to Koichi’s first LP, ‘Wono’,released towards the end of 2019, It comes housed in our 12” company sleeve designed by Ese in Mexico and is mastered by Frank Merritt at The Carvery.
Credits:
Jingo:
Afla Sackey - Djembe, Congas, Ngome, Clave, Shekere, Vocal and backing vocal
Koichi Sakai - OB6, DX7, Moog Mother32, Doepfer Darktime, Microkorg Vocoder, TR-626
Mao Yamada - Guitar
Mixed by Shinjiro Ikeda
Wono (Original version):
Afla Sackey - Marimbula and vocals
Koichi Sakai - OB6, DX7, Microkorg, and Clave
Yuval Juba Wetzelr - Drums
Dele Sosimi - Backing vocals
Mixed by Shinjiro Ikeda
This album has continued to entertain and give me juice since I discovered it several years ago. And all my friends with whom I shared it also find it to have great upbeat energy. May Waaju create more music! Tom Land
Spiritual, deep, rich psychedelic music with all the influences from around the world. How can you not have this in your collection. Much thanks to Bob Hill - Illicit Grooves for the heads up and thankfully DrBob Jones, Mark Blee and I have featured tracks on The Surgery, Searching For The Perfect Beat and Music Without Labels radio shows. Music Without Labels
Herky-jerk electro minimalism brushes up against deep, simmering grooves on the latest exploratory dance record from Kevin Reynolds. Bandcamp New & Notable Sep 12, 2016