All Day Thumb Sucker

Electrik Afro

2008-08-17T10:50:00.000-07:00

This is a collection of 18 electrik-afro-funk tracks. Afro is hereby used in a wider sense. Some tracks are classical afro-funk tracks. Some tracks fell more into the category of Cosmic Afro:

In music, the terms Afro, Cosmic Disco, the Cosmic sound,^[1] free style^[2], and combinations thereof (Cosmic Afro^[3], Afro/Cosmic^[4] Afro-Freestyle,^[5] etc., as well as Afro-Funky^[6]) are used somewhat interchangeably to describe various forms of synthesizer-heavy and/or African-influenced dance music and methods of DJing that were originally developed and promoted by a small number of DJs in certain discothèques of Northern Italy from the late 1970s through the mid-1980s.

From Afro/Cosmic music

I personally like the Cosmic-Afro definition (and the music) a lot, although when i first heard what "Afro" meant for the Cosmic People in 1984, i was really confused. Like most people i associated african music with it. I included a few classical Cosmic-Afro tracks, most of them are really hard to find records. Some tracks are classical Afro-Funk tracks. Here we go:

Timmy Thomas - Africano
Classical Cosmic-Afro Track and was released as a B-Side of Touch To Touch in 1977. Great grooving tune, combines funk with some hooky synth lines and african percussion.
Soulful Dynamics - Jungle People
Liberian Band started as band in the 1960's. Jungle People was released on Columbia 1976.
Olatunji - Soul Makossa
This is a cover version of the mighty Soul Makossa from Manu Dibango. Babatunde Olatunji is a fantastic Nigerian percussionist . Unfortunately Olatunji died April 6, 2003 at the age of 75. He is greatly missed!
Soul Makossa is from the Album "Soul Makossa" released 1973.
Cultural Vibe - Ma Foom Bay
This is a massive classic! Released on Easy Street Records 1986 and is probably one of the first Afro-House records. Wicked, this is a real must!
The Unknown Cases - Masimba Bele (Dub Mix)
Masimba Bele was a massive club hit in 1983. Combines electronic drums with great percussion and a driving synth line.
Oneness of Juju - African Rhythms
Afro-Jazz with Babatunde Olatunji on Percussion. From the Album African Rhythms (1975)
Kabbala - Ashewo Ara
Rare track from the musician from Ghana. Fantastic driving afro-funk from 1982 released on Red Flame.
IMPI - Impi
This is a huge Cosmic-Afro hit. Contains heavy tribal percussion. It remembers me Johnny Wakelin's "In Zaire". Another really rare track released 1982 on Jive Records.
Fela Ransome Kuti & Africa 70 - Let's Start
From Fela Kuti's Live! Album released 1971 together with Ginger Baker on drums.
Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers - Berro & Sombaro
Ahh.. Berro & Sombero is another Cosmic Afro Classic from the grand masters of gogo-funk. Found on the mythical Bustin' Loose released 1979.
Buari - Karam Bani
Funky Afro from Ghana. Released on RCA 1976.
Dogs Of War - Future Jungle
Rare canadian disco track (1977) with excellent percussions and hooky synths. Re-released recently.
Manu Dibango - Abele Dance (Dub)
Great electro-afro-funk from the master of afro-groove. Released on Celluloid 1984.
Barrabás - Wild safari
A huge classic from the Spanish Funk Band from 1972. Funky tune with a great afro groove.
Banzaii - Rhythm Kung Fu
Obscure funky disco track with fantastic percussions. Mixed by Tom Moulton.
Kongas - Anikana-O
Now this is a massive track from the french group. Released 1974 on Barclay. Highly recommeded.
Kebekelektrik - War Dance
Another fantastic track from the french band. Fantastic electro-disco with excellent percussions and and some great synth works. Again highly recommended. Released 1977.

Ok that's it for today. This was a huge post and lot's of work. Enjoy it!

Muxtape.com craze

2008-08-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

Gosh, just found the wonderful muxtape.com allowing to create the old fashioned mixtape transposed to the digital era. Great stuff. Here is my muxtape.

N.C.C.U. - Super Trick (1977)

2008-08-01T15:58:00.000-07:00

Great Jazz - Funk Track from the debut record 'Super Trick' of N.C.C.U. - New Central Connection Unlimited. N.C.C.U. was produced by Donald Byrd and was born from the the jazz studies program at North Carolina Central University. See How N.C. Central's jazz program became a national leader

Super Trick

Manu Dibango - Super Koumba 12" (1988)

2008-08-01T15:05:00.000-07:00

The Super Koumba 12" is probably a re-recording/remix of the original Super-Kumba 7" from 1974. The b-side contains also a re-recorded/remixed version of the great Big Blow from 1976. Great Afro-Funk anyway!

Super Koumba (1988)
Big Blow (1988)

Check out the original version of Big Blow at block.party.music

Man Jumping - Aerotropics Remix (1984)

2008-08-01T07:17:00.000-07:00

Just stumbled over this fantastic 12" of Man Jumping. Aerotropics was released on Bill Nelson's Cocteau Label.
Famously described by Brian Eno as 'the most important band in the world', Man Jumping were formed in the mid-1980s from the members of Lost Jockey who were variously described as playing 'systems music' (which refers to the repetitive musical loops and themes of avant garde US composers such as Steve Reich, Philip Glass and Terry Riley) or 'systems funk'. See Wiki.

Man Jumping - Aerotropics Remix

Prince Charles & The City Beat Band - Stone Killers (1982)

2008-07-31T15:20:00.000-07:00

This is a killer record from Prince Charles & The City Beat Band. When i heard Don't Fake The Funk for the first time it was like a flashback and reminded me of the best days of P-Funk with Bootsy Collins, Parliament and Funkadelic. This is one of my preferred funk record ever and of course ripped from vinyl!

Enjoy it! -> Stone Killers

Track listing:

1		Don't Fake The Funk (6:04)
2		Cash (Cash Money) (7:44)
3		Big Chested Girls (7:47)
4		Cold As Ice (NYC Blues) (4:22)
5		I'm A Fool For Love (7:43)
6		Jungle Stomp (6:15)
7		Bush Beat (7:44)
8		Video Freak (Defend It!) (6:50)

Minimal Compact EP (1981)

2008-07-18T17:17:00.000-07:00

So this is my first post ever... Ok today i just digitized (192 kBit) an excellent record from Minimal Compact: Their debut EP rom 1981. Minimal Compact is a band from Israel. I would describe the style of their music as post-punk with a good portion of funkyness. Listen to the great Static Dancin'.

Enjoy it! -> Minimal Compact EP

Track Listing

1. Statik Dancin'
2. Creation Is Perfect
3. Ready-Made Diary
4. To Get Inside
5. Happy Babouge