Saigon Soul Revival
Họa Âm Xưa

The discography of the phantom Gruppo Sound exceeds over thirty titles published in an undefined time frame between the Eighties and the Nineties. However, there is very little information about this curious pseudonym. it is possible to find a library music album by Gruppo Sound inside the Canopo, Deneb, Flower, Monosound Records and Teams catalogues, all managed by Flipper Music publishing group, but both the creators and the musicians have never been the same. Gruppo Sound is only a collective name, maybe to identify a certain number of 'new' productions characterized by an electronic background And, not by chance, the author of “New York City” is a single artist, the multi-instrumentalist Gabriele Ducros. Son of the prolific composer Remigio Ducros, he first followed his footsteps in the field of music libraries and soundtracks and then become the author of many tracks for television commercials of a certain relevance, winning some international awards.“Some of these tracks may have been associated with a pornographic film. Others were, however, made as brief comments for a theatrical show, perhaps never made”, remembers Gabriele Ducros. What unites the thirteen pieces is the same musical language, which derives from a widespread funk and jazz matrix. Both genres are thus declined through a different approach and taste, in line with the fusion trends of the time, when the early synthesizers were used by few artists. A handful of electric guitar notes for a 'urban' mood, the acoustic ones from a dreamy morning awakening. Electronic keyboards to arouse a sense of nostalgia in the listener, while flute and saxophone always punctuate different atmospheres. A computer melody, a theme for children and a sophisticated ode to the fusion sound of the Big Apple, perhaps true source of ispiration of the work. “New York City” is not a concept album, but one of the best cross-sections of Gabriele Ducros' great creativity.

Favorite Recordings and Charles Maurice proudly present the 4th edition of the AOR Global Sounds compilations series: 14 rare and hidden tracks, produced between 1977 and 1986 in various parts of the world. Started in 2015, the AOR Global Sounds series was born from the will of Charles Maurice (aka Pascal Rioux) to share his longtime love for the AOR and WestCoast movement and highlight its influence for many artists in the late 70s and early 80s. In this 4th volume, he selected again highly forgotten productions, deeply infused with Disco and Soul flavors.Half of the compilation’s tracklist is naturally coming from the US, homeland of this music style, but the other half is made of productions from all over the globe, from France, Belgium, Italy, to Mexico. And for most of these beautiful songs, it came from artists and bands rather unknown and often released as private press.As an example, “Come Back” is the result of a music talent competition won by a student band named Parenthèse, gaining a full recording session in a professional studio and the production of a limited promotional 7inch vinyl, which still completely obscure til now. “Mellow Out” comes from the only album by Pacific Dreams, which was fully self-produced and released by its leader Tommy Sweet. Fernando Toussaint, however having quite a solid career and discography as a drummer and with his brother forming the Mexican Jazz-Funk band Sacbé, had solely one solo album released in very limited quantities on Discos Alebrije, a label directed by Alain Derbez. As for “Never Was Love” by Russ Long, despite becoming quite famous when recorded and sang by Judy Roberts, it’s still surprisingly undiscovered in its original version, taken from Russ’ beautiful album from 1982, Long On Jazz In Kansas City.And we could detail stories like this for each of the titles included in AOR Global Sounds Vol.4, but our guessing is the best way to learn more about all these gems is to listen to it, fully remastered from originals, and whether your preference is for vinyl or CD formats.

A theme park sits just north of the most Easterly town in the UK and boasts of thrilling and very antiquated rides that are constantly in danger of breaking down and where Exotica and Kitsch rub shoulders with heart attack inducing sudden drops into the void and where a technician can be seen often running from one ride to the other in a state of constant anxiety. Not only the place where Pleasurewood's Paul Elliott and Anthony Donje draw their name from but also a pretty apt analogue for their debut LP on Farfalla Records."They Live" is a trip through a cinematic funk-o-rama of French inspired 60's and 70's gauche TV beats and 70's and 80's Simla beat Mumbai synth rock. Glassy Vox Continental leads give way to purring Hammond Organ passages. The back beat is always underpinned by the drums and spicy percussion of Elliott. Chanted vocals are drifting in and out of consciousness- Jimmy Raney esque noodlings of jazz guitar played by Donje nimbly step across the stereo field. Both musicians compose and contribute guitar, bass and avian synthesisers.

Moar is hot on the floor with this double Hip-Hop/RnB single. Don't miss it, this is a new killer track for the party :-)Dancefloors were made for this, quality stuff.Hand stamped records & limited press!

A record-book proposition (Limited edition):- A 7inch vinyl record by Terakaft, produced by Justin Adams (Robert Plant, Brian Eno, Tinariwen…)- A novel by Philippe Brix written in English and French...Welcome to the fascinating world of Terakaft, one of the most legendary bands from the acclaimed Desert Blues / Tuareg Rock scene that’s been nurturing in the Sahara desert for the last two decades. A world made of light, dust, goats, tree shadows, gas, tea and fire. A world where teenagers don’t dream of being footballers but guitarists like Ibrahim of Tinariwen, like Sanou of Terakaft, or like Ousmane of Tamikrest. A world made of constant stuggles, of war zones, where getting a visa to tour is nearly impossible, where covering your face and head with tuareg turbans to face the desert winds will turn you into a potential islamist when boarding an airplane. A world that Phillipe Brix knows damn well: he’s been managing those guitar heroes for the last two decades. Jagwar is his coming-of-age story, a tale of resilience, of doom, of family, of utmost tensions and unrivaled peace, the adventure of a life time. His journey will take you from the deepest deserts of Mali, Morocco and Mauritania to the biggest music festivals all across Europe and America. "In the desert, the dry air carries sound with clarity" - Philippe Brix "A Kalashnikov has thirty bullets in a magazine; once you’ve emptied it, it’s over. A guitar has no limits." - Diara, Terakaft

This EP is the first release to mark the start of a new adventure, illustrating Rude Jude's commitment to a smooth and melodic vintage sound.Featuring 3 original songs, a cover and an epilogue, it is deeply inspired by the legends of Adult Oriented Rock and a mix of 70s/80s Soft Rock, Jazz and Pop.The contribution of the talented vocalist, songwriter and violin player, Jon GK can't be understated in creating and interpreting these songs. All the parts are played by musicians and the production is made through as much analog gear from that era as possible. It is not just a tribute but an attempt to carry the torch and bring something new to the current music landscape.