The Beat feat. Ranking Roger - Bounce (DMF Music)
After last year's 'Subculture' by The Selecter, DMF Music now also presents a new long player by The Beat, and as the first new album of this Brummie band in nearly three decades, the release of 'Bounce' is quite the event.
Ialma - Camiño (Homerecords.be)
Ialma are Veronica Codesal (who some of you may still remember as a member of Urban Trad), Magali Menendez, Natalia Codesal and Marisol Palomo, 4 Brussels vocalists of Galician descent, who for over 15 years now, have been putting their own twist on Galician folk (because of the region's Celtic past, closely related to its Scottish and Irish counterparts, among other things illustrated by the frequent use of the bagpipes, see for example 'Novo Alen').
Resonators - Imaginary People (Wah Wah 45s)
Yours truly got to know Resonators back in 2014 thanks to the release of the deluxe edition of 'The Constant', the band's sophomore album.
Pat Thomas - Coming Home: Original Ghanaian Highlife & Afro beat Classics 1967-1981 (Strut Records)
Just as after the release of 'Love And Death', Strut Records released the Ebo Taylor retrospective 'Life Stories: Highlife & Afrobeat Classics 1973-1980', the label is now doing the same for "The Golden Voice of Africa": Pat Thomas.
José Mauro - Obnoxious (Far Out Recordings)
Far Out Recordings will now also be reissuing the back catalog of Roberto Quartin's Quartin label, starting with 'Obnoxious', a forgotten gem from Brazilian music history by José Mauro.
Ogun Afrobeat - Koko Iroyin (Self-published)
Ogun Afrobeat is a Spanish afrobeat project around Nigerian drummer Akindimeji Onasanya. The band's name refers to the Yoruba god or orisha of war and metals.
Max Romeo - Horror Zone (Nu-Roots Records)
'Horror Zone', the new long player by reggae veteran Max Romeo, is in more than one respect the logical sequel to his legendary 1976 'War Ina Babylon' album.
Various Artists - They Will Have To Kill Us First: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Transgressive Records/Pias)
'They Will Have To Kill Us First' is the soundtrack to the 2015 documentary of the same name by Johanna Schwartz about the impact the raids by the jihadist fundamentalists of Ansar Dine and Al-Qaeda had on the musical life in Mali.
Noura Mint Seymali - Arbina (Glitterbeat Records)
For 'Arbina', her second international album, Mauritanian iggawen (griot) Noura Mint Seymali once again took to Studio G in Brooklyn, where she'd recorded part of predecessor 'Tzenni' as well.
Alpha & Omega meets Ras Tinny - No Beginning No End (Steppas Records)
Good news for fans of English duo Alpha & Omega, because Christine Woodbridge and John Sprosen took to the studio again for 'No Beginning No End'.
Zion Train - Versions (Universal Egg)
Once every so often Neil Perch calls on some of his colleagues to rework some of his productions (see also 'Original Sounds Of The Zion Remixed' or 'Live As One - Remixed').
The Ukrainians - Evolutsiya! 40 Best And Rarest 1991-2016 (Eastblok Music)
The Ukrainians celebrate their twenty-fifth anniversary in style with the release of this 'Evolutsiya! 40 Best And Rarest 1991-2016'.
Speed Caravan - Big Blue Desert (World Village/Harmonia Mundi)
Eight (!) years after 'Kalashnik Love', Algerian oud-master Mehdi Haddab finally returns with a successor.
Damakase - Gunfan Yellem! (Captain Pouch Records)
For Damakase, Ethiopian masenqo player Endris Hassen (The Ex, Ethiocolor, The Nile Project.
Barcelona Gipsy Balkan Orchestra - Del Ebro Al Danubio (Satélite K)
Barcelona Gipsy Klezmer Orchestra is dead; long live Barcelona Gipsy Balkan Orchestra! Not that there's that makes of a difference: apart from clarinet player Robindro Nikolic, the line-up of the band has remained unchanged, even though for 'Del Ebro Al Danubio' the remaining band members could also count on the musical support of David Pastor (trumpet), Yannis Papaioanou (oud), Dani Carbonell (clarinet) and Ivan Ilic (guitar).
Massy The Creator - Future Roots (Self-published)
Beat maker, producer, song writer, director and graphic designer Michael DaCosta certainly earned his stage name Massy The Creator.
Pascuala Ilabaca y Fauna - Rey Loj (Petit Indie)
Chilean singer-songwriter Pascuala Ilabaca's new album 'Rey Loj' - the title translates as "Father Time" and is sort of an anagram of reloj, Spanish for watch - must be a serious contender for the most beautifully executed album sleeve of 2016, because when one opens the cardboard CD-case an impressive popup of Father Time appears.
Graveola - Camaleão Borboleta (Mais Um Discos)
If you are looking for some upbeat Brazilian party music, Graveola will not be your ideal choice.
Nubiyan Twist - Siren Song EP (Wormfood Records)
Apart from to Afriquoi, a band we already introduced on these pages last year, London based label Wormfood Records is also home to twelve-piece band Nubiyan Twist, who with 'Siren Song' are presenting a new 5 track EP.
Count Ossie & The Mystic Revelation Of Rastafari - Grounation (Dub Store Records)
All praises to Dub Store Records, because after bundling a series of Ras Michael's early recordings for 'A Psalm Of Praises To The Most High 1967-1972', the Japanese label now also gives 'Grounation', the iconic album by Count Ossie and The Mystic Revelation Of Rastafari, a second life.