Jamaram - Freedom Of Screech (Turban Records/Soulfire Artists/Grooveattack)
German band Jamaram already opted to put an animal on the cover of their albums on various occasions in the past: for 2010's 'Jameleon' a chameleon, for 2015's 'Heavy Heavy', the collaborative project with Acoustic Night Allstars, an elephant, and for 'Freedom Of Screech', this time they went with a colorful parrot.
Keith & Tex - Same Old Story (Liquidator Music)
If you were looking for the the rocksteady album of 2017, look no further! Veteran duo Keith & Tex joined forces with Spanish producer Roberto Sanchez (A-Lone Productions) and that collaboration resulted in 'Same Old Story', a truly excellent long player.
King Ayisoba - 1000 Can Die (Glitterbeat Records)
With '1000 Can Die' Ghanaian kologo player (a traditional lute) King Ayisoba tries to lift the traditional rhythms he learned from his father to the twenty-first century.
Daniel Dzidzonu - Unknownland + Vikpomé (Zephyrus Records)
For a while now Togolese trumpeter Daniel Dzidzonu has been causing an absolute buzz in the Belgian afrobeat and jazz scene, so high time to make his music available on record as well, and since at Zephyrus Records they don't do things in half, they are releasing two vinyl releases at once: 'Unknownland' and 'Vikpomé'.
Hijaz - 10 Years: Live Recording (Zephyrus Records)
Hijaz, the oriental jazz quartet around oud-player Moufadhel Adhoum and pianist Niko Deman is celebrating its tenth anniversary, and to mark the occasion, the band presents '10 Years: Live Recording', a kind of live 'Best Of' album that will only be made available in limited quantities.
iLLBiLLY HiTEC - One Thing Leads To Another (Echo Beach)
For their third long player the Berliners of iLLBiLLY HiTEC joined forces with Canadian dub master Jesse 'Dubmatix' King.
Nattali Rize - Rebel Frequency (Baco Records)
In February of last year Nattali Rize already gave us a taste of this new album with the release of her 'New Era Frequency' EP.
Patois Brothers - Wise & Wild (Self-published)
We honestly hadn't heard of Patois Brothers before, but none the less, 'Wise & Wild' is already the second long player by these five Venetians, at it since 2010.
Dálava - The Book Of Transfigurations (Songlines)
Dálava is a project around American-Czech vocalist Julia Ulehla and her husband, guitarist Aram Bajakian, who, for their repertoire, reinterpret Moravian folk songs that were collected over a century ago by Julia's great-grandfather botanist and ethnomusicologist Vladimir Ulehla.
A Thomas - Morgen & Doe Ne Keer Zot (Self-published)
Malinois Thomas Alberico aka A Thomas has there not the kind to sit still for long and in the six months prior to this new double album appeared not less than two reggae albums ('Ik Heb Je Lief ', an ode to love, and 'I Am The One') and as many hip-hop releases ('Short Stories' and 'Stranger')! 'Morgen', the first disc is filled with 10 Dutch reggae tracks for which he used recent riddims like One World ('Morgen'), Kingston 16 ('Iedereen Zou') or Rough Road ('Ik Weiger').
Various Artists - Terraforming In Analogue Space: IRL Remixes 2000-2015 (Independent Records Ltd)
English label IRL celebrates its fifteenth anniversary with the release of 'Terraforming In Analogue Space: IRL Remixes 2000-2015', also their hundredth release.
Atomic Spliff - Robomuffin (Self-published)
Two years after their acclaimed debut 'Ras Attack ', last year even crowned revelation of the year at the Victoires du Reggae in Fr ance, eccentric duo Stoneman and Daddy Cookiz aka Atomic Spliff returns with 'Robomuffin'.
Jackie Mittoo - Striker Showcase (17 North Parade/VP Records)
As the title suggests, with 'Striker Showcase', 17 North Parade/VP Records focus on the cooperation between Jamaican master keyboardist Jackie Mittoo and producer Bunny 'Striker' Lee.
Earth Beat Movement - Be Stronger (Self-published)
In our review of '70 BPM', Earth Beat Movement's album from last year, we still declared ourselves unconditional fans of the Tuscan band, but unfortunately we weren't as taken with this successor.
Philippe Baden Powell - Notes Over Poetry (Far Out Recordings)
Philippe Baden Powell is the son of the legendary Brazilian guitarist and composer Baden Powell de Aquino, but you may already have already guessed as much.
Lutan Fyah - Music Never Dies (I Grade Records)
With 'Music Never Dies', I Grade Records producer Laurent 'Tippy-I' Alfred finally presents the last part of the trilogy he set in motion back in 2014 with the release of Midnite's excellent 'Beauty For Ashes' album.
Shanty - Strange Little Human EP (Self-published)
Three year after their debut effort, 'Leave Me Out', London based Shanty returns with 'Strange Little Human', another EP.
Various Artists - The Techniques & Friends: Winston Riley's Rocksteady & Early Reggae 1968-1969 (Dub Store Records)
For the release of the fifth and last part in their King Jammy's Dancehall series, you'll have to be patient a little longer, but in the meantime Dub Store Records is already presenting 'The Techniques & Friends'.
Kingston All Stars - Presenting Kingston All Stars (Roots & Wire Records)
What Jamaica All Stars was for mento, ska and rocksteady, Kingston All Stars now wants to be for the roots from the golden era of the nineteen seventies.
The Nile Project - Jinja (Zambaleta)
The Nile Project is a collaborative project uniting15 musicians from different countries - Ethiopia, Egypt, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Sudan and Burundi - around the Nile and its tributaries.