Buddha Council - True Love (Roots Musician Records)
With 'True Love' we finally get served some East Coast reggae again, as Buddha Council is a five piece band from Virginia Beach in the eponymous state.
Phil Pratt - The War Is On Dub Style (Pressure Sounds)
These days producer Phil Pratt puts most of his time in running his Scandal Take Away restaurant in Harlesden, but the man still has a lot of musical treasures hidden away in his attic! Take 'The War Is On Dub Style' for example, a highly sought after collector's item amongst vinyl collectors, originally released on the Sunshot somewhere in the early nineteen eighties.
Moja - One (InOuïe Distribution)
'One' is the debut album by Moja, a band from Nantes around singer Marine 'Mamatya' Annic.
Alpheus - Light Of Day (Liquidator Music)
After 2011s 'From Creation' and 2014s 'Good Prevails', 'Light Of Day' is already the third collaboration between Alpheus and Spanish producer Roberto Sanchez.
IQulah Rastafari & Giddeon Family featuring Azania Family - Africa Call EP (Self-published)
For this 3 track 'Africa Call' EP, Rasta Ambassador IQulah Rastafari joined forces with South African band Azania.
Markku Lepistö - Solos (Rapusaari Records)
We got to know Finnish accordionist Markku Lepistö as one half of duo Lepistö & Lehti, but on 'Solos' we only get to hear Markku's accordion.
Etenesh Wassie & Mathieu Sourisseau - Yene Alem (Buda Musique)
From all non-Western genres Ethio-jazz is perhaps most experimented with, and 'Yene Alem' by Etenesh Wassie and Mathieu Sourisseau is certainly no exception.
Joe Pilgrim & The Ligerians - Step Out EP (SoulNurse Records)
After the excellent 2015 long player 'Intuitions', Joe Pilgrim & The Ligerians return with this possibly even more impressive sounding 'Step Out' EP.
Toko Telo - Diavola (Anio Records)
After the sudden demise of accordionist and Malagasy music icon Régis Gizavo in the summer of last year, Toko Telo was suddenly reduced from a trio to a duo. As a tribute to Gizavo, the scheduled concerts still went ahead as planned, but eventually vocalist/percussionist Monika Njava and guitarist/vocalist D'Gary had to make a decission about the project's future.
Dubheart - Cool Under Pressure (Karnatone Records)
Yours truly got to know Bournemouth-based British band Dubheart about four years ago with the release of their 'Mental Slavery' EP and dub counterpart 'Mental Slavery Dub'. For this 'Cool Under Pressure' album, the five piece band opted for the showcase format, with 7 vocal cuts each time followed by a dub version.
Pacific Grown - Start From Scratch EP (Roots Musician Records)
Some more freshly squeezed Californian surf-reggae anyone? Pacific Grown is a four-piece band from Salinas with this 5 track 'Start From Scratch' presenting its debut-EP.
O.B.F. & Charlie P - Ghetto Cycle (Dubquake Records)
For 'Ghetto Cycle' the French O.B.F. Sound System joined forces with English MC Charlie P.
Etana - Reggae Forever (Tad's Record)
Apparently Etana's contract with VP Records has come to an end, so this new album appears on the Jamaican Tad's Record label of Tad Dawkins.
Soom T - Born Again (Strong Foundation/Musicast Distribution)
Soom T has never made a secret of the fact she's a devout Christian, but with the title of this new opus, 'Born Again', and some of the songs in the track list she now seems ready to take her faith to a musical level.
Romain Virgo - Lovesick (VP Records)
Romain Virgo is madly in love and wants everyone to known, as his new album 'Lovesick' is one big collection of love and break up tunes.
BCUC - Emakhosini (Buda Musique)
Who still remembers the time record companies put out vinyl records featuring only three or four songs (think Fela Kuti or in the reggae Ijahman Levi)? To do that in this day and age takes guts, but that's something South African BCUC or Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness certainly has got aplenty!
Orchestre Toubab - Teeru Deggoo (Self-produced)
Orchestre Toubab is a Brussels based Afro-tropical jazz quartet around guitarist Robert Falk. The band's name is a nod to Senegal's legendary Orchestra Baobab, where the term "toubab" is used to describe Caucasian foreigners.
Herve Samb - Teranga (Cristal Records/Sony Music)
Herve Samb is a Senegalese guitarist, composer and producer who started his musical career performing in Dakar's club circuit. Samb was fascinated by Western blues and rock ever since he was a child, but when Belgian guitarist Pierre van Dormael crossed his path, with jazz a whole new musical universe opened up.
Barcelona Gipsy Balkan Orchestra - Avo Kanto (Satélite K)
Barcelona Gipsy Balkan Orchestra considers 'Avo Kanto' to be the logical successor to their 2016 album 'Del Ebro Al Danubio'.
Ayuune Sule - We Have One Destiny (Rebel Up Records/Makkum Records)
The Dutch Makkum Records label seems determined to map the entire Ghanaian kologo-movement, as after the compilation 'This Is Kologo Power!' and Atamina's solo debut 'Sycophantic Friends', they are now presenting debut album of Ayuune Ayirizeme Kantia Suley, better known as Ayuune Sule or just Sule.