Come to the Drift, this week we are totally full of the hot stuff.
We start this new week with the swaying, cinematic sound of late seventies Cuba and a slice of supreme cinematic soul from Raúl Gómez. The reissue of Instrumental is part of Mr Bongo's Cuban Classics series and we can testify: this is a stone cold classic indeed. Imagine late afternoon Daiquiris with the sound of epic disco orchestrations and shimmering lounge jazz filling the vista. This release is a physical-only pressing, so unless you invest, you will have to imagine for now. Look, the weather is actually okay so we strongly suggest you do invest and thank us later anyway tbh.From Cuba to Aston next for more of 1977’s finest sounds and the next instalment of Can’s superb live series. Live In Aston 1977 captures Irmin Schmidt (keyboard & synths), Jaki Liebezeit (drums), Michael Karoli (guitars), Holger Czukay (wave receiver & spec sounds), plus Rosko Gee (bass), who appears for the first time in the series. As with the previous tapes, there is such dynamism and they sure do crack out the jams. This release also features sleeve notes by former Sex Pistol, Glen Matlock, sharing his first-hand experience of witnessing Can's live show.
+ This fifteenth anniversary edition is pressed on Yellow and Black colour vinyl.
Another essential from Zamrockers Witch this week via Now Again Records with the band’s fifth and final rock album, Including Janet. Traditional Zambian rhythms that morph and ooze into free-flowing Afro-rock.
+ Pressed on limited Yellow colour vinyl.
Now Again Records keep us in Zambia for another absolute blazer, with Amanaz’s Africa. Again, moving sonically from the traditional to the rocking, it gets a beat up, but there is more melancholy here. The musicians were anti-colonial freedom fighters and there is something really special in the fuzzed-out production, wah-wah guitars and wistful vocals. Not of this time, but timeless stuff.
Another hard case for teaching Numero Group in school this week with Eccentric Soul: Minibus, a double LP collection of the label’s 45 singles. Twenty five essential ‘loose remnants’ from across the American soul diaspora, connecting together group harmony, funk, disco and even modern soul.
+ Available on 'Tickled Pink' Glass colour vinyl.
Ninja Tune have made a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ pressing of Amon Tobin’s Permutation. Housed in gloss spot varnish detailed, die-cut sleeve (window showing inner sleeve with expanded artwork by Openmind).
We end today’s reissues with a proper Drift Essential in Come Away With, the iconic genre-hopping debut from Bronx sisters ESG. If you don’t know them, you probably do actually as they are just one of those ‘part of the fabric’ bands, and if you do know them, it’s a timely reminder of just how bloody good they are. Absolutely perfect from start to stop, it pounds and pops and was so clearly a huge influence of a good twenty years of music that followed it. A belter.
