Beyond Addis: Contemporary Jazz & Funk Inspired by Ethiopian Sounds from the 70s

Many contemporary groups trying to recreate the sounds of 70s Africa are disappointing – particularly in the styles of jazz and Nigerian Afrobeat. It is therefore a tremendous delight to listen to a compilation that 100% succeeds in recreating the atmosphere of 1970s Ethiopian music. The greatest compliment I can pay is to affirm that any of the tracks could easily slot into one of the astounding compilations in Buda Musique's Éthiopiques series.

The 14 instrumentals here are performed by 14 different bands hailing from Paris, London, New York, Boston, Adelaide, Geneva, Berlin and Munich. Best known are The Heliocentrics, who perform with Mulatu Astatké, the veteran Ethiopian pianist and vibraphone player. The track selection was made by JJ Whitefield of the Munich collective Poets of Rhythm and there is not one track here that fails to impress.

The music is slinky, mysterious and jazzy. Yes there is a funky edge, but it is the exotic and hypnotic jazz that dominates. The inventive and experimental nature of some tracks reminds me of Captain Beefheart at his most musical; while others sound like those wacky bits of spaced-out soundtrack music that were used in the early episodes of the Avengers TV series. One of the best instrumental albums currently out there.