Reviews
Synthetic Hearts Part II
Last year I gave Synthetic Hearts by Asanda Lusaseni Mvana (aka Msaki) and Tubatsi Mpho Moloi, four stars – and...
Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: October/2024
1990: The Hidden Years Recording
When Madala Kunene signed to Robert Trunz’ MELT/B&W operation in 1995, the label released an album by Kunene titled King...
Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: October/2024
Sarda Sarda
This debut album was born of a serendipitous encounter in a tattoo studio between a record label’s talent scout and...
Reviewed by Liam Izod in issue: October/2024
Clay
Flo Perlin is a London-based singer-songwriter with Iraqi/Belarusian roots, a lovely resonant voice and a knack for writing hook-laden songs...
Reviewed by Jane Cornwell in issue: October/2024
Buzz’ Ayaz
In Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, there are very real and longstanding physical and political divides between the Greek and...
Reviewed by Daniel Spicer in issue: October/2024
SOLÓWA
The title translates as ‘solo’, as well as being a word describing children squabbling after school, while the cover shows...
Reviewed by Fiona Talkington in issue: October/2024
Fruta Madura
The Amsterdam-based Latin six-piece return for a second album of high tempo, impossible-not-to-love psychedelic electronica. Taking inspiration from retro Afro-Cuban...
Reviewed by Clyde Macfarlane in issue: October/2024
La Vie est Belle
It’s been 20 years since Amadou & Mariam rocketed into the African superstar league with Dimanche à Bamako, the album...
Reviewed by Robin Denselow in issue: October/2024
Zouzou
After a quarter of a century living in France, Gnahoré recently returned to Cote d’Ivoire with two objectives. The first...
Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: October/2024
Song of the Motherland
Back in the days before Spotify and social media, reputations were variously made through word-of-mouth, cassette tapes passed about like...
Reviewed by Jane Cornwell in issue: October/2024
