Mr Bongo

With some of the best DJs and selectors there is a certain mysterious sound or underlying feeling which unites the music they play, regardless of genre, year or tempo.

The selection is eclectic, global, and plucked from different times and spaces. In theory, perhaps they shouldn't work together, but there is a mysterious link that makes them gel as a whole. That's what Luke does best. He creates a sort of musical alchemy, unifying the diverse.

Long-awaited repress of a classic Mr Bongo compilation, compiled by Sean Marquand and Greg Caz, 2 DJs well-known for their epic parties at Williamsburg’s legendary Black Betty club, that sadly closed in 2009.

A cosmic coming together that sees two of Luke's secret weapons, re-edited and re-contextualised by the man himself to provide optimal dancefloor euphoria.

Mr Bongo reissue of this 1977 LP by one of the great figures of Brazilian music.

Compiling the follow-up to a very successful first album is always a tricky task, but just 12 months since the release of volume one in the 'With Love' series, miche has excelled himself once again with another glorious, deep dive into the world of rare soul.

Resurrecting the MTV Unplugged program, she has gone before an audience with an acoustic guitar in her hands to sing a new group of songs. But that unadorned approach is only the beginning.

They say you can't judge a book by its cover, and going by 'Jazz Rock', nor a record by its title.

Much about Beat Bop is shrouded in mystery. Who really produced it? Why was Jean-Michel Basquiat relegated from rapper on the track to drawing the cover and labels? What are they actually rapping about for most of the ten-minute length?

UK funk outfit Cymande followed their eponymous debut LP with "Second Time Round", also from 1973. Fusing musical influences such as soul, Afro-beat, reggae and calypso, they created a unique British funk sound that became a favourite sample source for hip hop producers in the next two decades.

Banda Black Rio’s ‘Maria Fumaca’ is one of the strongest Brazilian samba-disco-funk-soul-fusion albums of all time. As regularly played by Theo Parrish, Gilles Peterson and co.

Recorded in 1978, it’s a latter-period gem from the larger than life legend, combining the glitz and glamour of disco’s heyday with Maia’s raw funk and soul roots.

Those of us deeply entranced by Malian culture, and, in particular, the immense hypnotic beauty of Malian music, have put together a selection of songs from across the country.

Mr Bongo reissue of this 1977 LP by one of the great figures of Brazilian music.

Classic Brazilian album from 1977, featuring the incredible Nao Adianta and a brilliant cover of Jorge Ben’s Que Nega E Essa. Luiz Carlos Fritz (Fritz Escovao), Joao Parahyba and Nereu Gargalo aka Trio Mocoto are most well-known as Jorge Ben Jr.’s backing band. 

​Hidden Conversations is the follow up to Terry Callier’s critically acclaimed Lookin' Out album.

Backed by a group of hand picked musicians, the whole album is exclusively the work of three young men who are trying to bring back some freshness and raw funk into the current flash-in-the-pan songs being recorded in this country.

The album is a fusion of highlife and soul.

The respected Japanese jazz drummer Akira Ishikawa was not messing around when he recorded the 'Uganda (Dawn of Rock)' album with his band the Count Buffaloes. 

The Original Sound of Burkina Faso follows the hugely successful The Original Sound of Mali compilation released in March this year, also on Mr Bongo.

Officially reissued at last! Considered by many to be a genuine ‘holy grail’ of soul and funk. Featuring Miracles as sampled by Public Enemy, Basement Jaxx, Arrested Development and many more.

Double A-side featuring tracks from his incredible self-titled LP, reissued by Mr Bongo.

Have you ever felt sad about the times you are living in? You may not always be able to work it out, but you can sprinkle a little sugar on your sadness with songs like these.

Re-released for the first time since 1974, this is the sequel to the classic 1973 'Bongo Rock', which became a foundation of rap and popular music, up to the present day.

Within Melbourne's burgeoning cinematic-soul scene, which includes breakout acts Surprise Chef and Karate Boogaloo, mysteriously sit The Pro-Teens.

Thirty years after its original release, Main Source's debut album Breaking Atoms has lost none of its capacity to surprise or delight.

On the sleeve notes, Ray Nkwe the producer and the President of the Jazz Appreciation Society of South Africa writes "This is the LP that every jazz fan has been waiting for" and Ray was not wrong, it's a stone-cold timeless jazz classic. The Mankunku Quartet's 1968 album Yakhal' Inkomo clocks in at just over 30 minutes of jazz perfection. This compact, and to-the-point, album would sit comfortably in amongst some of the best works in the catalogues of any of the quintessential jazz labels such as Blue Note, Prestige and Impulse. Half-speed mastering at Abbey Road Studios.

Glenn Fallows and Mark Treffel released their first album, 'The Globeflower Master Volume 1', on Mr Bongo in September 2021. With its lush, warm and timeless productions paying homage to classic 60s and 70s soundtrack composers, it was very well received and struck a chord with the scene's connoisseurs.

Ebo Taylor is one of Ghana's finest producer/arrangers. Taylor was heavily influential in the unique sound that emerged from the country in the 70's; a combination of traditional Ghanaian with Afro-beat, jazz, and funk rhythms. He worked with bands including Stargazers Band, Broadway Dance Band, Black Star Highlife Band (with Teddy Osei and Sol Amarfio who later joined Osibisa), Apagya Show Band and fellow musicians C.K. Mann, Gyedu-Blay Ambolley and the legendary Pat Thomas.

The intention was to create a screenplay in different settings and have short intervals between tracks - almost none - with songs with lyrics and instrumental songs as well. 

Love for Atmosfear was born out of the underground UK dance scene of the early 1980s; from nightclubs, pirate radio shows and soul weekenders. A localised scene that went on to have a global influence.