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This second volume in the series of 'Tropical Grooves & Afrofunk International' selections from the Paris DJs Soundsystem is the follow-up to the 'Dis Is Good For You' compilation from last year, one of Paris DJs' bestseller since the media morphed into a label (now releasing a new single or album every week!). This time artists were sent a mesmerizing Ben Hito artwork as a source of inspiration to submit tracks, with a hypnotic new direction towards the mystic, and music flowed from all over the world with a communicative enthousiasm...

The compilation was cooked up by Paris DJs honcho Djouls with the help of co-founders Loik Dury and Grant Phabao, going through hundreds of songs and instrumentals in order to refine a full hour trip of messing-with-your-mind grooves. From the Afro Funk of Polyrhythmics or Phil Motion & The Easy LO-Fi, to the Afro-Latin sounds of Bixiga 70, Jungle Fire, EMEFE or Radio Citizen vs. Deela, from the Carribean Funk of Mop Mop to the Ethio-Jazz of Arat Kilo or Jungle By Night, From the Afro Psych of Goat to the Roots Reggae of Grant Phabao & The Silvertones, from the heavy funk of The Sidetones or The Grits to the Afro Dub of the International Ducks, this is a new tour de force in gathering the many colors of psychedelic funk & jazz from all over the globe!

Buy on Bandcamp, JunoDownload or iTunes


Paris DJs Soundsystem - We Are The Fire Inside Your Mind - Tropical Grooves and Afrofunk International Vol.2
(Digital Album/Poster) Paris DJs PARISDJS028, 2013-05-09


Tracklisting :
01. Polyrhythmics - Bobo 4:37
02. Jungle Fire - Firewalker 3:45
03. Phil Motion & The Easy LO-Fi - Dangerous World 3:04
04. Bixiga 70 - Luz Vermelha 4:24
05. Mop Mop - Run Around feat. Fred Wesley & Anthony Joseph 5:17
06. EMEFE - Lucecita feat. Chico Mann 5:41
07. The Sidetones - Turn It Up ! 3:15
08. Arat Kilo - Lonmewo Lalie feat. Mimi 3:24
09. Goat - Disco Fever 4:22
10. Jungle By Night - Ethiopino 3:28
11. International Ducks - The Green Cow 3:28
12. Grant Phabao & The Silvertones - Fire 4:41
13. Radio Citizen vs. Deela - One Eyed 5:59
14. The Grits - Skin And Bone 4:25

Credits :
A&R : Djouls with the help of Loik Dury
Audio mastering by Grant Phabao
Artwork by Ben Hito

Links :
Buy on Bandcamp, JunoDownload or iTunes
Paris DJs : parisdjs.com | bandcamp | facebook | pinterest | soundcloud | twitter | youtube
Ben Hito : official | discogs | facebook



Press Release :
The first Paris DJs Soundsystem compilation 'Dis Is Good For You' happened like this: we sent an email with a message of unity to our network of artists, asking for some 'Afro/Tropical' tracks for an upcoming compilation. We gathered all the music we received, agregated a playlist, designed and artwork and found a title.

Released at the end of october 2012, the compilation is Paris DJs' bestseller, available on bandcamp, junodownload, itunes, amazon, etc.
It gathers tracks from Grant Phabao, The Jays, Adrian Quesada, Carlton Livingston, The Lone Ranger, Kaleta, Franck Biyong, Les Frères Smith, Lee Fields, Afrodyete, Muyiwa Kunnuji, Super Hi-Fi, Pyramid Blue, Kraked Unit, Joseph Cotton, Oghene Kologbo and Soul Sugar.

For the second volume, we worked the other way round. First we got the subtitle 'Tropical Grooves & Afrofunk International Vol.2', for which we found a title, 'We Are The Fire Inside Your Mind', stolen from some lyrics by Swala Emati, singer for ©© Les Frères Smith. Her words were just fitting perfectly our 'Afro/Tropical' concept, with a new direction towards the mystic, totally in synch with the fabulous original artwork amazing illustrator Ben Hito had designed! We sent those theme & artowrk to our network of artists & labels, asking for some Tropical Grooves, Carribean Funk, Afro Beat, Afro Funk, Ethio Jazz, Highlife, Afro Jazz, Afro Pysch, Afro Soul, Afro Latin, Psychedelic Funk and Raw Dancefloor fillers connecting the various strands of the black diaspora...

Music started flowing into our hard drive, or should we say started flooding our hard drives, and we spend hours, days, weeks, listening to the current worldwide scene in direct connection with Paris DJs. Some usual suspects are to be found in there, of course, with submissions from our friends Dale Barrie from Kept Records, or Phil Motion from Souljazz Orchestra, both in Canada; from Jungle Fire in L.A. or Jungle By Night in the Netherlands; from Radio Citizen or Ralf Zitzmann (Agogo Records), both in Germany; Anthony Joseph from Trinidad or, of course, our main man Grant Phabao in France with Jamaican singers The Silvertones.

Newcomers to our musical networking activities are Bixiga 70 from Brazil; Mop Mop from Italy & Germany (with superstar guests Fred Wesley & Anthony Joseph); EMEFE from New York City; Frenchmen The Sidetones from Lyon or Arat Kilo from Paris; the mysterious Goat from Sweden; International Ducks from Germany and The Grits from the UK.
Someday we'll have to draw a map of all those collaborators worldwide!

PS It's now time to submit tracks for the next compilation


TRACK BY TRACK INFO :

01. Polyrhythmics - Bobo

Kept Records in Canada have been releasing some very collectable & funky 7 inches these last years, all killer, no filler! Among those, they submitted for this new compilation the new Polyrhythmics intergalactic afro-funk single, groovy as outer space hell, 'Bobo'!! We're very glad to keep on collaborating with Kept Records, whose relationship with Paris DJs started way back in 2009 with some mixes from Citizen Dale. Expect more Kept/Paris DJs joint releases in the future, starting with a Brownout digital single to be released late may/early june…

Credits :
Composed by Grant Schroff
Ben Bloom - guitars; Grant Schroff - drums; Nathan Spicer - keys; Lalo Bello - percussion; Jason Gray - bass; Scott Morning - trumpet; Elijah Clark - trombone; Art Brown - sax and flute

About Polyrhythmics :
Original hard-driving, modern afro-beat and syncopated, horn-driven funk. That is the recipe that Polyrhythmics have crafted and delivered to packed clubs, and festival crowds up and down the west coast in the past 3 years. The 8 members of this dynamic world-beat orchestra, weave a clever web of deep, hypnotic grooves, creative, yet melodic interplay, clever horn-hooks, and searing solos that ignite every dance-floor that has laid before them.

Latest Releases :
- The Imposter b/w Klompton (7", Kept Records / 2011)
- Pink Wasabi (7", Electric Cowbell, 2012)
- Bobo / Moon Cabbage (7", Kept Records, 2013)

Links :
Polyrhythmics : official | bandcamp | facebook | soundcloud | twitter | youtube
Kept Records : official | facebook | soundcloud | tumblr | twitter | vimeo


02. Jungle Fire - Firewalker

Another label from the other side of the Atlantic keeps on putting out some really fantastic funk & soul music: Ohio-based Colemine Records. 'Firewalker', taken from the afro/latin funk band Jungle Fire's second 45, is a killer raw Afro Disco number with a fuzzy bongo breakdown. When played live people freak out & go nuts. The limited vinyl just released for Record Store Day 2013 has been disappearing instantly from the shelves. This band is gonna become VERY BIG! Also, those who remember the Grant Phabao remix of Jungle Fire's 'Tokuta', released a few months ago on Paris DJs, will be happy to learn that an 'afrobeat meets ska' remix of 'Firewalker' is also in preparation…

Credits :
Composed by Jungle Fire
Steve Haney - congas, bata; Alberto Lopez - timbales, bongo; Sam Halterman - drums; Judson McDaniel - guitar; Joey Reina - bass; Sean Billings - trumpet; Sam Robles - baritone sax, flute; Otto Granillo - trombone.

About Jungle Fire :
The Jungle Fire band digs deep into afro/latin funk with an approach that is both authentic and highly explosive! Comprised of musicians from the Los Angeles region, Jungle Fire pulls from only those who are dedicated to preserving, protecting and progressing LA’s funk and latin scenes. Members have performed with Stevie Wonder, Joe Bataan, Breakestra, Ozomatli, Quantic, Alice Russell, Celia Cruz, Orgone, The Greyboy Allstars and the list goes on. Summer of 2012 saw the release of Jungle Fire's debut vinyl 45 released on indie label Colemine Records, making big waves worldwide, recently followed by a second 7 inch…

Latest Releases :
- Comencemos / Tokuta (7", Colemine Records, 2012)
- Tokuta (Grant Phabao Remix) (Digital single, Paris DJs, 2013)
- Firewalker / Chalupa (7", Colemine Records, 2012)

Links :
Jungle Fire : official | bandcamp | discogs | facebook | parisdjs | soundcloud | twitter | youtube


03. Phil Motion & The Easy LO-Fi - Dangerous World

This is just one of the side-projects of The Souljazz Orchestra's extraordinary drummer, Philippe Lafreniere. The man, astonishing on stage with his unique combination of power and groovyness, sometimes recalls of John Bonham, Clyde Stubblefield and Tony Allen at the same time!! But with The Easy LO-Fi… Phil Motion is on guitar! Their first single, released on his newly-launched Up & Up Music/Supafunk Records label, is available on a limited 7 inch and we can't advise old-school funk lovers to get it asap. Phil submitted the b-side, 'Dangerous World', for this Paris DJs compilation and we didn't hesitate any second to select this explosive instrumental with a dark tropical vibe.

Credits :
Composed & published by Phil Motion
A Phil Motion production for Up & Up Music / Supafunk Records. Recorded live to 8-track analog tape at Metropolitan Studios. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Jason Jaknunas
Phil Motion - guitar; Ray Tabana - tenor saxophone; Nicholas Dyson : trumpet; Marc Decho - bass; Pascal Delaquis : drums

About Phil Motion & The Easy LO-Fi :
Phil Motion & The Easy LO-Fi cuts its teeth on the best rare funk & soul pulling inspiration from one-offs and one-hit-wonders that never got their time in the spotlight. Reel-to-reel tape, hard-hittin’ horns, thumpy bass, gritty guitar, break-beat drummin’ and a voice that owns the mic, what more ya want? Bringing together members of Slim Moore and Souljazz Orchestra, this a real-deal seal of approval. An artist on the UP & UP MUSIC Label, Phil Motion spearheads the right-arm of this label’s funk outfit with its new exclusively old-school funk, soul and reggae subsidiary label SUPAFUNK RECORDS.

Latest Releases :
- Time-Bomb / Dangerous World (7", Up & Up Music/Supafunk Records, 2012)
- The Rocket (Digital EP, Up & Up Music, 2011)

Links :
Phil Motion : official | bandcamp | facebook | myspace | twitter | youtube
Up & Up Music : official | bandcamp | facebook | myspace | soundcloud | twitter | youtube


04. Bixiga 70 - Luz Vermelha

Blending Brazilian instrumental funk with Afrobeat, Ethio-Jazz and Afro-cuban percussions, 10-piece band from São Paulo Bixiga 70 includes two saxes, one trombone, one trumpet, two percussionists, guitars, keyboards, bass and drums, and are quite the perfect example of what 'Afro/Tropical' means to Paris DJs! The band loved the cover artwork we sent them, and submitted us 'Luz Vermelha', which means 'red light', from their self-titled album from 2011. As with many other countries, Afrobeat & Afrofunk are on the rise in Brazil, with many bands appearing on the scene, and many musicians from all over the world coming to play there and collaborate with the locals groups. We just couldn't pass on featuring this brilliant Brazilified afrofunk group, Bixiga 70, in one of our compilations!

Credits :
Written by Mauricio Fleury, arranged by Bixiga 70, produced by Victor Rice, Cris Scabello, Décio 7 e Mauricio Fleury
Décio 7 - drums; Marcelo Dworecki - bass; Cris Scabello - guitar; Mauricio Fleury - keyboards & guitar; Rômulo Nardes - percussions; Gustávo Cék - percussions; Cuca Ferreira - baritone saxophone & flute; Daniel Nogueira - tenor saxophone; Douglas Antunes - trombone; Daniel Gralha - trumpet

About Bixiga 70 :
One of today's hippest gigs around town in São Paulo is the instrumental ten piece funk band Bixiga 70. With their genre-spanning mix of afro- beat, Guinean malinké, Brazilian candomblé, samba and cumbia, Bixiga 70 are a welcome addition to any party. Considered the spearhead of growing brazilian afro scene, the band shared the stage with major names like Jungle By Night, Woima Collective, Tony Allen, Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, Ebo Taylor and Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra. On their live shows this band exposes high-octane break beats, tight afrobeat guitars, rolling congas, and an enormous horn section blasting at full-force throughout. No wonder that Bixiga 70 rose to become Brazil’s top name in retro-funky goodness.

Latest Releases :
- Bixiga 70 (CD/LP, Agua Forte, 2011)

Links :
Bixiga 70 : official | bandcamp | discogs | facebook | myspace | soundcloud | twitter | youtube


05. Mop Mop - Run Around feat. Fred Wesley & Anthony Joseph

Andrea Benini aka Mop Mop has a new album out, 'Isle Of Magic', rooted in jazz, exploring some entrancing voodoo territories with Carribean flavors and funk/soul fumes. Finally giving some meaning to the tag nu jazz, this album is a grower for sure. When Agogo Records submitted the whole album for consideration for this compilation, we were thrilled! And if many tracks could have easily fit our theme, the single 'Run Around' was an obvious choice, with its unique and charming tropical swing vibe, Fred Wesley killing it on trombone and our favorite Trinidadian poet Anthony Joseph on vocals!!

Credits :
Written By Andrea Benini, Anthony Joseph and Fred Wesley. Produced by Andrea Benini. Published by Nordend Entertainment.
Lutz Schlosser - acoustic guitar; Bruno Briscik - double bass; Fred Wesley - trombone; Anthony Joseph - vocals; Andrea Benini, Danilo Mineo, Lorenzo Gasperoni - percussions; Alex Trebo - piano; Pasquale Mirra - vibraphone.

About Mop Mop :
Anyone familiar with Mop Mop will already know that their refined style has already lend them a unique place somewhere between the worlds of jazz, funk, latin and the Italian Postmodern style allowed the band to achieve the International film business as part of Woody Allen's 'To Rome With Love' movie soundtrack. But with this latest LP 'Isle Of Magic', Mop Mop digs even deeper to bring us one of their most engaging and organic records yet. 'Isle Of Magic' contains 13 tracks of pure Voodoo Jazz, Caribbean flavours, Afro- Funk, Exotic rhythms and Soul music. The album has been recorded between Germany and Italy with the use of vintage analog equipment to achieve a sound with all the “warm” qualities of vintage analog tape recordings; sessions have been recorded during the period March/August 2011. Isle Of Magic is an imaginary land populated by musicians who spend their time fishing, cooking, playing and practicing Voodoo rites at night. The whole album represents the soundtrack of this imaginary life.

Latest Releases :
- Isle Of Magic (CD/LP, Agogo Records, 2013)
- Ritual Of The Savage (CD, INFRACom!, 2010)
- Kiss Of Kali (CD, INFRACom!, 2009)
- The 11th Pill (CD/LP, Tam Tam Studio Recordings, 2005)

Links :
Mop Mop : official | bandcamp | discogs | facebook | soundcloud | twitter | youtube
Anthony Joseph : official | discogs | facebook | myspace | parisdjs | soundcloud | twitter | wikipedia | youtube
Agogo Records : official | bandcamp | discogs | facebook | parisdjs | soundcloud | twitter


06. EMEFE - Lucecita feat. Chico Mann

After seeing Miles Arntzen killing it on the drums with Antibalas in Paris last year at Le New Morning, we had to inquire. The young man discovered Fela Kuti after beginning jazz school at New York University in 2009 and leads EMEFE (which stands as the spoken acronym of M.F.A., for 'Music Frees All'), a ten-piece band from Broolyn, who plays its own mix of afrobeat, mixed with the funk of Sly Stone and jazz and hip hop influences, all with a rock and roll edge. With a horn section mostly playing as a whole, a focus on songwriting and arrangements, and guest vocalists such as Chico Mann (from Antibalas) or Gabriel Garzon-Montano (from Mokaad), their album 'Good Future', released last summer, is a great discovery of 2013 for Paris DJs!

Credits :
Written & composed by Miles Arntzen, James Walton and Marcos Garcia. Produced by Miles Arntzen and Dan Knobler at Mason Jar Music, Brooklyn NY. Published by SMILESAHEAD (ASCAP), Mo Boogie (ASCAP), Emma Lulu Music (BMI).
Miles Arntzen - drums, percussion; Jas Walton - tenor saxophone; Christian Anderson - baritone saxophone; Ray Mason - trombone; Michael Fatum - trumpet; Jake Pinto - Hammond organ, Farfisa, Wurlitzer; Deen Anbar - guitar; Davy Levitan - guitar; Doug Berns - bass; Javier Ramos - congas, percussion; Chico Mann, Gabriel Garzón-Montano, Luna Garzón-Montano, EMEFE - vocals

About EMEFE :
EMEFE was created in 2009 by Miles Arntzen after he discovered the amazing power of Fela Kuti's music. In the same way that Fela used this music as an escape from and confrontation against the Nigerian authorities, EMEFE uses its music to fight the inner authorities that we put on ourselves, each for our own specific reasons (hence the band's motto, Music Frees All). With the EMEFE sound, which consists of a four-piece horn section, a drummer, a bassist, two guitarists, two percussionists and a keyboardist, the bands hopes to spread awareness of the healing power of music, dancing, and smiling. Dubbed "one of the Big Apple's best live acts," EMEFE has been called to support Passion Pit, Big Sam's Funky Nation, Antibalas, Rusted Root, and more. Members of EMEFE have played with artists such as Antibalas, the Fela! musical, J.D. McPherson, Charles Bradley, Asphalt Orchestra, Budos Band, Lenny Pickett, Medeski Martin and Wood, Superhuman Happiness, Grace Weber, and many more.

Latest Releases :
- Good Future (CD, 2012, No Mirrors)
- BBB feat. Gabriel Garzon-Montano parts 1&2 (7", 2012, No Mirrors)
- Europe EP (Digital EP, 2011, self-released)

Links :
official | bandcamp | facebook | myspace | soundcloud | twitter | youtube


07.The Sidetones - Turn It Up !

How great is it to hear some ‘Made in France' Raw-Funk… Breakestra-style? So great Paris DJs didn't wait any second longer to licence the first single from The Sidetones for one of their funky compilations. Recorded live and direct during a series of short studio sessions, their debut EP captures some organ-heavy, break-beat driven, deep funk raw energy with their unique analogue sound; mixing the visceral energy of late 60s funk with the warmth of early 70s soul/psych grooves and infectious pop vocals.

Credits :
Written and composed by The Sidetones
Aya Kitahama - vocals; Chris Garnier - guitars; Ben Devigne - keys; Jim Taylor - bass; Pierre Vanaret - drums

About The Sidetones :
Formed in late 2010, The Sidetones are a Soul Funk band based in Lyon, France. Their original material combines elements of late 60’s early 70’s funk, break-beat, psychedelic and pop to forge a heavy yet soulful sound.

Latest Releases :
- The Sidetones EP (Digital EP, self-released, 2013)

Links :
official | bandcamp | facebook | soundcloud | twitter | youtube


08. Arat Kilo - Lonmewo Lalie feat. Mimi

The 'Éthiopiques' series of 1960s and 1970s Ethiopian music reissued by producer Francis Falceto in the late 90s and through the 2000s has been a major influence on the global scene. All over the world, band have started playing the music of Mulatu Astatke, Alemayehu Eshete, Mahmoud Ahmed, or Tilahun Gessesse, among other Ethiopian greats, some even composing new (but retro) Ethio-jazz. Arat Kilo is one of those bands, coming from Paris, France. They released a first album in 2010, 'A Night in Abyssinia', and in 2012 went on a musical trip to Ehtiopia for two full weeks of shows, composition and recording. Those sessions led to the just released '12 Days In Addis' EP, from which Paris DJs extracted the storming original piece 'Lonmewo Lalie', featuring Ethiopian singer Sintayehu "Mimi" Zenebe, who already appeared on Dub Colossus' album 'A Town Called Addis' in 2008. Funky Ethio-Jazz with a soulful rock edge - this is our thing!

Credits :
Music composed by Arat Kilo, lyrics : traditional
Camille Floriot - trumpet; Fabien Girard - guitar; Michael Havard - saxophone; Samuel Hirsch - bass; Arnold Turpin - drums; Sintayehu "Mimi" Zenebe - guest vocals

About Arat Kilo :
Ethiopian jazz is a major branch of African music that comes from the bars of Addis Ababa and draws its influence from jazz and traditional Ethiopian music, azmari, Latin sounds and Anglo-American funk. Choosing to adapt this music in a contemporary and more urban style, Arat Kilo draws inspiration from rock music and the hypnotic sounds of dub. Their show alternates compositions and standard Ethiopian arrangements (a beautiful meeting was held at RFI’s studio with Mulatu Astatké, the father of Ethiopian jazz).

Latest Releases :
- 12 Days In Addis (CD/LP, Only Music, 2013)
- A Night In Abyssinia (CD, Only Music, 2011)

Links :
Arat Kilo : official | discogs | facebook | myspace | twitter | wikipedia
Only Music : official | facebook | soundcloud | youtube


09. Goat - Disco Fever

Legendary French DJ Erik Rug was the one who tipped us about this new afro/voodoo/psych/kraut band coming from Sweden, Goat. The first listen hints at groovy psychedelic rock, but with afrobeat spices. Getting deeper into the primal vibes of record is just fascinating, as a temporal trip into 70s psyched-out kraut-afro-disco-doom. Freaky, addictive, awesome, psychedelic, this album is really unique and when the band's label Rocket Recordings submitted the not-really-disco but deeply entrancing 'Disco Fever' track for this compilation, fire ignited inside our minds instantly. Hot hot hot!!

Credits :
Music and lyrics by Goat
© + ℗ 2012 Rocket Recordings/Goat

About Goat :
For those who are unaware, Goat are a collective of musicians who hail from a small and very remote village called Korpolombolo in deepest darkest Sweden. Legend has it that for centuries, the inhabitants of the village of Korpolombolo were dedicated to the worship and practices of Voodoo. This strange and seemingly unlikely activity was apparently introduced into the area after a travelling witch doctor and a handful of her disciples were led to Korpolombolo by following a cipher hidden within their most sacred of ancient scriptures. The reason it led them there is unknown, but their Voodoo influence quickly took hold over the whole village and so they made it their home - there, they were able to practice their craft unnoticed and unbothered for several centuries. This was until their non-Christian ways were discovered by the Church and they were burned out by the crusaders, the survivors cursing the village over their shoulders as they fled. To this day, the now picturesque village of Korpolombolo is still haunted by this Voodoo curse; the power of the curse can be felt throughout the grooves of this Goat record. The band takes in many influences, from the Afro groove that is central to the album, through to head nodding psych, post-punk, turkish rock, kraut repetition and astral folk.

Latest Releases :
- Dreambuilding (12", Stranded Rekords, 2013)
- Run To Your Mama Remixes Vol. 1 & Vol.2 (2x12", Rocket Recordings, 2013)
- World Music (CD/LP, Rocket Recordings, 2012)
- Goatman (7", Rocket Recordings, 2012)

Links :
Goat : official | discogs | facebook | youtube
Rocket Recordings : official | bandcamp | facebook | soundcloud | twitter


10. Jungle By Night - Ethiopino

These young Netherlands cats have been making waves in the current afrobeat scene with lots of gigs, festivals, singles and EP releases, even getting knighthood recognition from Tony Allen or Chief Udoh Essiet (respectively drummer and percussionist of Fela Kuti)… After their 7-track mini-album, Jungle By Night have finally released their first full-length album, Hidden, through Kindred Spirits / Rush Hour Distribution, delving deeper into a sound they're really making their own. Expect indeed more than neo-retro afrobeat here, the Dutch lads are nom implementing Malian soul, djembe rhythms from Senegal, Gamelan tones, Jazz or Funk elements and even some Rock attitude into their cooking. Yep, 'cooking', and not 'recipe', because there's no used formula here. After 2 years of touring, the band seems to have settled for its own mesmerizing sound, the musicians are now interacting with each other like the coolest jambands from the US, blending styles with ease - the ethio-jazz/rock of the single 'Ethiopino" featured in this compilation being a perfect example.

Credits :
Composed by Jungle By Night
Pieter Van Exter - saxophone; Jac Van Exter - guitar; Pyke Pasman - keys; Bo Floor - trumpet; Ko Zandvliet - trombone; Tienson Smeets - djembe; Gino Groeneveld - percussion; Sonny Groeneveld - drums; Younes Van Tool - bass

About  Jungle By Night :
Jungle By Night consists of nine young lads from Amsterdam who use their musical upbringing, taste, backgrounds and unstoppable eagerness to produce a unique mix of Afrobeat, Ethiojazz, funk, dub and rock. The nine souls in Jungle by Night were acquainted through school, street and family bonds. Two years ago, the group seemed to be infected with a love for raw Africa oriented funk and retreated into the rehearsal studio. On a small outdoor festival in Amsterdam, a spark lit and hasn’t gone out so far. The band was invited to perform as the opening act at concerts of Mayer Hawthorne and The Roots & John Legend. They were guests in Paris at shows of musical godfathers Mulatu Astatke, Orchestre Poly-Ritmo de Cotonou on holy Fela-ground. Former members of Fela Kuti’s backing band witnessed Jungle by Night play and had instant admiration for the young men. “At the end of the night they called us ‘the future of afrobeat’. Their words felt like a true blessing.’

Latest Releases :
- Jungle By Night X The Gaslamp Killer present Brass Sabbath (7", Kindred Spirits, 2013)
- Hidden (CD/2LP, Kindred Spirits, 2012)
- Jungle By Night (CD/LP, Kindred Spirits, 2011)

Links :
Jungle By Night : official | bandcamp | discogs | facebook | myspace | parisdjs | soundcloud | twitter | youtube


11. International Ducks - The Green Cow

Paris DJs' connection to saxophonist Johannes Schleiermacher comes from The Poets of Rhythm, the cult German funk band dubbed as 'the godfathers of deep funk' by Wax Poetics magazine, from which emerged many amazing bands. Johannes played on The Polyversal Souls' 7 inch from 2007, on the Whitefield Brothers album from 2010, 'Earthology', he's also the leader of the Woima Collective, who released a classic ethio-funk album in 2010 on Kindred Spirits Records, 'Tezeta', and even plays on the Mop Mop album 'Isle of Magic' released by Agogo Records earlier this year. A man with skills & taste, undoubtly, who wrote to us a few weeks ago to submit two tracks from one of his new projects, the International Ducks, asking if they were 'tropical enough?'… We fell instantly for one of those tracks, 'The Green Cow', a unique Ethio-Jazz/Dub blend, unreleased elsewhere, exactly the kind of music we were looking for: psyched-out, groovy, different, afro, and tropical!!

Credits :
Produced by Johannes Schleiermacher. Mastered by Grant Phabao.
International Ducks are Johannes Schleiermacher, Bernd Oezsevim, Kalle Enkelmann and special guests.

About Woima Collective :
The Woima Collective was born from deep within the brass section of renowned German funk unit Poets Of Rhythm, as tenor sax player Johannes Schleiermacher became immersed in the rhythms and modes of the African music that the Poets love so much. Johannes got inspired by the African rhythms after some excursions to Morocco, where he picked up lots of old cassettes and soaked up the very natural musical environment out there. Combining the tight funk of groups like The Heliocentrics and the Poets Of Rhythm, with gnarly abyssinian brass and classic Mulatu-esque organ licks, the twelve tracks on 'Tezeta' breeze into Europe on the Siroccan winds. At times, the band nods to dubby workouts like on the track ‘No Way But Still Walking’, at other times the brass section threaten to get free and atonal on the album closer ‘Wilder Mann’. Nevertheless Tezeta takes the cohesive pulse of North Africa, and fits it in a groove that will run and run for days. The Woima Collective celebrates the hypnotic beauty of Ethiopian scales and African rhythms, but creates an unique sound out of those influences, leaving lots of space for the individual band members to do their dance.

Latest Releases :
Woima Collective - Tezeta (CD/LP, Kindred Spirits, 2010)
The Whitefield Brothers - Earthology (CD/LP, Now-Again, 2010)
The Polyversal Souls - Sad Nile (7", Fryers Records, 2007)

Links :
Johannes Schleiermacher / The International Ducks : official | bandcamp | discogs | facebook | kindred-spirits | soundcloud


12. Grant Phabao & The Silvertones - Fire

'Keep On Rolling', released early 2013 on the Paris DJs label, is only The Silvertones' third album, and a celebration of a nearly 50 years-long career, with re-recordings of classic Silvertones hits such as 'Smile', 'Old Man River', or Sufferer's Child. There's also a Delroy Wilson cover, 'Better Must Come', a few new songs including 'Only Me' recorded on the 'Message To You Rudie' riddim… and some long-awaited Grant Phabao dub versions, finally! 'Fire', which opens this album, is a rocksteady scorcher putting 'fire on the dancehall'… and inside your mind, of course!

Credits :
Composed by Grant Phabao, written by Keith Coley, Joel Brown and Gilford Grant.
The Silvertones - vocals; Guillaume Méténier (Soul Sugar) - clavinet, piano; Grant Phabao - all other instruments, production and audio mastering
© + ℗ 2013 T.I.M.E.C./Paris DJs

About The Silvertones :
The Silvertones (who also recorded as The Musketeers and The Muskyteers) are a Jamaican reggae harmony group formed in 1964, now comprised of Carl "Smoker" Grant, Keith "Sleepy" Coley, with the recent addition of Joel Brown (from early 80s harmonizing trio Kush). They're best known for their recordings for Duke Reid's Treasure Isle label in the 60s, and with Lee "Scratch" Perry in the early 1970s, who produced their first album 'Silver Bullets', released on the Black Art label in Jamaica and on Trojan in the UK in 1974, in two different mixes. In the late 1970s The Silvertones had successful singles with Clement "Coxsone" Dodd's Studio One. Their Studio One recordings were collected together along with some of the Duke Reid-produced sides on the 'Young at Heart' album in 1999.

About Grant Phabao :
After albums for rubadub deejay The Lone Ranger, or sweet & soulful reggae singer Carlton Livingston, French multi-instrumentalist/sound engineer Grant Phabao keeps on bringing back legends of Jamaican music into the spotlight…

Latest Releases :
- Grant Phabao & The Jays - Stepping Up In Time (Digital album, Paris DJs, 2013)
- Grant Phabao & The Silvertones - Keep On Rolling (Digital album, Paris DJs, 2013)
- Paris DJs Soundsystem - Dis Is Good For You - Tropical Grooves & Afrofunk International Vol.1 (Digital album, Paris DJs, 2012)

Links :
Grant Phabao : official | bandcamp | facebook | juno | parisdjs | soundcloud | youtube
The Silvertones : discogs | facebook | juno | myspace | wikipedia


13. Radio Citizen vs. Deela - One Eyed

Niko Schabel a.k.a. Radio Citizen is a German producer we've been following for many years, ever since his first release on Ubiquity Records. We even invited him in december 2011 for an exclusive mix on Paris DJs, 'Express Brassmania'. Ingo Möll, a.k.a. Deela, the creative mind behind Kabanjak and Ancient Astronauts, came to our attention through his many releases on the Switchstance label. They've recently collaborated together on this exclusive new track, 'One Eyed' (mixed just in time to be featured in this compilation), which recalls the uniqueness of the psychedelic afro/latin blend invented by Ocote Soul Sounds, one of the side-projects of the leaders of Antibalas and Grupo Fantasma, no less!

Credits :
Written & composed by Niko Schabel, Ingo Moell and Miriam Frank.
Produced by Radio Citizen and Deela. Published by Edition Oneminded Soul / BMG. Mastered by Grant Phabao.
Julian Waiblinger - Drums; Wolfi Schlick - Flute; Teresa Gruber - Trombone; Niko Schabel - Bass Clarinet, Bass, Small Percussion, Echos; Ingo Moell - Guitar

About Radio Citizen :
Radio Citizen is a project by Niko Schabel and a collective of musicians that is publishing records on Ubiquity Records.

About Deela :
Deela’s sound is the organic groove of a real live band, incorporating styles like Funk, HipHop, Jazz, Afrobeat or Latin. This makes for a culturally diverse „world music” that covers a range from downtempo excursions to dancefloor-directed scorchers. After all, Ingo Moell is also an experienced DJ who knows what works for the soul as well as for the legs.

Latest Releases :
- Deela - Rumbullion (digital album, Switchstance Recordings, 2012)
- Deela - Best Of Deela (digital album, Switchstance Recordings, 2012)
- Radio Citizen - Hope And Despair (CD/2LP, Ubiquity Records, 2010)
- Radio Citizen - Berlin Serengeti (CD/2LP, Ubiquity Records, 2006)

Links :
Radio Citizen : official | bandcamp | discogs | facebook | myspace | parisdjs | soundcloud | tumblr | youtube
Deela : official | bandcamp | discogs | facebook | myspace | soundcloud | twitter | youtube


14. The Grits - Skin And Bone

While UK funk/psych band The Grits are hard at work releasing new 45s on their own labl Hamhock Records, they managed to find an exclusive new track for Paris Djs, one of the first we selected for this compilation. With some hard drums, heavy breakbeats, soulful rock and Hendrixian funk, heavy of the fuzz, it was kinda hard to resist… This track is the closing one of this selection, and should achieve to ignite the fire inside your mind.

Credits :
Written, produced an published by S. Carter.
Performed by The Grits

About The Grits :
The Grits play raw, rare, psychedelic funk music and make raw, rare psychedelic funk records.

Latest Releases :
- Black Sambuca (Digital single, Hamhock Records, 2012)
- The Sons of Your Funk Mother / Mmwauu (7", Music With Soul, 2012)
- Strychnine / (I'd Walk A) Funky Mile (7", Mocambo Records, 2012)
- The Grits (CD/LP, Freestyle Records, 2008)

Links :
The Grits : official | bandcamp | discogs | facebook | soundcloud | youtube

Original post on Paris DJs