SUBLIME FREQUENCIES COMMUNIQUÈ

SUBLIME FREQUENCIES 

 PO BOX 17971 SEATTLE WA 98127 USA

http://www.sublimefrequencies.com

https://www.facebook.com/SUBLIMEFREQUENCIES

OUT NOW!

ROBERT MILLIS 

Indian Talking Machine: 

78 RPM Record and Gramophone

 

Collecting on the Sub-Continent

SF 099CD 2CD/BOOK

Order through Forced Exposure 

http://www.forcedexposure.com/Catalog/SF.099CD.html

Robert Millis's Indian Talking Machine is a 244-page full-color hardcover book with two CDs containing 46 tracks from shellac discs spanning 1903 to 1949, which Millis collected in India and compiled for their first-ever CD release; the book contains over 300 photographs of 78rpm record collections, collectors, and ephemera, as well as detailed track notes and an essay. Limited-edition one-time pressing of 1000 copies. These photos are true "record porn" (that is, shellac 78rpm record porn) -- photographs of shelves groaning under the weight of unimaginable titles, beautiful label- and sleeve-designs from long-gone eras, wind-up talking machines, crammed antique shops, forgotten artists, and more, all of which somehow survived (often barely) India's archival obstacles -- dust, heat, floods, rebellion, partition, and war.Indian Talking Machine is the result of nearly a year in India photographing record collections, interviewing collectors, and visiting archives and record markets; a personal take on the vast worlds of Indian music and the intricacies of collecting sound. One of the earliest non-Western outposts of the "recording industry," India's first recordings were made in 1902. The country's music is as beautiful as it is complex, as subtle as it is profound, and as divine as it is simple; these recordings offer virtuoso instrumental performances, jaw-dropping vocal renditions, folk music, comedy recordings, and even animal impressions. The 78rpm records were transferred by Jonathan Ward (Excavated Shellac) and mastered by Grammy Award-winning engineer Michael Graves (Analog Africa, Dust-to-Digital, Hank Williams: The Garden Spot Programs, 1950 (2014), and more). Robert Millis is a founding member of Climax Golden Twins and AFCGT, a Fulbright Scholar, a solo artist, and a frequent contributor to the Sublime Frequencies label. He compiled and co-producedVictrola Favorites in 2007 (DTD 011CD), and created both the Burmese Crying Princess (2013) and Korean Scattered Melodies (2013) LPs for Sublime Frequencies, as well as the films This World Is Unreal Like a Snake in a Rope (SF 073DVD, 2012) and Phi Ta Khon: Ghosts of Isan (2006). In short, he knows what he is doing. You will not be disappointed. Includes performances by Professor Abdul Aziz Khan,Gauhar Jan, Mysore Chaudiah, Musiri Subramania Iyer,Bangalore Nagaratnam, the Vyas Brothers, Talim Hossein,Babu Aughor Nath Chuckerbutty, L.C. Bural, Veena Shanmuga Vadivoo, Professor Barkatullah Khan, and many more.

Review in Pasatiempo: Santa Fe, New Mexico's Weekly Magazine VARIOUS ARTISTS "Folk Music of the Sahel 1: Niger" (Sublime Frequencies)

SUBLIME FREQUENCIES COMMUNIQUÈ

SUBLIME FREQUENCIES 

 PO BOX 17971 SEATTLE WA 98127 USA

http://www.sublimefrequencies.com

https://www.facebook.com/SUBLIMEFREQUENCIES

Review in Pasatiempo: Santa Fe, New Mexico's Weekly Magazine
VARIOUS ARTISTS "Folk Music of the Sahel 1: Niger" 

(Sublime Frequencies)

With his world-music label Sublime Frequencies, Hisham Mayet has become something of a cross between Alan Lomax and Anthony Bourdain, traveling to war-torn landscapes to record popular and ritual music in Africa and the Middle East. In the process, he exposes the musicians he encounters to wider audiences in Europe and North America. For the debut of his ambitious new project — a planned six-volume series surveying the musical landscape of Niger’s Sahel region, famed for its mix of nomadic animist and Afro-Islamic cultures — Mayet has released a trove of field recordings he collected over the past decade. The album includes live recordings of griots, or praise singers, whose improvised, hand-percussion-backed performances blend storytelling, gossip, and commentary on local events. An astonishing cut from Koudede, a popular Tuareg guitarist killed last year in a car accident, showcases his haunting, Arabic-infused, bluesy songs that made him a local hero. Songs to back the courtship dances of the Wodaabe tribe as well as several call-and-response choruses, syncopated to oil-can drums, round out this collection.

- Casey Sanchez

OUT NOW! Folk Music of the Sahel Volume 1: Niger VA S.F. - 090 2LP

SUBLIME FREQUENCIES COMMUNIQUÈ

SUBLIME FREQUENCIES PO BOX 17971 SEATTLE WA 98127 USA

http://www.sublimefrequencies.com

OUT NOW!

 Folk Music of the Sahel 

Volume 1: Niger VA 

S.F. - 090 2LP

To order from Forced Exposure and hear samples:

http://www.forcedexposure.com/Catalog/va-folk-music-of-the-sahel-vol-1-niger-2lp/SF.090LP.html

Folk Music of the Sahel: Niger consists of field recordings collected in the Republic of Niger during the course of six expeditions undertaken by Hisham Mayet between 2004 and 2014. This first volume in Sublime Frequencies' new Folk Music of the Sahel series comprises a subjective but spectacular overview of Hausa, Zarma, Fulani, Songhai and Tuareg music culled from Mayet's rich archives. On this lavish double album, Mayet methodically reveals the dazzling range and power of Nigerian music, from stream-of-consciousness griot performances that serve as a local news broadcast and gossip column to a rare example of ritual music from a private spirit-possession ceremony. Its four sides offer a tantalizing glimpse of this region's unmatched musical riches, including the awe-inspiring courtship dances of the Wodaabe men and a rare duet between the late, great Tuareg guitarist Koudede and the renowned molo master Ousenni. The gorgeous gatefold cover features a 25-page bound-in booklet with extensive and informative liner notes, as well as Mayet's emblematic photographs from towns and villages throughout the region. In addition to preserving an exciting variety of sacred and profane musical performances by known and unknown artists, these recordings capture the music of Niger at a difficult cultural crossroads in which ancient musical and oratory traditions are imperiled both by the demands of modern assimilation and by the reactionary forces that oppose it. As such, the intent of this album is not just to document the fantastic heterogeneity of Sahelian music, but also to bear witness to the changes and challenges faced by Niger's diverse ethnic groups during a decade marked by almost inconceivable political instability and technological upheaval. Coming from an area wracked by disease, food shortages and droughts, as well as by social turmoil, this music reflects the essentially improvisational character of Sahelian life as well as its unfathomable cultural wellsprings. From exuberant a cappella drone chants to the riveting instrumental minimalism of goje possession music, the performances on this album represent a poignant cry to the universe by musicians who hold every note as sacred as the gift of enduring in this exceptionally severe region of the African continent. Housed in one of Sublime Frequencies' most stunning packages, which pays homage to the great European ethno labels of yore, this monumental one-time pressing, limited edition double LP beautifully inaugurates SF's comprehensive musical survey of the Sahel

NEW RELEASE OUT NOW! VODOUN GODS ON THE SLAVE COAST BY HISHAM MAYET S.F. 089DVD

SUBLIME FREQUENCIES COMMUNIQUÈ

SUBLIME FREQUENCIES PO BOX 17971 SEATTLE WA 98127 USA

http://www.sublimefrequencies.com

VODOUN GODS 

ON THE SLAVE COAST

Directed by Hisham Mayet

.

DVD SF089

Order from Forced Exposure: 

http://www.forcedexposure.com/Catalog/SF.089DVD.html

Vodoun Gods on the Slave Coast explores the ceremonial splendor of sacred dance and ritual in Benin, the birthplace and cradle of Vodoun. Formerly known as Dahomey, Benin was also called the Slave Coast due to its importance in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Today, the worship and supplication of Vodoun gods remains integral to everyday life in Benin. Shot in January 2011 during the country's rich annual Vodoun celebrations, this film offers an impressionistic glimpse of the major ceremonies and delirious musical performances associated with this ancient religion. Guided by the otherworldly rhythms and colors of Vodoun pageantry, Hisham Mayet presents an intimate view of metaphysical dramas enacted in magisterial costumes: The cult of Sakpata, fearsome god of pestilence, disfigurement and healing. The Egoun-goun, ancestral visitors from the realm of the dead, who bring blessings and warnings for the living. And the Zangbeto nightwatchmen, ambulatory haystacks who serve as Vodoun's secret police. Traveling in a malarial fever dream from the clutter and bustle of village markets to the palace of Ahosu Agoli-Agbo Dedjalagni, the King of Abomey, Mayet provides an unforgettable portrait of secular and sacred life in Benin. Digipack with 12-page booklet of photographs from various Vodoun ceremonies throughout Benin; 48 minutes/color; all-region DVD, NTSC format. Limited one-time edition of 1,000 copies.

OUT NOW! Choubi Choubi! Folk & Pop Sounds from Iraq Vol. 1 VA 2cd and Ecstatic Music of the Jemaa El Fna VA cd

SUBLIME FREQUENCIES COMMUNIQUÈ

SUBLIME FREQUENCIES PO BOX 17971 SEATTLE WA 98127 USA

http://www.sublimefrequencies.com

OUT NOW!

Ecstatic Music of the Jemaa El Fna

Various Artists CD

SF - 056CD

To hear samples and order — Forced Exposure: 

http://www.forcedexposure.com/Catalog/SF.056CD.html

For centuries, the Jemaa El Fna (Rendezvous of the Dead) has remained the stage for one of the most spectacular social forums on the planet. By day, this central square in the city of Marrakesh, one of Morocco's great imperial cities, fosters a kaleidoscope of entertainment for its local inhabitants; storytellers, acrobats, magicians and snake charmers all create intriguing displays of bewitching spectacle. As the sun sets, the evening grows frantic with the pulse of the crowd; it is then that the night musicians set up. Free from the restrictions and expectations of light entertainment for a tourist crowd, these musicians manifest ecstatic performances that animate the audience and players alike. The groups represented on this album; Troupe Majidi,Amal Saha, and Mustapha Mahjoub, are working and carrying the torch of their musical heroes nightly in the square. These songs come from the repertoire of Morocco's greatest musical exports: Nass El Ghiwane, Lemchaheb, Jil Jilala, Larssad, and many others from the Chaabi (Moroccan popular music) canon and are given a raw, emotional and fiery interpretation. Instruments are powered by car batteries and blown out through megaphone speakers. These recordings represent a rare opportunity to hear this music at such close proximity, taking in all the power and passion of the performances. The raw fidelity captures an unflinching immersion of what is simply some of the greatest street music on earth. Recorded by Hisham Mayet in 2005, a few of these performances were featured in his film Musical Brotherhoods from the Trans-Saharan Highway. This collection also contains tracks not present in the film for a more potent snapshot of the ecstatic Jemaa El Fna. Debut CD digipak edition of this sold-out LP with booklet & photos of the musicians and liner notes by Hisham Mayet.

OUT NOW!

Choubi Choubi! 

Folk & Pop Sounds from Iraq 

Vol. 1 

Various Artists 2CD

SF - 1025CD

To hear samples and order — Forced Exposure: 

http://www.forcedexposure.com/Catalog/SF.1025CD.html

Originally released in 2005, while the U.S.-led war against Iraq was tearing the country to pieces, Choubi Choubi Vol. 1 brought a collection of incredible Iraqi music and styles that had rarely showcased abroad. This 2014 deluxe-edition 2CD reissue is a must-have. It features re-mastered, and in some cases, completely restored audio, revised and updated liner notes with new artist and track information, plus four additional tracks not featured in the first CD issue. Meticulously compiled by Mark Gergis from his archives of Iraqi cassettes and LPs found in Syria, Europe and the Iraqi neighborhoods of Detroit, Michigan and elsewhere within the diaspora, this unique collection of folk and pop styles displays a wealth of outstanding music that is exclusive to Iraq. Choubi is Iraq's version of Middle Eastern dabke music, and can be found throughout the country. It's performed at weddings and parties nationally by its melting pot of Arabs, Kurds, Christians, and Rom gypsies -- known as Kawlia. The Kawlia have been some of the most active recorded choubi artists in Iraq since the 1980s, and many tracks featured in this volume feature their outstanding performances. There are many reasons why Iraqi music stands alone in the dynamic world of Arabic music: one example is the unbelievable rapid-fire machine-gun rhythms fluttering atop the main tempo. This is the work of a unique nomadic hand drum called the Khishba -- also known as the Zanbour (Arabic for wasp). A style prominently featured here is the infamous Iraqi Choubi -- a driving, rhythmic style that can include fiddles, double reeded instruments, percussion, bass, keyboards and oud over its signature beat. Other styles featured are the Basta (an urban Baghdadi sound), Iraq's legendary brand of Mawal -- an ornamental vocal improvisation that sets the tone of a song, regardless of the style, and the outstanding Iraqi Hecha -- with its lumbering and determined rhythm pulsing beneath sad, antagonized vocals. Most of the music in this collection was produced during the Saddam period -- between the 1980s and 2002. Since the 2003 invasion and the wholesale disassembly of the country, classic tracks like these have already become part of a disappeared past. This 2CD package comes in a beautifully redesigned digipak and features 70 minutes of classic original recordings compiled by Mark Gergis with extensive liner notes.

OUT NOW! 1970's ALGERIAN PROTO-RAI UNDERGROUND NEW REPRESS CD - SF045

SUBLIME FREQUENCIES COMMUNIQUÈ

SUBLIME FREQUENCIES PO BOX 17971 SEATTLE WA 98127 USA

http://www.sublimefrequencies.com

OUT NOW! 

1970's ALGERIAN PROTO-RAI

UNDERGROUND

VA CD - SF045

To hear samples and order — Forced Exposure

http://www.forcedexposure.com/Catalog/SF.045CD.html

This is a new 2014 digipak designed CD repress of the limited LP pressing which sold out almost immediately when released in 2008. This is Raï music from Algeria as you've not heard it before. In the early 1970s, a new group of singers and musicians were operating on the northwest coast, and what they pioneered was a sound that eventually reached worldwide status by the end of the decade; however, their names are relatively unknown to this day outside Algeria. This crucial and defining period of the development of Raï is criminally ignored and overlooked by Algerian music historians and Raï fans. Due to censorship and government-controlled music diffusion, this scene and lyrical style was forced underground and banned from broadcasts, yet slowly built a small following around the seaside cabarets of Wahran (Oran). This period witnessed the rise of artists such asGroupe El Azhar ("The Flowers" group) and Messaoud Bellemou, who can comfortably be considered the Godfather of the modern Raï sound. His group, L'Orchestre Bellemou, rewrote a heritage of centuries by using modern instruments and especially the trumpet, which became, during the 1970s, the backbone of the Wahrani genre. Reinterpreting the gasbamelodies on trumpet, Bellemou backed singers such asBoutaiba Sghir and Sheikh Benfissa who carried on the lyrical tradition of their forefathers singing about daily preoccupations and problems as well as love affairs, alcohol, or simply owning an automobile! Toward the late 1970s,Cheb Zergui brought a newer ingredient: an electric guitar with a wah-wah pedal. Thankfully, the late 1960s saw the development of vinyl pressing in Algeria. This new industry allowed many small artists including the Wahrani "scene" to record and release singles documenting their repertoire. This compilation is a selection of this proto-Raï scene's vinyl 45s. CD booklet features photos of the musicians & informative liner notes by the man who compiled it, Hicham Chadly.

OUT NOW! VA: 1970s ALGERIAN FOLK AND POP CD

SUBLIME FREQUENCIES COMMUNIQUÈ

SUBLIME FREQUENCIES PO BOX 17971 SEATTLE WA 98127 USA

http://www.sublimefrequencies.com

VA: 1970s Algerian Folk and Pop CD

 

SF - 088 CD

To hear samples and order- Forced Exposure:

http://www.forcedexposure.com/Catalog/SF.088CD.html

Sublime Frequencies is thrilled to present a second volume of classic tracks from Algeria's popular music history. Where volume 1 focused on the early to mid-1970s Rai scene in western Algeria, this album features a variety of pop and folk styles from that same period. From the heavier rock and psychedelic sounds of Rachid & Fethi, Les Djinns and Les Abranis, to the haunting folk music of Kri Kri and Djamel Allem and the film soundtrack moods of Ahmed Malek, 1970s Algerian Folk & Pop documents a key period in the modern musical renaissance of a nation in transition. Most of these tracks are from 45 rpm singles, the key format during the early 1970s before the cassette took over as the medium of choice. Western musical influences can be heard throughout this extremely diverse record, yet there is an undeniable Algerian sense of sadness contained here within a more tolerant space in time between two of the country's most significant historical periods; National Independence from France and the darker times of a brutal civil war yet to come. Compiled by Hicham Chadly, this CD comes in a digipak with a booklet featuring lovely images from the period and extensive liner-notes by Omar Zelig, Algeria's most legendary radio DJ.

REVIEW: http://www.afropop.org/wp/18761/1970s-algerian-folk-and-pop/

2 NEW RELEASES COMING IN MAY: AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW!

SUBLIME FREQUENCIES COMMUNIQUÈ

SUBLIME FREQUENCIES PO BOX 17971 SEATTLE WA 98127 USA

http://www.sublimefrequencies.com

VA: 1970s Algerian Folk and Pop LP 

- Limited Edition

SF - 088 LP

To Pre-Order and hear samples - Forced Exposure:

http://beta.forcedexposure.com/Catalog/SF.088LP.html

Sublime Frequencies is thrilled to present a second volume of classic tracks from Algeria's popular music history. Where volume 1 focused on the early to mid-1970s Rai scene in western Algeria, this album features a variety of pop and folk styles from that same period. From the heavier rock and psychedelic sounds of Rachid & Fethi, Les Djinns and Les Abranis, to the haunting folk music of Kri Kri and Djamel Allem and the film soundtrack moods of Ahmed Malek, 1970s Algerian Folk & Pop documents a key period in the modern musical renaissance of a nation in transition. Most of these tracks are from 45 rpm singles, the key format during the early 1970s before the cassette took over as the medium of choice. Western musical influences can be heard throughout this extremely diverse record, yet there is an undeniable Algerian sense of sadness contained here within a more tolerant space in time between two of the country's most significant historical periods; National Independence from France and the darker times of a brutal civil war yet to come. Compiled by Hicham Chadly, this limited edition LP comes in a full-color gatefold jacket with lovely images from the period and extensive liner-notes by Omar Zelig, Algeria's most legendary radio DJ.

VA: Choubi Choubi: 

Folk & Pop Sounds from Iraq Vol. 1

- Limited Edition 2LP and bonus 7"

SF - 025 LP

To Pre-Order and hear samples - Forced Exposure:

http://beta.forcedexposure.com/Catalog/SF.025LP.html

Originally released in 2005, while the U.S.-led war against Iraq was tearing the country to pieces, Choubi Choubi Vol. 1 brought a collection of incredible Iraqi music and styles that had rarely showcased abroad. This 2014 deluxe-edition vinyl reissue is a must-have. It features re-mastered, and in some cases, completely restored audio, revised and updated liner-notes with new artist and track information, plus four additional tracks not featured in the first CD issue. Meticulously compiled by Mark Gergis from his archives of Iraqi cassettes and LPs found in Syria, Europe and the Iraqi neighborhoods of Detroit, Michigan and elsewhere within the diaspora, this unique collection of folk and pop styles displays a wealth of outstanding music that is exclusive to Iraq. Choubi is Iraq's version of Middle Eastern dabke music, and can be found throughout the country. It's performed at weddings and parties nationally by its melting pot of Arabs, Kurds, Christians, and Rom gypsies -- known as Kawlia. The Kawlia have been some of the most active recorded choubi artists in Iraq since the 1980s, and many tracks featured in this volume feature their outstanding performances. There are many reasons why Iraqi music stands alone in the dynamic world of Arabic music: one example is the unbelievable rapid-fire machine-gun rhythms fluttering atop the main tempo. This is the work of a unique nomadic hand drum called the Khishba -- also known as the Zanbour (Arabic for wasp). A style prominently featured here is the infamous Iraqi Choubi -- a driving, rhythmic style that can include fiddles, double reeded instruments, percussion, bass, keyboards and oud over its signature beat. Other styles featured are the Basta (an urban Baghdadi sound), Iraq's legendary brand of Mawal -- an ornamental vocal improvisation that sets the tone of a song, regardless of the style, and the outstanding Iraqi Hecha -- with its lumbering and determined rhythm pulsing beneath sad, antagonized vocals. Most of the music in this collection was produced during the Saddam period -- between the 1980s and 2002. Since the 2003 invasion and the wholesale disassembly of the country, classic tracks like these have already become part of a disappeared past. This limited edition 2LP vinyl release features 70 minutes of classic original recordings compiled by Mark Gergis, housed in a beautiful full-color gatefold jacket with extensive liner-notes and a bonus 7" with a picture sleeve.

LP 1
Side A
01.	Souad Hussein Ensemble	Oh Mother, The Handsome Man Tortures Me	4:07	listen
02.	Diyaa Hussein	Al Hecha (The Hecha)	5:54	listen
03.	Amal Khodeir	Yal Ghali (Precious One)	3:39	listen
04.	Souad Abdullah	Ahl Al Aqil (Oh, People of Reason)	3:54	listen
Side B
05.	VA	Bezikh Introduction	0:40	listen
06.	Souad Abdullah	Yumma Al Helou (Mother, He's Beautiful)	4:00	listen
07.	Mohammed Al Madloul	Qa Choubi (On the Choubi)	6:25	listen
08.	Bawin	Ya Binaya Goumi (Oh Girl, Stand Up	5:48	listen

LP 2
Side C
01.	Sadoun Jabir	Ashad Bianak Helou (I Admit, You Are Beautiful)	3:08	listen
02.	Samira Al-Amir	Al Ghetra Wa Al Zabon (The Khafiyah & the Cloak)	3:49	listen
03.	Unknown Artist	Ya Yumma (Oh, Mother)	3:08	listen
04.	Salah Abdel Ghafour	Wallah (By God)	6:46	listen
Side D
05.	Ahmad Al Indibat	Guitar Choubi	5:32	listen
06.	Souad Abdullah	Choubi Choubi (aka: Seya Seya)	2:56	listen
07.	Sajida Obeid	Ala Honak (Take it Easy)	6:45	listen
08.	Souad Abdullah	Ayna	2:45	listen

Disc 3
Side A: Bonus 7" EP
01.	Ja'afar Hassan	They Taught Me	4:18	listen
02.	Ja'afar Hassan	Once a Day	3:56	listen
Side B: Bonus 7" EP
03.	Ja'afar Hassan	Palestinian	2:30	listen
04.	Ja'afar Hassan	Front My Hope	5:42	listen