Various - Original Raw Soul III
(CD/Digital) Now-Again Records NA5088, 2012-02-27

If you've read the first volume of Wax Poetics Magazine, you'll find in there an article called The Godfathers of Deep Funk about The Poets of Rhythm. Those German cats were indeed in that revival game way before The Dap-Kings and other current Deep Funk heavyweights. And from the beginning they were releasing collectible 45s under many guises… The band doesn't exist anymore, but have generated many offshoots, who all released very good to fantastic albums: Woima Collective, the Afrobeat Academy that plays and records with Oghene Kologbo or Ebo Taylor, The Whitefield Brothers, Karl Hector and more… Their 45 singles and rare tracks were collected in 1995 by Soulciety Records in Europe (Ooh Ooh..! - Hotpie & Candy Records Original Raw Soul Vol. I), reissued by Instinct Records in the US the next year (Original Raw Soul). And a second volume appeared in 1997 in Europe (Into Space & Time - Hotpie & Candy Records Original Raw Soul Vol. II), again reissued the following year in the US (More Original Raw Soul). Now a third volume is released by Now-Again Records, collecting all the tracks that were not compiled so far, aptly titled Original Raw Soul Vol.3. For the Poets of Rhythm fans, of course it's a must-have of really raw funk, afrofunk and jazz. Besides rarities, there are two new funk jams here, from a band called The Transgressors, both credited to The Whitefield Brothers and Will 'Quantic' Holland. Now what about the record as a whole? Original songs. Raw funk. Soulful vibes. It's all in the title already.

The collective that includes the Poets of Rhythm, Whitefield Brothers and Karl Hector & The Malcouns have just put out a series of rare funk, jazz, soul and world-psych singles compiled as an album (info and free MP3 on nowagainrecords.com). We're celebrating this new Original Raw Soul III album release with an exclusive Afrofunk mix from the great Karl Hector himself! If, like us, you thought that the Jazz Modal du Monde mix he offered last year was one of the marvels of the Paris DJs podcast (one of the 5 most downloaded Paris DJs mixes of 2011), then you're in for another timeless...

We've counted at least a hundred very interesting new releases in the 21st century afro scene since our last mix, 21st Century Afro Extravaganza. Here's nearly 20% of all those new cool afro grooves from all over the world, with an exclusive new track from the Grant Phabao Afrobeat Arkestra, friendly vibes from Afrolicious, Karl Hector, Les Frères Smith (mixed by Phabao!), or Kiala, more friendly vibes sent by our label collegues from Record Kicks, Tramp Records, Jazz&Milk, Enlace Funk, Kindred Spirits or Kept Records and a few things we grabbed here and there. 21st Century Afrobeat,...

01. Hidden Orchestra - Night Walks On Vinyl Mixtape info & download
02. Grant Phabao and Djouls - Cosmic Tropical Disco info & download / vol.2
03. Hidden Orchestra - Outlook Festival Mixtape info & download
04. Karl Hector - Jazz Modal du Monde info & download
05. Paris DJs Soul Soundsystem - For Ever Gil Scott-Heron info & download

It's been a very active year on the mixes front on the Paris DJs website, with no less than 20 new mixes from our crew members, and 48 guest mixes, with a unique original artwork (usually by Djouls), something closer to sonic perfection with our own audio mastering when needed (by the only Grant Phabao) and whenever possible, a detailed tracklist info with links and artcovers for each record played. We're trying to raise the standards of music podcasting each year! The Hidden Orchestra mixes are monsters. We haven't heard anything close to this before, mixing cinematic beats, hip hop, psychedelia, Portishead, their own Radiohead remixes and many more surprises. If you haven't checked those, get your ears on asap! Their album Night Walks, released on Tru Thoughts, is a real treat for fans of the jazz/nu jazz/cinematic ever-evolving crowd. Grant Phabao & Djouls' Cosmic Tropical Disco mixes are killer selections of the current disco re-edit craze, and don't worry, we'll keep on diggin' this scene in 2012. You also loved the timeless spiritual jazz offering from Karl Hector who released a stunning afro/psychedelic/jazz/funk EP, Tamanrasset on Now-Again this year. And finally many were touched by Loik's tribute mix of eternal respect to Gil-Scott Heron - may our brother rest in peace.

Karl Hector plays in various bands we admire at Paris DJs: The Poets of Rhythm, The Whitefield Brothers, Afrobeat Academy with Ebo Taylor... He released with The Malcouns in 2008 one of the albums of the year, Sahara Swing, and has just issued Tamanrasset on Now-Again Records, a fantastic EP with 5 new tracks of Afrodelic kraut-funk. He'll be paying with Ebo Taylor in France and Europe this summer (check the rest of this entry for the tour dates). All this calls for celebration so here's an exclusive new mix, all trippy modal jazz, the perfect soundtrack for a Paris DJs night mood......

Karl Hector & The Malcouns - Tamanrasset
(12"/Digital) Now Again Records NA5076, 2011-05-16

Now-Again Records is proud to present Tamanrasset, the sophomore release from the trio of Jay Whitefield, Thomas Myland and Zdenko Curlija - also known as Karl Hector and the Malcouns. Tamanrasset is a mosaic of Eastern and Northern African folk music, Western psychedelia, jazz and funk. This vinyl-only-EP, packaged in screen printed jackets from Hit & Run with original artwork from Kevin Lyons, is limited to 1000 copies. LP's will begin shipping on 05/16/11.

The Paris DJs extended family has among the most pro-active in spreading the good word about worldwide African music. Celebrating the recent releases by One Foot In Jail or Franck Biyong on our brand new Colored-Inc. label, and announcing the upcoming albums from Oghene Kologbo (thru Kraked) or Ebo Taylor (thru Strut), here's nearly 4 hours of 21st century afrojazz, afrobeat, ethio-jazz, afrofunk and afrolatin grooves - selected and mixed by Grant Phabao and Djouls who are currently producing new tracks with Afrodyete from the Breakestra, Zak from The Souljazz Orchestra, Franck Biyong, Doctor...

Various - Black Man's Cry: The Inspiration Of Fela Kuti
(4x10" boxset/CD) Now-Again/Stones Throw NA50566, 2010-02-23

Fela's music, and that of his organization inspired musicians across the global village when Afro-Beat was new and novel. This compilation focuses on the music Fela inspired – whether by fellow Nigerians recording alongside him in the early 70s, neighbors in Ghana, then-modern Colombian cumbia ensembles inspired by the man who injected a new feel into the Yoruban rhythms that formed cumbia's base, Trinidadian steel bands or the select few organizations left that have maintained Fela's fury in the new millennium. Compiler Egon has written extensive liner notes – and sourced never before seen Fela photos and other ephemera - for this project, included in the hardbound book that contains the CD and in a large-format booklet in the 4 x 10” vinyl box set.

Karl Hector & The Malcouns - Live at ChoiceCuts, Dublin
(free MP3 Recorded may 2009)

"This show is a recording from May 09 with our good friends Karl Hector & The Malcouns who have performed for us about 6 times now. One of the tightest collectives of musicians we have had the pleasure of welcoming to ChoiceCuts, this show will take you all over the world with some incredible rhythms, melodies and arrangements all tied together with afro-tinged funk music originating from the Southern Sahara and played by some of the tightest German funk musicians you can hear these days." (Source : ChoiceCuts.ie)

The Karl Hector Show - Part 2 (side B) (MP3 Podcast on www.ParisDJs.com) Now Again, 2009-01-28 Our Stones Throw/Now Again Records Special never ends... Here's the second half of Karl Hector's Afro-Jazz selection. I've already said it, but If you still haven't heard the "Sahara Swing" album from Karl Hector & The Malcouns (alias the Poets Of Rhythm, better known for originating the Deep Funk movement in the 90s), you know what you have to do... And don't forget to download the first 30mn slice of this "Karl Hector Show Part 2" already up on parisdjs.com since December...