Paper Tiger x Steve Spacek

Having previously collaborated with the likes of Shafiq Husayn, Chester Watson and Foreign Beggars, electronic space funk outfit Paper Tiger return from an explorative journey to the dark edges of the cosmos with their long-awaited third album ‘Rogue Planet’.

‘The Cycle’ (the first single to be lifted from this new offering) features the unmistakeable vocal stylings of the legendary Steve Spacek.

The single officially arrives on November 30 via Wah Wah 45s, and backed up by b-side cut, "Quick Wash," and a remix of "The Cycle" by Shy One.

K.O.G a.k.a Kweku of Ghana and Moroccan/French beatmaker iZem drop single

"Pura Vida Sounds, the brand new imprint set up by GUTS, presents Change, a collaboration between the Ghanaian singer K.O.G a.k.a Kweku of Ghana and the Moroccan/French beatmaker iZem a.k.a In Ze Early Morning. The meeting between the Ghanaian singer and the French beatmaker is not a story of acronyms but rather of a fruitful venture between two expatriates who, from their new found homes, capture perfectly their surrounding vibrations.

Singer and multi-instrumentalist, born in Accra (Ghana), resident in Sheffield (UK), K.O.G is constantly innovating. Leader of his own monstrous afro funk band K.O.G and The Zongo Brigade (see them at Transmusicales 2018 and album on Heavenly Sweetness March 2019) and lead vocalist for Onipa, K.O.G is a creative force, relentlessly touring and collaborating across a range of styles, from afro funk to house, dancehall and reggae to jungle, with forthcoming releases with Afriquoi (UK), Umoja (Netherlands), Jus Now (Trinidad/UK), Congo Natty (UK/Jamaica) and more.

Guitar-schooled in Spain, it is in Brazil and Argentina that iZem collaborated on multiple projects before landing in Dublin, behind two turntables and a mixer and finally ending up in Lisbon. After his first album, released by Soundway Records, the French and Moroccan beatmaker maintains his permanent connection with Portuguese-speaking music from South America and Africa. iZem and K.O.G are two connoisseurs of sound, experience and experimentation, that have previously collaborated with Nina Miranda (Smoke City), State of Mind, Riddimtion and Selekta Chestar."

Out now, on 7"/digital

Conch vinyl popup on Dec 8th

The Conch Pop Up Record Shack returns in time for Xmas on Sat 8th Dec. New & 2nd hand vinyl from  Stinky Jim, Dusty Crates, The Other Crate & Cian. Kicks off 10am thru til 4pm...... Cash only.

Ring The Alarm playlist November 24

100% kiwi music today cos BaseFm is rocking out at Grey Lynn Park Festival with a cool local showcase...

Scratch22 - Shivani Strut
DLT with Billy TK - Duel of the assassins
Opensouls - Rise up pt 1
Isaac Aesili with Iva Lamkum - Chemistry
Alphabethead - Buzz
Mara TK - Run
Quincy Conserve - Same old feeling (Peter Mac edit)
Prince Tui Teka - Heed the call
Billy TK and Powerhouse - Move on up pts1&2
Lewis McCallum - Fly or die
Mark de Clive Lowe - Melodious funk
Nathan Haines with Sonny Sagala - Lady J (video mix)
Unification  -Guru
Salmonella Dub - Problems (Sonsine dat little thing dub)
Dam Native - Behold my kool style
Che Fu - Misty frequencies (Manuel Bundy remix)
Tha Feelstyle - Su'amalie
Bic Runga  - Something good (Submariner mix with Tha Feelstyle)
Julien Dyne - What you say
Tubbs with Dallas - Five day night (Fat Freddys Drop remix)
Unitone Hifi with Bobbylon - Turn around
The Yoots - Me he manu rere
Maori Hifive - Poi poi
Patea Maori Club -  Ngoi ngoi
Snap - Sidewalk city (dance mix)
Houseparty - Dangerous love (dance mix)
Sandy Mill - Light of day

Ring The Alarm playlist November 17

William Onyeabor - Atomic bomb
Hugh Masekela - Don't go lose it baby
Kid Creole and the Coconuts - Mister Softee
Trouble Funk - Drop the bomb
Prince Charles and the City Beat Band - Rise
Lord Julien - Shades
Betty Davis - Anti love song
Timmy Thomas - Opportunity
The Emotions - I like it
Dusty Springfield - Stay awhile
Jimmy Hughes - Slippin' around with you
Barbara Lynn - You're losing me
Stovall Sisters - Yes to the Lord
Soul Brothers Six - Thank you baby for loving me
Larry Laster - Go for yourself
Esther Phillips - Just say goodbye
Roy Ayers - Boogie back
Gil Scott Heron - The revolution... (Tahira rework)
Nomo - Nova
Lee Dodou and the Polyversal Souls - Basa basa
Tony Allen - No discrimination
Oscar Sulleys Nzele Soundz - Bukom
Jimi Tenor - Mystery spot
Estelle and Joni Rewind - Uptown top ranking
General Levy - Champagne body
Freestylers and Navigator - Ruffneck
Ragga Twins - Spliffhead
Che Fu and the Krates - E Tu

Philophon compilation out December

Philophon is a very cool little label started in 2014 by drummer Max Weissenfeldt (Poets of Rhythm, Whitefiled Brothers), releasing a handful of 7" singles.

He'd had the idea for a label for some time, and says " Only my move from Munich to Berlin brought the decisive turn. I joined the gamelan group of the Indonesian composer Gutama Soegijo, and it was at that time that a space was set up in his spacious studio and offered for sublease.

"Here I had found a place where I could build something. Soon I started working with Stibbo Spitzmüller as a technician to do the first recording experiments. At that time, I was also in Ghana a lot and started singing about our stuff - including Roy X aka Jimmy Taylor, the youngest son of highlife legend Ebo Taylor. During my travels through Ghana, I also discovered the kologo virtuoso Guy One and the Frafra Gospel King Alogte Oho. Back in Berlin, I had wonderful recordings of these three talents in my pocket - the desire to release them was great."


"Bitteschön, Philophon!" presents a best of selection taken from the so far fifteen 7" releases by the Berlin-based label Philophon. Greats as Jimi Tenor, Alemayehu Eshete and Hailu Mergia as well as new discoveries such as Guy One, Alogte Oho and Y-Bayani echo on "Bitteschön" the wide spectrum of the Philophon catalogue.

Philophon puts its emphasis on authentic local styles - from heavy grooving Ethio-Jazz coming out of Addis Abeba to cheerful Frafra-Gospel, as it is celebrated in Bolgatanga/Northern Ghana. Most recordings took place where the music is located - and that's the recipe for Philophon's productions: go to the source and dive into the real.

Out Dec 7th on LP/CD/digital

New Misled Convoy, out Nov 23

New music from Mike Hodgson aka Misled Convoy. Mike has worked as one half of Pitch Black.

"After finding a Russian language vowel sounds 7” box set in a charity store, Hodgson researched which nations had sent astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). The 7'' became the vocal bed for the title track "Sixteen Sunsets", which was then augmented with vowel sounds from the other nations who have also inhabited the ISS. 

"The title is inspired by the phenomenon that, every day, due to orbiting the Earth every 90 minutes, the residents of the ISS witness 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets."

Ring The Alarm playlist November 10

Sola Rosa - King of hush
Bongmaster - Brothers and sisters
The Believers - Mr hot pants
Willie Hutch - Come on and dance with me
Crown Heights Affair - Say a prayer for two (US remixed version)
Modified Man - Accidental return
Nicolette - Waking up remix
Ardijah - Which way is up
The Temptations - Don't let the Joneses get you down
Sunny and the Sunliners - Get down
Senor Soul - Some got it, some don't
Garnet Mimms and the Enchanters - Cry baby
Rose Mitchell - Baby please don't go
Janet Jackson - Got til its gone (Jay Dee remix)
Kenny Dope - Can you handle it pt1
James Brown - There was a time (Kenny Dope remix)
Charles Bradley - Aint it a sin, Why is it so hard?
Antibalas - Che che cole makossa
Karl Hector and the Malcouns - Omebele (makossa)
Che Fu - Random (Mu aka DJ Fitchie remix)
Mono Massive - Make it slow
Eli Goularte - Meu samba (Nicola Conte remix)
Nina Simone - Seeline woman (MAW remix)

Ring The Alarm playlist November 3

Beastie Boys - Gratitude
Dyke and the Blazers - Let a woman be a woman, let a man be a man
George Benson and MAW - The ghetto
Kutiman -  Escape route
Afrique - Soul makossa (Karim's tanga extension)
Johnny Hammond - Los conquistadores chocolate
Lord Echo - Sword cane
Grace Jones - Use me (long version)
Lee Scratch Perry  -God smiled (Moody Boyz remix)
Bullwackies Allstars - Boma ye dub
Lovejoys - One draw
Sabres of Paradise - Tow truck
SPA Beat Spacek - Ring di alarm
Dub Asylum with Sandy Mill - What the funk (Paddy Free remix)
Bill Withers - Railroad man
Willie Mitchell - Sugar T
Jackie Lee - The chicken
Jimmy James and the Vagabonds - Hi diddly dee dum dum
Litle Eva - Keep your hands off my baby
Mary Wells - Aint it the truth
The Uptights  -There's a better day coming
Doris Troy - Just one look
Lloyd Price  -They get down
Nite-liters - Afro strut
Coco and Misha Panfilov Sound Combo - Soul strut
Skyy - No music
Frantique - Strut your funky stuff
David Sylvian and Ryuichi Sakamoto - Bamboo houses (remix 2000)