Wednesday, February 9, 2022
The 10 Best New Albums From Around The World (March 2022)
Featuring outstanding new albums from Rokia Koné & Jacknife Lee, Imarhan, Go Dugong and more
1
Rokia Koné & Jacknife Lee
BAMANAN Real World Records
On the surface of it, Irish-born, US-based stadium rock producer Jacknife Lee seems an improbable choice to helm the debut solo album by Mali’s Rokia Koné. Lee’s credits include U2, REM, The Killers and Taylor Swift’s multi-million selling Red, while Koné first came to our attention with the feminist supergroup Les Amazones d’Afrique, singing alongside the likes of Angélique Kidjo and Kandia Kouyaté. Yet it proves to be an inspired pairing... Nigel Williamson
2
Go Dugong
Meridies Hyperjazz Records/La Tempesta Dischi
Go Dugong, aka Milan-based Giulio Fonseca, is an Italian producer, DJ, sonic traveller soul and unrestrained mind, a notable personality in today’s electronic music spectrum. Diving into his Taranto roots, Meridies imaginatively explores southern Italian and Apulian traditional materials. Diverse instruments shape this multihued narrative, such as organs, synths, guitars and makeshift items, the latter producing percussive patterns, alongside tambourine, field recordings, samples, flute, clarinet, zampogna, accordion, jaw harp, tambura and sitar... Ciro De Rosa
3
Aaron O’Hagan & Luke Ward
From the Devil’s Punchbowl Aaron O’Hagan & Luke Ward
Fresh evidence of a new generation from north of the border adding its own distinctive stamp on Irish traditional music comes in this joyful self-produced debut by County Antrim-born Aaron O’Hagan and Belfast-based Luke Ward. From the Devil’s Punchbowl (the title references a concave limestone quarry on Belfast’s guardian Cave Hill) flies out of the traps with a sizzling set of reels fuelled by O’Hagan’s racing uilleann pipes, Ward’s bouzouki a steady but flexible pacemaker... Michael Quinn
4
Khöömei Beat
Changys Baglaash ARC Music
Khöömei Beat are a young Tyvan (also spelt Tuvan) quintet formed in 2017 who have grown up witnessing the acclaim of fellow South Siberian groups like Huun Huur-Tu and Yat-Kha, who over the past 30 years have been promoting Tyvan music, especially khöömei (throat singing). On Changys Baglaash, the familiar traditional instruments like the igil (two-stringed long-neck fiddle) and outstanding khöömei in its five styles, demonstrated expertly by Aikhan Oorzhak on ‘Traditional Tuvan Khöömei’, are joined by electric bass, electric cello and a drum kit on the other nine pieces... Michael Ormiston
5
Small Island Big Song
Our Island Small Island Big Song
Wearing their laudable environmental-cultural justice advocacy firmly on their sleeves, in their own small way the Small Island Big Song team champions a save-the-planet agenda. And while perhaps not quite as unique as their award-winning debut, Our Island keeps those politically-aware Austronesian songlines flowing strong... Seth Jordan
6
Hartwin Dhoore Trio
Valge Valgus Trad Records
Many Estonian musicians reference nature in their music and that same connection can be felt throughout this subtly moving, yet wordless, collection. Drawing on traditional melodies, yet thoroughly contemporary sounding, this enchanting record can’t help but make you want to visit the country that evidently inspired it... Kevin Bourke
7
Imarhan
Aboogi City Slang
All aboard the Touareg camel train once again for Imarhan’s third album Aboogi – and a serene, timeless trip across the desert it is, too. The recent trend among Touareg guitar bands has been for every release to try to rock harder than what has gone before, but here the group led by Iyad Moussa Ben Abderahmane (aka Sadam), dial it down with a semi-acoustic record full of haunting beauty... Nigel Willamson
8
Combo Chimbita
IRE ANTI-
These four Colombians who met, and started making music together, in New York, have crafted their own slightly-rock, slightly-psych and more than slightly-spiritual form of Afro-Caribbean music-making since their first release in 2016. Carolina Oliveros’ vocals are central as she transposes bullerengue into new shapes, finding bliss on an ocean of lolloping bass, cymbal splashes and lazy guitar on ‘Oya’, but then revved up to fervour on ‘Babalawo’ as she duels with a Peruvian cumbia guitar lick and sinister synths before the rhythm takes off for a double-time Afro-punk finish... Russ Slater
9
Owiny Sigoma Band
The Lost Tapes Brownswood Recordings
Having trawled through leftfield Brazil and captured the cutting edge in Cuba, clubland's favourite diminutive DJ/producer Gilles Peterson has now brought us some unexpected music from Kenya on record label, Brownswood Recordings. A close-knit collective of London-based musicians met up with some local traditional talent to create a Nairobi-meets-London soundclash. It's one of the year's more interesting releases so far... Jane Cornwell
10
Imed Alibi feat Khalil EPI
Frigya Shouka
The mix of drums, synth blasts and rare vinyl vocal samples (and a cameo from violinist Zied Zouari, who appears on ‘Ghajar’ and has previously collaborated with Alibi) is an intense, satisfying and deeply groovy celebration of the mix of African and Arab that makes modern Tunisia... Nathaniel Handy
