Reissue of the 80s 12” single from Trinidadian musician Oluko Imo (Black Truth Rhythm Band), featuring Fela Kuti and Femi Kuti.
Recorded between Lagos and New York in 1988, the tracks sit at the fault line of the Trinidad-Yoruba connection, blending calypso heritage with the Afrobeat and jazz of Nigeria

On the A-side, title track ‘Oduduwa’ is a brooding slice of peak-era Transatlantic Afrobeat, blending a heartfelt plea for social justice and equality with a haunting piano line, shuffling drums and ethereal sax solo.
The song takes its name from Oduduwa, the founder of the Ife Empire, who is also seen as a divine Orisha (deity) in Yoruba culture, one that is often evoked by musicians and activists in Trinidad as a signifier of Yoruba heritage on the island.

On the flip, ‘Eyes Are Getting Red (Were Oju Le)’ is a long-lost slice of low slung Afrobeat featuring both Fela and Femi Kuti. Classic Nigerian horns and keys combine with Oluko Imo’s Caribbean-influenced guitar and Fela’s virtuoso sax solo, bridging the musical gap between Lagos and Port of Spain.

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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
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Limited vinyl pressing in collaboration with Rico Toto. Artwork by Floating Bstrd.

Invisible City Editions continues our 10 year anniversary in adventurous sounds. We are thrilled to announce the re-release of Rico Toto’s 1993 CD recording Fwa Épi Sajès. Mind melting synthesizers and drum machines fuse with ancient Guadeloupe Gwo-ka rhythms in this musical endeavour Rico Toto describes as “Electro-ka.” The improvised live instruments of the Moundjahka ensemble meld with electronic abstraction to create a psychedelic, immersive digital diaspora dream state. With nods to Jon Hassell’s’ atmospheric soundscapes, YMO and Baldelli / TBC Cosmic mixtapes, this selection of songs encompasses an entire spectrum of moods and sounds. The A side begins with fourth-world tropical percussions, opening with sounds of nature in “Jungle Meditation” and leading into the downtempo summer synthpop jam “Yadadé.” The B side takes a darker turn, starting off with the deep chugging rhythms of “Rawal Pindi” and continuing even deeper with synth sounds and haunting vocals that culminates into the dreamy meditative final track, “Golgotha.”

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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
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Germany
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Limited Pressing.

Invisible City Editions returns with an official repress of a fantastic double-sided private press rarity from 1989 Detroit. Featuring two legendary Inner City alumni Producer/keyboardist Engineer Art Forest and Inner City background vocalist dancer/singer Shawn Pittman. On the A side a lush slow modern soul slow burner “Dreams'' features a deep,spatial throbbing bass line with glistening synths floating underneath cool angelic hypnotic vocals by Ms Pittman.” 'Dreams are only Dreams till you make it real' chants Shawn Pittman and we’re lead down a dazzling maze of mirrors. With “I'm Losing Control (Extended Bass-ment Club Mix)” on the flipside a wild late night warehouse dub remix features sci-fi vocal effects,fostex tape loops and ultra-heavy bass and driving drum machines. Minimal lush soul perfect for early mornings and the post-club world and a wild sci-fi house winner for late night club sessions. An IC fave! Remastered by Brandenberg/The Carvery (Note: we’ve also removed the drum machine going out of sync that was on the original press) Official Repress via Art Forest and his label Wildboy.Essential stuff!

Art Forest is an Electronic Engineer and production wizard from Detroit Michigan. He originally recorded 2 of Inner CItys’ Biggest Hits “Good Life” and “Big Fun” and continues to record to this day. Art Forest still finds and repairs equipment to add to his studio today. He also recorded for Paula Abdul “Straight Up” and Madonnas’ “Justify My Love” Shawn Pittman was a singer and dancer from Detroit who was a good friend of Inner City vocalist Paris Grey. Shawn Pittman sang backing vocals and harmonies on “Good Life” and “Big Fun”.

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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
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Invisible City continues to celebrate its 10th anniversary as a record label by reissuing the overlooked 1994 UK LP Accura - Five x Five!

The best records make you want to grab the steering wheel and feel the sunny coastal drive. Frank Ed’s unique blend of genres on his LP “Five x Five” does exactly this, melting G-funk, smoothie Rnb and NYC Disco a la Larry Levan, a genre he coined “Street Jazz”.

A Ghana expat inspired by the endearing levity of the sounds of Hilife along the Gold Coast, Frank Ed fuses downtempo keys and throbbing basslines on the opener “The Vibe”. “Groove Control” is a euphoric minimal disco gem teasing the padlocked grooves of Gwen Guthrie and the West End setting sun into a fiery Loleatta sample that sparks into a fiery vocal “You got me burning up”. Dervish vibraphones, inspired by the Jazz-Funk renaissance, mesmerize the interlude “Ghetto Strings”. The punchy sampledelic psychedelia of conscious hip hop continue with the car sounds of “Jazz Maiden” opening with a screeching car halt, alongside MCs Cap D and Darkstorm rapping about a girl on the town, before being snapped and interjected by a female vocal chiming in“Excuse Me!” “Freestylin” is a top down portamento G-funk glider, a nod to everything from the West Coast hip hop highway. “The Good Times'' - a CD-hidden only cut - is the real jewel here, emblematic of Frank Eds distinctive style. Expect low slung, nasal rapping and sine wave G funk grooves paired with lyrics about baggy jeans and Kangol kits that land with the chorus: “ I walk the walk I pay the price of this hip hop rhyme.” The pacific highway drive continues with “Summer Jazz” a breezy cruiser with the line, “Just move your body and slow…Summer Jazz.” You can feel the sun and wind in your hair as the keys trill along the reverb vocals of “I Feeeel It.”

This pressing Includes two other CD-only releases featuring the NHB remixes of “Feelin Jazzy” and “Summer Jazz.” An essential LP, lovingly remastered and adjacent to the African diaspora genre UK Street Soul and the fervent UK RnB explosion of the early 90s. Glimmering with the disco ball of The Paradise Garage and the simmering smoothness of bumpin’ West Coast hip hop. Official Limited Pressing made in collaboration with Frank Ed and Toronto local selector Matt Stein. Not to be missed! Tip!

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Invisible City Editions reissues a selection of classic street soul tunes from the legendary duo Soul Connection (Toyin Agbetu and Earl Myers). A mix of well loved tracks from Soul Connection's 1988 "Rough & Ready" and 1990 "Raw Street Soul", remastered from the original master reels. This one has been a long time in the making and we are really excited to finally put it out!

You’d be hard pressed to find a more central figure to the story of ’80s UK Street Soul than Toyin Agbetu. A former computer programming prodigy turned musician/artist/producer, Agbetu was one of the principals in the development of a sound that merged the playful romance of soul music with the DIY ethos and raw, drum machine-driven beats of hip-hop and other burgeoning underground movements of the time. With his London-based independent record label, Unyque Artists, and a studio HQ-ed out of his Hackney bedroom, Toyin would embark on a remarkably prolific run as a producer and artist under a myriad of aliases and pseudonyms on associated spin-off labels. One such project was Soul Connection – a collaboration with friend and fellow indie label head Earl Myers that, despite its low-key bordering on phantom profile, yielded two albums, Rough and Ready (1988) and Raw Street Soul (1990) released on UA affiliate Intrigue Records. Though both LPs were well received upon initial release, the years since have only increased their stature amongst fans of elusive grooves. As evidenced by the six beloved tracks collected on Invisible City Editions’ Street Soul EP, Soul Connection’s addictively simple hooks, punchy mid-tempo rhythms, and forays into breakbeat and house remain as easy to appreciate as ever.

Includes 8 page booklet with an interview from Jeff “Chairman” Mao.

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Private Press Spiritual Jazz from D.C's Jeff Majors. Featuring harp, drum machines and synths. Jeff was one of Alice Coltrane's students at the ashram. He also played in Brother Ah's band. Each song on this album is an inspired vision of the personal and the devotional via the harps universal gilstening range and Linn drums. Comes with info booklet

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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
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Tommy Mandel’s “Mello Magic” on Invisible City Editions is a compilation of personal synth-laden pop songs created between 1980-87 in NYC. BIG BIG TIP!

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WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: gpsr@wordandsound.netMore