Momoko Gill’s debut album ‘Momoko’ is out now.
In her debut album, the London based singer, producer, and drummer has crafted a deeply personal record that effortlessly combines her array of talents.
Have a listen and get yourself a copy through the link in our bio.
Mulatu Plays Mulatu is out now.
In this seminal work from the Ethio-Jazz legend, Mulatu realises his long-term vision of Ethio-jazz, intricately balancing Western jazz arrangements with the rich sounds of traditional Ethiopian instruments.
“A modernist masterpiece.” The Observer
“A master looks back at the triumphs of his youth, and finds an authentic way forward.” Aquarium Drunkard
“The 81 year-old kingpin still possesses a youthful, go-ahead attitude. This is some of his most demanding music from the last decade” Mojo
Bridging continents and generations throughout his 50-year career, Astatke now offers us an invitation to hear his music again, with a completely fresh perspective.
With artwork by @wendimagegn_belete production by @dexterstory and arrangements from the Godfather himself Mulatu Plays Mulatu, like its creator, remains in motion.
We’re celebrating the release of the all-time classic 1974 highlife album ‘Sikyi Highlife‘ by K. Gyasi and His Noble Kings today with this wonderful previously unseen footage of the late, great bassman and guitarist Ralph Karikari playing ‘Mene Minua Mienu‘ from the album.
Ralph’s percussive bass style became a key part of the sikyi highlife sound as Gyasi based its rhythms on the the old sikyi drum-dance of the Akan people of Southern Ghana. Ralph was a true unsung hero of modern day highlife, the go-to man for solid and innovative basslines - he later appeared on albums by Sweet Talks, Konadu’s Band, Nana Tuffour and many more as well as the first Pat Thomas & Kwashibu Area Band album for Strut.
Big thanks to Max at @philophon who found this precious clip deep in his archives.
Have a listen to the full rendition and get yourself a copy of the album through the link in our bio.
Strut Records proudly presents a new reissue of the original Afrobeat classic Low Profile (Not For The Blacks), recorded and composed by Afrika 70 saxophonist and bandleader Lekan Animashaun and produced by Fela Kuti.
After years touring the world as Fela’s baritone saxophonist, Animashaun stepped forward to lead the legendary Egypt 80 band following Tony Allen’s departure, remaining the group’s musical director until Fela’s death in 1997. He continued on subsequent tours with Seun Kuti until 2016.
Lekan began recording his only solo project, Low Profile, in 1977. The album was composed and recorded across sessions at home in Nigeria and on tour with Fela, who both produced the recordings and added keyboards to the album’s title track.
‘Low Profile (Not For The Blacks)’ referenced a government campaign during the country’s 1970s oil boom: “It was inspired by a speech by Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria’s military Head of State, when he urged black people to keep a low profile about their wealth and not to behave in a vulgar, arrogant way,” explains Lekan.
“I argued that low profile is not just for the blacks, as everyone is human, regardless of race.”
Despite recording beginning almost two decades earlier, Low Profile did not receive an official release until 1995, when it finally surfaced on Fela’s Kalakuta label. One of only a handful of albums led by core members of Kuti’s band, Low Profile captures a pivotal moment in Afrobeat history.
Over time, the original has become a rare and highly sought-after record, and this new reissue places the spotlight back on a modest but influential Nigerian legend.
Strut’s reissue features the complete original artwork, is fully remastered by The Carvery, and includes brand new liner notes by Lekan Animashaun himself.
Preorder now through the link in our bio.
Strut Records presents a freshly remastered Reinforcements (1975) from Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express
A defining late-era album that captures Auger’s move from jazz-rock into smooth, groove-led jazz-funk sophistication, with standout contributions from the band’s tight mid-’70s lineup.
The record also features the powerful vocals of Alex Ligertwood, whose soulful presence remains a highlight of Oblivion Express recordings. With his recent passing, we’d like to shine a special light on his enduring legacy and incredible musical output. Rest in peace Alex.
Highlights include “Brain Damage,” “Something Out of Nothing,” and “Future Pilot.”
Remastered from original tapes and curated by Brian & Karma Auger in collaboration with Greg Boraman.
Link in bio.
We are a collective of 30+ record labels from around the world, who have come together to raise funds for displaced people, in Lebanon, many left without the bare necessities, after 2 months of ongoing violence in the South of the country, and in Beirut.
With over 1.5 million having people been forced out of their home, villages and towns, with entire villages wiped out and razed to the ground by Israel - despite a ‘ceasefire’ - the situation on the ground is beyond exhausting and without precedent. And with less money now being donated compared to the last conflict and the situation for the displaced much more dire, the situation is critical.
Named Bandcamp Fundraiser for Lebanon, from (Bandcamp) Friday 1 May through to Sunday 3 May participating labels will be donating a label share of their digital income to the Lebanese grassroots organisation Beit Aam who are providing humanitarian assistance to some of the 1.5 million plus people displaced as a consequence of the Israeli attacks that began in March 2026.
Artwork: josettekhalil
Momoko Gill’s BBC Maida Vale Session versions of ‘2close2farr’ and ‘Ineffably’ are out now.
Truly some beautiful takes on what are already two of our favorite tracks from the Momoko album.
Do yourself a favor this weekend and have a listen through the link in our bio.
Nuclear War, a collaborative album from @marshallallenofficial , @bilalmusic , @knoelscott & @theheliocentrics dives into some of their Sun Ra favorites.
The result is something completely new, but still grounded in the Ra framework.
Available for @recordstoreday , run to your nearest participating shop for the few remaining copies.
Strut proudly presents Nuclear War, a powerful collaboration between UK collective The Heliocentrics, Sun Ra Arkestra legends Marshall Allen and Knoel Scott, and vocalist Bilal - issued on limited-edition “hazardous” orange and yellow vinyl exclusively for Record Store Day 2026.
The Nuclear War recordings stem from a rare session at Malcolm Catto’s Quatermass Sound Lab in January 2015. The group had assembled in London to rehearse for their performance at Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Awards, where Allen received the Lifetime Achievement Award and Catto the John Peel Award.
With The Heliocentrics’ trademark raw, psychedelic energy as the backbone, the ensemble captured a series of reimagined Sun Ra classics in a spontaneous, one-off studio moment, remaining unheard in Catto’s archive until now.
The 4-track EP features a sinuous take on Ronnie Boykins’ ‘Angels And Demons At Play’, originally recorded in 1960, a strident version of ‘Where Pathways Meet’ which was originally created for the much-loved Sun Ra Lanquidity album in 1978, and a dense and deep re-work of 1972’s ‘Astro Black’ featuring Bilal’s incredible otherworldly vocals.
Copies flew out, but check your local participating stores for the few remaining copies.
Strut proudly presents the first-ever reissue of a landmark 1974 Ghanaian highlife classic Sikyi Highlife by Dr K. Gyasi & His Noble Kings, originally released on Essiebons.
A defining recording of the era, Sikyi Highlife bridges tradition and innovation at a pivotal moment in Ghanaian music. Gyasi’s approach was part of a broader indigenisation movement among Ghana’s electric highlife bands in the post-independence era.
Inspired by the nation’s ‘African Personality’ ethos and reinforced by Afrocentric messages arriving from American soul and funk, artists began reclaiming traditional forms within modern arrangements.
Upon its original release, Sikyi Highlife became one of the biggest-selling albums of the 1970s for Essiebons, earning Gyasi the affectionate honorary title of “Dr” from his devoted fans. Today, the album remains an evergreen classic, still cherished across Ghana and beyond.
Get yourself a copy through the link in our bio.
Nubiyan Twist’s Chasing Shadows is Out Now
On their new album, Nubiyan Twist continue to look outwards with their music but keep the focus firmly on humanity and positivity.
Have a listen through the link in our bio.
