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Madrugada EP
Madrugada (dub) - (5:19) 118 BPM
Played by: Rob Lee, Superbreak, NaCL
Review: Throughout their decade-long career, Alma Negra has combined their love of disco and deep house with percussion, instrumentation and ideas excavated from African, Caribbean and tropical musical cultures. On this EP, they largely ditch the latter inspirations, instead delivering full-throttle revivalist disco sounds where the Basel-based band's organic instrumentation and vocals combine with colourful synth sounds and heady horns. The headline attraction is undoubtedly 'Madrugada', a warming and thickset, subtly deep house-influenced take on the turn-of-the-80s NYC downtown disco-not-disco sound. It comes backed with two revisions - an extra-percussive, dubbed-out Yuksek tweak and the band's own dub disco-goes-deep house 'Dub Mix' - and the riotous, party-starting brilliance of 'Funky Fever'.
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DOGD 97
22 Mar 24
Funk
Zouk Combat EP
Zouk Combat - (6:08) 116 BPM
Sosso - (6:34) 118 BPM
Zouk Combat (Bosq remix) - (5:50) 119 BPM Hot
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ANR 007
15 Oct 21
Deep House
The Round Up Pt. 7
Various
Pitto - "Discko" (Teleseen remix) - (5:44) 111 BPM
Review: By now, we should all know what to expect from Heist Recordings' annual Round Up releases - label artists remixing each other, basically - so we'll crack on and talk about the music on offer. Highlights come thick and fast throughout, with our picks including Alma Negra's deliciously percussive and groovy take on Scan 7's gospel-tinged Motor City gem 'All For Me', Scan 7's breezy, Latin-tinged Detroit house revision of Crackazat's 'Class One', Crackazat's Ethio-jazz-goes-sunshine house rework of Alma Negra's 'Dakar Disco', and Kassian's driving, warehouse-ready remix of Nebraska's 'Dip & Flip', which makes great use of thumping beats, undulating electronics and a seriously dirty analogue bassline. As the old saying goes, this seventh volume in The Round Up series really is "all killer, no filler".
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HEIST052D
12 Mar 21
Deep House
Dakar Disco
Dakar Disco - (6:00) 115 BPM
Dakar Disco (Kuniyuki remix) - (7:19) 115 BPM Hot
Review: Connecting the dots between labels like Highlife (Huntley & Palmers) to Basic Fingers and Lumberjacks In Hell, Alma Negra bring their undeniable sound back to Heist Recordings. It follows the 2018 Conversations EP which sees the Swiss trio turn in a classic dubbed out synthline and jazzed-up rebirth of cool in "Contra". "Back In Town" throws down some heavy percussion and Afro-Rhythms alongside an insatiable vocal sweep. Winding it back to the top is "Dakar Disco" that's been sent through the orchestral pit of japanese artist and discophile Kuniyuki (tip!) giving some extra flamboyance its original funk premise. From disco to Dakar and beyond!
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HEIST 048
28 Aug 20
Deep House
Fire EP
Yo - (6:08) 115 BPM
Review: Swiss world music fusionists Alma Negra are favourites with the likes of Gilles Peterson, Nightmares On Wax and Four Tet, which should give you a rough idea of what to expect here. 'Fire' is a midpaced, organ-led groove that'd work in longer deep house or nu-disco sets, and has rolling Afro-style percussion to match the chanted vocal that appears towards the end. The EP's other two tracks, 'Wedding Song' and 'Yo', operate in more straight-up African music territory and so are less well suited to house/disco sets, but could still find favour on those floors that like their beats a little more on the eclectic side.
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CREDIGIF 009
27 Mar 20
Disco/Nu-Disco
Manta EP
Sega Dub - (7:00) 115 BPM
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ANR 006
24 Feb 20
Deep House
Maloya EP
Lindigo - "Tany Be" (Alma Negra dub mix) - (8:57) 118 BPM
Review: For the latest excursion on their eponymous label, the Alma Negra crew is in full remix mode, in turn reworking tracks from contemporary Maloya combo Lindigo and lesser-known French Afro artist Salem Tradition. Their vocal and dub interpretations of the former's "Tany Be" are particularly special. While the dub is little more than a killer spaced-out percussion track with added delay-laden vocal and instrumental snippets, the "remix" is a near perfect fusion of woozy, spacey deep house and traditional maloya - all half-chanted vocals, snaking sax lines and warm bass. Those looking for heavy and druggy, kick-drum driven tribal Afro-house vibes should head straight for the remix of Salem Tradition's "Kabare", which is little more than loads of drums with an evocative vocal atop.
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ANR 002
06 Apr 18
Deep House
Visions
Capoeira - (7:29) 111 BPM
Berimbau - (7:35) 116 BPM
Review: After building up their reputation via a string of deliciously percussive EPs full of tasty Afro edits, Alma Negra switched to original production last year with quietly impressive results. Here, the Basel-based trio continues that approach with another three chunks of Afro-house fusion. While we're rather enjoying the sampled chanted vocals, drum machine kick drums and layered tropical percussion of "Capoeira" and the more musically expansive (and deeper) "Berimbau", it's "Visions" that will get all the plaudits. A tough but rolling chunk of life-affirming samba-house brilliance, it sees the duo make brilliant use of jangling piano loops and ghostly, cut-up freestyle vocal samples.
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ANR 001
05 Feb 18
Deep House
An Introduction Part 1
Kerem Akdag - "Getdownsoclose" - (4:35) 118 BPM
James Tillman - "Wander" - (2:58) 92 BPM
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DIREC 001
14 Jul 17
Funky/Club House
Endless Summer
Afrorleans - (8:16) 118 BPM
Luanda Dub - (7:55) 115 BPM
Review: To date, Swiss quartet Alma Negra has carved a successful niche as makers of heavily percussive EP singles that look to the rhythms of Africa for inspiration. This outing for Heist Recordings draws on many similar influences, but shuffles further towards original production than their rework style back catalogue. Opener "Afrorleans" is a jaunty trip into shuffling Afro-house territory in the company of a cabal of Cajun musicians, while "Luanda Dub" is a booming, bass heavy late night trip full of swirling vocal samples and densely layered drum hits. If you are after some party-starting Afro-disco/deep house fusion of standout, then "Endless Summer" and a cracking Soulphiction remix of the same track will pushes a rubbery disco bassline to the fore to devastating effect.
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HEIST 024
08 May 17
Deep House
Digger's Workouts Part 3
Burkina Berlin (original mix) - (7:09) 114 BPM
Burkina Berlin (Rainer Trueby & Corrado Bucci Present Truccy remix) - (6:16) 114 BPM
Agadez (original mix) - (7:25) 118 BPM Hot
Review: Throughout the course of their Digger's Workout series, Swiss combo Alma Negra has proved adept at blurring the boundaries between re-edits, remixes, and original productions. The same could be said about the sun-kissed global fusion of "Burkina Berlin", where wild vocal chants and dense percussion samples are craftily combined with heady piano motifs and a rock solid deep house beat. Rainer Truby and Corrado Bucci provide a deeper, hazier and subtly soulful interpretation that plays down the sampled beats in favour of far more tactile hits, before the Basel-based trio closes proceedings with "Algadez", a rare Persian treat built around exotic fiddle lines, humid flutes and their usual chunky percussion.
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FINGERLP 003
09 Dec 16
Deep House
Digger's Workout Pt 1
In The Mood For Deepness - (5:36) 117 BPM
Review: Since debuting on the Highlife Edits series, Swiss digger collective Alma Negra have really blossomed, with their fusionist dancefloor style developing across further 12"s for that aforementioned label as well as Sofrito and Basic Fingers. The Diggers Workout Part 1 sees the quartet return to the Basic Fingers fold with a fresh four-track grip of goodness to satisfy the appetites of DJs everywhere. Presumably the onset of an ongoing series for Basic Finger, Part 1 sees three Alma Negra originals further complemented by a remix from Highlife pal Esa. Of the originals, the rather lush beat down of "Fala Flute" really stands out, with Esa teasing out a whole new sound on his subsequent 'live' remix with Santuri. Great 12".
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FINGERLP 001
02 Sep 16
Deep House
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