ELSEWHERE (2 vinyls)

Description

soFa once again manages to create a crate-digger’s dream, filled with timeless hits and good vibes from around the world, inspired by a new friendship with the legendary Soca musician Joe (Tempo) Caesar... The latest edition of the Elsewhere series is a true paradise for diggers of tropical treasures, from Trinidad to Brazil, via Poland, Dominica and much more. The first in the Elsewhere series to be released on Bongo Joe Records, the compilation is an eclectic mix of outernational, tropical-wave, calypso, multi-rhythmic percussive rhythms, lo-fi disco jams and other styles that sit somewhere in that magical in-between zone. Compiled by Brussels-based DJ, talent scout and producer soFa, Elsewhere Vol.9 is a perfect collection of Balearic rarities, good vibes and sunshine, to accompany a cocktail session on a secluded tropical beach, featuring rare tracks and some of the artist’s own productions and collaborations. It is a succinct set of tracks from the 70s to the present day, including hard-to-find and rare works, including the Holy Grail of calypso records, Jeannette Azzouz’s “So Close to Me”. - - Modern selector, 7" detective, international crate digger and self-proclaimed music activist, DJ soFa, aka soFa Elsewhere, is renowned for his borderless approach to curation. Adapting his unconventional and radical approach to DJing to his acclaimed compilation series, soFa’s goal has always been to broaden horizons, shine a light on scenes and tell stories. And that is where the beauty of the latest edition of the Elsewhere series lies. Behind every great record lies an even greater story, and Elsewhere Vol.9 has plenty of them. While updating his YouTube channel [soFa holic] with the track “Soca Mosa” by legendary Soca musician Joe (Tempo) Caesar almost five years ago, soFa was contacted by the artist himself. From there, the DJ and the Trinidadian stayed in touch, with Caesar regularly calling soFa on the phone. So much so that soFa began calling Caesar his Grandfather. It was then that the Belgian DJ knew that this track would be the starting point and foundation of the compilation. “I’m a huge calypso fan,” says soFa of his love for the music and the track in particular. “There’s so much in the specific rhythm and the singing, I love it.” Caesar then put soFa in touch with the great Caribbean soca trumpeter Errol Ince, setting the wheels in motion and bringing the second track to the compilation. From there, the understated Afro-Latino roots and cosmic disco, outer-jazz vibes of the compilation began to fall into place. Elsewhere vol. 9 kicks off with the light, tribal, psychedelic, esoteric Portuguese groove of Nathaniel Melo, “Girasoles”, before sliding into the cold-wave disco ballad “Stinlo” by Belgian act Ginger Bamboo. Next comes the record Holy Grail, “So Close to Me” by Jeannette Azzouz & Belles Combo. The super-rare Barbadian tropical 7" had long been elusive for the DJ, with its collector’s price sitting in the upper echelons. Even after reaching out to the famed Dominican singer, finding the original proved difficult as all original copies had been destroyed in a tsunami, making its inclusion on the compilation a treat for fans of classic soca and calypso. In addition to the classic gems, soFa also manages to include some of his own works throughout the record. As a producer, soFa excels at creating far-out kraut-wave tracks, and has released on labels such as Glossy Mistakes, Strangelove Music, Planet Trip and Music from Memory’s sub-label Second Circle. Across the eclectic compilation, soFa shows his collaborative muscle with the Moroccan disco-digi project Mameen 3, with Cheb Runner; Sexo Y Fantasia, his Balearic-psych-wave project with Boochie; and with Zouratié Koné and The Astral Synth Transmitters, a blend of contemporary afro-jazz-dub. Like all good mixes, the Elsewhere series offers glimpses and windows into totally new sounds and cultures from around the world. Throughout the ninth edition, soFa has managed to include music from Norwegian funk-wave producer Casio Leoparden, the contemporary fusion work of Brazilian artists Mayra Fernandes & Carlo Alexandre Teixeira, and even the tropical sounds of Guyanese artist Harry Panday; all while staying true to the record’s soca-disco-jazz-wave roots. Previous Elsewhere compilations have found homes on labels such as Kalahari Oyster Cult, Music For Dreams, Emotional Response and Crevette Records; each offering windows into the idiosyncratic world and sounds in which soFa lives. The works themselves are mirrors of the Belgian producer’s unique and unorthodox DJ and production world. As a DJ, soFa has built a reputation for his adventurous Weatherall-esque sets that have seen him perform on Red Light Radio, NTS and Boiler Room, and in venues such as Camp Cosmic, Sameheads Berlin and other similar institutions around the world. All of this sums up the journeys the DJ and producer is willing to undertake to create something bold, uncompromising and rich in fables; stories you have to go Elsewhere to find...