Needles & Grooves AoTM /// Vol. 8 - February 2020 /// Ibeyi - Ash

[ChristoBee]

[Reserved for announcement and launch]

Hello all ! Thanks a lot to all of you that followed that great idea that I picked up during the last times of The Bad Place ! I never thought that I would have to pick my AOTM so quick, but here we are !

I have thought for a long time this month about this pick, wondering if it was the right one or not. Hopefully, most of you will like it.

I will give out traditionnal hints throughout January, but also I will post about records that didn't get picked, and explain why I didn't pick them or why they might point you in the right direction for the actual AOTM.

For now, only one information, the AOTM was released during my lifetime. See you in 2020 for everything else !

--

The AoTM has been discovered : Ibeyi - Ash

 

[ChristoBee]

Ibeyi - Ash



I can't recall when or how I got first exposed to Ibeyi's music, but I remember that I did a mental note to check their music further when I got the chance because it sounded glorious. It was probably "River" from their self-titled :



A few months later, I stumbled onto an interview they made for french TV, where they had to comment some records the journalist picked for them, and they spoke about how their father, Angua Diaz, played for Afro-Cuban All-Stars and Buena Vista Social Club, that always played music during their childhood and how they got their big break with Richard Russell. I dived right in the next day, streaming Ash during a whole week, then also listening to their S/T as well.

I was hooked by the percussion heavy music first then the vocal harmonies. Most of Ibeyi's music stands on those two pillars : a great beat, organic and electronic at the same time, with bata and cajon drums, obvious legacy from Angua Diaz and their upbringing, and machines, mixing tradition and modernity seamlessly ; and also those vocal melodies, supported by keys, once again both traditional and synths.



The result is something unique, it can be hard to put a label on their music, and in my opinion many great modern records are similar in the way that it becomes very hard to put a label, to define as something else than it's own thing. R'n'B, soul and electro influences are apparent, but also easily forgotten when immersed into the music. It really recommend playing this record LOUD.

Of course, the lyrics and themes are as modern and important as the music in Ash. The songs acts both as a testimony of the reality of being a woman, black, they talk about family, and they also are political in nature, as it's becoming more and more apparent that our societies are deeply flawed and need fixing. The use of english, spanish, french (on the S/T) and yoruba makes also the record stands as a product of both Ibeyi's mixed origins (afro-cuban, french, venezulian among other origins from their parents) and our globalized society.

To end this review, as I'm not really at ease writing about stuff I love without having the impression to speak nonsense or banalities, Ibeyi once said in interview that the yoruba culture was all about being happy when everything goes bad around you. And that's maybe why this music speaks to me so well, it's energetic, dynamic, beautiful, and both sad and happy at the same time. In the end, it's profoundly human.

 

[ChristoBee]

SWAPS aka The AoTM that could have been (follow the links to the posts where a write-up is available for thoses albums, as well as Spotify links)

#1 : Samedi soir sur la terre - Francis Cabrel

Available on Amazon US, UK & FR

#2 : Whats Going On - The Dirty Dozen Brass Band

Available on Pure Pleasure Records

#3 : Patchanka - Mano Negra

Available on Amazon Us, UK & FR

--

La Marche - Mano Solo

Never released on vinyl

 

[ChristoBee]

[Reserved]

 

[gaporter]

Hints!

the AOTM was released during my lifetime.

Oh hell, I want this chaos to start.

I'm gonna log out of the forum and Internet in general in less than 1 hour to go drink champagne and eat shrimps. In order to celebrate 2020 early, another hint :

View attachment 28006

Hint #4 : 9° 07′ 49″, 7° 14′ 03″

View attachment 28301

The artist/band/group/whatever of the AotM has already been mentionned on the N&G forum, but as of right now, less than 10 times.

a hint for the hint above :

Sofia · Bulgarie

Bulgarie

goo.gl

It's a record from the 21st century.

View attachment 28663

It seems this guess thread needs a focus to go forward maybe ?



It has been categorised with many genres, I would retain alternative r'n'b or electro-soul with hints of trip-hop.

Honestly, it's a hard job trying to get you on the right path and not giving it away too soon.

I'll let this last hint go before the end of the week :



Hello @Teeeee !

I'm feeling generous :

View attachment 28674

View attachment 28761

 

[gaporter]

Guesses!
WINNER WINNER VINYL SPINNER
Congrats @bfly!

Ibeyi
View attachment 28680

According to

It is a hint. Also, the AotM has not been guessed at this time.

These are all
NOT IT

Francis Cabrel - Sarbacane
View attachment 27627

Julien Doré - Love.

Daft Punk - Homework

Smashing Pumpkins Adore

View attachment 27641

For now, this fits the clues, and was a hit album in France.

Autour de Lucie - Immobile

Charlotte Gainsbourg - IRM

the compilation "Doing it in the Lagos"?

Bush ‎– Razorblade Suitcase

Soldat Louis

Maybe something to do with Mr Young?

View attachment 28232

The Killers - Hot Fuss

Amor Verdadeiro = Real Love /// Mary J. Blige ‎– What's The 411?

 

[gaporter]

Reserved for whatever chaos might ensue

 

[gaporter]

Making sure @Teeeee's guess gets in first this time.

 

[Joe Mac]

Oooooooh! Back to France for Vol. 8!

Time to get confused by by clues again

 

[Joe Mac]

For now, only one information, the AOTM was released during my lifetime. See you in 2020 for everything else !

Can we take that as being all of 1983 onwards or are you going to give us a start date?

#LetTheSleuthingCommence

 

[ChristoBee]

Can we take that as being all of 1983 onwards or are you going to give us a start date?

#LetTheSleuthingCommence

The hints says it all, and all the information you need to decipher it is available on this forum.

 

[Joe Mac]

The hints says it all, and all the information you need to decipher it is available on this forum.

So 12 December 1983 onwards then! I can’t believe you made this lazy sleuth click two buttons!

 

[ChristoBee]

I'm kinda scared to release too many hints or too obvious ones and at the same time I'm excited and kinda want to start right now as I try to gather them.

 

[Teeeee]

Making sure @Teeeee's guess gets in first this time.
View attachment 27623

LOL! Paula and I both Thank you!!!! Please record my guess - Paula - Opposites Attract.

 

[Skalap]

Francis Cabrel - Sarbacane

Released in 1989 > matches all the hints

 

[Joe Mac]

Francis Cabrel - Sarbacane

Released in 1989 > matches all the hints

View attachment 27627

I approve of the tash.

 

[ChristoBee]

Oh hell, I want this chaos to start.

 

[Teeeee]

@ChristoBee - I am a bit obsessed with French music. Each time I go to a record store, I try to grab whatever album from France that looks the most interesting to me. This is my favorite album in my collection, I bought it because it is French and I loved the cover.

Various - Les Chansons De Mireille Et Jean Nohain

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 1980 Vinyl release of "Les Chansons De Mireille Et Jean Nohain" on Discogs.

www.discogs.com

But don't know nearly enough about it or French music in general. I am very much looking forward to this thread. I'm gonna be buying so many albums that aren't even the AOTM. I'M SO EXCITED!

 

[ChristoBee]

@ChristoBee - I am a bit obsessed with French music. Each time I go to a record store, I try to grab whatever album from France that looks the most interesting to me. This is my favorite album in my collection, I bought it because it is French and I loved the cover.

Various - Les Chansons De Mireille Et Jean Nohain

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 1980 Vinyl release of "Les Chansons De Mireille Et Jean Nohain" on Discogs.

www.discogs.com

But don't know nearly enough about it or French music in general. I am very much looking forward to this thread. I'm gonna be buying so many albums that aren't even the AOTM. I'M SO EXCITED!

Wow, I don't know at all this record or thoses artists ! I'll have a listen when coming home though.

 

[Skalap]

Oh hell, I want this chaos to start.

This is a short video from "Gainsbourg (Vie Heroïque)", a biopic about Serge Gainsbourg. It's a song with Boris Vian (here played by Philip Katerine, a French artist). The song can be found on the album below by Boris Vian and it's a fantastic album BUUUUUUT it was released in 1965.