Mine Mine Mine Uhuru Portia Phalafala

Lots of funky keys and choppy sax passages - on this sweet Japanese fusion session headed up by reedman Kohsuke Mine! Mine plays both soprano and tenor on the record, and it's got a feel that's halfway between some of the harder jamming European fusion sides of the 70s - like mid 70s electric groovers on MPS - and some of the more cosmic Japanese sides of the same time - those more tripped-out records that had a relaxed, soulful approach to the music. The group also features Mikio Masuda on some great keyboards, plus Hiroshi Yasukawa on guitar - and the album's got 4 long tracks - each over 10 minutes long.

Lots of funky keys and choppy sax passages - on this sweet Japanese fusion session headed up by reedman Kohsuke Mine! Mine plays both soprano and tenor on the record, and it's got a feel that's halfway between some of the harder jamming European fusion sides of the 70s - like mid 70s electric groovers on MPS - and some of the more cosmic Japanese sides of the same time - those more tripped-out records that had a relaxed, soulful approach to the music. The group also features Mikio Masuda on some great keyboards, plus Hiroshi Yasukawa on guitar - and the album's got 4 long tracks - each over 10 minutes long.

Lots of funky keys and choppy sax passages - on this sweet Japanese fusion session headed up by reedman Kohsuke Mine! Mine plays both soprano and tenor on the record, and it's got a feel that's halfway between some of the harder jamming European fusion sides of the 70s - like mid 70s electric groovers on MPS - and some of the more cosmic Japanese sides of the same time - those more tripped-out records that had a relaxed, soulful approach to the music. The group also features Mikio Masuda on some great keyboards, plus Hiroshi Yasukawa on guitar - and the album's got 4 long tracks - each over 10 minutes long.

Black Uhuru is a Jamaican reggae group formed in 1972, initially as Uhuru (Swahili for 'freedom'). The group has undergone several line-up changes over the years, with Derrick "Duckie" Simpson as the mainstay. They had their most successful period in the 1980s, with their album Anthem winning the first ever Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 1985.

Arguably the best of Black Uhuru's electrofied albums, even if its predecessor Red was the bigger sell, Chill Out is a seminal blend of styles and cultures. Produced by Sly & Robbie at Channel One Studio in Jamaica, and again backed by the Revolutionaries, ironically the album's greatest beneficiaries were the Riddim Twins, who were rocketed to international fame upon this record's release. They deserved it though, and Chill Out remains as much a tribute to their talent as the vocal trio's. Shakespeare lays down the sinuous bass which provides the foundation for the record's rootsy sound. The four guitarists, three leads, plus Ranchie McLean's reggae riffing, flit across the grooves and genres, touching down on funk, blues, R&B, and rock along the way. The pianists and Wally Badarou's synth add atmosphere, with Dunbar's heavy beats, combining drums with electro syndrums, add a throbbing pulse to the proceedings. The sound is extremely dense, but the producers still found plenty of space for Black Uhuru's sublime vocals.