Name: Africa (Dry Mix)
Brand: Amanaz

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

NA5203LP

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Colour

Black

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2024-05-31

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Cargo

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

0659457520311

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Total Cap

9999

Black LP

Artist

Amanaz

Genre GB

African

Label GB

Now Again Records

Now Again Records was launched in 2002 by Egon as a subsidiary of Stones Throw Records. With a rich catalogue of 60s & 70s soul & funk, as well as some essential new projects, the label has become a go-to destination for music lovers. In 2012, Now Again Records became independent and secured distribution from various partners including Traffic Entertainment Group.

The label's founder, Egon, has always had an ear for exceptional music. His passion for digging deep into the crates and unearthing hidden gems is evident in the carefully curated releases on Now Again Records. From rare soul and funk classics to groundbreaking contemporary projects, the label consistently delivers quality music that resonates with listeners.

With its dedication to preserving and celebrating the legacy of soul and funk music from the past while also pushing boundaries with innovative new sounds, Now Again Records has earned a reputation as a trusted source for both collectors and casual fans alike. Whether you're seeking timeless classics or exciting new discoveries, this label is sure to have something that will captivate your ears.

Now-Again’s Amanaz release presented here differs from the label’s previous reissue in that it’s a single LP of just the dry mix – omitting the reverb mix of the album.

Issued in 1975, this is the articulation of Zambia's Zamrock ethos. While other albums - Rikki Ililonga's Zambia, Witch's Lazy Bones!! - are competitors, it's hard to best this album as it covers each major quadrant of the Zamrock whole: it came from the mines; its musicians were anti-colonial freedom fighters, it envelops Zambian folk music traditions, and it rocks - hard. Amanaz were serious, and they made a serious stab at an album. They titled their album Africa, according to original band member Keith Kabwe, "because of how it was shared and how its inhabitants were butchered and enslaved, its resources stolen... all the atrocities slave drivers committed." Thus, their 'Kale,' a blues sung in Nyanja, that traced the continent's arc from slavery to Zambia's independence closes the album. Kabwe and rhythm guitarist John Kanyepa have a winsome softness to their vocals, which sit politely aside the feral growl of drummer Watson Baldwin Lungu, bassist Jerry Mausala and bandleader / lead guitarist Isaac Mpofu. Africa's vibe ranges from anxious ('Amanaz') to escapist ('Easy Street') to straight-up pissed-off. On the 'History of Man,' his voice whiskey-burned, his distorted guitar buzzing like swarming hornets, Mpofu indicts his species. There's a darkness to Africa not found on any other Zamrock records, and a melancholy drifts throughout, specifically on Mpofu's more restrained 'Khala My Friend,' which stands as an effective, bleak situation for the Zambian everyman, the average citizen of a struggling, new nation, who might have had relatives in conflict-torn countries on the horizon, who might have been struggling to find his next meal, who might have seen a bleaker future than his president promised. Then there's the clear Velvet Underground-influence on the nostalgic 'Sunday Morning,' which, as Kabwe recalls, was the first song written for the album, back in 1968, when Velvet Undergound and Nico was a new release - and the underground funk of 'Making The Scene.' The album also tackles traditional Zambian music and early-'60s rock - punctuated, of course by Kanyepa's wah-wah and Mpofu's fuzz guitars. But every time Amanaz get too deep, too violent, they come back with an accessible song and woo their listener back to the groove. 'Green Apple' is a civil song, featuring Kanyepa's sighing guitar. It is a perfectly arranged album, from the dichotomy of Mpofu's and Kanyepa's lead and rhythm guitars, to the vocal harmonies, to the rhythm section's sense of space and time, which allows Africa's funk to build.

Africa (Dry Mix)

Music GB