The Chill Out Tent

Here are four albums to look out for in January. You can hear playbacks every day at Simon The Tanner, Long Lane, Bermondsey, London.

Jiyu – Totem Of Quiet Mystic

This group are based in Copenhagen, and this album is a proper 21st century jazz record. Which means… They have the background vibes from their great city with a rich history of jazz music, and a way of playing around with a classic sound that makes it feel fresh and contemporary. Dive in.

David Haffner – Disco With A Feeling

David Haffner is an inveterate crate digger of some repute. Here his skill and dedication are coopted by the amazing Edinburgh-based label Athens of the North. Their brief – give us an introduction to the heart and soul of independent disco. So, here we have four sides of private press and short run, glorious soul, jazz funk and groovy disco.

KPM – Image

Ever felt like you’re in a 70s movie? Here’s your soundtrack.This collection of library music was released in 1974 on the KPM label which was set up to service the booming demand for themes and dramatic music for film and TV. The musicians, being musicians, wrote and played some wonderful, evocative tunes and recorded them with strings and horns and made something that transcends its original workaday commercial intent. 

https://www.juno.co.uk/products/kpm-image-vinyl/982501-01/

Various – Wagadu Grooves (The hypnotic sound of Camara 1987-2016)

Gaye Mody Camara, a young Soninké raised in Mali moved to France when he was young. He began by selling wax, kola nuts and other goods in Parisian outlets, then started distributing cassettes and ended up producing a multitude of recordings for his own label: Camara Production.

Here is a selection of the best of his work, beautifully curated and remastered with the aim of bringing the sound of Camara, and the Soninké diaspora and language to a new audience.