Mr Bongo Record Club

Graham Luckhurst and Gareth Stephens are joined by Mr Bongo UK HQ family member, Heather She, plus Giovanna & Sofie K out of Liverpool (UK) who have recorded a 1-hour guest mix: Giovanna is part of the SISBIS collective out of Liverpool who we met at the end of 2018 when they invited us to spin with them. All profits from their parties go to Refugee Women Connect, a Liverpool-based charity supporting women refugees and asylum seekers. She has a residency NTS Manchester too. Sofie K is a resident on NTS Manchester, Limbo Radio and Netil Radio in London. We met her when she was also spinning at the SisBis party with Giovanna.

This month Graham Luckhurst and Gareth Stephens are joined by Ed Macfarlane from Friendly Fires. Ed is a music fanatic with a lot of knowledge and a ton of records – we first got talking over our Arthur Verocai and Hareton Salvanini ’S.P. 73’ reissues. Then we got onto library, psych, synths, electronics and more… Ed recorded this mix for us in April: “So I did a mix. But its not 80s synth/library stuff. I just got back from a surreal and magical video shoot in Favignana (an island off Sicily). So I did a dreamy 90s house mix of mainly Italian stuff. Lots of deep pads and lush chords. Something romantic. Hope you like it.” Ishmael ensemble - The Chapel Ebo Taylor - Mumudey Mumudey (Natureboy Flako Remix) Potter & Tilman - Space... Rapture... Goodie - Dancing Free Barbara Hernandez - All Nite Tonight Ntombi Ndaba - Tomorrow Bobby Thomas & The Hotline - Sugar Boogie Super Elcados - Ejole Flyers - Mainline In Sunshine Pumphouse Gang – Welcome Back Into My Life Blacksmoke - What Goes Around A Patotinha - Melo Dos Patins Dudu Araujo - Locomix Ed Macfarlane (Friendly Fires) – Ultimo Bacio guest mix Maya - Lait de Coco (Dub) Clive Stevens & Brainchild - Mystery Man Ester Byrde - Touch Me Take me Yazmin Lacey – 90 Degrees End of show.

A month overdue yet again, sorry! We are insanely busy at the moment. Must try harder, we know. This month Gareth Stephens and Graham Luckhurst are joined by Bedroom Disco aka Flora & Mouse. They are London based DJs/selectors who share a passion for jazz, Latin, gospel and disco amongst other sounds. You can hear them spin on alternate Saturday mornings on the excellent Hackney internet radio station Netil Radio, as well as in bars and clubs across the city, very regularly.

This month Gareth Stephens and Graham Luckhurst are joined by one of our favourite singers & musicians, Allysha Joy. Allysha is arguably most well-known as leading lady in Melbourne collective, 30/70, who released a great record on Rhythm Section. She also releases awesome music under her own name. Allysha has worked and toured with the likes of Alfa Mist, Jordan Rakei, Bradley Zero, So.Crates and Oscar Key Sung to name a few and played all over the world. She has put together a brilliant mix of folk, soul, jazz and outernational songs for us.

We are back for 2018. Sorry for the silence during January – it’s been a very busy personal time. This month we are delighted to present a guest mix by Mike ‘BC’ Greenwell featuring “new picks, dance-floor favourites and rarities”.  Mike is a resident DJ at the wonderful 'Cosmic Slop' in Leeds and is a founding member of the collective. The parties are now in their eighth year. He’s played to the ‘Slop faithful in Leeds since the opening session, complete with a sling (as pictured!) after shattering his collarbone in a car crash in 2015! The regulars said he was better with the sling on... Mike is a self-proclaimed record nerd of the highest order. While writing his 'World Treasures Music' blog and selecting stock for Tribe Records shop in Leeds, he is continually digging – this mix journeys through Africa and Japan, via South London, Brazil and Trinidad. He can also be heard bringing the heat at Dimensions festival and Tropical Disco Hustle this year and has recently returned from spinning in Japan. “I’ve been a fan of Mr Bongo for years,” Mike said. “DJ’ing with you in Leeds was a blast and it was an honour to be asked to do a mix for you. I’ve kept the Record Club compilation theme in mind so here are some recent reissue discoveries, some gospel, some soul and some jazz, referencing countries where their music was introduced to me by Mr Bongo.” Mike’s blog is at www.worldtreasuresmusic.com and related mixes can be found at https://www.mixcloud.com/worldtreasuresmusic/ 'World Treasures Music' radio show for Kmah Radio is broadcast on www.kmah-radio.com and archived at https://soundcloud.com/kmah-radio/sets/world-treasures-music-w-mike.  'Cosmic Slop' is a party that raises money for arts and education charity MAP in Leeds – they are currently trying to raise money to stay in their home. To support MAP and for more information, head over to https://mapcharity.org/

This month we have a guest mix from Berlin-based Sandra Leidecker aka Frinda di Lanco. Hosted as always by Graham Luckhurst and Gareth Stephens. We met Frinda at the start of 2017 when we were spinning at the excellent ‘Wedding Soul’ party at Panke in Berlin. She played a very dope set during the daytime record sale hosted at the venue – a lot of records we hadn’t heard before, so we asked to put together a mix for this show. Frinda escaped from the gardens of Kleinbürgertum in the of east of Germany and found a home in West Berlin. She started to accumulate a vast collection of “psych-infused, afro-italian-balearic-aor-library-boogie up with some French cosmic synths and German weirdo lyrics”. Frinda spent several months in Detroit digging for 45’s and spends her days working in the used vinyl department of German record shop insitution, HHV. She spins across the city at spots such as Heideglühen, Schrippe Hawaii, Gretchen, Bar Tausend, Silent Green and Paloma Bar. She has recorded a set for us that touches on Folk, Prog. and psychedelic soul from Japan, Italy, Germany and the US.

This month we have a special guest mix from a very long-time friend of ours, Richard Grainger aka Richard Foe, one of the chaps behind the awesome Good Block parties in London. Now into it's 5th year, they have hosted the likes of Jon K, Cosmic Slop, Sacha Mambo, Sean P, Nick The Record, Skyrager, DJ Amir, Esa, DJ Okapi, Glowing Palms, Bradley Zero, Bahamian Moor, Apeinto (Test Pressing), John Gomez, Charlie Bones and Phonica DJs. Richard has assembled an all-vinyl mix "sailing through the French Caribbean Islands and African Zouk sounds. Heavy on Celluloid, Sonodisc, Moradisc and Debs releases from the likes of Kassav, Gerard Hubert, Eric Brouta, Energy, Tatiana and more." You can find out more from his Facebook and Instagram and also from the Good Block Facebook page and Instagram More his mixes can be found at www.mixcloud.com/richardfoe/ TRACKLIST 1. Guy Cuevas - Ebony Games 2. EKO - Kilimandjaro 3. Frek Khodja - Nefsi Toubi 4. Pierre Sandwidi - Boy Cuisinier 5. Harari - Musicana 6. Mirage - Bend a little 7. Slow Mtion - Fast Family 8. Alex - I Gotta feel Something 9. Nino Ferrer - Mint Junlep 10. Adriana - Contigo 11. Onike - Love Never Taste So Good 12. Womack & Womack - MPB RICHARD FOE – GUEST MIX 13. Abdoulaye Cissé & Super Volta - A Son Magni 14. Kiru Stars - Family Planning 15. Soseme Makeonde - Manzara 16. Elias Rahbani & His Orchestra – Liza… Liza

We’re honoured to have one of France’s finest select records for us this month. Pablo Valentino runs the FACES and MCDE labels and founded ‘Children Of The Drum’ at the awesome Le Sucre club in Lyon. He’s also a DJ force to be reckoned with. Pablo assembled this mix for us on a mellow bank holiday Monday in Lyon – no preparation, just pulling records inspired by the mood. For more information on Pablo Valentino check out his FB page – https://www.facebook.com/pablovalentino/ Hosted by Graham Luckhurst and Gareth Stephens.

Special guest mix from the mysterious music mastermind Wyndham Earl. Earl is a producer, musician, DJ and obsessive record collector who feeds his terrible habit by dealing records; specialising in obscure Library, Funk, Psych and other 60’s and 70’s music. He cut his teeth working at the always excellent Rarekind Records in Brighton and is an avid digger with a penchant for foreign exotic funky oddities and a keen ear for uncovering obscure grooves. We didn’t know a single track in his mix…! As a musician and producer he has played with a bands covering a wide spectrum of music from hip hop, funk and jazz to electronica, rock and folk. His past musical collaborations include Bonobo, Alice Russell, Rough Fields, My Little Problem, Dr Syntax, TM Juke and many others. Hosted as always by Graham Luckhurst and Gareth Stephens. Tracklist: Orm - TropicRaimonds Pauls - GamesMirdza Zivere - Solar RhythmsRupa - Moja Bhari MojaTwinkie Clark - Awake O Zion (Edit)Jaye P Morgan - Here Is Where Your Love BelongsJoseph Nicoletti - Night-Time StarsJesus Alvarez - Please Stay, Don’t GoMaureen Bailey - Takin’ My Time With YouSkip Jackson - Micro Wave BoogieYves Simon- Au Pays Des Merveilles De JulietHarris Chalkitis - Time Is Over Wyndham Earl Library Jazz mix: Paul Kass - The Big BreakRemigio Ducros - Lunedi Ore 7,45Dave Sarkys - BalleroyThe Rapture - Funky PopPaul Kass - Beach BossaFritz Maldener - La SerenadeMax Rocci & His Friends - ColoromboModern Sound Quartet - NarcissoGiudo Giovagnoli - OK JoanPaul Kass - Southern SunshineRino De Filippi - IvoryOrchestra Sunny Lord - Message To YouPowerhouse - Hole In OneBoss Music - Leak On WayTom Mannoff - Mr MaxVic Flick - Brother HoodTilsley Orchestral - Bit (London Big Sound - Bite Back)Living Group - Tune Of LoveGlen Somers - MovementGershon Kingsley - Humpty DumptyTany Turens - Little SonyAndré Heller - Was Mir Der Dichter Luis Rosalez In Etwa ErzählteSonny Pearson Orchestra - Senso Unico End of mix Paul McCartney - Check My MachinePecker - Pecker PowerShadow - Lets Get TogetherZimba - Baleka End of show.

For episode 25 we are joined by Anton Spice – editor-in-chief of The Vinyl Factory online magazine, occasional DJ and even more occasional radio host. This is a selection of a few favourites recorded on a slow, possibly rainy, Sunday afternoon. Hosted by Graham Luckhurst and Gareth Stephens.

This month we have a superb guest mix from a good friend of ours DJ Ionik, hailing from Turku in Finland. He’s the man behind labels Kojak Giant Sound and Traveller Records – releasing disco edits, previously unreleased soul and unreleased house music from the 80’s and 90’s. He’s also a super DJ with an expansive knowledge of excellent music, so we are delighted to have him select for us this month. Hosted as always by Graham Luckhurst and Gareth Stephens.

Our final show of 2016 and we’re going out big – a special guest mix by Dave Maclean from Django Django. Thanks to Dave for assembling such a unique and interesting selection for us, and for supporting our music. For more info on the band please check out their website at http://www.djangodjango.co.uk/.

Another great guest mix this month from DJ Okapi. He specialises in digging up rare electronic grooves in the ‘city of gold’ aka Johannesburg, bringing the forgotten era of South African pop music back to lifespecifically the synth-fuelled 80s disco-funk known as ‘bubblegum’ and the unique house-inspired ‘kwaito’ grooves of the early 90s. His Afro-Synth blog has been instrumental in turning a new generation of music fans from all over the world on to South African music of the 80s and 90s, most of which was never heard outside the country at the time. The website has since grown into an online store and more recently a shop in downtown Johannesburg. With African synthesiser music growing in popularity around the world, DJ Okapi recently put together a compilation of South African disco for US-based label Cultures of Soul, entitled ‘Boogie Breakdown’, released in September 2016.

Our second anniversary radio show – hosted by Graham Luckhurst and Gareth Stephens, featuring a very special guest mix from Jameszoo.  Jameszoo released his debut album ‘Fool’ on Brainfeeder in May, which is one of our favourite albums of the year for sure. He recorded with Arthur Verocai - how we discovered him initially – and also put together a mammoth 24 HOUR jazz mix which is a brilliant listen. We also highly recommend you check him out live with his Jameszoo Quintet, featuring Richard Spaven on drums.

For episode 20 we are proud to present a very special mix from one of our favourite bands at the moment – Flamingods. The band recently dropped their amazing third studio album Majesty on Soundway Records. Described as ethnic pop with elements of noise, psychedelia, tribal and freak folk, they have a truly unique sound. Be sure to check them out live if you get the chance. Big thanks to Karthik, Kamal and the guys for the mix. Hosted by Gareth Stephens, Ally Smith and Ville Marttila.

We welcome a very special guest this month – Antal from Rush Hour in Amsterdam, one of our favourite labels and record shops. He has put together a mix of Brazil 45’s sourced from recent digging trips to Brazil. Hosted by Graham Luckhurst and Gareth Stephens. Antal is regarded as one of the finest DJ’s and selectors in the world, with knowledge spanning Brazilian, African, disco, jazz, soul, house, techno and beyond. Thank you, sir!

Episode 18 features a special guest from Swedish soul master Carl Hedberg, who formerly spent more than a decade behind the counter at Record Mania in Stockholm.

Extended Jazz special, with the MBRC residents. Inspired by recent digging trips to Stockholm and Helsinki – shouts to Record Mania and Bromna Records! Featuring music by Cortex, Doug Hammond, Placebo, Marcus Belgrave, Mike Westbrook, Penny Goodwin and more.

DJ, collector and supreme record dealer Nick The Record joins us for episode 16. Famous for compilations including Under The Influence, his edits of rare sought after tracks, diverse and emotional DJ sets, and a legendary record collection, it was a privilege and pleasure to have Nick on the show.

The first episode of 2016 is an extended BRAZIL SPECIAL, with special guests Gary Johnson and Dave ‘Mr Bongo’ Buttle, joined by hosts Gareth Stephens and Graham Luckhurst. We’ve dug very deep for this one, we hope you enjoy the show. Don’t forget to check out the archive of previous shows.