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CoOp Presents an all-new double-album compilation entitled ‘Plug One’. It features a plethora of global talent from in & around the world of bruk and beyond - some already well-established in the field, some very much on the come-up and some brand new artists - this compilation is an acknowledgment of a continually evolving sound from the label formed by IG Culture & Alex Phountzi in 2018. ‘Plug One’ affirms this electric movement, with a deeply fluid current running throughout, with tracks ranging from the cosmic psych jazz of LCSM, to the classic UKG tweaks of Groove Chronicles, to the thought-provoking vibes of Reginald Omas Mamaode IV, to a veritable who’s who of 2020 bruk talent including Xtra Brux, Sivey, EVM128, Cengiz, Wonky Logic & many more.

From its beginnings as the classic clubnight and label in the early 2000’s, CoOp always carried an undefinable and potent creative energy. A sense of freedom and uninhibited exploration was positioned at the core of CoOp’s sprawling community and consciousness, communicated via movement and sound. From this seed and throughout the years that followed, this same energy permeated the worldwide underground music ecosystem. As CoOp’s legacy continued to influence new generations of music makers far and wide. The syncopated rhythms, soulful keys and infectious grooves synonymous with the broken beat sound now known simply as Bruk became entwined with new concepts and progressions, leading to new movements carrying on the essence of the bruk energy.

IG Culture and Alex Phountzi took the helm of their CoOp Presents label in 2018, with the vision of championing these new waves of emerging artists, continuing the all-important exchange of energy at the heart of the original CoOp movement, but also giving room for the music to be pushed into new and uncharted territories. With burgeoning producers from around the globe being drawn to the explorative and expressive nature of the project, an incubator was created, providing a space and platform for these ideals to take on new shapes and sounds. Just as every generation must rewrite its own history books, CoOp Presents was born from a combination of influences, ideas and personalities, and in turn is now encouraging the next generation to do some re-writing of its own. 

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Curating the tracks for a Mr Bongo Record Club compilation is always such a pleasure. At a time when the expression "Music is My Sanctuary" has an even greater cathartic impact for many people, we set out to make this volume an extra special one - like an old favourite mixtape or playlist.

For Volume 4 in this series, we continue in the same mould as with previous editions, selecting current favourites and rare lost gems from the Brazilian, African, soul, funk, and disco genres. We present tracks from artists such as Azwon, Cindy & The Playmates, and Zé Roberto to name just a few. However, one main departure and progression to this edition is the first time inclusion of recordings by contemporary artists. These come from Matthew Tavares (of BADBADNOTGOOD fame), Wax Machine, and DJ Format & The Simonsound, which were originally featured on either limited private press vinyl releases or were previously only available digitally. We felt their inclusion was important and wanted to share these wonderful discoveries with a wider audience. They also complement, enrich, and fit perfectly with the flow and journey of the compilation.

Support from Hunee, Antal, DJ Marky, Volcov, Jazzanova, J Rocc, Carlos Nino, Laurent Garnier, Benji B and many more.

Here at Mr Bongo we hope you will enjoy this selection of seventeen eclectic songs (in tempo and style) as much as we do, whether they make you move your feet, take you on a trip somewhere, or trigger a happy memory.

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Melancholic and mysterious, but at the same time, strangely familiar. Combining surreal soundscapes with a distinct sixties style songwriting, Emile’s psychedelic loner folk debut comes together like a weird dream. A dream that shows a side of reality too strange to observe in any other way. Driven by acoustic guitar and haunting arrangements, the frontman of The Sonic Dawn presents a unique backdrop, on which songs about death, life, loss and fear of growing old melt together with a dystopian look into the near future of our civilisation.

Credits
All songs are written by Emil Bureau, except for At se ud over sig selv, which is co-written with Niels Bird Fuglede and Weight of the World which is co-written with Niels Bird Fuglede & Jonas Waaben.

Instruments and vocals by Emil Bureau. Additional instruments: Hammond Organ on Birds Fall, I Krystalkuglens Skær and Mellotron on Weight of the World by Erik Errka Petersson. Drums and Percussion on Weight of the World, Life Upside Down and Det Kollektive Selvmord by Jonas Waaben. Bass guitar on Weight of the World by Niels Bird Fuglede.

Recorded and produced by Emil Bureau and Thomas Vang in Voks Recording and The Village Recording, Copenhagen. Mastering by Hans Olsson Brookes in Svenska Grammofon Studion Mastering, Gothenburg. Design by Robin Gnista. Cover photo by Niels Fuglede.

Released on May 1st 2020 by Heavy Psych Sounds.

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Chanter pour émanciper la femme africaine. Une rencontre unique entre les berceuses bantu du Congo, les musiques électroniques et le hip-hop. Un projet hybride qui fait la part belle à la danse et qui met en lumière le quotidien de la femme congolaise d'une façon audacieuse et surtout connectée avec son temps.
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Gladys Samba, chanteuse et percussionniste renommée, avait depuis des années pour volonté de faire revivre et de vulgariser les berceuses de la République du Congo, considéré comme un véritable matrimoine culturel de sa région. En 2018, avec l'aide de l’Institut Français du Congo, elle y parvient à travers la réalisation du spectacle "Les Mamans du Congo". Fourchettes, assiettes, paniers, pilons et matériel de récupération accompagnent avec rythme et subtilité les voix des cinq Mamans du Congo.

De son côté en France, l'artiste Rrobin explore depuis 2013 les musiques électroniques et le hip-hop. Il réalise en 2018 l'album Déluge en collaboration avec des invités de marque comme Grems, Spoek Mathambo, Nancy Fortune ou Hedi Yusef. Plus récemment, Rrobin a été amené à travailler avec La Coopérative de Mai (Clermont Ferrand) dans le cadre de son dispositif consacré aux jeunes talents. Côté label, Rrobin est un des artistes éminents du label Galant Records. Côté spectacle, il fait partie de notre roster depuis 2018.

L'Institut Français du Congo et la Coopérative de Mai, partenaires sur le projet "Visa pour la Création", ont alors l'idée de se faire rencontrer Maman Glad' et Rrobin afin de créer un mélange inédit de sonorités traditionnelles et de sons actuels. C'est à l'automne 2019 que Rrobin décide de se rendre à Brazzaville avec Céline Frezza - ingénieure du son et directrice artistique de Galant Records - pour 10 jours de maquettage en studio. Le projet prend alors vie à travers l'enregistrement des premières maquettes. L'envie commune d'en faire un album et surtout une tournée devient évidente à l'écoute des titres. 

Credits:
//Composed by Robin BASTIDE
// Written by Gladys SAMBA
// Mixed by Céline FREZZA @Rumble Inn
// Mastering by Alex PSAROUDAKIS
// Artword by Hélène Bertholier