SHREM'S WORLDLY DELIGHTS: "Tokoliana" - KOKOKO! /// "Bofou Safou" - Amadou & Mariam + Henrik Schwarz Remix

I'm spicing things up today with two captivating African dancefloor gems.

Débruit protégés KOKOKO! are an alternative collective from Kinshasa, Congo offering an explosion of disco, post punk, electronica and afro-beats with their instantly anthemic "Tokoliana". It's an aural jungle filled with rhythms, sound effects, cowbells and irresistible beats. ESG meets LCD Soundsystem in an underground club somewhere in Central Africa. TUNE!

"Tokoliana" is taken from a double A-side single available now on iTunes and Bandcamp

The Malian duo Amadou & Mariam are an institution at this stage on the global scene of so-called world music, enjoying a devoted following among musos, critics and world music connoisseurs all around the globe. Their latest single, the elevating "Bofou Safou" is available now with a myriad of remixes, one of which particularly stands out. Henrik Schwarz's 8 minute long house mix of the song may well be the greatest remix we've heard so far in 2017. An impossibly seductive invitation to dance.

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SHREM'S TOP 20 BEST ALBUMS OF 2013

20 "Nocturnes" - Little Boots
TOP TUNE: "Shake"
LABEL: On Repeat

19 "Ghost Carnival" - Hypnolove
TOP TUNE: "Winter In the Sun"
LABEL: Record Makers

18 "Jamie Lidell" - Jamie Lidell
TOP TUNE: "You Naked"
LABEL: Warp

17 "Pale Green Ghosts" - John Grant
TOP TUNE: "Ernest Borgnine"
LABEL: Bella Union

John Grant - Ernest Borgnine by Partisan Records

16 "Ox" - Linkoban
TOP TUNE: "Popgun Track"
LABEL: Superbillion Records

15 "Tree House" - Le1f
TOP TUNE: "Jack"
LABEL: self released

Jack (produced by FaltyDL) by Le1f ☥

14 "36-26-36" - Femme En Fourrure
TOP TUNE: "Watcher"
LABEL: Convex Industries

13 "Aljawal الجوال" - Débruit & Alsarah
TOP TUNE: "Alkoan Baladi الكون بلدي"
LABEL: Soundway Records

Débruit & Alsarah - Alkoan Baladi ٩. الكون بلدي by Soundway Records

12 "Overgrown" - James Blake
TOP TUNE: "Retrograde"
LABEL: Polydor

11 "Olympia" - Austra
TOP TUNEL: "Painful Like"
LABEL: Domino Recording

10 "Paracosm" - Washed Out
TOP TUNE: "It All Feels Right"
LABEL: Domino Recording

09 "Enigmatic" - Cola & Jimmu
TOP TUNE: "Transcend Our Love"
LABEL: Herakles Records

Cola & Jimmu - "Transcend Our Love" by SHREM

08 "Anything In Return" - Toro Y Moi
TOP TUNE" "Say That"
LABEL: Carpark Records

07 "The Softest Hard" - Easter
TOP TUNE: "Alien Babies"
LABEL: self released

06 "BEYONCÉ" - Beyoncé
TOP TUNE: "Blow"
LABEL: Columbia Records

05 "Shaking The Habitual" - The Knife
TOP TUNE: "A Tooth For An Eye"
LABEL: Brille Records

04 "Somewhere Else" - Sally Shapiro
TOP TUNE: "If It Doesn't Rain"
LABEL: Paper Bag Records

03 "Tales Of Us" - Goldfrapp
TOP TUNE: "Annabel"
LABEL: Mute

02 "Settle" - Disclosure
TOP TUNE: "Confess To Me" (feat. Jessie Ware)
LABEL: Universal

01 "Matangi" - M.I.A.
TOP TUNE: "Matangi"
LABEL: Interscope Records

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Crème de la crème: NOVEMBER 2013

20 (N) "Nature Trips" - Eyedress



19 (N) "Porno" - Arcade Fire



18 (N) "Kiss To Kiss" - The Swiss



17 (N) "Walk On In" - Doc Daneeka feat. Ratcatcher

Doc Daneeka - Walk On In feat. Ratcatcher (Download now) by Numbers

16 (N) "Bizarre" - Perera Elsewhere



15 (N) "Chest Of Hearts" - My Midnight Heart



14 (N) "Summon The Strength" - Moko



13 (N) "Lies" - CHVRCHES



12 (N) "Happy" - Pharrell Williams



11 (N) "Y.A.L.A." + "Sexodus" - M.I.A.





10 (N) "You're Not Good Enough" - Blood Orange feat. Samantha Urbani

You're Not Good Enough by Blood Orange

09 (17) "Make Me Feel" - EVM128 feat. BB. James

A1 Make Me Feel ft BB.James (Eqd) by somethinksounds

08 (N) "We Are Explorers" - Cut Copy

Cut Copy - We Are Explorers by modularpeople

07 (RE) "Something About You" - Dornik

Something About You by "Dornik"

06 (N) "Alkoan Baladi الكون بلدي" - Débruit & Alsarah

Débruit & Alsarah - Alkoan Baladi ٩. الكون بلدي by Soundway Records

05 (N) "Something In My Heart" - Röyksopp Feat. Jamie McDermott

Something In My Heart (feat. Jamie Irrepressible) by Röyksopp

04 (N) "Lock Up" - BC Kingdom

BC Kingdom - Lock Up by saintrecords

03 (N) "Right Thing" - Rosie Lowe

02 (N) "Fille Sans Soucis" - Cinema

01 (N) "I Know" - Rosemary

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SHREM'S WORLDLY DELIGHTS: "Alkoan Baladi الكون بلدي" - Débruit & Alsarah

I've heard this absolutely stunning track playing in one of the cafés last weekend in Brick Lane, East London. It is very fitting I was to discover this stimulating fusion of electronica and Arabic vibes in such a multi-cultural and cosmopolitan spot. I did use Shazam to find out about this up & coming collaborative project Débruit & Alsarah. Soundway Records will be releasing their debut album "Aljawal" on 11th November and it's shaping to be a feast for all the "Orientophiles" like myself. "A modern, haunting take on Sudanese music heard through the sonic lens of French artist / producer, Débruit and the poetic, ethereal lyrics and melodies of Sudanese-born singer Alsarah" as we read on the label's official press release. This intriguing album, aptly named "Aljawal" - "The Traveller", reflects Alsarah's extraordinary journey between the capital city of Sudan, Khartoum where she was born, Yemen where she relocated with her family and finally Brooklyn where she resides now. It also reflects a sonic excursion she ventured on accompanied by Débruit. Based on this incredible first track "Alkoan Baladi" I am sensing a sensation similar to "Arabology" by Y.A.S. when Soapkills' Yasmine Hamdan joined efforts with Mirwais Ahmadzaï back in 2009. Can't wait!

Débruit & Alsarah - Alkoan Baladi ٩. الكون بلدي by Soundway Records

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