Author: Paul Tunkin

As exclusively announced today by Shindig Magazine, the Bongolian video for Flatfoot Hustle is available to view via the Shindig website. See it here:
https://www.shindig-magazine.com/?p=4207

Whilst the latest edition of the magazine also carries the first review of the album “the fabulously cool Harlem Hipshake is everything the title promises”. 

Pre-order Harlem Hipshake from the Blow Up Records / Greedbag shop here:
https://blowup.greedbag.com/buy/harlem-hipshake/

Blow Up Records is pleased to announce The Bongolian brand new album ‘Harlem Hipshake’ will be released 13/11/2020. It will be the sixth album under The Bongolian moniker, AKA multi-instrumentalist and Big Boss Man front man Nasser Bouzida. It is the much anticipated follow up to the highly acclaimed Moog Maximus and is available to pre-order now in the following formats: Clear 180g vinyl (limited 500 ), black 180g vinyl, CD and digital from the Blow Up (greedbag) shop: https://blowup.greedbag.com/buy/harlem-hipshake/

Harlem Hipshake finds The Bongolian deeply immersed in his lifelong love for the music of the sixties New York’s Latin Soul scene, particularly the music of Ray Barretto, Mongo Santamaria and Joe Bataan.  Principally a drummer, percussionist by trade, Nasser has once again delivered another set of heavy breaks and percussive grooves underpinning this brand-new collection of songs which he has written and produced. Whilst Nasser performs many of the instruments (as is usual with Bongolian albums) on the album, it also features a prominent use of additional UK musicians on brass duties. These include Terry Edwards (Trumpet, Trombone, Sax, Flute), Gareth James Bailey (Trombone) and Craig Crofton (Alto Sax), James Morton (Alto Sax), Andrew Ross (Tenor and Baritone sax) and Ralph Lamb (Trumpet).

From the East Side to the West Side, get ready for the Harlem Hipshake.

“It’s quite a bold experiment nonetheless, as indeed is the whole LP. One to watch.” Aspic Boulevard ‘Memory Recall of a Replicant Dream’ as reviewed in the current issue of Shindig! Magazine… the latest!

Limited edition of 100 only – Blow Up 25 Tote Bag – as sold at the Blow Up 25 concert at The 100 Club are available to order direct from the Blow Up Records shop (Greedbag). Grab them while you can!
https://blowup.greedbag.com/buy/blow-up-37/

We are pleased to announce new signings Aspic Boulevard, here is a taster from what will be their debut album ‘Memory Recall of a Replicant Dream’…

Sicilian brothers Alessandro and Marco Barrano take a journey through space and time with a sound is characterized by vintage electronics: analogue keyboards, analogue drum machines, tape recorders, circuit bending and many homemade musical instruments. Influences range from Pierre Schaeffer and Musique concrète school in France in the early 40’s to the sci-fi nuances of 60s & 70s cinematic music, psychedelia and kosmische. Composer Marco Barrano is of course no stranger to Blow Up Records having previously released MHz Invasion as one half of Daiquiri Fantomas which received support at BBC 6 Music from DJs including Radcliff & Maconie and Steve Lamacq.

Listen on Soundcloud »

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As part of the Blow Up 25 year celebrations Blow Up Records is reissuing some classic titles. One of the first is a brand new cut of The Bongolian‘s third album ‘Outer Bongolia’ (alongsideBig Boss Man‘s ‘Full English Beat Breakfast‘), available for first time on 180g heavy weight vinyl. This pressing is limited to 500 copies only.

Pre-Order Limited 180g Clear Vinyl »

“A man with talent to spare. A Latin-flavoured jazz-funk odyssey”
Q MAGAZINE

“Forget your preconceptions, this is the REAL incredible bongo band”CLASH

“The authentic real deal crafted groove”THE ORGAN

“A beautifully well rounded album. Gorgeously psychedelic”
★★★★½ SUBBA-CULTCHA

“Mightily funky, Hammond driven bongo rhythms… part mod, part Sergio Mendes, very swingin’…”TIME OUT

As part of the Blow Up 25 year celebrations Blow Up Records is reissuing some classic titles. One of the first is a brand new cut of Big Boss Man‘s third album ‘Full English Beat Breakfast’ (alongside The Bongolian‘s ‘Outer Bongolia‘), available for first time on 180g heavy weight vinyl. This pressing is limited to 500 copies only.

Pre-Order Limited 180g White Vinyl »

“The Sgt Pepper of boogaloo – and you can’t go without breakfast, can you?”
MUSIC 4/5, SONIC 4/5 HI-FI CHOICE

5/5 DRUMMER MAGAZINE

“Effortlessly hip” 4 STARS – ECHOES

“Their best album yet ” 4 STARS – RECORD COLLECTOR

“Big Boss Man are back and groovier than ever” CLASH

Alfa 9return with their third album My Sweet Movida. The Newcastle-under-Lyme based four piece are back with their Morricone-esque tinged cosmic country psych rock, that’s layered with vocal harmonies delivering what the band believe to be their strongest set of songs to date.

Order Limited 180g Clear Vinyl & Deluxe CD »

This their first release since ‘Gone to Ground’, which made Vive le Rock and Sound of Confusion best of the year lists in 2013 and saw the band featured in various magazines including Classic Rock and Shindig. They were interviewed by Steve Lamacq for his ‘New Favourite Band’ feature at BBC 6 Music around the album release and
El Morocco (taken from Gone To Ground) later hit the BBC 6 Music playlist for a month as the band performed live at the Liverpool Psych Fest.

Of the band’s debut ‘Then We Begin’ Clash described this as “A fully realised and hugely ambitious debut which succeeds on every level” whilst Shindig said “one of the best albums of the last decade”. The title track ‘Then We Begin’ and ‘Flasher’ from the album more recently surfaced in key sequences of the auto-behemoth that is The Grand Tour.

A first taste from My Sweet Movida ‘Smile Dog’ is already receiving radio support from Gideon Coe and Guy Garvey at BBC 6 Music.

The latest album ‘Moog Maximus‘ from The Bongolian will issued on a brand new pressing on 180g clear vinyl this October – limited to 500 copies only and available to order now…

Order Limited 180g Clear Vinyl »

“The feel-good album of the summer”
9/10 – LOUDER THAN WAR

“Loving what they’re doing at the moment”
CRAIG CHARLES, BBC RADIO 2

“You’re in for a treat” CERYS MATTHEWS, BBC 6 MUSIC

“A groove-driven masterpiece. Moog Maximus is The Bongolian’s very best to date”SCOOTERING

We’re pleased to announce that Blow Up club founder and DJ Paul Tunkin will be performing the DJ Set before the 50th Anniversary screening of Michelangelo Antonioni’s  ‘Blow-Up’ at the Film4 Summer Screen Festival at Somerset House on Tuesday 22nd August 2017… You may never believe your eyes again after watching ‘Blow-Up’, and icon of 1960s cinema; a hypnotic mystery that follows a fashion photographer as he’s drawn into a world where nothing is quite what it seems…  “Inspiring everyone from Francis Ford Coppola to Mike Myers, Michelangelo Antonioni’s arty thriller remains an absorbing, eerie enigma” Total Film For tickets and more info; somersethouse.org.uk