Good Vibrations
For the best part of two decades now, South London Afro-Dub dons Soothsayers have been preaching their politically charged good vibrations to a growing and loyal fan base. Their live shows are legendary and vary from off-the-cuff community friendly gigs in Brixton, to festival headline slots and tours across Europe and beyond.
Having recently filled London’s Jazz Café to much acclaim, and in anticipation of their new album, Tradition, out on Wah Wah 45s in June, Soothsayers unleash the second single to be taken from it. It’s a double header of sorts that shows the band’s knack of reinterpreting a cover version or two for the dance floor.
Taking Power
Sleepwalking is a take on Fela Kuti’s 1971 classic Black Man’s Cry. It’s a chant of frustration aimed at disenfranchisement from the process and features Afrobeat Ambassador Dele Sosimi on guest vocal duties. It questions if we are sleepwalking into the abyss, and is a revolutionary song about taking power back into our own hands!
Although it’s challenging to do justice to a Bob Marley cover, on Natural Mystic Soothsayers cradle the spirit of the originator and turn it upside down, transforming the familiar into a journey back to Africa via their trademark groove. Spiritual jazz flutes and percussion combine with the floating vocals of the mighty Cornel Campbell, while the song’s main melody is emphatically reproduced by Soothsayers horn section to stunning effect.
Sleepwalking (Black Man’s Cry) is released on Friday May 18th 2018 on limited 7-inch vinyl and digital download.
Previous radio support comes from Tom Ravenscroft, Huey Morgan and Craig Charles on BBC 6Music, as well as David Rodigan and Jazzie B.
Reactions
“!!!” Jeremy Sole, KCRW Los Angeles
“Love it a lot! Natural Mystic is greaaat!” Christian Doepke, Jazz & Milk (Munich, Germany)
“Dope tunes!” Alex Attias, Radio Couleur 3 Switzerland Lausanne / www.visionsrecordings.com
“Serious afro beat business! Well done remake of the great Fela classic. One for the brain and the feet.” Oliver Korthals, Mojo Club + Out Of Spectrum @www.byte.fm / www.mojo.de
“Both sounding sweet! Thanks guys!” Nick, emanative
“The real talk as usual from super collective Soothsayers!!!” Gordon Wedderburn GW Jazz
“Big sounds straight from the motherland. Wonderful production and that Bob Marley cover is stunning. A whole new song really, just wow!” Robert Steer, mixcloud.com/mrlob
“Soothsayers, Fela Kuti and Dele Sosimi. What more could I ask for?” Dan, Detektor FM
“Tune!” Olivier Cavaller, Perpignan / www.delabonnemusique.com
“Another great jam! There’s definitely a place for Sleepwalking in my sets. WIll also be playing it this Wednesday on our radio show.” Kengo Oshima, Soho Radio / Cuban Brothers
“Everyone’s favourite afro-dub-reggae-soul-jazz band have come up with a stunning AA 7″ inch with covers of Fela’s ‘Black Man Cry’ on one side and Marley’s ‘Natural Mystic’ on the other. Both laced with the anger of the original artists, together with perfect danceability; love this band so keep ’em coming.” Gerry Hectic, 60 Million Postcards / Bournemouth / Futuristica Music / Jazz Chronicles
“Thank you!” Tim Quigley, Groovera New Modern Radio
“Tune!” Olivier Cavaller, Perpignan / www.delabonnemusique.com
“Groovy!” Sammy Al, Stellar Entertainment
“Consumer sedation! Love it. Nice work guys.” Dan The Tenor City Radio Show – Back2Backfm
“Interesting version of Natural Mystic with tropical jazz rhythm!” Veronique, Paris / Radio Krimi
“Great stuff!” Jim Wood, 8trackmusic
“Simply beautiful music!” Aja Allsop, WSJR (USA), The Jazz UK, BluesJazz Radio (TX USA), Electric Lion Radio (London), Impact Radio (Italy)
“Very nice release, proper!” Maken, Polish National Radio
“Excellent covers!” Antoni Villiotis, Feelgood Records (Athens, Greece)
“Love!” Amrisha, Radar Radio
“Awesome!!!” Dobromir Marzov, The ’45 RPM’ radio show on Radio Varna (part of the Bulgarian National Radio)
“Great Sounds. Love these guys” Phil Gray, KPSU radio Portland USA
“100 you know that.” Russ, www.soasradio.org / www.hackneygt.com
“Cool tracks!” Jason Deckstatic, No.8, XL, Space Ibiza NYC, 1 Oak Southampton
“Very good track” MP Marcus, Innacityfm , Urban Jazz Radio (London, United Kingdom)
“Didn’t like the first one too much – but second one is the jam!” Avi, Radar Radio
“Soo damn FUNKY” Simon Harrison, Basic Soul Radio Show (FM, Internet + podcast), Nu-World Mix (samurai.fm) / www.basic-soul.co.uk
“Dope!” Seb, Chamonix / http://www.radiokrimi.com/
“Brillant grooves!” Robert Lochmann, Radio X,Frankfurt; soulsender.de
“Nice.” Tom, Ancient Astronauts / Switchstance Recordings / www.ancientastronauts.de
“nishe nishe” Chris, Louie Louie / Soas Radio / Mi-Soul Radio /
favourite track: Sleepwalking (Black Man’s Cry) rating: 4/5
“Just wonderful – love these” Jon Brent, The Full Spectrum Radio Show
“Soulful Afro grooves – perfect for a summer jam!” Phil, Starpoint Radio / Likwid / London – The World !
“Big afro tracks charged in gOOd vibes. I like! Cheers!” Xavier JEAN
“Really feeling these, Dope!” Chris, The Airwaves of Portsea Island / www.hermapuma.com
“Fantastic groove.” Susan Schwartz, Platinum Rye Entertainment / www.platinumrye.com
“Great stuff” Lamp, Coalition, The Hub, Radio Reverb, Coastway Radio, Brighton
“BadAss!” Pathaan, worldwide
“Great grooves.” Mitch, WVUM (Miami, FL)
“Natural Mystic – yes!” Richard, London, Point Blank FM
“Afro funky afrobeat and jazzy: superbe section cuivre !!! A suivre de près!!” Jean Marc,
Radio Television Suisse Romande Couleur3
“Great work” Nicole Finnerty, Kane FM 103.7 FM – Flex FM www.flexfm.co.uk / dubtasticmusic.com
“Love this and so glad I can now play the vinyl you so very kindly sent me as a special thing on air now – I will also play it out and about as well. I especially like how Soothsayers put their special mark on both new and classic tunes … those horns . those voices. that sheer irresistible buzz” Debbie G, Resonance 104.4FM / Wycombe Sound London/High Wycombe / www.outerglobe.co.uk www.resonancefm.com
“Cool vibe, will support!” Josef, Radio 1 Prague
“Natural Mystic is the one for me!” Ubbo Gronewold, Caress Caress Radio Show
“Natural Mystic Is a groovy little number!” Danny Slade, Herald Radio/ Herald Dance TV / Club Oxygen , Swansea / logic, Swansea / Laser Station, / Zone Magazine / Herald Newspapers Dance and Clubbing and Music features Writer (South Wales)
“Great stuff as always. Loved and shared.
Cheers Mickey 1BTN X” Michael Jukes, Mile wide smile club/ 1BTN FM Brighton / milewidesmileclub.blogspot.com
“Wicked” Tony Heynen, facebook.com/GlobalRiddims/
“Love this!” David Bassin, KUSF / FreeFall Radio
“Really nice release!!!” Jamal Ahmad, Jazz 91.9fm WCLK Atlanta,Ga. / Soulandjazz.com
“Soothsayers amaze me with their consistent ability to outdo themselves! Natural Mystic in particular is them at their best.” Leo, www.jaheire.com
“Cool Afrobeat!” Chris Exarchopoulos, Black Radio Berlin – Up’n’Loud Radio / Black Radio Berlin Blog
“Pretty Irie!” Roni Fialkow, Pop Lock (Tel Aviv)
“Pretty cool! gonna play it on Radio Oxigenio” Tiago Santos,
“Need this for the dance floor” Junior, Eavesdrop Radio WKDU 91.7FM/Philly
“From the first few bars of each track I knew this was a killer..” Jeff Fellows, Australia / Bali based DJ / Music Director / Consultant / Dusk Music /
“A great release, love both tunes! – full support!” Sven Thomschke, Radio Z 95.8 Nuernberg
“Boom!!!” Victor, bassculture.wordpress.com
“Straight into the ‘mood setting’ crate. Brilliant stuff as always” Tom Miller, Soundcrash, Shapes of Rhythm / www.keepup.co.uk
“Very goood thanks!!!!!!!!” Timos, Reverb Nation
“Necessary!” Anthony, Eastside Radio / mondo stereo
“On point political; funky-reggae” Wayne Wright All FM 96.9 (MCR) Global Stereo Sounds show / Rhythm Passport
“Fresh take on Natural Mystic!” Johnny Cush, Shoreditch Radio
“”Natural Mystic” is really nice!” Vinyl Vibes / www.vinylvibes.com
“both equally great tracks , will be playing for many summers to come” Olly
“love both tracks top bombing soothsayers are so good at what they doo” Andrew Sharp, Stomp Radio / Soul Survivors
“This is sooo good” Rado Tomek, NU Spirit Club (Bratislava, Slovakia)
“Vibe!!” Mathieu, www.bha.co.in
“Diggin the Natural Mystic cover, will be supporting” Jason Pulaski, Kuci 88.9fm www.innamissions.com
“Lovely stuff! x” Ross, All Over, Hideout Sessions Podcast
Sleepwalking (Black Man’s Cry) – Gideon Coe, BBC Radio 6Music (listen back: 1 || 2)
Natural Mystic – Chris P Cuts, NTS Radio (listen back)
Natural Mystic – Jazzmadass Show, Radio X Frankfurt (listen back)
Natural Mystic – Simon Harrison, Basic Soul (listen back)
Natural Mystic – The Global Clitch Show, Groovalizacion Radio (listen back)
Sleepwalking (Black Man’s Cry) – Russ Jones, Soas Radio – Hackney Globetrotter Show
Sleepwalking (Black Man’s Cry) – Christoph Twickel Byte Fm, Germany (listen back)
Natural Mystic – Don Letts, BBC 6Music (listen back)
Natural Mystic – Colleen Murphy, Worldwide FM (listen back)
Natural Mystic – Huey Morgan, BBC 6Music (listen back)
Natural Mystic – Allan Laskey, WWOZ, New Orleans (listen back)
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