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LP
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PRF 012LP
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In 1996, Dakar-based group Pee Froiss released Wala Wala Bok?, a groundbreaking album that helped define Senegalese hip hop. Alongside groups like Positive Black Soul and Daara J, Pee Froiss became champions of Senegalese hip hop, inspiring an entire generation by linking hip hop with political struggle. Dubbed "an African Public Enemy" by the BBC, Pee Froiss channeled the fundaments of hip hop and reggae into a sound deeply rooted in the realities of Dakar. Originally exclusively released on cassette, Wala Wala Bok? fell out of circulation despite being a touchstone of Senegalese hip hop history. This remastered reissue of Wala Wala Bok? restores the album's legacy nearly 30 years after its original release, presenting it for the first time in high-quality formats. Accompanied by a 48-page booklet with rare artist photos and new liner notes, the release celebrates the singularity of Senegalese hip hop and its contribution to the larger history of African hip hop. RIYL: Positive Black Soul, Daara J, Black Noise.
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LP
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PRF 011LP
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Fearlessly Accessing the Divine Spirit From Here on Out is the vinyl debut from Los Angeles pianist, composer, and producer Diego Gaeta. He has previously released projects as Club Diego and with the trio Human Error Club (whose members Mekala Session and Jesse Justice helped produce this record). He's become a fixture in various musical environments, working with Lionmilk, The Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, Carlos Niño, Photay, and Black Nile, among others. This album is a synthesis of many of those relationships, and carries chamber, jazz, ambient, and folk influences, ultimately giving it an uncategorizable feel similar to works by Arthur Verocai or David Axelrod. Gaeta recorded the initial ideas for the album by himself after experiencing a burst of creativity during the lockdown of 2020, in the aftermath of a season of protests in Los Angeles, on a piano at his home in El Sereno. Once he had created the tracks as Ableton sessions, he realized the gravity and context of how he was processing his ideas so he, as he puts it, "felt like taking them outside the hands of midi and into the hands of friends." Gaeta was able to assemble his dream band, which ended up being a nine-piece ensemble, or a nonet. The recording process began the following summer in June 2021 as the musicians were all adjusting to the newfound dynamic of getting tested for COVID, waiting a few days, and then meeting up to record. The title track and single, featuring vocals by Jimetta Rose, begins with a speech by Gaeta delivered when playing with Black Nile in 2019 at the Levitt Amphitheatre in MacArthur Park. Moor Mother and Zeroh are found on their respective tracks, "Memory Screen" and "Eccolo" -- both delivering a distinct, commanding vocal performance. Low Leaf colors the track "Soft Spot" with harp, a beautiful ballad nestled in the center of the album. Other players include Gregory Uhlmann on guitar, Jon Kaye on violin, Devin Daniels on alto saxophone, Caleb Buchanan on bass, Dante Luna on vibraphone, Patrick Behnke on viola, Bryan Baker on tenor saxophone/flute, and Mekala Session on drums.
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LP
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PRF 013LP
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Listening to Jesse Justice's music or hearing the Los Angeles artist play live could mean something different on any given day. He might be shredding the keys with his group Human Error Club, playing a Rhodes alongside revered jazz talent or rocking boom-bap from his trusty sampler. But there's another side to Jesse Justice -- and that's the one behind Temporary. Because Temporary is primarily electronic, Justice plays the dual roles of musician and producer. Yet these songs forgo limitless digital sound design for a carefully chosen palette of old-school synthesizers and drum machines. As a result, the dreamy atmospheres flow from the compositions themselves. Even at its most ambient, the artist's sense of melody rises to the surface. In nu-age LA, ambient is where jazz and electronic music tend to intersect. Justice's music, however, incorporates everything from footwork to house to hip hop without conforming to any of the above. Even "Certain I'm Uncertain," which recalls the broken beat and acid jazz sounds of late-'90s London, remains firmly in Justice's sonic world. Over its eight tracks, Temporary drifts from one motif to the next in the seamless kind of way thoughts and memories trigger each other. Like the title suggests, no single mood sticks around for long, nor are the sentiments easy to describe. At the same time, it's complex without being jazz, electronic without being dance music and atmospheric without being ambient. In other words, it's music from in-between. While today's ubiquitous MIDI packs, plug-ins and producer hacks promise to lend any producer a professional sheen, there's no formula for something like this. Instead, it's the singular experiences and sensibilities Jesse Justice brings to these songs that separate Temporary from the rest.
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