Category: News

2024 – A Year in Music (Pt II: Albums, comps and reissues)

Following on to my round up of the singles in part I, here are my favourites albums, compilations and reissues from 2024. It has to be said that, as with the singles, I haven’t been following the flow of new releases as actively as I did in previous years. Of course I still spent a […]

2024 – A Year in Music (part I: 12″s, 7″s & album cuts)

What happened in 2024? I’ll try to keep it more sober this time. On the party front, the year was arguably not a revolutionary one, at least not in my bubble. We kept doing doing what we’ve been doing for most of our lives, but doing it well. Always looking to perfect the art of […]

Akiyo – Excursions in Gwoka Vol. 2

For the sixth BATB release, we pursued the ‘Excursions in Gwoka’ series with a second volume putting focus on the legendary carnival outfit from Guadeloupe, Akiyo. The EP contains two original tracks which were originally released in 1993 on Akiyo’s seminal second LP, 𝘔𝘰𝘶𝘷𝘮𝘢𝘯: ‘Déboulé’ and ‘Blo’. The aforementioned album has become increasingly hard to […]

Jaminaround vs Beauty & the Beat – 2024 edition

“Something’s about to come your wayExtend your arms embrace the love(…)Breathe the winds of space and timeLet your senses take controlListen to the rhythm of the cosmic danceGlance far away into the futureLet your mind run through the fields that fill your heart with joyMeanwhile, let your soul inside touch the stars” (from Kuniyuki’s sublime […]

Lèspri ka a la Gwadloup, printemps 2022

In late March ’22, following two cancelled trips in the past two years due to the pandemic, we were finally back in Guadeloupe. Once we’d navigated all the bureaucratic nonsense involved in being able to travel (mainland France’s frontiers were fully opened but not Guadeloupe’s), it was as always a special feeling to set foot […]

2021 – A Year In Music, Part 2 (Albums & Reissues)

Despite the ongoing pressing plant chaos and ever increasing costs of making records, 2021 saw more than a healthy amount (!) of exceptional releases, on every genre and format imaginable. My previous blog post focused on the singles and here I will put my attention to my favourite albums and reissues. Early in the year […]