V/A – Haiti Direct – EP

Hypnotic Carnival rhythms, DIY electro and Compas experiments from Haiti…
Claudette & Ti Pierre’s 1979 version of the folk song ‘Zanmi Camarade’ jumps straight out of leftfield. Haunting vocals are accompanied by a heavy drum machine and arpeggiated synth backing for a Kraftwerk-in-Port-au-Prince vibe. Stockholm’s Tropical Treats crew give the track the subtle edit treatment, bringing out the bass and rounding off the sound.
Ti Marcel‘s rugged, hypnotic Rara track ‘Nan Point La Vie‘ is dominated by the single-note ‘Vaksin’ bamboo flute – nature’s sub-bass – and comes to life with Siwo‘s one-take drum machine update, a serious carnival mover.
On the B-side the Ibo Combo cover Coupé Cloué’s evergreen ‘Mateau’, adding beautiful horn arrangements to the acoustic original for a masterclass in the Mini Jazz sound.
Les Loups Noirs offer up ‘Pile ou Face’ (heads or tails), an unhinged slice of psychedelic compas, replete with swirling organs, screeching vocals and a heavy bassline.

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