Richie Troughton

Altın Gün

YOL

They may be locked down, but Altın Gün are always a transportive listen, finds Richie Troughton

N To The Power

Autogenesis

The debut album from Blake Leyh and Tony Jarvis entwines Bill Evans standards with hypnotic minimalism

Oumou Sangaré

Acoustic

Mali's Oumou Sangaré returns with a set of stripped-down re-imaginings

Raags Against The Machine: Pakistan Is For The Peaceful By Ustad Saami

Microtonal Sufi mystic musical master returns with second album of surti music, of which he is the last living practitioner

Bab L’ Bluz

NAYDA!

Fusing contemporary rock and funk and ancient traditional North African musical forms, Moroccan-French quartet Bab L’ Bluz open up portals to a new kind of blues, finds Richie Troughton

Edikanfo

The Pace Setters

Funk horns and polyrhythmic drumming weave together in this classic Brian Eno-produced record from 1981

TootArd

Migrant Birds

Armed with a Yamaha PSR-62 synthesizer, TootArd's second album creates dreamlike effects, finds Richie Troughton

Santrofi

Alewa

Ghanaian octet Santrofi prove that highlife remains a rich and vital force, finds Richie Troughton

Tamikrest

Tamotaït

Tamikrest take assouf desert blues into new territory on their new album Tamotaït, finds Richie Troughton

Like An Octopus On The Citizen: What Even Is A Blade Runner?

Before *Blade Runner* was a film by Ridley Scott, it was the title of a movie treatment by William Burroughs. Before that, it was a novel by Alan E. Nourse. As the Burroughs book gets re-issued by Tangerine Press, Richie Troughton unfurls the whole tale

Atlas Electronic In Morocco Live Report

Deena Abdelwahed, Jamie xx, and Lena Willikens bring the party to the Marrakech desert, yet as revellers gather at Atlas Electronic in blazing Moroccan summer heat a thunderstorm is the last thing on anyone’s mind. Richie Troughton reports from the festival and talks to the artist responsible for the deluge. Live photographs by Tim Buiting

The Strange World Of… Awesome Tapes From Africa

Label founder Brian Shimkovitz talks to Richie Troughton about how his blog of obscure and rarely heard cassettes from Africa became a record label determined to locate artists and see them finally get the acclaim they deserve for their work

Elevate Your Mind: Seun Anikulapo Kuti’s Favourite Albums

Following the release of Black Times, his fourth album with Egypt '80, Seun Anikulapo Kuti guides Richie Troughton through a selection of 13 revolutionary, spiritual and mystical albums that have inspired him.

WATCH: William S. Burroughs Exhibition

Beat and counterculture author Barry Miles tells Richie Troughton about his relationship with William S. Burroughs in London ahead of an exhibition covering the writer's time living in the city in the 1960s

Vieux Farka Touré

Samba

INTERVIEW: Penguin Cafe’s Arthur Jeffes

With Penguin Cafe's third album recently released, we catch up with Arthur Jeffes to discuss continuing the legacy set out by his father's band and covering Kraftwerk. Photo courtesy of Alex Kozobolis

The Master Musicians Of Joujouka Host Festival This Summer

Moroccan sufi trance group the Master Musicians Of Joujouka host their ninth annual festival this summer

LISTEN: New Bargou 08

Hear Tunisian folk music reimagined on new track 'Roddih' from Bargou 08, plus interview with Sofyann Ben Youssef about the making of their new album

LISTEN: New Tamikrest

Tuareg rockers Tamkirest share exclusive stream of new track ahead of the release of new album Kidal, as Ousmane Ag Mossa explains how the group “carry the voice of our people” with their music. Homepage photo courtesy of Sebastien Rieussec

Marching To A Different Dune: Tinariwen Interviewed

Tinariwen bassist Eyadou Ag Leche tells Richie Troughton how the Tuareg rockers are standing up to fight for “freedom and respect” with new album Elwan

Felabration In London This Weekend

Annual celebration of Fela Kuti's life and work returns to London this week with Dele Sosimi set to headline

Richie Troughton On Noura Mint Seymali’s Arbina And Interview

In the Mauritanian artist's latest offering, Richie Troughton finds a record set to question our perceptions from the outset, moulding psychedelia into a tradition of folk music, and takes the opportunity to put some of those questions to the artist herself

Fela Ransome Kuti & His Koola Lobitos

Highlife-Jazz And Afro-Soul (1963-1969)

WATCH: Carnival Queen Calypso Rose Interviewed

Calypso Rose discusses her new album Far From Home in this exclusive video and in the interview below, Trinidad and Tobago’s Calypso Queen tells Richie Troughton how she is still "breaking down walls"

Aziza Brahim

Abbar El Hamada

PREVIEW: Master Musicians Of Joujouka Festival

Richie Troughton looks ahead to this year's edition of the Master Musicians Of Joujouka

New Generation: An Interview With Imarhan

The desert rock sextet talk to Richie Troughton about why their debut album represents a new wave of Algerian music, founded on Tuareg traditions but meshed with jazz, blues and influences gathered from further afield

Fela Kuti Tribute Celebrations

A series of LP reissues and a tribute gig to mark what would have been Fela Kuti's 77th birthday are in the works

A New Dance: Dele Sosimi’s Favourite Albums

Following the release of his new album You No Fit Touch Am earlier this year, the Fela and Femi Kuti collaborator, lecturer and exponent of all things Afrobeat gives Richie Troughton a playback of his all-time top 13 LPs

Saturated Energy: Mbongwana Star Interviewed

From Kinshasa, the debut album by the Central African band, is one of the year's finest. Richie Troughton finds out about capturing the sound of the Congolese capital on record through two generations of street musicians

Terakaft

Alone

The Ngoni – Africa’s History: Bassekou Kouyaté Interviewed

Bassekou Kouyaté's new album Ba Power is a highlight of 2015. Here, he talks to Richie Troughton about family, collaboration, the difficult situation in Mali and the ngoni, one of the world's most ancient instruments