Al Johnson
Peaceful

Hailing from Melbourne, but with a sound stretching from 60s and 70s afrobeat and exotica to Fela Kuti-esque repetition, the proto-garage rhythmic fury of The Monks and the grooves of Os Mutantes, there’s an enticing lost world exoticism to the music of Bananagun. It’s the sort of stuff that could’ve come from a dusty record crate of hidden gems; yet as the punchy, colourfully vibrant pair of singles Do Yeah and Out of Reach have proven over the past 12 months, the band are no revivalists. On debut album The True Story of Bananagun, they make a giant leap forward with their outward-looking blend of global tropicalia.The True Story of Bananagun marks Bananagun’s first full foray into writing and recording as a complete band, having originally germinated in the bedroom ideas and demos of guitarist, vocalist and flautist Nick van Bakel. The multi-instrumentalist grew up on skate videos, absorbing the hip-hop beats that soundtracked them - taking on touchstones like Self Core label founder Mr. Dibbs and other early 90’s turntablists.That love of the groove underpins Bananagun - even if the rhythms now traverse far beyond those fledgling influences. "We didn't want to do what everyone else was doing,” the band’s founder says. “We wanted it to be vibrant, colourful and have depth like the jungle. Like an ode to nature."Van Bakel was joined first by cousin Jimi Gregg on drums – the pair’s shared love of the Jungle Book apparently made him a natural fit – and the rest of the group are friends first and foremost, put together as a band because of a shared emphasis on keeping things fun. Jack Crook (guitar/vocals), Charlotte Tobin (djembe/percussion) and Josh Dans (bass) complete the five-piece and between them there’s a freshness and playful spontaneity to The True Story of Bananagun, borne out of late night practice jams and hangs at producer John Lee’s Phaedra Studios.Bananagun are first and foremost a band enthused with the joy of living and The True Story of Bananagun is a ebullient listen; van Bakel - as the main songwriter - is keen not to let any lyrical themes overpower that. There’s more to this record than blissed out grooves and tripped out fuzz though: The Master is about learning to be your own master and resisting the urge to compare yourself to others; She Now addresses gender identity and extolls the importance of people being able to identify how they feel. Then there’s closing track Taking The Present For Granted, which perhaps sums up the band’s ethos on life, trying to take in the world around you and appreciating the here and now.The True Story of Bananagun then is perhaps a tale of finding beauty in even these most turbulent of times.

Over Under Away – Volume I is the first compilation LP from Melbourne independent label ​Hopestreet Recordings and is released to celebrate their 10th anniversary.It features 10 tracks from Hopestreet’s first generation of artists: psych-Bollywood SciFi orchestra ​The Bombay Royale​, cinematica pioneers ​The Cactus Channel​, soul queen ​Emma Donovan and her mighty band ​The Putbacks ​and dusty country soul from ​The Meltdown, ​plus ​a couple of rarely heard gems, an afrobeat rap cut by One Sixth​ and a Marvin Gaye inspired environmental panic anthem by ​Zillanova feat. Cisco Tavares​.Over Under Away is the label’s creation story. The material in Volume I was created in Hopestreet’s infancy, when the same people played in all the bands, and everyone who worked in the office was also making the records. If a compilation put together out of nine different albums sounds unusually cohesive, it’s because the same people performed, wrote and produced all the songs. Putbacks guitarist Tom Martin leads the charge, appearing on 8 out of 10 cuts. All production and engineering duties were shared by label founders Bob Knob and Tristan Ludowyk. These days are past, but the aim of Over Under Away – Volume I is to represent the seed that grew into the label as it is today.The compilation takes its name from a song on ​Emma Donovan & The Putbacks’ 2014 album ​Dawn​. Over Under Away is a story of struggle, perseverance and, above all else, patience. About growing from small beginnings to “sing and shout and talk up loud.” Hopestreet began as a recording experiment, an afternoon goof between friends in a decrepit factory in Brunswick. The only ingredients were an Otari tape machine, some decent musicians and little bit of goodwill. When the label started, 7a Hope Street was surrounded by a desert of vacant industrial property. Now it’s surrounded by gleaming new apartment complexes. In that moment between decay and gentrification a little magic happened. Now the label, like it’s surroundings continues to evolve, but this compilation celebrates that fleeting point in time and everything that grew from there.

P-Vine: ...In another highly anticipated reissue from the vaults of the legendary 70s label TSG, P-VINE will be reissuing Reality’s unknown classic Disco Party on its RARE GROOVE imprint. Almost nothing is known about the band apart from their association with TSG, and the label’s divine touch that picked out the best unknown musicians from New York’s bustling funk and soul scene. This reissue is no exception and is packed with funk and disco jams that surely excite RARE GROOVE fans and delight those recently enjoying the reissues of Tomorrow’s People.The rapturous opener “Reality” gets the party underway with an extended groove-ridden jam, rich with domineering organs and slick funk guitars. The high-pace energy of the track bursts through and rushes the next. On tracks like “Movin & Groovin” where they calm the dynamics, they do so at no cost to the onwards movement and progression, a trait the album shares with the motorik drum-beat of krautrock records. From start to finish this is one album that doesn’t let up its commitment to party spirit.