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AFRICAN PSYCH
VA - Journeys Into Psychedelic Africa A Butterboy Compilation) (4 x CDs)
African psychedelic music was never a single sound. It was not a scene in the way London, San Francisco or Berlin were scenes. It emerged in fragments, in port cities, university halls, roadside studios, national radio rooms, desert camps, nightclubs, political ceremonies and half-functioning pressing plants. Across the continent, musicians absorbed rock, funk, soul, traditional rhythms, spiritual music, electric blues and homemade electronics, then reshaped them into something stranger and far more personal. What survives on these recordings is not simply “African rock” or “Afro-funk.” It is the sound of musicians discovering entirely new emotional languages in real time.
This collection follows that journey across four discs, each one moving deeper into a different psychological space.
CD1 begins at ignition point. Raw guitars, distorted organs, fuzz pedals and ecstatic rhythms collide with highlife, Afrobeat and local ceremonial traditions. These recordings carry an incredible sense of possibility. Bands like Witch, Ofege and The Funkees were not imitating Western psychedelic music, they were transforming it into something rooted in entirely different landscapes and spiritual traditions. The energy is youthful, restless and alive.
CD2 moves inward. Rhythm becomes ritualistic, hypnotic and cyclical. Desert blues, modal repetition and trance structures begin to dominate the music. The pulse slows down, but the intensity deepens. Here, artists such as Tinariwen, El Wali and Fela Kuti stretch music into long-form spiritual movement. Songs become journeys rather than performances. Time itself starts to dissolve.
CD3 represents the electric city at night. Psychedelia mutates into urban groove systems, cosmic disco, deep funk and hypnotic repetition. Synthesizers appear beside traditional percussion. Studio experimentation becomes part of the language. Artists like William Onyeabor, Manu Dibango and Steve Monite create music that feels futuristic even decades later, balancing dancefloor motion with something deeply mysterious beneath the surface.
By CD4, the journey reaches dissolution. The music becomes spacious, reflective and dreamlike. Voices drift through desert air, rhythms fade into memory, and songs feel suspended between continents, histories and states of consciousness. What remains is atmosphere, emotion and distance. The recordings by Francis Bebey, Ali Farka Touré, Mamani Keïta and Tinariwen do not simply close the collection, they transform it into something almost cinematic, as though the listener is slowly travelling beyond the physical world these recordings came from.
Many of these tracks survived against impossible odds. Small pressings, unstable political climates, collapsing studios, disappearing master tapes and decades of neglect nearly erased this music entirely. Yet the recordings endure because they contain something timeless, discovery. The feeling of musicians pushing beyond known forms and finding sounds that still feel radical today.
This box set is not intended as an invitation into a different way of hearing music, where rhythm becomes landscape, repetition becomes trance, and psychedelia is not escapism but transformation. And it is not a definitive anthology. It is but a structured listening environment, one that encourages one to hear psychedelia not as a sound, but as a series of evolving systems of perception across African musical history. (B)
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Track lists
CD1
01 Witch - Introduction 3:14
02 Cicada - Let the Bread Flow In 3:29
03 Osibisa - Music for a Gong Gong (Single Version) 4:38
04 Monomono - Give The Beggar A Chance 5:57
05 Moussa Doumbia - Keleya 6:42
06 Ofege - It's Not Easy 4:20
07 Sorry Bamba - Porry 8:17
08 BLO - Time to Face the Sun 4:03
09 The Funkees - Dancing Time 3:19
10 Question Mark - Love 5:12
11 Marijata - No Condition is Permanent 7:04
12 El Rego et Ses Commandos - Feeling You Got 3:44
13 Thermometers - Babalawo 3:35
14 Nkengas - Anyi Bundi Igbo 3:07
15 Fubura Sekibo - Psychedelic Baby 3:10
16 Tunji Oyelana and The Benders - Ifa 4:59
17 Super Eagles - Love's A Real Thing 2:59
18 Amanaz - Khala My Friend 3:40
19 Hygrades - In The Jungle (Vocal) 3:17
20 Tony Grey & The Black 7 - The Feelings 4:47
CD2
01 Tinariwen - Cler Achel 4:23
02 Tamikrest - Adagh 3:09
03 Imarhan - Temet 5:01
04 El Wali - Dreams and Nostalgia 4:20
05 Les Abranis - Akoudar 4:13
06 Orchestre National de Mauritanie - Chabab El-Bilad 2:09
07 Orchestra Baobab - Diarabi 5:15
08 Nass El Ghiwane - Essiniya 6:48
09 Super Mama Djombo - Dissan na m’bera 5:12
10 Attarazat Addahabia, Faradjallah - Albaki 7:06
11 Assagai - Telephone Girl 3:27
12 Fela Kuti & Africa 70 - Alu Jon Jonki Jon 12:41
13 Orchestre Regional De Kayes - Sanjina 6:00
14 Ebo Taylor & Uhuru-Yenzu - Love and Death 8:19
15 William Onyeabor - good name 10:08
16 Francis Bebey - Forest Nativity 4:23
17 Peter King - Ajo 4:00
18 Opotopo (Easy Kabaka Brown) - Agboho 8:53
19 Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey & His International Brothers - Ajoyio 6:39
20 Philip Cohran and The Artistic Heritage Ensemble - On The Beach 17:30
CD3
01 William Onyeabor - Fantastic Man 6:26
02 Ebo Taylor - Heaven 6:04
03 Manu Dibango - Big Blow 5:39
04 Francis Bebey - New Track 8:17
05 Segun Bucknor - Sorrow, Sorrow, Sorrow 12:34
06 Mombasa - Nairobi 7:30
07 Steve Monite - only you (disco jam) 6:29
08 Pat Thomas & The Sweet Beans - False Lover 3:22
09 Black Truth Rhythm Band - Save D Musician 8:06
10 Orlando Julius & His Afro-Sound - Afro-Blues 6:11
11 Amadou & Mariam - Ce N´est Pas Bon 4:22
12 Getatchew Mekurya - Eywat Setenafegagn 5:05
13 Hykkers - I Want a Break Thru' 3:02
14 Buari - Karam Bani 4:22
15 Dr Victor Olaiya's International All-Stars - Kinringjingbin 4:29
16 Question Mark - Love 5:12
17 Funkees - Slipping Into Darkness 4:23
18 Tony Grey & The Black 7 - The Feelings 4:47
19 Ice - Time Will Tell 4:45
20 Orchestre Poly-Rythmo De Cotonou Dahomey - Minsato Le, Mi Deyihome 3:19
CD4
01 Francis Bebey - The Coffee Cola Song 5:05
02 Ali Farka Touré & Ry Cooder - Ai Du 7:10
03 Mamani Keïta - Yelema 4:45
04 Boubacar Traore - Mali Twist 5:57
05 Malouma - Yarab 5:02
06 Ismael Lo - Tajabone 4:04
07 Oumou Sangare - Saa Magni 7:36
08 Salif Keita - Madan 5:07
09 Youssou N'Dour - Birima 3:47
10 Farafina - Dounounia 5:22
11 Ali Hassan Kuban - Mabruk (Egypt) 6:33
12 Waves - Wake Up You 4:01
13 Rokia Traoré - Kounandi 5:23
14 Dhafer Youssef - A Kind of Love 4:51
15 Group Bombino - Amidinine 4:35
16 Abdallah Ag Oumbadougou - Imidiwan 3:42
17 Tinariwen - Izarharh Tenere 5:01
18 Bassekou Kouyate & Lobi Traore - Banani 3:39
19 Getatchew Mekurya - Eywat Setenafegagn 5:05
20 Hugh Masekela - Stimela (Coaltrain) 6:26
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Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.
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Know some and don't know the rest (haha). Africa rings my bell when it comes to afrobeat, psy, jazz and I also love those Bombino, Tinariwen and all the desert blues. Terakaft are a good one you didn't compile. By the way, my friend ... The Chat Box is back.
ReplyDeleteHi Aitor,
DeleteAfrica really does open up a whole universe once you start digging, all running on their own pulse.
You’re right about Terakaft. Their sound is leaner, dustier, a bit more hard‑edged, and they carry that same trance‑like momentum that makes the desert‑blues world so addictive. They weren’t included here simply because this set leans into the psychedelic corners of the continent, fuzz, groove, and mind‑bending rhythms, but the spirit is shared.
Cheers.
Oh, yes I understand. I forgot you mentioned the psychedelic part in the title of the comp. Sometimes I'm too quick reading things specially in the net. Then infos get missing. Did you understand me about the chat being opened again? Or maybe you read it too quickly? hahaha
DeleteI got into Osibisa due to Wendell Richardson. Wendell was briefly in Free. If he's good enough for Paul Rodgers, I'll give him a look see, I'm glad I did.
ReplyDeleteHi Bud_e_luv_bomb,
DeleteThat’s a great way into Osibisa. Wendell Richardson’s brief stint in Free is one of those small but meaningful footnotes, enough to make you curious, enough to make you listen with different ears. And you’re right, if Paul Rodgers saw something in him, that’s a solid endorsement.
Osibisa gave him a space where his playing could stretch out, brighten, and move with that joyful, high‑energy blend of rock, funk, and Afro‑soul. Once you hear him in that setting, it’s easy to understand why the band became such a gateway for so many listeners.
Glad that path led you somewhere good.
Cheers.
Hi BB,
ReplyDeletethank you very much - I love some of the artists of this great compilation (and I have the opportunity now to discover more) -
Is the artwork made by you? It is really nice!
Cheers
Giulio
Hi Giulio,
DeleteThank you, really glad you’re enjoying the artists you already know and finding new ones along the way. That’s the best kind of journey, especially where every track opens a different doorway.
The artwork is mine. I wanted something that felt warm, sun‑bleached, and a little surreal, the way psychedelic Africa sounds, colours that breathe, shapes that drift, and a sense of movement without rushing. I’m happy it speaks to you.
Cheers.
A truly lovely artwork, BB! The shapes, the details and the color combination (orange and 'petrol blue' vintage, I believe) in the main image is really nice.
DeleteYessss! Thank you so much, B. I've been blessed to have experienced Tinariwen, Tamikrest, Alpha Yaya Diallo, Oumou Sangare and a few others live, and the music is never less than captivating, often transcendent. So many new-to-me artists to explore further in this musical arena as expansive as the African continent itself. Hearty thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi Ian,
DeleteWhat a fantastic run of live experiences you’ve had. Tinariwen, Tamikrest, Alpha Yaya Diallo, Oumou Sangaré… those concerts stay with you.
If this compilation opens the door to even more corners of that world, new names, new textures, new paths to follow across an arena as wide and varied as the continent itself then I have done something right. I’m really glad it’s giving you fresh artists to explore.
Cheers.
I appreciate the invitation to broaden my world, without passports or body scans (I got a lot of metal in me after several fun medical episodes). I'm setting this up for a weekend away. Again, thank you for all you do!!!
ReplyDeleteHi efredd,
DeleteThat’s a wonderful way to put it, music really is the best kind of travel, no passports, no queues, no scanners, just a wide world opening up through speakers. And given everything you’ve been through, it’s even nicer to have a journey that doesn’t set off alarms.
Setting this up for a weekend away sounds perfect.
Thank you for the kind words, always appreciated.
Cheers.
Extremely imaginative work BB!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much!
Hi John,
DeleteThank you for the kind words, much appreciated.
This one was a joy to shape. The music itself is already imaginative, full of colour and movement, so the challenge was simply to let that spirit breathe across four discs without losing the thread. I’m really pleased you like it.
Cheers.
Thank you BB, great work once again - really looking forward to checking this one out
ReplyDeleteHi No Alla Violenza,
DeleteThank you. Really glad this one caught your eye. It was a joy to put together, and the music inside is full of colour, movement, and those deep psychedelic currents that make African grooves so endlessly rewarding. I hope the listen brings plenty of surprises and a few new favourites along the way.
Cheers.
Looking forward to exploring, expanding and re-charting (mostly) new territories with this collection! Since some correspondents have reported on concerts featuring some of these artists: I saw Tamikrest five years ago, at the height of the pandemic, in a club in south-west Germany. There were around 100 people in the audience, all wearing face masks and having been tested upon entry, 10 of them dancing in front of the stage whilst wearing masks. Only the Sheikh on bass and his two Parisian bandmates were without facial coverings, and they delivered an energetic, magnificent performance, albeit somewhat surreal given the circumstances. Thanks, BB & Best: TC
ReplyDeleteHi TC,
DeleteWhat a story, Tamikrest in a small club, mid‑pandemic, everyone masked except the band, ten brave dancers keeping the room alive. Surreal, but unforgettable. Those nights stick with you because the music cuts through everything, even the strangest circumstances.
Really glad you’re diving into this set. It’s all about exploring new corners, just like that gig you described.
Thanks for sharing the memory, TC.
Cheers.