It's that time of year again! Are your copies of "Now! That's What I Call Christmas" and "A Motown Christmas" finally feeling worn out? Strut has the ideal antidote this year, as we dive into the world of festive records made by African artists spanning the late 1960s to the 1980s with our new Krismasi: Christmas Sounds From Africa compilation.The first ever compilation of rare festive songs from across Africa, featuring Dorothy Masuka, Les Kilimambogo Brothers Band, Houghas Sorowonko, Martha Ulaeto and many more.Pressed on White/Red Inkplosion Vinyl LP.
Tracklist:
Martha Ulaeto - Keresimesi Odun de (Christmas Has Come)
Jerry Boifraind ; the Natto Band - Christmas Friends
Kwadwo Donkoh ; His Abokyi Parts of Ghana - Afe Aso Ama Makae Masem (New Year Come E Make Me Remember My Matter)
Ackim Simukonda - Umwana Wa Chipondo Chandi
Dorothy Masuka - Happy Christmas
Les Kilimambogo Brothers Band - Shangilia Christmas
Flash Domincii ; the Supersonics - Amodekunrin Ti Maria (Mary's Boy Child)
Houghas Sorowonko - the Soul of Christmas
UPC: 4062548149371Label: Strut RecordsRelease Date: 10.30.26Format: Vinyl
French-Armenian duo Ladaniva's sophomore album, Yasaman, is half traditional, half pop, mostly Armenian and sometimes infiltrated with French. Following the band's Eurovision 2024 breakthrough, which brought them over 100M streams & millions of YouTube views, charismatic singer/songwriter Jako & multi-instrumentalist Louis Thomas return with an album that draws on influences from around the world. From traditional Balkan music to maloya, jazz and reggae, with strong roots in Armenian folklore, Ladaniva create irresistible melodies borrowed as much from tradition as from modern times. Blending Armenian folk, Balkan brass, global pop, joyful grooves & a cinematic Kusturica-style energy, Yasaman is festive & vibrant, made for warm nights. UPC: 5400863215477Label: Pias AmericaRelease Date: 11.13.26Format: Vinyl
What if the forest could speak?Since their debut, Les Mamans du Congo & Rrobin have been building a body of work at the intersection of cultural transmission and experimentation. Following a well-received self-titled debut album, then *Ya Mizolé*, which asserted a strong Afro-retro-futurist and feminist identity, the collective continues on it's path with *WA SANGI*: "listen to the forest." This third album marks a shift. Their perspective broadens, without ever straying from their original anchor: women, mothers, and their role in passing on traditions. Here, it's no longer just about preservation. It's about raising awareness.Musically, WA SANGI deepens the band's signature sound by asserting a unique creative approach. No pre-established framework: no tempo, no aesthetic, no format. The tracks emerge from the voices, songs, and rhythms brought by the Mamans du Congo, which Rrobin extends in real time. The compositions take shape during jam sessions, in a process akin to a live performance, where chords, structures, and textures emerge through direct interaction with the vocal material.With WA SANGI, Les Mamans du Congo & Rrobin deliver their most direct work to date. An album with multiple layers of meaning-ecological, social, economic, and human-that both documents and challenges. Listening to the forest, here, is not a metaphor. It is a necessityHIGHLIGHTS: Nearly 35K monthly Spotify listeners On Spotify: Ngaminke (2.5M streams) / Meki (1.6M streams)Internationally recognized project: For several years, Les Mamans du Congo & Rrobin have been developing a unique Afro-futurist sound, blending traditional Congolese music with contemporary electronic textures. In recent years, they have toured France and Canada and enjoyed success at WOMEX
Tracklist:
Bidilu Bia Sangi
Taleno
Nlembo Ntila Feat. Dobet Gnahoré
Ngoma Ngoma
Les Casseuses de Pierres
Mwana Yo Leya
Ya Ngo
Mamba Kani
Lylie
Mankweji (Belle Mère)
UPC: 3700398741895Label: KuronekoRelease Date: 11.27.26Format: Vinyl
Tracklist:
Aguajal
Tu Boda
Esperanza de Amor
Volverás Mi Niño
Mal Amigo
En la Selva
Borrachito Borrachón
Mi Tallercito
Angelita
Como Un Errante
Si No Regresa
Perdidos
UPC: 8435008865382Label: VampisoulRelease Date: 11.13.26Format: Vinyl
Tracklist:
El Fallo Positivo
El Uno, El Dos, El Tres
Bailando Salsa
El 7 de Septiembre
Naturaleza Muerta
1917
Una Rosa Es Una Rosa
Dalai Lama
Tu
El Peón Del Rey de Negras
J.C
SentÃa
UPC: 4050538940749Label: Bmg Rights ManagemenRelease Date: 11.20.26Format: Vinyl
Vinyl LP pressing. Digitally remastered edition of this 1986 album from the Spanish electronic pop trio.
Tracklist:
Ay Que Pesado
Angel
Hijo de la Luna
50 Palabras, 60 Palabras O 100
Me Cuesta Tanto Olvidarte
No Tienes Nada Que Perder
Las Curvas de Esa Chica
No Es Serio Este Cementerio
Cruz de Navajas
Las Cosas Pares
Esta Es la Historia de Un Amor
UPC: 4050538940831Label: Bmg Rights ManagemenRelease Date: 11.20.26Format: Vinyl
The analog album by Mieko Hirota, who became the first Japanese singer to perform at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1965 and is also highly regarded as a jazz vocalist, is being reissued. ""JAZZ TIME"" is an album featuring a wide selection of jazz vocal classics, with arrangements by Hiromasa Suzuki and Yuji Ohno, and performances by The Running Buffalo.
Tracklist:
Up Jumped Spring
When Sunny Gets Blue
Satin Doll
Poor Butterfly
But Beautiful
I Want to Be Happy
Body and Soul
The Things We Did Last Summer
UPC: 4549767376905Label: Nippon ColumbiaRelease Date: 12.4.26Format: Vinyl
"DALGA - A Selection of '80s Pop Oddities from Turkey" is the first compilation to bring together rare Turkish pop oddities from the 1980s, and the first compilation to explore how new studio technologies shaped the sound of 1980s Turkish pop and dance music. Features six tracks that were released only on rare cassette tapes. In the aftermath of Turkey's 1980 military coup, collective music-making gradually gave way to studio-based production, as drum machines, samplers, and synthesizers took center stage. From the early 1980s onwards, these technologies became increasingly popular among Turkish musicians and producers. While some sought to emulate the global pop sound of the era, like Neriman's "Sever Gibi" and Füsun Önal's "Takma Kafana", others experimented by blending electronic elements with Arabesque, as heard in Mehmet Pekün's "Anca Gidersin" and Zorbeyler's "Bir Mumdur", or with Anatolian pop influences, such as the studio project Tele Tempo's "Su Samsunun Evleri" and "Havada Bulut". Let these waves carry you through the electrified tides of 1980s Turkey. DALGA is compiled by Istanbul-based beat maker and digger extraordinaire Grup Ses. UPC: 5050580863873Label: Zel ZeleRelease Date: 10.30.26Format: Vinyl
Japanese folk fusion quartet Mitsune delivers a breathtaking 25-minute continuous concept album - a "forbidden sound journey" bridging tradition and psychedelic experimentation. Comprising two shamisen player/vocalists, a contrabassist, and a percussionist, the ensemble weaves Tsugaru shamisen roots with Khaleeji rhythms, Indian raga, prog, jazz, and cinematic soundscapes. Recorded live to tape at Brewery Studios in Berlin and sculpted into wild, transcendent dimensions by producers Adam Sait and Pascal Karier, the album reflects deeply on human existence, nature, and transience.Orange Vinyl
Tracklist:
I Dotanba: Is It a Day Before the Day?
II Nigome No Zasetsu
III Jinsei Choro No Gotoshi, or, the Taniwha Asked the Butterfly, "What Do You Wanna Wear in Paradise?"
IV Saitara Bushi (Lovesong to Our Toil)
V Mitsune Ondo
VI Kumonoko Chirasu
VII Setogiwa: Death Before Life
UPC: 0884108019849Label: Real WorldRelease Date: 11.27.26Format: Vinyl
Resounding Buddhist chants and roaring fuzz guitars. The legendary Japanese psychedelic masterpiece Ceremony: Buddha Meet Rock / People returns on striking Clear Yellow Vinyl! Revered by collectors around the world, this landmark release of Japanese psychedelia is back in a limited-edition Clear Yellow Vinyl pressing.
Tracklist:
PROLOGUE
SHOMYO -PART ?-
GATHA
FLOWER STREWING
SHOMYO -PART ?-
PRAYER -PART ?-
PRAYER -PART ?-
EPILOGUE
UPC: 4988004190339Label: Teichiku EntRelease Date: 12.5.26Format: Vinyl
Widely known for his past work as drummer/percussionist with legendary Dead Can Dance and contributor to 4AD's This Mortal Coil, Ulrich emerges here as a writer of hauntingly beautiful melodies and deeply poetic lyrics. "Pathways And Dawns" is packed with driving rhythms and meditative ritual patterns of percussion. With some inspired guitar-work, arrangement and production from DCD mastermind Brendan Perry, the result is a pure delight... The album was recorded in two parts, the first in England in 1990, and the second after a long time break in 1996-97, by Brendan Perry at DCD's Quivvy Church studio in Ireland. The album was released on CD in 1999 on the US label Projekt and was dubbed by critics as 'the album the Beatles might have made had the group signed with 4AD instead of Capitol' and 'a wonderful collection of songs that, while in the 4AD school, shimmers with an inner lightness that makes it very different'. This absolute masterpiece of spiritual music, so badly wanted on vinyl for so long, is available now for preorder. Mastered from Original master takes by Martin Bowes (Attrition).
Tracklist:
Taqaharu's Leaving
Always Dancing
Life Amongst the Black Sheep
Journey of Discovery
Nocturne
Evocation
The Springs of Hope
Time and a Word
UPC: 8016670145110Label: Infinite FogRelease Date: 10.2.26Format: Vinyl
Tracklist:
Chega Mais
Papai Me Empresta O Carro
Doce Vampiro
Corre-Corre
Mania De Você
Elvira Paga
Maria Mole
Arrombou A Festa Número 2
UPC: 602435770796Label: National OwnRelease Date: 11.20.26Format: Vinyl
This legendary Hong Kong-based girl pop/city pop album, featuring Japanese vocals, which was reissued in August 2022 and immediately sold out, is finally getting a long-awaited reissue. Shirley Kwan, a Hong Kong singer/actress born in 1966, is a Leo and her Hong Kong name is ""Kwan Shu-yi."" She recorded a demo tape at Japan's ""Marine Blue Song Contest, "" won the grand prize, and made her Japanese debut with Apollon Music Industries with the bold phrase ""Hideaki Tokunaga's younger sister."" Her long-awaited album of Japanese lyrics, ""Say Goodbye, "" released on November 21, 1989, is finally being reissued! Liner notes: Yuji Shibasaki.
Tracklist:
It Would Be Nice If I Fell in Love
For You
Heartbreak
No Tears Will Fall
Glass Paradise (Paradise in Blue)
Hong Kong Sight
Dakara Sayonara (That's Why Goodbye)
Morning Blue
Sad Airmail
Say Goodbye
UPC: 4988044139190Label: Sad DiscoRelease Date: 12.4.26Format: Vinyl
During the 60s and 70s, American soul and funk crossed the Atlantic Ocean, landed on South Africa's fertile shores, and found a new life in the hands of local musicians who began experimenting, fusing these alien sounds with their own traditional rhythms and jazz, forging a uniquely South African style they dubbed "Township Soul" - an umbrella term for a myriad of musical styles, some of which had no names yet. Competition in Johannesburg was fierce, and for many artists with little more than their instruments and dreams of fame, breaking into the city's music scene was a gamble. Facing police harassment, apartheid pass and curfew laws, they risked everything; yet, driven by ambition, they kept going, unable to resist the pull of music.Centered around record labels, recording studios, and performance venues and inspired by visionary music producers, Johannesburg - also known as eGoli, the City of Gold - became a melting pot of musical ideas as musicians competed, collaborated, and pushed each other forward to create an extraordinary music scene, captured in Soundcity Joburg and highlighted with 22 of the finest "Township Soul" songs that emerged between 1969 and 1981.
Tracklist:
I Dig Soul Part 1 - Beat Set
How Long? - Dudu and the Big Time Boys
Forget About Him - the Hurricanes
Ibhotsotso Khab'zela - Amasouls
The Real McKay - the Soul Prophets
Soweto Sporo 1 - the Suns of Thunder
Ha Tsatsi Le Tshaba - Kuruhundu
Crazy Baby - Phillip Mallela with J.B. Express
Till We Meet - Sipho Bhengu and His Jets
Todd and Moss - Nzimande All Stars
Take It - Philemon Hamole and Abafana Besimanje
Feel My Soul - Hardways
I Dig Soul Part 2 - Beat Set
Afro Dance - Kenny's Razmataz
Got to Give It Up - the Groovers
Swing Africa - Reggie Msomi ; His Jazz Africa
Can You Feel It - Dudu and the Big Time Boys
Kiba - S. Piliso and His Super Seven
Congo's Corner - the Strollers
Tshela Jwala Renwe - Amazimzim
My Last Word - Elite Swingsters
Sana Lwam - the Voodoos
UPC: 4260126062283Label: Analog AfricaRelease Date: 12.4.26Format: Vinyl
Recorded in 1995-96 at MCM Studios. Just one look at the many instruments Stephan Micus plays is sure to impress, so too does one's experience of what he produces with them dispel arbitrary interest in those means. Music flows from his fingertips in such an organic way that the source catches light in all of us. Nothing feels out of place. It's worth noting, however, that The Garden of Mirrors makes special use of that most intuitive instrument of all: the human voice. Like water in sunset, Micus's wordless songs collect light years of travel along the glittering surface of their multiplication. Twenty such voices manifest themselves first in "Earth." Accompanied by the bolombatto, an African gut-stringed harp, this world traveler speaks to the very marrow of life. A binary star leaves his lips, the being to our nonbeing. Now available on vinyl.
Tracklist:
Part 1: Earth
Part 2: Passing Cloud
Part 3: Violeta
Part 4: Flowers in Chaos
Part 5: In the High Valleys
Part 6: Gates of Fire
Part 7: Mad Bird
Part 8: Night Circles
Part 9: Words of Truth
UPC: 602478857188Label: Ecm RecordsRelease Date: 11.13.26Format: Vinyl
The Chopi Timbila is one of Africa's great orchestral traditions. The tradition lives in Zavala, Mozambique, and continually references Chopi ancestors. Their mwenje wood xylophones are tuned in seven equidistant pitches giving them a microtonal quality starkly different from the tempered scale (European classical music, the Beatles, etc). From enormous sub-bass behemoths to higher-pitched, sometimes shoulder-strapped instruments, there are five types of xylophones in the orchestra. They anchor a defined musical structure rooted in rural life and a strong sense of community. The ensembles consist of varying ages and skill levels (beginners through masters) and new song cycles are composed and performed each year. In 2008 UNESCO listed it as Intangible Cultural Heritage and people across Mozambique recognize it as one of the most complex and beautiful forms of traditional music in the region.The seemingly monolithic, chaotic sound of Timbila Ta Venâncio at full tilt is disorienting at first, until the undulations wash over the listener, sync somewhere internally and become invigorating. Yet all the rhythmic energy bubbling through this recording is more than a ritual. It follows a cadence that begins within the family. The group's members are all brothers. That is hardly surprising: they are the sons of the celebrated Venâncio Mbande, a true master of timbila. An icon and the focal point of timbila festivals during much of his lifetime (he died in 2015), leaving us the legacy presented here. Ecos do Legado (Echoes of the Legacy) is a new recording made in a state-of-the-art Studio Bom Dia in Inhambane Province in 2026. This album stands as a monument to the master Venâncio Mbande, a tribute to the Chopi people, and an interpretation of Mbande's unforgettable work.The order of the pieces is not random: they are interconnected and tell a coherent story. The ten pieces unfold in the traditional sequence across two sides: four Mtsitso (introductions) open onto Mgeniso and Mwemiso, before Chibudo, the lively dance, gives way to Mzeno - a nine-minute apotheosis - then Mabandla and the closing Mtsitso Wogwita bring the cycle to rest. The compositions' arrangement follows principles established over the long history of timbila. Learning to play begins very early and unfolds naturally, since children are in constant contact with the instruments. Women, too, are now beginning to take an interest in this cycle of learning. This is a clear sign that the tradition remains vibrant among the Vatxopi, who regard timbila as the heart of their culture.
Tracklist:
Mtsitso Wo Kheta
Mtsitso Wa Wumbide
Mtsitso Wa Wuraro
Mtsitso Wa Wumune
Mgeniso
Mwemiso
Chibudo
Mzeno
Mabandla
Mtsitso Wogwita
UPC: 840526514151Label: Awesome Tapes FromRelease Date: 12.4.26Format: Vinyl
Tracklist:
Miserere Nobis
Coração Materno
Panis Et Circenses
Lindonéia
Parque Industrial
Geléia Geral
Baby
Três Caravelas
Enquanto Seu Lobo Não Vem
Mamãe Coragem
Bat Macumba
Hino Do Senhor Do Bonfim
UPC: 602478530654Label: Universal LatinoRelease Date: 11.20.26Format: Vinyl
The sixteen songs on this compilation were recorded while generational shifts occurred on opposite sides of the Asian continent: the rising actions of both Japan's bubble economy and the Soviet Union's slow-burn downfall are historically pinpointed in 1985 and reached a paradigmatic climax by 1990. 2x12' 140g Double-LP Gatefold with obi sleeve, album notes and digital download card Remastered by Osiris Studio from archival reel-to-reel tapes used for radio and TV broadcasts. UPC: 884400932471Label: DiscotchariRelease Date: 10.30.26Format: Vinyl
Tracklist:
Água Da Minha Sede
Maneco Telecoteco
Delegado Chico Palha
Nunca Vi Você Tão Triste
Alto Lá
Vacilão
A Paisagem
Perfeita Harmonia
Preservaçao Das Raízes
Pagodeiro Fino-Trato
A Ponte
Os Papéis
Shopping Móvel
Cabocla Jurema
Jura
UPC: 602455276728Label: National OwnRelease Date: 11.20.26Format: Vinyl
Tracklist:
Dzamin
Lalai Baraye Madjnun Va Perendenga
Sant Antoni de Khorasan
Harame Del
As Gissoom Ta Formentera
Figues de Tadjikistan
Motreba Narmak Bessan
Fandango Bandari
UPC: 4255805501153Label: Rumi SoundsRelease Date: 5.22.26Format: Vinyl
Tracklist:
Luna Rossa
Nature Boy
Kommissar Maigret
Te Reto a SR Mi Amante
FÜR Pauline
Our Spanish Love Song
Tango
Valse Lento
Valse Vivace
Bei Dir War Es Immer So SCHÖN
Pano Moruno
Sorriso D'amor
Bonsoir Juliette
Flor de la Noche
Susannata
Gracias a la Vida
Allez, Glissez!
Palummella
Torna a Surriento
Dimme 'Na Vota Si
Affaccete Nunziata
Choclo
Quiereme
Chitarra Romana
UPC: 4014063990150Label: Fine MusicRelease Date: 4.3.26Format: Vinyl
Grammy-winning guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela returns to the textural fluidity of acoustic instrumentation on their new album ‘OurHome’. Self-produced in a Tokyo studio, the odyssey-like album unfolds with an otherworldly beauty achieved with guests from former Megadeth guitarist Marty Friedman to Japanese jazz pianist Hiromi. OurHome echoes all the transcendence and serenity that Rodrigo y Gabriela have routinely experienced in their journeys to Japan.
Tracklist:
Our Home
Somos Como Tú
Akatsuki
Flying Underground
Quicksand
Monster
Astrum in Corpore
Is In Your Pocket
MADitation
Hinomaru Twins
Simurgh
UPC: 880882702915Label: Ato RecordsRelease Date: 9.18.26Format: Vinyl
Tracklist:
My Dog Soogie
Puerta Del Dolor
Chivo
Grande
Callos De Dolores
Porque Yo Te Amo
Al Compás Del Guiro
Paul's Thing
Salsa Con Willie RodrÃguez
UPC: 8435008865306Label: VampisoulRelease Date: 7.10.26Format: Vinyl
Mr Bongo proudly presents a first-time worldwide vinyl and CD issue of Rubel's debut album Pearl. Self-released on YouTube in 2013, the album quietly became a huge hit in Brazil with the lead single and accompanying video for 'Quando Bate Aquela Saudade' amassing over 85 million views to date. Pearl laid the foundations for Rubel's path to greatness - a first glimpse into the brilliance of a modern-day troubadour and ever-evolving Brazilian artist who deftly mixes classic and contemporary influences. Fusing MPB, folk, pop, and indie, it charts Rubel at his purest and most personal.The journey of Pearl begins with Rubel in his early 20's studying film in Austin, Texas. Immersing himself in the city's vibrant DIY music scene and surrounded by countless musicians who he shared a large house with, he set up a home studio with an assortment of rented gear and recorded the album without any expectations. It was inspired by an environment of youth, music and experimentation Rubel found himself within. The seven songs are an attempt to record and take with him a little of what he lived and learned whilst there. He uploaded the album to YouTube, didn't think much of it and continued to pursue a career in film in LA. Over the next few years however it became a viral hit in Brazil, with a subsequent Brazil only vinyl and CD issue, drawing him both back to Rio and a trajectory to musical stardom.The spirit of Pearl has a timeless nostalgia; it feels familiar from the outset, and whether a Portuguese speaker or not, the songs touch your soul. It's an unpretentious album, with Rubel putting himself, his musicianship and his songwriting upfront and centre. The epic 'O Velho e o Mar' delicately layers acoustic guitar, banjo and vocal harmonies, as the track builds with a simmering intensity and an accordion drifts in across it's final stages. Elsewhere, title track 'Pearl' has a global singer-songwriter aesthetic and could be Thom Yorke at his most acoustic. At nearly seven minutes, 'Quando Bate Aquela Saudade' is an unlikely breakthrough single, but it's message really resonated with the Brazilian / Portuguese-speaking audience. Anyone who has witnessed Rubel live has felt the energy and interplay between musician and audience, with the crowd making this song as much their own as it is Rubel's. A true modern-day classic.'Ben' echoes and channels the Brazilian greats; Caetano Veloso comes to mind whilst listening to this stripped-down tender ballad. The folk-leaning tones of the banjo make a return on the closing 'Quadro Verde'. A cinematic and anthemic track that could easily be imagined soundtracking a Wes Anderson film.Now a global, Latin-Grammy nominated star, Rubel is one of those rare artists who can straddle both mainstream pop success with the humbleness of an independent, underground recording artist. Those roots are on show here on Pearl, embodying an authenticity and rawness that spoke to a generation. We are proud to be able to give a worldwide release to this authentic and unpretentious first chapter in Rubel's story.
Tracklist:
O Velho E O Mar
Mascarados
Pearl
Quando Bate Aquela Saudade
Ben
Nuvem
Quadro Verde
*** Indie Exclusive ***UPC: 5024017007635Label: Mr BongoRelease Date: 9.25.26Format: Vinyl