Out of Addis / Various

Vinyl LP pressing. 2015 collection. Out of Addis' presents a selection of contemporary recordings from Ethiopia. The Horn of Africa nation is most often associated with the famous Ethio-Funk sounds produced during the latter years of the Imperial era, which lasted until 1974. But in this defiant culture - Ethiopia was the only African state never to be colonized by Western powers - the golden age for music never ended, despite decades of war and social upheaval. Ethiopia has over 80 ethnic groups, each with its own deep-rooted language and culture. Contemporary musicians living outside Addis Abeba, the capital, have had few opportunities to record or play their mesmerizing sounds for visitors. Sheba Sound, a label and sound system collective based in Addis, wanted to redress this by recording and releasing little-known classics to Ethiopian and foreign audiences. Ethiopia is a vast and mostly rural country, which could be why a collection of this breadth has rarely been achieved. This album is the product of more than six years of music digging, road trips, recordings and events, from the northern rocky expanses of Tigray.