VA - North African Rare Groove: Rare Funky Songs from Algeria, Morocco, Lybia & Tunisia (2025)

The latest reissue in the Rare Groove Collection turns the dial south across the Mediterranean, capturing a feverish burst of 70s and 80s Maghrebi funk, soul and disco. It's the sound of Casablanca nightclubs colliding with Detroit and Lagos, of traditional rhythms getting tangled in slap bass and shimmering brass. The set opens with Moroccan firebrand Fadoul and his fuzzed-out 'Bsslama Habiti', all raw propulsion and grainy attitude, before sliding into the sleek sophistication of Ahmed Fakroun's 'Nisyan', where Italo synths meet North African melody. Raina Rai's 'Mama' is irresistible with sunburst guitars and sweat-soaked rhythm while Abranis and Faraji explore a more psychedelic strain, heavy on reverb and rebellion. The collection captures a moment when North African musicians weren't imitating Western trends but twisting them into new shapes and finding their own pulse in the process.