The moment 2009’s Mulatu Astatke & The Heliocentrics coop was announced for the Inspiration Information series was a total bliss. The idea of the legendary father of ethio-jazz Mulatu Astatke making a new album with UK’s The Heliocentrics collective from the already revered Stones Throw was destined to be a match made in heaven. Although it achieved critical success I felt a bit underwhelmed with their 2007 album “Out There“, I knew this would be a special occassion right after watching the interviews and the studio sessions and boy it’s one of the best 2009 has for offer.

Thanks to our friends at Strut Records, we have the first single from the album Inspiration Information 3 for download 2 weeks before the release date alongside another tune from their upcoming 2CD reissue of the Nigeria 70 compilation Nigeria 70: The Definitive Story of 1970’s Funky Lagos which is to be released next week. Here’s a podcast on the making of the album with contributes from the man Gilles Peterson.

The new recording is a mouth-watering prospect. Driven by groove and melody ideas exchanged upfront of the sessions, the bulk of the album was laid down at Quatermass studios, an analogue HQ in East London during 8th to 14th September 2008, a week of frenetic writing and recording. Alongside Mulatu, London-based Ethiopian musicians including Dawit Gebreab, Yezina Nagash, Mesafnit Nagash and Temesgen Taraken guested on several tracks, contributing traditional sounds using instruments like the krar (a six-stringed, five tone instrument), washint (a flute traditionally made from bamboo) and Begena (a ten string instrument dating back to the 15th century, sometimes referred to as “David’s Harp”).

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