Abandoned debut recordings by Brooklyn afrobeat crew, unearthed and remastered! The Femm Nameless were an all-female afrobeat outfit led by Anitbalas-affiliated trombonist Toli Nameless. The 8-piece band played a number of shows in and around Brooklyn and quickly amassed a huge local following via word of mouth. They hunkered down to record a demo in 2003, but disbanded before they could properly shop it and the recordings were shelved. Kooyman Records (they put out that 7” of brassy Kendrick & Major Lazer covers that floored us a couple years back) dug them out and remastered them for this heavy 10-inch vinyl pressing, and the results are stunning. Toli’s razor-sharp flow easily recalls Fela Kuti but with a unique feminine energy, and the rest of the band confidently walk that line between free improvisation and staying deep in the pocket. On the a-side, a deep afrobeat version of Nina Simone’s “See Line,” backed with an original called “Talk Da Shit.” The record winds down with “Deaf Ears (Instrumental Dub),” a sparse, mellow, late nite groover with a seriously catchy bassline. All three tracks bang. Crucial for afrobeat heads; It’s a shame we won’t hear more from this crew any time soon.

• music label: Kooyman Records 2017

reviewed by mayor of hounslow 08/2017