Welcome to Volume 8 of the Mr Bongo Record Club series, the in-house curated compilations that give Mr Bongo a chance to share some of their favourite tracks, hard-fought finds, and unsung gems.

These are tracks that have been inspiring them at home, in the office, while DJing, and on the dancefloor. In the cross-genre spirit of the series, for Volume 8 they have selected music from the worlds of soul, boogie, disco-reggae, jazz-funk, and Latin, with a hefty chunk of beloved Brazilian music. Pulling these compilations together is always a highlight of the year, and eight volumes in, Mr Bongo feel this is one of their strongest to date.

The album's journey begins with a heartfelt epic by As Ganhadeiras de Itapua, from the Bahian town of Itapua. It's an area of Brazil that holds a special place in David 'Mr Bongo' Buttle's heart, and where he first met his dear friend, Luciano Rodrigues Dos Santos, to whose memory this compilation is dedicated to. Staying in Northern Brazil, next up is a contemporary dancefloor gem by Ubunto, a DJ and producer from Salvador, which also features As Ganhadeiras de Itapua. The raw, dusty, punchy sounds of zabumba drummer Castanheiro and the furious guitar- heavy dancer by Tyaraju & Dutra are just two more examples of the Brazilian beauties included on the compilation.

There is also a heavy dose of soul music on this volume. The Canadian-gospel sounds of Trevor Dandy, a modern-soul rarity by Wil Collins & Willpower (which has been on their list for years), and a soul- stepper masterpiece by Tommy McGee, are just a handful of the highlights. Not stopping there, Mr Bongo are incredibly proud to present an exclusive rework of The Sylvers' 'Wish That I Could Talk To You' by the legendary Kenny Dope. Kenny has excelled himself with this one, fattening up the drums while bringing more drama to the horns and strings. The song now feels more contemporary yet still stays true to its roots. Complete genius!

Elsewhere on the compilation, you'll find a cosmic reggae-not-reggae disco oddity by Tapper Zukie, a South African jazz-funk-disco groover by Mac Mathunjwa, a soughtafter Brazilian compacto by Eduardo Araujo, and a Brit- funk / boogie treasure by Powerline.

Traversing time, genre, and location, all the tracks on Volume 8 are favourites for their own unique reasons. Music will forever be a constant source of comfort, able to affect you deeply in the most meaningful ways. It's the gift that keeps giving, and there is so much more to learn, discover, and share, both old and new.

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