Photography credit: Mark Kushimi
You know who is a great guy? Roger Bong from Aloha Got Soul, the Honolulu-based blog turned record label focused on bringing the rare and relatively unknown music of Hawai‘i to the surface. I first got familiar with Roger when Aloha Got Soul reissued Mike Lundy's rare groove classic "The Rhythm of Life", then at some point, Roger gave me some choice quotes for an article I wrote about Midori Takada and I recorded a couple of radio shows for Central Pacific Time Radio, an online station Roger and his wife Leimomi ran for a bit; great people.
Something I love about Aloha Got Soul is how they compliment the reissue side of things with fresh material from new artists, and the range of genres the label straddles - jazz, R&B, rock, soul, electronic music, even field recordings. Aloha Got Soul has a bit going on at the moment, so I asked Roger to take part in our Gimmie Five series. Unsurprisingly, his choices were lovely.
Reggae Disco Rockers - "Groovin' feat. Minako Okuyama (Silent Dream Version)"
I'm a sucker for reggae covers, and there are lots out there that fall flat or feel gimmicky. Japan's Flower Records succeeds with this soulful version of "Groovin'" — such a lovely tune to play at an outdoors, especially on a Sunday at sunset.
Boycrush - "100%" feat Yumi Zouma (LORD ECHO Remix)
Wonderful Noise's Kenji Sakijiri floated me this remix 7" last year, and it became the soundtrack to my travels in the country when I accompanied the band as their opening DJ in Tokyo and Osaka. Walking empty morning streets in Kyoto or catching a train in Tokyo en route search of records, this remix kept me moving.
Charles Recaido - "Tropical Environment"
Kalapana is the most iconic band of Hawaii from the 1970s. Their peers, a breezy AOR group called Summer, debuted on the same label as Kalapana, Abattoir Records. I've always loved Summer's first LP, so was pleasantly surprised to learn that the group's lead songwriter, Charles Recaido, has continued to release material. I stumbled across his Life Among The Hills album and once again fell in love with his voice and style that so strongly lent itself to Summer's laid back sound.
Mark Barrott - "Music For Presence"
My wife put this record on the other day, and it warmed the apartment. We had coffee and breakfast, and got ready for the day without talking. Just listening, being present.
This video made my year (so you could say I'm ready for 2021). The late Ernie Cruz, Jr. and his group, the Ka'au Crater Boys, take an already perfect song originally written and performed by homegrown 70s duo Olomana, and elevate it to soaring new heights. It hit me so hard. Please, listen to Olomana's version and then come back to this one. The two are absolute heaven.
Aloha Got Soul have had a few interesting releases lately, "AGS-037 – Pacific Sounds – Aloha 'Āina, Volumes 1~4", a collection of field recordings made across Hawaii, "AGS-032 – Liz Damon's Orient Express – Woota (Feelin Good)", a 7" inch of 70s pop-funk, and "AGS-031 – Dae Han – BLUE", an album of hip hop, jazz, and house experiments. Check out more over at their website - www.alohagotsoul.com
