Batov Records celebrates ten years with a landmark compilation featuring Mulatu Astatke & Hoodna Orchestra, Sababa 5, Şatellites, Bolbec, Mamman Sani, MOMO., Wax Machine, Boom Pam, Ouzo Bazooka, Yurika Hanashima, Shotnez, and more.
Regular readers will know that we're big fans of the Batov Records output; although first review on YATM wasn't until nearly 4 years ago to the day with Sababa 5 (4th November, 2022 - see review HERE) and a good excuse to get out 'Kumkum 3'! (Ed: but we did get Kolonel Djafaar's 'Cold Heat' to warm us up in 2021). Whenever you discovered Bato, what better way than to celebrate 10 years is a Batov compilation of a 23 track compilation that already "Brilliant", "Essential" and "More than a retrospective",
'Around The Sun' captures the sound of a label that has spent a decade connecting musical traditions, underground club culture and forward-thinking independent artists. From Mulatu Astatke & Hoodna Orchestra, to Sababa 5, Şatellites, Boom Pam, Bolbec and MOMO., every act featured has released an album on Batov, creating a collection that moves effortlessly between hypnotic Ethio-jazz, Anatolian psych, Mediterranean disco, cosmic grooves, contemporary jazz and border-crossing sounds from across the globe.
Charting the evolution of a label that began in the world of psychedelic grooves and Middle Eastern-inspired sounds before expanding into contemporary jazz, Brazilian influences and exploratory instrumental music. While the artists originate from different countries, traditions and scenes, the collection reveals the thread that has connected Batov releases from the beginning: adventurous musicianship, powerful grooves and records built equally for dedicated listening and adventurous dancefloors.
Founded by DJ Kobayashi and Herbert Newbert, Batov gradually grew from a small digital imprint into an internationally respected independent label. Before launching the label, the pair had already spent years working together in Gypsy Hill, the genre-bending London collective they co-founded and produced. What began with occasional releases from Down and Left, a studio on Denmark Street in Soho, London, evolved into a full-time operation, with new projects already planned through 2027.
The anniversary compilation captures both the label's foundations and its continued expansion. Longstanding Batov artists including Sababa 5, Şatellites, Boom Pam, Chavo, Wax Machine and Bolbec appear alongside newer voices such as MOMO., Kolonel Djafaar and SHIRAN, while legendary figures including Mulatu Astatke & Hoodna Orchestra and Mamman Sani reflect the breadth of a catalogue that continues to grow in unexpected directions “When we started the label, we never imagined we'd be putting out records by artists like Mulatu Astatke or Shotnez.
Some of these are artists we've been listening to for twenty years. Looking back at the catalogue, it feels like a journey through all those milestones”, says Kobayashi. Among the highlights are two exclusive Batov edits. Shay Hazan's “Remove the Talk (Batov Edit)” streamlines a label favourite into a more immediate dancefloor cut, while Mamman Sani & Tropikal Camel's “Nomadic (Batov Edit)” receives a similarly focused reworking.
Tracks by Kolonel Djafaar and SHIRAN, along with Chavo’s “Greek Disco”, make their vinyl debut, and Ouzo Bazooka & Yurika Hanashima's Middle Eastern psych-pop reinterpretation of the surf classic “I Dream of Naomi” also returns to vinyl after quickly disappearing from earlier pressings.
Meanwhile the digital release features an exclusive extended version of 'Greek Disco’, a previously unheard mix rediscovered in the label's archives and made available for the first time. One of the compilation's most contemporary moments comes through MOMO.'s “Pára”, featuring Jessica Lauren on keys.
Bringing together Brazilian influences with musicians connected to London's vibrant independent jazz scene and the Total Refreshment Centre community, the track demonstrates Batov's commitment to continually expanding its musical horizons. “I'm always looking for something different", says Kobayashi. "People might associate Batov with Balkan sounds, or Middle Eastern funk and psych, but the common thread has never been geography. It's the groove, the melody and the feeling”. Asked to define the Batov sound after ten years, Kobayashi's answer remains refreshingly straightforward: “It's just something that feels right”.
And we're happy that we're so "Right on" Batov!
BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: Around The Sun - Batov Records - 10 Years | Various Artists | Batov Records
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