More Zamrock rarities uncovered by Jason "MoSS" Connoy

The limited-run Rock Sound compilation focuses on lesser-known Zambian crews which never released full-length albums. 

Here's the scoop from Strawberry Rain...

The most difficult project we’ve done to date, this compilation features some of the most obscure Zamrock bands to ever record.  None of these bands went on to release albums, some have remained in obscurity even within collectors circles in Zambia.  There were only released on 7″ singles like the snotty, proto-punk ‘Watchout’, a number from the post-Amanaz Drive Unit, a group consisting of Amanaz members and legendary bassist Ricky Banda.  Blistering fuzz guitars like the 3 1/2 minute solo on Hulk Raiders ‘Mans World’ that can go toe to toe with any guitar solo released during the period. ‘Shoot’ from Mother Breed, a band who went on to record a series of singles which we will be releasing as a full length album in the future, and others like Mabanga Band, The Ghost Band, Heroes Band, Osauka Band and The Real Savages. The first in a series of compilations featuring obscure Zambian groups that will cover Rock, Disco, Folk and Afrobeat.  Highly recommended for fans of the genre.  Limited to 350 copies in paste-on cover. Get it while you can from Rappcats mailorder right here. 

Long overdue debut album from Toronto production ace MoSS due November 13

Outside of his Toronto hometown, MoSS may be a new name to some in the hip hop game, but if you've heard Ghostface Killah's "Kilos" off Fishscale, Raekwon's "Have Mercy" from Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II or Obie Trice's Special Reserve album, you'll know his production work.  Jason "MoSS" Connoy has been hard at work making others sound good for awhile now so he's overdue for a recording under his own handle. That album, Marching To The Sound Of My Own Drum, is now set for release on his own Moss Appeal Music label November 13 and features guest spots from Havoc (of Mobb Deep), Sean Price, Ill Bill, ONYX, AZ, Guilty Simpson, Inspectah Deck, Joe Budden & Joell Ortiz (of Slaughterhouse) and DJ Premier. Check out the track Boombastic w/ Slum Village below.



Initially breaking into the hip hop world with Obie Trice back in 2000, MoSS produced Obie's indie singles "Well Known" and "Mr. Trice" which eventually led to Obie's deal with Shady. Since then, MoSS has notably added a prog rock whump to tracks for Bounty Killa, M.O.P., Kool G. Rap, Ras Kass, Papoose, Boot Camp Clik, Big Shug etc.

Apart from the production skills which impressed DJ Premier enough to sign MoSS to his Works of Mart operation, he's also a serious record hound with a taste for esoteric psychedelia from far away lands. With assistance from his Toronto digger/dealer pal Gholam, MoSS reissued an Iranian psych curio from Tehran's The Jokers on the Fading Sunshine label around the same time that Now Again put out MoSS's excellent Southeast Asian 70s psych survey Those Shocking Shaking Days: Indonesian Hard, Psychedelic, Progressive Rock and Funk: 1970-1978.

The success of that massive project led to the formation of his own Strawberry Rain imprint to continue recirculating mind-melting psych oddities by such artists as AKA, Rictus, Blind Owl, Salty Dog, Benny Soebardja, ฅาราวาน, Leong Lau, Mar-Vista, Kelompok Kampungan, Survival, Keith Mlevhu and Abbhama with apparently more on the way. In the OnSMASH interview clips below shot circa 2009, MoSS talks about constantly growing vinyl stockpile and mentions that his debut album is "half finished" which suggests that Marching To The Sound Of My Own Drum has been in the works for at least six years.