N'draman Blintch

Tired of reading the words ‘classic’, ‘masterpiece’, ‘missing link’, ‘cult’, in every press release? Just trust us on this one: We have no choice but to use those words and urge you to (re)discover one of the ultimate Afro-Disco lost classics.

How could such a masterpiece stay in obscurity for so long? Well, no one knows where N’Draman is. He’s presumed dead, and so is Mr Patrick, the label owner, an ex-football player who turned his focus into fashion after suffering a career ending injury. Selling jeans from an outlet in Monrovia (Liberia), he only ventured in the music business for a short period of time, releasing a handful of incredible albums on his Cosmic Sounds imprint.

The word on the street was that Nigerian legend William Onyeabor was somehow involved with the production of the album, or maybe playing synths on it. Both were inaccurate, although N’Draman Blintch’s previous and first record Cikamele, was indeed recorded at Willfilms, Onyeabor’s studio. And some of the musicians playing here were also key members in his pool of session musicians.

Cosmic Sounds is many things: Psychedelic, politically engaged, funky to death, full of synths, with an artwork to die for, a perfect crossover of African and Western culture: Music for the body and soul, Cosmic disco before the genre even existed. Did DJ Danielle Baldelli hear it? Was it ever played by Larry Levan or Mancuso? In a pre-internet era, it’s unlikely but not impossible.

We are extremely honored in carrying the reissue of this gem and have treated the task with utmost respect: both artwork and audio were restored by specialists, and liner notes were written by Temitope Kogbe, Afro-Funk expert who runs the Odion Livingston label, founded with legendary producer Odion Iruoje. 38 years after its original release, the world is finally ready to hear Cosmic Sounds in all its glory.