Ocha has been flying the flag for afro house for nearly as long as this magazine has been alive. Announced with Osunlade & Carlos Mena’s appropriately titled A Taste of Things To Come, in 14 years the label has taken in the beauty, survived the shockwaves of the era and remained true to a founding vision to nurture the roots of real underground dance music.
Coflo is a newcomer to the label and left a profound mark in 2019. Three releases of note: “Easy” with Lady C, “Stress Relief” which featured a pair of slinky Osunlade remixes and now Playground Samba, an EP with a title that sounds like the finest Carlos Santana cover band to come out of the Bay Area. The title track does it for me, taking up Side A with a restrained but energetic groove, vibrating as if a low current of electricity were passing through it. This hits the perfect spot between downtempo beat bop and dreamy, spiritual deep house.
Coflo: Playground Samba EP / Ocha Records (March 2020/12″ Vinyl/Digital)
1. Coflo: Playground Samba (08:24)
2. Coflo: False Feelins (05:58)
3. Coflo: Rescue Him (feat. Gyrefunk) (07:54)
SOUL POWER: Originally published in 5 Mag issue 179 featuring 25 Years of Compost, Soulphiction, Marco Faraone & more. Help support 5 Mag by becoming a member for just $1 per issue.
