C Cat Trance - Screaming Ghosts 2x12"

This is one of my favorite records in my collection and sounds totally fresh despite everything on this compilation being recorded in the 1980s. C Cat Trance was formed by Nottingham musicians John Rees Lewis and Nigel Kingston Stone after they left their previous band, the legendary post-punk/free funk group Medium Medium. The duo became fascinated with Middle Eastern and Turkish instruments, and their approach to modern funk catalyzed a sound that would further morph in the 1990s into "worldbeat" (albeit a genre with more commercial sensibility than C Cat Trance). 

Emotional Rescue do a stellar job with anthologizing the group's career across two LPs, with tracks from 1984–1988. "From the legendary 'Shake The Mind' to the percussive, ethnic meets club inspired songs like 'Sudaniyya' or the previously unreleased 'Some Day Soon', the album highlights a project that stood out from the post-punk haze with striking scales and time signatures to develop a unique sound.

"Exotic, dense, tribal rhythms propel a mixture of club, pop and world music, creating an atmospheric fusion that can be heard across the 12 pieces. The alt-industrial feel of 'She Steals Cars' and 'Screaming With You' is countered by avant-percussive 'Dalbouka' and 'I Looked At You', or the Balearic vibes of 'Take Me To The Bridge' and 'They Made Them Up'. Together they perfectly showcase a dark and moody world music with a shamanic spiritual underbelly that has gained admirers from collectors and latter-day producers." – Emotional Rescue