For the last few years Acid Jazz has been the proud custodian of the 
Albarika Store legacy. Hailing from the small but culturally-significant state 
of Benin, the label was operational from the late-‘60s until the early ‘80s, 
and was home to some of the finest, deepest, rawest West African cuts 
ever.
A font of local and regional music, infused with contemporary Western 
influences, the beating heart of the Albarika sound was the mighty T.P. 
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo, who in various guises released dozens of 
recordings for the label, under the leadership of Mêlomé Clément.
The intoxicating originality of their sound stems from their combination of 
folkloric and sacred rhythms of the region, with the modernist sound of 
soukous, afrobeat, soul and funk. Recorded at EMI Studios in Lagos, 
these recordings have a unique high fidelity and have been a target for 
grail-hunting record collectors for decades.
For this incredible 2LP collection, Dean Rudland and David Hill compile the 
Poly-Rythmo 45 releases; 7” single and EP sides lost to the seeds of time. 
Until now.
Brought together for the first time, presented in a beautiful wide spine 
layout, the 2 LPs present a snapshot of some of the group’s finest work 
from the ‘70s, their distinctive beat already honed. The printed inner 
sleeves include images of the rare and collectable original labels and 
sleeves, along with sleeve notes by Francis Gooding