The crew maintaining the Edinburgh-based night club and ambulatory soundsystem Samedia Shebeen have been at it for a decade now, keeping Scotland on its toes and hitting festivals abroad, including the crucial Nyege Nyege Festival in Kampala, Uganda. Their first compilation, released in 2018, declared their mandate – a congenial, midtempo mix of Afro, Latin, and Caribbean grooves, current sounds if not the most cutting-edge.
If the first comp was a statement of purpose, Vol. 2 is a party with a purpose. It’s a fundraiser for Re-Act (Refugee Action Scotland), an association that provides vital support for newcomers in the Scottish capital, and exports aid in bulk to camps in places like Calais and beyond.
Highlights of Vol. 2 include Titeknots’ remix of “Sanctuary” by Dele Sosimi, an essential figure in the bands of both Fela Kuti and his son Femi, the lush “Tanz” from Beating Heart alumnus Coen, and the grouchy, grime-inflected “Goons” by MOB with Kensaye.
