Space Echo
If you are ever at a loss as to what to listen to here’s what you should do. Go to your dedicated Good Thing section of your record collection, close your eyes and pick a random gem. If for some reason you find yourself far from your record collection or a record player then dial in the full Analog Africa playlist on Spotify and for many hours you may worry no more. That’s what we did last summer and that’s how we first came across this impossibly, outrageously, stupendously perfect record. The backstory is perhaps even more amazing than the music. It involves a missing cargo ship that is found in a field in Cabo Verde, bedazzled in space dust and full of synthesizers. The island will no never be the same.
Mazateca - Oaxaca, Mexico
You want to drink this coffee. Why? It’s not easy to come by. In Eloxochitlan de Flores Magon, the indigenous Mazatec people are small lot farmers, producing just 5-10kg per year. Osito must match lots by screen size, moisture content, and water activity to create enough coffee for export. They must undertake this painstaking process and contend with a strong internal market willing to buy locally-produced coffee. Yes, scarcity is a factor. But really, you want to drink this coffee for an even better reason: The taste. These offerings showcase different and beautiful characteristics that are undervalued in Mexican coffee. We’re tasting apricot, toffee, and hazelnut with sweetness and sparkle that doesn’t quit. Have some today.