The Selenites Band Ethi Jazz Groove Project

The Selenites Band is a musical collective led by Obi Riddim aka Antoine Laloux. The band is playing mostly Ethio Jazz, a popular Ethiopian music trend, famous from the 50’s until the 70’s in Ethiopia. During this Golden Age famous musicians such as Mulatu Astatke, Girma Béyéné, Mahmoud Ahmed, Getatchew Mekurya dominated the musical scene.
The Selenites Band is paying a tribute to those Masters by playing their major pieces, and through their own creative work inspired by the Spirit of this time. Modal Jazz, pentatonic melodies, free improvisation are expressed and magnified through the original vintage sound, mixing of woodwind instrument, psychedelic guitars and a drums section that seems to have stepped out of a Blaxploitation movie. The Selenites Band is blowing a heat wave from the Grand Rift Valley to reach a powerful tectonic force, deeper than a sand storm, magic as a trance under the moon, vibrant as a tropical party fever in some Addis Abeba Club back in the old days.
After releasing their first EP in 2019 with Sandal label, the French label Stereophonk put out 6 recorded live tracks which consist of classic Ethiopian tracks composed by Mulatu Astatke and Girma Beyene. Some of them have been made famous internationally being sampled by popular artists like Damian Marley, Nas, Jay Z … who helped the recognizing of this regional culture and gift. Stereophonk is a French label headed by Dj Marrrtin, releasing records that they love: from Estonian jazz-funk (Estrada Orchestra), somtoe funk breaks played in every breakdance events (Funky Bijou) and trips music inspired by Indian Grooves (Lord Paramour).