Sofrito is a collective of DJs, producers and artists that

Sofrito is a collective of DJs, producers and artists that
combine a love for Tropical rhythms with a firm basis in
modern club culture.
Rooted in the legendary Tropical Warehouse Parties in
East London, Sofrito mixes up percussive sounds from
across the tropics with modern productions and exclusive
dubplate specials, bridging the gap between eras and
continents to produce a unique and intense sound that has
seen them play at clubs and festivals around the world.
Sofrito continues in the grand tradition of the original
“Discotheque” DJs and sound systems of the ‘70s - weaving
disparate musical strands together into a serious workout
that both reflects and celebrates the many influences that
make up the heritage of dance music and club culture.
Sofrito’s all-encompassing approach takes in both DJ
sets and Sound System performances as well as the
highly influential Sofrito Super Singles label, far-reaching
compilations on Strut records and a popular podcast series
showcasing the breadth and depth of the Sofrito sound.
HU G O M E N DEZ
FRA NKI E FRA NCI S
Paris-based Hugo Mendez combines a busy
DJing schedule with trips to research and license
compilations.
He brings a deep and far-reaching musical
knowledge to his role as a researcher and compiler
traveling extensively in order to produce
groundbreaking compilations for labels such as
Strut, Soundway, Jazzman and Nascente, often
with a focus on the music of the French Caribbean.
Having moved from his native London to Paris he
regularly DJs across Europe, bringing a keen ear
and eye for the dancefloor. He is also part of
the Paris team for the 22tracks.com internet radio
station.
Hackney-based Frankie Francis runs The
Carvery mastering and dubplate cutting studios,
working on vinyl retrieval and mastering for
labels such as Mr Bongo’s, Strut, NYC Trust,
Soundway, Superfly, as well as cutting dubs for
the cream of the reggae and Tropical DJs in the
UK.
An audio perfectionist, Frankie also works
closely alongside artists such as Quantic and
his Ondatrópica project, overseeing both direct
to disc recordings and analogue tape to disc
mastering. On the production side he works
with Simbad (Brownswood), creating numerous
edits and mixes both for Sofrito and the French
label Discograph. As part of the Hide & Smile
team with Miles Cleret he is responsible for several 12” releases on Soundway Records.
Dipping a toe into the world of live recording, he co-produced the Afro-Cuban Jazz
project Rhythmagic Orchestra with Ben Lamdin (Nostalgia 77) for Impossible Ark records
and continues to work with musicians in Paris, investigating the musical undercurrents of
the city through club and recording sessions.
Steeped in Sound System culture, Frankie has a long experience within the reggae world
both as a DJ and a mastering engineer and can often be heard injecting some of his deep
reggae selection into his eclectic DJ sets.
D I S C O GR A P H Y
DI SCO G RAPHY
VARIOUS ARTISTS Tumbélé! Biguine, Afro & Latin sounds from the French
Caribbean, 1963-74
- SOUNDWAY RECORDS
VARIOUS ARTISTS Hugo Mendez presents Tropical Funk Experience
- NASCENTE
VARIOUS ARTISTS Beginners Guide to the Caribbean
VARIOUS ARTISTS Dance the Latin Jazz, Soul, Funk
- NASCENTE
- JAZZMAN
BAKO DAGNON Guide de la Revolution (Frankie Francis remix)
- DISCOGRAPH
K. FRIMPONG Ahyewa (Hide & Smile edit)
FRANKIE FRANCIS & SIMBAD Fiesta Angola
- SOFRITO SPECIALS
SIR VICTOR UWAIFO/ Benin City Grooves (Frankie Francis & Simbad edits)
- SOFRITO SUPER SINGLES
SONNY OKOSUN
VARIOUS ARTISTS Spiritual Jazz: Esoteric, Modal and Deep Jazz from the
Undergound 1968-77
- JAZZMAN
RHYTHMAGIC ORCHESTRA - The Rhythmagic Orchestra
- IMPOSSIBLE ARK RECORDS/UNFOLD
22tracks.com/paris
@sofritosound
- SOUNDWAY
www.carverycuts.com
@TheCarvery
L E W I S H E R IZ
T H E LA B EL
Also based in Hackney, Lewis Heriz is an
illustrator and designer who has, over the past
5 years, established himself at the forefront
of tropical music design with his artwork for
Sofrito, Soundway, Now-Again/Stones-Throw,
and Strut Records among others. Grown out of
his time as a promoter and DJ in Nottingham,
his work strives to represent the soul of the music
while simultaneously communicating it to those
previously unaccustomed to the sound.
Working in both digital and traditional media,
Lewis’ work continues to beat a path away from
clichéd representations of ‘world’ culture in the
West, in a concerted effort to highlight the genredissolving, classification-defying character of the
music released and re-released by the labels and
artists he works with.
Lewis is also responsible for digital restoration of vintage sleeves for Superfly Records’
celebrated reissue series.
The Sofrito label covers everything from Nigerian acid boogie to raw Gwo Ka
rhythms, futuristic sounds from new European producers and heavy Latin vibes
from the Pacific coast of Colombia.
Featuring re-edits and tracks from producers such as Daphni (aka Caribou),
DrumTalk, Simbad, Atlantic Conveyor and Tropical Treats as well as the Sofrito
team, the 12” releases are hotly anticipated and have received strong support
from DJs such as Gilles Peterson, Mr Scruff, Quantic and Nickodemus.
LA BEL D ISC OGR A P HY
SOFRITO SPECIALS
SOFR001
SOFR002
SOFR003
SOFR004
SOFR005
SOFR006
SOFRITO SUPER SINGLES
S E LE C T D I S C OGR A P H Y
VARIOUS ARTISTS Tumbélé! Biguine, Afro & Latin sounds from the French
Caribbean, 1963-74 [Artwork & layout]
- SOUNDWAY
WHITEFIELD BROTHERS Earthology [Artwork, direction & design]
SUE JORGE & ALMAZ S/T [Artwork, direction & design]
- NOW-AGAIN
- NOW-AGAIN
VARIOUS ARTISTS The Original Sound Of Cumbia: The History Of Colombian
Cumbia & Porro As Told By The Phonograph 1948-79
[Artwork & illustrations]
- SOUNDWAY
VARIOUS ARTISTS Sofrito: Tropical Discotheque
[Artwork, direction & design]
ONDATRÓPICA S/T [Artwork]
VARIOUS ARTISTS Sofrito: International Soundclash
[Artwork, direction & design]
& all releases on the Sofrito label
lewisheriz.com
@lewisheriz
VARIOUS ARTISTS - Music is the Word/E8 Highlife
VARIOUS ARTISTS - Tropical Discotheque EP
VARIOUS ARTISTS - Tropical Discotheque Volume 2
FRANKIE FRANCIS & SIMBAD - Fiesta Angola
VARIOUS ARTISTS - Tropical Soundclash EP
NATURAL SELF - Fire the Body EP
- STRUT
- SOUNDWAY
- STRUT
TEASPOON & THE WAVES/NZIMANDE ALLSTARS - Soweto Disco EP
SIR VICTOR UWAIFO/SONNY OKUSON - Benin City Grooves EP
BENIS CLETIN - Jungle Magic EP
CANADOES DANCE BAND/MPESE MPESE BAND
- Highlife Underground EP
SSS005 NIAMA MAKALOU/DAPHNI - Kognokoura
SSS001
SSS002
SSS003
SSS004
SOFRITO: TROPICAL DISCOTHEQUE
STRUT070CD/LP
Banda Los Hijos De La Nina Luz
Les Ya Toupas Du Zaire
Frente Cumbiero
Fair Nick Stars
Kyerematen Stars
Victor Uwaifo
Adolfo Echeverria
El Timba
Mighty Shadow
Dany Play
Safohene Djeni
Ti Celeste
Quantic Y Su Conjunto
Los Miticos Del Ritmo
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Quiero Amanacer
Je Ne Bois Pas Beaucoup
Pitchito
Arrete Mal Parle
Maye Obi Den
Ohue (Frankie Francis & Simbad Edit)
Sabroso Bacalao
Descarga Bontempi
Dat Soca Boat
Fa’waka
Mahu Wo Asie
Popilation Basse-Terrienne Au Abois
Cumbia De Mochilla
Roaring Lion 14. Carnival Long Ago
Gnonnas Pedro 15. Yiri Yiri Boum
COMPILED BY SOFRITO: HUGO MENDEZ AND FRANKIE FRANCIS
SLEEVE NOTES & TRACK NOTES BY HUGO MENDEZ
VINYL MASTERING & RECONSTRUCTION BY FRANKIE FRANCIS AT THE CARVERY
“Amazingly enjoyable... There isn’t a bad
song on the album and the simple act of
playing it feels like you are summoning
better weather” - THE QUIETUS
“Their deft ability to cherry-pick the
best old favourites and new and/or rare
leftfield tunes is ably captured here - a
carnival in a box... inspiring stuff”
- SONGLINES
“The selection dangerously raises the
temperature on the dancefloor and proves
that club culture still has much to learn
from the tropics” - WORLDSOUND
“The soundtrack to a succession of long
and sweaty Tropical nights in London
town” - SHOOK
“A peach of a compilation”
- DAILY TELEGRAPH
“...A really hot compilation... The
discotheque
epithet
is
entirely
appropriate, because back in the early
1970s, the New York Djs that gave the
movement the power drew on a vast range
of sounds that were soon referred to as
discotheque music, and then disco for
short. Many of those sounds were global,
and the sensibility describes the approach
of Francis and Mendez, who have made
a point of distancing themselves from the
idea of ‘World Music’, preferring instead
to characterise their selections as simply
‘the best dance music ever made.”
- THE WIRE
TOP TEN ALBUMS OF 2011 FOR RADIO NOVA (FRANCE),
& VIBRATIONS MAGAZINE (FRANCE)
TOP 5 COMPILATIONS OF 2011 FOR THEQUIETUS.COM
SOFRITO: INTERNATIONAL SOUNDCLASH
STRUT097CD/LP
Lord Shorty & 1. Vibrations Groove
Vibrations International
La Pesada 2. Cumbia y Tambo (En La Lluvia)
Midnight Groovers 3. O Ti Yo
Les Difficiles de Pétion-Ville 4. Fem’m Confiance (Tropical Treats Edit)
Owiny Sigoma Band 5. Nabed Nade Ei Piny Ka F
Orchestre Mabatalaï 6. Pour Chercher le Magot
Bell’a Njoh 7. Ebololo
Concept Neuf 8. Calypso Path (Sofrito Edit)
Grupo Canalon 9. La Zorra y El Perol
Le Mistral 10. Information par le Mistral
Luis Kalaff 11. Agarralo Que Eso Tuyo
Afro Festival 12. El Manicero
feat. Fantastic Tchico Tchicaya
Melodica Teens Band 13. Mwekuru Muthao
COMPILED BY SOFRITO: HUGO MENDEZ AND FRANKIE FRANCIS
SLEEVE NOTES & TRACK NOTES BY HUGO MENDEZ
VINYL MASTERING & RECONSTRUCTION BY FRANKIE FRANCIS AT THE CARVERY
“Famous
for
their
sizzling
warehouse parties, Sofrito - DJs
Hugo Mendez and Frankie Francis
- continue to offer the hottest AfroLatin dance music ... A quality
release that will get you off your
feet”
- SONGLINES
“Definitely one to get hot and
sweaty with”
- METRO
“Impossibly funky vibes”
- DJ MAGAZINE
“One of the strongest music
compilations I’ve encountered this
year”
- MTV HIVE
“It’s safe to say Strut Records and
the UK Sofrito collective have
cornered the market on don’tbe-worried-about-anything-ever
music.”
- THEFADER.COM
“...An eclectic, engaging selection.
Sofrito delivers a sultry aural blast”
- MOJO
101 APPAREL MIX AND TEE
COMING NOVEMBER 2012
50+ QUALITY MIXES
BY
SOFRITO
& GUEST DJs
TO BE FOUND AT
SOFRITO.CO.UK
/MIXES
HUGO MENDEZ [email protected]
FRANKIE FRANCIS [email protected]
LEWIS HERIZ [email protected]
QUINTON SCOTT [email protected]
European booking:
FRANCOIS GUERITOT [email protected]
(BACANA)