"In 1965, in Rotterdam, Link Wray, Mulatu Astatke and Oslan Husein meet" — that's how the press notes put it. This is a cover of "Es Lilin," a Sundanese love song/folk tune from Indonesia, by The Evergreens, who played for the Indonesian community in Rotterdam (in the '50s and '60s there was apparently a huge craze in Holland for Indonesian-flavored rock called the INDO ROCK movement) (sample1). Played in the gamelan scale of Java (not Bali), it's a strange tropical psych guitar instrumental that also comes close to Ethiopian modes.

And on the flip, Les Jaguars De Casablanca — an unusual band pairing a French/Spanish guitar section with percussionist Jaouk Almar, dubbed "the Okay Temiz of Casablanca" (the offbeat Turkish percussionist we've featured here before) — cover "Gonzales" (sample2), the surf rock classic by British electric guitar group The Shadows. It was released on La Voix Du Maghreb, one of the first record labels ever established in Casablanca, Morocco.
Both sides have a story behind them, and both are mysterious, seductive, groovy instrumentals — perfect for house parties and lounge listening. Crank this one up loud too. So much fun! (Original Japanese text by Shhhhh)