On 21st May 2012 Real World Records are reissuing ten classic albums from the Real World archives, some of which haven’t been available for a number of years. With the Real World Gold series, label manager Amanda Jones takes a look back over the 23-year history of the Wiltshire-based label founded by Peter Gabriel – not to mention some 200 odd albums – revisiting “gems and treasures that got a little buried at the time”.
Due to be released in batches of ten, the first instalment ranges from recordings by key figures of the world music scene such as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Papa Wemba, Sheila Chandra and Afro Celt Sound System, to less well-known partnerships such as the Buddhist monk Lama Gyurme from the Kingdom of Bhutan and blind French pianist Jean-Philippe Rykiel with Rain Of Blessings: Vajra Chants.
Luckily for us, Real World Records have always sought to open the door on a world of music that few have encountered and take it to fresh ears around the globe, covering everything from “Pakistani sufi music and Ethiopian dub to Cambodian indie-rock, Mexican ska and the sounds of the Sami region of the Arctic Circle”. Alongside their new releases for 2012, Real World Gold presents the perfect opportunity to “revisit and re-evaluate some of the most inspirational and beautiful music” that the label has put out since its first release – Passion – in June 1989.
Relive some great world music moments via the Real World Gold sampler below and grab a copy of these seminal albums for just £8.98 each via the pre-order link.
Real World Records looks back through the years on its 10th anniversary. Peter Gabriel takes a tour of the Real World Studios and introduces some of the classic albums on the label which are being reissued on Real World Gold.
