Bang! Exploding right from the start, this set never gives up. Trumpets and other horns sizzle and fizz around sparkly guitars, which dance upon rumbling bass lines and skittish drum beats to wallop listeners left and right with big tune after big tune. It’s extremely vibrant listening as Orlando’s crunchy saxophone cuts coolly along from beginning to end alongside the incessant pulse and crisp arrangements.

Something of a living legend, Orlando Julius cut his teeth playing in various highlife bands around Nigeria before setting out to modernise the originally Ghanaian style with his first band — The Modern Aces. Formed in 1964, their 1965 debut album makes up disc one of this two-disc reissue of blistering jazzy grooves.

The record bounces around wildly almost tripping over itself in its enthusiasm as it surges forwards with exuberance. Words don’t do justice to the extent of cheek shown in pulling off such audaciously mighty dance numbers one after another. Before closing with the band’s first four singles, there’s a wealth of quality tracks to be enjoyed, including the simply brilliant ‘Ise Owo’, which is massive. Really massive.

The second disc is made up of selections from the two albums which immediately followed; Orlando’s Idea and Ishe. Now sharing band members with Afrobeat creator Fela Kuti, Orlando’s newly renamed Afro Sounders here carry a more hypnotic, less immediate feel as they stretch out further and deeper than before. In particular, the excellent ‘Ketekete Koro’ left me dazed with its bubbly bass line, chiming guitars and eloquently placed alto saxophone solo, lyrical to the end.

This second disc is consistently stimulating and engaging throughout, rounding off a great set of gritty dance tracks which are all well delivered with enthusiasm and verve. All it leaves wanting is a sound-system big enough to do it justice… DJs?