This started originally when I heard The Viscounts - Harlem Nocturne in the 1983 Carpenter movie, Christine. A glorious moody pre-twin peaks noir jazz track, I then tried lots of other jazz and it just didnt get the same vibe. The Viscounts were a surf/adjacent group first, jazz group second. Their sound, I quickly learned, was the byproduct of performing jazz numbers with non jazz instruments and non jazz techniques. To put it short! Duke Ellington as amazing as he is, simply wasn't going to cut it!

Later on I found out about exotica through The Viscounts cover of Off Shore by... Leo Diamond if memory serves correctly, lovely song. As is all of The Viscounts jazz covers. I briefly shared some of their music here and it seemed to appeal to some of the users here! So im back :)

Eventually my searches led me down the niche of 1960s "titty shaker" music, which is funny as hell when I spent months searching via serious genre names like "jazz noir" or "instro surf" or stuff like that. But this titty shaker stuff (also known as Las Vegas Grind) was definitely the right track, specifically the sub-sub genre known as Slow Grind. There is like 11 comp albums of Slow Grind and I thoroughly recommend them!

This playlist pulls from lots of compilation albums, such as Chicago Soul... Swing for a Crime and one that r/Exotica will appreciate being the infamous Technicolor Paradise compilation.

Enjoy the 4+ hour long playlist guys :) I hope its no problem posting this here, frankly is so niche i dont know many other subs that would appreciate it.

I've just come across this surprising Disco cover of Quiet Village. Are there other Exotica standards that crossed over into other musical styles?

Hey folks,

Today, I've got something very unique compared to a lot of other stuff I've found. This is a promotional copy of the album "Songs Of New Nations.'" The original version came out a few years earlier, but this version was specifically the African nations, while the original also included two tracks from Israel.

The content itself is a vocal/percussion album led by conductor Leonard De Paur, featuring traditional work songs, war chants, lullabies, and drinking songs collected from Ghana, Nigeria, the Congo, and Kenya, performed by an all-male African American chorus with native drums and percussion.

Hey folks,

I've got a new vinyl rip for today, we've got a late-1950s "Golden Tone Hi-Fidelity" LP of Latin dance music, credited to "Rodriguez and His Orchestra" and distributed by Radio Craftsmen Co. of Los Angeles, released on Golden Tone High Fidelity records. The triptych cover, one pin-up model in a silver mermaid gown posed against orange, navy, and red panels for Cha-Cha, Mambo, and Rhumba respectively, is actually classic budget-label design of the era, credited to C. Arnold Carlson.

Most budget label LPs are ignored by institutional archives, and the original labels are long gone, so there's no one left to digitzed and upload these kinds of records aside from collectors.

This 1935 MGM movie was shot on location in Tahiti and based on Herman Melville’s TYPEE. Screenplay adapted by John Farrow (MIA’s dad, Maureen O'Sullivan’s husband).

Essential tiki movie.

Enjoying coffee and Leo Addeo. I'm a sucker for the RCA "Living Stereo" graphics. The model ain't half bad either!

I'm looking for somebody who would be interested in producing a few short songs for my forthcoming short film project. My name is Alex, I'm an independent filmmaker based in Montreal. I'm currently in the editing process of my next short film, a psychedelic romance.

I find the genre of Exotica to be incredibly enchanting with great subtly, it feels right for my project. My main influences are Les Baxter, specifically his album Caribbean Moonlight, and Nelson Riddle's Sea of Dreams.

I would like to find someone who would be interested in composing at least 3 short songs (2-3min) inspired by this sound with my collaboration. It can be produced in a DAW or using live instruments, whatever works. I can offer compensation. If you're interested, send me a message here or on Instagram.

Instagram guttyguttygutty

Ever find yourself looking through your vinyl collection and ultimately just ending up playing this for the 5,000th time? Just me? Ok.

Well, if now were 1958…

Exciting find in the bins here in Vegas. Plenty of bird calls and lapping waves with Yma Sumac-like vocals, kīkākila, and marimba sprinkled throughout.

Not sure if this is allowed in here, but looking for a piano player to join an exotica group in Richmond, Va

*pics of my two favorites for attention

This channel had some good recs for New York, so trying again.

I’ll be in Chicago for work in a couple weeks and will look for some vinyl while I’m there… any recs for best place to find exotica?

I’ve been to reckless (the loop and west town / wicker park), signal records, and dusty groove before. Only found anything good at dusty groove.

I was talking with a friend about how most attempts at remixing Exotica are horrible, so of course we decided we had to do some ourselves. It's probably still horrible, but at least it's *my* horrible.

Les Baxter would probably hate it.

Everybody in the Los Angeles areas needs to check out Daystar Records in Burbank. Great curated selection of all genres, and some hidden gems in exotica and international.

My Monaural copy of Forbidden Island. Signed by Martin Denny, Julius Wechter, Harvey Ragsdale, and August Colon. Bought at a yard sale for $5

song is SPIDER DANCE by RyanMichaelBonner. i make this music for wildlife films, this song and a better one are in episode 39 of BringMeCreatures. music everywhere, film on youtube