RCA Vinilo y CD

Review: YES! Any self respecting music fan will no doubt already have fully acquainted themselves with Black Messiah, the long promised new album from soul artist D'Angelo and know that it already stands as one of the long players of the year if not the decade! The real fans have probably been waiting for the vinyl release and it's great to see the correct decision has been made to grant Black Messiah a double LP pressing. Everyone no doubt has their favourites on Black Messiah but it's great to have cuts like "Sugah Daddy" on wax, that one is perfect for the house party situations.

Review: Lil Peep's "Everybody's Everything" is designed to accompany the documentary of the same name. It tells the story of the late Peep through his various collaborations (Nedarb, Fish Narc, Bighead, Smokeasac) but unlike many posthumous albums it's actually fantastically strong. Some of the lyrics certainly cut deep given Peep's eventual fate ("Took her to the crib and I show her how I die"/Lord why, Lord why, do I gotta wake up?") and the unheard collabs are well worth your attention. Musically it is raw, with guitar loops, trap drums and aching vocals all making it emotive to say the least. This one, then, will ensure Peep's spirit lives on strong.

Review: Although Main Ingredient member Cuba Gooding later scored a mid-'80s hit with a synth-heavy re-make of "Happiness Is Just Around The Bend", it's the band's 1974 album version that remains the superior version. Gently dubbed-out around the edges and rich in killer early disco instrumentation, it remains one of the band's standout moments and should be in any discerning DJ's collection. On this timely reissue, it comes accompanied by a slightly lesser known chunk of peak-time brilliance: string-laden 1981 underground anthem "Evening of Love". Although not particularly fast by disco standards (around 113 BPM if our calculations are correct), it's something of an energy-packed stormer.

Review: Ghanaian disco-funk stalwart Sidiku Buari initially broke through in his native country in 1975. Although it was his eponymous debut album that cemented his star status, it was the single that preceded the set, "Karam Bani", that established his reputation. Here it gets a deserved reissue, complete with original B-side "Ye Koaba". The title track is something of a beast: a driving, funk-fuelled work out rich in jammed-out electric piano lines, sweaty drums and soaring, life-affirming vocals. "Ye Koaba", meanwhile, is a little breezier and jolly in tone, but no less essential.

Review: Third time around for Keni Burke's 1982 boogie-soul classic "Risin' To The Top", a track that remained such a favourite on the jazz-funk, rare groove and jazz-dance scenes that it was given the remix treatment in 1992. The slick and smooth cut is still capable of sending shivers down the spine, with Burke's impeccable lead vocal rising above rich electric pianos, a killer boogie bassline and the track's famous "give it all you've got" female backing vocals. This time round, the track comes backed by another stone cold classic and DJ favourite, the 1981 12" version of "You're The Best". More up-tempo and synth-heavy, it remains a favourite with both boogie DJs and jazz-funk fans.

Review: This excellent seven-inch single mines the rich seam of Terry Callier style folk-soul that is Jon Lucien's incredible 1973 album "Rashida". On the A-side you'll find the brilliantly breezy, horn-heavy samba-soul sunshine of "Would You Believe In Me", a song so beloved to Lucien that he re-recorded it several times later in his career. On the B-side you'll find the arguably even sweeter and more loved-up "Kuenda", where Lucien delivers attractive scat-style, double-racked freestyle vocals over a backing track rich in finger-picked folk guitar arpeggio lines and atmospheric field recordings of nature. It's a joyously simple track, but one that will stay with you for hours after you've put the record back on the shelf.