Funk / Reissue Recommendations October 2014

Review: Given James Brown's sizeable contribution to hip hop in terms of samples flipped, it's a mark of the diggers knowledge shown by Originals that the Godfather of Funk has only featured intermittently on the series across it's 20 plus releases. Nonetheless, the opportunity to indulge in the ripe funk of James Brown has proved too hard to resist any longer for Originals, who square in on "Make It Good To Yourself", a contribution to early '70s Blaxploitation flick Black Caesar. On the B Side some classic early '90s hip hop from Percee P is the sample flip of choice, with producer Richard Todd Ray's usage of the track on "Lung Collapsing Lyrics" quite superb.

Review: The initial clear blue vinyl issue of these reworks of the Marlena Shaw classic from Cold Busted regular Akshin Alizadeh sold out swiftly last month. This new all black edition from the label is now ready for those who were too slow to indulge, and aesthetic differences aside you really need to check it. "Woman Of The Ghetto" was granted a whole new audience when it was sampled by Blue Boy back in the late '90s, and it's nice to see how Alizadeh works with the source material here. Dominated by a neat little beat and some heavy sax vibes, it offers a nice different vibe to a classic track.

Review: Now firmly into the double figures, the Originals series seems like it could quite easily surpass the centenary mark without the concept ever feeling exhausted such is the vast well of source material and those that sampled it. Here the classic slab of funk that is "Parrty" by Maceo & The Macks takes centre stage on the A Side, reminding everyone that needs to be reminded just how tight Maceo, Fred and James were. For the flip, Originals turn to a master of flipping a track in DJ Premier and the Gangstarr standard "Who's Going To Take The Weight?". Listen to the A then the B and you'll realise how much of a producer Premier is. Seriously.

Review: Neo soul evangelist Adam Gibbons - aka Lack Of Afro - is back with the euphoric, cathartic release of "Freedom", a retro jam that totally evokes the hazy Easy Rider age of American funk rock, featuring the talents of Jack Tyson-Charles. "Clean Living Under Difficult Circumstances" meanwhile is a riot of Blow Up-era Swinging Sixties vintage funk - both cuts are highly recommended.

Review: Beautiful Cali-bound G-funk from one modern funk's most exciting musicians, XL Middleton. Fresh from conjuring the beats on Monique's album, here he is dropping two blistering slippery jams on Eddie Pendergrass. "All Right Now" is all about the endless splashes of squidgy bass and swooning synths while the b-side "Back To LA" takes more of a sentimental, minor key view straight from the Hollywood Hills. Limited to only 350 copies... You know what to do!

Review: Not content with supplying the funkosphere with a veritable glut of grit laden sevens under The Soul Surfers name, Russia's premiere funk troupe have been known to operate under a variety of pseudonyms too. If you were one of those unfortunates that missed out on their sole excursion as Sputnik 1 some two years ago, West Coast funk forbearers Ubiquity have done the smart thing and repressed this gem of a 7inch for those in need of some cosmic healing. Delving deep into the psyche funk stratosphere, both the organ heavy A Side "The Whole Earth" and the slower flip "Outer Space Bossa" will leave you craving more Sputnik 1 material - come on guys!

Review: LA 12-piece Jungle Fire live up to their name, being dedicated to the roots. The band's fusion of firesome Afrobeat and blisteringly tight traditional funk is wholly authentic, fully physical and ultimately arresting. From the gradual development and cinematic narrative of the title track to heavier, sweaty jams such as their Fela cover "Comencemos" via more laid back introspective funk such as "Chalupa" and "Snake Pit", this is what a band who know exactly what they're doing sounds like. And it sounds amazing.

Review: The Voodoo Funk label returns with a 12" maxi single of sublime spaced out disco funk from Nigerian group First Planet which concludes their excellent Lagos Disco Inferno series. Lead by the inimitable bass playing and vocals of Willy Nfor, First Planet released just the one self titled album together back in 1980 for the Zanidisco label and two of it's highlights have been licensed for this Voodoo Funk platter. If you known Nfor for his previous band the Mighty Flames, you'll notice the decidedly more disco edge to First Planet (whose whole aesthetic was a subtle nod to Parliament) and both "Top Of The World" and "I Want To Thank You Baby" are high grade slabs of harmony heavy afro funk with neat little p funk undertones.

Review: Two insane slices of disco funk from the late 70s/early 80s, Salsoul and Fraternity have collaborated to release this very special 45. Not only is this the first time either track has appeared on 7", but they're also massively influential in sample culture. Instant Funk's "Funk Is On" comes complete with a lavish swinging breakbeat that most will recognise in the work of Stetsasonic but it's Gaz's "Sing Sing" that wins the most-sampled trophy, having appeared everywhere from Wu-Tang's "It's Yourz" to Wamdue Project's "King Of My Castle" to Kylie Minogue's "Speakerphone"! Two legendary slices of history, one special "7... The funk is well and truly on!

Review: This is what happens when one of the leading modern bands who excel in international music team up with a bona fide Afrofunk legend... Together with Orlando Julius, The Heliocentrics have explored the Nigerian pioneer's earliest ideas and never-before-recorded songs to result in an emphatic homage to Africa's rich funk heritage while celebrating modern production techniques and dynamics. Progressive, often cosmic and galvanised with a natural jazzy character (thanks to the awesome horn work) and sturdy funk backbone (thanks to the dense drums and tight guitar work), this is a one-off collaboration that needs both attention and celebration.

Review: The first remixes to come from the Sheffield band's awesome debut album Rhymes, Beats & Brass, this limited 7" features two of UK funk's finest minds. Lack Of Afro gets his slink on, giving the original a deep, driving breakbeat flow. Diesler, meanwhile, goes on a bashy, cut-up flex, giving the horns a whole new lease of life as they parp and wail over an awesome Zed Bias-style marching beat. Both add to the great story this young band are writing right now..