Back catalogue: Funk

Review: First released in 1976, Never Gonna Leave You was the name of both album and single, both of which fell under the shared credit of Satin Soul and Maryann Farra (aka. De-lite-ful), an instrumental soul group and singer both signed to Brunswick Records at the same time, and whom together collaborated for the entire decade. This new Japanese reissue of the full album via Solid highlights the group's success as purveyors of proto-disco, with the title track returning to our ears in all its glory, and with all its best hallmarks - sultry syncopations for rhythm guitar, breathy exhalations for voice - while complements such as 'You Got To Be The One' also amount to a rare - and stellarly-mixed, might we add - prototype of the cross-section of disco and latter-day neo-soul.

Review: Given that Gilles Peterson and Stuart Baker's Cuba: Music and Revolution - Culture Clash in Havana is one of the standout compilations of 2021, hopes are naturally sky-high for this speedy sequel. Like its predecessor, volume 2 focuses on music and made and released on the Caribbean island between 1975 and '85, this time round largely focusing on rare fusions of salsa, Latin jazz, disco, soul and funk, mostly licensed from records that have never been available outside Cuba. It's another stunning selection all told, with highlights including the heady Cuban disco/salsa fusion of Orquesta Los Van Van, the fiery disco-funk of FA 5, the heavily percussive hedonism of Luis Carobonell and the fuzzy psychedelic rock of Grupo De Experimentacion Sonora Del ICAIC. In a word: essential.

Review: The mysterious London-based music collective Sault are in the process of reissuing their latest five albums on vinyl, in full, after they were simultaneously released as a humongous free digital download in late 2022. Among them comes '11', their latest project which was exclusively made available via said password-protected link and was intended as the reddest part of this quintuplet offering to God. Each album cut a distinctive oeuvre, and '11' was undeniably the funkiest, centring on the chops of the collective's in-house producer Inflo. Peak states such as 'Higher' pack raw Rhodes, knife-edge vocals and envy-inducing talents into a cinematic, soul-feeding addition to the mystery stew, while downtimers such as 'Envious' and 'River' hear the album grow increasingly boxy and heartfelt.

Review: In November of last year Sault shocked the world of music with a five-deep drop of outstanding albums which some have reasonably deemed to be Christian deep funk. Initially offering the music out freely as a gift to God and to no doubt land their message that little bit further, now they're releasing these outstanding albums and giving each one some space to breathe. The music is steeped in the tradition of OG funk and soul, captured with a legitimate grit which lands the grooves all the deeper, and we're instantly drawn into the sound world of this spirituals-charged project transmitting from true believers to anyone who feels the funk.

Review: Sault took an unusual path when they released five albums simultaneously in late 2022 and offered them as a free download behind a password encrypted link, but despite the mountainous 56 tracks the plaudits came rushing in. Reportedly made as an offering to our Lord and Saviour, Untitled (God) was quickly marked out as the highlight of the five sets, and now it gets its own outing as a more traditional release. The sound is out of this world, tapping into a seriously roots-y kind of funk, showered in holy reverb and recorded with an in-the-room authenticity that matches the religious slant to the music. Make no mistake, in terms of spiritual funk this is very much the realest of real deals.

Review: Remote working is not new - artists have collaborated by exchanging files since Internet connection speeds allowed it - but few have pursued it more enthusiastically than Sons of the Sun, a duo made up of South East London beat-maker/multi-instrumentalist Maverick Quest and Texas-based singer and rapper JTronius. The duo initially met online and decided to spark up a Transatlantic collaboration. The results, as showcased on this fine debut album, are rarely less than inspired. Casually joining the dots between future soul, synth-powered P-funk, Afrobeat, jazz and hip-hop, it's a set that oozes musical quality from start to finish. At times it sounds a little like Plantlife or Thundercat, at other times like a hip-hop head's take on 21st century London jazz; throughout, you'll be royally entertained.

Review: Steel pan, disco and dub from the 1970s in Steel An' Skin's 'Reggae Is Here Once Again'. Yet another lost gem from EM. Ultra-postive consciousness from Afro-Caribbean London, circa 1979. Members of the legendary 20th Century Steel Band (one of Grand Master Flash's favourites) sailing Trinidad-wise over gratifyingly intricate African ritual rhythms. Strong vocals compliment reggae, funk, disco and soul influences to form a relentless groove machine. Steel 'n' Skin, a unit composed of young nightclub musicians born in Ghana, Nigeria, St. Kitts, Trinidad and the U.K., who once performed with Ginger Johnson's Afrikan Drummers, a highlife band under the tutelage of the late Ginger Johnson and played at Johnson's Iroko Country Club in Hampstead, London. Steel 'n' Skin began performed concerts and workshops in London schools, expanding nationwide to schools, prisons, psychiatric hospitals and summer festivals, including the world-famous Notting Hill Carnival. The group combined a mix of musical forms with community outreach, non-cynical and untainted by preachiness or "social work." Good feelings from good hearts. This EM reissue consists of Steel 'n' Skin's 1979 debut 12 inch single "Reggae Is Here Once Again", featuring "Afro Punk Reggae (Dub)", a fine disco-dub workout, plus 2 tracks from their 1984 LP ACID RAIN as well as one un-issued track. Also included is documentary DVD by Steve Shaw featuring commentary from Steel 'n' Skin's founder Peter Blackman, killer live and rehearsal footage of the band, workshop scenes (check out the 1970s suits and parkas!) and devastating views of inner-city Liverpool. Steel 'n' Skin soars above the 1970s ruins.

Review: At the tail end of the '80s, Sylvia Striplin quit Norman Connors' jazz-funk group Aquarian Dream in order to pursue a solo career. Joining forces with producers James Bedford and Roy Ayers, she recorded 1981 debut album "Give Me Your Love", a well regarded but largely overlooked set that has since become a sought-after item amongst soul collectors. This Expansion reissue presents the album on CD for the first time in two decades. As with many soul albums of the period, it sashays between jazz-funk, boogie and heartfelt slow jams, contrasting memorable dancefloor workouts (see stone cold classic "Give Me Your Love" and a stellar cover of Roy Ayers favourite "Searchin") with more saccharine, loved-up fare. This edition also boasts a couple of bonus cuts, including the superb 7" mix of "Give Me Your Love".