Back catalogue: Funk Soul & Jazz

Review: This orange 7" is a miniature monument to one of soul's most quietly influential figures. Roy AyersiLos Angeles-born, jazz-schooled, funk-mindedicrafted 'Everybody Loves the Sunshine' not to dazzle but to dissolve. It moves with a drowsy clarity: shimmering synth, near-whispered vocals, and a lazily tumbling bassline that never quite lands. Released during a golden run of Ayers' mid-70s material, the track has since become shorthand for warm-weather introspection, equal parts ease and ache. The instrumental version on the reverse keeps the spirit intact, offering a meditative glide through the same terrain. Limited to 300 copies, this orange pressing pairs a low-lit groove with a deepening sense of legacyiAyers' influence isn't just heard, it's felt in the space he leaves behind.

Review: Few recordings capture the easy intensity of a summer afternoon like 'Everybody Loves the Sunshine'. Released in 1976 and wrapped in slow-drifting synths and soft falsettos, the track became a touchstone not just for Roy Ayers, but for 70s soul and beyond. Born in Los Angeles, Ayers helped define the jazz-funk crossover, placing the vibraphone at the centre of a sound both hazy and sharply detailed. The original vocal take on the A-side still melts under its own warmth; the instrumental on the flip uncovers the careful architecture beneath. Issued here on 7" black wax following Ayers' recent passing, this reissue feels like both a keepsake and a quiet honouring of an artist who shaped a whole way of listening.

Review: .5 Borough Breaks are back with another essential slice of 90s hip-hop nostalgia. Their latest 7" revives a 1995 Hot 97 favourite-a gritty, golden-era banger that once ruled the NYC airwaves. Handily pressed for both DJs and collectors, Blahzay Blahzay's 'Danger' captures the raw energy of East Coast rap at its peak. As always with this label, the flip side features the original sample source: a soulful gem 'Rockin Chair' from recently departed legend Gwen McCrae whose legacy shaped generations of soul fans and hip-hop heads. As such, this 7" combines deep digging with authentic hip-hop flair and pays tribute to both the beatmakers and the soul pioneers who inspired them. Essential wax.

Review: You can always rely on Athens of the North to sure up pure gold each and every time. This is another case in point: Chris Rael's 'November 18, 1983' is a joyful, funky gem, somewhat reminiscent of a lost Cure record, and this is its first ever appearance on vinyl. Rael's dedication to creating something distinct by working progressive jazz and new wave into a new sound shines through. Despite initial doubts about his musical abilities, Rael's imagination and determination drove him to produce this layered work, which has long been out of print. Whether or not you have heard it before, you don't want to snooze on this one.A

Review: Texas-based jazz harpist Cindy Horstman quietly released Fretless in 1995, a self-assured exploration of jazz textures and instrumental elegance. Tucked among its originals is 'Something New', a standout soul jazz cut that drifts with mid-tempo grace, elevated by James Kings', well, fret-free vocal perforations. Horstman's harp is hardly heard here on this album salvaging; instead, she procured 'Something New', steeped in street and smooth soul, with tuned claves and electronic triangles abounding. Pressed on clear vinyl and limited to 300 copies, this small-batch reissue offers a welcome return for a quietly majestic moment in 90s jazz-soul fusion.

Review: Millie Jackson emerged from the Deep South before properly coming of age in the grit of Newark, New York, but her voice always sounded like it was made for the spotlight i bold, sharp, and unfiltered. Across the 70s, she carved out a singular space in soul and funk with her fearless delivery and barbed wit, speaking plainly about lust, betrayal and resilience long before it was fashionable to do so. Her run on Spring Records placed her alongside The Fatback Band and Joe Simon, where she balanced tender ballads with club-ready burners, always laced with her signature no-nonsense bite. 'We Got To Hit It Off', first released in 1979, sits squarely in that lineage i a disco-soul gem with just enough snap to make it timeless. Spring Revisited brings Jackson's original into sharp new focus: Dimitri From Paris uses the original session tapes to craft a mix full of glitz and muscle, while Opolopo offers two flips i one smouldering and stripped, the other buoyant and synth-heavy. These versions don't only overwrite the source, but underline its brilliance for new rooms and younger ears.

Review: US American soul singer and songwriter Barbara Lewis had a smooth style that very much influenced rhythm and blues during her 60s heyday. She began writing songs at the age of just nine and as a teen, recorded with producer Ollie McLaughlin. Her best known tunes club high in Billboard charts and include 'Hello Stranger' and 'Baby I'm Yours' but here it is the swinging sounds and swooning stings of 'Baby What Do You Want Me To Do' which gets pressed up alongside Tony & Tyrone's Northern Soul gem 'Please Operator' which is more raw and urgent soul.

Review: Two of James "Gem" Prewitt's two early 80s disco-funk tracks, 'My Love Box' (1981) and 'Juicy' (1983), come courteously reissued via AOTN, raring a snapshot of his exceptional talents and entrepreneurial funk fastenings. Recorded in St. Louis, Missouri, 'My Love Box' marked the beginning of Prewitt's journey, with the 27-year-old attending Forrest Park Community College at the same time as establishing his own label, Keyes Production. Not only did he write, produce, and perform all these tracks, but local success with 'My Love Box' inspired him to team up with Loretta Mathison for the creation of 'Juicy', which ensues here as the orally honeyed slow jam of choice, and which picks up the pace at the midpoint through gospel operatics and wooing coos. This collaboration led to a two-year singing tour, firelighting them from beneath and propelling them from the Philippines to Germany.

Review: More golden goodness from Athens of the North here - the label that never runs out of soul and disco goodness. Strictly Business hail from Dayton, Ohio and deliver a double-sider gem of deep 80s soul on this rare 7". One side brings pure boogie heat and is funky, driving and brilliantly dancefloor-ready, while the flip slows it down with a more smooth and heartfelt ballad. Originally self-released with the help of friends and family, the record flew under the radar until rediscovered by Daniel Mathis, who helped license it for release here in limited quantities. A fine and soulful slice of overlooked Midwest magic.

Review: South London's Trambeat return with a double punch of funk and soul on LRK Records 13 years after first being formed by Graham Potter and Des James. The Croydon-based band brings classic Northern Soul energy with sharp modern flair to their latest 7", featuring 'Blow Up The Groove' and 'All Killer, No Filler'. Both channel dancefloor euphoria with turbocharged horns, breakneck grooves and bold vocals over strutting basslines and all-nighter anthems. Trambeat's shift from DIY collective to stage-commanding soul machine is great, and if their debut 'Don't Hold Back' teased their potential, this release kicks the doors wide open.