Review: A Skillz and Krafty Kuts are veteran names by now but at one option they were some of the hottest new DJs and producers in the game. They pioneered a breakbeat, cut-up and paste sounds 20 years ago that was high on energy and with plenty of character. Now they look to the roots of the sounds they used to draw from and serve up a new single on Jam City that is all about disco. 'Lit Up' has loose, jumbled drums and funk basslines with some great vocal flourishes up top from Gizelle Smith. A remix on the flip takes things into deeper new soul territory.
Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Band - "What Can You Bring Me?" (2:45)
Review: You just cannot miss with this superb label which is now up to release number 33 in this series. And the latest is a golden-era classic featuring legendary mic men A Tribe Called Quest and top soul boy Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Band. The A-side features the track taken from A Tribe Called Quest's Love Movement album so is packed with their signature beats and bars. On the B-side, you are treated to the funky original sample source from Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Band which delivers a raw, infectious groove. If you love classic hip hop and funk, and why wouldn't you, this is a great pairing.
Review: There is very little info out there about the Milkcrate Mondays label but we do know that their only other release last year was well hyped and quickly sold out. This second one is likely to follow suit. It comes from Able and is a dusty house cut with an old school feel thanks to the gentle breaks that power it along as a signature smoky soul vocal from Amy Winehouse brings plenty of emotion to a-side cut 'Winehouse Magic'. On the flip is 'Drake Punk' which pairs Daft Punk filter house loops with auto-tuned vocals all sure to bring some fun to the 'floor.
Curtis Baker & The Bravehearts - "Fried Fish ’n’ Collard Greens" (2:40)
The Native Yinzer - "The Hip Strip" (2:33)
Review: The fourth edition in Original Gravity's Down In The Basement series, which gathers instrumental soul and swing cuts onto worthy 7" slabs, resounding the fervent 1960s decadal gap in which mod reigned supreme. With juleps flowing and kneecaps knocking, Abramo & Nestor bring newfangled electric pianistic swing with 'Dig It!', while a twinned "hit it!" injunction is heard from Floyd James & The GTs on the reissued 'Work That Thang'; James' voice is tubed and speed-delayed to terrific effect, achieving a sprung intonation. Curtis Baker brassifies the bonanza with the lively 'Fried Fish 'n' Collard Greens', while The Native Yinzer's exiting excitation 'The Hip Strip' quilts our ears with a mnemic, down-feathery Hammond-breaks bit.
Review: This release was deftly crafted by Visceral Grooves in collaboration with Dig. Find. Listen. Sample. Chop. Repeat., featuring the duo of LA artists Sankofa and J. Dankworth. Side A is a killer instrumental hip-hop cover of the Billy Brooks' classic 40 Days, while side B is a slow-burning original composition by the band Aesthetic, lifted from the forthcoming album 'Anesthetic'.
Review: A strikingly unique dance music project from Nagasaki producer, DJ and sound director Keisuke Yamazoe, Aflex Combo has always been an impressive project, straddling several EPs stretching back to 2002 - and all centring, in the artist's own words, on "heavy funk beats and obscure jazz and Latin samples", albeit with the aid of live musicians. The intermingling of live-recorded and sampled material is always an exciting prospect, often to the extent that we can't tell the difference. Indeed, on this latest reissue of the artist's first ever track - the 2002 cut 'Dazzling' and the formerly unheard 'Etsom Ne' - we recall two janky, blissful jazzdance cuts, splayed across two spray-tanned sides. The former track hears bowing basses and trilling pianos whirl around the mix, as if lost in a nostalgic Millennium-bugged miasma; the latter is much more muted, its most striking elements being its boxy drum machine and expert flute line, betraying a well-integrated highlife influence.
Review: African Dubplate delivers a thrilling selection of classic and rare Afro jams, reworked and pressed with a disco single flair. Though the mysterious artist behind the project remains anonymous, it's clear the source material hails from the rich well of African rhythms. Each track brings fresh energy to timeless sounds, crafted with the dancefloor in mind. Be sure not to miss out as this limited stock release is sure to fly off the shelves. Grab yours while you can!
Review: Many Hands is a fresh label helmed by Jona Jefferies and Kava that here kicks out an eclectic EP with four tracks from various members of its musical family. Dan Aikido opens with '0800 TXT4 Herb,' a smooth fusion piece that builds a laid-back groove, blending fretless bass, jazzy keys and soulful vocals all reminiscent of Rare Silk's 'Storm.' Ernie Ruso's 'Stroke It' offers slow, sensual r&b infused with P-funky wah-wah effects while DJ Nomad's 'African Boy' brings upbeat pop house next to funky organ and a female reggae MC.Jefferies' closer 'A Change Will Come' samples Dr. Martin Luther King Jr with a rave-inspired beat and soulful piano. Cracking stuff.
Review: This is one of those raw soul sounds that never goes out of fashion, and thankfully neither does it often disappear from availability. It features two r&b classics, the dancefloor-ready 'Last Night' and the soulful 'Don't Break Your Promises', both originally released on the Rainbow label in the UK and a long-time bastion of Aitken's mastery of blending Jamaican and British influences. The opener draws from The Mar-Keys and Georgie Fame, showcasing r&b's imprint on Aitken's style. 'Don't Break Your Promises' is a Milson Luce cover that gained fame in Jamaica before inspiring numerous versions.
Review: Excursions in Gwoka vol. 2 is another adventurous outing for the Beauty & the Beat label that takes them ever deeper into the gwoka scene of Guadeloupe. it is the celebrated carnival outfit Akiyo who are in focus here with two tracks taken from second and supremely hard-to-find long player, Mouvman, in 1993. 'Deboule' is a real heater with bustling drum funk and chatting tribal vocals all run through with synth wizardry from Marie-Galante Jacques-Marie Basses. 'Blo' is just as steamy and intern with percussion, whistles and big beats all making quite the impact. Breakplus adds a London twist to 'Deboule' while CW adds a cosmic air to 'Blo.'
Review: Back in 2017, Four Flies Records unearthed and released a previously unheard "Afro-cosmic funk" EP from Italian soundtrack and library music legend Alessandro Alessandroni. Three years on, they've decided to give the 1978 recording the remix treatment. Bolissa and guests Calibra 35 kick things off with a densely percussive, out-of-this-world take on "Afro-Voodoo", before Pad re-imagines "Afro Darkness" as a chugging chunk of beatdown-disco laden with colossal chords, arpeggio bass and intergalactic electronics. Over on side B the "Jolly Mare Lifting" version of "Afro Discoteca" is a veritable leftfield disco stomper notable for its low-slung bass and spacey Moog lines, while Luca's "Quirky Version" of "Afro Darkness" is the kind of hallucinogenic, Marimba-tinged number that you can imagine Daniele Baldelli playing at the Cosmic Club circa 1981.
Review: Some 18 months after it appeared on Amp Fiddler's ace "Amp Dog Knights" LP, "Keep Coming" is given the remix treatment by a quartet of hugely talented producers. The headline rework comes from Ninja Tune signee Jayda G, whose effortlessly soulful version not only makes great use of the Detroit veteran's brilliant vocals and keys, but also flits between smoky deep house and sweaty, percussive madness. Elsewhere, Jahn Cloud and Meftah offer up some sweet post R&B beats, Julian Dyne re-casts it as a Latin-tinged chunk of beatdown brilliance and Brenk Sinatra does his best impression of Motor City beat-makers Platinum Pied Pipers.
Review: This is a full artwork version of the same release that dropped recently as a pre-release white label, so will look as good on the shelves as it sounds on the decks. DJ Dez Andres has been particularly productive of late after releasing a series of" records that showcase his signature edits. The collection includes 'Boogie,' a broken beat banger featuring a catchy whistle, followed by 'Maxin',' a sensuous, downtempo track with smooth pads and laid-back beats. The final track, 'Talking,' wraps things up with soulful vocals and a romantic, late-night vibe.
Review: Oooh! Angie Stone's "Wish I Didn't Miss You" definitely belongs in the canon of all time modern soul classics. Taken from her 2001 second album Mahogany Soul, the Swizz Beats produced track made optimum usage of an O' Jays sample and was instrumental in that LP going gold and propelling the former D'Angelo collaborator to stardom. It also inspired countless official and under the counter remixes with Blaze's perhaps the most recognisable. So yes this reissue on 7" from Outta Sight is worthy if you don't have the original in your collection and features a housed up remix from Hex Hector on the flip.
Review: 'Anything Goes Vol. 7' the latest vinyl release EP from Rollover Edit Service, a subsidiary of Anything Goes, is back. Delve into the Italian music scene of the 70s and early 80s with four meticulously edited gems; all four versions here are billed as originals, credited to contemporary producers' hands (Black Pomade, Pablot, etc.) yet are heavily built around each respective sample. Our highlight is the hard-won, twangy B4, 'Prima O Poi Ti Prendero'.
Review: After the roaring success of his last outing here, the '3 Woman EP,' Art Of Tones is back on GAMM with a 12" that brings male ovals to the fore. They are all very different in style but all highly effective. 'International Truth' opens with strident and funky disco drums and noodling guitar lines with soulful tones lighting up the beats. 'Don's Expensive Afro' is a rework of a rare Afro-disco track with more expressive vocals instructing the floor to move. Last of all is a stunning reimagining of an overlooked Stevie Wonder gem, 'Stevland's Run', which is off-balance and unusual funk madness laden with psyched-out guitar work.
Review: Originally released on the cult V4 Visions label in 1991 & 1994, Ashaye's 'Dreaming' and 'What's This World Coming To' epitomised the essence of street soul, a genre blending soul, r&b, and hip-hop that resonated across London's pirate radio stations in the 1990s. With the surge in UK soul's popularity in recent years, DJs and tastemakers have championed these tracks which has in turn elevated their demand and value. 'Dreaming' has become nearly unattainable on the second-hand market, while 'What's This World Coming To' commands prices upwards of L50. Snap up this fully licensed RSD release however and you will have both tracks for an affordable price.
Review: Astral Quartet was a group that changed their name and evolved into Centre El Muusa. They never played live nut managed to record just two tunes back in 2018. Now, five years later, they finally get to see the light of day. They could be 50 years old such is the quality of the musicianship - fusions of jazz and funk that brim with character. The band is made up of Monika Erdman, Rauno Vaher, Volodja Brodsky and Misha Panfilov who mix up cosmic Wurlitzer sounds, languorous synths and fresh drums, turning it into something laidback and psyched on the b-side and more funky and up-beat on the a-side.
Review: If you're a DJ who digs funk, soul and disco, there's a fair chance that you are familiar with Average White Band classic "Pick Up The Pieces", a staple of those kinds of sets - and, of course, hip-hop, where its killer break has been looped countless times over the years - since its initial release in 1974. Should you not own a copy of the distinctive, horn-heavy classic, we'd suggest picking up this reissue, not least because it also boasts the band's lesser-known cover of Ned Doheny classic "Get It Up For Love", featuring vocals from no less than Ben E King, on the flip. Their version of the hazy blue-eyed soul gem sits somewhere between Doheny's original version and the arguably better known Tata Vega disco cover.
Review: 'Good Good Music' and 'Chicago' are two gems taken from Roy Ayers's 1983 disco funk album Silver Vibrations, which was last reissued back in 2019 by BBE. This 7" pairs off two of its most vibey cuts. 'Good Good Music' has mad synth squelchy, big organic disco licks and a diva vocal full of soul. On the flip is a late-night romancer, a slow motion smoother with under vocal wishers, low slung funk bass and rich, golden chords for a luxurious feel. Two very different but equally devastating tunes.
Review: 'Adzagli (Jungle Funk)' and 'A Song For You (Ayawa)' have never before been released on vinyl. Kalita has acquired the rights to do so though so we are now treated to two next-level slices of West African disco from Amsterdam's Kofi Ayivor. They have been taken from his 1981 classic and much sought-after album 'Kofi' and have been cut nice and loud for extra impact. As well as the lively and vibrant, instrument-rich originals, DJ and producer Mendel has cooked up his own remixes of each recording using the original multitrack session tapes. Pure fire.
Review: Legendary Brazilian jazz-funk trio Azymuth drop their latest record 'Arabuta', pointing themselves in a new cardinal direction in sound. The limited 7" brings two new mix version of their recently released 'Arabuta' to the fold, both by fellow producer and Azymuth collaborator Daniel Maunick. Part-dancefloor, part-dub, both versions bring preservative tones, fully circling the resinous Brazilwood tree after which the track is named. The Tupi Guarani word for the endangered tree fuses with deft unperturbed jazz licks, despite the sense of urgency in saving the species, underscoring Azymuth's fusion of timeless Brazilian jazz-funk and cosmic futurism. In more ways than one, this record serves as a symbol of both the value and fragility of Brazil's natural beauty.
Review: The third volume of this series delivers an irresistible blend of funk and 60s-inspired grooves. Side-1 kicks off with a surf-rock-infused funk jam packed with energy and retro vibes. Following that, a swinging 60s sound that combining catchy rhythms and pop sensibilities keeps the momentum going. Side-2 shifts gears a groove-heavy track led by a soulful organ that oozes vintage charm. Closing the collection, there is a gem that features smooth, funk-driven melodies, topped off by a standout sax solo and a subtle British flair. This compilation offers a vibrant mix of styles, perfect for fans of classic funk with a modern twist.
Young Pulse & Fleur De Mur - "Smooth Sweet Talker" (6:53)
Review: Get yourself geared up for festival season with some fierce party starters certified with the Glitterbox stamp. Melvo Baptiste leads the charge with 'Sweat', a sizzling disco house stomper with Dames Brown giving the biggest diva energy on her show-stopping vocal. Lovebirds bring unbridled joy on the Philly string swoon and slinky b-line funk of 'Burn It Down', while Art Of Tones & Inaya Day keep it peak time on the sassy strutter 'Give My Love'. Young Pulse & Fleur De Mur complete the set with 'Smooth Sweet Talker', another bright and bold vocal cut par excellence.
Kool & The Gang - "Give It Up" (DJ Soopasoul edit) (4:02)
Aretha Franklin - "Rock Steady" (DJ Soopasoul edit) (3:30)
Review: Jalapeno jive maestro Soupasoul had another standout year, in 2024 and only heightened his reputation for crafting exceptional edits that bring new life into funk standards and hidden gems. With a sharp focus on the groove-rich breaks, he is back once again with another instalment that will ignite dance floors everywhere. This time his scorching rework of 'Give It Up' spotlights dynamic horn interplay and soulful jazzy choruses and 'Rock Steady' celebrates Aretha's powerful vocals paired with a killer breakbeat. These finely tuned edits honour the originals while adding fresh energy.
Review: Flour Flies embarks on a new series of releases entitled Italian Library Songbook where contemporary artists put their spin on great soundtracks of theist. First to add their own new reinterpretations are Neapolitan producer pAd and London singer-songwriter Jessica Duncan. They tackle Alessandro Alessandroni's 'Philadelphia' and turn out something brilliantly soulful: 'Do You Wanna Get Close' is a lush and club ready sound that is backed with the glorious original on the flip side. This is a promising start to what is sure to be a much loved series.
Review: Earlier this year, DJ Scientist stumbled upon another early Ghia composition tucked away in the depths of a master tape. It was a treasure too precious to remain unheard. Sadly, the original track couldn't see the light of day due to sound quality and issues with the original vocals. To make matters more disappointing, no instrumental version survived. Thus, the only way to share this catchy boogie funk track with the world was to recreate it from scratch. And so, the Ghia saga unfolds once more, but in this chapter, there's a new and unique twist. 'Out Of Luck' draws its roots from the aforementioned lost track, originally composed by the group in 1985. This time, however, the song has been expertly reworked by Marian Tone, with new vocals by Adriano Prestel. The outcome? Quite possibly one of the smoothest and most refreshing modern funk tunes you'll hear this year.
Review: If It Ain't Jazz, we don't know what it has! Back, after a punctuated pause, the label return to dazzle us with their enduring, distinctive brand of instrumental disco-soul razzmatazz, and here we hear Laroye and Aroop Roy rub two heads' choices up the right way, both into phattened, globular, kick-boosted anthems. First comes 'You're A Star', an electroni-cization of Aquarian Dream's 1978 disco explosion, to which Laroye brings much extra shimmy and sway. Then there's Roy's 'Let The Music Play', sampling an unknown (to us) number that - don't get caught off guard - certainly *isn't* Shannon's freestyle hit from 1983. Whatever it is though, it's a banger too!
Time (feat Angela Johnson - 7" Sax intro edit) (4:27)
Review: Micky More & Andy Tee's Groove Culture delivers a fresh spin on jazz-funk classics with a new 7-inch release. The Side-1 features a dj-friendly cover of Lonnie Liston Smith's 'Expansions,' blending disco and house with a funk-driven bassline, soulful vocals, and beautiful keys. On Side-2, it offers a high-energy remake of Light Of The World's 'Time,' featuring Angela Johnson's powerful diva vocals. This track shines with its lively disco vibe, sax intro and dancefloor appeal. Both tracks encapsulate the essence of fun disco and soul and should appeal to a wide range of dance music fans old and young.
Review: Any Omar S release is worth checking, but when it also features Detroit funk godfather and Motor City legend Amp Fiddler, as well as Andre Foxxe of Parliament-Funkadelic, then it's pretty much buy on sight. You never know what you're gaping to get with the FXHE boss, and never was that more true than here on this sweet little 7". A-side 'The First One Hundred' is a loop of Omar S's trademark dusty drums and a deeply buried bass guitar riff that is super funky, and 'Dance Your Blues Away (feat Amp Fiddler)' sounds like Prince making house music in Omar S's studio. They are short, but oh so sweet.
Review: Floating Point and co's Melodies International label makes its first outing of 2022, and what a fine one it is too. It is a much needed reissue of two massive soul and disco gems by singer Al Johnson and Tom Fauntleroy, backed by a cover of the same tune by New York singer Tat Vega who had been active since the 60s and was big in musicals as well as singing to Berry Gordy's Motown. Her vision, a duet with George Curtis Camero, was actually released on her fourth solo album but now comes in handy 7" format for DJs.
Review: Beijing based Leele, Tokyo based S.O.N and Detroit transplant Camille has come together to give you something soothing from Adeen records. Their debut live studio album A Band Of Brothers is a nice warm welcome from the label that's known for house and techno. The late 70's early 80's Japanese fusion jazz influenced offering is split into two discs with one being all jazz, and disc two being remixed into breezy house tracks. Rather is an easy chilled out vibe or a night on the dancefloor, A Band Of Brother got you covered for all occasions.
Review: Jazz Room reissue the infamous first mini-album by Abacothozi. Formed in 1973 by bassist Berthwel Maphumulo, Mac Mathunjwa on organ, Innocent Mathunjwa on drums, Joe Zikhali on guitar, Thema Maboneng was released in 1975, before being almost immediately forgotten. However, a recent rediscovery by diggers and curators Kon & Amir, for their lauded Off The Track Volume Two: Queens compilation, sparked a renewed interest; the South African four-piece shared equal responsibility in writing and arranging these six instrumentals, which are tight and full, and come replete with Hammonds, well-surrounded guitar, and cross-sticking snare hits.
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