Review: Eelco Topper's latest release as FELBM is a conceptual affair, with the Dutch producer delivering a 38-minute piece (here split into two parts for vinyl, each of which finishes with a locked groove to give the impression of the track creating an infinite musical loop) that mixes and matches tape loops, cyclical samples, repeating melodic motifs and pastoral-sounding snatches of flute, bansuri, bass trumpet, saxophone and pedal steel. While the concept, inspired by the artist's thoughts about 'the cyclical nature of the world around him" is important, of more significance is the utter brilliance of the piece itself - a genuinely gorgeous, warming, atmospheric and ambient-leaning concoction tailor-made for imagined afternoons in the countryside and woodland walks at dawn.
Review: A timeless gem from the mid-80s, this ballad is a magical slow jam of its era with a soulful touch that remains irresistible. Produced and written by the legendary duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the song features their unparalleled ability to craft heartfelt melodies and lush arrangements. Its delicate piano-driven sound and tender vocal delivery immediately connect, making it an enduring favorite. Initially featured in the movie Krush Groove, the track quickly outshone its cinematic origins, climbing to number four on the r&b charts and breaking into the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1986. It introduced the group to a wider audience, transcending their early hip-hop and pre-new jack swing roots. Now released on heart-shaped vinyl, this edition feels like a perfect tribute to a song that's all about emotion and connection.
Review: The 1984 classic 'Come Back Lover' by The Fresh Band receives an official remastered reissue from the original tapes. Produced by Darryl Gibbs of The Strikers and expertly mixed by Tony Humphries, this disco boogie gem soared in underground dance clubs across Chicago and New York, championed by DJs like Mancuso, Larry Levan, and Ron Hardy. Are 'N Be (see what they did there?) presents this special re-release on translucent green vinyl featuring two versions mixed by Humphries: the mesmerising original plus the Dub, with deeper, more atmospheric vocals and stunning piano breaks. Do not sleep on this one.
Jorge Ivan Martin - "Yo Tambien" (feat Frank Santiuste - Born74 & Fradinho remix) (4:57)
Fradinho - "Iberica Latina" (4:59)
Review: Eclectic Beats Music is building up a fine head of steam and the sixth outing is a tidy 7" featuring two red-hot Latin broken beat cuts. The opener is a collaborative remix from Born74 and Fradinho who do a superb job of flipping Jorge Ivan Martin's original gem 'Yo Tambien Baile La Conga' into something more contemporary with fresh broken beats, plenty of steamy Latin flavours all finished off in electric fashion with Frank Santiuste's trumpet solos. Flip this one over and you will find Fradinho unearth an easier cut and again update with some compelling broken beats and funk as well as a rich bassline and silky synth solos.
Review: Soul and jazz meet head to head on this new LP from Hot Casa, to truly bring the two genres into their natural alignment. Hola Adisa Farrar is a vocalist who hails from California via Jamaican roots, while Florian Pellissier brings though his Parisian jazz stronghold, and the pair lay down some unmissable Dingwalls-reminiscent gems. In fact, this is the perfect sort of album for those diggers looking for that perfect jazz-funk record, the one that slipped away; the drumming across all of the tracks is hypnotic but changes enough to retain that mysticism, the pianos glide over the melodies in a delicate but playful way, and Farrar's vocals are an utter beauty spilled all over the rhythm. A must have, and a warmly recommended album. Supported by Mukatsuku.
Review: The Blue Land is Matthieu Bordenave's follow-up to his ECM trio debut and sees the addition of British drummer James Maddren, enhancing the ensemble's airy textural canvas with a more urgent, animated feel. Pianist Florian Weber's improvisations set the tone, displaying inventive tension and release. Bordenave's saxophone weaves a lyrical narrative, punctuated by bassist Moret and Maddren's perceptively timed contributions. The album strikes a delicate balance between tonal and abstract elements, as heard on the ominous title track and the meditative 'Cyrus.' With nods to Coltrane's 'Compassion"'and Jarrett-like piano, the ensemble delivers an intriguing and collectively expressive set of chamber ensemble pieces.
Gustav Brom Orchestra - "Calling Up The Rain" (5:32)
Frederic Rabold Crew - "Ride On" (3:28)
Stan Kenton & His Orchestra - "Samba De Haps" (3:56)
Larry Rose Band - "The Sand" (5:25)
Review: The concept behind this new collection on BBE is a simple but effective one: sommelier Frederic Beneix has picked out a selection of wines, and beat maker DJ Cam has dug deep to serve up some rare but fitting musical accompaniments that were produced in the same year. Wine4Melomanes, therefore, is a unique collection of sounds from all over Europe that connects the complexity and sensuality of a tipple with the rhythm and melody of a song. Most are lush and sophisticated jazz cuts that sound good whether you're drinking or not. Delicious.
Review: The vibrant Cuban music scene of the 1970s thrived with creativity, and FA-5's self-titled 1976 album perfectly captures that energy. Part of Mr Bongo's Cuban Classics series, the record blends Latin rock, funk, soul, disco, and Afro-Cuban rhythms into an eclectic and captivating sound. The funk-heavy opener, 'Muevete Con Las Fuerzas Del Corazon' features an infectious bassline, lively horns and drum breaks, setting the tone for a genre-hopping journey. With standout tracks like the Latin disco-funk 'Casa De Ladrillo' and a cover of Commodores' 'Brick House' this hidden gem, which was produced by Tony TaNo, is a must-have for both fans and collectors.
Review: Craft Recordings get back on their curatorially expert business with this serious new reissue from Fania All Stars, the long out-of-print Latin-Soul-Rock. This eight-track gem from the 70s salsa ultragroup (literally; FAS consisted of over 25 members at the height of its fame), released via their own label in 1974, documents the moment at which over 40,000 salsa punters visited New York's Yankee Stadium to catch a glimpse of their talents, alongside a myriad of other Latin greats. Fania All Stars threw a curveball, however, by not only playing pure salsa but blending it with styles like funk and soul, thus sticking out from the crowd and adding a spicier punch. We welcome this record, out via Craft Latino, with alacrity, as it celebrates the 50th anniversary of this 'wow' moment, which deserves to be documented even if solely for its powers of FAS' fusional imagination.
Review: Hailing from Philadelphia, the Eraserhood Sound label has been fostering a particularly cosmic bend of synths and soul music which is primarily rounded out by their in-house band, Fantasy 15. Following a string of on-point singles, the group now coalesce for a hotly anticipated debut album which delivers on the promise of those early drops. Drop in on 'Ray Gun' and let the thick swathes of brain-tickling synths send you stratospheric - this is hot and heavy boogie colliding with the loftiest prog and coming up trumps. There is a luscious vocal cut featuring Kendra Morris, but primarily this is an instrumental trip to take you very far out indeed.
Review: The limited edition deluxe double vinyl release of 'SLO MO' is here, featuring a stunning holographic overlay that matches the album's deep, immersive sound. Freddy's latest studio album is a nine-track journey packed with bass-heavy beats, offering both redemption and resolution. Described by Fitchie, the group's beatmaker, as "Afro rhythmic soul music," 'SLO MO' explores the rich intersection of Black music through a Polynesian lens. This strictly limited pressing is a celebration of rhythm, soul and culture, making it an essential pick-up for vinyl collectors and fans of bold, genre-defying sounds.
Review: With a current tour including a date at London's Brixton Academy, it's safe to say that this New Zealand seven piece are big news. This could have something to do with the universal good times vibes of their output. Here, the self-proclaimed 'heavyweight soul providers' are back with album number three and it sees them delve pushing their sound deeper into the realms of Afrocentric, dubby electronica. Highlights include the brassy, sunny ska of the title track, "Blackbird", the electro-funk of "Silver & Gold" and the pulsating digital disco of "Never Moving".
Review: Celebrated around the world for their contribution to the world of funk and disco, it all began for the Fat Back Band with the debut album Let's Do It Again which now gets reissued on South Bound. It has been out of print for many years and the reissue comes with the full cooperation of Fatback founder Bill Curtis. The album was recorded in 1972 at Blue Rock Studio in New York and includes originals like 'Street Dance' which became a Billboard R&B hit in 1973 plus 'Free Form', 'Take A Ride (On The Soul Train)' , 'Give Me One More Chance', 'Goin' To See My Baby' and the title track. It also comes with cover versions of some classics like Jimmy Webb's 'Wichita Lineman', 'Green Green Grass Of Home' and David Gates's 'Baby I'm A Want You'.
Review: Eglo come through with Yellow Memories, the long awaited debut album from Queen bee Fatima! First popping up on the label run by Alex Nut and Floating Points with a vocal contribution to Kleer by FunkinEven, Fatima's been an undeniably soulful presence on Eglo ever since and they've been teasing fans about the idea of a long player from the singer for what seems lie an aeon! Twelve tracks deep, Yellow Memories features button pushing credits from Eglo mainstays Floating Points and fLako along with Sound Signature boss man Theo Parrish, Sa Ra Creative Partners producer Computer Jay, Stones Throw artist (and Madlib's younger brother) Oh No and the wonderfully named Scoop DeVille. Fatima fans will recognise a few of the tracks on the album, with "Techno" and "Circle" issued last summer whilst the Family 12? released earlier this year featured the fLako produced cuts "La Neta" and "Family". Sink in and soak it up!
Review: This 12" reissue of Fats Gaines Band's 'Zorina' harks back to the group's clean, stark collective funk sound. The band was led by Fats Gaines, a jazz musician and orchestra leader who had a significant presence in the Bay Area music scene since the 1950s. Zorina, meanwhile, is a soul singer from Louisiana who joined the band as their vocalist. Eight tracks of smooth disco-funk careen across an expertly-mixed plane of stereo goodness, with tunes like 'Born To Dance', 'Sweet Freak' and 'For Your Love' sure to dazzle with their clean, synth-bass-heavy "owws".
Review: New Zealand-born Lance Ferguson has been the beating heart of Melbourne's modern funk and soul scene for the best part of two decades. It's this that allowed him to gather many of the city's best musicians together to record "Rare Groove Spectrum", an album of fresh covers of rare and classic funk, soul and Latin jams. There are some killer versions to be found amongst the 11 tracks on offer. We're particularly enjoying the collective's riotous instrumental revision of Pleasure classic "Joyous", the strutting deep funk heaviness of "Egg Roll" (a similarly restless cover of a mysterious but much-played cut that should be familiar to dusty-fingered diggers and knowledgeable dancers) and the sumptuous summer breeze that is the combo's meandering take on Earth, Wind and Fire staple "Brazilian Rhyme". It is, though, all superb.
Review: Habibi Funk present a legendary Lebanese work from Issam Hajali's group Ferkat Al Ard. This groundbreaking release from 1978 is a truly international affair, as Arab, jazz, folk and Brazilian styles criss-cross with flair under the arrangement guidance of Ziad Rahbani. The sound moves between pop and psych to touches of bossa nova and tropicalia. For diggers who have been after this record for some time, it's worth noting the band insisted on two tracks being excluded which were on the original version, but they have been replaced by the equally stunning 'Juma;a 6 Hziran'. This is a gem of Lebanese musical history, and a quintessential release in the ever-essential research undertaken by Habibi Funk.
Review: Ferry Djimmy is quite the character - he is a mysterious Afrobeat figure who also was a former schoolteacher, boxer, Jacques Chirac's bodyguard, and well as being a legendary Beninese musical visionary. He recorded this album sometime in the mid-1970s in support of the revolutionary leader of Benin at the time - Mathieu Kerekou. A fire is reported to have turned all but 200 copies to dust so it is mega rare and expensive to get an original. Acid Jazz reissues it here in all its fiery, lo-fi, gnarly Afrobeat glory. This is a fully licensed project with all new and in-depth sleeve notes by Florent Mazzoleni.
Review: By the time he recorded "Brazilian Dorian Dream" in 1976, Brazilian composer, musician, producer and bandleader Manfedo Fest had already worked on countless bossa-nova, samba and jazz albums, both in the United States and his native Brazil. Yet the album, which Far Out has now reissued, is like nothing else he recorded before or after - and not just because it was based on "the principle of the modal diatonic scales of the Dorian mode". Musically, it's deliciously vibrant and colourful, combining elements of his native Brazilian samba and bossa-nova with Azymuth style jazz-funk, American jazz-fusion, and futuristic, then cutting edge synthesizer sounds. Above all, though, the album strikes a near perfect balance between funkiness and the sweet sunniness that defines some of the greatest Brazilian music.
Review: 17 albums deep and Lee Fields still has something to say. Arm in arm with longstanding band The Expressions, the troupe dig deep an impeccable roll of soul: The soft harmonies and yearning horns of "I'm Coming Home", the light electronic elements on the rhythm of the hazy, laidback torch song "Never Be Another You", the swooning blues of "Let Him In", the almost highlife sparkle to the guitars on "Where Is The Love"... Each of the ten tracks hits with a freshness, energy and realness that few - if any - 70s troubled troubadours could muster. Essential.
Review: One of Norway's finest jazz artists, Alex Figueira, shares a surprise mini-album via Jazzaggression, whose solar-punky, psychedelic description of the record is as gleeful as the implied beam of light which emanates from behind the artist's front-cover printed visage, and on which the warped art nouveau typography detailing its title wafts: "a vibrant fusion of tropical rhythms layered with a dazzling array of synth-driven psychedelia." Said to have played every instrument on the LP himself, Figueira's ends are irreverent and sun-soaking; his ultra-obscure Norweigan tropical music scene is married well to the all-improv, time-pressed nature of the recordings going in, all of which were immured and hothoused behind the walls of Utrecht's Studio Pelto.
Review: Kelly Finnigan's A Lover Was Born channels the raw energy and emotion of classic Midwest soul, evoking the spirit of labels like King and Curtom with a contemporary twist. The Monophonics frontman offers a collection of tracks that blend gritty passion with heartfelt elegance, transforming deep emotions into something virtuous and timeless. Following his 2019 solo debut The Tales People Tell, Finnigan's new album marks the culmination of years of creative growth, punctuated by a string of projects, including Monophonics releases and collaborative work with other artists. Recorded across California, Ohio, and Staten Island, A Lover Was Born sees Finnigan partnering with longtime friends and collaborators like Max and Joe Ramey, Jimmy James, and Sergio Rios, to craft its rich sound. The album is a variety of influences, with tracks like 'Get a Hold of Yourself' and 'Chosen Few' featuring Northern Soul's stomping energy, while slower, soulful cuts like 'Let Me Count the Reasons' and 'Count Me Out' showcase Finnigan's tender side. His voice, echoing the rawness of Otis Redding and David Ruffin, brings depth to every song, seamlessly blending soul's past with a fresh, modern sensibility.
Review: Eddie Fisher's The Promise is a rare and under-the-radar 1985 session from the East St. Louis guitarist, best known for The Next One Hundred Years and The Third Cup. Though never a mainstream star, Fisher's legacy has grown through the years, thanks to DJs and crate diggers who uncovered his unique blend of boogie, jazz and funk. Released on his own Nentu label, The Promise remains one of the most elusive records in his catalogue, a boogie jazz funk essential that has been long out of print.
One For My Baby (And One More For The Road) (4:18)
Who's Sorry Now (3:24)
I'm Getting Sentimental Over You (2:37)
Reach For Tomorrow (2:24)
Review: Ella Fitzgerald remains one of the most prominent voices in jazz and her album Let No Man Write My Epitaph, released by Acoustic Sounds in the early 60s, showcases the timeless brilliance of the legendary star. This new reissue on nice heavyweight wax from Verve brings forth the magic of Fitzgerald's voice in its purest form and allows you to revel in the emotional depth and vocal mastery that marked her career. With exquisite arrangements, poignant lyricism, and Fitzgerald's unparalleled delivery, the album captures the essence of jazz as a living, breathing art form. What's more, Acoustic Sounds ensures a high-fidelity experience making this an even more essential trip into the enchanting world of Ella Fitzgerald.
Review: Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie! was recorded in 1961 on Verve, and it captures all-time jazz great Ella Fitzgerald as most people of the time got to hear her live, backed up by a quartet. There are some essential soulful standards included in this set such as 'A Night In Tunisia' and 'Cry Me A River', while the title track is a sprightly burst of swinging sunshine typical of the early bebop period. Faithfully transferred from analogue tapes and pressed to heavyweight vinyl, this is a fine document of Fitzgerald's immense talent and natural charisma in its rawest form.
Review: Young Turks clearly believe that Tahlilah Barnett, formerly known as Twigs (hence the FKA Twigs pseudonym) is a star in the making. They plucked her from obscurity last year and have since released a number of highly regarded singles. This debut album expands on her EPs to date, showcasing her woozy, intricate take on post-R&B. Naturally, her vocals - fragile and evocative, sounding not unlike Kate Bush on occasions - take centre stage, riding a bed of layered-up head-nodding rhythms, post dubstep grooves, trip-hop soundscapes, fizzing electronics and bubbling synthesizers. It's an intoxicating brew, all told, and one that delivers further proof of Barnett's immense potential.
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