Emotional Rescue Vinilo y CD

Review: Emotional Rescue can be relied on to dig up obscure, left of centre dance gems and serve them up to newer, wider audiences. Adu's reggae-pop cut 'Burkina Faso' is a great example, re-purposed for the dancefloor without any of its original flavour lost in the overhaul. A
South Saharan/West African emigre to Brixton, Rauf Adu would go on to fairly sizeable European fame with the Eddy Grant-esque 'Human To Human'. This, however, is his 1982 debut for Copasetic Records, another reggae-pop inspired, ludicrously catchy effort with scorched electric guitar and a Compass Point-style drum/bassline providing rhythmic rocksteadiness. As well as the buffed up original, there's a dub mix, which gives his beautiful guitar plenty of room to breathe, and an appearance from the Isle of Jura Sound System boss Kevin Griffiths , whose remix completes the trio of mixes.

Review: Betty & The Code Red is a life and creative partnership between Benin-born Tunde Obazee and his girlfriend Betty. The pair grew up in Nigeria and would play all manner of instruments to entertain people at the local school before staying together as they went on to live in Italy and the US. Obazee performed at colleges and universities despite no formal training and eventually recorded a selection of tunes together including a small album on relatively new bits of gear like the Yamaha RX7. Especial has collated some of their best work across two new EPs, this being one of them.

Review: There is always a good backstory to the music that Emotional Rescue releases and this EP is a case in point. It comes from Betty & The Code Red and Betty was the girlfriend of Tunde Obazee, a Nigerian-born artist who used music as a "non-violent tool to express his socio-political opinions on global injustice." The pair would entertain people on campus by playing anything they could get their hands on, informed by the old Edo folk songs they had grown up around. They went on to live in Italy and the US and start a family as well as lay down self-released songs that have become cult classics. A selection of them feature on this, the first of two EPs from the pair.

Review: Noted reggae vocalist Barry Biggs comes under the Emotional Rescue microscope here with celebrated LA digger Patrick Billard aka DJ Duckcomb remixing one of his cuts. First up is the original version of 'Illusion' which has big pianos over the clean digital dub. The soaring vocal is obscured by plenty of lush effects and melodies. After a version twists and contorts the original, the DJ Duckcomb Discomix slows things down and ups the dazzling disco vibes but keeps the dub dubby bottom end to ensure plenty of dance floor impact. This is a classy one as ever from this label.

Review: As one of the finest and most stylishly eclectic labels out there, you never know where Emotional Rescue will go next. This time out they head into a world of Afro-cosmic, a scene initially pioneered by early and groundbreaking Italian DJ Danielle Baldelli. Boyake's 1990 gem 'Ethno Groove' stands out as a classic of the genre and joins the dots between the early house and techno sounds that were sweeping Italy with new age ideals, Afro drums and chunky tribal percussion next to Balearic synths. It features syncopated analogue beats and live percussion and as well as the original, this 12" features two of the further mixes that came in 1994. All are heady, head-turning and mind-melting pumpers.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


As one of the finest and most stylishly eclectic labels out there, you never know where Emotional Rescue will go next. This time out they head into a world of Afro-cosmic, a scene initially pioneered by early and groundbreaking Italian DJ Danielle Baldelli. Boyake's 1990 gem 'Ethno Groove' stands out as a classic of the genre and joins the dots between the early house and techno sounds that were sweeping Italy with new age ideals, Afro drums and chunky tribal percussion next to Balearic synths. It features syncopated analogue beats and live percussion and as well as the original, this 12" features two of the further mixes that came in 1994. All are heady, head-turning and mind-melting pumpers.

Review: Group Du Jour was founded in Portland, Oregon in 1983 and have had a storied career spanning the decades since. They have always brought together live, ethnic, and electronic sounds with folk and modern pop, later getting ever more experimental. Early albums Forgotten Colors in 1986 and Wonderful Vision in 1988 are groundbreaking affairs, the latter of which gave rise to 'Motion Of Waves', which is something of a cult favourite for deep diggers. It is a rich instrumental groove that layers up synthesiser, flute, guitar and haunting vocals sitting over a brilliantly electric beat. The whole thing was a live one-take recording and is perfectly suited to both sunset and sunup moments of dancing pleasure.

Review: South African Warrick Sony is a ground breaking composer who was behind the Kalahari Surfers project which now gets a vital spotlight courtesy of Emotional Rescue. This compilation shows how effortlessly eclectic his sound was - from jive rhythms to jazz, tabla to political speeches and much more in between. A Hindu pacifist who was once conscripted into the South African Defense Force, he founded this group as a way out getting his ides out there, calling on other musicians as and when he needed them. It was the first radical white anti-apartheid pop in South Africa and as this vital collection shows it explored polyrhythms, slow motorik, dub sound collage and even a goofy cover of Nancy Sinatra.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent working condition***


Elaine Kibaro is a French singer who grew up in Tunisia before enjoying a reasonably productive career in the late 70s and through the 80s. Emotional Rescue caught on to her fine contributions to the disco world via the Pour L'Amour collection, and now they offer up a pair of alternative cuts that add to the overall legacy of her career peak. "Fajrann" is a re-vocalled version of Kibaro's biggest hit "Aurore" sung in Arabic, speaking to her Tunisian roots, while "Ne Doute Pas" appears in its instrumental form for those who want the punchy Linn Drum beats and dazzling synth lines in all their glory.

Review: Emotional Rescue's vital Konduko reissue series sadly comes to an end here with a look at the label's final years. In those days it moved away from reggae, disco and boogie towards an enduring electro sound that had a vast and lasting impact on the Miami scene. The biggest tune from that time was when Noel Williams linked with local songwriter Lawrence Dermer aka Der Mer for the track reissued here. 'Fall Out' soon became a hit with its driving electro-funk rhythms. The original sits next to the later Fresh '86" mix as well as a NAD disco mix from Dan Tyler, best known as one of the Idjut Boys. It's an irresistible package of body-popping electro with hooks for days.

Review: Here comes Emotional Rescue and Konduko's last in their series of Noel Williams/King Sporty reissues, this time looking at later electro productions and the hip-hop/boogie influenced 'Sun Country'. Vocals and co-production come from Williams' long-time partner Betty Wright and as well as a vocal and instrumental mix there's a longform remix by Bay Area disco dub stalwarts, 40 Thieves.
By this point in his career, the godfather of Miami Bass had travelled a long way from his Jamaican roots in reggae and soul, paying homage to the warm climbs of the Sunshine State and laying down a much copied template using the TR-808 drum machine create the electronic emulations of the breakbeat, claps accenting the backbeat and trademark low frequencies shaking the floorboards. The instrumental stretches the arrangement, emphasising the interplay between electronics, bass, vocal samples, scratching and fx, the voice transformed into a percussive element in its own right. The flip sees 40 Thieves flexing their understated understanding of electro funk, making for a rounded, generation-jumping package.

Review: The last of the Konduko series from Emotional Rescue arrives now and quite possibly it is the best of the lot from Noel Williams. His 'Fantasy' saw him work with Larry Dermer aka Der Mer on what is an effective and catchy electro jam that operates at the higher end of the tempo chart with some classic vocoder vocal action to really make it pop. Despite being released originally in 1984 this one still bangs with its emulated TR-808 beats and nagging melodies. The instrumental heightens that and then the Jonny Rock Discomix shuts down with long-form rework that shows why the DJ, editor and all-round amiable bloke is so well regarded.

Review: King Sporty is something of a chameleonic artists, not that many people know. He started out int he 70s making reggae and soul 7"s, then moved into disco, boogie, hip-hop and electro 12"s during the 80s, and then when house music hit in the 90s he evolved once more. This new drop from Emotional Rescue takes a tune from that late era. 'Computer Music' is four to the floor with electro influences and a lazy break that pull you in deep. Far-sighted chords bring a serene sense of cosmic majesty while a filtered vocal adds space age vibes. A dub is included as well as the Universal Cave Discomix by the Philadelphia DJ and production crew. A retro-future EP indeed..

Review: ***B-STOCK: Torn sleeve, otherwise in excellent working condition***


Having just reissued the wonderful "Jumpcut" album from overlooked mid '80s dreamers Man Jumping, Emotional Rescue offer up some tasteful remixes to build on the rediscovered delights of the original material. Who better than label regulars Khidja to bring their innate instinct for outernational funk to the table. Taking the ranging, mystical idea mood of the originals, the Romanian duo lead in with a laid back, subtly dubbed out island chiller on "Walk On, Bye". Be prepared for a switch up though, as "Down The Locale" weaves in some nimble piano work around a more pronounced rhythm section.

Review: Emotional Rescue is at it again with another fully licensed and remastered offering, this time bringing to wax Mataya's Golddigger with a previously digital-only 'tape Mix.' Zimbabwe-born and later London-based Mataya "Clifford" Chewaluza was a core part of the vibrant West London music scene, using his songwriting, production and multi-instrumentalist skills on albums for RCA and Virgin. He also dropped a few 12"s and this one was released in 1988. It's a cult curio with crashing 80s production, disco-tinged grooves and plenty of subtle African rhythm which includes a standout dub mix from Jura Soundsystem.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


REPRESS ALERT: Emotional Rescue continues its Dancefloor series apace with this choice reissue of an early deep house gem outside the usual thoroughfare of Chicago house history. Produced by Andrew Komis, "It's You" is a 1989 update of the ESP classic of the same name, and its various mixes have been cult favourites with all kinds of DJs for many years. The "New York - London Mix" is a stripped back slice of sensuality with a killer bassline and lean and mean drums behind the sultry vocal, whereas the "Free House Mix" takes a turn into bubbling electro and acid without losing that smouldering sassiness. The "NU Style Mix" is an added treat that places the emphasis on the drums, screaming out for some seriously creative mixing.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Torn sleeve, otherwise in excellent working condition***


Emotional Rescue returns for a third series of Konduko lost classics. After shining a light via the King Sporty and Noel Williams reissues, we're now looking at artists who released with the label, working closely with Williams to bring his unique sound to their performance. First up are Phillip James and Lloyd Campbell, a.k.a. The Blues Busters. One of the most successful vocal duos to come out of 1960's Jamaica. Progressing from cabaret shows to touring with Sam Cooke in the space of a year, they went on to record singles with the likes of Bluebeat, Treasure Isle and Trojan.

Moving onto New York, their Cooke inspired soul harmonies proved popular on albums for Dynamic Sounds and Scepter, before making the flight to Miami and letting the funk-machine that was Noel Williams loose. The resultant album, 'You've Got To Keep On Moving' offers the two highly prized songs; 'Do What You Want To Do To It' and 'Keep On Moving'.

These driving disco-funk bombs - backed by the in-house Deep Root Rockers band and Betty James on vocals - appear for the first time on 12". The B-side, as always, is given to a favoured producer - the welcomed back Dan Tyler (Idjut Boys / Noid) and his NAD moniker. He turns Keep On Moving in to an unrelenting long-form disco-dub that could just be an anthem for a new summer of love.

Review: Emotional Rescue turn their attention to Rare Silk and their sublime cult classic "Storm". It's one of those rare tracks with a wonderful otherworldly quality that manages to be smooth and accessible, and somehow not like anything you've ever heard before. It must be somewhere in the mix, between the dreamy harmonized vocals, lush instrumentation and curious sense of space. The original on the A side is a treat enough, but then throw in a mercurial dubbed out version by Arp on the flip and you've got yourself a 12 inch portal to a most delightful dimension.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Original sleeve missing otherwise in excellent condition***


Emotional Rescue turn their attention to Rare Silk and their sublime cult classic "Storm". It's one of those rare tracks with a wonderful otherworldly quality that manages to be smooth and accessible, and somehow not like anything you've ever heard before. It must be somewhere in the mix, between the dreamy harmonized vocals, lush instrumentation and curious sense of space. The original on the A side is a treat enough, but then throw in a mercurial dubbed out version by Arp on the flip and you've got yourself a 12 inch portal to a most delightful dimension.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Original outer sleeve missing, otherwise perfect working condition***

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged & record ever so slightly warped, otherwise in excellent condition***


Emotional Rescue continue to mine hidden corners of esoteric music to bring your rarified delights in a freshly mastered form. This time the label has turned to cult Spanish label Auxilio De Ciento, who have been quietly picked up by more tuned in heads for their excellent new wave, synth pop and industrial wares. La Caida De La Casa Usher present the most abrasive material on here, but largely it's a relaxed affair. You can lose yourself in the bubbling synthesizer goodness of Bene Gesserit and Danny Alias, or trip out to the pattering drums of Zazou, Nodland, Lema.

Review: Emotional Rescue looks to the newly rebuilt but still very much culturally separate East and West Germany of the 1980s with this new EP. It's dub reggae through a post-punk and alternative lens by Hanover artists Felix Holter aka Dubvisionist. All these cuts have a very live, improvised feel because father way he worked from rhythms first and jammed endlessly before adding the vocals. They are taken from their 1987 release 10 Tracks Of Reggae & Dub Music which was inspired by the great Adrian Sherwood label On-U Sound label, and you can hear that clearly.