Favorite France Vinilo y CD

Review: Brazilian artist Lucas Arruda, is fast becoming a regarded figure in the Latin scene. 'Ominira' is his latest long player that once again, finds a home on the French label Favorite Recordings. An album full of rich sounding musical textures that cross boundaries and bridge many genres such as Latin, soul, house, jazz and pop. The vibrant summer jams 'The Bravest Heart' and 'Novos Planos' are A-side standouts that will surely excite veteran and new listeners alike, who are into World music. '4:28' and 'The Mountain' start the second side with some catchy instrumentals that give off memorable beachy 70s vibes. ' Projecoes' closes the album with one of the most soulful performances of the album. All and all, you have a wonderful sounding jazzy grooved piece that ups the expectation of what a Latin jazz album can be. Cafe Del Mar approved!

Review: Eagle eyed diggers might have spotted Camarao Orkestra's excellent Nacao Africa 12" single dropping last year on Favorite Recordings. Now the promise of that single has been followed up with this wonderful album - a scintillating blend of Latin jazz, funk, samba, Afrobeat and much more besides. The playing is second to none, not least the gorgeous Rhodes on "Dia De Verao", and the energy pivots nimbly across these seven tracks to make for a varied but cohesive listen. Uptempo "Guerreiro Yoruba" is an infectious stomper, while "Copacabana" captures a cool 70s funk vibe that wouldn't sound out of place on a Rufus & Chaka Khan record. With the title track bringing the perfect laid back party flavour too, there's a lot to savour on this album, not least while the sun is shining.

Review: Favourite Records' new reissues series come with a new concept; each classic track comes with an exclusive bit of artwork on each side of the 12" sleeve. This time, they compile two speedy funk tracks from Crystal and J.E.K.Y.S.; 'Funky Biguine' is an homage to the French ballroom style of the same name, from which it draws influence, while 'Looking For You' is a devotional dream from J.E.K.Y.S., a French band singing in English. Slick, quick, and affecting stuff.

Review: Esperanto is widely heralded as a Venezuelan jazz-Ffsion masterpiece. It was first released in 1980 and is a real collector's item that is hard to find an expensive. French label Favourite now presents a first ever reissue of the eponymous LP that was recorded in Caracas by a number of talented musicians. It has strong Latin and funk overtones. Squelchy synth sounds and is a must-have for anyone interested in this fine fusion sound. The band started off playing jam sessions that grew ever more refined to the point that they eventually lay down this enduring masterclass.

Review: Bars on the French Riviera, beaches in Cannes, hot sunny weather, mesmerising deep-blue seas and lovely leafy palm trees all come to mind once you drouth need on this latest 12" slice heat from Favourite France. Magic Source do a great job of musical transportation here particularly with 'Genius of Love' which is a riff on the Tam Tam girls classic. The tropical island beats and funky bass riffs all douse you in good vibes while a lead flute takes your mind up, up and away into a cloudless sky. 'Riviera Drive' is slight more dance effort ready with its rump-wiggling trumpets, exotic synths and Balearic disco vibes.

Review: One Bjorn Wagner is the mastermind behind the cosmic disco project Magic Source, a natural follow-on after the acclaimed funk outfits Mighty Mocambos and Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band. Voyage Spectral is his second album under the alias, following Earthrising in 2016. It's a dazzling display of synth-laden grooves, inspired not least by the rare and obscure cosmic disco bits made by relatively anonymous artists for European music libraries. Minimal, princely, fast disco cuts like 'Speed Boat To Atlantis' embematize the feel of this album and Wagner's oeuvre, as they nail the chilled-out psychedelic fantasy of magic-carpetting to far-off mythical worlds.

Review: On his fourth exploration of the world of global "Adult Oriented Rock", French crate-digger Charles Maurice focuses on the period between 1977 and '86. That means a greater emphasis on synthesizers, dusty drum machines and the kind of sparkling melodies that would once have drifted from daytime radio at an alarming rate. There's much to enjoy throughout, from the dewy-eyed synth-soul of Arlana's "When You Call My Name" and the breezy boogie of Omega Sunrise's "Too Hip", to the sparse Balearic bliss of Isabelle Mayereau's "Orange Bleue", the flute-laden easy listening hum of Fernando Toussaint, the sax-happy '80s sleaze of Special Occasion's brilliant "Flyin' To Santa Barbara" and the jaunty Latino jazz-funk of "Mellow Out" by Pacific Dreams.

Review: Favorite Recordings' superb Disco Boogie Sounds series continues. Following Waxist's recent exploration of French productions from the period, they've decided to drop a second collection of high-grade Brazilian material. Renowned crate-digger Charles Maurice has done a terrific job of gathering together dusty, obscure cuts that perfectly encapsulate Brazilian musicians' sun-kissed, soulful approach to disco and boogie. Highlights are naturally plentiful, and include the starry, jazz-funk tinged warmth of Christina Camargo's "Minas Do Rei Salomao", the Chic style brilliance of Almir Ricardi's "To Parado Na Tua", and the cosmic, horn-heavy leftfield disco thrills of Kaito's "Cara Feia".

Review: Favorite Recordings returns with the second edition of its compilation series: Fusion Global Sounds. Comprising eight rare and hidden tracks produced between 1976 and 1984 in various parts of the world, this hot-off-the-plate comp delivers a mighty-fine array of dynamic, soul-feeding jazz, soul, disco, jazz and funk delicacies. As a fine collector of jazz-funk and fusion for many years, curator Charles Maurice can be credited for sourcing the ingredients for and cooking up this fine spread of forgotten entrees, this time brought together by a common Brazilian influence.

Review: Favorite Recordings founder Charles Maurice - initially better-known by his production alias Pascal Rioux - has long been regarded as a dusty-fingered crate digger, so his new compilation series, Fusion Global Sounds, is hotly anticipated. He says it will be an outlet for jazz-funk and fusion tracks of the 1970s and early '80s, mostly made by artists in different parts of the world whose fame never spread further than their own local scenes. You'll find numerous highlights on the series' debut, from the breezy, morning-fresh loveliness of Renato Anselmi's 'Hello Mr Acuvis' and the sun-soaked, afternoon shuffle of The 1960 Band's 'Keep That Same Old Feeling', to the dream pop-influenced sparkle of Otoshakers' 'Simpere Tu' and the righteous dancefloor hedonism of Sundance's 'Buster'.

Review: As he has done three times before, Gallic crate digger Charles Maurice has dipped into his vast record collection and offered up a killer selection of French disco-boogie sounds. The 13 assembled tracks are mostly obscure and uniformly superb, making picking individual highlights an infuriatingly tricky task. Our favourites change daily, but we're currently enjoying the tropical disco brilliance of Dwight Druick's cover of "Georgy Peorgy (Disco Version)", the synth-sporting electrofunk cheeriness of Serge Delisle's "Germaine (Remix)", the thrusting P-funk hustle of Acayouman's "Funk Around" and the near Balearic warmth of "Braziliana" by Aries. As the old expression (sort of) goes, Maurice has once again delivered all killer and no filler.

Review: Sounds like it came out of Lagos in 1971, actually written and recorded in Lyon in 2015: Voilaaa is the brainchild of Bruno Hovart whose long relationship with Favorite goes way back to his days as Patchworks, Mr President and The Dynamics. Recording on a whole host of vintage machines and calling upon local African singers both cuts have a real authentic sense of realness; "Spies Are Watching Me" drives with big horns and swooning strings which isn't dissimilar to the work of The Movers, while the TY Boys-esque "Le Disco Des Capitales" is a heavier, more concentrated slab of floor-minded disco where the groove takes more of a forefront role. Apparently there's a whole album of this cooking... We can't wait to hear it.