Kay Dee US Vinilo y CD

Review: Kay-Dee Records comes at us with a 45 double-hitter, presenting Bert Hector's 'The Phoenix' and 'The Kraken' with Kenny Dope on remix duties. On the first record, we're treated to 'The Phoenix', a sure-fire funk gem with a super-warm sound - beat is as cool as it gets, with a laid-back and funky attitude sitting beneath a joyous intermingling of sitar, flute, brass and guitar, all performed at expert levels. 'The Kraken', meanwhile, channels a killer groove, strutting at 85 bpm and incorporating a huge brass section which pumps loud, while flute solos and funky Wah-guitar chops take things up a notch.

Review: Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez is still undergoing a thorough reissuing-reassessment of his finest breaks clasts courtesy of Kay Dee, who've here trowelled deep into his vault for a formerly unreleased cut threading the needle between hip-hop breaks and dancehall grit. 'Every DJ' lands back on 7", flipping a vocal sample from Cutty Ranks' 'The Stopper' into a punchy, bass-heavy instrumental built for crossfader work. It's Dope in classic form: tough drums, deep pockets, and just enough swagger to keep things bouncing.

Review: A rare and new dose of lightness in master-at-work Kenny Dope's otherwise breaks-massive catalogue, as he's heard teaming up with Daniel Rojo for 'Que Se Sepa Pt. 1 & 2', a two-part single on his own Kay-Dee Records. Pulsing with Latin breaks vigour, the tune draws inspo from Roberto Roena's classic cover, fat-stacking tropical percs and pipping beats. Unobvious salsa vibes extend over the otherwise minimal beats as if by insinuation, while Daniel Rojo's vocals down anchor on said set of otherwise free-floating beats. Another wicked one from Kay-Dee, continuing his/its its tradition of spotlighting Latin-infused sounds.

Review: Here comes Master At Work legend and notorious funk collector Kenny Dope's Top Ten Billboard Club Hit 'Be Your Freak' on its own 45rpm. It features vocals from Josh Milan of Honeycomb and is a blistering house cut for the peak time. The wiry synths encircle the groove, while distorted bass and slamming kicks all amp up the energy. As well as the expansive and expressive original, the flip-side features the paired-back instrumental version.

Review: A tribute to who, you may ask? "J Dilla" is the immediate answer on Kidzblock's latest fidgety A-side, and their first to manifest as a 7" on their very own Kay-Dee Records. The house production duo may be new kids on the block, but their handicraft betrays a much abler quad of ears than the "up-and-coming house production duo" might suggest to the undiscerned. 'The Tribute' riffles with gospel tremolos in the back and parping filter-saw bounces in the front, bringing a real heat that holds truly to the essence of the word "bounce".

Review: 'I'll Take You There' by Leon Mitchison, featuring mixes from Kenny Dope, is a standout release from Kay-Dee Records, in a rare label head-to-head with Now-Again Records. This special edition tosses us an unreleased remix from Kenny Dope, infusing his signature funk-in-the-trunk style into an authentic and primally mixed track, working directly from Mitchison's original 8-track tapes. Acclimatising the first's deeper grooves to Dope's dope, breaks-heavy production, the artist is truly deft at upcycling vintage sonic garms.