Back catalogue: Soul

Review: During the latter stages of the "Philly Soul" era, New York remixer Tom Moulton delivered a string of inspired, DJ friendly reworks for the Philadelphia International label. For proof, check this fine selection of classic Moulton mixes for the storied imprint. Check first his version of Archie Bell and the Drells' "Where Will You Go When The Party's Over", which he brilliantly teases out and increases in intensity over nine spellbinding minutes. The funkier flex of People's Choice's "Jam, Jam, Jam (All Night Long)" is a sweaty, low-down treat, while the Teddy Pendergrass rework is a soaring disco classic in the Philly Soul style. Best of all, though, is the string-drenched disco celebration that is his mix of Lou Rawls' "See You When I Git There".

Review: Brit-boogie obscurity alert! You might not be familiar with La Famille - a short-lived group established by jazz guitarist Alan Weekes, whose members also included then future Soul 2 Soul singer Caron Wheeler and a pre-fame Cleveland Watkiss - but in 'Dancer', they made one of the loveliest jazz-funk/boogie crossover records of the early 1980s. Originally a white label-only release and near impossible to find since, the record has long been crying out for a reissue. It has all the ingredients you'd expect - squelchy synth-bass, soulful vocals, leisurely jazz guitars, drum machine beats and an overriding sense of musical sweetness - and is presented in equally essential vocal and instrumental mix variations.

Review: After her magnetic debut EP for Running Circle in 2017, Nottingham's Yazmin Lacey lands on our charts with her follow-up 12", a piece of work that sounds deeply accomplished and expansive for being her second EP to date. Largely roaming within the jazzo-sphere, When The Sun Dips 90 Degress is a beautifully seductive five-tracker, with the artist's voice reigning supreme over the cascading showers of piano keys and subtle electronics, somehow tapping into the Alice Coltrane sort of vibe. There's no harp here, but plenty of soulful charisma. Fear not thy devout jazz fanatic - this can get real deep and real smooth. It's a broken beat fan's dream some true. More from Lacey is, indeed, expected in the remainder of the year. Marvellous stuff.

Review: Late Nite Tuff Guy's Soul Cut #04 offers three expertly crafted edits that breathe new life into classic 70s tracks, blending disco, jazz, funk, and pop into a seamless listening experience. On Side-1, 'Beijo' sets the tone with a smooth, disco-infused reimagining of Earth, Wind & Fire's classic interlude. The track has a light funk undercurrent, creating a vibe that's perfect for dancing all night, with a Balearic twist that adds a fresh touch to the original. Side-2 kicks off with 'Sunshine,' a tasteful edit of Roy Ayers' iconic 'Everyone Loves the Sunshine.' Late Nite Tuff Guy maintains the soulful essence of the original while adding his own groove, making it a perfect summer anthem. The EP closes with 'U Got It Bad,' a rendition of Stevie Wonder's 'You've Got It Bad Girl,' reworked into a smooth, jazzy track that's both nostalgic and timeless. An excellent 12" for fans of classic disco, funk and jazz, with a modern twist.

Review: Acid Jazz presents a special edition 12" EP, 'Extended Versions', offering an expanded look at the album's tracks, showcasing the featured musicians and collaborators. Producer Tristan Longworth has crafted these extended versions, allowing the music to breathe and the players to shine. The late Pat West's performance on 'Anything' is given ample room to resonate, while Nigel Price's stunning guitar intro on 'Don't Forget About Love' takes centre stage. Elsewhere, backing vocals and Mick Talbot's gospel-tinged organ elevate Leah Weller's 'Everyday Summer' to ecstatic heights. The Lee-Talbot co-write 'Walk Away' features an extended play-out, highlighting Nigel Price's classy jazz guitar playing. This EP isn't just a collection of extended mixes; it's a celebration of musicianship and collaboration. It's a chance to hear these songs in a new light, to appreciate the nuances and subtleties that might be missed on the album versions.

Review: The Leo Zero Edit Archive is here, you can safely assume, to serve up edits from the vast archives of Leo Zero. The first volume is a doozy that kicks off with 'Love Affair' - a lazy and low sung funk burner with noodling bass riffs and a glorious vocal full of happiness. 'Let Me Love U' has a yearning male vocal that is as lovestruck as they come over more leggy mid tempo beats. 'Easy Does It' is defined by its superb string stabs and rolling drums and 'For A Living' closes out with a more house learning disco beat that is fat and fantastic. We can't wait for more.

Review: You'll find few jazz-funk era rays of sonic sunshine better than 'Give Me The Sunshine', the career highlight of relatively short-lived American soul band Leo's Sunshipp. It originally opened their 1978 debut album, We Need Each Other, but later became something of an anthem throughout the UK on the jazz-funk and rare groove scenes. If you don't already own a copy, you should cop one of these reissues. The full six-minute version of the track featured on the A-side is little more than a languid bob through sun-soaked pastures full of liquid bass, simmering strings, whistling synth lines and a smooth, ear-catching lead vocal. Also worth a listen is flipside 'Back For More', a more up-tempo modern soul club cut that's not quite as incendiary but every bit as alluring,

Review: Peoples Potential Unlimited comes through with more reissue gold! Were you to invest in an original copy of "I Like The Way You Do It" you'd need a spare couple of hundred quid in the sky rocket. PPU present the original sultry boogie version and a Tom Noble edit either side of an orange stickered 12 inch.

Review: Part of a fresh string of reissues of Love & Unity 12"s - one of many star aliases to grace the annals of South London reggae label Studio 16 - comes this headfirst collision between L&U and Seargent Pepper. Sharing similar instrumentals, 'I Just Don't Care' hears a blissful femme soprano glide elegantly across its bubblings - the instrumental is super well-rounded, sawn-off. On the B-side, meanwhile, there's Pepper's 'Cut From Master Tape', which hears Pepper toast the rhythm lackadaisically, as endlessly hazy dub effects resound and a janky double-time kick propels it all forward.

Review: 'Love To The World', a sumptuously opulent and heavily orchestrated disco-soul number, transformed the fortunes of L.T.D - and their freshly appointed lead vocalist, Jeffrey Osborne - on its initial release in 1976. Here the full-length version of the track gets the reissue treatment for the first time in a while, with the band's gorgeous original mix (produced by none other than Larry and Fonce Mizzell) being backed by a fresh rub by house master turned disco king Dave Lee. The Z Records founder makes the most of the band's original vocals and instrumentation (admittedly with the addition of splashes of reverb and delay) on a seemingly re-constructed 'Mizzell Magic Mix' that brilliantly stretches out the cut by stripping back the orchestration and other musical elements at key points. It's a genuinely brilliant rework.

Review: For the second release on their new joint venture Mixed Signals, Henry Jones and Seance Centre founder Brandon Hocura have decided to offer-up a selection of tracks from Harold Lucious' overlooked 1990 album "Connected". Lucious' far-sighted blend of soulful house, new jack swing and what us Brits would call street soul comes to the fore on opener "Let The Feelin' - Turn You Out", a stripped-back, synth-heavy chunk of deep house-soul, and on the much more upbeat club cut "What Does It Take". It can also be heard, too, on delicious flipside opener "I Like It", where Lucious' layered vocals ride a tactile, lo-fi deep house groove. Our pick of the bunch though is sumptuously slow closing cut "Try My Love", which is much closer in tone to street soul.

Review: Ooof! Two forever-scorching disco gems from the one and only Cheryl Lynn. This extended version of the screaming funklet "You Saved My Day" has only been available on rare promo, while the full version of her seminal party jam "To Be Real" enjoys pride of place on the B. 40 years young and still untouchable.