Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Diamond & James, aka Jesse James and Shirley Diamond, unite for a timeless collaboration that will swell the heart. First introduced by the late Harvey Scales, Jesse and Shirley's partnership flourished over time while Shirley, an educator from Atlanta, balanced her performing career with teaching, always showcasing her talents on weekends and school breaks. She has graced stages alongside music icons like Atlantic Starr and Bobby Bland, proving herself to be a versatile talent with notable releases like 'You Don't Have To Be Sad, To Sing The Blues' and 'Strong Woman'. This one 'You Don't Know Who You Sleeping With,' is a duet produced by Felton Pilate that highlights their enduring musical synergy and dedication to their craft.

Review: Hip-hop head and dizzyingly dexterous DJ J Rocca is back with another musical celebration of the exit from office of the worst president in the history of the United States of America. This is the 6th such volume of 'Impeach' and it is a tight woven tapestry and skilful mash-up of no fewer than 14 flips of surely one of the most sampled songs in the history of hip hop. Masterfully mixed together and limited to 500 copies, this is a strong sonic statement that will stand the test of time.

Review: Jah Screechy's 'Walk & Skank' on the Just Is label will have you doing just that. It is a tune that really will ignite dancefloors with its infectious rhythm and rich reggae vibes and is a rather timeless anthem that showcases Screechy's distinctive vocal style. It blends effortlessly with the track's pulsating bassline and hypnotic beat to embody the essence of Jamaican dancehall culture. On the flip is a signature 'Dubwise' version with even heavier drum rotations and party-pumping energy. Jah Screechy's status as a reggae legend is assured and this is sonic proof.

Review: Jai Alai is only a relatively young label but its first 11 releases have all been of great quality. This new one features a pair of pearlers from Jaheim Hoagland, a US r&b singer with some 480 odd credits to his name dating from the year 2000 onwards and including several solid albums. 'Just In Case' has a classic soul sound with buttery smooth vocals and plenty of male yearning over sophisticated production. On the flipside is 'Diamond In Da Ruff' which rides a nice deep hip hop beat and has great interplay between vocalists as a tender flute adds further depth to a real smoocher of a song.

Review: Jesse James makes a welcome return to Soul Junction with a single led by his inventive re-imagining of Fred Neil's classic road-tripping anthem, 'Everybody's Talking At Me'. In James' hands, backed up by a fully decked out Motown-ready band, the track becomes an uplifting stomper with a dazzling arrangement from Willie Hoskins. It was originally recorded in 1971 during James' self-financed session at Searra Sound Studios in Berkeley. On the flip, James revisits one of the tracks from his 1990 album Looking Back, given an outing on 45 for the first time.

Review: This classic wedge of roots originally came back in 1977 but has a distinctly futuristic edge even now. The license for the reissue comes from Jasaro's Everand Thompson which will be great news to collectors as currently an original of this, even though no one can be found on second-hand markets, will cost you the best part of three hundred quid. Everand Thompson and Jasaro really struck gold with 'Suffering' which pairs fat dub and tweaked synth energy with a meaningful and pained vocal. The Simba version fleshes out the heavy riddim with more effects and extra vocals.

Review: An iconic soundtrack to a classic blaxploitation flick, JJ Johnson and Martha Reeves & The Sweet Things turned a collective head when they simultaneously composed their core themes for Willie Dynamite, directed by obscure director Gilbert Moses. This ineluctable screen treat stars Roscoe Orman and Diana Sands in a quintessential portrayal of early '70s New York pimping, with the central character's foibles giving rise to a latent conscience when he comes into contact with a young social worker. As is often the case with the blaxploitation genre, Willie Dynamite begins with the lead character cruising down the streets of New York in some kind of fancy car, and 'tracked by the central theme: the theme of Reeves' 'Willie D' is clear as day, lyrically portraying D's hustle as 'magic', "never treating two girls the same", "it's no different from any other industry". 'Keep On Movin' On' contrasts this with a note of modesty, signaling the movie's inevitable tonal shift; nor should you miss the B-side instrumentals 'Willie Chase' and 'Parade Strut'.

Review: Some songs are just eternal, no matter how many times you've heard them, and often those same songs are the ones which you never get round to owning on vinyl. It's an easy trap to fall into with Joy Division's most celebrated moment, given the ubiquity of the song, but don't underestimate how special it is to stick on when you need it most. Cleopatra continue their series of seminal songs pressed onto splatter vinyl with this all-time classic, backed up by another non-album essential from Ian Curtis and co, "Leader Of Men'.

Review: Carlton Jumel Smith earned himself the title Mr Soul, being one of NYC's foremost exponents of a faithful sound which keeps the Motown flame alive. Having released a couple of singles on Timmion last year as well as linking up with Dojo Cuts on Colemine, now Smith is stepping out on Mocambo with the riotous party starter 'Keep On Swinging', a heated affair with sassy brass, overdriven guitar licks and the man himself holding it down with a killer vocal turn. 'Hope' on the flip is a funkier number which calls to mind classic Curtis Mayfield, not least thanks to that sprightly percussion section. Great modern soul music which knows where it's coming from.