Back catalogue: All genres

Review: The idea of what makes "modern soul" has long been a subject of debate, even among those at the top, specially tasked with arbitrating its definition. At Success Bottling Co., such spats escalated to the point where A&R team members Stephen Arndt and Tim Zawada had to be physically separated during a heated tracklist meeting. Yet we know that M-soul's origins can be traced to the UK's Northern Soul scene, where, in the late 70s, disco-adjacent 45s began appearing alongside traditional 60s selections. Today, modern soul is often associated with the 80s, incorporating synths and rhythm-machines. Quibbles persist: How much brass is too much? Can strings and synths truly coexist? Eccentric Modern Soul explores these ideas across eleven rambunctious ones, pinching previously unissued recordings from Wee, Ujima, and Wind alongside neat classics from Universal Togetherness Band, Mind & Matter, Maxx Traxx and 94 East.

Review: Numero's Eccentric Soul redefines the American soul diaspora, floating back upstream to posit hidden gems from the 60s and 70s. While most in the Eccentric Soul series have focused on specific cities or labels - so far, including Linco and Cobra, North Carolina and San Antonio - this latest bank of tracks prefigures a movement into a freer curation style, unburdened by place. Over just 11 tracks, we hear a focus on warmth and a contemporary edge, where all the tracks are no longer footnotes in a forgotten history: Wind's 'Best Thing I Can Do' and 94 East's 'If You See Me' reviving the furtive infamies of funk fringers crossing between everywhere from Minneapolis and Michigan.

Review: The Numero group can hardly ever do any wrong and, as per usual, they've steamrolled their way to the top of our charts with a monstrously good new soul compilation. It was ten years ago this year that they released their Homeschooled compilation, which also championed the young talents of the 70s soul scene in the USA, so The Afterschool Special feels like a natural release from their end. And there's just so much talent in here. Number 66 in the series features must-have 7" rarities such as "Runnin' Wild" by Scott Three, who already sounds as mature as any adult, the squeakier voice of Jimi Hill, a gloriously funky little head-trip in "I Love You Still" by Cash, and so much more. This compilation is literally four sides of pure heat, and it's certainly yet another highly recommended Numero bombshell.

Review: Heavyweight champions of the compilation world, Numero Group, defend their undisputed title once more with this collection of greats from San Antonio mogul Abe Epstein's Dynamic label. In its heyday, it became a hub for soulful music with its flagship band the Commands scoring a hit in 1966 with 'No Time For You.' Their success led to 20 more singles over 30 months and Epstein's inclusive studio welcomed a diverse racial mix of Texas talent which in turn created a melting pot of sound. This collection reflects that across 28 gems from groups like the Tonettes, Little Jr. Jesse & the Tear Drops and Bobby Blackmon & His Soul Express all exploring different soul niches.

Review: From 1967-1980, Kansas City's Forte Records captured nearly every iteration of popular Black music; basement beehiver-y from The Ray-Ons and Four Darlings, funky soul from Gene Williams Lee Harris, Louis Chachere, and The Fantastiks, downtempo disco ballads from James Whitney and Sharon Revoal and the newly independent work of James Brown's former Soul Sister numero uno, Marva Whitney. Compiled here are 28 of the label's enduring sides, contextualised with copious photos, ephemera, and essay, all housed in heavy weight gatefold jacket. Who knows how to do 'The Hen'?

Review: This new and superb compilation from Numero Group comes on suitably snazzy purple and pink wax to make it even more of a treasured collection. The exceptional label rightly says that 'Eccentric Boogie' is "the only boogie record you'll ever need to own." It has 100 all-killer, no-filler cuts that are designed purely to get your ass moving and the dancefloor grooving. Right from the opening moments it has you locked and loaded: Maxx Traxx's 'Don't Touch It!' is silky stuff with neat bass riffs and gorgeous soul vocals overflowing with good time feels. Add in extra gems from the likes of Donell Pittmann and Ronnie Robbins and this one is a no-brainer.

Review: We're yet to get our ears around a compilation from US label Numero Group that isn't absolutely brilliant. This latest one isn't going to change that, either. Eccentric Soul: The Linco Label dives deep into Civil Rights-era Greensboro, where Black excellence and raw musical talent converged at North Carolina A&T. Local label head Walter Grady tapped a vibrant cast of "townies, homecoming queens, and big men on campus" to craft a revolutionary soul sound rooted in community and resistance. This collection captures the pivotal moment with hometown pride and boundary-pushing grooves coming thick and fast. From basement studios to protest marches, these tracks reflect a powerful cultural awakening and make for a great document of soul's grassroots history.

Review: 'Beehive Breaks' is a new curveball from the Numero label, pitting together 15 'feminine funk' fixtures for your listening pleasure. All sourced from the label's back catalogue, we're met with an impressive array of funky-drummed, double-X'ed ditties, from Sandy Gaye's Cruella-synched 'Watch The Dog That Brings The Bone' to James Brown's soul sister #1 Marva Whitney; from teenage girl gangs The Trinikas and Promise, to Miami's queen of soul, Betty Wright; and to top it all off, there's even a previously unissued belter from Chicago's Sonics Band on there.

Review: Numero Group's Minibus is a condensed masterpiece, distilling the essence of their sprawling 2012 art object, Eccentric Soul: Omnibus, into a double album of soulful delights. Spanning from 1966 to 1980, this collection traverses the diverse landscape of American soul, seamlessly blending group harmony, funk, disco and modern soul. Housed in a deluxe gatefold with detailed notes and photographs, it's a treasure trove for music aficionados. Minibus fills a crucial gap in any Numero enthusiast's collection, reaffirming the label's reputation for unearthing and celebrating extraordinary musical discoveries.

Review: Notoriously elusive, sophisti-thereal pop/post-punk collective Vazz answer to almost no-one. Emerging from the same late 70s/early 80s mutant formaldehyde mists that spawned This Mortal Coil and Crepuscule, yet bringing the dream pop sound to Glasgow, Hugh Small and Anna Howson are still going strong as a boutique bringing-together of mindful, magnetic musicians, pedigreed for the seemly discotheque. First released on Cathexis Records, we are indeed much cathected to both EPs in this collection. In sloshing but somehow still self-contained fashion, 'Your Final Word' swims in reverb nearly to the point of drowning its own harmonies, yet breathability is somehow still retained. 'Bleached White Skin' is the perfect storm of wavy wash, operatic doublings and ditzy drum machine, and 'Breath' brings spring-verb coldwave stylings to a languorous, pitchy closer. Then 'Feverpitch' and 'For A Reason' hear the compilation sprawl further into arpeggiating tumult, as we move on to material from the 1987 'Feverpitch' EP. This 40th anniversary edition collates both EPs and adds a handful of unissued minimal wave pearls.