Review: After years of silence following the loss of Sonny Knight in 2017, former Lakers members Blair Krivanek and Cy Pierpont return with their new project, Ace Box Shift. The duo have made plenty of standout contributions to the soul revival scene before now and here they debut on Secret Stash Records with another pair of fiery instrumental cuts that work exceptionally well for DJs and dancefloors alike. They find Krivanek's jazz-infused guitar work meeting Pierpont's pounding rhythms with raw, funk-driven results that make for a bold, high-energy comeback that pays tribute to their roots while also moving things onwards.
Review: Bristol beatmsiths and remixing duo The Allergies have been hot since '16, quietly pushing the buttons, twisting the dials and raising the throw levers on their resident soul console, Jalapeno Records. This time, though they've not revealed their sources, the boys have once again delivered on their promise to scour the waxen depths of Philly filler-upper funk, with 'Bye Bye Baby' panning a mammoth breaksoul gold rush, and 'Heartbreaker' offering a counterpoint in longing body percussions and "please don't leave me"s.
Review: Roy Ayers at his most transcendent. 'Everybody Loves the Sunshine' is more than a summertime anthemiit's a spiritual moodboard that's shaped jazz-funk, soul, r&b and hip-hop for nearly 50 years. Ayers, born in Los Angeles and raised in its fertile fusion scene, places the vibraphone at the music's heart, coaxing heat-haze tones from sparse chords, synths, and that honeyed chorus. Flip it over and the instrumental version unlocks a deeper layer: stripped of vocals, it becomes a pure groove, drifting and hypnotic. What lingers is the balanceibetween melancholy and bliss, rhythm and release. A rare track that feels entirely unhurried yet quietly radical, now preserved in a limited pressing that looks as golden as it sounds.
Review: This orange 7" is a miniature monument to one of soul's most quietly influential figures. Roy AyersiLos Angeles-born, jazz-schooled, funk-mindedicrafted 'Everybody Loves the Sunshine' not to dazzle but to dissolve. It moves with a drowsy clarity: shimmering synth, near-whispered vocals, and a lazily tumbling bassline that never quite lands. Released during a golden run of Ayers' mid-70s material, the track has since become shorthand for warm-weather introspection, equal parts ease and ache. The instrumental version on the reverse keeps the spirit intact, offering a meditative glide through the same terrain. Limited to 300 copies, this orange pressing pairs a low-lit groove with a deepening sense of legacyiAyers' influence isn't just heard, it's felt in the space he leaves behind.
Review: Few recordings capture the easy intensity of a summer afternoon like 'Everybody Loves the Sunshine'. Released in 1976 and wrapped in slow-drifting synths and soft falsettos, the track became a touchstone not just for Roy Ayers, but for 70s soul and beyond. Born in Los Angeles, Ayers helped define the jazz-funk crossover, placing the vibraphone at the centre of a sound both hazy and sharply detailed. The original vocal take on the A-side still melts under its own warmth; the instrumental on the flip uncovers the careful architecture beneath. Issued here on 7" black wax following Ayers' recent passing, this reissue feels like both a keepsake and a quiet honouring of an artist who shaped a whole way of listening.
Review: There are tens of members of The Blassics crew from Scandinavia, including Joona Venalainen, Juha Sarkkola, Ville-Pekka Jarvinen and several more, and they are expert genre-fusionists who draw on funk, soul, jazz, hip-hop and more to cook up their brilliant instrumental sounds. They have been doing it for more than a decade and have plenty of great albums to their name. Here they return to Funk Night with another red-hot 45 rpm. 'Fishing Break (45 mix)' is powered by raw drum breaks with brassy horns and cowbells for company, then 'Nokova' slows things down and allows a more sultry trumpet to take the lead. 'Lunki Mood' slows it down even further for late-night and loved-up jazz-funk introspection.
Review: The Blassics is a creative crew from Scandinavia featuring the likes of Hanna Lotti, Joona Venalainen, Juha Sarkkola, Ville-Pekka Jarvinen and several more musicians. They have turned out several brilliant instrumental albums over the last decade and show their chops again ion this new 7" via Funk Night. 'Addis Hop (part 1)' collides funk, jazz, spy theme soundtracks and hip-hop into a storytelling sound with a driving bassline and shimmering chords and keys. It comes in two parts, and both are effortlessly evocative and mesmerising.
Synthetic Substitution (Just Blaze take 6 Master mix) (3:49)
Review: Originally released in 1973 by New York-born soul singer Melvin Bliss, 'Synthetic Substitution' was never meant to change music. A B-side to his single 'Reward', it quietly slipped out on Sunburst Records i and then, years later, exploded. With 'Funky Drummer' sticksman Bernard Purdie's drums at its core, it became one of the most sampled tracks in hip-hop history, forming the rhythmic backbone of cuts by De La Soul, Mobb Deep, LL Cool J, Justin Bieber and hundreds more. This new release gives the track its due, with a sharp remaster and a respectful rework from Just Blaze. The original still hits hard i a slinky, minimal soul groove with impeccable swing and eerie vocal calm. On the flip, the 'Just Blaze Take 6 Master Mix' lifts that legendary break into widescreen, looping and layering it with warmth and flair. It's not flashy, just smart i honouring the DNA while letting it breathe. It's a fresh pressing of a foundational beat, and a timely reminder of how deep hip-hop's roots run. Whether you're crate-digging or just craving drums with history, this is as vital as it gets.
Review: Bob & Marcia's Young Gifted & Black album on Trojan came back in 1970 and was produced by Harry J. It included the title track, which was a UK top five hit that has remained a favourite. The cool and breezy groove carries a potent socio-political message and lo-fi drums that lodge deep. It is reissued here on anew 45rpm that is featured alongside Marcia Griffiths' soulful 'Working To The Top' which mixes authentic reggae and slightly more swaggering ska vibes and heartfelt, steady groove. Together, these tracks take it back to a golden age of reggae and are perfect for loud plays on sound systems this summer.
Review: Brenda is the soul-infused solo project of prolific Melbourne drummer and multi-instrumentalist Hudson Whitlock who now makes a stunning debut on College Of Knowledge Records with two tender ballads. He is already known for his work with Surprise Chef and Karate Boogaloo and here steps into the spotlight as a vocalist delivering introspective lyrics in a fragile falsetto. Drawing from sweet soul traditions of the 60s and Melbourne's cinematic soul movement, both 'Where Did I Go Wrong?' and 'Family' show off Brenda's emotive, indie-soul sound with lush arrangements and heartfelt deliveries marking a poignant and promising new chapter for Whitlock.
Review: Remastered from a lost cassette in composer David Toop's archive, Unsettled Scores Records has secured the rights to a first-ever release of the legendary title track from Dick Fontaine's iconic 1988 graffiti documentary. Originally airing on Channel 4, the film followed Brim's 1985 journey from the Bronx to the UK, where he linked up with future icons like Goldie and 3D of Massive Attack. A formative piece for graffiti writers and hip-hop heads alike, Brim's 'Bombin'' became a cult classic and remained so. This long-awaited 7" includes the full version and unreleased mixes.
Joe Gibbs & The Professionals - "Ghetto Skank" (3:00)
Review: In the mid-70s, reggae great Dennis Brown was on a creative high with producer Niney propelling him to stardom. However, around this time, he was transitioning back to working with Joe Gibbs, another masterful studio hand who would later cement Brown's superstar status. Gibbs had previously worked with him on the acclaimed Visions album, and this particular track was likely recorded during that era or slightly earlier. Despite its quality, the tune didn't reach the audience it deserved, largely due to Gibbs' lack of UK distribution at the time. For much of the seventies, Joe Gibbs remained sidelined in England, limiting the global impact of his exceptional productions, but reissues like this do a fine job of underlining his importance.
Review: The Milanese outfit dive headlong into cinematic Afro-disco on this limited 7", reworking two cult dancefloor staples with characteristic flair. On the A-side, their version of Piero Umiliani's 'Discomania' hits with tightened syncopation and swirling synth arrangements, turning the cosmic Italo-disco cut into a hypnotic afrobeat strut. Flip it over for a rich reimagining of Azymuth's 'Jazz Carnival'iCalibro 35 boost the groove with deep-bottomed funk and crisp horns, pushing the original's samba swing into widescreen. Known for their work at the intersection of funk, soundtrack and psych, the band bring sharp musicianship and warm analogue heat to both sides of this essential 45.
Review: A fresh transmission from the Co-op camp, this two-tracker reframes soulful source material through the prism of West London's broken beat tradition and deep, jazz-inflected house. On 'Smooth Co-Operator', the velvet of Sade's original is reworked with restraint and flairisyncopated drums, funk stabs and hip-hop atmospheres merge in a smoky, low-lit groove. It's classy and confident, a subtle floor-builder that wears its edits lightly. Flip it over and the tempo shifts up: 'Dream Alchemy' dials in from a different zone entirely. A cinematic tech-house excursion, it accelerates with a cold clarityihovering pads, delayed keys and submerged A$AP Rocky vocals moving in step with a bassline that rolls like fog over city streets. J Diggns' ethereal melodic work floats above the pulse, while Whiskey Drop's grounding in UK club DNA gives it teeth. It's the kind of record that finds a home in the middle of a setibridging moods without breaking flow. Both sides manage to feel nostalgic and future-bound. A deft, compelling fusion from start to finish.
Review: The spectroscope of Cool Million's soundworld doubles in width, as 'One Of A Kind' marks a new phase of innovation in their patented boogie funk sound. This latest single hears Danish soul singer Seest - a longtime collaborator with the Danish production duo - add her doubled, tripled, nigh quadrupled vocal overdubs to the already well collieried disco track. With the ensuing EP packed with allusive, fiery effrontery, bringing inspirations from Earth, Wind & Fire, Kool & The Gang and The Crusaders, we must warn you: this is a volatile disco 7", one that should really come with a fire hazard warning.
Review: Never before released in this particular form, two inscriptions by the French jazz fusion band Cortex make for a fidgeting classic each, perfect for the tube-amped dancefloor. Made up of many a cover and original, the full-length 'Inedit '79' EP first came to Underdog Records in 2006, though it was composed almost entirely of recordings laid down in 1979, proving the band's asynchronic staying power across decades. This new 7", however, recuts the lead track from the album, and a never-before-heard session floorcut respectively. The B-side in question, 'Where Do You Come From', did not appear on the 2006 release, and was also recorded later in 1981, though it is considered a part of the same inspo-flush.
Review: This newly formed and already brilliant label is back with more previously unreleased instrumentals that bring a different twist and dancefloor edge to classic sounds from the rock and indie world. First up we get a subtle edit of 'Sound and Vision' which has a nice fat and funky bassline bouncing beneath the splashy drums as nice acoustic guitar melodies ring out next to glistening retro-future pads. It's a cosmic trip that oozes soul then things slow down on the flip with 'Young Americans'. This one is a nice go-slow instrumental with funky and expressive horn work taking the lead over the fat-bottomed drums and bass. Essential.
Review: Bowie is a new label that says it intends to "dig deep into the unreleased sides of pop superstars material from the past." The opening gambit is a strong one that should hook you in for more as it comes in the form of a 7" with two fine funk instrumentals, neither of which have been put out before. 'Golden Years' has lovely live drums and meandering guitar licks for some carefree listening, while 'Fame' has a deep cut groove that rises and falls in dramatic fashion with more neat and tidy riffs adding the detail next to the big licks.
Review: These two unreleased tracks from Geater Davis deliver raw, hard-hitting Southern soul with his some nice gritty vocals, sharp guitar work and powerful horns all making them perfect for anyone who loves a bit of blues-tinged soul. Geater was born Vernon Davis in East Texas in 1946 and learned guitar from T-Bone Walker before then working as a sideman and breaking through with 'Sweet Woman's Love' in 1970. He charted again in 1972 with' Your Heart Is So Cold' on Seventy 7 Records, and though disco's rise curtailed touring opportunities, he kept performing across the South. Sadly, just as he was preparing for a comeback, he died of heart failure at age 38, but these gems remain.
Review: After a remarkable project launch last year - the red ribbon cutter DJ Friction Presents Ground Control for Sedsoul - the d&b uberlord DJ Friction now lifts the lid on his new and very different label Soulsonic, with the aid of soul companions Soulkitchen, cracking the safe with a vibrant 7" single ahead of his second full-length. 'Step Into The Light' is a vimmy slice of funk-disco, with powerhouse vocals from David Whitley on the A, whose body-power could only manifest in counterpart to a stripped back B on the flip. The track's gospel inflections recall the electrified optimism of early 80s dance music, thought it also grafts on robo handclaps and tight modern production.
Review: TakeFingz returns with its seventh release and offers up a double A-side 7" tailored for dancefloor devastation. On Side A, DJ Katch reworks classic funk breaks into a groove-heavy party igniter that betrays some seriously sharp turntable skills and crowd-moving instincts. It's a surefire weapon for any set in high-energy settings. On the flip, DJ Toby Gee drops a bass-driven boogie funk jam packed with vintage chants and break-heavy grooves. Both tracks are precision-crafted with nods to B-Boy culture among them perfect for bodypoppers and lockers alike.
Review: Following his standout 'Just A Flute Thing' single last time out, DJ Scientist returns with 'The Baku Files', a limited release that's an immediate crate-digger's dream. Side-A delivers a hypnotic, jazzy boom-bap instrumental built from rare Soviet-era Azeri jazz samples layered with gritty vocal chops from vintage rap records. It's a brilliant cross-cultural collage that feels at once nostalgic and fresh. Flip to side-B for 'To See You,' a slick, DJ-friendly rework of a Murat Kashlaev composition originally reissued on Spasibo Records and packed with head-nodding grooves, old-school flavour and new-school execution.
Review: Masters At Work's discerning left brain Kenny Dope left but one of many crinkle-cut marks on the sliced hot potato of dance musical oral history with 'Supa'. Born in Brooklyn, Kenny emerged from the underground hip-hop scene before lending a crate-digger's mentation to his work, obsessively chopping samples by way of tri-wielded MPC60, MPC3000 and E-mu SP-1200 machines. We're not sure which went into the making of 'Supa' and its two comprising versions, but this is a serious funk-jungle precursor, medleying ATCQ-Lou Reed instrumentals contra the acapella line from Super Cat's 'Nuff Man A Dead' (1991). Drop either of these tunas into an otherwise +160BPM set for a breezy, halftime surprise, one that nonetheless maintains the rolling energy.
Review: Details on the good Dr Ray are thin on the ground, but both here tunes suggest that whoever they are, they have a love or raw, classic hip-hop and rap. 'Speaking On Death Row' has big Hammond organ chords that speak of a gospel sermon but they soon make way for big, raw drum breaks and hard-hitting bars. Jumbled percussion fleshes out this old-school gem. 'Lyrical Rec Room' is more stripped back with a raw boom-bap low end, rhythmic bars and synth stabs to inject the energy. Two ageless, time-worn sounds that are as authentic as they come.
Review: Emma Noble, the emerging soul singer from London, delivers a powerful performance on the girl group soul anthem 'Unstoppable'. Her second single, it's poised to become a next-gen floor-filler; catch us playing it on repeat, *in flagranti*, after it premiered on Craig Charles' BBC6 Soul Show in early 2025. 'Going Going Gone' backs it up on the B-side, as the first single from FPE's upcoming album Waves. Hearing rising Australian singer-songwriter and pop genius J Mahon on vocal duties, the track's catchy brass sections combine with J's androgynous soul vocals, and evokes the sounds of young Motown artists in the style's 60s adolescence.
Review: Brooklyn-born Dennis Harte might only have been eleven when he picked up a Sears Silvertone, but the music on this anthologyirecorded between 1973 and 1974iis anything but juvenile. Collected here for the first time on a single release, these four singles originally appeared under shifting monikers (Dennis Harte, Harte Attack, Harte Brothers and Pure Madness), a strategy cooked up by mentor Carl Edelson to maximise industry exposure. The sound veers between garage soul, basement psych, and scrappy blue-eyed r&bian adolescent echo of The Rascals, The Youngbloods or early Spoonful. 'Summer's Over', written by Edelson, is the emotional peak: a world-weary soul lament, rendered uncanny by Harte's teenaged delivery. 'Running Thru My Mind' plays it cooler but still flickers with melodic instinct and wiry guitar interplay. 'Freedom Rides' charges out with organ-stabbed garage grit, a protest anthem wrapped in biker-jacket energy. 'Treat Me Like a Man' flips a Beatles-influenced B-side by Long Island group The Shandels into something looser and more ragged. Harte would go on to tour with Wilson Pickett, but these early 7"sinever before compiledishowcase a raw, regional talent teetering on the edge of real experience. Efficient Space lands another killer excavation from North America's fringe.
Something New (extended Smooth version By Philip Ward) (5:21)
Review: Texas-based jazz harpist Cindy Horstman quietly released Fretless in 1995, a self-assured exploration of jazz textures and instrumental elegance. Tucked among its originals is 'Something New', a standout soul jazz cut that drifts with mid-tempo grace, elevated by James Kings', well, fret-free vocal perforations. Horstman's harp is hardly heard here on this album salvaging; instead, she procured 'Something New', steeped in street and smooth soul, with tuned claves and electronic triangles abounding. Pressed on clear vinyl and limited to 300 copies, this small-batch reissue offers a welcome return for a quietly majestic moment in 90s jazz-soul fusion.
Review: For five years, Acid Jazz has been showcasing Kevin Fingier's productions with each one carrying his signature Latin flair. It all began with 'Latin Dynamite', which sold out 15 days before its release and was followed by 'Cocktail de Medianoche' and 'Why Don't You Go Home', which were both instant sellouts. The second pressing of 'Latin Dynamite' included a fiery Latin rendition of the r&b classic 'It's Your Voodoo Working'. When Fingier released 'Not Strictly Soul,' it featured the Latin gem 'El Popcorn' which is now available on 7" for the first time. These four Latin Soul anthems are now united in one explosive Boogaloo EP that arrives just in time for summer.
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: The Japanese label Black Liberation Sound System has made an impressive start to life over its first three outings. The fourth is another strictly vinyl-only 7" featuring vocalist King Stanley. His tones are buttery and full of yearning as he delivers gentle patois and well-articulated lyrics over a sleek, future-facing dub rhythm. Plenty of studio effects make for an absorbing atmosphere and on the flip is a dub that allows them more room to shine. Two killer tunes as sound system season fast approaches, and another big moment from this ever more essential label.
Review: Unsettled Scores Records presents the long-overdue release of the soundtrack to The New York Graffiti Experience 1976, a seminal documentary by Fenton Lawless. One of the earliest films to document NYC's graffiti culture, the project began in 1974-75 as a slideshow created by Lawless and producer Justine DiIanni and featured original photos as well as the track 'French Fry 97.' That song, along with other recordings from 1974 by Lawless and his band, now appear on this official soundtrack, which is previously unreleased. The music captures the raw thrill and creativity of a pivotal moment in underground culture so this is a vital piece of NYC history.
Review: Tuff Cut / Late Nite Tuff Guy (Carmelo Bianchetti) has so far done well to dig out for himself a rather outre oeuvre, the Australian steadily supplying such head-turning edits as this since as far back as 2013. The seventh volume in this new iteration of the series comes in two parts, and brings two further soft disco inflammations: 'Fooled', a pre-coffee, rheumy Sister Sledge disco edit, and 'So Much Love', an unknown cut whose lyrics return plenty of red herrings on the 'ole search bar.
Review: These tunes were recorded in Guyana by Surinamese singer-songwriter Paul Low in a small 8-track studio in 1979. They are deep-cut gems that pair a tender 1979 soul slow-burner with a vibrant disco-boogie flip. First up, 'Let's Work It Out' is a breezy, melancholic stroll through windswept textures, falsetto vocals and lo-fi charm that is instantly replayable and subtly hypnotic. On the B-side, 'Make Things Better' bursts with dusty Afro-Latin disco energy powered by rubbery bass, samba whistles and infectious harmonies. Both tracks align beautifully with Stroom's offbeat curation and are make for a rare, soulful detour through a lesser-known corner of global DIY music history.
Review: Continuing their mission to retrouve genres across the spectrums of Latin funk and cumbia, Original Gravity welcome back founding favourites Luchito and Nestor Alvarez with yet another sonic vitamin D pill, presaging the warmer days to soon come. Both sides tap into that rich 60s and 70s Afro-Carib crossover sound, with, at least on the face of it, no studio trickery in earshot (though careful listens reveal the method behind the majesty). Anyone with a weakness for brass-led Latin burner will melt on contact with this one.
House Brigade - "A Madd Cry" (Dungeon edit mix) (4:12)
Review: Yet another early Masters At Work proto-jungle cut gets released on the inimitable Kay Dee recs. 'Blood Vibes' (Demo Version) is a desirous gemstone whose best facets reflect reggae, hip-hop and party breaks, though each side can only partially bend the unmissable light that is Kenny Dope" Gonzalez's production touch. Built around elements of Junior Reid's reggae classic 'One Blood', 'Blood Vibes' came about amid the pose-striking ballroom craze in New York in 1991, and even now we can hardly prepare ourselves for the riot that ensues on the following B-side, 'The Madd Cry'.
Review: The Top Ranking crew has pulled another doozy out of the bag here. Freddie McKay's 'Mope & Cry' finds the vocalist at his most vulnerable and expressive. It was originally released in 1974 during the golden era of Jamaican music and is steeped in rich harmonies with a rolling bassline with gently skanking guitar that cushions McKay's aching vocals. With a voice that effortlessly conveys sorrow and resilience, he delivers a timeless tale of love lost and emotional survival. The killer dub on the flip makes this one a no-brainer.
Review: Russian horror-surf-rock band Messer Chups reissue Don't Worry, Be Creepy, another addition to a discography committed to themes of horrification and gothic pop culture. Think Misfits, but surf and rockabilly, not punk. The tracklist on this 2024 last-judgment include such nightmarish thinkings-up as 'Mad Monster Party', 'Blood and Black Lace', 'Dracula Hates Killer Icicles' and 'Electric Zombierella', making four a corpse-bridal 13-tracker, whose clocking in at the fateful number, we're sure, isn't coincidental.
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