ERNIE & THE FAMILY MCKONE Vinyl & CDs

Review: Ernie McKone, big don of North London's Boogie Back Records, supplies another fresh, two-note trawl of electro-funk lensed through r&b, following up February's sorely missed missive 'Wish You Were Here' with another blue 7", which vows to 'Make It Alright' so long as you 'Make A Move On Me'. Both tracks slish and slash through licking rhythm guitar noodles and modwheeled synth stabs on the transitions, cinching an ever so difficult to replicate but much desired vibe in electronically produced funk of this kind: a half-awake, ptotic, effortless, doozy glitz mood.

Review: Funk, soul and boogie foundations are relaid, with this standout 7" record from 2023 reissued through the same outlet, Boogie Back. With authorial stylishness and pelvic passion, Ernie & The Family McKone have been going ever since the eponymous Boogie Back founder first began releasing underground dance music and street soul in 1992. After a mid-noughts hiatus, he is back with a fresher soul delight, charting the smoother soul directions he's reoriented himself in in recent years. Slick basses and fire falsettos charm up this puree of sound, as Lex Cameron and Valerie Etienne each compel us to move closer inwards: 'Feels Like I'm In Love', with its titular refrain, mirrors our reaction to the music.

Review: Ernie Mckone & Toby Baker have produced this new single for Erine & The Family McKone. The A-side features Valerie Ettienne who is well known for her work with the likes of Galliano and Jamiroquai (with him she made a cover of a Brenda Russell classic). 'In The Thick Of It' is a super silky and mid-tempo soul jam with lavish melodies and gentle grooves. The flipside is in cahoots with Lex Cameron, an increasingly noteworthy London-based singer. It's a tender and loved up tune for cosy dance floor moments.

Review: Intriguing new reissue from Ernie & The Family McKone on the acclaimed Boogie Back, just one of many labels to focus on obscure street soul, freestyle and R&B since the early 90s. One side is a freestylectro remix of an absolute classic, while the B's 'Make A Move On Me' is much sultrier, replete with digital organs and soft strings against a steady-sexy house backing.