Funk / Reissue Recommendations October 2010

Review: Some 13 years after the first volume we find ourselves at Volume 5 of Spinna's Strange Games & Funky Things series. Rare gems and well trodden classics of 70s rare groove, disco, funk and soul are all given a new lease of life; there's out and out floor fillers in the shape of Richard Evans' "Capricorn Risin" to Brazilian classics like ''Ramons Desire'' by Franisco Aguabella. Elsewhere you'll find string laden disco with ''For The Love Of Money'' by The Philly Armada Orchestra and jazz fusion with Hiroshi Fukumura's ''Hunt Up Wind'' and a barrage of lesser known classics .Sample spotters will have a field day whilst the rest of us will just immerse ourselves in two slabs of wax filled to the brim with sublime and classic grooves of days gone by. Essential!

Review: Speedometer are one of the UK's most prolific and successful funk/soul bands of the last 10 years, and here we see them rework"Lover & Friend", an Eddie Bo classic taken from their forthcoming album The Shakedown. On the flipside there's a bubbling Hammond funk instrumental workout a€“ nice stuff all round!

Review: No effort has been spared! To document these 15 irresistible tracks and the music scene from the'70s, Samy crisscrossed the lengths of Ghana and Togo in search of the producers and artists - or their relatives. In the process he recorded a dozen interviews, scanned 90 pictures and transferred 120 master tapes. All the evidence can be seen in the Gatefold Cover accompanying these 75 minutes of heavy West African sounds. Afro-Beat Airways showcases an amazing diversity of local rhythms spiced with Afro-American funk, soul and jazz.

Review: Boston DJ K Civ continues his obsession with all things Fela Kuti on this EP containing three reworks of the Nigerian afro beat pioneer. Across the A Side is an extended version of the polemical "You Gimme Shit I Give You Shit" that hits the spot at twelve minutes long. On the flip, the percussion heavy rework of "Eko Ile" works just as well.

Review: Flourishes of screaming Hammond organ and a distinct 1960s feel a la Kinks dominate the A Side here on this killer 7'' from the Qualitons. Flip over for ''Margit,'' a pulsating bass-led funk instrumental with a dose of fat back drums and a tasty brass section.

Review: Prolific producer Diesler goes up first on a double sided release on the Social Beats label flipped by Laura Vane & The Vipertones. Diesler gives us a low slung but funky shaker assisted by Dutch vocalist Stee Downes, while ''Roof Off'' from Laura is an urgent drum and saxophone heavy funk belter.

Review: Spanish funk label Penniman are proud to introduce you to Barcelona-based outfit The Excitements, who dabble in contemporary funk set at breakneck speed. The belting holler of lead singer Koko Jean Davis ensures both tracks on this 45 stand out from the usual throwback workouts.