Funk / Reissue Recommendations September 2014

Review: Only 100 copies for the world ! "Jam Master cuts faster" went the old RUN DMC vocal sample in regards to Jam Master Jay's deck skills. Cutting edits may be a different art but JM Jackmaster is no slouch either on the basis of the diverse quartet of reworks that make up the first release on the Nijmegen-based selector's Jam Master Edits label. Lead tweak "Runnin From The Law" takes us into horn laden boogie territory, watch out for that delay, whilst "Don't Tell It" adds some calypso vibes to Mr James Brown. On the flip "They Want EFX" brings the classic '90s hiphop heat whilst "From The Love Side" is a prime nugget of funk

Review: Wow... This a serious package right here! A special dedication to the beats that helped make 1983 cult hip-hop movie Wild Style the big screen legend it's become, Kenny Dope has been given full access to all assets... And he's smashed it in every way. Each colour-coded cut is fully remastered, re-edited and brought back to life with timeless attention to groove detail while the liner book is full of images, quotes and tales from this unique and hugely creative time in pop cultural history. An authentic artefact, this is nothing short of an investment.

Review: The saying goes that no one likes a tattle tale, but any self respecting funk collector would be hard pressed to give up on the chance of owning this latest dinker of the same name from the esteemed Antibalas collective. Composed by crew member Victor Axelrod, "Tattletale" has been a long term fixture of live sets by Antibalas and it's great to see them finally commit it to seven inches of wax. Laid down during the recording sessions for their last Daptone long player, its spread across two parts on this seven and is a sublime slab of Ethiopian funk that sees Antibalas doffing their collective cap to '70s pioneers Mulatu Astatqe, Wallias Band and Mahmoud Ahmed.

Review: Selector, percussionist, producer and all-round legend Snowboy represents his weekly Madame JoJo's showcase in album form. Digging deep across two 12"s, Snowboy treats us to 23 undiluted funk and soul cuts. From well-known (James Brown's "Bring It Up" and Etta James' "Can't Shake It") to lesser-known (The Shirelles' "Boys", Dorothy Berry's "I Say You're Driving Me Crazy"), the whole curation rolls with emphatic consistency and attention to detail. With gems hidden around every corner, even the most ardent of collectors will find many things to love right here.

Review: Originally released in October 2013, there's a particularly awesome story behind this special soul slice from Minneapolis act The Valdons. While their live operations made them city legends, they only ever released one 45". Secret Stash managed to bring the band back together, complete with a slew of recording sessions where a range of demos and ideas were brought to life by their in-house band. This is the first of many new slices you can expect from the band. An upbeat Four Tops-style falsetto / harmony fusion ("Stop Wait A Minute") and a deep and spacious, heart-tugging ballad ("Whatcha Gonna Do") So popular it's been repressed, jump on this now.

Review: Austin funk fusionists Brownout enjoy the edit treatment on Paris DJs and the result is every bit as funky as you'd hoped. Grant Phabao applies the dubwise twist, slowing the band down and bringing the horns right to the forefront. Meanwhile on the B Germany b-boy breakers Renegades Of Jazz give "Flaximus" the upbeat, drum-heavy twist it's always called for. Primed for floors the world over, we won't lie... This really is tremendous!

Review: Two seminal cover versions from the funkiest band who never really existed, Viner's legacy continues to live large through samples and well-dug selections. You already know these percussive puppies inside out, but just in case... "Bongo Rock" takes Preston Epps 12-bar blues classic into deep funk territory, complete with an array of trumpets that nod dutifully at the Beatles circa Sgt Pepper. Meanwhile on the B we find "Apache", one of the most sampled records of all time. The fact it's delivered on the mighty Mr Bongo is also a very nice touch. An essential repress.

Review: Two monolithic slabs of sizzling funk right here... "Rigor Mortis" takes the lead. A cover of Cameo's 1977 lonesome dancefloor classic, the minute the staccato riff is plucked, you know you and your dancefloor are in for a treat. Complete with a lavish horn section (that's played by BPJ's own stepdaughters on all accounts), it's a quintessential example of cover version perfection. Sided with the equally funky "Too Cool To Be True", this 45 won't hang around for long at all.

Review: LA Afrofunk fusionists Jungle Fire have slowly built up quite the 45" armoury since launching in 2011. Not bad considering they were supposed to be a one-off special project! Here we find Paris DJs main man Grant Phabao on the remix duties, masterfully highlighting the dancefloor groove that's already coded deep into Jungle Fire's DNA. "Firewalker" is a straight-up floor riot with a skanked out back bone and horn salvos so hot you could cook your toast on them. "Tokuta" has a deeper groove where a strong line of tightly plucked guitars is backed by a range of horns that dip so low you can imagine the players kissing the floor. Essential.

Review: A serious double-up adventure from Mousetrap right here... First up is a rarity from 60s LA Latin funk firebrands The Village Callers. Only spotted on their 1968 Live album, the Ray Charles cover has been remastered and presented with subtlety. Flip for some UK fuzz funk fusionists Pneumania. "I Can See Your Face" buzzes with all manner of influences from the heady, languishing prog twists we're submersed in a harder rockier groove that shows the tell-tale signs which eventually paved the way for revered punk act UK Decay. A highly interesting and broad release.

Review: Those who missed out on the third volume of Jazzy Sport's Japanese CD only compilation Pound For Pound can take solace in this special 7" that draws some fresh produce from the release. Strictly for the nimble fingered selectors only! Fans of the label will need no introduction to the Cro Magnon trio of Shigekazu Otake, Tsuyoshi Kosuga and Takumi Kaneko and "QP Funk" finds them collaborating with hip hop DJ and producer DJ JIN on a fantastic funk fusion. Breaks fanatics will be all over the flip side vinyl only version "QP Funk (drums)" which lows the organs and lets Shigekazu Otake's drumming take centre stage.

Review: Introduced to us on Tramp's recent Movements 6 collection, Dynamic Duke Royal's long-lost 40 year old sounds cover a great breadth. "I Wanna Know" is super-charged with rock n' roll energy as it thunders with energy, breaks into a great horn-heaved chorus and crisp Hank-style guitar twangs. "Let Me Prove My Love" plays the instant soothing foil. A bluesy ballad with woozy horns, far-away piano tinkles and a Duke's honeyed vocals, it's an instant heart-stopper.

Review: Two albums deep, Karl Hector's troupe continue to join the dots between territories, decades and genres with hypnotic aplomb. A frenzy of Middle Eastern arrangements, densely weaved psychedelic motifs and super-tight instrumentation, each track spins a gorgeous hazy yarn. From the sunset serenade "Spirit Of Gine" to the fuzzier, off-kilter freneticism of "Transition T" via the overlapping melodies and yearning flutes of "Samai Thaqil" and the proggier, guitar-led "Nibunga", Unstraight Ahead carves a very clear path deep into the most unique, timeless pastures.

Review: Food Stamps is a great example of a record that fell between the cracks on its original release back in 1982. The one and only release from Baltimore-based funk-rock explorer Billie Senger, it has achieved cult status amongst record collectors due to its obscurity (finding original copies is notoriously tough). This reissue - pressed on green vinyl with new cover artwork - should, then, prove popular. "Food Stamps" - a riotously loose and floor-friendly chunk of funk from the Rare Earth school of white funk-rock - is the real killer, though the MC5-influenced flipside "How Do I Know" impresses with its fuzzy, recorded-in-a-shed feel and extra-cosmic production.