Funk / Reissue Recommendations November 2014

Review: If you were lucky enough to snap up that Dee Edwards and Pilooski seven inch with the familiar logo that proved so massively popular over the summer months then you'll know the drill with this latest 45 from the Originals camp. On the A Side you get "Scrabble", Rene Costy's masterful slice of library funk that is complemented on the flip by the classic Motor City boombap of "F*ck The Police" by the sadly departed J Dilla which of course expertly pilfered the stuttering break.

Review: Gator Boots is back with two funky edits from beantown afro-latin aficionado Bosq. We've known him for years, but then he dropped one of our favorite albums of 2013 on Ubiquity Records and put his stamp on the new multi-culti sound that has been so influential to us. These two edits fit that mold and have been huge party jams in our sets for the last year. Look out for a full Soul Clap Records EP from Bosq in the future, but for now here's what he has to say about these two mega jams. "Fela edits are tough for me, as anyone who has listened to any of my tracks knows, the man is far and away the greatest influence to my music and to me most of his songs are nearly perfect. This hasn't stopped me from trying over and over - but it has stopped me from releasing them. I finally felt I had something that walked the line enough with this one and was honored when the homies Eli & Charlie asked to put it out on their Gatur Boots series. I think this track has that universal undeniable appeal that can work with just about any dance floor (and thats Fela's doing - I just gave him a little help for the modern sound systems and tried to really work that pacing). On the flip is another band that has influenced me greatly, Fatback! This was one of those edits that slowly started turning more into an original the further on I went, but I could never quite do without those vocals and that infectious bassline. It's always the most fun for me when I can actually add to the track musically and not just rearrange and beef it up, because that's when I feel like it's really becoming more unique and I'm contributing more than just tweaking the details. This one has got everything from rhodes to arp to organ, percussion, etc.

Review: Prior to this highly anticipated reissue, crazy amounts of paper have been passed over for this once-rare funk gem. It's not hard to hear why... Released in 1970, "I'll Leave You" is a big band swinger that built on the blues funk foundations Redding dug the year with "Too Hard To Handle". File under instant feel good floor stomper. Flip for "St James Infirmary". Rich, bluesy and delivered with spacious production and crisp delivery... Written 40 years before this recording, sounding good 44 years later - this really is a timeless record.

Review: Released ahead of their fourth album of the same name, "Burnt Offering" showcases the Staten Island afro-soul 10 piece fusionists at their very best. Fuzzy, tight and loaded with surprises, both cuts on this limited hand-stamped 7" embrace the bands many influences - from Heliocentrics to Black Sabbath via Santana - and deliver them in a dynamic, heady way only the Budos Band can. We can't wait for the new album...

Review: As ably teased with their cheeky limited 7" earlier this month, the Staten Island 10-piece let loose with their fourth studio album. Still tighter than a squid's spy hole, still oozing international instrumental allure that will resonate with fans as wide as Fela Kuti and Babe Ruth, still awesome! Each track is an emphatic narrative told with real drama. Wig out to the bluesy, fuzzy displays of Sabbathian guitar domination on "Aphasia", get freaky to the aquatic Afro jazz of "Shattered Winds", immerse yourself in the wild Emerson-style keyboard freneticism and become hypnotised by the writhing snake-like trumpet lead on "Tomahawk". Truly, Burnt Offering will scorch your speakers.

Review: Curated by Martin Morales, Duncan Ballantyne and Andres Tapia del Rio, Peru Bravo documents an exciting time in Lima during the late 60s and early 70s when a whole scene of young bands soundtracked civil unrest with unique fusions of R&B, prog and funk. From the instantly recognisable and heavily sampled hook of Los Holy's "Outasite" to the frenetic guitar ruffles on Cacique's self-titled samba rock slammer, this is a turbulent snapshot of a unique period in South American history that still sounds incredible to this day.

Review: It's been five years since Truth & Soul's octet gave us the incredible Wu Tang version album. It's been two years since they last dropped a single, too. However the band is back and their trademark cinematic soul is richer and more emotive than ever. From the instant the trembling flute and guitar open with the cuddly, ultimately positive "Kiddy Ditty" we're whisked on a largely instrumental journey that flings us through the wild west ("Little House"), soul's early JB chapters ("This Song For You") and straight up NY low-slung funk ("A Little Sloppy"). Climaxing with a Lee Fields featured "By The Time I Get To Phoenix", Loose Change is a kind reminder of just how accomplished and creative El Michels Affair are. No change there, then.

Review: This superb collection tells the story of Sly Stone's short-lived Stone Flower label, an imprint the soul/funk legend used to develop his production skills in between recording the legendary Stand! and It's A Riot Going On LPs. In particular, it saw him experimenting with early drum machines (see the sparse, atmospheric funk of Joe Hicks' "Life & Death In G&A (Part 1 &2)") and promoting the career of his younger sister Vanetta Stewart (a couple of 7" singles from the aptly named Little Sister). I'm Just Like You tells the full story of the label, showcasing all ten tracks from Stone Flower's five 7" singles, plus eight previous unheard cuts from the archives. As such, it's an essential document of a long-forgotten period in Sylvester Stewart's glittering career.