Funk / Reissue Recommendations October 2016

Review: Sony BMG is, as one would expect, a pretty reliable source of all things music-related. This becomes especially true if we're talking edits, seeing as there is just so much of the stuff coming out at all times. The empirical label have recruited the fast-growing DJ Reverend P, one of those producers who manages to find little nuggets of greatness in every track he touches. There's plenty of party-ready hits being given a makeover here; The Jacksons' "That's What You Get (For Being Polite)" is tuned up for the dance floor, "Rockin' After Midnight" by Marvin Gaye is made even sexier, but the special moment lies in "Love Is Always On Your Mind" by Gladys Knight & The Pips. Big up, Reverend P. Hot soul edits comin' at ya!

Review: Back in 2012, Rush Hour boss Antal Heitlager put together a sublime collection of obscure Surinamese disco and boogie for sister label Kindred Spirits. Four years on, and with assistance from Thomas Gesthuizen, he presents the follow-up, Surinam Funk Force. Predictably, it's another fine set full of surprise gems and barely-known classics. While some tracks sound authentically American (see the deep and harmonious brilliance of Steve Watson's "Born To Boogie", and Surinam scene stalwart Sumy's eccentric, synth-laden "The Funky 'G' (Only Comes At Night)", some of the most potent cuts lean more heavily on traditional Surinamese music. In this camp you'll find the thrilling funk of Explosion's "Wakka Mang", and the off-kilter tropical disco-funk of Ronald Snijders' "Kaseko Attack".

Review: Another week, another masterful 7" reissue from the unstoppable Athens Of The North. Moreover, it's another sublime find from the label, and it sticks closer to their usual trick of finding one-off soul singles from much coveted artists of the '70s and '80s. Felony Theft only released this one single back in 1972, "When You Have Love", but you can understand why AOTN would want to resurface its dusty percussion for the modern audience; it's one of those rare tunes that sounds like nothing else from the genre, a quirky piece of magic for the diggers. "Run For Cover" is fun, upbeat but less alluring than its A-side sibling, but that is not to say that it isn't also a fine slice of soul-funk mastery. Go.

Review: The unstoppable Tramp label from Germany is back with our favourite of their series, the wonderfully executed Praise Poems. This here is the fourth chapter and, much like its previous siblings, there is an extensive collection of excellent - and much sought-after - funk and spiritual jazz from the 70s. With seventeen sublime cuts to go through, you won't be left without choices, especially when the compilation opens with the instantly seductive exotica excursion called "Goodbye Rainbow" by Michael Dues. We're not really sure where to begin and where to end in terms of our favourite picks here, but if you had to squeeze it out of us, we'd be buying this album the John Wesley Dickson Band's "High & Dry", "Under The Trees" by Carmelita", and the singular soul experiment called "Black Child" by Morris Dow & Eastern Sound. This cannot be missed - a sure bet!