Funk / Reissue Recommendations June 2016

Review: Two Gilles Peterson classics on one 7 inch !! As per usual, the unstoppable Mukatsuku delivers the undeliverable, and somehow the label boss Nik Weston has managed to license a pair of sought after tunes to find on the second-hand market. It's the second instalment of the Club Jazz series with this 45 a Hungary vs France sound clash.Hungary easily wins this one thanks to the sublime rhythm that is "Bamba" by Dimenzio, an inimitable jazz-dance leviathan that manages to mash-up all the right elements of jazz together with something a little weirder and electronic - a truly supreme piece of music that is recommended to ANYONE. Marius Culter's "Diamant" is a high calibre jazz funk missile, and works beautifully as a stand-alone, but its somewhat swamped by the sheer quality of its counterpart. Recommended. As played by Dean Rudland, Mr Thing, Ashely Beedle, Faze Action,Red Greg,Scrimshire,Frank Booker,Nancy Noise and Pete from On The Corner Records etc

Review: In a week where there's been a veritable flood of vinyl-shaped goodness from Athens Of The North, this 7" stood out still. Look up the meaning of Deep Funk online and the smarter cookies will have this New World 7", The World Today, listed as a prime example; a huge cut for the master Keb Darge back at the turn of the 21st century and a very record whose original copies trade hands for silly money. Recorded and released back in 1974 for Frank Virtue's Philly label Virtue Records, both cuts from the 7" have been kindly licensed to Athens Of The North by the man's daughters. Form an orderly queue, thank the Virtues, thank DJ Fryer, and cherish this gem of a deep funk 7!

Review: One of many essential K&A compendiums, Off Track Volume 2: Queens was originally released in 2008. The second in their companion series to their career-making On Track series, it's yet another digging exercise that is so deep you wouldn't be surprised at the sight of a huge oil gush. Ranging from psychedelic jazz (Bob Brault Org) and fuzzy lo-fi hammond-bashing samba (Super Boire Band) to straight up hip-shifting disco (Sweet Touch) to soul-warming African folk (De Porto Novo Dahomey) and complete with a peppering of their own edits, no one does collections like Kon & Amir. If this isn't already in your collection you know what to do.

Review: Fruit released one single in 1978: the audaciously funky "If You Like It Say Yeah". A staple for those-in-the-know, it regularly passes hands for triple figures. It transpires that the band also recorded an album which, until now, has never seen the light of day. Madness! Thanks to Athens Of The North's digging/negotiating skills, for the first ever we can imbibe the turbo charged jazz of "Say It", we can shake ourselves sweaty to the rampant funk of "Life Is A Challenge" and we can get super freaky to the bee's nest bass and p-funk wiliness of "Fruit Of The Universe". We can plenty more too... That's only three of 10 unreleased gems on here. Magic.

Review: Instanbul's Ozdemir Erdogan is a prolific psych-jazz musician who is at the heart of the whole Turkish 70s scene, a decade that saw a huge amount of incredible music being released from the country. "Uyanis" and "Zenci Yuruyusu" are the tunes reissued here, and they couldn't be wilder and hotter; the organs are flying from angle to angle and bouncing off petty much anything in their way, while the persuasion is driving and gritty, and the horns add that little extra spice to the equation. This 7' is limited and the original is rather hard to find, so act fast.

Review: When you talk about 'kid funk', it's always long-lost B-sides that record collectors talk about like myths. But, Athens Of the North have managed to get their hands on the masters of a super-rare Virtue 7" that goes for no less that L1000 on the second-hand market in its original form. "Listen" is a deep, sublimely odd little funk tune that is as deep as you can get for boogie and funk; "Party" on the flip is no less of a gem, backed by Little George's supreme vocals and a tight little break, too. Sick.

Review: Wanna hear the Isley Brothers classic "It's Your Thing" given a Latin shakedown? Mr Bongos have got you covered on the latest 7" in their splendid Latin 45s series! Originally issued back in 1974 on TR Records, this Los Africanos cover is a rum heavy Nu Yorican funk-soul instrumental featuring screaming Hammond organ and FX. It's very expensive in original form now, so shout outs to Mr Bongos for pressing it up here along with an equally good 1968 cover of instrumental, boogaloo version of Eddie Floyd's all-time classic "Knock On Wood" from Machito & His Afro-Cubans.

Review: Austin Boogie Crew Records return with a fourth release, turning to San Francisco's foremost exponents of modern funk, Starship Connection. Starship members B.Bravo & Teeko have been leading the scene for years and the Intergalactic Funkateers arrive on Austin Boogie Crew brandishing a deadly modern funk cover of Zapp classic "Heartbreaker." Recorded and released digitally last year to pay homage to talkbox don Roger Troutman on the 16th anniversary of his passing, the cut now makes the overdue transfer to 45 and sounds all the better for it. Driven by talkbox harmonies, cracking drums, thumping bass, and slick halftime break downs, Starship puts their signature twist on a classic. Complementing this, the Starship Connection lay a sweet and soulful exclusive on the flip in the shape of "Do It For U."

Review: Few words required: Prince's legacy is like no other and will live on as long as there is music. His self-titled sophomore release, of his 39 studio album repertoire this one is especially significant. You can hear him revelling in experimentalism, playing with ideas that would become the lead on future works (such as the big glam guitars on "Bambi" and lewd, brazen slap bass on "Sexy Dancer"), it also contains his original version of "I Feel For You" (famously covered by Chaka Khan) and his first hit single "I Wanna Be You Lover". Laced with some really heart-rending ballads (made all the more poignant since he passed away), it's one of many testaments that we'll never forget him. Rest in peace.

Review: Come on, its 2016, of course there are soul bands from Russia. More specifically, there's soul bands from Russia that make absolutely incredible music, and The Soul Surfers are one of them. They've been busy over the last 6-7 years, and the Spasibo label have been instrumental in getting their sound across to the masses. "Vladimir's Groove" is deep, funky and wet, filled with an awesome slap-back bass, a trippy cascade of organs and just a general feeling of "yeah". "Igor's Groove" is slower, more laid-back and possibly even better and bolder, bringing out the best out of this band and solidifying them as serious contenders for best soul kings of the post 2000's. A band to watch - keep 'em peeled!