Back catalogue: Funk

Review: REPRESS ALERT!: Afrodesia may come on like another dusted down gem from those dedicated detectives at Best, but it is in fact a modern construction from the talented studio trysts of Mystic Jungle and Whodamanny from the Periodica camp. These Italian producers have more than proved their knack for crafting sublime, honey-smooth jams with a nod to the golden studio era of the 70s and 80s, and they're more than up to the task on this killer 12" of heavy funking jams with a dose of boogie and a nod to Ivory Coast disco. It's quite simply perfection, rendered with love and attention to detail, but utterly natural in its feel and flavour.

Review: 'Dreamtime Trance' is a cult gem for those who like to dig deep, and Alston Koch is exactly that person. She is a Sri Lankan-born Australian musician and the mastermind behind the Kookaburra Connection project, a collaboration with Aboriginal musicians, and this track blends indigenous themes with a unique, game-changing beat and infectious groove. It's a pure dancefloor revelation and this reissue includes a new extended version with a longer intro buildup that adds depth to the track. On the B-side, the heartfelt ballad 'Midnight Lady' offers a contrasting mood that is perfect for after-hours relaxation with PiNa Coladas. Remastered and re-issued with the original artwork, this EP is a must.

Review: Kalita Records are proud and honoured to announce the first ever official reissue of the four choice tracks from Randolph Baker's privately pressed sought-after 1982 disco album 'Reaching For The Stars', plus an unreleased instrumental take of 'Party Life' sourced from the original 24-track analogue master tapes.

Originally recorded at Jim Morris and Rick Miller's Tampa-based Morrisound Studios, 'Getting Next To You' features both a mixture of both local Florida talent plus jazz superstar Nat Adderley and bassist John Lamb at their finest. Originally pressed in a limited run of just one-thousand copies, with no distribution and most copies being sold in the local city and on Randolph's own merchandise table at the back of live gigs, original copies have long been sought-after by both collectors and DJs alike, acknowledged as a true grail and masterpiece in the disco scene and deservedly demanding extortionate figures to those lucky enough to find their own.

Here, in collaboration with Randolph, Kalita Records have chosen to re-release the four choice tracks from the album: 'Getting Next To You', 'Jazzman', 'Callin' Me' and 'Party Life'. The former is an in-demand horn and chant-filled disco masterpiece, which, as Randolph explains, concerns unity and "everyone on the same level in other words, everyone just loving life". It is arguably the song that Randolph is most well-known for in the disco and funk scene and perfect for the modern discerning dance floor. 'Jazzman' is an instrumental track with prominent trumpet and saxophone solos working with funky basslines to produce a truly great jazz-funk groove. It was "a tribute to Nat Adderley and Duke Ellington's bass player, John Lamb, for being so generous and saying yes to the project". 'Callin' Me' is a soulful disco number featuring the lead vocals of Laurie Erickson and is "about being on the road and ensuring loved ones that you will always come back home no matter what. It was like a promise to ensure loved ones they didn't have to worry". Lastly, 'Party Life' is a joyous disco track with a strong funk bassline and horns. As Randolph recalls, it "was the joy like after an actor finishes a movie. There was nothing but joy. It's finished; let's celebrate big time. Where everyone in the studio yelled at the top of their lungs - The End!" Here, with access to the 24-track master tapes we have been able to include the original version plus an unreleased instrumental take, allowing us to focus on the infectious bassline and make it even more ready for the modern dance floor.

Accompanied by extensive interview-based liner notes and never-before-seen photos.

Review: A bold fusion of Afrobeat, funk and jazz on the debut LP from Blvck Spvde & The Cosmos, marking an exciting addition to Mello Music Group's catalogue. The album is steeped in legacy, with powerful rhythms and expansive arrangements, with tracks like 'Doom' revealing an intense, layered sound, while 'What You Won't Do' reinterprets a classic with introspective depth. All in all, there's a balance of forward-thinking jazz with hints of raw, soulful energy as the ten-piece ensemble capture the feel of St. Louis' live scene and a spirit that's truly timeless.

Review: For the latest in their series of "giant 45s" - loud 12" pressings of classic cuts from the Studio One vaults - Soul Jazz has decided to offer-up a fresh pressing of Brentford All Stars' 'Greedy G'. Based on James Brown classic 'Get On The Good Foot', the track was famously sampled by Boogie Down Productions on their iconic cut 'Jack of Spades'. It remains a bona fide party classic, adding a bass-heavy, Hammond-heavy reggae spin to Brown's insatiable funk groove. As it did the last time Soul Jazz issued it back in 1988, it comes backed with the deeper and more laidback 'Granny Scratch Scratch', another classic cut from Studio One's in-house backing band.

Review: Dimitri From Paris returns with a fresh installment of his celebrated DFP Vaults series, highlighting deep cuts that reinforce his status as a top-tier remixer, DJ, and a true connoisseur of dance music's hidden gems. This release holds particular significance for Dimitri, as it pays homage to the legendary James Brown, a figure whose influence in music is beyond measure. The release features Dimitri's 'Special Version' of 'Funky Men,' a track from James Brown's Soul Syndrome. Originally overlooked by Dimitri in 1981, it now shines with a unique disco beat that he's reimagined using both vintage and modern editing techniques. The track has already proven its power on the dance floor. On the flip side, Dimitri revisits 'Just Wanna Make You Dance' by The J.B.'s, featuring Maxxi. This rare disco track, with its Caribbean flair, gets Dimitri's expert touch, enhancing its dancefloor appeal. DFP Vaults, the sister label to Le-Edits Records, presents this release with meticulous attention to detail, featuring state-of-the-art mastering and vintage-inspired packaging.

Review: The Record Store Day releases are coming thick and fast right now, and this is another doozy that arrives in limited quantities. British artist Mark 'China' Burton left an indelible mark with his one and only ever release, which is this soulful disco masterpiece. Produced by Adam Sieff and unveiled on the Logo label in 1979, this string-laden gem remains highly coveted, with original 12" copies fetching over L400. The arrangement, crafted by the UK's John Altman, who later collaborated with icons like Diana Ross and Tina Turner, adds to its allure. Altman, known for his work on the iconic 'Walking In The Air' with Aled Jones, lends his expertise to this limited edition release.

Review: GC Cameron was born and raised in McCall Creek, Mississippi, and by the age of 22 he was already famous having joined Motown Records. He was signed up as lead singer of the legendary group The Spinners and had several web recover tunes and a few hits such as 'It's A Shame,' which was co-written and produced by Stevie Wonder. After that, Cameron left the group and went solo and teamed up with Harvey Faqua, Greg Crockett and Elgie Stover to record his best-ever work, which now makes its way onto this fine four-track EP courtesy of Soundway.

Review: NYC Records looks outside its in-house stable for the first time here and signs the delightful nu-disco delights of Constellation. This duo hails from Miami and focuses on space disco sounds that fans of the famous Metro Area style are sure to love. They remain mysterious themselves but their beats are brilliantly designed with plenty of retro-future pads, cosmic arps and tight basslines full of colour, texture and soul. Like Daft Punk but deeper and more dubbed out. All four of these cuts are sure to get floors going but also bring plenty of style.

Review: Earlier this year, French disco and jazz-funk combo Chatobaron joined forces with fellow Parisian Dimitri From Paris for the rather good 'I Like (The Music That You Play)'. While that was a wholehearted disco workout, this speedy sequel sees the band (and their high-profile collaborator) explore their West Coast jazz-funk influences via an inspired workout full to bursting with killer instrumental solos, dusty grooves, memorable motifs and a genuinely killer, cowbell-sporting percussion brerak. This time round, there are no Dimitri From Paris remixes; instead, dubbed-out disco favourites the Idjut Boys are on hand to smother the track in tape echo and dub delay. The result is a typically spaced-out, low-slung affair that naturally makes the most of the band's killer bassline and layered percussion sounds.

Review: Parisian jazz-funk, disco and boogie band Chatobaron - an outfit helmed by multi-instrumentalist Frank Chatona - have previously worked in the studio with house and nu-disco mainstay Art of Tones, so it's no surprise to see them recruiting the mighty Dimitri From Paris to mix their latest single. His A-side 'Club Vocal' mix is a genuinely riotous and celebratory affair, with strong group vocals (singing about how much they love 'your' music) and heady horns rising a jolly and joyous, piano-sporting disco-funk groove rich in low-slung bass and Cerrone style percussion. It comes accompanied not by one of Dimitri's deconstructed dubs, but rather an equally excitable 'Club Instrumental' mix that boasts all the goodness of his A-side mix minus the vocals.

Review: Big new jazzdance from Colin Curtis' new Earthsouls project, debuting for the UK's funk-soul-jazz outfit of the same name. Made up of Curtis in collaboration with Born74, ONJ and Mark Paul Norton, the Earthsouls permit an impressive range on an out-of-body leash, keeping us grounded whilst also laying down some essence, some gist, some spirit. From the opening jam of 'Cause & Effect', across which a deterministic drum daubing from Born74 takes centre stage and shines, to the mid-moment wonky-boxy disco charmer 'Desire For Hire' and the closing funk something-or-other that is 'Across The Tracks', this is a legitimately wicked new EP, one which should probably be suppressed for its propagation of such potent sonic alchemies - that is, if we lived in a more sensible world.

Review: The new sublabel, La Sirenetta will be celebrating the vibrant Italian Afro scene of the late 80s while aiming to elevate World Music for today's dance clubs. This initiative focuses on unearthing and reissuing hidden gems from their extensive analog collections, spanning regions from Martinique to the Ivory Coast and Nigeria to Haiti. The first release features two tracks that encapsulate this vision: 'La Danza Della Giungla' on Side-1 and 'Quella E Una Bambola' on Side-2. Both tracks are expertly edited to ensure they resonate on contemporary dance floors, presenting them in high-quality, collectible 12" formats. With this launch, La Sirenetta promises to enchant collectors and DJs alike, laying the groundwork for a series of releases designed to invigorate Afro and world music scenes.

Review: Flammer Dance Band returns with 'Gynger', a high-energy, groove-infused album that showcases their vibrant fusion of funk, Afrobeat and psychedelic sounds. After a whirlwind year of touring, including a stint backing Ghanaian legend Funky Rob, the seven-piece group hit the studio with fresh inspiration and contagious spontaneity. Over five intense days, they recorded Gynger, an album brimming with dynamic, raw energy. Highlights include,'Bandet Gar', which is a horn-heavy funk powerhouse, bursting with infectious rhythms. 'Ekko Av Deg Selv' takes a more experimental route, with its distinctive keyboard work lending the track a unique and eclectic vibe. 'Glad' delivers a laid-back, Balearic flavour, with breezy guitar riffs and a relaxed island groove, offering a refreshing, chilled-out contrast. Meanwhile, the title track, 'Gynger', dives into trippy, psychedelic territory, swirling with hypnotic rhythms and spaced-out vibes that pull listeners deep into the groove. This release sees a band at the peak of their creativity, blending tight musicianship with a free-flowing, jam-like spirit. Flammer Dance Band's is clearly a leader in funk and Afrobeat, offering this fresh take on classic grooves with modern twists.

Review: The Outer Edge rounds off their series reworking tracks from the archive of lesser-known German 80s outfit Ghia. This time round, they're offering re-imaginations of an instrumental synth-funk track first featured on last year's Don't Look LP, 'Message From The Other Side'. This time round, the band has recruited vocalist Adrian Prestel and re-imagined it as colourful and authentic synth-number simply titled 'The Other Side'. As well as a solid instrumental take, we're also treated to a superb Marian Tone take which blends bits of the 1985 demo with elements of the 2023 re-recording. Elsewhere, there are also three takes on previous single 'Out of Luck': squelchy and crunchy neo-boogie vocal and instrumental versions courtesy of DJ Friction (the disco one, not the d&b producer of the same name) and a more low-slung, dub disco style instrumental revision by Soundrays.

Review: Maledetta Discoteca closes out its year with this special blue vinyl featuring a mix of brilliant Italo disco artists. They all hail from Italy and Argentina and are editing originals that span disco, electro, proto-house and more. Hararis' 'Si No Pagan' is the first under the scalpel and is a funky cut with raw drums. Lance's 'Yo Quiero A Lucy' is a more slowed down and seductive sound with 80s synths, Marta Paradise's 'Calling' (edit) is a direct and sugar synth laced house stomper and Alan Strani's 'Tension Salsable' brings things to a closer with a nice stomping disco grove with mysterious synths and lush percussion.

Review: French label Boogie Butt gets us moving and grooving once more with a tasty new EP in the form of The Boogievison EP. It features a lead single from Ian Ash & Ella May, 'I Want To Thank You,' which pairs some jazzy chord work with a low-slung and warm house groove. The bass is funky and the vocals are seductive. It comes as an instrumental as well as a more direct and harder-edged Mr Doris & D-Funk remix. On the flip is Jessie Wagner & Fostin meet Ian Ash with 'Try Again,' a lovely soulful house groove with sublime and emotive vocals over another lush bass guitar. All very sweet tunes, these.

Review: 'Fast Freddie the Roller Disco King' is a tune that is as good as its title. It was originally a single by Little Anthony and the Imperials (as The Imperials), featuring none other than Prince on guitar, synth and keyboards. The track's base was recorded by Prince with Pepe Willie and Andre Cymone at Sound Palace Studios in New York with later vocal and instrumental overdubs by The Imperials. The B-side, 'I Just Wanna Be Your Lovin' Man,' is an early version of '10:15,' though Prince's involvement as guitarist on this one remains unclear. Either way, this is a brilliant reissue for disco and funk lovers.

Review: Indeep's 1982 'Last Night A DJ Saved My Life' is a stone cold classic. It has been remixed several times over the years and never stops attracting new audiences with each passing generation. On this latest reissue we get the 1980s New York-based trio's still hard-to-beat original version as well as the acapella and Smeddles's More Ass mix and More Ass dub. They are subtle reworkings that tweak the original for a little more dancefloor heft but do nothing to distill its still golden charms and catchy hooks.

Review: Last year BBE released the latest project from nu jazz titans Jazzanova. Strata Records (The Sound Of Detroit Reimagined By Jazzanova) was an ambitious project which took the formidable troupe into new territory while doing great credit to the hugely important original works. Now we're being treated to a single pulled from the album with some additional remixes of 'Saturday Night Special'. The first of these comes from DJ Amir, who also served as executive producer on the album project, working alongside Re.decay, and on the flip you can hear Atlanta legend Kai Alce doing his thing with that high grade house sound that just gets better and better as the years go by.

Review: Wonky meets jazz in this impressive new jazz mini-LP from Japan. Takuya Kuroda is a highly respected trumpeter and arranger born in Kobe, Japan and based in New York City. 'Midnight Crisp' is Takuya's seventh studio album, entirely self-produced and following 2020's highly acclaimed 'Fly Moon Die Soon'. Learning jazz in a higher education environment, he's reapplied his skills to a new solo outing here, blending with his one true loves, afrobeat and hip-hop. The ensuing album is one of myriad midnight moods, tempered by many a virtuosic and mournful piano, digitally-edited drum brush, and trilling trumpet from the mouth of Kuroda himself.

Review: Francesco Fisotti is the leader of the new Italian disco-funk band Le Dune and this makes their debut release. 'Sugar' features a fusion of electronic drums, synths and groovy bass with a retro feel but fresh modern production flair next to vibrant guitars. When you pair all that with catchy, pop-driven vocals you have a timeless disco vibe that will unique all manner of dancers. Alongside the original version, the Extended Mix emphasises the groove, the Instrumental Version' leans into a percussive, tribal sound while the 'La Notte Mix' co-produced by Issam Dahmani delivers a late 80s proto-house feel.

Review: DJ Hunee afro monster gets an official repress for Hot Casa in France. Calling it massive would bit an understatement.

Review: The University Of California Santa Cruz Chamber Singers is a group from the 70s headed up by Bob Masters that released two cult albums A Birthday Celebration and Voices. Their lush, lavish, soul-enriching sound is a harmonious balm that here on the newly reissued 'Children Of Bahia' gets paired with some Latin-tinged jazz sounds, shuffling samba rhythms, busy Rhodes keys work and plenty of organic percussive layers thanks to Randy Masters and Solar Plexus. 'Torremolinos (Windmills)' is an equally spiritual sound with more prominent flutes and dancing piano chords all energising every fibre of your being.

Review: Yet another reissue of this enduring classic. Legendary Miami songstress Gwen McCrae had plenty of huge hits in her arsenal, from '90% Of Me Is You' to 'It's Worth The Hurt.' Her biggest tune by far is the sure fire dance floor heater 'Keep The Fire Burning.' The strident disco funk beats, the soaring vocal and the impossible warmth and soul of it all never fail to make a mark. Here it is backed with the more slow and deep cut funk of 'Funky Sensation,' which gets those hips swinging and hands clapping.

Review: This EP has proved hugely popular over the years and always sells out whenever it gets reissued. This will likely be the case again here with this newly remastered version via Tri Fire. It is a cult boogie and disco blend from Robbie M and The Midnight Express show band that originally hails from Rock Island in Illinois. It includes the hip-swinging and funky 'Danger Zone' (remix) plus a more paired back instrumental version and the original which is chunky, funky, and full of playful horns. All three versions do plenty of good things to dancefloors. Don't sleep!

Review: Last time out, back in 2021, Nassau Track Authority served up a swathe of previously unreleased instrumental mixes of songs recorded by Grace Jones at Compass Point Studios, Nassau. This 12" sees the shadowy collective once more dip into the archives of the legendary Barbados-based studio to recover more synth-laden, dub-wise disco instrumentals. They begin with 'Peanut', a Sly & Robbie-fuelled, vocal-free take on Gwen Guthrie's peerless Larry Levan fave 'Peanut Butter', before wallowing in the susp-enseful, slow motion boogie-dub brilliance of 'Adventures' (a take on an old Will Powers single). Over on side B, 'Seventh' is an infectious, musically detailed instrumental take on another Gwen Guthrie classic (the slap-bass propelled 'Seventh Heaven'), while 'Doctor' is a particularly dub-wise, slow-motion mix of 'Till the Doctor Gets Back' by guitarist, songwriter, longtime Marianne Faithful collaborator and Compass Point All Star, Barry Reynolds.

Review: Taken from his debut album, released in 1976, Italian composer legend Presti's rawest funk roots are explored and celebrated to great effect right here. "Funky Bump" lives up to its name beautifully with very neat organ stabs and a relentless groove that's not dissimilar to Grace Jones' "Pull Up To The Bumper". Looking for a much dreamier, dewy eyed jam? Flip for the lavish whirls and swirls of "C. So Buenos Aires"... It couldn't be more 1976 (or Italian) if it tried.

Review: From the grave, Prince is serving up a banger just in time for Christmas fun this year in the form of a one-sided 12" on Warner. It found him working with his trusty New Power Generation and features the 'damn near 10 min' mix of the song 'Gett Off' which is sure to fire up any dancefloor. It was originally a single - also served up as a one-sider - to promote Prince's new band with a cover that boldly declared that "Nothing can stop Prince and the New Power Generation" and was only issued on 1500 copies, so this is a great treat for fans to own all these years later.

Review: Mickey De Grand IV and Psychic Mirrors are back with 'Charlene II', an updated live take on their cult classic, originally released via PPU. Fresh off their latest tour, this rendition adds new dimensions, capturing the wild energy and rich textures of their performance. On the flip, 'French Dip' teases what's coming in 2025islick, polished funk dripping with Miami cool, elevated by that unmistakable LA studio gloss. It's a preview of bigger things, but for now, this release solidifies Psychic Mirrors' status as genre-melting pioneers who aren't afraid to keep pushing boundaries.

Review: Chicago has had a strong re-edit culture since the days when Ron Hardy and Frankie Knuckles were defining house music culture in the mid 1980s. Rahaan, who has been one of the more storied members of the global re-edit scene for the last two decades, is undisputedly the Windy City's current scalpel-edit king - as his ongoing series of reworks on Hot Biscuit Recordings emphatically proves. Here he adds two more fine revisions to his bulging discography. A-side 'For Dancing & Singing' sees the veteran DJ/producer apply his Midas touch to a vintage 60s funk jam, making most of the sampler-ready breaks and groove, while flip side 'The Galaxy' - our pick of the pair - is a soaring and spacey 70s disco workout piled high with percussion, jaunty piano motifs and suitably intergalactic synth sounds.

Review: Rahaan is one of Chicagos finest exports - he can do it all from edits to disco, dusty house to soul packed delights. He shows that again here by kicking off a new label, Gospel One, with a double 12" of cuts that all draw on gospel. The opener is a raucous and funky cut with belting vocals and noodling basslines, while elsewhere there is fleet footed groove and live sounding drums to 'Message In Our Muzik' that are topped with a superb female vocal. 'Don't You Worry' ramps up the tension with more fast and funky beats and 'He Can' gets down and dirty with some sleazy basslines and call and response vocals. A passionate package for sure.

Review: Rhythm Rhyme Revolution, alongside DJ Tabu, delivers a fantastic EP with Summertime / Sunshine Girl. 'Summertime (nuacidfunk)' gradually escalates into a disco crescendo, enriched by Dan Lipman's jazz flute/sax and Gareth Tasker's steaming sitar riff. On the flipside, 'Sunshine Girl' boasts a slinky Afro percussive groove, with DJ Tabu's vocals celebrating love in the sunshine, complemented by Barrie Sharpe's infectious hooks. The ensemble work, featuring Kenny Wellington's jazzy trumpet and vibrant guitar, creates a dynamic sonic landscape. The EP also includes the original version of 'Summertime,' reminiscent of Motown classics. Sharpe's masterful tease and impeccable mood-building make this record a touch of class, leaving listeners thoroughly enchanted.

Review: La Differencia, Dutch singer Hubertus Richenel Baars' 1982 debut, has long been considered something of a slept-on classic by those in the know. Charmingly lo-fi and homemade in feel, the cassette's 10 tracks - six of which are featured on this first ever vinyl reissue - brilliantly joined the dots between blue-eyed soul, spacey electro, disco, electrofunk and slap-bass wielding space boogie. As usual, Music From Memory has done a terrific job with the re-mastering; the tracks sound stronger than ever, if even they have retained some of the charming fuzziness of Baars' original production. All told, it's another essential reissue from Music Is Memory.

Review: The star-studded Sai Galaxy project returns, bringing together West African legends Steve Monite and Rob with multi-instrumentalist Simon Durrington, guitar maestro Alfred Bannerman, and Egypt 80 trumpet player Bade, for a second EP of vital Afro-disco and soul. Following up 2020's 'Get It As You Move' EP, the likes of 'Sometimes It Rains', the homonymous 'Okere', the truth-to-power 'Rich Man, Poor Man', and the live and swinging coda 'Hold Me Tonight' paint a multifaceted picture of a trio, equally as concerned with groove delivery as they are with narrative storytelling. Most emblematic of Sai Galaxy's approach is their inspiration by analog production techniques of similar Afro-soul albums from the 1970s and 80s, adding a modern touch informed by Simon Durrington's Digital Afrika project.