Back catalogue: Funk

Review: Two tracks taken from the new self titled album on Strut from guitar legend Dennis Coffey, the man responsible for the B-Boy classic and million-copy selling ''Scorpio''. Dennis was also a member of the Motown Funk Brothers backing band and was key to bringing heavy wah wah guitar to soul and R&B during the late 60s. Stones Throw artist Mayer Hawthorne assists on the A Side, covering a George Clinton penned track with Mayer's vocals sounding soulfully sweet. On the flip Milwaukee outfit Kings Go Forth get to grips with a new composition, a fantastic dancefloor shaker with funk rock overtones and heavy on the Hammond organ. Tough stuff all round - Dennis Coffey is back!

Review: Legendary New York DJ Danny Krivit follows up his recent Edits By Mr. K release on Strut with a third 12" plucked from the album featuring fat 'n' loud pressings of two of the exclusive edits featured on the Music Of The Earth LP. Milton Hamilton's "We Have All The Time" (from the Disco Madness album from '76 )is flipped with a new stereo, full length edit of Philadelphia International All-Stars' social commentary classic, "Let's Clean Up The Ghetto" from 1977. Danny's edit removes some of the vocal parts and beefs up the instrumentals. Limited to 1,000 copies worldwide.

Review: In celebration of 50 years in the performing arts, Idris Ackamoor presents Artistic Being for Record Store Day 2025-a powerful blend of jazz, spoken word and activism. Featuring the voices of acclaimed actor Danny Glover and stage legend Rhodessa Jones, this record captures highlights from the Underground Jazz Cabaret, which was performed during Black History Month 2024 at The Lab in San Francisco. Co-produced by Ackamoor's Cultural Odyssey, the release fuses poetic storytelling with evocative musical textures while reflecting on social justice, identity and resilience. Artistic Being is a profound statement from a visionary artist.

Review: Generally accepted as the father of Ethio jazz, Mulatu Astatke releases his first studio album in over twenty years through Strut. Mulatu Steps Ahead signals somewhat of a new approach for the veteran who also engages with western jazz in favour of his more familiar, native style that has made him such a pioneering artist during the 60s and 70s. Having been making jazz music for the last 50 years, Mulatu Astatke has worked with some of the greats of the jazz world. On this album, he recorded with members of the Either/Orchestra in Boston, with members of The Heliocentrics and some of the UK's leading jazz and African players whilst also adding contributions by traditional Ethiopian musicians in Addis. The album follows on from the success of both the acclaimed Inspiration Information collaboration and recent Strut compilation, New York "Addis " London.
Mulatu Steps does not focus on his past roots however, indeed much of it was recorded in the States. The result is a more traditional sounding jazz record than we are used to from him. But that is not to say there is less intrigue and personality woven into it though. In fact, each track on the album tells its very own story. Opener "Radcliffe" reflects on his time as a lecturer at Harvard University.
"Assosa" adapts traditional music from the Assosa tribes of North-Western Ethiopia, "Mulatu's Mood" re-works a Mulatu jazz fusion composition from the early 1990s into a new swinging Afro high life arrangement and "Derashe" deals with the traditional diminishing scales of the Derashe people of Southern Ethiopia. Although different from his previous work, Mulatu Astatke continues to keep jazz fresh, contemporary and up to date whether it’s African or American. Let’s just hope it’s not another twenty years until his next studio album.

Review: Bob Blank is one of New York's most revered producers of all time. This compilation from Strut, is the very first retrospective on him and his work at his independent studio, Blank Tapes. This was one of NYC's most influential spots during the city's thriving art scene of the mid 70s and 80s. This exclusive compilation even includes the very first track ever recorded at the studio in addition to some hidden gems that have come straight from the studio's vaults.

Review: For many Londoners, it wouldn't be summer without the Notting Hill Carnival and Norman Jay's long-running Good Times Soundsystem. The hat-wearing MBE owner is celebrating 30 years of carnival parties this summer. What better excuse, then, for another breezy, party-centric trawl through the veteran DJ's epic record collection. As usual, the unmixed Good Times 30th Anniversary Edition features a selection of festival-friendly grooves, from dusty old disco, flute-sporting funk and classic soul to bouncy disco-house, head-nodding hip-hop and Red Stripe-swigging reggae riddims. By now, we all know what we're getting, but it's still great fun.

Review: For many Londoners, it wouldn't be summer without the Notting Hill Carnival and Norman Jay's long-running Good Times Soundsystem. The hat-wearing MBE owner is celebrating 30 years of carnival parties this summer. What better excuse, then, for another breezy, party-centric trawl through the veteran DJ's epic record collection. As usual, the Good Times 30th Anniversary Edition features a selection of festival-friendly grooves, from dusty old disco, flute-sporting funk and classic soul to bouncy disco-house, head-nodding hip-hop and Red Stripe-swigging reggae riddims. By now, we all know what we're getting, but it's still great fun!

Review: This is what happens when one of the leading modern bands who excel in international music team up with a bona fide Afrofunk legend... Together with Orlando Julius, The Heliocentrics have explored the Nigerian pioneer's earliest ideas and never-before-recorded songs to result in an emphatic homage to Africa's rich funk heritage while celebrating modern production techniques and dynamics. Progressive, often cosmic and galvanised with a natural jazzy character (thanks to the awesome horn work) and sturdy funk backbone (thanks to the dense drums and tight guitar work), this is a one-off collaboration that needs both attention and celebration.

Review: It's been ten years since irrepressible disco-era oddball August "Kid Creole" Darnell last donned his trademark zoot suit and fedora and laid down an album. I Wake Up Screaming, then, marks something of a belated return for one of music's most intriguing characters. As ever, it's an enjoyable and eccentric listen. Darnell - aided by mixer Brennan Green - breathlessly zips between disparate music styles with all the gusto of an 18 year-old, somehow finding space to shoehorn in everything from military marching soul ("Long Love The King"), calypso-disco (the excellent title track, "Very Very Very"), low-slung NYC disco-funk ("I Do Believe"), twisted doo-wop ("Tudor-Jones"), zany funk ("Attitude") and Prince-ish grooves ("We're Rockin' Out Tonight"). In a word: bonkers.

Review: 
Strut re-kindle their involvement with one New York's most revered DJs and re-edit pioneers, Danny Krivit, with a fresh album of essential new, rare and classic re-works, past and resent.

As a producer, Krivit is the acknowledged "King Of The Edit" and has been a major influence on today's re-edit culture. From early classics like the 'Feelin' James' and 'Rock The House' JB cut-ups during the mid-'80s, he has released over 300 unique versions, often under the mysterious 'Mr. K' moniker. After releasing a batch of his finest edits on the 'Edits By Mr. K' compilation in 2003, Strut now delve back into the tape cupboard for an all-new edition, bringing together some of Krivit's secret weapons in a wide-ranging selection covering soulful disco, funk and jazz.

Review: The Souljazz Orchestra team up with Strut Records to release their first entirely acoustic afro=jazz album. Throughout the album they stay true to their soul and afro rhythms but in a cutting edge, jazz orientated way which in turn makes them more danceable.

Review: Solidarity marks a welcome return to the studio from Canadian six-piece The Souljazz Orchestra following an extended break for touring. As with previous outings, the 10 tracks bristle with summery intent, mixing heavy bottom end pressure with piercing horns and authentically fuzzy vocals. The production makes it sound authentically 1970s, as if it was recorded in some cheap West African studio. Given the band's love of Afro-funk and Afro-beat - as well as the sort of psychedelic afro-jazz that so enthuses record collectors - it's a wise move. If anything, it makes the album even more desirable; certainly, there's an authenticity to The Souljazz Orchestra that can't be denied.

Review: Solidarity marks a welcome return to the studio from Canadian six-piece The Souljazz Orchestra following an extended break for touring. As with previous outings, the 10 tracks bristle with summery intent, mixing heavy bottom end pressure with piercing horns and authentically fuzzy vocals. The production makes it sound authentically 1970s, as if it was recorded in some cheap West African studio. Given the band's love of Afro-funk and Afro-beat - as well as the sort of psychedelic afro-jazz that so enthuses record collectors - it's a wise move. If anything, it makes the album even more desirable; certainly, there's an authenticity to The Souljazz Orchestra that can't be denied.

Review: The third edition of Horse Meat Disco's cowbell revue arrives on Strut at a time when the genre is in the midst of a golden period and thus it's no surprise to see the concept behind this collection mirrors that. Whilst the two previous editions have focused on the underground NYC disco sound of the late 70s/early 80s, this third selection bridges the gap between then and now with the first twelve inch strictly contemporary productions chosen by Jim Stanton and Severino. It's a smart selection too ranging from the gritty arpeggiated funk of Leftside Wobble's revision of L.I.F.E.'s proto house cover of Marvin Gaye to Yam Who's bottom heavy diva anthem "I'm In Love" and Tom Trago in glistening disco pump mode. James Hillard and Luke Howard take the controls for the more vintage sounds, with the camp flex of Rose Lauren's "American Love" and the MOR Philly disco of Idris Muhammed particular delights. Presented in a gatefold sleeve that's lined by some insightful notes from the excellent Daniel Wang, it makes for another killer release from the Strut stable.

Review: Having offered up two previous mixes full to bursting with tongue-in-cheek New York disco classics and little-known underground anthems, this third instalment in the Horse Meat Disco series sees residents Jim, James, Luke and Severino broaden their horizons. The first disc, in particular, focuses more on recent disco scene hits, with notable re-edits from Gazeebo, Todd Terje and Leftside Wobble sitting next to contemporary productions from Mungolian Jet Set, Wild Geese and the Glimmers. Yet it's the second CD of lesser-known older nuggets - proto house, string-laden disco, wonky synth-pop etc -that really hits the spot, with a clutch of superb HMD re-edits, a dash of disco-funk and Marcel King's slept-on Hacienda classic "Reach For Love".

Review: Following last year's long overdue 'best of' collection, Ghanaian highlife guitar legend Ebo Taylor returns to Strut with a brand new full-length. Named after a landmark in his hometown, Appia Kwa Bridge features both Tony Allen and Berlin-based band Afrobeat Academy. With Taylor's sweet guitar solos and emotive vocals to the fore, it's a thoroughly enjoyable set. The songs and grooves are traditional enough to impress authentic highlife fans, but suitably new enough to breathe new life into the genre. There are, for example, a couple of great acoustic moments (check, in particular, "Yaa Amponsaah") amongst the celebratory dancefloor jams and high-on-life anthems.

Review: Following last year's long overdue 'best of' collection, Ghanaian highlife guitar legend Ebo Taylor returns to Strut with a brand new full-length. Named after a landmark in his hometown, Appia Kwa Bridge features both Tony Allen and Berlin-based band Afrobeat Academy. With Taylor's sweet guitar solos and emotive vocals to the fore, it's a thoroughly enjoyable set. The songs and grooves are traditional enough to impress authentic highlife fans, but suitably new enough to breathe new life into the genre. There are, for example, a couple of great acoustic moments (check, in particular, "Yaa Amponsaah") amongst the celebratory dancefloor jams and high-on-life anthems.

Review: Given the quality of much of the material released by post-punk dancefloor fusionists Celluloid Records in the first half of the 1980s, it's perhaps surprising that this excellent collection from Strut is the first "proper" label retrospective. It's well timed. Much of the material, which spans alternative rock, punk-funk, mutant disco, dub funk, cross-cultural fusion and off-kilter pop, still resonates today. Celluloid really came into its own in the years following 1981, when label box Jean Karakos relocated to New York and hooked up with musician/producer Bill Laswell. It's the material (sorry) from that era, from the likes of Winston Edwards & Blackbeard, Futura 2000 (featuring the Clash), Modern Guy and Manu Dibango, which really stands out.

Review: The tireless Strut Records operation presents this excellent retrospective of Celluloid Records! This 80s NYC imprint is described by Strut as the "label whose output so closely mirrors the full spectrum of what we love" so the 26 track Change The Beat: The Celluloid Records Story 1980 - 1987 can be viewed as something of a personal coup. Typically for a Strut release, Change The Beat manages to superbly represent a label whose output includes a rather intimidating 100 plus albums that veered between no wave, nascent hip-hop, afro infused experimental disco and more, and neatly encapsulates New York's vivid music scene in this period. Bill Laswell was central to the Celluloid story and features prominently here in his Massacre and Material incarnations as well as other key productions. Celluloid's involvement with early forms of New York hip-hop is also a key narrative of this compilation yet there's room for so much more in the tracklisting. Rare photos from the Celluloid archives and extensive interviews with label boss Jean Karakos, Bill Laswell, Afrika Bambaataa, Time Zone's Rusty Egan, John Lydon make this a definitive retrospective!

Review: Originally released back in 2001, there's a reason why Strut have reissued Nigeria 70: The Definitive Story Of 1970's Funky Lagos so many times; it's superb and totally lives up to the title! if you've not yet indulged in the compilation, this 2012 triple vinyl pressing is the even more definitive edition. With the vinyl now pressed on heavyweight 180g wax, this makes for the perfect introduction into the vivid story of 1970s West African funk. Well done Strut!

Review: While re-issue specialists such as Harmless, Far Out, Strut or Mr Bongo enjoy a respectable following thanks to their long-established nature and strong track record, very few new labels rooted in the world of global rhythms have managed to make waves outside of the dusty-fingered world of record collecting. Since launching at the tail end of the noughties, the London based club night and label Sofrito have joined this select group. Focused primarily on 12" singles, often boasting new re-edits of little-known afro-disco, calypso or tropical gems, the label overseen by Hugo Mendez and Frankie Francis has tickled the fancy of a wide range of DJs. Here, they return to Strut - regular employers of Francis for his formidable re-mastering and engineering skills - for a second compilation. Whereas the first, 2011's Tropical Discotheque, had a distinctly tropical theme, Sofrito International Soundclash takes a more wide-ranging approach. The results are predictably enjoyable and deliciously heavy. Opening with the classic Soca of Lord Shorty & Vibrations International, the compilation moves through styles of pan continental music both past and present at a furious rate. There's some contemporary Kenyan beats with London/Nairobi collective Owiny Sigoma Band presenting a new version of "Nabed Nade El Piny Ka", a highlight from their 2011 debut for Brownswood, while the booming "Information Par Le Mistral" from Sartana et Son Groupe Mistral brings a taste of heavily-percussive gwo-ka. Sofrito's own editing skills with beautiful calypso rhythms are showcased with a reworking of Concept Neuf's 1979 cover of jazz-fusion mainstay "The Path," while Afro Festival bring some joyous but unlikely fusion sounds. Aside from the enthusiasts that gather at Sofrito parties in London and beyond, where many of these tracks are dancefloor staples, few will know much about many of these styles of music, let alone the artists who make them. But that's the point: through International Soundclash, the Sofrito crew is opening our eyes and ears to brilliant sounds we never knew existed.

Review: Having previously explored the richly mined archives of Nigerian Afrobeat, Strut's Nigeria 70 series now turns to the lesser-known delights of high life, juju and Afro-funk. For those with a passing interest in the development of African dance music, it should essential listening. While there are revelatory or life-affirming moments around every musical turn (check the wonderful "Viva Disco" by Tunde Mabadu), it's the juju selections that really stand out. The epic "It's Time For Juju Music" by Admiral Dele Abiodun & His Top Hitters International offers a perfect musical definition of the genre (whilst, it should be added, going off an a wonderfully psychedelic tangent), but there are also superb selections from Ali Chunkmuwah, Sina Bakare and Etubo Rex Williams.

Review: By now a well-oiled machine, the Strut compilation programme switches attentions to the Caribbean and Haiti in particular with Haiti Direct: Big Band, Mini Jazz & Twoubadou Sounds 1960-1978. The double LP package (which comes with 2CD edition too) was compiled by Hugo Mendez, the Paris-based DJ whose work as part of the Sofrito collective ensures him the perfect position to curate this release in a manner few can match. This impressive collection of tracks documents the country's overlooked musical legacy from the '60s and '70s , going beyond Ra-ra and voodoo stereotypes to trace the development of a unique sound that echoed across the Caribbean. The exploratory package also includes in-depth liner notes and interviews with some of the musicians of the era, with part of the release's profits donated to the Partners In Health charity.

Review: A Record Store Day spectacular, Vuolo & Grande's Desert is as special as it gets; not only has the obscure Italian library records release been highly sought after for years, it's also a very formative instrumental psychedelic record in terms of utilise synthesisers in such a cosmic way. Cue references to Goblin and Tangerine Dream. You could even throw recent Demdike Stare material in that reference pit, too. Highlights include the warped, syncopations and battling twangs on "Transvesuvian" and the grand opening rock-out "Take Flights" but you really need to tuck in from start to finish to fully experience this. Way ahead of its time.

Review: Iconic label Strut have really hit their stride in 2010 with a veritable slew of retrospectives, compilations and artist albums covering everything from disco to Sowetan Jazz. They round off a fine year with the auspicious introduction of a new series of mixes called Disconnect with Leo Zero at the helm. The concept behind this series is to invite Strut's favourite DJs and producers to explore the darker, more extreme corners of their record collection. Armed with this creative freedom, Leo Zero has delivered 75 minutes of delightfully subversive music that sets the standard high for subsequent volumes. Commencing with the lilting afro beat of Desmond & The Tutus - surely Tigersushi's most underrated act? - Leo draws on his fifteen years experience as a DJ and producer with a Balearic mix in the truest sense, veering effortlessly between spiky 80s punk funk, reggae that sound tracked Zero's Soulsonic parties, a Sting cover version, nu beat chuggers, kraut rock and EBM throbbers. This is an invitation to consume the lesser broadcasted reaches of a record collection you should not turn down. Golf claps to Strut for including a bonus CD that has eleven of the tracks in unmixed format!