Back catalogue: Funk

Review: Ralph Lamb and his confrere Andy Ross are The Family Fortune. They serve up their own unique twists on sounds you would expect from James Brown with classic dance floor vibes and powerful vocals from the one and only Jessica Darling. This fresh new slice of funk gold comes on tasty 7" via the Skyline label. Both tracks are super short but super sweet. Up first is 'Andy Cafe '68' (part 1) with its prickly drumming, big horn work and playful swing. Flip it over and 'Andy Cafe '68 (part 2)' works the chords more but aside from that carries on where part one left off. Two tidy bits of funk of ever we did hear them.

Review: The next drop on the Skyline soul 7" series is this sureshot from the London scene, which finds Betty Black laying down a devastating turn on Arthur Hamilton's evergreen heart-wrangler, 'Cry Me A River'. Black's performance has the stature of Shirley Bassey et al, helped no end by the big band bombast of The Family Fortune's backing track. It's loaded with brass stabs and chic 60s stylings, all shot through with a heavy dose of funk. On the flip, the band go it alone with the complementary groove of 'Shock Value'. It's a pearler taking its cues from the same era, sounding classic in all the right ways while cutting through like a modern record should.

Review: It's a while since we last heard from Malachi Trout and Ed Morris's Flying Fish outfit, whose party-starting, retro-futurist bombs were once a mainstay of breakbeat-powered funk dancefloors. In fact, 'Takin' Over' appears to be the outfit's first single for almost eight years. Featured in both vocal and instrumental mix forms, the track is a rolling and unflinchingly groovy affair that adds a little 1960s spy-funk flavour to a weighty bassline and heavyweight drums. It's the vocal version that really gets our juices flowing, not least because the lead vocal from former Basement jazz chanteuse Elliot May's is smoky, sultry and classic sounding in the best possible way. Excellent stuff all told.

Review: "Mr Matatwe (Keep It Up)", by Flying Fish, is the debut release on new label Skyline. It is a great new double-header 7". On the a-side, "Mr Matatwe (Keep It Up)" is a superb up-tempo, floor-moving, hip-shaking dance groove that is sure to make you move you feet. On the b-side is "Armon's Theme", a timeless classic, made in honour of the Armon Superpiano, an electric keyboard that instantly evokes the sound of seventies Italian porn flicks and soundtracks.

Review: This 7" is taken from Funkshone's sophomore long player, '2.' It is a hard breaking, funked up b-boy anthem that makes a long awaited appearance on 45rpm with Mike Bandoni's trademark drum grooves set against the usual Funkshone wall of sound. UK broken beat maestro Kaidi Tatham does his magical thing on the flute, too, for good measure. DJ Skeme Richards made the OG a big hitter on the scene after using it in his set at the Red Bull BC Boy Finals in Brazil in 2012. On this special release it gets a 'never-heard-before' b-boy cut up on the flip.

Review: Welcome to the Seventh release from Skyline, 'Droppin', yet another funk bomb from Funkshone. This time a vocal driven track featuring explosive vocals courtesy of Natasha Watts fused with a killer head-nod groove which is loaded with the usual party tricks; super heavy drums and wicked musicianship across the board from this one man band. On the A-side 'Droppin' is a hard mid-tempo groove, taking the Funkshone act into a whole new territory. Vocals by Natasha Watts who smashes home a great funky song. While on the B-side 'Droppin (Inst)' is a wicked instrumental version, with booming drums and a razor sharp groove that, at times seems heavier than the vocal cut.

Review: "Stop The Bus" is another superb release from the home of funky beats, Skyline Recordings. This is the second single from Funkshone. "Stop The Bus" is an instrumental feast for the dancefloor and the scratch DJ alike. No horns this time around, but with a wider focus on heavy drums, bass and chunks of good old Hammond organ to keep you satisfied.

Review: Funkshone are Mike Bandoni (former Acid Jazz/Ninebar Records musician and producer) and some of the UK's finest session musicians. This debut single 'Purification' Parts 1 and 2 sees Mike playing every instrument, bar the brass, which was laid down courtesy of Andy Ross and Ralph Lamb (Easy Access Orchestra/Roots Manuva), and gives this tune its anthem-like feel. Don't be surprised if you find yourself humming or whistling the main horn-line after a couple of spins - it's infectious! One of the most noted aspects about this record is the sound. Authenticity is dear to the heart of Funkshone, and this is evident when the needle drops on this heavy-weight funk dance-floor smash, as the listener is taken back to the 1960s. Another attractive feature for many a battle/scratch DJ are the breaks. Both sides of this 45 are riddled with clear, crisp and downright enormous drum breaks that will leave any Purdie, Idris or Clyde Stubblefield fans more than satisfied.