Back catalogue: Funk

Review: Cool Million has long been synonymous with the boogie funk style, which is sadly a genre lost by the late 1980s. Collaborating with singers spanning eras from the 80s to today, they bridge generations of soul, funk, and boogie. Here they work with English soul sensation Kenny Thomas, known for his UK Top 40 hits, who is a cornerstone of the original UK soul scene, boasting eight Top 40 singles and two Top Ten albums. His track 'Without Your Love' exemplifies this genre, a driving uptempo anthem with a funky uplift. The accompanying dub version enhances its appeal for DJs worldwide, affirming its place in contemporary record bags.

Review: Japanese talent DJ Koco aka Shimokita is a hardcore 45rpm devotee. They are his chosen tools as a beat-juggling DJ who can do logic-defying things with his grooves. He is a regal on Bloom and already dropped serious heat in January with 'World Famous'. This time he is back with a fresh take on 'Made In New York' which is a 1985 classic by renowned Brazilian funk and jazz pianist Tania Maria. He brings his signature hip-hop flair and creativity with his trusted crew, 45trio, and enlists the dynamic saxophonist King TJ (DA-Dee-MiX) to elevate things further.

Review: Italo disco heads take note, here's a quintessential one-hit wonder from a mystery crew known only as Kash. Arriving in 1981, this particular release leans more towards the organic, band-led sound of the 70s with some choice synth flourishes on top, rather than the more driving sound which would catch hold further into the 80s. 'Supercool' is a bubbling, funky-as-hell joint which will loosen up any dancefloor with ease, but 'Percussion Sundance' might well be the popular pick here thanks to its outstanding drums and hazy ambience. It's an essential purchase for anyone who loves a proper disco curveball made the classic way.

Review: The latest missive from modern funk maestros The Sleeperz Records is a red seven-inch double header that pairs Canadian neo-boogie queen Maya Killtron (a label regular) with two similarly minded producers. She joins forces with Andrew Napoleon on A-side 'Body Fly', a glossy slab of mid-80s synth-funk/synth-pop fusion rich in squelchy P-funk bass, bright lead lines and colourful chords. Estonia-based Latvian Artis Boris sits in the producer's chair on side two, underpinning a typically expressive and soulful Killtron vocal with sinewy strings, modern boogie grooves and nods aplenty to early 1980s disco. Naturally, the sound is nostalgic, but both cuts sound undeniably fresh.

Review: During the late 1970s and early '80s, Miami was a hotbed of percussion-rich disco-funk that blended popular Black American grooves of the day with nods to the drum-heavy rhythms of Afro-Cuban music. Herman Kelly & Life were amongst the outfits at the vanguard of this movement, though unusually they only released one album, 1978's Percussion Explosion! Here it gets a remastered CD reissue. It's naturally best-known for boda-fide disco anthem 'Dance To The Drummer's Beat', but there are plenty of other hot, break-heavy classics on display - not least the low-slung, high-octane brilliance of 'Who's The Funky DJ?', the string-drenched disco-soul sweetness of 'Share Your Love' and the low-down, extra-heavy funk rinse-out that is 'Do The Handbone'.

Review: B. Bravo and Rojai return as Kool Customer with their sophomore album At Your Service, a ten-track offering of modern funk designed for sun-soaked poolside parties. Following their 2018 debut, the duo pushes their funk sound further, evoking the laid-back vibes of LA's rooftop hotel gatherings while blending boogie, g-funk, and club influences. From the opener 'Endless Summer' to the mellow space grooves of 'One Day At A Time', the album maintains an effortlessly cool, future funk energy. Tracks like 'Fly Away' and 'Learned My Lesson' will undoubtedly find their way into DJ sets from LA's MoFunk to San Francisco's Sweater Funk. With roots in NorCal and SoCal, the pair infuses their music with a cross-regional modern funk spectrum. B. Bravo's use of vintage synths like the Minimoog Voyager and Yamaha DX-100 anchors the project in boogie tradition, while songs like 'DX Heaven' and 'West Coast Livin'' showcase inventive twists on g-funk. Kool Customer's At Your Service is the epitome of smooth, effortless funk.