Back catalogue: Funk

Review: Not content with laying down one of the summer's finest contemporary funk albums - Showdown - Hamburg septet The Mighty Mocambos deliver two more fresh originals on this furiously funky 45". "Where Do We Go From Here" is a Lee Fields style soul jam with big gutsy vocals while "B-Boy Suite In B-Flat Minor" is a powerful instrumental trouser swinger with hypnotic block-bashing percussive action. Both are exceptional.

Review: Earlier in the year, Bjorn Wagner's long-serving fuzzy funk outfit the Mighty Mocambos offered up a must check single featuring recordings captured during an in-store performance at a German record shop. Their latest "45" follows a similar script, showcasing straight-to-tape recordings made during their performance at the JAM PDM break-dance battle in February 2020. They do their best impression of a Middle Eastern Incredible Bongo Band covers combo on A-side 'Arabesque Breakin Suite', adding suitably exotic horn lines to a killer groove beefed up by some serious bongo action. Over on the flip they breathe new life into an '80s electro break-dance fave, re-inventing Harold Faltermeyer's theme from Bevery Hills Cop ('Axel F') as a weighty, tropical funk smasher.

Review: If heavy and fuzzy funk is your bag, we'd heartily recommend checking out this straight-to-tape live session from Bjorn Wagner's long-serving Mighty Mocambos outfit. It was recorded at an in-store live performance at German store Groove City live December and comes complete with atmospheric crowd noise and a raw, heavyweight sound that only enhances the band's live credentials. Vocalist Nicola Richards makes her soulful presence felt on loose-limbed, breakbeat-driven deep funk opener "Something's Missing", before returning to lead the party on the wonderfully fiery and funky flipside "Keep It Movin". Sandwiched in between you'll find the slower, crunchier and more bass-heavy instrumental jam "St Pauli Second Line".

Review: The Mighty Mocambos follow on from their well recovered and futurist 2066 album from last summer with another vital new 7". This collection of musicians also records on Brooklyn's Big Crown Records in a more tropical guise known as Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band but are back in their original form for this one. 'The Take Off (part 1 - instrumental)' is a funky jumble of drums, organic percussion and ass-shaking rhythms. On the flips part two featuring a vocal from JSwiss that is even more ready to blow up your spot.

Review: The Mocambo label introduces Turkish artist Peki Momes who began recording music by chance in 2023. Despite no formal music training, she brings a fresh, authentic approach to groove music based largely on intuition. Her first two tracks reflect her versatility and feature here - 'Goc Mevisimi' combines Japanese City Pop with tropical boogie to create a global underground vibe with dirty disco grooves, jazzy flute and Turkish lyrics. 'Ruya' then delivers a gritty psychedelic Anatolian sound with fuzzy guitars and hypnotic energy. Momes is working on a debut album, we hear, and we can't wait.

Review: Turkish artist Peki Momes wowed listeners last autumn with her debut 45, 'Goc Mevsimi', and she now returns with yet another double-sider single promising such captivations of the cochlea once more. Here she brings a fresh spin on the classic Marcos Valle tune 'Estrelar' with 'Yildiz'; retaining the original's vibrant energy, her new Turkish-langauge rendition dreams of the stars, sun, and moon. 'Bahar', on the flip, offers a psychic disco anthem at the moon's noon, with its distinctive chorused, peak-vibrato high Rhodes helping transmute a theme of political strife into a tranquil midnight fandango.

Review: Ukrainian jazz singer Mona returns with a powerful funk 45 following last year's breakout 'Moya Vode' (or 'Sweet Water'). Fusing ancient folk traditions with modern cypher culture, this one delivers a message of unity and resilience while rolling on tempting grooves. Jazzy breakbeats, soaring horns and relentless clavinet and guitar riffs create the dynamic foundation for Mona's radiant vocals while loose piano and sax add a fresh live-jam feel. The vinyl edition features an exclusive instrumental version, with a Moog stepping into the lead and adding a different vibe.

Review: Here's a rare soul and funk shindig; a collision of worlds between key players of the German scene. Singer-songwriter Mona, who recently moved from Ukraine to Germany with her production partner MC Fame, goes head-to-head with instrumental supergroup Hammerbrook Sound Machine (a five-member troupe boasting members of Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band and the Mighty Mocambos plus MC Fame on Moog solo duties. There's even a jew's harp in it. A defiant single, 'Maya Vode' is a clear and crispy breakbeat-brimmer, perfect for segueing the ball into less mere-romantic, far sexier heights.

Review: German funk heroes The Mighty Mocambos continue to prove that their funk is an ever-evolving force, navigating between the worlds of gritty, organic soul and cinematic experimentation with unapologetic energy. Their latest offering marks another step forward, refining the groove-laden formula that's earned them global acclaim while pushing into new territory. The opening track hits hard with orchestral flair on 'Road to Earth,' where the legendary Peter Thomas's arrangements lay the foundation for a full-on sonic odyssey. As they move through the album, tracks like 'It's the Music' and 'Hot Stuff' groove like a classic, with Afrika Bambaataa's presence lifting the energy and ensuring a tight vibe. But it's not all about party anthems. 'Not Get Caught' from DeRobert tells a story that's as gritty as it is soulful, capturing a narrative of crime with a raw, undeniable swagger. Even more dynamic is the standout 'Catfight,' which melds mysterious Eastern flavours with a tripped-out break, displaying a versatility that refuses to be boxed in. This is an album of triumphs, not just in the power of individual tracks but in the overall cohesion of sound and spirit, and by taking a step further into uncharted waters while keeping their infectious funk roots firmly grounded, The Mighty Mocambos challenge expectations and push boundaries. A showcase of a band in full flight, steadily rising.

Review: First released back in 2015, the third album from Bjorn Wagner's break-fired revivalist funk combo, the Mighty Mocambos, has been given the reissue treatment on vibrant red vinyl. It's arguably the most notable of the eight-piece band's full-length excursions, primarily because it features an impressive cast-list of guest rappers, singers and musicians (Shawn Lee even plays autoharp on side two joint 'Cat Fight'). Musically, it's a boisterous and party-starting affair, with Wanger and co flitting between breakdancer-friendly instrumental funk, 1960s style vocal soul ('In The Dark', with Nicola Richards, is a highlight), and largely up-tempo, club-ready numbers featuring singing and rapping from the likes of Afrika Bambaataa, Charlie Funk and Donald D.

Review: Having spent much of the last few years offering up tropical grooves under their alternative Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band alias, the Mighty Mocambos have finally got around to recording another funk-focused album. Of course, this is not straight-up revivalist funk or soul in the strict sense, but rather a collection of inventive cuts rooted in bustling breakbeats, fuzzy basslines, razor-sharp guitar riffs and hazy horns. Highlights come thick and fast throughout, from the sweet soul shuffle of Lee Fields collaboration "Where Do We Go From Here" and the rasping dancefloor soul-funk goodness of Gizelle Smith hook-up "Take On The World", to the 1950s sci-fi soundtrack cheeriness of "Return To Space" (featuring legendary composer Peter Thomas), and the synth-fired intergalactic dancefloor goodness of "Golden Shadow".

Review: Over the last few years, German deep funk heroes the Mighty Mocambos have taken to capturing their live performances - not just at concerts, but also record shop 'in-store' sessions and soundchecks - via a mobile recording studios. Scenarios, their self-proclaimed 'live album with a twist', features some of their favourite recordings. What makes it extra-special - aside from the quality of the music, of course - is that it features acoustic and semi-acoustic fare (composed for and performed in a lockdown live stream) as well as the heavyweight, floor-friendly jams that we know and love them for. Of course, there's loads of highlights in the latter category, including killer covers of 'Axel F' and 'Let The Music Play' and the squally funk-rock treat that is 'Munich Pyscholympics'.