Back catalogue: Funk

Review: Mishell Ivon and Vincent Kwok are back and combining their skills once more with this brilliant bouncy new funk outing on The Sleepers. The first tune on this pocket-rocket of a 7" is 'High', a funky weapon that is high on life and built around well-syncopated drums and a percussive bassline. The icing on the cake is Mishell's vocals which weave in out of the synth stabs and lush keys, all of which are well arranged. Flip it over and you'll get lost in the funk once more with 'In The Dust' with its masterfully rhythmic bassline and more of those buttery Mishell vocals.

Review: Spasibo Records present a fresh 7" by the Vicious Seeds, hailing from St. Petersburg. With vibraphonist Pavel Chizhik taking centre stage (Chizhik isn't usually a member of the band), 'Village Hassle' makes for a cleverly collaborative rare groove and instrumental reggae-soul release. The titular A-side flaunts Chizhik's vibraphone via the mix alone, fleshing out its low-end elements against a driven instrumental backbeat; 'Monthly Rainfall', meanwhile, goes for all-out slow-jammed soul by way of cross-sticked snares and offbeat chord plucks run through short-release springs.

Review: Record-collecting Jedis out there will know that this one is a real holy grail that is coveted by name, and now Record Store Day comes good and makes it widely available (well, in limited quantities) to all for a much more affordable price than you would get on second hand sites. This 7" allows you to experience the soulful magic of New York's The Village Choir who infuse Latin, soul, and jazz elements and more into two dancefloor gems that exude timeless elegance. Previously known for fetching over L500 on the secondhand market, this is an officially licensed reissue and what's more, it comes on nice heavyweight wax.

Review: Sounds like it came out of Lagos in 1971, actually written and recorded in Lyon in 2015: Voilaaa is the brainchild of Bruno Hovart whose long relationship with Favorite goes way back to his days as Patchworks, Mr President and The Dynamics. Recording on a whole host of vintage machines and calling upon local African singers both cuts have a real authentic sense of realness; "Spies Are Watching Me" drives with big horns and swooning strings which isn't dissimilar to the work of The Movers, while the TY Boys-esque "Le Disco Des Capitales" is a heavier, more concentrated slab of floor-minded disco where the groove takes more of a forefront role. Apparently there's a whole album of this cooking... We can't wait to hear it.

Review: With 'breaking' making its debut in the 2024 Paris Olympics, it seems an apt time to go back to where it all began and showcase some of the music that first made break-dancers move in the early years of hip-hop culture. Soul Jazz Records clearly agrees, hence this two-disc retrospective of early 'breaker' favourites curated by Arthur Baker - a man who's productions and remixes soundtracked many dancefloor battles in the early 80s. It's a suitably strong selection all told, with dusty funk, soul and funk-rock favourites (Johnny Bristol, James Brown, The Jimmy Castor Bunch, Spanky Wilson) being joined by disco-funk jams (Herman Kelly and Life), extra-percussive workouts (Manu Dibango, Mongo Santamaria, Candido) and a smattering of key Baker productions (Afrika Bambaata and Soul Sonic Force's 'Planet Rock' and his own infectious 'Breakers Revenge').

Review: The Wagram label continues to impress us with its well-researched collections that have focussed on a wide range of different niche genres and periods. The latest is Funk Music Gems From Vinyl Diggers with 11 top tunes here that are all gold-standard jams. These are tunes that mix up funk, soul and disco from the 70s and 80s and have been lovingly sought out for your listening pleasure. You may or may not know the tunes in question as they tend towards the lesser-known end of the spectrum and that in part is what makes them so good to hear.

Review: As any digger knows, Wagram do a fine line in compilations. They expertly assembled fresh tracks from various different scenes and sounds and now they turn their focus to what they are calling a 'nu funk sound.' All of these cuts are from contemporary tastemakers such as Kaytranada, The Quantic Soul Orchestra and Alice Russell. They take in sunny broken beats like 'Breackdance Lesson N' as well as jazzy funk workouts like 'Hold It Down' and seductively deep beats like 'Buckle Up' (feat Soweto Kinch). A great pick up.

Review: Favorite Recordings' superb Disco Boogie Sounds series continues. Following Waxist's recent exploration of French productions from the period, they've decided to drop a second collection of high-grade Brazilian material. Renowned crate-digger Charles Maurice has done a terrific job of gathering together dusty, obscure cuts that perfectly encapsulate Brazilian musicians' sun-kissed, soulful approach to disco and boogie. Highlights are naturally plentiful, and include the starry, jazz-funk tinged warmth of Christina Camargo's "Minas Do Rei Salomao", the Chic style brilliance of Almir Ricardi's "To Parado Na Tua", and the cosmic, horn-heavy leftfield disco thrills of Kaito's "Cara Feia".

Review: The "Mighty" Greg Belson has a bit of a soft spot for gospel disco, a sub-genre that proved popular in some of the genre's more righteous clubs. In Divine Disco, he offers up a lesson in the style, gathering together mostly little known gems originally released between 1974 and '84 (plus, it should also be noted, two tasty contemporary re-rubs from Rahaan and Steve Cobby). It's perhaps a little more varied than you'd expect; contrast, for example, the hands-in-the-air, can-I-get-a-witness enthusiasm of Gospel Ambassadors' "What Kind Of Man Is This", and the smooth, slowed-down torch song feel of "Give Yourself To Jesus" by Herman Harris & The Voices Of Faith & Love.

Review: Cultures of Soul have a reputation for digging deep for inspiration, so it's little surprise to see their latest compilation shine a light on the previously unheralded South African synth-disco scene of the early 1980s. Compiled by label boss Deano Sounds and Johannesburg digger DJ Okapi, Boogie Breakdown gathers together 12 hitherto hidden gems from six seminal South African acts. There's naturally much to admire throughout, from the spacey synths and celebratory vocals of Harari's "Party", and the slick, soulful electrofunk of Don Laka's "I Wanna Be Myself", to the reggae and P-funk flavoured thrills of Benjamin Ball's "Flash A Flashlight", and the sensual, late night synth-soul of Al Etto's "Hold On To Love".

Review: Down & Wired 7: A Dose Of Psychedelic Funk & Blue Eyed Soul is a gold mine of rare 60s gems, carefully curated for lovers of soul, psychedelic and garage rock. This compilation, released by Perfect Toy Germany, offers a cost-effective way to enjoy tracks that would otherwise be difficult and expensive to acquire, with original copies often fetching hundreds of dollars. Highlights include The General Store's "Love Is You," a fusion of psychedelic rock and funk that sets the tone for the collection. The Comin Generation follows with the swinging 60s vibe of "Hey Girl," while Function's "Free Style" delivers a funky riff-driven groove. Tracks like The Third Stone's 'Happiness Is Coming' and Whiz Kids' 'Take' continue the journey through the era's diverse sounds. Songs like Dandy King's 'Flowers Peace Love' and Synod's 'Places To Do,' this compilation is perfect for anyone looking to explore the eclectic sounds of 60s rock and soul.

Review: Paul Weller is perhaps one of the best non-soul musicians to ask to compile a rare soul compilation. Rather than documenting soul music as it proliferated in the 1960s, Ace Records' soul aim was to capture a genre, fashion and style as one man saw it in retrospect, in light of his involvement in the mod revival of the mid 1970s. Weller would later go onto form and front The Jam, but in late 1974, shortly before his involvement in the punk movement, he was about none of that business at all. Punk partly grew on febrile tissues of mod, which was in turn an offshoot of 60s soul; and it is true that we may hear a foetal form of the sound in the brasher cuts on this record, be it Billy Stewart's 'Summertime' or James Carr's 'Pouring Water'. Also clock Brother To Brother's 'In The Bottle', a super-early drum machine blues gem perfect for the house heads.