Back in stock: Funk

Review: Blue Foundation returns with another lush and immersive album that deepens their signature blend of dream pop, shoegaze and ambient electronics. Crafted over three years by the much loved Danish duo Bo Rande and Tobias Wilner, Close to the Knife explores themes of melancholy and introspection through layered textures and haunting vocals from Wilner and Nina Larsen. Guest appearances from Scarlet Rae, Helena Gao, and Sonya Kitchell enrich its emotional depth, while contributions from Chinese experimental noise band Wang's Xie Yugang and drummer Federico Ughi add complexity to this shapeshifting soundtrack.

Review: The jazz and broken beat revival continues apace as we race through 2019, so original pioneers of the sound are rightly coming back into focus. Enter the Brand New Heavies, one of the key acts of the mid-eighties who sound as good on this brand new album as ever. It's littered with funk-licked pop, crystalline acid jazz and singalong songs that range from tender ballads to soaring soul. Angie Stone, Beverley Knight and other vocalists lend their tones along the way, but importantly TBNH is not a revival or self-satisfied celebration. Instead, it feels like a forward-looking and accomplished album that takes the band in subtle new directions.

Review: Paper Can't Wrap Fire is the third album from Melbourne/Naarm multi-instrumentalist Don Glori, and it is a rich mix of jazz, soul, funk and R&B, but also marks a bold evolution in the artist's own songwriting. The title is based on a Chinese proverb about truth and underpins reflective tracks like the soulful 'Brown Eyes,' satirical 'Disaster,' and introspective 'Flicker' Recorded in Naarm with friends and past bandmates, these sparkling sounds are brimful of the sort of life-affirming harmonies and dynamic musical interplay that makes you smile broadly, while the heartfelt lyrics make this town mark. Influences from the likes Azymuth, SAULT, and Jordan Rakei are all clear, but Don Glori crafts his own take on those sounds that speaks to both emotion and intellect.

Review: The Great Revivers have been mainstays of the Funk Night label for a decade or so now. They know how to serve up the most potent dancefloor bombs for DJs who like to make an impact and after countless 7"s to that effect, they now drop an entire album's worth of high-grade tackle. 3rd Drop from this Russian quartet takes in 12 of their most signature sounds, from the rolling and cosmic-tinged open 'Adventures Begin' via the bristling broken beats of 'Not Good, Too Bad.' There is a 60s American feel to many of these cuts as well as some more slow and sentimental moments like the organ-laced melancholy of 'From Darkness To The Light'.

Review: Eramus Hall is the Detroit soul and funk group behind the coveted 'Your Love Is My Desire' and now it returns with a collection of rare and unreleased tracks. Originally signed to Westbound Records, which is famously home to Funkadelic and Ohio Players, the group recorded just two albums, and the second of those came on Capitol in 1984. Now, Org Music and Westbound reunite to unveil early demos and hidden gems from that era, all mixed by original producer Joel Martin over 40 years later. As well as the evocative and soul-stirring sounds, never-before-seen photos and fresh liner notes are also included.

Review: These days, there are countless bands authentically recreating the fuzzy sounds of 1960s and '70s Black American soul and funk. That wasn't the case when the Poets of Rhythm released their first records in the 1990s. Their attempts to create a new (old) funk sound arguably peaked with 2001's Discern/Define, the German combo's second and final full-length. Here reissued on wax for the first time since with a slightly expanded track list, the album remains a classic collection of funk-some gems that digs deep for inspiration. Yes, there are nods to James Brown, Stax Records and the Meters, but also dusty reggae-soul, Blaxploitation soundtracks and obscure Latino funk. In a word: essential.

Review: Funk maestros Rockid Sound Machine returns with yet more of their timeless and seductive instrumental funk sounds. They have turned out tons of it over the years on a steady and always high quality basis. This double A-side kicks off with 'Scorpio' featuring tight drums and wah-wah guitar smudges next to big horns. The track blends funk with soul and merges old-school vibes with modern energy. On the flip side, 'Stardust' ramps things up with prickly drumming and percussion, wet cymbal crashes and more bendy guitar work that brings psyched-out 60s vibes. Another great outing for Rockid Sound Machine's signature bristling beats.

Review: Stone Flower was a little-known, short-lived record label licensed exclusively to Sly Stone himself. It produced but four singles in the period 1970-74, and beyond that, saw to a short run of LPs from the likes of Gladys Knight, Herbie Mann and Eddie Jefferson. However, thanks to a series of retakes and bonus material, LITA were able to reproduce this compilation; a compendium of all the best music the label had to offer, with choice bits from Joe Hicks, Sly, Little Sister and 6ix in tow.

Review: Dutch label Universo Positivo returns with label head Jospeh Salvador and house legend Orlando Voorn. Salvador has been active since the 1990s and has worked under various aliases and labels, while Voorn is known for connecting Detroit techno with European styles, and together they find a perfect sweet spot between deep and soulful house. The filter-funk energy of 'Slap My Funk' kicks off, then there's the boogie-fried and low slung house of 'Every Man Loves', jazzy melodies and big breaks of 'Break It Down' and strident, steamy disco-house stomper 'So Well.'