Back catalogue: Funk Soul & Jazz

Review: Debut release on the Canadian label imprint from two Icons Of Hip Hop with the the debut 45 with Otis . This 45 draws on hip-hop's golden moments drenched in soul samples .Up first on 'Otis', which is offered up as a vocal mix on the A-side. It's three minutes of beat-making perfection with muted horns sampled throughout, raw back-and-forth bars and dusty drums with plenty of guttural soul. Flip it over for the massive funk instrumental which is stripped of the mic-work and allows the rawness of the classic 6t's soul sample to really shine through.A great start to what is sure to be an essential label for hip-hop heads.

Review: Detroit native Ideeyah is a singer, songwriter and performer whose soulful vocals and lyrical storytelling touch the heart. Born LaKeisha Johnson, who you may remember from featuring on Theo Parrish's superb DJ-kicks mix. Here she steps up to his Sound Signature label with a new solo EP produced by Meftah. It begins with praise-giving spoken words and cosmic synths on 'Invocation (feat Maimunah Baqui)' then takes in deep and jazzy broken beats on 'Align', heavenly keys and vocal coos on 'Light' and slow motion grooves on '2020' where Ideeyah's effortless smooth and seductive tones melt the heart. 'Eat The Plants' and 'Sweet Chariot' are two more magnificent vocal pieces with gentle live drums and meaningful pads.

Review: Miami-based label Terrestrial Funk revives the sound of early 90s house with a long-overdue return from Insight, their first new material in over 30 years. Originally emerging from the UK scene and known for their 1993 output on Strictly Rhythm, the group reappear here with three fresh house tracks and one unreleased downtempo dub, all steeped in the warmth and spirit of that golden era. 'Starry Eyed' and 'Spring' combine tactile keys with swinging, classic drums, while Ashaye's vocal lines weave emotional clarity through each groove. The previously unheard 'Na Mix' of 'What Is This World Coming To?' flips the tempo, stretching things into a dubbed-out meditation that slows the pulse without losing intensity. 'Here We Go Again' rounds things off with a shuffling rhythm that lands somewhere between warehouse and sun-drenched terrace. Nostalgic yet agile, this is a quietly triumphant return that reaffirms Insight's place in UK house history.

Review: Popularly known to fans as "Ice" - a rare case of hypocorism in colloquial fan band nicknaming - Strut Recordings document a rare record from the vaults of the luminary Lafayette Afro-Rock Band, one that is arguably the closest in their catalogue to the signature sound defining their earlier work. Marked by an especially complex funk rhythmology, this record was pressed contemporaneously with the infamous Soul Makossa and Malik sessions; but compared to their earlier works, Afro Agban pushes deeper into jazz-rock territory. 'Ozan Koukle' has espceially become a known but coveted missing link for turntable taxonomists, who'll thank their lucky stars for the fact that it is now available in full.

Review: On Higher Dreams is the debut LP from Italian producer and guitarist Isaac de Martin, aka IKE. It is couched in jazz and electronic fusion and draws inspiration from the time the artists spent in Egypt during the COVID pandemic back in 2020. It was there that themes of nature, contrast and cultural reverence for music informed the record's conceptual foundation. Tracks like 'Nilo' and 'Sidda' channel the life-giving force of the Nile and its surrounding traditions, and the whole thing was recorded live to analogue in Berlin so effortlessly merges vintage warmth with modern textures while offering a contemplative, cinematic experience shaped by cultural immersion and personal reflection. A strong debut, then.