New releases last two weeks: Funk Soul & Jazz

Review: Some 13 years have now passed since Mississippi Records started reissuing private press albums by Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru, an Ethiopian Orthodox nun, pianist and composer whose naturally religious-inspired works frequently took spiritual music to fascinating new places. Here the label turns its attention to 1972's Church of Kidane Mehret, notable not only for being recorded live in various churches across Jerusalem, but also for the use of harmonium and pipe organ as well as Emehoy's beloved piano. The original album, which in line with her other album features intricate and mood-enhancing solo translations of orthodox liturgies, has here been expanded via the inclusion of two further piano pieces from 1963's ultra-rare Der Sang Des Reeres - a set of which only 50 copies were ever produced.

Review: It may be almost a decade since the last - and previously only - album by Mark Ernestus' Ndagga Rhythm Force outfit, but in the time the expansive, percussion-led collective has toured extensively and subtly developed their African rhythms-meets-dub trademark style. Khadim, which features extensive contributions from vocalist Mbene Diatta Seck, is not only a welcome return to the studio, but also a genuinely impressive affair. For proof, check the percussion-rich Afro-dub science of 'Lamp Fall', where Seck's effects-laden vocals spar with dub techno synth motifs and deep sub-bass over a hand percussion-heavy rhythm track, or the more dub techno-focused early morning hypnotism of the inspired title track.

Review: UK soul hero Omar steps up with his ninth studio album, bringing the depth, clarity and control that have typified his uncompromising and deeply rooted musical journey. The songwriting is tight, the grooves are locked, and the arrangements leave space for the music to breathe. His voice is as expressive as ever i warm, precise, unmistakably his. There's a strong sense of shape to the album, from the clipped funk of 'Research' to the more open, reflective tone of 'There's Much Love in the World'. Strings, samples and live instrumentation all sit together naturally, with nothing overplayed or overstated. The ensemble guest appearances i India Arie, Giggs, Paul Weller, Raheem DeVaughn among them i add some masterful flourishes to an already engaging set. Always good to hear new music from the one like Omar, a man who will never be underrated by those in the know.

Review: Seth Ford-Young's Phi-Psonics return with Expanding To One, a loose-limbed, quietly luminous third LP shaped from live sessions at Healing Force Of The Universe in Pasadena. Since founding the project in 2016, the East LA bassist has used Phi-Psonics as a vessel for collective improvisation and spiritual grounding, but this time there's a sharper edge; fourteen tracks, mostly conceived on the spot with a changeling group of collaborators, hear Ford-Young steer said ensemble through hushed dark jazz abstraction. With an ear for emancipatory politics - "the music we make doesn't exist in a vacuum and the backdrop of injustice and tragedy in our world has to be part of our music" - Phi-Psonics plays on a latent psionic ability in us all: to turn creative juices into truth.

Review: Will Holland's first official mix release under his most familiar alias is a snapshot of a global career spent building communities across Bogota, Brooklyn and Brighton. Opening with the warm introspection of JJ Whitefield's 'The Mind Is A Palace' and the hazy psych-funk of The Heliocentrics, the selection soon tilts into submerged electronics via Dialect and Alfa Mist's brushed jazz motifs on 'In My Defence'. JKriv's 'Pifeiro Malandro' and Quantic's own 'Twang' bring syncopated bounce, setting up cumbia futurists Frente Cumbiero and a percussive remix of 'Theme From Selva'. Later, 'Eko Eko' and a live version of 'Motivic Retrograde' thread together low-slung breaks and synth-rich ambience, before Meridian Brothers' 'Un Grande Nubarron Se Alza En El Cielo' and The Maghreban's 'Covent Garden' ramp up the oddball charm. Anna Morgan and Ehua lock in high-BPM club energy on 'Throw Dat Azz' and 'Scintille', while Turbo Sonidero's 'Kumbia ESSJ' and Sobredosis's 'No Llores Por Mi' land like final toasts to dusk before the sun vanishes entirely. The journey ends, naturally, with a continuous mix of it all.

Review: Second time around for Royksopp's superb contribution to the popular, post-club focused LateNightTales mix series, a beloved volume that first hit record stores back in 2013. For the uninitiated, it sees the long-serving Norwegian twosome offer up an attractive blend of synth-heavy Scandolearic shufflers (their own cosmic pop number 'Daddy's Groove'), dubbed-out soul (Rare Bird), swelling synth soundtrack fare (Vangelis), neo-classical (Johann Johannsson), reverb-laden accapella beauty (Prelude), sun-soaked blue-eyed soul (Richard Schneider Junior), nods to the KLF's Chill Out album (Acker Bilk), seductive slow jams (Byrnes & Barnes), vintage Balearica (Andreas Vollenweider, John Martyn) and atmospheric new wave (XTC, This Mortal Coil).

Review: This five-disc CD set has an impressively broad and satisfying journey through one of the most dynamic decades in popular music. From glam to disco, punk to singer-songwriter balladry, soul to soft rock, each disc brings together an eclectic mix of tracks that still feels essential. The opening tracks boast undeniable energy: Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now' and ELO's 'Mr Blue Sky' remain joyful anthems, while Blondie's 'Heart of Glass' and Gary Numan's 'Cars' introduce a touch of post-punk and synth-pop futurism. As the compilation moves into moodier and more socially charged fare, the inclusion of The Clash's 'London Calling' and Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On' add depth and urgency, but there are moments of sheer beauty like Joan Armatrading's 'Love and Affection' and Justin Hayward's 'Forever Autumn' too. The disco era gets a full-bodied celebration with staples like Gloria Gaynor's 'I Will Survive', Chic's 'Good Times' and Earth Wind and Fire's 'September', each one carrying the rhythm and flair that defined dancefloors at the time. Meanwhile, soft rock and radio-friendly hits like 10cc's 'I'm Not In Love' and Bread's 'Make It With You' provide smoother, introspective tones. Nostalgic singalongs such as 'Sweet Caroline', 'Mull of Kintyre' and 'Tie a Yellow Ribbon' add a glimpse of warmth that remains from the 60s. Each track is a classic in its own right, but together they form a kaleidoscope of 70s culture.