Cultures Of Soul Us Vinyl & CDs

Review: Destination '77: Nigerian troupe The Apostles lay down their third album Banko Woman. And, with it, this widescreen vibe excursion that's been a go-to for Afrobeat diggers since it was released on Love Day 40 years ago. "Banko Woman" is a firing, energetic funk jam layered with vibrant levels of instrumentation that gradually strip back at points to let you feel the raw tempo of the groove. "Faith Luck & Music" is at once both more bluesy, thanks to the sliding, melting guitars, and spiritual, thanks to the traditional rhythm and chords. A rare and long-awaited reissue.

Review: Greg Belson is a world leading gospel collector and DJ who had great success with his Divine Disco series. He continued his vital work with Cultures of Soul on the Devin Funk compilations series and now the label are serving up the many highlights on 7". Here we have
Pearl Farano & The High Lights Of Joy with 'Who's Your Boss', a high speed funk gem with in the pocket drum playing and energetic guitar riffs. The real star of course is the coarse vocal that cannot help but light your fires. On the flip, Zella Jackson's vocal soars next to summery flutes and raw, dense rhythm sections.

Review: Having previously delivered two near-perfect compilations of gospel-powered disco (the essential Divine Disco volumes one and two), Greg Belson has now turned his attention to obscure gospel-soul and gospel-funk. As you'd expect, the standard is exceptionally high throughout, with Belson digging deep into his crates to present top-notch gems that will be all but unknown to all but the most hardcore gospel collectors. Highlights come thick and fast from start to finish, with our picks including the fiery, breakbeat-driven funk of the Wearland Singers' 'If You See Me Doing Wrong', the organ-heavy sweetness of Allen Gauff Jr & His Combo's 'I Don't Want To Be Alone' and the Gospel Ambassadors' sensational cover of gospel classic 'This Little Light of Mine'.

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: Trinidad's Wild Fire was a popular local group that formed in the 70s and disbanded in 1985. They amassed plenty of varied tunes after their name change from the Sparks, a name they had as far back as 1962. They were a house band at clubs like Disco Tracks and Upper Level so knew how to get a party going with their hot mix of Caribbean sounds, disco and funk. This Dance Hits album is a great collection of their more dance-friendly material. Some are slow burners like 'Check It Out' which brings racial issues to the fore and the more sunny funkers like 'The Rebels.'