Matasuna Vinyl & CDs

Review: Matasuna Records' latest must-check reissue comes courtesy of obscure Mexican outfit Apache, who released a handful of singles and a couple of albums of fiery Latin funk in the mid 1970s. A-side 'Liberate', which first surfaced on the band's 1976 album Del Bumpin Al Horno, is a find slab of hot and humid funk built around rising horn arrangements, low-slung grooves and excitable group vocals. Over on the flip, regular Matasuna contributor Voodoocuts delivers an excellent rework of 1975 cut 'Hombre', which was originally written and arranged by Apache's trumpet player Ermesto Haros. Voodoocuts adds a few of his own samples and musical touches here or there, embellishing the original groove and instrumentation with enough contemporary funk breaks oomph to delight those who like their beats tight, fat and floor friendly.

Review: Matasuna Records' dusty-fingered owners always have one eye on the world of self-released music, scrolling through untold Bandcamp pages to find buried treasure. They've struck gold with Batunga and the Subprimes, a Parisian Afrobeat band who have toured extensively but never before appeared on vinyl - hence this two-track seven-inch single. Both sides are sizzling hot. A-side "Gates of Oauntou" is marked out by some superb, Tony Allen style polyrhythmic drumming, hazy horns and clipped guitars, with the talented ensemble delivering a detailed floor-shaker that should appeal to all those that love Fela Kuti. The spirit of the Nigerian great can also be heard in flipside "Man In The Field", an altogether heavier and punchier affair that's as infectious as tropical fever and twice as sweaty.

Review: For a brief period between 1968 and 1975, Peruvian band Black Sugar recorded some seriously heavy fusions of soul, rock and jazz. It's because of this that both of their self-titled albums now exchange hands for eye-watering sums online, as does their 1971 debut single "Viajecito". Helpfully, Matasuna Records has done a deal to reissue the latter. The track itself remains a rare treat; a gloriously sunny, horn-heavy fusion of Latin jazz rhythms, spacey sounds, jaunty group vocals and twinkling pianos. B-side "Too Late", a sumptuous, boogaloo-sounding soul number in which the group sings in English over a Blackbyrds-esque backing track, is similarly impressive.

Review: Matasuna Records' latest release offers up two sought-after tracks from Bossa 70, a relatively short-lived Peruvian band whose ultra-limited 1970 releases (a total of 400 copies were pressed of their sole single and eponymous debut album) brilliantly joined the dots between jazz, bossa, soul and funk. Listening to these cuts for the first time, it's easy to see why Matasuna has gone to the trouble of licensing them: A-side "Si Voce Pensa" is an inspired Peruvian funk cover of a 1968 Roberto Carlos track rich in bustling breakbeats, punchy horns and confident female vocals. Just as potent is the band's flipside cover of Baden Powell's "Berimbau", which puts a funk-soul twist on a certified bossa-nova classic.

Review: We've become accustomed to Matsauna Records licensing and reissuing dusty old gems from Africa, Central America and South America, so it's a pleasant surprise to find that their latest "45" features tracks plucked from a more recent album - the 2015 debut of Portual-based Angolan singer/songwriter Chalo Correira. It's a wise move, because both of these tracks are superb. A-side "Kudiholola" is a galloping celebration of the Angolan Kazakuta style blessed with infectious rhythms, glistening electric guitar solos and wild harmonica melodies. Flipside "Chercher Crioula" is a bilingual song sung in both Quimbundo and French, with musical accompaniment that neatly highlights the cultural links between Angola and the Iberian Peninsula.

Review: Dubben meets Made in Brazil on this new transatlantic 7" that brings together talents from Germany and the USA, both of whom have a shared love of music from Brazil. The story behind this one starts 17 years ago when the Dubben duo got in touch with late American musician Victor Meshkovsky. All these years later Dubben has serve new interpretations of two songs that he once released with his band Made in Brasil on his own Nucleus. One is a great take on a Marcos Valle classic 'Grilos Cantam Para Anamaria' and the other a psyched out prog classic in 'One Two-Two.'

Review: Late last month, Matasuna Records successfully mined "Ritual", the sought-after 1971 album by Nico Gomez and his Afro-Percussion Inc (a studio combo helmed by Belgian composer Joseph van het Groenewoud), and reissued one of the standout tracks, "Lupita". Here they serve up another gem from the album, "Baila Chibiquiban", an Incredible Bongo Band-esque fusion of psychedelic rock, heavy funk and even heavier Afro-Cuban percussion. The fine original version is given the re-edit treatment on the flip, with Tonton Boom extending some percussive passages and emphasizing the killer groove before introducing some of the track's headier musical elements. It's the kind of rework that should find favour with proper break-dancers.

Review: Those who love classic Afro-Latin music should already know "Lupita", one of the standout tunes from the sole 1971 album by Belgian composer Nico Gomez (real name Joseph van het Groenewoud) and his Afro-Percussion Inc backing band. That album was reissued a few years back by Mr Bongo; here 'Lupita' is given a rare airing on 7" single by Matasuna. This time round, the deliciously percussive mambo workout - all punchy horns, wild organs and vocal breakdowns - comes backed by a fresh remix courtesy of Bosq. This version is arguably even better, with Bosq wisely choosing to focus on the drums, horns, bass and organs for added dancefloor pleasure.

Review: Founded in 1967 by singer/producer Carlos Oliva and other Cuban immigrants to the United States, Los Sobrinos del Juez were briefly one of the leading protagonists of the turn-of-the-'70s "Miami Sound" - a humid and intoxicating fusion of blues, rock, funk and dancefloor-focused Latin sounds. Their 1974 debut single "Harina De Maiz" - here reissued for the first time since - is a perfect example of that short lived style, offering up a mixture of wah-wah-guitar and psychedelic organ-powered Latin funk grooves and righteous Cuban vocals. On this edition it comes backed by the previously unheard "Corned Beef Hash", a swinging Latin-jazz number rich in vibraphone solos, jaunty piano riffs and plenty of hip-wiggling percussion.

Review: Having previously excelled at crafting party-starting bootleg funk remixes and composing revivalist soul slammers, Mr Bird has now decided to turn his attention to Afro-disco, Afro-funk and Afro-soul. Typically, the results are impressive, particularly "Dance Away", a hybrid Afro-disco/Afro-soul workout featuring the fine vocals of Chief Commander Yaaba. Elsewhere, he lays down a subtly housed-up take on Clavinet-happy Afro-funk (the superb, jazz-funk tinged "Floating Funk"), brilliantly breaks up the beats on the woozy, groovy and bustling "Carnival Beat", and lays blissful vocal harmonies over a sumptuous deep house beat on "The Sasquatch".

Review: Matsuna keep up their fantastic funk releases with red hot pair of remixes. The a-side is taken care of in competent fashion by Retro Roland's Riso Al Ritmo rework. Originally by Otto De Rojas Y Su Orquesta and released in 1976, it is s summery bit of instrumental groove making, with loose drums and trilling leads that are joined by a nice wandering bassline. The reverse features SoulBrigada on the rework and is a subtly different take that draws out the breakdown and gives extra oomph to the horns. Both are tidy cuts, perfect for glorious weather.

Review: 
The weather might be rubbish but Matasuna Records has got some red hot Latin fire to keep you warm. Venezuelan musician, arranger and conductor Porfi Jimenez is the man behind the Phirpo y sus Caribes band and two tunes from their only album get served up here. It came originally in 1972 and is a sought after grail record, with full permission for the late-musician's family given for this reissue. 'Comencemos (Let's Start)' comes on strong with big horns and hard stabs over a bustling rhythm that is all steamy and sweat inducing. 'Mi Moooto' goes a little deeper but still has a sensuous sax sound and plenty of South American heat.

Review: The two tracks showcased originally featured on two separate 1967 seven-inch singles by Fred Ramirez, a self-taught Latin-jazz musician and bandleader who had a passion for recording salsa, rumba and mambo-influenced covers of soul and funk hits of the day. Both records are extremely difficult to find these days, in part because collectors rarely part with their cherished copies. The A-side version of Sam & Dave classic 'Hold On, I'm Coming' is simply superb, with Ramirez new arrangement including ear-catching Latin percussion, rousing horns and fluid style piano solos. Over on the flip Ramirez and his band interpret 1960s jazz standard 'Coming Home Baby', delivering a version that sounds like a cross between gangster movie big-band jazz, and Ramsey Lewis classic 'Wade in the Water'. Ace!

Review: According to the South American music specialists at Matasuna Records, Ralph Weeks' 1971 single "Let Me Do My Thing" - recorded alongside backing Los Dinamicos Exciters - is arguably the most sought-after Panamanian soul record around. As this reissue proves, Weeks' original version is rubbery, heavy and rousing, with the singer's rasping lead vocal soaring above a weighty backing track that sounds like a breezier take on the New York boogaloo sound. On the flip, Voodoocuts tools it up for modern dancefloors, underpinning his club-ready edit with punchy new drums that give the cut more of a breakbeat style swing.