Strut Vinyl & CDs

Review: Patrice Rushen's album from1982, Straight From The Heart,' is a real landmark, It now gets presented as a definitive version by Strut. It was made during a period when the original label were striving to make 'sophisticated dance music.' Mission accomplished. This is an album packed with high class arrangements and disco and boogie stylings along with great musicianship. Patrcei's own vocals explore a broader range than ever before, and singles from the seminal album included 'Breakout!', 'Number One' and the most ionic of them all, 'Forget Me Nots'. The album overall had huge success, was a Billboard Chart hit and became a regular source for samples in the world of hip hop and R&B as well as picking up a Grammy nomination.

Review: Patrice Rushen's Remind Me: The Classic Elektra Recordings 1978-1984 celebrates the unmatched talent of a jazz and r&b legend whose influence extends far beyond her chart success. Rushen's songs, including hits like 'Forget Me Nots' and 'Haven't You Heard,' have left an indelible mark on popular music, with countless artists sampling her work. Despite facing criticism and lackluster label support, Rushen's crossover into sophisticated urban pop paved the way for future R&B and hip-hop hits. This compilation shows Rushen's talents as a musician and arranger, with her production providing the building blocks for decades of musical innovation. Tracks like 'Givin' It Up Is Givin' Up' and 'Remind Me' highlight Rushen's electrifying performances and innovative sound. Rushen's timeless music remains as relevant and influential as ever, cementing her status as a true icon of musical innovation and creativity.

Review: The translucent yellow vinyl reissue of Disco Not Disco: Leftfield Disco Classics From The New York Underground on Strut brings forth once again an exhilarating journey through the vibrant tapestry of the city's dance scene. Curated by Sean P and Dave Lee, the collection captures the essence of the era's experimentalism and innovation with full authenticity. From the infectious rhythms of Liquid Liquid's 'Cavern' to the hypnotic grooves of Loose Joints, each track pulsates with raw energy and eclectic creativity. With contributions from various key artists of the time, this collection serves as a timeless homage to the influential sounds that defined the underground disco movement while offering a captivating glimpse into New York's musical legacy.

Review: This record is the end of five years of hard work by the Strut label and Art Yard. It is a first-ever Detroit Artists Workshop Retrospective across two slabs of vinyl with jazz legends like Donald Byrd, Bennie Maupin, Yusef Lateef and more all making the cut. The music comes from lots of hard research in the archives of author, DJ and activist John Sinclair. The end product is this glorious retrospective of the influential Detroit Artists Workshop with tunes that span from 1965 to 1978.

Review: Strut's 2024 reissue of Sun Ra's Lanquidity, an iconic 1978 release, celebrated for its fusion of cosmic jazz and avant-garde experimentation. Recorded in a single night at Bob Blank's studio, the album shows off the rich Arkestra's blend of sound with eight horns, four percussionists, and electric guitars.'There Are Other Worlds (They Have Not Told You Of)' stands out as a hypnotic, dream-like piece that subverts traditional forms with its blend of ambient and vibrant passages. The album is a standout in Ra's extensive catalog for its fusion-inspired, freeform approach. The single LP version includes five tracks, akin to the original. Starting with the smooth, cosmic exploration of 'Lanquidity,' is like a celestial mapping akin to an Ancient Egyptian stargazing ceremony. 'Where Pathways Meet' follows with a funky, march-like rhythm reminiscent of a Pharaoh's pep-talk, showcasing Ra's unique fusion of Egyptian motifs and jazz. The groove deepens with 'That's How I Feel,' featuring reflective trumpet lines and intricate solos. 'Twin Stars Of Thence' highlights Richard Williams' celebrated bass with its funky, elastic rhythm. The album closes with the haunting 'There Are Other Worlds (They Have Not Told You Of),' a piece steeped in space music that poet Mama Nzinga likened to a journey through the essence of light and deep space.

Review: Strut Records' release of Inside the Light World: Sun Ra Meets the OVC unveils hidden gems from the legendary Sun Ra's repertoire. Recorded in 1986 at Mission Control studios, these tracks, originally spontaneous and never intended for formal release, offer a glimpse into Sun Ra's cosmic genius. The OVC, or Outer Space Visual Communicator, adds a unique dimension to the music, casting kaleidoscopic patterns onto a suspended screen above the performers. Developed by technological innovator Bill Sebastian, the OVC creates a keyboard-driven light show that enhances Sun Ra's already mesmerising performances. Thanks to Sebastian and Irwin Chusid's efforts, along with mix engineers Sean Slade and Brother Cleve, the session tapes were restored and pieced together, resulting in one of Sun Ra's finest releases. Sebastian's personal connection to Sun Ra's music, stemming from a transformative live show experience in the early 1970s, adds depth to the album's narrative. This CD package includes extensive liner notes and an insightful interview with Sebastian, offering fans a comprehensive look into this captivating collaboration. Inside the Light World is a release you need to check whether you are a fan or new to his work.

Review: Shut has been busy with a great series of reissues of Sun Ra's historic recordings in Egypt. All good things must come to an end, though, and so it does with The Sun Ra Arkestra meets Salah Ragab in Egypt which was recorded with help from the Cairo Jazz Band and first put out back in 1983 on Greek label Praxis. The Arkestra first met Salah Ragab at the home of Goethe Institut ex-pat Hartmut Geerken when they toured the island in December 1971 and later bonded again in 1983. It was then that they got together for these recordings where they played Ragab compositions, 'Egypt Strut' and 'Dawn' amongst others.

Review: Strut rings in the holiday season with a special reissue of The Qualities' rare 1961 single 'It's Christmas Time' b/w 'Happy New Year To You!', originally released on Sun Ra's Saturn label. This mysterious vocal harmony group, guided by the visionary Sun Ra, captures a unique moment in music history. Likely recorded around 1956, the festive tracks showcase Sun Ra's influence, blending jazz and harmony group experimentation. Remastered and restored, this exclusive 7" features a new picture sleeve designed by Liam Large, making it a collector's item that celebrates both the holidays and Sun Ra's boundary-pushing legacy.

Review: In afrobeat circles, Ghanaian highlife guitarist Ebo Taylor has long been regarded as one of the scene's most undervalued talents. During his golden period during the 1970s, Taylor was responsible for some landmark recordings - not just as an artist, but composer, arranger and producer. This comprehensive set from serial crate-diggers Strut revisits that fertile period, gathering together the best of Taylor's solo, collaborative and production work. For those with a passing interest in afrobeat and highlife, it's near-essential. Highlights come thick and fast, from the strangely spaced-out grooves of "Peace On Earth" and lazy afro jazz-funk of "Ohiana Sua Efir" to the epic American R&B stylings of "Aba Yaa".

Review: Politically charged Motor City jazz collective Tribe has undergone something of a career rebirth in the last few years. The releases they played, produced and put out on their Tribe Records imprint in the '70s are rightly revered, but the truth is that they've made equally as good music since getting back into the studio in 1990 - as this brilliant retrospective from Strut proves. The ten-track set contains both released material and previously unheard recordings, with highlights including a fantastic new version of "Juba" featuring Harold McKinney and his "McKinfolk" musicians, a daring new version of Tribe member Phil Ranelin's "He The One We All Knew" and the spiritual rallying cry that is "Marcus Garvey".

Review: There aren't many characters quite like Lori Vambe in British music. He was a self-taught drummer, inventor, and sonic experimentalist who also made his own instrument, the drumgita, or string-drum. He was born in born in Harare, Zimbabwe but moved to London in 1959 and soon became entrenched in the Brixton squat scene. Now revered as a fine outsider along with the likes of Moondog and Daphne Oram, his privately pressed album Space Time Dreamtime: The Four Dimensional Music Of Lori Vambe now gets a first ever issue on Strut. It is an international and experimental work full of overdubs, tape effects, temporal shifts and reversed sound.

Review: Originally released back in 2001, there's a reason why Strut have reissued Nigeria 70: The Definitive Story Of 1970's Funky Lagos so many times; it's superb and totally lives up to the title! if you've not yet indulged in the compilation, this 2012 triple vinyl pressing is the even more definitive edition. With the vinyl now pressed on heavyweight 180g wax, this makes for the perfect introduction into the vivid story of 1970s West African funk. Well done Strut!

Review: In the summer of 2018, Strut offered up a compilation that mined the extensive back catalogue of Disques Debs International, a Guadeloupe-based label that showcased the finest music to come out of the French-speaking Caribbean between 1950 and 2000. While that set focused on material released between 1960 and '72, this belated sequel showcases cuts featured on Henri Debs' legendary imprint between 1973 and '81. The musical palette is therefore even brighter, breezier and more sun-kissed, offering up cuts that touch on mambo, rumba, Zouk, tropical disco, reggae and the kind of cross-cultural fusions that belie easy categorization. As you'd expect from Strut, the selections are spot on and the re-mastered sound superb. In other words, it's another must-have release from Quinton Scott's imprint.

Review: Strut introduces the highly anticipated third volume in the Disques Debs International series, diving deeper into the archives of one of the greatest French Caribbean labels, Disques Debs, based in Guadeloupe. Founded by Henri Debs in the late 1950s, the Debs studio naturally doubled as a record label and ran for over 50 years, releasing more than 300 7" singles and 200 LPs, cementing it as one of the foremost record labels to prize Caribbean music history. Not just limited to Guadeloupean musicians but also Martinicians and Parisians, the likes of Jocelyn Mocka, Mariz, Dominique Parol, Christian Yeye and Alex Rosa make this a thixotropic record, mercurial and restless as it is rooted in forms of zouk, biguine, gwoka and, of course, the nascent electronica. This third volume flaunts the label's dynamic latter-day period, as it interpreted the analog electronic dreams of the 1980s.

Review: Strut's definitive vinyl edition of Nigeria 70 brings fresh vitality to a landmark compilation first released in 2001. This collection, renowned for its role in popularizing 1970s Lagos music, remains a vital exploration of Afro funk and Afro jazz, showcasing a vibrant cross-section of Nigerian music that extends beyond Fela Kuti's legacy. The reissue offers a rich tapestry of sounds that captured Nigeria's dynamic musical landscape. Starting with Monomono's 'Loma Da Nigbehin,' the album dives into deep, rhythmically complex Afrobeat grooves. Fela Kuti's iconic tracks 'Upside Down' and 'Jeun Ko Ku (Chop 'n' Quench)' highlight the revolutionary funk that defined the era, while Tony Allen's 'No Discrimination' from 1980 exemplifies the genre's evolving sophistication. The compilation's strength lies in its diversity. Tracks like Ofo & the Black Company's 'Allah Wakbarr' and BLO's 'Chant to Mother Earth' introduce psychedelic rock influences, while Joni Haastrup's 'Greetings' and Shina Williams & His African Percussionists' 'Agboju Logun' infuse disco and electro-funk elements into the Afrobeat foundation. William Onyeabor's 'Better Change Your Mind' offers a glimpse into how Nigerian artists engaged with global funk and synthesiser sounds. Nigeria 70 is a great example to the innovative spirit of Nigerian music in the 1970s, reflecting a rich interplay of local and global influences.

Review: Strut continues to explore the vast archives of Disque Debs, a long-running, Guadalupe-based label that, over the course of half a century, released a wealth of music from the Caribbean. In the process, Henri Debs imprint helped launch the careers of countless French-speaking artists while not only showcasing stylistic movements such as zouk, bouyon and merengue, but also bold, colourful and tropical takes on existing Caribbean, Amercian and European sounds. Highlights include - but are in no way limited to - the slowly unfurling, synth-heavy shuffle of Sadi Lancreot's club-ready 'Dou Se Vou Ki Siwo' and the horn-heavy tropical disco brilliance of Dominuque Parol's 'Come On Baby'.