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Review: Washington DC-based label People's Potential Unlimited is one of those that seems to have an endless supply of magical sounds that all very much fit with its MO and are all pretty unique. Often times that is down to the smart digging of the owners who unearth plenty of treasures for reissuing but this time out it is a new record from a contemporary outfit, TAMTAM. The four piece band formed in Tokyo and started making reggae and dub before moving on to jazz, soul, new age and psych-pop. They bring subtle euphoria to what they do as well as catchy grooves and nostalgic melodies as exemplified here on this mature new work that will be lapped up by fans of Khruangbin.

Review: As always, Washington DC' Peoples Potential Unlimited have resurfaced another rare-as-hens-teeth boogie number and, while we are madly in love with this label, we need to appreciate more just how important they've been to the survival of funk music in recent years. This time, it's Donald Walker's only EP to grace their catalogue, an artist who went by the name of Dohnnie on his solo projects. "Dancin Is Your Love" exudes funk from every corner, backed by a badman bassline, some freaky guitar strings, and Walker's own seductive disco tone. It's a one-track EP precisely because this tune deserves to grace a whole side of a 12". Utterly unmissable, and heavily recommended.

Review: PPU may have expanded its remit to issue contemporary acts like Pender Street Steppers and, soon, Beautiful Swimmers but the label is still digging through the soul and boogie archives of forgotten US acts. The work of George Franklin Smallwood has provided a source of much inspiration for Peoples Potential Unlimited over the years with the archivally minded label issuing several singles, a DVD and a Christmas album from the local Washington DC artist. Here PPU grant Smallwood's soul gem "You Know I Love" it's first 12" release having first surfaced at some unspecified time in the early '80s and is worth investigating for the drum machine heavy dub version on the flip!

Review: As far as the Juno Records review team care, the DC based Peoples Potential Unlimited have been on a run of 100% boogie heaters roughly since their inception in 2008. The latest transmission from Andrew Morgan's label sees a 12" presentation of disco funk holy grails from Milwaukee act Dazzle ahead of a PPU released long player Made In The Shade. Not to be confused with the Patch Adams and Leeroy Burgess fronted group of the same name, Dazzle was the work of Donald D. Smith and this 12" presents three tracks originally recorded in 1981. "Explain" is the outright jam here, heavily stacked with thick analogue leads and brisk funk riffs. All hail PPU!

Review: Having come to the fore with a pair of boogie slammers on the Cosmic Chronic label, Mickey De Grand IV's Psychic Mirrors outfit ascend to parent operation People's Potential Unlimited with the excellent Charlene. Allegedly recorded with the help of a ten piece live band, both the title track and "Midnight Mirrors" are evocative of the sort of modern lo-fi funk that PPU corners the market in these days. Bringing the Miami heat, "Charlene" is a veritable dancefloor bomb, with a rugged boogie bassline the sort of flirtatious element that hips can't say no to. B Side cut "Midnight Mirrors" is more of a late night number with some exquisite synth work. Props to PPU!

Review: DC archival masters Peoples Potential Unlimited first shone the light on Dwight Sykes and his Jahari project on the must grip Situations cassette late last year, revealing the work of a key player in Michigan's underground boogie scene. Those selectors out there without the means to play tapes in a club setting will no doubt be very thankful to PPU for this 12" that brings together some unreleased demo cuts from Jahari along with a newly remastered version of the superb title track from that cassette. So up top you get two alternate takes on "Fire & Desire" with the studio version a real funk gem, whilst "Situations" sounds all the more sweet and soulful in newly remastered form.

Review: Foremost contemporary funk label Peoples Potential Unlimited have another golden 12" on their hands here thanks to the work of Barnikle Freee. He is the current designer for the label, someone who hoards software and makes expert glitch funk as well as being a multi-string bassist. As ever with this label, it is lo-fi, subtle sounds and frayed edges that define the EPs lovely aesthetic, with roughshod grooves, tumbling kicks and scatter perc all making you want to cut loose and boogie. Part dream-scape, part hazy late night session, part live set, it's all good.

Review: American label Peoples Potential Unlimited has cared out its own superb niche in the world of heart aching, lo-fi funk. But here a new catalogue number seems to suggest a new series. It kicks off with French collective Spaced Out Krew and their timeless, boogie driven disco funk. The music was written during 2020 by Spleen3000 and Marius Cyrilou of Ceeofunk and right from the first note of 'Doudou Bourbon' it is pure class. There are starry-eyed melodies, rasping basslines and curious vocals that all add up to a nice cosmic disco sound.

Review: Sultry street soul/R&B from two otherworldly underground names, intro'ing Vol. 1 of their 'Grown and Sexy Music' series. Sudi 'Space Ghost' Wachspress handles the production on these three swaying, sex-soul tidbits, while Teddy Bryant aka. Urbyne tops things off, adding melismatic croons to the affair. A-sider 'Heaven Sent' is a glistening, ecstatic exercise in digi-R&B moods, as Bryant sings of excited imaginations and loving fantasies. 'Little Bit Of Love' spices things up to a boom-bap flavour, with thoughts of neediness prevailing - of course, they just "need a little bit of your drug". 'Relax Your Mind', finally, ushers in a safe space / comedown after the high.

Review: The Peoples Potential Unlimited quest to unearth the Atlantic boogie that time forgot continues unabated - this time reviving a1983 gem from Detroit's The X Man. Wrapped in an excellently presented sleeve, the somewhat mysterious X-Man supposedly had what should have been a fruitful musical career cut short by a 30 year stint in a Motor City psychiatric hospital. This was no obstacle for PPU however, who were granted the master tapes to press up "That Body" and "Fired Up" at 45rpm on a nice fat twelve! There's an undeniable funk swagger to "That Body" which sounds like Jimmy Edgar if he was a child of the 70s - in a word, killer. The B Side proto hip-hop bump of "Fire It Up" proves to be just as infectious, driven by some loose limbed synth flourishes.

Review: Hands up, we're longtime fan boys of the Peoples Potential Unlimited label, Whatever they do - mostly heart aching lo-fi funk and soul from artists old and new - it's always class. Next up is a reissue of Glass Pyramid's Country Cowboy on a hand-stamped 12". It came originally on this label back in 2009 having been transferred from the original tapes which were recorded somewhere between 1982-1986 At Studio 7, Oklahoma City. It soon became a bit of a classic that still fetches above the odds on second hand markets. It's a gloriously feel good mix of disco and soul with instrumental grooves and belting vocals.

Review: Peoples Potential Unlimited hits a rather noteworthy 99th EP with this new and debut single from King Pari. The now LA based foursome make lush bedroom sounds with all the usual proudly analogue production, frayed edges and lo-fi beats you'd expect from PPU. 'Come Inside' was written remotely and "is a reaction to some people's inability to make choices." It has an aching vocal hook front and centre, neat guitar sounds, an 808 knock off and Micro Korg action all adding the finer details. The Bassapella does what it says on the tin and an extended Fantasy World mix heads off into new territory.