Hip-Hop Vinyl New Releases - News

For almost 5 decades, The Chocolate Buttermilk Band, led by Larry Akles, has been one of the busiest and most successful cover and backing bands in the Southern United States and has been touring as the Temptations backing band for years. While they’re little known outside the region, their handful of singles from the early 1980s are, for record collectors, among the best and most desirable in modern soul and boogie funk. So what happened when the pandemic hit? Larry Akles got bored and decided to get the band back in the studio to record a new joint “No Money - No Honey”. He actually thought about writing this song way back when serving in Vietnam…. The result is an infectious boogie funk tune that bring us straight back to the original Chocolate Buttermilk Band classic funk sound. Massive! On the B side, just for good measure we’ve added “Mr. LSD”, another hitter from one of the rarest of the rarest 7” from the band. This Past Due Records release comes with a full sleeve and is strictly limited to 300 copies. Don’t sleep!

One of the releases we're really hyped about! This was Eunice Collins ONLY release EVER! Released on the tiny Mod-Art label from Chicago in 1974, the hypnotically alluring "At The Hotel" has finally emerged from the shadows over the last 10 years or so. In fact, it's a bona-fide cult classic now with no less than three recent samplings by Lion Babe, Alkalino and Flamingosis. We are proud to re-release this totally unique recording on the original Mod-Art imprint.

Also, worth checking is the out-of-this-world flute instrumental version on the flip. Probably one of the most individual Modern Soul records ever. Current value is in the £750 region for a decent copy. Expect plenty of all-round action on this and it should work across multiple scenes. Plus, it will sell forever. We are so lucky to get these works-of-art out there again.

Bunny Lee's tiptop productions reissued in finest quality by Dub Store Records.

BBC 6 MusicAlbum of the Yearas chosen by

DJ Craig Charles

★★★★Mojo

★★★★★Blues & Soul

★★★★★UK Vibe

9/10 DJ Mag (Single I Miss You)

"One of the very best soul voices I've heard for a very long time"

Craig Charles (BBC 6Music)

"Delivered with a vocal dripping with yearning and desperation"

4/5 Mojo

"A high octane soul masterpiece"

Blues & Soul,5/5Album of the Month

"Undoubtedly the album of the year"

5/5 UK Vibe

Burundian soul singer JP Bimeni is set to release his first music since his BBC 6 Music award winning album Free, from 2018. Give Me Hope is a slice of horn heavy, Afro tinged, Stax inspired soul and is the first taster of a new album set for release in early 2022

Give me Hope is the title track from his new album, featuring his band The Black Belts, set to drop on February 4thon Lovemonk Records.

A supremely funky number it boasts bassline and powerful horn arrangements, and gives a taster to a new work that dots between classic '60s Motown, psychedelia and Afro-funk.

Squeeze Me (feat. Ben Westbeech) marked a turning point for Kraak & Smaak who, until this song had been released, were slowly but steadily building an underground fanbase from their Leiden base in Holland. The single and its ground breaking video got them a ton of worldwide attention with the likes of Kanye West and Perez Hilton (big at the time – look it up) sharing and posting about it and ultimately lead to the band signing a US record deal with Ultra Records and them becoming a successful touring band stateside. It remains an enduring club track and has been used many times on film & TV. The flip side Bobby & Whitney is a funky as hell Kraak & Smaak classic (written before the untimely demise of Ms Houston btw..) and makes this an extremely desirable 7" acquisition.

Includes the Brazilian boogie anthem 'Estrelar', Marcos Valle's biggest hit from the 80s and one of the most celebrated songs in his entire career. The album is full of soaring disco tracks, killer vocal boogie numbers andblissing instrumentals over a well-balanced tracklist that satisfies both the listening p leasure and the dancefloor needs. Essential! - Marcos Valle is one of the few artists you cannot miss if you have the slightest interest in Brazilian music. Whether your taste is focused on bossa jazz, samba, psych folk or soul, Valle has surely recorded a great album for you. By the late 60s he had already put out enough quality records to secure a place within the top Brazilian songwriters of all time, but his career luckily did not stop there and he continued releasing amazing music over the following decades until this day. He settled in Los Angeles in the mid-70s, tired of living under Brazil's military dictatorship, and started to collaborate with such talented artists as Leon Ware or Chicago. This self-titled LP from 1983 is the follow-up to the great "Vontade de rever você" (1981) and his second album after moving back to Brazil. It shows all the music influences received during his US years, especially boogie, soul and funk, featuring stellar collaborators: Lincoln Olivetti & Robson Jorge on keyboards and guitar and Leon Ware on backing vocals. The opening track, the Brazilian boogie anthem 'Estrelar', is devoted to workout exercises under the sun and Valle pictures a beach lifestyle and summertime vibe across the entire album that pretty much describes his surfing days in Southern California.

Exclusive Limited Blue Splattered Coloured Edition (200/300 ww copies via 375Media/Cargo), Presented in facsimile artwork and pressed on 180g vinyl.

For more than a decade, Jamaica's Micah Shemaiah has been crafting his musical message with a keen and steady focus on Rastafari redemption and African unification. His writing style embraces and combines several genres of music delivering unique sounds that will appeal to any ear. Coming from the original home of the sound, Kingston City, and growing up in the Rastafarian house of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, this Singer/Songwriter has certainly put down a solid foundation in the Reggae Industry and has carved a place in the hearts of reggae lovers all over the world.

This new 12' vinyl LP offers 8 vocals and 2 dubs. Produced by Zion I Kings and underpinned with their trademark style of hardcore roots reggae, showcasing a broad spectrum of Micahs vocal talents. Releasing courtesy of Before Zero Records.

Pachakuti is a musician and producer with family roots in Colombia. He plays keys, tenor saxophone and clarinet. While living and working in Berlin, he draws inspiration from the natural world, investigative travels, and ancestral traditions of Latin America and beyond. His expressive and rhythmical playing and his instantaneous compositions are directed at the human core, arousing subtle experiences. While not being conformed to one style, it always invokes a sense of liveliness and depth to be delved in. young.vishnu is a producer and DJ. He has studied philosophy and music in Hildesheim, Germany, which heavily influenced his views on meaning and mythology in music. In his DJ sets he selects and plays classic and contemporary Funk, Soul and Afrobeat. His practice as a DJ informs his work behind the boards directly, adding also more organic grooves and broader spectrum of musical styles to his in Hip-Hop based production. If you had to put one single tag on their forthcoming album Dédalo, the best choice would be Jazz. That being said, Pachakuti and young.vishnu's sound worlds might be better described in their own words: "We just make music and try to incorporate what we love about it". They are musical freethinkers with shared interests in eastern philosophy and botany who interweave Hip-Hop, Latin and Funk with musical storytelling and world mythology. Undoubtedly, their most ambitious work to date, Dédalo (Spanish synonym for labyrinth), recorded and produced over the course of a year, shows Pachakuti & young.vishnu's ambitions and growth. Where their debut work Semilla (2020) centered around the image of the seed, Dédalo takes on the entire garden. Besides playing multiple instruments by themselves, Pachakuti & young.vishnu invited a growing group of befriended musicians into the studio, including percussionist maestro Eric Owusu (Pat Thomas, Ebo Taylor, Jembaa Groove) and drummer Leon Raum (Bokoya, Wyl), as well as Brazilian newcomer vocalist Laíz, and members of their former band project Soularkestra. The 16 recorded songs, ranging from 1:19 to 14:58 minutes, take you on an emotionally honest, metaphoric journey through the maze of human existence, of modern society and mythic poetry. The mostly instrumental tracks build on expressive melodies, layered rhythms, and a wide range of musical instruments, merging the sounds of Jazz with the classical word of orchestras and choirs, and urban soundscapes with traditional instruments such as the Andean Kena and Charango, the Colombian Gaita and Marimba de Chonta, and an Indian harmonium. The Album thus weaves together past and future, and diverse cultural threads, sounds and ideas in an act of cultural appreciation and global conscience. Mixed and mastered by Roe Beardie at The Brewery Studios, Berlin. The album artwork itself merges the visionary art of Mexican painter Sergio Chávez Hollar with an original artwork-inlay of Brazilian artist Laíz and the work of Carsten Pölking of the Nima Compositions Archive.

Dédalo will be available digitally and on double-vinyl with inside-out print cover and colored inlay with credits and painting by Laís De Mello Barbero.

LIMITED EDITION OF 300 YELLOW VINYL COPIES

Shawn Lee follows up his country-soul solo album "Rides Again", released in 2019, with an even more personal, intriguing set of songs. The US born and London based prolific singer, songwriter, musician, producer, arranger, filmmaker and author puts the story of "Rides Yet Again" in his own words.

"When the original pandemic lockdown of 2020 ascended upon the world, I found myself like many others a prisoner in my own home. I began thinking about making new music. What do I wanna do I pondered… 'Rides Again' was a personal once in a lifetime album or was it? After some reflection, I realised there was more to this story, this sound. As I eventually crept back to my studio ducking and diving all the way, I started writing and recording new songs for Rides YET Again. The lyrics heavily informed by life during lockdown, my new dog Carla and my recent health problems. I had suffered a stroke which left me with some brain damage and I struggled with Aphasia for well over a year with extremely impaired speech. It was hard … I found solace in song and a musical context to share my ups and downs. It was a beautiful place to retreat to. John Pickup brought his brilliant orchestral treatments. Also Nichol Thomson, Tom Walsh, Mike Davis & Andy Ross blessed me with their sublime horn stylings. Suffice to say I'm really quite fond of this little record. Much love to you wherever you may be."

Pressed on recycled vinyl.

Oonops's first encounter with Japanese producer Shin-Ski dates back six years when he asked him for an exclusive guest mix for his show on Brooklyn Radio. He became aware of him years ago through his group ShinSight Trio with Insight and DJ Ryow a.k.a. Smooth Current. After one more mix and two collaborations on his Resense-series plus "Oonops Drops - Vol.1" compilation via Agogo Records they started working together on a whole album of instrumentals.

For this 45 Oonops had the chance to dig through an amount of unreleased tracks and selected some of the essential essences with different influences from Jazz, Soul, Funk and much more.

Soul Jazz Records are releasing this 20th anniversary edition of their classic Studio One Rockers on unique Record Store Day EXCLUSIVE coloured vinyl + download code. This new edition is a one-off pressing exclusively for Record Store Day Owned and founded by Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, Studio One's output serves as a comprehensive guide to the history of Reggae music.

The music on Studio One Rockers covers all areas of Reggae such as Ska, Rocksteady, Roots and Dancehall, all areas in which Studio One led the field and has become the essential introduction to reggae fans throughout the world.


Included in this compilation are classic Ska tracks ("Phoenix City"), Rocksteady ("Feel Like Jumping"), Roots music ("Truth and Rights"), Dancehall (Freddy McGregor, Michigan and Smiley) and many more. Featured here are many of the classic tracks from Studio One. From Dawn Penn's legendary "No, No, No" to classics such as Horace Andy's "Skylarking" and Marcia Griffith's "Feel Like Jumping".

"Compilation of the year. 100% Essential” Time Out "Compilation of the year. A compilation of unbelievable quality. Awesome” DJ "A who's who of Jamaican music” The Times "An essential slice of musical history" Wire "The most credible compilation of reggae you can buy” - The Guardian.

The Altons return with two awe-inspiring sides of soulful excellence. Bryan Ponce's delicate, plaintive vocal, this time accompanied by the sweet, rich timbre of Adriana Flores make for two earnest duets that exude palpable chemistry. On "Tangled Up" the pair sing of a love affair that has run its course but (against their better judgement) lingers in the form of late night entanglements and dream-induced longing - imprisoning the lovers on a carousel of heartache and despair. "Soon Enough" is a gorgeously sparse ballad rife with melancholic guitar, percolating percussion and a groove that will have you swaying side to side with the one you love.

Taken from "Echoes Of Africa" the most requested track from the album, "People All Around The World, Can Make It" is dealt with themes of climate change with their strong afrobeat/funk personality, are intoxicants, choral aphorisms, reminiscent of American funk bands of the '70s. It doesn't take much to change direction, to erase the negative effects caused by the recent years' globalisation …We can Make it!

The Stoffige Vingers crew is back with more vinyl rarities from Belgium and Holland compiled on a 12" EP: new beat pianohouse, funky souljazz, groovy coldwave, sleazy dubdisco, blue-eyed boogie and franglais synthpop. Extended DJ versions by George Hysteric, cool sticker artwork by Turbo Island.

Top notch jazz-rock-fusion with funk and Latin touches from Catalonia, 1975.

Featuring LUCKY GURI on electric piano (Rhodes) & Mini Moog, JORDI CLUA on bass and FRANCIS RABASSA on drums.

*Original artwork in gatefold sleeve and insert with liner notes by Àlex Gómez-Font & photos.



*First ever vinyl reissue.


RIYL: Placebo, Soft Machine, Egg, Return To Forever, Weather Report…

“After recording in 1972 the cult album "We Are Digging The Beatles" with ex-Màquina! sax player Peter Rohr, innovative pianist Lucky Guri decided to form his own band, having jazz as a starting point but taking it to a more electric, eclectic sound with multiple influences. And thus, in 1973, he created the New Jazz Trio, which would become the embryo for Barcelona Traction. Lucky was accompanied by top double bass player Jordi Clua (ex-Dos +Un) and drummer Francis Rabassa (a veteran of the Barcelona 60s beat scene). The New Jazz Trio was the house band at the legendary La Cova del Drac jazz club, where they played every day, even acting as the backing band for international artists that came mainly through the USA-Paris jazz connection.

Performing life on a daily basis gave the trio great skills and the confidence to create a more personal sound through improvisation. But the turning point came when they decided to go electric. Lucky Guri moved to electric piano and even introduced the mini-moog to their sound. Jordi Clua never left the double bass, but started to use an electric bass as well. Add the modern, daring beat of Francis Rabassa and they started delivering a totally electric jazz-rock sound. The resulting mix arose the criticism of their more jazz-purist followers who turned their back on them, but the younger generations and a new audience coming from rock started to follow them instead.

After changing their name to Barcelona Traction, they caught the attention of popular catalan singer-songwriter Joan Manuel Serrat, who arranged for them to sign for his label, Òliba-Edigsa. The resulting LP contains five instrumental tracks. Three are written by Lucky Guri, the other two are fabulous covers of Rubens Serrano's "Sudamérica" and James Taylor's "Fire and Rain", here translated to Catalan as "Foc i pluja".

On Francesc Bellmunt's film about the famous Canet Rock festival, the band appears playing "Sudamérica". Thanks to this footage we can see how powerful the trio was on stage. Barcelona Traction marked an era, and their eponymous debut LP is here to prove it. Modern, fresh music that gets the attention of the listener. Unlike other bands like Música Urbana, more based in sophistication and more technical developments, Barcelona Traction is a combo that stands out due to the apparent simplicity and high energy of their sound, with the quality of being able to appeal and be listened in any situation, taking it beyond strict, pigeonholed mind sets.”
- Álex Gómez-Font

Unissued recordings by this very LOUD power trio from San Francisco, modeled
after Cream, Blue Cheer or The Jimi Hendrix Experience.

Including their fantastic studio demo from 1968 plus raw & wild live tracks
from 1969.

Boogie (or The Boogie) was probably the first hard-blues / proto-metal group
that emerged from the San Francisco scene. This power-trio was formed by
Barry “The Bee” Bastian (Canned Heat, Lee Michaels...) on guitar/vocals;
John Barrett (The Rhythm Dukes) on bass and Fuzzy John Oxendine (Roky
Erickson & The Aliens, Jerry Miller Band...) on drums.

Comrades of Moby Grape (who even let Boogie use their rehearsal space) and
the Sons Of Champlin, they played at all the legendary venues (The Ark,
Avalon, Fillmore…) sharing stage with bands like Buffalo Springfield,
Quicksilver, Ace Of Cups, Flamin’ Groovies or Country Joe & The Fish. Their
explosive show at the Sky River Rock Festival (August, 1968, the first
outdoor multi-band Rock Festival held in the United States) to an audience
of 150,000 people, is still remembered today.

Sadly, their convulsed story, which includes undercover narks and marijuana
busts, left them with no record deal. But a studio demo - recorded in 1968
at Pacific High Recorders - including three tracks, “In Freak Town”, “To Me”
and a terrific, fuzzed out 7-minute long cover of “Wade In The Water”, plus
some live recordings from 1969, survived. Previously available only as part
of a private CD released by Barry Bastian, here’s the first ever vinyl
release.

PLAY LOUD!

*Hard cardboard sleeve.

*Insert with rare photos and detailed liner notes by San Fran rock historian
Bruno Ceriotti.

*Download card with the full album plus three bonus tracks.

"Arguably the greatest San Francisco's rock 'n' roll band of the 60's who
never released anything"
- Bruno Ceriotti

When Daniel Grau, Venezuelan producer and musician, achieved his first success in 1974 with "Dejando volar el pensamiento" he personally brought the tapes from his home studio to Caracas radio stations. On his own, with all his singles, great legendary songs like "El tren del espacio" (1978), "Atlantis" (1979) and "El León Bailarín" (1980), to name a few, described by many as the "magic sound of Daniel Grau" were made almost artisanal and self–promoted. Through 10 years of productive work from 1974 to 1984, he never imagined the ups and downs ahead of him and much less that his country would suffer a future debacle that would lead it to a downward spiral. His abrupt silence in the mid–80s after 9 magnificent albums is still an enigma. What happened to Daniel Grau? Where is he now? El Palmas Music, a new record label in Barcelona may finally bring the answer to you: Grau has been always there, he’s still alive and running, and never stopped composing in the same home studio where he started 45 years ago.

Having contacted Grau, El Palmas was allowed to access his current work, and finally decided to end with his long silence. In this, his first release as a record label, they bring to life a completely unpublished work of Daniel Grau. "El Mágico Mundo de Daniel Grau" (2019) presents 8 new songs to give him back a voice. This album offers a fusion between Space Disco and Smooth Jazz that connects us directly with his previous work, however, on this basis Grau is building an amalgam of styles resulting from his experience over these years, freeing his work from any classifications. El Mágico Mundo evades the vacuous exactitude and automatism like water to oil, Grau offers a humanized sound from synthesizers and sampling of instruments, music that he has played, sweated and, definitively, lived in the flesh. Different ingredients come and go introducing us to a singular world, the "magical world" where Grau wants to tell us something, we find his old footsteps and his new elements touch us, pop synths are suddenly colored with textures, reminiscent of the disco era piano are wrapped between brushstrokes and ornaments of funk and soft rock. In general, Grau invites us to a sensory reconnection with sounds that he has collected in his head for 30 years, striking elements that we can imagine as a living thing against a world almost numbed by the automation of production tools. The album is released in vinyl LP and has been produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by Daniel Grau under the executive production of Maurice Aymard.
Two singles are extracted from the album whose sounds summarize this proposal immediately. ’Freedom’, the first cut, is a sensorial journey in smooth jazz where a delicate progression of chords serves as the basis for the succession of different phrases of synthesizers, an almost libertine hedonism from start to finish that features a video made by Grilled Cheese Studio. The second one ’Dance with me’, opens the doors to a world of disco music, but in the Grau way, oneiric, synthesized, spacey, located in a crack between decades, 80’s and 90’s, synth imaginings of funky brass, pianos and strings apparently made for dance floors that dialogue with reverberant guitars and sampler textures.
El Palmas Music in this inaugural release wants to return Daniel Grau to music, allowing him to continue offering us new sensory experiences, as long as time permits. Although it is his first record after years of silence, Grau shows us that he has never been exactly still, nothing is further from reality, he is active and his challenging personality is intact.

Also known as “Música Caliente (Hot Music)” and “Wild Safari”, this is the first album, released in 1972, by BARRABÁS, the acclaimed Spanish band created by FERNANDO ARBEX after the demise of BRINCOS and ALACRÁN.

A funk-rock / latin / afro bomb, loaded with worldwide hits like “Wild Safari” or “Woman”.

First ever reissue with original artwork, featuring remastered sound and four-panel color insert with detailed liner notes in English / Spanish & photos.

RIYL: SANTANA, OSIBISA, MALO, MANDRILL...

Barrabás was created by Spanish genius drummer, songwriter and producer Fernando Arbex after the split of his post-Brincos power-trio Alacrán. Busy with his productions and as songwriter for many artists, Fernando still had in mind the desire of international success. Highly influenced by the beginnings of funk music and the Latin-rock of groups such as Santana (influences that were also already present on Alacrán), Arbex formed Barrabás along with his Brincos bandmates Miguel & Ricky Morales on guitars, ace keyboard player Joao Antonio Vidal (from Madrid based psych band Los Grimm), Afro-cuban percussionist & multi-instrumentalist Ernesto “Tito” Duarte and Iñaki Egaña (Los Buenos, Alacrán…) on vocals/bass. The name of Barrabás came after Fernando watched the movie of the same name by Richard Fleischer.

In 1971, the band entered RCA Studios in Madrid for the recording of their first album, sung completely in English. The result was a fabulous mix of funk, Latin music, rock and afro sounds, housed in a striking cover designed by famous Spanish singer-songwriter Luis Eduardo Aute. Songs like “Wild Safari” or “Woman” took the international dance floors by storm, even reaching the first positions in the US Black Music charts, being championed by legendary DJs like David Mancuso (The Loft). The album also contained surprises like the mid-tempo “Cheer Up” or the Canned Heat sounding boogie rock of “Rock and Roll Everybody”.

A groundbreaking debut album, essential to understand the roots of Spanish funk-rock, reissued for the first time on vinyl faithful to the original one.

GATEFOLD SLEEVE + 4-PAGE INSERT

“Power” was the second Barrabás album, originally released in 1973. As well as their first album, this is another great example of funk-rock, but this time with glam, hard & psych touches, including some of their most celebrated songs: “Casanova”, “The Horse”, “Children”...

After reaching international success with their first album, the line-up of Barrabas experienced some major changes: Fernando Arbex, more and more involved as songwriter and producer for other artists, leaves the drum kit, being replaced by drummer José María Moll (from Juan & Junior’s backing band). From now on, Fernando will focus on songwriting & production duties for Barrabas. Also, due to an accident, bass player / lead singer Iñaki Egaña is forced to leave the band. A new powerful singer is found: José Luis Tejada (from Los No, a legendary beat band from Barcelona). And finally original guitar player Miguel Morales switched to bass.

For the album recording, Arbex decided to use the same studio where they recorded the first Barrabas album: RCA in Madrid. J. Cobos was again the sound engineer and Fernando was the producer and main songwriter. “Power” was the result, released in 1973 housed in a glam-tastic gatefold sleeve. Highlights are “Mr. Money” (pure funk-rock which entered the US charts); the atmospheric “The Horse”, the psych-funk of “Time To Love” or the catchy “Children”, which was a big hit in South America, especially in Venezuela.

*First ever vinyl reissue in original gatefold cover artwork design.

*Remastered sound

*Four-panel color insert with detailed liner notes in English / Spanish & photos.

KILLER SOUL/JAZZ-FUNK HIGHLY COLLECTIBLE LP RECORDED IN 1976 IN SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA

The new collaborative project between Deborah Jordan and K15 explores the concept of our own humanity while attempting to address what does in fact make each of us human. While the inspired pairing of revered singer and songwriter, Deborah Jordan, alongside the boundless versatility of producer and musician K15 (Kieron Ifill) for a whole album seems too good to be true, this is actually a project that each of their respective roads have been converging towards for years.

The songs throughout ‘Human’ beautifully embrace the array of styles that both Jordan and Ifill have become attributed to – from the brilliant Culross Close-esque production of album opener ‘Running’ to the twinges of broken beat found in ‘Innervision’ and the more acoustic, piano-driven tracks like ‘Change’. The masterful production is both sparse and intricate affording Jordan’s typically incredible vocal the appropriate space to explore these sonic soundscapes in her own inimitable way while expressing those very characteristics about our own humanity.

Mad About Records is delighted to present Brazilian Soul Boogie all time classic.



Limited Edition on 180 gram black vinyl transfer from Master Tapes

Don Beto was born in Uruguay and became one of the most forerunners of Soul Music in Brazil in 1979, he recorded "Nossa Imaginação" LP wich featured arrangements by the legendary producer Lincoln Olivetti, and where we can listen to classics such as "No quero Mais", "Tudo again" and "Renascendo em mim". This album was awarded the Golden Globe in 1979.



Don Betto's "Nossa Imaginação" attracts not only Brazilian Music Fans but also Soul, AOR.



Official Reissue Under License Som Livre

Idrissa Soumaoro, L’Eclipse De L’I.J.A.’s sought-after album ‘Le Tioko-Tioko’ was originally released in the German Democratic Republic (GDR) in 1978 and has been a long-time favourite at Mr Bongo. Two tracks from the album were featured on our 2017 compilation ‘The Original Sound Of Mali’ (MRBLP135), and we subsequently released the track ‘Nissodia’ on its own 12” (MRB12053) in 2020, complete with a blistering dancefloor re-edit by Mike D of The Beastie Boys.

‘Le Tioko-Tioko' is one of the rarest vinyl albums from the already scarce Malian vinyl discography, partly as the album was never released commercially, only independently distributed via the Malian Association for the Blind in Bamako. Though recorded at Radio Mali under the aegis of master engineer Boubacar Traoré; the album was originally released in East Germany. The tapes had been taken by some Malian students to East Berlin as part of a student exchange program. It was then manufactured and released on the East German state-owned label Eterna with only a few boxes of records being shipped back to Bamako.

A true masterpiece, this legendary LP offers some devastating songs such as ‘Djama’ (society), ‘Nissodia’ (joy of optimism), and ‘Fama Allah’ (an ode to god). Hypnotic organ riffs and breakbeats convey an unknown funk quality in Malian music, it now stands as a loving tribute to an unsung Malian golden age. Sadly, like many of the other now desired and prized vinyl rarities, at the time of release, it almost immediately disappeared without a trace due to a lack of promotion, and distribution. So, it feels fitting to share this gem of a record again, and hopefully it will reach the wider audience it deserved over 45 years ago.

Many thanks to Florent Mazzoleni for contributing sections of these notes.

Latin Funk Psych Fuzz Blaster basically covers all the realms of rare record collecting in one shot!!

There's the Funk Fuzz Blaster "Maranatha" or the Ray Barretto Latin Jazz Groove cut "El Que Se Fue" with freaky synth blasts.

The Texas Easy Funk moves of "Squeeze" which remind of Steam Heat, or the lounged out soul rendition of Stevie Wonder's classic "Bird Of Beauty”. Something for everyone and impossibly rare!!

FIRST EVER WORLDWIDE VINYL REISSUE

1979 VERY RARE PRIVATE HAWAII SPIRITUAL JAZZ-FUNK


This exclusive Jazz-Fusion album is a work composed by famous Hawaiian composer/musician/educator Gary Washburn. "A Life in a Day" was a project to fulfil a National Endowment of the Arts grant that he was awarded, and he performed it to fulfil a State Foundation grant that was also awarded to him.

Gary composed the music in Hilo specifically for the individuals who performed the music (in the same way that Duke Ellington composed for his band). It's a concept album.

The Justin Thyme line-up played a series of shows across the island, and they were initially recorded on a 4-channel recorder. The songs was introduced to brother and producer Kent Washburn, and he agreed to release it on his independent label EmKay Records. The album was mixed and pressed, but the distribution company he was with doubled it up and the album never really made it to the public. The musical Styles used by Washburn to present this unique conceptual representation include traditional and contemporary Jazz, Funk, Pop and, in some passages, classical.

Recorded and released in 1980 in a small local press in North Carolina, it became a Modern Soul Holy Grail.

The original press is always sold over 1000 USD. Recorded and edited in 1980 in a small local press in North Carolina, it became a cult and a holy grail LP over the decades.

Deluxe hard-cardboard sleeve + OBI + resealable outer sleeve + 2 Page info sheet with Leo Acosta story in English and Spanish by Carlos Tropicaza

Leobardo Acosta Quintanar was born in Huetamo, Michoacán in 1925. He was a notable drummer, composer, arranger, and orchestrator.

In 1970, he recorded a last LP for Capitol with a small combo formed with some of his closest peers. The sound engineer for these sessions, Rogiero Silva, recalls that it happened in the night time. Leo was always very demanding in his studio hours with all of his musicians and that he did not tolerate mistakes or setbacks, but he was fully relaxed and enjoying this one very much.

For this last LP, entitled “ACOSTA” but known as "El Leon”, all the compositions are originals, unlike his previous albums where the labels required him to record at least 6 songs that were hits on the popularity charts.

With some of the best DJs and selectors there is a certain mysterious sound or underlying feeling which unites the music they play, regardless of genre, year or tempo. Luke Una is a master of telling a story through music and this compilation is a perfect example of his musical alchemy in action. Featuring tracks from Yusef Lateef, Airto Moreira, Crooked Man, Henri Texier and many more, it is a collection of new, old, rare and under-discovered music from around the world, all united by Luke under the banner of “E-Soul Cultura”.

It’s best described by Luke himself, who writes: “As the 5AM city sleeps and the strobe lights are slowly turned off, we gather on the wrong side of town in a transcendental journey alone together. We are the late night disenfranchised holding on in various after parties, flats, lofts, random kitchens and basements into the outer cosmos with É Soul Cultura. Music from exotic tear jerkers, Afro-spiritual jazz, cosmic Brazilian celestial grooves, machine street soul, dark horses, lost B-sides, £1 bargain-bin bombs, hidden gems, late night Italo dubbing, deep velvet N.Y.C garage, bass buggin sonic futurism, wrong speed 33BPM pitched up +8 new beat, majestic sunset strings, sweet vocals from heaven, no half steppin jazz dancing in outer-space and odd numbers. Yes… magical moments, together, holding on in witness protection suburban cul-de-sacs and Castle Court flats. Cosmic É high, 3000ft above the city getting evangelical to murky, wonky timeless beautiful music. This thing of ours dreaming of better days. Fail we may, sail we must, the sun will come up again.”

Beginning his career as an original Sheffield house young blood in the mid 1980s, Luke’s move to Manchester and partnership with Justin Crawford saw the birth of Electric Chair, a cornerstone cult night in the UK underground club scene, and later Electric Elephant, a Croatian festival paying homage to their wild eclecticism from Balearic to Brazilian to E soul, house, disco and techno. Luke’s much loved, long running Homoelectric night and more recently Homobloc sell out festival for 10,000 souls has been at the forefront of Manchester’s LGBTQ cultural landscape.

Luke’s Friday evening show on Worldwide FM has captured imaginations and has already become a cult four hour must-listen monthly journey with fans all over the world. Today Luke remains, as ever, at the forefront of a changing scene, pairing the momentous legacy of Manchester’s 80s and 90s scene with the delivery of what today’s club communities need to get down.

• Brand new compilation series curated by Luke Una.

• New, old, rare and under-discovered music from around the world

• Feat. Yusef Lateef, Airto Moreira, Crooked Man, Henri Texier and more.

One of the most requested vocals to Mungo's HiFi's recent Antidote Dub LP was Solo Banton's unreleased A side to Pulsating Dub. Naturally, Mungo's have obliged, pairing both cuts on one monster of a seven-inch that will invite heavy equal needle traffic on each side. Over a liver-quivering drum-and-bass heartbeat skank, Solo gives a Raggamuffin statement of lyrically murderous intent. The rhythm track was recorded by engineering maestro Prince Fatty at his much-missed Ironworks studio space in Brighton. A modern classic in the truest sense of the words. Miss this at your peril.

Delights imprint continues its venture in way-out cinematic grooves with a debut 45 from Oregano - a new collaboration between Shawn Lee, Paul Elliott (JetTricks, Eleven76, Hot Border Special), Shay Landa (RPS Surfers) and Markey Funk.

Initially recorded just a few hours ahead of the Tel Aviv premiere of The Library Music Film in early 2019, the first pair of cuts from this session has been taking shape throughout the global pandemic. The result is two pieces of otherworldly sci-fi psych-funk, featuring mesmerising flute by Roey Bar Yehuda (RPS Surfers): the meditative organ and synth-drenched slow-burner, Melting Sand on the A-side, and the quirky uplifting Transmitter on the flip.

Limited to 300 copies worldwide.

SUPER RARE AND IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND

FIRST EVER WORLDWIDE REISSUE

Renata Lu is a bit of a mystery figure... She only made a few albums in the 1970s and sang backup on many more such Tim Maia and Nonato Buzar but for whatever reasons never seemed to make it into the MPB upper echelons. Debuted solo in 1971 on her self-titled album for Copacabana Records with a heavyweight fusion of US style soul and funk with added Latin percussion. This features Renata Lu singing over a hybrid samba/boogaloo backing track rich in jaunty bass, rasping horns and jazzy electric piano riffs. Rare LP finally reissued on a deluxe edition. One of the landmarks of Funk Carioca.

Sweet Soul Funk from 70s Brazil. Ronie aka Ronaldo Mesquita, the drummer of Bossa Três Combo! This album's got a smoother groove and luxurious use of Fender Rhodes, gliding alongside sweet samba soul arrangements in a mode that's a bit like some of the funkier 70s work by João Donato. Reissue on vinyl for the first time in a 180 gram heavyweight vinyl.

Delights label is getting back on its way-out tracks with a new 45.

Two cinematic funk cuts, recorded shortly before the COVID-19 lockdown by Markey Funk and Shuzin under a new moniker - SimfOnyx: slow and haunting "Magenta Skyline" on the A-side, backed by heavy uptempo slasher chase theme "The Unresolved" on the flip.

Berlin-based producer, beatmaker, and all-around big papa Suff Daddy returns with an irresistibly-bouncy instrumental long player to herald in the new year, aptly titled “Basically Sober,” releasing on Jakarta Records February 25, 2022.

Peruvian cumbia, also know as "chicha", brings together tropical music styles from Colombia and Cuba, Western influences such as 60s beat and psychedelic rock, and mixes them with indigenous melodies from the Amazonian jungle and traditional Andean songs. The result is a unique and vibrant style of music which reverberates with life. Vampisoul's compilation includes tracks by the most important bands of the genre. Peruvian cumbia is currently being rediscovered by new audiences and there exists a thriving club and live venue scene in cities like New York, London and Madrid.
36-page booklet with extensive liner notes in English and Spanish plus photos and memorabilia.

Our final William Stuckey release unfortunately did not make it on time for the man himself who sadly passed last year, with support of his family we are very happy to do this 45 justice.

The previously unreleased 'Everything That's Good In Life' A Very suitable unreleased track up there with his finest moments, it's got everything that would have made this a classic over the years and no doubt will make it a future classic for years to come, flipped with an alternate 7" Mix of 'Hold Me Close' this is a rock solid 45. You know what to do.