Hip-Hop Vinyl New Releases - News

The third in Karate Boogaloo's series of mixtapes exploring hip hop sample material in their off-kilter cinematic soul approach

Includes pieces byMarvin Gaye,Isaac Hayes, Bernard Herrmann, Dolly Partonand themes fromDiamonds Are Forever, Rocky,Psychoand more.

Karate Boogaloo are the quartet at the coalface of Melbourne, Australia's emerging instrumental soul movement

Too many people sleep on Tougher Than Leather, Run-DMC's fourth album. But hear us out as we plead the case for this amazing LP. By 1988 there was a lot more competition in the rap game - Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions, Eric B. & Rakim, Ice-T and many more had given Hollis, Queens' prodigal sons lots of competition. But Joe, Darryl and Jay were still at the top of their game, and hip-hop fans should never let this classic - chiefly produced by their Queens neighbor, DJ and multi-instrumentalist Davy D(MX) - get lost in their crates. For starters, the album's first single, Run's House' b/w Beats To The Rhyme' is arguably the most powerful one-two punch of the trio's career, showing contenders to the rap throne that they could still destroy a beat, tag-teaming with power at any speed. Not to be lost in the shuffle, fans were also reminded on both sides that Jam-Master Jay remained one of the world's best DJs, flexing the pinnacle of what would be called turntablism' a decade later. Both songs show a musical telepathy between all three that has rarely been equaled. The second single, Mary, Mary,' driven by an infectious Monkees sample, took a different approach, shrewdly ensuring that pop fans who jumped on the Raising Hell bandwagon had something to chew on. But, like Walk This Way,' the song wasn't just bubblegum - there was an edge to it, and the lyrical gymnastics were very real. It wasn't selling out, it was allowing fans to buy in. Papa Crazy,' driven in concept and by a sample from the Temptations' Papa Was A Rolling Stone,' followed a similar pop-leaning path. Overall, the lyrical content on the album was a step up from the group's first three LPs. It's easy to infer, looking back, that they were feeling the heat from their younger competitors in the rap game. The genre was changing fast, and they were up to the challenge. On cuts like Radio Station' they bring substance to the grooves, by attacking Black Radio for its continual denigration of rap. Tougher Than Leather' reminds the world that they were still the Kings of Rock, with hard guitars to drive the point home. And They Call Us Run-DMC' and Soul To Rock And Roll' both bring things back to their early days, with sure-fire park jam rhymes and killer cuts. Tougher Than Leather, which went platinum up against a lot of competition, perfectly bookends the '80s output of one of the decade's most important groups. It encompasses the full range of the trio's capabilities, and reminds us that Run-DMC should never be forgotten as both pioneers and party-rockers. And so, we say, long live Joe, Darryl and Jay!

Limited to 200 copies worldwide!

Multi-talented producer, songwriter, musicians and artistic visionary Shawn Lee gets down to the nitty gritty. "Has self isolation made you lethargic? Are you drawn to the refrigerator like a moth to a proverbial flame? Are your favourite pyjamas getting a bit too tight?!" His new Incredible Leg Warmer Band will help.

Shawn Lee's Incredible Leg Warmer Band is here with "The 37 Minute Workout" album to combat the battle of the bulge and get you through these crazy times and way beyond into an ever stretching future. So let's squeeze those cheeseburgers right out of your butt and "Stretch It Out" to the "Hi Intensity" sounds recorded in a fitness studio full of original equipment form the glorious era of Aerobics..

Shawn Lee says: "This is the album nobody thought they wanted but now NEED!!!!"

West Seattle Soul is an oozing collaboration of 13-15 Seattle hot shots crammed into a raw, close quarters performance that is blatant and obscure. It's an accidentally defying, thoroughly enjoyable, relapse of Seattle funk. The group has spent the last two years honing their chops at a residency at West Seattle’s Parliament Tavern.

When writing original music, this outfit goes by the name "The Pulsations" as presented on the B-Side of this Juicy slice of Seattle Side A: "Soul Makossa" West Seattle Soul put an afro-soul twist on Manu Dibango’s pioneering afro-disco hit “Soul Makossa.”
Their arrangement boasts bubbling clavinet, a tenacious horn section, and energetic vocal chants reminiscent of the original with a modern, underground dance music twist.

Side B: "Black River Crisis" Forming an Artist for all original music The Pulsations summon the deep pocket in “Black River Crisis.” Spurred from a group writing session, the drum and bass groove pave the way for interlocking guitar parts and a topsy-turvy horn line. The group found inspiration in the cataclysmic nature of the Black River that fed Lake Washington in the Seattle area.

The river was inadvertently drained when a canal was constructed from the Puget Sound to Lake Washington. The dried-up river caused a catastrophic loss of a resource that affected local farmers, the salmon population, and Native tribes who still lived alongside the river. It beckons the reality of the inevitable briefness in all facets of life and thusly, “you gotta dig it while it’s happening.”

A first-time replica re-issue of a highly sought-after, rare Brazilian MPB / Funk nugget from 1974.

Brazilian 7" singles or compacts sometimes get a bit overlooked outside of the world of avid Brazilian collectors and DJs, but here are where some of the most exquisite jewels of Brazil's rich musical tapestry lie.

This release has been a long time in the works, but now finally we are thrilled to present a replica version of one of our favourite Brazilian 7”s - the outstanding 'Morro Do Barraco Sem Água' by Lemos E Debétio (aka Toninho Lemos & Paulo Debétio). Discovering tracks like 'Morro Do Barraco Sem Água' makes you want to go the extra mile. You spend that little bit more time than is rational examining and dusting off a stack of 7”s hunting for an elusive gem, or end up disappearing down an Internet wormhole eating into time you don’t have before you need to be up for work again in the morning. This is a calculated effort, as the reward of the revitalising musical vitamins that you've stumbled upon are the big pay off.

'Morro Do Barraco Sem Água’ was originally released on Odeon Records in 1974, and even though this was a major record label it remains extremely hard to find. From the first moment the needle hits the groove with its guitar and drum break intro you know the song is special. A feel-good addictive melody with fantastic swooping arrangements and a pulsating funk backbeat, which is over all too soon. We hope you enjoy this audio treasure as much as we do!!!

It is with great joy that we present the Mr Bongo edition of Marcos Valle's 1983 self-titled masterpiece. A pure vintage that features the ultimate Brazilian-boogie cult-classic ‘Estrelar’ and iconic 80s cover art that sees a gloriously sun-drenched Marcos dressed in a pink v-neck t-shirt surrounded by a generous selection of deadly-looking neon cocktails.

The album was produced by the legendary Lincoln Olivetti and Marcos' brother Paulo Sérgio Valle. It showcases a real who's who of Brazilian music at the time, with stellar performances from vocalists and musicians such as Rosana, Serginho Do Trombone, Robson Jorge and Oberdan Magalhães to name but a few. This was Marcos’ second album, after having moved back to Brazil from his time living in Los Angeles, and that US influence is evident through its prominent boogie, soul and funk sounds. It also features collaborations with the US singer-songwriter, composer, pianist, keyboardist, and record producer, Leon Ware, who co-penned three tracks including 'Estrelar'. To complete the album there are tracks such as 'Fogo Do Sol', which is pure AOR / Balaeric vibes, and tracks that are more MPB and pop-inspired, making a well-balanced track list for both home-listening pleasure and dancefloor business.

What could we do to give one of Marcos' most celebrated albums the treatment it deserved and produce the most definitive re-issue possible? The answer was to enlist the services of Miles Showell, Abbey Road Studios Mastering and lacquer-cutting engineer and all-around audio-magician, to cut a special half-speed master edition. Miles had previously worked his half-speed magic on our Arthur Verocai album re-issue, and once again we are totally blown away by the richness which Miles has brought out in his mastering technique. He has enhanced the listening experience and taken this wonderful album to another level.

To celebrate the release we have pressed up several vinyl versions; both standard master, and Miles' half-speed mastering editions on Black vinyl, alongside special limited edition Rose and Mint-Green coloured vinyl variants that were inspired by the audacious-looking cocktails on the cover - sheer 80s excess!

Superb Album... Marbled Blue vinyl.
On the A-sdie get the tunes and on the flip the Instrumental (Vinyl only those)

Black Heat is the eponymous debut studio album by American funk group Black Heat. Released in The Golden Age of Soul, the album is filled with hard-driving, meaningful songs that truly pack a groovy punch. With each track Black Heat picks up the pace a little more, before slowing it down with neo-doo wop song “You’ll Never Know” and continuing on a breezy journey into a fusion of jazz, funk and latin. The album is a must have for all fans of funk, and is now available on 180 gram audiophile vinyl.

“Big Mistake” is a record with a lot of fans and as many questions! Q: Why is it the B-side? A. This is where it appeared originally. Q: Who is Brenda? A: We believe she is the late Brenda Melson aka Brenda Lee Jones from Dayton, Ohio. Q: What is the song about? A: She wrote it for her adopted son and is about the mistake his real mother made. Q: Why the fuzzy guitar? A: It was the flavour of the day and make it a Marmite record, BUT, many soul fans have waited years for a re-release as original copies are few and far between. Q: Is it a perfect recording? A: Maybe not entirely, but we have been supplied with the original tape masters used for the 1974 pressings. Q: So how many people want it? A: At least 500 on Discogs, there are no originals available and the highest paid for one was £800

Rocking digi gospel roots

Classiou, jazzy groove Hip Hop. Soulfool ... oup Full. And so funky !! Yes !

1978 originally on the Gorgon label

This is the first instalment of the newborn white label series on Subject To Restrictions Discs. Zurich based DJ and producer Don Kashew delivers a dark dystopian journey that begins with the search for the last open ‘Supermarché’. It continues with the well-known lethargy of the past months translated in the track ‘Koto Nord’. At long last, we are successful and dance together to ‘Bamboo’ in united melancholy. This release is limited to 100 copies.

Alphanso Henclewood, aka King Shark, with killer Russ Disciple dub

Got to Live is a vintage-style, roots reality song, featuring veteran reggae vocalist Earl 16. Earl started his recording career in 1975 as lead vocalist for the Flaming Phonics, a group he formed while still a schoolboy in Kingston, Jamaica.

Earl went on to record for Lee Perry, Augustus Pablo, Derrick Harriott, Joe Gibbs and Roy Cousins, before moving to the London in 1985. Here he worked with Mad Professor amongst others, but also stepped outside of reggae to work with Leftfield, who he still tours with. Soul Revivers' Nick Manasseh has recorded with Earl for thirty years now, while David Hill has known him for fifteen years – Sixteen being a regular crowd-pleasing guest at his long-running Rootikal dance in London.

Got to Live features Adrian McKenzie on the drum kit, with Jonah Dan on repeater drum and Spry on percussion. Add a three-part horns section and Manasseh's artful live-desk-mixdown, and this majestic tune is guaranteed to drop heavy. The flip holds Living Version, a instrumental track that is less about the dubwise, but is built for MCs. Entering 2021, it’s a good time to be reminded that we’ve all got to live.

‘top gear new British reggae from Soul Revivers’ - David Rodigan, BBC Radio 1xtra

Dub, raggae, dubstep, dancehall... MC Taiwan under all influences ! Another groovy Chinese Man !

The Milk present 'No Interruptions', a blazingly soulful return signalling the release of their second album.

Sometimes it takes a few bumps to find the right direction, often it involves experience, guts and self-belief to trust yourself and venture from one to find another. The Milk are a band that believe with utter conviction that they've now found their way. Fuelled by a rediscovery of the music and artists that originally inspired their formation, the four walls of their studio were ablaze with a soundtrack of Bill Withers, Isaac Hayes and the Isley Brothers throughout the songwriting process for their second album.

The Bee's Paul Butler, who proved his production mastery with Michael Kiwanuka's Mercury Prize nominated debut, invited the band to record at Chale Abbey, a medieval barn on the Isle of Wight. Guided by Butler, the sessions here captured the genuine version of The Milk: the sounds and honesty of soul.

Eager to share their new songs, 'Deliver Me' was released as free download and limited 7" single in November 2014 - finding its way onto the playlists of BBC 6 Music's Lauren Laverne, Huey Morgan and Gilles Peterson - while The Milk's dedicated fans packed out Tufnell Park's The Dome for the band's triumphant live return.

With their second album set for release this autumn, The Milk take to the stage on 2nd July for an intimate show at Hackney's Oslo to unveil their new songs in full for the first time.

The Milk are: Rick Nunn (lead vocals, guitar, keys) Mitch Ayling (drums, vocals, keys) Dan Legresley (lead guitar, vocals) & Luke Ayling (bass guitar).

Everything is Possible.

Outta Sight’s collectable ‘Real Side’ series continues with two stunning sides from Ted Jarrett’s Nashville based ‘ref-o-ree’ label. Jarrett was a hugely successful songwriter and producer for a number of Tennessee labels before he formed Poncello and Spar ahead of the harder Soul sounding ‘ref-o-ree’ that was home to our star turn Wendell Watts. Little is known about Wendell Watts other than he recorded and released two 45s for the ‘ref-o-ree’ label in 1969. According to some sources he hailed from Detroit but these recordings are certainly Nashville based and were produced by label owner Ted Jarrett and arranged by his long-time collaborator Bob (Robert) Holmes. The 45s are highly collectable with “Kiss A Good Thing Goodbye” rarely seen for sale and available as a reissue for the very first time. Incredibly, both of our featured spins were originally released as B-sides. “You Girl” on the back of Watts’ soul-cover of the Peppermint Rainbow hit “Will You Be Staying After Sunday”, whilst “Kiss A Good Thing Goodbye” played second fiddle to the novelty Bob Holmes song “The Love Bug”. The latter was reissued in 1972 coupled with “Grooviest Thing Side Of Heaven” on the tiny Jiminie logo. Watts also released a chidren’s Christmas album in 1972, for which he wrote most of the songs, before bowing out of the music industry.

Originally released in 1977

Reissue of 1984 Gorgon

In 2019, after negotiations spanning many years, Ostinato Records became the first label granted access to the grand Archives of Radiodiffusion-Télévision de Djibouti (RTD), a vault of secrets and stories from East Africa.

The first result in our Djibouti Archives series is a seminal anthology of 4 Mars, a 40-member Somali supergroup behind the most streamed and downloaded track on our Grammy-nominated Sweet As Broken Dates compilation.

Turkish synths, Jamaican Reggae, American brass, Bollywood vocals, Egyptian and Yemeni rhythms, and Chinese and Mongolian flutes all rendezvous in a corner of East Africa that for centuries served as the world's most brisk trading hub, the midway point connecting Africa, Asia, and the Mediterranean.

This is Somali music at its sassy, soulful, synthesized best.

Warmly restored and remastered from digitized master reels and cassettes. Double LP housed in a luxurious matte-finished gatefold sleeve with a poster inspired by the political banners of 1980s Djibouti and a hardcover bookcase.

Naked feet in warm sand, a gentle breeze, a sweet taste of chocolate on the tip of your tongue - this is the moment before you jump into clear waters. JPattersson brings up eight shimmering pearls from the dubby depths of his repertoire and adds them to this chain of associations. Mood gives expression to an unquenched thirst for musical innovation and growing maturity. While the soul of JPattersson still reverberates through the frequencies of his trumpet and his voice, his third album sounds all new and different again. There are songs with clever lyrics and all the ensuing catchiness. In-between these tunes from tropical tipsiness to hypnotic depth you can hear one thing above all: musical love of detail. In consequence, it’s a wonderful album to listen to from beginning to end - and at the same time made for the dancefloor.

Nackte Füße im warmen Sand, eine leichte Brise im Haar, der Geschmack von Schokolade auf der Zunge - der Moment vor dem heiß ersehnten Sprung ins klare Wasser. JPattersson holt aus den dubbigen Tiefen seines Repertoirs acht schillernde Perlen herauf und fädelt sie auf genau diese Assoziationskette. Mood bringt musikalisches Reisefieber und Reife zum Ausdruck. Obwohl die unverwechselbare Seele der Titel weiterhin zwischen den Frequenzen seiner Trompete und seiner Stimme schwebt, klingt das dritte JPattersson Album dabei erfrischend anders. Neben Songs mit cleveren Texten ist auf der Bandbreite von tropischer Beschwipstheit bis hin zu hypnotischem Tiefgang vor allem musikalische Liebe zum Detail zu hören. Ein wunderbares Durchhör-Erlebnis und gehaltvolles Dancefloor-Futter gleichermaßen.

King Pari is an almost accidental project. Cameron Kinghorn and DJ Stepmom didn’t even set out to start a band. When Joe (DJ Stepmom) texted Cameron some jams whipped up on his tape machine, Cameron hit him back with “what is this? I want in”. Ten minutes before they first linked up, Joe built the loop for their first single, ‘Sunshine,’ which they then wrote on the spot in a flurry on collective inspiration. The rest of their forthcoming ‘MARY EP’ grew from recording sessions in Joe’s Northeast Minneapolis bedroom, a guest house in New Orleans and a cabin in rural Wisconsin. Minneapolis left an obvious mark — the influence of Prince and the Minneapolis Sound, approached from a fresh psychedelic angle. It’s been called stonersoul, lo-fi R&B, dub meets 80’s electro with a heavy dose of funk. Grab it now through Earcave via PPU.. And stay tuned for their second SINGLE "Come Inside" on PPU early 2021.

*this is a cassette*

For the the third release on NBN Archives, we stay on the left coast but we head to the North West - Seattle to be exact, home of Major Weight Media.

Considered an obscure classic amongst G-Funk specialists, Major Weight Media was a Hip-Hop project from Seattle started by Lil Kriz, a Detroit-born composer and MC who moved to Seattle in 1988, graduated from Garfield High School then enrolled in the Art Institute of Seattle and got his degree in audio engineering.

Lil' Kriz had been playing piano since he was a kid and displays his incredible composition talents all over this debut 6-track EP. The whole project is laced with nothing but funky beats and smooth verses from Kriz himself and Big D.

Originally produced in 1996, but self-released in 1997 on CD only, "Music Speaks Louder" is available for the first time on record. A worthy addition to the NBN Archives catalogue and one for the 90's Hip-Hop heads.
credits
released November 19, 2020

Artist: Lil' Kriz & Big D
Title: Music Speaks Louder
Original Release Date 1/1/1997
Label: Major Weight Media

Recorded at Certain Moves Studios, Seattle
Produced by Lil Kriz
All Live Scratching: DJ Tre
Live Drums by Tony Templin
Mixed at Malamute Studios
Mastered by Kriz and Scott Ross at Hanzsek Audio1/
Remastered by Blanka at Kasablanka Mastering less

2 contemporary funky fuzzy tropical tunes on the new Legofunk
7" yellow vinyl.

Lyrical King is the debut 1987 album from one of rap’s pioneers and innovators who was said by some to be the first artist recorded by Def Jam Records. T La Rock recorded this album for Sleeping Bag Records as the labels first rap act and show cased him at the
height of his career. An old school legend, MC and dancer who was sampled by Public Enemy and Nas, heavily influential on artists such as LL Cool J and the Def Jam sound and would walk out on stage with Run –D.M.C . Highlights include ‘Back to Burn’ and ‘This Beat Kicks’ where T La Rock teamed up with visionary producer Kurtis Mantronik.

Official replica re-issue of a South African jazz-funk rarity from Teaspoon & The Waves.

Released in 1977 on Soul Jazz Pop, a subsidiary label of Mavuthela Music Company / Gallo, Teaspoon & The Waves’ self-titled album is an absolute masterpiece. Best known for the song 'Oh Yeh Soweto’, which is an astonishing adaptation of Lamont Dozier's anthem 'Going Back to My Roots', this track has become a contemporary underground club classic in recent times and has been featured in sets from a cross-section of DJs. With such a massive calling card song, it could be easy to write off the album as a typical one-tracker (like so many records often are), but that is a long way from the truth. Each of the remaining four tracks are super strong and, for us here at Mr Bongo, this has to be our favourite South African record of this era. 'Saturday Express' is a jazz-funk/disco stomper which will soon be lighting up dancefloors again. 'Wind and Fire' is true afro-jazz-funk excellence, with great spacey synths and reggae-inspired guitar grooves riding throughout. The opener, 'Friday Night’, also has a slightly reggae-tinged tropical groove, whilst 'Got Me Tight' finishes off the session with a feel-good jazz-funk workout that features cool, quirky, Patrick Adams-esque synths.

Saxophonist Teaspoon Ndlela has had an amazing and rich musical career. Releasing albums on records labels Soul Jazz Pop, Hit Special, Gallo GRC, alongside working with and writing for South African artists such as Mpharanyana, Stimela, Sipho Gumede and Sgu. He also features on the Paul Simon track 'Gumboots' taken from the iconic 'Graceland' project. Though best known for 'Oh Yeh Soweto' we hope this re-issue helps demonstrate that there is much more magic in this wonderful musician's repertoire to discover.


• Official vinyl replica
• Features cover of Lamont Dozier's anthem 'Going Back to My Roots'

This first ever re-release of William Stuckey's extremely rare southern soul LP. When Brian Sears told me William was still with us and living locally I was shocked that nobody had spoken to him up till now. Not only that but he still had the multitrack tapes at his house.

Unfortunately the tapes were in a bad way and needed some serious work. Our good friend Dan at Audio Archiving Services in Holywood went above and beyond to restore the tape in small sections (despite baking it was still oozing gunk onto the tape transport and heads) then joining the audio back together perfectly. I know not many people would have gone to this trouble and I'm grateful as this music had one last chance.

The mix down at AOTN studio is brighter and clearer than the o.g whilst being true to the original mix, William was over the moon with the result when he heard it and we are excited to bring it to Vinyl, CD and Digital

Special thanks to Brian, Dan and Linkwood for the work on this project. Securing special music for the future is what we do and we just caught this one in time.

Make way for a truly international meltdown!
Born out of the favelas and samba schools of São Paulo, the Afro Bruk Band Project is a collaboration
of singers, poets, musicians, friends and family. Their sound is inspired by Bossa-Nova, Afrobeat,
Brasilian / Cuban Yoruba culture and the Broken Beat sound from the UK.
The brainchild of the project is Swiss-based Ruben Estevez, producer and DJ of Bruk Boogie Kru sound
system. His aim was to create a live project, to promote musicians, to diffuse their passion out of Brasil
and to export Brasilian musical street culture.
The project touches on many geographical locations. Most of the recordings were done in São Paulo
with a few finishing touches in Johannesburg and final production by Ruben Estevez in Switzerland and
co-production by Rui Fradinho in London.

American Gypsy is a funk group of American origin, who began playing in Los Angeles, Spain, and eventually settled in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Their 1974 debut album is a classic funk and soul album and was also released in the US, UK, Germany, and other countries. It features the single “Angel Eyes”, which hit number 8 on the Dutch Singles Charts, and more funky songs like “Stuck On You”, “10.000 Miles”, the Barry White- ish “Inside Out”, the classic “Lady Eleanor”, and more.

Angel Eyes is available as a first ever official reissue on coloured vinyl. Pressed in a limited run of 1000 individually numbered copies on gold coloured vinyl, the album is housed in the original
1974 Dutch painting cover sleeve.

Having shown talent for playing guitar at a young age, Josi Ndlovu (Zimbabwe) started his first rock band “The Movers” (who were very popular within the local scene) in 1968. By the early 70s, Josi was already an acclaimed guitarist and a member of the revolutionary rock bands “Wells Fargo” and “Eye of Liberty” who were critical opponents of the racist Rhodesian government.
Prosecuted and harassed by the police for being a supporter of the independence movement, Josi Ndlovu had to move to Lusaka (Zambia) in 1975…it was here that he met his musical soulmate (Osibisa collaborator and bassist extraordinaire) André Abrahamse from South Africa. They started playing together in several local acts together with drummer Peter Lungu (from “Born Free” and later in the legendary Zamrock band “Witch”).
In 1977, Josi & André decided to go to Lagos (Nigeria) where they found many fellow Zimbabwean and South African students in exile. It was a total culture shock and really rough on the both of them…but they got lucky and were able to stay with some friends they had worked with in London (Themba Matebese and Uwandile Piliso of T-Fire fame). It was also here that they were approached by the Nigerian label “Boom Records” who booked them to record at the Decca Studios in Lagos (home to many other renowned recording artists such as Fela Kuti, Manu Dibango and Ofege). The result of these recording sessions was “Amandla” (the Ndebele word for ‘Power’).
The now legendary “Amandla” studio project is one of the most interesting collaborations between dissident, exiled musicians during the apartheid era…a very engaging album which talks about the liberation movement in Zimbabwe (which was under British colonial rule), ‘people-power’ as a concept and the walk towards freedom by any means necessary. Banned from radio and distribution (because of its political content) in their native countries, the record however did very well in Nigeria.
With the ‘Amandla’ album under their belts, André & Josi continued their traveling adventures to Botswana, Cape Town, and many other cities/countries…touring, recording and playing with influential artists from the likes of Rikki Ililonga, Tony Allen and Anna Mwale. André to this day keeps on composing and producing music for TV, film and various other audio projects. Josi Ndlovu passed away on September 7th, 2000…he will forever be in our hearts.
On “Amandla” the listener will find many genres blended together very successfully…a lot of smooth chordal Afro-soul, Blues soloing, Afro-disco-reggae with a dominant funk feeling surrounding it and a LOT of rock influences! Their groovy tunes went down smoothly on the dance floor and one can clearly hear the Fela Kuti-influenced beats pouring out of (Lagos scene regular) Buttley Moore’s fantastic drum work. Other influences are also very diverse…from acts and styles that include Zamrock, Earth Wind and Fire, Isaac Hayes, Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, Sly Stone, local folk music, etc. All of this makes the album a total must-have for any collector and fan of the afro-beat-funk genre.

As a prelude to the singles LP we drop a 45 reissue of Brief Encounters most popular modern / disco side against possibly their best ballad / deep soul spin. Stone cold classic all the way. Licenced direct from the band.

Pressed here for the first time on burgundy vinyl, this compilation album, originally released in 1996, includes era-defining hits such as “I’m Every Woman”, “I Feel For You” and “Through The Fire”.



c A3. Tell Me Something Good (Live) With Longer Fadeu

Florence based party collective Tropical Animals have been heating up the Tuscany nightlife for the last 9 years. By introducing exciting artists like Avalon Emerson, Ross From Friends or Interstellar Funk to the Florence crowds, the Italian crew have been honing their tastes and the jump to starting up a label was a natural step. In 2018 Tropical Animals released three EPs from Whitesquare, The Cyclist and DJ Octopus.

Whirlwinds of synths push back against basslines dipped in tubs of drowsy funk, as universes of psychedelia unfold. The four tracks from 'Surrounding Areas' capture a distinctively Italian spirit, one that was born to soundtrack the warm summer nights of Tuscany but that will very certainly do an excellent job elsewhere too.

Egoless has been causing some serious waves far beyond the shores of the Adriatic sea of late. His production style is deep and heavy, modern yet warm, analogue and quirky. By far some of the deepest instrumental tracks signed to Scrub a dub. Often vinyl loses out when it comes to bonus tracks on digital downloads. Not anymore, there is a hidden track that exists only on this vinyl and Egoless' hard disk recorder.