Hip-Hop Vinyl New Releases - News

During the 1970s George Jackson made a series of sublime southern soul recordings at Sounds Of Memphis studios. This LP gathers together rare singles and tracks that were unreleased at the time to showcase this golden period in the soul singer-songwriter’s career.

Recorded using many of the players from the Hi house band, who were at the time being featured on the recordings of Al Green and Ann Peebles.

Four tracks are making their first appearance on vinyl, whilst the compilation features both sides of his rare 1975 Chess single ‘Macking On You’ b/w ‘Things Are Getting’ Better’ and his ER single ‘Talking About The Love I Have For You’, which regularly sells for over $1000 on auction.

Jackson had a long career that saw him write hit singles for artists such as Candi Staton, Clarence Carter, the Osmonds and Bob Seeger, whilst covers of his songs have been UK hits for both Yazz and Joss Stone. However, his success as a writer somewhat obscured his talent as a performer, something that our series of releases focused on him has sought to rectify.

Kodokushi or lonely death refers to a Japanese phenomenon of people dying alone and remaining undiscovered for a long period of time.

Simon Crab in his most elegant contemporary style. A heavy dose of emotion (maybe disturbing!?) from the man behind the hugely influential alternative music band Bourbonese Qualk.

Lush soundscape, meticulous programming whilst still containing the dub DNA, what a conquest of freedom!

Unmistakable and inimitable Detlef magic on the B-side. Tolouse Low Trax serve a cerebral utopian idea long to 7,42 minutes.

Music for the head... and body! It's coming out in April, limited to 200 copies.

Multifaceted musicians Alfa Mist and Richard Spaven announce identities behind their 44th Move project and drop their debut self-titled EP on Black Acre.

The pair are two of London’s most hotly tipped Jazz artists, and bothhave a broad range of influences. Alfa Mist is a self-taught piano player with his early album ‘Antiphon’ becoming an international fan-drivensuccess, receiving more than 6 million streams on youtube alone. Since then he has continually moved on to straddle many genres with recent projects such as ‘Structuralism’ and ‘On My Ones’, both experimenting with solo piano, neo-classical and hinting at his roots in Hip Hop.

Meanwhile, Spaven’s accolades includes three studio albums, such as the acclaimed ‘Real Time’ LP on Fine Line, working with The Cinematic Orchestra, Guru’s Jazzmatazz, Flying Lotus, Jose James, Jameszoo and Jordan Rakei, not to mention selling out venues like Camden’s Jazz Cafe with Richard Spaven Trio. The pair now team up together for a poignant debut release as 44th Move. “Creating the sound was just a coming together where we discovered that we shared a lot of the same influences. We got to writing straight away - before we really got to know each other. I found it easy with a ton of inspiration. Ideas kept coming and we were on the same page.

In retrospect we want 44th to have an edge - it’s a ‘heart on your sleeve’ project where we can express all those hip hop and broken beat records.” - Richard Spaven ‘Little Techno’ opens with an essence of melancholy and emotional connection emphasising loose drums, pulsing keys and delicate chords. ‘Fly’ then superbly merges contemporary glitches and samples with organic percussion while ‘Hope’ fuses Alfa Mist’s vocal-work with elegant brass, keys and an undercurrent of subtle rhythmic delight. On the flip, ‘Broken’ flows with soft Rhodes sequences and Spaven’s signature crisp-sounding snares, giving a sophisticated edge to it's arrangement before ‘Two Nil’ slants towards a broken-beat lane with distantkeyboards, syncopated beats and dystopian-like harmonies.

Ein Jahr nach seinem Fusion-Meisterwerk "Flamagra" (Top 20 DE-Charts, Musikexpress "Album des Monats") veröffentlicht "Jazzfunk-Superheld" (Spiegel Online) Flying Lotus die Instrumentals. Mit der Fokussierung auf die psychedelisch-deepen Soul-Arrangements und begnadeten Musiker, die an diesem "kosmischen Grosswerk" (Rolling Stone) mitgearbeitet haben (von Brandon Coleman über Miguel Atwood Ferguson bis Herbie Hancock), sind sie ein intimes und transzendentes Hörerlebnis für Fans und erscheinen als limitierte Formate: Do-LP mit Download-Code plus animiertem Slipmat in PVC-Hülle und CD-Digipak.

Hard World is the first of three albums released by Heads Funk Band and it's one of the most rare LPs coming from Nigeria. What we have here is a pure, well crafted Afro-Funk. Heads Funk Band is related to Akwassa, where both are two exceptional bands with the same members, but co-existed simultaneously featuring Felix Odey (Feladey) on guitar and Eddie Offeyi on drums. The original forming duo of Akwassa was Felix Day / Feladey (guitar, vocals) and Kevin Coburn (keyboards, synths, vocals), who collaborated with guest musicians, which later turned out to be the actual Heads Funk Band. Some rumours say all of them were in both bands and musically speaking we can hear a lot of similarities. Akwassa released two incredibly rare albums, while Heads Funk Band managed to release three LPs, of which Hard World is the most hard to find. All 5 albums will be reissued on PMG in 2016/17. Feel the beat!

Hier kommt die dritte EP des britischen DJ/Produzenten Alex "Kiwi" Warren (Optimo, 17 Steps, Disco Halal, Cin Cin, Correspondant, NeedWant, Futureboogie) auf seinem neuen Imprint Crossbreed zu der immer populärer werdenden, sex-positiven Patrtyreihe in London.

Following the success of Roots Garden records 2019 release ‘Pain Killa’ by Tiawa we are proud to present the second vocal instalment over this deadly contemporary Reggae riddim track from producer Nick Manasseh.

Making his debut appearance on Roots Garden Skari is a versatile & talented young vocalist hailing from Mandeville in the central hills of Jamaica. His sweet vocal tones and singjay style deliver a heartfelt & militant message as he outlines the injustices of Jamaica’s land tax and corrupted socio-political system…..”the country down in the wrong hands, take it from them give who it belongs, ay people who unah charge yah man? A we pay them with tax taxation a we run this nation...”

Producer Nick Manasseh transforms the riddim track on ‘Wrong Hands Dub’ , his trademark sophisticated and subtle mixing skills creating a driving and upbeat dubwise version.

These two songs by Leontine Dupree have amazed us for a very long time. We are extremely happy to present you a superfunky 2-sider. "Standing On His Word" is funky-soul at its best. On the flip you find "Waiting For My Baby", a brutal, uptempo sister funk cut.

A Berlin based collective of music aficionados launch a limited and lovely 7" platform for club-ready flipped classics.

Simple, effective
Floor food for all moods...TIP !

Who said that all Nigerian afrobeat from the 70s was dark and though provoking with a melancholic edge despite the ongoing powerful grooves and a more or less political message denouncing the the methods of the country’s leaders to increase their own wealth and power while the simple people suffer. Well, this 1978 album by bandleader Thony Shorby Nyenwi proves this idea wrong. What we have here is a sacredly rare gem, fetching 300 € for a copy in playable condition. A crown jewel of Nigerian afrobeat and funk music that is an utter joy listening to. Thony Nyenwi's music is a monument of the genre carved in rock.

* For fans of Fela Kuti, Ofege, Assagai, The Funkees, Mixed Grill, Bob Marley
* Reissue of a long lost afro beat and Nigerian funk classic from 1978
* A massive collection of captivating grooves and haunting melodies.

A Series Of Rare And Sought After 'Golden Era' 1960s/70s Brazilian Dancefloor Essentials For Djs And Collectors Previously Unreleased As Singles Or Only Available On Quieter Lp Pressings Mastered Cut At High Quality & Packaged In Lovingly Produced Brazil

Currently riding high with one of the hottest sounds around.
The beautifully seductive IN MY GROOVE gets a timely vinyl release and there’s an ace in the sleeve: mix maestro Nigel Lowis has conjured up a new version for the B Side!
Presented in thirst quenching orange vinyl, limited edition of 300 copies.

Roc Marciano is known for his bars, but with "Pimpstrumentals" he brings 17 instrumentals all highlighting his signature boom bap style and incomparable grit.

Reissue of private pressed gospel album from 1978. Housed in a gatefold jacket filled with photos and liner notes by Uchenna Ikonne

When most people think of the musical legacy of San Francisco, the first thing that usually comes to mind is the Summer of Love. Much less likely are you to hear about the City by the Bay’s rich heritage of gospel music. Cultures Of Soul is proud to revisit this chapter in the city’s history with the reissue of The Sound Of The San Francisco Christian Center

The San Francisco Christian Center was one of the first churches to open its doors to disaffected hippies searching for a deeper spiritual substance. This era saw new, youth-driven forms of “Jesus music” that fused gospel messages with rock aesthetics. Chief amongst these new-style gospel artists was the San Francisco-based Andraé Crouch, who was one of the influences behind this recording. As a historical document, it provides a breathtaking view into the roots of contemporary gospel music, but as just pure music, it is a transcendent listening experience.

Reggae On Top 10"- Teachings Of His Majesty - Barry Issac

Barry Issac - Marcus Garvey / Dub 1 / Dub 2 / Dub 3 (Reggae On Top) 10"

Shark Attack / Dub Attack / Toture The Devil / Dub Torture : King Earthquake Ke10-12

Be With hereby presents aural perfection.

Don’t let the title mislead you, “Much Too Much” by Sass has just the right amount of everything, whether you’re talking about the vocal or the instrumental. And that’s as true now as it was when it was originally released back in 1982.

In 1981 The Jack Sass Band, as they were known, were still working the NYC club circuit. Along with the likes of Change, The BB & Q Band and High Fashion, they were part of the Little Macho Music phenomenon and that’s how they ended up in an 8 track studio on 7th Avenue near 20th Street, where Little Macho recorded demos.

Produced by the band’s vocalist Mic Murphy, who also wrote the track along with fellow band member LaForrest Cope, the band needed just one session to capture “Much Too Much”. The recording studio just so happened to be run by Silvio Tancredi and when the tracks were finished he offered to put them out on his 25 West record label. The vocal version and an instrumental mix were released as a 12" the following year. Mic tells us this meant Sass “were one of the few bands to have a record release while still playing on the club circuit. So the reaction exceeded our expectations at the time”.

According to Mic “Much Too Much” was something a little different from the band’s live sound at the time, “it was more R&B smoothed out than the more funk rock we usually leaned into”. Indeed, the track glides with grace, poise and patience. The elegant, easy tempo, combined with the magnificent melody and Mic’s signature sublime vocal conjures magic. The blend of deep boogie-funk power and heavenly sweetness is both infectious and goosebump-inducing.

Over on the flip-side, the instrumental slaps harder. Without Mic’s vocal it’s just pure groove, with nothing to stop you vibing all night - the bassline, the drums and the melody still connect. Hard. Pick your side, you won’t lose.

Working directly with Mic Murphy means that the audio for this re-issue of the classic 12" comes from the original tapes. Cut at 45 RPM and released in a plain sleeve, we’ve made sure this record is well up to the job of having a permanent place in every DJ’s bag. As far as we’re concerned, this is essential stuff.

Mic told us just how much it means to him to have “Much To Much” re-issued: “It’s an amazing feeling to have something you created almost 40 years ago still have relevance and even more amazing to be considered among the Northern Soul boogie anthems. And it’s especially important to me that we’re available again on vinyl”.

Sylvia Fagan aka Guardian Angel is the oldest sister of Bevin Fagan which is Matumbi's lead singer. Matumbi was the top british Reggae band from the 70's and early 80's. Bevin Fagan and Euton Jones (drummer and founder member of Matumbi) produced Woman At The Well, the only LP by Guardian Angel in 1980 with a blend of disco, boogie funk, lovers rock and roots reggae. Recorded at Gooseberry and T.M.C. studios (London, UK) in 1980. Produced by Euton Jones & Bevin Fagan. Analog 1/4inch tape transfered at FX Copyroom by Euton 'Matumbi' Jones & Engineer Harvey Birrell on a Studer A810. Mastered and lacquer cutting by François Terrazzoni at Parelies Audio
Visuel. Special thanks to all musicians who made it possible, Dennis and Andy Robinson, Jason and Valerie Fagan, Euton Jones and his daughter Shana Jones, Winston Francis and Dennis Bovell.

After a long hiatus, Tokyo-based french producer Dela comes back with Électrique, a new project paying tribute to hip-hop legends André 3000 and Big Boi, known together as OutKast. This new 7inch record includes three tracks of Électrique : Yosky Wosky Pisky Wisky, Dimanche Matin, and the bonus track Cergy.

Known for his laid-back, jazz influenced, dreamy rap instrumentals, Dela introduced his music to the world with his Atmosphere Airlines mixtapes and his albums Changes Of Atmosphere (2008) and Translation Lost (2011). A student of Q-Tip, Pete Rock and J-Dilla amongst others, Dela’s work foreshadowed today’s increasively popular lofi hip-hop / chillhop movement.

Side A features Yosky Wosky Pisky Wisky, a remix of Stankonia’s classic Humble Mumble, featuring Eykah Badu. Dela changes the mood of the original track, mixing samples and live instrumentation together to turn a salsa-breakbeat groove into a melody infused otherworldly super-funk.

On side B, Dela remixes Sole Sunday, a Goodie Mob featuring Outkast track, edited to feature only the two ATLiens and renamed Dimanche Matin. The beat is reminiscent of his early work, layering boom bap drums over a haunting saxophone melody. Also on side B, the bonus cut Cergy turns a Brazilian MPB sample into an ode to Dela’s hometown with the help of live drums, bass, electric keyboards and a few of his friends singing.

'I Lost My Poncho In Istanbul' presents to you a fresh selection of bomb tracks from Ecuadorian mastermind 'Nicola Cruz' and the Brazilian label 'Honcho Pigmalião'. The new release 'ILPI003' exposes new identities from both artists and a pursuit of representing some of their South American references comprised by either local indigenous expressions mixed with afro rhythms exploited in a more obscure, avant-garde and electronic intended soundscapes.

2 track Single from Sons Of Negus released by Zion Disc/Dub Store Records

The UK's funk brothers are back! After 2 years working hard in their studio in Leeds in the north of England, The Haggis Horns are ready to drop album number 5! "Stand Up For Love" is released worldwide on their own label Haggis Records on the 22nd May on Vinyl, CD and Digital. They should have added a subtitle to it...back to roots! This one has them doing what they've done best from day one...kicking the funk! plus the spotlight is truly on the band - no special guests, just Haggis Horns band members past and present including "Hot Damn!" singer John McCallum who features on seven out of the nine tracks making this their most vocal led album to date.

The Haggis Horns first hit the music scene in 1999 as both a band and brass section, the horns making their first reccorded appearance on The New Mastersounds debut album that year. Featuring some of the finest brass and rhythm section players in the UK, Haggis Horns musicians have played live and recorded with a host of major music artists including Mark Ronson, Corinne Bailey Rae, Lou Donaldson, Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, Martha Reeves, Jamiroquai, John Legend & The Roots, The Cinematic Orchestra, Morcheeba, Roots Manuva, Finley Quaye and Nightmares On Wax.

After five singles plus two albums on UK independent label First Word Records, since 2015, they've been releasing their music on their own Haggis Records Label. In 2020 they've expanded the label to include solo jazz albums from band members Malcolm Strachan (trumpet) and George Cooper (keyboards/piano) and also released an EP by soul singer Lucinda Slim but three years after their last full band release, the time is right for another Haggis Horns album.

"Stand Up For Love" is their 5th album and as always it drips with funk and soul magic which show the band's love for early/mid 70's artists like Kool & The Gang, Fred Wesley & The JB's, The Blackbyrds, The Fatback Band, The Meters and Sly & The Family Stone. From pure funk club bangers like "Shoulder To Shoulder" and "Haggis Express" to deeper soulful sounds of "Ain't Nothing But Love In The End", "Give It Up" and "Ain't Loving One Another" (which features one of many stand out vocal performances by John McCallum) it's a mix that makes sure all musical bases are covered. Also original percussionist/conga player Sam Bell is back recording with the band and once again adding some latin fire to the Haggis Horns sound. There's even a soulful reggae track on this one, the album title song "Stand Up for Love". It's the first time the band have featured a reggae number on a release since their debut back in 2007.

Two decades on, numerous releases, hundreds of gigs worldwide, this fifth album proves that The Haggis Horns are still kings of the hill when it comes to UK Funk and Soul.









i 9 Give It Up (Don't Take Part in the Madness) feat. John McCallum

A killer and essential head to head, back to back repress 7" right here.
2 versions of this alltime, evergreen rare groove in one place, fully legit, remastered and repressed just for you.

'90% of Me Is You' is widely known and loved, oft sampled and searched for high and low by soul aficionados and music lovers across the globe.

Vanessa Kendrick's take is a breathier, sweeter affair. A ridiculously rare 45 to obtain and boasting a $500+ price tag too. Recorded a year before Gwen McCrae's and arguably the original version, hence it's top billing spot on the A-side. Obviously, Gwen McCrae's version is more widely known, and it is astoundingly good. Her sultry and yearning vocals complementing the lush arrangement and tough backbeat drums in a different way. Obviously both versions bring something to the table in their own respective ways, with our 2 fabulous vocalists channelling different feelings and different moods, but they are both simply amazing and worthy of a place in any self-respecting music lovers stash. Flawless.

Licensed and reissued with the full involvement of the Henry Stone Music group for 2020. Featuring original classic Galdes label artwork.

'Are You Ready for Me' by The First Choice is definitely a masterpiece of disco classic. This song has been sampled many times in several house tracks from the 90's, but never reworked in a proper way. Moplen is now giving what it was missing, a 8:09 mins remix from the original multitrack that gives to the song a
new arrangement keepin' it with the original vibe.
In recent years Moplen has been building a reputation for solid disco remixes. A vinyl junkie, DJ and remixer from Italy, he currently has remixes out with re-edit heavyweight labels like Gamm, BBE, Lumberjacks in Hell and Kat to name just a few. Moplen remixes now have a definitive trademark thanks to an obsessive attention to detail, and a rigorous adhesion to the parts from the original multitrack. His work meets the requirements of modern dance floors whilst never betraying the spirit of the original recording.

Heavyweight 180gr vinyl

Ltd. Purple Edition

Out 18th September, ‘What It Is’ is the second LP from Brooklyn- based multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and producer Sly5thAve; his first new music since the critically acclaimed project ‘The Invisible Man: An Orchestral Tribute to Dr. Dre’. The recording had been first devised as a benefit concert in LA which was attended by Dr. Dre who took to the stage to express thanks for Sly5thAve’s arrangements. Having spent the past three years performing the project with orchestras around the world, ‘What It Is’ sees Sly5thAve retain the high-quality that fans and critics alike have come to expect from him while stepping out with something considerably different, delving deeper into the worlds of hip hop, jazz and soul. Celebrating not only his own versatile musicianship but that of his collaborators and friends, ‘What It Is’ is a collection of tracks showcasing the best of the multi-faceted musician. A sought-after collaborator himself, Sly5thAve has attained much respect from his work with a host of highly fêted musicians including; Prince (as a member of the New Power Generation Band), Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, The Dave Brubeck Quartet, Taylor Swift, Janelle Monáe, Freddie Gibbs and Quantic.

Disco divas, Funky queens and Glam ladies in 70's and early 80's Taiwan!

Due to it's extremely complex history, Taiwan in the 70´s saw the creation of some incredibly special music in which the sounds coming at the moment from the west collided with the special sensitivity of Taiwanese musicians, creating a delicious mixture you´ll need to hear to believe.

"Taiwan Disco" shines a light on the music created by Taiwanese women during those years (70´s & early 80´s) to present a mind-blowing collection of songs with sounds ranging from wild Funk to Space Glam, exotic Disco or fuzzed out Soul. Here´s the ticket to some crazy Taiwan nights, get those dancing shoes ready, it´s time to shake it!

Continuing his recent onslaught of releases, Bristol’s hip-hop connoisseur and 45’ maestro Scott Hendy AKA Boca 45 is set to drop the third instalment of his 2020 Donuts series. Teaming up with The Heavy’s vocalist Swaby and long-time friends and collaborators Bryan Munich Allstars, this package comes in the form of a one-two punch and it lands on the 1st June.

After kicking off the 2020 Donuts project with Hannah Williams and the ‘Powerful’ single back in January, Scott has pricked up the ears of some of the biggest names in the business, and each exclusive set of 300 vinyl’s per release are being snapped up rapidly on each release day. Now starting off the spring / summer with release #3, it’s no secret that the Donuts are building up a loyal following, and ‘It’s All There’ / ‘Hot Wheels (The Chase)’ are no exception.

Overflowing with attitude from the get-go, ‘It’s All There’ is brimming with flair throughout. A smooth rumbling bassline lays down the foundation for guitar work that Prince would be proud of. With a solid backbeat, synth stabs throughout and one of the coolest vocal hooks you’ll hear in a long time – this is a serious dancefloor weapon that brings the good vibes from start to finish. The voice of genre-boundary smashers The Heavy takes lead on this, Kelvin Swaby is possibly most recognised for his 10-year+ career with the Bath band, and more notably their smash hit "How You Like Me Now?," which they even performed on David Letterman. It can be heard on Hollywood Blockbusters around the globe.

On the flipside, ‘Hot Wheels (The Chase)’ sounds like something straight out of a Tarantino movie. A cover of Badder Than Evil’s 1973 track, this revamp is a real grooving, upbeat, cheeky record with plenty of guitar hooks and disco drumming. Featuring The Bryan Munich Allstars (Geoff Barrow (Portishead/Beak) / Ben Salisbury, Billy Fuller (Beak/Robert Plant Bass Player), Jerry Crozier Cole & Ant Poploski), this is a who’s who of music royalty taking time out of their football team to flex their studio muscles and cover a very rare vinyl. In fact, they appeared on Boca’s 2019 LP ‘Forty-Five,’ with the track ‘Bryan Munich Theme.’ Geoff and Ben also just provided the score for critically acclaimed American thriller series Devs. On creating the 3rd Donut, Scott added:

I licensed Gold material from Avelino Pitts an over 10 years ago when I was working at Jazzman, at the time we got a tape with an alternative version of 'What About The Child' so it made sense to reissue that version rather than the original and better mix as it was unheard.

We never did get around to putting out the original 45 version, more urgent and pushy than the softer mix on the unreleased tape, so here it is. This 45 was a true deepfunk rarity in the 2000s and just never turns up at all. On the flip we got some amazing Spiritual Soul from the unreleased tapes that sounds very Rotary Connection, really special track.

I have done 500 of these only- Grab em quick!

The classiest of deep spiritual soul on 45 for the first time. These tracks were previously unreleased until I found Avelino Pitts when working at jazzman a few years back who has since sadly passed away, but we are working with his wife Deborah to keep his wonderful music alive. Ocean of tears was always here to be a vanity project for my love of deep soul and slowys, so when listening to the LP in my car a few months back I was like WTF, why did i never do these on 45? So here we are, two sides of deep and well-produced soul, Rotary Connection comes to mind but it has its own sound. I have done 500 of these only, no repress. End of nighter, warm-up, radio, one to enjoy on your own with a glass of whisky at 2am.




a A1 You Are So Wonderful clip
b B1 Without You clip