Hip-Hop Vinyl New Releases - News

The Broken Orchestra return with their brand new 'Blinded EP'. This release is the first since welcoming new members Emily Render (Vocals) and Tom Kay (Guitar) to the fold, joining founding producers Pat Dooner and Carl Conway-Davis.

The EP, Produced and mixed by The Broken Orchestra and mastered by Pete Maher (The 1975, U2, Paul Weller), features 5 brand new tracks which combine the groups trademark chopped, laid back, melodic trip-hop with ambient textures.

In early 2017, after several years of releasing music as a production only outfit, with appearances from various talented musicians, and with BBC 6Music and Radio 1 airplay under their belt, Pat Dooner and Carl Conway- Davis announced that they would be taking The Broken Orchestra live with the help of Emily Render and Tom Kay. This resulted in a sold out debut show in August 2017.

Now the band set their sights on a busy 2018 as they kick off a promotional cycle for their new 'Blinded EP' which is set to be released on 9th February 2018 via A Bridge Too Far Recordings.

Blissed out electronic Hip Hop from the Sahara. Gao's hyper-localized genre reinterprets western hip hop into a sound unlike anything else in the world. Auto-tune, melodic synth, and PC-based beats combine in abstract home studio experiments. Droning takamba meets Hausa synth pop, with a healthy dose of ragga. Obscure music that thrives on the local MP3 trade, this compilation highlights some of the most ambitious recordings of the past 10 years. Limited to 500.

Bernard Purdie is one of the most well known drummers of all time, and probably the most recorded in history. From his early days as a session player, Purdie rose to become Aretha Franklin's musical director, did over- dubs for The Beatles, and recorded with the likes of Steely Dan, Cat Stevens, Joe Cocker, Hall & Oats, Quincy Jones, Roberta Flack, and James Brown, to name a few. In 1967 he entered a studio with several friends to cut his rst solo album, Soul Drums'. The album was critically acclaimed upon its initial release, only to reach mythical proportions once being rediscovered by DJs and hip-hop producers years later, when it became one of the most sought-after drum LPs among vinyl collectors. Soul Drums' is now available on vinyl for the rst time in years, along with an entire bonus LP comprising Purdie's long-lost follow-up LP Alexander's Rag Time Band', which was never given a proper release. This deluxe gatefold re-issue also includes liner notes taken from a recent interview with Purdie, plus rare photos from the late 1960s.

'That Jazz' is Coops' first official offering since signing to High Focus Records back in October. By no means a debut, having already released two critically acclaimed albums 'Lost Soul' & 'God Complex' under his own steam in 2014 and 2016, the London MC is putting his best foot forward - a 'no nonsense' masterclass in smooth rhyming and soulful boom bap, produced by long time collaborator Talos. The beginning in a long line of releases planned for Coops this year, 'That Jazz' serves as the perfect introduction.
'That Jazz' is officially released on Friday 9th of February on limited edition hand numbered 7' vinyl (limited to 300) and across all digital platforms worldwide.

Remember the old-school Marvel Team-Up comic book which paired, say, Spider-Man with Thor, Wolverine with the Human Torch, or the Hulk and Daredevil In the spirit of those classic collaborations, Gold Dust announces Parallel Uni-Verses, a joint effort between Hieroglyphics founder Del The Funky Homosapien and original Artifacts emcee Tame One. Produced entirely by Parallel Thought, the album's ten tracks return to a time when inventiveness, creativity, funky beats—and, above all, lyricism—ruled hip-hop. Oakland's Del The Funky Homosapien is one of the creators of the alternative rap genre, a perennial fan favorite who, in addition to releasing four solo albums—including 1992's seminal, gold-selling I Wish My Brother George Was Here--and two group albums with Hieroglyphics, was featured on the Gorillaz' epononymous, platinum-selling debut and Dan the Automator's sci- -themed concept album Deltron 3030. Newark's Tame One is best known as one-half of the Artifacts, a graffiti- writing hip-hop duo active in the mid- and late-90s, whose output includes the classic singles Wrong Side of Da Tracks' and The Ultimate.' In recent years, Tame has been a member of two underground supergroups: the Weatherman (with Cage, Camu Tao, and Aesop Rock), and the Leak Brothers (with Cage). Parallel Uni-Verses is that rare rap album which transcends tired clichés and maintains traditional hip-hop values without seeming retro or passé. Man, I ain't even gonna be egotistical like that and try to say that we are trying to usher in some new revival of whatever,' Del says. However, he adds, I'm a say this: we ARE the element that is missing, not (just) because I said so. That's what's up, we didn't sell out for all the luxury and monetary gains. The original ways, we kept at and built upon those.'

20 years after its initial release, the Bay Area uber-classic Latyrx: The Album - lyricists Lyrics Born and Lateef The Truthspeaker, with production from DJ Shadow, Chief Xcel and Lyrics Born - still stands as a seminal recording. It has gone on to resonate with successive generations of listeners, and influence countless artists. Recorded over

a two-year period, it was the first full-length release from the legendary Solesides collective, and encapsulates a highly creative and influential time in hip-hop, frequently dubbed The Golden Age. Over the course of the original release's 42 minutes, not only can you hear Lyrics Born and Lateef literally growing into themselves as artists, but you can also hear the germination of the Solesides sound, first given birth at California's UC Davis in the early '90s, driven by brothers-in-beats-and-rhymes Blackalicious and DJ Shadow. Partially by design, and partially out of necessity, Latyrx—and the Solesides crew as a whole—became trailblazers. Lyrics Born remembers (in this set's lengthy liner notes), We really wanted to explore. New styles, new subject matter, new textures, new vocabulary. It came down to even wanting to do words in the English language that you had never heard in a rap song before. It was all about pushing.' And push they did, with game-changing lyrical exercises like Say That,' Balcony Beach,' The Wreckoning' and The Muzappers Mix.' Beyond cuts that back-in- the-day fans know from the original sequence, the two bonus tracks included in this edition are: Looking Over A City' (produced by El-P), originally released on the Quannum compilation Spectrum. And The Last Trumpet,' which closes this new deluxe edition. Originally appearing on the 2003 Lyrics Born solo album Later That Day, it's one of Latyrx's most-realized collaborations, and one of their most overtly-politically-themed songs. This deluxe, 2-LP issue of Latyrx: The Album is a must for longtime fans and newly-initiated listeners alike, with in-depth liner notes by veteran Bay Area journalist Eric Arnold (including input from Lyrics Born and Lateef The Truthspeaker) and packaged in a gatefold format.

Martha High (The Original James Brown Diva) is enjoying one of the most creative times in her career. After her work with Speedometer and Osaka Monaurail, she has prepared a new record with JB'S and does not stop touring the world. In addition, she has recorded one of her best tracks yet that Vinilos Enlace Funk had the pleasure to edit, "We Are One", produced by DJ Toner.

In this single diva Martha High teams up with legendary bass player Fred Thomas (member of James Brown's band and The Playback among many other 70's groups). There's no doubts that "We Are One" is a hit!

As the '90s came to a close, hip-hop music was thriving in two separate ecosystems. On one side, Puffy's Bad Boy Records, Roc-A-Fella and the rest of the major label world was pumping plenty of shiny music by bling-ed out, made for MTV stars. These pop stars sold truckloads, but it felt like a lot of empty calories.' On the other side of the coin, a very strong underground scene had emerged in the mid-1990s worldwide. Hungry, innovative artists who had no use for the major label system thrived artistically in this ever-growing pond, ranging from Dr. Octagon and Jurassic 5 in Cali, Atmosphere and the Rhymesayers crew in the Midwest, and Company Flow and Definitive Jux in the East, among others. As the decade closed, from somewhere even beyond both of those poles, a man who would come to rule many corners the underground universe for the next two decades appeared from depths that were darker than most of his fans would ever know: MF DOOM. The artist formerly known as Zev Love X of major-label-but-underground heroes KMD had disappeared from most fans' view in around 1994 - after his brother and artistic co-producer Subroc was killed, and the group's Black Bastards album was shelved by Elektra. By 1997, DOOM started peeking his head up from the grime, with no-distribution singles on Bobbito Garcia's Fondle 'Em label like Red & Gold' and Dead Bent.' As other appearances and singles trickled through the underground, by 1999 the album Operation: Doomsday appeared seemingly out of nowhere, again on Fondle 'Em, and fans who actively ran from the glitzier side of rap music ate it up like they had been on a hunger strike. Musically raw and at-times off-kilter, former Fondle 'Em singles like the aforementioned tunes plus Gas Drawls,' Hey!' and Go With The Flow' were joined by a whole slew of new tunes. It all sounded familiar but new at the same time. It shouldn't be overlooked that in addition to the dusty, wobbling music, the former Zev Love X completely changed up his vocal style on the tracks that would land on Doomsday, chopping his flow up and bringing a whole new approach to his formerly liquid, and often humorous lyricism. Standouts on this bonafide underground masterwork are honestly hard to pick, since fans each have their own DOOM faves. But Doomsday,' Rhymes Like Dimes,' The MIC,' the experimental Tick, Tick...' (with MF Grimm) and Red & Gold' (with King Ghidra) are great examples of how stretched-out this visionary album is. This new 7' Collection edition via Get On Down includes seven 7's that run in order of the songs from the original issue (including interludes). The records are housed in a custom black leatherette outer-box that is laced with silver-foil renderings of DOOM's legendary mask and bubble graffiti logo on the outside, and a never-seen-before DOOM drawing by the legendary Lord Scotch, the original artist behind the Operation: Doomsday art, on the inside. In addition to holding the 7-inch vinyl, the box also contains two metallic-silver colored 45 adapters, each a 3D rendering of DOOM's gladiator mask. Picture sleeves for each of the seven pieces of wax all feature brand new work by Lord Scotch (Blake Lethem aka KEO aka Scotch79th) as well: new hand-lettered track listings on one side, and incredible new color illustrations on the flip that, when laid side-by-side, fit together like puzzle pieces, to form one large image. 1999 classic debut album presented as a deluxe set, with Seven 7's 2 unique DOOM 45 adapters, new artwork by original cover artist Lord Scotch, and customer leatherette outer box with silver-foil DOOM mask and logo. FEATURES: Seven 7's / Custom black leatherette outer box with silver-foil rendered images of DOOM's famed mask and logo / Two never-before-commercially available silver-colored DOOM 45 adapters / Each 7' has a custom sleeve designed by legendary graf artist Lord Scotch (Blake Lethem), who drew the original Operation: Doomsday cover

When HAVANA MEETS KINGSTON - when Cuba meets Jamaica. This idea was born thanks to Australian globetrotter producer Mista Savona. In 2015 he decided to bring together all the best from
Kingston and Havana. So, Sly & Robbie,Bongo Herman, 'Bopee' Anderson, Ernest Ranglin, Rolando Luna and Barbarito Torres from BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB, Los Van Van, Havana Cultura and many more met together and experimented with young musicians from the two islands. An histrorical intergenerational and intercultural exchange!

Drawing from the styles the islands are best known for - roots reggae, dub and dancehall on one hand and son, salsa, rumba and Afro-Cuban on the other - 'Havana Meets Kingston' sees an incredible team of musicians come together to bend and twist genres effortlessly, and the results are exceptional.

Nights of jam sessions in the city of Seville led to the encounter of a Senegalese Birane Amar Wane aka One Pac and Andalusian José Goméz. The couple brings out the best of each other and share their knowledge.

Side B "Ngeum Ngeum" is from their first album called "African Groove" and it has sounds of funk, hip hop and soul with spices from African music.

The record was made with the collaboration of musicians from different backgrounds and origins.

Few artforms are as apt to describing the fervour and tumult of human emotions as music is. Songs transport us to real and imaginary places, living someone else's experiences as our own, connecting with thoughts and feelings through melodies, rhythm and words. As a producer working primarily with the tools of traditional Hip-Hop - samplers, records, synthesizers - Onra has distinguished himself over the past decade as one of the best of his generation, capable of creating vivid music that sparks the mind of the listener and brings them along to uniquely detailed spaces, both real and imagined. On Nobody Has To Know', his fifth album for All City Records, the versatile French producer created music that reflects on the various aspects of a secret relationship pulling from R&B,New Jack Swing and Funk to soundtrack the passions of attraction. Stylistically Nobody Has To Know' picks up from the Future Funk style Onra originated on his 2010's Long Distance' (and its 2012 companion EP Deep In The Night' for Fool's Gold). Where those two releases mined the early and mid parts of the 1980s for ideas and references, the new album digs into late '80s and early '90s jams for smoother and richer sounds. Bolstering the record are two talented multi-instrumentalists, New Zealand's Lewis McCallum and Belgium's Pomrad, who bring touches of virtuosity to Onra's trademark smooth arrangements. The result is a record that, like its theme, oscillates between tender, torrid and tumultuous. Over its 13 tracks Nobody Has To Know' details the ups and downs of a secret relationship, from the excitement of doing something forbidden to the aftermath of living out fantasies. On "Let Me Fantasize" a rolling bassline and sparkling melodies capture the excitement of what is possible, the mind wandering into the forbidden. "No Question" taps into New Jack Swing to act out desires that can't be suppressed, exuberant solos echoing dangerous feelings. With its hard drums and smooth horn solos, and chorus of "Freak" takes you to that place where you can do things you only dreamed about. Balancing this intensity are more introspective moments. "Not Long Ago" rolls out gentle synth solos and nostalgic samples to reflect on past relationships and the very human desire to have what you had or can no longer reach. Rich textures and a languid rhythm underpin the reflective mood of "Nothing To Lose," as you wonder what could go wrong - it's a fine line after all. The fantasizing, excitement and danger of fatal attraction are all reflected through the prism of the music. With Nobody Has To Know' Onra deftly evolves the style he first began to explore a decade ago with his unique touch, re-affirming a unique sound rooted in warmth and setting the mood for some late-night escapades.

Orgone takes on 13 funk and soul classics! Otis Redding, Funkadelic, The Meters, Aretha Franklin, Betty Wright, and Booker T are just a few of the artists Orgone cover on this mixtape collection with some help from friends as well! Expertly recorded and performed, you could make an argument for some of these being better than the originals, but we'll suffice it to say that it's a simply killer set from beginning to end!

Limited edition of 300 on coloured vinyl.

With their debut album, "Burning Inspiration" garnering high praise and strong reviews, together with highly acclaimed performances supporting Natty on his 2017 UK tour, the future is looking bright for Royal Sounds and UK reggae. The track "Love" is suitably upbeat and has the positive message of 'Love will save the day!' How the world needs that message in 2018. But rather than using the previously released album version of 'Love', the masters have been handed over to label mate Compendulum to work his usual magic.

The results of the collaboration are four exclusive mixes, the A side gives us "Compendulum Mix", a vocal mix that gives a different emphasis to the individual elements, partnered with "Drub A Drub" which is something of a drum and bass version with guitar. Side B takes things in a heavier direction starting with a "Dubplate Mix" and rounding things off rather nicely with the sparse stripped back dub of the "Drub A Drub Mix" taking the original guitar line and contrasting it with some heavy drum and bass which to this listener is reminiscent of early eighties Sly and Robbie at their best.

Compendulum's mixes use the latest technology, but are firmly anchored in reggae's long history, he adds elements, but does so subtly enhancing the core strengths of the track and giving each of the mixes that unmistakeable Compendulum feel.

Eyed The new EP, a more aggressive, no-holds-barred offering, finds Stalley keeping it real and more confident in telling his own truth, as he battles between his demons and self-conscious... Stalley's growth and reality paired with trap sonics makes for a winning formula.' - XXL MAGAZINE, Best Hip-Hop Releases Of 2017 // Hailing from Massilon, Ohio, rapper Stalley has a well-deserved reputation for being a potent on-stage presence, and a force of hip-hop lyrical acumen. Throughout his career he has lent his distinctly Midwestern take on Dirty South-style rap to collaborations with veterans like Scarface, Curren$y, Ski Beatz, Paul Wall, and Rick Ross, with whom he has had a longtime association with, from his time as a signee of Ross' own Maybach Music Group label. Now in 2018, Stalley finds himself riding solo once again, and unrestrained by a label, and creatively free. This lack of inhibitions comes out in full force on his new EP Tell The Truth Shame The Devil. Produced largely by Supah Mario (Drake, Young Thug, 2 Chainz), Tell The Truth takes an emotional detour from the familiar club anthems of his previous works, touching on issues of vulnerability, suicidal thoughts, artistic freedom, and more intense lyrical fare. (Which is not to say the album is completely free of freewheeling, boastful party rap goodness.) Featuring guest spots from the hip-hop rapscallions of Migos, and freestyle aficionado Young Scooter, Tell The Truth Shame The Devil is uncompromising, filled equally with starkness and bare honesty as it is with revelry and ostentation.

Last year I linked up with Redbull France. They brought me out to Paris for a week, paid for my records, and let me craft beats in their studio (I ended up moving the equipment to my hotel room due to smoking restrictions). The idea was to use strictly French samples, then hook me up with a bunch of dope new young artists from France and Brussels to make songs out of the beats. The nal piece to the project was a sold out show in France where I presented each artist and they performed both the songs we did and their own hit songs. The project came out dope, I linked up with some really talented artists, and ended up making more than enough joints. This is the instrumental version of the project. Only 1000 pieces made. Enjoy.' - Alchemist

First ever vinyl reissue of this fabulous kraut, jazz-funk / fusion / rare grove / library album from 1972, originally released on the budget Tempo label from Germany. Lots of fuzzy distorted organ & Fender Rhodes courtesy of Kristian Schultze (pre-Passport) plus the mighty Pawel Jazerbski on bass and Joe Nay (Tete Montoliu, Roland Kirk, Blue Note Club...) on drums.

Master tape sound, original artwork and insert with liner notes.

RIYL: PASSPORT, SUNBIRDS, NUCLEUS, KLAUS DOLDINGER...

Tito Wun's 1st solo record on AVA. - six heavy hits, a real AVA. special! This one comes with hand stamped covers and labels.
Mastered by Barry "Bazza" Grint.

Reissue of great 2005 compilation.
A really wonderful compilation of some of the hardest, most pounding a righteous soul ever recorded, geared to be a sort of unofficial soundtrack to the Black Panther movement of the late 60s and early 70s! It's a proud mix of both longstanding hard soul and funk favorites and more obscure cuts alike, including "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" by Gil Scott-Heron, "Heritage Of A Black Man" by Sam Dees, "Panther" by the Last Poets, "Right On" by Sons Of Slum, "Be Black" by Grady Tate, "You're The Man" by Marvin Gaye, "Ghetto Reality" by James Brown, "Ghetto Child" by Curtis Mayfield, "Won't Bleed Me" by Melvin Van Peebles, "Do You Remember Malcolm" by Miriam Makeeba" and lots more. 19 cuts in all - with a really nice booklet of photos, notes, an essay, biographical details and more, complete in both English and German. A really hard, really tight batch of great songs - and a huge treat to have rounded up on one set!

During the late 1960s the Afro-American struggle for civil rights, equality and freedom led to 'Black Power' slogans and the Black Panther Party was born to take on those issues in a radical way. Since the late 1960s the lyrics of numerous soul, funk, reggae and hiphop songs had been inspired by the struggle of the Black Panthers. The two-volume anthology "Black & Proud" documents political charged Afro-American pop music through four decades of some of the hardest, most pounding righteous soul: from the gospel-informed soul of Sam Dees, Syl Johnson, Marlena Shaw and the Staple Singers, through Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye or Gil Scott-Herons social conscious funk anthems, to the fierce rap of the Last Poets, Chuck D and the Asian Dub Foundation.
Reviewed: Q Magazine, Straight No Chaser, Blues & Soul ("a must for serious soul music collectors")
A double Vinyl LP version featuring the highlights of the two volumes on CD

Just as magnified record grooves reveal dust constellations and lunar landscapes, so too does Godblesscomputers' third album. 'Solchi' is a deep search into previous moments in Lorenzo Nada's lifetime, influenced by the presence and power of music. His process began with the recovery of some old cassettes, mixtapes nearly forgotten, audio recording of voices from his childhood, and lots of dusty jazz, soul, and hip-hop records. As the starting point of this travel merge with its end, past and present combine to form GBC's current sound. Warm electronic production rooted by grooving bass lines form the core of a kaleidoscope of sixteen tracks, colored by synthesizers, guitar echoes, scratches, samples, fading voices and kalimba. The album is a collection of sixteen stories, sixteen soundscapes; each of them GBC's tribute to the path taken thus far, an homage to his love for music. The recording and studio work took place over a year, with the adding and subtracting of many elements.

Masaya Nakahara aka Violent Onsen Geisha has been a leading figure in the Japanenoise scene since the 90s. Here he dives in to lo-fi beats using analog synths & drum machines recorded live to cassette as demonstrated at 2012 Low End Theory Japan Beat Invi

On the deep & rootsy 'Clean Reggae Music', veteran artist Horseman reminds us all that reggae has a powerful, positive message. Riding a heavyweight riddim built by The Elementz, Horseman calls for 'no slackness, no nastiness and no gun lyrics'. Following the success of our debut record, 'Karma' by Tippa Irie, 'Clean Reggae Music' reaffirms Reggae Take Over's commitment to the music as a vehicle for consciousness. This hand-numbered, limited edition run of 250 copies comes in hand-stamped eco card sleeve.

The Single > Side A 'PHRAKHANONG DISORDER' is T.D.O.S. second single featuring Japanese turntablalist DJ TO-RU (Dujada-Goja) is a bass battle on a downtempo hard drum beat, hypnotic and chaotic like Bangkok's streets. Phra Khanong is a neighbourhood of this megapolis where hip hop culture meets local traditions. Side B is 'NAMBA VIBRATIONS' with DJ TO-RU fine cuts on a dirty digital mish-mash of bass and dub beats,. Just in tune to get lost in electric downtown Osaka before heading to the dance floor facing a massive sound system. The Artist > The Dude Of Stratosphear aka T.D.O.S. is Jerome Doudet (Swiss/French artist and bass player based in Bangkok). DJ, vinyl collector, musician, graphic designer and East Asian music connoisseur, The Dude of Stratosphear was groomed in the vibrant alternative scene of the very international city of Geneva Switzerland. Growing up in a musical household (His father was a disco DJ), Growing up in a musical household (His father was a disco DJ), Jerome was exposed to a wide range of music at very early age, and started playing the 4 strings at the age of 10. Bass player in the swiss math-core bands Knut for a decade, he toured intensely all around Europe's biggest venues and festivals. He also joined the very underground american band Half Japanese for a couple of european tour and recorded the album Bone Head in 1997. And on top of the list was opening for the mighty KISS with the canadian band Bionic (CA) at Molson center in Monteal. Also member of various bands such as Imericani (SP/IT/CH), Intercostal (CH), Troll Patrol (CH), Bliscappen Van Maria (CH-IT), Edison (CH), Polar (CH-FR), Prejudice (CH-FR), Buz (CH), Void (CH), Ultra DB (CH), to name a few.

Led by Saxophonist Rob Mitchell, Abstract Orchestra have been a consistent presence on the u.k. music scene, touring constantly in the promotion of their debut LP "Dilla" and steadily building a loyal and supportive fanbase.Inspired by the legendary live performances of The Roots with Jay-Z and the 40 piece orchestral arrangements by Miguel-Atwood Ferguson of the work of J Dilla, classic arranging techniques underpin modern loop-based structures, breathing new life into familiar material.The band itself is based on the classic jazz big band instrumentation of saxes, trumpets, and trombones and features the cream of the north of England's jazz scene, who collectively have played with Jamiroquai, Corinne Bailey Rae, Mark Ronson, Martha Reeves, John Legend & the Roots, Roots Manuva and Amy Winehouse.

"New Day" is the eagerly anticipated new single and features rapper and J Dilla's brother Illa J on vocals. Supported by a U.K. tour with Illa J throughout February, "New Day" takes the blueprint laid out on last years LP "Dilla" and expands it with Illa J's understated vocal delivery. Radio support anticipated from BBC6's Gilles Peterson who has been an advocate for Abstract Orchestra on both his BBC6 and Worldwide FM shows, as well as Huey Morgan (BBC6), Shawn Lee (Soho) and Dom Servini (Wah Wah 45s). "New day" is the first original work by Abstract Orchestra and builds on the foundations laid on their debut. Flutes and electric piano lay out a gentle pad, propelled forward by Joost Hendrickx's insistent drums. Occasional fragments of saxophones add an urgency to the insouciant groove laid out by the rhythm section as soft trumpets and trombones are gradually added to the flutes. This provides the perfect foil to Illa J's laid-back vocal delivery as he describes a typically relaxed Tuesday morning spent contemplating the day ahead. The B-side is the AO remix which takes the instrumental performances of the A-Side, chopping and fragmenting them and re-framing the original with a slightly harder edge, which should be popular with those DJs and listeners looking for something with a tougher sound.

We can think of fewer things more Spanish than the works of Alfonso Carlos Santisteban.

He was an anarchic genius, he was scorned on, or worst, ignored. Talent and necessity as well as geniality and the most prosaic worldliness collided in his persona.

If we can blame Santisteban for anything it would be for the way he lived and breathed music. A tireless Spanish music workaholic, he made no differences between copla, rumba, pop or soul and didn't mind if it was for Bambino, La Polaca, Mara Lasso, Calibre 38, Ellas or Mila. A sincere devotee of jazz and immediately seduced by bossa and by cinematographic music, his full works, full of inevitable flaunts as well as moments of geniality, can be critiqued for negligence and an unfinished sense of accomplishment but at the same time his panoramic view and daring musical vision, sometimes just as reckless as accurate, was evident and has made his work endurable several decades later.

Spanish Moog, an album Adarce Records has the pleasure to present, is one of those strange and almost invisible musical milestones that our man portrayed in Italy.

Just as he wrote in his autobiography, in 1973 and thanks to the help of José Antonio de La Loma, he met two of the capos of the most important film music publishing empire in Italy, Giuseppe Campi and Giuseppe Giachi. They were about to open a C.A.M. (Creazione Artistiche Musicale) delegation in Madrid so they could start building their business in the most exciting times for Spanish film industry. The company started by signing two Spanish composers: our man, and Waldo de Los Ríos.

Deception and frustration would come soon. Apart from a large number of small (or more like embarrassing) film scores, Santisteban published five library albums - catalogues of fragments and music pieces offered on a menu and sold afterwards to both co-producers as well as film producers - up until 1975 for C.A.M.: Ambiente e Folklore, Rinascimenti, Night Club, Situazione per Orchestra and this one, Spanish Moog.

Five of the songs included (Jugando al toro, Nuestro Ayer, Gitanos, Torremolinos Soul and Todo ha sido un sueño) were originally recorded by Santisteban and Rafael Ferro for the album Flamenco Pop (Sintonía, 1969), and three more (Zorongo, Nuestro ayer and Tierra mojada) were originally meant for Sabor a fresa' (Belter, 1971) by La Nueva Banda de Santisteban.

Beyond the supposed editorial filibusterism what is left is a wonderful festival of grooves and beats, an omnipresent Moog, Wah Wah and 'cañi' soul blend in Torremolinos soul'.
Dreamy melancholy, fuzz and southern tocuh in Tierra mojada', impeccable arabesque beats in the steadfast Zorongo', funk and folklore sown tight in Noche en Marbella' and pure space Blaxploitation in Tute de Reyes'...

As like other pioneers and talented adventurers in our country, Alfonso Carlos Santisteban would collide inevitably with a time already lost in the annals of history. We cannot think of a better way to resume his works and his person than the sentence he used to open his autobiography:

...I speak with the authority given to me by failure...'

- 180 GRAM AUDIOPHILE VINYL
- INCL. CLEAN UP WOMAN'

Bessie Regina Norris, better known by her stage name, Betty Wright is a 64 year old American soul and R&B singer and songwriter, who rose to fame in the 1970s with hits such as Clean Up Woman' and Tonight is the Night'. Like Aretha Franklin, Betty was blessed with a four octave voice range and is adept at using the whistle register.

Several of Wright's works have been sampled over the years by hip hop, rock and R&B musicians. The riff from Clean Up Woman' has been sampled constantly by acts such as Afrika Bambaattaa, SWV, Mary J. Blige, Sublime and Chance the Rapper. Wright's first hit, Girls Can't Do What Guys Do', was sampled for Beyoncé's Upgrade U'. In 1992, Wright sued the producers behind Color Me Badd's hit I Wanna Sex You Up' after claiming they used the sample of her live version without clearance and without permission, and sued for royalties. Wright won her case, winning 35 percent of royalties for writing the song.

I Love The Way You Love contains many standout tracks including the funky hit Clean Up Woman'. Other highlights are All Your Kissin'', If You Love Me Lime You Say You Love Me', a catchy philly-soul track, and an amazing cover of Ain't No Sunshine'.

Curtis & Dondi, brothers by name & nature, epitomise the strength of musical talent that Chicago was nurturing during the late 70's & throughout 80's. This is the first ever reissue of their hugely sought after 80s soul 45, 'Magic From Your Love / Don't Be Afraid' with full colour sleeve.

A new colossal star rises in the twilight of funky soul jazz as Ernie Hawks releases his debut album "Scorpio Man" on Timmion Records. The impressive trombonist/flutist, is known to hold no punches, when performing live in the ranks of The Soul Investigators. Here he delivers a fierce selection of S.O.U.L. and Cymande flavored instrumentals that also bring to mind some of the finest sample-fodder library music.

The album's name, "Scorpio Man" might come from the stinging and slightly intimidating style Hawks handles the trombone slide, known to pierce the hearts and souls of the ladies in the front row during his live performances. On this album, Ernie rides to battle equipped only with the flute, but this does not mean we will be exposed to some smooth jazz snooze fest. Rather Ernie handles his instrument with muscular rawness at times and moody ambiance at others, sliding with ease into any groove that the extended Soul Investigators band lays down.

"Scorpio Man" is no one trick pony, and the listener will be shifted around from the exhilarating psych funk of "Scorpio Walk" all the way to the airy moods of "Street of Tears". Take a chance with the Scorpio Man, his sting will give you a funky high much better than what they sell in the streets.

"The more I hear this the more I'm loving it. As a starter while we wait for the main course which will be the album this is just perfect."Craig Charles on S.T.A.Y. (feat Eric Boss)

"It's fabulous and it sees the return of one of my favourite UK vocalists - the pocket rocket that is Gizelle Smith" - Craig Charles on S.T.A.Y. (feat Eric Boss)

"such a powerful singer...a real british soul talent" - Eddie Piller (Acid Jazz)

Radio support:

BBC 6 Music: Craig Charles - 'STAY' (25.11.17) (2.12.17) (9.12.17), 'Sacred of Something' (13.01.17)

KCRW (USA): Garth Trinidad - STAY. Jazz FM (UK): John Osborne - Sweet Memories'

3Fach (playlisted), Delite (playlisted), Mi Soul , NTS, Solar, 1BTN, Radio Krimi, Ibiza Sonica, Radio Pepper, Republic 100.3, Kane FM, WUTK 90.3, Juice brighton (playlisted) , Colourful Radio, Crackers Fresh, Radio Cardiff, Starpoint Radio,

DJ: Felix Da Housecat, Benoit C, Yamwho,Doc Scott, Basement Freaks, Dom Servini, Mat The Alien, All Good Funk Alliance, Marc Hype