Hip-Hop Vinyl New Releases - News

For their 4th vinyl release, Voyage Funktastique called up one of their close collaborator, Lee Funksta. The Amsterdam resident delivers a stellar double sider, teaming up with L.A. talkbox prodigy B.Bravo on the slapper "The Formula", while on the flip side, he's joining forces with Future Soul Legend Reggie B, delivering a Minneapolis-esque dark ballad "What U Wanna Do".

Bonding over a shared love of Chic, Parliament and the other signs in the greater funk Zodiac, Mayer Hawthorne (Aquarius) and Jake One (Taurus), collectively known as Tuxedo, return with their third studio album, Tuxedo III released on the Tuxedo-owned and newly launched label, Funk on Sight. Their powers combined have yet again yielded a bevy of absolute slappers that are packaged perfectly for dance floors in 2019. The album includes features from MF DOOM, DāM-FunK, Leven Kali, Benny Sings, Gavin Turek and others. Tuxedo is back to remind you that the dance floor will always be there to welcome you, whoever you are.

Wow !

A bona fide genius from the formative 12" remix era of NYC's Disco explosion opens up his secret vault !!

These are previously unreleased versions of classic cuts from one of the pioneers
Super limited...

Maxwell is best known for their funk classic "Radiation Funk" which has been featured on unofficial compilation albums since the mid 1990s. We were forced to put it on the B-side of this 7" though due to the unreleased monster titled "Meltdown" which deserves so badly to be on the A-side.

Watch out for the forthcoming album "V./A. - CAN YOU FEEL IT Vol.2 - Modern Soul, Disco & Boogie 1976-84" which is going to be released on 11th October 2019 as "Meltdown" is featured along with 15 other must-have tracks.

This new 7-inch by S-tone Inc., that includes two brand new tracks, confirms Stefano Tirone's 20-year old collaboration with Brazilian songwriter Toco. "Try My Love" is a fluid, relaxed and dreamy funk song that blends soul jazz with a '70s downtempo drumming groove.
"Odoya", featuring Toco on vocals, is a bit more faster composition, that would perfectly fit as a soundtrack of a typical Italian police movie from the same decade! Simply fantastic!

Tough, mid-tempo Ghanaian funk & Highlife grooves from Ebo Taylor Junior, son of the mighty Ebo Taylor..
Originally released in 1978... These tracks are super tough and raw! GREAT recordings.., so groovy.

Acclaimed by many as one of the greatest and rarest library LPs of all time, the album 'FEELINGS' by Jay Richford & Gary Stevan aka Stefan Torossi. With its iconic 'naked lady in the wild' cover, has been coveted for many years by collectors of all musical genres. This album showcases some outstanding compositions & arrangements that explore the exciting connections between rhythmic funk and orchestral jazz - and are now for the first time issued on 7" 45 vinyl double pack!

We open with the uplifting “Running Fast” - a driving, pulsating groove laden with Fender Rhodes and swept along by lush strings. If you're not feeling it - book an appointment to see your doctor! Next follows a B-Boy dancer filled with battle floor emotion - “Fearing Much” - this one packs a heavy bass and syncopated drum groove with dramatic, stirring strings. A must have 45 DJs fave! The opening drum break to “Feeling Tense” gives way to mellow vibes with a deep bass, silky strings and charged horns that deliver the perfect slick, down-tempo groove. Last one is another down-tempo vibe heavy on the bass and strings, “Walking in the dark”. 
All in all yet another MUST HAVE Dynamite Cuts 45!

While in pursuit of a Radio and TV Broadcasting degree from Chicago State University, Cynthia C. Gibson directed the music video for the Universal Togetherness Band’s “More Than Enough.” Backed with the unreleased party anthem “Saturday Night,” “More Than Enough” is available for the first time in an attractive picture-sleeve 45.

For Fans Of…Aretha Franklin, Betty Davis, Lyn Collins, Sharon Jones, Ann Peebles. Pink vinyl 45 is limited and for Indies only. 1000 copies Barbara Howard's On The Rise is more than just another rare soul LP. It's a love story. It's a dream. It was an attempt to break through. And although Barbara certainly never became a star, one song did become a staple in rare soul and funk DJ sets, keeping interest in Barbara Howard just under the surface. And as fate would have it in 2016, a sealed copy of the LP would find its way into Plaid Room Records in Loveland, OH and kick start the revival of her story and her music. In 1968, as an outgrowth of a community movement and talent search program called "Operation Step-Up", Steven Reece wanted to take his community movement to the next level. This is when the idea of founding an independent label came to mind. The idea was to self-produce quality records and through successful sales attempt to land major label distribution. Steve identified Barbara Howard as the talent and set to producing her record. The idea was to produce an LP with a variety of tracks that could be marketed to a variety of radio formats and markets (gospel, pop, soul, jazz, etc.). And while the record fizzled shortly after its release, Steve and Barbara ended up getting married shortly afterwards making this possibly the most romantic production of a record is soul music history. "I Don't Want Your Love" is the only track they produced that was NOT featured on the LP, so we're proud to get this deep funk banger back into the world at large!

• Aretha’s sister hits her stride with the 1969 Brunswick release ‘Soul Sister’ with this is a rare groove classic
• Includes classic versions of ‘Light My Fire’, Hold On, I’m Coming’, ‘Son of a Preacher Man’ and ‘Gotta Find
Me a Lover’
• Reissued on 180g heavyweight classic black vinyl, with printed inner sleeve
• This is Erma’s second album, with her first being on Epic’s Shout label where she recorded the original
‘Piece of My Heart’

• The former secretary and receptionist at Brunswick was hiding talents as both a singer and a songwriter
and came to attention when she wrote Jackie Wilson’s ‘Whispers (Getting Louder).
• This is her second album originally released in 1969 and features ‘Am I The Same Girl’ and ‘Just Ain’t No
Love’
• This is a Chicago soul classic reissued on 180g heavyweight classic black vinyl, with printed inner sleeve

DSK was introduced to hip-hop and electro in the early ‘80s and immediately began B-boying, Graffiti and DJing before focusing on the music and turning to the tables.

After making a name for himself as a DJ, he began to produce tracks . DSK now lives in China working as a DJ , producer and promoter.

A Very limited edition DJ only 7" of two of DJ DSK's party rocking remixes.

• Originally released in 1972 this is a rare LP originally released on Invictus, Hotwax label. This
release is so obscure there is little information about them online.
• This is a vocal, soul classic that features the masterful title track ‘Come On Back’ and the
monster club cut ‘Lets Change The Subject’
• Line-up includes Lorenzo Hines (lead tenor), James Isom (second tenor), Earl Jones
(baritone), and Fletcher Lee (bass)
• Reissued on 180gm heavyweight classic black vinyl

• Featuring the distinctive voice of Lowrell Simon, the Lost Generation scored a big hit in 1970 with the single
‘Sly, Slick & Wicked’
• But it is this second LP released in 1972 which is now sought after by collectors
• Vocal soul at its very best, mixed with emerging funk sounds and sweet harmonies
• Reissued on 180gm heavyweight classic black vinyl with printed inner sleeve

Timeless Legend came from Columbus, Ohio. Their ‘Synchronised’ album from 1980 is one of the rarest ‘rare grooves’ and both original copies and the ‘northern soul’ single “I Was Born To Love You” still sell for over £1,000 a copy.
By 1985 music styles had changed and the group with shortened name Timelesscapitalized on the burgeoning boogie scene with the 12” double header we reissue here. Of the two sides “You’re The One” has become the most enduring and in demand, again an original reach which has been sold for £1000 on the collectors scene. The French reissue from 2011 is also extremely sought after. In this edition the release has been restored to how the original first looked and sounded on Pendulum Records artwork from Expansion.

Melodies International are extremely proud to bring forward their latest reissue and 17th release, an early-2000s boogie anthem by Jazz-funk legend Don Blackman: Just Can’t Stay Away. Available 9th of August in 7-inch vinyl format and digitally. Melodies International is a reissues record label based in London founded by Floating Points in 2015, dedicated to unearthing, restoring, contextualising and offering new leases of life to the best of scarcer and lesser known soul, disco, jazz, house and beyond

Don Blackman was an American pianist, singer and songwriter from Jamaica, Queens in New York. Better remembered for his seminal self titled album released in 1982 on Arista, with anthems such as Holding You, Loving You; Heart’s Desire or Never Miss A Thing, his influence stretches much further. Blackman played in his younger days with household acts such as ParliamentFunkadelic, Earth,Wind and Fire and Roy Ayers, and through collaborating as a songwriter and session musician with artists such as Kurtis Blow, Bernard Wright, Roy Ayers or Weldon Irvine, his unique brand of jazz/funk soul would go on to inspire whole generations of artists and music lovers alike.

Blackman’s cult status has also been cemented by crossing over into Hip-Hop, getting sampled by the likes of Madlib, Jay-Z, Slum Village or even famously in Snoop Dogg’s Gz and Hustlas (Haboglabotribin with Bernard Wright). Going through his body of work, it’s hard to tell where Blackman shines the brightest between his brilliant and heartfelt vocal performances and his virtuosity as a pianist and songwriter. Channelling jazz vocabulary into well crafted songs, he could do it all! But perhaps it’s the underlying bittersweet melancholy and his keen sense of humour that seeps through his peculiar arrangements and lyrics, that make his music so relatable and everlasting

In 2002, Blackman released his second and final album dedicated to his family, “Listen”, in the UK in CD format only. Among the songs included on the CD, one of the tracks wasn’t supposed to be there until Blackman’s spouse convinced him otherwise: Just Can’t Stay Away, a straightforward DIY boogie banger with a soulful edge, was originally written and produced by Blackman as a greeting message for her answering machine! DJs (e.g. Motor City Drum Ensemble, Jeremy Underground, Sadar Bahar, Floating Points) have been playing the tune for some years now but it’s in 2018, whilst Floating Points was DJing in the US and played Just Can’t Stay Away, that Blackman’s children, Kyle and Irene happened to be in the crowd and a connection was made.

Carefully remastered, MEL017 is presented in 7-inch format for the first time, comes with a 14’x14’ poster

In 1975, Pepe Willie booked time at Cookhouse Recording Studios in Minneapolis to demo five original compositions. Known colloquially as “The Cookhouse 5” these recordings showcase a 16-year-old guitar prodigy named Prince Rogers Nelson. A crucial document concerning the origins of the Minneapolis Sound, the B-side boasts instrumental versions of each infectious tune, providing an even greater vantage point from which to admire the Purple One’s expressive playing style, already evident in his teenaged years.

Now available to international accounts for the first time, now with a direct to board jacket with gold foil stamping. Limited to 300 copies.

With the fifth release and the first 7inch on the quality imprint, Notes On A Journey turns its attention to Brazil. Finally, one might think, since it’s an open secret that the guys behind the label all have a soft spot for music from the leading coffee exporter in the world. So, when Brazilian DJ, record collector and digger extraordinaire Junior Santos brought this Celso Rubinstein 7-inch EP (called «Compacto» in Brazil) to the Berlin label’s attention he hadn’t to do a lot of persuading to have NOAJ reintroduce this beautiful piece of music to fans around the world some 36 years after its first appearance.

Born in Brazil to a family of Holocaust survivors, Celso Rubinstein’s career as a singer allowed him to take residency in several countries including Spain, Portugal, Israel and Britain. He performed as an artist in numerous clubs and supported other artists as backing vocalist. In 1982 he booked studio time at Chico Batera’s studio in Rio De Janeiro to record two songs for an intentional debut album.

Continuing to dig up the finest and rarest hip hop bangers, most of which are pressed on a 45 for the first time, 5 Borough Breaks deliver yet another nugget in the shape of O.C.'s legendary "Time's Up". Over on the flip its the original sample source, this time a wigged out big band/jazz cover of The Beatles "A Day In The Life". Another essential release for DJs everywhere. As always very ltd qty pressed, when they’re gone they’re gone.

When One Makes Mention Of Deee-lite, The 90's House-funk Trio Of Lady Miss Kier, And Djs Dmitry And Towa Tei, Invariably Their Billboard Smash Single groove Is In The Heart' (off Their 1990 Studio Debut World Clique) Will Come Up, And For Good Reason. With Its Herbie Hancock-sampling Bassline, Some Classic Rhymes From Q-tip, And Guest Vocals By Parliament-funkadelic Legend Bootsy Collins, The Song Became An Indelible Classic Of 90s Music, A Massive Commercial Hit For Deee-lite, (reaching #4 On The Billboard Hot 100) And Is Widely Considered One Of The Greatest Dance Songs Of All Time. Although A Massive Success For The Group, groove Is In The Heart' Led To Some Pigeonholing From Critics And Reviewers, Who Had Specific Expectations For Future Records. Rather Than Deliver More Of The Same Free-wheeling, Breezy Dance Music Of World Clique, Deee-lite Took A More Politically-minded Approach With Their Second Album, Spurred Largely By Front-woman Lady Miss Kier, Who Had A Lengthy History Of Political Activism Prior To Forming The Group. 1992's Infinity Within Rendered Several Dance-chart Hit Singles, But Was Not As Commercially Or Critically Lauded As Its Forebear. Deee-lite Were Undaunted By Their Change In Commercial Fortune, Regrouping With The Addition Of Junglist Dj Ani, Replacing The Absent Towa Tei To Record Their Third Record. 1994's Dewdrops In The Garden Was The Result Of Their Efforts, Which Struck A Remarkable Balance Between The Celebratory Grooves Of World Clique, And The Social Justice-driven Infinity Within. Lady Miss Kier Had Done A Lot Of World-traveling In The Time Between Albums, And The Material In Dewdrops Was A Reflection Of Her Experiences, Applying A Spirit Of Global Togetherness To Their House-funk Grooves. Regrettably, Dewdrops In The Garden Was Not A Commercial Success, Yet It Still Managed To Render Its Share Of #1 Dance Chart Singles, The Atmospheric Techno Bounciness Of bring Me Your Love', And The Spacious Funk-house Track call Me.' Though Deee-lite Would Disband Soon After Dewdrops In The Garden's Release, The Record Remains An Unheralded Favorite Among Dance Music Devotees For Its Coupling Infectiously Bright, And Soulful Melodies, With Banging Dance-floor Grooves, And Unshakably Optimistic Vibes.

We were really impressed by "Invisibility Theory", the Sushitech released debut album from Christi Cons and Vlad Caia's Sideways Invisibility Theory project. This speedy follow-up for Half Baked Records (under the truncated SIT pseudonym) is rather good, too. Check first A-side "Spectral", a typically epic excursion where warm ambient chords, deep space electronics and glistening electric guitar motifs bob and weave around a chunky analogue bassline and locked-in tech-house drums. B-side opener "Owl Farm" is notably wonkier and weirder, with druggy drums, mind-altering electronics and the trademark glitch-laden shuffle we've come to expect from Romanian electronic music. That vibe is explored further on twisted closing cut "Animation", a particularly alien example of skewed tech-house funk.

Lance Ferguson's Rare Groove Spectrum collection of newly recorded versions of classic funk, soul, jazz and latin vinyl rarities found fans everywhere when released earlier in 2019. The extended reworking of Earth Wind & Fires' 'Brazilian Rhyme' was selected for Jazz FM's A playlist and stayed there for months.

Lance has always enjoyed imaginatively taking a classic rare groove and re-recording in it a different genre, and it has to be said that his latin-ised version of the great jazz organist Jimmy Smith's '8 Counts for Rita' is a concept no one saw coming. Kept back from the Rare Groove Spectrum album, we proudly present it here in all it's swinging, samba-fied glory!

Spanish DJ & remixer Flow Lab Kid (Sergio Cáliz López) is also along term Ferguson fan , and he delved back over 12 years to Lance's very first 'Black Feeling' album and did own 'Blessed' remix of The Blessing Song (which was originally and amusingly credited to the fictitous group The Shirley Eubanks Ensemble) but was in fact a version of jazz violinist Michael White's spiritual jazz track from his 1972 album Pneuma on Impulse Records.

Finally, there is a straight down the line funk version of the Blackbyrds Theme that also didn't make it onto the Rare Groove Spectrum album, although it was always planned that it would see the light of day and what a great way to round off Lance Ferguson's Rare Groove Spectrum - remixes and rarities.

Bridging the Italian house tradition with a touch of modern funk, Davide Santandrea, better known as Rame, and the brothers Riccardo and Francesco Cardelli, are making a name for themselves nowadays under the Capofortuna moniker.

Mixing different experiences and backgrounds, Capofortuna channels the Italo-disco / Italian house tradition driving it towards a contemporary musical horizon made up of relentless, warm and seductive grooves performed live with instruments and analog hardware. "timeless interstellar funk, without gravity, without compromise”, this is the essence of their sound.

Capofortuna debuts on Cognitiva Records with the ‘Rising Grace EP’ that includes Three original plus a remix by Leo Mas & Fabrice. First track on A side, Just Chilling, refers to the “Chicago’s old school house”, Roland TR707 for the rhythm part, massive bass, electric piano solos merge with pads and ethereal chords, a journey!

Bouncing for the love of bouncing is a huge slice of funk fueled Italo. Sporting to monster bassline some great synths and superb leads. On the B side we find Rising Grace, the track that gives the title to the EP, overwhelming kick and bass, hypnotic afro percussions, close your eyes and you'll find yourself floating in a jungle.

The remix of Rising Grace by Leo Mas & Fabrice complete the EP. The original version is reworked giving a magical "Italo House touch” typical of their 90s productions. This is a track which it is impossible to sit still too.

"Originally released in 1989, this maxi 7" had a local success on FM radio and in clubs, in France. Despite its quality, the tune didn't breakthrough at the time, and became a highly-sought after EP. After a long quest, and for the first time ever, Royer Records re-releases it for a special 30th anniversary edition. Copies will come fully remastered, as a 12" yellow-colored vinyl.

Insane Boogie-Funk private press from Phoenix, appeared in 1982, next to impossible to find even in its area still today, finally comes back courtesy of Seminato

Italian secret project called Maurizio Delvecchio, released in 1986 as a private press. Minimal electronic music, odd and synthetic vibe.

Omaggio brings the heat once again with the reissue of Prana People, self titled LP originally released in 1977 on Prelude. The Aleem brothers Taharqa and Tunde Ra (or Albert and Arthur) are Prana People and brought a perfect treasure of disco/funk/soul to make you want to dance from the funked up "Is Your Life A Party" to that slow, head nodding sexy groove of "Wishful Thinking" to proper hands in the air feel good disco of "Angels Say Flee" to the perfect strings and flawless soul of "All Around My World". The combination of the tracks and strong production make for an endlessly playable album, and with the legendary brothers, who since the 60's have their place in music history, this is an instant buy if not already owned to add to The Aleems discography of your collection.

London based Prescription Pricing Authority returns to GAMM with another 7" monster.
With heavy doses of soul, funk and jazz infected disco this beautifully designed release delivers on both sides.

A side's Pick'em Up is a real disco thumper with big horns and powerful vocals that just works.
The B side delivers a mid 70-s jazz-funk rework that will definitely get the jazz dancers moving.

The title says it all about the latest release on Budabeats Records:
The Southern Hemisphere EP features 4 tracks inspired by the immensely rich and diverse musical tradition that South America and Africa offers.

Beginning with a slick edit of Letta Mbulu's now classic tune 'Nomalizo', London based producer Petko Turned respectfully reconstructed the track, focusing on the elements that work best on the dancefloor.
In 'Pontos das Caboclas', BeTe (a.k.a. Suhov) created a laid back yet driving atmosphere, using the main patterns and the beautiful vocals of the original song as written by Camila Costa.
In his remix, Chillum Trio added his trademark sound to the Ebo Taylor classic 'Odofo Nyi Akyiri Biara', the result is a slow burning, bass heavy house number taking the original to a completely new level.

Closing the EP is the Birdhouse collective's original composition, 'Berimbao', a catchy contemporary cumbia tune that any combo in Bogota could be proud of.

All titles have been licensed carefully, it makes us beyond proud to be able to say that the Southern Hemisphere EP has the full support of the original artists.

Groove Line Records series of officially licensed disco / funk 12' reissues continues in 2019 with two fabulous cuts of gospel disco from The New York Community Choir (NYCC), 'I'll Keep My Light In My Window' & 'Express Yourself'.

The New York Community Choir (NYCC) began in the early 1970s, a gospel ensemble which developed a style that also gave secular R&B, soul, and pop songs a spiritual dimension; bridging Saturday night and Sunday morning, as it were.

'I'll Keep My Light In My Window' is a slice of joyful uplifting gospel disco, which is as needed in these times as it was when it was released in 1978. This was a great favourite of David Mancuso and Larry Levan at the time, and has remained a much loved dancefloor track for the disco cognoscenti ever since.

This came from NYCC's second LP for RCA, Make Every Day Count, produced by Warren Schatz (who also produced The Brothers, which was Groove Line's first reissue 12' in 2014).

NYCC released a self-titled debut album, also produced by Schatz in 1977 included the dance hit "Express Yourself," the B-side of this release in its 11m45s David Todd & Warren Schatz Disco Mix version.

All Groove Line Records releases are fully licensed and taken from the original master tapes, this 12' has been remastered and cut at half-speed by Matt Colton at Alchemy Mastering (Mastering Engineer of the Year 2013 & 2018). All vinyl is heavy weight 180g manufactured Optimal Media in Germany, one of the world's finest pressing plants.

Groove Line Records cut no corners when making sure that each and every one of our releases has the highest quality performance possible.

Groove Line Records' deluxe reissue of 'I'll Keep My Light In My Window' & 'Express Yourself' is an essential purchase for any serious Disco, Gospel, Funk, or Soul vinyl collector who demands the very best in quality vinyl pressings. Find out more at

“A genius” - Nai Palm
“One of the most incredible live performances I’ve seen” - Gilles Peterson
“He's like a human centipede sewn out of all the greatest musicians from the past 80 years” - Liam Pieper

Emerging from Brisbane’s music-art bohemian West End in 2008, self-taught, prodigious musician Lachlan Mitchell aka Laneous, began his eclectic and colourful journey in music as the leading member of funk band KAFKA, stamping his trademark falsetto croon on an Australian music landscape that wasn’t quite ready for an artist whose standout influence was D’Angelo’s ‘Voodoo’. Word of their talent soon reached UK’s perennial tastemaker Gilles Peterson who featured the band on his compilation, Brownswood Bubblers Four alongside other breakthrough acts at the time, Mayer Hawthorne, Floating Points and Lone. A world-class guitarist, vocalist, composer, visual artist and – significantly - muse, Mitchell’s unique ability to shine, create and inspire across genres was his obvious forte, even then. Regularly sought after to provide features for other bands and cover art for Hiatus Kaiyote albums Tawk Tomahawk and Choose Your Weapon, he worked diligently to support his community. But while Hiatus’ Nai Palm told media Laneous was “a genius” he often credited music and drawings to pseudonyms.

In 2016, after 8 years of humbly dominating the Australian underground art, soul and jazz scene [with ‘mutant-soul/croon punk’ cult group Laneous & The Family Yah, reggae band Kooii and improv-jazz-beat trio, Vulture Street Tape Gang] Mitchell relocated to Melbourne - a move that would instigate and inspire the long-awaited debut solo LANEOUS record that fans and peers had been craving for nearly a decade. Excited to create new music with an artist they’d previously referenced as an inspiration, Paul Bender and Simon Mavin (Hiatus Kaiyote) came on board swiftly, joined by Hudson Whitlock (Cactus Channel) on drums and Donny Stewart (Jazz Party) on vibraphone and flugelhorn - a key element in bringing Mitchell’s vision of an exotica/soul infused album to life. In classic Laneous fashion, the musical references for the record run deep, winding through an eclectic array of artists from Martin Denny, Burt Bacharach and The Beach Boys to Shuggie Otis, Wild Cookie and Wu-Tang.

The debut single Modern Romance was unleashed in October 2018 with a kinky, captivating visual accompaniment that marked the return of the Laneous legacy. After selling out the Melbourne launch of the single, the band was invited to headline Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide FM x Northside Records live Melbourne broadcast, teasing exclusive album cuts and drawing high praise from Peterson, stating it was “..one of the most incredible live performances I’ve seen’.

Out May 10 via Soul Has No Tempo, Mitchell’s MONSTERA DELICIOSA stands as a sublime genre work, peerless in Australia - his magnum opus bears the name that’s backed him from day one:

Frédéric Gassita discovered music at the age of five. A little later he quickly proved to be a gifted young musician and have already played on a number of instruments. In 1977 he left Gabon to study in France, his mother offered him his first guitar. His tutors in France spotted the talent of the young man and decided to enroll him at the Conservatory of Music in Châteauroux, where he learned classical music, composition, and perfected his practice of piano, bass and guitar.
Back in Gabon in 1983, Frédéric decided to form the band "Surprise" with his longtime friend Jean-Jean Gateau, his musical influences – his parents introduced Frédéric to a lot of music: Afro-Cuban music, Jazz, Soul or RnB. - forged the sound of the band as well as a strong inspiration from the US funk that invaded the radio waves of Gabon: Earth, Wind & Fire, the Commodores, Maze by Frankie Beverly .... The Guitarist Célestin Assélé Bongo joined the band and provided them the necessary means to record an album. Florence Nang Ekomye, a talented self-taught jazz singer, is immediately recruited, being the voice of Surprise.Benefiting from the unique recording conditions of Studio N'Koussou in Libreville (the recording studio gabonese star Patience Dabany set-up in the early 80s): probably one of the handful studios in the planet to use a Digital 48 Tracks recorder at the time, the young musicians had the strong desire to get the perfect sound: "It took us almost a year to finish the album. We were young and we wanted to do the best we could so we dithered a lot on the choice of songs ..." The result is a sensational production, the use of synthesizers is slamming and the charm of Florence’s voice make the recording quite unique.Beleive Me is an outbreak considering what was being done in Gabon at the same time. Indeed, the vast majority of small Gabonese bands were still mimicking the sound of James Brown in cabarets… The record unfortunately did not meet the success the band expected and seemed to have never really benefited from a real marketing. A year after the release of “Beleive Me”, Frédéric flew to the U.S. and joined the Berklee College of Music in Boston where he studied for six years; the band never recorded together again.Totally unknown until recently, Surprise, primarily an early work from the great composer, still sounds fresh and crisp and we hope it will now get the attention it did not get upon release. Lovely crafted tip-on sleeve. Remastered. 700 copies.

Just like a humble neighbourhood taqueria, a bastion of comfort and deliciousness, Jacques Renault serves up two very tasty items.

Dynamic and fiery on one side and smooth and tangy on the other.
Both wonderful dribbled over just about anything.

For the 11th release AM collaborates with Rio de Janeiro based label Outra, to shine a light on a lesser known era of the rich Brazilian music history. The record compiles six slightly edited or 'fixed' late 80's / early 90's Brazilian pop songs that touch all basic elements of old school hip hop, new beat and electro: drum computers, heavy use of funky (guitar) samples, rapping and scratching, except for that last track which is a sexy melancholic Portugese tune that felt so good to end with. As usual in a white discobag hand-stamped with a little drawing by Frank Koedood.

When the past and the future collide, unexpected things can happen. And when we have music at the core and such talent providing the raw materials being the vector for this encounter is a privilege we like to gloat. Carioca avant-gardiste Guerrinha's Repetentes 2008 is a project that is close to our hearts and minds through its rare ability to convey deep nostalgia in a playful futuristic way, renovating a tradition that is the quintessence of their hometown's musical heritage with a zest for jest. Exactly what the offer here in two irresistible grooves that, while maintaining the clarity of references they lie upon, refresh them in a joyful way: 'Missão Misturebar' and 'Judas Preist'. The flipside 'Gelo Geronimo' takes us across a similar path, but intensifies the emotional element and desnifies the rhythmic components to deliver the kind of track that only a master of French alchemy such as Gilb'r could transmutate by subverting its principles in a somewhat darker take. How about that for science

Africa Seven is taking its first trip to Germany... Well Germany via Cameroon. Charlie Kingue Soppo is better known as Charly Kingson, cousin of Manu Dibango and a Cameroonian emigrant in the 1970s. Charly first headed to Paris and then found his way to Munich in 1978. He recorded two albums in his career, "Born In Africa" in Munich in 1978 and "Dance To The Music" two years later in New York.

For this outing we focus on his debut "Born In Africa". It was recorded in Union Studios in Munich with some of the city's finest (and surprisingly funky) session musicians of the day.

The LP opens up with "Nimele Bolo" a trademark Africa Seven sound if ever there was one… early growling analog synths, big stabby brass and afro rhythms. Add in Charlys vocals and it is easy to see why this track was a highlight of our recent African Airways 04 Funk compilation. Next it is time for smooth ballad, "Makakane Masu" and its smooth jazz overtones. Next "Manyaka" the suspenseful string section, octaving keys and percussive horns drive the wah wah guitar and Charlys brooding song.

On the flip side we open up with the rolling bass and swinging brass of lead track "Born In Africa". This track was a single and it's the perfect microcosm of the album elements in one track. It even manages to name check all the big afro musicians of the time. "Nanga Boko" and its big smiles all around for the good time synth-boogie funk. We close off the LP with "Reviens-Moi" a pensive ballad about Charly's forlorn love. He wants her back of course.

After Charly moved on from recording in the 1980s he stayed in Germany, performing in a series of local jazz and funk bands. We tracked him down in 2016 and we really pleased to be re-releasing his debut long player at Africa Seven. It sounds just as relevant (if not more so) in 2018 as it did 40 years ago in 1978.

PDD are proud to present an official Sony reissue of Charles Earland's 'Coming To You Live' another one of those rare infectious 12" releases which has grown in stature over the years. Championed by big names such as Gilles Peterson, Theo Parrish and Moodymann, it has become a firm favourite with dj's and clubbers alike, entertaining many discerning dance-floors.

Budabeats Records celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2018, on this occasion label bosses Dj Gandharva & Von Yodi picked 11 previously unheard tracks from artists of the Budabeats family and created a compilation that perfectly represents the imprint's musical approach: no restrictions in terms of genre or style, the only thing that matters is the quality of the music.

Shades Of Budabeats features African- influenced jazz and funk (Dokkerman & the Turkeying Fellaz, The Mabon Dawud Republic), head-nodding hip-hop beats (Abase, Tom Caruana), straight dancefloor friendly pieces (BeTe aka Suhov, Umoja, M.W.D, Chilum Trio & Auto Reverse) and also, laidback grooves (Freakin' Disco & Crookram).

All kinds of good vibes that will feed your soul and make your body move !

Italo disco rarity originally released in 1985 on Discomagic. Comes with Flemming Dalum and Longdrink remixes.