Hip-Hop Vinyl New Releases - News

I get messages from the stars, when you're making love to me, I get messages from the stars, you must be from another galaxy...'

With its heavy drum machines, funky bass line, female vocals and analogue synths, Messages from the stars' is an Electro-Pop / Cosmic / Boogie-Synth club classic. Remixed, sampled and played a million times by worldwide DJs, here's the original 12' which set dance clubs on fire back in 1983.

Newly remastered sound.

As music continuously evolves, times change and new ideas and movements come & go. All of this functions in tandem with scientific, technological, social and political advancements in our society. The biggest component to that evolution is the people. There are creators and consumers. One cannot exist without the other. Throughout art, the audience defines quality, but artist has the power to introduce change and shift perception. Execution is key. The masses are always hungry for something fresh. Sometimes we're at the forefront of new trends and sometimes we find comfort innovating the past. No matter what, musicians have a responsibility to bridge the gap. Raw Poetic and Damu the Fudgemunk meet all of the above. Produced entirely by the artists, the new album "The Reflecting Sea" revisits sonic textures of yesteryear and combined with their own distinct ears for music, have created something uniquely foreign for the music world in our time. Speaking of the times, Raw Poetic's lyrical subject matter is nothing short of relevancy. Speaking from an observatory perspective in addition to his own personal experiences, the album's content is infinitely relatable. Although known primarily as hip hop acts, both Damu and Raw P stretched out to expand what the genre is known for. The combination of elements from the mix of live instrumentation, improvisation and sampling to the range of styles including jazz, fusion, rock, electronic and soul make The Reflecting Sea unlike anything else. Captured and recorded in it's rawest form, the album is honest expression. Masterminding the festival sounds is Damu the Fudgemunk. His voice is absent from the recordings, but his presence is immediately noticed throughout the 40 minute exhibition. Packed with tons of beats, tons of scratching, original compositions, upbeat and signature atmosphere, there's no question who's behind the boards. With the average tempo of over 100bpm, this is one of the most energetic releases in Redefinition's catalog. Raw P and the Fudgemunk aim to revitalize listeners of all types with their original sound. They call it "The Reflecting Sea: Welcome to a New Philosophy." Raw Poetic (MC), hails from the DMV area by way of Philadelphia. In addition to several collaborations with Damu the Fudgemunk, he's recorded 6 albums as a member of Panacea, 1 album with K-def, 1 album with Kev Brown and recent features with Brous One in which all have been met with critical acclaim. Damu the Fudgemunk (producer/DJ) is a DC native who co-owns and operates Redefinition Records. With several successful releases as a solo artist, his music has garnered a reputation in the last decade for it's consistent quality and conceptual structure.

As music continuously evolves, times change and new ideas and movements come & go. All of this functions in tandem with scientific, technological, social and political advancements in our society. The biggest component to that evolution is the people. There are creators and consumers. One cannot exist without the other. Throughout art, the audience defines quality, but artist has the power to introduce change and shift perception. Execution is key. The masses are always hungry for something fresh. Sometimes we're at the forefront of new trends and sometimes we find comfort innovating the past. No matter what, musicians have a responsibility to bridge the gap. Raw Poetic and Damu the Fudgemunk meet all of the above. Produced entirely by the artists, the new album "The Reflecting Sea" revisits sonic textures of yesteryear and combined with their own distinct ears for music, have created something uniquely foreign for the music world in our time. Speaking of the times, Raw Poetic's lyrical subject matter is nothing short of relevancy. Speaking from an observatory perspective in addition to his own personal experiences, the album's content is infinitely relatable. Although known primarily as hip hop acts, both Damu and Raw P stretched out to expand what the genre is known for. The combination of elements from the mix of live instrumentation, improvisation and sampling to the range of styles including jazz, fusion, rock, electronic and soul make The Reflecting Sea unlike anything else. Captured and recorded in it's rawest form, the album is honest expression. Masterminding the festival sounds is Damu the Fudgemunk. His voice is absent from the recordings, but his presence is immediately noticed throughout the 40 minute exhibition. Packed with tons of beats, tons of scratching, original compositions, upbeat and signature atmosphere, there's no question who's behind the boards. With the average tempo of over 100bpm, this is one of the most energetic releases in Redefinition's catalog. Raw P and the Fudgemunk aim to revitalize listeners of all types with their original sound. They call it "The Reflecting Sea: Welcome to a New Philosophy." Raw Poetic (MC), hails from the DMV area by way of Philadelphia. In addition to several collaborations with Damu the Fudgemunk, he's recorded 6 albums as a member of Panacea, 1 album with K-def, 1 album with Kev Brown and recent features with Brous One in which all have been met with critical acclaim. Damu the Fudgemunk (producer/DJ) is a DC native who co-owns and operates Redefinition Records. With several successful releases as a solo artist, his music has garnered a reputation in the last decade for it's consistent quality and conceptual structure.

1972 Detroit Guitar Groove - Proudly Pressed in Motor City!

The Detroit axeman's debut bursts with soulful, uniquely-styled instrumentals: impossibly-funky workouts from the man who rigged his guitar to burst into flames while playing it-- with his teeth! A guitar-led celebration of groove, this LP includes the oft-covered/sampled "Zambezi," "Rev. Lowdown," a soulful read of "Ain't No Sunshine," and much more!

"Hot Thang is a document of its era, crossing the bridge from soul to funk. Eddy's guitar work is the frontman of this album, played on a Hagstrom acquired on tour in Europe. In Eddy's own words, 'We didn't want to be too technical or overly fancy. We want to keep it simple, funky and plain. We don't want to overdress it, we don't want too many horns, too many strings or too many keyboards. We want to keep it as raw as we possibly can get it.' The album was recorded at Detroit's Pac 3 Studio with Eddy's lead guitar backed up by Rudy Robinson on keys, Roderic 'Peanut' Chandler on bass, Sam Witcher on second guitar, Curtis Sharp on drums, Eddie 'Bongo' Brown on congas, Johnny Clapton and Thomas Hale on tenor sax, and Gordon Camp on trumpet. With stripped down layers and impressive playing, Eddy shows his range with the choice of songs, from the up-tempo blues sounds of the title track to the tranquilly romantic soul that is 'Message of Love.' Eddy's cover of Bill Withers' 'Ain't No Sunshine' is stridently tough, changing the hauntingly mournful notes of the original version into a tune that takes no prisoners and keeps it moving no matter what emotions are being experienced. Eddy's style comes through on the trippy tropical funk of his take on 'Zambezi.' The blues can be heard again along with the frenetically paced beats which contrast with the slow Southern guitar sound of the aptly named 'Down Home.' The laid back and grooving 'Rev. Lowdown' and 'Just Feeling It' capture the early '70s Blaxploitation era perfectly, Eddy's staccato guitar licks telling a story as well as any lyrics. Though he's undoubtedly the star of this show, Eddy isn't afraid to give the spotlight to his fellow players. Check out the organ solo in 'Jubo' for testament to this fact. In paring down the components, every musical part contributes to the whole picture just enough. Hot Thang stands out as a timely document from a uniquely talented musician with roots in blues, soul and classical music."

- Kevin Herron (Wax Poetics)

James Ramey, better known by his self-depreciating stage name Baby Huey, was a potently flamboyant presence in Chicago's soul scene during the 1960s. Though he suffered weight problems throughout his life due to a glandular disorder, he was easily recognizable for his appearance, which featured an enormous afro, and long, flowing African robes. He and his band The Babysitters were a wildly popular and successful local act across Illinois, cutting numerous 45 singles, without releasing a single full-length album. A chance audition with Donny Hathaway and Curtis Mayfield of Curtom Records would change everything for the band. Though the two of them were pleased with the group, they opted only to sign Baby Huey without the Babysitters. Huey would go on to spend much of

1970 recording a studio debut of psychedelic soul and funk music, comprised largely of covers of tracks by Mayfield, Sam Cooke, and others, plus two original compositions. During this time the now 400-pound singer struggled with addiction to alcohol and heroin. Huey would not see the release of his debut album, dying at the age of 26 from a drug-related heart attack. So many years after its 1971 release, Baby Huey's studio album Baby Huey: The Living Legend went on to become a cult phenomenon, a massive influence to hip-hop artists and fans, and is now considered a classic of its era. Tracks from the album have been a treasure trove of sample material for artists like A Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang Clan, DJ Shadow, and The Chemical Brothers to name just a few. Additionally Huey's own vocal style, which dabbled in sing-song melodies and self-referential rhyming, has been said to have influenced the development of rapping itself.

Baby Huey only released one album, before he died young. What an album this is. Phat breaks and deep soul, co-produced by Curtis himself. Reissue.James Ramey, better known by his self-depreciating stage name Baby Huey, was a potently flamboyant presence in Chicago's soul scene during the 1960s. Though he suffered weight problems throughout his life due to a glandular disorder, he was easily recognizable for his appearance, which featured an enormous afro, and long, flowing African robes. He and his band The Babysitters were a wildly popular and successful local act across Illinois, cutting numerous 45 singles, without releasing a single full-length album. A chance audition with Donny Hathaway and Curtis Mayfield of Curtom Records would change everything for the band. Though the two of them were pleased with the group, they opted only to sign Baby Huey without the Babysitters. Huey would go on to spend much of 1970 recording a studio debut of psychedelic soul and funk music, comprised largely of covers of tracks by Mayfield, Sam Cooke, and others, plus two original compositions. During this time the now 400-pound singer struggled with addiction to alcohol and heroin. Huey would not see the release of his debut album, dying at the age of 26 from a drug-related heart attack. So many years after its 1971 release, Baby Huey's studio album Baby Huey: The Living Legend went on to become a cult phenomenon, a massive influence to hip-hop artists and fans, and is now considered a classic of its era.

The Afro-Funk side of the Latin Soul maestro!

Born in Gao (Mali), Boncana Maïga is one of the most talented and popular producer of West-African music since the 60's. He studied flute and Latin arrangements in Cuba during the 60's and founded the famous Les Maravillas du Mali' in 1968.

He became orchestra leader for the national Ivorian TV in Abidjan in the mid-seventies, and toured all over the world with the famous Africando band. During his recording sessions in NYC at the beginning of the 80's with a lot of Latin musicians' from Puerto Rico, Venezuela or Colombia, Boncana Maïga also recorded few rare Funky tracks with heavy breaks!

With the artist, we decided to reissue four rare tracks from 1978 to 1982 dedicated to dancefloor, including a really rare soundtrack for the oil company of Ivory Coast called Petroci'.

In 2018, he'll be back on tour with Les Maravillas du Mali', still have a weekly TV show on TV5 Monde and with this reissue will continue to warm your Afro-Funk parties!

Fully licensed, 12inch vinyl (45 RPM) including interview. Remastered by The Carvery!

Stardust is a magical collaboration of new music from Germany's tiptop funk duo First Touch that combine forces with native master blaster Bybo Funk. This four song up-tempo EP brings charismatic chord arrangements along with sophisticated and infectious basslines together for cosmic dance floor boogie. Hold It Down is a 110 BPM dance floor glider, laying a slick bass line down for bright synth chords for bounce over before a slick breakdown. Something In Me is a 120BPM dance floor fire starter, jumping out with a hard-hitting baseline and drum arrangement intro before laying down crispy tiptop synth chords anda masterful solo and breakdown. Title track Stardust delivers what everybody would expect from a collaboration like this, a 110BPM bass heavy boulevard funk anthem that will have the dance floor leaning side to side with a sophisticated gangster lean! Trippin' is a 115BPM lovers groove with deep and sophisticated chord arrangements wrapped in thick synth bass lines uplifting dance floors with a cosmic love boogie bounce, closing out this collaboration with a sonic baptism carving out new directions in modernfunk!

UMC are proud to announce the release of Jackson 5 - Christmas Album, the only festive album from the Jackson family. Includes the hit single version of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town", "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" and "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town".

double pack 7"

- 180 GRAM AUDIOPHILE VINYL

The Chakachas were a Belgian based group of Latin soul studio musicians. Also known as Les Chakachas or Los Chakachas. They started out in the late 50s, recording a playful mixture of Latin music, jazz, and European-style exotica. This same titled album is a much sought after album amongst the connoisseurs.

The song Stories' on this album was featured on the soundtrack of the very popular game Grand Theft Auto V. This song was also covered by the band CAKE.

"From The Beginning" is the new Alex Puddu heartbreaking soul album, halfway between the city and the jungle, that takes you back to the early '70s classic songwriting, it features three guest vocalists: Lonnie Jordan - also a co-writer here, founder, musician and vocalist from the band War -, Duane Hobson and Adrian Wilding. The music styles span from West Coast blaxploitation soundtracks to latin-flavoured moods, from mellow R&B tunes to catchy conga-fueled sonic adventures.

We all know the excellent releases (California FLight 7" and Hook WIth you 12") that PPU did. As a follow up, here are two tracks that never has made it to a proper release, only as a private press CD-r done by the band in the 90's. We present to you two outstanding modern soul pearls pressed on wax for the first time, originally recorded in the late 70's. Only 500 units pressed, official licenced from Jerry J Johnson.

The mighty Impressions teamed up with the man Leroy Hutson as a member on one formidable iconic release for Curton with the 'Times Have Changed' album, originally released in 1972.
The album comes complete with the original gatefold album sleeve. This is available for pre-order now.

Drawing influences from Herbie Hancock, Idris Muhammad and Grover Washington. The single version of breakthrough is a unique, single-take arrangement of the full-length track from the forthcoming LP Murmuration.

"Salsoul Boogie Essentials vol. 2" the second part a new series from the seminal NYC label... specialising in all things BOOGIE!
This time we have 5 wonderful timeless tracks from ; Instant Funk "(Just Because) You''ll Be Mine", Special Forces "Stroke It", Vaughan Mason & Butch Dayo "You Can Do It", The Jammers "What Have You Got To Loose" and The Salsoul Orchestra "Take Some Time Out (For Love)".
Released in conjunction with Salsoul Records/Verse 2015. Expect more Boogie Essentials in the pipeline...

By now, the world is familiar with the extensive works of monsieur Dimitri From Paris. His prowess as a globetrotting DJ and taste-maker for over 20+ years, his reputation for the finer things in life, his sartorial style and of course most importantly his infamous remixes and Disco edits. Isn't it odd that until now, there hasn't been an official home for the man's stellar reworks It just doesn't make any sense. This is exactly the reason that he has decided to set up this brand new venture - Le Edits Records. Naturally, a high standard of quality is present with all Le Edits releases across the board - From sourcing 100% virgin vinyl used for pressing to the mastering through tape, to the beautifully crafted and designed 'tip-on' sleeves that were popular with record companies in the 1960's and 1970's, to the wonderfully imagined graphic design that adorns said sleeves - Dimitri has overseen every aspect of this, his first label.
'What about the music' we hear you ask Well, simply put, only the finest Disco reworks are to be released on Le Edits. Fans will be treated to Dim's special versions of classics and rarer than rare tracks, all lovingly re-touched and mixed from the reels and master tapes each time, fully sanctioned and created in conjunction with the artists, rights holders and Above Board Distribution. 100% official and 100% essential. This is no 'under the counter' operation, Le Edit is here to bring back some quality and class to the re-edit game by doing things, once and for all, properly and respectfully. The first duo of reworks on Le Edits are 2 tracks that should be more than familiar with all Disco aficionados, coming out strong Dimitri has decided to set things off with a bang by bringing a French chic to the music!
New York Disco legends Odyssey have long been a cult group with dancers and DJ's. They've had numerous commercial and underground club hits throughout their career and they are still performing live and writing material today. 'Native New Yorker' - their first single, and surely their most well known record and biggest hit has always been a huge crossover record since it's release in 1977, a track you could hear in the clubs as well as on the radio and at neighborhood parties and weddings that has endured the test of time. No-one has ever had the opportunity to rework 'Native New Yorker', at least, not from the original 1977 tape. Until now. Dimitri has taken this evergreen classic and respectfully added his own classic touch and flourishes with an extra-special 'DFP Super Disco blend'. A beautifully fresh and original take on the Disco anthem, Dimitri's rearrangement is markedly different from the original '77 mix and pushes the track into exciting new territory. A masterclass indeed.
Joining Odyssey on this beautiful slab of wax is another monumental club classic, another track that will be familiar to anyone with an interest in Disco. This one is truly epic and has long found it's way into the bags of DJ's and the eardrums of dancers since it originally came out way back in 1979. It's been re-released so many times over the years with many different mixes due to it's continuing popularity and it has also been famously covered and in the pop charts. Ladies and gentlemen we give you a 'DFP DJ Friendly Remix' of Dan Hartman's 'Relight My Fire'! Again, with this reworking Dimitri has tackled the master tapes to give us his vision of the ideal mix. Dimitri has skilfully put the open drums right upfront in the mix making this a versatile cut for the DJ's, leading us into what is surely one of the most recognisable vocal vamps of all time courtesy of the legendary Loleatta Holloway. It's only a matter of time before the iconic piano break drops and we're in! This mix will surely cause the dancefloor to burn up. A high energy, roof raising version of an anthem.
Le Edit is starting off in fine style as you can see. This is the first of many and Dimitri has many more incredible mixes and edits hidden up his finely tailored sleeve. Join us on the dancefloor as we elevate the art of edits and present new visions of dance classics from the past - DFP style!
TRACK LISTING

Uptempo funk-soul 'Vou Morar No Teu Sorriso' is a real favourite of ours and a regular spin in DJ sets. Tough drums, breaks and percussion, big vocals, horns and bass. Taken from their self-titled LP from 1971.
Dancefloor Samba-funk-MPB business on 'Quem Vai Querer', originally released in 1977 on RCA. A rolling samba groove, layered percussion and a lovely lead vocal from Eliana build into a big chorus and increased drum pressure!

'Afro Rock Vol. 1' is one of the most important compilations of heavy original '70s Afro funk and soul to be released in recent years. Originally surfacing on Duncan Brooker's indie Kona label in early 2001, the album single-handedly kick-started the thirst among jazz, funk and soul fans and 'diggers' to rediscover lost music from Africa made during the '60s and '70s from a time when many countries were gaining independence and celebrating a Pan-African identity within their music. The album was one of the frst to reach a far different audience to the traditional 'world music' market and spawned many further projects and labels in its wake. A year later, the 'Nigeria 70' compilation surfaced on Strut and labels like Soundway and Analog Africa would continue to unearth amazing lost gems from the Motherland. The album is testament to the determined work of Brooker following several research trips, especially to East Africa - Kenya and Zaire. It brought to light East Africa's fnest funk band, Air Fiesta Matata, led by the recently deceased Steele Beautttah, 'The Nigerian James Brown' Geraldo Pino from Port Harcourt in Nigeria, and the storming Afro jam 'Yuda' by Dackin Dackino, a previously unreleased gem from Zaire discovered on a discarded reel. The album has remained infuential since its release with tracks appearing on other Afro compilations and on TV and the big screen - Jingo's 'Fever' featured in Kevin McDonald's 2006 hit flm, 'Last King Of Scotland'.Out of print since 2015, the album is being reissued on Strut in its original form with the extra dynamite unreleased psychedelic cut by Kenya's Ishmael Jingo, 'Keep On Holding On' taken from the original master tape. The package features the original sleeve notes by Duncan Brooker along with new additional notes providing further background to the album and tracks.

Some records are timeless and never age - "Happiness Is Just Around The Bend" by The Main Ingredient is one of those records. Originally released in 1974, "Happiness" was a record before it's time - had it been released a year later it would undoubtedly have been one of the first 12" discs - so as a result, most discerning DJs at the time chose to play the album cut.

The song is actually a cover of UK Prog-Jazz band Brian Auger's Oblivion Express's version from the year before but Main Ingredient took the song to a whole new level and, 44 years later, it has become one of the most revered dance tunes of all-time.

Main Ingredient were unlucky with 12" releases, which is why we're delighted to give "Evening Of Love" it's first-ever 12" release! Once again this was a 1981 album track which years later it would become a Modern Soul anthem and rightfully be regarded as one of their best records.

10 song hits compilation originally released in 1970. Includes "September" and a cover of the Beatles' "Got To Get You Into My Life". Standard black vinyl with download code insert.

Original pressing. Canadian import.

Essential Disco right here - 'Act Like You Know'! What a banger, famously sampled by De La Soul on 'Ring Ring Ring'. Old school CLASSIC!

Midnight Star - Freak-A-Zoid / Operator / No Parking On The Dance Floor

Storming vocoder Boogie produced by Reggie Calloway and remixed by the legendary Timmy Regisford!

Essential business for the Electro and Funk freaks out there, pressed on a nice loud 12".

Jazz classic alert! Reissue from this soul/jazz-funk fusion album originally released in 1982 on Poet Records. 500 copy LTD edition!

Maestro Bruno Zambrini's soundtrack masterpiece originally recorded for the the TV series "RACCONTI DI MARE" in 1970, directed by Nestore Ungaro. Mental Vintage Underwater Score, one of the best from Library/Soundtrack music production. Music is a total trip with insane Psychedelic and Underground beats to die for, killer drum breaks, acquatic Lounge & Bossa themes and huge Underwater drama moods. The loungy atmospheres remind of sea trips nostalgia with the flowing sweet scat vocals broken by the spaced-out Underwater marine vibes. Unmissable Italian OST!

Taking a tiny break from the vintage sounds of his stunning La Sombra album, Chip Wickham lets his hair hang down with surefire floor filler 'The Beatnik'. Funky wah-wah guitar licks, an uptempo breakbeat and his signature transverse flute give the tune an impetuous feel - the perfect soundtrack for a high-speed car chase.
The flipside is not quite as stormy. In fact, 'Rebel No.23' is a return to the jazz grooves of his debut album, or indeed a taste of what's to come on his followup album, slated for release in 2018.

Luiz Mendes Jr or "Junior Mendes" was a ubiquitous figure in the
Brazilian Soul / Funk scene of the 70s and early 80s, contributing to
compositions for bands such as Banda Black Rio , Tim Maia, Sandra de
Sá and many more. This, his only solo album has remained off the map
(unless your a collector of rare Brazilian vinyl). Despite his huge
contribution to Brazilian music the LP has remained unissued until
now, 35 years after its recording.

The best R&B songwriter and soul singer that most people have never heard of, Sam Dees has written songs for countless artists, including Gladys Knight, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, George Benson, the Temptations, Teddy Pendergrass, Millie Jackson, Jackie Wilson, the Manhattans, Regina Belle, KC & the Sunshine Band, Willie Clayton, and many others. He's also a pretty fine singer, having recorded for the Chess, Atlantic, Polydor, and SSS labels, and he had a nice string of his own hits in the 1970s. His 1975 Atlantic album The Show Must Go On has long been regarded by Southern soul aficionados as one of the best of the genre. Sounding a bit like a deeper-voiced Curtis Mayfield (in both style and theme), Dees sings with assurance, wisdom, passion, and a whole lot of soul here. Songs like "Child of the Streets", "Troubled Child," & "What's It Gonna Be," share Mayfield's commitment to social commentary, and Dees knows his way around a love song, too. It's absolutely essential.