Hip-Hop Vinyl New Releases - News

Regarded by many as the greatest funk album of all time, ‘One Nation Under A Groove’ was recorded at United Sound in Detroit & included a live track from their concert appearance at the Monroe Civic Center in Louisiana in April 1978. The band’s tenth studio album released during September 1978 was also their most commercial & gave the band their first platinum disc. The iconic title track was an international hit and a US R&B No.1. With lead guitarists Michael Hampton & Eddie Hazel dazzling, the personification of funk Bootsy Collins on bass, Bernie Worrell & Walter “Junie” Morrison’s keyboard wizardry & many more, the album was produced by the genius of George Clinton. Regularly ranked at or near the top of various “best album” lists, ‘One Nation Under A Groove’ is mastered for vinyl in a deluxe facsimile gatefold sleeve with booklet & lyric inner sleeves, all housed in a protective PVC sleeve. The albums’ original bonus songs are now included on a second 12-inch “Special EP” which adds the rare 11-minute “Disco Mix” of ‘One Nation Under A Groove’ to replicate the original first UK pressing from 1978. FUNKADELIC Masterminded by the larger-than-life figure of George Clinton, Funkadelic was a key component of his influential P-Funk empire. Funkadelic’s unique combination of Rock, Psychedelia, R&B & Soul led to the band crossing over to the pop mainstream & gaining a vast international following, becoming one of the most important & influential groups in music. On 6 May 1997, Parliament / Funkadelic were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame by Prince. To commemorate six decades of thrilling & delighting fans, George Clinton returned to the stage in 2022 for a series of concerts. To celebrate, Charly have reissued Funkadelic’s classic four albums ‘Hardcore Jollies’; ‘One Nation Under A Groove’; ‘Uncle Jam Wants You’; & ‘The Electric Spanking Of War Babies’ (originally released by Warner Bros during a golden period for the band between 1976-1981). Each album will be available as deluxe gatefold Digi-Sleeve CDs in PVC wallets + obi-strip & facsimile-edition gatefold LPs on 180-gram black vinyl & limited edition 180-gram colored vinyl + 1970s-style obi-strip in a protective PVC sleeve. “They played a HUGE role in creating the future of music.” PRINCE

Renaldo Domino
Chicago Soul Legend
Born March 27th 1950) from “The Valley” around 49th & Forestville.
He was nicknamed Domino because his voice was sweet as sugar, Domino being an American sugar brand name.
Renaldo Domino blasted onto the fertile Chicago soul scene of the late 60's with a voice as sweet as sugar and deep grooves that sound just as fresh five decades later. Releasing singles on Mercury subsidiaries Smash and Blue Rock, and later Twinight records, Renaldo’s all-too-brief career has still managed to leave an impact to all those lucky enough to hear it.
He had a relatively short recording career releasing only 7 singles between 1967-1971. His first 45 was recorded whilst he was still attending high school on a tiny label Arnell on a low budget.
The Arnell 45 did well enough for him to get signed to Smash (a Mercury subsidiary) where he released two 45s, re-recording 'I'm Hip To Your Game' for his second Smash single, as it's a different version to the one released on Arnell. His third 45 was released on another Mercury subsidiary, the now revived Blue Rock which had been 'suspended' since 1966 and reacivated in 1968. The records sold reasonably well locally but Dominio left to join Twinight, feeling that his material wasn't being promoted by Mercury, where he released a further three singles between 1969-71. Twinight released him in 1971 and despite trying to get another recording contract he was unsuccessful and left the music business to pursue another career.
He was managed by William Sandy Johnson who also managed LaShawn Collins and Wendy Woods who recorded on Johnson's Sincere label, the only 2 releases on the label. He also wrote Renaldo Domino's first 4 A sides: 'I'm Getting Nearer To Your Love', 'Just Say The Word', 'Not Too Cool To Cry', 'Let Me Come Within'. In addition he wrote 'Do It Now' for Wendy Woods and the flip to LaShawn Collin's classic 'What You Gonna Do Now', 'Girl Chooses The Boy'.
Renaldo returned to the spotlight in 2007 when the Chicago reissue powerhouse Numero Group put him on the cover of their deluxe box set Eccentric Soul: Twinight's Lunar Rotation (which included other greats Syl Johnson, The Notations, and many more). Renaldo’s performing career began to flourish once again with shows around country.
In early 2019 Renaldo teamed up with producer Jeremy Kay and arranger JB Flatt and set out to record new tracks that would live up to Renaldo’s great early records. Assembling a crack team of Brooklyn’s best they pulled out all the stops, creating a mix between the lush arrangements of Chicago’s early soul style and the hard-hitting beat of current Brooklyn soul. The new single “No Laggin’ & Draggin’” / “Give Up The Love”, released Feb 2020, is now available on Colemine Records.
Backed by The Heavy Sounds, Renaldo’s live performances continue to deliver with passion and precision, making new fans young and old.

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2022 Repress

Miami's TK Disco unleashes the official Todd Terje Edit of K C & The Sunshine Band's "I'm Your Boogie Man"

CHICAGO's BOOGIE MUNSTER CREW teams up with STAR CREATURE for it's third reissue compilation & it's another major piece of work. Compiled by TIM ZAWADA & KOOL HERSH, the project picks up where the CHICAGO BOOGIE VOL 1&2 left off. A 4 tracker with DJ friendly touch ups, remastered & beefed up! Pic sleeve

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

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

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

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

Brand New Tom Moulton Exclusive mixes
It's June 2020 and I'm on a video call with Tom Moulton. We're in the middle of a worldwide pandemic but life for Tom Moulton hasn't particularly changed a great deal. He's effectively been in self-isolation for most of his life wedded to the two things he likes most in life, namely, music and cats.

I've known Tom for almost 50 years. The first 20 of those years were spent listening to Tom's mixes, and I listened to everything he did (including all the un-credited stuff) and quickly realised he was the master. I wore all those 70s Trammps albums out very quickly. The dynamic on all those mixes was really off the scale. I eventually met Tom when I did Salsoul Mastercuts in the early 90s. Little did I realise I'd be working with the guy forevermore.

Over the last 30 years I've been fortunate enough to work with him on a variety of projects and all of them were fantastic experiences. Tom's what I call an original creative and the whole art of mixing is a very emotional thing for him. It made for some long conversations. We fall out all the time but I'm always there for him and he's always there for me. It's one of those annoying Master-Servant relationships. Plus I always need access to his archives.

Anyway Tom got access to the Spring/Event vaults and then started working. This project started almost four years ago and, typically in this day and age, went through a number of mutations and delays. We're lucky it's finally here.

I still listen to everything that Tom does. These mixes bring out aspects of the songs that I never properly listened to before and, in a couple of cases, had never even heard. Thus is the art of the creative remixer.

It's been particularly poignant talking to Tom throughout this pandemic. Tom is really the last survivor of his type. A master-craftsman using 80 years of skill and knowledge and who is every bit as passionate today, surrounded by his cats and computers, as he was in the 60s, surrounded by a coterie of young and adoring music fans.

New compilation featuring the greatest tracks from the Philadelphia International label Pressed on standard black vinyl.

Repressed !

Rarely does an artist pay homage to the classics like Dimitri From Paris. The Grammy nominated producer, remixer, composer and DJ has made every one of his repertoire of reworks sound effortless; no mean feat when the original tracks are by the likes of Disco’s greatest musicians. In 2018 he released his “lifetime achievement” on Glitterbox, with the strictly limited pressing of the ‘Dimitri From Paris presents Le Chic Remix’ boxset. Now the 12’s have their own separate outings, bringing greater focus onto the individual productions, as each vinyl features two of the incredible Dimitri remixes, along with their respective instrumentals on the B-Side. Dimitri opens with the unmistakeable CHIC staple ‘Le Freak’, Dimitri’s timeless remix making the exquisite instrumental harmonies shine like only Dimitri can before delving into Sister Sledge’s disco classic ‘Lost In Music’.

In 2020, Cosmic Shuffling took the global rocksteady and ska scene by storm with its hit singles ‘Eastern Ska’ and ‘Short Break’ taken from the band first album “Magic Rocket Ship”. Highly acclaimed by the fans of sixties Jamaican sounds, this first album was sold out in a few weeks only. Now the band returns with brand new music!

‘LOVE IN PORTOFINO’ is a 1958 Italian classic by Fred Buscaglione. As Jamaicans would covered in their own way sixties soul classics from the USA, Cosmic Shuffling gives a beautiful rocksteady rendition of this love song. It starts with a wistful guitar introduction, before the rhythm section and vocals enter on a cuban bolero inspired rhythm. Then the rocksteady groove sits in: bouncy drum and bass, sweet horns arrangement and a delightful pick guitar that will leave no one cold. Can you feel the Mediterranean summer breeze of Portofino’s harbor?

B side of the record features jazz standard ‘THE SHADOW OF YOUR SMILE’ well known of rocksteady lovers thanks to Tommy McCook’s magical interpretation from 1967. Surprisingly, Jamaican artists never recorded a vocal version of the song. That’s why Cosmic Shuffling did its own version: a superb love letter between alto saxophone and vocals.

Wait… was this really recorded in 2022?! A perfectly balanced retro-modern rocksteady record! Available on 7” vinyl record with pantone silver ink label. Limited screen printed and numbered sleeves edition of 90 copies!

'In 1969 'Little Caesar & The Euterpeans', a soulful funk group from Kingsport Tennessee, entered the studio for a third time to record their first original cut 'It Was Love'. A natural when it came to singing & showmanship, Peter Anderson aka 'Little Caesar', backed by his 10-piece group 'The Euterpeans', had gained recognition through wild performances in support of their previously released singles on Spot Records, covers of James Brown & Little Richard hits; 'Love Is A Beautiful Thing' & 'It Ain't What You Do It's The Way How You Do It'.

'It Was Love', written by bassist Donny Cross & Anderson, wasn't written about a girl inparticular, but for every girl. A timeless ballad, that provided balance to their performance, has proven to be an iconic song of its genre despite the rarity of the original press on Trail Records.

Now available for the first time since its initial release in 1969 as a limited 7" & digitally via Symphonical Records.'

Double Groovy / Trans-Pacific Express by Big Boss Man, one of two limited edition of 500 vinyl 45s to Juju Funk / Return To Baron Samedi by Big Boss Man, one of two limited edition of 500 vinyl 45s to be released simultaneously of essential killer funk. Grab while you can. The tracks have already received very strong radio responses from around the world. Both tracks being supported by Gideon Coe and Cerys Mathews at BBC Radio 6 Music, whilst Nasser Bouzida from the band discussed the rhythm influences of Return Of Baron Samedi on the Cerys Mathews show. Specialist funk shows from Australia, Germany, France, Canada and the US have already been supporting these tracks. The tracks are also set to appeal to fans of one of Big Boss Man’s biggest tracks ‘Sea Groove’, which is currently one of the UK’s biggest home-grown funk recordings on Spotify currently close to 7 million streams. These are the first new releases from Big Boss Man since their fourth album Last Man on Earth on Blow Up Records. A Side – Juju Funk, B-Side – Return Of Baron Samedi

Record Kicks unleashes a "15th anniversary" edition of British outfit Baby Charles' self-titled landmark debut album, out on March 17th on ltd edition LP and digital deluxe version with bonus tracks.

Together with Nicole Willis And The Soul Investigators' "Keep Reachin' Up" album, 2008's Baby Charles debut LP is the album that defined the European funk scene of the 2000s. Mojo Magazine described them as "the most likely candidates to lead the Deep funk scene" after hearing the album. Driven by the single "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor", an afro-funk cover of the Arctic Monkey's hit, the LP went rapidly sold out, it was never been repressed and it now changes hands for ludicrous sums on the web. English writer, DJ, and television presenter Mark Lamarr, who wrote on the album's liner notes to "file it amongst your funk classics", invited the band to BBC's Maida Vale Studios, where they recorded a legendary live session for his BBC Radio 2 God's Jukebox show. In France, the album benefited from a massive support from legendary Radio Nova station thanks to its"Nova Aime" campaign, while in 2009 Pitchfork crowned Baby Charles, together with Sharon Jones & The Dapkings, as the reference band of the international funk scene. Unfortunately, the band split up in 2011 when they were about to enter the studio to give birth to the awaited sophomore album and while the debut LP started reaching a cult status among djs and collectors.

The 15thanniversary edition will hit the streets on March 17th, 2023 on limited edition LP and Digital Deluxe Edition featuring two bonus tracks: "Time Wasting", which displays the heavier psychedelic edge of Baby Charles, with an unstoppable chugging groove, a heavy horn-led break, and climatic chorus to finish the track off, and "Jackson Fingers", for which the band created a brand-new groove that could work just as well as a sixties soundtrack or as a dance-floor friendly slab of soul-jazz.

The "Baby Charles" album was published on March 10th, 2008 and followed the release of 3 heavyweight 45s, all of which found heavy rotation in funk spots around the globe. On the album, Soul diva Dionne Charles delivers her unique, self-penned stunning vocal performance, while the band lays down the heavy funk grooves. Throughout the 12 tracks, the combo displays a range of styles, which reflect their diverse influences. There's the Latin-inspired bass groove in "Treading Water", the Meter's style funk of "Invisible", the James Brown influence on "Hard Man" and "No Controlling Me", the afrofunk of "I Bet You Look Good On The Danceflloor", there's even some Egyptian Jazz thrown in the mix on the instrumental track "The Sphinx" and a deep soul version of DJ Shadows' "This Time". The result is a must-have album for diggers, djs and funk and soul fans.

The second 45 from USA beatmaker Presto for Mukatsuku are two jazz infused tracks committed to a 45 for the first time on vinyl since the initial release back in 2002 on Concrete Grooves.

'Trip To Brazil' is as sweet as sugar with heat damaged chords and excellent jazzy melodies over a lazy beat. 'Pianoscape' is a more traditional hip hop sound with some dusty piano keys and nice vocal stabs that keep it deep.

White Vinyl

While finalizing his next EP , the Italian producer Woxow at the same time delivers a new 7"inches for all the hip hop heads out there.
The A side sees a classic old school funky beat, where underground legend Mc Awon delivers some deep conscious lyrics about the crazy times we're living in.
On the flip Woxow collaborates again with Blacc El who strikes for a more exotic summer tune that will make you dream of a warm sunset on the beach.

Edition of 300 copies

If you were to ask for a defining Habibi Funk track, there are a few that come to mind: from Fadoul’s “Sid Redad,” Dalton’s “Soul Brother” to Ahmed Malek’s “Omar Gatlato.” However, none are as widely connected with us at this point as Hamid Al Shaeri’s “Ayonha.” We heard the track for the first time when we were working on selecting tracks for your first compilation and we instantly loved it. We obviously had heard of Hamid El Shaeri’s music before, but only material from his Al Jeel phase when he was already the full-blown
superstar he is now.

Listening to his releases from the early 1980’s opened a whole new door for us. At the time, Hamid had just left Libya to pursue his career in Egypt via a detour in London, where he recorded his
first album. Hamid’s distinct sound of the sound is quintessentially reliant on heavy synths and so it was particularly important to purchase these synths in a timely manner. “Whenever a new one synthesizer would come out, we would have to buy it immediately, otherwise someone else would get their hands on that sound.” London also played an important role for Hamid as a musical epicenter.

He fondly reminisces about the many live shows he attended there, including some of the biggest international musicians like Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson. After returning to Cairo where he also recorded his following albums, he connected with SLAM! for the
release of his debut, laying the foundation of a collaboration that lasted for 5 albums. Luckily, we were able to connect with Hamid through our friend Youssra El Hawary, whose extensive network has opened many doors for us within the Egyptian music scene. We met Hamid for the first time probably in 2016 at his office / rehearsal studio in the outskirts Cairo. We were expecting a larger-than-life
character in-line with his status as a certified superstar, yet the actual person turned out to be very approachable and super easy to connect with. He liked the idea of an effort to amplify his early works again,
which, when originally released, were far from an economic success.

While he was down to assist with an interview and his blessing for the project he also told us that for any license we needed to speak with the original label SLAM! who released these songs, still held the rights and also remained in business over the decades though they didn’t actively release any new music. Hany Sabet had started SLAM! records in the early 1980s and focused on cassette tape releases, the
format that expedited the success of a new generation of record labels in Egypt. By the mid 1980’s, SLAM! had become one of the most successful and economically dominant record labels in Egypt, with Hamid El Shaeri being just one of their key artists, alongside Mohamed Mounir, Hanan, Hakim, Mustafa Amar and many more. Luckily, Hany Sabet turned out to be a friend of our colleague Malak Makar’s father, which probably helped to warm him to the idea of licen- sing “Ayonha” to this - in the scale of his world - tiny label
from Germany. Eventually “Ayonha” ended up becoming a widely successful release and either Hany or we brought up the idea of a full album dedicated to Hamid El Shaeri’s work on SLAM!.


"Maktoub Aleina” is the first single and will be released January 14th. Following the massive success of "Ayonha,” “Maktoub Aleina” is another mid-tempo groover with a beautiful, synth-forward melody, that brings together a lovely combination of soul, disco and Arabic pop music of the highest order, giving a taste of full album. The second single, “Yekfini Nesma Sotak” will be released January 28th and combines Hamid’s unique formula of soul and pop, held together by a catchy synth melody. “Yekfini Nesma Sotak” picks up the
pace a bit, making the uplifting mood of the track even more powerful. Third single, arriving February 11th, is “Dari Demou’ek,” one of the stand out tracks of Hamid’s early recordings done for SLAM! in the early 1980s. Dominated by a disco infused bassline, the track offers a lot of space of the funky production to shine while Hamid inserts his vocals at all the right moments. A masterpiece of disco touched by Arabic pop music.

Full album arrives February 25th. This release is dedicated to Hany Sabet, the founder of SLAM! and his wife Rosemary Jane Sabet (who
took the photos we used for the cover and the booklet), who sadly passed away during the time it took us to prepare the release.
Vinyl comes with an extensive booklet with an interview with Hamid as well as unseen photos

Repress

Second compilation by Habibi Funk, following the success of the first part, featuring a wide range of music from North Africa and the Middle East.

• Jackie Dee’s ‘Who’ was one of many great tape finds from Detroit producer Dave Hamilton’s vault in the 90s and first came out on CD in 1999. In 2015 Ace licensed that version to Colemine Records in the USA who issued it on their First Light subsidiary. That disc is now deleted and fetching a high price.
• In recent years we have found the multi-track tape with an extended version of the recording and an instrumental take on it that features Dave Hamilton’s vibes-playing. The vocal side is a full one minute and forty seconds longer than the original release.

Am 27. Januar 2023 veröffentlichen die Mercury Studios ”Greatest Hits Live in ’76”, eine Live-Performance
von Marvin Gaye, aufgenommen aus der Edenhalle in Amsterdam während seiner Europatournee 1976. Mit
23 Songs (die LP enthält aus Platzgründen nur 22 Songs) präsentiert dieses fantastische Set eine Fülle an
Material aus dem Verlauf seiner legendären Karriere, darunter ”I Heard It Through The Grapevine”, ”Let’s
Get It On”, ”Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)” (alle 3 US #1 Hits), ”Ain’t No Mountain High
Enough” & viele mehr.
Marvin Gaye gilt als eine der ikonischsten Stimmen in der Musik. Er wurde 12-mal für den Grammy
nominiert, erhielt den Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award und wurde in die Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
und die Songwriters Hall of Fame aufgenommen, um nur einige der vielen Auszeichnungen zu nennen, die
seine Karriere kennzeichnen.
Diese Show wurde ursprünglich 2007 auf DVD veröffentlicht und ist nun zum ersten Mal auf CD und
LP erhältlich.

SUPER Limited private press release !!
80's infused synth soul, song based project by artist, BYAMM: The Anthropomorphic Fantasy EP

The project includes some really fresh creative UK soul talent inc singers Ade Omotayo (Gorrilaz / Amy Winehouse), Kevin Mark Trail (The Streets / Mike Skinner), Derek Green (Robbie Williams), Sharlene Hector (Basement Jaxx), Emily Holligan (Michael Kiwanuka), bass player Dale Davis (Amy Winehouse's Music Director), guitarist Tony Reme (Incognito/OMAR), guitarist Rob Harris (Jamiroquai) & Barima Yaw Asante (songwriter / keys / producer ) & Matt Myatt (beats / co-production)...aka the initials BYAMM...we hope you dig it!

** 1st Time on 7"! Totally underrated Prog-Krautrock-Funk **

Taken from a self-released 33rpm record, both sides are superfunky jazz flute workouts similar to Tramp's previous 7" by Big Band Frank Pleyer ("Sally" b/w "Bubble And Squeak", Tramp TR-291).

The Locket is the coming together of two masters of their craft to create something hopeful in a time of unrest. Its title track refers to memories of happier times: “we fill a locket with memories we protect, and don’t forget to keep it round your neck.” It’s a reminder to focus on positivity in the face of adversity. A collaborative project designed to be enjoyed together. A celebration of music, unity and looking ahead. It couldn’t have come at a better time. The Locket features ten tracks cut from sessions that span over eighteen months. It’s sunshine-dappled, psych-tinged, hip-hop flavoured, leftfield pop. Samples and beats, bars and this unique sort of retro futurism that zips from sepia-tinged to full technicolour almost as fast as Barney’s flow. So many reference points that burst at the seams trying to pick a genre. Perhaps most importantly, it’s an utterly joyful listen from start to finish; invaluable in a time when everyone is hard-pressed to find ways to brighten their days.

Some are looking for gold or oil and others are passionately looking for forgotten music treasures! Those who can be described as "sound gold diggers" criss cross record shops or confidential places to unearth musical nuggets previously kept in the dark. This practice began with sampling in the 80s and has now become a way of safeguarding the world's musical heritage. With our new "Diggin' Collection", we invite you to discover soul, funk or disco gems from the 70s and the 80s available on three nice vinyls for your pleasure.

Comet Records present the new reissue out of the Comet new reissue series, Dilijans by Ayizan. A mind-blowing session of Spiritual Jazz recorded in NYC in 1984 led by Haitian genius Alix Pascal blending traditional Ra Ra elements with modal/spiritual melodies. The result was like nothing else coming out of Haiti or the Haitian exile community in the US at the time. Dark, mystical, lyrical and abstract, with its otherworldly shifting rhythms, Dilijans came off like a Haitian version of Bitches Brew.
The album sounds less like a stylish mini-jazz performing in a hotel dancehall than like a cry of ancestors emanating from the spirit world to lament over the complications of modern Haitian society.

• Gil Scott-Heron was twenty-one years old when he was signed to Flying Dutchman by Bob Thiele to make an album of his poetry. The resultant “Small Talk at 125th and Lenox” was recorded before a small live audience and, released in 1970, sat perfectly in a world where the Last Poets had just tasted Top 10 success with their debut LP. “Small Talk at 125th and Lenox” opened with a spoken word version of ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’ and also featured poems and musical pieces like ‘Omen’, ‘Brother’, ‘Plastic Pattern People’, ‘Paint It Black’ and ‘Everyday’ that reflected on the black community and its condition within America at this time.

• The starkest of these sharp observational pieces from Scott-Heron was ‘Whitey On The Moon’, which recounts the US Government spending billions on landing a rocket on the moon at a time when, “a rat done bit my sister, Nell”.

• Like its follow-up – “Pieces Of A Man” – “Small Talk at 125th and Lenox” is a classic album and we are delighted to serve it up again on vinyl in a gatefold sleeve with the original liner notes.

• With current “Big Talk” of going back to the moon, whilst injustice still prevails for many black people in America, “Small Talk at 125th and Lenox” still conveys a message that resonates today.

Multi-dimensional future-jazz outfit JK GROUP release a new EP, Rising on La Sape Records. The brainchild of award-winning saxophonist, Joshua Kelly (30/70 collective, PBS Young Elder of Jazz 2019), the band returns to the label with a follow up EP to the mind-bending 2021 release, What's Real?

Where What's Real? served as a platform for wild experimentation, Rising returns to a more considered and familiar format for the band, offering up 4 cohesive tracks that are deep in conception and expression, at once original and fresh. Conceived after recording an as yet unreleased body of work written whilst undergoing chemotherapy, Rising celebrates bandleader Josh's survival and eventual recovery from the intense treatment he received for lymphoma in 2020.

The band stays true to their honed format of jazz traditions melding with influences from electronica and beyond. Like the first release, The Young Ones, Rising sits comfortably in the crossover of raw, live jazz and electronic dance music, whilst also throwing an unexpected curveball to the listener expanding the palate of the bands sound to a pigment never before heard in their music. The EP takes you on an emotional journey throughout the four tracks, best listened to start-to-finish.

Carmy Love is mainstay of the Big AC Records label by now with the likes of 'Rebel', 'Together Again' and 'Thinkin Bout You' all establishing her sound. Here she embodies a love of, or certainly respect for, Southern Soul here with a bog and bold stomper that has brassy horns and loose tambourines backing a lung busting vocal that is powerful and emotive. It's a track that has an authentic old school sound but with modern production heft. Flip it over and you'll find the equally magical 'Together Again' which is a slower sound that sinks in deeper and with more pain.

Carmy Love brings a stylish hint of gospel to the beautiful vocal on this new single on Big A C. 'Rebel' was actually written many years ago yet the lyrics have huge repugnance today. The song has regularly been performed in that time with New Street Adventure but now the live version becomes all the more glorious as a full studio production. On the back is a tune inspired by the fertile soul crossover sounds of the late 60s and early 70s, with funky bass and body brass. These are tunes to warm your heart and uplift you as you leave the bad times behind.

‘Energy MC2’ began as an energetic bunch of 10 and 11year old neighborhood kids, who initially formed a band under the name of ‘Congressional Funk’. The founding members were Vincent Bonham, Opelton Parker (the brother of Ray Parker Jr) and brothers Ufuoma and Eric Wallace, with the later addition of Fred Gordon. Later becoming the backing band for local Detroit act Mad Dog & The Pups. Featuring on some of the ‘Pups’ earliest Magic City releases “Hep Squeeze” (MC-007) and the follow up release “Funky Monkey” (MC-009). A name-change to ‘The Soulful Hounds’ followed which they are credited as on the instrumental flipside of Mad Dog & The Pups vocal version of “Why Did You Leave Me Girl” Magic City (MC-012).

After leaving Magic City, the band went through several changes in both name and personnel, upon hiring bass player Ben "Rat Bass" Adkins, they adopted the name of his former band, ‘Energy’ to which they added Albert Einstein’s formula for special relativity (E=MC2) to finally became ‘Energy MC2’. As Energy MC2” they soon began seriously recording their own original material which included the two previously unissued 70’’s tracks “If You Break It” and “Other Side Of The Mirror” first released on Soul Junction in 2016. The group’s line up on these songs included Vincent Bonham, Ufuoma Akill-Wallace, Arnell Carmichael, Ernestro Wilson, Opelton Parker, Gordon Carlton, Eric Wallace, Leon Lopez, Marvin Carlton and Marlene Rice. A further unissued song the mellifluous ballad “Juliane” also the gained release on the ‘We Got A Sweet Thing Going On’ volume 2 SJCD 5011 cd compilation album.

During 1974 several members of the group boarded a Greyhound bus for Los Angeles. During their week long stay there under the supervision of Ray Parker Jr they recorded the two featured songs the mellifluous “You And Only You” and “Love To Make Love To You” featuring Arnell Carmichael on lead vocals with the session remaining unissued Energy MC2 returned to Detroit. Vincent Bonham and Arnell Carmichael in 1977 returned to L.A. to join

Ray Parker Jr and Jerry Knight to form the band ‘Raydio” later becoming Ray Parker Jr & Raydio when Jerry Knight left to go solo. Ray Parker later too chose to persue a solo career leading to him recording the title track of the box office hit movie “Ghostbusters” a song he will forever be remember for. During 2014 Arnell Carmichael, Vincent Bonham, James Carmichael and Giovanni Rogers revived ‘Raydio’ but only as a touring band. The remaining members of Energy MC2 all enjoyed successful careers as session and backing musicians with many major artists, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Areatha and Carolyn Franklyn, Michael Henderson, Cheryl Lynn, Bettye Lavette, and Parlet’ (part of the P-Funk family) that help George Clinton Land the Mothership!

No Food Without Taste If By Hunger is the 20th compilation in Analog Africa's Limited Dance Edition series and it also happens to be a mega-rare classic from the world of Edo funk. The Good Samaritans from Benin City, Nigeria released a very small run of the original in 1982. It is an infectious album of hypnotic basslines layered up with trance-like grooves trippy psychedelic guitars that make for an utterly unique kind of funk music. Newly mastered, pressed to 180g vinyl with a silk screen printed cover, and limited to just 2000 copies, this is a rare chance to own such a landmark album.

Afro trance, Brazilian jazz funk and frantic percussion are all explored over this 13 track offering...

Lead singles Kenke Corner and Mucagiami step effortlessly between the dancefloor to ballad, the latter featuring a stunning vocal performance from Angolan vocalist, Vum Vum. Now five albums deep into his recording career, he's built a loyal fanbase and following from his early days as a beatmaker.

Guts' initial spirit of sampling, sequencing and programming still remains but it has now morphed into something of a full-on musical opus.

Philantropiques is an experimental yet sunny outing, comprising longer tracks that open up into carefully considered arrangements. One strong theme that runs throughout is the vibrations of the Southern Hemisphere, somewhere Guts has been so well associated with over the years.
His compilation series, Beach Diggin, now in its fifth volume, brings together highly sought-after rarities, lovingly curated with long-time friend, collaborator and visual artist, Mambo. To help him realise this new musical plan, Guts set up a brand new live band featuring: Kenny Ruby on bass, Christiane Prince on drums, Cyril Atef on percussion, alongside Adelaide Songeons and Ben Abarbanel-Wolff on the horns.

This was the musical base, around which all the other elements were to be composed by a whole host of other musicians, MCs, vocalists and creatives including saxophist Jowee Omicil, guitarist Lameck Macaba, Djeuhdjoah and Lieutenant Nicholson, storyteller Pat Kalla, Brazilian legend Pinduca, vocalists Nazaré Perera and Catia Wernec, and also French jazz virtuoso pianist, Mario Canonge.

Heroes Of Limbo strike again with two stunning interpretations of hiphop and R&B staples on one 45. The mystery funk collective took the scene by storm last summer with their flips on Eric B. & Rakim's 'Don't Sweat The Technique' and Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth's 'T.R.O.Y.', moving all copies on release day. Here the reimagine the Beatnuts unmistakable 'Watch Out Now' and Aaliyah's smash hit 'Try Again' in a their hypnotic, polyrhythmic afrobeat-inspired style. A sure shot double sided slice of musical pineapples.