Suche:mo’ funk

For his first release on Common Dreams, Reedale Rise (Simon Keat) brings us two thoughtful tracks, both well-layered and very well produced. The A side "Pressure Box" is the more funkier, 'deep house' leaning tune, giving us juicy chords, a starry pad, and some very nice atmospheres in between. All the while, drums are pushing you forward, and in some parts just reach out and slap you in the face. The B side "Azikiwe" fuses sporadic arpeggiations with some very thoughtful chord melodies. Maybe it could be described as having a more psychedelic twist. But just when you get too far out, you're brought right back to the rhythm tracks wich are nothing short of solid, making for a good all around dance track.

Back in 2013, Futureboogie released The Fade EP by Outboxx, a record that received critical acclaim from the who's who of music press, helping to propel Outboxx on the upward trajectory they've managed to maintain since those early releases. Unsurprisingly, Futureboogie are delighted to get the pair back for more.
Having developed their sound in the two years since, the pair has refined the raw ingredients of those records to show a combined maturity beyond their collective years. Previously the pair of producers (Matthew Lambert and Jake 'Hodge' Martin) have released music on respected independent imprints such as BRSTL, Idle Hands, Well Rounded Records and Local Talk; honing their analogue rich sound that touches on the hard edge of drum machine rhythms crafted by Hodge and the harmonic, jazz soaked embellishments from Lambert on Keys.
'Day One' opens with the sound of a string sample drifting behind warm drums to beautifully open up proceedings. As the track develops with an explosion of shuffling hi hats, the main hook enters with more than a nod to the classic Acid basslines of a 303, built to hypnotize dancers into the early hours with subtle simplicity.
The EP's title track 'Under The Lights' shows the pairs appreciation of Disco, with overdriven drums and a dotting bassline setting the feel. As the track develops, elements of Detroit enter the picture, with more string samples setting the key, and further allowing Lambert to contribute more of his signature Jazz licks as the track winds down to an unwanted close.
'Gift of Life' features the always-beautiful vocal contributions from long-term collaborator, Naomi Jeremy. Having featured on some of their most memorable releases to date, Jeremy's vocals again add a complexity often found in Jazz, but with the drum machine funk of 90's House; creating a sound that blurs the lines between sampling and original composition, uniquely, as only Outboxx can.
The record ends on the appropriately named 'Closing Titles', a track seemingly built to allow Lambert the opportunity to show his prowess and mastery of melody and harmony. Creeping basslines and warm chords mix with looped drum machine rhythms to wind down the release elegantly, showing the pairs versatility and understanding of each other's strengths.

Matt Nowak drops a trio of mesmerising techno tracks on his Zaijenroots imprint this June with appearances from Sebastian Klenk and Jerome Sydenham. Matt Nowak inaugurated the Zaijenroots discography under his No Mad Ronin moniker alongside Jerome Sydenham in 2013, before reappearing for the second release with Quiet Daze (Ian Pooley) on remix duties. As the label returns for its third outing Nowak pairs up with German producer Sebastian Klenk whilst distinguished veteran Sydenham carves up a remix. 'Aleister' sees Nowak and Klenk create an acosmic track that initiates with a touch of funk before sullen synths make way for punchy SP-1200 beats and unsettling throbs. Sydenham provides a rendition of No Mad Ronin 'Chemical Planet' from Zaijenroots second release, featuring a perennial hook joined by intangible spoken samples and a subtle sub bass. Lastly 'Lenore' ties things together with a subterranean cut abundant with echoes and spacey atmospherics.

Nologo is back with 2 essential, tried and tested underground club tracks. Orlando B serves up Side A with 'Dark World', an epic, slow burning, dark-house journey. 'Dark World' begins completely stripped back before the main hook, an eerie hypnotic vocal is introduced. Funky percussive elements creep in which drive the piece forward and a deep minor pad heightens the tension setting the tone for the rest of the track. The energy builds gradually with the addition of a 303 bass line peaking just before the end, taking the listener on a dark hypnotic trip.

On the flip, is none other than house & techno legend MR G who uses the Dark World vocal but takes it somewhere new providing his own unique and distinctive flavour. Mr G's Rum Remix is a dark and twisted peak-time banger, the high energy from the off set perfectly complementing the slower vibe of the original. Plenty of sub and twisted synth action keeps the momentum high and the dark stab he uses punctuates the vocal nicely giving it a raw edge. 'Dark World' is an essential addition to the record bag for darker dancefloors.
Dj Deep: I love this, your remix is super Funky and Dark at the same time!!! Dope! Tom (Panorama Bar): Ufff nice and dark.....another Mr G gem.To be served with the Rum Rush

It´s certainly one of these rare moments, when you stumble over a record which really stands out ; a record which creates one of those moments that makes your day. A record that slowly makes your foot tap, and makes you drop out of the monotony of our everyday life.
Suddenly echoes of yet undiscovered sounds turn the beat from a localized impact into an environment with you inside. Refractions bounce back from any surface. No other artist manages it to make electronic music sound so organic, opening up rooms with a phenomenal spatial architecture. With his unique technique to arrange frequencies in space, Boris Steffen, better known as Jichael Mackson once more delivers an outstanding series of tracks with his first EP on his very own imprint Teledub.
The 'Foxy Lady' contains three tracks each with the unique dramaturgy Jichael Mackson is well known for, while adding a new almost sexy/funky freshness to his signature sound.
Apart from sounding beautiful and being undeniably serious bombs for any dancefloor, these tracks are simply different. The Foxy Lady EP builds a bridge to Jichael Macksons early releases and one thing is for sure, this is a record that will stay in our bags for a long time.
Jichael Mackson's Foxy Lady EP on Teledub. Grab your copy...

Originally released in Japan only, back in 1979, Prone is considered by most aficionados to be Ned Doheny's crowning glory. Even better than the superlative Hard Candy. So quite why this AOR/soft-funk gem has not been available legitimately on vinyl for over 35 years is anyone's guess.

To celebrate 'Be With Ned' - the West Coast maestro's first ever tour of the UK and Europe in March 2015 - Be With Records proudly present the first ever officially licensed reissue of this forgotten-funk classic. What makes this release truly special is the inclusion of the full-vocal version of jazz-funk classic To Prove My Love. It's the version of Prone that everybody has been waiting for.

Produced again by the legendary Steve Cropper, Prone's super-smooth grooves showcase Ned's beautifully laid-back vocals, virtuoso playing and forever-wry lyricism. Aside from To Prove My Love, it boasts some of Doheny's most under-appreciated tracks: witness the slickness of Think Like A Lover, Guess Who's Lookin' For Love Again and Funky Love.

Pressed on audiophile 180gram vinyl and featuring the original artwork for both jacket and lyric-insert, this limited reissue is one to treasure.

Giant 45 returns with 2 well-crafted reworks.
A side is 80's boogie funk at its best reworked and timed up for perfect dj mixing. On the flip we have a much sought after Japanese boogie classic reworked in the same way.
Limited 7 inch pressing so act fast.

Serious heat alert! Ridiculously rare sun drenched funky Soul from the mythical Raw Soul Express....

"The Way We Live" is as flawless as it gets, a superior piece of sweet Soul music from all the way down there in Miami, ultra sought after in it's original 45 issue & featuring some absolutely stellar production from the underrated George "Chocolate" Perry this record is an instant party starter! Featured on the mix-tapes & in the play-lists of some of the most discerning crate digging DJ's out there & an OG 45 will literally cost you an arm & a leg ($600 plus) this total gem of a record gets an overdue repress in it's original form. Essential!

Backed here with it's original b-side slow jam "This Thing Called Music" this ultra-rare 45 has been re-mastered, re-pressed & brought back for 2015's dance-floors in conjunction & with the permission of T.K. Disco / Henry Stone Music, Miami USA.

We are proud to have dug out these two bomb tracks from the 90's by Manchester legend KID SIMMONS.
For some weird reasons these tracks were never released, but here we go now: 2 funky house bombs that will make you bounce and jump like there was no tomorrow.
Expect more to come from the archives of this man!

Only 200 copies - SUPPORTED BY: Roman Flügel, Raresh, Laurent Garnier, Joris Voorn, Eats Everything and more
The 9th release we look to the label's homeland and the city of Córdoba, as we welcome Bodeler & Brandub with their Sensitronic EP. Together the duo paint a brilliant display of sound as they intuitively merge minimal, funk, techno and house to create two stunning originals. Our vinyl release is lead by the raw, jacking' groove of 'Hat Swing', before we are plunged deeper it the hypnotic expanse of the aptly titled 'Spaced Out'.
Keeping it Córdoba, we are excited to welcome Cadenza hit man Ernesto Ferreyra, who takes Hat Trick on his very own cosmic ride. Stunning. The velvety smooth 'Que Head' gives the final touch to our record.

Hot off the back of the their successful inaugural release from Quenum & Cesare vs Disorder, the young Barcelona label continues to drive forward with their mission to move people by drawing from an expansive and expressive universe of melodic and rhythmic sounds. The result of this is a carefully curated, limited edition of vinyl and digital releases, and next in line is a brand new EP from Russian producer and DJ, Tripmastaz. Andrew Guyvoronsky (aka Tripmastaz) is the one of a few underground producers from Russia to make serious tidal waves in the dance community gaining world-wide recognition and respect from fans, media and DJs alike. On top of his tracks being featured in a variety of famous compilations such as Fabric and DJ-Kicks, Tripmastaz has been focused on a busy touring schedule and on making Russia decidedly more funky for the past 10 years. This new EP melds the stripped back with the downright, dirty bass bombs synonymous with Tripmastaz's style. Title track 'Ain't Made 4 U' is a swirling house-funk journey that is built to move bodies across floors. 'Live from the Basement' takes things back a little with a more minimal approach to percussive techno then Christian Burkhardt & Andre Buljat's remix of EP opener slams us back to the heady, peak-time dance floor, before HITCH closes out the EP with his rolling and hypnotic take on the A-side. Good taste will always prevail.



[C] B1 | Ain't Made 4 U (Christian Burkhardt & Andre Buljat remix)

Beyond Time is the first album by acclaimed experimental group 23 Skidoo in fifteen years, released in a special double disc edition combining the soundtrack music to 2011 documentary film Beyond Time, and a DVD of the film itself.
Directed by Alex Turnbull and Pete Stern, Beyond Time is a journey into the life and work of artist William Turnbull, from his modest roots as the son of a Dundee shipyard engineer to his standing as one of the world's most highly regarded modern sculptors. Narration is by Jude Law. 'An insightful, irreverent documentary, yet with a palpable sense of purpose' said the Daily Telegraph, with the Guardian confirming that'William Turnbull helped change the way we see art today.'
The soundtrack music is performed by 23 Skidoo. Formed in 1979 as industrial, post-punk and funk genres coalesced, the group included Bill Turnbull's sons Alex and Jonny together with Fritz Catlin and Peter 'Sketch' Martin. As well as new music, the accomplished score features re-worked versions of older material. 'Johnny and I thought 23 Skidoo's anti-commercial tendencies came from a punk sensibility,' explains Alex. 'But it turns out we had a genetic predisposition to anti-establishment practices. Bill was a polymath at a time when that was a dirty word, shifting between sculpture and painting and putting both in a symbiotic relationship. Now crossing boundaries is everywhere: think of hip-hop. The name of the band referenced a William Burroughs short story. Burroughs used, as we did, cut-up techniques, collaging and sampling. We were oblivious to the fact that a lot of that aesthetic was in what Bill did until I made the film.'
Both the CD and vinyl versions of Beyond Time include a Region 0 NTSC format DVD of the documentary film (with bonus features), but feature different artwork. The CD/DVD package features a portrait of Bill by photographer Ida Carr, while the vinyl/DVD version features a detail from 05 by William Turnbull (oil on canvas, 1959) printed on matt reverse board.

Prolific Seattle producer Jon McMillion returns to Nuearth Kitchen with another crucial chapter in his epic tale of haunted house-music subversions. This EP offers four variations on a bizarre and engrossing theme. Don't It Make You (edit 1)' is a work of extremes: By some miracle of aural physics, it's at once one of McMillion's strangest tracks and one of his most accessible. He sets into motion a staunch, relentless house rhythm bolstered with congas, massed claps, synth-bass raspberries, and a badass male singer intoning, Don't it make you feel good, if you wanna get down/Just say it, say it again,' over which a miasma of enigmatic tones bubbles and swirls. Like Bohannon's disco-funk classics from the '70s, Don't It Make You' seems like a tease, even at 10 minutes duration, you wish it would roll on for at least 30. On Don't It Make You (edit 2),' McMillion strips things down to dance-floor essentials and erases some of the free-floating background weirdness.

The two remixes are revelatory. New York house icon Fred P. (aka Black Jazz Consortium) slides the track into a tighter pair of pants, but that just makes it swivel harder and slyer. He emphasizes Don't It Make You''s mysterious drones and then loops a female vocalist singing He keeps me' while dropping in some echoed male chatter to gently disorient. What a dreamy, soulful trip Fred P. conjures here. And rising German wunderkind Orson Wells layers and pitches up the original's cascades of bleeps, which becomes the dominant motif, and then subtly modulates said bleeps over the tune's seven minutes, while keeping that irrepressible rhythm strutting. McMillion's raw materials prove to be fertile ground for these two maverick remixers to flaunt their own fascinating quirks while maintaining the original cut's club-darkening and ass-moving functionality.

Hitting a particularly fertile patch with his music, A Sagittariun continues to ride the night skies with some heavy doses of cosmically sprinkled techno and kinetic electronica. 'Aruba (Overhead Mix)' is a seductive jam of Nuyorican (tech) soul, cloaked in warm synths with a breathy, human quality and deft melodies to ensure a smooth takeoff for the passengers. Lead cut on the vinyl is 'The Code Breaker', channeling some enchanting techno moods and themes on a no gimmicks, no cheap thrills, head & foot stomper, whilst 'Triangulum' prefers a mechanical rhythm of robotic tech funk, syrupy melodies and acidic motifs to deliver a dance in outer space.

Imagined as a sharp contrast and complement to Funn City's trashy vintage vibes, Darshan Jesrani's new Cylinder moniker sets out to explore the more streamlined, forward-facing side of Startree's vision, while sacrificing none of the warmth or funk of its classic influences. 'Disco Engine' is a futuristic joyride which draws upon late 80s and early 90s techno vibes as much as it does disco and R&B to produce a groove which is warmly insistent, buoyant, sexy and a little menacing. Ruthless, detuned 808 toms and a punchy, round analog bass synth provide a floor you can push the gas pedal to. A greasy, giddy synth rhythm holds the middle down like a session guitarist when rent is due, and ecstatic choral synth pads and vocals by Chelsea Adewunmi soar just above the horizon. Underground dance music with the top way down. Side B's '4-Stroke Dub' works a more DJ-oriented angle around that 808 and juxtaposes parts which do not play together in the original, creating a track which is subtly driving and every bit as engaging. The gorgeous, understated vocal refrain in the middle is a destination you will have been happy to go the extra distance to reach. Startree is happy to present its second release as a continuing statement of its musical intentions and its simple desire for all to have a really good time.

To all our respected critics, reviewers, and wisenheimer: be prepared to listen to this album in tranquility. If you do not do so you will most likely rate this release one out of five stars. And this is something which it certainly does not deserve. This album needs time and patience to be fully understood. And if you do so you will be enlightened by the true beauty of this selection.

Not only for Don McCaslin's project Warmth the time has come for representation and appreciation. All the songs on this disc are well worth to be discovered. No matter if you skip to Jorge Darden's jazzy-soulful "Alone Again" or to Seeds of Fulfillment's stunning "Solemn Solitude". Each and every song is a masterpiece in its own right. Funky soul music fans will be pleased to get a chance to listen to Cookie Thomas and Bold Breed, two cuts which are hard to find in its original format. Rarity is one thing, quality is another. The songs to be found here are both rare and good. Better yet, until now, all of these tracks had not yet been compiled.

After Movements and Feeling Nice, two already well-established compilation series on Tramp, Praise Poems could be the start of a new successful one. It was solely the title track which lead us to release this album. Don't ask if there will be a Volume 2. We don't know yet. What we do know is that if we ever come across a similar tour de force as Don McCaslin's compostion, then there will certainly be one.