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We've got two brand spanking new exclusives for the latest Z Records 7 inch record. First up is 'Reach For It' Afrom The Sunburst Band with it's uplifting Mtume/Lucas feel, glorious vocals from New Jersey singer Tiffany T'zelle (fans will know her from Dave Lee's 'Produced With Love II' album) and all the usual star players of The Sunburst Band. Then making her debut on ZR is Queen B Unlimited with '27 Sided', an ultra smooth dose of modern disco-soul. It's and expertly produced love song about us all being different shapes, trying to find our match, we suggest turning the lights down low for this one.

A previously unissued post-bop document from 1970, Jyväskylä Workshop Band 1970 assembles American saxophonist Charlie Mariano, Norwegian bassist Arild Andersen and Finnish luminaries Heikki Sarmanto, Eero Koivistoinen, Paroni Paakkunainen, Seppo Ranniko, Pekka Pöyry, Edward Vesala and Matti Koskiala. Professionally captured in concert, the album delivers a vibrant set of groovy, exploratory and subtly exotic tunes that helped assert Finland’s place on the international jazz map.

The label say:

"Guts unearthed this afro-caribbean gem "Vini Ouais" by Djingo Typical Band for his Straight from the Decks compilation. Inspired, Art of Tones created an unofficial remix—a heartfelt tribute to this French Guiana treasure. It quickly lit up dance floors, shared among DJs like GUTS, Antal, Radio Meuh... and many more...
Here comes the official release, the remix is set to become a dancefloor banger.

Guts a déniché cette pépite de biguine-zouk signée Djingo Typical Band, "Vini Ouais", et l’a aussitôt intégrée à sa compilation à succès Straight from the Decks. Séduit à son tour, le talentueux producteur et remixeur Art of Tones en propose un remix non officiel, véritable déclaration d’amour à ce bijou venu de Guyane française.
Très vite, le titre revisité enflamme les dancefloors, circulant discrètement entre quelques DJ privilégiés, comme un secret bien gardé. Face à l’engouement et aux nombreuses demandes, le remix sort enfin officiellement, pour le plus grand plaisir de tous. Il est désormais joué par Antal, Laurent Garnier, Radio Meuh, Guts, Art of Tones, et bien d'autres, révélant un groove irrésistible qui met tout le monde d’accord."

Past Due Records is thrilled to announce the reissue of 'You Make It Harder,' a long-lost gem from the 1980s NYC dance music scene, originally released as a 7 inch single for the WBLS Budweiser Showdown under the name Contreras / Sokolov / Milgrom. This rare boogie funk record, known only to a select few aficionados, is now available for the first time as a 12 Inch single, featuring four additional unreleased tracks that perfectly capture the Ray Contreras Band’s multicultural, synth-driven funk. The release includes a full sleeve and the story of the band’s journey, from winning the legendary WBLS Budweiser Showdown to their near-miss at the national finals.

Irlands bestes Avant-Punk-Quartett hat die The Early Years EP neu aufgelegt - eine Sammlung vergriffener 7"-Singles und Coverversionen, die ursprünglich auf Any Other City Records und The Quarter Inch Collective erschienen und 2015 bei Rough Trade veröffentlicht wurden. The Cha Cha Cha wurde nun zusammen mit den anderen Tracks remastert und ist bereit, erneut die Tanzfläche zu erobern. Ein Fan-Favorit (und fester Bestandteil der Live-Setlists), der auf der Sammlung zu finden ist, ist ein achtminütiges Cover des absurden Bangers und verdrehten Ohrwurms "Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage" von Post-Dubstep-Mastermind Blawan - ein Track, der, einfach gesagt, so klingt wie nichts, was man je zuvor oder danach gehört hat.

Rare deep funk gets a re-edit from label boss Kenny Dope!

Die Northern Soul-Szene zieht weiterhin Anhänger an, die alle ihren Glauben bewahren und sich von dieser Musik bewegen lassen. 'True True Love' wurde 2006 als erste Single von Kent Select veröffentlicht, und Originalexemplare werden mittlerweile für über 300 £ verkauft - wenn man denn eins findet. Ace freut sich die Nummer nun zusammen mit einer unveröffentlichten Instrumentalversion der Dave & Darrell Band auf 7inch Single neu aufzulegen. Die Single wird mit Picture Sleeve geliefert und enthält Liner Notes von Ady Croasdell.

The multi-talented global traveller Shawn Lee starts the new year 2025 with "Lost", the first album by Shawn Lee's GPS Band. The story behind the album is best told by the artist himself: "Inspiration can come from the most unlikely places. In this case…Italy. While on tour there in 2024, I found that I never knew where I was or where I was going. For that matter, I affectionately dubbed it 'The Lost in Italy Tour'!"

Shawn Lee continues: "While listening to music in the car barreling down the open road, GPS voice directions kept barking instructions over the tunes. Suddenly, the full musical concept of the 'Lost' album smacked me right between my ears. Instrumental tracks equipped with GPS voices on top robotically guiding me to my various destinations. Sometimes it was a venue like the Parasdiso in Amsterdam. or record label like Légére in Hamburg - and for goodness' sake, even a pizza restaurant in Italy! The possibilities were infinite.

"I lovingly explored the sounds of the late 70s & early 80s delicious brew of Post-Punk, Post-Disco, Krautrock, Punk-Funk, old school HipHop and No Wave. Armed with a P bass,Madcat Telecaster, a handful of synths and a few choice effects, the album was both a minimal and focused affair. Sometimes less is more… The world on the other hand, is way more than less and a very big place to get 'Lost'. So this is just the beginning of a long journey and with my GPS Band, I will always arrive at my destination."

This group is led by Roland Nieto, a former trumpet player and composer for Or- questa La 33, who has 18 years of experience in international tours. Additionally, the lead vocalist and songwriter is the versatile musician Pío Molina. This album emerged from a desire to explore the origins of brass bands in various parts of the world, including Colombia, Mexico, the United States, Serbia, and Nigeria. In two of its tracks, it also delves into electronic sounds and Dub. While inviting listeners to celebrate with a powerful ensemble of winds and percussion, the album's lyrics address socially relevant issues.

This blissful example of Lover’s Rock from 1985 showcases the very specific sonic template of a portion of Reggae music that was coming from the United Kingdom during the period - steeped in a soulful, Pop sensibility. We are also treated to a version by Lindel Lewis aka The Gentle Giant of Reggae music under the guise of One Man Band that submerges the original into a rich, sun-kissed honey, securing it firmly into the territory of Balearica. Whilst not achieving commercial success at the time, You, Me & He has grown to become a much coveted artefact and we are pleased to have lovingly reissued this gem for your listening pleasure.

Reissue of the 1983's classic Messages From The Stars by British Electronic Funk outfit, The Rah Band.

Released in 1983, "Messages From The Stars" by The RAH Band—AKA multi-instrumentalist and producer Richard Anthony Hewson—emerged as a modest club hit, peaking at number 42 on the UK charts. Four decades later, the song has been rediscovered and revered as a cult classic, transcending time and generations. This reissue celebrates The RAH Band’s pioneering sound and the track’s unexpected rise from obscurity to international acclaim, largely thanks to devoted selectors and fans who never let it fade away.

Created on a Roland SH5 synthesizer in Hewson’s home studio, the track’s iconic vocals, spontaneously delivered with playful innocence by Hewson’s then-wife Liz, proved to be a masterstroke, with her warm, conversational tone giving the track an authentic charm. The interstellar lyrics, cosmic synth-line and funky bassline combined are addictively catchy, undoubtedly contributing to the track's success as a crossover boogie-funk classic.

The RAH Band’s resurgence owes much to DJs like DāM-FunK and Martin Iveson (Atjazz), who introduced "Messages" to new audiences in the ‘90s and ‘00s. DāM-FunK recalls discovering the track in the late '90s and making it the centrepiece of his sets, with crowds demanding repeat plays during his iconic Funkmosphere nights in Los Angeles. Fast-forward to 2019, “Messages” was selected as the opening track on pop superstar Frank Ocean’s ‘Blonded’ radio show and playlist, fuelling the track's viral explosion on TikTok in 2020 and sparking a relentless, enduring internet popularity that continues to this day.

Hewson, now in his eighties and residing quietly near the Sussex coast, continues to create music every day in his garage-turned-studio, using the original vintage gear that once brought "Messages From The Stars" to life. Enjoy this slice of space-disco history, where messages from the past have made their way to the present.

Hello, Do you read me?
I have a message
A message from the stars

Miles Kane returns with a blistering new album One Man Band, out August 4th on Modern Sky Records. Miles returns to his guitar hero best on One Man Band as he focuses on big hooks and even bigger anthems. Sharp, infectious, urgent and packed to the brim with singalong moments, it’s Miles on the top of his game. A deeply personal record, Miles returned to Liverpool to work on the album. The album’s first offering is the exuberant indie banger ‘Troubled Son’. A raw, pop-driven indie, made for festival stages. “It’s about the struggle we all have in life,” Miles said of the track. “Sometimes we have our shit together and sometimes we don’t. This is me acknowledging my faults and my fears and showing the journey I’m taking as I try to figure it all out.

'La Quinqui' / 'Llora' is Gipsy Power Band's debut single, where they merge flamenco rumba, rock and funk astonishingly, evoking a unique era of Spanish music.

Formed in Madrid in 2022, Gipsy Power Band was originally conceived to pay live tribute to the music of the Spanish exploitation film genre known as "cine quinqui", performing tracks from those movies and many other foundational songs: hits, some flops and hidden gems released in Spain from the mid-70s to the early 80s. Rock, funk, disco and flamenco rumba productions by Los Chichos, Las Grecas, Los Chunguitos and Los Chorbos, among others.

After two years setting the Madrid stages on fire and making the public dance to this vintage repertoire, the time has come to move to the next level. The band has evolved and now they are releasing their first own songs: a dramatic love story told from two points of view worthy of a period "cine quinqui" movie, the spirit of which inspires the compositions.

Black Vinyl. A trio of Kansas City soul sweepers, from the sprawling midwest burg's storied Cavern, Damon, and Forte concerns. Bump and the Soul Stompers' 1970 sweet soul double sider "I Can Remember" was a tail pipe-dragging, low rider classic in the making, had it ever been released. A few years later Jerald "Bump" Scott took his new group to Cavern's subterranean confines to cut the group harmony masterpiece "Living In The Past," but remained unissued prior to Numero's discovery of the Cavern tapes. As disco was cresting at the top of the next decade, Sharon Revoal tracked her James Brown meets James Bond stepper "Reaching For Our Star"_ the last 45 released on Marva Whitney's peerless Forte label.

Natural Grass Colored Vinyl. A trio of Kansas City soul sweepers, from the sprawling midwest burg's storied Cavern, Damon, and Forte concerns. Bump and the Soul Stompers' 1970 sweet soul double sider "I Can Remember" was a tail pipe-dragging, low rider classic in the making, had it ever been released. A few years later Jerald "Bump" Scott took his new group to Cavern's subterranean confines to cut the group harmony masterpiece "Living In The Past," but remained unissued prior to Numero's discovery of the Cavern tapes. As disco was cresting at the top of the next decade, Sharon Revoal tracked her James Brown meets James Bond stepper "Reaching For Our Star"_ the last 45 released on Marva Whitney's peerless Forte label.

Releasing as a vinyl 45, Bad Night is the lead offering from The Cromagnon Band's new album Mode. This is the band's second LP and the first of theirs to be released on BBE Music. Mode itself is an album of cinematic and psychedelic dark Funk tinged and tinted with Nordic psych/jazz, classical, boom-bap Hip-Hop breaks and riff heavy rock. Bad Night is backed with Quadrant, a stand alone track that won't be on the album, thus making the vinyl single release a unique addition to the music lover's record collection. That said, these are are two tracks which give both a genuine flavour of the forthcoming album as well as the band's own musical influences and heritage as instrumentalists and producers. The Cromagnon Band's recording technique of taking breaks, riffs and melodies from favourite tracks and then improvising from there with completely live jam sessions in the studio allows them to record in their distinct and trademark 'reverse engineering' style. The trio of Drummer Tom Watt, Bassist Lenny Walker and multi-instrumentalist Bert Page work by making music as a team, playing for hours and united by a love of Hip-Hop breaks and psychedelic Jazz/Rock/Funk and classical music. They choose to record only instrumentals which allows space for Bert to weave intricate soundscape with Fender Rhodes, Moog, Sax and Clarinet over the beats and breaks they have written from their improvised jams. Bad Night b/w Quadrant are the lead releases from The Cromagnon Band's new album Mode. They will be released as a 7" vinyl and digitally.

Kashmere Stage Band was formed in the 1960s and was made up of students from Kashmere High School and group leader Conrad O. Johnson. Bumper-To-Bumper Soul is their second album, and it was recorded between 1969 and 1970. The record, which like all their others was only pressed in small quantities and sold locally in Houston, Texas, so is hard to find but much in demand, is an extension of the high school group's debut album, but with a high percentage of groovy jazz funk, covering well-known songs in their now fast funk style.

Dr Packer and Michael Gray have teamed up to create a fresh, new rendition of the 80’s funk and soul hit “Ricochet” by the BB&Q Band. Staying true to the original 80s version, which was produced by Kae Williams Jr. under the mentorship of the legendary Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, this collaboration preserves the song’s integrity while infusing it with a modern edge. The beats are crisp, the groove is infectious, and the bassline exudes funky vibes. With the addition of staccato strings, the resulting disco house jam is nothing short of sensational.

Diego Ruiz, aka DFRA, is an Argentine music producer very active in the last five years with several productions in the underground deep house scene. Now he's definitely setting the bar at the highest level with this project. He's introducing a full band of musicians with jazzy roots, and the result is a four-track EP that's a clear fusion of how jazz and electronic music merge in a unique way. It incorporates classic Deep House and House sounds plus the fusion of Modal Jazz, Bebop, and Hard Bop style melodies.