quête:stevie wonder

Northern Soul legend Lorraine Silver recorded Lost Summer Love when she was just 13 years old in August 1965. Whilst not a chart hit on its release, the track did become a massive anthem at the iconic Wigan Casino and was reissued on the Casino Classics label in the late 70s selling in excess of 30,000 copies. However, Lorraine knew nothing of her heroic Northern Soul status until the late 80s.

23 years after the original recording, Lorraine’s husband, agent Barry Collings, was reading Blues & Soul magazine which featured a top ten selection of favourite Northern Soul tracks that included Lost Summer Love. Lorraine called the editor and was flabbergasted to discover it really was her song. Following this, her story was told in a whole
selection of Northern Soul publications. She contacted the original record company PYE and was told that the track had sold some 34,000 copies worldwide and she could claim her royalties!

At around the same time Barry was involved in promoting Northern Soul weekends across the country and Lorraine was able to meet all the DJs who had been playing her record for years.
She was persuaded to get up and do a couple of PA’s of Lost Summer Love much to the delight of the audience who were queueing for autographs.

Since then, Lorraine’s resurrected career has gone from strength to strength, with airplay on BBC Radio 2, performances at Northern Soul events, and an appearance at the Edwin Starr Memorial Concert alongside the likes of Clem Curtis, Geno Washington, and Jaki Graham. In 2011 she was asked to join the line-up of a new touring show ‘The Mod All Star Band’ with artists she herself had idolised in the 60s including Steve Ellis and Chris Farlowe.

Now, at the age of 70, Lorraine continues to perform, record, and release new material in a career that now spans an incredible 57 years. Her brand-new single Fever Raging Out Of Control was produced by legendary Northern Soul DJ Ian Levine who has also produced pop hits for Take That including ‘A Million Love Songs’ and ‘Could It Be Magic’. The final mix of the track was done by Nigel Lowis who has also worked with Burt
Bacharach, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross, Mariah Carey and Celine Dion to name just a few.

And…that original recording of Lost Summer Love, has now become quite the collector’s item, with a recent copy selling on eBay for some £700.00!

Long Awaited Double Gatefold Release!

Omar Lyefook MBE is without doubt, one of the greatest soul music talents the United Kingdom has produced in the last 40 years. If anyone has doubts about that, then they might want to consider the list of legendary artists who happily line up to collaborate with him musically, or simply sing his praises - from Stevie Wonder, the late Leon Ware, Erykah Badu, Common, through to Carleen Anderson, D'Angelo, and Soul II Soul's Caron Wheeler, Angie Stone and U.K. artists Courtney Pine, Rodney P, Kele LeRoc, Natasha Watts and Estelle, all appreciate his truly original and unique voice, musicianship and songwriting talent.

When asked to reflect on his long, successful, critically acclaimed and deeply influential career that shows no signs of slowing up, Omar said "I feel blessed. I try to keep things moving and evolving, and when I finish an album, I always put my heart and soul into it. I'm looking at it from an outsider's point of view, because I never really see myself making the music. It's like I'm the vessel and somebody's controlling what I do, I just happen to be the one that gets the praise for it".

That modest statement just re-enforces the fact that Omar is simply a one off, a genuinely unique artist. That is a bold claim, but his sound is so immediately identifiable, that you will know you are hearing an Omar track within seconds - and that is the stamp of true originality.

This collection features many of his classic collaborations, from his evergreen worldwide anthem There's Nothing Like This, It's So, the dancefloor destroying banger inspired by the amalgam of sounds Omar heard at The Notting Hill Carnival.

Paul Gilbert have announced the release of a new seasonal offering titled 'TWAS. Gilbert’s 17th solo album features a dozen recordings, two of which are new, original compositions.

Gilbert shares, “Many will agree that in recent times, challenging events have been pouring down upon our heads like an Exploding Waterfall of Molasses. At least it sometimes feels like that to me. But while I was jamming Christmas songs with my friends, playing an assortment of red, green, and white Ibanez electric guitars, I felt like life was THE BEST. I hope that this music can put a smile on your face as well. Merry Christmas to all. And to all, a good night.”

The track listing features “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!,” “Frosty The Snowman,” “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” “The Christmas Song,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “I Saw Three Ships,” “Every Christmas Has Love” (original), “Three Stings For Christmas” (original), “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” “Silver Bells,” and “Winter Wonderland.” On the Japanese release of ‘Twas The Guitar Before Christmas, there will be a bonus track titled “Down the Chimney Blues” (original).

Gilbert offers, “Ten of the songs are classics. I was inspired by the Christmas recordings of Nat King Cole, Loretta Lynn, Stevie Wonder, Barbra Streisand, Johnny Mathis, Ella Fitzgerald, and The Ventures. And of course, inspiration came from my guitar heroes, Eddie Van Halen, Alex Lifeson, Johnny Winter, Robin Trower, Frank Marino, Pat Travers, Jimi Hendrix, and Jimmy Page, to name a few. I also wrote some of my own new Christmas songs. As I have been doing recently, I begin with lyrics and a melody. Then I let my guitar take over, as it sings better than I do.”

Stargazing from the sands of the Niterói beach, Tempos Futuros is low-end-led Brazilian futurism from one of Brazil’s most prolific and influential bassmen. As one third of legendary trio Azymuth, Alex Malheiros has pioneered a unique fusion of space-funk, samba and jazz since the early seventies. His playing can be heard on the records of Jorge Ben, Milton Nascimento, Roberto Carlos, Marcos Valle, and Mark Murphy (to name a few), and he’s performed and toured with everyone from Stevie Wonder to Chick Corea.

Written and recorded in Niterói, Brazil, overlooking Guanabara and the beaches, mountains and forests of Rio de Janeiro, Tempos Futuros has deep roots in Brazilian soil. The rhythms of Malheiros’ homeland have always permeated his music. But just like the Oscar Niemeyer designed Niterói Contemporary Art Museum which stands spaceship-like over the water, Tempos Futuros - while inspired by terrestrial forms, reaches out, deep into the great unknown.

Produced by acclaimed London-based producer Daniel Maunick, who has worked with Marcos Valle, Azymuth, Terry Callier, and Ivan Conti, the funk comes full circle. Daniel’s father Jean-Paul “Bluey” Maunick and Alex Malheiros shared a reciprocal stream of influence throughout the 80s, between London and Rio; Azymuth and Incognito; brit-funk and samba-funk. But just as with Azymuth’s music, you can also hear the influence of stateside jazz-funk masters like Roy Ayers, Weather Report, Lonnie Liston Smith, Mtume and Pleasure.

Tempos Futuros features Alex’s daughter, a Brazilian star in her own right, vocalist Sabrina Malheiros, Brazilian percussion master Sidinho Moreira, London based saxophonist Sean Khan, Marcos Valle’s go-to drummer Massa, and Brazilian keyboard player Dudu Viana. Featuring the late Azymuth keyboard maestro Jose Roberto Bertami on Fender Rhodes, the title track “Tempos Futuros” was originally recorded as a demo in 1995. On this finished version, Alex Malheiros used Bertami’s original keyboard take, explaining the posthumous release.

Two classic sides from the Michigan soul singer
with a stash of soul goodies in his repertoire.
 The original pressing of ‘What Good Am I Without
You’ from 1967 on Jacklyn Records goes for just
over £200 and one listen explains why.
 Featuring an emotional, heart-wrenching vocal
soaked with flying strings over an impulsive
rhythm, it’s a lovelorn anthem; an emotional
rollercoaster.
 Backed with ‘That Certain Little Something’ from
the Groovy label 12 months earlier.
 A funky guitar-led scorcher with a bluesy brass
break and a spin and drop chorus aided by a
rampaging drummer.
 Two must-have sides from Fletcher, a child
prodigy, who found success in Chicago in the mid-
1960s which led to shows with Stevie Wonder and
BB King, among others.

In March 2020 Elton was forced to pause his record breaking Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour due to the unfolding COVID pandemic. As the world began to shut down, different projects presented themselves with artists Elton had enjoyed getting to know through his Apple Music show Rocket Hour. This was the beginning of one of Elton's boldest and most interesting records to date that he has billed ‘The Lockdown Sessions’. This album saw Elton coming full circle and returning to his roots as a session musician. While it was no easy feat recording during a pandemic, a completely new way of working for Elton, he leaned into the challenge with some magnificent results.

Kicking off with current single ‘Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)’with Dua Lipa, the album takes the listener on a heady journey through many different genres, all held together with expert finesse and understanding by one of the greatest champions of music of our time. Much more than a mere collaboration album, ‘The Lockdown Sessions’ is a dazzlingly diverse collection of 16 tracks with 10 brand new unreleased tracks that celebrates togetherness and sees Elton collaborating with an unparalleled range of artists only he could draw together. The enduring influence of his musical milestone with one of the most ambitious projects ever conceived. An unprecedented 20+ artists feature spanning an unbelievably vast range of genres, generations, cultures, continents and more, each contributing a unique style to the album that is sure to hold its place amongst one of pop and rock’s greatest songbooks. ‘The Lockdown Sessions’ sees Elton collaborate with GRAMMY Award winning producer Andrew Watt on five of the tracks.

In Elton’s words: “The last thing I expected to do during lockdown was make an album. But, as the pandemic went on, one‐off projects kept cropping up. Some of the recording sessions had to be done remotely, via Zoom, which I’d obviously never done before. Some of the sessions were recorded under very stringent safety regulations: working with another artist, but separated by glass screens. But all the tracks I worked on were really interesting and diverse, stuff that was completely different to anything I’m known for, stuff that took me out of my comfort zone into completely new territory. And I realised there was something weirdly familiar about working like this. At the start of my career, in the late 60s, I worked as a session musician. Working with different artists during lockdown reminded me of that. I’d come full circle: I was a session musician again. And it was still a blast.”

An unparalleled career that has forever changed the cultural landscape, Elton John’s collaborations with Bernie Taupin and others continue to shape the cultural landscape, break records, top charts and win new fans across the generations. We’ve had the book, the film, the farewell tour, the fashion collections and the greatest hits. And now with ‘The Lockdown Sessions’ available on digital formats, fans can enter Elton’s new world which is no doubt another fitting addition to his oeuvre.

Motown Collected brings together the biggest names in the rich history of this legendary label. From very early singles to the artists that made Motown a household name for decades to come and the cross-over pop success of the late 70’s and 80’s. Featuring legendary artists like Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, Jackson Five, Smokey Robinson and The Commodores, as well as gems from the likes of Marv Johnson, Barrett Strong, The Marvelettes and Tom Clay and pop superstars Rick James, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Lionel Richie and Debarge: just a selection of the 33 incredible tracks featured on Motown Collected.

The documentary Hitsville: The Making Of Motown’, featuring Motown founder Berry Gordy and many of this artists, will premiere in cinemas across Europe this summer as well.






RELEASE: 23-7-2021

MOV proudly presents new Collected compilation albums in collaboration with Universal Music. Motown Collected is the first one, available as a limited edition of 3000 numbered copies on white vinyl. It includes an insert with photos and credits.

’Angelo lost his shit over it. Aaliyah’s 3rd favourite track of all time is on it. David Bowie rocked up with it to a TV interview, declaring it “the most exciting sound of contemporary soul music”.

In 1996, Lewis Taylor released his self-titled masterpiece. A true modern classic, it’s an album that was years ahead of its time. Forget 25 years ago, it could easily have been made in 2021. An effortless blend of neo-soul, sophisticated pop, smart grooves and laid-back white funk, it enjoyed rapturous reviews from critics and music legends alike. But the album never managed to make an impact and given what was likely a token vinyl release at the time, the original records have long since been near-impossible to find. Lewis Taylor’s Lewis Taylor remains a holy relic for some and criminally unknown to most.

Lewis Taylor’s impeccable influences created a dazzling sonic palette: the LP as a whole suggests the visionary brilliance of Prince; the vocal stylings evoke the yearning power of Marvin Gaye; the effortless guitar playing shares the virtuosity of Jimi Hendrix; the haunting tones conjure Tricky; the innovative production and engineering invite comparisons to studio mavericks like Todd Rundgren and Brian Eno; the multi-layered, complex harmonies flash on Pet Sounds-era Brian Wilson; the dark, drama is reminiscent of both Scott Walker and Stevie Wonder; the complex arrangements create textures and moods with the feel of Shuggie Otis on Inspiration Information; the bold experimentation is akin to progressive artists like Faust and Tangerine Dream; the atmosphere is in conversation with Jeff Buckley’s Grace… and we could go on. That might all sound like marketing hyperbole, but not as far as Be With is concerned. It is a genuine wonder how an album this good could’ve passed so many people by.

But despite all the reference points, the similarities are really only skin-deep because the album sounds truly original. It occupies its own distinct, strange universe that feels dark and brooding one moment, bright and joyous the next. Ultimately, Taylor sounds like Taylor.

Although you wouldn’t know it from the credits, the album wasn’t the work of Lewis alone. Sabina Smyth gets an executive producer credit on the original sleeve, but in fact she worked with Lewis on the production and arrangements, did a lot of the backing vocals and she co-wrote Track, Song, Lucky and Damn with Lewis.

Lewis clarified all this in a Soul Jones interview with Dan Dodds in 2016. He explains how not giving Sabina the credit she was due at the time was an unfortunate consequence of where his head was at and he’s now trying to set the record straight.

Together they created an exquisite and sensually-charged record, with a freshness to the writing that makes the songs catchy, melodic-yet-deep and sometimes even funky. The music is predominantly guitar-led and a mixture of organs and synths, live drum loops and electronic percussion make for a sort of modern soul backing orchestra.

On the surface the album is gorgeously laidback, but beneath the lush, sometimes slick, production there’s a murkiness in the seriously gritty funk/hip-hop instrumentation. Lewis Taylor can be a claustrophobic listen. Even its one-word, often seemingly throw-away track titles add to the sense of unease. In its most positive moments, there’s still a sense that things aren’t quite right. The magic comes from this compelling tension.

The languid, strutting “Lucky” is a sensational opening statement. Sinuous electric guitar winds around the shaking percussion with a killer bass line rattling your bones, and Lewis’s voice is sublime. Its six-and-a-half unhurried minutes manage to distill the work of Marvin, Al Green and Bobby Womack because yes, it’s *that* good. Up next is the tough, dusty drum and jazzy, unsettling psych-guitar workout of “Bittersweet”. Aaliyah described it the “perfect song”, which says it all. By turns loping and soaring, tightly coiled and blasting free, 25 years on its discordant, swaggering majesty still sounds like future R&B.

The swinging, blue-eyed funk of “Whoever” oozes sophisticated sunshine soul for hazy days before “Track” sweeps in. The music tries to lift us up, beyond the reach of the vocals trying to drag us back down as Taylor sings “my mood is black as the darkest cloud”. The spare, dubby electro-soul of “Song” closes out the first half of the album with barely contained dread as it creeps towards the lush, synth-heavy coda.

The smouldering “Betterlove” eases us into the second half, coming on like a languorous response to the call of “Brown Sugar”, before sliding into the shuffling, softly-rocking “How”. Somehow the remarkable “Right” manages to both warm things up and smooth things out even more. Taut yet luxurious, it’s definitely not wrong.

“Damn” was to have been the album’s title track and you might also be able to hear its influence on D’Angelo’s Voodoo, maybe most obviously in the chaotic closing moments of “Untitled (How Does It Feel)”. Building to a screeching wall of noise that suddenly cuts dead, “Damn” sounds like the natural end to the album, with the celestial a cappella “Spirit” serving as a heavenly reprise.

When it came to the sleeve, art director Cally Callomon heard Taylor’s music as “sideways off-camera glances at a plethora of influences he had” and wanted to interpret that visually: “I went off into night-time London to see if I could find his song titles in off-beam low-fidelity photographs. I even found a shop called Lewis Taylor”. With a slide for each of the album’s ten tracks, nine of them are on the inner sleeve and the slide for “Damn” makes the front cover. It should’ve been the album’s title, but concerns over distribution in the US scuppered this.

One of UK soul’s most fascinating artists, Andrew Lewis Taylor is an enigmatic figure and a hugely under-appreciated talent. A prodigious multi-instrumentalist who got his start touring with heavy blues/psych outfit the Edgar Broughton Band, he released two albums of psychedelic-rock as Sheriff Jack before Island signed him on the strength of a demo alone. But Taylor was destined to be one of those artists unable (or unwilling) to be pigeonholed and despite the best efforts of Island’s publicity department the music never sold in the quantities it needed to or deserved to. Island eventually let him go in the early 2000s and in June 2006, Lewis Taylor retired from music.

Typical for the mid-90s, this CD-length album was squeezed onto a single LP for its original vinyl release. Simon Francis’s fresh vinyl mastering now spreads out the ten tracks over a double LP so nothing is compromised. And as usual, the records have been cut by Pete Norman and pressed at Record Industry. The original artwork has been restored at Be With HQ and subtly re-worked to work as a double.

This sprawling psychedelic soul opus really is a forgotten should-be-classic. We know that there are those of you who know, and as for the rest of you, we’re a bit jealous that you’re getting to hear Lewis Taylor for the first time.

With a style from decades before her time and a voice for the ages, Andra Day creates what she calls "retro-pop-soul" music. "It's a blend of jazz, soul, doo-wop, plus a little bit of rock and a little bit of hip-hop as the underbelly," she says.

As comfortable as she is with contemporary R&B, it is the emotions and voices of Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu that call to Andra the loudest. Originally released on CD in 2016

2023 Repress

This latest limited 7" from Mr. K features two incomparable baroque soul masterworks, one from a Chicago-based band that defied categorization and the other a deep cut from a living legend songwriter and performer.

The psychedelic soul of Rotary Connection’s “I Am the Black Gold of the Sun” still sounds revolutionary and unlike anything else, a full fifty years after it was originally released in 1971. Swathed in ethereal ripples of strings (courtesy the Chicago Symphony Orchestra) innovatively arranged by unsung genius Charles Stepney, and rooted in a rock solid foundation provided by the cream of Chicago’s cutting edge session musicians (among them guitarist Phil Upchurch and drummer Morris Jennings, veterans of countless soul jazz cuts), “Black Gold” sits in uncharted territory somewhere between soul, rock, jazz and classical chamber music. It’s a gorgeous territory, a fantasy land where Minnie Riperton and Sidney Barnes’s vocals transmit mystical, uplifting vibes, the entire affair anchored throughout by an addictive piano riff—a mixture that proved irresistible to Masters at Work, who covered it for their Nuyorican Soul project in 1997. Mr. K’s edit doesn’t try to force anything fancy on this masterpiece, simply tightening it up and taking advantage of the lush remastering to present this progressive classic on 45 for the first time.

In keeping with the orchestral soul mood, Mr. K turns to Stevie Wonder’s “Pastime Paradise” for the flip. Whereas “Black Gold” paints a portrait of a magical land, Stevie’s lyrics on “Pastime Paradise,” originally issued in 1976, are a penetrating look at the very earthbound concerns of modern society and its follies, an urgent message to look ahead rather than languish in dreams of the past. The sensitive string accompaniment provides just the right amount of gravitas and emphasis to Stevie’s voice without overwhelming it, while the hare krishna-inspired tambourine keeps the rhythm effectively. Mr. K’s edit again keeps things true to the original, simply providing a subtle intro that uses the tambourine rhythm to lead into the body of the song.

Psychedelic Percussion definitely sticks to his title. With the help from Paul Beaver of Beaver & Krause (famous keyboard wizard and sound engineer for the likes of Stevie Wonder), vibe master Emil Richards (check is two fantastic album on Impulse! with The Microtonal Blues Band featuring Joe Porcaro, father of the famed Toto brothers) and Gary Coleman (percussionist in the famous Wrecking Crew), Blaine goes wild in the studio with drums, gong, xylophone, organ, bongos, congas and timpani. Unusual textures and tones lead the way to 12 instrumental exotic numbers similar in a way to Raymond Scott most visionary experiments. This is pure madness, a record full of breaks and still unsurpassed in many ways. Blaine was an American drummer and session musician, estimated to be among the most recorded studio drummers in the history of the music industry, claiming over 35,000 sessions and 6,000 singles. His drumming is featured on 150 US top 10 hits, 40 of which went to number one, as well as many film and television soundtracks. He became one of the regular players in Phil Spector's de facto house band, which Blaine nicknamed "the Wrecking Crew". Some of the records Blaine played on include the Ronettes' single "Be My Baby" (1963), which contained a drum beat that became widely imitated, as well as works by popular artists such as Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, the Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel, the Carpenters, Neil Diamond and the Byrds.

This definitive rare groove was first released in 1978 but the unique US 7” version from 1980 has not been reissued for over 40 years and has been impossible to find. It sounds how It was originally pressed and is coupled with an extended version of the ultra-rare ‘RED 3’ mix released in the UK on Grapevine, the Richard Searling/John Anderson label that preceded Expansion “Give Me The Sunshine” was composed by Johnny Simone at the time he was working with Stevie Wonder at Motown. Others in the group were Kenny Stover and Alvin Few, all three of them born under the ‘Leo’ star sign. Kenny worked as a songwriter at Motown and lived in the same house as Marvin Gaye at the time “What’s Going On” became an idea. He co-wrote “Inner City Blues” but was only credited much later. The original “I’m Back For More” included here has equal standing in the soul world too, the song later reaching new heights when covered by Al Johnson featuring Jean Carn. Both songs come from the album “We Need Each Other”, long associated with Expansion Records. The two songs featured here first appeared on Expansion 12” in 1986, the launch year of the label which in 2021 celebrates it’s 35th Anniversary.

All killers and no fillers on this fabulous 1969 Motown masperpiece.

It is a shame that Jimmy lived in the shadow of those other Motown singers such as Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. It really is one of Motown's best albums!

- Rare 1987 Detroit experimental Funk/Soul album - Solo album by Tony Newton (Motown, Funk Brothers) - First ever vinyl reissue - 180g Black Vinyl Edition - Limited to 500 copies // Antonio L. Newton AKA Tony Newton (born 1948) is a multi-instrumentalist from Detroit, MI who began his professional career at the age of thirteen, playing bass guitar with blues legends like John Lee Hooker and T-Bone Walker. Discovered by Motown executive Hank Cosby while playing the Detroit blues circuit at the age of 18, he became the touring bassist with Smokey Robinson and the Miracles on the famed 1965 European 'Motown Review' tour. Within two years, Newton became the Miracles' musical director. Tony Newton also toured and recorded with other Motown artists such as The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Jackson 5_and countless others. Earning the nickname "the Baby Funk Brother" he left his trademark of solid, hard-driving and deftly clever grooves on such timeless hits as "Where Did Our Love Go," "Baby Love," "Stop In The Name Of Love," "Nowhere to Run," "ABC," "Never Can Say Goodbye," "Don't Leave Me This Way," and many others. Next to his impressive body of work for Motown, Newton can be heard on several hit singles from labels like Invictus-Hotwax and Stax. Later, Newton gained recognition as a member of both the acclaimed jazz-rock fusion group: The New Tony Williams Lifetime (headed by Miles Davis' drummer Tony Williams) and the British hard rock group: G-Force (with veteran guitarist Gary Moore). Tony Newton also recorded several solo albums during his impressive career, including the two total classics: 'Mysticism & Romance' (1978) and 'Novaphonia' (1987). On the album, we are presenting you today (Novaphonia from 1987) the listener is treated to something UNIQUE (and this is not an overstatement). Newton really puts the 'multi' into multi-instrumentalist, playing the synthesizers, the electric bass and the drum machine. Experimental is the keyword here, sounds vary from psych/trance (almost like a soundtrack from a space movie), to funk, fusion, rock, R&B, soul and jazz. Novaphonia has both elements of Tony Newton's impressive musical past and his vision for the future. Spacious synths, unusual instruments and an all-around cosmic approach make this an 'out of this world' and VERY intriguing album. Resonant, sonically rich, sonorous, colorful, mind-expanding sounds are what one should expect from the 20th century Novaphonic sound developed to its greatest extent. These harmonies are innately pleasing to the human ear, mind and nervous system.

Mitch Davis is a Canadian songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Dedicated to a DIY ethos throughout his music career, Davis has used the pandemic year of 2020 to get started with new projects, reinventing his sound in the vein of classic multi-instrumentalists such as Stevie Wonder, Todd Rundgren, Sly Stone, and Paul McCartney. Bear The Cold, his debut 7", features two cuts locked down by bass, uplifted by sax, driven by drums, and sweetened with rhodes, clavinet, piano, synth - all while feeling glued, natural and whole.

Antonio L. Newton AKA Tony Newton (born 1948) is a multi-instrumentalist from Detroit, MI who began his professional career at the age of thirteen, playing bass guitar with blues legends like John Lee Hooker and T-Bone Walker. Discovered by Motown executive Hank Cosby while playing the Detroit blues circuit at the age of 18, he became the touring bassist with Smokey Robinson and the Miracles on the famed 1965 European ‘Motown Review’ tour. Within two years, Newton became the Miracles’ musical director.

Tony Newton also toured and recorded with other Motown artists such as The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Jackson 5…and countless others. Earning the nickname “the Baby Funk Brother” he left his trademark of solid, hard-driving and deftly clever grooves on such timeless hits as “Where Did Our Love Go,” “Baby Love,” “Stop In The Name Of Love,” “Nowhere to Run,” “ABC,” “Never Can Say Goodbye,” “Don’t Leave Me This Way,” and many others. Next to his impressive body of work for Motown, Newton can be heard on several hit singles from labels like Invictus-Hotwax and Stax. Later, Newton gained recognition as a member of both the acclaimed jazz-rock fusion group: The New Tony Williams Lifetime (headed by Miles Davis’ drummer Tony Williams) and the British hard rock group: G-Force (with veteran guitarist Gary Moore).

Tony Newton also recorded several solo albums during his impressive career, including the two total classics: ‘Mysticism & Romance’ (1978) and ‘Novaphonia’ (1987).

On the album, we are presenting you today (Novaphonia from 1987) the listener is treated to something UNIQUE (and this is not an overstatement). Newton really puts the ‘multi’ into multi-instrumentalist, playing the synthesizers, the electric bass and the drum machine. Experimental is the keyword here, sounds vary from psych/trance (almost like a soundtrack from a space movie), to funk, fusion, rock, R&B, soul and jazz. Novaphonia has both elements of Tony Newton’s impressive musical past and his vision for the future.

Spacious synths, unusual instruments and an all-around cosmic approach make this an ‘out of this world’ and VERY intriguing album. Resonant, sonically rich, sonorous, colorful, mind-expanding sounds are what one should expect from the 20th century Novaphonic sound developed to its greatest extent. These harmonies are innately pleasing to the human ear, mind and nervous system.

Explore new musical frontiers intended to catapult the listener towards new dimensions…this is an album that just begs for a special place in your record collection!

Tidal Waves Music now proudly presents the first-ever vinyl reissue of ‘Novaphonia’ since its release in 1987. This rare & private-pressed album (original copies tend to go for large amounts on the secondary market) is now finally back available as a limited 180g vinyl edition (500 copies) complete with the original artwork.

Well known for his tight, aggressively grooving brand of rhythm playing, whether in the service of the Grammy Award-winning band Snarky Puppy, the Fearless Flyers or on his six solo albums, guitarist Mark Lettieri has found the perfect algorithm for the funk.
Merging the influences of ‘70s and ‘80s rhythm and rock guitar icons like Prince and Eddie Van Halen, along with inspiration from George Clinton and P-Funk, Chuckii Booker, Periphery, Stevie Wonder, Steely Dan, and others. This Fort Worth, Texas resident has been insinuating his razor-sharp licks into the consciousness of funkateers since joining Snarky Puppy in 2008. Created during the pandemic, ‘Deep: The Baritone Sessions Vol. 2’ is a triumph of ingenuity built upon Lettieri’s life-long love of funk and rock and showcases the breadth and depth of Lettieri’s nasty, low-end brand of funk.
The guitarist’s Fearless Flyers bandmate, drummer Nate Smith, is also onboard for this cavalcade of groove, along with Bobby Sparks, Justin Stanton and such guests as vocal sensation Jacob Collier, former Prince drummer TaRon Lockett, Rascal Flatts pedal steel guitarist Travis Toy, French harmonica ace Frédéric Yonnet, Lettuce and former John Scofield drummer Adam Deitch, Ghost-Note drummer Robert “Sput” Searight, Snarky Puppy keyboardist Shaun Martin, tenor saxophonist Keith Anderson, and special guest guitar soloist Steve Lukather.

This is a new release of the Groove Diggers series, the only work released in 1977 by 8-members funka soul band "Moonpie" based in Nashville, USA. Aused to be known as just collectors items but you can listen to high quality sound with skillful performance and various arrangements from this record. The cover take of "Stevie Wonder / Sunshine Of My Life" is really awesome.

The latest from Mr. K and Most Excellent Unlimited pairs lowdown and stomping disco from an unlikely source with a funked-out floorfiller from some very familiar voices.

Minnie Riperton’s 1977 single “Stick Together” was an outlier in her catalog of smooth modern soul, an intentional nod in the direction of the prevailing disco sound. Co-written with Stevie Wonder, “Stick Together” in its original single release was divided into two parts, the first a fairly conventional uptempo cut with all the catchy qualities you’d expect from Stevie and the husband and wife team of Richard Rudolph and Minnie. It was the second half of the song that caught the ears of DJs who played for funkier dancefloors, however. Freddie Perren, a former member of Motown’s legendary Corporation collective of songwriters and producers, and a man then red-hot off his success with Tavares’ “Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel” and the Sylvers’ “Boogie Fever,” was on production duties, and the song clearly benefits from his disco-friendly touch. In Mr. K’s epic edit we are treated to a lengthy exploration of the second part of “Stick Together,” featuring keyboardist Sonny Burke (veteran of Marvin Gaye’s band and fresh from playing on Candi Staton’s disco smash “Young Hearts Run Free”) working out an irresistible Jingo-esque piano part, Riperton’s sensual ad-libs, and, as if that wasn’t enough, a cameo appearance by Pam Grier on finger snaps! Krivit’s 8-minute-plus edit passes way too quickly to get enough of the hypnotic groove — rewinds are called for!

Our flip side, “Body Language,” originated as an album cut on the Jackson Five’s last album of original material for Motown, Moving Violation, recorded before Jermaine left to go solo and the remaining brothers joined Epic Records in a new incarnation as the Jacksons. For such an obvious heater it’s puzzling why the label never released it as a single; but regardless of that apparent misstep, “Body Language” has long been a sure shot in many DJs’ bags. With his new edit, Mr. K presents the track in its ultimate form, loud, remastered, stretched out and rippling with energy over a full six minutes. With an iconic bass line that just doesn’t quit, and Michael and the boys in fine form, it’s impossible to imagine a situation where this wouldn’t set the room on fire.

Das Broken Heart Syndrom ist keine erfundene Störung. Das Phänomen hat einen Namen: Tako Tsubo (oder "Krakenfalle" auf Japanisch). Es ist eine Erschütterung der Sinne, ein emotionaler Burnout... Es schwächt die Hauptpumpkammer des Herzens, ausgelöst durch intensiven emotionalen Stress: ein Erdbeben oder eine Naturkatastrophe oder etwas weniger (buchstäblich) Erderschütterndes wie der Verlust eines geliebten Menschen oder die Angst, die man empfindet, wenn man von einem Liebhaber verschmäht wird. Die moderne Wissenschaft hat noch kein Heilmittel gefunden. Tako Tsubo ist ein Trennungsalbum, und "Mataharis" romantische Ader, basierend auf der Idee einer idealisierten Heldin - ist einer mehr in der Realität verankerten Landschaft gewichen. L'Impératrice haben sicherlich ihre Vorliebe für Dance, Groove auf einem virtuosen Bass, Vintage-Synthies und glitzernde Melodien behalten. Aber sie haben sich die Freiheit gegeben, andere Länder zu erkunden, zur Seite zu treten. Was die Eleganz der Produktion angeht, so haben sich L'Impératrice wieder mit Renaud Letang (Jarvis Cocker, Liane La Havas, Feist) zusammengetan, wobei der mächtige Neal Pogue (Outkast, Stevie Wonder, Tyler the Creator) sein Können beim Mixing beisteuerte. Vielleicht am überraschendsten ist die tiefe Erkundung der Wege des Herzens, und insbesondere der linken Herzkammer. Ambivalente Liebe, Euphorie, Kummer und Wahnsinn: so viele Symptome, die zusammengenommen auf eine schlechte Dosis Tako Tsubo hindeuten. Es ist ein Syndrom, das das Herz beschädigt zurücklässt, überflutet, angeschwollen. Und lebendiger denn je.

BACK IN 2001, when Detroit exploded all over the airwaves, the Dirtbombs’ released this album.. it flew out.. and here it is again on glorious vinyl format. Mick Collins and his merry band of Dirtbombs (which, this time around, features Bantam Rooster's Tom Potter and Detroit studio wiz Jim Diamond) bring the soul on their sophomore album Ultraglide In Black, named after Ultraglide in Blue, a cool late-nite flick from your youth. All the influences that helped shaped his sonic psyche are in the forefront here - Sly & the Family Stone, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder, Parliament, the Miracles and host of others too obscure to mention all have their presence felt. If the Temptations owned fuzz pedals and read too many comic books they might've sounded something like this. There are a lot of young bands claiming to be creating "soul" music and "testifying" (we won't name names) but this here is the authentic item - accept no substitutes. "The Dirtbombs' combination of squealing feedback-driven guitar, dual drumming and walloping bass presence rivals that of the Velvet Underground. Imagine the Velvets, Gories and Oblivians battling to the death inside a tuna fish can, their raw and ultra crude instrumentation blazing away with hell-bent fury. Led by Mick Collins (who spent time fronting the Gories and the rockabilly grunge outfit Blacktop), the Dirtbombs' distinctive Motown howl and wicked axe slingin' escapades shred like one of Dolemite's rapid-fire, X-rated monologues.… Collins executes some snarling, self-professed "cyclone" guitar riffs underneath the stomping, mummified mayhem. These Detroit cavemen have found their place in a fuzz-drenched, garage band sound reminiscent of Question Mark and the Mysterians fused with the sonic annihilation of the Stooges." -Tucson Weekly
Every shop /home NEEDS THIS ALBUM.

Doing everything they can to pull you out of that groundhog day slump, House of Disco draft in Sound Support, a new project from Dam Swindle’s Lars Dales and long-time collaborator Lorenz Rhode, to work their wonders.

‘Clavi On The Rocks’ is all about the keys. From the emotive chords to the goosebump-giving basslines and Stevie-in-space clavinet mastery, it’s an electro-boogie whirlwind sure to give a hyperboost to any misfiring start to the year.

Next up, ‘Thesaurus Sex’ is some serious sci-fi through your hi-fi, melding punchy bass synths with funked-out stabs, soaring synthwork and a roaming-robo vox.

Piloting over to the B side, ‘Super Elevation’ hits with modulating acidic arps, hard-hitting bass rumbles and galactic melodies before taking you into another dimension with the kind of eyes closed, classic pianos that will reignite the optimism in any wavering heart.

Closing it out, ‘Enduro’ has Sound Support laying vintage loops under buzzed-out basslines and that sure-fire clav goodness, over-driven into the high heavens. Add in a healthy dose of echoing keys, fizzing toplines and space echo claps and it’s closer of epic proportions.

This is the latest album by UK hip hop artist, Uncle Mic Nitro. Following releases as a member of Dark Craftsmen, Ill Psychosis, The Bomb Factory & The Pick Pockets, he released his first solo album, Mind State Krakatoa, for B-Line Recordings in 2016.

B-Line are a highly respectable UK hip hop label run by DJ Specifik and have released a number of 7” singles, 12” singles, EP’s and albums from the likes of Whirlwind D, Sir Beans OBR, Chrome & Illinspired, Def Defiance, Heavy Links, Carpetface, etc.

Hip Hop Be Bop Records started with a release by US hip hop veteran and member of Fantasy 3, Silver Fox. This was followed with singles by Sugar Bear, best known for his 89 hit “Don’t Scandalize Mine”, Unique (“Axe Maniac”), newcomers 05:21 and Bla.Ze plus a previously unreleased album by UK hip hop veterans, Outlaw Posse (“My Afro’s On Fire Vol. 2”).

B-Line and Hip Hop Be Bop have now teamed up to release “Vincent On Horseback” by Uncle Mic Nitro. The album is pressed on neon yellow vinyl and comes with a cut-out face mask. Production is by Ollie Knight, Ryan Mac, Featurecast, Djar One, Speaks, Djar One, etc and featured artists include DJ Krash Slaughta, DJ Jabbathakut, DJ Tones, Micall Parknsun, Joe Burn, Specifik, Juga-naut, Klashnekoff, Greg Blackman and Ced Gee from Ultramagnetic MC’s.

Highlights include ‘Lemonade’ (Video link below), ‘Where The Monster Is’ and ‘Write’ which samples Stevie Wonder’s ‘Do I Do’ (Shhhh!) and features the vocal talents of Greg Blackman. This is definitely one for the summer.

Columbus, Ohio’s Rudolph Johnson drew comparisons to John Coltrane during his career; like the jazz legend in his later years, Johnson eschewed drugs or alcohol and spent his time every day either meditating and rehearsing on his horn. You can definitely hear
a little bit of Coltrane in Johnson’s playing on this, his 1971 debut release for the Black Jazz label, the first of two he recorded for the
imprint and the first he recorded as a leader after some sideman work (most notably for organist Jimmy McGriff); his ability to explore the upper registers and overtones of his tenor sax while retaining control is quite striking. Of course, this being a Black Jazz release, along with the bebop sounds of “Sylvia Ann” and the mid-‘60s Blue Note stylings of “Sylvia Ann,” there’s the soul jazz of “Diswa” and the groove funk of “Devon Jean,” all played by, as is typical on Black Jazz releases, by top-notch sidemen including drummer Raymond Pounds, who’s layed
with everybody from Stevie Wonder to Pharoah Sanders to Bob Dylan, and pianist John Barnes, whose work is very familiar to Motown fans (Supremes, Temptations, Marvin Gaye). Bassist Reggie Jackson, who appeared on the Walter Bishop, Jr. Coral Keys record we previously released, rounds out the quartet. First vinyl reissue of another stellar Black Jazz release!

Flute, congas, bass, drums, guitar and clavinet; this unconventional arrangement of instruments intertwine to form the debut album by Badge Époque Ensemble - a group of creative improvisers assembled to perform new, largely instrumental compositions by Maximilian ‘Twig’ Turnbull(formerly Slim Twig - DFA Records).

Badge employs an eclectic cast of characters from the Toronto underground music scene, whose combined experience would take pages to spell out. It includes stints accompanying songwriters Andy Shauf and Marker Starling, outfitting heavies Blood Ceremony and Biblical, and respective careers spent gigging Django-jazz and the classical cannon.

Badge’s distinctive sound arises from the diversity of these musical exploits, creating a palpable chemistry well captured on the live-tracked songs that form the group’s self-titled debut. Part of this crucial chemistry can be attributed to the fact that four of the six players in the Ensemble have been at the core of the live, U.S. Girls band, a group that has scorched stages internationally over the past year and was hailed by Paste magazine as the best live band of 2018. While it may call to mind an improbable collision between psych-era Stevie Wonder and the whimsically dark, Fantastic Planet score, it is clear we are operating in a post Wu-Tang paradigm. If a crate of library, tropicalia, prog and electric jazz records were flattened into a single 12” and then fed into a sampler, we might approximate the process.

In March of 2020 bassist Dezron Douglas & harpist Brandee Younger were nestled in their apartment in Harlem, New York, not long after every live concert in the world was cancelled and most folks in the United States were forced to shelter in place for the covid lockdown. With all their gigs cancelled and their incomes strapped.. the two came up with an idea. They would host a live-stream performance from their living room, where they would perform classic tunes for friends and family to watch online, and folks could send them donations. They called it “Force Majeure: Brunch in the Crib with Brandee & Dezron,” the first part in homage to the ubiquitous contract clause that never seems to have any use (except all of sudden, c/o a covid-induced live music industry collapse). The immense popularity of their first performance roped them into doing it again, and again, until it eventually became a weekly ritual for Douglas, Younger, and their many friends and family who tuned in every Friday morning (ourselves included). Knowing the beautiful, natural sound they made in their living room would be as enjoyable (or more) as a record as it was through a social media stream… we mailed them a microphone to record themselves. What’s heard on this album, Force Majeure, is a collection of highlights from Douglas & Younger’s legendary lockdown livestream brunch sessions. It includes gorgeous interpretations of songs by Alice & John Coltrane, The Stylistics, The Jackson 5, Pharoah Sanders, Kate Bush, Sting, and The Carpenters… plus some solid gold nuggets of their banter between tunes. It’s an uplifting suite of real, soulful comfort music – a spiritual salve, emanating warmth from the hearth of a Harlem sanctuary.

Dezron Douglas & Brandee Younger are long time companions in life and in music. The two East Coast natives met early in life and have accompanied each other, personally and professionally, through their equally prolific careers. Douglas, a bassist who has established himself as a musician’s musician, is known to many for his work with Pharoah Sanders, Ravi Coltrane, David Murray, and Keyon Harold. Younger, a harpist who has distinguished herself as one of the premiere voices in her field, is known for her work with Jack DeJohnette, Charlie Haden, Stevie Wonder, The Roots, Lauryn Hill, and Moses Sumney. To the day Douglas and Younger often accompany each other in many of the ensembles they lead, respectively. The two played together in sessions for Makaya McCraven’s 2018 release Universal Beings, on which they are both featured artists. Of Force Majeure, McCraven says: “It’s a testament to the power of music to uplift us through the most challenging times.

Big Crown Records is proud to present Ekundayo, Liam Bailey’s debut record on the label. This album is a long time in the making, and after listening, clearly worth the wait. It didn’t take a long time to record, but it did take years for all the stars to line up.

Bailey, born and raised in Nottingham, England, the son of an English mother and Jamaican father got his early influences from his mom’s record collection. Bob Marley and Dillinger, Stevie Wonder and The Supremes, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix would eventually shape the singer/songwriter we know today.
Fast-forward to 2005, Liam is in London and doing the whatever-gig-you-can-get musician hustle with hopes of landing a record deal. And it was through this time that Liam first teamed up with Leon Michels, musician / producer luminary, and the co-founder of Brooklyn's own Big Crown Records. Liam flew out to New York and those first sessions together produced the now classic tunes “When Will They Learn” and “I’m Gonna Miss You” which still get spins at reggae spots around the globe. That trip helped kick off what was to follow next for Liam: a slew of record releases, label deals, and working with some wildly-notable mainstream producers. Even a just-famous Amy Winehouse heard one of Liam's apartment-made, lo-fi recordings through a friend and liked what she heard. Regardless of the audio quality, Liam's particular sound shone through—all guitar, warm-rough and genuine soul. She signed him to her label shortly after.

But, as the story can go with major labels, they already had an idea of the Liam they wanted to make, promote, and push. With the typical pay-day enticement, Liam did his best to fit into whatever shape they put him to. "'Maybe I can make it work,' that's what you're thinking," Liam remembers, "but, you quickly find out that you can't."

While Liam’s career went through a bunch of record industry twists and turns he and Michels stayed in touch and would regularly connect and collaborate. Finally, in 2019, the time was right to do a full-length album together. And this time, it would be free of any restricting major label presumptions and opinions. "This is the record we always wanted to make," says Michels. Set to release in November 2020, the album is called Ekundayo. And the word's meaning may be all you need to know to get to the essence of this project. It means "sorrow becomes joy" in Yoruba, a language spoken mostly in Western Africa. On the surface, Ekundayo is a weighty Reggae record, full of new and old textured riddims. But listen more in-depth, and you'll find subject matter that's more recognizable from a modern-day R&B record. An example of the former is the first single off the album. Sung to the most beautiful woman at the nightspot, "Champion" is a joyous anthem powered by a silly-thick Juno-bass throb and 808-proof drums. In short, "Champion" is dancehall-ready. But then there's a song like "Don't Blame NY." Moody and sparse with a somber drive, you might have to resist the urge to compare it to a Frank Ocean-ish type vibe. Liam's voice is in a different but fitting element here, showing stripped-back emotion and soulful restraint. Anyone who has lived and tried to thrive in New York won't have a hard time relating to the lyrics but they may join the masses who blame the city, while Liam points the finger at himself and sings praises to The Big Apple.

Credit to Leon's hand, elements of Jamaican production are everywhere, peppered throughout the record. Like the pitch-perfect organ stabs that push through the authentically positive "White Light," or the muted, percussive guitar strums that chug along in the back of "Fight." In the same vein of any fantastic singer/songwriter album, Ekundayo is a reflection of who Liam Bailey is, taking on topics and approaches he never would think of just a few years ago. Some evidence: "Ugly Truth" is about reconnecting with his biological father, a subject he once thought would be too personal to address. The journey from conforming to major labels to this latest record has been a long one for Liam, and a bit of a struggle. But struggle may be the only way we truly grow and evolve. With a new clarity of purpose, sound, and life, Liam has found joy out of those struggles. And it's called Ekundayo.

Big Crown Records is proud to present Ekundayo, Liam Bailey’s debut record on the label. This album is a long time in the making, and after listening, clearly worth the wait. It didn’t take a long time to record, but it did take years for all the stars to line up.

Bailey, born and raised in Nottingham, England, the son of an English mother and Jamaican father got his early influences from his mom’s record collection. Bob Marley and Dillinger, Stevie Wonder and The Supremes, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix would eventually shape the singer/songwriter we know today.
Fast-forward to 2005, Liam is in London and doing the whatever-gig-you-can-get musician hustle with hopes of landing a record deal. And it was through this time that Liam first teamed up with Leon Michels, musician / producer luminary, and the co-founder of Brooklyn's own Big Crown Records. Liam flew out to New York and those first sessions together produced the now classic tunes “When Will They Learn” and “I’m Gonna Miss You” which still get spins at reggae spots around the globe. That trip helped kick off what was to follow next for Liam: a slew of record releases, label deals, and working with some wildly-notable mainstream producers. Even a just-famous Amy Winehouse heard one of Liam's apartment-made, lo-fi recordings through a friend and liked what she heard. Regardless of the audio quality, Liam's particular sound shone through—all guitar, warm-rough and genuine soul. She signed him to her label shortly after.

But, as the story can go with major labels, they already had an idea of the Liam they wanted to make, promote, and push. With the typical pay-day enticement, Liam did his best to fit into whatever shape they put him to. "'Maybe I can make it work,' that's what you're thinking," Liam remembers, "but, you quickly find out that you can't."

While Liam’s career went through a bunch of record industry twists and turns he and Michels stayed in touch and would regularly connect and collaborate. Finally, in 2019, the time was right to do a full-length album together. And this time, it would be free of any restricting major label presumptions and opinions. "This is the record we always wanted to make," says Michels. Set to release in November 2020, the album is called Ekundayo. And the word's meaning may be all you need to know to get to the essence of this project. It means "sorrow becomes joy" in Yoruba, a language spoken mostly in Western Africa. On the surface, Ekundayo is a weighty Reggae record, full of new and old textured riddims. But listen more in-depth, and you'll find subject matter that's more recognizable from a modern-day R&B record. An example of the former is the first single off the album. Sung to the most beautiful woman at the nightspot, "Champion" is a joyous anthem powered by a silly-thick Juno-bass throb and 808-proof drums. In short, "Champion" is dancehall-ready. But then there's a song like "Don't Blame NY." Moody and sparse with a somber drive, you might have to resist the urge to compare it to a Frank Ocean-ish type vibe. Liam's voice is in a different but fitting element here, showing stripped-back emotion and soulful restraint. Anyone who has lived and tried to thrive in New York won't have a hard time relating to the lyrics but they may join the masses who blame the city, while Liam points the finger at himself and sings praises to The Big Apple.

Credit to Leon's hand, elements of Jamaican production are everywhere, peppered throughout the record. Like the pitch-perfect organ stabs that push through the authentically positive "White Light," or the muted, percussive guitar strums that chug along in the back of "Fight." In the same vein of any fantastic singer/songwriter album, Ekundayo is a reflection of who Liam Bailey is, taking on topics and approaches he never would think of just a few years ago. Some evidence: "Ugly Truth" is about reconnecting with his biological father, a subject he once thought would be too personal to address. The journey from conforming to major labels to this latest record has been a long one for Liam, and a bit of a struggle. But struggle may be the only way we truly grow and evolve. With a new clarity of purpose, sound, and life, Liam has found joy out of those struggles. And it's called Ekundayo.

Repress

Carthago: Rare Tunisian Disco Including Unreleased Instrumentals And Eight Page Booklet When we first decided to start Habibi Funk, a label dedicated to re-releasing "funky" Arabic music from the 1960s to 1980s, a band called Dalton was the first release we worked on. Dalton was a band from the Tunisian capital of Tunis and they played a unique mix of soul & funk with an Arabic DNA. We licensed the release from the band's composer Fawzi Chekili, and when we spoke to him on the phone in preparation of the release he mentioned another band he was part of, called Carthago. Our work with Habibi Funk is like a big treasure hunt. There are too many great bands that fully vanished into obscurity and didn't leave any traces in the digital sphere yet. We are so used to the internet providing all informations we might be looking for, but Carthago was one of those bands where the internet largely failed to provide any infos despite the fact that Carthago created some incredible music in the form of an highly infectious Tunisian take on disco music. Luckily most of the members of the 1970s musical scene of Tunis are still around to tell their story.

Carthago was founded in the late 1970s as a fusion of Dalton and a second band called Marhaba Band. Both bands frequently played at hotels and night clubs in Tunis and Sousse. They had similar musical influences and despite the fact that they were competition for the most part, they came up with the idea to join forces for a new band. Musically Carthago kept on walking on the musical path of Dalton and Marhaba but incorporated disco music, a new style that was making its way to North Africa from Europe and North America. The band had quite some success on local radio and played a number of big shows with thousands of people showing up. The band's concerts were a mixture of their own compositions as well as cover versions of the hits of the time from Stevie Wonder to Chicago. At the end of the 70s they went to Paris to record their only, self titled album. For our reissue we picked out two of our favorite tracks: "Hanen" and the outstanding disco version of the Dalton track "Alech" which has proved to work on every dance floor we played over the last two years.

When I came to Tunis for the first time after the Dalton reissue I met Fawzi in person. He still lives in Tunis and still works as a full time musician though his focus has shifted more towards Jazz over the years. Luckily he did not only keep a spotless copy of the Carthago album but he also kept the master tape of the instrumental versions of the album which to this day were unreleased. Being able to add exclusive content to a reissue is something that is rare and we feel highly privileged to be able to do so. Futher more we are so happy that we will be able to add something new to the bands legacy not only musically but also visually: One day I realized that most of the releases from Tunisia I liked, be it from Dalton, Carthago or Marhaba Band had the same photographer credit.Hassen Turki started taking photos at a young age and when he was 18 he started going to the gigs of the bands of the time that were playing in the Marhaba Hotel which was managed by his father at the time. He became friends with the bands and ended up being the person to be asked when it came to shooting the photos for the covers of the records. After some research I managed to get in touch with Hassen and met him in his hometown Sousse. Luckily he kept most of the negatives of the photos he took so we're more than happy to be able to share these unseen photos with whoever is interested.

Ltd. Purple Edition

Out 18th September, ‘What It Is’ is the second LP from Brooklyn- based multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and producer Sly5thAve; his first new music since the critically acclaimed project ‘The Invisible Man: An Orchestral Tribute to Dr. Dre’. The recording had been first devised as a benefit concert in LA which was attended by Dr. Dre who took to the stage to express thanks for Sly5thAve’s arrangements. Having spent the past three years performing the project with orchestras around the world, ‘What It Is’ sees Sly5thAve retain the high-quality that fans and critics alike have come to expect from him while stepping out with something considerably different, delving deeper into the worlds of hip hop, jazz and soul. Celebrating not only his own versatile musicianship but that of his collaborators and friends, ‘What It Is’ is a collection of tracks showcasing the best of the multi-faceted musician. A sought-after collaborator himself, Sly5thAve has attained much respect from his work with a host of highly fêted musicians including; Prince (as a member of the New Power Generation Band), Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, The Dave Brubeck Quartet, Taylor Swift, Janelle Monáe, Freddie Gibbs and Quantic.

BEATCONDUCTOR strips down the STEVIE WONDER’s “SUPERSTITIOUS” to the core of moogbass & vocals. PHIL COLLINS’ “I’M NOT MOVIN” gets a Balearic rework with new rhythms and MICHAEL JACKSON’s “ROCK WITH YOU” gets the vocals stripped out to make “DUB WITH YOU". Hand stamped limited 12″.

Originally conceived by Danish beat maker KVBeats for his critically acclaimed debut producer album ""The Résumé"" (SoulSpazm 2010), the blazing Slum Village track ""We Do It"" featuring Elzhi & T3 gets officially remixed by legendary DJ Spinna and UK's own Jazz Spastiks for this limited edition 45 release. DJ Spinna has been a staple for the underground scene; handling highly praised remixes for Mary J. Blige, Michael Jackson, De La Soul, and Stevie Wonder. He collaborated with an array of lyrical giants such as Eminem, Talib Kweli, Pharaohe Monch, Mos Def, and many more throughout his career. This time the Brooklyn producer lends his signature spaced-out, genre crossing boom bap feel to the A-side of this 45, instantly taking the listener back to the great late 90's indie era. On the B-side, the Jazz Spastiks place their typical jazzy flavored sound behind this highly lyrical Slum Village track. The UK based production duo have released quality boom bap projects on a string throughout the last few years as well as re-introducing indie icon Godfather Don to the hip-hop scene in 2018 with a smashing album and two brand new singles. Both remixes are a sure treat for any 90's hip-hop follower.

2xLP: Wide Spine, pressed on Gold Nugget vinyl with spot gloss printing on cover

About:
Free Nationals are best known as Anderson Paak's live band, until now. Band members Kelsey Gonzalez (Bass), Ron "Tnava" Avant (Keyboard/ Vocoder), Callum Connor (Drums) and José Rios (Guitar) have graced the stage at Coachella, opened for performers such as Beyoncé and completed World Tours alongside J.Cole, Bruno Mars - the list continues. Paying homage to the musical legends that paved the way before them; Free Nationals means The first people of America, Indigenous to the land before Columbus came. Staying Indigenous to the funk, Free Nationals pay tribute to inspirations such as Stevie Wonder, B.B. King, Herbie Hancock and Al Green by incorporating musicianship while pioneering musical euphoria for a new generation.

We’ve worked with Ian Willson to reissue his insanely good, self-released West Coast classic “Straight From The Heart”. Privately pressed and originally released in 1985, this is the only album Ian ever put out. A magical blend of AOR/sophisticated funk/synth-boogie/spiritual jazz and modern soul, it’s a spellbinding record of many colours.

You might already know “Straight From The Heart” for the dubby-disco paranoid-balearic anthem “Four In The Morning”, and it’s easy to assume this is probably just another one of those one-track LPs. But trust us when we say it’s definitely not. This is an impressively slick record from start to finish, just ask those modern soul DJs and AOR collectors who’ve managed to find a rare copy in the last 35 years. It could’ve (should’ve?) been number 1 all over the world back in 1985.

Album opener “Think About It” is all sorts of right. It’s emotional. It’s tops-off. It’s funk in its purest form. And take the proto-modern-funk of the title track (half Dâm-Funk / half Dâd-Funk).

The shimmering, spiritual Bossa-Jazz of “If I Were You” serves as the album’s soaring centrepiece. A gorgeous suite of Cosmic vibes to get Gilles frothing, it sounds like nothing else on the record which makes sense given that it was recorded a couple of years earlier, and is the only track on the LP that wasn’t recorded in Ian’s own studio.

Side B opens with the propulsive ode to love that is “Two Is Better Than One”. Wonderfully sparse when it needs to be, it’s also richly percussive and that special kind of California-warm. Frenetic, speaker smashing synth and horn workout “Funk Invasion” dares you not to dance and “A Game Called Love” is heavily indebted to Prince with its lush, deep funk stylings. The sweeping sax-drenched instrumental “Song For Katelyn” is head-nod, beat-heavy AOR for that melancholic magic hour we spend our days longing for. It all adds up to the ultimate BBQ record.

Almost all of “Straight From The Heart” was recorded over a few months between 1983 and 1984 on Ian’s brand new Otari 8 track in the Oakland, California studio he built just the year before. Only “If I Were You” was recorded elsewhere, at Bay Sound in 1982.

A “full time poor musician” at the time (and he says he still is), Ian produced the album himself and played all of the instruments, except for guitar. That’s Peter Fujii you can hear, his good friend from growing up together.

Tower Of Power, Average White Band, Earth Wind & Fire and Stevie Wonder was the list of influences Ian gave us when we asked. No wonder the record’s just so easy on the ears.

And why did he put the record out himself? Simple, he had no idea how to go about getting a record deal.

When we first got in touch with Ian he had no idea that “Straight From The Heart” had become something of a cult record, let alone that there were those of us out there that thought the album deserved to be pressed again. The original tapes have long since been lost so this re-issue was only made possible by remastering Ian’s one and only pristine copy of the finished LP.

The end results have been worth the work, including reproducing the original’s unmistakeable sleeve. Ian Willson’s “Straight From The Heart” is yet another Be With release that will find an easy home on the shelves of those of you who up to now have only dreamt of finding a copy and also those of you who who never knew it even existed.

After being blown away by a few tunes - probably just as you will be after listening to this - Samy Ben Redjeb travelled to the infamous capital city of Somalia in November of 2016, making Analog Africa the first music label to set foot in Mogadishu.

On his arrival in Somalia Samy began rifling through piles of cassettes and listening to reel-to-reel tapes in the dusty archives of Radio Mogadishu, looking for music that ‘swam against the current’.

The stars were aligned: an uncovered and unmarked pile
of discarded recordings was discovered in a cluttered corner of the building. Colonel Abshir - the senior employee and protector of Radio Mogadishu’s archives - clarified that the pile consisted mostly of music nobody had manage to identify, or music he described as being ‘mainly instrumental and strange music’.

At the words ‘strange music’ Samy was hooked, the return flight to Tunisia was cancelled. The pile turned out to be a cornucopia of different sounds: radio jingles, background music and interludes for radio programmes, television shows and theatre plays. There were also a good number of disco tunes, some had been stripped of their lyrics, the interesting parts had been recorded multiple times then cut, taped together and spliced into a long groovy instrumental loop.

Like everywhere in Africa during the 1970s, both men and women sported huge afros, bell-bottom trousers and platform shoes.
James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and The Temptations’ funk were the talk of the town. In 1977, Iftin Band were invited to perform at the Festac festival in Lagos where they represented Somalia at the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture.

Not only did they come back with an award but they also returned with Afrobeat. While Fela Kuti’s ‘Shakara’ had taken over the continent and was spreading like wildfire throughout Latin America, it was the track ‘Lady’ that would become the hit in Mogadishu.

My Music is a stellar spiritual soul / jazz-funk gem, recorded by keyboardist-singer Samuel Jonathan Johnson in 1978. The epitome of a cult classic, it didn't do much upon its release but steadily found an audience over the decades that followed. It eventually worked its way into the culture, and latterly the wantlists, of wave after wave of soul aficionados.

This is music that shares the jazzy R&B DNA of contemporaries like Roy Ayers and is an intoxicating blend of mellow moments and more groove-heavy tracks. Spacey keys and lush production give it a luxurious, enveloping warmth.

My Music opens with the gorgeous title track: an indulgent slow jam opus. Introducing us to Johnson’s compelling musical vision, it features a rich mélange of production techniques. Dripping in strings, horns, backing singers, popping funk bass lines and swooshing synth waves, it’s an unusually structured cosmic two stepper that has an irrepressible groove. Accordingly, it’s been a favourite with the diggers and it was sampled by The Alchemist for Jadakiss’s “We Gonna Make It” (and it was also used on Ras Kass’s “Home Sweet Home”… but that’s a story for another time).

The up-tempo “Sweet Love” bubbles over with joy, its uplifting lyrics backed by infectious bass and jazzy Fender Rhodes lines. It follows a cover of “What the World Need’s Now Is Love”, taken at a funereal pace that transforms it into a heartfelt plea for love and understanding. Essential in these dark days.

After a full-minute-long opening of lush cinematic strings and horns, “Because I Love You” makes space for Samuel’s voice, accompanied by some keys and just a sprinkle of guitar. It builds back up and then mellows its way out to a jazz lounge finish (in all the right ways). The feel-good ebullience of the Stevie Wonder-esque “It Ain’t Easy” closes out the LP’s first side.

The second side bursts open with the heavy bounce and disco-funk basslines of “You”, a slightly off-beat string-laden dancer with insistent horns and a piano-assisted groove. Next up is “Just Us”, a legendary steppers track that could be heard oozing out of deep soul radios and funk sound systems back in the late 80s.

“Yesterdays and Tomorrow” is a moving original ballad that is followed by an exquisite high-stepping paean to mom in the form of “Thank You Mother Dear”. The thumping easy-glide of “Reason For The Reason” brings the album to a close.

Respectfully mastered by Simon Francis and cut by the master Pete Norman, this reissue of Samuel Jonathan Johnson’s sole LP sounds as sumptuous as that scarlet gown on the front cover. The sleeve artwork was lovingly restored by the Be With team. My Music is a luxurious and rare collection of songs that now has an opportunity to reach beyond its cult audience.

Funky soul-jazz organist Caesar Frazier crafted superior Hammond funk. 75, his second LP, is a rare gem. It’s comfortably his greatest artistic statement.

The follow-up to Hail Ceasar!, it’s a taut, grooving set that expands his sound and, put simply, it’s got better songs. The key elements of his debut album are all there – production from maestro Bob Porter, accompaniment from hip players (Bernard “Pretty” Purdie, Cornell Dupree, John Tropea) and arrangement from Horace Ott - but the overall sound is elevated. The tightly jamming, expressive jazz-funk makes for a richer, fuller, more satisfying experience.

75 is a mixture of hard-driving originals, deeply beautiful slower numbers to vary the tempo and a couple of classy covers. The crazy bombastic “Mighty Mouse” - a riot of horns, organ and in the pocket drums - became an acid jazz classic at Dingwalls and it’s easy to see (hear?) how. A blissed out, lushly instrumental take on Seals and Crofts’s “Summer Breeze” follows, perfect for those sunshine sets.

Side A closes with the heavenly “Sweet Children”. A loping, funky jazz masterpiece famously sampled by Kanye West for Common’s “Real People” from Be. It opens beautifully, with soaring sax and a funky horn section combining with weightless keyboard tones atop snapping drums. Unsurprisingly, the excellence endures right through to the end.

The B side opens with perhaps the album’s most famous track. "Funk It Down” contains the familiar “I can feel the funk” vocal refrain throughout. But it’s the gorgeous, insouciant bridge that you should all know and love, having been used as the hook for Gang Starr’s “Ex-Girl To Next Girl”. A great cover of Stevie Wonder's “Living for the City” comes next, with an unforgettable bass-line which anchors the entire heavy rhythm section workout. Dizzying organ, triumphant horns and sun-dappled guitar grooves combine to create “Walking On The Side”, rounding out a pretty smoking set.

This is one of those rare 70s funk-soul-jazz LPs on which a bad track cannot be found. It’s all essential. So of course finding original copies on vinyl at affordable prices has been tough for years.

Mastered brilliantly by Simon Francis, cut by Pete Norman and with painstakingly reproduced artwork by the Be With team, this fresh Be With reissue ensures this legendary LP now sounds, looks and feels as sensational as it should.

Twenty years ago the duo HIL ST SOUL released a groundbreaking debut album SOUL ORGANIC.
Zambian-born vocalist Hilary Mwelwa and producer/musician/songwriter Victor
Redwood-Sawyerr (VRS) had been working away in a North London studio creating a unique blend of neo soul, jazz and R&B that had critics on both sides of the Atlantic in raptures.

Billboard magazine enthused: “Brimming with R&B/hip-hop/jazz-flavoured rhythms and image-rich
lyrics….Even Aretha’s Until You Come Back To Me glows again under Hil’s touch”.
And talking about the lead single Strictly A Vibe Thang, US magazine Radio & Records were
smitten: “You can’t sit still on this one. While listening to this infectious tune you got to move something – even if it’s just your big toe!” In the UK Echoes magazine called it “one of the best UK soul albums ever”.

Strictly A Vibe Thang charted on the Billboard R&B Singles chart, following in the footsteps of Loose Ends, Soul II Soul and Brand New Heavies, while Hil’s acoustic take on the Stevie Wonder-composed Until You Come Back To Me came out of nowhere to be a sensation at America’s Smooth Jazz radio format It ended 2000 as the most-played vocal track of the year across US Smooth Jazz radio stations, and in the ensuing two decades it has been the most-downloaded - and one of the most-streamed - tracks on the Dome label. Also heavily played: the joyful mid-tempo groove of For Your Love

This 20th Anniversary Edition of the album – now in a gatefold sleeve – includes three bonus tracks not included on the original vinyl release: the acoustic version of Until You Come Back
To Me, the VRS Remix of Just A Matter Of Time, with its insidious groove, and Down To Business.

Hil is still very active, playing several UK shows this autumn, including one at London’s Jazz Café, where she first performed 20 years ago.

Producers at the heart of the broken beat revival, EVM128 and James Rudie met through the CDR project, and soon after started to mess about collaborating with Gonzi. After coining the concept of INPUT, they found a home via Tony Thorpe at Studio Rockers and the seed was sewn. The concept is simple, make a beat, pass it on, and let someone else add to it. Its about letting go of self and letting the music go somewhere it wouldn't have gone otherwise. It was a labour of love until each track felt right. Talented musicians, producers, singers and rappers came on board to fulfill the brief, and the end product is a modern day broken masterpiece. It's about collaboration, whether in the mixing and arrangement, performance, keys, percussion, synth, bass, - everything was a joint effort.

INPUT is released on Studio Rockers on 19th July 2019 as a double vinyl release.

A LITTLE ON THE ARTISTS INVOLVED :

Written by curator EVM128, James Rudie and Gonzi are both killer producers who met me at CDR and also became part of Co-Op presents Selectors Assemble with IG Culture and Alex Phountzi. You can hear them both on Naughty Groove and Gonzi on Gut Level.

ISHFAQ is an elusive producer that has been making beats for time but is still under the radar. He's a force to be reckoned with. Watch him cos he's dangerous! Hear him all over Naughty Groove on Keys and on Complete Me ft Natalie May. He just knows where to fit into a tune... He has an acute ear!

TurboJazz met me after Djing together in Milan and working together on remix jobs, where I remixed Turbo's 'Please You' ft David Blank on Local talk Records. In return Turbojazz remixed the EVM Beyond ft Uk Soul legend, OMAR. It was only natural to get them involved with this project.

iLL Smith aka MR K is a heavyweight producer making serious waves in the new Dubstep 140 low end scene. He gave me a couple tracks that were broken beat he had been sitting on and said "You should do something with these". One of which is GOLD which I only really added a Clap to and worked the arrangement and first mix down. I called on Daz I Kue for a rapper I'd heard on one of his tracks which had the right energy. Daz hooked me up with Nesha Nycee, a fierce rapper from Atlanta Georgia. She smashed it straight away and the tune just worked. This was probably the easiest out of all of them!

Nesha Nycee is a REAL rapper.

Shy One is a friend of mine and has worked with me on music a few times in the past. I always love when she sends me a beat, she has that lo fi dirty grime kind of approach, then I add my style to it and it just seemed to bode well. We worked together on Mother Nature on the Nova LP and this track for INPUT (One Design) which we were sitting on for a while. Tony got Steve Edwards (All Seeing I, Sheffield) on the vocals. This was an unexpected turn on this track that we couldn't have imagined, but it worked! This track is the epitome of INPUT in that, it went somewhere completely different!

Steve Edwards is a singer songwriter from Sheffield who works on projects with All seeing I. He has a great energy and the lyrics made me cry! Really amazing heartfelt lyrics that speak of now and has a positive uplifting vibe to it that we can all relate to. It will stick in your head for ages believe me.

Natalie May met me through soundcloud. She's been releasing UK Funky tracks for a while and worked with Rudimental. She reached out to me after hearing the Nova LP and the stuff on CoOp presents. She went to the studio with me after already writing to some instrumentals. Very professional and on point in the studio. Her voice is sweet and the perfect juxtaposition to the rough bass and drums on 'Complete Me' and when ISHFAQ got his hands on it, well... Nuf said really !

Daiva from the Lithuanian band KeyMono has worked with me for a good few years. We met in Lithuania when I was teaching music production to young people through MTV, I met their manager Istvan. She was on my Naked Truth EP and the Nova LP. I Love working with Daiva she's great! Her voice is amazing as is her professionalism. She sounds somewhere between Erykah Badu, Little Dragon and Fatima. She's always my go to for any collaboration! Hear her on 'The Edge'. The lyrics were written by Kermit (Black Grape / Ruthless Rap Assassins).

Renato Paris.. wow ! I mean what!!? We sent the backing track and two days later he sent back the vocal and we fell over! He has a voice that echo's Stevie Wonder and Omar! Really professional work ethic too. Still cant get over how good he is. This guy can REALLY sing and play keys. Watch out for more from me and Renato... Bruk meets RnB / Jazz.

We have created something special and unique where you can hear each persons input in the

tracks. We love it and hope you will too.

In 1978, Seattle funk group Epicentre recorded the infectious boogie wonder: 'Get Off The Phone', written by the group's keyboardist, Stacy Christenson, with Bernadette on lead vocals. The song was featured on a compilation at the time, KYYX:FM Seattle Grown, but never got released on a 45.
Fast forward three years, there was another call to make! Bernadette met Stevie Wonder and formed a lifelong friendship, prospective recordings were made, including a re-recording of 'Get Off The Phone'. Until now it has been locked away, therefore we are thrilled to bring the two versions together on a 7'' single, authentically packaged in a picture sleeve.

Night Drive encourages you to enjoy the ride with your car windows down, and volume & bass at
the highest volume possible. Cruise the back roads during Sunset hours, or through some city
lights, as the album titled track 'Night Drive' gives you a warm & fuzzy funky feeling from head to
toe.
'Moving And Dancing' will surely make you move every limb in your body, and it's set to be a
dance floor jam in 2018 & beyond. This melodic groove & retrofit tempo features Brian Ellis on
guitar & Chini on Vocoder & production, setting the upbeat tone for the remaining tracks off the
album. 'Freak Out' features the iconic Linn Drum, who pulsates a heavy groov & Moog bass line
from start to finish. Crunchy vocoder lines, soft pads from the Oberheim, and Chini's experimental
live drumming at the end is sure to make your body move.
'High Life' brings an arrangement of synthesized vocal pads from the Sought-after Korg DVP-1,
which will make you feel like your head is in the clouds. A four on the floor disco tempo from the
LINN drum, a catchy delayed lead & dry bass line form a psychedelic tinge & feeling. This track sets
itself apart, and hopes to please music lovers everywhere. 'Waiting All Night' features Portugal's
underground Funk front man Sair, while Boy Dude (Adam Chini's brother) lays a funky bass line
over the top from start to finish. 'Wanna Do Ya' is a track strictly for the Break dancers & Poppers.
Layered vintage drum machines, Jonzun Crew sounding vocoder parts, and a dirty bass line, set an
aggressive mood for the second to last track. Chini takes you on a wild ride, while closing this track
out with his heartfelt lead solo. 'Clap Boogie' was meant for the 1970's. Chini drives the tune with a
loose style of live drumming, Stevie Wonder influenced clavinet work, dirty bass lines, Brazilian
instruments, live percussion, and more. Cruise in a low-rider & turn the volume up. This tune sets
the tone for what's to come from Chini's future production & style, and will leave you wanting more.

Jaye P Morgan's 1976 million dollar private press featuring the cream of the LA jazz and funk scene and one of David Foster's first productions is finally reissued. Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the release on deluxe LP and CD of Jaye P. Morgan's ultra rare private press originally released in 1976. This lost classic recorded in LA at the legendary Sound City Studios is also the first full-blown production by David Foster two years before he co-produced Earth Wind and Fire's album I Am and went on to become one of the hottest producers on the scene. Featuring an extraordinary line up of the best LA musicians including Harvey Mason, Ed Greene, Jay Graydon, Ray Parker Jr. Tower of Power, Ernie Watts and many more, it's probably one of the most expensive private press ever produced and a delight of sophisticated Los Angeles funk featuring Jaye's superb soulful vocals. The LP edition will come with the original 4 page insert full of session photos and credits.

With a line-up that reads like a who's who on the 70s Californian scene, this album was a bold move for the singer who had made her mark in the 50s and 60s as a popular music singer and actress. Hiring Foster was a masterstroke as he hadn't yet produced any noticeable hit but together they gathered the most impressive crew of musicians you could think of including two of Foster's closest associates, guitarist Jay Graydon and singer / arranger Bill Champlin (of Sons of Champlin's fame) and created the perfect white Soul album with a breezy California feel.

Featuring masterful renditions of such iconic songs as Stevie Wonder's songs as Seems So Long and Earth, Wind And Fire's Can't Hide Love (for the anecdote, Foster, Champlin and Graydon would soon pen After The Love Has Gone which would become a mega hit for Earth Wind AND Fire two years later), together with a handpicked selection of originals, the sound alternates between uptempo funk and soulful mid-tempo ballads, all served by Morgan's superb vocals. The missing link between Steely Dan and Earth, Wind and Fire, Jaye P. Morgan is pure, undiluted Funk music and an essential LA classic which Wewantsounds is glad to make available for the first time.

Dave Stewart und Annie Lennox vermischten auf ihrem vierten Studioalbum Be Yourself Tonight' (1985) härtere Rock-Elemente und R&B-Passagen mit ihrem etablierten Synthie-Sound. Als Gastmusiker sind mit an Bord: Aretha Franklin (auf Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves'), Stevie Wonder an der Mundharmonika (auf There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)', dem ersten Nummer-Eins-Hit der Band in den USA) und Elvis Costello, der Adrian' im Duett mit Annie Lennox singt.
Die erste Singleauskopplung Would I Lie to You?', auf der sich laut dem Rolling Stone der Rocksound der Kinks mit dem R&B-Feeling der Supremes paarte', war ein Riesenerfolg in den Staaten. Die vierte Single It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back)' wiederum rief Erinnerungen an eine berühmte britische Sängerin der 60er Jahre wach - an Dusty Springfield und ihr Album Dusty in Memphis'.

Favorite Recordings presents this new official album reissue of State of Emmergency by French band The Fizz: A real underrated, complete and intriguing album, originally released in 1986 as a private-press LP and quite hard to find in good conditions nowadays.

The Fizz is mostly the result of Patrick Jouanneau, a French musician, composer and producer who's still active today. He remembers: In the early 80's I had a recording studio allowing me to easily fulfil my desire to create songs. It was then that I began to compose and write songs, in French or in English in this case. State Of Emergency (spelling on the LP is a mistake), is born from a fierce will on my part, and the other four have followed, but it was not easy, the musicians, you have to get them out of bed! I have to say that Richard Larozé, the pianist, was a very strong guy with harmonies, and has somewhat changed my first version, much more oriented in Soul and R&B.'

And when asked about his main influences, Patrick says: It's always difficult for me to speak about influences, out of respect, and humility especially, but they nourished us and nourished this project, Stevie Wonder, Al Jarreau, Earth, Wind & Fire, and so on, were and still are important to me and this was the case for the entire FIZZ group.'

At the end, State of Emmergency by The Fizz is a very interesting and brilliant album with great inspiration in melodies and compositions. And who knows, listening to the title "A So Called Being", it could even have inspired a certain King of Pop'...

O B Ignitt makes his return with his 10th release titled 'X' to commemorate his 10th house, techno and dance music releases. O B Ignitt has two slamming house tracks on this EP being release on his OBONIT RECORDS label.

O B Ignitt has teamed up with fellow Michigander Brian Kage to produce an instant Detroit house music classic, titled 'On the Run' on the A side. Following that is a smooth house stabber of house pianos and sub bass lines inspired by another Motown Legend Stevie Wonder. This B side track is titled 'All We Do' produced by O B ignitt.

Local Talk are honoured to welcome Trevor Lawrence Jr. With a CV that reads the who's who in the music scene today, Lawrence's performance and recording credits include Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder and Quincy Jones to name a few.
Tiptoe is taken from Trevor's debut solo record, 'Relationships', released in 2017.
On this 7" - the very first on Local Talk - we're re-releasing the original together with a remix by DJ Spinna.

On the A side the Brooklyn legend applies his magic touch to 'Tiptoe', combining warm and soulful vibes with a house touch. A must-have for not only for the soulful house heads but also anyone that loves quality in music.

DELUXE VINYL EDITION!!!
A classic Prince Miami live broadcast from 1994.
Playing mostly material from Come and The Gold Experience, including 'The Most Beautiful Girl In The World', 'Space', 'Loose!' and 'Billy Jack Bitch', along with a handful of covers from the likes of Santana and Stevie Wonder, this set is a prime example of Prince's small club shows, common events during this exciting era in the great man's career.

First ever Vinyl release of this iconic critically acclaimed Soul album from 2014 for RSD 2018. This record is one of the most significant and award winning Soul albums of the 21st century.
The album is presented a Double Vinyl with a gatefold sleeve limited to 750 copies.
The album draws on the spirit of Donny Hathaway and Marvin Gaye along with influences from Stevie Wonder and many of the Soul and Jazz greats, but Jarrod has created his own identity. The twelve self-penned songs have meaningful lyrics and a spirituality which is uncommon in contemporary music, making it a future classic. It has been one of the bestselling independent Soul albums in the last decade.
Jarrod Lawson has performed many times in the UK supporting the album at many venues including Ronnie Scott's, Jazz Café and at Shepherds Bush Empire as part of the London .Jazz Festival, building up a large fan base. Jarrod also recorded a session for Gilles Peterson's BBC6 which increased his profile.
The release will be backed up by an online eflyer and video campaign from both Soul Brother and Dome Records in the UK and internationally from Jarrod Himself, to create awareness and demand.

Scacy and The Sound Service performed top 40 material at Byrne Manor and other cabarets around DC along with fellow go-go pioneers The Soul Searchers, The Young Senators, and Black Heat and opened for artists such as Stevie Wonder, Rufus Thomas, and War. Eager to put out a record Irving Haywood asked his bandmates if anyone had written any songs. Bennie Braxton, the band's new organist had weitten a song titled "Sunshine" which Scacy and The Sound Service recorded in1972. It was sampled by Outkast on his tune "Mighty O" in 2006. 12 years later the original finally receives a proper re-issue on 45rpm single.

- 180 GRAM AUDIOPHILE VINYL
- FEATURING SUN GODDESS', JUNGLE STRUT', LIVING FOR THE CITY' AND MORE

Ramsey Lewis is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist and composer born 1935, Chicago. He has recorded over 80 albums and played with artists like Max Roach, jazz-singer Nancy Wilson and performs with his own trio.

The album Sun Goddess was a soul jazz-funk album, recorded in 1974 and was produced by Maurice White, Teo Macero (who had produced albums by Miles Davis) and Ramsey Lewis himself. The opening track Sun Goddess' was composed, by Earth, Wind & Fire member Maurice White and featured Philip Bailey on vocals. Living For The City' was composed by Stevie Wonder, arranged by Ramsey Lewis and Jungle Strut' is a jazz track melting funk and R&B.

Sun Goddess was Ramsey Lewis' biggest success of the decade reaching #1 on the Billboard Black Albums chart, #12 in the Pop chart and has been certified gold, it also featured most of the key players of Earth, Wind & Fire.

It was 1970 when Curtis Mayfield left R&B group The Impressions, to set off on his own solo path. What followed was a rich and highly celebrated career, during which Mayfield produced some of the most influential R&B, soul, funk, and gospel recordings of all time. Along with Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, Mayfield is credited with helping to ring in a new era of socially-aware funk and soul music, all while raking in numerous Billboard-charting hits both as a performer and a songwriter. Though he died in 1999, he left behind a vast legacy of innovation and long-lasting music, and has been ranked by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the 100 Greatest Artists of all-time. Coming hot on the heels of his powerhouse hit soundtrack for the film Superfly was 1973's Back To The World. Mayfield's music always had a socially-conscious and political bent to it, but the tracks on Back To The World cranked this conceit up to an even higher degree, largely inspired the increasingly industrial world around him, and the social and environmental concerns that followed it. (The album's lead single "Future Shock" was named for an Alvin Toffler book on the subject.) Though not the smash commercial success of his previous efforts, Back To The World still landed in the Billboard Top 20, and is considered an underrated, and overlooked entry in the soul innovator's catalog.

Around the time of this recording, Stanley Cowell had achieved a degree of prominence as the pianist for the advanced bop quartet Music Inc., which he co-led with trumpeter Charles Tolliver, as well as for unusual projects like his Piano Choir. With Regeneration he chose another path, essentially trying to produce a jazz-infused pop album with strong African roots, perhaps owing a little bit to Stevie Wonder. He assembled an extremely strong cast of musicians for the venture, including Marion Brown, Billy Higgins, and Ed Blackwell, as well as several African string and percussion masters and, by and large, succeeded conceptually if not commercially. A few songs use vocals in a fairly standard pop framework, and, while they are performed capably enough, the lyrical content leaves something to be desired in typical mid-'70s fashion. But much of the rest of the music makes up for this with, among other things, a delightful fife and drum piece by Brown and strong bass work by Bill Lee (Spike's dad). Regeneration is an interesting, often enjoyable album which, aside from its own small pleasures, provides a snapshot of some of the cross-fertilization in genres occurring at the time.

Legendary James Brown's protégée Martha High teams up with mighty Japanese Osaka Monaural to pay homage to "JB's Funky Divas" in her new album "Tribute to My Soul Sisters".

Original Funky Diva Martha High has been an integral part of James Brown's life and career for more than 30 years. She was his backing vocalist, hair stylist, payroll master and his always loyal and reliable confidant.

The idea for this project was hatched back in 2014, when Martha was visiting producer DJ Pari, head honcho of the Soulpower organization and manager of soul legends like The Impressions, Lyn Collins and Marva Whitney. While reminiscing about tours with her fellow James Brown veterans, Martha felt that a tribute to the great soul sisters of the JB Revue, better known as "James Brown's Original Funky Divas," was very much needed.

"I looked up to these ladies of soul," says Martha, "Given the opportunity and the pleasure to perform their songs, is my way of saying: thank you, you're not forgotten. To record the music of the Funky Divas, would mean a lot to Mr. Brown. He always wanted the world to know he had powerful women on stage that could hold his crowd while he was off the stage. They were just as powerful and funky as he was."

Without further ado, following DJ Pari's advice, Martha partnered up in Tokyo with one of the hottest names of the new funk renaissance: Japan's Osaka Monaurail. Deeply influenced by the work of James Brown, Bobby Byrd, Curtis Mayfield and with nine albums under their belt, Osaka Monaurail have been leading the international funk scene for more than two decades, appearing at festivals such as Montreal Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival and Womad's, as well as recording and touring with funk legends like Marva Whitney and Fred Wesley.

This unique collaboration gives new life to 13 soulful pearls, masterfully interpreted as only an Original Funky Diva can do. To name a few: "Think (About It)", made famous by the female preacher Lyn Collins, "Mama's Got a Bag of Her Own", Anna King's answer to Brown's "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," "This Is My Story", of which Martha recorded the original version with The Jewels, and the soul classic "Answer to Mother Popcorn" by Vicki Anderson.

Born in Victoria, Virginia, and discovered by rock 'n roll pioneer Bo Diddley, Martha started her career with the soulful, legendary doo-wop group The Four Jewels, with whom she scored the national hit "Opportunity" in 1964. Soon, The Jewels caught the attention of James Brown and joined the James Brown Revue in 1966. The Godfather of Soul recorded and released several songs featuring The Jewels until the group disbanded. Nevertheless, Martha stayed with James Brown and continued to work with him as his personal vocalist for 32 years. She was with him at the Boston Garden during the iconic 1968 gig after Martin Luther King's assassination. She was by his side when he performed at renowned "Rumble in The Jungle" event in Zaire. Mr. Brown produced several of Martha's singles on his own People label such as "Georgy Girl", "Try Me" and "Summertime." Meanwhile Martha launched her solo career in 1979 with the self-titled debut LP for Salsoul Records. Since, she has released five albums under her name and, being one of the "hardest working women in show business", she became one of the leading singers of saxophonist Maceo Parker's legendary funky music machine, working with him for 16 years.

Throughout her career Martha has shared stages worldwide with iconic artists like Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Temptations, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Michael Jackson and George Clinton. Martha has been carrying the torch of soul music for her whole life, like a true soul sister. Now, with this new effort, she is keeping the music of the Funky Divas going, and we are sure that the Godfather of Soul and her faithful audience would appreciate it.

Record Kicks proudly presents "A little taste of Soul" / Unwind Yourelf" a little appetizer of the much awaited new album by James Brown's protégée Martha High produced and recorded in Tokyo by mighty Osaka Monaurail. This 45 vinyl is limited to 500 copies worldwide and anticipates Martha High's forthcoming new album "Tribute to my soul Sisters".

The "funky diva" Martha High has been an integral part of James Brown's life and career for more than 30 years. After a lifetime spent shoulder to shoulder with the Godfather of Soul, she flew to Tokyo and teamed up with Japanese funk ambassadors Osaka Monaurail to pay homage to the great Soul Sisters of the JB Revue.

Born in Victoria, Virginia and discovered by rock and roll pioneer Bo Diddley, Martha took off her career with soul band The Jewels, with whom she scored the national hit 'Opportunity" in 1964. Soon The Jewels caught the attention of James Brown in the same year the group joined the "James Brown Revue". Martha stayed with James Brown and continued to work with him as his personal vocalist for 32 years. Mr.Brown produced several Martha's singles on his own label "People" such as "Georgy Girl", "Try Me" and "Summertime",meanwhile Martha launched her solo career in 1979 with the self-titled debut LP for "Salsoul Records". Since then she released five albums under her name and, being one of the "hardest working ladies in the show business", she became as well the lead singer of the legendary funky music machine Maceo Parker. Throughout her career Martha shared stages worldwide with some iconic artists like Little Richard, Jerry lee Lewis, The Temptations, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Michael Jackson and George Clinton to name a few.

Eric Maltz is a producer from New York City and now resides in Berlin, Germany.He is a former employee of Halcyon records from its' OG glory days in it's first location in Red Hook/Carrol Gardens areas of Brooklyn."Eric Provided a sofa to me often through-ought my 20's and vice-versa, we both cared about music above all else- we lived and breathed music- and we helped each other survive when we were penniless - if one was up, so was the other...Eric and I were roommates, friends, we looked out for each other in a rough city with tough rules. Every time one of us got a job at a restaurant or record shop, within weeks we would have the other working there too. We did that for a decade. We slang records for years at Halcyon- a shop on Smith Street which had a portrait of Stevie Wonder painted on the front facade- and we threw parties all around Brooklyn back then too.. Every shitty bar that would have us lol. We were a dope team. He's the only person who has ever touched the third rail on a subway and survived too! True story. So you know I couldn't wait to release his Debut LP. Proud of this guy" - Levon Vincent

Omar has a totally unique, individual style and sound still marks him out as a future thinking and utterly unrivaled artist, who has collaborated with so many legendary names that it would be foolish to deny his worldwide reputation - who would dare contradict the likes of Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Carleen Anderson, Angie Stone, Common and fellow fans and followers like Maxwell and Jarrod Lawson

Following on from 2013's album The Man, 2016 sees his new long player further cement this undeniable reputation. Love In Beats is Omars' 8th studio album of his long, illustrious career and may just be the most eclectic & varied to date. Somewhat more electronic in it's conception and sound than it's predecessor, Love In Beats incorporates soul, Caribbean rhythms, an undercurrent of funk, with touches of zouk, a jazzy waltz, spoken word and also features collaborations with Us soul legend Leon Ware, Blue Note pianist Robert Glasper, grime MC Ty, Guadeloupe born singer Jean-Michele Rotin, and Uk soultress Natasha Watts, The Floacist and Mayra Andrade, the Cape Verdean born singer who lives and records in Paris.

Co produced by Scratch Professer, Omars Grammy winning brother,this collection should create excitement worldwide, the sounds are varied - but all have Omars' unique fingerprint on them, style and substance beautifully merged!

Villalegre Recordings is back with his second release after an acclaimed debut ep, which is already found in some 'real deejays' " vinyl cases, namely Dj Garth, Stevie Kotey, Timm Sure, Richard Sen and Massimiliano Pagliara.Discómanos ep consists of 4 edits of unknown gems, masterly revisited by collectors and artists as big as Mike Burns, Rayko , the great Sagittarius and Christian Beetz aka Frwctrl. Once again, Jorge Moreira and Crew dig deep down into many underground scenes around the world, to come up with an ep you'll always want to have in your case.
Listen carefully to Jose Rico's mastering work! A unique sound, which brings back reminiscences of Tom Moulton, Larry Levan, Dany Krivit or the very own Ron Hardy's reel to reel edits. Exotic love (Frwctrl mix) The trip starts with a Christian Beetz opus, which edits and extends a wonderful and unknown antique Spanish disco-funk track, with chorus voices flying like eagles to drive the dance floor to a unique climax. Sweat and pleasure lead by a smashing funky guitar, synths which drive you from the beach to the darkest, most hedonist dance floor. For your Love (Rayko edit)
Rayko is an edit master; he has presented his productions on the biggest disco dance floors on the planet, and this work reconfirms him. 'For your Love' tastes like Paradise Garage and nights of freedom and love. An original track with first class drums and a bass guitar, that reaches straight to the heart. The message comes with violins, which create the perfect emotion to wrap up a disco music masterwork that later becomes house. I want your body (Mike Burns Edit)The original track is a treasure that's hard to get, edited by Mike Burns, one of the strongest artists in the European underground disco scene. Mike selects this cut with a killer bass line, crazy synth effects and organs to turn the original track into an extended cut, which not only shakes the dance floor, but also the cloakroom and toilets. Programa Sintético (Sagittarius 1983 Tribute Edit)Sagittarius edits in a sublime way a mysterious track, loaded with energy, synths and effects. A production work, which transforms the original track into a technoid cut with a frequency in tune with Ron Hardy's proto-techno edits and progressive European music.

Saft welcomes 'Nortasun' to it's expanding roster of artists. With not too much info being available about the artist, the music should do the talking. 'Nortasun' comes up with a sample drenched EP that consists out of swell basslines, mind expanding chords and outlandish percussion works. ''Untitled 1'' opens up with a carefully placed disco sample that hovers over the rhythms very nicely. The percussion section and the ascending chords serve the overal ambiance while Nortasun plays with the extended loop pattern that maintains of interest. ''Untitled 2'' serves as a very deep but functional voyage into tribal territory. A vary of percussion sets in and smartly exchanges tones with FX cuts. On the B side ''Fudge Fingas'' debuts on SAFT with an atmospheric beast of a remix for ''Untitled 1'' that constantly grows and cleverly uses vocal cuts that change up the original atmosphere and makes the overall a very broad work of house music. The Stevie Wonder like clava hit + piano solo's that come in when the remix progresses are all in courtesy of the Edinburghian producer himself.

REPRESSED !!
Most famous for his Remix of Stevie Wonder "Signed Sealed Delivered", Smash Hunter aka 'DJ Smash' was released on the Mowtown Remixed project, alongside such heavyweight bedfellows as DJ Spinna, Jazzy Jeff and King Britt. Smash was also prolific compiler, producer and label boss for the acclaimed Fat Jazzy Grooves series on New Breed Jazz.

Norman Jay MBE presents his latest compilation, titled 'Good Times Skank & Boogie', set for release 9th October 2015 on Sunday Best Recordings. This is his first compilation since 2011's Good Times 30th Anniversary Addition and follows on from his hotly anticipated Good Times Goes East party at St John Church at Hackney on 29th August.
Norman Jay is undoubtedly one of the finest and highly respected DJs in the world today and yet again pulls from his impressive collection to provide the ultimate eclectic selection.
For this 12th compilation, for those of you counting, Norman kicks off with St Germain's version of Henry Mancini's Pink Panther Theme. A cult favourite from 2004s Pink Panther Penthouse Party album, it of course immediately brings Peter Sellers to mind and a smile to your face. Next up former Uniques front man Slim Smith's Everybody Needs Love is a classic from 1968, cut at the legendary Duke Reid's Treasure Isle studio. Penned originally by Motown heroes Norman Whitfield and Eddie Holland and covered by household names including The Temptations and Glady's Knight & The Pips, Slim's version became something of a signature tune until his mysterious death in 1971. Sticking with Motown, Stevie Wonder's Living For The City is up next but it's the Michael McDonald rendition from his 2008 album Soul Speak, which proves the man who gave us the sublime Sweet Freedom had lost none of his class 20 plus years on.
D-Influence's Good Lover takes things up and brings them closer to home, to the streets of London infact. After a couple of independent releases the band, who had strong connections to the London Jazz and Soul scenes, served up this contemporary boogie tune as part of their 1992 debut long player for East West. They would subsequently score hits as a production team for a number of British R&B acts. Homegrown soul continues with Paul Johnson's Better Than This, released here via longstanding UK soul imprint Expansion to deserved acclaim last year. It's quality and appeal are simply timeless, whilst master Dego and Kaidi's mix adds a classic 80s soul dimension to proceedings.
The Chi-Lites I Keep Comin' Back To You and The Real Thing's Love Takes Tears continue and expand the 80s theme, bringing in 2-step and boogie, as does Deodato's Never Knew Love from the same period.
We switch again with Delroy Wilson's Better Must Come, a massively popular sufferers lament from 1971 by this former Jamaican child star, it would go on to be used in election campaigns by various Jamaican political parties. Kent People by Laurel Aitken & The Gruvy Beat is the next one out the box and was the flip to the 1969 anthem Skinhead Train. It features the UK's top reggae band of the era The Rudies, who along with Aitken, the widely-proclaimed Godfather of Ska, comprised of Earl Dunn (lead guitar), Trevor White (bass), Sonny Binns (keyboards) and Danny Smith (drums). They would go on to enjoy UK chart success backing singer Freddie Notes before they evolved into Greyhound. From the same year Splash Down by The Crystalites is another slate that ignited dance floors in both Jamaica and the UK upon release. Some of you will have noticed the rhythm track is the same as that of the earlier Kingstonians' best-seller, Sufferer, which came courtesy of legendary producer Derrick Harriott.
As the end draws close The Stone City Band featuring Rick James serve up some hard edged boogie, hotly followed by a classic Tom Moulton slice of late 70s disco courtesy of The Fantastic Four and their I Got To Have Your Love. If that doesn't have you dancing then Chanson's superb Don't Hold Back featuring James Jamerson Jr. on bass will leave you no choice. Classic Good Times indeed.

RAWAX IS PROUD TO WELCOME MR. K-ALEXI SHELBY TO THE FAMILY!
Mr. K Alexi Shelby
Like a moth drawn to a flame, there is something utterly infectious about the music of Mr.K Alexi Shelby, better known as K-Alexi one of the founding fathers of house music direct from his home city of Chicago. Since the late 1980s, he has pioneered the true house sound, leading to a DH and production career spanning over 20 years, including collaborations with artists ranging from The Pet Shop Boys to Derrick May and from Larry Heard and Felix da Housecat to Will Smith, as well as gigs across the globe.
An impressionable young teenager, Mr.K Alexi Shelby developed friendships with Frankie Knuckles and Ron Hardy whilst attending seminal venues like The Warehouse and The Music Box in the mid 1980s. Being here at this embryonic stage of dance music culture, there were no rules or precedents, so K Alexi drew on a rich musical heritage that had seen him grow up in the 70s and 80s listening to Stevie Wonder, Prince, Curtis Mayfield and David Huff. Those roots continue to influence his music to this day.
It was under the moniker Risque III that Essence Of A Dream was released in 1987, firmly establishing the name of Mr.K Alexi Shelby amongst the most prominent of all house producers at the time. Moreover, those early tracks are still recognized to be the quintessential Chicago house sound. The rumbling and dark bass, smooth strings, incredible percussion and the spoken word poetic and erotic lyrical flow became the trademark for classic Chicago house and the template for everything else that followed. To reiterate, there was no template before this. This was the beginning.
This initial success has lead to Mr.K Alexi Shelby working with the leading names across the electronic music world and beyond. Collaborations and remixes for Chicago peers like Mike Dunn, Mr. Lee and Marshall Jefferson merely served as the springboard for Alexi to work with the best in the electronic scene, from Derrick May to Paul Johnson ,Ron Trent Dave Angel to Felix ad House Kat. Furthermore, his talents have also lead to him working with The Pet Shop Boys and Will Smith.
On top of this, his tracks have appeared on compilations by artists varying from Laurent Garnier to DJ Hell, who used It's Me 2010 contribution to the Body Language series for Get Physical Music. Produced under the Club M.C.M. moniker, the 1991 EP It's Me/Club M.C.M. has been a frequent selection for compilations for 20 years and is rightly regarded as a true underground techno classic.

It is a great honor for us to welcome such a living legend, a pioneer from the Chicago House scene: Mr K' Alexi Shelby !
At the age of 12 he was already moving in the right circles, befriending Frankie Knuckles and Ron Hardy whilst frequenting the famous Warehouse. His upbringing in Chicago in the 70s and 80s meant that he was exposed to a range of genres and different styles of music including Stevie Wonder, Prince, Curtis Mayfield and David Huff. These same names would prove to be the roots of his influences.

Omar S treats us to a second release in the space of a week, with a much deserved reissue of some 1996 Roy Davis Jnr rawness across the A Side. The Stevie Wonder classic "All I Do" gets chopped up, laid over a killer Chi town beat filled with instantly gratifying raw drum edits and augmented by some evil bass thumps. Relentlessly brilliant and sounds just as fresh some 14 years on. Echoing a current trend this side plays outwards from the inside groove. On the flip Omar S teams up with DJ B Len D for the bongo heavy deep groove of "Da Teys" a track that's characterised by melodic keys which increase with curveball drama as the track progresses.