Funky Compilations — All Formats  

The soul underground of today – proof that there's still some amazingly deep music being made in the 21st Century, as long as you know where to look! The groups here are all contemporary, but they work strongly in the sounds of the 60s and 70s – the best funk and soul modes from that classic generation, put together faithfully, but with a fresh approach too – given the youthful energy that most of these artists bring to their recordings! There's just a few contemporary touches here and there, but overall most of the production and instrumentation is very much in the best vintage mode – on these cuts pulled from hard to find imports and rare 7" single releases of the past few years. But hardly just take our word for it – there's plenty to please your ears the moment you jump into the set – cuts that include "You What" by The Andy Tolman Cartel, "Poker Nights Theme" by The Delicious Allstars, "Shaft In Africa" by The Mighty Showstoppers, "Put Leg To Road" by Ariya Astrobeat Arkestra, "Mr G" by Jessica Lauren Four, "Cockroach Grind" by The Haggis Horns, "Kekfeny" by The Qualitons, "Cramp Your Style" by The Killer Meters, "Cascade" by Renegades Of Jazz, "Hey Girl" by Jo Stance, and "Something's Gotta Give" by Nick Van Gelder.

A great mix of Afro rhythms and timeless dance music from Mexico – mid 60s to late 70s recordings in a continuous mix by Tropicaza for Mochilla – and a strong statement on the diversity of Mexican music of the period! There's quite a stylistic breadth here of Mexican music that was no doubt progressive and modern – and built to last, too – it still sounds fresh! For all of the eclectic sounds, some strong Afro roots in the percussion and rhythms carry throughout, with global funk, soul, psych and disco touches. It's a continuous mix that runs nearly an hour – with no tracklist – all we know about the music here is that it's great! Mixed nicely by Tropicaza, too!

Groovy tunes with a heavy soundtrack bounce – all great numbers lifted from older Italian scores, plus a few other tunes by recent Italian groups who have a definite retro groove! The feel is great – with lots of organ, bouncy drums, and weird little sounds, all humming some hip grooves that sound very very fresh to our ears. Beat, shake, and jerk tunes abound – and many of these numbers are making their first appearance ever on CD, too! Titles include "Laila Laila" by Ennio Morricone, "Gimme Time" by Sante Maria Romitelli, "Psycho Sitar" by Magnetic 4, "I Was A Yeh Yeh Girl" by Doing Time, "I Giovani Tigri" by Piero Piccioni, "Roma Bene" by Luis Bacalov, "Quand Ero Un Bebe" by Vip 2000, "Il Tallone Di Achille" by Franco De Masi, and "Il Divorzio" by Fred Buongusto.

Chicago house music really takes off – in this massive collection that really documents the most experimental years in the Windy City club scene! By the mid 80s, Chicago house had already had a few years under its belt – stepping strongly forward as a revolutionary new mode of club music – stripped-down from disco, borrowing some electronics from overseas, and giving the world a fresh new vision of dancefloor sounds that would have a huge influence for decades to come! And by the end of the decade, folks were really starting to play with the format – bringing in lots of older analogue electronic sounds, dubbed "acid" for the way they burned and tweaked – and garnering the city even more interest from the UK and European scenes – who thought the name referred to drug usage, and took the cue to ignite their own waves of house-based parties on the other side of the Atlantic. While back home, Chicago artists were spurred on to experiment even more – and things went from warm and clubby to downright sci-fi – an aesthetic that's really captured strongly in this set from Soul Jazz. LP part one features the cuts "Can You Feel It" from Mr Fingers, "Hallucinate" by Acid Wash, "151" by Armando, "The Jacking Zone" by Risque Rhythm Team, "I Can't Understand" by Pleasure Zone, "Rabbit Trax 1" by James Jack Rabbit Martin, "Freedom (Factory mix)" by The Children, "Ecstasy" by Mr Fingers, and "I Believe" by A Black Man, A Black Man, & Another Black Man.

Chicago house music really takes off – in this massive collection that really documents the most experimental years in the Windy City club scene! By the mid 80s, Chicago house had already had a few years under its belt – stepping strongly forward as a revolutionary new mode of club music – stripped-down from disco, borrowing some electronics from overseas, and giving the world a fresh new vision of dancefloor sounds that would have a huge influence for decades to come! And by the end of the decade, folks were really starting to play with the format – bringing in lots of older analogue electronic sounds, dubbed "acid" for the way they burned and tweaked – and garnering the city even more interest from the UK and European scenes – who thought the name referred to drug usage, and took the cue to ignite their own waves of house-based parties on the other side of the Atlantic. While back home, Chicago artists were spurred on to experiment even more – and things went from warm and clubby to downright sci-fi – an aesthetic that's really captured strongly in this set from Soul Jazz. LP part two features the cuts "Washing Machine" by Mr Fingers, "The Night Calls" by Bizzy B, "Go Wild Rhythm Trax No 3" by Virgo, "World Turns Around" by Cool McCool, "House Nation" by The Housmaster Boyz, "Love Trak" by Acid Wash, "Strength Of Bass" by Devotion, "Abstract Expressionism" by The Unknown, "No Way Back" by Adonis, "Choice Of The Underground" by Rocky Jones, and "The Juice" by Mr Fingers.

Possibly the best-ever collection of blacksploitation grooves we've ever seen – a really comprehensive package that not only manages to cover the classics, but which also digs deep enough to come up with lots of fresh bits too! The set really sets a new level for the Soul Jazz label – and is carried off with enough authority towards Black Action films as the label's legendary efforts towards a host of less mainstream genres – truly an achievement for the label's crew, not to mention a heavier bonus for our funky listening pleasure! There's way more here than just a slapped-together batch of tunes from the early 70s – as the set's very carefully put together to showcase a wide range of sounds, along with notes that really get at the social and political power of both the music and the films. 2CD package features a massive color booklet inside the slipcase – and features 34 tracks that include "Shaft In Africa" by Johnny Pate, "Down & Out In New York City" by James Brown, "Wilford's Gone" by The Blackbyrds, "Run Fay Run" by Isaac Hayes, "Theme From Black Belt Jones" by Dennis Coffey, "Willie Chase" by JJ Johnson, "T Plays It Cool" by Marvin Gaye, "Charley" by Don Costa, "Brother's Gonna Work It Out" by Willie Hutch, "Blacula" by Gene Page, "Theme From Cleopatra Jones" by Joe Simon, "Pursuit Of The Pimpmobile" by Isaac Hayes, "Sweetback's Theme" by Earth Wind & Fire, "Aragon" by Roy Ayers, "Strung Out" by Gordon Staples, "Easin In" by Edwin Starr, "The Bus" by Solomon Burke & Gene Page, "Make A Resolution" by The Impressions, "Ed & Digger" by Cotton Comes To Harlem, "Las Vegas Strut" by Jack Ashford, "Lay It On Your Head" by Don Julian, and "Zombie March" by Nat Dove & The Devils.

An essential look at the key years of the Chicago house scene – the time when the city's musicians were carving out a whole new space in sound! Although early house first began as an extension of some of the later modes of disco and 80s club, influences from European post-punk and post-disco work soon crept into the mix, and pushed the Chicago artists to work in a darker, edgier sound that was completely unique! The work from this period is filled with stark, spare electronics – not the cheesy kind that showed up often in New York electro records, but intense analogue bits that had a really dark, dystopic space age sort of quality – laid out over harsh beats and bass, and often presented with no additional vocals at all. For the collection, Soul Jazz do a great job of picking out the best of the early acid house scene in Chicago (the key recordings before the term got picked up overseas, and used to make some very dodgy dance music at the end of the 80s) – and then they go on to pull together some of the best strands of the house revival in Chicago in the early 90s, including key work from the Cajual label. 2 CD set features 17 tracks in all – including "This Is Acid" by Maurice, "Do You Want To Percolate" by The Sweat Boyz, "Beyond The Clouds" by Mr Fingers, "Go Wild Rhythm Track" by Virgo, "Acid Crash" by Tyree, "Dum Dum (part 2)" by Fresh, "Acid Bass" by Roy Davis Jr, "Phuture Jacks" by Phuture, "I've Lost Control" by Sleezy D, "Take Me Higher" by Virgo Four, "Acid Over" by Tyree, "Box Energy" by DJ Pierre, "Video Clash" by Lil Louis, "Explorer" by Green Velvet, "Like This" by Two Of A Kind, "Acid Tracks" by Phuture, and "Downfall" by Armando.

An essential look at the key years of the Chicago house scene – the time when the city's musicians were carving out a whole new space in sound! Although early house first began as an extension of some of the later modes of disco and 80s club, influences from European post-punk and post-disco work soon crept into the mix, and pushed the Chicago artists to work in a darker, edgier sound that was completely unique! The work from this period is filled with stark, spare electronics – not the cheesy kind that showed up often in New York electro records, but intense analogue bits that had a really dark, dystopic space age sort of quality – laid out over harsh beats and bass, and often presented with no additional vocals at all. For the collection, Soul Jazz do a great job of picking out the best of the early acid house scene in Chicago (the key recordings before the term got picked up overseas, and used to make some very dodgy dance music at the end of the 80s) – and then they go on to pull together some of the best strands of the house revival in Chicago in the early 90s, including key work from the Cajual label. 2LP set features 8 tracks in all – including "This Is Acid" by Maurice, "Do You Want To Percolate" by The Sweat Boyz, "Beyond The Clouds" by Mr Fingers, "Go Wild Rhythm Track" by Virgo, "Acid Crash" by Tyree, "Dum Dum (part 2)" by Fresh, "Acid Bass" by Roy Davis Jr, and "Phuture Jacks" by Phuture.

Hip hop, street soul, and lots lots more – a really revolutionary selection of music from the legendary Celluloid Records – a label that was virtually a genre unto itself! Celluloid was a key force tying together the New York downtown scene at the start of the 80s, and the postcolonial music world of Paris – and as a result, they always operated with a culture-crossing style that few other companies of the time managed to hit – merging together sounds in really unlikely ways, and often coming up with fresh new styles in the process! The label's known for crate-diggers for its hip hop releases – and to world music fans for its electric Africa work – but they also were on the forefront of New York No Wave, avant jazz, and post-punk – and somehow found a way to integrate both young new talents, and older experimentalists who still had plenty to offer. This package finally does Celluloid justice – and goes way past the few simplistic comps of the label's work over the years – training the skilled Strut ear to the whole thing, and also serving up the full story of the label in the process. Titles include "I'm The One" by Material, "Day Tripper" by Shockabilly, "Tele Apres La Meteo" by Fredinand, "Disco Rough (long version)" by Mathematiques Modernes, "Electrique Sylvie (full length version)" by Modern Guy, "Mean Machine Chant/Mean Machine" by Last Poets, "Abele Dance ('85 rmx)" by Manu Dibango, "Change The Beat (French & English)" by Fab 5 Freddy, "The Escapades Of Futura 2000" by Futura 2000 with The Clash, and "Downing Street Rock" by Winston Edwards & Blackbeard. 26 tracks in all!

A totally great collection of grooves with a real range of material – nearly all fresh to our ears, and the kind of record that really makes us sit up and take notice! The set's got a loose approach to the selections – in that it features tracks from American and European sources, and easily blends together tunes from soul, jazz, funk, and easy records – but that's what makes it so great, and so fresh, as the tracks stand wonderfully back to back, sounding like a hip club night at some far-away place, the kind of all-great set that has you keep getting out of your chair, walking up to the DJ, and saying "Sorry to bother you again, but what's that track you're playing?" Titles include "Creative Musicians" by Lyman Woodard, "Stop" by Lonette, "Shabazz" by Rhoda Scott, "Don't Boom Boom" by Lillian Hale, "The Barracuda" by Leonard King & The Soul Messengers, "Questions (parts 1 & 2)" by Pat Stalworth, "Concentrate" by Willie Tee, "Mabusso" by Orchester Ambros Seelos, "Jumping" by Charlie Antolini, and "Highway 101" by John Barry.

Sort of a "part 2" to the excellent Sexopolis compilation – issued more than a few years ago, and one of the first times anyone ever paid attention to the huge undiscovered legacy of funky French music! The package, like the first, is put together by DJ BNX of Fantomas – and it's got a really wonderful blend of French tunes from sources that include jazz, soundtrack, pop vocal, and easy listening albums of the 60s and 70s. The groove is really great – with lots of mad twists and turns that you'd never hear in American albums of the time, and a surprisingly fresh sound that keeps us digging back for French rare goodies like these! Titles include "Shore Of Sumatra" by Pierre Dutour, "Afromania" by Clyde Borly, "High Tide" by Jack Arel, "Hysterie" by Eric Framond, "Shirley" by Pierre Devevey, "Zozoi" by France Gall, "Dingo" by Olivier Despax, "Chakan" by Jef Gilson, "Africa" by Mat 3, "Popcorn" by JP Bottura, and "Number One" by Francis Lai.

A killer assortment of funky leftfield grooves from the late 70s and early 80s – groundbreaking work that goes way beyond conventional club, funk, and disco! The music here was light years ahead of its time, and still sounds pretty darn fresh today – a weird mix of arty, punky, and experimental modes – but all filtered down into a groove that's still catchy and compelling enough to cross over to fans of mainstream club. Many cuts here had a huge influence on house and techno modes of the mid 80s, and continue to have impact today on some of the younger, more influential groovemakers around the globe – and this single CD set is sort of a re-casting of the previous Disco Not Disco collections on Strut Records, which themselves were influential enough at the start of the current decade. CD features the tracks "Mind Your Own Business" by Delta 5, "Crunch Cake" by Isotope, "Your Life (party mix)" by Konk, "Launderette" by Vivien Goldman, "My Spine Is The Bassline (12" edit)" by Shriekback, "Contort Yourself (August Darnell rmx)" by James White & The Blacks, "Love Tempo (rmx)" by Quando Quango, "Sharevari (inst)" by A Number Of Names, "Silent Street/Silent Dub" by Maximum Joy, "Shake It Right" by Six Sed Red, and "Los Ninos Del Parque (12" mix)" by Liaisons Dangereuses.

A killer batch of boogaloo and Latin Soul – and a set that even features 2 unissued gems from the vaults of Fania Records! As with the previous entry in this series, the sound here is plenty darn soulful throughout – lyrics that are often in English, and rhythms that borrow heavily from American funk and soul of the late 60s – mixing African-American musical styles with Puerto Rican and Cuban elements – all to come up with a groove that's as fresh today as it was back in the Spanish Harlem scene of the time! Previously unreleased tracks include "Evil Ways" by Pete & Louie, and the full length version of "O Elefante" by Ray Barretto – and other tunes include "Rise Up" by Orchestra Harlow, "Safari" by Tito Puente, "Revolucionando" by New Swing Sextet, "Times Are Changing" by Jimmy Sabater, "MC2" by Willie Colon, "Crystal Blue Persuasion" by Joe Bataan, "Musica Del Alma" by TNT Boys, "Here Comes The Judge" by Pete Rodriguez, "Ape Walk" by Al Escobar, and "Rat Race" by Ralfi Pagan.

Funky female soul galore – a killer set of rare tunes that's one of the best sets of this type we've ever stocked! The SuperFunk crew at BGP have gone through the rich array of labels handled by the company – pulling out some massive tunes that really push our understanding of female soul – taking things way past the obvious hits and girl group numbers, into hard and heavy-stepping territory that we really love! Most of the tunes on the set are completely new to our ears, and there's a great mix of northern and southern funk styles that keeps things super-fresh. Drums crackle, basslines pound, and the gals belt it out loud, clear, and funky on a set of 20 tracks that includes "Tell Me What's Wrong" by Lynn Varnado, "Listen Here" by Valorie Keys, "Know What To Do When You Get It" by The Genies, "Heavy Heavy Hangs My Heart" by Vera Hamilton, "Better Get A Move On" by Louise McCord, "Pounds Of Soul" by Betty Bibbs, "Ooh Wee Baby" by Delilah Moore, "Sunshine Of Your Love" by Spanky Wilson, "Staying At Home Like A Woman" by Lynn Varnado, "Hold On This Time" by Fontella Bass, "Mr Fix It" by Thelma Jones, "I'm Glad I Got Over You" by Jeanette Jones, "One Way Street" by Little Ann, and "It's Too Late For Tears" by Rene Bailey.

Funky female soul galore – a killer set of rare tunes that's one of the best sets of this type we've ever stocked! The SuperFunk crew at BGP have gone through the rich array of labels handled by the company – pulling out some massive tunes that really push our understanding of female soul – taking things way past the obvious hits and girl group numbers, into hard and heavy-stepping territory that we really love! Most of the tunes on the set are completely new to our ears, and there's a great mix of northern and southern funk styles that keeps things super-fresh. Drums crackle, basslines pound, and the gals belt it out loud, clear, and funky on a set of 20 tracks that includes "Tell Me What's Wrong" by Lynn Varnado, "Listen Here" by Valorie Keys, "Know What To Do When You Get It" by The Genies, "Heavy Heavy Hangs My Heart" by Vera Hamilton, "Better Get A Move On" by Louise McCord, "Pounds Of Soul" by Betty Bibbs, "Ooh Wee Baby" by Delilah Moore, "Sunshine Of Your Love" by Spanky Wilson, "Staying At Home Like A Woman" by Lynn Varnado, "Hold On This Time" by Fontella Bass, "Mr Fix It" by Thelma Jones, "I'm Glad I Got Over You" by Jeanette Jones, "One Way Street" by Little Ann, and "It's Too Late For Tears" by Rene Bailey.

A second amazing set of grooves from the Peruvian scene of the 60s – upbeat Latin sides that easily rival the greatness of work at the time from New York, Colombia, or Puerto Rico! The Peruvian approach is a bit different than the rest – often a hybrid of outside influences, recast slightly with some local flavor – in ways that make these tunes sound a fair bit different than 60s Latin on Fania or Tico – which makes for a very fresh sound throughout! Instrumentation includes trumpet, guitar, vibes, and plenty of percussion – often recorded with a sharp-edged quality that uses a bit of echo as well. The package features a whopping 28 tracks in all, plus full notes in Spanish and English – and titles include Humo" by La Sonora De Lucho Macedo, "El Diri Bop" by Tito Chicoma, "Las Guitarras Tropicales" by Silvestre Montez, "El Conductor" by Carlos Munoz, "Arroz Con Coco" by Pedro Miguel, "Boogaloo Del Perro" by Enrique Delgado, "Descargando" by Mario Allison, "Mulata Rumbera" by Compay Quinto, "Aqui" by Tito Chicoma, "Ciquita Bonita" by Luis Duran, "Dejen Bailar Al Loco" byMelochita, and "Guajira Boogaloo" by Coco Lagos.

Seminal club tracks from the start of the 80s – a dozen great boogie numbers pulled together for the second installment in this excellent series! The package is really the cream of the crop from the era, and the set mixes together a few minor hits with other lesser-known numbers for a really fresh array of music – the kind of collection that goes way past the obvious, and which is bound to re-illuminate your understanding of dancefloor grooves from the time. Titles include "Share The Night" by World Premier, "Our Hearts Will Aways Shine" by Ozone, "Bizzaare" by Rhyze, "You Need A Change Of Mind" by Brooklyn Express, "Can't Get Away" by Carol Williams, "Seventh Heaven (Larry Levan rmx)" by Gwen Guthrie, "Still In Love" by Rose Royce, "Help Is On The Way" by The Whatnauts, "Got To Be Real" by Cheryl Lynn, "This Time Baby" by Jackie Moore, and "Stay Tonite" by Mandrill.

Classic Latin, beautifully remixed – as a host of Fania Records gems are given a fresh twist by Louie Vega, Joe Claussell, Gilles Peterson, and others! The package is way more than you might expect – not clunky remixes of Latin styles, but some beautiful numbers that really expand the warmth and spontaneous energy of the originals – mostly keeping a strong 70s vibe intact, and approaching the project with a really loving feel overall! In fact, the sound is almost as if Schema got their hands on Fania – since there's echoes here of some of the updated Latin modes you'd find on that label too. Vinyl version features four of the best long mixes from the CD – including "Saona (Gilles Peterson & Simbad rmx)" by Noro Morales, "Siembra (Joe Claussell rmx)" by Ruben Blades, "Mi Gente (Louie Vega eol rmx)" by Hector Lavoe, and "Take Five (Nicola Conte rmx)" by Roberto Roena.

Massive music we've never heard before – a really heavy helping of grooves from the Ivory Coast – an African scene that's hardly been tapped by crate diggers and collectors! There's a really fresh feel to the grooves overall – not just the familiar Afro Funk modes, but a nice range of styles that moves between rootsy local numbers through some great crossover styles, through even a few of the African Disco modes that are better known from other scenes! The tracks here are all massively funky – scoured out over the course of a number of different crate-digging trips to the coast – and the package presents the music with great images of the original record covers, too – so that you can still retain some of the feel of the rarity of the work, even though the collection presents things in an easy to handle format. Definitely one for fans of Soundway and Analogue Africa titles – with cuts that include "True Love" by Rato Venance, "Yatchiminou" by Jimmy Hyacinthe, "Kalabuley Woman" by Pierre Antoine, "Mammy Nia" by Nguessan, "Wazi Doble" by Gougoumangou, "Zadie Bobo" by Ernesti Djedje, "Unite" by Moussa Doumbia, "Mon Falou Nan" by Soro N Gana Et L'Orchestre Guilana-na, "Onginwe" by Prince Dgibs, and "Essemon Moupoh" by Jean Guehi.

Hard-hitting Harlem soul – a sweet selection of indie singles from the late 60s and early 70s – most of which are light years away from the mainstream! The sound of many cuts here is quite unique – elements of soul modes of the era, but swirled up and spit out in really fresh ways – often with a bit of grit in the grooves, and some unusual, offbeat production, instrumentation, and rhythms – all of which help keep things cool throughout! We'll be honest in saying that we'd hardly heard most of these singles before, and only knew a few of the artists – but there's a wealth of wonderful music to discover in the package – all quite different than you might find on other funk or soul collections, with almost the revelatory approach we're used to getting from the Numero Group. CD features track-by-track notes on the tunes – and titles include "I'll Do It For You" by Little Willie, "She Said I'd Be A Failure" by Clarence Ashe, "I Pray To Keep Our Love Strong" by Johnnie & Joe, "I Got A Feeling" by Dicky & Billy, "24 Hours Of The Day" by The Gillettes, "Stay Away From My Baby" by Taffie Lee, "Dancing In A Dream World" by Jimmy & Arthur, "Let Sleeping Dogs Lie" by Miss Johnnie, "You Needn't Tell Me" by Sity & James, "I Won't Ever Try To Change You" by Henry Hodge, "Money & All Your Love" by Freda Allyne, and "It Doesn't Matter" by Niece Dezel.

Soulful sounds from 70s Japan – a host of tracks that offer up fresh versions of American soul tunes – mostly done as instrumental numbers with lots of funky touches! There's a fair bit of Stevie Wonder tunes on the collection – as well as other Motown moments and Atlantic Records numbers too – all played by Japanese jazz musicians who really know how to open up the groove! Arrangements are all mighty nice – usually going for interpretations that are fiercer and more full-on than the original vocal recordings – which allows the soloists to really stretch out and do their thing. Styles run from late 60s soul jazz to tighter fusion – and the set features 19 tracks that include "Bird Of Beauty" by Eri Ohno, "Sunny" by Toshiyuki Miyama, "Living For The City" by Jiro Inagaki, "Sir Duke" by Terry Herman Trio, "Boogie On Reggae Woman" by Akira Ishikawa, "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" by Jiro Inagaki & Black Rhythm Machine, "Hold On I'm Coming" by Nobuo Hara, "Never Can Say Goodbye" by Sound Machine Drum, and "Love Child" by Toshiyuki Miyama.

Bossa Nova singers from both sides of the equator – in a groovy collection of work recorded both in Brazil and the US! The set's a wonderfully done exploration of the true range of bossa talents in the 60s – and it features both stars from the Brazilian scene, plus other artists who managed to cross over to US audiences, and got a chance to record for labels like Verve and A&M – all presented without cliche, and without too many over-heard bossa standards – a really fresh set overall, and very much up to the high level we expect from the Jazzclub series! Titles include "Oba La La" by Jorge Ben, "Berimbau" by Nara Leao, "Mas Que Nada" by Luiz Henrique, "So Tinha De Ser Com Voce" by Elis Regina, "Fim De Noite" by Chico Feitosa, "Samba Da Pergunta" by Marcia, "Agua De Beber" by Quarteto Em Cy & Tamba Trio, "O Barquinho" by Lucio Alves, "Bim Bom" by Astrud Gilberto, "Bloco Do Eu Sozinho" by Joyce, "Reza" by Elis Regina & Tamba Trio, "The Face I Love" by Marcos Valle, and "Voce" by Dick Farney & Norma Bengell.

Don't let the title or the bunny on the cover put you off, because there's nothing toy-like about these tunes – and the package is an excellent batch of rare German grooves put together with the same high level as other collections on the Perfect Toy label! Ex-Spinning Wheel mainman Marcus Hacker put together this one – and the grooves remind us a lot of some of the older SW sound library compilations – all awash in flavors borrowed from Brazilian bossa, American funk, Brit easy, and other genres – remodeled into a German economic miracle mode by a variety of jazz and studio players! The sound here is really really fresh – funky, but with lots of odd little touches and unusual instrumentation – a bit in the In Kraut mode, but more direct overall, and slightly less kitschy (although the set does have a few charming moments in that respect.) A number of tracks have vocals – some sung, some scatted – and titles include "Photographs" by Swegas, "Cameleon" by Kaate Frits Quartet, "Drift" by Orchester Heinz Kiessling, "Soul Samba" by The Earthquakers, "Guarana Guaranar" by Grupo Veneno, "Sara" by The Voices, "I Mimi" by Idili Tsaliki, and "Memories Of Yesterday" by Othella Dallas.

A stellar batch of Afro funk and native groove from Lagos! Strains of western funk and soulful sounds work their way into the material – thanks again to Fela's mighty influence – but there's a lot more to it! Simmering along with the Afro funk and soul are some truly riveting native folk sounds – filtered through many of the modern influence that make the funk stuff so compelling – but providing a much more natively learned groove. It's a totally fresh perspectived – focused on the Lagos territory – but an incredible listen to anyone, anywhere, with a pair of ears! 15 tracks in all: "Eyi Yato/Elere Ni Wa" by Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey And His Inter-Reformers Band, "Joromi" by Sir Victor Uwaifo, "Sowambe" by Sagbeni Aragbada, "Professional Super Bantous" by Super Negro Bantopus, "Ole Obinrin" by Ambali Adedeji, "Da Wa Lohun" by Harbors Band, "Moonlight Highlife" by Dr Victor Olaiya and more!

The first full length compilation from NYC Trust – including cuts from limited vinyl releases and some previously unreleased bits – with tracks by Greenwood Rhythm Coalition, Midnight Lab Band, Frente Cumbiero, Doctor Stereo and Beverly Road All Stars! It's modern dancefloor grooves with global roots – the kind that eschews trends, yet has a contemporary feel. It was mostly recorded from 2009-2012, and built to last – this will still sound fresh a decade down the road! Includes "Secret Stash (Fumaca Jazz Remix)", "Over Easy's: and "Guajira '78" and more by Greenwood Rhythm Coalition, "Pavita" and "Unconvention" by Frente Cumbiero, "Moonwalking", "The Forgotten Chant (Revisted by Los Fulanos)" and more by Midnight Lab Band, "La Cumbia Perdida" by Doctor Stereo, "Murder She Wrote" by Beverley Road All Stars and more.

A fresh, breezy and brilliant compilation of rare Brazil – wonderful material from the early 60s through the end of the decade – the fourth in the Viagem series compiled by Nicola Conte, and it's the best yet! Viagem celebrates the jazzier side of 60s Brazil – bossa, samba and rawly rhythmic Afro-Brazilian grooves inspired by the best and freshest jazz of the US and European scenes. It's deep stuff, too – with a lot of great material we're hearing for the first time! We always expect the moon from Nicola Conte – whether it's his own modern, though classic jazz-inspired grooves – or in his role as a masterful, generous compiler. The man delivers every damn time! Includes "So Balanco" by 7 De Ouros, "Consolacao" by Myrzo Barroso, "Outra Vez" by Bossa Jazz 3, "Balumba" by Anilza Leoni, "Cute" by Bwana Trio, "Ponto De Vista" by As Compositoras, "Batucada Surgiu" by Marcos Moran, "Saudade Vem Correndo" by Bossa Nova + 5, "Te Quero Assim" by Rosana Tapajos, "Gusto Do Que E Bom" by Shirley E O Tuca Trio, "Pandeiro Triste" by Betinho Do Vibraphone and more. 17 tracks in all.

Essential work from the African scene of the 70s – a collection of tracks that goes way beyond the more familiar grooves of Fela Kuti and Manu Dibango! The set may well be the deepest so far we've heard from the always-amazing Soundway Records – a package that digs into a wealth of under-heard music from early 70s Nigeria, all of it beyond simple stylistic definitions and overplayed world music cliches! Many of the grooves here are wonderfully unique – odd fusions of styles that include highlife, jazz, soul, Afrobeat, and other regional influences – sifted and shaken together, and spilled out in the studio with a really fresh sort of feel. Rhythms are at the core of most numbers here, but even those are often unfamiliar – skittish, soulful, and often somewhat playful – and the other instrumentation on the tracks is great too, and often resonates with some of the odd sounds and tunings we love in work on the Ethiopiques series. 2CD set features 26 tracks that include "Okwuke Na Nchekwube" by Celestine Ukwu & His Philosophers National, "Nekwaha Semi Colon" by The Semi Colon, "Osalobua Rekpama" by Sir Victor Owaifo & His Melody Maestros, "Onwu Ama Dike" by St Augustine & His Rovers Dance Band, "Feso Jaiye" by The Sahara All Stars Of Jos, "To Whom It May Concern" by Tunji Oyelana & The Benders, "Akula Owu Onyeara" by The Funkees, "Koma Mosi" by The Harbours Band, "Belema" by Opotopo, "Asiko Mi Ni" by Nigerian Police Force Band, "Alabeke" by Dan Satch & His Atomic 8 Dance Band, "Blak Sound" by Leo Fadaka & The Heroes, "Arraino" by Popular Cooper & His All Beats Band, "Ugali" by Tony Benson Sextet, "Akpaisong" by Etubom Rex Williams & His Nigerian Allstars, "Eguae Oba" by Osayomore Joseph & The Creative 7, "Torri Wowo" by Godwin Ezike & The Ambassadors, "Buroda Mase" by Bola Johnson & His Easy Life Top Beats, "I Want A Break Thru" by The Hykkers, and "Eguae Oba" by Osayomore Joseph & The Creative 7.

Essential work from the African scene of the 70s – a collection of tracks that goes way beyond the more familiar grooves of Fela Kuti and Manu Dibango! The set may well be the deepest so far we've heard from the always-amazing Soundway Records – a package that digs into a wealth of under-heard music from early 70s Nigeria, all of it beyond simple stylistic definitions and overplayed world music cliches! Many of the grooves here are wonderfully unique – odd fusions of styles that include highlife, jazz, soul, Afrobeat, and other regional influences – sifted and shaken together, and spilled out in the studio with a really fresh sort of feel. Rhythms are at the core of most numbers here, but even those are often unfamiliar – skittish, soulful, and often somewhat playful – and the other instrumentation on the tracks is great too, and often resonates with some of the odd sounds and tunings we love in work on the Ethiopiques series. Vinyl part 1 features 12 tracks that include "Okwuke Na Nchekwube" by Celestine Ukwu & His Philosophers National, "Nekwaha Semi Colon" by The Semi Colon, "Osalobua Rekpama" by Sir Victor Owaifo & His Melody Maestros, "Onwu Ama Dike" by St Augustine & His Rovers Dance Band, "Feso Jaiye" by The Sahara All Stars Of Jos, "To Whom It May Concern" by Tunji Oyelana & The Benders, "Akula Owu Onyeara" by The Funkees, and "Koma Mosi" by The Harbours Band.

Essential work from the African scene of the 70s – a collection of tracks that goes way beyond the more familiar grooves of Fela Kuti and Manu Dibango! The set may well be the deepest so far we've heard from the always-amazing Soundway Records – a package that digs into a wealth of under-heard music from early 70s Nigeria, all of it beyond simple stylistic definitions and overplayed world music cliches! Many of the grooves here are wonderfully unique – odd fusions of styles that include highlife, jazz, soul, Afrobeat, and other regional influences – sifted and shaken together, and spilled out in the studio with a really fresh sort of feel. Rhythms are at the core of most numbers here, but even those are often unfamiliar – skittish, soulful, and often somewhat playful – and the other instrumentation on the tracks is great too, and often resonates with some of the odd sounds and tunings we love in work on the Ethiopiques series. Vinyl part 2 features 14 tracks that include "Belema" by Opotopo, "Asiko Mi Ni" by Nigerian Police Force Band, "Alabeke" by Dan Satch & His Atomic 8 Dance Band, "Blak Sound" by Leo Fadaka & The Heroes, "Arraino" by Popular Cooper & His All Beats Band, "Ugali" by Tony Benson Sextet, "Akpaisong" by Etubom Rex Williams & His Nigerian Allstars, "Eguae Oba" by Osayomore Joseph & The Creative 7, "Torri Wowo" by Godwin Ezike & The Ambassadors, "Buroda Mase" by Bola Johnson & His Easy Life Top Beats, "I Want A Break Thru" by The Hykkers, and "Eguae Oba" by Osayomore Joseph & The Creative 7.

Raucous R&B, tight psych and mod soul from the late 60s UK – on a stellar Vol 4 in the great Rare Mod series from Acid Jazz – and nearly everything on it is entirely fresh to our ears! Rare Mod really goes deep, uncovering tunes that are honestly as infectious as the major mod standard bearing hits of the day – with raw drums, killer Hammond organ grooves and gritty vocals that give everything a sharp edge – but it’s commited by groups that proudly flaunt classic soul and R&B influences. Great stuff! Includes "Big Bird" by Dog Soul, "Tell Daddy" by All Night Workers, "Together Forever" by Gary Farr and the T-Bones, "Me And My Baby" by Row Boat, "Cover Girl" by Perfumed Garden, "The Thinking Kind" by The Wild Ones, "Arthur" by Virgin Sleep, "LSD" by Tomorrow's Children and more, 16 in all.

Mindblowing music from the trio of Nick Ashford, Valerie Simpson, and Jo Armstead – most of it composed and recorded in New York during the mid 60s – before Armstead left for the Chicago scene, and Ashford & Simpson went to work for Motown in Detroit! The three writers have a really beautiful way of putting over a tune – fresh lyrics that are perfect for the budding soul generation of the 60s – and which often get some production work from the members of the trio too, especially on some of the tracks here that were issued by Wand Records. The package does a perfect job of unearthing these early years – pulling together compositions by the three (and occasionally just by Ashford & Simpson) – and illuminating this period with notes that are as thorough as the selection of tracks on the set. Titles include "Dance Children Dance" by Mary Love, "The Shoe Won't Fit" by Betty Everett, "Look Away" by The Shirelles, "Are You Trying To Get Rid Of Me Baby" by The Crystals, "I Don't Need No Doctor" by Sandy Nelson, "Please Little Angel" by Doris Troy, "The Real Thing" by The Chiffons, "Smokie Joe's" by The Jewels, "Say It Again" by Marie Knight, "Looky Looky" by Candy & The Kisses, "Mr Creator" by The Apollas, "You're Absolutely Right" by Tina Britt, "I'm Satisfied" by Chuck Jackson & Maxine Brown, "Cry Like A Baby" by Aretha Franklin, "Same Old Feeling" by Jo Ann & Troy, "Only Your Love Can Save Me" by Betty LaVette, and "Love Ain't What It Used To Be" by The Diplomats.

Ho!! Here's one to take you on a short trip down memory lane! We say short because in today's groove scene new sounds and movements take hold and shift to another scene so quickly, it's easy forget how recently they were birthed. So never mind dub step or broken beat or any of the grandchildren of the drum and bass scene and cruise back to the salad days of the mid 90s with this fab compilation showcasing the original breakbeat sound! Non-stop jungle tracks with relentless rhythms that sound as fresh today as they did when they were new, new unstoppable sound system rockers and neck snapping underground club anthems of East London. 13 tracks in all, including "Original Nuttah" by UK Apache & Shy FX, "Super Sharp Shooter" by DJ Zinc, "Illegal Gunshot" by the Ragga Twins, "No Doubt" by Shut Up & Dance, "Under Mi Sensi (X-Project rmx)" by Barrington Levy &Beenie Man, "Bad Boy Lick A New Shot" by Ninjaman, Bounty Killer, Beenie Man & Ninja Ford, "Press The Trigger" by Poison Chang and "Incredible" by M Beat with general Levy.

Smoking soul from 60s Texas – a tremendous amount of rare tunes from obscure little singles – pulled together to showcase the Lonestar State as a musical powerhouse to rival Motown, Philly, or the Windy City! The tracks here are all from various labels headed by the legendary Huey P Meux – and unlike other Texas work you may know from the time, lots of these numbers are bubbling over with the kind of soul elements you'd normally hear from east coast indie work of the time – and in that way, are almost like some of the other 60s material cut by southern transplants on the LA scene of the time – familiar, but a little offbeat too – with odd little twists and turns that really keep things interesting, and which make the package a really fresh musical discovery. There's some nice deep soul elements at times, particularly on the mellower cuts – and titles include "Go Go Train" by Jackie Paine, "That Is Why The End Must Begin" by Joe Masters, "Irene" by Rockin Dave Allen, "Time" by Charles Barry, "Get To Gitten" by Big Walter, "Doggin Around" by Jean Knight, "Friends In Show Business" by Joe Melvin, "Neighbor Neighbor" by Alton Valier, "You'll Lose A Good Thing (demo)" by Barbara Lynn, "Let Them Talk" by Johnny Adams, "If You're Looking For A Fool" by David King Thomas, and "Pick Me Up On Your Way Down" by Margo White.

Those Chicago steppers are at it again – working their way across the USA, and picking up a fresh range of grooves in the process! As on previous volumes, the tunes are a mix of older soul and a few contemporary numbers – with a heavy sprinkling of 80s cuts, showing a bit of a shift on the steppers scene as it moves away from the 60s! Titles include "Not Ready" by Con Funk Shun, "Love's A Merry Go Round" by Juicy, "Ride Your Pony Girl" by The Moments, "Still Got The Magic" by Michael Wycoff, "Love U 2 The Limit" by Mac Band, "The Show Is Over" by Evelyn Champagne King, "Walking With You" by East Coast Offering, "Can't Let Go (inst)" by Tony Terry, "Is This For Real" by O'Bryan, and "You & Me" by Jamm.

A damn classic entry in the Super Breaks series from BGP – one that's filled with crucial sample cuts from the old school – some really wonderful funky nuggets, brought together here as a great reminder of the tracks that first got us digging back in the day! There's less of the totally obscure numbers here than you might find on other Super Breaks volumes, but things aren't totally mainstream either – and the compilers have not only done a great job of pulling together tracks that were really important for hip hop, but have also managed to put a really fresh spin on the music altogether – reminding us once again that even in the age of digital music, nothing beats a well-done compilation! Titles include "Shifting Gears" by Johnny Hammond, "Mary Mary" by The Monkees, "Scratchin" by Magic Disco Machine, "It's Just Begun" by Jimmy Castor, "Africano" by Earth Wind & Fire, "Apache" by Incredible Bongo Band, "Got To Get A Knutt" by New Birth, "Get Up & Dance" by Freedom, "Super Sporm" by Captain Sky, "Who Is He & What Is He To You" by Creative Source, "Funky President" by James Brown, "Blow Your Head" by The JBs, "Johnny The Fox" by Thin Lizzy, "Let A Woman Be A Woman Let A Man Be A Man" by Dyke & The Blazers, "The Clapping Song" by Shirley Ellis, and "Get Ya Some" by Melvin Sparks.

A damn classic entry in the Super Breaks series from BGP – one that's filled with crucial sample cuts from the old school – some really wonderful funky nuggets, brought together here as a great reminder of the tracks that first got us digging back in the day! There's less of the totally obscure numbers here than you might find on other Super Breaks volumes, but things aren't totally mainstream either – and the compilers have not only done a great job of pulling together tracks that were really important for hip hop, but have also managed to put a really fresh spin on the music altogether – reminding us once again that even in the age of digital music, nothing beats a well-done compilation! Titles include "Shifting Gears" by Johnny Hammond, "Mary Mary" by The Monkees, "Scratchin" by Magic Disco Machine, "It's Just Begun" by Jimmy Castor, "Africano" by Earth Wind & Fire, "Apache" by Incredible Bongo Band, "Got To Get A Knutt" by New Birth, "Get Up & Dance" by Freedom, "Super Sporm" by Captain Sky, "Who Is He & What Is He To You" by Creative Source, "Funky President" by James Brown, "Blow Your Head" by The JBs, "Johnny The Fox" by Thin Lizzy, "Let A Woman Be A Woman Let A Man Be A Man" by Dyke & The Blazers, "The Clapping Song" by Shirley Ellis, and "Get Ya Some" by Melvin Sparks.

Groovy soul from Westbound Records – the Detroit imprint that's best known for its heavy funk from groups like Funkadelic or The Counts, but which also cut some killer Northern numbers in their early years too! The package features loads of under-discovered Westbound nuggets, including a few unreleased tracks too – and the overall feel is almost in the same territory as the HDH/Invictus camp of the early 70s – soaring soul that's clearly informed by the Motown generation, but which comes across with a lot more righteous overtones, thanks to some heady production work! A few names here are familiar, but most of the work should be pretty darn fresh, even if you've got other collections of Westbound work – and as usual, Kent have really knocked it out of the park with a great job on the notes and overall packaging. Titles include "Third World" by Joe Matthews, "Love Love Love" by Damon Shawn, "Till Another Day (Tom Moulton 7" edit)" by Caesar Frazier, "Ain't No Telling" by Houston Outlaws, "Happy Days" by The Magictones, "Gonna Spread The News" by Unique Blend, "Ain't That Lovin" by Denise & Abe, "Lonely In A Crowd" by Superlatives, "My Baby Ain't No Plaything" by The New Holidays, "Can't Shake It Loose" by Funkadelic, "I Can't See Myself Doing Without You" by Bob & Harold, "Never My Love" by Emanuel Laskey, "I'm Slowly Moulding" by The Magictones, and "I Am So Thankful" by Eddie Hill.

Excellent funky jazz work from Eastern Europe – very much in the spirit of recent compilations on the Jazzanova label, or similar sets on Cosmic Sounds. The album collects sublime material from the vaults of Supraphon, a hip Czech label that cut records so cool they're beyond description. The 8 tunes on the set are a mixture of Latin jazz, big band grooves, and funky electric fusion – but they all share a wonderfully fresh approach to arrangements, with modal bits hitting straighter jazz bits hitting choppy rhythmic grooving, in a blend so cool it'll have you digging through record shops for all things Czech. There's a lot of similar styles to some of the best 70s MPS work on the record – and you can also hear the influence of the music on some of the current European groove scene. Titles include "Presage" and "Wizard" by Jazz Q, "Memory" and "Dance For Two" by Gustav Brom, "Cubano Chant" by SHQ, "Dew Drop" by Kamil Hala & CZ Radio Jazz Orchestra, and "Wait For Me" by Milan Svoboda & Prague Big Band.

Great stuff – and one of the most interesting compilations we've heard in ages! The record blends together tracks from the rich jazz and gospel catalogs of Atlantic Records – shifting effortlessly between vocal and instrumental numbers in a spiritual package of tracks – slow and soulful, fast and funky, and with a change in mode at every new track! Titles include "Prayed & I Prayed" by Myrna Summers, "I Came To Praise Him" by The Stovall Sisters, "Young Man" by Oscar Brown Jr, "Rosalie" by Yusef Lateef, "Shiloh" by David Newman, "I'll Be So Glad When I Get Home" by Morning Star Gospel Singers, "Silver City Bound" by Clifford Jordan, "Live Humble" by Yusef Lateef, "Hang On In There" by Stovall Sisters, and "Witness" by Myrna Summers. Pretty darn fresh all the way through, and with a style that will really surprise you!

Chicago house music really takes off – in this massive collection that really documents the most experimental years in the Windy City club scene! By the mid 80s, Chicago house had already had a few years under its belt – stepping strongly forward as a revolutionary new mode of club music – stripped-down from disco, borrowing some electronics from overseas, and giving the world a fresh new vision of dancefloor sounds that would have a huge influence for decades to come! And by the end of the decade, folks were really starting to play with the format – bringing in lots of older analogue electronic sounds, dubbed "acid" for the way they burned and tweaked – and garnering the city even more interest from the UK and European scenes – who thought the name referred to drug usage, and took the cue to ignite their own waves of house-based parties on the other side of the Atlantic. While back home, Chicago artists were spurred on to experiment even more – and things went from warm and clubby to downright sci-fi – an aesthetic that's really captured strongly in this set from Soul Jazz. 2CD set features the cuts "Can You Feel It" from Mr Fingers, "Hallucinate" by Acid Wash, "151" by Armando, "The Jacking Zone" by Risque Rhythm Team, "I Can't Understand" by Pleasure Zone, "Rabbit Trax 1" by James Jack Rabbit Martin, "Freedom (Factory mix)" by The Children, "Ecstasy" by Mr Fingers, "Washing Machine" by Mr Fingers, "The Night Calls" by Bizzy B, "Go Wild Rhythm Trax No 3" by Virgo, "World Turns Around" by Cool McCool, "House Nation" by The Housmaster Boyz, "Love Trak" by Acid Wash, "Strength Of Bass" by Devotion, "Abstract Expressionism" by The Unknown, "No Way Back" by Adonis, "Choice Of The Underground" by Rocky Jones, "The Juice" by Mr Fingers, and "I Believe" by A Black Man, A Black Man, & Another Black Man.

Hip hop, street soul, and lots lots more – a really revolutionary selection of music from the legendary Celluloid Records – a label that was virtually a genre unto itself! Celluloid was a key force tying together the New York downtown scene at the start of the 80s, and the postcolonial music world of Paris – and as a result, they always operated with a culture-crossing style that few other companies of the time managed to hit – merging together sounds in really unlikely ways, and often coming up with fresh new styles in the process! The label's known for crate-diggers for its hip hop releases – and to world music fans for its electric Africa work – but they also were on the forefront of New York No Wave, avant jazz, and post-punk – and somehow found a way to integrate both young new talents, and older experimentalists who still had plenty to offer. This package finally does Celluloid justice – and goes way past the few simplistic comps of the label's work over the years – training the skilled Strut ear to the whole thing, and also serving up the full story of the label in the process. Titles include "I'm The One" by Material, "Day Tripper" by Shockabilly, "Tele Apres La Meteo" by Fredinand, "Disco Rough (long version)" by Mathematiques Modernes, "Electrique Sylvie (full length version)" by Modern Guy, "Mean Machine Chant/Mean Machine" by Last Poets, "Abele Dance ('85 rmx)" by Manu Dibango, "Change The Beat (French & English)" by Fab 5 Freddy, "The Escapades Of Futura 2000" by Futura 2000 with The Clash, and "Downing Street Rock" by Winston Edwards & Blackbeard.

Tropical funk, hazy rhythms, and simmering Afro funk & soul from the Caribbean – a killer collection put together by Hugo Mendez– fantastic stuff from Barbados, St Lucia, Jamaica, Trinidad, St Vincent and beyond! Tropical Funk Experience does a great job of pulling together the a diverse set of funky sounds – with lots of funk that carries both JBs and Afro funk styles, harder grooving and more tripped out sounds, and reggae – with tropical versions of funky standards, and even more numbers that are totally fresh to our ears. Titles include "Spouge Explosion", "Let Me Get Stoned" by Boo & The Tru Tones, "Take The Funky Feeling" by Blue Rhythm Combo, "Cissy Strut" De Boys En Dem, "Fugitive Dub" by Skatalites, "Basa Bongo" by Yoruba Singers, "Smokey Feeling" by The Organization"," New Bag" by The Exciters, "Jive Samba" by Llans Thelwell And The Celestials and more.

A massive tribute to the genius of soul in the Windy City – a wonderful compilation that really gets at the special sound Chicago brought into play during the early years of soul! The set is filled with key cuts from the Chi-town scene of the time – some of them lesser-known that the famous hits always associated with our hometown – and beautifully selected to really capture a moment when soul music was first starting to come together as a style! You can definitely hear roots from Chicago blues, gospel, and R&B in the cuts – but they're definitely all soul, all the way through – a killer batch of nuggets that manages to offer up fresh bits from some big names, and uncover some great cuts by some less familiar folks. The package features full track-by-track notes on the tunes by Bill Dahl – and titles include "Tragic" by The Sheppards, "At The Party "by Wade Flemons, "Hi Diddley Dee Dum Dum" By The Dells, "Tell Him" by The Drew-Vels, "I've Got A Girl" by Major Lance, "Senorita I Love You" by The Impressions, "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" by Don & Bob, "My Heart Cries" by Etta & Harvey, "Isle Of Sirens" by Jerry Butler, "Enchanted Garden" by The Accents, "You've Got A Great Love" by The Chanteurs, "Father Knows Best" by The Radiants, "Let Em Try" by Rosco Gordon, "Behind The Curtains" by Jan Bradley, and "Puppy Love" by Barbara Lewis.

The Brazilian side of Blue Note Records – a double-length collection that mostly features bossa-inspired numbers from the 60s, but also includes a few gems from more recent years too! Unlike Verve or Impulse, Blue Note rarely went straight into bossa nova – and instead, the label's artists often came at the music from a different direction – using bossa themes and inspiration, mixed with their own hard bop impulses – and often served up in a really unique groove in the end! This package is a great illustration of that special magic – tracks that go way past the usual, and which still sound amazingly fresh and visionary all these many years later. Titles include "Wave" by Stanley Turrentine, "Blue Bossa" by Joe Henderson, "Sandalia Dela" by Duke Pearson, "Book's Bossa" by Donald Byrd, "Rio" by Lee Morgan, "Recado Bossa Nova" by Hank Mobley, "Swingin The Samba" by Horace Silver, "Back Down To The Tropics" by Charlie Rouse, "Love For Sale" by Dexter Gordon, "Latona" by John Patton, "O Amor Em Paz" by Cannonball Adderley, "Manha De Carnaval" by Ron Carter, "Waters Of March" by Cassandra Wilson, and "Triste" by Dianne Reeves.

Possibly the best-ever collection of blacksploitation grooves we've ever seen – a really comprehensive package that not only manages to cover the classics, but which also digs deep enough to come up with lots of fresh bits too! The set really sets a new level for the Soul Jazz label – and is carried off with enough authority towards Black Action films as the label's legendary efforts towards a host of less mainstream genres – truly an achievement for the label's crew, not to mention a heavier bonus for our funky listening pleasure! There's way more here than just a slapped-together batch of tunes from the early 70s – as the set's very carefully put together to showcase a wide range of sounds, along with notes that really get at the social and political power of both the music and the films. Vinyl volume 1 features an insert with notes – and tracks that include "Shaft In Africa" by Johnny Pate, "Down & Out In New York City" by James Brown, "Wilford's Gone" by The Blackbyrds, "Run Fay Run" by Isaac Hayes, "Theme From Black Belt Jones" by Dennis Coffey, "Willie Chase" by JJ Johnson, "T Plays It Cool" by Marvin Gaye, "Charley" by Don Costa, "Brother's Gonna Work It Out" by Willie Hutch, and "Blacula" by Gene Page.

Funky disco sound is right – as P&P were one of the greatest club labels of the late 70s! The label was run by Peter Brown and Patrick Adams – both inventive producers who'd made their mark at other labels over the years, and who had an insane talent for cooking up unusual ways to put over a groove. They mixed together soul, funk, disco, and occasional touches of electronics to create a wild groove that was always fresh, and which pushed way past the simple club grooves of some of the contemporaries. Their work at P&P (and related imprints) was perhaps too groundbreaking to hit as big on the charts as other larger disco acts – but from the get-go, they'd always had a strong underground following, and are claimed as an enormous influence on both house music and modern dance alike. Work on the label's been cropping up on reissue singles for a number of years, but this is the first time anyone's done a proper job of putting together work from P&P – and given that the set's of British origin, you can bet that the quality and packaging are super-high, not to mention the selection! There's a total of 13 cuts in all – including "Flying High" and "Patty Duke" by Cloud One, "Johnson Jumpin" by Johnson Products, "Dance Freak" by Chain Reaction, "African Rock" by Licky, "Feel The Spirit" by Foster Jackson, "NY Applejack" by Scott Davis, "Got To Have Your Love" by Clyde Alexander, and "Get Down Boy" by Paper Doll.

A double-length collection of work from two obscure Atlanta soul labels – the Tragar and Note imprints, both run by local producer Jesse Jones! Back in the day, Atlanta wasn't nearly as big of an outlet for soul records as it's become in recent years – so Jones' labels were key in showcasing under-exposed local talent in the city, a range of soul groups, solo singers, and funk combos – all produced here with a really fresh sound! Nearly every track here is super-obscure – and there's few southern soul cliches to get in the way of the music – no overdone blues, no Hotlanta disco, no Muscle Shoals copies – just honest-to-goodness indie soul at its best – full of life, vitality, and personality – all presented with the usual deep-digging Numero look at the artists in the notes. The package features a whopping 50 tracks in all – one of the biggest Numero collections so far – and together, they really tell the tale of this crucially overlooked scene – a key link between more familiar southern styles and rising Northern modes, all with a personality of its own. Titles include "All Because of You" and "Down In The Country" by Tee Fletcher, "The Hump" and "Tipping Strings" by The Knights, "Somebody Got A Help Me" and "Love is So Mean" by Richard Cook, "I'll Show You With Love" by Young Divines, "Watch The Dog That Bring The Bone" by Sandy Gaye, "Messing Around" by Bobby Owens & The Diplomats, "I Think It's Time" by Alice Swoboda, "Black Midnight" by JJ Jones, "That's How Much I Love You" by Eula Cooper, "Let's Get Funky" by Langston & French, "You Got A Spell On Me" by Bill Wright, "Strange Feeling" by Nathan Wilkes, "Shake Daddy Shake" by Eula Cooper, and "Nitecap" by L Daniels.

Burt Bacharach, but with a German twist – heard here in a very groovy batch of Bacharach tunes from overseas – most of which were never issued here in the US! The tunes are familiar, but the versions are nicely different – not just because the lyrics are in German, where there are lyrics – but because the arrangements are fresh and groovy too – especially on the instrumentals, which are handled by some of the grooviest German maestros of the time! The package features 18 tracks in all – and titles include "Hallo Pussycat" by Gus Backus, "Ein Rosarotes Himmelbett" by Ramona, "So Wie Ich" by Karel Gott, "The Look Of Love" by Roberto Delgado, "Alfie" by Heinz Schachtner, "Ein Haus Ist Klein Zuhaus" by Corry Brokken, "Raindrops Keep Fallin On My Head" by Henry Arland, "Ich Wunsche Mir So Viel Von Dir" by Bata Illic, and "This Guy's In Love With You" by Peter Thomas.

Call it psycho-funk, call it Brit easy, call it downtempo abstract – whatever the case, it's all great! This second volume in one of our favorite all-time series is a stunner – and it comes up with a sparkling blend of very fresh grooves that we've only ever heard matched by a few other compilations over the past few years. The general vibe is rare soundtrack and sophisticated jazz funk material – and a huge amount of these cuts come from sources we've never seen before! Tracks include "The Rub" by Alan Tew, "Pretexte Indicatifs" by Guy Pederson, "Abstraction" by Projection, "Plummer Park" by Pete Jolly, "My Love For You & The Ugly" by Ed Green, "Beach Buggy" by Pierre Duchamp, "Beat Construction" by David Seeland Band, "Sour Soul" by Gentle Rain, "Night Is Blues" by Performance, "Name Of The Game" by Brian Bennet, and "Bass In Action #1" by Tonio Rubio. 19 cuts in all!

A treasure trove of rare grooves you've probably never heard before – all pulled from the tiny, but excellent, catalog of Montparnasse 2000, a super-hip French sound library label! Most of these tracks were never issued formally to the public – only recorded to serve as backings in radio, TV, and commercial use – but that doesn't stop them from being some really great funky grooves, especially as most of them were performed by some of France's best funky jazzmen of the time! There's a sweet 70s groove that bubbles through the whole set – lots of funky drums, choppy guitar, sweet keyboards, and other classic instrumental touches – and since the Montparnasse catalog has been virtually untapped until now, nearly every track is super-fresh to our ears! Titles include "Turn In Around" by Willy Albimoor, "SOS 17" by Guy Pedersen, "Violence" by Caiage, "OK Richard" by Sylvano Santorio, "Don't Be Cool" by Jacky Giordano, "Danger" by Rene Costy, "Grand Roque" by Maurice Vander, "Vision Pop" by JJ Rober & JM Guise, and "Catalepsy" by Eric Framond.

A crunchy batch of grooves from one of the hippest British soundsystems ever! The Wild Bunch were a Bristol-based collective dedicated to spinning the best in underground hip hop and club tracks – a group whose members included Roni Size, Tricky, Krust, and future members of Massive Attack, represented here by DJ Milo, who's come up with a fantastic batch of tracks that perfectly sums up their genius blend of styles and rough-edged groove! The CD version of the set features a continuous mix of tracks by Milo – 26 tunes laid out back to back, bumping and jumping through a set list that includes "It's Yours" by T La Rock, "Just Rhymin With Biz" by Big Daddy Kane & Biz Markie, "We Rap More Mellow" by Younger Generation, "It's Your Rock" by Fantasy, "Rock Shock" by BBCS &A, "Who Needs Enemies With Friends Like You" by Montana Sextet, "The Music Got Me" by Visual, "Dance Freak" by Chain Reaction, "DJ's Delight" by Ingram, "Love Rap" by Spoonie G, "Double Fresh" by The Wild Bunch, "Inside Out" by Odyssey, "I'm In Love" by Evelyn Champagne King, "Smurph Across The Surf" by Micronawts, "Dyin To Be Dancin" by Empress, "Can You Feel It" by Mr Fingers, and "It's Serious" by Cameo.

Another platter of tasty beats in the tradition of the funky drummer series of break records Ubiquity put out a few years back. Just drums, raw and crisp, and ready for battling, looping or whatever you need. These aren't looped bits from famous breaks or some fool with a drum machine in his bedroom, but fresh new beats recorded by an actual drummer, fills and all! They're conveniently labelled with BPMs, and there's a variety of snare, kick and cymbal tones used throughout. Names like "Premier Funk", "Steve Mack Queen" and "Fat Foot" give you an idea what we're talking about.

Heavy funk with a Latin groove – a wonderful mixing of modes that's completely fresh and unique! The set follows nicely off other El Barrio explorations of late 60s Latin Soul, and traces the groove that emerged in its wake – a blending of hipper funky styles in the 70s with some of the bolder, prouder Latin modes of the time! Unlike Latin Soul, which was concentrated enough to get strong attention at the time, Latin Funk was often a bit more dispersed – just a track here and there, scattered over albums by both older artists and lesser-known newcomers – some of whom gave more famous acts a real run for their money. This overstuffed collection does a great job of pulling together tracks from a variety of different albums over an 8 year span – and it's a perfect introduction to an under-compiled genre that's finally getting its due! Track selection and notes are by the mighty Adrian Gibson – and titles include "You Need Help" by Monguito Santamaria, "Identify Yourself" by Cafe, "Dynamite" by Harvey Averne, "I'm Satisfied" by Joe Bataan, "Together" by Ray Barretto, "Guajiro Bacan" by Azuquita, "Funky Felix" by Seguida, "I Got The Feeling" by Chollo Rivera & The Latin Soul Drives, "There You Go" by Fania All Stars, "I'm Gonna Get To You Yet" by TNT Boys, "Black Dice" by Mongo Santamaria, and "Hot Pants" by Gilberto Cruz.

Massive music we've never heard before – a really heavy helping of grooves from the Ivory Coast – an African scene that's hardly been tapped by crate diggers and collectors! There's a really fresh feel to the grooves overall – not just the familiar Afro Funk modes, but a nice range of styles that moves between rootsy local numbers through some great crossover styles, through even a few of the African Disco modes that are better known from other scenes! The tracks here are all massively funky – scoured out over the course of a number of different crate-digging trips to the coast – and the package presents the music with great images of the original record covers, too – so that you can still retain some of the feel of the rarity of the work, even though the collection presents things in an easy to handle format. Definitely one for fans of Soundway and Analogue Africa titles – with cuts that include "True Love" by Rato Venance, "Yatchiminou" by Jimmy Hyacinthe, "Kalabuley Woman" by Pierre Antoine, "Mammy Nia" by Nguessan, "Wazi Doble" by Gougoumangou, "Zadie Bobo" by Ernesti Djedje, "Unite" by Moussa Doumbia, "Mon Falou Nan" by Soro N Gana Et L'Orchestre Guilana-na, "Onginwe" by Prince Dgibs, and "Essemon Moupoh" by Jean Guehi.

A heavily funky and far reaching collection of tunes written by the Godfather – eclectic 60s & 70s material from all over the globe – each with a unique approach, but perfectly connected in their displays of JB's boundless funky spirit! The set includes a few tracks familiar to global deep funk diggers – but the majority of the tunes are quite fresh to our ears, and all of it's excellent, anyway. A tight Italian take on the sound from the Showman, brassy fury from the University Of Illinois Jazz Band, Latin funk from Rabbits & Carrots, a group harmonies approach from The Impalas, and much more! Includes "I Feel Good" by Os Incriveis, "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" by Jr & The Preludes, "Lickin' Stick" by Soul Sounds, "Give It Up Or Turn It Loose" and "Sex Machine" by Rabbits & Carrots, "Super Bad" by Kashmere Stage Band, "Think About It" by Esquires Now, "There Was A Time/Cold Sweat (Medley)" by Victor Olaiya & International All Stars, "Soul" by Impalas, "Get On The Good Foot" Harrison High School, "Mother Popcorn" by Les Watson & The Panthers and more! 19 tracks in all.

A fantastic collection of rare bossa material from Italy! The set's one of the best we've ever seen of this type, and it's a completely fresh batch of tunes that breaks past a lot of the other Italian compilations of recent years. Some of the artists are familiar names – like Morricone, Piccioni, and Trovajoli – but there's plenty of other artists that we've never even heard before! A few themes are reworkings of familiar soundtrack tunes, but most of the material is original – and done with a sparkling sound that's really great! The grooves are filled with loads of tight drums, bubbling organ, jangly piano, and sweet female vocals in sort of a Morricone-ish tradition. Great stuff, and with 20 excellent tracks that include "Amori Finiti" by Giancarlo Gazzani, "Relief" by The Black Fire, "Rossana" by Armando Trovajoli, "Sometime" by A Santisteban, "Tema Di Linda" by Franco Micalizzi, "Curriculum" by Franco Chiari, "Coronado 990" by Orchestra Henry Stone, "Meditation" by Romano Mussolini, and "Warm Blood" by Tullio Gallo.

A fantastic collection of rare bossa material from Italy! The set's one of the best we've ever seen of this type, and it's a completely fresh batch of tunes that breaks past a lot of the other Italian compilations of recent years. Some of the artists are familiar names – like Morricone, Piccioni, and Trovajoli – but there's plenty of other artists that we've never even heard before! A few themes are reworkings of familiar soundtrack tunes, but most of the material is original – and done with a sparkling sound that's really great! The grooves are filled with loads of tight drums, bubbling organ, jangly piano, and sweet female vocals in sort of a Morricone-ish tradition. Great stuff, and with 20 excellent tracks that include "Amori Finiti" by Giancarlo Gazzani, "Relief" by The Black Fire, "Rossana" by Armando Trovajoli, "Sometime" by A Santisteban, "Tema Di Linda" by Franco Micalizzi, "Curriculum" by Franco Chiari, "Coronado 990" by Orchestra Henry Stone, "Meditation" by Romano Mussolini, and "Warm Blood" by Tullio Gallo.

A simply groooooovy collection of rare bossa tunes! The set goes farther than the first volume in the series – dipping into a wide range of material that includes Brazilian albums from the 60s, but also some more obscure American and European sources, which gives the set a slightly expanded groove that's very fresh! Titles include "A Child Runs Free" by Fred Johnson, "Tudo Que Voce Podia Ser" by Quarteto Em Cy, "Ye Me Le" by The Gimmicks, "Tudo De Voce" by Wilson Simonal, "Fio Maravilha" by Tania Maria, "Mad About The Boy" by Cybil Shepard, "Zozoi" by France Gall & Cesar Camargo Mariano, "A Vontade Mesmo" by Raulzinho, "Freio Aerodinamico" by Os Tres Morais, "Mar Azul" by Som Imaginario, "Bahia Bossa Nova" by Bernard Lubat, "Vai Vai" by Jean Pierre Sabar, "Spooky" by Som Tes, and "Chove Chuva" by Nelsinho.

A treasure trove of rare grooves you've probably never heard before – all pulled from the tiny, but excellent, catalog of Montparnasse 2000, a super-hip French sound library label! Most of these tracks were never issued formally to the public – only recorded to serve as backings in radio, TV, and commercial use – but that doesn't stop them from being some really great funky grooves, especially as most of them were performed by some of France's best funky jazzmen of the time! There's a sweet 70s groove that bubbles through the whole set – lots of funky drums, choppy guitar, sweet keyboards, and other classic instrumental touches – and since the Montparnasse catalog has been virtually untapped until now, nearly every track is super-fresh to our ears! Titles include "Turn In Around" by Willy Albimoor, "SOS 17" by Guy Pedersen, "Violence" by Caiage, "OK Richard" by Sylvano Santorio, "Don't Be Cool" by Jacky Giordano, "Danger" by Rene Costy, "Grand Roque" by Maurice Vander, "Vision Pop" by JJ Rober & JM Guise, and "Catalepsy" by Eric Framond.

An incredible follow up to the first New Orleans Funk compilation on Soul Jazz – even harder-hitting than the first, and filled with funky rare gems! This set took nearly a decade to follow the first, but it's been well worth the wait – and the crew at Soul Jazz have clearly used all that time to dig way past the obvious on the New Orleans scene, and come up with a really incredible batch of all-funky cuts all the way through! Even if you've got a dozen other New Orleans funk collections in your collection, you'll find plenty here to win you over – as the package goes out of its way to pull cuts from rare singles and under-reissued material – then wraps the whole thing up with the usual extra-thorough Soul Jazz approach to liner notes and details. And while some of the names are familiar here, they're nicely interspersed with lesser-known folks who keep things fresh – making for a winning lineup that really sets a new standard for this sort of set. Titles include "The Twitch" by Danny White, "Street Parade" by Earl King, "Four Corners" by Lee Dorsey, "Hot Tamales" by The Prime Mates, "Tequila" by Allen Toussaint, "Right Place Wrong Time" by Ray J, "Gossip" by Cyril Neville, "Hold On Help Is On The Way" by G Davis & R Tyler, "Funky Belly" by Warren Lee, "I'm Mr Big Stuff" by Jimmy Hicks, "The Rubber Band" by Eddie Bo, "12 Red Roses" by Betty Harris, "What Do You See In Her" by Inell Young, "You Keep Me Hanging On" by Bonnie & Sheila, "Yeah You're Right You Know You're Right" by The Gaturs, "The Tap" by Porgy Jones, and "Bo Diddley" by Art Neville.

Hard to see how these nighttime folks get any lovin done – give that the grooves in the series are always so great, we're bound to spend the whole evening on the dancefloor! This smoking 17th entry (!) in the collection is every bit as grooving as the rest – heavy on the kind of 80s soul that still sounds pretty darn fresh today – cuts that never got the right sort of chance back in the day, and which are finally being rediscovered and given new life in the 21st Century! Rhythms are heavy on keyboards and beats – with a fair bit of bassy bits too – and titles include "Sweat" by Brick, "Lovequake" by Bobby King, "Just Begun To Love You" by Renee Aldrich, "Cry Like A Wolf" by RJ's Latest Arrival, "Give Me" by I Level, "Let Sleeping Dogs Lie" by Intrique, "This Time" by Funk Deluxe, "Hot Girl" by Private Eye, and "Let's Change It Up" by Inner Life.

Raucous R&B, tight psych and mod soul from the late 60s UK – on a stellar Vol 4 in the great Rare Mod series from Acid Jazz – and nearly everything on it is entirely fresh to our ears! Rare Mod really goes deep, uncovering tunes that are honestly as infectious as the major mod standard bearing hits of the day – with raw drums, killer Hammond organ grooves and gritty vocals that give everything a sharp edge – but it’s commited by groups that proudly flaunt classic soul and R&B influences. Great stuff! Includes "Big Bird" by Dog Soul, "Tell Daddy" by All Night Workers, "Together Forever" by Gary Farr and the T-Bones, "Me And My Baby" by Row Boat, "Cover Girl" by Perfumed Garden, "The Thinking Kind" by The Wild Ones, "Arthur" by Virgin Sleep, "LSD" by Tomorrow's Children and more, 16 in all.

Far out harmonies and psyche pop from the mid-to-late 60s – and another groovy batch of obscurites from the Cali scene and beyond in the Soft Sounds For Gentle People series from Pet Records! The series has only gotten deeper and groovier since the first one came out – many singles from groups that were recording for the major labels at the time, but the majority of whom are fresh discoveries to us – and if labels like Columbia, Warner Bros and Capital provided the opportunity for richer sounds and production, it's used to shoot the grooves even further out, without comprising the catchy grooves and sweetly soaring male and female harmonies. Possibly the best entry yet! 21 tracks in all: Titles include "Take A Bus" by Stix & Stonz, "Nothing Sacred" by The Johnnys, "Look At The Sun" by Mouse, "Hello" by Things To Come, "Kill The Cobra" by Bentley Road, "It's A Groovy World" by The Lollipop Fantasy, "Looking Down" by 1st Century, "Wispy Paisley Skies" by Fraternity Of Man and more.