Sound Library — CDs  

A rare one from Janko Nilovic – his Funky Tramway – a cosmic jazz funk grail from the early 70s recorded in Belgium with an incredible group of local musicians – a stunner in which Nilovic is blending organically funky grooves with synths and other astral touches as incredibly as ever! If you dug Janko's brilliant Psych Impressions, Soul Impressions and Rythmes Contemporains compilations, there's much to love here – a similar blend of jazz, funk, and spacey prog touches – but the stylistic range here is perhaps even more impressive! There's lots of angelic wordless vocals flowing in and out, primarily from Patricia Maessen, but the group members contribute backing vocals, too, giving this more of a working band feel than some of Janko's sound library recordings of the time. Funky drums, bass, percussion, lots of spacey keys, Moog and trumpet steer the sound in lots of groovy directions. Titles include "Funky Tramway", "Flemish Suite", "Sitting Bull", "Gipsy Funk", "Atomium 82", "Disconnected Song", "Little Butcher's Street", "Fish Market" and more.

A sweet funky set from the 70s – originally recorded as a sound library session, but handled by Italian soundtrack maestro Alessandro Alessandroni! You might know Alessandroni's music best from the 60s, and this set is a later updating of the same groove – one that brings in a bit more electric keyboards, some bouncier basslines, and drums that snap nice and hard on the funky numbers – then lay back on the sweet mellow moments. A few cuts have vocals – ala I Cantorni Moderni – and the whole thing has a warm, sexy 70s groove that's right up there with the best Italian work of the scene from the time. Titles include "Femminismo", "Collettivo", "La Metropoli", "Pubblica Informazione", "Prima Eta", and "Ultimo Soggiorno". Very groovy stuff! CD features 5 bonus tracks too – never issued before!

Birds, brass, and plenty of grooves – two sublime UK sound library sets, back to back on a single CD! "Birds" here is used in the UK slang for women – and the combo sports wordless female vocals sliding along with the grooves – sneaking in and out of the brassier bits on the top with a "yeh yeh" sort of chorus approach, but one that's pretty musical overall! The best part of the music, though, is below the birds and the brass – the bottom, which is often quite funky, and has a soundtrack-styled sort of groove – rolling bass, snapping drums, bits of keyboards – all used in the best gently funky ways of the glory days of the Brit Easy scene. Most of the work here is the brainchild of arranger Keith Roberts – a lesser-known UK sound library figure, one who did a bit of work on Scott Walker's fourth album, but who really shines brightly here on his own. Titles include "Sort Of Soul", "Return To Montana", "Sunspot", "All Souled Out", "Time Key", "Pop Off The Tops", "New Dawn", "Melanie", "Sugar Sugar", "Funky Splanky", "The Kung Fu Kid", "Mexico Fiesta", "Fritzy Baby", and "Swamp Water".

Weird instrumental grooves from composer Sandro Brugnolini – played by a small combo that almost has a sound library feel! We know Brugnolini most from his soundtrack work, and this set's got a similar flair for odd sounds and weird rhythms – played here by a group that features organ, two guitars, bass, and drums – plus lots of unusual effects that make the whole thing sound strange and trippy! The music is a weird amalgam of funky jazz and soundtrack modes – familiar at points, but really offbeat at others – with a few key groovers mixed with mellower, more atmospheric numbers. Titles include "Cromaton", "Amofen", "Celluin", "Andrie's Dream", "Roxy", "Simanite", "Brain", and "Cortex".