Funky 45's — All Formats  

These guys are great – a sublime harmony combo with a sound that's always a treat, and which makes digging up their singles always worth while! Both sides on here are wonderful – sung perfectly, and arranged by Johnny Pate with a slight lilt that really hits a sweet Chicago groove, keeping things nice and fresh, and allowing the vocals some great play!

A funky blast from Freqnik & WDRE! "Favela B-Boy Funk" is a killer cut from the NYC duo – who make a pretty strong impression here on this debut single on the Boro label. The tightness of the beats really does give it a timeless B-Boy funk feel – and it's paired nicely with some raw horns and Afro-Latin rhythms. It's schooled by classic crate digger funk – but it's done with a fresh, timeless, global spin. Includes the "Drumapella" version on the flip, where you can focus squarely on those stellar drums!

Freqnik & WDRE pay tribute to the legendary Big Daddy Kane track "Set it Off"! Raw funky drums backed by a sinster bass line and live piano flavor Freqnik & WDRE's timeless take on Kane's late 80s Cold Chillin' classic. The style sounds as fresh as ever – heavy drums, funky keys and an all around timeless vibe!

Cali funk revivalists The Incredible Say Whats! pay tribute to a rare late 60s treasure by Leon Haywood's group The Soul Machine – covering both sides of funky 45 from 1968! Each demonstrates real love for the original versions, ably replicating the vibe, without mimicking it – a tricky thing to pull off, but the fresh funky life breathed into these too little heard gems is, well. . .kinda incredible! "Twitchie Feet" is built around a stable, funky drummer and wicked guitar and bass sound, nicely cooking organ and really great use of a solid horn section – that latter element may be even a bit more prominent than the version that inspired it! "Bag Of Goodies" is, natch, another goodie – again with some great use of jazz funk organs, guitar and horns. Recorded in San Francisco with vintage mic & amps, giving it the wholly classic vibe the group was shooting for. Direct hit!

Real hip hop from a real MC – namely Lil Dap of the early 90s NYC legends Group Home – still sharp and still rhyming over timeless boom bap worthy of his Gang Starr Foundation roots! The production on "Real MC's" is by Freqnik and WDRE – kicking off with heavy beats and scratches, clearly reverent DJ Premier in mood and tone, and without coming off as a throwback. It's not about revisiting the past, it's about showing how fresh that style can be to this day, when done correctly. The flip "Guru Cash Flow" is a more explicit tribute – to Gang Starr MC Guru and to producer Cash Flow.

Modern funky Latin Soul from Spanglish Fly! "Think" is a cover of the old school R&B staple best remembered for the killer James Brown version from the early 60s – masterfully remodeled here as a fresh live Latin Soul with vocals by Erica Ramos and a great mix of Latin percussion and horns. "Let My People Bugalu" on the flip is just as great, a lively boogaloo from the NYC combo.

"What A Man" is one of the greatest funky singles ever recorded by Stax Records! You may know the cut from a famous sample years back by Salt N Pepa, but Linda's version is the one to hear – a proud-stepping groover with heavy drums, a great bassline, and some wangly guitar that grooves nicely around some piano bits – all in the 15 seconds before Linda comes in and socks it home on vocals! "O Baby" is a tightly snapping groover from Billy Hawks – a bit of a bluesy sound on the vocals, but some fast drums and organ riffs that keep the whole number dancing nicely with a fresh and righteous approach!

Modern funky Latin Soul from Spanglish Fly! "Think" is a cover of the old school R&B staple best remembered for the killer James Brown version from the early 60s – masterfully remodeled here as a fresh live Latin Soul with vocals by Erica Ramos and a great mix of Latin percussion and horns. "Let My People Bugalu" on the flip is just as great, a lively boogaloo from the NYC combo.