Deep Funk -- In Stock -- LPs  

The most outwardly political album to date from Antibalas -- and quite possibly the funkiest one too! The set's got the group really grooving hard in their 70s Afro Funk-inspired vein -- jamming at a level that would make Fela Kuti blush -- working together with a fierce array of percussion, horns... read more

Sharp-edged grooves from Israel -- deep funk at the core, but also cut up with a fair bit of turntable work too! The combo are heavy on the horns -- trumpet, tenor, trombone, and baritone sax -- laid out in full funky frenzy over some very driving drum work on the bottom. These grooves would be... read more

A fierce array of funky grooves from The Apples -- a group with a groove that's partly deep funk, partly beats and samples -- all of which are plenty soulful all the way through! The feel here is somewhere between Melting Pot and Tru Thoughts funky styles -- rooted in older funk styles of the 60s... read more

A platter of Madlib beats -- the first in a series of instrumental hip hop from 'Lib's Beat Konducta (formerly Beat Conductor) moniker! Madlib's production work has always had a filmic groove, and this set collects and assembles the most cinematic of said beats into an (unsurprisingly) incredible... read more

Madlib returns as Beat Konducta for the second volume of his Movie Scenes program -- a straight up aural film festival on wax -- and perhaps the most hotly anticipated sequel since Return Of The King! There's really no going wrong with Movie Scenes. Madlib's beats on both volumes are short, and... read more

Hazy beatcraft steeped in Indian soundtrack style funk, strings and percussion from the indefatigable Madlib -- Volume 3 in the increasingly adventurous and conceptual outings of the Beat Konducta! This time out Madlib, er, Beat Konducta is conducting beats, strings & things from India and/or... read more

The long awaited sides C & D in Madlib's incredible blend of Bombay soundtrack-styled funk, blunted Eastern beats, and all round stunning Middle Eastern accented hip hop instros! This time out Madlib, er, Beat Konducta is conducting beats, strings & things from India and/or otherwise East... read more

A mad funky suite from the Beat Konducta -- Vol 5 in the evolving, unpredictable series of deep, crackling beatcraft -- this one a tribute to Dilla! Dil Cosby Suite is as solid as any of the volumes to date, compellingly funky and in more of Madlib's heady hip hop mode than some of the more... read more

A fresh couple sides of mad funky beatcraft from Madlib, the one and only Beat Konducta -- with a little help from J Rocc, and spiritual guidance from Dilla! 'Lib is the longstanding champion of hazy, smoked out hip hop funk instrumentals -- and the Dil Withers set is another blunted gem -- with... read more

Breaks, beats and funky drums from Bumps -- aka Dan Bitney, John Herndon and John McEntire of Tortoise -- a mightily thumping set that sounds very little like their much vaunted flagship operation -- serving up raw, funky beatcraft all the way through! Tortoise has always worked with bottom heavy... read more

Funky keys, hard grooving southern steeped soul, and all around energetic grooves from Deep Street Soul -- uptempo, exciting instrumentals and a couple choice vocal numbers -- and another throwback funky win on Freestyle Records! The band really smokes, and takes a forceful approach to the funk... read more

An excellent set of tripped-out funk -- the first full length release from Didier's Sound System, a group with the same smoke-addled sound as the Poets of Rhythm! The core groove of the Didier combo is a slow funk approach, coupled with a bit of dub -- all of which means that the instrumentation... read more

The Diplomats Of Solid Sound have really grown in leaps and bounds over the past few years -- starting as more of a garage/mod instrumental combo, but now emerging fully formed as a razor-sharp funk act! They've still got plenty of roots in the 60s, and there's a definite soulful vibe to their... read more

All drums, and nothing else! The album's a totally great batch of spare, hard, funky breaks -- all played by drummer Steve Candemeres in a way that's definitely pitched towards the beathead crowd -- with lots of sharp, stark rhythms that are totally great on their own -- or which would make... read more

Cinematic funky soul instrumentals from the El Michels Affair -- the loose NYC collective's long awaited full length nod to the Wu Tang Clan! The crew brings their tried and true slow rolling and dirty funk to their interpretations of classic Wu Tang tracks, with some straight up beautiful... read more

Hard grooving throwback funk, mod jazz, and 60s r&b flourishes from the mighty Fantastics -- a pretty deft mix of instrumental funk & soul with a mastery of classic styles! The core combo features organ & piano from Greg Boraman, who has roots in fellow UK funk combo the Soul... read more

Greasy grooves from The Grits -- a sackful of funk that more than lives up to its raw image on the cover! The group work in a very classic style here -- tight quartet jamming with a heavy instrumental groove -- clearly steeped in the best sounds of the funky 45 underground of the 60s and 70s, but... read more

One of the hippest albums from the funky empire that includes Poets Of Rhythm and The Whitefield Brothers -- a set of Afro-exotic grooves that really blows our minds -- and which opens the group up into whole new territory! There's echoes of Mulatu, Salah Ragab, and other older exotic funk artists... read more

The debut full length from Heliocentrics -- the cosmic funk project from Malcolm Catto and a tasteful group of players -- touching on funky drummer hip hop beatcraft, hazy psychedelia, leftfield jazz and global accented grooves! The Heliocentrics have backed DJ Shadow on occasion, and Catto has... read more

The grooviest work so far from the Hi-Fly Orchestra -- a set that moves even farther past the sublime territory of their debut, into a really classic blend of soul jazz and Latin rhythms -- produced to perfection with a wonderfully solid feel! Instrumentation here is all live -- a blend of sax,... read more

Turntablism and keyboard grooves from Marc Hype & Jim Dunloop -- plus a diverse roster of guests on the mic, from underground hip hop figures like Mr Lif & Mr Complex, to sultry Latin soul flavor with Malena Perez! The duo drop some exciting material here, in a variety of styles, including... read more

The amazing full length debut of Hypnotic Brass Ensemble -- a cool combo from the Chicago scene who've been making some big waves around the world over the past few years! The brass-heavy group have a family legacy that links them to the Artistic Heritage Ensemble of Phil Cohran -- and an approach... read more

Nothing robotic here at all -- as the groove is fluid, moving, and plenty darn organic -- a heavy dose of deep funk from the mighty Impellers! The group seem to mix in a good deal of Afro Funk elements with their straight ahead funk -- particularly in the way the horns come together, the rhythms... read more

Real funk from an unreal film -- the rarest blaxsploitation gem never made -- the non-soundtrack to Bad Bad Jimmy Ruckus by Philly crew Big Pimp Jones! Bad Bad Jimmy Ruckus is an homage the lovably seedy funk sound of 70s soul cinema -- as well as the looping groove of breakbeat funk -- very well... read more

They might be borrowing her band, but they sure can't dampen her soul -- because Sharon Jones is strongly back in action, and sounding funkier and more deeply soulful than ever! Given that Sharon wasn't singing back in the 60s, it's hard to think we'd be calling her the real deal -- but in a world... read more

Hypnotic grooves from Kaleta -- a searing set of Afrobeat titles that really burns with a lot of energy! There's a complexity here that goes beyond most other contemporary Afro Funk ensembles -- one that takes especial joy in the solo parts, which are really well-crafted, and have an almost jazz-li... read more

Sweet jazzy funk -- from the cornbelt of Omaha! The LA Carnival are one of those rarer-than-rare funk groups who not only never got their due back in the day -- but also recorded a heck of a lot of great material that never even got issued! They have a totally great sound that bubbles in jazzy... read more

Nasty, funky, hard, and heavy -- an incredible second set from Lefties Soul Connection -- even more on the money than the group's debut! The quartet have a lot more grit in their grooves than some of their deep funk contemporaries -- lots of fuzz on the guitar, a real rumble in the bass, and a... read more

Tasty grooves in the Stones Throw tradition! The set's got all the best feel of recent Stones Throw instrumental work -- kind of a stripped-down take on 70s funky jazz styles, especially those of CTI. Joe McDuphrey plays some monster keys on the set -- jamming in a mellow way over laidback bass,... read more

A mighty take on the music of Isaac Hayes -- put together by the El Michels Affair! The album's every bit as funky as the combo's own work -- and it's an amazing rework of familiar funk favorites from the 70s -- redone here with a slightly leaner feel by the group, and without any vocals at all! ... read more

Super-heavy funk from late great Desco Records scene! The Mighty Imperials were one of the best funky 45 groups to record for mighty deep funk Desco label -- and their first album never properly saw the light of day, thanks to some pressing and distribution messups before the demise of the company.... read more

An amazing deep funk combo from Japan -- one that almost rivals Osaka Monaurail for classic-styled grooves! These guys have a sharpness that reminds us of the late 60s James Brown Band at their best, touched with a bit of JBs instrumental riffing -- all produced with just the right gritty edge to... read more

Great stuff from global funk phenoms Nomo -- deftly blending Afro steeped funk with an astral reach -- with more of a spiritual jazz influence and off kilter avant touches! Invisible Cities arrives just about a year since their breakthrough Ghost Rock opened so many doors, and although... read more

One of our favorite funk combos take on a host of gems from the past -- all classic soul and funk numbers that really expand the sound of Osaka Monaurail! The group first got their start doing a great riff on the sound of James Brown -- but here, they move into Memphis soul, Chicago funk, and more... read more

A deep funk supergroup -- one that features Snowboy on congas, alongside members of The Sound Stylistics, Speedometer, and James Taylor Quartet! The groove's as classic as you might expect from such a resume -- a sound that starts in 60s soul jazz, and moves up to funky 70s moments -- almost... read more

Massive breaks galore -- a set with a heady name, but a straightforwardly funky groove! The drums are live, raw, and very up front in the mix -- almost as if they were recorded to be used later as hip hop samples -- as are the other instrumental bits too, some great keyboard and guitar parts that... read more

A great blend of live instruments and sweet samples -- coming together in a really old school sort of way -- plain and simple, without that much processing, so that the thrown-in records almost act like a live element of funk! The groove's a mix of late 70s and early 80s funky modes -- definitely... read more

The funky LA combo Connie Price & The Keystones take a deeper step into the hip hop realm for their full length Ubiquity debut -- killing it with a tight funky backdrop from MCs Percee P, Ohmega Watts, Wildchild and others -- with a diverse sound blending deep funk, jazzy soul, reggae and even... read more

A wicked slice of contemporary funk -- served up here as a split LP by The Soul Investigators and The Minutemen -- almost a giant funky 45, but a lot longer overall! Side one features the 15 minute jam "Outer Space" by The Soul Investigators -- one of the combo's hippest tunes ever, and... read more

Great stuff from one of those groups who just keep on grooving over the years -- always hitting hard with their own unique take on deep funk! We first loved Soulive back when the group were issuing music on self-produced CDs -- and they've really come a long way in their sound, and have learned a... read more

Sax-heavy soul from The Soultwisters -- a group who clearly draw strong inspiration from the sound of King Curtis on Atlantic Records -- and who do a pretty good job with his sound on this sweet little set! Instrumentation is nice and lean -- lots of heavy drums, mixed with guitar, bass, and the... read more

Plenty of grease here -- given that The Sound Stylistics are one of the most cooking combos around! The set's a fresh smoker from this damn funky power trio -- who get some great extra help here from Snowboy, Shawn Lee, Eddie Roberts, and others -- a hip expanded lineup who really make the album... read more

Funk and psychedelia steeped jazzy grooves from Stonephace -- an incredible project from Brit saxophone player and boundary skirting soundscape crafter Larry Stabbins -- adding up to one of the best albums on the always reliable Tru Thoughts label! Stabbins brings a jazz pedigree to the table, but... read more

Whomp! It's a stormer! Killer killer killer! No kidding, this album's a monster -- and it's one of the heaviest slices of funk we've heard in ages! Pardon the exclamations, but we're telling the truth -- and this classic by the Sugarman Three is a must-have for any fan of funky jazz and jazzy... read more

Heavy funk from the Spanish scene -- really great little combo with hard-cooking organ from Carlo Coupe, and some wickedly soulful vocals from Mayka Edjole -- a singer who almost stands next to the best current deep funk divas from the US! There's a lean, stripped-down quality to the record we... read more

A massive second set of grooves in the Ultimate Breaks & Beats series -- new versions of 70s soul and funk classics originally used to great fame as samples in old school hip hop tracks! The music has a sound that's a lot tighter than our description -- a sock-solid groove that comes from live... read more

The long-awaited return of Uniao Black -- one of the greatest Brazilian funk bands of the 70s, sounding better than ever here with some great raw production! The record's easily some of the best work the group's ever done -- and although current, the whole thing's got a searing sound that almost... read more

Heavy, classic styled funk & soul from Laura Vane & The Vipertones -- really killing it in a similar vein as some of our favorite female fronted, blue-eyed female fronted UK funk -- but it an even harder grooving, grittier and anthemic mode! It's pretty heavy on the bottom end, thanks to... read more

The deepest jazz funk material Madlib has ever laid down -- possibly the best album yet from Yesterday's New Quintet -- featuring turns at freewheeling avant funk, electro jazz groove, furious sound library styles, a few chill moments, and a boundless sound overall! Yesterday's Universe features... read more

The note perfect funky musical score to blacksploition homage/spoof Black Dynamite -- and an honest and true tribute to the originators of the genre from composer & performer Adrian Younge! We absolutely love that Younge doesn't go for a comic take on the style, and shows a true feel for the... read more

Heavy funk from two different decades -- some real lost treasures from the 70s, stacked up here with some equally great work from recent years! The package is a massive second helping from the Truth & Soul family of labels -- one that not only shows their continuing dedication to the best in... read more

A rich serving of grooves from the contemporary Spanish scene -- a surprisingly strong place for heavy funk and heady rhythms -- played here by a wealth of groups we've never heard before! The package is a real revelation -- an indication that there's plenty going on in Spain that our ears have... read more

Contemporary funk, but with a groove deep enough to warrant the "rare" promised in the title -- as most of these numbers would stand strongly next to the best funky 45s from the late 60s and early 70s! The production is great throughout -- very hard-edged, and with a back-to-basics feel... read more

Heavy funk and mod grooves -- the fab second installment in the Soul Shaker series, and even better than the first! Nick the Record has really sharpened his ear for a tune with this one -- and has picked out some of the best bits from recent years of the funk and mod instrumental revival scenes --... read more

Funky soul galore -- all of it current, and all of it plenty darn great as well! Back when the first volume of this series was released, the idea of contemporary funk was a bit of a novelty -- but now, the deep funk underground is really getting some key exposure on a global level -- and a... read more

Plenty of soul, and plenty of shaking -- a hip collection of contemporary funk and soul, all of it served up with a very classic groove! The work here is mostly new, but it echoes the best sounds of the 60s and 70s -- those wonderful years for soul music that are being revived strongly by key... read more

Contemporary grooves, but all pretty darn funky -- thanks to an excellent track selection by Tobias Kirmayer -- the same guy who brought us the excellents Movements collections! A few of the titles here are of older vintage, but most are pulled from the same deep funk underground that Kirmayer... read more