Deep Funk — All Formats  

A 12 X 7" box set version of Mayer Hawthorne's breakout How Do You Do – with each track from the album paired with its own previously unreleased instrumental version – in individual photo sleeves that lay out as a full mosaic! The Mayer Hawthorne story was a strange one from the start – white producer/DJ crafting real-deal, moody, sultry throwback soul under a pseudonym that gets him signed to Stones Throw. The best news, really, is that he's still doing what we loved on the Stones Throw record and singles. Skirting both throwback Motown AND indie soul conventions, but winking ever so slyly at them, making strings sound scratchy, warm and well-worn, subtle horns to sooth and stir, his own vocals layered for a group-like effect. Bonus points for his use of the superstar cameo – he brings Snoop Dogg in to SING, not to serve as an obligatory rhyme cameo. Well played, Mayer Hawthorne! Includes "Get To Know You", "A Long Time", "Can't Stop" with Snoop, "Finally Falling", "Hooked", "You Called Me", "No Strings", "Dreaming", "The Walk" and more. Comes in a heavy duty box – which also includes a custom display sheet that can hold all 12 singles. Beautiful!

The instrumentals created to compliment Elzhi of Slum Village's tribute to Nas's monumental Illmatic – made by Detroit funk combo Will Sessions! This is an homage that works, really, really well. The Will Sessions backdrops – doing it up recognizably, but with their own touches – and the action is transported to a modern, though reverent Detroit funk realm. Includes "Genesis", "Detroit State Of Mind", "Halftime", "Memory Lane", "The World Is Yours", "Represent", "Life's A Bitch", "One Love" and "It Ain't Hard To Tell".

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 sophisticated soul backdrops, too, and Leon & the crew pull it all off masterfully! The RZA's sonic stamp is too innovative and idiosyncratic for a simple live band rehash, and the group is wise to use the famous crackling sample built soundscapes to craft both an homage to the Wu Tang's best material, as well as the 70s funk, soul and cinema sounds that informed them in the first place. A few of the tracks first blew our minds as funky 45s, and this full formed set was worth the wait – from the moody organ funk of "Can It All Be So Simple", the funky drummer rhythms of "Uzi (Pinky Ring)", the string accented moods of "Heaven And Hell", the brass band and children's chorus cover of "Shimmy Shimmy Ya" and lots more! Other tracks include "Glaciers Of Ice", "Incarcerated Scarfaces", "Bring Da Ruckus" and 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 sophisticated soul backdrops, too, and Leon & the crew pull it all off masterfully! The RZA's sonic stamp is too innovative and idiosyncratic for a simple live band rehash, and the group is wise to use the famous crackling sample built soundscapes to craft both an homage to the Wu Tang's best material, as well as the 70s funk, soul and cinema sounds that informed them in the first place. A few of the tracks first blew our minds as funky 45s, and this full formed set was worth the wait – from the moody organ funk of "Can It All Be So Simple", the funky drummer rhythms of "Uzi (Pinky Ring)", the string accented moods of "Heaven And Hell", the brass band and children's chorus cover of "Shimmy Shimmy Ya" and lots more! Other tracks include "Glaciers Of Ice", "Incarcerated Scarfaces", "Bring Da Ruckus" and more. Limited edition cassette!

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 sophisticated soul backdrops, too, and Leon & the crew pull it all off masterfully! The RZA's sonic stamp is too innovative and idiosyncratic for a simple live band rehash, and the group is wise to use the famous crackling sample built soundscapes to craft both an homage to the Wu Tang's best material, as well as the 70s funk, soul and cinema sounds that informed them in the first place. A few of the tracks first blew our minds as funky 45s, and this full formed set was worth the wait – from the moody organ funk of "Can It All Be So Simple", the funky drummer rhythms of "Uzi (Pinky Ring)", the string accented moods of "Heaven And Hell", the brass band and children's chorus cover of "Shimmy Shimmy Ya" and lots more! Other tracks include "Glaciers Of Ice", "Incarcerated Scarfaces", "Bring Da Ruckus" and more. Limited 12" vinyl picture disc edition!

Heavy funk with a contemporary twist – a host of James Brown classics, all replayed here by the roster of the Gamm label! Given the hip hop stylings of most of the artists, the funk here is often cut, pasted, and sampled – but there's also clearly a bit of live instrumentation going on too – as well as some occasional deep soul vocals which really help send home the tunes! The overall feel is almost a James Brown remix mode, but in a way that really lets the producers leave their own stamp on the tracks – and the set list includes "The King James Version (part 2)" by D-Frost Beats, "Bang It On" by BadSim, "You Dead Wrong" by Red Astaire with Caretta Bell, "Ain't It Funky" by Yosaku, "Mama's Dead" by Bloodfire, "Fonky President" by Pure P, "Sayin It & Doin It" by Sugarloaf Gangsters, "U Got Soul (Swell's power surge mix)" by Swing Session, and "Give It Up Or Turn It Loose" by DJ Ayres.

Hazy beatcraft steeped in Indian soundtrack style funk, strings and percussion from the indefatigable Madlib – Volumes 3 & 4 in the Beat Konducta series of the increasingly adventurous and conceptual outings – 2 volumes on 1CD! This time out Madlib, er, Beat Konducta is conducting beats, strings & things from India and/or otherwise East – but the way in which the beats bluntly thump is quintessential Madlib – you know it and love it from the first beat! 'Lib really breathes fresh life into this approach – going miles deeper than anyone out there doing the Bollywood-hip hop hybrid – coming up with a sound all his own. CD version includes the complete Volumes 3 & 4. Masterful! Titles include "Enter Hot Curry", "Indian Hump", "Onthanewthing", "Indian Deli", "Rumble", "Dancing Girls Theme", "Piano Garden", "Dark Alley Incidental Music", "Early Party", "Fifth Chant", "The Rip Off (Scene 3)", "Sitar Ride", "Get It Right", "More Rice", "Indian Bells", "Smoke Circle", "Sha Sound", "Another Getaway", "Raw Ground Wire", "Main Title" and more.