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A brilliant mix of Afro and deep funk styles – the kind of grooves you'd get if Fela Kuti hung out with The Meters in the late 60s! Budos Band recall the genius of 90s deep funk combo The Daktaris – and have a similar love of older African rhythms touched by a newer indie funk sound – a complexity in the group's well-arranged horn parts, but a simplicity to their rhythms that makes the album cook like some of our favorite classics from years back. Sax and trumpet lines are mixed nicely with heavy percussion and a fair bit of organ at the bottom – creating a murky groove that has a bit of New Orleans in the mix, but also has most of the instruments stepping along with the rhythm – in a very cool take on the Africa 70 sound. Tracks are all instrumental, and all incredible – and the record's one of the freshest we've heard from the deep funk underground in years – a second-generation set that gets way past simple copycat funk and into its own unique groove! Titles include "Budos Theme", "Ghost Walk", "King Charles", "Eastbound", "Across The Atlantic", "Up From The South", "TIBWF", and "Monkey See Monkey Do".

Previously-unreleased work from the Budos Band – recorded a few years back in Brooklyn, and finally seeing the light of day on this sweet vinyl-only EP! The grooves here are wonderful – and show the group really picking up a lot of global elements in their funk – some key Ethiopian lines in the horn passages and keyboards, mixed with deeper American elements in the rhythms – all wrapped up with the kind of perfect production that's always made the Daptone label one of the most trusted imprints we know for deep funk! Stunning throughout – and why the hell they didn't release this stuff years back is beyond us – but we're more than happy to have it now. The set features 6 tracks that include "Ephra", "Nobody's Bulletproof", "Smoke Gets In", "Hidden Hand", "Mas O Menos", and "The Proposition".

A great third album from Staten Island instrumental funk titans The Budos Band – who've brought eclectic inspiration all along and have always colored from a much broader palette of styles than most of their peers – going even further this time out and delivering their best yet! The Daptone House Of Soul blueprint is a big part of the recipe, as it should be. Classic funky soul grit holds it all together and each cut has an unshakable groove, but with that in full effect, the group is free to explore. The Budos horns are as impeccable and communicative as ever, with brass that ranges from classic stateside funk and Afro influences. The percussion (bongos, clave, cowbell and more) is just as broadly thought out and tightly delivered, snakey bass lines, flute and the sometimes secret weapon on Budos Band III, the electric organ – which brings a bit of a garage psych/funk rock vibe. Truly exceptional work from the one of the best bands of their generation! Includes "Rite Of The Ancients", "Black Venom", "River Serpentine", "Unbroken, Unshaven", "Nature's Wrath", "Golden Dune's", "Budo's Dirge", "Raja Haje", "Crimson Skies", "Mark Of The Unnamed" and "Reppirt Yad" (a funked up Lennon/McCartney cover...read it backwards, kids).

A great third album from Staten Island instrumental funk titans The Budos Band – who've brought eclectic inspiration all along and have always colored from a much broader palette of styles than most of their peers – going even further this time out and delivering their best yet! The Daptone House Of Soul blueprint is a big part of the recipe, as it should be. Classic funky soul grit holds it all together and each cut has an unshakable groove, but with that in full effect, the group is free to explore. The Budos horns are as impeccable and communicative as ever, with brass that ranges from classic stateside funk and Afro influences. The percussion (bongos, clave, cowbell and more) is just as broadly thought out and tightly delivered, snakey bass lines, flute and the sometimes secret weapon on Budos Band III, the electric organ – which brings a bit of a garage psych/funk rock vibe. Truly exceptional work from the one of the best bands of their generation! Includes "Rite Of The Ancients", "Black Venom", "River Serpentine", "Unbroken, Unshaven", "Nature's Wrath", "Golden Dune's", "Budo's Dirge", "Raja Haje", "Crimson Skies", "Mark Of The Unnamed" and "Reppirt Yad" (a funked up Lennon/McCartney cover...read it backwards, kids).

Love the drums on this one – all skittish and snapping at the beginning – really setting the scene perfectly for the Afro Funk-styled horns that top off the tune and really set the tone! The track's like some lost Nigerian 45 from the 70s – and given excellent production to really suit the mood! "Ghost Walk" isn't nearly as spooky as it sounds – and has this amazing bassline that dips down in ways you wouldn't expect – kind of like The Meters, but as if they're messing themselves up a bit on purpose – all to set up a groove that's equally savage as the a-side, but completely different in sound!

One of the hippest groups going in the deep funk underground – a combo who play way more than just conventional funk – and who manage to embrace a whole host of classic influences at once! Echoes of older Latin, African, and soundtrack-styled grooves sift together beautifully in this second album from The Budos Band – all in an approach that's totally unified, and which borrows the best elements from other modes to create a whole new Budos-styled sound! The album's all instrumental, but it's far more evocative than most vocal funk sessions we can think of – and the group's horns are tighter than ever, with a slightly exotic feel that creates some real otherworldly moments. Titles include "Ride Or Die", "Budos Rising", "Chicago Falcon", "King Cobra", "Origin Of Man", "Deep In The Sand", "My Girl", and "Mas O Menos".

One of the hippest groups going in the deep funk underground – a combo who play way more than just conventional funk – and who manage to embrace a whole host of classic influences at once! Echoes of older Latin, African, and soundtrack-styled grooves sift together beautifully in this second album from The Budos Band – all in an approach that's totally unified, and which borrows the best elements from other modes to create a whole new Budos-styled sound! The album's all instrumental, but it's far more evocative than most vocal funk sessions we can think of – and the group's horns are tighter than ever, with a slightly exotic feel that creates some real otherworldly moments. Titles include "Ride Or Die", "Budos Rising", "Chicago Falcon", "King Cobra", "Origin Of Man", "Deep In The Sand", "My Girl", and "Mas O Menos".

The first funky outing we've ever heard from The Budos Band – but a really tasty funky set, with a raw and stripped-down feel! "Up From The South" is a chugging, churning mass of snapping drum breaks and scratchy guitar – topped by a well-crafted horn part that comes in as the tune moves along, and which goes way beyond the usual horn section groove, and almost hits a funky soundtrack sort of mode! "TIBWF" is another stripped-down groover that's mighty nice – one that steps in a madly slow sort of funky way, with bass cutting out the rhythm, and horns and guitar vamping down hard on the offbeats! Almost Chicano funk, but darker!

Classic style funky soul from Daptone supergroup the Menahan Street Band – featuring members of the Dap-Kings, El Michels Affair, and Budos Band – and a killer guest vocal by Charles Bradley! "The Telephone Song" sounds like a lost soul nugget, from the gritty 70 style instrumentation to the old school telephone sound effect that kicks it off – with Charles's achingly soul vocals in full control. The flip side is essentially the instrumental version, titled as "Tired Of Fighting" as it appears on the Menahan Street Band's Make The Road By Walking. The very embodiment of the neo classic funky soul sound!

A killer compilation of Daptone Gold – a funky and soulful collection that's a perfect snapshot of the sounds coming out of Daptone's House Of Soul recording studios in the aughties! The Daptone sound spins from a tight community of players with the deepest love and respect for the classic, be it funky instrumentals, gritty raw soul, with bits of Afrobeat and more. Daptone Gold includes some standard bearing label classics, rarities and previously unreleased tracks – incredible stuff from Binky Griptite, The Budos Band, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Lee Fields, Menahan Streetband, Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens and Antibalas. 23 tracks in all: a funky introduction and more from Binky Griptite, "Could Have Been" by Lee Fields, "Che Che Cole Makosa" by Antibalas feat Mayra Vega, "Nervous Like Me" by the Dap-Kings, "I Need You To Hold My Hand" Cynthia Langston & The Gospel Queens, "Stranded In Your Love" by Sharon Jones & Lee Fields and more. Incredible stuff, and a totally essential overview if this your first Daptone Purchase or fiftieth!

Raw underground funk from Los Sospechos – featuring members of Budos Band & Menahan Street Band – excellent numbers created for the soundtrack to the film Postales! "Jano's Revenge" starts with and revolves around a killer bass groove with a nice & pulpy kick to it – with funky horns with just a bit of a Latin, or even southwestern flair. The drums & percussion are also Daptone worthy and there's some grooving organ in the mix, too! "Mirror Door" has even more swelling organ sounds, and a great flavor of it's own, with the horns and organ playing over a drum machine groove that's anything but cold and robotic! Both tracks are Car-Del Productions, the work of Michael Deller and John Carbonella of The Budos Band.

A bold slice of work from the Daptone musical universe – a hip project that features work from members of The Dap Kings, El Michels Affair, Budos Band, and Antibalas – all put together with a range of sounds that really show the full spectrum of their styles! The groove's quite unique – even for the ultra-cool Daptone scene – as Menahan Street Band bring in bits of dub, funk, Latin, and Afro-styled sounds to their music – often working with a sense of spareness that seems influenced by 70s Ethiopia, but which comes off with a heavier Wu-inspired sound! There's no vocals at all – just really raw, stark instrumental bits – played on vibes, organ, tenor, flute, piano, trumpet, and some kickass percussion – produced with just the right sort of grit to make all tunes sound great. Titles include "Tired Of Fighting", "Home Again", "Montego Sunset", "The Traitor", "The Contendor", "Birds", "Esma", and "Going The Distance".

The first full length from Blundetto – a Parisian radio programmer and artist showing impeccable taste here – with a slyly dubby and reggae & soul influenced groove and featuring collaborations with The Budos Band horns, Chico Mann, Tommy Guerrero, Lateef The Truthspeaker, Shawn Lee, Genreal Elektricks and Hindi Zahra! Blundetto shares compositional credits with the guest, and it has the feel of collaboration with that atmopherically soulful core groove. Really nice work for the Heavenly Sweetness label! Titles including the Blundetto cover of the Bob James classic "Nautilus" plus "Voices", "Mustang", "Mi Condena", "Cuban Shirt", "Party Animals". "White Birds", "Ken Park", "My One Girl", "Bad BadThings" and "Sunset Stroll".