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An incredibly diverse array of sounds from Southern China – material culled to form the cream of the crop of an amazing 55 CDs' worth of recording from this massive project by Sublime Frequencies – and definitely a rare look at a side of contemporary China that most of us will never get to see – or hear! Some of the tracks feature this amazing female vocal interplay – choral work that is somewhat like some of the Eastern European or Georgian styles that are better known, but much rougher overall. Some tracks feature spare stringed instrumentation or percussion – and still others mix voice and instrument, but in a very ancient sort of mode. Although recorded recently, these are hardly the sounds of the 21st Century – and are great document of China well past the cities – with very detailed notes and photos too.

Here's a pretty groovy set of tunes – and all scored at a thrift store in California by the compilers! The album's filled with tunes pulled from obscure albums of instrumental music from Southeast Asia, circa late 60s/early 70s – mod and swinging instrumentals that are going for a serious western pop kind of sound. There's lots of different styles running through the mix – from guitar or organ-based instrumentals, to soundtrack-type numbers with a John Barry or Morricone feel, to other tracks that mix together Latin rhythms and other groovy 60s touches. There's not a lot known about most of the artists on the set – but that also is one of the things that makes it pretty darn compelling! Titles include "Themes From James Bond" by The Stylers, "For A Few Dollars More" by Man Chau Po Orchestra, "Tabu" by The Sound Of Silverstones, "Indecipherable" by The Polar Five, "Funny Funny A Go Go" by The Brothers Hawk, "Chella-La" by The Stylers, and "Enjoy Yourself" by The Stylers.

Just when we've thought we've heard everything Peter Brotzmann has to offer – out comes a record like this, and blows us away all over again! As you'd guess from the title, Brotzmann's working here in a Chinese setting – mixing with younger players we'd never heard before – including Li Tiequiao on alto and Scandinavian spring flute, and Xu Fengxia on zither, sanxian, and voice – a strange style of singing that really makes for an amazing moment on one track! The quartet also features Kristian Mondrup Nielsen on drums – and Brotzmann plays searing tenor, alto, and clarinet – but often changes his phrasing to meet the moods of the younger players – especially at moments when Fengxia is in the forefront. Amazing stuff – and the CD features titles that include "Deciduous Carnival", "Walking In Wu Men", "Beijing Legend", "798 Art District", "Moat", and "Feel As If We Were Visiting Our Country Of Birth". DVD features all these tracks, plus two more!

A great testament to the depth and versatility of Orquestra Harlow in the 70s – and a record that shift easily between traditional modes and more contemporary styles! Larry Harlow is at the top of his game here – working with careful sensitivity on some of the more fragile numbers, but still letting the group hit with the power that made their fame on others – and in doing so, Harlow continues to move right in pace with the changes on the New York scene at the time, particularly the return to charanga modes and its use of violin and flute. But in addition to that instrumentation, the album also features a wider range of sounds – including bits of moog and celeste from Larry himself, plus tres, guiro, and plenty of percussion. Vocals are by Junior Gonzalez, and titles include "El Negrito Nengere", "El Lugar", "El Dolorcito De Mi China", "Buenavista Guaguan O", "Agonia", and "Latin Roots", which is a fantastic NuYorican groover, with plenty of percussion, touches of funk, and a sweet electric groove!

Jazz in romantic places, but some pretty groovy ones too – a host of global destinations all referenced in the track selection for the set! Dave Pell's tenor is at the lead on most numbers, but the octet's in fine formation too – arranged by Jack Montrose, Marty Paich, Johnny Mandel, and Shorty Rogers – the last of whom also produced the album, and manages to give it the same sort of feel as his own great sets for Atlantic at the time! The style is prime west coast 50s – with a classic cover to match – and players include Bob Gordon on baritone sax, Don Fagerquist on trumpet, Ray Sims on trombone, and Donn Trenner on piano and celeste. Titles include "New Orleans", "Flying Down To Rio", "Paris In The Spring", "Memphis In June", "Isle Of Capri", "Shuffle Off To Buffalo", "On A Slow Boat To China", and "London In July".

A lost Sun Ra classic – from the early days of the Arkestra! This 1966 release on Saturn features music that was recorded by The Arkestra in Chicago in 1957 and 1958. Some of the tracks are from the same session as the Sound Of Joy LP, and a few others were from sessions later in the year. Ra plays piano and "solar piano", and the group's got some added percussion and tympani. Along with the usual suspects, James Spaulding also sits in with the group on a few tracks, playing both alto and flute. Titles include "Eve", "Overtones Of China", "Two Tones", and "El Viktor". Cool cover, too, with a colorful painting of a surrealistic space scene!

Artists include Burro Banton, Bounty Killer, Lady Ann, and China.

They're not lying about the title on this one – as the package definitely overflows with deep disco and boogie! But even more importantly, the whole thing's plenty darn rare, too – really killer tracks that we haven't seen compiled elsewhere – and which really represent the cream of the crop of the underground 12" scene in the late 70s and early 80s. Most numbers are nice and long, and veer towards the warmer sounds of the late disco era, rather than the harder sounds in the decade to come – a great reminder that there's still plenty of soulful club gems out there if you know where to look – and in that respect, this compilation's a great place to do so. Titles include "You Don't Care" by China Burton, "Live For Love (12" Extended Mix)" by GC Cameron, "Hot Thang" by Cash, "Bumpsie's Whipping Cream (Savares Mix)" by TJ James & The Fist-O-Funk Orchestra, "I Need You" by Ricky Womack, "Don't Fight The Feeling (12" Mix)" by Master Force, "Closer" by Chemistry, and "Brotherson" by Ojeda Penn.

An amazing collection of electronic music from the German scene of the 70s – easily one of the most exciting, innovative musical worlds of the past century! There was really something special going on in Germany at the time – a confluence of hippie rockers, serious proggers, urban punks, and academic electronicians – all coming together to completely destroy previous (or current) generic conceptions – and make mindblowing music that's still more revolutionary than most sounds from decades to come! This fab second collection of German electronic rock from Soul Jazz digs even deeper than the first – and features a few famous names mixes with some even more important talents from the underground – all packaged together with the rich notes and historical detail that make their compilations so great. Titles include "Le Jardin" by Rodelius, "A Morning Excuse" by Amon Duul II, "Base & Apex" by Eno, Moebius & Rodelius, "In A Sacred Manner"by Gila, "Himmelblau" by Wolfgang Reichmann, "Co Co Pino" by DAF, "Sun & Moon" by Michael Hoenig, "Emphasis" by Harald Grosskopf, "China" by Electric Sandwich, "Zeebrugge" by Asmus Tietchens, "Krautrock" by Faust, "Gibli" by Niagara, "Electric Day" by You, "Die Weisse Aim" by Sergius Golowin, "Danger Cruising" by Pyrolator, "Sundance Chant" by Gila, and "Als Hatt Ich Das Alles Schon Mal Gesehen" by AR & Machines.

An amazing collection of electronic music from the German scene of the 70s – easily one of the most exciting, innovative musical worlds of the past century! There was really something special going on in Germany at the time – a confluence of hippie rockers, serious proggers, urban punks, and academic electronicians – all coming together to completely destroy previous (or current) generic conceptions – and make mindblowing music that's still more revolutionary than most sounds from decades to come! This fab second collection of German electronic rock from Soul Jazz digs even deeper than the first – and features a few famous names mixes with some even more important talents from the underground – all packaged together with the rich notes and historical detail that make their compilations so great. Vinyl version part 2 features tracks that include "China" by Electric Sandwich, "Zeebrugge" by Asmus Tietchens, "Krautrock" by Faust, "Gibli" by Niagara, "Electric Day" by You, "Die Weisse Aim" by Sergius Golowin, "Danger Cruising" by Pyrolator, "Sundance Chant" by Gila, and "Als Hatt Ich Das Alles Schon Mal Gesehen" by AR & Machines.

The third volume the great Secret Museum Of Mankind series – beautifully well compiled ethnographic recordings from the first half of the 20th century – the great Secret Museum Of Mankind series! The music comes archival 78s of recordings made all over the world – made in Poland, Spain, China, Angola, Turkey, Mongolia, Russia, the Congo, and elsewhere – compiled by archivist Pat Conte. 24 tracks on 2LPs: "Indaba Yomkonto" by Tain Native Girls' Choir, "Dilbar" by A. Mirzaeva, "Ta Magia Sto Pegadi" by Georgios Trakis, "Verrá Quel Di di Lune" by Canto Di Soldati, "Lugger Song" by Fly River Singers and many more.

A collection of tracks that amount to some of incredibly deep audio archaeology – a wonderful, consciousness wakening collection of globe spanning 78s from the first half of the 20th Century – all from the darkest corners of the EMI Vaults! Honest Jons does an impressive job of collecting recordings that are first and foremost exciting pieces of music – and they reportedly spent a couple of years going through thousands and thousands of 78s and to put this thing together. It was worth the effort! The album includes recordings from China in the 10s, Bali and London in the 20s, Constantinople, Kenya and Spain in the 30s, Uganda & Trinidad in the 50s, and much more from each decade in many parts of the world. Cuban rumbas, Middle Eastern & African string tunes, more pop oriented British tunes, vocal and pop with a global focus. Wonderful stuff! Titles include "The English Sound Table" by GU Hsu, "Lagu Kebiar" by Gamelan Gong, "Rumba Negra" by Sacasas, "Laughing" by Vemngopal Chari, "Different Kind Of Motor Car Noises" by Vengopal Chari, "The Queen's Canary" by Mighty Sparrow and more.

A massive collection of ska instrumentals – all the real deal from the initial 60s start of the genre – and all pulled from the legendary Top Deck catalog! There's a crisp, raw edge to these tracks that nobody else was able to ever match again – a sinister vibe that comes from the bold production style, cool compressed rhythms, and soulful sax and trumpet solos that really make these numbers cook! Given that the set's all instrumental, the vibe here is a lot different than most ska revival work too – almost more in a 60s soul instrumental mode – with great traces to the inspiration of the genre. Titles include "Shot In The Dark" and "Determination" by Roland Alphonso, "China Town" and "China Clipper" by The Skatalites, "Scattered Lights" and "Red Is Danger" by Tommy McCook, "Warlock" by Jackie Mittoo, "Love In The Afternoon" by Don Drummond, "Live Wire" by Lyn Taitt & Jackie Mittoo, "Yogi Man" and "Red Is Danger" by Johnny Moore, "Shock Resistance" by Baba Brooks, "Lawless Street" by King Sporty & The Skatalites, and "Ti Pi Tin" by Raymond Harper.

John Carpenter's and Alan Howarth's creepy synth soundtrack to Carpenter's ominous Prince Of Darkness – and one of the coolest, most underrated of all of his classic soundtracks! This was a weird period for Carpenter's work as a director – having leaped from the gonzo, big budget action-fantasy-comedy Big Trouble In Little China to this one – a low budget, creepy-as-hell flick about cylinders of liquefied Satanic evil! The music is vintage Carpenter – sinister, minimalist synth bass and it's dark, dark, dark – in a foreboding, funky way! Includes "Team Assembly", "Darkness Begins", "A Message From The Future", "Hell Breaks Loose", "Mirror Image", "The Devil Awakens", "Opening Titles" and "Through The Mirror".

A great set of arty pop, or intellectual rock, or post glam whatever you feel like calling it – a completely unique record all the way through! The set is one of Eno's classics from the 70s, with his wry take on music and lyrics, and a nice dark edge to the proceedings. Roxy Music's Phil Manzanera figures heavily in the band, and the 10 tracks here are about as great as anything you'll find on another record issued that year – including "Burning Airlines Give You So Much More", "Back In Judy's Jungle", "The Fat Lady Of Limbourg", "Mother Whale Eyeless", "The Great Pretender", "Third Uncle", "Put A Straw Under Baby", "The True Wheel", "China My China", and "Taking Tiger Mountain".

Iggy's second solo LP proper, and a strange morass of junkie desperation and gutteral white punk funk – a conscious decision to move away from the guitar roar of the Stooges era and closer to the sounds his longtime champion David Bowie was experimenting with at the time, with a little bit of Lou Reed for good measure – but make no mistakes, this is Iggy's show. It's as fascinating as it is impressive on a more visceral level, heavy bass rhythms and keys intergral to the sound, and weary latenight storytelling that trips you out on contact. All tunes co-written by Bowie, who would go on to make a lot of money off "China Girl" a few years into the 80s when the world was more ready for it, plus the classic "Nightclubbing", "Sister Midnight", "Baby", "Dum, Dum Boys", "Tiny Girls" and "Mass Production".

A well-selected set of tracks by the legendary vocalist Leon Thomas – one that focuses squarely on his recordings for the Flying Dutchman label – with standouts from his own records, a crucial collaboration with Johnny Hodges, and a previously unreleased tune as well! The collection features a really wonderful range of music – some tunes with the righteous feel of Thomas' singing with Pharoah Sanders, some others with a tighter soul feel, and even a few more with a classic jazz approach that's mighty nice! The albums under Thomas' name often feature some great small group backings – with players who include Billy Harper on tenor, and Roy Haynes or Bernard Purdie on drums – and some of the larger backings feature excellent arrangements from Oliver Nelson and Pee Wee Ellis. Titles include "Shape Your Mind To Die", "Just In Time To See The Sun", "It's My Life I'm Fighting For", "The Creator Has A Master Plan", "Let The Rain Fall On Me", "China Doll", "Bags' Groove", "One", "Come Along", "Let's Go Down To Lucy's", "Love Each Other", "Balance Of Life (Peace Of Mind)", "Umbo Weti", "Welcome To New York", and a previously unreleased version of "Um Um Um".

Some of the coolest work Kai Winding ever recorded – two very odd albums, back to back on a single CD! Soul Surfin is hardly the trombone jazz outing you might have guessed from Kai's famous work with JJ Johnson – and instead, an electrified set that's got plenty of cool 60s touches! Winding does play trombone, but the group also features lots of guitar from Kenny Burrell, electric piano from Paul Griffin, and ondioline from Jean Jacques Perry – who really gives the whole thing a cool sort of watery sound – making the guitar and trombone sound wonderful together! Burrell's at his boldest too – almost surf-ish in parts – and titles include the album's hit version of "More", plus "Gravy Waltz", "China Nights", "Pipeline", "Sukiyaki", "Tube Wall", "Sinner", and "Hearse Ride". Mondo Cane 2 is a sweet return of the cool sounds that Kai Winding cut on his Soul Surfin album – not really jazz, but a wicked hybrid of groovy 60s modes – set to larger orchestrations this time around, but still featuring some great ondioline from Jean Jacques Perry! Perry's instrument is really unique – gliding out here in ways that make the instrumental tunes cross over to worlds that Winding might never have touched before – augmented by great arrangements from Claus Ogerman, Charlie Calello, Billy Byers, and Winding himself! The set features guitar from Les Spann – and titles that include "Python", "Mondo Cane #2", "The Gospel Truth", "Warm", "Theme From The Medic", "The Struggle", and "Portrait Of My Love".

Classic descarga from the inventor of the genre – a host of Cuban recordings from the legendary Cachao! And sure, we love Cachao's revival in later years – but it's this material that still gets us moving the most – his rich blend of Cuban rhythms and jazz instrumentation that was easily one of the greatest things going in Havana since the rise of Castro! As with other Cachao albums from the time, there's a paucity of notes, and some sounds that seem to come from other sessions too – but we can more than forgive that aspect, given that the music's so great all the way through – plenty of percussion with a rich, echoing sound, key basslines from the master, and even some hip tres to give some tunes a nice edge. Titles include "A La Loma De Belen", "Tres Lindas Cubanas", "Oguere Mi China", "Bailando Entre Espuma", "Criolla Carabali", "Tunas Se Quemo", "La Bayamesa", "Mambo", and "El Bombin De Perucho".

Vintage recordings from Conjunto Caney – nicely raspy at times, and with a slightly sharp edge – even on the mellow cuts! There's not much in the way of notes with the package – so we can't tell you too much about the specifics of the material – but most tunes are in a guaracha rhythms, and feature snapping percussion and piano leading the groove – plus bits of horns and vocals as well. Titles include "Sa Ca El Pie", "Dale A La Primera", "No Hay Yaya", "La China De Mi Barrio", "Pena Incurable", "Azucar Pa'Un Amargao", "A Buscar Mi Amor", and "Mucho Mambo 69".

They're not lying about the title on this one – as the package definitely overflows with deep disco and boogie! But even more importantly, the whole thing's plenty darn rare, too – really killer tracks that we haven't seen compiled elsewhere – and which really represent the cream of the crop of the underground 12" scene in the late 70s and early 80s. Most numbers are nice and long, and veer towards the warmer sounds of the late disco era, rather than the harder sounds in the decade to come – a great reminder that there's still plenty of soulful club gems out there if you know where to look – and in that respect, this compilation's a great place to do so. Titles include "You Don't Care (Long Version)" by China Burton, "Live For Love (12" Extended Mix)" by GC Cameron, "Hot Thang" by Cash, "Bumpsie's Whipping Cream (Savares Mix)" by TJ James & The Fist-O-Funk Orchestra, "I Need You" by Ricky Womack, "Don't Fight The Feeling (12" Mix)" by Master Force, "Closer" by Chemistry, and "Brotherson" by Ojeda Penn.

Early 60s greatness from The Skatalites – Kingston recordings from 1963 & '64 – peak era material, but perhaps not amongst the best remembered – produced by King Edwards! It was cut during various sessions during that year+ long period featuring the legendary players – Tommy McCook, Roland Alphonso, Don Drummond, Lester Sterling, Ernest Raglin, Jackie Mitto, Drumbago, Charlie Organaire and others. 14 ska scorchers: "Jones Town Special", "Red China", "Jazz Ska", "African Queen", "What A Skandal", "Shank I Sheck", "Kingston 11", "Collie Foot", "Man About Town" and more.

An amazing little record from Willie Colon – one that has him stepping forth into the limelight as both singer and leader – after years of working with better-known vocalists like Hector LaVoe and Ruben Blades! But even more than the vocals the thing we really love here are the arrangements – bold, soaring, and really complex – often mixing larger string passages with some incredible work on sax and flute from players who include Mauricio Smith, Ronnie Cuber, and Bobby Porcelli – all coming together here with a sense of dynamism that reminds us of some of our favorite work at the time from Bobby Vince Paunetto. The scope of the record is really amazing and very powerful, and titles include "Nueva York", "Chinacubana", "Juancito", "Urubatan", "Julia", "Tu Eres Tu", and "Sin Poderte Habiar".

Jerry Goldsmith's score for one of the greatest movies of the 70s! Titles include "The Wrong Clue", "The Captive", "The Boy On A Horse", "The Last Of Ida", "Easy Living", and "Noah Cross".

Quintessential 80s groove from Chaka Khan – a great version of Prince's "I Feel For You", remixed here with some really chunky beats and cool sampled vocal bits!

One of the greatest New York groups of the early 80s – and a key link in the post-disco, post-punk, and no wave scenes of the time! Konk had an incredible sound that featured a stripped down blend of bass, live percussion, and horns – all grooving together in a style that sat somewhere between Kid Creole and ACR – but without the kitsch of the former, or the darkness of the latter! The bass dominated on most tracks – rolling out amidst the drums and congas, and setting a pace that was picked up strongly by the group's tight work on horns. Most tracks are acoustic, save for the bass – and the vocals are kept at a minimum to allow for the strongest focus on the tunes rhythmic progressions! As usual, Soul Jazz have done a tremendous job of recounting the group's history in a wealth of notes, interviews, and photos – and this well-done package is the first ever proper reissue of the group's work! Titles include "Machina Jam", "Baby Dee", "Elephant", "Soka Loka Moki", "Love Attack", "Konk Party", and "Your Life". Plus, the set also features bonus tracks "Konk Party (DJ tools)" and "Baby Dee (live)".

A classic underground Latin jazz album from the 70s – a wonderfully warm session that beautifully mixes older rhythms and a range of soulful jazz styles! The album's one of the few cut as a leader by bongo player Jose Mangual – whose sweet-stepping rhythms really make the set groove – and the session also features great work from Tito Puente on timbales and vibes, Patato Valdez on congas, Luiz Ortiz on trumpet, Dick Meza on tenor, and Kimmy Knepper on trombone. Most tracks are in an acoustic mode, but slight electric touches warm things up nicely – making for a really unique Latin jazz groove that was years ahead of its time – and a vibe that still makes this album one that we go back for time and time again! Titles include the funky groover "Black & Brown Boogie" – which features guest work on keyboards by Richard Tee, plus a bit of vocals – and other instrumental tunes include "Mai Kinshasa", "Summit", "Chinatown", "Dreamy", "Bamba A Puerto Rico", and "Sunrise Prince".

A pair of late disco classics from Ultimate – back to back in a single set! First up is the group's self-titled debut from 1979 – Euro disco, but recorded in Philly – which makes for a wonderful criss-crossing of modes throughout! As with other disco sets of the style from the time – especially work on Casablanca Records – the set's got a number of really long, stretched-out tunes – almost mini musical symphonies built for the dancefloor, which unfold with sharp rhythms changes, sweet chorus vocals, and razor sharp studio instrumentation! The best of these is the leadoff number which takes up all of side one – the massive "Love Is The Ultimate/Touch Me Baby/Dancing In The Night" medley – which is then followed by slightly shorter groovers with equally great flavors – "Ritmo De Brazil", "Take Me To Chinatown", and "Music In My Heart". CD also features two bonus tracks – different mixes of the "Love Is The Ultimate" medley. Next is the Ultimate album from 1980 – a set that's got a stronger vocal approach than their previous effort – thanks to work by a trio of lovelies from the Philly scene, recorded here with a sound that's a bit different than some of their Casablanca contemporaries! The record's not nearly as polished as some of the rest – arranged by Michael Forte with a style that's certainly clubby, but with some hook-heavy modes that are a bit song-based too – almost crossover soul at the best moments, which is quite unexpected. Vocals are by Riti Saunders, Barbara Hernandez, and Deborah McGriff – and titles include "This Time I'm In Love", "Get To The Top", "Feel So Fine", "Now & Forever", and "Secret Agent Man".

Michal Urbaniak's third Fusion set for Columbia – very fittingly titled, considering what a huge influence his playing had on the genre! The album's a very tight batch of groovers – soaring and spacious, but never overindulgent – sometimes featuring scatting vocals by wife Urszula Dudziak, and also sporting strong rhythms from drummers Gerald Brown and Steve Gadd – both of whom really bring a nice solid bottom to the set, and help keep things focused! Yet then again, Urbaniak's always been one of the more focused players of his generation – especially on American recordings like this. There's lots of keyboards and electric grooving in the mix – and titles include "Chinatown", "Bloody Kishka", "Cameo", "Stretch", "Metroliner", "Roskana", and "Kuyaviak Goes Funky".

The roots of the 70s sound of Philly International – served up here in a host of earlier tracks that have a wickedly funky sound! All numbers here are instrumentals – and all are played by some formation of players who'd later end up working for Philadelphia International Records in the MSFB studio group – but who record here under a variety of names used for obscure funky 45s! Much of the work here was cut at Sigma Sound Studios back when the label was first cutting Philly soul – and the collection features early work by artists who include Norman Harris, Bobby Eli, Earl Young, Vince Montana, Ronnie Baker, Leon Huff, Larry Washington, Ron Kersey, and others – all jamming in a way that's more hard-edged and funk-based than the Philly hits of the 70s. Titles include "Nickol Nickol" by Brothers Of Hope, "Vibrations" and "Bo Did It" by Hidden Cost, "Trippin" and "Jason Pew Mosso (part 2)" by Interpretations, "Egg Foo Wa Wa" by Race Street Chinatown Band, "Squeeze Your Knees" by Cupit, "I Can Dig It" by Daley Diggers, "Cupid's Holding" by Alliance", "Ambassador's Theme" & "Jimmy Bishop Theme" by Sam Reed Band, "Keem O Sabe" by Electric Indian, "Monte Carlo" by French Connection, and "Ando's Theme" by Ando Orchestra.