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Righteous jazz, with plenty of soul – a killer collection of the mid 70s work of Lonnie Liston Smith – all based around his legendary recordings for the Flying Dutchman label! Lonnie got his start on the hippest side of the jazz spectrum – including work with Pharoah Sanders on Impulse – but by the time of these tracks, he'd found a way to beautifully mix the righteous energy of his roots with some sweet mid 70s jazz funk touches – all served up in a sublime blend of electric keyboards and acoustic piano, and often expanded with lyrics that helped Smith cross over into a soul audience too! Few artists ever handled the balance as well as Lonnie – although this work certainly inspired dozens of others to try – and the set's a beautiful testament to his lasting power, with 15 great tracks that include "Visions Of A New World", "Cosmic Funk", "Get Down Everybody", "In Search Of Truth", "Expansions", "Beautiful Woman", "Golden Dreams", "Astral Traveling", "Meditations", "Devika", "Shadows", and "Sunbeams".

The genius of Jerome Richardson – remixed! Richardson's funky flute and searing tenor work have appeared on some of our favorite jazz groove classics – both European and American – and here, two of his tunes are made by Nicola Conte and Panoptikum! Conte uses a host of extra musicians – vibes, piano, alto, and vocals – to expand Richardson's "Way In Blues" with an incredibly groovy and snapping sort of sound. Schema jazz meets the classic MPS groove – with incredible results! Panoptikum go for a more modern approach with "Minor Flute" – snapping the beats a bit more, but still allowing plenty of space for Richardson's wonderful work on flute!

In the tradition of the excellent other compilations on the Cosmic Sounds label – this set features some killer jazz and funk gems from Yugoslavia, the kinds of tunes that we might have missed otherwise, thanks to the Iron Curtain! Finding the set's like discovering a pile of great records in the back of some dusty bookshop in a neighborhood you've never visited before – as each one's got a different groove, mixing together electric funk with big band swinging and small combo modal grooving. Titles include "Quo Vadis Samba" by Dusko Goykovich, "Balkan Express" by RTB Big Band, "Memory" by Misha Blam, "Emina" by Lala Kovacev, "Bags Groove" by Milan Stojanovic, and "String Em" by Bora Rokovic.

Amazing jazz from the Hungarian scene of the 60s and early 70s – some of the most obscure work from Eastern Europe at the time, as the Hungarian labels never got out to the west as well as those from other nations! Theoretically, the Cold War should have stopped jazz exports to the rest of Europe – but nations like Poland and Czechoslovakia managed to get their artists some good western exposure at the time. But Hungary was another story – and although Budapest is less than an hour from Vienna, most of this work has never made it out to the west before! This volume is a delightful treasure throughout – filled with jazzy modal tunes that share a lot with the Saba/MPS work of the time – all hand-picked by Tom Weiland of Les Gammas, with an ear for the same sort of jazzy grooves as his own work! The set's especially great for piano-driven tunes – which are often pushed along with some excellent warm, round, acoustic basstones – leaping along soulfully on the set's more extended numbers. LP features 9 tracks that include "Theme Of Ahmad Jamal" by Studio 11, "Dalia" by Pege Trio, "Night & Day" by Qualiton Jazz Ensemble, "Afro Cubano" by Balint Ensemble, "Hungarian Folksongs" by LDL Ensemble, "Song For My Father" by Csaba Deseo Ensemble, "Jarom Az Utam" by Grencso Kollektiva, and "Baby Car" by Pege Quintet.

A great counterpart to the first volume of rare 60s Hungarian jazz from Cosmic Sounds – as this one has more of a 70s focus, and an overall sound that's more concentrated in funk! During the 70s, the Hungarian scene picked up a lot of the heavier fusion influences from the rest of Europe at the time – but in a way that often had rock groups hitting a lot more jazzy overtones too, playing instrumentally and jamming nicely on some of the funkiest tracks on their albums. The cuts on this set really get at that sort of groove very well – and demonstrate the surprising amount of funky material that was coming out of Hungary at the time – work that was often driven by a more progressive jazz influence, but which came out stepping with a really in the pocket groove to rival the best American fusion work of the time! CD features 11 tracks in all – including the sublime modal groover "Bamba" by Dimenzio, plus "Ole" by Andor Kovacs, "Kemenysepro" by Kis Rakfogo, "Blue Light" by Bergendy, "Green Wave" by Aldar Pege, "K 14" by Csaba Deseo Quintet, "Stroll In Debrecen" by Debrecen Jazz Group, "Jaguars Humming Birds & Amazons" by Mini, and "Tropusi Laz" by Panta Rhei.

A great counterpart to the first volume of rare 60s Hungarian jazz from Cosmic Sounds – as this one has more of a 70s focus, and an overall sound that's more concentrated in funk! During the 70s, the Hungarian scene picked up a lot of the heavier fusion influences from the rest of Europe at the time – but in a way that often had rock groups hitting a lot more jazzy overtones too, playing instrumentally and jamming nicely on some of the funkiest tracks on their albums. The cuts on this set really get at that sort of groove very well – and demonstrate the surprising amount of funky material that was coming out of Hungary at the time – work that was often driven by a more progressive jazz influence, but which came out stepping with a really in the pocket groove to rival the best American fusion work of the time! LP features 9 tracks in all – including the sublime modal groover "Bamba" by Dimenzio, plus "Ole" by Andor Kovacs, "Kemenysepro" by Kis Rakfogo, "Blue Light" by Bergendy, "Green Wave" by Aldar Pege, "K 14" by Csaba Deseo Quintet, "Stroll In Debrecen" by Debrecen Jazz Group, "Jaguars Humming Birds & Amazons" by Mini, and "Tropusi Laz" by Panta Rhei.

The Cold War is over – and here's the reason why! These jazz funk gems were cut in the Soviet Union during the 80s – but they've got a richness that's right up there with the excellent work coming out of Eastern Europe during the 70s, particularly the jazz funk and fusion sides cut in Poland and Czechoslovakia during the time. They represent a rich culture that hasn't really ever been tapped over here – as all the sides were cut for the state-owned Melodiya label, and never issued strongly in the west – and it's almost hard to believe that these tracks weren't recorded in a culture that was more open to influences from other jazz scenes. Most of the best tracks have kind of a funk spacey quality – almost CTI-ish, but a bit more jamming – and titles include "Dervish" and "Ornament" by The Boomerang Band, "Perpetuum Mobile" by Marina Granovskaja, "Dance Of The Bees" by Dustar Band, "Ekstraversija" by E Straume Jazz Combo, and "Expectation" by Alexander Rjabov & Ensemble Synthesys.

The Cosmic Sounds label continues its rich exploration of the untapped Eastern European jazz scene of the 60s and 70s – finally set free in these post-Iron Curtain years, showing a wealth of wonderful music that's finally getting out to our western ears! This beautiful set focuses on Bulgarian recordings of the late 60s and early 70s – and like other volumes in the series, it's got a groove oriented approach that runs through a number of styles – from hardbop to soul jazz, funky fusion, and beyond! Titles include "Samba" by Jazz Quartet, "Sombrero" by Focus 65, "Sunday Afternoon Walk" by Jazz Quartet From The State, "For Goodby" by FSB, "Sunset Sunrise" by Simeon Shterev Quartet, and "A Trip" by Yordan Kapitanov.

Spacey, funky, and wonderful! During the 60s and 70s, the Iron Curtain prevented most of us from hearing some of the fantastic sounds that were cooking in Eastern Europe – where obscure jazz funk combos were grooving away in styles that were very different than those heard in the US and Western Europe. There's no easy way to describe the music, because it was so varied and inventive – but this excellent set of 10 rare Czechoslovakian tracks should go a long way to filling in some of the gaps in this lost history! Many of the tracks on the set have a fantastically baroque sound – sort of a mix of MPS crossover styles, and David Axelrod-type "big picture" production ventures – and they begin with wild washes of sound that soon settle into a harder funky groove. Keyboards collide with voices mix with guitars punctuated by drums sealed with basslines – and the whole thing's chopped apart by some funky frenetic sax work. That's only part of the picture, though – and although we can't come up with the words to describe the set adequately, it's one of the freshest compilations we've heard in years, filled with excellent grooves to take our listening to a whole new level! Titles include "The Lost Sheep" by SHQ, "Proklamation" by Milan Svoboda, "The Third Eye" by The Keyboard Conclave, "The Earth" by Jiri Stivin, "Nijana" by Jana Koubkova, and "Life's Little Games" by Karel Ruzicka.

Spacey, funky, and wonderful! During the 60s and 70s, the Iron Curtain prevented most of us from hearing some of the fantastic sounds that were cooking in Eastern Europe – where obscure jazz funk combos were grooving away in styles that were very different than those heard in the US and Western Europe. There's no easy way to describe the music, because it was so varied and inventive – but this excellent set of 10 rare Czechoslovakian tracks should go a long way to filling in some of the gaps in this lost history! Many of the tracks on the set have a fantastically baroque sound – sort of a mix of MPS crossover styles, and David Axelrod-type "big picture" production ventures – and they begin with wild washes of sound that soon settle into a harder funky groove. Keyboards collide with voices mix with guitars punctuated by drums sealed with basslines – and the whole thing's chopped apart by some funky frenetic sax work. That's only part of the picture, though – and although we can't come up with the words to describe the set adequately, it's one of the freshest compilations we've heard in years, filled with excellent grooves to take our listening to a whole new level! Titles include "The Lost Sheep" by SHQ, "Proklamation" by Milan Svoboda, "The Third Eye" by The Keyboard Conclave, "The Earth" by Jiri Stivin, "Nijana" by Jana Koubkova, and "Life's Little Games" by Karel Ruzicka.

Excellent funky jazz work from Eastern Europe – very much in the spirit of recent compilations on the Jazzanova label, or similar sets on Cosmic Sounds. The album collects sublime material from the vaults of Supraphon, a hip Czech label that cut records so cool they're beyond description. The 8 tunes on the set are a mixture of Latin jazz, big band grooves, and funky electric fusion – but they all share a wonderfully fresh approach to arrangements, with modal bits hitting straighter jazz bits hitting choppy rhythmic grooving, in a blend so cool it'll have you digging through record shops for all things Czech. There's a lot of similar styles to some of the best 70s MPS work on the record – and you can also hear the influence of the music on some of the current European groove scene. Titles include "Presage" and "Wizard" by Jazz Q, "Memory" and "Dance For Two" by Gustav Brom, "Cubano Chant" by SHQ, "Dew Drop" by Kamil Hala & CZ Radio Jazz Orchestra, and "Wait For Me" by Milan Svoboda & Prague Big Band.

Amazing jazz from the Hungarian scene of the 60s and early 70s – some of the most obscure work from Eastern Europe at the time, as the Hungarian labels never got out to the west as well as those from other nations! Theoretically, the Cold War should have stopped jazz exports to the rest of Europe – but nations like Poland and Czechoslovakia managed to get their artists some good western exposure at the time. But Hungary was another story – and although Budapest is less than an hour from Vienna, most of this work has never made it out to the west before! This volume is a delightful treasure throughout – filled with jazzy modal tunes that share a lot with the Saba/MPS work of the time – all hand-picked by Tom Weiland of Les Gammas, with an ear for the same sort of jazzy grooves as his own work! The set's especially great for piano-driven tunes – which are often pushed along with some excellent warm, round, acoustic basstones – leaping along soulfully on the set's more extended numbers. CD features a total of 11 tracks that include "Theme Of Ahmad Jamal" by Studio 11, "Dalia" by Pege Trio, "Night & Day" by Qualiton Jazz Ensemble, "Afro Cubano" by Balint Ensemble, "Hungarian Folksongs" by LDL Ensemble, "Song For My Father" by Csaba Deseo Ensemble, "Jarom Az Utam" by Grencso Kollektiva, and "Baby Car" by Pege Quintet.

Wow! The one-and-only album by Trinidadian combo Black Truth Rhythm Band – a completely incredible one at that – hypnotic Caribbean funky soul, jazz and wildly impressive musicianship all around by this group led by singer and multi-instrumentalist Oluko Imo. The record was made in the mid 70s era in which the Afro Funk sound was hitting it's peak – when African rhythms and James Brown style funk were being fused so furiously – but Black Truth Rhythm Band take a different approach, working more with sounds from African spectrum and the West Indies. It's really amazing stuff that takes unpredictable twists from stripped down rhythms, to jazzy guitars and cosmic synths – always with straight up brilliant playing by the group. A fusion of African rhythms, strains of Calypso and boundary free jazzy grooves that balance and exploratory sensibility with tight, irresistible rhythms. Soundway raises the bar once again! Titles include "Ifetayo", "You People", "Saved Musician", "Kilimanjaro", "Aspire", "Umbala" and the bonus track "Imo".

A couple of lost proggy and surprisingly funky early 80s albums by keyboardist Tony Carey – his Explorer and Yellow Power LPs – together in cool 2LP gatefold set from Medical Records! Just a few years earlier, Carey was playing with Ritchie Blackmore in Rainbow – but the sound of this solo material is a world away! It carries a bit of a late era Euro disco vibe – mixed with some starker, more walloping sounds that are more indebted to new wave. It's got hypnotic keyboard grooves, compelling beats and cosmic atmosphere to spare – the kind that'll be welcome to connoisseurs of artists as varied as Giorgio Morodor, Alexander Robotnick, John Carpenter and Devo! Explorer is the slightly sparer record and Yellow Power is the more polished one -which features alternate versions of the majority of the Explorer songs and some completely different titles, too– and it ultimately serves as a more fleshed out version of the preceding LP. Both were recorded in 1982 at Hotline Studios in Frankfurt. Really cool, mostly instrumental grooves! Explorer includes "Enjaw J", "Transit To Nowhere", "Megawar", "Blue Fusion", "No. 8", "No. 14", "Rabbits" and more. The Yellow Power LP includes "Hai Samurai", "Tojo", "Queen Of Scots", "Blue Fusion", "Peking Duck", "Radio Tokyo", "Dynamite" and more.

The long-overdue return of Coultrain – an artist we've been digging right from the start, when he dropped off a pile of handmade CDs as freebies to give away in our store! Since that time, Coultrain has emerged to become one of the freshest talents of the underground – through work with the Platinum Pied Pipers and Hawthorne Headhunters, and work on other projects as well. But we've always loved the man himself out front of the spotlight – sharing his really unique vision of cosmic soul music – a sublime blend of inventive sounds, creative beats, and songwriting that will take you way way way past the usual! This album's been well worth the wait, and shows that our faith in Coultrain has certainly been well-placed – a beautiful set that features the tracks "A Gem Iza Jewel", "Gazelle's Dance", "Y Not", "Deception", "Sassyphrass", "Wanted", and "Asherah Le Chameleon".

Galactic funk & synth soul from Dam-Funk – his epic full length debut Toeachizown for Stones Throw – and a record that should be a game changer for the southern Cali ambassador of cosmic funk beats, heavy bass and synth grooves! Dam-Funk is part throwback to the electro era – his vintage synths, bass and drum machine grooves are strongly rooted in the end of the 70s and first few years of the 80s vibe, but he's putting his own modern spin on the sounds, keeping it vital and fresh, and quite likely to be bitten by a bevy of superstar producers to come! Occasionally with slow jam or tripped out vocals, but with longer instrumental jams, Dam Funk's fusion of old school and future funk is in a cosmic realm of its own! Vinyl version was originally released as a 5LP set – and now it's available in separate volumes. Vol 1 includes: "Toeachizown", "Mirrors", "On & On", "Latrifying", "Let’s Take Off, Far Away!", Tunnels" and "Searchin' 4 Funk's Future".

Galactic funk & synth soul from Dam-Funk – his epic full length debut Toeachizown for Stones Throw – and a record that should be a game changer for the southern Cali ambassador of cosmic funk beats, heavy bass and synth grooves! Dam-Funk is part throwback to the electro era – his vintage synths, bass and drum machine grooves are strongly rooted in the end of the 70s and first few years of the 80s vibe, but he's putting his own modern spin on the sounds, keeping it vital and fresh, and quite likely to be bitten by a bevy of superstar producers to come! Occasionally with slow jam or tripped out vocals, but with longer instrumental jams, Dam Funk's fusion of old school and future funk is in a cosmic realm of its own! Vinyl version was originally released as a 5LP set – and now it's available in separate volumes. Vol 2 includes: "Flying V Ride", "Candy Danciin'" feat Mark De Clive-Lowe, "Burn Straight Thru U", "10 West", "I Wanna Know" and "Rollin'".

Galactic funk & synth soul from Dam-Funk – his epic full length debut Toeachizown for Stones Throw – and a record that should be a game changer for the southern Cali ambassador of cosmic funk beats, heavy bass and synth grooves! Dam-Funk is part throwback to the electro era – his vintage synths, bass and drum machine grooves are strongly rooted in the end of the 70s and first few years of the 80s vibe, but he's putting his own modern spin on the sounds, keeping it vital and fresh, and quite likely to be bitten by a bevy of superstar producers to come! Occasionally with slow jam or tripped out vocals, but with longer instrumental jams, Dam Funk's fusion of old school and future funk is in a cosmic realm of its own! Vinyl version was originally released as a 5LP set – and now it's available in separate volumes. Vol 3 includes: "Love Is Here 2nite (I Can Feel It)", "Could I Be Losing Another Lover?", "Show Me The Way U Feel", "One Less Day" and "I Wanna Thank U (4 Steppin' Into My Life)".

Galactic funk & synth soul from Dam-Funk – his epic full length debut Toeachizown for Stones Throw – and a record that should be a game changer for the southern Cali ambassador of cosmic funk beats, heavy bass and synth grooves! Dam-Funk is part throwback to the electro era – his vintage synths, bass and drum machine grooves are strongly rooted in the end of the 70s and first few years of the 80s vibe, but he's putting his own modern spin on the sounds, keeping it vital and fresh, and quite likely to be bitten by a bevy of superstar producers to come! Occasionally with slow jam or tripped out vocals, but with longer instrumental jams, Dam Funk's fusion of old school and future funk is in a cosmic realm of its own! Vinyl version was originally released as a 5LP set – and now it's available in separate volumes. Vol 4 includes: "Brookside Park", "Kll Dat", "Hood Pass Intact", "Mobbin' Thru Busters" and "Boogie Slyde".

Galactic funk & synth soul from Dam-Funk – his epic full length debut Toeachizown for Stones Throw – and a record that should be a game changer for the southern Cali ambassador of cosmic funk beats, heavy bass and synth grooves! Dam-Funk is part throwback to the electro era – his vintage synths, bass and drum machine grooves are strongly rooted in the end of the 70s and first few years of the 80s vibe, but he's putting his own modern spin on the sounds, keeping it vital and fresh, and quite likely to be bitten by a bevy of superstar producers to come! Occasionally with slow jam or tripped out vocals, but with longer instrumental jams, Dam Funk's fusion of old school and future funk is in a cosmic realm of its own! Vinyl version was originally released as a 5LP set – and now it's available in separate volumes. Vol 5 includes: "Come On Outside", "The Sky Is Ours", "New Frontiers", "Spacecapades", "Fantasy" and "Keep Lookin' 2 The Sky".

The most amazing record to date from Rob Mazurek's Exploding Star Orchestra – just the kind of cosmic, spiritual session you'd expect from the group's name – perfectly placed in a Chicago lineage that includes Sun Ra's Arkestra and the best years of the AACM! The group's got all the collaborative spirit of the latter reference – a largeish ensemble made up of some of the city's most important avant musicians in recent years – including Nicole Mitchell on flute, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Jason Adasiewicz on vibes, Josh Abrams on acoustic bass, Matt Bauder on clarinet and tenor, Jason Stein on bass clarinet, and Mike Reed and John Herndon on drums – all players who know each others strengths through countless gigs together – coming together under the visionary leadership of Rob Mazurek on cornet. There's some slight electro-acoustic elements, which further complicate the sound of the record – but all without ever taking it off base – and the whole thing's got a righteous sort of energy that makes us mighty proud that sounds this great came from our hometown. Titles include "ChromoRocker", "Impression #1", "Ascenscion Ghost Impression #2", and "Three Blocks Of Light".

Amazing sounds from this very hip group – a contemporary combo, but one who play with a depth of sound to warrant their inclusion on the Jazzman label! The style is almost spiritual jazz, but a bit more laidback too – sounds that are cosmic, yet never soaring to the skies – and almost more content to contemplate their own existence in these cool little rhythmic progressions – a very hip approach that draws a lot of power from its minimalism! Instrumentation is a bit trippy at points – but mostly in the way the players fold things together – so that tinkling piano tipples over brooding basslines, or organ lines hum softly to encourage string sounds to start too – a beautifully poetic style that only gets better as the album moves along! Titles include "Cast Adrift", "For A Breath I Tarry", "Have Spacesuit Will Travel (part 2)", "Clear Skies Select Stick", "Girl & Robot With Flowers (part 6)", and "Girl & Robot With Flowers (part 4)". CD features four tracks not on the limited LP pressing.

Amazing sounds from this very hip group – a contemporary combo, but one who play with a depth of sound to warrant their inclusion on the Jazzman label! The style is almost spiritual jazz, but a bit more laidback too – sounds that are cosmic, yet never soaring to the skies – and almost more content to contemplate their own existence in these cool little rhythmic progressions – a very hip approach that draws a lot of power from its minimalism! Instrumentation is a bit trippy at points – but mostly in the way the players fold things together – so that tinkling piano tipples over brooding basslines, or organ lines hum softly to encourage string sounds to start too – a beautifully poetic style that only gets better as the album moves along! Titles include "Cast Adrift", "For A Breath I Tarry", "Have Spacesuit Will Travel (part 2)", "Clear Skies Select Stick", "Girl & Robot With Flowers (part 6)", and "Girl & Robot With Flowers (part 4)".

Amazing sounds from this very hip group – a contemporary combo, but one who play with a depth of sound to warrant their inclusion on the Jazzman label! The style is almost spiritual jazz, but a bit more laidback too – sounds that are cosmic, yet never soaring to the skies – and almost more content to contemplate their own existence in these cool little rhythmic progressions – a very hip approach that draws a lot of power from its minimalism! Instrumentation is a bit trippy at points – but mostly in the way the players fold things together – so that tinkling piano tipples over brooding basslines, or organ lines hum softly to encourage string sounds to start too – a beautifully poetic style that only gets better as the album moves along! This limited EP features four songs that won't be on the vinyl pressing of the full album – "Girl & Robot With Flowers" parts 1, 2, and 3 – and "Have Spacesuit Will Travel (part 1)".

Freewheeling, tripped out Catalonian rock from Fusioon! The album groove has bits of spacey rock, prog and freaked out bits of funk – you can pick it apart for trace influences, but ultimately, the vibe is all their own – Absolute Fusioon, indeed! Cosmic keyboards, dexterous drum work, otherworldy vocals and and and jazz rock flourishes find room in Fusioon – some classifiable fusion, but much, much weirder than the crossover sounds that word can bring to mind. Fantastic, unclassiable 70s stuff from the Spanish scene brought to our attention by our friends at Finders Keepers! Includes "Dialogos", "Cyclos", "Ya Se Van Los Pastores", "Contraste", "Rondo Y Final", "Fusioon Rapsodia" and more.

The coolest chapter so far in the long-lost story of the He3 Project – wonderfully spiritual jazz sounds from the San Francisco scene of the early 70s – recorded with a wicked blend of instrumentation and vocals, and a really cosmic sound overall! The music isn't just the usual spiritual jazz of the time – nor the familiar funky sound from the other side of the Bay – and instead, it's kind of a tripped-out hybrid that's really unique – and often served up with a rough edge that makes the instrumentation even more compelling! Players include Hadley Caliman on tenor and flute, Joe West and Terry Mederios on guitars, and Herman Eberitzsch (the HE in the group's name) on Fender Rhodes, Echoplex, piano, and screwdriver. Vocals are from two members of The Waters – Maxine and Julia – although the overall vibe is more instrumental in the end. Titles include "Civilization", "The Massage", "Dark Angels", "Artesian Wells", "Shake A Leg Woman", "To Be True", and "This Is The Struggle".

A mindblower from Jamiroquai – the album that really broke them out of the box, thanks to an increasingly complicated sense of rhythm! For the set, Jay and the group pulled up some of the more dynamic sounds from the London underground, and wove them together with their increasingly great songwriting – coming up with tunes that played beautifully on the dancefloor, yet also offered deeper listening than on previous Jamiroquai efforts! There's still some great 70s elements here, but there's also a more cosmic, righteous vibe too – a hint at spacey London to come, but sent home with a bit more polish here. Titles include "Virtual Insanity", "Cosmic Girl", "Everyday", "Alright", "High Times", "Travelling Without Moving", "Spend A Lifetime", "Use The Force", and "Didjital Vibrations". 2CD version features lots of bonus tracks – including "Cosmic Girl (Quasar mix)", "Virtual Insanity (Salaam Remi mix)", "Alright (Alan Braxe & Fred Falke rmx)", "Do You Know Where You're Coming From (full horns mix)", "High Times (Sanchez radio edit)", "Bullet", "Slippin N Slidin", "Hollywood Swingin", and live versions of "Alright" and "Virtual Insanity".

A Brit soul classic from Light Of The World – and a set that has the funky group working strongly with producer Augie Johnson! Given Johnson's background with Wayne Henderson, the move is a great one for the group – one that really helps them bring out the best warm sounds from their tight instrumentation, in ways that really showcase some of the jazzier elements in their music! The main groove is still plenty soulful, and often focused around the vocals – but given that the group also features a young Jean Paul "Bluey" Maunick on guitar and Peter Hinds on keyboards, you can bet the instrumentation's pretty great too. The set easily matches the best US albums of the type at the time – and titles include "London Town", "Time", "I'm So Happy", "More Of Myself", "Pete's Crusade", and "I Walk The Streets Alone". CD also features 7 more bonus tracks – pulled from the Brass Strings N Things live album recorded by Beggar & Co – a post-Light Of The World group that features members of that group with artists from Central Line and vocalist Noel McKoy. These live titles include "Time", "Movin", "Bahia De Palma", "Somebody Help Me Out", and "Cosmic Lust".

A great step forward for Gianmarco Liguori – an album that's got a much deeper, more texture-based sound than some of his previous work – almost an experimental ECM mode for the 21st Century! Gianmarco's sound really lives up to the "musical directions" promised on the cover – served up in a heady brew of his own guitars and electronics – with added piano and Fender Rhodes from Murray McNabb, and trumpet and percussion from Kim Paterson – all elements that are used softly, and layered heavily – so that the sounds are often abstracted far from their source – yet still retain all their musicality, and still have a bit of swing as well! Titles include "Indian Milk", "Primitive Nightmare", "Cosmic Protrusion", "Energy Wind", "Path To The Fortress", and "Duga 3".

Deep grooves from Marc Mac – a set that's way earthier than any of his 4 Hero projects – and which is almost a tribute to the soulful sounds that have shaped his music over the years! The package is a bit similar to Mac's previous Right To Be Civil collection – and definitely has a similar aesthetic in the cover art – and the grooves here are forged from older samples, but reworked completely – way way different than any of the base elements that make them up, and abstracted with the kind of cosmic twists and turns we've always loved from Marc. There's also some great snippets of found spoken bits – showing especially the role of African American soldiers in the Vietnam era – and these give an added political bent to the whole project, albeit in a less direct way. Titles include "Afro Pride Soldier", "Feelin Like Clay", "Saigon Say No", "Brand New Thinkin", "Reflection Time", "War Baby Bloods", "Keep Your Word", and "Fort Bragg Revolution".

Gentle genius from the legendary Moondog – a rare album recorded right around the same time as his mindblowing work for Prestige! The style here is very similar to those Prestige albums – very spare and rhythmic – often just using simple acoustic percussion alongside an instrument or two, such as flute, bass, or one of Moondog's own unusual creations! The sound is really otherworldly – at once both cosmic and earthy, with sounds that are light years ahead of most of Moondog's contemporaries. Titles include "Tree Frog", "Oasis", "Suite No 1", "Suite No 2", "Dragon's Teeth", "Rim Shot", and "Why Spend The Dark Night With You?"

A largely unheard psychedelic gem from the end of the 60s – originally private pressed by the group of suburban NY teenagers responsible for the wild sound! There's a cosmic rock groove and a bit of doe-eyed innocence in these cute odes to mind expansion – with freewheeling guitars, hand percussion, keys and a conversational vocal style that sounds like a wildly tripping, speak-singing Neil Young! Titles include "Flower", "Nostalgia Trip", "Reflections", "Do You Think About Me?", "White Light", "Relax", "My Lonely Friend", "Andrea", and "The Goodnight Song". Super heavy-vinyl reissue comes in a very cool cover with a bonus booklet – and also includes a bonus single too!

A largely unheard psychedelic gem from the end of the 60s – originally private pressed by the group of suburban NY teenagers responsible for the wild sound! There's a cosmic rock groove and a bit of doe-eyed innocence in these cute odes to mind expansion – with freewheeling guitars, hand percussion, keys and a conversational vocal style that sounds like a wildly tripping, speak-singing Neil Young! Titles include "Flower", "Nostalgia Trip", "Reflections", "Do You Think About Me?", "White Light", "Relax", "My Lonely Friend", "Andrea", and "The Goodnight Song" – plus bonus tracks that include demos and live recordings!

One of the few cats who could ever make us learn to love the violin in jazz – presented here in a host of classic 70s albums for Atlantic Records! By the time of these sides, Ponty had already been making some key sounds in the European and American scenes for a decade or more – yet these records really showcase a new evolution of his style – one that really picks up strongly from the growth of fusion in the 70s, and finds a perfect space for the violin next to the keyboards, reeds, and grooves! The change is somewhere in the territory of Michal Urbaniak, yet possibly not as freewheeling – showing a soulful focus that really helped these records reach heights that Ponty wouldn't have expected when working with Frank Zappa. The set features the full albums Upon The Wings Of Love, Aurora, Imaginary Voyage, Enigmatic Ocean, and Cosmic Messenger – all in tiny LP-styled sleeves!

Mindblowing music from Sun Ra & The Arkestra – sounds recorded during the same marathon session that gave the world the records Other Planes Of There, When Sun Comes Out, and When Angels Speak Of Love – but titles that are much more obscure overall! The initial release of the material featured very misleading notes, but the true details of the session are even more impressive – as Ra plays a variety of unusual instruments alongside piano – including the piano strings, space organ, and clavioline – alongside some sublime straight horn work from John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto and oboe, Pat Patrick on baritone, Danny Davis on alto and clarinet, Walter Miller on trumpet, Robert Cummings on bass clarinet, and Ali Hasaan on trombone! The lineup here has that raw power the Arkestra first unleashed after their initial move to New York – almost a sense of new freedom in the new environment – even at a time when they weren't clicking on a financial level, but still continued to push forward with new ideas in music! Some passages have this great approach that links the cosmic ideas of the Arkestra with older traditions of jazz soloing – while others reflect the growing concern of the group with new textures and sounds – making for some very impressive elements on both the horns and percussion. The group is completed by Ronnie Boykins on bass, Art Jenkins on space voice and percussion, and Tommy Hunter on drums, percussion, and some mighty nice reverb – and titles include "Biosphere Blues", "Intergalactic Research", "Earth Primitive Earth", "New Planet", and "Continuation To Jupiter Festival".

Amazing sounds from Sun Ra – vocal recitations, weird words, and spoken bits – all set to some mighty cosmic music! The work here is all previously unissued, and pulled from rare tapes recorded in 1966, 1968, and 1982 – an amazing discovery in the Ra archive, with a real focus on his more poetic side! The set begins with some wonderfully echoey bits – Ra's vocals in the lead, and some cool abstract sounds and electronics behind him. Other tracks have even more obscure elements in the background, and a few others provide some more familiar jazz elements – but overall, the whole thing's got a wickedly spaced-out feel – very much what you might expect if you'd ever heard the myth of Ra before hearing one of his records! Titles include "The Universe Is Endless", "The Sub-Dwellers", "Music Is A Universal Language", "The Universe Sent Me", "A Cosmic Dimension Of Music", "They Taught Me To Share", and "Worship Of A Statue".

Spacey club grooves from Simoncino – showing love for some of best Chicago and Detroit dancefloor sounds of the past quarter century, from house to techno – along with some more globally-steeped soundscapes! Compelling beats and cosmic keys are prevalent throughout – along with some Afro and Latin bits that really give it a diverse vibe overall. CD includes "Tape 1", "Tape 2", "Jungle Dream (Ron Trent Remix Part Two)", "Ina Dream" feat Gregg Fore of Dream 2 Science (Dub Mix)", "Secret Code", "Sabato Notte", "AFRIKA", "Fingers Theme", "Miami Vice", "Vento D'Estate", "Notice Me", "Reggae Dance" and more.

Spacey club grooves from Simoncino – showing love for some of best Chicago and Detroit dancefloor sounds of the past quarter century, from house to techno – along with some more globally-steeped soundscapes! Compelling beats and cosmic keys are prevalent throughout – along with some Afro and Latin bits that really give it a diverse vibe overall. The 2LP vinyl version is heavy with alternate material not on the CD version – and the titles include "Open Your Eyes", "Jungle Dream (Ron Trent Remix Part One)", "In A Dream" feat Gregg Fore of Dream 2 Science (original mix and Dream 2 Science mix), "Trip To Japan", Use Me Lose Me", "Saber", "Tramonto Sulla Spiaggia", "A Shi Tai (Japanese Love)" feat Soichi Terada and more.

Wonderfully warm work from the late 70s years of Lonnie Liston Smith – material from his key stretch a Columbia Records, a time when he'd really learned to tighten up his groove a bit from earlier years, yet still keep all the deeper soul intact! The set kicks off with Song For The Children from 1979 – a set done by Lonnie with help from Bert DeCoteaux, who's still clearly aiming the record at the soul side of the spectrum – using Lonnie's cosmic blend of keyboards, rhythms, and vocals just the right way – and hitting some sounds that are a bit more righteous than other Columbia Records fusion acts of the time. Some cuts feature lead vocals by James Robinson – and other instrumentation includes saxes from Dave Hubbard and guitar by Ronnie Miller. The album kicks off with the soul jazz number "A Song For The Children", and other tracks include "Aquarian Cycle", "Street Festival", "Gift Of Love", and "Midsummer Magic". (Note that the reissue leaves off the track "Fruit Music", due to space restrictions.) Exotic Mysteries is one of the fullest-sounding albums ever cut by Lonnie Liston Smith – but one of the greatest albums too! The set has Smith really taking off a bit more than on his work for RCA or Flying Dutchman – hitting some fuller sounds in the studio, thanks to backings arranged by Berg DeCoteaux, who's clearly trying to push Lonnie's groove a bit more towards a soul fusion audience of the time, yet always without losing any of the righteous energy that makes the music so great. There's a wonderful blend of acoustic and electric keyboards on the set – wrapped up in bits of strings, and propelled strongly to the skies with some great rhythms that include bass work from a young Marcus Miller, who also wrote some of the tracks on the set. Vocals aren't often in the lead – usually just sung by a chorus, if at all – and some of the best numbers here have a laidback groove that's totally wonderful – nice and mellow, with lots of room for the keys! Tracks include "Quiet Moments", "Space Princess", "Night Flower", "Mystical Dreamer", "Magical Journey", "Singing For Love", and "Exotic Mysteries".

A group who really live up to their name, thanks to this great set of spacey sounds – created by a French duo working on guitars, keyboards, and synthesizers! There's a great sense of variety in the music – and a depth of texture that feels a lot like the early 70s electronic musings of the German scene – touched, perhaps, but some of the warmer tones that French electronicians were moving towards – but still mostly stark and atmospheric overall! Some moments get quite noisy, and are then offset by cool space sounds. Titles include "Cosmic Wheel", "Lumiere De Lune", "Surface", and "Harabizant".

Bristling sounds from a killer lineup – a 4Hero-related project done by the quartet of Kaidi Tatham, Akwasi Mensah, Matt Lord, and Dego Ranks – music that definitely explores the next level of expression for the 2000 Black generation! All the best London touches are firmly in place here, but the groove's also fresher than before, too – wonderfully cosmic, yet nicely abstract in a few places too – showing the kind of complication that Tatham's brought to his rhythms in recent years – yet still maintaining all the soulful, righteous focus we could have hoped for! The album features guest work by Eric Lau, Sarina Leah, Bembe Segue, and Nadine Charles – and titles include "THB", "Kenny", "Naive", "Seven4", "Mind Skies", "Badly Persuaded", "Stars Shine For You", "Quantum Shift", "You Know It's Like That", and "Mr Pickles".

Rhonda Thomas sounds better than ever – soaring out in that wonderful mix of jazz and soul that's always made her music so great! We've been following Rhonda for years, and the journey's been a delight at every step – but this time around, the rewards are even greater – as Thomas steps off with a deeply soulful quality that almost reminds us of Maysa at her best, but delivered with some of the leaner flair of the Atlanta scene, of which Rhonda is a very big part! Instrumentation is warm, but never mellow – and there's a nice crisp edge to the rhythms, yet all without resorting to any broken beat styles, or overdone cosmic modes. The album's filled with Thomas' personality and sense of goodwill – overflowing with positive energy from the very first note! Titles include "Listen", "Just Us", "When Music Was Good", "Do Your Thing", "Darfur Woman", "Peppermint Leaves", "Something For You", and "Unmerited Favor". This version includes 3 bonus tracks "The Light (Al Ross rmx)", "Best Intentions (DJ Kemit & Alex Lattimore rmx)", and "Darfur Woman (inst)".

Cosmic bedroom funk from The Trash Company – which is actually the solo project of one Max E Monroe – who sounds right at home on Peoples Potential! Max has purportedly been making music since the late 70s, and the spacey synth funk of "Pluto" sounds like it could have been made at any point since! "For The Hook" is even more otherwordly – with a heavy bass groove, shakey beats and thick waves of synths floating over it!

Heady keyboards from Trash Company – an artist who's been making grooves since the late 70s, and who definitely has an ear for a really raw sound! The music's less disco than other PPU reissues – and is mighty dark throughout – with lots of distortion on the beats and keys, and an overall sound that feels like the Italian Cosmic scene collided with early Factory Records! EP features five sweet tracks – including "I Don't Mind", "Having Fun", "For The Hook", "Pluto", and "Bigga Man".

Funky psychedelic hip hop from Willie Isz – aka cosmic hip hop beatmaker and Khujo Goodie of the legendary Goodie Mob – a set that manages to be both hazy and tripped out, but pretty hard hitting, too! It was hard to get around a Stankonia-or-later Outkast or Gnarls Barkley comparison when we first heard about the project, which didn't take away from our excitement about it, but this record project is an inspiration all it's own. Khujo's fast rap and funky strangeness isn't too far out of character from earlier records, but he gets some heretofore unexplored psyche funk vocal styles going, too. Jneiro Jarel's beats range bring gritty synth funk to stuttering beats, laced with fuzzed out elements, plus some leaner, electro thumping sounds. Titles include ""Blast Off", "Georgiavania", "I Didn't Mean To", "The Grussle", "Violet Heart Box", "Autopilot", "Shine", "In The Red" and more.

Spacey funk and electronic sound library grooves from the mid 70s to early 80s – great stuff with a focus on the neon lighted, pulsating synth enhanced sounds of a perceived future – and previously unreleased! It's earliest material in the set is a Bernard Estardy track from 1975 that feels like a real precursor to the later grooves to come – Moog heavy spaciness that's more akin to early 80s grooves – which this set is heavily steeped in – with material by Marc Monsen, John Fiddy & Sammy Burdson, Gunter Greffenius, James Saunders and many more. Electro disco theme music, dramatic synth sequences, space funk and synth sounds galore! Includes "Robotory" by John Fiddy & Sammy Burdson, "Evasion" by Claude Perraudin, "Jupiter" by Gaston Borreani, "A Chance To Win 1 & 2 (Edit)" by Milan Pilar, "Video Funk" by VDB Joel, "Hercules" by Chris Evans-Ironside, "Tic Tac Ring" by Bernard Estardy, "Space Race" by Sammy Burdson, "Point Of Impact" by Gunter Greffenius and more. 16 tracks in all.

Cosmic grooves and spacey post disco compiled by Dompteur Mooner – a great third volume of the Elaste series from Compost Records! The soul if disco splintered in the cosmos in the early 80s, soaring strings giving way to funky synths, proto-techno programming and all around galactic feel in the clubs of Europe and pretty much all around the world – and this set pulls together the widest range yet! Definitely not disco in a conventional set, but spacey synth funk and influential club grooves from the early 80s underground that sounds great today! Includes "Take A Chance (Dompteur Mooner Edit)" by Queen Samantha, "Urth" by Mobius, "Beats of Love" by Nacht Und Nebel, "Allein (Original Version)" by Tabu, "Beuys Boys" by Pollyester, "Jamacia Running" by The Pool, "Powerslide" by Mythos, "Africa (Dub Mix)" by Key Of Dreams and more. 14 tracks on the CD version.

Amazing stuff! Johnny "Hammond" Smith began his career as a simple soul jazz organist – but by the time of Gears, he'd teamed up with the mighty Larry Mizell, the genius arranger/producer who'd breathed new life into the careers of Donald Byrd and Bobbi Humphrey. Mizell works with Hammond in the say we he does with other jazz artists – by taking a groove that works best with their solo style, and slowly layering other instrumentation and effects on top of it, so that when the solo kicks in, it's supported on waves and waves of funky sounds and soulful grooves. Mizell and his brother Fonce both play keyboards on the record, and the rest of the group includes monster fusion players like Harvey Mason, Roger Glenn, Hadley Caliman, and Jerry Peters. The real treat is Johnny, though – as his solos are heavenly, the best of his 70s work, stripped mean and lean, laid in at just the right points. Includes the breakbeat classic "Shifting Gears", the house classic "Los Conquistadores Chocolates", and funky numbers "Fantasy" and "Tell Me What To Do". The second half of this CD is Forever Taurus, which Johnny recorded right after his legendary Gears album, and it features production by Wade Marcus that's very much in the Larry Mizell mode that made Johnny huge in the 70s! As with the Gears record, Johnny's backed by a large ensemble of players – and the overall sound has lots of nice touches, extra percussion, and a good electric groove. Tracks include "Cosmic Voyager", "Walk In Sunshine", "Ghetto Samba", and the title cut.

Mindblowing music from Sun Ra & The Arkestra – sounds recorded during the same marathon session that gave the world the records Other Planes Of There, When Sun Comes Out, and When Angels Speak Of Love – but titles that are much more obscure overall! The initial release of the material featured very misleading notes, but the true details of the session are even more impressive – as Ra plays a variety of unusual instruments alongside piano – including the piano strings, space organ, and clavioline – alongside some sublime straight horn work from John Gilmore on tenor, Marshall Allen on alto and oboe, Pat Patrick on baritone, Danny Davis on alto and clarinet, Walter Miller on trumpet, Robert Cummings on bass clarinet, and Ali Hasaan on trombone! The lineup here has that raw power the Arkestra first unleashed after their initial move to New York – almost a sense of new freedom in the new environment – even at a time when they weren't clicking on a financial level, but still continued to push forward with new ideas in music! Some passages have this great approach that links the cosmic ideas of the Arkestra with older traditions of jazz soloing – while others reflect the growing concern of the group with new textures and sounds – making for some very impressive elements on both the horns and percussion. The group is completed by Ronnie Boykins on bass, Art Jenkins on space voice and percussion, and Tommy Hunter on drums, percussion, and some mighty nice reverb – and titles include "Biosphere Blues", "Intergalactic Research", "Earth Primitive Earth", "New Planet", and "Continuation To Jupiter Festival". Beautiful 2CD reissue features sublime sounds from the original tapes, remastered – plus a full bonus CD of unreleased tracks that include "Blue York", "Conversation Of The Universe", "Red Planet Mars", "Cosmic Rays/Next Stop Mars", "The Myth", "Meteor Shower", "Infinity", "The Beginning Of", and "Endlessness".

Wow! The one-and-only album by Trinidadian combo Black Truth Rhythm Band – a completely incredible one at that – hypnotic Caribbean funky soul, jazz and wildly impressive musicianship all around by this group led by singer and multi-instrumentalist Oluko Imo. The record was made in the mid 70s era in which the Afro Funk sound was hitting it's peak – when African rhythms and James Brown style funk were being fused so furiously – but Black Truth Rhythm Band take a different approach, working more with sounds from African spectrum and the West Indies. It's really amazing stuff that takes unpredictable twists from stripped down rhythms, to jazzy guitars and cosmic synths – always with straight up brilliant playing by the group. A fusion of African rhythms, strains of Calypso and boundary free jazzy grooves that balance and exploratory sensibility with tight, irresistible rhythms. Soundway raises the bar once again! Titles include "Ifetayo", "You People", "Saved Musician", "Kilimanjaro", "Aspire", and "Umbala" – plus a bonus 7" single with the track "Imo".

An amazing departure for David Bowie – hardly the kind of record you would expect from his oboe-filled tunes of a few years before – and really the start of the groundbreaking, earthshaking, reinventionist era of his genius! There's a spacious, soaring quality to Space Oddity that's every bit the kind of magical music you might hope for in a set recorded at the close of the 60s – a shift into new modes, new sounds that seem to suck up all the best influences in rock from the previous few years, but fuse it into a new cosmic vision for the next decade. And while others might stumble on cliche with the weight of such a task, Bowie pulls it off brilliantly – mixing his fuzzier feelings with some of his more personal leanings – and showcasing a newly deep sense of songwriting here that's really amazing. Some tunes have the sensitivity of work on Hunky Dory, while others burn with the fire of Man Who Sold The World – all in a balance that never sounds schizophrenic at all. Titles include"Space Oddity", "Memory Of A Free Festival", "God Knows I'm Good", "Cygnet Committee", and "Unwashed & Somewhat Slightly Dazed".

One of the most beautiful records we've ever heard from the legendary Phil Cohran – a previously-unissued performance from 1993, and one that's every bit as wonderful as his rare albums of the late 60s! The set was recorded at the planetarium in Chicago – and for the date, Cohran comes up with a really cosmic sound – a small combo that's heavy on string sounds from guitar, bass, and harp – layered together beautifully to create these Alice Coltrane-like undercurrents – over which the group solos with flute, trumpet, and trombone! There's less players here than on some of Cohran's older Artistic Heritage Ensemble sets, but the sound is exactly like those records – right down to some key moments in which Phil plays his amazing Frankiphone – an electrified kalimba with a tremendous tone. Titles include "White Nile", "Cohran Blues", "The Dogon", "Sahara", "Kalahari", and "Kilimanjaro".

After his run of funky organ records for Prestige in the early 70s, Charles took a similar route to Herbie and others, and picked up a host of electric keyboards for his spacey fusion records on Mercury. The core of Earland's groove here is the Arp, which he plays masterfully – running from tight funky melodies to wilder outer spacier sounds. The groups that back him up include many crack 70s fusion players – and the record has a style that's overall more slick and sophisticated than his Prestige sessions. Titles include "Journey Of The Soul", "Phire", "We All Live In The Jungle", and "Cosmic Fever".

A really amazing album from keyboardist Ronnie Foster – one of his hippest of the 70s, and even quite different from his other work for Blue Note! The album features Foster on organ, in a really open, fluid live setting – working on these stretched-out tracks with a small combo – all in ways that are as completely sublime as his Two-Headed Freap album – yet with a very different groove! The sounds from Foster's fingers are amazing – spacey and soulful, yet with this cosmic sort of beauty – soaring to the skies with Larry Young-ish energy at points, but kicking back with a gentle groove at others. The trio features work by Greg Miller on guitar and Marvin Chappell on drums – and titles include an incredible take on Seals & Crofts' "East Of Ginger Trees" – plus the cuts "Chunky", "Boogie Juice", and "Sameness".

A pivotal early 70s set of Peruvian Cumbia from Enrique Delgado and Los Destellos – the rare Constelacion LP from 1971 – a great album that's definitely in the more cosmic realm of the style! Guitarist Delgado was one of more creative forces in cumbia, credited as one of the first, if not THE first figures to bring electric guitar out into to the forefront of the sound. That's likely true, but the percussion is sharing the wheel! Even more impressive is the range of styles that so deftly blend with Peruvian rhythms on this album – from spindly, dexterous lead guitar to fuzzed out, surf and psych informed washes – paired masterfully with more traditional sounds. Includes "A Patricia", "Senorita", "El Corneta", "Constelacion", "Onsta La Yerbita", "Pasion Oriental", "Otro Ano", "La Cancion De Lily", "Pachanga Espanola", "Azuquita" and "La Aranita".

Rare disco soul from Canada – the self-titled set from Zig Zag! The sounds range from tightly vamping funky guitar grooves, to spacier synth driven sounds - and it's energetic dancefloor funk & soul all the way! The lyrics are sung in Quebecois French, often with a funky grit, but the longer cosmic soul instrumental are in the driver seat. Titles include "Disco Danser", "Disco Fever", "Stop Stop Stop", "Gay'O", "Voyage Voyage", "Le Prophete" and "Discoville".

Music found online, then collected here in one sweet little set – a great illustration of the way that in the 21st Century, internet sound files have come to represent a whole new level of digging! All the cuts here were issued digitally first, and are making a wax debut here – as a brilliant testament to the rich new sounds bubbling out there online – from fresh Neo Soul to warm jazzy grooves to some sweet cosmic beats! There's a vibe here that's every bit as great as the first volume – and the track selection is sublime – like having one of the world's few tastemakers hip you to the coming sounds of the next generation. Titles include "Where You Gone" by INT, "Journey To The Shore" by Dopegems, "Muscles" by Bonnie Banane, "Freak Out" by Natronix, "YBMJ" by Monkeyrobot, "Dealing" by Up High Collective, "Boomboxin" by Moodprint, "7th Week" by Roux Spanna, "Paintball" by Monster Sneaker, and "All Matter" by Modlee & Vlooper.

The coolest chapter so far in the long-lost story of the He3 Project – wonderfully spiritual jazz sounds from the San Francisco scene of the early 70s – recorded with a wicked blend of instrumentation and vocals, and a really cosmic sound overall! The music isn't just the usual spiritual jazz of the time – nor the familiar funky sound from the other side of the Bay – and instead, it's kind of a tripped-out hybrid that's really unique – and often served up with a rough edge that makes the instrumentation even more compelling! Players include Hadley Caliman on tenor and flute, Joe West and Terry Mederios on guitars, and Herman Eberitzsch (the HE in the group's name) on Fender Rhodes, Echoplex, piano, and screwdriver. Vocals are from two members of The Waters – Maxine and Julia – although the overall vibe is more instrumental in the end. Titles include "Civilization", "The Massage", "Dark Angels", "Artesian Wells", "Shake A Leg Woman", "To Be True", and "This Is The Struggle".

An incredible album by avant saxophonist Charles Tyler – and one of his most unique albums ever! Tyler's playing here in a wild setting – alto sax mixed with three stringed instruments, one cello and two basses – which makes for a very unusual sound. The album's got a deep, dark soul – very different sounding than other records on ESP at the time – and it also stretches out with some cosmic influences that don't always show up in Tyler's later work. The whole thing's brilliantly beautiful – with a blend of sounds that's unlike anything else we can describe, and which has always made the album one of our favorites in the ESP catalog. Cuts include "Le-Roi", "Cha-Lacy's Out East", and "Eastern".

Funky psychedelic hip hop from Willie Isz – aka cosmic hip hop beatmaker and Khujo Goodie of the legendary Goodie Mob – a set that manages to be both hazy and tripped out, but pretty hard hitting, too! It was hard to get around a Stankonia-or-later Outkast or Gnarls Barkley comparison when we first heard about the project, which didn't take away from our excitement about it, but this record project is an inspiration all it's own. Khujo's fast rap and funky strangeness isn't too far out of character from earlier records, but he gets some heretofore unexplored psyche funk vocal styles going, too. Jneiro Jarel's beats range bring gritty synth funk to stuttering beats, laced with fuzzed out elements, plus some leaner, electro thumping sounds. Titles include ""Blast Off", "Georgiavania", "I Didn't Mean To", "The Grussle", "Violet Heart Box", "Autopilot", "Shine", "In The Red" and more.

Raw, amazing grooves sailing the Afro Beat Airways – organ flavored Afro funk, soul & psychedelia from West African Ghana & Togo in the 70s – one of best compilations yet on the increasingly awe inspiring Analog Africa label! The African percussion is raw and danceable and funk steeped, and most of the numbers have a range of really cool organ sounds, and vocals that range from insistently melodic singing to to funky shouts. From there, the groove is more varied. There's strains of tried & true Afro funk & soul, larger group jazzy jams and more stripped down cosmic and psych influenced nuggets. Exhaustive research on the part of Analog Africa is distilled into a riveting, yet nicely diverse and pretty much perfect compilation with great sound, beautiful packaging and a wealth of notes. 2LP version has 16 tracks in all (2 more than the CD): "Dankasa" by Uppers International, "Ma Mserew Me" by Apoagya Show Band, "Come Along" by Ebo Taylor & The Pelicans, 'Afe Ato Yen Bio" by De Frank Professionals, "Awula Bo Fee Ene" by Orchestre Abass, "Ne Noya" by Cos-Ber-Zam and more, plus the vinyl exclusives "Obiye Saa Wui" by 3rd Generation Band and "Operation Bye-Bye" by Orchestre Abass.

Wicked grooves from the German scene of the 70s – that stretch of the sound library generation when things were getting even more electronic than before – and picking up some great funky dancefloor modes in the process! Most of these numbers are heavy on keyboards – especially the more electronic types that warrant the "cosmic" in the title of the collection – usually delivered over clean, clear, upbeat rhythms that bring plenty of club, disco, and boogie modes to play in the process! Think of this one as the blueprint for the best Euro club sounds of the late 70s and early 80s – but since the tunes are even shorter and more focused, they pack a hell of a lot more punch too! Features work from sound libraries that include Media Music, DeWolfe, Sonimage, Jollymay, Golden Ring, Intersound, and more – with cuts that include "Greenwich Street" by Klaus Weiss, "Bacchanales Estardiennes" by Bernard Estardy, "Poursuite Dans La Nuit" by Roger Davy, "Spectator" by Tom Elliot, "Coordinates Meeting" by Peter Thomas, "Bio Rhythm No 3" by Thomas Clausen, "Flying Objects" by Roger Webb, and "Ele Toldoth" by Helmuth Brandenburg.

One of the most beautiful records we've ever heard from the legendary Phil Cohran – a previously-unissued performance from 1993, and one that's every bit as wonderful as his rare albums of the late 60s! The set was recorded at the planetarium in Chicago – and for the date, Cohran comes up with a really cosmic sound – a small combo that's heavy on string sounds from guitar, bass, and harp – layered together beautifully to create these Alice Coltrane-like undercurrents – over which the group solos with flute, trumpet, and trombone! There's less players here than on some of Cohran's older Artistic Heritage Ensemble sets, but the sound is exactly like those records – right down to some key moments in which Phil plays his amazing Frankiphone – an electrified kalimba with a tremendous tone. Titles include "White Nile", "Cohran Blues", "The Dogon", "Sahara", "Kalahari", and "Kilimanjaro".

The most amazing records to date from Rob Mazurek's Exploding Star Orchestra – just the kind of cosmic, spiritual session you'd expect from the group's name – perfectly placed in a Chicago lineage that includes Sun Ra's Arkestra and the best years of the AACM! The group's got all the collaborative spirit of the latter reference – a largeish ensemble made up of some of the city's most important avant musicians in recent years – including Nicole Mitchell on flute, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Jason Adasiewicz on vibes, Josh Abrams on acoustic bass, Matt Bauder on clarinet and tenor, Jason Stein on bass clarinet, and Mike Reed and John Herndon on drums – all players who know each others strengths through countless gigs together – coming together under the visionary leadership of Rob Mazurek on cornet. There's some slight electro-acoustic elements, which further complicate the sound of the record – but all without ever taking it off base – and the whole thing's got a righteous sort of energy that makes us mighty proud that sounds this great came from our hometown. Titles include "ChromoRocker", "Impression #1", "Ascenscion Ghost Impression #2", and "Three Blocks Of Light".

Amazing sounds from Moonchild – a group as lovely as their name! The style here is slinky and stellar – spacey funk that's heavy on keyboards, yet really laidback too – stepping along in a cool cosmic vibe that's perfect for the lead vocals of Amber Navran – a hell of a great singer who really makes her voice work well with the keys! The album's really a cut above the rest – very fresh, with a crisp edge that's wonderful – and proof that there's still some great folks out there in the underground making righteous music like this! Titles include "Back To Me", "Be Free", "Out Of My Mind", "Ocean Deep", "Gone", "What Shall We Do", and "Turn It Up".

Sharp sounds from the French scene at the start of the 70s – played by a group that mixes some of the free energy of the BYG/Actuel crowd with the more playful styles of the other side of the post-68 underground! The group's a quartet – with Partrick Vian on guitar, Jean Claude Cenci on sax and flute, Daniel Geoffroy on bass, and Philip Barry on drums and guitar – and all players vocalize a bit on the record, mixing sensitive lyrics in with more adventurous music – in a style that reminds us of the brilliant energy heard on some of the best Saravah Records sessions of the time. Cenci's reeds are a real delight – and the guitar lines shift from jazzy to more rockish, depending on the tune. Titles include "Cosmic Toilet Ditty", "Caka Slow", "Vertebrate Twist", "Red Noise Live Au Cafe Des Sports", "Obsession Sexuelle No 2", "20 Miror Mozarts Composing ON Tea Bag & 1/2 Cup Bra", and "Sarcelles C'Est L'Avenir".

Spacey funk and electronic sound library grooves from the mid 70s to early 80s – great stuff with a focus on the neon lighted, pulsating synth enhanced sounds of a perceived future – and previously unreleased! It's earliest material in the set is a Bernard Estardy track from 1975 that feels like a real precursor to the later grooves to come – Moog heavy spaciness that's more akin to early 80s grooves – which this set is heavily steeped in – with material by Marc Monsen, John Fiddy & Sammy Burdson, Gunter Greffenius, James Saunders and many more. Electro disco theme music, dramatic synth sequences, space funk and synth sounds galore! Includes "Robotory" by John Fiddy & Sammy Burdson, "Evasion" by Claude Perraudin, "Jupiter" by Gaston Borreani, "A Chance To Win 1 & 2 (Edit)" by Milan Pilar, "Video Funk" by VDB Joel, "Hercules" by Chris Evans-Ironside, "Tic Tac Ring" by Bernard Estardy, "Space Race" by Sammy Burdson, "Point Of Impact" by Gunter Greffenius and more. 16 tracks in all.

Wicked grooves from the German scene of the 70s – that stretch of the sound library generation when things were getting even more electronic than before – and picking up some great funky dancefloor modes in the process! Most of these numbers are heavy on keyboards – especially the more electronic types that warrant the "cosmic" in the title of the collection – usually delivered over clean, clear, upbeat rhythms that bring plenty of club, disco, and boogie modes to play in the process! Think of this one as the blueprint for the best Euro club sounds of the late 70s and early 80s – but since the tunes are even shorter and more focused, they pack a hell of a lot more punch too! Features work from sound libraries that include Media Music, DeWolfe, Sonimage, Jollymay, Golden Ring, Intersound, and more – with cuts that include "Greenwich Street" by Klaus Weiss, "Bacchanales Estardiennes" by Bernard Estardy, "Poursuite Dans La Nuit" by Roger Davy, "Spectator" by Tom Elliot, "Coordinates Meeting" by Peter Thomas, "Bio Rhythm No 3" by Thomas Clausen, "Flying Objects" by Roger Webb, and "Ele Toldoth" by Helmuth Brandenburg.

Amazing electro from the early 80s – a host of rare and wonderful tracks that even surpasses the greatness of the first Minimal Wave Tapes compilation! The set's awash in great keyboards, spare drum parts, and brooding basslines – all with a spare, stark quality that recalls the best moments of the Sheffield and Manchester scenes – with a dose of Italian Cosmic and German new wave thrown in as well! Most of the tunes here are totally new to us – and that's saying a lot, because back in the day, we were heavily into sounds like this – which means our hat's off to compilers Peanut Butter Wolf and Veronica Vasicka for doing such a great job with the collection – unearthing this secret history of electronica that bubbled in the global underground of the post-punk, post-disco years. Tracks include "Fire" by Ruins, "Cinnamon Air" by Antonym, "HSTA" by Das Ding, "What Happened To You" by Subject, "The Drum" by Ohama, "The Sleep Room" by Geneva Jacuzzi, "Japan Japan" by Felix Kubin, "Out Of Line" by Class Info, and "Dirty" by Hard Corps.

A great step forward for Gianmarco Liguori – an album that's got a much deeper, more texture-based sound than some of his previous work – almost an experimental ECM mode for the 21st Century! Gianmarco's sound really lives up to the "musical directions" promised on the cover – served up in a heady brew of his own guitars and electronics – with added piano and Fender Rhodes from Murray McNabb, and trumpet and percussion from Kim Paterson – all elements that are used softly, and layered heavily – so that the sounds are often abstracted far from their source – yet still retain all their musicality, and still have a bit of swing as well! Titles include "Indian Milk", "Primitive Nightmare", "Cosmic Protrusion", "Energy Wind", "Path To The Fortress", and "Duga 3".

Golden Touch, a well-rounded little set from Rose Royce – one that has the group hitting equally on uptempo funky tracks and chilled-out mellower numbers – the latter of which feature plenty of sweet moogy touches, in the group's best mode! There are standout moments, but overall the album has more of a cohesive flow than earlier ones, and the group sounds great – coming up with some excellent harmonies when needed, and dropping down to that sparer style of instrumentation on some of the record's best tracks. Titles include "Love Is In The Air", "You're A Winner", "And You Wish For Yesterday", "Funkin Around", "Help Yourself", and "I Wanna Make It With You". Jump Street, an overlooked later gem by Rose Royce – is a funky Norman Whitefield production released shortly after the similarly strong Golden Touch – a mix of funky numbers, more spaced out cosmic keys inflected grooves and a couple of mellow jams! The funkier numbers come earlier in the set, and again prove to be some of the strongest tracks – from the tighter couple of openers to the 12+ minute jam "RR Express". Other tracks include "Jump Street", "Illusions", "Famous Last Worlds", "Tell Me That I'm Dreaming", "Please Return Your Love To Me" and "Fight It".

One of the most ambitious recordings to date from Chicago improviser David Boykin – a large group performance done in the freely collaborative spirit of older AACM recordings! There's a relaxed, spontaneous vibe here that we really love – as Boykin and other Chicago players work through a variety of sound textures and musical ideas, using a range of instruments that runs from conventional saxes, flute, and guitar, to more unusual sounds from nose flute, bible harp, kitchen bowls, shenai, and many other less-common instruments. The entire work runs for 70 minutes in length, divided up into 10 shorter segments.

Loads of great keyboards from Italian player Amedeo Tommasi – and a record that we'd rank right up there with electronic soundtrack classics from John Carpenter or Goblin! Most of the tracks are quite spare, and build up only from keyboards – using Tommasi's work on moog, Fender Rhodes, and other keys – and weaving them into a rich soundscape of shimmering patterns and unusual sounds! The best cuts are moogy, but still upbeat – and the whole album has a sense of blackness that really matches its cover. Titles include "Ultimo Atto", "Allarme Nucleare", "Distruzione Chimica", "La Strada Dei Giganti", "Space War", "Attacco Armato", and "Insidia Cosmica".

Swirling psychedelia from the late 60s & early 70s – raga inflected soundscapes featuring the sitar – and a plethora of other mind-altering instrumentation in the psyche pop canon! Many of the tunes are kind of sole examples of a psychedelic combo trying out the sitar sound, while others feature regular dabblers – but it's all groovy stuff. Features acts from the UK and US scenes, with the Mecki Mark Men, Moonkyte, Full Moon Band, the comparably iconic Ananda Shankar, and much more! Titles include "Free" by Mecki Mark Men, "Caves Of Her Mind" by Stunt's Blue Leg Expedition, "I Know What To Say" by The Ugly Ducklings, "Where Will The Grass Grow" by Moonkyte, "Prayer To St Peter" by Nick Carter, "Renunciation" by Ananda Shanker, "One Grain Of Sand" by Wizz Jones, "The Shoemaker Of Leatherwear Square" by Lemon Pipers, "Aurore Cosmic" by Popera Cosmic and more. 20 tracks in all.