The first album in many years from this legendary studio project from On-U Sound and Adrian Sherwood – and one that makes us feel as if the passage of decades hasn't happened at all! Sherwood's production is still wonderful – and, if anything, maybe less showy, or more soulful, or less moody – just something that seems to let the work of the group come through with energy that's wonderfully warm and organic, while still resonating with plenty of touches that will make longtime label fans proud! Vocals are shared between Charlie Eskimo Fox and Mr Magoo, and the set also features guest appearances from Prince Far I and Daddy Freddy – on titles that include "That's More Like It" "Jubilee Clock", "Swiftly", "Stonebridge Warrior", "Crown Hill Road", "The People's Sound", and "Whatever It Takes". LP, Vinyl record album

Crucial Tony is back in the mix for this righteous early 80s album from Creation Rebel – a set that has Adrian Sherwood only furthering his production genius as he layers together stunning instrumental work from the group! The presence of the vocals has the instrumentation slightly back in the mix – but there's still a great run of rhythms throughout, all driven by the mighty heady basslines of Lizard Logan! There's less keyboards than before, but still some nice electronic bits all over the place – and titles include "The Dope", "African Space", "Threat To Creation", "Highest Degree", "Mother Don't Cry", and "Drum Talk". LP, Vinyl record album

Early production genius from Adrian Sherwood – and a record that sets the tone for all the On-U Sound genius to come! The set's a huge step forward from even the previous excellent Creation Rebel album – as the way the sounds are layered together is incredible – almost modes learned from post-punk production, but used to deliver a pure, righteous dub album – one that drops out all the vocals, and allows you to concentrate even more on the totally wicked instrumentation! The set features stunning drums from Style Scott, heady bass from Lizard, and all sorts of very cool keyboard work from Clifton Morrison – used in these ways that float about like a swarm of sounds, especially when mixed with the melodica of Doctor Pablo. The whole thing's amazing – and titles include "Diverse Doctor", "Hunger & Strife", "Jungle Affair", "Rebel Vibration", "Black Lion Dub", and "Mountain Melody". LP, Vinyl record album

An early part of the On-U Sound legacy, even if the set wasn't issued on the label – a key effort by Creation Rebel that features recording work done both in London and Kingston, layered together in a beautifully dubby way! The sound here is definitely underground – full of message-oriented lyrics from Crucial Tony, who sings in a style that definitely earns him his name – with great melodica and organ flowing through the mix next to Lizard's bass – topped with added horn work from The Arabs in all the right spots! The production is superb – flat on the drums, wide on the sides, which makes for a really wonderful groove – on titles that include "Know Yourself", "Conspiring", "Creation Fever", "Natty Conscience Free", and "Joyful Noise". LP, Vinyl record album

Jimetta Rose is a fantastic singer on her own, but this set may well be her most heavenly, most righteous record to date – as it features Rose at the head of a larger ensemble of singers – blending gospel structures with soul and spiritual jazz – all with a sound that's completely sublime all the way through! Some of the tunes here are older cuts from the world of soul and jazz, redone in a mode that's nicely different than the originals – with voices moving back and forth, trading lines, and rising together – while light rhythms keep things moving forward, yet never get in the way of the singers on the record. The approach might look like gospel, and the messages here are righteous – but in a way that's also got strong secular soul appeal too. Titles include a great remake of "Spirits Up Above", plus the cuts "Let The Sunshine In", "How Good It Is", "Ain't Life Grand", "Operation Feed Yourself", and "Answer The Call". LP, Vinyl record album

Japanese singer Carmen Maki works here with Blues Creation – on a set that's headier and heavier than just about anything she ever recorded! The group themselves are amazing – searing with guitar work that rivals the best of the Anglo blues-inspired hard rock combos of the period – and when Carmen comes into the mix, she uses an equally soulful approach, turned towards freakier styles that might have made Christine Perfect run away in fear! The combination is fantastic – the kind of special set that makes this period of the Japanese scene such a standout for collectors of this sort of material – on titles that include "I Can't Live For Today", "Motherless Child", "Understand", "Empty Heart", and "Lord I Can't Be Going No More". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the only record we've ever seen from African Star, but an excellent batch of roots material that has all sorts of sweet instrumental touches snaking through the mix! Sylvan Morris arranged and produced the set, and the backing group has guitar from Winston Bowen, organ from Bubbler Waul, percussion from Skully, and sax and trumpet from the Zap Pow Horns – all elements that are used in subtle ways, as the lead vocals are really the shining star of the set – never too polished or commercial, but with a sense of power and righteousness that should have made African Star a giant. This version of the set plays at 45rpm, with six tracks that include "Paradise", "Trample The Dragon", "You Would Never Believe", "Love In Your Heart", "Days In Creation", and "Too Much Confusion". LP, Vinyl record album

The first full album that Felt cut for Creation Records – and a tremendous selection of timeless pop tunes that shows that their move to the label was the best thing they ever did! The band's sound is tightened up considerably from their Cherry Red years – compressing organ solos, guitar passages, and Lawrence's introspective vocals into tunes that were filled with a sort of timeless sense of pop – never cloying, never witless – just magically "Felt-like", with an aura that was all its own. One of the finest rock records of the past 30 years, and a real bright spot in the 80s! Titles include "Down But Not Yet Out", "September Lady", "Gather Up Your Wings & Fly", "Hours Of Darkness Have Changed My Mind", and "Rain Of Crystal Spires". LP, Vinyl record album

The Attack are one of those bands from the key psych years of the UK scene who never fully got their due – a combo who got a big label contract, and recorded in ways that really perfected their sound – yet also sidelined before most of their music had a chance to find the audience it deserved! There's plenty of fuzz, rawness, and driving energy here – almost modes of Creation turned to headier territory, but on short tunes that pack plenty of punch with a mighty nice bite! The set brings together material that might have become a full length set – titles that include "Magic In The Air", "Feel Like Flying", "Freedom For You", "Too Old", and "Go Your Way". LP, Vinyl record album

A long-overview testament to the genius of Miguel Atwood Ferguson – a string player whose work has graced countless other great spiritual jazz projects from the west coast scene, and one who finally gets a chance to showcase his beautiful sense of creation in all its glory! The massively extended set is worth all the room that Miguel has been given – as the package features over three hours of music that flowers with all sorts of emotion, especially joy and hope – with Atwood-Ferguson working with help from friends who include Bennie Maupin and Kamasi Washington on reeds, Jeff Parker on guitar, and a whole host of musicians – including Domi & Beck, Carlos Nino, Thundercat, Jamire Williams, Jamael Dean, and others! There's a majestic quality to the record, but also a very personal tone too – as if Miguel has taken the wide range of his experience over decades on the scene, and woven it into a brilliant sonic poem of his own – served up here on 52 selections that leave us breathless! LP, Vinyl record album

A set of unreleased improvisations between these two fantastic free jazz musicians – intended as a session in which, according to Paal Nilssen-Love, "we agreed to bring all the metal we could bring"! That means that Peter Brotzmann is blowing a wide variety of reed instruments, and Paal is handling lots of percussion and gongs next to his drums – yet all elements are used in these very spare styles, almost more loft jazz than you'd guess from the legacy of intensity from both of the musicians – which makes for yet another great late life surprise in the final years of Brotzmann – proof that he never stopped reinventing and opening doors to new avenues of creation! Titles include "Dancing Octopus", "Move On Over", "South Of No Return", "Butterfly Mushroom", "Found The Cabin But No People", and "Five Of Them Survived The Dream". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible set, and one that will definitely have you heaping praises on Barry Brown – as the singer was one of the most inventive of the late roots reggae years in Jamaica – and maybe gets his best presentation ever on the tracks on the set! There's a splashy brilliance to the way the tracks are put together – often with these subtle funky drums from Santa Davis, which provide this cool little kick underneath the heavy dub and echo used in the production – keeping the rhythms focused while Barry Brown lets his voice do all these amazing things! At times, you almost feel as if Barry's living in the world of fuzz and tripped-out sounds that make up the music – riding the waves and having a tremendous time in the process – on cuts that include "Fittest Of The Fittest (parts 1 & 2)", "Natty Rootsman (parts 1 & 2)", "Step It Up Youthman (ext)", "Look How Long", "Give Thanks & Praise (lion mix)", "Give Thanks (part 3)", "Creative Vibes (xylophone)", "From Creation", "Look How Long Dub", and "We Can't Dub Like This". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that forever changed the role of the DJ and turntable when it was dropped on the world – certainly not the first record to feature an artist building sound out of a mixture of old records and his own creation, but definitely one of the most hyped and most exposed over the years! For some reason, Shadow was able to find a way to take all the skills that hip hop DJs had been developing for 20 years, mixing them with some of the darkness of the European production scene – and then getting a wider audience to really appreciate both his own talents, and all the other inspirations that drove him – something that still seems to resonate all these many years later, as Shadow opened the door for many others to appreciate all the sounds that we'd been loving in the underground! And despite all his later work, this classic full length set might still be his best – a well-deserved classic, with titles that include "Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt", "The Number Song", "Changeling", "What Does Your Soul Look Like (pts 1 & 4)", "Mutual Slump", "Organ Donor", and "Midnight In A Perfect World". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet little record that definitely offers up what it promises in the title – a lower-fi version of the Japanese city pop sound from years back, yet one that's also nicely inflected with some of the hip hop elements that Grey October Sounds use in their music! The image on the cover is nicely fitting, as there's a intimacy here that's nice – kind of a peace within the urban setting, not far from the beats and the streets – but a bit more private too, and done here with contributions from Esu, Lo Film Creation, Monbee, and Adon. Titles are all in Japanese, and if you've dug previous work by the group, you'll find plenty here to love! LP, Vinyl record album

Back in the 70s, there were plenty of records that mixed together the Japanese shamisen with more contemporary sounds – but of them all, this set might well be one of the wildest – as it features two side-long tracks that mix the acoustic strings of the ancient instrument with a mix of moogy electronics and keyboards! Konae Imato handles the shamisen in a very classic style – with lots of raspy touches along the three strings – while Masashi Komatsubara delivers all these different sounds from the moog – sometimes very abstract, sometimes tuneful, sometimes very experimental – all of which makes for a wonderful sense of variety throughout the record! Hideki Matsutake (aka Logic System) was part of the album's creation too – and the record features the long tracks "Journey To Edo" and "The City Of Edo". LP, Vinyl record album

An undisputed treasure from the early 80s west coast scene – a trippy little record that was one of the shining jewels in the new psych underground – quite a shift from the LA hardcore sound of a few years before! Yet unlike some of their contemporaries, Rain Parade were hardly copping any sort of easy retro modes – as their approach here is leaner, maybe a bit colder, and almost influenced by post-punk styles in the same way that some of the better UK bands were at the time – almost as if there was a synchronous explosion of fuzzy energy between the group and the Creation Records generation to come. The whole thing holds up wonderfully over the years – maybe even more so, given the passage of time, and the legions of other groups who never made the music this well. Titles include "Talking In My Sleep", "I Look Around", "This Can't Be Today", "Look At Merri", "Saturday's Asylum", and "Kaleidoscope". (Note: This item is not for sale online until 7:00am on Sunday, April 21. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning of Saturday, April 20. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after 7:00am on April 21 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible set of low rolling, hypnotic dub genius from true reggae Revolutionaries – a batch of amazing tunes centered around the amazing drums of Sly Dunbar – cut in the mid-to-late 70s height of the Channel One groove! This might be the strongest collection of dubs that Pressure Sounds has ever compiled – benchmark work all the way – from the chugging, echoey guitar groove, to the heavy bass lines, to the sublime vocals. Amazing stuff mined from singles on the Channel One, Well Charge and Disco Mix labels. The set starts out with the incredible "Kunta Kinte Version One" – one of the most legendary dub plates ever, and other titles include "Hotter Fire Version", "Rootes Dub", "Pride & Ambition Version", "Dunkirk", "War Version", "Jah Creation Version", "Rude On Marchus Version", "Swell Headed", "Catonine Version", "Tivoli Skank", "Plantation Heights Version" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A classic of 70s avant spiritual jazz – issued on the tiny Sweet Earth label, which was also home to some very special records from Sun Ra and Marion Brown! Bassist David Wertman is a lot more obscure than those bigger names, but he was part of the New York loft jazz scene in those crucial mid 70s years – and had associations with Arthur Blythe, Billy Bang, Steve Reid, and other key members of the group – all heavyweights that Wertman can easily stand next to with the strength of the material on this set! The sounds here are a fantastic combination of larger ideas and more spontaneous creation – almost in an AACM mode, but a bit more spiritual overall – with David's bass at the helm of a group that includes David Swerdlove on alto and soprano sax, John Hagen on tenor and soprano, John Sprague on flutes, Greg Wall on baritone, and John Zieman on keyboards. Drummer Jay Conway really provides some great energy to keep things lively and moving – and titles include "Oh John Love Trane", "Clear Air Dancer", "Earthly Delights", and "Relations". LP, Vinyl record album

The Whispers are probably best known for their later work in the 70s – when the group picked up the pace and got a bit more clubby – but this set features them in their early days, when they were a sweet sounding harmony combo with a sound that was right up there with the best east coast groups of the time! If you dig harmony soul, but have shied away from The Whispers in the past, this set will completely change your mind – the album's filled with great mellow soul cuts, some of the best we could hope to recommend! Titles include "Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong", "You Must Be Doing All Right", "I'm The One", "Creation Of Love", and "Needle In A Haystack". LP, Vinyl record album

Denis Wise plays all instruments on this record – everything but the kitchen sink! Oh wait – the liner notes actually indicate that he does play a kitchen sink – and a garbage disposal too – but in ways that are completely changed, as he mixes them with sounds from a variety of guitars, keyboards, percussion, and various electronic instruments – all in this wild style that's surprisingly earthy and organic! At some level, the music is more a garage version of electro-acoustic modes from the academy – but at another, it's pure unbridled creation, with a sense of sonic joy that really comes through on the best numbers. Some songs are slightly tuneful, and there's maybe a bit of offbeat abstracted vocals here and there – on tunes that include "Balfazzar", "Light As Air", "Valhalla", "Machine Time Ship", "Love In Foam & Surf", "Andro", "Celes", and "Hedonic Rapture". LP, Vinyl record album

A collection that's maybe unlike anything we've heard before – music that's acoustic, but groovy – easygoing, yet funky – served up by a really wide range of artists, but presented with a style that's a really unified whole! Just about every artist here is completely obscure, but together they represent this amazing underground that's dedicated to crafting work that goes far beyond the obvious, and way past any sort of cliches you might expect! The vibe is almost as if a bunch of folk and acoustic musicians were hipped to spiritual jazz of the post-Coltrane generation – then set out to make music from their new inspirations – on titles that include "Let Me Ride" by Peter Campbell, "The Ballad Of Ho Chi Minh" by Mike Glick, "Morning Brings The Light" by Grand Union, "Wild Canada" by Dan Donahue, "Song Of Creation" by Chris Rawlings, "Turn On Your Lovelight" by Summer Rain, "Prospect Of Wealth" by Henry Parker, and "Change Is Me Change Is You" by Harris & Crane Band. LP, Vinyl record album

The cover image should give you a great idea of what you're in for here – rare soul from the funky 45 underground of the late 60s/early 70s generation – presented in a wonderful selection of hand-picked cuts! Most of these numbers were recently reissued as limited run 7" singles by Acid Jazz and partner label Miles Away – but those singles, already expensive at the time, are mostly out of print and fetching money as if they were vintage releases – which makes this full-length set as much of a economic treasure as it is a musical one – a chance to enjoy these gems without breaking the bank! Titles include "Family Tree" by Family Tree with Sharon Brown, "We Got Good Lovin" by The Fantastics, "Time Is Long" by Rick Hickman, "Dancing Close" by Rita Joyce, "When You Lose Your Groove" by The Tom Emmanuel & Ron Experience, "Thank You Lord" by Lamont Butler, "Two Can Make It Together" by Tony & Tandy with Fleur De Lys, "This is The Beginning" by Leon's Creation, "Gonna Find A True Love" by Patterson Twins, and "One More Chance Lord" by Delores Fuller. LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent dip into the rootsier material from the Studio One catalog – the kind of reggae classics that have forever made the label one of the best Jamaican companies! The package is every bit as sublime as Soul Jazz's other reggae compilations – and it features a selection of tunes that far outshines most other reissues of Studio One material, and which includes some great rare gems that have a heavy soulful feeling. Titles include "Meditation" by The Cyclones with Count Ossie, "Set Me Free" by L Crosdale, "More Creation" by Lennie Hibbert, "Fear Not" by Winston Jarrett, "Blackish White" by Alton Ellis, "Far Beyond" by Leroy Wallace, "Addis A Baba" by Willie Williams, "Lumumbo" by Bunny & Skitter, "Africa Here I Come" by Freddie McGregor, and "Congo Rock" by Sound Dimension. LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary compilation – and one that marked the start of the huge On-U Sound legacy to follow throughout the 90s! The work here is maybe even more messed-up than some of the later productions by Adrian Sherwood – as there's maybe a bit more post-punk influence in the blend, alongside plenty of that Jamaican groove that was so important to both Sherwood and the UK scene at the time, already getting manipulated here in the way that made the producer and label such an important aesthetic force in years to come! Titles include "Bed Bound Saga" by Machine Gun Hogg & Co, "Woodpecker Sound" by Jah Woosh, "Quit The Body" by The Chicken Granny, "Dreams Are Better" by London Underground, "Demonic Forces" by Alan Pellay, "Afghani Dub" by The Mothmen, "The Dice" by Judy Nylon, "Yipee I Aah" by New Age Steppers, "Quante Jubila" by Prince Far I & Creation Rebel, and "Asian Rebel" by Suns Of Arqua. LP, Vinyl record album

A wealth of spiritual sounds from more recent years – served up in a killer compilation that focuses on all the great new sounds that have been emerging from different global scenes – a sublime blend of jazz, soul, Latin, and other modes – all at a level that gives us plenty of hope for both modern music, and the future of humanity too! The set follows in the spirit of nuggets from the past we've always dug from the Right Tempo/Easy Tempo label – but work here is instead all new, and represents a great outpouring of contemporary talents who draw inspiration from the best currents of 60s and 70s righteous expression, the find a way to make bold new statements of their own. Titles include "Envoy" by Mary Ancheta Quartet, "Subway" by Azar Azar, "Let The Sunshine In" by Jimetta Rose & Voices Of Creation, "Formative Stages" by Organic Pulse Ensemble, "Who Will Save The World" by Anthony Joseph, "Naboro" by Tino Contreras, "For Horace" by Raffy Bushman, "Cut To The Chase" by Malcolm Strachan, "Ruptura" by Mama Terra, "Seasons In My Mind (Patchworks version)" by Yellowtail with Mark Murphy, and "Afro Blue" by Francesco Sotgiu. LP, Vinyl record album

Three really fantastic musicians – working together to turn out one the best records we've ever heard from any of them in years! Make no mistake, we love these guys in all sorts of other settings – but here, there's something really special, and definitely a cut above – this warm sense of spontaneous creation that almost seems to call up an image of the musicians as they work together – Mike Reed on drums, Tomeka Reid on cello, and Nicole Mitchell on flutes and electronics! There's a magic here that really represents the Chicago scene at its finest – the kind of sympathetic, respectful collaboration in which already-strong artists move each other forward together – a magic we hope you'll share on titles that include "AF", "Reflections", "No Side Effects", "JJ", "Soprano Song", "In Response To", and "Blessed". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark album from The Allman Brothers – and a set that forever set the standard for double live albums in the 70s! The expanded format really let the group open up and show the strengths they had already developed as a live act, long before they walked into the studio for their initial album – as the tracks are often quite long, and let you hear the way they approached the process of creation – using lots of jamming energy that's really let loose here on the longer tunes, which are awash in amazing guitar and organ solos! Dickey Betts and Duane Allman are fantastic together – and titles include the side-long "Whipping Post" and "You Don't Love Me" – plus "Hotlanta", "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed", "Statesboro Blues", "Stormy Monday", and "Done Somebody Wrong". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic blend of spiritual jazz styles and electronic elements – served up here by the trio of drummer Betamax, keyboardist Danalogue, and saxophonist King Shabaka – the last of whom you might recognize as Shabaka Hutchings from a host of other hip projects on the contemporary London scene! Shabaka's work on tenor and bass clarinet really gives the record an earthy, organic core – which seems to let the keyboards really soar off into space, often with the sort of vibe that you'd guess from the group's name and the cover image on the record – in a wide flurry of live and amplified performance elements! At some level, the trio is almost London's answer to some of the jazz-meets-studio work from Chicago's International Anthem label – and like some of the groups who record for that imprint, these guys are all strong jazz musicians at the core – but performing at a level that's very beyond the ordinary. Titles include "Birth Of Creation", "Summon The Fire", "Blood Of The Past", "Astral Flying", "Super Zodiac", "The Universe Wakes Up", and "Timewave Zero". LP, Vinyl record album

Steve Arrington's got a long long legacy in soul music – one that goes back to his late 70s work on Slave – but he also sounds completely contemporary here, working in collaboration with a whole host of producers who were no doubt influenced by his creations of the past, and help Arrington find a whole new vibe in his music! Tunes are often spare, and served up in a blend of vocals, beats, keyboards, and guitar – yet all elements are given some cool, crispy twists and turns through a host of hip hop elements and other contemporary modes – but all at a level that only seems to bring new live to Arrington's music, and not overwhelm it. The set features work from Mndsgn, Gifted & Blessed, J Rocc, Knxwledge, Devin Morrison, and others – and titles include "Love Knows", "Keep Dreamin", "Soulful I Need That In My Life", "Make A Difference", "Joys Of Love", "It's Alright", "Make Ya Say Yie", "You're Not Ready", "Good Mood", and "Work On It". LP, Vinyl record album

A really different setting for the saxophone of Afro Funk legend Femi Kuti – as instead of working with a large group, he just blows here alongside the keyboard creations of Robert Hood – in a mode that makes for a really wonderful album all the way through! The tracks are each just titled "Variations" – and Femi's performance definitely seems improvised throughout, and set to these keyboard heavy grooves created by Hood – who also delivers lots of great keyboard solos too! There's a lot more jazz here than you'd expect on a Femi Kuti album – yet the set also nods to some Afro-styled grooves at points too – a real delight over the course of the eight tracks on the set. LP, Vinyl record album

Very early work from Ramuntcho Matta – a French artist with a long legacy of creative activity, heard here on a set of tracks that mix arty inclinations with some very cool new wave elements! The music is maybe a bit like some of the more experimental creations from the New York downtown scene of the early 80s – especially those recordings by artists who can work in more conventional modes, but are willing to be a bit more creative, especially when it comes to using new technologies to express themselves. Matta handles a range of guitars, organ, piano, bass, and all sorts of tapes and effects – with guest percussion on many tracks, and vocals from singer Elli Medeiros on two of the tracks. Titles include "Hop Hop", "Zoique 2", "Assemblage", "Jeunes Et Vielles", "Opi", "Gesti", "Irimi Nage", "Wallaroo", "All Those Years", and "Harpie". LP features the bonus unissued instrumental of "Une A Une". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderfully strange mix of electronics and sounds from around the planet – as Alain Pierre uses field recordings from Thailand and Mexico, then mixes them with these really special creations of his own! Some of the other recordings are presented almost whole, but with some augmentation in a subtle way – and these are then balanced by Alain Pierre's own work, which moves between the more moody, abstract quality of the sound library scene of the 70s, into territory that's maybe more familiar to ears trained on musique concrete! Titles include "Des Morts", "Funerailles Chez Les Hmongs", "Clown", "Fete Des Morts Chez Les Indiens", and "Cryogene". LP, Vinyl record album

Two amazing works from Belgian electronic genius Alain Pierre – both appearing in this form for the first time ever! Side one features 11 minutes of continuous music that Pierre created for the short film O Sidarta – music that mixes a range of electronics, keyboards, and acoustic percussion with studio effects and voice – all with a result that almost feels like some of the longer-form prog creations of the German scene of the time – although with qualities that are much more varied, less rock-based, and with occasional nods to the earlier generation of musique concrete! The flipside features the 17 minute "Notions De Physique Intererieure" – a work that uses a wide array of electric sources in a very short space – theremin, Arp sequencer, Telefunken echomixer, and more Arp, Kort, and Oberheim keyboards – all in this slow-building, wonderfully spacey sort of mode – almost hinting at some of the straighter fantasy soundtracks that Pierre would create in the mainstream – as the piece has the feel of a story in sound! LP, Vinyl record album

The deepest of the deep from the American scene at the start of the 70s – groups so hip they weren't quite soul, weren't quite rock – and instead kind of a funky hybrid of both! After opening our ears to countless underground sounds from around the globe, the Now Again label turn back to some of the territory of its roots – the hinterland of groups who labored mostly in obscurity, but left behind a few funky 45s that have become the stuff of legend – and which show us that there was a much bigger psychedelic funk underground out there besides groups like Funkadelic or the early Ohio Players! As always with the label, the history is really given its due, thanks to very detailed notes – alongside titles that include "Down By The River" by Purple Snow, "There's A Wrinkle In Our Time" by 1984, "Function Underground" by We The People, "Corruption Is The Thng" by Creations Unlimited, "Jimi's Guitar Raps With The Bass" by Jimi Macon, "I'm A Man" by Cisneros & Garza Group, "Just Got To Be Free" by Black Conspirators, "BL Movement" by Blaclites, and "The Siesta Is Over" by The Revolution. LP, Vinyl record album

Many years back, Brian Eno gave us a record called Music For Films – a set that came out during his initial run of Ambient recordings, showing us how strong his instrumental creations could be when and if applied to a cinematic mode! The tracks there were half imagined works for film – and those of us who loved Eno were always hoping that it would lead to more prominent scoring for the electrosonic genius. Turns out, that happened anyway – as this set of 17 tracks will attest – a rising Eno role in the film soundtrack world, served up on contributions from big productions and lesser-known gems. The set features work from films that include Heat, We Are As Gods, Trainspotting, Married To The Mob, Jubilee, Top Boy, Sebastiane, Hammerhead, Rams, Lovely Bones, Francis Bacon's Arena, and Cool World – a surprisingly rich array of material! LP, Vinyl record album

One of those great "mystery" projects from Dennis Bovell – a record that was originally designed to look like some obscure import from Kingston, but which was actually Bovell and crew working in a top shelf UK answer to righteous roots modes of the 70s! Tracks are full of righteous currents, but mostly deliver the message instrumentally – although there are lean vocals that drift through the dubby mix from time to time, augmenting the grooves! The approach is great – definitely different than some of Bovell's more polished creations – and titles include "Out A Order", "Sing A Man", "Go Deh", "Raw Kut", "Half Way To Za-Ion", "Jah Chase Dem", and "Ah Who She". LP, Vinyl record album

Really beautiful electronics from the enigmatic Guy Skornik – an artist that we mostly know for his quirky concept record Pour Pauwels, but who sounds here like some of the best electronicians of the German scene of the 70s! All tracks are long and spun out – electronic, but with acoustic elements in the mix – maybe in a mode that's similar to the 70s soundtrack creations of Popol Vuh, Tangerine Dream, or Vangelis – but darker, too – most likely because the music was composed for an obscure film by Alexander Jodorowsky! Yet the music here hardly needs images on a screen – as Skornik's created these wonderfully evocative passages, created with some help from Steve Hillage and members of Cossi Anatz. Titles include "Elise & Tusk Reunited", "Poo Lorn 1", "Elise Liberates Tusk", "Poo Lorn 2", "Goodnight Ram Baba", "Elise On The Run", and "Crossing The River". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic collection of rare funky nuggets – put together by the folks at the Numero Group, and an album that's billed as "the only funk album you'll ever need"! That might be a big claim, but the record is pretty darn great – a set that features a few older underground classics, plus a number of cuts we haven't heard before – all brought together from the farther reaches of the Numero universe, into one fantastically funky set! Instrumentals sit nicely next to vocal tracks – and the whole thing is filled with heavy drums, riffing guitars, and other great elements – all chosen by the sorts of folks who really know their thing. Titles include "Corruption Is The Thing" by Creations Unlimited, Slow Burner" by Swithold, "Human Race" by Human Race, "First Thing I Do In The Morning" by Joyce Williams, "Soul & Sunshine" by Harvey & The Phenomenals, "The Vibration" by Sonny Harris, "Jungle" by The Young Senators, "Ghet-To Funk" by Doralcha, "So Dam Funky" by Hot Chocolate, "Akiwana" by Village Callers, and "Iron Leg" by Mickey & The Soul Generation. LP, Vinyl record album

A postwar sci fi soundtrack, but one that also marks a really important step in electronic music too – as the film features a whole host of amazing constructions from the duo of Louis and Bebe Barron! The pair built a lot of their own early instruments, and it sounds like they're using some theremin here too – all very primitive, but in the best way possible – as there's a stark quality to the analogue sounds here that still holds up all these many years later – every bit as great as creations to come from Tom Dissevelt, Kid Baltan, and all those other giants to come! tracks range from less than a minute to a few minutes each – and titles include "Flurry of Dust", "The Landing", "Invisible Monster Approaches", "Deceleration", "Battle With Invisible Monster", "The Homecoming", and "Ancient Krell Music". LP, Vinyl record album

A long-overdue recognition of the blues contributions of Willie Dixon – a set that pulls him out of the indie ghetto and pushes him firmly into the mainstream with this key release on Columbia Records! Yet despite that placement, the style is nicely down home – a strong recreation of older Chicago blues modes by producer Abner Spector – one that has Willie singing versions of his classic tunes like "Back Door Man", "The Seventh Son", "Little Red Rooster", "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man", and "The Same Thing". LP, Vinyl record album

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?" LP, Vinyl record album

DJ Kawasaki has given the world plenty of great club tracks over the years – but here, he reworks his music in a variety of different styles – sometimes funk, sometimes soul, sometimes a bit of jazz – all with a level of expression that really takes us back to that moment when the Japanese scene was really crossing over with American soul! The vibe here is much richer than if you've just caught some of Kawasaki's tracks floating around the digital world – and the whole thing works really well as a whole – with guest work from Bird, N'Dea Davenport, Karin, and others – on titles that include recreations of the tunes "I'm So On Your Mind", "Let The Music Play", "Shooting Star", "Blazin", "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Bright Like Light", "So Far Away", and "Planetary Track". LP, Vinyl record album

Not just a wonderful letter, but a love letter to Los Angeles – served up here in a style that maybe makes for one of the most evocative creations we've ever heard from J Rocc! There's a richness here that comes through on the very first track – almost an imagined LA from the past, at a time when the city had a few more problems – but given more than a few contemporary touches along the way, especially when some of the guests step into the mix – work from Koreatown Oddity, Med, Frank Nitt, Budgie, LMNO, and Key Kool – as well as older legends Steve Arrington and Egyptian Lover – whose appearance here really cements some of the 80s elements in J Rocc's conception. Titles include "LA Anthem", "Love & Dope", "Dancing With The Best", "All I Wanna Do (rmx)", "The Changing World", and "Flawless". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that has a bit of a late 60s look on the cover, but which instead comes from the Venezuelan scene at the start of the 80s – the first recorded effort from the very groovy Moncho Y Su Banda! There's a quality to the record that's almost out of time – small combo Latin work that's maybe more in the generation of Joe Cuba at some points, and which also recalls some of the fiercer Colombian creations of ten years before – particularly that moment when bigger New York influences were getting nicely shaken up on the South American scene! Titles include "Que Bellas Son", "Cruel Desilucion", "Mi Negrita", "La Envidia", "Las 12", "Olvidame", and "El Amor De Una Mujer". LP, Vinyl record album