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Thievery Corporation are back after a long hiatus – and they've returned to the fold with a host of surprising guest stars! The set's got a really wide range of grooves – as one might expect when the group's working with artists that include David Byrne, Perry Farrell, and The Flaming Lips! But over and above these bigger crossover names, the team's also sticking very true to their roots on other tracks – bringing in some great downtempo and Brazilian influences, and fleshing out tunes with an equally great array of lesser-known talents that includes Sista Pat, Gunjan, Verny Varela, Gigi Rezende, and Patrick De Santos. Titles include "Marching The Hate Machines", "Pela Janela", "Sol Tapado", "The Time We Lost Our Way", "A Gentle Dissolve", "Holographic Universe", "The Heart's A Lonely Hunter", and "The Cosmic Game".

A fresh new sound from the Shawn Lee universe – one that's every bit as funky as before, but which has some great twists and turns too! The album definitely lives up to its title – and offers up plenty of keyboards soaring off into space – but there's also some unexpectedly gritty rhythms at the bottom, making for a nice degree of acoustic funk – and not just the drum machine bits you might expect! And in fact, there's even some sweet congas and other percussion at points – bringing in a deeper, rootsy quality that's a great contrast to the moogy moments – almost as if Jean Jacques Perry was sitting in some some lost combo from the funky 45 years! Titles include "Black Hole", "Galactica", "Celestial Waltz", "AJ's Mood", "Low Riders In Space", "Jupiter's Jam", and "Tiger Style".

Brilliant work from Thievery Corporation! This duo truly seems to be getting better and better as the years go by, progressing to deeper realms in both tone and craft – and somehow doing that while pulling us in with immediate, insistent appeal. That's no small feat! Tripped out jazzy hip hop soundscapes, straighter trance-y sounds, hard hitting funk and all around sonic adventurousness. We've always appreciated these guys, but we've grown to really love 'em! Includes "Web Of Deception", "Culture Of Fear", "Take My Soul", "Light Flares", "Star Gazer", "Tower Seven", "Is It Over?", "False Flag Dub", "Fragments", "Free", "Overstand" and more.

A well done survey of the career of Thievery Corporation to date – selected by Rob Garza and Eric Hilton – wonderful stuff from the reigning kings of downtempo jazzy grooves! It's made up of the duo's best known tracks as well as their own personal favorites. You couldn't really ask for a better or more careful curated set! Includes "Amerimacka", "Lebanese Blonde", "Facing East", "Holographic Universe", "Until The Morning", "All That We Perceive", "The Richest Man In Babylon", "The Passing Stars", "Satyam Shivam Sundaram", "Vampires", "Warning Shots", "Shadows Of Ourselves" and more. This great 4 X 12" colored vinyl set collects each of the individually released EPs.

One of the last great albums from James Brown! Not as totally sublime as Payback or some of the others from the 70s – but James is still working here with Fred Wesley and Dave Matthews – and many of the cuts retain the funk of a few years past. Case in point is the sublime "Funky President" – a super-dope track that mixes politics and funk, and which is one of our favorite James Brown tracks from the 70s. Other cuts include "All For One", "Check Your Body", "Reality", and "Further Up The Road".

What can we say? Bootsy's on top of the world here – not only The Player Of The Year, but also the most soulful artist in the P-Funk stable, and a master of the smooth, sly, slinky groove that would forever be taken up by bands from LA – both in the immediate soul years and in later sampling hip hop ones. The record's got a sophisticated soul approach that moves the music way past slapped basslines and funny glasses – and thanks to top-line musicianship, including some help from Fred Wesley, Bootsy avoids any cliches that might have buried this one under the mountain of P-Funk albums hitting the market at the same time. Includes the monster track "Hollywood Squares" – plus "May The Force Be With You", "Very Yes", "Bootsy?", and "Bootzilla".

The classic first album by The JBs – James Brown's Fred Wesley-led backing band, and the force behind most of his greatest records of the early 70s! The set collects some of the group's best early singles, and includes all of the short little funky cuts that made them a legend right out of the box – "Pass the Peas", "The Grunt", "These Are The JBs", "Hot Pants Road", "Wine Spot", "To My Brother", "Blessed Blackness", "Theme From King Heroin", "Escapism (parts 1 & 2), and "Gimme Some More" – all together here in one tight little album of massive funky hard beats and breaks!

The classic first album by The JBs – James Brown's Fred Wesley-led backing band, and the force behind most of his greatest records of the early 70s! The set collects some of the group's best early singles, and includes all of the short little funky cuts that made them a legend right out of the box – "Pass the Peas", "The Grunt", "These Are The JBs", "Hot Pants Road", "Wine Spot", "To My Brother", "Blessed Blackness", "Theme From King Heroin", "Escapism (parts 1 & 2), and "Gimme Some More" – all together here in one tight little album of massive funky hard beats and breaks!

A real dancefloor set from Curtis – recorded with some sweet Philly production from the likes of Norman Harris and Bunny Sigler – in the sweeping, soaring, strings-heavy mode of the Philly disco records of the time! And yes, this isn't classic Curtis from the righteous years – but the surprising thing is how well his voice really holds up in the tracks – coming through with a strength that's fresh and surprising, given some of his disco contemporaries, and sounding pretty darn nice overall, thanks to some tight arrangements by the likes of Fred Wesley, Norman Harris, and Gil Askey. Linda Clifford does a duet with Curtis on "Between You Baby & Me", and the other cuts include "Victory", "Tell Me Tell Me", "You're So Good To Me", "You Better Stop", and "Over The Hump".

A self-titled set from the mighty Music Machine – a studio ensemble who were as important to the sound of European club music in the 70s as Instant Funk and MFSB were to the Philly scene in the US! The Machine features a host of players who'd previously backed Donna Summer and other Giorgio Moroder projects, stepping out here as an act on their own – grooving tightly with the kinds of stretched-out disco modes that Moroder really helped pioneer, graced by some excellent keyboards from Thor Baldursson! Most cuts have some sort of chorus vocals – sung by Madeline Bell, Sue Glover, and Sunny Leslie – and titles include the extended "Get On The Funk Train", a short remake of "Love To Love You Baby", and the cuts "Spring Affair", "Trouble Maker", "Try Me I Know We Can Make It", and "I Wanna Funk With You Tonight".

The Remixes are great – tunes that show a loving, understanding appreciation of Nilovic's original music – thanks to a well-selected batch of talents on the set! Most of the numbers hardly veer much from the great grooves that Janko first penned – as they're all awash in the best acoustic elements and electronic moments without going too far into abstract, contemporary territory – as can happen in some too-remixed projects we've heard of late. Titles include "Spacial Special" remixed by Minimatic, "African Boost" remixed by Kid Loco, "Summer Breeze" remixed by The Big Knife, "Escape To Chelsea" remixed by Casbah 73, "Tandoori Flock" remixed by Patchworks, "Leslie's Back" remixed by DJ Day, "New Post Scriptum" remixed by Metropolitan Jazz Affair, and "Vocal Improvisations" remixed by Cucumber.

The third album from the legendary Os Mutantes – part of the essential trio of sides released during the Tropicalia years! The record's got a sound that's tighter and a bit more straightforward than their previous efforts – stricter song formats, and styles that lean heavily on rockish guitars and organ. But as the odd cover images on the front and back will attest, the band is still in a very creatively arty mode here – still working strongly with arranger Rogerio Duprat, in a wash of sounds and moods that fold contemporary music back upon itself with plenty of odd twists, turns, and surprises! Titles include "Desculpe Babe", "Oh Mulher Infiel", "Quem Tem Medo De Brincar De Amor", "Hey Boy", "Haleluia", "Ave, Lucifer", and "Meu Refrigerador Nao Funciona".

Classic funky disco material from George Clinton and the trio of lovelies that recorded under the name Parlet. The backing's by the rest of the P-Funk empire – with arrangements by Bernie Worrell and Fred Wesley. Titles include "Mr. Melody Man", "Cookie Jar", and "Pleasure Principle".

A classic late 60s performance – with titles that include "One Night", "Guitar Man", and some great medley cuts too!

Titles include "Mystery Train", "That's All Right", "My Baby Left Me", "Playing For Keeps", "Shake Rattle & Roll", and "I'm Left You're Right She's Gone".

They may be one-album wonders – but Trussel were a strong group who cut this enduring soul classic at a fortunate time when Elektra was really trying to break into the modern soul market. The record's got a nice midtempo jazzy groove, augmented by production by Fred Wesley, and a sound that hints at the direction funky soul would take in coming years. Smooth, but with enough grooves to hit the dancefloor – and lots of strong titles like "Love Injection", "Sweet Love", "I Love It", "Big City Rocker", and "Gone For The Weekend".

After Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker came head to head with James Brown in the mid 70s, they broke off and formed the Horny Horns contingent – a tight funky backing section that's featured on a number of late 70s funk sessions, and which also recorded some extremely nice numbers on their own! This first album has the group working with George Clinton and Bootsy, who was a friend of Fred and Maceo from the old days – and who could really use the tight playing of some James Brown-trained musicians to smooth out their groove. This album was the group's first – and it's still their best – forging a massive new funk sound with the best elements of the old JBs fused through Clinton and Bootsy's P-Funk filter. Includes the monster funk cut "Fourplay" – a standout classic that features a funky break, hard solos, and all the other elements you'd need to make a great funky instrumental. Other tracks include "Between The Sheets", "Peace Fugue", and a version of "Up For The Down Stroke".

Includest tracks by Meade Lux Lewis, Charlie Spand, Wesley Wallace, Will Ezell, Henry Brown, Cow Cow Davenport, Charles Avery, Jabo Williams, Blind Leroy Garnett, and Cripple Clarence Lofton.

A tough title to live up to – but Raphael makes it happen! The album's as wonderful as you might think – all the deeply soulful styles Saadiq worked out with Tony Toni Tone, taken back through a historical range of soul music – firmly planted in a legacy that begins with Stevie Wonder, runs through Maxwell and D'Angelo, and which points the way towards the future of urban soul. Backings are very much in the beats-n-keyboards mode, but Raphael works out such a wide range of moods and modes that the album avoids any of the shortcomings of other albums in such a style. Includes guest performances by Angie Stone, Leslie Wilson, T-Boz, Calvin Richardson, and D'Angelo – and titles that include "Doing What I Can", "Be Here", "Still Pay", "You're The One That I Like", "Excuse Me", "Tick Tock", "People", "Faithful", "Make My Day", "Blind Man", "Different Times", "What's Life Like", and "Skyy, Can You Feel Me".

Sweet 70s funk from George Benson – an album that's a bit smoother than some of his earlier work, but still free from the commercial polish of his later hits! Maestro David Matthews is at the helm for this session – and most numbers have a full backing from players who include some of the best of the CTI/Kudu generation – including Ronnie Foster and Bobby Lyle on keyboards, Joe Farrell on flute, Fred Wesley on trombone, Eric Gale on rhythm guitar, Dave Friedman on vibes, and Steve Gadd on drums – who manages to kick in a nicely funky undercurrent, even on some of the mellower numbers. George's guitar is filled with warmly chromatic hues – gliding away nicely on titles that include the slow funky "Em", plus "Siberian Workout", "Shell Of A Man", "Hold On I'm Coming", "One Rock Don't Make No Boulder", and "Theme From Good King Bad".

We kept hoping and hoping throughout the 80s that Clinton would get back into the funk of things, but it seems he never quite hit his stride, with the exception of the "Atomic Dog". And though we can't hold this up anywhere near his best work, it's a reasonably solid effort, given that we're now looking back on those 80s keyboard sounds, cheesy drum machines and bass heavy grooves with a bit more fondness these days. By this point, his band included former Headhunter Blackbyrd McKnight and former JB's Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker, plus the inimitable Bootsy Collins, and they cut seven grooves for you here, including "Electric Pygmies", "Do Fries Go With That Shake?" and the "Mix Master Suite".

An oft-overlooked gem from the JBs – their last album for People Records, and a stone funk classic that's every bit as essential as the others! The band is still in fine fine form – with none of the fast-funk or proto-disco of some later recordings – and they're working here in some really tight song formats that almost go back to the early days of the group's first few singles. The album's filled with great playing, wonderful grooves, and Fred Wesley's keen sense of humor – which sparks the whole set with a sense of warmth and creative play that show why the JBs are still the greatest funk band ever. Includes the excellent "Little Boy Black", which begins with some tasty James Brown vocals; the oft-sampled "Rockin' Funky Watergate"; plus "Step Child", "Makin Love", and "Rice & Ribs". Not as drawn out as Doing It To Death, but more complicated than Food For Thought, and still a totally essential bit of funk!

An oft-overlooked gem from the JBs – their last album for People Records, and a stone funk classic that's every bit as essential as the others! The band is still in fine fine form – with none of the fast-funk or proto-disco of some later recordings – and they're working here in some really tight song formats that almost go back to the early days of the group's first few singles. The album's filled with great playing, wonderful grooves, and Fred Wesley's keen sense of humor – which sparks the whole set with a sense of warmth and creative play that show why the JBs are still the greatest funk band ever. Includes the excellent "Little Boy Black", which begins with some tasty James Brown vocals; the oft-sampled "Rockin' Funky Watergate"; plus "Step Child", "Makin Love", and "Rice & Ribs". Not as drawn out as Doing It To Death, but more complicated than Food For Thought, and still a totally essential bit of funk!

A wild collection of rare tracks from this legendary group of the Tropicalia scene – a few outtakes and live tracks, but also some cool commercials, and collaborations with Caetano Veloso too – all brought together in a set that's a great complement to their famous albums of the late 60s! Maybe the most striking are a series of spots the group did for Shell gasoline – work we can't help but think they did with an ironic twist – and the set also features tracks with Veloso, "Marcianita" and "A Voz Do Morto" – plus "Balada Do Louco (outtake)", "Gloria Ao Rei Dos Confins Do Alem (live)", "Panis Et Circensis (live)", "E Proibido Poibir (live)", "Ando Meio Desligado/Nao Fez Marola (long)", "Caminhante Noturno (Franca 1969)", and "Baemacumba (Franca 1969)".

Titles include "Rip It Up", "Paralyzed", "Old Shep", "Ready Teddy", "So Glad You're Mine", "Long Tall Sally", and "First In Line".

Elvis Is Back – back from the Army, that is – pictured on the front cover in civvies, but on the back and inside in his military uniform! The package is a nice welcome home to the King – with lots of photos on the inside of the gatefold cover, and a set list that includes "Soldier Boy", "Reconsider Baby", "The Girl Of My Best Friend", "Thrill Of Your Love", "Such A Night", and "Dirty Dirty Feeling".

The seminal first album from the SOS Band – a record that really showcases the new sound of soul for the 80s, yet still holds onto all the best elements of the previous decade too! These guys have a great ear for groovers – well-demonstrated by the play they got on the dancefloor – yet they've also got a deeper sense of soul than some of their club contemporaries as well – heard not just on the ensemble vocals for the upbeat tracks, but especially on some of the album's great mellow steppers too! It's these laidback cuts that have always kept the album strong for us – showing that SOS are way more than just another fast funk band, and can really go deep, and stay with it for the long haul. Fred Wesley helped a bit on the arrangements – and titles include "Take Your Time", "Love Won't Wait For Love", "SOS (Dit Dit Dit Dash Dash Dash Dit Dit Dit)", "Take Love Where You Find It", and "Open Letter".

A tasty bit of late P-Funk! The album was recorded in 1980, on the wane of the main P-Funk groups – and it features Bootsy and Fred Wesley teaming up on the arrangements, in a set of bass-heavy, mostly instrumental tracks that groove hard like the best early work by Zapp! There's a great jazzy groove to the record – with loads of tasty keyboards, and less of the slapp bass funk that could sometimes ruin other efforts like this. Titles include "Love Munch", "Hyper Space", "Freak to Freak", "Body Shop", and "We Do It All Day Long".

Fantastic French femmes from the 60s – and a great illustration of the way that girl power really took over the sound of the Parisian scene at the time! These tunes have a punch that few American or British tracks of the period could ever hope to match – a way of staying sweet, yet really hitting hard with a groove – sometimes with fuzzy guitars or organ, sometimes with a fuller blast of orchestrations – always completely charming and immediately appealing – even if you can't understand the lyrics! Most numbers feature work by some top-shelf arrangers from the tight Parisian scene – including Alain Goraguer, Jacques Denjean, Michel Colombier, and Ivan Julien – and titles include "Le Coeur Au Bout Des Doights" by Jacqueline Taieb, "Laisser Tomber Les Filles" by France Gall, "Voila" by Francois Hardy, "Il Suffit D'Un Jour" by Liz Brady, "L'Adorable Femme Des Neiges" by Christie Laume, "Impatiente" by Les Gams, and "Les Filles C'Est Fait Pour Faire L'Amore" by Charlotte Leslie.

The classic first album by The JBs – James Brown's Fred Wesley-led backing band, and the force behind most of his greatest records of the early 70s! The set collects some of the group's best early singles, and includes all of the short little funky cuts that made them a legend right out of the box – "Pass the Peas", "The Grunt", "These Are The JBs", "Hot Pants Road", "Wine Spot", "To My Brother", "Blessed Blackness", "Theme From King Heroin", "Escapism (parts 1 & 2), and "Gimme Some More" – all together here in one tight little album of massive funky hard beats and breaks!

Jammin! For heavy guitars and high-stepping vocals, Mountain couldn't be beat – and this early album was one of the group's best! The set kicks off with their stone classic "Mississippi Queen", then rolls into other heavy numbers like "Theme From An Imaginary Western", "To My Friend", "Sittin On A Rainbow", "Boys In The Band", "Sliver Paper", and "Never In My Life" – all served up with great guitars from Leslie West and heavy bass from Felix Pappalardi.

A killer set of grooves – and one of our favorite-ever soundtracks! The album's an incredible blend of swirling strings and mod French rhythms – a perfect 60s backdrop for the film, and a record that's unlike anything else we can think of! Some tunes have a really groovy jerk-style rhythms, but others have a more sweeping style that's equally great – and together, the tunes make for a perfect blend of music, one that makes the album an all-killer, no-filler record! Titles include the massive "Clara's Jerk" – which has some Pierre Henry-like electronics, and a very cool groove – plus "Leslie's Jerk", "Sortie Metro", "Generique", "Top Cover Girl", "Ballade Dans Paris", "Baiser", "Kam-Tcha-Tka", and "Ballet Photo Rouge".

Some of the deepest grooves we've ever heard from Mop Mop – still in the cool, jazzy mode of previous records – but a lot more organic too, with great percussion that really helps shape the sound of the set! As before, there's some excellent work on vibes and keyboards – but many of the rhythms also have a tribal vibe that seems reflected in the album's cover image – a groove that's made even better by live instrumentation that includes trombone from Fred Wesley, and some well-chosen vocal moments that include guest work from Anthony Joseph on three tracks. Titles include "Kamakumba", "Heritage", "Phantom Of The Panther", "Run Around", "The Golden Bamboo", "Damballah", "Mojomamy", and "Afro Jojo (parts 1 & 2)".