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Paris comes atcha, with Dead Prez and Public Enemy in tow.

Sweet electro funk from Civil Attack – a sweet project from the team of Sheila and Stephen Washington – the latter of whom was crucial to the hard-grooving sound of Aurra! The vibe here is almost pointing towards the Prince sound of the mid 80s – as the bass chops around with as much strength as the drums – popping out some very nice hooks as the tunes groove along, and going for a mode that's a bit more mainstream funk than earlier Salsoul disco – especially when the sweet keyboards start getting into the mix! Vocals are often second tier next to the rhythms, but fit into the set nicely – and titles include "One Love", "Just A Bore", "Plug It In", "On The Phone", and "Not Guilty By Reason Of Insanity". CD features a bonus track – "Not Guilty By Reason Of Insanity (original 12" short version)".

About as classic as you can get for 70s Fela – 2 albums that are overflowing with righteous politics, heavy rhythms, and super-extended grooves! The CD features the complete tracks from the albums Yellow Fever and Na Poi – both recorded in 1976, but compiled here with a bonus alternate take of "Na Poi" from 1975! The 15 minute tune "Yellow Fever" is a brutal attack on miscegenation, backed by a funky groove that makes the whole thing fall into place with an amazing riffing sound – and the cuts "Na Poi" and "You No Go Die Unless" both have a freer feel than usual, with heavy percussion added into the usual mix of keyboards and sax solos.

One of our favorite records of all time – an incredible soundtrack from the legendary Sven Libaek, served up in a swirling blend of vibes, flute, guitar, and organ – all with a bubbly, watery feel that's totally amazing! The album's easily one of the greatest from the Australian scene of the 70s – originally penned for a film of underwater adventure, but a treasure trove of groove that easily stands next to any of the best American or Italian soundtracks of the time. Libaek's approach is really unique – almost soft on the attack, which creates a really strong flow in the music – always warm, always rhythmic, and plenty darn groovy – thanks to the incredible instrumentation on the set! Players include Don Burrows and Errol Buddle on flutes, Col Nolan on organ, John Sangster on vibes, George Golla on guitar, and Sven himself on piano – and titles include "Inner Space", "Music For Eels", "Sounds Of The Deep", "Nocturnal Lullaby", "Danger Reef", "Seasnakes", "Midget Monsters", "Beche De Mer", "Attacking Sharks", "Inner Space", and "Turtlemusic". LP features a whopping 16 tracks in all newly remastered from the original master tapes!

Skyy is still shining brightly in the mid 80s – delivering nicely thumping, dancefloor ready soul on From The Left Side! After a number of sweet sets for Salsoul, the group moved on up to Capitol Records for this one set – embracing the era's synth soul production sheen more than ever, but their by now veteran status as a funky soul group on top of disco and dancefloor act informs the sound. The beats thump harder, the electronics resonate that much deeper, and overall they create a thoroughly contemporary mid-to-late 80s style groove that should have made this record bust out huge for them. Includes "Givin It (To You)", "Love Attack", "Non-Stop", "Big Fun". "Love Illogical", "Jealousitis" and "Rock It".

A crunchy batch of grooves from one of the hippest British soundsystems ever! The Wild Bunch were a Bristol-based collective dedicated to spinning the best in underground hip hop and club tracks – a group whose members included Roni Size, Tricky, Krust, and future members of Massive Attack, represented here by DJ Milo, who's come up with a fantastic batch of tracks that perfectly sums up their genius blend of styles and rough-edged groove! The CD version of the set features a continuous mix of tracks by Milo – 26 tunes laid out back to back, bumping and jumping through a set list that includes "It's Yours" by T La Rock, "Just Rhymin With Biz" by Big Daddy Kane & Biz Markie, "We Rap More Mellow" by Younger Generation, "It's Your Rock" by Fantasy, "Rock Shock" by BBCS &A, "Who Needs Enemies With Friends Like You" by Montana Sextet, "The Music Got Me" by Visual, "Dance Freak" by Chain Reaction, "DJ's Delight" by Ingram, "Love Rap" by Spoonie G, "Double Fresh" by The Wild Bunch, "Inside Out" by Odyssey, "I'm In Love" by Evelyn Champagne King, "Smurph Across The Surf" by Micronawts, "Dyin To Be Dancin" by Empress, "Can You Feel It" by Mr Fingers, and "It's Serious" by Cameo.

Poppy passion from Krystol – a sweet 80s trio with a definite way with a hook! The set's got a well-balanced mainstream sound – one that helps the vocals find a fullness right away, either on the leads or harmonies – both woven together over the top of the tight, beat-heavy grooves! At points, there's almost a retro vibe – as if an older girl trio mode's being revived for a new 80s scene – but with a definite contemporary spin. There's a decidedly commercial appeal to the sound – but Krystol were also never too overplayed back in the day, which makes the album a nice discovery – and a great surprise when you start digging through all the potential singles on the set. Tracks include "Love Attack", "Passion From A Woman", "He's So Jive", "Baby Make Up Your Mind", "Scared Single", and "Precious Precious". CD features bonus tracks too – "Passion From A Woman (ext)", "Passion From A Woman (acapella)", "Passion From A Woman (radio)", "Passion From A Woman (dub)", "Passion From A Woman (7" version)", and "Precious Precious (7" version)".

Amazing grooves from the legendary Dave Pike – one of the American vibists' few albums for the MPS label – and quite possibly the trippiest of the bunch! The set's a beautiful illustration of the freedoms that the MPS label offered American players like Pike – a chance to really open up and do his thing, and find new sides and styles he'd never expressed before on his records back home! Of course, part of the strength of the set is the group he's working with here – an ensemble that includes the amazing Volker Kreigel on guitar (and sitar!), plus JA Rettenbacher on bass and Peter Baumeister on drums. But, lest you think this is a standard quartet affair, let it be known that all players – including Pike – handle a very wide variety of instruments throughout the session – including bongos, toys, maracas, other percussion, and more – even a bit of vocalizations as well! Tracks often have a slow-building, slightly-trippy feel that's totally great – and Kreigel's work on guitar is a perfect pairing with Pike's vibes – especially as both players are clearly digging an Eastern influence for the set. Titles include "Suspicious Child", "Soul Eggs", "Raga Jeeva Swara", "Rabbi Mogen's Hideout", "Attack Of The Green Misers", "Infra Red", and "Send Me The Yellow Guys".

Wild wicked funky stuff, from the man who gave the world Sweet Sweetback's Badass Song, and his son Mario! Melvin's wearing cornrows and a shirt that says "Rated X By An All-White Jury" on the front – and the grooves on the album have the same sort of confrontational vibe. Doug Carn plays organ, Tom Scott's on sax, and Willie Henderson did the orchestrations. Titles include "Chippin", "Just Don't Make No Sense", "Dear Mistuh", "Love, That's America", and "My Pal Johnny".

The only thing better than Cameo is more Cameo – especially when the group's best tunes are stretched out a little! This tasty set features 10 tight little jammers – some of the group's greatest dancefloor groovers, served up in extended 12" mixes – one of which is previously unreleased! The grooves range from the group's stellar late 70s years into some of their more heavy-handed 80s funk – and titles include "Rigor Mortis (12" mix)", "Single Life (12" UK mix)", "Candy (12" UK mix)", "Shake Your Pants (12" club)", "Word Up (12" club)", "I Just Want To Be (12" ext)", "She's Strange (12" club)", "Room 123 (12" rap)", "Attack Me With Your Love (12" club)", and "Back & Forth (12" Larry Blackmon mix)".