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We're not entirely certain of the precise connection to Pablo here, as this set is credited as Augustus Pablo Presents, but it's excellent all the same – and there is some tasty knob twirling courtesy of the master King Tubby! There's some sweet melodica blowing over some rhythms that sound like they date from the late 70s at the earliest to us, and Pablo's given songwriting credit on most of these tunes. The real deal! Includes "House Raid", "Shake Down", "Shake Up", "Gun Trade", "Hillside Airstrip", "Barbwire Disaster", "Road Block", "Big Rip Off", and "Curly Dub".

Militant rockers rhythms with some fine toasting courtesy the top of the second generation of Dee Jays, Tappa Zukie. Probably his most well known LP, both in and out of Jamaica, given the boost he got from some patronage courtesy a number of rock stars, this is still as fine an example of the Dee Jay form as you could get circa '78. Includes"MPLA", "Don't Get Crazy", "Stop the Guns Shooting", "Ital Pot", "Chalice to Chalice" and "Don't Deal With Babylon".

A mighty cool little package – one that features both the full Planet Earth album, and the Planet Mars Dub version of the record – presented in a great style that features the albums intertwined, so that each regular track followed by the dub version! The Mighty Diamonds' vocals are great on the main cuts – some of the most soulful of the scene at the time – and the dubs feature great instrumentation from the Icebreakers, recorded at Compass Point – with drums from Sly Dunbar and great horn arrangements from Tommy McCook. Titles include "Where Is Garvey", "Dub With Garvey", "Work Out", "Planet Mars", "Ital Rock", "Only Brothers", "Finger Out", "Carefree World", and "Grand Rock".

Militant rockers rhythms with some fine toasting courtesy the top of the second generation of Dee Jays, Tappa Zukie. Probably his most well known record, both in and out of Jamaica, given the boost he got from some patronage courtesy a number of rock stars, this is still as fine an example of the Dee Jay form as you could get circa '78. Includes"MPLA", "Don't Get Crazy", "Stop the Gun Shooting", "Ital Pot", "Chalice to Chalice" and "Don't Deal With Babylon". 2 bonus tracks on this CD version: "Pick Up The Dub" and "Dub MPLA".

A collection of dubs from the eternal Lee Scratch Perry – produced by B. Osbourne for Clocktower. Includes "Brad Draw", "Clocktower Version", "Jah Dub", "Ital Locks", "Delilah Dub", "Ital Dub", "Looking Dread", "Iron Fist", "When Jah Come" and more.

Some of our favorite albums ever from pianist Muhal Richard Abrams – an amazing run of eight records for the Black Saint/Soul Note label – rich in fresh colors, tones, and new musical ideas! There's a sensitivity to some of these records that you don't always get with Abrams – a personal feeling that brings in a much-needed warmth to his complex compositional forms – often in collaboration with other players on the Chicago scene, but also with a wider range of avant players, especially from New York – where Abrams would have a great influence in the 80s. The lineup of musicians here is wonderful – a virtual who's-who of the jazz left at the time, at least from an American perspective – with performances from George Lewis, Roscoe Mitchell, Amina Myers, Thurman Barker, Baikida Carroll, Andrew Cyrille, Craig Harris, Stanton Davis, Marty Erlich, Dick Griffin, Cecil Bridgewater, Fred Hopkins, Dierdre Murray, and so many others. The set features 8 full albums, each in a tiny LP-styled sleeve – and titles include Siphumonesty, Mama & Daddy, Blues Forever, Rejoicing With The Light, View From Within, Hearinga Suite, Blu Blu Blu, and Think All Focus One.

A great group – much better than their name! Forget the "dub" part – because there's no reggae jams, or bargain basement Kingston sounds on here. Instead, the group's a really warm and jazzy combo – a quintet of 5 Japanese musicians, all playing in a lovely, laidback fashion. The instrumentation includes flute, violin, acoustic guitar, bass, and percussion – and the style is a gentle blend of bossa, jazz, and acoustic swing – really sparkling with a fresh take on all the genres, and coming together with a confidence that's really compelling. A really lovely little record – almost lost in the wash of current work – and packaged here with a bonus CD of remixes! Titles include "Ama No Hamaguri", "Sayonara No Kodoma", "Sabara", "Ham & Egg", "Musik Liebe & Daisy", and "Rensa Hannoh" – plus remixes by Daishi Hisakawa, Takeshi Habu, Gak Sato, and Paine.

At this point, things were getting better from Cannonball – as he was getting a lot more of a handle on his style as a soloist, and began sticking to the tight little combo sound that would make him a star in the 60s. This album was recorded slightly before Cannon's classic lineup would begin to gell – but it features some very able company in the form of Art Blakey, Wynton Kelly, and Milt Jackson, with a tight hard bop sound to the group. The title cut's a near-classic, and other tunes include "Sounds For Sid", "Groovin High", "Serves Me Right", and "Blues Oriental".

A contemporary take on the sounds of mid-Century – a very cool batch of tracks that leans heavily on 50s exotica, 60s electronica, and lots of other odd bits – all filtered together in cool production with a really playful feel! The set's somewhere between some of the older retro sounds on the Irma La Douce label, and some of the colder work in recent years by groups who've been inspired by Italian crime and horror soundtracks – although Akron's work is a bit warmer overall. Titles include "Rabbits In Orbit", "A Glimpse Of Hell", "Frog War Chant", "Robot Grind", "Memory Hole", and "Picabu".

A sweet funky set from the 70s – originally recorded as a sound library session, but handled by Italian soundtrack maestro Alessandro Alessandroni! You might know Alessandroni's music best from the 60s, and this set is a later updating of the same groove – one that brings in a bit more electric keyboards, some bouncier basslines, and drums that snap nice and hard on the funky numbers – then lay back on the sweet mellow moments. A few cuts have vocals – ala I Cantorni Moderni – and the whole thing has a warm, sexy 70s groove that's right up there with the best Italian work of the scene from the time. Titles include "Femminismo", "Collettivo", "La Metropoli", "Pubblica Informazione", "Prima Eta", and "Ultimo Soggiorno". Very groovy stuff! CD features 5 bonus tracks too – never issued before!

One of the funkiest soundtracks we've ever heard from Alessandro Alessandroni – a set that clearly shows he'd been listening to the score for Shaft, as well as a host of 70s sound library music too! There's lots of great Italian cop/crime grooves on the set – done at an understated level that's almost better than more familiar work of the genre – often strongly focused on the core rhythms, which are lean and plenty darn funky – bad-stepping with instrumentation that's often small combo funky jazz more than it is the bigger orchestrations of American cop scores. Titles include "Cop's Blood", "Amusement", "Duke Soul Jazz", "Tema Di Susie", "Club Jazz", "Palance", "Knell", "Sbirro In Fuga", and "Luxury".

The debut album from Pier Angeli – equally known for her acting ability as well as her singing – and working here in a swinging late 50s American take on the sound of Italian pop! Pier was married to singer Vic Damone, and while his style's perhaps a bit fuller and more emotive than hers, there's a good degree of comparison – as Pier's working here to please the imagined Italy of the American audiences in the years when things settled down after World War 2 – singing in Italian throughout to a nice set of backings from Hugo & Luigi. Most of the album's in a lush, romantic mode that's in keeping with other Roulette vocal sessions of the late 50s – save for the fact that the language is Italian, not English! Titles include "Volare", "Anema E Core", "Nu Quarto E Luna", "Torero", "Arrividerci Roma", and "Suvenir D'Italie".

Groundbreaking Italian prog from Area – the Arbeit Macht Frei, Cautio Radiation Area, Crac!, Area(A)zione, Maledetti and Event '76 albums – all from the crucial early-to-mid 70s years – in a 6CD box set on Cramps! The debut Arbeit Macht Frei features a tripped out blend of lingering 60s psychedelia with jazzier prog and folkish melodies, all done as uniquely as any combo of the time. Includes "Luglio, Agosto Stettembre (Nero)", "Consapevolezza", "240 Chilometri" and more. Cautio Radiation Area is even more impressive – a mad mix of out jazz, hard jamming, and even more experimental touches that include quite a bit of noise. Titles include "Cometa Rossa", "Lobotomia", "Brujo", and "ZYG". Crac! continues on this path, with even more far out vocals and a strangely joyous take on far-reaching 70s prog. Tracks include "Magalopoli", "Nervi Scoperti", "Area 5", "Implosion" and more. Are(A)azone is the group's 4th album – a collection of alternate versions of songs from previous records plus a 15 minute hard jamming tune called "Are(A)zione", and a free jazz interpretation of "The International". Maledetti goes further with the out jazz – and features guest soprano sax work from Steve Lacy. Includes "Evaporazione", "Gerontocrazia", "Scum", "Caos (Parte Seconda)" and more. Event '76 closes with "Caos II Parte (1)", "Caos II Parte (2)" and "Event '76". Comes in a great oversized package with a nice booklet – notes in Italian.

A classic session of Italian modernist jazz – led by bassist Giorgio Azzolini, and featuring searing trumpet work by Enrico Rava! Pianist Franco D'Andrea and drummer Aldo Romano complete the group – and the tracks show a definite influence of the free jazz stylings that were sweeping Europe during the late 60s, but still keep one foot firmly planted in a swinging jazz tradition – which means that the solos have plenty of sharp edges, while the band still manages to groove nicely!. Lovingly repackaged by the Rearward label – and including the tracks "Israel", "Beyond The Corner", "Crucial Moment", and "Free Duet".

A lost Italian gem from the 60s! Bassist Giorgio Azzolini was one of Italy's best players during the postwar years, and this handsome reissue brings to light one of his rarer sessions from the 60s. The record's a lyrical septet session, with Azzolini's warm round basslines right up front, and beautiful solo work by a young Gato Barbieri on tenor, Franco Ambrosetti on trumpet, and Renato Sellani on piano. The session has the warmth and sensitivity of some of Horace Silver's best early 60's Blue Note work, and the tracks include "Tribute To Someone" by Herbie Hancock, "Sometime Ago" by Sergio Mihanovic, "The Stroller" by Benny Golson, and "Hiroshima" by Gato Barbieri. Very nice stuff – and with the usual high level of Rearward packaging!

A mid 60s spy soundtrack by Luis Bacalov – and a mighty one it is! OSS-77 Operazione Fior Di Loto has sequences ranging from a heavy, dramatic sweep, to strings & keys-spun tension, loungey jazz, eerie organ, bits of bossa and beyond – in other words, a pitch perfect and full scale Euro espionage adventure soundtrack! Fine, fine work from soundtrack master Bacalov! Include the opening and closing themes, with 20 sequences on the title "Oss-77 Operazione Fior Di Loto" in between.

A dark little western soundtrack from Luis Bacalov – one that's quite brooding overall, despite a rather catchy vocal tune on the title! There's some very odd instrumentation here – watery piano lines, floating bits of guitar, off-tuned strings – all used at different intervals, and in different ways – without as strongly of a unified feel as other albums of this nature. But it's those shifting sounds that make the record great – always creating an unsettling sort of mood, and one that's almost always in the darker, starker side of the spectrum. CD features a whopping 37 tracks in all – including 2 vocal renditions of the "Django" theme by Rocky Roberts, and 2 more by Roberto Fia – plus loads of instrumentals from the film!

Two rare French soundtracks by Luis Bacalov – an artist we normally know for his work in Italian cinema! Le Juge has a great sense of drama right from the start – then steps into some moodier, more spacious numbers – all in a really wonderful style that echoes some of the best French and Italian soundtrack motifs of the 60s and 70s – a dose of bossa here, some driving vibrant orchestrations there, and even some moody instrumental moments that have a really offbeat feel! Titles include "Flic Et Jazzmen", "La Trappola", "Regine", "La Peur", "Le Juge", "Adieu", and "Golpe Errado". Next is the soundtrack for La Transfuge – also directed by Philippe Lefebvre – some really great music that shows off the more emotionally evocative sides of his talents – not sounds that are too overdone or sentimental, but rich in feeling, yet in a nicely subtle way. The balance is a great 80s update to that classic Bacalov approach from years back – and the CD features 14 wonderful examples of this style!

An Italian film set in the US – also released under the title Black Is Beautiful, with some sweet funky sounds to match! Half the record's got the usual bag from Luiz Bacalov – numbers that echo his Italian soundtrack roots, especially the comedic side – but these cuts are mixed with sharper, funkier numbers that clearly represent some of the American scenes of action – all scored nicely in a way that's not exactly blacksploitation funk, but which has some of the best Italian sound library grooves in place! The set features 24 tracks from the film – and also features some sweet harmonica lines from Franco De Gemini!

A well-titled album from the legendary Derek Bailey – definitely a set that lives up to his tremendous reputation over the years! Bailey plays solo guitar here – working through a set of short improvised pieces, and coming up with sounds that are simply incredible – especially for an era when highly experimental records like this weren't often issued. Bailey's work on the strings of the guitar is far different than just about anyone before – and most players since – more sounds than notes, and often very abstract – but with a quality that all somehow makes sense – which is a great contrast to so many of the folks who tried to imitate this music in later years. The album's one of the best illustrations both of Bailey's mighty talents, and of the influence he had in following years – and it features 14 tracks, titled simply "M1", "M2", etc – all of them great!

Live material from the personal collection of Ginger Baker – his Baker Gurvitz Army, doing it live in Milan in the mid 70s! The Army came together a bit earlier in the 70s, featuring the most incredible and legendary drummer Baker with Paul and Adrian Gurvitz on guitar and bass, and vocalist Mr Snips. Titles include "Hearts On Fire", "People" "Night People", "White Room", "Mystery", "Thirsty For The Blues", "Neon Lights", "Inside of Me", "Memory Lane" and more.

Mindblowing work from the early years of Schema Records – a set that really helped set a whole new tone for a generation – and which still sounds wonderful all these many hears later! Balanco work up a perfect blend of bossa rhythms and soulful jazz – all wrapped up with the kind of slinky, sexy vibe the Italian scene first perfected back in the 60s – when they were borrowing lots of Brazilian elements for their best soundtracks! Balanco's sound here really recalls those glory days – mixing together sweet female vocals, lively bossa rhythms, and great work on Fender Rhodes – all under the guidance of Nicola Conte, who manages to make everything sound beautiful together. Highlights include versions of Morricone's "Metti Una Sera A Cena" and the classic "Cinnamon & Clove" – and the vinyl version features 4 more tracks, "Balanco", "Fantasia", "Aguadream", and "Blue Skat Samba".

Maybe the best record we've ever heard from Cosmic mainman Daniele Baldelli – and definitely a set that really lives up to the funky side promised in the title! Baldelli's got a much deeper groove here than ever before – a great ear for tight elements on the basslines, mixed with jazzy work on keyboards and guitar – all woven into a groove that's every bit as club-worth as his other music, yet a lot more warm and soulful overall! It's almost like Daniele's going back to discover a disco generation he might have missed the first time around – with a retro style that's hard to distinguish from the original, a lot like Joey Negro and some of his Sunshine Band work. Titles include "Mellow Game", "Good Day", "What Da Funk", "Voltage Groove", "Synthesized Honey", "Break Loose", "Drive Me Crazy", and "Fontainebleau".

One of the most soulful albums we've heard from Schema in many years – a brilliant batch of jazzy tracks from singer Andrea Balducci – served up with backing by a great lineup of players from both the Ricky Tick and Schema worlds! The core approach is jazz, but many of the songs are done with a very soulful approach – a style that's a bit like Mario Biondi, especially given Balducci's use of English throughout, and his raspy vocals – yet more 60s soul in the end, with a unified aesthetic that really holds strong over the course of the album. Players include Jukka Eskola on trumpet, Timo Lassy on tenor, Gaetano Partipilo on alto, and Luca Mannuzta on Fender Rhodes and piano – and titles include "Hurt So Bad", "Spooky", "Within Myself", "Big City", "I Just Dropped In", "Time Will Come", and "The Meaning Of Love".

A sweet jazzy groover from Andrea Balducci – a remake of The Box Tops' big 60s classic, but completely remade into a deeply soulful number – one that's got jazzy riffs galore, this cool bumping bottom, and deeply soulful vocals from Andrea! "Big City" is Marv Jenkins' hip classic – redone here as a jazzy stepper with sublime horns alongside the lyrics!

A brilliant new vision for the legendary Banda Black Rio – the pioneering samba, soul and funk combo that broke so much ground in the 70s and remain vital to this day – led here by William Magalhaes, in a mode that celebrates decades of the best Brazilian music, while fearlessly moving it forward! William's father Oberdan Magalhaes was a driving force behind the original Banda Black Rio, and we couldn't really imagine a more appropriate new vision for the group than his son's. William wrote or co-wrote each track and he sings, plays keys and synth, guitar, bass, drums and more. The expansive group brings a depth of percussion, horns, strings and vocals – delivering timeless and dexterous jazzy Brazilian funk and dancefloor soul. The guest list includes classic and contemporary greats like Seu Jorge, Elza Soares, Marcio Local, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and others! Includes "Louis Lane" with Seu Jorge & Mano Brown, "Super Nova Samba Funk (9 No Samba)", "America Do Sul", "Isabela" feat Elza Soares and Cesar Camargo Mariano, "Samba Nova", "Quem Vem La" feat Marcio Local, "Deixa Estar" feat Aleh, "Lindos Olhos" feat Seu Jorge and Don Pixote, "Paname" feat Pyroman, "Final Feliz", "Irere" feat Gilberto Gil, "Aos Pes Do Redentor" feat Caetano Veloso and more. 16 tracks on the CD version.

Really early sounds from the great John Barry – a huge amount of tracks recorded with his combo for the Drumbeat TV show in the UK! The program had a strong focus on the emerging rock and roll sounds of the late 50s – and the John Barry Seven were a perfect group to provide musical accompaniment – professional enough to handle the gig in just the right way, but youthful enough to come up with plenty of sharp-edged sounds! The instrumentation's often heavy on guitar, but features some trumpet lines from Barry too – and although the set features some instrumentals by the group, there's also a lot of vocal numbers – with singers who include Derry Hart, Adam Faith, Bob Miller, Sylvia Sands, Roy Young, Vince Eager, and others. 40 tracks in all – including "Mad Mab", "Bees Knees", "Don't Leave Me", "Slippin & Slidin", "Rockin Sandy", "Get Happy", "Italian Style", "Beatnik", "Catwalk", "I Go Ape", "Shame On You Miss Johnson", and "Buzzin".

One of the most bizarre early works by Italian composer Franco Battiato – a record with a fetus on the cover, an inside image of his paper-mache mother, with a walk-in birth canal, and a subtitle that reads "return to the new world"! The musical style mixes Battiato's mid 70s electronic minimalism with an approach that still retains elements of experimental rock – in that the songs have straighter vocal passages than some of his more abstract work, with lyrics in Italian in a fairly conventional format, layered over strange textures on keyboards, sound effects, and electronics. Titles include "Una Cellula", "Energia", "Fenomenologia", "Anafase", and "Mutazione".

The Beatles at their late best – on a self-titled set that's been long immortalized as The White Album! The White Album capped offed a period of intense creativity for the band, with a double set that's as freewheeling as anything they'd ever release. It's got raw rockers with wry lyricism, tender acoustic balladry, psych blues jams and some flat out weird bits. As was always the case, John's and Paul's songs cover the majority of the sides, but The White Album also features what's arguably George's most vital moment as a Beatle with "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". Other tracks include "Back InThe USSR", "Dear Prudence","Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", "Happiness Is A Warm Gun", "Martha My Dear", "Rocky Raccoon", "Why Don't We Do It In The Road", "Julia", "Yer Blues", "Sexy Sadie", "Helter Skelter", "Revolution 1", Good Night" and more.

Includes Beethoven's "Symphony No 1 In C Op 21" and the "Egmont Ouverture Op 84", plus Wagner's "Lohengrin, Prelude To Ackt III", "Die Meistersinger Von Nurnberg, Prelude To Act I", and "Tannhauser, Overture & Venusberg Music".

Wild! Another beautiful release in the Easy Tempo series of lost Italian music from the late 60's and early 70's. This one's a haunting moody set of tracks that mix percussion, electric bass, organ, and a wordless female voice in a haunting soundscape of sexy tracks with a totally unique feel. The stuff is spooky, sexy, tinged with a 60's soundtrack groove, but imbued with all the erotics of the best 70's stuff. We can only compare this one to some of the best moody tracks on Camille 2000, but it's also got a feel that's totally unique. The tracks are all numbered, and titled "Ore 18", "Ore 20", etc – and the CD works beautifully as an extended sexy soundscape. More great stuff that we'd never have heard otherwise, put together in a stunning package by Easy Tempo!

Bebo Best is at it again – creating new grooves with plenty of retro twists – a bit like some of the older Italian work we loved on the Irma La Douce label – and its cool blend of 50s and 60s elements! There's lots of jazzy flourishes over the tip, played by live instrumentation – and mixed with a hip blend of beats and samples that draw plenty of inspiration from 60s soundtracks and other instrumental modes of the time. A few tracks have vocals, but most are instrumental – and titles include "Soul Bossa Nova", "Anytime Swingers", "Oh Jeje", "Amarcord Jazz", "Baise Moi", and "A 100 Lounge Lizard".

The sun shines brightly on Mario Biondi – really making this record sparkle with a charm that goes way beyond Mario's previous albums – a quality that's less retro than before, and which shows Biondi as a growing soul star with really universal appeal! There's still some of the old school jazz in the mix that we love from Mario's Schema work – but the album's also got a fuller production style at times, one that really expands the palette of Biondi's colors, and which has him working here with help from key guests who include Omar, Leon Ware, Al Jarreau, Incognito, and Chaka Khan – and even a bit of organ from the James Taylor Quartet! Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick helped co-write a good number of tracks on the set – and titles include "Shine On", "Come To Me", "Woman Woman", "What Have You Done To Me", "Never Stop", "La Voglia La Pazzia L'Idea", "Girl Blue", "Light To The World", and "Catch The Sunrise".

Fantastic funk from the Italian scene – penned for a cop movie that was also known over here as The Hired Gun! The style here is even more of a cut above than usual for Italian crime – really on a par with the best American work of the period, particularly some of the extra-hip stuff you might hear on TV – like some of those gems from Sunday Night Mystery Movie that would blend sophisticated strings, offbeat orchestrations, and some great funky basslines and keys! The keyboards are especially nice – snaking through over these bass bits that roll out wonderfully and there's some moody woodwind moments that further deepen the sound in ways you wouldn't expect. Plus, the whole package is totally great – full, well-written notes in English – almost at a Film Score Monthly level! CD features 15 tracks from the film – plus 5 more bonus cuts from the vaults.

A pair of Italian comedy soundtracks – both put together with a very unique feel! The scores on both sets is by the trio of Franco Bixio, Fabio Frizzi, and Vince Tempera – well known from edgier work on other soundtracks – but coming across here with some really unusual elements – including some plunky rhythms on main themes, mixed with melancholy melodies – plus isolated instrumental passages that really run the gamut – clearly changing to fit the whimsy of different scenes. There's a huge amount of material in the set – 62 tracks between both soundtracks, most of them relatively short and playful – and the set also comes with a DVD that features interviews with the composers.

It's been quite a few years since we last heard from Black Mighty Wax – but it's definitely been well worth the wait – as these guys are deeper and more sophisticated than ever, with a range of sounds we never would have expected on the last release! Soul styles are still very much at the front of their mix – and the record features vocals from a range of great singers who include Sarah Jane Morris, Neffa, Ricardo Phillips, Lily Latuheru, Silvia Donati, and others – set to grooves that still sparkle with the same keyboard elements that have always made Black Mighty great – but which also have more acoustic touches from time to time, and a rhythmic variation that goes way past the usual Irma groove! Titles include "Shake Your Heart", "We The Family", "Let Me Go", "Pull Down", "Follow That Fellow", "Riverside", and "Nightdriver" – and the CD features a few bonus remixes too!

One of Bley's best records from the 60's, and a great session recorded in Rome with Barry Altschul on drums and Mark Levinson on bass. We think of this era in Bley's career as sort of his middle period, after some important time spent with Ornette, one of the few pianists Coleman ever used, and Jimmy Giuffre, as we as Sonny Rollins, all of whose influence had made an impact on Bley, as a performer, writer and leader. The playing is wide open, but with a keen sense of group interplay and a wonderful dynamic between the three, a post free sensibility that was very progressive but never too noisy or oblique. The tracks include Ornette Coleman's "Ramblin", Annette Peacock's "Both", Carla Bley's "Ida Lupino" and "Albert's Love Theme", and Bley's own "Mazatalon".

Here's where it started getting weird for Bolan & T Rex – with strange bits of soul and other elements in the shiny, spacey veneer! Includes "Venus Loon", "Sound Pit", "Galaxy", "Change", "Teenage Dream", "Interstellar Soul", "The Meathawk Immaculate", "Nameless Wildness", "Liquid Gang", "The Leopards Featuring Gerdenia & The Mighty Slug" and more.

Fred Bongusto comes up with a plenty playful score for this goofy 80s film – the story of civilization, but from the perspective of a loser! The music moves between serious scoring and more whimsical numbers – the latter of which feature more of the 80s elements, especially keyboards, that you might expect from the date – especially on the clubby-grooving main theme. Other instrumentation is a mix of electric and acoustic – sometimes the former aping the latter – and this deluxe reissue features 28 tracks that include "Super Torneo", "Tema D'Amore Excalibur", "Fantozzo Antico", "Regata Super", "Super Maratona", "Super Shimmy", and "Super Jazz Club".

A deeply effective set from Bonobo! North Borders has beats that are as compelling as any in Bonobo's canon – often thumping pretty hard – paired with gorgeous electronic sound washes and really deft use of vocal samples and guest singers. The mix of compelling beats and lighter, more ethereal atmosphere is a nice touch – and the use of voices, whether sampled or sung by a guest, really brings in an uncommon emotional depth. Includes "First Fires" with Grey Reverend, "Emkay", "Don't Wait", "Cirrus", "Heaven For The Sinner" with Erykah Badu, Towers" with Sjerdene, "Jets", "Antenna", "Know You", "Ten Tigers", "Sapphire", "Transits" and "Pieces" feat Cornella.

One of Braxton's great records for BYG, and like the other one, a very cool session that has Braxton playing in a vibe that shows his AACM roots much more clearly than a lot of other sessions. He's playing here with a number of other Chicago expatriates, including Leroy Jenkins, Steve McCall, and Leo Smith – and between them, the four players handle a huge amount of string, reed, percussion, and keyboard instruments, switching off and on in a warmly experimental sound that characterizes the best work of the Chicago avant garde from the time. Tracks include "The Light On the Dalta", "Simple Like", and one of Braxton's weird symbol compositions. Ironically, this French session from the late 60's still stands as one of the best ways to witness the budding Chicago avant garde!

An excellent session for BYG! Anthony Braxton is recorded here with a number of other Chicago AACM players, including Steve McCall, Leroy Jenkins, and Leo Smith. The instrumentation includes an amazing range of oddball sound sources, including Hohner Organ, sirens, logs, mouth organ, sound machine, and chimes, and the set's played with all the sense of humor and adventure you'd expect from some of the young AACM players. The record begins with the extended "Composition No 1", which is a fairly free piece; then it moves into a nice solo by Braxton, and then a set of "small compositions", which have some excellent horn interplay between Braxton and Smith. The LP ends with a cool spoken piece by Braxton called "This Time...". Wild stuff, and a great record from his early period.

A swirling blend of soul, funk, and jazzy grooves – and a super-rare album that we've never seen in the original! Supposedly, backing on the record is by the British Afro-Funk group Assagai – which sounds right to us, because there's a nice rolling conga groove on many of the tracks. Lead vocals are by Charles Hilton Brown, in a nicely raw soul style that reminds us a bit of Otis Redding, and a bit of Mike James Kirkland on some of his early 70s material. The record features vocal covers of a number of soul hits – like "Try A Little Tenderness", "Love Train", and "Ain't No Sunshine" – plus some originals that are even better, like the funky instrumental "GRF", and the tunes "Maddox" and "Tell Me Once Again". Nice and raw, and with a sound hip enough to match the record's cover!

Weird instrumental grooves from composer Sandro Brugnolini – played by a small combo that almost has a sound library feel! We know Brugnolini most from his soundtrack work, and this set's got a similar flair for odd sounds and weird rhythms – played here by a group that features organ, two guitars, bass, and drums – plus lots of unusual effects that make the whole thing sound strange and trippy! The music is a weird amalgam of funky jazz and soundtrack modes – familiar at points, but really offbeat at others – with a few key groovers mixed with mellower, more atmospheric numbers. Titles include "Cromaton", "Amofen", "Celluin", "Andrie's Dream", "Roxy", "Simanite", "Brain", and "Cortex".

A great third album from Staten Island instrumental funk titans The Budos Band – who've brought eclectic inspiration all along and have always colored from a much broader palette of styles than most of their peers – going even further this time out and delivering their best yet! The Daptone House Of Soul blueprint is a big part of the recipe, as it should be. Classic funky soul grit holds it all together and each cut has an unshakable groove, but with that in full effect, the group is free to explore. The Budos horns are as impeccable and communicative as ever, with brass that ranges from classic stateside funk and Afro influences. The percussion (bongos, clave, cowbell and more) is just as broadly thought out and tightly delivered, snakey bass lines, flute and the sometimes secret weapon on Budos Band III, the electric organ – which brings a bit of a garage psych/funk rock vibe. Truly exceptional work from the one of the best bands of their generation! Includes "Rite Of The Ancients", "Black Venom", "River Serpentine", "Unbroken, Unshaven", "Nature's Wrath", "Golden Dune's", "Budo's Dirge", "Raja Haje", "Crimson Skies", "Mark Of The Unnamed" and "Reppirt Yad" (a funked up Lennon/McCartney cover...read it backwards, kids).

Very very very cool stuff from Italy in the 70's. This tight little combo featuring Fender Rhodes, electric bass, and congas lays down some super tight grooves with a very deep, very funky, very laid back feel. Originally intended for soundtrack use in TV and commercials, this disc has finally been released to the public, and it's been worth the wait! As great as the words "Fender Rhodes", "Italy", and "congas" might suggest, and even better upon repeated listenings. Some tracks have a slightly Latin feel, while others sound like super mellow CTI grooves. Excellent stuff, and it's hardly been off our turntable this month!

Sublime minimal sounds from Italian composer Robert Cacciapaglia – a record we'd rank right up there with the 70s best from Terry Riley, Steve Reich, and Philip Glass! Cacciapaglia follows in a tradition begun by other Italian modernists – like Giusto Pio and Franco Battiatto – but he also adds in phase-oriented playing that really opens things up – a beautifully lyrical vibe that's probably most close to Terry Riley in its hypnotic swell, but which is carried off here through complicated variations of strings, woodwinds, electronics, marimba, and some especially great vocal passages! The cover's as wonderful as the music – and the whole thing's a set we've treasured for years.

Somebody's finally gone out and written a book about one subject we can really get behind – the Record Store – and not only that, they've done a beautiful job with the entire package too! The book takes a look at the importance of the record store – not just historically, but culturally as well – with an especially important focus on the need for stores in the digital age, as a way of keeping both the music, and interest in the music, alive and well for generations to come! As you might guess from the subtitle, authors Calamar and Gallo have a bit of an agenda in their portrait – but they really pave the way with some great recollections of record stores past, incredible bits not just from folks who owned and worked in stores, but also from famous shoppers, artists, and collectors too. And even cooler, the book is filled with lots of great photographs – wonderful images of old stores in color and black and white, plus lots of great sidebar bits that help draw a focus on key issues in record retail. If you, like us, get a bit of a rush every time you walk into a record store, then you'll be sure to get an equal rush from this book – a wonderful tome that's one we can send home to our parents, and finally show them we've got a career worth a bit of respect! 238 pages, hardcover, and really beautifully done.

Massive work from Calibro 35 – a group we've been digging on obscure overseas releases – stepping out here on their first American record, and easily their funkiest album to date! The sound is wonderful – still filled with the older Italian soundtrack references that got the group's music going in the first place – but also driven by a much tighter sound at the bottom, especially on the drums – which really drive the tunes strongly! Other instrumentation includes loads of keyboards – especially clavinet-type riffs that fit the group's 70s cop/crime mode perfectly – and titles include "Uh Ah Brrr", "Thank You & Goodbye", "New Delhi Deli", "New York New York", "Italian Band From BBQ", "Rain On Concrete", and "A Massacre At Dawn".

An excellent session cut during a stretch when the Candoli/Rosolino team were doing some of their best work – playing in Europe with a number of hip backup groups. This set features an Italian trio of Franco D'Andrea on piano, Giovanni Tomasso on bass, and Gege Munari on drums. Tracks include "Marla", "Attention", "Let's Burn", and "Conversation".

A landmark session that gathered together just about every hip British jazz and jazz/rock musician of the time – and brought them together into one super-cool orchestra of sound! Robert Fripp produced the record, and Keith Tippett is the overall music director – but the album's got a feel that's much more in the avant side of the UK jazz spectrum – particularly the trippier side of the Deram/Decca label of the late 60s – like work by Mike Westbrook or Mike Gibbs! The lineup is huge – with Elton Dean and Dudu Pukwana on alto sax, Alan Skidmore and Gary Windo on tenor, Ian Carr and Mongesi Fesa on trumpets, Mark Charig on cornet, Nick Evans and Paul Rutherford on trombone, Keith Tippett on piano, Brian Godding on guitar, Robert Wyatt and John Marshall on drums, and Maggie Nicholls, Julie Tippett, Mike Patto, and Zoot Money on vocals – plus lots of strings as well!

Beautiful work from Franco Cerri – a really unique guitar jazz session that features his talents in a host of different settings! The players vary throughout the set – so that one number only features a duo with bass, but others feature larger lineups that include Gianni Basso on tenor, Dino Piana on trombone, Oscar Valdambrini on trumpet, Renato Sellani on piano, and Giancarlo Barigozzi on flute – all key Italian players of the 60s who really get room to sparkle on the record! Cerri's tone runs from smoothly jazzy on the group numbers to a bit more raw and personal on some of the more stripped-down ones – and titles include "Chit Car", "Blues For Jo", "Bassezza", "New Nova", "Stardust", and "Blues Dei Framasteni".

An overstuffed package that feature 2 albums from Italian guitarist Franco Cerri! First up is Metti Una Sera Cerri, from 1973 – an unusual album that has Cerri working with larger backings, in a style that's almost a bit like soundtrack work of the time! Franco's guitar lines are clean and clear – right up front in the mix, over a range of strings, plus bits of organ, harpsichord, and flutes too – all directed by the great Nando De Luca, with a feel that's warm and sweet, but never too mellow! The guitar glides nicely over the top – making for a really light sort of groove, and a change from Cerri's straighter work of previous years – on titles that include "Miss Iva", "Bostrizione", "Toilette", "Lady Stinta", "Penelope Jane", and "Vado E Tornio". CD also features the album Merci Beaucoup – recorded more recently, in 2003 – some tracks with piano trio backing, others with Cerri's Guitar Ensemble, a more guitar-based group. Titles include "Domino", "Yardbird Suite", "Just A Gigolo", "Merci Beaucoup", and "Out Of Nowhere".

A rare soundtrack from the mighty Cerrone – recorded right at the height of his electro disco fame, and with a very similar groove! The film was also titled Vice Squad in the US market – and the music here definitely echoes the sleaze of its subject matter – with loads of sweet clubby lines that are heavy in the keyboard styles you'll know from "Supernature" – but maybe even leaner and meaner here – with a stripped-down punch that makes for plenty of funky disco moments! The tracks are mostly groovers, but even the few mellow moments are great – and titles include "Phonic", "Give Me Love", "Make UP", "The Loft", "Strip Tease", "Experience", and "Deauville".

A sublime mid 70s soundtrack from Stelvio Cipriani – quite upbeat and playful grooves, with timeless Italo soundtrack styles mixed with some 70s dancefloor sounds! Due Cuori Una Cappella is a romantic comedy, which you might deduce pretty quickly from the upbeat groove. The title them has the feel of a mini-suite, touching on the sounds you'll get throughout: string-buildup, playful piano, modern dancefloor-ready percussion, and a very catchy melody. This first ever CD release features the the original album in stereo and a massive number of bonus tracks. 35 tracks in all! Includes "Luna Park", "Picnic", "Parking", "Abhanera", "Bidon Ville", "Castel S. Angelo Nuit", "Aristide's S March", "Kidnapping", "La Confessione", "Scapricciata D'Amore", "Victor's Tango", "Abhanera", "Colpo De Fulmine" and many more.

A rare roller boogie soundtrack from Stelvio Cipriani – one that brings together his best funky keyboard styles of the 70s with a sweet new sort of disco groove! A number of the tracks here are instrumentals, and done in a style that's right up there with the best Italian club work of the time – and a few others are vocal tracks, with an even more soulful feel overall – lyrics sung by the likes of Dwayne Ford, Patsy Gallant, and Ranee Lee. The whole thing's easily one of Cipriani's most soulful records – and titles include "The Road To California", "Disco Men", "Tintikitikitin", "The Rollerboy", "It's Got To Be You", and "You've Got To Be Mean".

One of the most sentimental scores we've ever heard from Stelvio Cipriani – but one that also hangs onto all of his great 70s mellow modes as well! Often, Cipriani's 70s sounds are turned towards love and sex – but here, they're cast towards a heartbreaking narrative that's underscored with some great melancholy moments – a great reworking of Cipriani's usual styles that shows us another side of his genius! Warm orchestrations mix with great piano lines and isolated woodwind solos on most numbers – produced to perfection with a sweet Italian style. A few cuts get a bit more carnivalesque, but still with an undercurrent of sadness – and the CD features 15 tracks from the film, with a nice overall package too.

A trio of cool cop soundtracks from Stelvio Cipriani – all brought together in a beautiful package with a really unified feel! Cipriani's easily one of our favorite Italian composers for the cop/crime genre – as he's got a way of bringing sensitive sounds into play with driving action – in ways that are different from Morricone, Piccioni, or any of his other contemporaries! These tunes have a great balance between careful strings, warm themes, and more pointed action – often hanging their sound on a key element, such as a keyboard line, or off-tuned piano – and moving carefully forward with a really great ear for space and timing. Things are never sleepy, even when spacious – and the tunes ring out with a heavenly quality that could almost sanctify the acts of crime for which they were initially scored. CD features 3 tracks from La Polizia Sta A Guardare, 3 from La Polizia Chiede Auto, 9 from La Polizia Ha Le Mani Legate, and 9 more bonus tracks from the films – including some previously unreleased numbers. A really wonderful package too – with great graphics, notes in English, and a really beautiful look overall!

There's kind of a Blue Lagoon story going on here – as if you couldn't guess from the cover – and who better to score such a film than the Italian maestro of love, Stelvio Cipriani! The soundtrack has a slinky, sexy quality that's way more urban than the setting of the movie – lots of sweet keyboards over basslines, usually moving slow, and sometimes augmented by bits of guitar or vocals – all with this great languid late afternoon afterglow sort of vibe! Edda Dell'Orso adds her lovely voice to a handful of numbers – and the CD features 19 tracks from the film, all nicely remastered!

That's a pretty darn goofy cover for this early 80s Italian soundtrack – a record that's done with some pretty goofy music to match! The great Stelvio Cipriani serves up plenty of his trademark keyboards – but this time around, they're used in a way that's more playful than some of his previous sensual scores for 70s romantic films – never too offbeat, but with a mix of whimsical themes and a few more mellow moments that recall the older sound of Cipriani. CD features 14 tracks in all!

Lost greatness from Stelvio Cipriani – a racing soundtrack, but one that's scored in the same modes as some of his best crime and police work from the 70s! Cipriani's definitely in that best "exploitation" groove here – sometimes using a bit of disco or club, sometimes laying back with some sexier sounds at a slower pace – these sweet numbers that have always made his work one of the standouts of the Italian generation – and which is still holding strong here in this rare gem from 1980! The CD features 24 tracks in all – loads of lovely little numbers – including one with vocals by Nancy Lee Costa!

Sublime Italian soundtrack funk – and one of the greatest albums ever from 70s maestro Stelvio Cipriani! The music was scored for a schlocky horror film about a giant octopus – but Cipriani's approach here goes far beyond its roots – beautifully blending together tightly compressed bass and funky drum bits with sweet electric keys and warm string touches – making for a set that slinks along with an infectious groove from start to finish! The sound is incredible – immediately seductive on the first track, and continuing to develop as the set moves on – making for an amazing soundtrack that we'd rank as one of our Italian favorites of the 70s. Titles include "Tentacles", "Small Town Pleasures", "She'll Never Come Back", "San Diego Yellow Cab", "Summer & Winter", and "Scotch For Two". CD features more tracks than the previous version – 7 more bonus tracks that are previously unreleased!

Rare work from the Circle City Band – the first-ever full length album from the group – and a set that brings together their few club singles and a host of previously unreleased tracks! The CCB are well remembered for the roller skating jam "Magic" – and the rest of this set is equally great – with lots of bouncing basslines, snapping beats, and warmly soulful grooves that really sparkle with lots of early 80s funky touches – from the sweet keyboards over the top right down to the crackling rhythms on the bottom! The package is a great discovery – one of those moments when you realize there's a lot more to a group than you'd ever heard before – and the album's way more than a reissue, given the treasure trove of previously unheard 80s grooves in the set! Titles include "Love", "Time Tunnel", "Hello Stranger", "Magic", "Gladiators", "My Place", "Party Lights", "Lonely", and "Hold On".

A groundbreaking ensemble – akin to the World Saxophone Quartet, and no doubt inspired by their experiments at the same time. The difference, though, is the range of experience of the players – as the group features David Murray, Jimmy Hamilton, Alvin Batiste, and John Carter, all playing b-flat or bass clarinets. No other accompaniment is featured, and titles include "Fluffy's Blues", "Beat Box", "Perdido", and "Southern Bells".

A stunning set of unreleased Gene Clark – with formative versions of songs on the one-time overlooked, now much-loved White Light record that are seeing release for the first time ever – plus some equally beautiful buried treasures! One of Clark's greatest strengths during his post-Byrds and Dillard & Clark solo years with the subtle beauty of his songwriting being front-and-center. On these recordings, it's mostly his voice, acoustic guitar and harmonica – and he sounds as vital and timeless as ever. This is a great one for longtime Gene Clark fans and newbies alike – a worthy set for any fan of sparely-furnished singer-songwriter material. Includes "White Light", "Here Tonight", "For A Spanish Guitar", "Please Mr. Freud", "Jimmy Christ", "Where My Love Lies Asleep", "Opening Day", "Because Of You", "With Tomorrow" and more.

One of the greatest long-form albums from the Clarke Boland Big Band – a sophisticated suite that not only shows off the writing ability of Francy Boland, but also demonstrates the group's ability to swing like a mofo, even when things are serious! The album's a jazz suite written by Boland, and dedicated to the great prisons of England – where Johnny Griffin was once kept "At Her Majesty's Pleasure", due to non-payment of some income tax. The experience of Griffin led Boland to explore the idea of the British penal system with a number of powerful emotional themes, and the result of this writing is one of the CBBB's best albums of the late 60s – filled with rich colors and tones that go far beyond the earlier modes of the group, but without some of the too-complicated elements that sometimes show up in later suites. A good part of the album's success comes from the strength of the soloists – players who include Johnny Griffin and Ronnie Scott on tenor, Tony Coe on clarinet, Sahib Shihab on flute and soprano, Kenny Wheeler and Benny Bailey on trumpets, and Ake Persson and Nat Peck on trombones. Titles include "Pentonville", "Wormwood Scrubs", "Doing Time", "Broadmoor", and "Going Straight".

One of the first great moments from this legendary 60s ensemble – a brilliant pairing of American and European players – heard here in one of their pre-MPS sessions! Group founder Gigi Campi is well-placed at the helm – as both producer and supervisor – giving the ensemble the vital energy that made them different from so many other groups of previous years – a quality that almost has them hitting like a small combo, especially on the breakout solo moments on the set. Players include Benny Bailey and Idrees Sulieman on trumpets, Sahib Shihab and Derek Humble on reeds, and Fats Sadi on vibes – not to mention core rhythms from Francy Boland on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums. The group's inventive style of writing and arranging is already in place – and titles include "Long Note Blues", "Speedy Reeds", "Sonor", and "Om Mani Padme Hum".

A slightly sweeter version of Cluster than on previous records – a bit more focused, tuneful, and rhythmic – thanks to some great use of the "rhythmusmaschine"! Most numbers here have a slightly pulsating feel – one that really prefaces the electronic modes that would come from the UK at the end of the decade, especially the best work of the Sheffield scene. Cluster here show the way brilliantly – taking the longer jams of earlier years, and honing them down into simple melodies and rhythms – yet still delivered with a fair bit of edge throughout, and not nearly as much of the softness that would characterize later work by Moebius or Roedelius. Tracks include "Hollywood", "Caramel", "James", "Rote Riki", "Fotschi Tong", and "Marzipan".

A various artist compilation Prestige put together to capitalize on the popularity of the Oscar-winning Elizabeth Taylor film Cleopatra with music that features Eastern and Egyptian themes. In spite of how you may feel about the concept, the set features some tracks that have become harder to come by on vinyl, and plays nicely whether you're considering the theme. . .or not. 5 tracks in all: "La Ibkey" by Ahmed Abdul Malik, "Taboo" by Yusef Lateef, "Anadolu Oyuni" by Oudi Hrant, "Ackmet" by dizzy Reece, and "Bakai" by John Coltrane.

One of the most haunting albums we've ever heard from Perry Como – a session recorded in Italy during the mid 60s – featuring arrangements by Nick Perito, and backing vocals by the Alessandro Alessandroni Singers! The tunes include a fair bit of older Italian numbers – some sung in the language of their origin, some in English translations that we've come to know on this side of the Atlantic – and Como takes them all with a sad-tinged style that makes the album one of his moodiest ever – a record that oozes melancholy with every song, and which has a late nite, heartbreaking appeal that goes beyond even the understanding of language. The set's a great one to convey the popularity of Italian work on the American market in the 60s – and Como carries off the session even better than some of the more likely singers on the scene during the period. Titles include "Souvenir D'Italie", "Forget Domani", "Anema E Core", "One Day Is Like Another", "Arrivederci Roma", "Oh Marie", and "E Lei".

A rare early soundtrack from Bill Conti – penned for an obscure Italian film in the years before his 70s blockbuster film scores – and done with a groovy groovy sound that's really outta sight! The style is much more mod than we've ever heard from Bill – funky in parts, and playful in others – with all the best range of instrumentation we're used to hearing from Italian composers of the time – a role that Conti fits perfectly with this sweet little score! The mood varies nicely from track to track – usually moving between upbeat numbers and mellower groovers – and there's a few great jazzy moments that stretch out longer than usual for this sort of score. 17 tracks in all – including a few renditions of the vocal number "Juliette"!

Cyclist rides in with Bones In Motion – a joint release by Stones Throw and Leaving Records – an icy cool mix of early electro and housey influences with grittier, more experimental touches! The hypnotic approach and 80s era synth atmosphere bring Tour De France era Kraftwerk to mind – which sure makes the name Cyclist an apt one – and whether the name is a Kraftwerk nod or not, there's a lot more going on here! It's ultimately quite unique and all Cyclist's own. There's a hazy digital fog hanging over these instrumentals that give it a far fuzzier vibe than most 80s electronics-inspired sounds of the post millenium years – plus a thoroughly modern take on avant sampler dynamics. Distorted as they might be, there's usually a compelling, danceable beat underneath, too! Titles include "Feel Beauty", "Mangel", "Bones In Motion", "Sheen", "Makeshift", "Stove", "The March", "Visions", "Fleet Meeting", Black Train", "Another Exploitation", "

Cyclist rides in with Bones In Motion – a joint release by Stones Throw and Leaving Records – an icy cool mix of early electro and housey influences with grittier, more experimental touches! The hypnotic approach and 80s era synth atmosphere bring Tour De France era Kraftwerk to mind – which sure makes the name Cyclist an apt one – and whether the name is a Kraftwerk nod or not, there's a lot more going on here! It's ultimately quite unique and all Cyclist's own. There's a hazy digital fog hanging over these instrumentals that give it a far fuzzier vibe than most 80s electronics-inspired sounds of the post millenium years – plus a thoroughly modern take on avant sampler dynamics. Distorted as they might be, there's usually a compelling, danceable beat underneath, too! Titles include "Feel Beauty", "Mangel", "Bones In Motion", "Sheen", "Makeshift", "Stove", "The March", "Visions", "Fleet Meeting", Black Train", "Another Exploitation", "

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".

Amazing live documents of Miles Davis and his incredible mid-to-late 60s quintet – Wayne Shorter on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums – complete concert recordings from Antwerp, Copenhagen and Paris on 3CDs seeing release for the first time ever, plus a DVD featuring the only known video footage of this group from the period! CD 1 features material from 10/28/68 in Antwerp, CD 2 on 11/2/67 in Copenhagen and 11/6/67 in Paris, with the latter concert continued on CD 3. This is landmark stuff here – a surprisingly rare opportunity to hear first rate live recordings of legendary material from the ESP, Miles Smiles, Sorcerer and Nefertiti albums – as well as brilliant revisits of vital earlier material. Includes live takes on "Agitation", "Foot Prints", "No Blues", "Gingerbread Boy", "On Green Dolphin Street", "The Theme", "Footprints", "Masqualero", "I Fall In Love Too Easily", "Walkin'" and more. The DVD starts with five numbers recorded on 11/7/67 in Karlzruhe, Germany: "Agitation", "Footprints", "I Fall In Love Too Easily", "Gingerbread Boy" and "The Theme". It concludes with material in Stockholm on 10/31/67: "Agitation", "Footprints", "'Round Midnight", "Gingerbread Boy" and "The Theme".