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Funky funky solo work from Joni Haastrup – an artist who's also known for his work in Monomono, and who sounds equally great on his own! Joni's got this tight approach that wraps together Nigerian grooves of the 70s scene, and some bolder soul star energy that would be right at home in the US – a kind of powerhouse approach that really sends these tunes home beautifully! The lyrics are in English, which really helps broaden the appeal of the cuts – and the production has these cool compressed elements that are partly like the more psych-inspired modes of other Afro Funk groups, and partly those of the UK soul scene of the 70s. We've never heard a record exactly like this, and the whole thing's a truly memorable treasure from this key moment in African music. Cuts include "Watch Out", "Do The Funkro", "Greetings", "Free My People", "Wake Up Your Mind", and "Champions & Superstars".

Seminal Afro Funk from Monomono – a killer combo from singer/percussionist Joni Haastrup, with a groove that's right up there with the best acts on the Lagos scene of the 70s! There's a nice degree of warmth in the music – thanks to some complicated guitar and basslines, which don't just have the usual highly-rhythmic groove, but inflect things with a melodic energy that's mighty nice! The blend is instantly entrancing – tight, but never overly polished – with a quality that really sets the record apart from other Afro Funk you might own. Tracks include "Plain Fighting", "Get Yourself Together", "Awareness Is Wot You Need", "Tire Loma Da Nigbehin", and "Ipade Aladun".

Massive music from Monomono – and a set of Afro Funk put together with a wonderful criss-crossing of sounds! The style here isn't just the familiar grooves you might expect – and instead, there's almost a post-colonial vibe going on – an ear towards London, and another towards Jamaica – bringing in basslines that give some tracks a great dubby energy, and which almost puts the record in the same territory as the best by Cymande! There's a blend of darkness and light on many tracks – some moody undercurrents that really draw us in, then redemptive vocal passages, often in English, which really tie the whole thing together beautifully. Monomono could have been huge at the time – and they did reach out pretty far with their few recordings – but it almost feels like their music has been waiting for the 21st Century to finally get the appreciation its due! Titles include "Find Out", "Lida Lou", "Kenimania", "Give The Beggar A Chance", "Ema Kowa Lasa Ile Wa", and "The World Might Fall Over".

Massive music from Monomono – and a set of Afro Funk put together with a wonderful criss-crossing of sounds! The style here isn't just the familiar grooves you might expect – and instead, there's almost a post-colonial vibe going on – an ear towards London, and another towards Jamaica – bringing in basslines that give some tracks a great dubby energy, and which almost puts the record in the same territory as the best by Cymande! There's a blend of darkness and light on many tracks – some moody undercurrents that really draw us in, then redemptive vocal passages, often in English, which really tie the whole thing together beautifully. Monomono could have been huge at the time – and they did reach out pretty far with their few recordings – but it almost feels like their music has been waiting for the 21st Century to finally get the appreciation its due! Titles include "Find Out", "Lida Lou", "Kenimania", "Give The Beggar A Chance", "Ema Kowa Lasa Ile Wa", and "The World Might Fall Over". This package also includes bonus tracks on a single – "Adele", "Wake Up The Dead Onez", and "Layipo".

A massive bit of blue-eyed soul – recorded on the London scene of the late 90s, but put together with a vibe that takes us back to early 70s LA! The sticker on the front promises links to Steely Dan and Jamiroquai – and the sound of the record definitely lives up to that sound – all the best warm production you'd hear from the best mainstream acts of the 70s, but fitted with a 90s style that's a bit leaner overall – smart enough to appreciate all the best aspects of the older music, yet distanced enough not to get trapped in its cliches! The whole thing's the grooviest set of soft rock we've heard in years – a killer little record that's filled with great hooks, soulful instrumentation, and loads of warm harmonies from the lead duo – on titles that include "Late For The Day", "Lucky Radio", "Valerie", "Whatever I Do", "I Can't Move No Mountains", "Only When I'm With You", and "Soon Comes Another".

Funky library music from the KPM vaults – one side of raw, hard-driving action soundtrack-ready funk credited to New York Trouble – and one side of proggier and spacier funk credited to Electric Progression! The New York Trouble side has gritty feel – but it's not without its lighter touches – so along with the heavy drums, punchy horns, thick bass lines and fuzz-tone guitars are bits of vibes, xylophone, flute and piano – but it hits pretty hard for the most part! The Electric Progression side is spacier, but it's in the same universe. Moogs, synths and sound effects coming into the mix. It's still got a raw funk base, though! Titles on the New York Trouble side include "Barnyard Bam Bam", "Heavy Stakeout", "Where'd He Go?", "Light Stakeout", "Hustle Don't Hate", "Cool, Not Cold", "There's Your Man", "High Five Shakedown" and more. The Electric Progression side includes "Hong Kong Hang", "Non Sequensor", "Zen Furious", "Sonic Swarm", "Bionic Bassa", "Manhattan Moonrise", "Electric Procession" and more.

The big beat here is plenty darn funky – but in some really weird and wonderful ways too – thanks to the genius talents of the mighty Alan Moorehouse, the legendary British maestro featured on this rare sound library album for KPM! Moorehouse is even more compelling than some of his funky contemporaries on the sound library scene – because he's not only got a great way of cooking up a short, simple, soulful groove – but he also puts the instruments together in really unusual ways, often to create sounds that veer past their simple origins, to make the grooves sound even greater! This album's a sound library masterpiece all the way through – the kind of set that makes you realize why this under-exposed genre of music is regarded so highly by modern beatheads – thanks to Moorehouse's use of organ, keyboards, funky drums, and a fair bit of acoustic guitar – quite unusual for a KPM set, but all the more compelling. Titles inlcude "Boss Man", "Soul Skimmer", "Pop Pastime", "That's Nice", "West Coastin", "Angelic Gas", "Expo In Tokyo", "Rock It Again", "Rockin Boogie", and "Pop Mandolin".

Rare funk from the KPM vaults – the pulpy "Light Stakeout" credited to New York Trouble – a perfect slice of 70s crime soundtrack-styles grooves on killer funky 45! Part 1 starts off with a sinister bass line and drums, with some spare, kind of sneaky-sounding horn and flute and a slow-building dynamic! Some guitar, electric keys and other elements come in as it grows. The pace is mirrored on Part 2, which is has similar feel, but done with some alternate elements – in particular, some haunting, echoey effects!

One of the grooviest sound library records ever made – a whopping batch of funky Hammond heavies from British legends Keith Mansfield and Alan Hawkshaw! The rare set was recorded right at the tail end of the 60s – and it's got a mod sort of style that mixes funky rhythms with some incredibly groovy work on organ – all in service of tight, short tunes originally recorded for use in radio and TV, but which is easily some of the best instrumental work coming out of the UK at the time! Both players are at the top of their game here – Hawkshaw, with plenty of those whomping grooves we love so much in his work with The Mohaws – and Mansfield, with a clean lean line on the keys that's equally great. Titles include "Exclusive Blend", "Teenage Travelogue", "Teenage Ton Up", "The Mexican DJ", and "Red Square Stomp" by Keith Mansfield – and "Studio 69", "Work Out", "Beat Me Til I'm Blue", "Senior Thump", "Tap Footer", "Delivery Date", "Man On The Move", and "Debsville" by Alan Hawkshaw.