A killer collection of sound library funk from the UK – a scene that served up some of the rarest grooves of the 70s! The music is every bit as funky as American work from the early 70s – like records from CTI, or blacksploitation soundtracks – but most of it was never issued on vinyl at the time, as it was circulated only for use in film and television – recorded by an elite group of players for very limited use. The rarity is only part of the appeal, though – as the overall vibe is great – and the record has the same instantly appealing feel as other jazz, funk, and soul collections from the always-great Soul Jazz label. This time around, they do a great job of turning their ear towards the rich sound libraries of companies like KPM, DeWolfe, and Conroy – and come up with a double-length batch of funky instrumentals that includes "The Hell Raisers" and "Danger Musicians At Work" by Syd Dale, "Fuel Injection" and "Crossflow" by Ernest Copley, "Superformance" and "Men Of Action" by David Lindup, "Cross Talk" and "Funky Chimes" by Francis Coppieters, "Theme From New Scotland Yard" by Norrie Paramour, "Come One Come All" by Brass Incorporated, "Sparks" by Peter Reno & Barry Stoller, "Gotta Getaway" by Dave Richmond, "Transit" by Clive Hicks, "The Ratcatchers" by Tilsley Orchestral, "Grand Prix" by Johnny Pearson, and "Conveyer Belt" and "Workshop" by Johnny Hawksworth. CD

Sophisticated sounds, indeed – pulled from a time when the British sound library scene was really moving to the next level – and finding a strong identity that was all their own! There's plenty of sound library funk in the mix here, but there's also some deeper sophistication too – a shift that's almost like the change that CTI brought to jazz funk in the 70s – collected from some of the best Bruton Music library albums of the late 70s! Keyboard lines abound, and the horn passages are pretty darn great too – often cool and compressed, and soaring out nicely with the music. Composers include Keith Mansfield, Steve Gray, Robert Folk, Johnny Pearson, David Lindup, and others – and titles include "Night Games", "Sunshine Drive", "Hazy Days", "Golden Groove", "Flying Bird", "Vacation", "Honeymoon", "Early Riser", "Billowing Sails", "Chique", and "Voulez Vous". CD

A sweet selection of unreleased material from the vaults of Italy's famous Cometa Records sound library – a package that's pretty heavy on keyboard and electronic bits, with a sound that's right up there with some of the best Italian horror and action scoring of the early 80s! In fact, there's a strong sense of drama throughout – a nice call to action in some of the tunes, as the keyboard lines set up a mood, then send it soaring – and basslines brood along to create these cool darker currents! The whole thing's still pretty tuneful – none of the atonal qualities that show up in other Italian scoring – and the three artists often collaborate throughout, in different groupings – on titles that include "Serpentina Junior", "Turismo Giovane", "Akriliko", "Speed", "Preallarme", "Romantico Junior", "Viaggio Giovanne", and "Riflessione". CD

Maybe the coolest and grooviest music we've heard from the obscure Braen's Machine sound library project from early 70s Italy – a record that's less tripped out than its predecessors, and instead has this great style that's heavy on bossa elements and funky jazz! The vibe's a bit like the best Italian soundtracks of the period – especially work by Morricone or Trovajoli – and the group still apparently features contributions from Alessandro Alessandroni, working with Piero Umiliani – which gives the whole thing a very strong soundtrack pedigree! Instrumentation includes some mighty nice keyboards – both Hammond and electric piano – and lots of great production on familiar instruments, which can give things like a snare drum a very odd crackle, or a flute this weirdly spacious sound. Titles include "Movimento", "Dinimica", "Gara", "Passeggiata", "Aspetti Grotteschi", "Esercizi Ginnici", "Ritmica Sportiva", and "Rinuncia". CD

Some of the grooviest work ever cut by Brazilian trombonist Waltel Branco – a set that's very different than just about anything he ever put on record, and which is also material used in an early 70s TV series as well! The sound here is kind of a criss-cross between some of the cool Brazilian arranging styles of the time – the sorts of backings you'd hear on records by folks like Marcos Valle or Edu Lobo – mixed with some of the groovier European soundtrack modes of the period – especially Italy and France, and the great way those scenes really messed with production and instrumental styles. There's more than a few funky cuts here – making the album a real treasure in Branco's catalog – and almost all tracks are instrumental – but the set does feature one vocal number, "Frustracao", sung by Arlete Salles. Other titles include "I Giorni Dell'Ira", "200 MPH", "Bandinha", "Diana", "Tema De Ricardinho", "Tema De Abertura", "Efeito", "Back Ground", and "Zorro". (Brazil, Sound Library) CD

Fantastic sounds from Belgian Hammond hero Andre Brasseur – a musician who clearly cut a heck of a lot of records back in the 70s, as evidenced by the huge range of record covers and 45 sleeves inside! Yet Brasseur's also one of those guys who never fully got his due – a keyboard talent who could work both in mellow instrumental and popular thematic styles – but who also cut some overlooked funky tracks during the 70s – the best of which are brought together in this sweet little set! The Sdban label have given us some other Belgian grooves from years back, but this package may well be their best so far – as Brasseur's work here really runs a great gamut, all of it wonderful – from tight, straight, soul-drenched organ lines – to other moments that are filled with weird sounds and flourishes, but set to a totally tight groove. The album's a great introduction to his work – and with all the rare records pictured within, it's virtually a blueprint for future crate-digging too! Titles inxlude "Sundance", "Saturnus", "Wild Fury", "Ali", "Red Dust", "Mad Train", "Funky", "Relax", and "Stress". CD