... Cassette

... CD

Includes the albums Orpheus In The Underworld and Improvisations. CD

With Fat Joe, Lord Finesse, Big L, and AG on "All Love", Lord Finesse and Roy Ayers on "Soul Plan", Lord Finesse with Marquee on "Underworld Operations", and Show & AG on "You Know Now". 12-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Fantastic stuff – incredibly hard and incredibly funky, and a masterpiece all the way through! Long before there was any talk of gangster rap, Jalal of the Last Poets recorded this album of gamblin', pimpin', and hard double dealin'. It's a fantastic album-long ride through the dark side of the black underworld, and is the aural equivalent of a blacksploitation flick. Kool & The Gang provided the music – and Jalal tells the whole story throughout, in the same hard rappin' style he used with the Last Poets! The record's an undisputed classic, and includes the sample classic "Sport", plus loads of other righteous funky cuts like "Spoon", "Grit's Den", and "Sentenced To The Chair"! LP, Vinyl record album

A really amazing look at the secret art and language of gang culture in Chicago – the most detailed book we've ever seen to examine the words on the street during the 60s, 70s, and 80s! Chicago had a very special sort of language to communicate gang activity and culture during the heyday of the city's big gangs – graffiti that was filled with codes and symbols, and which really predated major street art in New York – plus a network of patches, business cards, and other objects that conveyed a special sort of numerology and message – sometimes harmless words about parties and events, sometimes essential details about the criminal underworld. This book is fascinating on so many different levels – not just a prurient true crime story, but instead a very detailed examination of gang culture in terms of linguistics, visual media, and representation. Yet all that detail doesn't make things too dry, either – as the book is overflowing with photos and images – examples of street graffiti, countless business cards, patches, portraits, and more – even some maps at the back. The whole thing is a massive 375 pages, full color throughout, and very beautifully done! Book

An insane collection of work – one that hugely expands the two-album legacy of this legendary American group! The box first includes their debut, Gyrate – overlooked genius from the scene in Athens, GA – served up by a group who also borrow plenty of influences from the UK post-punk world too! Pylon are heavy on bass that might be borrowed from Young Marble Giants, but then turned up in sound and speed – matched with these great guitar lines that are complex in sound, but right on the money in terms of placement – all topped with the vocals of Vanessa Biscoe Hay – a singer who's nicely understated, and as much a part of the sonic mix as the other elements in the group! Titles include "Feast On My Heart", "Precaution", "Driving School", "Gravity", "Working Is No Problem", "Stop It", "Danger", and "Read A Book". Next, the set features the album Chomp – a fantastic record from the Athens, GA scene of the early 80s – served up by a group who maybe never hit the fame of REM or B-52s, but who are maybe even groovier overall! Pylon have a strong bassline that almost seems borrowed from the Brit post-punk years, but also mix it with some catchier lyrics by a female singer – but one who's often nicely down in the mix, right alongside the jagged guitars and splashy drums – all of which create a sound that's like the best of the indie underworld of the period! The group almost feel like they would have been right at home on Factory or Rough Trade – which is partly why they maybe got more attention overseas than here – and the titles include "Italian Movie Theme", "Spider", "Yo Yo", "Buzz", "No Clocks", "Altitude", and "M Train". The set also features the rare Razz Tape – Pylon's first recordings, a set of 13 tracks that were unreleased at the time, and which predate their first 7" single! Then, the set also features the Extra CD – with 11 more tracks including some pre-Pylon work, the rare song "Recent Title", the original mix of "Crazy", and some other unreleased studio and live tracks. PLUS, the whole thing comes with a huge 12" square, hardbound book – 216 pages of notes and images, all in color – with a huge amount of essays, interviews, and other material on the group. CD

Music from 808 State, Electribe 101, Underworld, Hardfloor, Leftfield, Empirion, Rhythim Is Rhythim, Capricorn, Orbital, Green Velvet, LTJ Bukem, and more. CD

A really beautiful record, and one that's every bit as righteous as you might guess from its cover and title – maybe even more so, as there's a hugely collaborative energy to the whole record, a sense of group spirit that's not even hinted at on the front! Nududuzo Makhathini is listed as the "composer and conceptualizer" on most tracks – and that's a great way of putting it, as there's definitely a core concept to most of the record – which is then taken up by an array of other musicians and singers, and lifted up with energy that maybe makes the whole thing one of the most spiritual releases on Blue Note since the days of Eddie Gale! Makhathini plays piano, and other musicians include Logan Richardson on alto, LInda Sikhakane on tenor, Ndabo Zulu on trumpet, and Ayanda Sikade on drums – used in a shifting lineup with other players, and joined by voices on some tracks – so that the record has this amazing blend of spiritual and South African jazz modes, with some traces of contemporary soul. A wonderfully uplifting record – with titles that include "Beneath The Earth", "Saziwa Nguwe", "On The Other Side", "Shine", "Indawu", "Umlotha", "Unyazi", and "Saziwa Nguwe". CD