Forget the Viking in the title – or maybe not entirely, as these guys are from Scandinavia – but the record's definitely not the stuff of longboats and looting, as the Soul Tune Allstars are a sharp-edged funky combo with very universal appeal! There's some rough-edged vocals on the record at points, handled in a way that's a nice change from some of the too-classic singers in other funk groups – and the combo also know how to mix it up nicely in terms of speed and style, with the occasional mellower moment that makes the record feel like a more fully-formed soul album overall. Titles include "Sweet & Sour", "Looking For Trouble", "Hang On", "Chicken Chase", "Drop It", "Sunday Afternoon", and "Inside A Man's Mind". LP, Vinyl record album

A great return to form for the legendary Sidney Barnes – known best as a onetime member of both Rotary Connection and the P-Funk universe – but working here with great small combo backing from the Speedometer combo! "Best Thing" is an original by Barnes – sung in this sweet raspy style that gets great support from the funky group – who even thrown in a sweet Hammond solo in the middle! The flipside is a remake of Nolan Porter's "If I Could Only Be Sure" – a midtempo burner that has Sidney sounding even better on vocals! (Funky 45's, Deep Funk) 7-inch, Vinyl record

The title's a great one – as The Boston Horns have definitely found their own groove – a super-tight approach to funk, but one that's never slick at all! These guys have the sort of sharpness you might find in an older soul instrumental combo – but they also bring a touch of jazz to their instrumentation at times – a hint of deeper sophistication that brings a lot more complexity to the record than you might expect, especially from set with such a simple-looking cover. Tenor and trumpet lead the assault – with a bit of flute and added alto at times too – and there's lots of great Hammond, plus other keyboards – kicked up nicely with guitar, bass, and drums. The keyboards get slinky and soulful on a few more laidback number – adding in a dose of 70s electric jazz to the funk – and titles include "Ain't Nothin To It", "Love Will Slip Up On You", "Blues For Ben", "In The", and "Speedball". Also features a bonus live track! CD

A really cool side project from Bjorn Wagner – of Mighty Mocambos and Bacao Rhythm & Steel fame – a set that's got some of the spacey touches you might guess from the cover, but mixed with funkier currents at the bottom, in a way that makes for a mighty nice groove! Bjorn's got plenty of experience in the deep funk side of the spectrum – and here, he's going for a leaner style that's sometimes clubby, sometimes more hard-edged – and served up with plenty of guest help along the way. And although there's lots of keyboards on the record, all instrumentation is live – on titles that include "Speedboat To Atlantis", "Superglider", "Saturn Moon Drive", "Space Of Mind", "Pyramide", "Dreaming Of You", and "Rainy Afternoon In Paris". LP, Vinyl record album

Heavy funk from Speedometer – a UK power-combo who've really grown their sound over the years! This one's the group's first full-length effort, and it's a really kickin little record with even more to offer than their great 45s! The group's expanded their lineup to feature some great horn work, smoking Hammond, and even some occasional sock-soul vocals from The Speedettes – a female group with a really great sound – not hokey or cliched at all, but with the searing style of some of the best deep soul female groups of the funk years, like The Emotions or The Exciters in their later recordings. The sets shifts easily from vocals to instrumentals – staying funky all the time, but nicely changing up the mode of the tunes. Titles include "What Am I Gonna Do", "Monkey Stick", "Wait Up", "It's Our Turn", "You Know You Can", "Mullet", "Growbag", and "Episode In Palmetto". LP, Vinyl record album