(Soul, Funky Compilations) LP, Vinyl record album

(Soul, Funky Compilations) CD

The cover looks a bit punk rock, but the music here is all jazz – pulled from the great catalog of DIW Records – the groundbreaking imprint of Japan's Disk Union record stores! Back at the end of the 80s, the company really started to put its money where its heart was – and launched a series of recordings of artists who weren't getting their fair shake in the studio, or the sort of freedoms that DIW was allowing them! The label's approach often allowed for unique combinations, or different expressions than some of the more familiar work of some of their artists – which made for a stretch when we were joyously awaiting each new DIW release, and the sorts of surprises they would bring. This package is a well-selected batch of classics, with a strong focus on the label's commitment to the New York avant scene – all newly remastered – with titles that include "Tahah" by John Zorn Masada, "Burning Like Love" by James Blood Ulmer, "Kush" by Art Ensemble Of Chicago, "Autumn Leaves" by David S Ware, "Anaba Aozo" by Ayibobo featuring Jean-Paul Bourelly, "Deep River" by David Murray, "Spiritual" by Charlie Haden Liberation Music Orchestra, and "In Time" by Music Revelation Ensemble. (Jazz, Funky Compilations) CD

Get ready to have your mind completely blown – because this compilation is one of those completely rare ear-opening experiences that will let you know that there's a hell of a lot of music in the world that you've never heard before – even if, like us, you've heard plenty of funky music over the years! The grooves here definitely live up to the title – as they're completely funky throughout, and in ways that are plenty appealing to fans of Anglo funk, but which have all the Mideast touches you'd expect in the instrumentation – a mad mix of east and west, sacred and secular, with the kind of completely unique vibe that will grab you like the first time you heard Ethiopian soul or Turkish rock! We'd honestly never heard most of this music before – and even though we've dug previous releases on the Habibi Funk label, this namesake set is the moment when they really knock it out of the park, and let us know that they're on to something completely brilliant. Comes with a great set of note, which help the uninitiated like us – and titles include "Casablanca Shuffle" by Belbao, "Wang Dang" by Bob Destiny, "Bsslama Hbibti" by Fadoul, "Sah" by Al Massrieen, "Soul Brother" by Dalton, "Al Asafir" by Kamal Keila, "Rouhi Ya Hafida" by Mallek Mohamed, "La Coladera" by Freh Khodja, "Tape 19.11" by Ahmed Malek, "Ayonha" by Hamid El Shaeri, and "Games" by Samir & Abboud. (Global Grooves, Funky Compilations) LP, Vinyl record album

A second amazing collection of rare funk tracks from the Mid East – work that didn't exist in the same "scene"-styled world as American funk, but which instead comes from a disparate group of recordings that surprisingly, amazingly, turned out to be pretty darn funky! Musical modes differ throughout the tracks in a really nice way – but most of the tunes are unified through strong use of electric bass and heavy percussion – mixed up from number to number, in a way that opens the door to a stunning world of musical exploration we never would have experienced otherwise! We've really grown to love the Habibi Funk label in recent years – and although other records have been great, this set may well be their crowning achievement. Titles include "Sultan Qaboos Song" by Sal Davis, "Ahlo Jedba" by Fadou, "Music De Carneval" by Magdy El Hussainy, "Badala Zamana" by Zohra, "Casba" by Ahmed Male, "El Fen" by Ait Meslayene, "Haditouni" by Douaa, "Tendme" by Ibrahim Hesnawi, and "Reet" by Hamid El Shaeri. (Global Grooves, Funky Compilations) LP, Vinyl record album

Not a set of world music-inflected jazz – although there is a bit of that – and instead, a wonderful collection of spiritual numbers from around the world – most recorded in the 70s, at a time when barriers were really breaking down in jazz music! All tracks here are nice and long, and most are groovers – but not in the typical funky jazz way – as the album is mostly earthy and organic, and mostly acoustic too – with musicians that work together wonderfully in ensemble format, and often find ways to incorporate non-traditional instruments into a jazz-based perspective! Titles include "Souffle (part 2)" by Armand Lemal, "Ismaa" by The Jazz Committee For Latin American Affairs, "Timbuktu" by Theo Loevendie Consort, "Fonetik A Velo" by Kafe, "Martinica" by Michel Sardaby, "Illustration" by Billy Bang's Survival Ensemble, "Pumu 1" by Masabumi Kikuchi, and "Itwenty Five" by Joe Malinga & The Southern African Force. CD

The great folks at Motor Music in Germany have compiled a bunch of groovy tracks from swingin' films from the late 60's, and patched them together into a really cool package with excellent liner notes for the fan of soundtrack stuff and mod 60's music. Excellent selection, with a real emphasis towards hard to find tracks, like Harpers Bizarre's "Malibu U" (the theme to a short lived TV show about a beach school), Mark Lindsay's "Somethin' Big" (a great lost Bacharach track), the theme to The Party, and loads more groovy vocal and instrumental tracks! LP, Vinyl record album

Heavy funk, hand-picked by Will "Quantic" Holland – and an incredible set that's easily one of the best funk collections we've ever stocked! Will definitely knows his thing, and for the collection, he's dug through the rich catalog of Jazzman 45 reissues in recent years – pulling together some of the best bits from 7" wax, and putting them together into one completely tight collection. The package not only features tremendous tracks all around – most of which are making their CD debut here – but it also includes full liner notes on each number, scans of each label, and even a "funk 45 rarity guide" that's pretty darn handy! And sure, you may already have some of these in your collection as Jazzman or Funk 45 reissue 7" singles – but at this price, the collection's a heck of a great way to get them all together – and it's got the Quantic stamp of approval too. Titles include "Egg Roll" by The M&S Band, "Ooh Ah Ee" by Vern Blair Debate, "Ain't No Other Way" by Herman Hitson, "Tra La La" by The Great Deltas, "Just Plain Funk" by James Polk & The Brothers, "The World (part 1)" by Sandi & The Matues, "Fast Man" by PC's Ltd, "Stay Together" by Soul Excitement, "The Loneliest One" by Gene Anderson, "Boilin Water" by Tony Bowens & The Soul-Choppers, "I Turn You On" by Latin Breed, and "Mystery Of Black (part 1)" by Shades Of Black. CD

A really mind-bending collection of African grooves – one that digs deep into the West African scene of the early 70s – and comes up with a massive batch of tunes that really opens up our understanding of the music! The sound here isn't just 70s Afro Funk – as the tunes include a range of tripped-out styles that make the best use of electric instrumentation, psychedelic production, and important influences from American soul artists at the time. There's some amazing guitar on some of the best tracks – ringing out with a sound that's chromatically complex while also being tripped-out and funky – in a way that complicates the rhythms without totally taking them apart. If you've dug the tunes on previous sets like Africa Funk or Ghana Soundz, this is one to take that sound to the next level – and really open up your ears! Titles include "Keleya" by Moussa Doumbia, "Love's A Real Thing" by The Super Eagles, "Minsato Le Mi Dyihome" by Orchestre Poly-Rhythmo De Cotonou Dahomey, "Porry" by Sorry Bamba, "Allah Wakbarr" by Ofo & The Black Company, "Sanjina" by Orchestre Regional De Kayes, "Ifa" by Tunji Oyelana & The Benders, "Zinabu" by Bunzu Sounds, and "Awon-Ojise-Oluwa" by Gasper Lawal. (Global Grooves, Funky Compilations) CD

Heavy funk from 70s Turkey – proof that the world of the groove knew no boundaries at the time! The tunes here are all pretty heavily influenced by American funk and jazz of the period – awash in heavy beats, tight riffing, and wicked instrumentation that's often produced with a nice gritty edge that really matches the intensity of some of the best funky 45s! But the work also features a fair bit of Eastern influences as well – either in use of specific instruments, sounds, and phrasing – or the occasional Turkish vocals which really help freshen the groove. Side one is all funk – and very dirty, nasty, and with beats a lot heavier than you'd expect – and side two is jazz, but not your usual Anglo jazz from the time – and more in the world/jazz crossover style explored by labels like MPS! The whole thing's totally great – a record you'll proudly stack next to your best Mulatu albums, but which will take you even further! Titles include "Hilal" by Durul Gence 10, "Senlik" by Erol Peckan, "Cecen Kizi" by Emin Findikoglu, "Sevemek Istiyorum" by Erkut Tackin, "Karli Daglar" by Erkin Koray, "Aybatti (edit)" by Fikret Kizilok, "Dolana Dolana" by Mustafa Okzent Ve Orkestrasi, "Bermuda Seytan Ucgeni" by Aksu Orkestrasi, and "Kopruden Gecti Gelin" by Ferdi Ozbegen. LP, Vinyl record album

A fuzzed out treasure trove of rare Brazilian psychedelia – wild stuff that's in many ways akin to the freewheeling sounds of the Tropicalia movement, but not necessarily taking on the cultural and political weight of that movement – and more about the boundless spirit of psychedelia and funk rock around the globe! The sounds are buzzing and indeed fuzzy throughout, ranging from raw and ramshackle guitar jams to more organ and drum driven funky, and it's really incredible stuff all around. We've been purveyors of hard to find Brazilian music for many many years, and this set – compiled by Joel Stones who also provides the richly detailed – brings to light some numbers we've never heard! 16 tracks in all: "Tema De Banana", "Era Uma Nota De" Loyce E Os Gnomes, "I Wanna Be Your Man" by Youngsters, "Ourico" by Serguei, "Lindo Sonho Delirante" by Fabio, "Cinturao De Fog" by Marisa Rossi, 'Som Imaginario De Jimmi Hendrix" by The Pops, "The Lantern" by Mac Rybell and more. CD version comes with a thick booklet of notes, in both English and Portuguese, and it's an enhanced CD – with the short documentary What Are Fuzz Bananas?. CD

A stunning collection of psychedelic funk from all over the world – incredible material that mixes the free spirit of the psychedelic scene and the furious sense of groove learned from the funk movement! The collection is a bit of a genre-starting compilation – as it brings together global funky bits that had been bubbling underground with collectors for years – all resonating even more strongly together here in the company of each other – fantastic cuts from Istanbul, Athens, Paris, Beirut, Cairo, Paris, Lagos, Moscow and beyond! Many of the tracks mix familiar funk elements with more exotic instrumentation – nice fuzzy touches around the edges, and deep beats at the bottom – on titles that include "Su Derenin Sulari" by Husnu Ozkartal Orkestrasi, "Respect" by Kukumbas, "Alemiye" by Mulatu Astake, "The Man Who Must Leave" by Kim Sun, "What You Can Do In Your Life" by Petalouda, "Ghabileh-Ye Lily" by Mehr Pooya., "The Feed-Back" by The Group, "Circuito Chiuso" by Armando Sciascia, "Mevlana Boyle Dede" by Metin H Alatli, "Dagon" by Eskaton, and "Rakset El Fadaa" by Omar Khorshid. CD

A stunning collection of psychedelic funk from all over the world – incredible material that mixes the free spirit of the psychedelic scene and the furious sense of groove learned from the funk movement! The collection is a bit of a genre-starting compilation – as it brings together global funky bits that had been bubbling underground with collectors for years – all resonating even more strongly together here in the company of each other – fantastic cuts from Istanbul, Athens, Paris, Beirut, Cairo, Paris, Lagos, Moscow and beyond! Many of the tracks mix familiar funk elements with more exotic instrumentation – nice fuzzy touches around the edges, and deep beats at the bottom – on titles that include "Su Derenin Sulari" by Husnu Ozkartal Orkestrasi, "Respect" by Kukumbas, "Alemiye" by Mulatu Astake, "The Man Who Must Leave" by Kim Sun, "What You Can Do In Your Life" by Petalouda, "Ghabileh-Ye Lily" by Mehr Pooya., "The Feed-Back" by The Group, "Circuito Chiuso" by Armando Sciascia, "Mevlana Boyle Dede" by Metin H Alatli, "Dagon" by Eskaton, and "Rakset El Fadaa" by Omar Khorshid. CD

A funky psychedelic kaliedoscope of grooves from India – killer numbers from the 70s and into the early 80s – Psych Funk Sa-Re-Ga, from the folks who put together the equally heavy Psych-Funk 101 and Brazilian Guitar Fuzz Bananas compilations! Most of cuts here have a raw, fuzzed out undercurrent of psychedelia – guitars that buzz or lead searingly, depending on the needs of the number – with heavy, funk-based drums and/or hand percussion with rumbling bass rhythms. From that core, they bust out mightily with more furious percussion, rhythms, mad horn arrangements, and vocals that work as either a sweetener or for even more wild-eyed excitement! In short, global psychedelic funk rhythms with regional Indian folk and classical flourishes, blended with mod, soul, garage and soundtrack influences from around the globe. It's a funky, psychedelic fusion of east and west that's billed as a seminar, but this is no academic endeavor – it's a psych funk party all the way! Includes "The Mod Trade" by The Black Beats, "Psychedelia" by X'Lents, "Somebody To Love – Edit" and "Gairaag Dance Music – Edit" by Kalyanji Anandji, "Dance Music From Hare Rama Hare Krishna" by RD Burman, "Lekar Ham Diwana Dil" by RD Burman feat Asha Bhosle & Kishore Kumar, "Mary Long" by Atomic Forest, "Dharmatma Theme Music" by Kalyanji Anandji, "Phir Teri Yaad" by Hemant Bhosle feat Asha Bhosle, "Thanimayil" by Ilaiyaraaja fet Vani Jairam & Chorus and more. 20 tracks in all – with a thick booklet of notes on each track, plus loads of photos, original album & poster art, and more. CD

Music from Nuru Kane, Samba Toure, Daby Balde,Victor Uwaifo, Anansy Cisse, Etran Finatawa, Amadou Diagne, Mory Kante, Sally Nyolo, Seprewa Kasa, Mamane Barka, and more. (Global Grooves, Funky Compilations) CD

A really cool collection of cuts that were originally issued as 7" singles in recent years, but which work perfectly together here as a full length set that introduces the world to the deeply funky talents of Kevin Finigier! Kevin hails from Argentina, but has a deep love of American soul and funk, particularly the 60s variant that was big in the UK mod scene – and here, he serves up some wicked grooves that may well be some of the best contemporary work in this mode we've heard for years! The production is nice and gritty – really back at the level of the indie funky 45 scene from back in the day – and the set mixes instrumental numbers that have a wicked sharp explosion of sounds with some heavy vocal tracks that are equally nice. The Kevin Fingier Collective deliver the cuts "Addis Ababa", "Sunglasses After Dark", "El Basement", "Latin Dynamite", and "Cocktail De Medianoche" – and other tracks include "I Love Without A Love" by Jo Ann Hamilton, "Why Don't You Go Home" by Diane Ward, "Um Brilho Novo" by Josi Dias, "Kairo Bancou Moulu" by Abdoulaye Badiane, and "Don't Wanna Cry No More" by Gerri Granger. (Deep Funk, Funky Compilations) CD