A really heady album with a nicely trippy vibe – almost as if some of the spirit of Kingston had seeped into a more psychedelic West African setting – with a really wild, unique album as the result! There's some great slow-stepping rhythms on the set, very heavy on bass – and the vocals of singers Danny Black and Moore Black are often recorded with a bit of echo that brings out all these cool qualities – and which, with the bass, almost make the whole thing feel like a more laidback take on territory explored a few years earlier by Cymande! The set's also got some lean keyboards sewing the rhythms together, but never getting in the way of the darkness of the grooves – on titles that include "I'm A Living Man", "I Know You Know What I Know", "Be What You Are", "Smiling Girl", and "Doing It If You Can". LP, Vinyl record album

The first album from the Black Children Sledge Funk Band – a combo who've got a sound that's a lot more lean than their name – with plenty of the funk that you might expect, mixed with some of the slightly trippy elements of the Zamrock generation too! The vocals are processed in a really cool way, and layered down next to the guitar – which often has some nice effects as well – all of which creates this swirlingly seductive sound on top of the funky rhythms at the core! Titles include "Mr Who", "Love Is Fair", "Funky Child", "Another Girl", "Hard Life", "Sledger Afro Funk", and "Feelings I've Got". LP, Vinyl record album

There's no disco going on here, and no battling either – as the set's got this wonderfully warm, fluid groove that mixes township rhythms with some sweet jazzy touches – plenty of reed work from Bra Sello on the top, but also plenty of great ensemble instrumentation too! The record features two side-long tracks, but the vibe is very different than Nigerian funk records that follow a similar format – as the musicians here are all rooted in jazz, and really stretch things out with plenty of jazzy solo action, even though the rhythms are more grooving in an extended way. Titles include "Washa" and "Call & Go" – both long, both great! LP, Vinyl record album

A record with a really unique vibe – definitely jazzy, but different than most other South African jazz of the time – as the set spins out two very long tracks that take their groove from township modes of the period, but then use some of the longer-form rhythmic jazz instrumentation that bubbled up on the SA scene from the 60s onward! Bra Sello plays some great alto on the set, but there's also guitar, flute, organ, and other solo instrumentation too – and although some vocals might come into the mix here and there, they never get in the way of the solos – on the extended tracks "African Queen" and "Butterfly". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky psychedelic nugget from the Nigerian scene of the 70s – a record that's got more of a lean small group take on some of the bigger ensemble modes of the period, in a way that really seems to give the Moonrakers Band lots of flexibility with their sound! Some numbers might be a bit more guitar-heavy, others will have more organ – and the rhythms shift between rock, funk, and maybe even a bit of inspiration from Jamaican music – as the group serve up lyrics that are mostly in English, but with a definite offbeat vibe. There's occasional currents that resonate with Zamrock work of the decade, while other moments are straighter Afro Funk – on titles that include "Cut Your Coat According To Your Size", "We Got To Live", "What We Did Today Is Gone", "Wait For Me", "Little Sister Of Line", and "Enia Se Pele". LP, Vinyl record album