A pretty remarkable creative leap for Mr Echoes – one half of legendary Chicago hip hop production duo The Opus! On Needful Things he shifts gears a bit towards beats heavy electronica, but it's as distinctive and timeless as pretty much anything we'd expect from him. As far back as Rubberoom' ... (Hip Hop, New Grooves)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A really amazing debut from Sequoyah Murray – a young soul singer we have a feeling we'll be hearing plenty from in years to come! Sequoyah's got a style that's very much his own – one born out of frequent collaboration and improvisation – with elements that are maybe as jazz-base ... (Neo Soul, New Grooves)read more12-inch, Vinyl record
Sunny electronic beats a awash in pop, soul and funk and hip hop influences from Nobody – weaving lush string pop elements with fuzzed out electronics and processed vocals on One For All Without Representation. Nobody has way for working with elements of dreamy west coast pop into the hazy, ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Nu Era (Marc Mac) —
Evolve ... LP Omniverse (UK), 2019. New Copy ...
$24.99
Evolve is a great title for this full length set – as Marc Mac is one of the few talents from the 4Hero generation who's really evolved over the years, and who's continued to give us some really incredible music – a jazz-based take on the realm of beats and keyboards, with a cosmic-drive ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The last time around, Nu Guinea came on strong with a collaboration with drummer Tony Allen – but this time, they've got a very different groove – a lean, keyboard-heavy approach to funk that feels like it's lifted from some obscure sound library session of the 70s! There's still some ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
There's lots of 80s-styled groove acts around these days – but Diamond Ortiz may well be one of the best – serving up a record here that's very worth the title of "Goodies" it bears on the label! The set's only got four tracks, but has a wicked groove that takes us back to ... (Neo Soul, New Grooves)read more12-inch, Vinyl record
If you don't know by now, the Star Creature/Tugboat Editions camp are delivering some spaciest club grooves around – and this gem by Ourra and vocalist Alena is another gem! "Don't You Know" has a lean, though plenty propellent beat and snapping bass line under cosmic keys and sweet ... (Funky 45's, New Grooves)read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Spacey, slinky soul from Skinny Pelembe – an artist whose groove is right in keeping with the groundbreaking, genre-busting style of the Brownswood label! Skinny's definitely his own man here – weaving together gentle beats, slightly trippy instrumentation, and an overall sense of ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Bill Laswell's hip hop alter ego, but just from the beats side of the equation. A half dozen instrumental tracks, all DMX, 8-bit sampler and some scratching here and there. In the same vein as some of the other Celluloid releases of the time, or some of the early Keith Leblanc or even Trevor Horn ... (Hip Hop, New Grooves)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(UK pressing on Carrere. Cover is slightly wavy from moisture.)
A pair of modern boogie funk heavies pair up for killer couple of club jams on Star Creature! "Whatcha Wain For?" kicks off with a tight beats, bass and bright bubbling 80s synth, and works perfectly well in that style before the vocals come in and really take it a higher level – a ... (Funky 45's, New Grooves)read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Alex Puddu's going right back to the beginning here – serving up some tight, sharp sounds that are very much in the 70s funk mode that first gave him inspiration! And this time around, he's got Lonnie Jordan from War on board – singing on three of the album's great tracks – which ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Some of the most cosmic beatcraft we've heard to date from the always adventurous Ras G! A prominent figure in the trippier side of LA beathead scene, Ras G's work certainly feels at home in the Brainfeeder and Leaving Records camps – mixing spacey and murky elements to hypnotic effect ... (Hip Hop, New Grooves)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Soulful Detroit techno tracks from Kevin Saunderson, working here outside his more well known Inner City moniker with Santonio Echols. (Soul, New Grooves)12-inch, Vinyl record
Rima —
This World ... LP Compost (Germany), 2003. Very Good+ 2LP Gatefold ...
$5.99
A stunning debut from Rima – one of the most exciting acts in years on the always-exciting Compost Records! The group have a sound that's nicely jazzy – clearly steeped in influences from 70s fusion, but also done with the free-thinking sound of the current European underground. ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A really beautiful record by young Chilean pianist Enrique Rodriguez – a set that's got little more going on than piano and keyboards, but which really makes the most of those elements! Rodriguez plays in a style that's not entirely jazz – maybe more moody instrumentals with a slight ... (Jazz, New Grooves)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Red vinyl pressing – in a black sleeve with the image on a sticker in the corner.)
Rojai —
Strut Down ... LP Austin Boogie Crew, 2019. New Copy ...
$15.9920.00
There's a photo of 70s vintage Johnny Guitar Watson nestled somewhere in the collage on the cover – and that's a really great soul music reference for the slinky, well-inflected sound of Rojai! The singer hails from San Francisco, and has a great way of stepping up to the needs of a tune ... (Neo Soul, New Grooves)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
We've loved these guys since the start, but this time around they really seem to be knocking it out of the park – fusing their fantastic blend of funky jazz and contemporary soul with a fresher vibe than they've ever had before! These guys draw on plenty of classic elements, but never sound ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Deep dubby almost techno feeling tracks from the first generation of house by Adonis with some help from Frankie Knuckles on the mix. (Soul, New Grooves)12-inch, Vinyl record
(Original pressing with BP etch. Label has a small spot of marker.)
Standout tracks from Saucy Lady's Supernova LP – backed by J-Zone on both "Alien Nation" and "Orbit"! The former has raw funky drums giving a nice heavy backdrop to her take in neo-classic spacey disco. "Orbit" has a more measured tempo, again has a heavy ... (Funky 45's, New Grooves)read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Hypnotic beats and atmosphere from Sev Seveer – a Chicago beatmaker and producer appropriately billed as as a live PA/hardware/beat cat – and if Smithereens is any indication, he's a seriously strong album-oriented beat cat, too! Inspired by visual art as much as aural atmosphere, ... (Hip Hop, New Grooves)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Limited edition of just 300 copies – and down to the final copies! Includes 3 bonus tracks.)
Sweetly spacey soul from Silhouette Brown – one of the catchiest tunes off the all-great debut album, remixed here by Bruno E! Bruno really changes up the rhythms of the tune, but still preserves the cosmic quality – letting bass and beats roll around one another nicely, as keyboards ... read more12-inch, Vinyl record
Ilhan Ersahin has always been a great collaborator – that's something that's marked his work on the New York scene, and on the Nublu Records label – but this time around, his collaboration is especially strong – as he works here in a quartet that features older jazz legends Eddie ... (Jazz, New Grooves)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Nina Simone hits a house groove – thanks to some tight remixing by Felix Da Housecat! "Sinnerman" first appeared on Nina's classic Pastel Blues album – but here, it's pumped up in a few different mixes that were all part of the Verve Remixed 2 project. The vocals are ... (Soul, New Grooves)read more12-inch, Vinyl record
A really lovely little record from Small Circle Of Friends – the very small circle that features the duo of Japanese musicians Riki Azuma and Satsuki Mutoh! The record's got this spare, lyrical vibe – beats, keyboards, and other elements – but never overdone, and almost used in ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A contemporary entry in the legendary KPM sound library – a record that features Ben Smith and Paul Murphy delivering tunes that echo that label's vintage sound of the 70s, but which also maybe have a deeper song structure overall! These aren't short sound cues or unformed, unfinished ideas ... (Sound Library, New Grooves)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Cecilia Stalin & Khari Simmons —
Story Of Love EP ... LP Cecilia Stalin (UK), 2015. Sealed ...
$6.99
We've always loved vocalist Cecilia Stalin, no matter what the setting – but here, she might be in the best company ever – working with jazzy backings from Khari Cabral Simmons and other members of the Atlanta scene – on a record that's drenched in soul from the very first note! ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has a promo ink stamp, some wear, and light stains.)
Dexter Story —
Bahir ... LP Soundway (UK), 2019. New Copy ...
$14.99
The world of Dexter Story just keeps getting bigger and bigger – not just because he's a richly collaborative player, but also because he's got this musical style that really opens up to so many different elements – but without ever sounding like he's trying to crash them together in ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Strictly Jaz Unit (Glenn Underground & Boo Williams) —
Tempest ... LP Strictly Jaz Unit, 2019. New Copy 2LP ...
$20.99
That's Jaz with one "z", not two – and the difference here is key, because the music is all soulful house, of the sort we've come to love from Glenn Underground – who works here with Boo Williams to make a set that's one of his greatest to date! Keyboards are the lead ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Lots of mixes – and one of the strongest bits of modern R&B from the ever growing King Britt! (Neo Soul, New Grooves)12-inch, Vinyl record
T-Groove & Two Jazz Project —
Nu Soul Nation ... LP Kissing Fish (Japan), 2018. New Copy ...
$22.99
T-Groove has given us some great music in the past, but he really blows us away here – as he works with Two Jazz Project on a much warmer version of some of his classic clubby modes – this wonderfully deep sound that has plenty of room for guests who include Enois Scroggins, Brae Leni, ... (Neo Soul, New Grooves)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Blinding sounds from Kaidi Tatham – an artist who's really continued the best spirit of the 4Hero sound with records like this! The set's only got four tracks, but you'll hardly miss anything at all – as Tatham packs so much into such a small space – changing up the rhythms in ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Kaidi Tatham —
Serious Times EP ... LP First Word (UK), 2019. New Copy (pic cover)...
$12.99
Soaring sounds from Kaidi Tatham – music that's upbeat and moving, yet wonderfully precise in its simplicity too! Kaidi works in this cosmic fusion style that owes plenty to the London style a decade or so back – but it also moves forward with a lot more live instrumentation in the mix ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The first-ever vinyl appearance of the digital EP releases Abyssinia and Abyssinia Rise – both records with a very unusual vibe that's a bit hard to describe! The music is at once ancient and contemporary – filled with tonal references to older East African culture, but filled with ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Tearist —
Tearist ... LP Post Present Medium, 2010. Near Mint- ...
$11.99
Tenderlonious —
Hard Rain ... LP 22A (UK), 2019. New Copy ...
$19.9920.99
A very different album than the previous Tenderlonious record – but a set that's still overflowing with the soulful sounds that made us love his music in the first place! Last time around, Tenderlonious worked with the 22A Arkestra – a group of labelmates that fleshed out his sound ... (Jazz, New Grooves)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The kind of pure rhythm record that often made some of the early Chicago house releases almost seem like experimental electronics! The set features two long tracks – each extended bits of beats, basslines, keyboards, and some spooky samples – with a "mix up" that moves from ... read more12-inch, Vinyl record
Four tracks on this killer cut from Ron Trent – a groove so tight, it might better be called "thumpin" instead of "dancin"! The basslines pound plenty hard on the Ed Nine remix – and the keys just start to swell in the middle – whereas on the Jordan Fields mix ... read more12-inch, Vinyl record
Truthfully we have never really been able to get with hip house, in spite of both our love of rap and house musics. But if it's your thing, it doesn't get much better than this. 8 tracks on Dj International, mostly self produced: "Let The Music Take Control", "Hip House Is A ... (Soul, New Grooves)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Uptown Funk Empire (Patchworks) —
Empire Strikes Back ... LP Soul Lab (France), 2009. New Copy ...
$22.99
A sweet funky project from Bruno "Patchworks" Hovart – a set that's filled with lots of 70s funk elements, but which keeps up the groove we've come to love in all of his previous Patchworks projects! There's a great blend here between live funk instrumentation and dancefloor ... (Deep Funk, New Grooves)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Urban Species sound mighty nice here, thanks to some great production work by Little Louie Vega, who handles all the mixes on this double 12" promo-only package! 12-inch, Vinyl record