Brilliant work from Pucho and his legendary Soul Brothers group of the 60s – a record that's beyond definition – as it combines Latin, soul, jazz, and even a few funky touches – all into one totally amazing sound! This one really gets all the elements right – and the fantastic Pazant Brothers (Eddie & Al) are on sax and trumpet (respectively), and a young Neal Creque is on piano, really bringing a sharp edge to Pucho's groove that other Latin combos of the time never had – and the set also features some vocals by Jackie Soul on a few cuts, who's a great singer that really helps cross a few cuts over into Latin Soul territory. Titles include the soul jazz cuts "Heat" and "Psychedelic Pucho", plus other great Latin soul cuts, like "Payin' Dues" and "Candied Yam". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly David Bowie's first complete moment of genius – an incredibly-formed album that's filled with tunes beyond definition and description! There's still some traces of the earlier madman in the mix, but the overall sound is much more rock-heavy – although not without the fuzzed-up and full-on guitars of Space Oddity or Man Who Sold the World – and often augmented with a bit of strings and softer touches that really bring out the humanity in the songs. The balance here is amazing – as is the fact that a few short years before, Bowie was singing "The Laughing Gnome", but is here one of the most sensitive songwriters of his generation. Tunes are quirky and personal, and titles include "Changes", "Oh You Pretty Things", "Andy Warhol", "Life On Mars", "Kooks", and "Queen Bitch". LP, Vinyl record album

If you're looking for a definition of dub, this album may well be it – and it's clear proof why Tubby could proudly wear the crown of a King! The set's beautifully bassy and muddy all the way through – a heady brew of bottom-level sounds – all layered wonderfully with lots and lots of echo – light guitar, bass, and drums tripping along with a sound that's as powerful today as it was back in the 70s! All tracks are instrumentals, and this LP version features 15 tracks in all – with cuts that include "Babylon Dub", "Send Me Dub", "In Love Dub", "Perfidia Dub", and "Soundtrack Dub". LP, Vinyl record album

Socking soul power! Bobby Rush cut this great single for Chess in the late 60s, and both sides are killer funky soul! "Sock Boo Ga Loo" is the virtual definition of a Sock Boogaloo cut – with a great hard drum sound, and a totally catchy groove throughout! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Dark, moody work from Second Layer – a UK post-punk group with ties to The Sound, working here with a fair bit of drum machine rhythms and the sorts of low-noise elements you might find in a record of the time on Factory Records! Like some of the best Factory folk, Second Layer have a slight undercurrent of punk at times – but take their music to much spookier territory with a sound that's pretty brooding, and almost a garagey take on spacier modes of the previous decade – definitely in territory that you might hear on a Martin Hannett production. Titles include "Zero", "Japanese Headset", "Black Flowers", "Underneath The Gloss", "Definition Of Honour", "In Bits", and "Fixation". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautifully meditative music from Alabaster DePlume – a set that brings together work from a variety of recorded projects from the past decade or so – finally getting full exposure in this Transatlantic collaboration between Chicago's International Anthem label and London's Total Refreshment Centre! The sound is a great illustration of the genre-crossing modes that have been going on in both scenes – as Alabaster's music is definitely beyond easy description or definition, and comes across in a way that's as personal as it is collaborative – since DePlume works with a whole host of different musicians on the recordings, mixing flute, percussion, strings, keyboards, and other elements together in a way that follows a spiritual legacy from the more spacey side of Alice Coltrane, to the west coast experiments of Carlos Nino and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, to the changes taking place on the planet at present. Alabaster plays tenor and guitar, and vocalizes slightly – but never really sings – and titles include "Why Buzzardman Why", "Not My Ask", "Whisky Story Time", "If You're Sure You Want To", "What's Missing", and "Song Of The Foundling". LP, Vinyl record album

A special vinyl-only collection of tracks from the legendary Dave Godin Deep Soul series – a set that's kind of the best of the best – given the strength of those all-great soul collections! All the cuts here offer a perfect definition of the deep soul groove at its best – a rich, heartfelt approach to the genre that's heavy on sounds from the southern soul scene of the 60s, but which also features a few inflections from other styles too! Vocals are always at the forefront, sung in a mindblowing way that may well even surpass some of the bigger names of the period – like artists on Atlantic or Stax – and titles include "Like It Stands" by Robert Ramsey, "These Four Walls" by Irma Thomas, "Losin Boy" by Eddy Giles, "Just Loving You" by Ruby Andrews, "You Got Me" by Jaibi, "Try Love" by Dori Grayson, "I'm Sorry I Hurt You" by Nat Phillips, "I Don't Cary Anymore" by Doris Duke, "Who Are You Gonna Love" by Rozetta Johnson, "You Make Me Feel Good" by Jawrence & Jaibi, and "It's Not That Easy" by Reuben Bell & The Casanovas. LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing tribute not just to the rich imagination of the young Egberto Gismonti – but also to the vivid sound of Brazilian music in the 70s! The album leaps past any easy definitions – as bits of jazz, MPB, serious scoring, folkloric styles, and other elements come into play – often in the space of a single song – and Gismonti's own keyboards and guitar are mixed with really collaborative efforts from Joyce, Danilo Caymmi, Marcio Montarroyos, and other leading lights of the Brazilian underground at the time! The tunes are quite visionary – in a way that's as sublime as Gismonti's legendary 1973 album – and production is other-worldly, at a level that few Anglo albums could hope to match at the time. Titles include the classic "Cafe" – plus Baiao Do Acordar", "Danca Das Cabecas", "Carmo", "Polichinelo", "Trem Noturno", and "Ano Zero". LP, Vinyl record album