A rare funky gem from the Chicago scene in the pre-house years – but a set that also might be a crucial bridge between the city's 70s soul and the underground clubs that would soon give the world a new groove! The group have plenty of funk elements in the mix – kind of a tightened-up version of P-Funk at times, with lots of bass in the mix – and all these cool moogy keyboard touches – topped by vocals from the group – who often have a call to action sort of vibe, really urging on the groove! The record's definitely too hardcore to have gotten much national radio play – sharper and more wicked than the major label funk of the time – and the use of female vocals in the mix also have a very different vibe than in disco, too – a quality that's hard to describe, but which really stands out. The set features some arrangements by Floyd Morris and Tom Tom 84 – two mighty legends in the Chicago soul scene – and titles include "Doin' It To Def", which has sort of a "We Will Rock You" intro, plus "Hot Spot", "Grab Your Sexy Baby", and "Funk Power". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most rootsy albums ever issued by the Tabansi label – a set that's quite different than their more familiar electric modes, and which features very raw, tribal sounds by a percussion group that is tied to the Niri Kingdom in Nigeria! As you'd guess from their name, the ensemble is heavy on drums, but also uses these very spare, simple wood flutes – in a mode that usually varies back and forth in a cycle of notes, which creates a very hypnotic sound along with the percussion – almost like some of the early albums by Moondog. There's also vocals, too – but these seem more intended to encourage the instrumentation, almost calls to action. Titles include "Eze Na Aga", "Nrijifor II", "Ochawaligwe", Ufie Nnam Eze I", and "Okanga Eze Niri II". LP, Vinyl record album

There's a guy who looks like a priest on the cover, but the sounds within are much more the stuff of hell than heaven – surprisingly raw work from a group who were years ahead of their time in the way they handled their guitars! Royal Aircoach aren't just another lost garage band from the 60s – because at times, they've got a nastiness that could rival the Velvet Underground – and a proto-punk sense of lean energy that feels like American underground work from decades to come! Don't get us wrong, there's definitely a lively 60s spirit in the music – but the fact that most of the tracks here never saw release at the time is a great testament to the power of the sounds within. Tracks include the rare Flying Machine single "Webs Of Love" and "Wondering Why" – plus rare tracks "Wrapped Up In Your Mind", "Lies Ain't Right", "Waking Skies", "Wax Theory", "Death Of Man", "Looking Out", and "When I Return". LP, Vinyl record album

A late 90s classic from the Beastie Boys, done with that great mix of really rich production that they seemed to discover on the west coast – while still able to serve up all the youthful energy when they burst into the world frm the New York scene! The album has a space of a few years between its predecessor Ill Communication – and it almost feels as if the Beasties spent that time to go record shopping and crate digging – to bring in all these really cool musical twists and turns that remind us that some of their best expressions often come from the direct inspirations of others! Lee Scratch Perry and Money Mark help out on the set – but as always, it's the energy of the core trio that really ignites the fire – on titles that include "Super Disco Breakin", "The Move", "Song For The Man", "Just A Test", "Body Movin'", "Intergalactic", "Flowin Prose", "Remote Control", "Three MCs & One DJ", "Song For Junior", and "Dr Lee PhD". Features two bonus LPs of material – including remixes, live tracks, and b-sides! LP, Vinyl record album

Be warned – this might not be the Beastie Boys you know and love, because this special set has the trio returning to their punk rock roots – getting some help from Awol, and blasting through tracks that are as loud and fast as the work on their early Polly Wog Stew EP! In fact, the group are so fast here that they blast through the songs very quickly – the record is just a quarter of an hour in length – yet given that they could just have kept doing their same hitmaking thing at the time, it's great to hear them still be able to operate in a hardcore mode! Titles include "Square Wave In Unison", "Brand New", "Deal With It", "Believe Me", and "Nervous Assistant". Again, this is not hip hop – it's punk rock! Includes bonus tracks – "Light My Fire" and "Soba Violence". LP, Vinyl record album

If Paul's Boutique was the Beasties' psychedelic hip hop Sgt Peppers, then Check Your Head is their White Album – a raw, stylistically sprawling, yet always connected batch of live instrumentation – backing rhymes that range from stream of consciousness to expertly written. Check Your Head is also their first outing without the guidance of outside producers, though the trio did bring in a host of regular collaborators like Money Mark and Mario Caldato Jr, who work as well with the Boys as ever. It's stunning how far The Beastie Boys grew creatively over their first few albums, and this point is pretty close to perfection! Titles include "Jimmy James", "Pass The Mic", "Gratitude", "Finger Lickin' Good", "So Whatcha Want", "Time For Livin'", "Something's Got To Give", "Groove Holmes" and "Professor Booty". LP, Vinyl record album

The Beasties' peak-era, retro-style instrumentals LP! Even at their weakest vocal moments, we've always dug the Beastie Boys' firm commitment to funky instrumental backing – their albums are filled with lots of nice interludes, instrumentals, and backing grooves – but they often seemed to get buried amidst all the bugged out vocals. The record kind of has the vibe of a lost jazz organ session, with lots of weird twists and turns thrown in, and all the better thanks to Money Mark, pretty much a 4th Beastie here! A cool bit of instrumental funk with a very classic production feel. Every track's a winner, and the titles include "Ricky's Theme", "Groove Holmes", "Sabrosa", "In 3's", "Transitions", "Bobo On the Corner", and "Shambala". LP, Vinyl record album

Think the Beastie Boys went straight into hip hop? No – back at the start, they were three guys with plenty of energy who dabbled in a number of modes that were brewing big in the New York scene of their youth – including punk rock and reggae, both of which are featured here along with early hip hop experiments! The set begins with their searing "Egg Raid On Mojo" – the moves through "Beastie Boys", "Transit Cop", "Jimi", "Holy Snappers, "Riot Fight", "Beastie Rvolution", and "Michelle's Farm". But maybe best of all, the album includes the incredible Cooky Puss EP – which features the original "Cooky Puss" song that has the group calling up Carvel Ice Cream, and harassing the staff by asking to talk to an ice cream cake! LP, Vinyl record album

Duke Ellington makes a rare Verve appearance on this classic album – and works strongly in the mode of earlier sides recorded for the label by Johnny Hodges! There's a relaxed, small group feel going on here – one that's a bit different than some of the tighter Ellington work on Columbia during the 50s, and which almost paves the way for some of the more intimate piano sides that Duke would record during the 60s. In a way, Hodges is almost at the lead – given how comfortable he is here in a Verve setting – and other players include Harry Edison on trumpet, Les Spann on guitar, Sam Jones on bass, and Jo Jones on drums. The real charm, as always, is Hodges' solos, lean, mean, raspy, and soulful – and titles include "Weary Blues", "Royal Garden Blues", "Loveless Love", "St Louis Blues", and "Wabash Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A mighty deep dig into the overlooked soul scene in Virginia – put together by the same folks who gave us the fantastic Raw Soul/Ol Virginia Soul compilations a number of years back! The set focuses on the special studio productions of Lenis Guess – head of LGA Records, and a strong force in the underground scene in Norfolk – a city east of Richmond, and one that had its own great little soul scene for a number of years too! Some of the material here was issued on very small run 7" singles – but a number of others also never saw the light of day back in the 70s, yet are killers that resonate equally well with the singles – raw soul with a nicely gritty vibe, and some slight traces of the more upbeat modes that were hitting VA at the time. Titles include "Keep My Company With You" and "You Don't Believe I Love You" by Deltones Ltd, "Your Love Gave Me Peace Of Mind" by 35th Street Gang, "You Don't Miss Your Water" and "How Long Have I Been A Fool" by Jato Vondel, "Don't Wake Me Up" by Jack & The Mods, "No Steps Away" by Lenis Guess & The Royal Robins, "Home Ain't Home" and "Find Yourself Another Baby" by The Symbolics, and "Sentimental Love (inst)" by Little Wink & Eddie's 25th Century Band. LP, Vinyl record album

Spare, stretched-out work from tenorist Joe Henderson – one of his hippest recordings of the 80s, and a great live date recorded with just bass and drums for accompaniment! Henderson's horn is heard in great company with the bass of Charlie Haden and drums of Al Foster – both players who really know what to do with the extra time allotted them in the extended setting of the record – making the set a great showcase not just for Joe's raspy tone on tenor, but for their own beyond-rhythm talents as well! The whole thing's great – easygoing and open, but with a really dark edge – and titles include "Ask Me Now", "Serenity", "Beatrice", and "Invitation". This great "complete" version features more material too – titles that include "Visa", "All The Things You Are", and "Rue Chaptal/Royal Roost". LP, Vinyl record album

Weird and wild novelty numbers from the glory days of the 7" single – tunes that are mostly rockers, but which also show all the cool and unusual ways that folks were experimenting with new styles and studio modes, then putting the results on a two to three minute 45rpm chunk of vinyl – getting the gags and goofs out there in the years before social media and the internet! There's a wonderfully offbeat selection of cuts here – comedic intentions mixed with inventive instrumentation, odd arrangements, and hip production – on tracks that include "Ho Ho Rock & Roll" by Sid Ramin, "You Tickle Me Baby" by The Royal Jokers, "Your Wiggle & Your Giggle" by Lue Renny, "Breakin Up" by The Fabulous Continentals, "Hey Lulu" by Hank Marvin, "The Mad Scientist" by The Zanies, "Good For A Laugh" by The Paollos, "Lafin Gas" by Adolphus Bell & The All Starts, "The Giggler" by Pat & The Wildcats, "Scrub" by Jim Doval & The Gauchos, and "Laffin Beatnik" by Johnny Beeman. LP, Vinyl record album

Mic Geronimo's first LP, a little less crossover with a harder sound than his later efforts. The Beatminerz & Buckwild handled production on about half of the album. Royal Flush, OC & the Lost Boyz show up here and there, too. Includes "Lifecheck", "Wherever You Are", "Sh*t's Real", "Time To Build" & "Masta IC". LP, Vinyl record album

The last album in the classic run of Steely Dan – the final taste we'd have of the group until their surprising revival in the 90s! Gaucho picks up beautifully where Aja left off – warmly produced with a deep undercurrent of jazz, but perhaps a bit more down to earth feel at times too – not in the music, which is still up there in the heavens, but in some of the subject matter of the tunes, which almost takes us back to Royal Scam territory. Donald Fagan's vocals are wonderful throughout – a sound for which there's no referent or real description – and the balance in the instrumentation is near perfect on tunes that include "Babylon Sisters", "Hey Nineteen", "Time Out Of Mind", "My Rival", "Glamour Profession", and "Gaucho". LP, Vinyl record album

A really deep dive into the world of electrified Peruvian music – one that's put together not only with a killer collection of tracks, but also some really detailed notes that expand on this wonderfully unique hybrid of styles! Rhythms are often in the territory of cumbia from slightly farther north in the South American scene, but given all sorts of rootsier percussion touches – then mixed with electric guitar and thin keyboards, of the sort that you'd normally expect to hear on a 60s surf record – yet reworked here with a uniquely tropical vibe! The approach is often more instrumental than vocal, but you'll hear plenty of voices on the set too – sometimes just calling out to urge on the instrumentalists in the combos – on titles that include "La Hamaca" by Los Cisnes, "Humo En La Selva" by Los Invasores De Progreso, "Selva Virgen" by Los Zheros, "Descarga Royal" by Los Royals De Pucallpa, "Baila Bonito" by Ranil Y Su Conjunto Tropical, "El Pasito De Miriam" by Grupo Siglo XX De Rioja, "La Palmerita" by Fresa Juvenil De Tarapoto, and "Recordando Aguaytia" by Sonido Verde De Moybamba. LP, Vinyl record album

A great entry in this always-killer collection of rare funk and soul – a series that somehow manages to keep on delivering ultra-rare nuggets, even at a time when there's been so many other compilations from so many other labels over the years! Our ears are always trained to appreciate the best of the best from the world of funky collections – and those ears are plenty pleased with the range of tracks here we'd never heard before – the kind of music that remind us to keep on digging, even when we think we've heard enough! Titles include "All Night" by Vantage Point, "I'm Feeling It Too" by Kim McCrae, "Steps On A Cloud" by Street Life 80, "Real True Voices" by Tory Wynter, "I'll Be Good To You" by Chatham, "Giving On Into Love" by Dalton Reed, "Getting Lucky" by Panama Gold, "Step By Step" by Matter Of Taste, "What Am I Going To Do Baby" by Royal Touch, and "Bi-Centennial 1976" by Frankie Staton & Speckled Rainbow. LP, Vinyl record album

The title's certainly got it right – as the set's overflowing with killer UK tracks from a time when the scene was heavily influenced by American soul, jazz, blues, and R&B – served up here on a host of singles that go way past the bigger names of that generation, and which really show the diversity and complexity of the underground groups who were making London hum in the mid 60s! And despite a strong influence from America, most of these acts aren't just aping music from our shores, and instead are already taking it to new and exciting places – using core elements in very different ways, at a level that would end up being a path forward for prog, psych, and other styles to come! The limited 2LP set features 34 tracks in all – and titles include "Oh Yeah" by The Others, "Unchain My Heart" by Trendbender Band, "Work Song" by James Royal, "I Still Want You" by Mickey Finn & The Blue Men, "Things She Says" by The In Crowd, "Crawdaddy Simone" by The Syndicats, "That Driving Beat" by The Favourite Sons, "I Take What I Want" by The Artwoods, "Number One" by Stormsville Shakers, "See Saw" by The Union, "Ain't Love Good" by Lucas & The Mike Cotton Sound, "Gotta Brand New Man" by Barry St Loun, "Last Night" by Laurel Aitken & The Soul Men, "Turn On Your Lovelight" by Wynder K Frog, "Something For Nothing" by Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede, "Good Lovin Never Hurt" by The Soul Brothers, "Hold On" by Ruperts People, and "She's A Girl" by The Attraction. LP, Vinyl record album

Heavy heavy funk from the Louisiana scene of the late 60s and 1970s – and a great collection that really gets past the dominance of the New Orleans sound! The set moves way past the Crescent City to uncover a wealth of great bits recorded in smaller studios located in Shreveport, Lake Charles, and a variety of tiny scenes in the southwest side of Louisiana – and the result is a great batch of tunes with a really gritty, down-n-dirty sound! There's a wealth of great funky styles in the set – including James Brown-inspired jammers, southern soul burners, and some other great modes that show that Louisiana's got a heck of a lot more to offer than just New Orleans funk. Titles include work from the Anla, Murco, Soul International, Goldband, and Tic Toc labels – a total of 22 cuts that include "Soul Time" by Ernest Thomas, "Soul Feeling (parts 1 & 2)" by Eddy G Giles, "Soul Brothers Testify (part 1)" by Chester Randles Soul Senders, "Soul Power" by Abraham & The Casanovas, "Put It On" by Count Rockin Sidney with The Dukes, "Fix It" by Clifton White & His Royal Knights, "Miss Hard To Get" by Dennis Landry, "No Sad Times" by Johnny Truit, "Black Water Gold" by African Music Machine, and "I Got A Groove" by JJ Callier. LP, Vinyl record album

A record that really lives up to the promise of its title – and one that delivers not just in the world of funky rhythms, but Latin modes as well! There's some great percussion on the cuts at the bottom – so that even if there's some wah wah guitar or sweet electric keyboards, there might be touches of Latin funk at times – all with a sound that's a lot heavier and hard-hitting than some other soundtrack work on the Telemusic label! Plus, there's some longer tracks too – not just short sound cues, but well-spun instrumentals that stretch out nicely – on cuts that include "Bass In Action", "Royal Shuffle", "Pepper Rock", "Rock 73", and "Latin Leitmotiv". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic work from Syn – a British group who are maybe best-remembered for giving the world future prog giants Chris Squire and Peter Banks – but who are already pretty darn great even without that later legacy of sound! The vibe here is a bit like Tomorrow – the early home of Steve Howe – in that the songs are mostly short, focused, and tuneful, but have all sorts of wonderfully new ideas and trippy touches around the edges – deeper than pop psych material coming out of the US at the time, but equally catchy in its own sort of way! Titles include "Created By Clive", "Flowerman", "14 Hour Technicolour Dream", "Merry Go Round", "The Gangster Opera", "Cadillac Dreams", "The Last Performance of The Royal Regimental Very Victorious and Valiant Band", "Mister White's White Flying Machine", "Love You", and "Sunset Boulevard Lament". LP, Vinyl record album

A groundbreaking array of material from the first in a legendary series of festivals – the important Womad concerts of the 80s, which were a crucial effort in opening the doors to a globe's amount of music! Womad was famously helmed by Peter Gabriel, who was drawing on many currents of cultures in his own recordings of the time – and the initial weekend concert in England was the start of a huge tradition that would impact countless audiences for many years to come. This package restores some lost recordings from that initial festival, and is a great mix of global styles and more groundbreaking work of the time – with titles that include "Gahu" by Ekome, "Kama Kiwacu" by Drummers Of Burundi, "Womad II" by Robert Fripp, "Tabla Iqae" by Musicians Of The Nile, "Zimbo" by Echo & The Bunnymen with Royal Burundi Drummers, "Raindrops Pattering On Banana Leaves" by Tian Jin Music & Dance Ensemble, "Salsa De Hoy" by Salsa De Joy, "You're My Kind Of Climate" by Rip Rig & Panic, "A Ritual Mask" by Peter Hammill, and "Biko" by Peter Gabriel with Ekome. LP, Vinyl record album

A fascinating look at musical modes in London during the big years of postwar immigration – a time when former residents of the crumbling British Empire were flooding to London for jobs and a better way of life – often bringing along a huge amount of cultural experience in the process! This set follows wonderfully in the spirit of previous volumes of the series – bringing together a range of different sonic styles that were originally recorded in London as 78rpm singles – where a new wave of Caribbean and West African immigrants were fusing older styles with a newly modern sensibility, and often a fair bit of jazz as well! The set list is wonderful – a great array of well-chosen material – and titles include "Wa Sise" by Willie Payne & The Starlite Tempos, "The Emperor Of Africa" by The Mighty Terror, "Royal Wedding" by The Lion, "Modern Telephone" by Dai Dai Simba, "Sons & Daughters Of Africa" by Lord Beginner, "Caroline" by Trinidad Steel Band, "Ema Foju Ana Woku" by West African Rhythm Brothers, "Kana Kana" by Billy Sholanke, "Boul Ve Se" by Calypso Rhythm Kings, and "My Handy Man" by Marie Bryant. LP, Vinyl record album

Soul Jazz gets the royal treatment, or should we say gives us the royal treatment! The royal court is in session with a fine, fine batch of today's sound today, another regal dip into the Studio One vaults, showcasing the top male vocal stars in Coxsone Dodd's stable! The set includes both classic cuts and some well chosen lesser known nuggets, and as you now know (or are about to find out) the Soul Jazz selectors pull together a compilation fit for a king! 17 numbers in all, including "I've Got To Make It" by Larry Marshall, "Every Tongue Shall Tell" by Horace Andy, "Well Run Dry" by Alton Ellis, 'Water More Than Flour" by Johnny Osbourne, "I Am The Ruler" by Anthony Rocky Ellis, "Pretty Looks Isn't All" by Cornell Campbell, "Please Be True" by Alexander Henry, "Them A Come" by Burning Spear, "Change Of Plan" by Joe Higgs, "Roots Natty" by Devon Russell, "Be Yourself" by Ken Boothe, "I Shall Be Released" by Freddie McGregor, "Father Will Cut You Off" by Freddie McKay, "Locust" by the Ethiopian, "One, One" by George Philip, "I Don't Want To See You Cry" by John Holt and "Won't You Come Home" by Delroy Wilson. LP, Vinyl record album

One of those classic late 90s hip hop albums that initially got lost in the shuffle of record label politics and other issues – finally out for the rest of the world in the following century! The record's from a time when King Tee was allied strongly with Dr Dre – who produces part of the set, and also makes an appearance alongside other Cali all-stars – like MC Ren, DJ Quik, and Too $hort – royalty, for sure – but don't forget that King Tee was also on the scene pretty early himself! And while there were some issues that may have held the record back, the set's still a key part of that legacy that Tee brought to the west – with titles that include "Speak On It", "Stay Down", "Skweez Ya Ballz", "Monay", "Da'kron", "Big Boys", "Let's Make AV", "Tha Game", "Reel Raw", "2Gs from Compton", "Shake Da Pot", "Nna Moenin", "Step On By", "Big Ballin", "The Original", "Nuthin Has Changed", and "Where's T". LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful entry in this excellent series – one that initially helped identify a really special strand in postwar music – then continue to provide rare and unique examples with new volumes like this! The music isn't really mambo or Latin at all – but the rhythms here are more sophisticated and modern than more blues-oriented work of the time – and pulled from a fantastic moment when things were really mixing up in the new indie recording scene of the postwar years! Bits of jazz, early soul, and other touches make these tunes really shine – all lively numbers that include both group material and solo singers too – in a killer set list that includes "Wanda" by The Heartbreakers, "You're So Good Looking" by Otis Smith, "Heartaches & Troubles" by Mr Bo, "Song Of Sadar" by Lawrence Peel & The Filatones, "Buddha's Boogie" by Dukes Of Rhythm, "Calvalry" by Marie Knight & Sister Rosetta Tharpe, "Evil One" by The Dundees, "Love For Sale" by Helene Polite, "Oscalypso" by Oscar Pettiford, "Mambo Blues" by Effie Smith, "Big Mary's" by Titus Turner, "Caldonia" by Monchito, "Ali Baba's Boogie" by Preston Love, "Canveral Rock" by The Blasts, "I Want You To Be My Baby Mambo" by The Royals, "Girl Of My Dream" by Frank Butler, and "My Beat Is 125th Street" by Eunice Davis. LP, Vinyl record album

Hot mustard mix deep funk instrumentation with hip hop inspired beats – really linking together two generations of funky sounds with a very unique approach! The core of the group is Nick Carusos on bass and Jack Powell on guitars – yet the later also serves up all these breakbeats throughout – the spare, lean kind that people where first pulling from records in the early years of hip hop – then layered with live instrumentation from the pair, plus work from others on trumpet, trombone, and a whole host of cool organ and keyboard lines! Alanna Royale sings on the final track – "The End Of Time" – and all other cuts are instrumental, and include "Whole Grain", "Stono Hustle", "Gravy Boat", "Butcher Block", "Low Boy", and "The Golden Beet". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful sounds from Hypnotic Brass Ensemble – a group who've matured tremendously in the time that they've been giving us music – and who almost seem ready here to take on the legacy of their musical father – the late Kelan Phil Cohran! There's a complexity to the horn work here that's even deeper than before – amazing tones and textures from trumpets, trombones, euphonium, and sousaphone – all balanced with these sonic currents on guitar, bass, and electronics – instruments used in subtle ways, but to strongly shape the brass elements with maybe more spiritual overtones than in previous years – almost as if the group is growing, and getting even more serious about their message – with echoes that stretch back to the work of Cohran, and maybe Sun Ra's Arkestra, the world of Strata East, and even the tonal colors of Oliver Nelson at his best. Titles include "Heaven & Earth", "Midnight", "Now", "Morning Prayer", "Purple Afternoon", "Lead The Way", "Synapsis", "Royalty", "Solstice", and "Sri Neroti". LP, Vinyl record album

They're not lying with the title of this one, as most of the cuts here are unreleased – some completely unheard tracks from the Studio One catalog, others that are stereo versions of tunes that were only ever around in mono – mixed here with a few other rare gems from the deep vaults of one of the hippest reggae labels of all time! The styles run the gamut, but there's also an all-killer, no filler approach here – with titles that include the unreleased tunes "Sleeping Trees (discomix)" by The Saints, "Flying Time" by Carey Wildman Johnson, "Brentford Rock" by Studio One Rockers, "We Are In The Mood" by The Royals, "Kinshasa" by Count Ossie & The Sound Dimension, "Hello Carol" by Prince Jazzbo & The Gladiators, "Many Days" by Alton Ellis, "Too Long" by The Goods, "Think It Over" by Otis Gayle, and "Tribulation" by Jennifer Lara – plus unreleased stereo mixes of "Last Dance" by The Thrillers, and "Feel Like Jumping (take 2)" by Marcia Griffith. LP, Vinyl record album