Heavy psych from Detroit, in the years before Bob Seger became a "lighters in the air" peddler of redneck theme songs. Cut from the same cloth as the early Mitch Ryder, Amboy Dukes and Grand Funk that were the hallmark of the Motor City rock sound of the day, most of the tracks on this outing are concise rockers, but the band delves into a bit of nice jamminess on side 2. Includes 'Tales Of Lucy Blue", "Ivory", "Gone Down Home", "Train Man", "White Wall", "Black Eyed Girl", "2 + 2 = ?" and "Doctor Fine". LP, Vinyl record album

A really beautiful record from the Japanese electro scene at the start of the 80s – a record that's got some of the catchy synth modes of the period, but which also has a fair bit of other elements going on too! Logic System features keyboards from Hideki Matsutake – best known for his keyboard programming with YMO – and here, his style expands into some wider modes that almost remind us of our favorite French soundtrack styles of the period – slight currents of sentiment, and a richness of expression that goes way past the more familiar simpler forms of the keyboards. There's definitely some catchier tunes too, and the balance is very nice – on a set that's mostly instrumental, save for some occasional vocoded bits. Titles inlcude "Metamorphism", "Equivalent", "Be Yourself", "Prophet", "Morpheus", and "Venus". LP, Vinyl record album

The big breakout record for The System – one of the key soul crossover duos of the 80s! By the time of the record, electric instrumentation and studio technology had evolved to a point where a team like Mic Murphy and David Frank could put together a whole mainstream funk record like this on their own – and audiences too were a bit more open to accepting a world of overdubs and multi-track recording, and didn't need the 10-piece lineup of some of those late 70s groups to help them find their groove! The standout number here is the huge single "You Are In My System" – a cut that's wonderful in its simplicity, and somehow even better all these many years later, which it seems like less of a commercial crossover track than it did before. Other tracks follow a similar groove, and titles include "Sweat", "It's Passion", "Now I Am Electric", "Stand Up & Cheer", and "I Won't Let Go". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

The second album by The Freedom Sounds – a very cool west coast soul jazz collective, headed by Wayne Henderson, and featuring a great mix of jazz, soul, and Latin rhythms! This set's a little more ambitious than the group's first album – with a number of tracks that groove in a very strong Latin jazz mode, sounding a lot like some of the best work on Atlantic at the time by Mongo Santamaria, Hubert Laws, and others. Henderson's trombone is still a key solo instrument, but the album also features some incredible sax work from Willie Gresham – a player we know little about, but who makes the album cook in the same fantastic way that Hubert Laws and Sonny Fortune did for Mongo's best work of the 60s! The grooves are very right-on, with plenty of excellent percussion work – and titles include the originals "Love-Out", "Behold The Day", and "Soul Sound System", plus some groovy covers, like "All You Need is Love", "What The World Needs Now Is Love", and "Are You Sure?" – all done with a great Latiny groove! LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Rare and unreleased Lee Perry dubplate mixes – brilliant productions from the creatively fruitful, boundary busting 70s years – with the mighty Upsetters and numbers featuring Junior Murvin, Candy Mackenzie, Leo Graham, Jimmy Riley, George Faith, Jack Lord and The Silvertones! This is the second Sound System Scratch compilation from the deep treasure diggers at Pressure Sounds – who have again assembled staggeringly adventurous and hard to find Scratch productions from an amazing period at Black Ark. A number of the tracks are previously unreleased, others are exclusive dubplate mixes, all incredible – be it smoked out, hazy dubs and surprisingly accessible and soulful reggae. Includes "Righteous Rocking" by The Upsetters, "Get Ready (Bongo Mix) by Junior Murvin & The Upsetters, "Kis Me Mix" by The Upsetters, "I've Got The Dub" by George Faith & The Upsetters, "Enter The Upsetter" by Lee Perry & The Upsetters, "Darkness In The City" by Jimmy Riley & The Upsetters, "Rejoice Jah Jah Children" by The Silvertones and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Jad Fair and co.'s classic 1984 release. LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic work from King Sunny Ade – one of his first truly global releases, and an album that marked a whole new sound in his music! Sunny had been issuing lots of his own records back home in Nigeria – but this set has the juju master working in London, with really fantastic production that pushes his sound in really great ways – echoey waves of basslines and percussion, subtle but powerful vocals, and percolating guitar that takes on a whole new sonic sensibility in the setting! There's a richness to the texture that's amazing – almost as if Brian Eno produced – and titles include "Synchro Feelings Ilako", "Mo Ti Mo", "Penkele", "Maajo", "Synchro System", "E Saiye Re", "Tolongo", "E Wele", and "Synchro Reprise". LP, Vinyl record album

Great early work from King Sunny Ade – billed as "volume 12" – but a set that's way before his bigger 80s fame on Island Records! The title cut takes up all of side one – and side two features shorter tracks that include "Gbogbo Wa L'Ope", "Asiko Ni", and "Ori Olowo". LP, Vinyl record album

Two excellent percolating Ju Ju tracks filled with layered guitars and percussion. 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

An 80s electro-pop classic from Peter Schilling – one of a handful of German artists who managed to crack the record racks over here at the time – thanks to his strong use of English language on most of the tracks, and his classic "Major Tom" track, which was a nice reference to Bowie's "Space Oddity"! There's a nicely catchy vibe to the record – not as commercial as Nena, but more straightforward than Trio – although very much in the territory of both, given the way that Schilling uses spare electric rhythms and keyboards on most of the instrumentation. In addition to the two-part version of "Major Tom (Coming Home)", other titles include "Only Dreams", "Lifetime Guarantee", "I Have No Desire", "Let's Play", "Error In The System", and "The Noah Plan". LP, Vinyl record album

A key album in the evolution of the Millie Jackson sound and style – as she leaves behind the weepy soul of earlier albums, and moves into the fierce, proud-stepping mode that would define the "bad girl" of later, raunchier years! In case you can't figure out where Millie's going with her bag, the title is emphasized by a photo of a toilet seat on the back cover – and Millie literally takes the sh*t out on the record – in a series of tunes that have a real bad-rapping approach. Production is by longtime associate Brad Shapiro, but the overall sound is sweetened nicely by David Van De Pitte – who adds in full strings and voices to emphasize the attitude behind the songs. Titles include "Go Out & Get Some", "Put Something Down On It", "He Wants To Hear The Words", "Here You Come Again", and a great version of Latimore's "Keep The Home Fire Burnin", complete with an additional rap on the subject, entitle "Logs & Thangs". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare studio set from Kazi and Madlib – recorded way back in the mid 90s, but with the kind of crispy intensity that would make Madlib so influential for years to come! The title and the occasional skits on the set refer to a search for a "blackmarket seminar" – an underground source for music this great, which Madlib especially helped bring to a wider audience in years to come. Yet back in 1996, the sound was plenty fresh, and nice and raw – and still sounds tremendously so all these years later. The set features guest work from Wildchild, MED, and Oh No – and titles include "Called Your Bluff", "Sleep If You Want", "Corrections", "Snake Eyes", "Friendly Fire", "Tha Unstoppable", "Down 4 The Kaz", "OX Veterans", "Put Your Title To Waste", "Make Yo Ears Bleed", "Battle Drills (rmx)", and "Mind State". LP, Vinyl record album

From the back cover – "Hard-hitting winning music for sports and the world of technology", recorded on the Synclavier II Digital Music System! LP, Vinyl record album

A mid-70s message from the legendary Fela Kuti – a record whose title and cover image are a commentary on the wrong directions the Nigerian elite were heading in at the time – served up here with all the fantastic frenzied grooves that Afrika 70 can deliver! "Ikoyi Blindness" begins with quick-stepping percussion and riffing guitar, then soon opens to a great keyboard part as the horns come in, and the whole thing flowers beautifully in both an instrumental and vocal level! The flipside also features the equally-great "Gba Mi Leti Ki N'Dolow" – translated as "Slap Me Make I Get Money", an attack on the way that the rich bend the system of justice to their own needs – and really set fire by Fela and the group. LP, Vinyl record album

A really goofy little record – one that has the great Spike Jones taking on the hi-fi generation – demonstrating the qualities of your system with a huge amount of sound effects mixed with music! LP, Vinyl record album

A massive exploration of the music of Kashmere Stage Band – the legendary Texas funk combo whose work barely got any circulation at the time – but who've become minor stars, thanks to the efforts of Stones Throw and Wax Poetics! The set goes even deeper than any of the previous vinyl reissues of work by the group – and features some previously unreleased tracks, and alternate takes on their funkiest numbers! The Kashmere groove is incredible – blasting horns, scratchy guitars, and funky drums – all wrapped super-tight around a range of original material and some more familiar numbers – all recast here in super-heavy funk mode! Titles include "All Praises", "Thank You", "Scorpio (extended)", "Headwiggle", "Do You Dig It Man", "Getting It Out Of My System", "Zero Point (parts 1 & 2)", "Boss City", "Burning Spear", "Take Five", and "Keep Doing It". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic 70s work from KC & The Sunshine Band – a record that's not as hit-heavy as previous efforts, but still a plenty great set that's filled with catchy dancefloor funk! KC's clearly feeling the heat of the disco fire he helped to ignite a few years before – and there's definitely an ear hear towards tracks that would boom out nicely on a heavier sound system – kind of a deepening of the sometimes bargain basement production the group got on earlier TK records. That approach doesn't dampen the groove, though, and there's still a nice mix here of soul, funk, club, and tropical modes – sometimes a bit off the mark, but still a heck of a lot better than most of the group's contemporaries! Titles include a remake of "It's The Same Old Song", plus "Who Do Ya Love", "How About A Little Love", "Sho-Nuff'" and "Come To My Island". LP, Vinyl record album

Back in the 70s, there were plenty of records that mixed together the Japanese shamisen with more contemporary sounds – but of them all, this set might well be one of the wildest – as it features two side-long tracks that mix the acoustic strings of the ancient instrument with a mix of moogy electronics and keyboards! Konae Imato handles the shamisen in a very classic style – with lots of raspy touches along the three strings – while Masashi Komatsubara delivers all these different sounds from the moog – sometimes very abstract, sometimes tuneful, sometimes very experimental – all of which makes for a wonderful sense of variety throughout the record! Hideki Matsutake (aka Logic System) was part of the album's creation too – and the record features the long tracks "Journey To Edo" and "The City Of Edo". LP, Vinyl record album

One of a rare few albums done by pianist Cecil Taylor for the Blue Note label in the 60s – some of the most outside work recorded for the imprint at the time! The word "structures" here is perhaps a bit misplaced – as the work has a strong sense of freedom with the soloists – who operate based on a system of energy and impulses described by Taylor in the notes, at a level that's maybe one of his most inventive, ambitious expressions of the decade! The whole lineup is great – with especially strong horn work from Eddie Gale on trumpet, Jimmy Lyons on alto, and Ken McIntyre on alto, oboe, and bass clarinet – and Taylor's piano gets accompaniment from two groundbreaking bassists – Henry Grimes and Alan Silva – plus drums from Andrew Cyrille. Given the lineup, and the format, the whole thing almost feels more like one of the BYG/Actuel avant sessions than Blue Note in the 60s – and titles include "Steps", "Enter Evening (Soft Line Structure)", "Unit Structure/As Of A Now/Section", and "Tales (8 Whisps)". LP, Vinyl record album

One of a rare few albums done by pianist Cecil Taylor for the Blue Note label in the 60s – some of the most outside work recorded for the imprint at the time! The word "structures" here is perhaps a bit misplaced – as the work has a strong sense of freedom with the soloists – who operate based on a system of energy and impulses described by Taylor in the notes, at a level that's maybe one of his most inventive, ambitious expressions of the decade! The whole lineup is great – with especially strong horn work from Eddie Gale on trumpet, Jimmy Lyons on alto, and Ken McIntyre on alto, oboe, and bass clarinet – and Taylor's piano gets accompaniment from two groundbreaking bassists – Henry Grimes and Alan Silva – plus drums from Andrew Cyrille. Given the lineup, and the format, the whole thing almost feels more like one of the BYG/Actuel avant sessions than Blue Note in the 60s – and titles include "Steps", "Enter Evening (Soft Line Structure)", "Unit Structure/As Of A Now/Section", and "Tales (8 Whisps)". LP, Vinyl record album

Delroy Witter's the producer, a key underground talent on the London scene during those big years of homecrafted reggae records – and he gets help here from a range of wonderful singers who really bring out the most soulful currents of the lovers rock promised in the title! The set's a well-done selection of obscure singles that were all initially done by Witter with his Success Sound System – and tunes include some great later lovers rock remakes of American soul tracks, plus a few original numbers too. The set's overflowing with mellow stepping gems – including "Ooh Baby Baby" and "Just For Your Love" by Sonia Ferguson, "Mind Blowing Decisions" and "Tell Me Why" by Tyrone David, "Happiness Togetherness" by Cassandra, "I Do Love You" by Janet Kay, "Little Girl" and "Natural Woman" by Heptics, "Loving Time" by Jackie, and "Don't Cry" by Sugar Minott. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes selections by Glenn Frey, Patti La Belle, Pointer Sisters, Rick James, Shalamar, Danny Elfman, Junior, and The System. LP, Vinyl record album

Earth Wind & Fire touch the world with this sweet batch of grooves – a set of tracks that has them firmly embracing the electric sound of 80s soul, yet still bringing in some light spiritual touches of their own! The beats are pretty heavy at points – making for plenty of groovers – but the group almost seems to shine most on the ballads, which continue to provide a perfect showcase for the vocals of Philip Bailey and Maurice White. A few cool studio touches reference the group's earlier history – a nice reminder amidst the more contemporary sounds – and titles include "You & I", "System Of Survival", "Every Now & Then", "Money Tight", "Here Today & Gone Tomorrow", "Victim Of The Modern Heart", and "Thinking Of You". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare material from one of our favorite jazz musicians of all time – legendary Hammond hero Jack McDuff, heard here in a really wonderful setting! McDuff in the 60s was already great – an organist who played in ways that really stood out, with a sense of rhythm that was completely unique – and which only took off even more strongly as the 70s approached. Here, McDuff is in a very fruitful part of that decade – playing live in a way that really echoes his classic Heatin System album, recorded in the same year for Chess Records – really long, exploratory tracks that also feature strong solo work from Dave Young on tenor and soprano sax, Leo Johnson on tenor and flute, and Vinnie Corrado on guitar. There's an unknown trumpeter on two tracks too – and titles include "Ain't No Sunshine", "Blues 1 & 8", "6:30 In The Morning", "Middle Class Folk Song", "Jolly Black Giant", and the killer "Theme From Electric Surfboard". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastically free session from the Japanese scene of the late 60s – a set that really points the way towards some of the more dramatic, dynamic guitar-based expression to come in later decades! The group's a trio, with guitarist Masayuki Takayanagi very firmly in the lead – playing his instrument in a range of compelling ways – bowing the strings one minute, plucking with Derek Bailey-like complexity the next – sometimes with heavy drums and bass, other times standing out in very free solo space. The whole album's got a very freely improvised feel, and stands as an early link between free jazz and experimental rock modes - with tracks that include "Piranha", "Herdsman's Pipe Of Spain", "The Galactic System", "Sick Sick Sickness My Aunt", and "Study No 3 Up & Down". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great record from the Melbourne scene – a record that's got kind of a "jazz plus" vibe – in that it mixes live jazz instrumentation with some work on edits and a few electric touches – all in a style that's very much like some of our favorite London work in recent years! Don Glori heads the group on bass and keyboards – but the sound is served up in a really well-crafted blend of saxophones, Fender Rhodes, and lots of great percussion – sometimes with vocals, but often used more like an instrument than a lyrical delivery system – on tracks that are nice and long, and resonate with a mix of soulful and spiritual touches! Titles include "Voyager", "Fly Low, "Dawn Calling", "Pachinko King", and "After Hours". LP, Vinyl record album

Overlooked genius from Led Zeppelin – an album that was missed by many the first time around, because of it's tight focus and simplicity! For the set, the group step back just a bit from their more stylistically sprawling tendencies – almost as if they got some of the more ambitious ideas out of their system with Physical Graffiti, or simply wanted to get out there and kick some ass – a back to basics move, and one that sees some tremendous guitar work from Jimmy Page! The album still has some longer songs and complicated changes – this is Led Zeppelin, after all – and the lack of over-played classic rock radio fodder actually makes this one a better listen nowadays than the more iconic albums. Includes "Achilles Last Stand", "For Your Life", "Nobody's Fault But Mine", "Candy Store Rock", "Hots On For Nowhere", and "Tea For One". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice mid 80s UK pop soul from Five Star – sweet family act that's kind of in the mode that's a bit of an unofficial British answer to the cheery family pop soul vibe of groups like DeBarge and New Edition at the time – and a sweet one! Lean, lightly thumping synth soul backdrops and nice vocals from the group on some very catchy songs! Titles include "Love Take Over", "All Fall Down", "Let Me Be The One", "System Addict", "Hide And Seek", "RSVP", "Crazy", "Winning" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A second set of super-rare tracks from the Bob Marley side of the universe – not material that was issued by Island Records as part of his run of hit albums in the 70s – but instead some very obscure dubs that were taken from acetates that were initially only circulated through Jamaican soundsystems back in the day! The material here is very different than the cleaned-up hits – as the tracks often mute the vocals, bring up the rhythms, and go for an echoey brilliance that must have sounded great coming out of some massive speakers in the street! You'll definitely have to turn your stereo up to 11 when playing this one – for titles that include "Black Survivor Dub", "Top Rankin Dub", "So Much Trouble Dub", "Babylon System Dub", "Ride Natty Ride Dub", and "One Drop Dub". LP, Vinyl record album

Unity Sounds was one of the top, if not the top sound system in London throughout the 80s, and like so many Jamaican greats, went on to start cutting their own rhythms. In the post Jammy's era, this meant stripped down digital beats – round, bouncing basslines and tinny Casio drums, the reggae equivalent to the nascent electro sound of early hip hop. Each of the tracks here is followed by it's version, and they're all voiced by singers, no deejays, twenty one tracks in all, over seven mighty rhythms, including Selah Collins' "Pick A Sound", Richie Davis "You Ha Fe Cool", Kenny Knots "Ring My Number", "Run Come Call Me" and "Watch How The People Dancing", Peter Bouncer "Ready For The Dancehall Tonight" and Mikey Murka "Ride The Rhythm". Plus there's a nice fold out with photos and an extensive interview with Ribs of Unity Sounds. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most unusual albums from the 70s minimalist scene – a set that features different tracks with cyclical passages of instruments layered over one another – but with a vibe that's sometimes a bit more chaotic than similar work by artists like Terry Riley or Steve Reich! That quality is intentional, clearly, and the proceedings veer into noisier territory at times – with instrumentation played by the composer on most tracks, with help from a few other percussionists at points – in a shifting lineup that includes lots of glockenspiel, plus bass, piano, violin piano, percussion, electronics, guitar, and other instruments too. Titles include a number of variations on "Error System" – plus "Water Systemised", "Venezuela 2", "Bolivia", "Ecuador", and "Guitar Systemised". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic bit of UK soul from the early 90s – a set that was initially only issued as a white label promo, but which has a classic sound that takes us back to the days of Omar and Soul II Soul! The production is nice and lean – a bit in the homegrown style used on Omar's debut – and the rhythms have that nicely chunky quality that the UK was putting forth at the time, in a way that's nicely different than mainstream US R&B, especially of the new jack generation – all a perfect fit for the way that Rick Clarke can sweetly deliver a lyric in collaboration with guests who include Gina Foster, Imaani, Easton, Jill Francis, and others. The guests really help give the record that upbeat vibe from the UK soundsystem mode of the time – often way more collaborative than US soul – and titles include "Share My Love", "Do What We Gotta Do", "Fantasy", "Love Don't Strike Twice", "I Like To Party", and "Gonna Make You Happy". LP, Vinyl record album

A sly little set from the hands of British producer Dennis Bovell – a record that was done to appear as an obscure Jamaican import – from the stripped-down packaging to the stripped-down sound in the grooves! The feel here is a bit looser and more laidback than some of the other UK productions of the time – roots work that has some occasional dub-style production at points, or a more straightforward groove at others – on many instrumental cuts that are perfect for blasting over a larger soundsystem! Titles include "None Ah Jah Children", "Skatter Skatter", "Sure Shot", "Younger Generation", "Bounty Hunter", and "Tribute To Idi Amin". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great album from the LA scene of the early 90s – very different than most of the west coast work of the period, and much more in the spirit of some of the east coast work from the Native Tongues posse! The group features early work from Mikah 9, Self Jupiter, PEACE, and Aceyalone – all working in a really inventive mix of jazzy and inventive samples that come together in a great way – leaner than the layering of Q Tip, and not nearly as polished as work of its type would sound on bigger labels. There's almost a "what if" vibe to the record – glimpse at a less thuggish, posturing west coast that never full came to be – on titles that include "We Are The Freestyle Fellowship", "My Fantasy", "7th Seal", "Let's Start Over", "Sunshine Men", "Physical Form", "120 Seconds", "We Will Not Tolerate", "It's On", "Sike", "5 O'Clock Follies", "Legal Alien", "Convolutions", "Jupiter's Journey", "For No Reason", and "Here I Am". LP, Vinyl record album

Drummer Emanuel Harrold is way more than just a musician on the set – and the record is way more than jazz as well – as Emanuel works with some great guests throughout, and turns the whole thing into a record that's more like some soul-styled soundsystem overall! There's definitely plenty of jazzy moments on the set – nice work on flute, alto, Fender Rhodes, and guitar – but the singers who appear on different cuts really help shape the sound of the record in great ways – given a lot of freedom by Harrold to do their things, at a level that's very different than just a vocalist joining in on a jazz session. Gregory Porter gives us one of his best songs in years – the wonderful "I Think" – and singers on other cuts include Shareef Keyes on "See", Crystal Ransom on "Brighter Day", Saunders Sermons on "Good Word", and Malcolm Jamal Warner on "We Da People" – and other cuts include "Shine Light" and "Fight Harder" – the last of which features trumpet from Keyon Harrold. LP, Vinyl record album

A standout solo moment for Yazz – the singer who first rose to fame as part of the Coldcut soundsystem, then really broke big at a point when UK soul was cracking the American mainstream! Yazz may have a bleached-out look on the cover, but her sound is deeply soulful – and fits in perfectly with the house-styled grooves on the record – backings that have an unabashed love of disco, at a time when listening audiences were maybe forgiving that music for all of its previous excesses, and strongly embracing its best qualities again – in a groove that's maybe a bit similar to Lisa Stansfield at the time, although with more beats and less strings. Production and backings are by Coldcut, FON, Youth, and other hip talents – and titles include her great remake of "The Only Way Is Up" – plus "Systematic People", "Wanted On The Floor", "Stand Up For Your Love Rights", "Fine Time", "Where Has All The Love Gone", "Got To Share", and "Turn It Up". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the fantastic albums issued by Giorno Poetry Systems – a wonderful bridge between high and low in the New York scene – as some tracks are spoken straight, and some have music – in a wonderful mix of talents. Tracks include "Imaginatin' Cocktail" by David Johansen, "Exiled In Domestic Life" by John Giorno, "Dinosaurs" by William S Burroughs, "Unclean" by Psychic TV, "What Is It" by Lydia Lunch, "The Rev Hell Gets Confused", by Richard Hell, "Alisa", by Arto Lindsay, "A Peculiar-Looking Girl" by Jim Carroll, "Uh-Oh Pletonium" by Ann Waldman, and "Candy Bullets & Moon" by Meredith Monk. LP, Vinyl record album

Another round of Studio One butter from the folks at Soul Jazz! By this point you're well informed about the status of Coxsone Dodd's Studio One operation as the cornerstone of so much Jamaican music, and Soul Jazz has approached the catalog from just about every angle, covering nearly all the bases before landing here on this dub set. The sly Island grooves are stripped down to their bare essentials, then given a tasteful bit of dubby gloss at the hands of Sylvan Morris, for a massive collection that'll rule your stereo like Studio One rocked the sound systems back in the day. 17 tracks in all, wrapped in a nice package that includes interviews with Morris and Dodd, and fully annotated as to which numbers the rhythms were originally cut as the backing for. Includes "Bionic Dub", "Sky Rhythm", 'Taurus Dub 2", "Hooligan", "Dub Rock", "Hi Fashion Dub", In Cold Blood Version" and "Feel The Dub". LP, Vinyl record album

Joe Armon Jones sings and plays lots of cool Wurlitzer electric piano on this gem of an album – but the whole thing is maybe even more of a tribute to the warmly collaborative spirit of the contemporary London scene, as it is to the talents of the man himself! There's a nicely fluid sense of stardom here – as differing artists get their time to shine in the spotlight while others recede a bit from track to track – but not in the kind of "leader with guests" version of older soundsystem albums – and instead maybe more as a cosmic vision for the future. Other singers include Asheber, Big Sharer, Ego Ella May, and Oscar Jerome – and musicians include Dylan Jones on trumpet, Moses Boyd on drums, and Nubya Garcia and James Mollison on tenor. Titles include "Starting Today", "Almost Went Too Far", "London's Face", "Ragify", "Outro", and "Mollison Dub". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Invocation To Papa Legba" by Debbie Harry, "Sister Ray" by New Order, "Just Say No To Drug Hysteria (excerpt) Dead Souls" by William S Burroughs, "Song For The Trees (or) I Know Sometimes The World Is Wrong" by David Byrne, "Tri-Power" by Live Skull, "Living On The Outside (F^c%ed Up World)" by PMS, "Party Animal" by Karen Finley, "It's A Mistake To Think You're Special" by John Giorno Band, and "Hard" by Henry Rollins Band. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most ambitious albums ever recorded by avant violinist Leroy Jenkins – a very politically-driven record that has even more power than some of his earlier works! Jenkins' vision is very sharp here – expressed brilliantly in the album's side-long title track, with help from Andrew Cyrille on percussion, Anthony Davis on piano and electric piano, George Lewis on trombone and electronics, and Richard Teitelbaum on moog and moog systems! The album also features some shorter tracks by an acoustic group without Tietelbaum – titles that include "Dancing On A Melody", "Kick Back Stomp", "Through The Ages Jehovah, and "The Clowns". LP, Vinyl record album

Two beautifully righteous albums from an obscure Bay Area group – presented here together in a single set! The first record is their debut album Truly Free – a set that has spiritual voices served up in a more secular style – still very message-oriented, and righteous enough to live up to their Sunni Muslim identity, but with a warmth that's also very soulful too – although presented without much instrumentation on some of the tracks, which only seems to enhance the warmth of their music. There's definitely currents here that resonate strongly with more progressive underground soul work of the period – and titles include "Deadly Deceiver", "Wake Up", "Rise Of A Mighty People", "Faith & Deeds", and "We Are Rising". Next is the unreleased album Time – a set from a few years later, and one that still has great vocals from the group, but backed with sounds that are a bit more borrowed from mainstream soul – still nicely far from commercial music, and imbued with a very righteous message – but carried forward with a bit more bassline and groove. Titles include "Choices", "I Don't Want To Die", "Remote Control", "At The Top", "Time", and "Possibilities". LP, Vinyl record album

Bob Marley material that goes way past the obvious – not the big hits of the Island Records years, but instead a whole host of much more obscure recordings from the 70s – tunes that were either rare Jamaican-only singles, or titles that were created only as dubplates for use in sound systems! Bob's vocals are still in place on most numbers, but the dubs are heavy, and the tunes resonate most strongly with basslines and rhythms, bubbling along with a very deep, moody sort of vibe – hardly the sound of Marley's chart-topping hits. Titles include "African Herbsman Version", "Turn Me Loose Dub", "War (alt take)", "Man To Man Version", "Soul Rebel Dub", "Rat Race Dub", "Concrete Jungle Dub", and "Man To Man Dub". LP, Vinyl record album