A fantastic soundtrack that's maybe even more legendary than the unusual animated film for which it was created – a funky French classic that stands strong in the best tradition of work by Serge Gainsbourg, Jean-Claude Vannier, and Michel Colombier! No surprise, Alain Goraguer is part of the same generation, and did some great early jazzy backings for Serge – but here, his style is much funkier, with lots of sweet keyboard lines, wah wah guitar, and soaring larger orchestrations that really put the whole thing together – clearly one of Alain's best musical moments – and filled with great tunes that include "Le Bracelet", "Deshominisation", "Mort De Draag", "La Femme", "Mira Et Ten", and "Ten Et Medor". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great record from French rocker Johnny Hallyday – a great artist who's really letting his style open up here – recording in London, and using some modes that are a bit funky at times, and also touched with some elements that were coming out of the LA scene at the start of the 70s too! Arrangements are mostly by Mickey Jones and Tommy Brown, who'd done some excellent work with Hallyday on earlier records – and the music is kind of a post-Muscle Shoals/Memphis sound, with lots of soulful piano, bubbling organ riffs, riffing guitar, and backings that are generally more in the soul/rock camp than in Hallyday's earlier pop rock style – all of which seems to really bring out some great qualities in Johnny's vocals too! Titles include "La Joi", "L'Autre Motif", "Flagrant Delit", "Fils De Personne", and "Fille De La Nuit". 2LP set features a full bonus record of unissued material from the original sessions – lots of alternate takes, and the unissued tunes "Waterloo" and "Reste". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great record from French rocker Johnny Hallyday – a great artist who's really letting his style open up here – recording in London, and using some modes that are a bit funky at times, and also touched with some elements that were coming out of the LA scene at the start of the 70s too! Arrangements are mostly by Mickey Jones and Tommy Brown, who'd done some excellent work with Hallyday on earlier records – and the music is kind of a post-Muscle Shoals/Memphis sound, with lots of soulful piano, bubbling organ riffs, riffing guitar, and backings that are generally more in the soul/rock camp than in Hallyday's earlier pop rock style – all of which seems to really bring out some great qualities in Johnny's vocals too! Titles include "La Joi", "L'Autre Motif", "Flagrant Delit", "Fils De Personne", and "Fille De La Nuit". This totally cool package is filled with great material – a CD and LP version of the original album, then a bonus CD and LP that features a full bonus record of unissued material from the original sessions – lots of alternate takes, and the unissued tunes "Waterloo" and "Reste". Also features a 3rd CD, with a full Paris live show from September of 1971 – and a 4th CD that features another French live show from August of 1971. Also includes a DVD with an interview with Philippe Labro too. Plus, the whole thing comes in a heavy book-style package with a huge 48 page booklet of images and notes! LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A mindblowing journey in sound – a dip into the archives of French composer Pierre Henry – the postwar master of electronics and musique concrete, and an artist who was still very active in the final years of his life! The material here was all either recorded or reworked in Henry's own studio during the last few years of his time on the planet – with some tracks that revisit important early compositions, but with a different sonic perspective – mixed with a few new pieces that really continue that wellspring of recording that Henry was doing from the mid 90s onward! There's a wonderful array of sonic elements throughout – plenty of electronics, compelling tape and analog sounds, and lots more that we're hard pressed to figure out – in the best tradition of Pierre's music. Titles include "Variance (remix de Variations)", "Rock Electronique/La Reine Verte", "Prologue/Messe Pour Le Temps Present", "Danse/Mouvement Rythme Etude", "Final/Utopia Hip Hop", "Tokyo 2002", "Machine Danse", and "Tunne De La Mort/Le Fil De La Vie". LP features bonus tracks "Metamorphose/Fragments Rituels", "Enchevetrements De Spirales/Tam Tam Du Merveilleux", and "Etincell Qui Relie Deux Nuits". LP, Vinyl record album

An album with a very striking cover, but which features music done for the more warm-tinged program Mu – a 70s drama represented here by a really great range of different themes! The mix of modes is great – one tune might have a playful Fender Rhodes solo, another a more serious koto line, and another might have groovy use of sitar, or slide guitar, or other inventive instrumentation – all to illustrate the different scenes and characters in the show! There are slight moments of sentiment, but the music is never sappy at all – and in a way, the whole thing really reflects the way that the Japanese listening scene was so strongly influenced by Euro soundtrack styles of the late 60s and very start of the 70s. All titles are in Japanese, and the set is instrumental throughout! LP, Vinyl record album

A record with a staid sort of cover, one that hides all the great funky energy underneath – as the set's a killer album from Japanese drummer Takeshi Inomata, working here with his Sound Ltd group in a wonderful blend of jazz, funk, and psychedelic mode! There's a fantastic swirling of elements going on here – including guitar from a young Ryo Kawasaki, plus trumpet from Shunzo Ohno, flute from Toshiako Yokota, and tenor from Takao Uematsu – as well as trombone from Takashi Imai, who handled the arrangements with Inomata and Norio Maeda. The record is a key evolution of the late 60s Japanese way of serving up new jazz takes on American hits – as the record is funky, yet filled with original material that really pushes the boundaries – on titles that include "It Better End Soon", "Sometimes In Winter", "South California Purples", "Tell All The People", "Tag 5 Tune", and "Pacific C55". LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime 70s work from pianist Fumio Itabashi, easily one of our favorite Japanese talents of the time – a pianist with a wonderful sense of rhythm and freedom at the same time – very much on display on this beautiful record! The tracks are long and flowing – full of feeling, and as lyrical at times as they are rhythmic – set up with perfect trio accompaniment that features Tsutomu Okada on bass and Takuji Kusimoto on drums – working with Fumio in this special sort of magic that's a bit hard to put in words, but which really demonstrates on record why this moment in Japanese jazz was such a special time! Ties include "TOH", "Alligator Dance", and "Goodbye". LP, Vinyl record album

What a great idea! The classic Motown work of The Jackson 5 is remixed and remade by a host of super-hip producers! The cuts really retain a lot of their Motown soul flavor, and the remixers do an excellent job of pulling out some of the best elements – like guitar riffs, piano lines, and drumbeats – while still preserving the original vocal direction of the songs. The new versions of the tracks are equally great – like Monday Michiru's version of "I Wanna Be Where You Are", which has sweet vocals from Monday, and some great Fender Rhodes work! Titles include "It's Great To Be Here" remixed by Kenny Dope, "ABC" redone Kayoko Kimura & The Fireflys, "Hum Along & Dance" remixed by United Future Organization, "Never Can Say Goodbye" by Shinichi Osawa, "I'll Be There" remixed by Small Circle Of Friends, and "I Want You Back" remixed by Kei Kobayoshi. LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the earliest recordings ever of songs by Elton John & Bernie Taupin – tracks cut at the studios of publisher Dick James Music – the guy who'd soon make enough money from Elton to launch his own record label! The set's almost a lost first album by Elton, as tracks were cut in late 1967 and early 1968 – one never-released track, and lots of early takes on material that would get cut later. The style's a bit different than Elton in later years – still the same soulfulness on vocals, but a bit more psych in the instrumentation – all of which makes for a great "what if?" sort of moment in his early career! Titles include "Tartan Coloured Lady", "When I Was Tealby Abbey", "Sitting Doing Nothing", "Angel Tree", "Regimental Sgt Zippo", "Watching The Planes Go By", "Hourglass", "A Dandelion Dies In The Wind", and "Turn To Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal set from Linton Kwesi Johnson – the record that maybe pushed him over the top, and really marked him as one of the strongest new voices in reggae at the end of the 70s! Linton's a poet, not a singer – but his style is also more focused and clear in comparison to some of the dee jay material of the generation, which not only helped to get his messages across very strongly, but also open ears to his music that might not have otherwise been listening to material of this nature. Of course, it also helped that the set was issued by Island Records at a time when it seemed they could do no wrong – but the record is definitely Johnson's own, as he wrote both the words and music, and produced with some great help from Dennis Bovell on mixing. Titles include "It Noh Funny", "Sonny's Lettah", "Independent Intavenshan", "Fite Dem Back", "Reality Poem" and "Forces of Vicktry", plus "Want Fi Goh Rave", and "Time Come". This set features a bonus LP of dubs and mixes, and added artwork too! LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Produced by Mannie Fresh. 12-inch, Vinyl record

One of the wildest sets ever recorded by Japanese guitarist Ryo Kawasaki – and that's saying a lot, given some of his other work! The vibe here is fusion, but with a definite 80s spacey twist that's hinted at by the cover – as Kawasaki handles most of the instruments himself, mixing his cool guitar lines with keyboards, rhythm patterns, and other elements – all in a wonderful wave of sound, almost similar to some of the Japanese electronic instrumental work of the time, but still very jazz-oriented overall! Titles include a nice reading of "Concierto De Aranjuez" – plus "Cancion Del Fuego Fatuo", "Introduction From Schelomo", "A Felicidade", "Marilyn", "Mercy Of The Dragon", "Hawaiian Caravan", and "Twilight Song". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

The very first album from long-running Japanese singer Akira Kushida – a set that bursts out with the word "soulful" on the cover, and definitely follows through with its promise! Given that Akira sings in Japanese on many cuts, the sound isn't exactly the same as James Brown on King Records – but it's also clear that Kushida draws plenty of inspiration from American soul, which is also reflected in the arrangements, not just the raspy style that he brings to the lyrics! There's definitely a fair bit of English on the record – and the vibe is maybe a bit like some of the blue-eyed soul styles of the UK mod scene, served up on titles that include "Vecchio Sam", "For The Love Of A Woman", "Cry Like A Baby", "Forgive Me My Love", and "Lonesome Sad & Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

Michel Legrand is one of our favorite composers of all time – and although the man himself passed away in 2019, his music continues to live on strongly in the hearts of countless singers and musicians he's touched over the years – including those who work together on this wonderful tribute album! The set's very different than other Legrand-related projects of this nature – as both the choice of cuts and the execution is very special – not too pop-polished, or overly sentimental – as most of the numbers here are very spare and open – almost recorded as these elegies to Michel, with beautiful reworkings of his familiar themes, often just with piano and some other light instrumentation – never sleepy, given the talents on board, but sensitively done in just the right spirit of Legrand's genius. Titles include "Windmills Of Your Mind" by Chad Lawson, "Sans Toi" by Luca D'Alberto, "Les Parapluies De Cherbourg" by Lambert, "Toujoirs Jamais" by Akira Kosemura, "Peau D'Ane" by Alban Claudin, "Chanson De Jumelles" by Joseph Schiano Di Lombo, "How Do You Keep The Music Playing" by Moux, and "Summer Of 42" by Chilly Gonzales. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

How can you resist an album with a picture of a baby on the cover with his hands and face covered in tattoos?! The set is maybe the biggest album in Lil Wayne's career – a set that was delayed a bit in the midst of big album leaks of the oughties – then really came on strong once it hit the record racks! Titles include the big hit single "Lollipop" – plus "Mr Carter", "Tie My Hands", "Mrs Officer", "Dr Carter", "La La", "You Ain't Got Nuthin", "Dontgetit", "Shoot Me Down", "Let The Beat Build", and "Got Money". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Great later work from Abbey Lincoln – music from that time when she's found just the right setting for the magnificent instrument that was her maturing voice! Abbey always had one of the most distinct styles of any jazz singer around – but in later years, the slight rasp that came in was even more present – adding almost this sort of wisdom that made the lyrics feel even more pointed, especially at some of the more understated moments. The vibe here is nicely laidback – work from a core trio that features Brandon McCune on piano – and guest performances from Jerry Gonzalez on trumpet and Joe Lovano on tenor. Titles include "Tender As Rose", "Windmills Of Your Mind", "Lucky To Be Me", "I'm Not Supposed To Know", "I Could Sing It For A Song", "A Heart Is Not A Toy", "Blackberry Blossoms", and "Somos Novios". LP, Vinyl record album

The debut album by a guitarist who might well go into the realm of the classics – as he plays here with a sense of care and balance of tone that's very much his own – handling a hollow-body electric with a sound that's simply stunning from the very first note! Hugo Lippi isn't one of those "too clean" guitarists from the vintage years – as he loves to get some richer sounds out of the guitar, while also never rasping the strings or pushing distortion at all either – always playing with a sense of clarity that's great, while also touching on the complexity of acoustic players with an effortless touch! Lippi handles his instrument with the skills of Baden Powell or Paco DeLucia – although he sounds nothing like either of them – while also using the electric side of the instrument to effortlessly create amazing colors throughout. Titles include "A Child Is Born", "Reflections In B", "Land Of Hope & Glory", "Girl", "La Ballade De Johnny Jane", "Be Yourself", "Choros No 1/Bossa Antigua", and a surprising medley of "Wuthering Heights/Babooshka". 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

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A fantastic selection of work from one of the hippest girl groups of the 70s – the mighty Love Unlimited trio, three singers who all worked under the genius of Barry White in his prime! Unlike other girl trios of the time, who often used an older soul mode refitted with disco grooves – sometimes acting more like a chorus than a lead act – Love Unlimited always brought their full vocal strengths to play, and do a fantastic job here working in modes that rival some of the best male harmony groups of the early 70s – especially the sweet soul groups from New Jersey, New York, and Philly. And yes, Barry does kick up the groove a bit at times, but even then things are usually more in a midtempo mode, not a disco one – which makes for tremendous sounds throughout. This is the first-ever proper collection of the girls' singles from the early 70s – and titles include "Oh Love Well We Finally Made It", "Fragile Handle With Care", "Are You Sure", "I Should Have Known", "Is It Really True Boy Is It Me", "Walkin In The Rain With The One I Love", "Under The Influence Of Love", "It May Be Winter Outside", "I Love You So Never Gonna Let You Go", "I Belong To You", "So Nice To Hear", "People Of Tomorrow Are The Children Of Today", and "Share A Little Love In Your Hear LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the crowning moment on record of the mighty McSolaar – certainly the first French MC to conquer the global world of hip hop, and also maybe one of the first non-American artists to show that other languages could work equally well with the music! The production here is every bit as great as Solaar's lyrics – handled by Jimmy Jay and La Funk Mob, the latter of whom you might know from albums of their own – definitely pioneering European talents in taking the best US modes of the early 90s, and mixing them with a fresher array of beats and samples! Titles include "Obsolete", "Dix De Mes Disciples", "La Fin Justifie Les Moyens", "Sequelles", "Prose Combat", "Nouveau Western", "Superstarr", and "Temps Mort". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A lost live recording from the legendary Thelonious Monk Quartet of the 60s – done at a time when the group wasn't recording at all, as a small benefit at a high school in California! Yet despite that setting, the vibe here is as relaxed, open, and human as if the combo were playing at an overseas club – very personal presentation of the best ideals inherent in Monk's piano, Charlie Rouse's tenor, Larry Gales' bass, and the drums of Ben Riley! Monk had been having some health issues during the year, but they don't show up at all in his performance – save for maybe a sense of brooding darkness at times, although that was always a quality that might appear in his performance. The music is every bit as essential as the London recordings that would emerge a few years later – and titles include "Blue Monk", "Well You Needn't", "Ruby My Dear", "Don't Blame Me", "Epistrophy", and "I Love You Sweetheart Of All My Dreams". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Allright, it's not as nice as the Lost Boyz best tracks, but the way they flipped Eddie Kendricks' "Keep On Truckin" loop we can't resist. . .The remix features Missy Elliott, Puff Diddler and Petey Pablo. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Funky, fuzzy, and outta site – a really wonderful set of extended psychedelic jazz numbers from twin tenorists Takeru Muraoka and Takao Uematsu! The set's billed as a live tenor "battle" on the cover – but it's hardly the sort of record that you'd hear from American players in this mode – no bebop jams, and instead some great soul and funk-influenced lines on the horns, served up over rhythm from a trio that features electric piano, electric bass, and drums from the mighty Motohiko Hino! There's a nice degree of fuzz on the saxes at times (are they using some effects pedals?) – and the long tunes really open up with a wicked groove that feels like some lost US jazz funk album from the early 70s. Titles include "Happy Birth", "Listen Here", "Hot Sunday", and "CC Rider". LP, Vinyl record album

A great piano trio set from the start of the 60s – performed by a Japanese player we know little about! Hachidai Nakamura isn't a name that we remember from many other records, but on this beautifully-titled record he steps forth with a command of the keys that's really wonderful – a sound that's got a mix of soulfulness and sensitivity that reminds us a fair bit of Red Garland on Prestige, but which also seems to get a bit more kick here from the bolder lines of Hachiro Kurita on bass and Jimmy Takeuchi on drums. Titles are all in Japanese, but most seem to be originals – and Hachidai's got a sharp-edged way of stating his intentions on the tunes, then leaping into the groove with a freer sort of solo. CD presents the original album, beautifully remastered – with stereo and mono takes of all titles! LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Totally great work from one of the grooviest singers of the 60s and 70s – and on our shores, one of the most overlooked as well! Claude Nougaro has a style that's rooted in jazz, but picks up on influences from Brazilian music and other styles – with a real knack for setting fresh Lyrics to tunes, and creating some great originals of his own! His work of the 60s is already pretty darn groovy – and as the years move on, he just gets hipper – working with jazz talents like Michel Legrand, Maurice Vander, and Aldo Romano. This set brings together great tracks from these key years – and includes new versions of "Work Song" and "The Cat" – plus his wonderful re-reading of "O Que Sera", and the cuts "Rimes", "Le Cinema", "Le Jazz Et La Java", "Cecile Ma Fille", "Armstrong", "La Pluie Fait Des Claquettes", and "Toulouse". LP, Vinyl record album

Lisa Ono is at it again – recording a lovely set of bossa tunes with help from Paulo and Daniel Jobim, son and grandson of Antonio Carlos Jobim! The Jobims produced the album with Lisa, and they play guitar and piano on the album – in a moody style that recalls all the best 60s stylings of Antonio Carlos Jobim. Lisa's voice is great as ever – and the mix of her singing and acoustic guitar with the classic bossa combo sounds feels a lot like Roberto Menescal's best work from the old days. Includes the original tunes "Diz A Ela" and "Os Dois", plus classics like "O Barquinho", "Samba De Verao", "Corcovado", "Maria E Dia", and "So Danco Samba". LP, Vinyl record album

A great take on the sweet style of the lovely Lisa Ono – a record that combines two great musical passions of the Japanese scene – bossa nova and Hawaiian grooves! And although Lisa's recording in a vaguely Hawaiian mode, the style's nicely different too – mixing her usual bossa approach with a slightly sunshine-drenched style, less Hawaiian than work by Don Ho, more in a "dream" vision of Hawaii, as you might hear in some of the 60s production work by Brian Wilson. The floating lyrics of the Hawaiian tunes work well with the bossa backing – and the sweetness of the album's a perfect fit for Lisa's voice! Titles include "Manoa", "Swing Time In Honolulu", "Sway It, Hula Girl", "Nani Wai'ale'ale", and "Kaimana Hila". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge crossover moment for the young Billy Preston – a set that took him from his early fame as a child prodigy on the organ, to a realm of spiritual soul music that would set the course for his big albums of the 70s! The album's produced by George Harrison, and issued on The Beatles' Apple label – and the set's got a nicely rootsy style that's heavy on influences from gospel, and which often uses female backing vocals behind Billy's lead and organ. Harrison managed to get Billy to record versions of "My Sweet Lord" (wonder if Billy got sued too?) and "All Things Must Pass" – and other titles include "Let The Music Play", "I've Got A Feeling", "Right Now", "Use What You Got", and "Right Now". LP, Vinyl record album

A strong effort from the mid 00s revitalized Prince – one that doesn't approach the greatness of the best material, but a graceful and consistent gem nonetheless! As it was done on his big ol' comeback album, Musicology, Prince takes strides to revisit his classic styles on the different tunes, but it doesn't come off as a simple rehash. Each song pretty much finds Prince in a different mode that can be found on a previous LP, but it works because it's so engaged and warm. Latter day Prince really only turns us off when he strains too hard to do something new, and succeeds in our eyes when he simply makes with his trademark pop funk signature sounds we know and love. Notice that no one really succeeds at ripping Prince off? It's because it can't be done. Tracks include "3121", "Lolita", "Te Amo Corazon", "Black Sweat", "Incense And Candles", "Satisfied", "Fury", "The Word", "Beautiful, Loved And Blessed", "The Dance" and "Get On The Boat". LP, Vinyl record album

Raekwon's third album, featuring appearances by Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck, Ghostface, Havoc, Capone, Sheek Louch and others. Tracks include "Pit Bull Fights", "King Of Kings", "Smith Bros.", "Robbery", "Planet Of The Apes", "Once Upon A Time", "Musketeers Of Pig Valley", "Ice Cream, Pt.2" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

"When I Be On Tha Mic" produced by DJ Premier. "Flow Forever" produced by DJ Clark Kent. 12-inch, Vinyl record

A very groovy lost relic of the Chicago studio jazz scene of the 60's. Trombonist Dave Remington leads a groovy pop jazz band that includes Les Hooper on drums, John Klemmer on tenor, and Irene Kral on vocals. There's a number of nice tracks that have a cool soundtrack sound to them, especially cuts like "Unlit Room" and "Without Rhyme Or Reason", which have very swingin' vocals by Kral. Kind of a mix between Hugo Montenegro and the Clarke/Boland Big Band – and with a very groovy groove. Other cuts include "Lonly Pircus", "Here's Hoyle", "March Winds", and "Last Summer's Spell". LP, Vinyl record album

The debut album of the legendary pianist Masahiko Sato – a musician who's got a way with a piano that's unlike anyone else we can think of – almost creating these sinister moments at times, which are balanced by occasional moments of warmth, amidst a very groundbreaking sense of freedom! At this point in his career, Sato is so different than American or European avant pianists – and there's a clarity to the performance here that really demonstrates his unique approach – supported by superb work from Yasuo Arakawa on bass and Masahiko Togashi on drums – both players who have these deeper, organic qualities that balance the sharper edges of the piano. All titles are originals – save for an unusual version of "Michelle" – and tracks include "Der Zweig Von Salzburg", "Palladium", and "Closing". LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning sounds from the Japanese jazz scene of the 70s – one of those key records that show how the scene was really moving forward with older jazz formats, and definitely finding new voices and styles in the process! The New Herd group here has nothing to do with older American big bands of years past – as they use the larger lineup of saxes, trumpets, and trombones to unlock all these insane colors next to the electric piano of Masahiko Sato – who guests with the group here, composing new material – and really taking things into some very heady territory! The record has breakout sonic passages that go out, but never too far – as things come back with a more standard swing from time to time – yet the overall structure is still quite loose too, very much its own thing – with maybe just a very slight comparison to the territory that Gil Evans might explore at his most avant 70s. Titles include "Ichi", "Ni", and "San". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

There's no shrieking going on here, as the music's got this gently groovy style that's warm and wonderful – post-folk, maybe a bit sunshine pop influenced – and coming across as almost like a Japanese attempt to hit some Carpenters territory! The songs are often more sophisticated than pop, and the arrangements by Takahiko Ishikawa are really great – never too commercial, but just the right direction to give the lighter vocals the push that they need – on titles that include "2001 Nen No Boku No Heya", "Tongarashi", "Kujira No Su San Sora Wo Iku", "Suginokiyama", "Oyashirazu", and "Kaeru No Tabi". LP, Vinyl record album

Off the Baby Boy soundtrack, featuring Tyrese and Mr Tan. 12-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Titles include "Come On", "My Dogz Iz My Gunz" featuring Black Child, "Money Talks" featuring Raekwon, "Why" featuring Still Livin and X-1, "State Vs Kirk Jones" featuring Canibus, Guess Who, Rah Digga, Redman, Scarred 4 Life, and Superb, and "Baby Brother" featuring Dave Hollister. 12-inch, Vinyl record

The sweet image really gets at the wonderful sound of this record – a Japanese pop gem from the end of the 60s, and one that seems to mix together elements of bossa nova and European grooves – all in this way that really fits the way that the male and female vocals come together! The singers unite at points, separate at others – and they sound wonderfully dreamy amidst the well-penned arrangements that make the album a treasure throughout – especially if you dig innocent soft pop, ala Free Design! Lyrics are all in Japanese – and songs translate as "Beautiful Misunderstanding", "A Wonderful Bus Trip", "Suddenly One Day", "Lover's Talk", and "Beautiful Garden In My Memory". LP, Vinyl record album

A record with a really special sound – Japanese pop moving past some of the more emotive modes used a few years before, and working with a gentle, breezy style that sometimes echoes the best A&M Records styles from the Cali scene of the late 60s! Both singers intertwine in a wonderful way, often harmonizing with a great sense of balance – and the backings are often nicely groovy, with electric bass creating a gentle glide that's mighty nice! The whole thing is well-produced, but also has a laidback vibe that fits the barefoot image on the cover – and titles translate as "Being Astray On The Corner", "Another World For Lovers", "The Day We Lose Our Peace", "Moment By Moment", "A Rose & An Apple", and "Early Days". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great record from the Japanese scene of the 70s – one that seems to borrow a lot from the French pop styles of the late 60s – as you might guess from the group's name! Toi Et Moi are one guy singer, one gal – blending their Japanese vocals beautifully, with elements that move between lighter bossa elements and some fuller, more upbeat backings – a blend that makes the album a treasure through and through, and which gives it the same ability to transcend the boundaries of language as some of our favorite European work of the time! Lyrics are all in Japanese, and titles translate as "Love Token In A Spring", "June Bride", "Village In The Valley", "Ballad Of Rainbow & Snow", and "Beautiful Summer". LP, Vinyl record album

14 new and classic recordings including the heavily bootlegged underground hit "Realist Killaz" with 50 Cent, plus "Ghost", "One Day At A Time" featuring/produced by Eminem, "Death Around The Corner", "Secretz Of War", "Holla If Ya Hear Me", "Running (Dying To Live)" with Notorious BIG, "Starin' Through My Rearview", "Same Song", "Panther Power", "Str8 Ballin'" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

With Lil Wayne. 12-inch, Vinyl record

A very hip Japanese group from the 70s – one based in Tokyo, but a combo who also featured Japanese/American members too – and who soar out nicely here on one of their best-remembered albums! The set's got this cool, compressed style that's a bit like glam – but it's also never too over the top either, so that there's a hard rock style that dominates many of the tracks, with guitar lines that really benefit a lot from the compression – as do the vocals when they are folded nicely down into the grooves! Lyrics are both in English and Japanese, and titles include "Billy Mars", "Automatic Pilot", "Vacuum Girl", "Scratchin", and "Pontiac Pan". LP, Vinyl record album

A record as powerful as the image on the cover – and a set that strongly continues the personal and political legacy of British rapper VV Brown! The set works very strongly as a whole, to examine issues of race in contemporary England – and Brown mixes hip hop lyrics with sung vocals, amidst contributions from a variety of guest poets – including Liam Bailey, Durone, Veronica E Banks, and Myrtle E Roach. Production is great – very unified, and handled by VV with Sensible J – on titles that include "Twisted", "Go Back", "Break Of The Night", "Marginalised", "Let Us Remember", "Black British", "I Will Always Be Black", "No Fear", and "Generations". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible album from Amy Winehouse – even way better than her fantastic debut! Although a contemporary soul album, this one's steeped in tradition – soul styles that run the gamut from Detroit down to Kingston, and which are carried off here with a rougher, sharper-edged sound than before! The instrumentation on here is really mindblowing – almost at a Motown level, with isolated instruments really crackling out from the fuller backings – all set to rhythms that snap and bounce, and are almost a bit funky at times. Credit is definitely due to producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi – but Amy's vocals are really tremendous too – classic, but really personal and fresh! Titles include "Rehab", "Just Friends", "Back To Black", "Love Is A Losing Game", "He Can Only Hold Her", "Some Unholy War", and "Me & Mr Jones". LP, Vinyl record album

Not nearly as primitive as you might guess from the title – and instead, a heady batch of electric funk from the Japanese scene at the start of the 70s! The album's got a heavy dose of percussion at the bottom – drums and more, interwoven with lots of electric guitar in the rhythms – all to support the solo flute lines of Toshiaki Yokota, a player who manages to mix sensitive moments with some really freewheeling lines that would be right at home in the company of Roland Kirk or Jeremy Steig! The range of percussion definitely supports the sound you might imagine from the title – but the guitars also blow the sound away with a heavy, rumbling quality that's plenty modern. LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful session that was Lester Young's last-ever recording! The session was cut in Paris in 1959, and features the rhythm section of the famous Blue Note club, home to many American expatriates in France at the time – a great setting for Young to really sparkle in these later years of his life. Kenny Clarke plays drums, Jamil Nasser plays bass, Rene Utreger is on piano, and Jimmy Gourley plays guitar – a group who are tight, but easygoing and laidback enough to really let Lester open up on tenor. Young's tone is amazing – and has touches of his classic sound, but is also filled with a somber sense that's really great – a sense of melancholy that really deepens the album. Titles include "New DB Blues", "Lullaby Of Birdland", "Three Little Words", and "I Didn't Know What Time It Was". LP, Vinyl record album