There's less disco here than you might expect, as the group's a very jazzy one – with tenor and flute from South African jazz legend Basil Coetzee, working next to the organ and drum machine of Pops Mohamed as he creates a very cool, unique groove! The music's an extension of other South African funk of the time, but given the use of drum machine on some tracks (a few feature live drum performances), there's a mix of modes going on here that's really unique – jazz funk, but of a leaner style – maybe a bit more laidback, and with plenty of focus on reedwork and keyboard solos! The set brings together tracks from three rare albums by the group – and titles include "Dark Clouds (part 1)", "Spiritual Feeling", "Night Express (single version)", "Kids In The Dark", "I'm Organized", and "Pops Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

A massive tribute to this groundbreaking, genre-busting label – a short-lived imprint on Island Records that was put together by Brian Eno in the mid 70s – all to showcase some of the best new experiments in avant classical and minimalist music! There's a special sort of quality to these records – work that maybe has a bit more "heart" than some of the colder, more academic work of the period – even in comparison to some of the other records issued by some of these artists – warmer and more personal than the productions of Cramps or CRI, for example – and always seeming to have that special sort of sonic brilliance that Eno brought to his own music of the time! The label only issued ten full records, but that makes for a very unified vibe for the entire catalog – which is collected here with a huge booklet of notes inside the box set. Albums include The Sinking Of The Titanic by Gavin Bryars, Voices & Instrumentals by Jan Steele & John Cage, Irma by Tom Phillips, Pavilion Of Dreams by Harold Budd, Decay Music by Michael Nyman, Discreet Music by Brian Eno, New & Rediscovered Musical Instruments by Max Eastley & David Toop, Music From The Penguin Cafe by Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Machine Music by John White & Gavin Bryars, and Ensemble Pieces by Christopher Hobbs, John Adams, & Gavin Bryars. LP, Vinyl record album

The funky side of New Orleans soul – from a series that has been giving us some of the best underground nuggets for many years, and at a level that goes farther than most of the 60s-centric collections of Crescent City funk! This time around, there's a great rare unissued track from Robert Parker – the excellent instrumental take of "The Hiccup", paired with his vocal version of the tune too – next to titles that include "What's His Name Black Samson" by Willie West, "Stink Bomb" by Eddie Bo, "Tweedie Pie" by Raymond Winnfield, "Da Boys From Across The Tracks" by George Porter's Joy Ride, "Accept What You Expect" by Louisiana Purchase, "Water Hole" by Sam & The Soul Machine, "Things Could Be Better" by Raymond Winnfield, and "Sweet Thing" by Willie Tee. LP, Vinyl record album

A second great serving of grooves from the French scene of the late 60s and early 70s – a package that also includes some rare sound library material too, and which shows that if you know where to look, French records can be a real treasure trove of funky cuts! We loved the first volume, but this second one may well dig even deeper – as much of the work here is new to our ears, and the cuts work together in a really great blend of funky instrumental modes – familiar elements from the time, but lots of great twists and turns too! Titles include "Mr Buzz" by The Flying Dutchman, "Soul Car" by Pierre Alain Dahan & Slim Pezin, "Riviera Express" by Bernard Estardy, "Ten Et Medor" by Alain Goraguer, "Belle Gueuse" by Claude Engel, "Lewis & Clark" by Raymond Guiot, "Red Medium" by Tonio Rubio, "Aubergine Time" by Bernard Lubat, "Bass Session" by Guy Pedersen, "Jelly Roll Dance" by Jean Pierre Martin, "Bass Duettino" by Raymond Guiot, "Nage Libre" by Hervey Roy, "Patio Bass" by Guy Pedersen, and "Bahia Bossa Nova" by Bernard Lubat. LP, Vinyl record album

A really well-done overview of key psychedelic tracks on the UK scene at the end of the 60s – work that crosses a few different modes, to include beat groups getting trippy, prog acts at a time when they were still a bit more compact, and pop singers really letting their hair down and their freak flag fly! Given the huge amount of great work the Grapefruit label has done to give us CD collections of work from this time, the album's almost a distillation of all those years of research and record presenting – a 30 track collection that includes cuts by The Attack, Dantalian's Chariot, Fruit Machine, The Mirage, Rupert's People, Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera, John's Children, 23rd Turnoff, The Misunderstood, Picadilly Line, Apple, Episode 6, Blossom Toes, Paper Blitz Tissue, The Shame, Plastic Penny, and many others. LP, Vinyl record album

Daft Punk hits a more human highway, bringing in more guitars and hypnotically repetitive bits while hanging onto the robotic dancefloor vibe their legacy was built on! Guitars stands out in the sound, but it's got that gleaming sheen that pairs so perfectly with the vocoder vocals, driving beats and purposefully repetitive groove that rolls along to hypnotic effect. Includes "Human After All", "The Prime Time Of Your Life", "Robot Rock", "Make Love", "Steam Machine", "On/Off", "Television Rules The Nation", "Emotion" and "Technologic". LP, Vinyl record album

A mighty nice combination of sounds – nice and lean, recorded both live and in a home studio – then wrapped together with that special sort of magic that Ronald Langestraat brings to his albums! At the time of the date, Langestraat was playing daily in the Apollo Hotel in Amsterdam – and the music here features live cuts he recorded during those performances, which were then augmented back at home – in a mix of modes that has Ronald on both acoustic piano and plenty of Yamaha and Roland keyboards over drum machine rhythms – while also adding in some clarinet, soprano sax, and even a bit of voice in a few spots! The music isn't entirely jazz, but it's also leaner than soulful fusion too – a really personal, unique blend that's totally great – on titles that include "Music From Outer Space", "A Fast Drive Through The Universe", "Orpheus", "Worldwide Clarinet", "Space Train", and a nice take on the Boz Scaggs classic "Lowdown". LP, Vinyl record album

Amnesia? We don't know about you, but we still haven't forgotten these seminal house tracks from Larry Heard – easily some of the most exciting work of the Chicago scene – and music that really marked a bit step forward for the sound of the dancefloor at the time! Larry's working here on some really amazing keyboards – often used in ways that have a direct link back to 70s electronics from Herbie Hancock and others, yet served up in a leaner, stripped-down mode that went onto influence a whole batch of British musicians in the next decade as well. The whole thing's way more interesting than just the usual batch of dance tracks – and although the analogue keys have plenty of "acid" elements – they're also really a cut above that genre too. Titles include "Can You Feel It", "Washing Machine", "Beyond The Clouds", "Stars", "Waterfalls", "For So Long", "Amnesia" and "Mystery Of Love". LP, Vinyl record album

2 Chainz was bubbling up in the underground for a number of years before this full length debut – including work under his earlier name of Tity Boy – and that experience clearly gave him plenty of muscle to burst upon the scene with the kind of intensity that made the record a big burner right from the start! Production has plenty of those sinister elements that were really popping big at the time – and titles include "Dope Peddler", "Crack", "I Luv Dem Strippers", "Stop Me Now", "Ghetto Dreams", "In Town", "Money Machine", "Extremely Blessed", and "No Lie" – with features from Drake, Kanye West, Dolla Boy, John Legend, Lil Wayne, and Nicki Minaj. 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 mountain of funk from one of the greatest soul labels of all time! Stax is known round the world over for their soulful work – by singers like Otis Redding or Carla Thomas, and instrumental tunes by Booker T & The MGs – but the label was also quite a funky powerhouse – especially as the 60s drew to a close, and the management of the company got a lot hipper, and a heck of a lot more musically open-minded! This killer batch of tracks features 21 numbers from those days – including many obscure and funky tunes that only ever came out on singles, or which were recorded by artists that never made it as big as Stax stars from earlier years. The result of all that obscurity is an extremely fresh selection of tracks – plenty of down-n-dirty funky 45 numbers, played by hip Memphis combos, and featuring some really deep soul vocals. Titles include "Dark Skin Woman" by Sir Mack Rice, "Ain't No Sin" by John Kasandra, "Bump & Boogie" by The Wrecking Crew, "Shame On The Family Name" by Calvin Scott, "Cool Strut" by Bernie Hayes, "Bump Mean" by Sir Mack Rice, "Soul Machine" by Reggie Milner, "How Can You Mistreat The One You Love" by Katie Love, "Cold Blooded" by The Bar Kays, "Do The Side Saddle" by Rufus Thomas, "Stay Away From That Monkey" by Jimmy McCracklin, "Them Hot Pants" by Lee Sain, "Devil In A Man" by Stu Gardner, "Circuits Overloaded" by Inez Foxx, "From Toys To Boys" by The Emotions, "Got It Together (parts 1 & 2)" by Rudy Robinson & The Hungry Five, and "Crosscut Saw" by Albert King. LP, Vinyl record album

Very cool work from Belgian artist Jacques Charlier – music that almost brings a cold wave style into play with some more familiar French song styles – but with this dark edge that almost feels like work on Factory Records or Disques Du Crepuscule! A good deal of these tracks are unreleased, and fit nicely to the few that came out on albums in the mid 80s – almost all with a spare drum machine rhythm behind Charlier's effects-laden guitar and stark vocals – sometimes coming across like Vini Riley of Durutti Column in an angry mood on a bad day! We'd not heard any of this work when it was release, which makes the whole thing a great discovery, especially given the unreleased tracks – a set with titles that include "Vampirella", "Perki Show", "Check Up", "L'Amour Dans Les Chansons", "Sambas", "Passing Time", "Tout Va Bien", "Un Chat Dans Mon Lit", and "End Of WE". LP, Vinyl record album

The second half of this legendary retrospective on the work and music of the great Bill Fay – a set that's different than the first volume in that it showcases later recordings that Fay was doing at home – really great material that ended up heralding a great later chapter in his career! If anything, there's even more depth and darkness to these tunes than the early work – a continued creative spirit that most of the world had not heard until this release! Titles include "Time To Wake Up Now", "My Eyes Open", "Solace Flies In", "All Must Have A Dream", "War Machine", "Keep Turning The Pages", "Fill This World With Peace", "Still Some Light", "All At Once", "Be At Peace With Yourself", and "I Thought I Heard Someone". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky soul record with a really great pedigree – tracks recorded by a Nigerian group, but done up in London with a vibe that's very much like some of the best east coast soul of the time! There's a style here that's not unlike some of the best club work of the P&P Records generation – a three-female vocal approach that's borrowed from the mainstream, but which is set to quirkier grooves that bubble and percolate in a really great way – boogie rhythms at many points, but peppered with cool keyboard parts that sometimes get a bit spacey – and which make the record a real underground groover in the best way possible! Titles include "Next To You", "Let Love Begin", "Heart To Heart", "Galaxy", and "Groove Machine". LP, Vinyl record album

A heavy funk party from the Japanese jazz scene of the 70s – and a set that hits a lot harder than some of the smoother fusion of the time! There's a grit here that hearkens back to some of the best American jazz funk at the start of the decade – a nice edge that you often don't find in Japanese recordings of this vintage – which is clearly inspired by the American soul scene of the time – as evidence in the weird-looking cover, and in the album's choice of tracks! The notes are in Japanese, which makes it a bit hard to tell what's going on – but the whole thing feels like a live performance, with supposedly different Japanese groups taking the lead – and some calls on the tunes that almost give the whole thing an Osaka Monaurail feel! Titles include "Put It Where You Want It" by Jiro Inagaki & Soul Media, "I Who Have Nothing" by Tan Tan, "Walking All Day" by Eddie Ban & Orient Express, "Sex Machine" by Ozawa Tetsu, and "Scratch" by Akira Ishikawa & Count Buffalo. LP, Vinyl record album

A crucial album from that moment when British jazz was colliding with progressive rock – in key ways that were really elevated past their roots on records like this! By the time of the record, trumpeter Ian Carr already had a great run on the left side of the UK jazz spectrum – and here, with his group Nucleus, he embraces all sorts of amazing sounds and styles – using plenty of electric piano from Soft Machine's Karl Jenkins, guitar from Chris Spedding, and a VCS3 synth from Keith Winter – alongside more familiar jazz elements on tenor from Tony Roberts, soprano and flute from Brian Smith, and additional trumpets from Kenny Wheeler and Harry Beckett! The great John Marshall plays drums next to bass from Jeff Clyne and Ron Matthewson – and the album's got a mighty sense of experimentation and power, on titles that include "Torso", "Snakehips' Dream", "Changing Time", "Spirit Level", and "Bedrock Deadlock". LP, Vinyl record album

The fourth Prince soundtrack in less than a decade – and a record that follows nicely after Purple Rain, Batman, and Parade, but with a slightly different spirit too – thanks to an ever-expanding Paisley Park family that included George Clinton, Morris Day, and Mavis Staples! The older funk acts are fine, and add to the spice – but it's clear that the main attraction here is Prince, although The Time are pretty darn welcome too! The set features vocal performances from Tevin Campbell, George Clinton, Mavis Staples, TC Ellis, and Robin Power – and titles include "New Power Generation", "Can't Stop This Feeling I Got", "Love Machine", "Tick Tick Bang", "Shake", "Thieves In The Temple", "Still Would Stand All Time", "Graffiti Bridge", and "The Latest Fashion". 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 set that comes out a decade after the first album by footwork maestro RP Boo, but one that features tracks recorded in the first ten years of the 21st Century – music from a time when footwork was really exploding on the Chicago scene as a wonderful blend of house music influences and some of the grittier elements of hip hop! But as you'll hear on the record, the style here is tied to neither at all – as it offers up a blisteringly rhythm progression of sounds – as urban as some of the Afro-Futurist work from Detroit, but even more stark and spare as well. Titles include "Pop Machine", "Azzoutof Control", "Porno", "Off Da Hook", "Say Grace", "Total Darkness", "Heavy Heat", "Eraser", and "BOTO". LP, Vinyl record album

The Seeds are caught in a web of sound on the cover – and the same thing will happen to the listener, too – as the power of this groundbreaking classic reaches out and grabs you right away! The album's not the group's first, but it's definitely the one where everything comes together amazingly – the sneering vocals of Sky Saxon, that hypnotic blend of thin organ and guitar in the grooves, and even the slight use of bottleneck guitar – an early example of taking the instrument to much more way-out territory! The album's got plenty to please both fans of garage and psych, and also has a power that went on to influence generations to come – which you can definitely hear on titles that include "The Farmer", "Rollin Machine", "Just Let Go", "A Faded Picture", "Tripmaker", and the 14 minute jam of "Up In Her Room". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the first-ever album to be issued under the name of the great Charles Stepney – even though the artist/musician/producer/songwriter had a huge role in the careers of Chicago contemporaries like Minnie Riperton, Ramsey Lewis, and Earth Wind & Fire! This set brings together recordings that Stepney made on his own, often in his home studio – many of which are songs that never saw the light of day on some of his bigger-name projects, next to others that feature melodies you might recognize, but done in these sweet jazzy instrumentals that are totally great! Most of the set features Charles on a variety of keyboards Rhodes, piano, and even some cool moogy bits – plus some vibes from time to time – often set to spare early electric drum machine rhythms – in a style that makes you feel like you've stumbled upon Timmy Thomas doing an all instrumental jam session in the early 70s. Given that Stepney first got his start as a jazz musician – playing piano and vibes on some great early 60s sessions – the keyboard work is superb, and the record stands as a completely different testament to his genius – with titles that include "Funky Sci Fi", "Gotta Dig It To Dig It", "Daddy's Diddies", "Rubie Charles", "Notes From Dad", "Black Bold", "Gimme Some Sugar", "No Credit For This", "Imagination", "Look B4U Leap", "Mini Mugg", "Denim Groove", and "That's The Way Of The World". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet 80s groover from the South African scene – a set that makes great use of drum machine rhythms and keyboards, but at a level that's nicely warmed up by the group's vocals! There's plenty of elements here that link up with that moment when electric African material was getting wider circulation in the Northern Hemisphere, thanks to work by labels like Celluloid or Jive – and although this set never got hat sort of larger exposure, it's right up there with some of the best South African soul of the time! Titles include "Mind Games", "Right On Time", "Fire Passion Ecstasy", "Where Did We Go Wrong", and "Say Say No". 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

Sweet synth soul from 80s Nigeria – a set that definitely shows the evolution of that country's sound in the decade after the rise of Afro Funk – and a record that also delivers plenty of the beats promised in the title! There's lots of elements here borrowed from electro – drum machine rhythms, tight basslines, and plenty of keyboards – all percolating nicely next to the rougher-edged vocals of Nkono Teles – a singer who does an equally great job of delivering a catchy hit and a more seductive number. Touches of highlife filter into the mix here and there, but still in an electro-tinged way – and titles include "Be My Lady", "Party Beats", "Time For Fun", "Love Vibration", and "Highlife Makossa". LP, Vinyl record album

A second entry in this very cool series, but one that's very different than the first – as the "driving" in the title means that most of these tracks have a very cool groove – kind of the darker side of new club music styles of the time, with maybe just a hint of the cold wave generation to come! Given how far back this material goes, the set shows just how much German experiments influenced the rise of UK electronic work in the post-punk generation of early Human League and Cabaret Voltaire – as there's a link here with some of the darker sounds on Rough Trade during that period, and much of the material serves as a great bridge between Krautrock of earlier days and the German new wave of the 80s. Electronics are in full effect, with plenty of keyboards and electric rhythms – and titles include "Fur Dich (bureau b edit)" by Thomas Singer, "Time Machine" by Adelbert Von Deyen, "Puls (bureau b edit)" by Gunter Schickert, "Juggernaut" by Faust, "Phonique" by Serge Blenner, "Subito" by Moebius & Beerbohm, "180" by Pyrolator, "Auf Engelsfugeln (bureau b edit)" by Deutsch Wertarbeit, "Eve On The Hill (bureau b edit)" by Harald Grosskopf, and "Bockwurst A La Maitresse" by Asmus Tietchens. LP, Vinyl record album