Deep, deep disco selected by Johnny "D" DeMairo – one of the more pivotal underground club music figures of the past couple decades, via his role in setting up the Henry Street imprint – here putting together an incredible set of the rare disco greatness! This the the expansive, floor-shaking, genre-straddling stuff that inspired the house and clubby soul scenes to come – and it's one of the best compilations of harder-to-find disco that's we've gotten our hands in years. The setlist features a divers mix of famous and lesser-remembered names – with styles ranging from straight forward disco stormers to strains of earlyish electro and 80s grooves – benchmark singles and inventive productions that bridge the eras! Tracks by Cerrone, Kasso, Skyy, The System, The O'Jays and more! Disc One of the 2CD edition feature 19 tracks mixed masterfully: "Ride On The Rhythm" by Mahogany feat Bernice Watkins, "Time For Live" by The Brooklyn, Bronx & Queens Band, "It's Passion" by The System, "Spank" by Jimmy Bo Horne, "Call Me" by Skyy, "Dance For Every" by Gaucho, "We're On The Right Track" by Ultra High Frequency and more. CD Two features 13 unmixed disco jams: "This Time Baby" by The O'Jays, "How To Win Your Love" by Spencer Jones, "Dub Till We Drop" by La Fluer, "I've Got To Find A Way" by Zena Djonay, "Think Fast" by Pamela Joy and more. CD

A classic run of records from Waylon Jennings – brought together in a single package! First up is Lonesome Onry & Mean – a pivotal album for Waylon Jennings – the record where he really found the new direction that would finally get him the fame he deserved – delivered in a way that's free from all the later cliches, and which also ties Waylon pretty strongly to the hipper currents of the underground – especially that point where singer/songwriter genius intersected with country! The production is his own, and vastly different than the late 60s records – even though we love those to death too – and that magical Jennings vocal approach does fantastic things to tunes by Steve Young, Mickey Newbury, Kris Kristofferson, and others! Titles include the fantastic "Lonesome Onry & Mean", plus "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues", "Freedom To Stay", "Lay It Down", "You Can Have Her", "Pretend I Never Happened", "San Francisco Mabel Joy", "Sandy Sends Her Best", and a great take on "Me &Bobby McGee". Honky Tonk Heroes is genius material from Waylon Jennings – one of those career-defining records from the early 70s that completely put him on top, and heralded a whole new generation in country music! The set's maybe equally noteworthy as a showcase for the up-and-coming Billy Joe Shaver, who wrote much of the songs on the record – and it's also a great showcase for the important production talents of Tompall Glaser, who really gets the spirit of the music right! Titles include great versions of "Honky Tonk Heroes", "Old Five & Dimers Like Me", "Ride Me Down Easy", "Black Rose", "Willy The Wandering Gypsy & Me", "Omaha", and "Ain't No God In Mexico". This Time is one of those Waylon Jennings records from a time when he could do no wrong – fighting the stronger powers at RCA to really find his voice – recording at the studio of Tompall Glaser, with great production help from Willie Nelson – who was enjoying his own transformation at the time too! As with the previous two gems from this period, the choice of material and presentation is great – songs by Willie, JJ Cale, and Billy Joe Shavers – in a set of titles that include "Heaven Or Hell", "It's Not Supposed To Be That Way", "This Time", "Pick Up The Tempo", "If You Could Touch Her At All", "Walkin", "Slow Rollin Low", "Louisiana Woman", and "Slow Movin Outlaw". Ramblin Man is Waylon Jennings at peak mid 70s perfection! Ramblin' Man fits in stylistically with the gruff honky tonk hero mode he first fully realized a couple albums earlier, but he's still fiercely blazing trails here, pairing his gruff lead vocals with sweeter female harmonies on some tracks, changing the groove from laidback swagger to fast-paced honky tonk, working in some tender ballads with the gruffer numbers...Waylon at his best. Starts up with the eternal title track and equally classic "Rainy Day Woman" and hardly lets up in greatness from there, with "Cloudy Days", "The Hunger", "It'll Be Her", a great cover of the Allman Brothers' "Midnight Rider", "Memories Of You And Me", "Amanda" and more. Features bonus tracks too – "Laid Back Country Picker", "The Last One To Leave Seattle", "Big Big Love", "Got A Lot Going For Me", "The Last Letter", and "The One I Sing My Love Songs To". CD

The debut of Bilal, and a key album in that second generation merging of hip hop and R&B – very different than the early 90s moment, where the genres might combine in more of a surface level – and a set that marks a key merging of minds with the styles, as Bilal croons vocals, but with the fierceness of some of the rappers he'd collaborated with in years before the record! Part of that identity comes through on the album's release on Interscope, echoed by presence of guests who include Dr Dre, Mos Def, and Common – yet the album's very much Bilal's own, and maybe even pushes past territory explored by D'Angelo a few years before. Production includes work by Bilal himself, plus contributions from Dr Dre and J Dilla – on titles that include "Soul Sista", "You Are", "Slyde", "Second Child", "Sally", "Fast Lane", "All That I Am", "Love It", "Sometimes", "Reminisce", and "Home". CD

One of the coolest projects so far from Grey October Sounds – a set that has all the crispy beats and laidback vibe of previous records, but which also focuses on themes from anime as well! There's plenty of tunes from the world of Studio Ghibli, but they're nicely changed up with the instrumentation and production of Grey October Sounds – done as hip hop-styled instrumentals, but still with the gentler currents that echo the originals – including plenty of piano lines that float with a very dreamy vibe over the beats of the tracks! The record has all the charms you could hope for – and is one of the best Ghibli reworks we've heard, out of what is fast becoming a pretty big genre. CD

The never predictable, always endearing spacey pop soul chanteuse Kelis's debut for Ninja Tune – working with producer Dave Sitek – and it's her best record in years! We've loved Kelis from get-to around here, going back to when her vocal presence grounded the spacier sounds of the young Neptunes production style in genuine soul, and she's doing that again here with Sitek in the production booth. As you'd guess from the album and song titles, it's got a foodie theme, but it's a loose one, and the songs stand strongly on their own. The surprising thing is how rooted in timeless soul it is; if you thought the move to Ninja Tune would beget a farther trip to the dancefloor cosmos, think again. Keep on defying expectations, Kelis. It's just one of the reasons we've always loved ya! Includes "Breakfast", "Jerk Ribs", "Forever Be", "Floyd", "Runnin'" Hooch". "Cobbler", "Bless The Telephone", "Friday Fish Fry", "Change", "Rumble", "Biscuits N' Gravy" and "Dreamer". Bonus CD edition includes a disc with remixes by Mount Kimbie, Machinedrum, Will Saul & Komon, Ben Pierce and more! CD

The late 90s all caps CLASSIC by Big Pun – a precise rhyme spitter who, sadly, wouldn't live long enough drop follow up masterpiece in his lifetime, but will always have Capital Punishment as his lasting legacy! Pun was a bit mean, but his flow here is his lean and precise – and he's sharp form throughout. Production wise, Loud Record seems to control the secret formula for a perfect mix of commercial success and straight dope hip hop at the end of the 90s – and the set opens up with guest appearances by Black Thought of The Roots, Raekwon, Fat Joe and more. Includes "Dream Shatterer", "I'm Not A Player", "You Came Up", "Fast Money", "Tres Leches", "Glamour Life" and "Super Lyrical". CD

The late 90s all caps CLASSIC by Big Pun – a precise rhyme spitter who, sadly, wouldn't live long enough drop follow up masterpiece in his lifetime, but will always have Capital Punishment as his lasting legacy! Pun was a bit mean, but his flow here is his lean and precise – and he's sharp form throughout. Production wise, Loud Record seems to control the secret formula for a perfect mix of commercial success and straight dope hip hop at the end of the 90s – and the set opens up with guest appearances by Black Thought of The Roots, Raekwon, Fat Joe and more. Includes "Dream Shatterer", "I'm Not A Player", "You Came Up", "Fast Money", "Tres Leches", "Glamour Life" and "Super Lyrical". LP, Vinyl record album

Two fantastic cuts from Cravo E Canela – a Brazilian combo who take the Brasil 66 style of Sergio Mendes, and move it into even groovier, funkier territory! "Preco De Cada Um" has this soaring blend of female vocals, funky bass, and wonderful piano and keyboard lines – moving at a great clip, but never too fast – and with richer colors that really open up the tune! The flipside features a beautiful mixing of "Asa Branca" and "Que Nem Gilo" – in a tune that uses the forro energy of the original to bring a sharp edge to the jazzy changes of the vocals and instrumentation! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A great set of archival DJ Shadow instros from the early-to-mid 90s – from back when his primary means of production was the Akai MPC sampler – along with his endless arsenal of vinyl and limitless creative inspiration! This is formative, but essential material for fans of classic Shadow. It's a superior follow up to the 4 Track Era compilation, and a solid blueprint for his very best work to come! This is all previously unreleased, and it was produced from 1992 to 1996 – which is the period that beat heads and leftfield hip hop production historians outta know culminated in the release of the classic Endtroducing album. That said, this is not a set of Endtroducing leftovers – it's strong, original and legacy-building instrumental work from a crucial period – assembled by the man himself! 22 tracks on the 2LP version. Includes "Intropy (Original Version)", "Vee In Detroit", "Alright", "Don't Try It", "Falling Up", "Aye", "Britty But Magic", "Atmospheric Disturbances", "Quickstep", "Freddi's Popcorn", "From The Old School", "Mystical With Solo", "Fast Rap Fanfare" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

An early disco groover – with that classic east coast club sound! Lots of smooth soul production, uptempo but not too fast, and a soulful finish that keeps the track real, while still breaking onto the floor! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Man, that east coast harmony sound couldn't miss in the 70s – as proven by the huge AM radio success of New York City! The band wasn't the greatest harmony group in the world – although they did feature John Brown, who'd cut his teeth in the Five Satins – but when you teamed them up with production by Thom Bell, and backing from the Sigma Sound Studios, they created an unstoppable sound that was a perfect pop peddling of the harmony group sound. This album was their biggest – and it includes the classic "I'm Doin' Fine Now", plus lots of other nice tracks like "Hang Your Head In Shame", "Quick, Fast, In A Hurry", "Uncle James", and "Reach Out". LP, Vinyl record album

A masterpiece in fuzzy funk from this large Estonian collective – a group who work here with sharp production from Misha Panfilov, with a sound that's every bit as weird and wonderful as all the other projects he's given us over the years! The group do a wonderful job of blending psychedelic guitar with heavy drums and heady basslines – music that's freaky in all the right parts, but never forgets to be funky either – and which sounds much more like the tight energy of a small combo than you'd guess from the large number of musicians on the cover! As with some of Misha's other recordings, there's some great electric moments here that really create a spacey sort of vibe next to the funkier energy at the core – on titles that include "Bullet Fast", "How Do You Swim At Night", "Stompin & Mortorikn", "5000 Hailstones", "Matti Pellonpaa", "Merman", and "Neanderthal Rock". LP, Vinyl record album

A second album of sorts from Suicide – but one that came out a long four years after their seminal debut, at a time when all of the groups that Suicide had influenced had grown up on their own to fill up the underground! Yet the duo of Martin Rev and Alan Vega are still way ahead of the pack here – and even production by Ric Ocasek can't smooth their edges or dampen their madness, or bog them down in any sort of new wave cliches! Instead, it just feels like they've upgraded their electronics a bit, and maybe put a slight bit of care into the recording of Vega's vocals – without messing with the mix too much. Titles include "Harlem", "Be Bop Kid", "Diamonds Fur Coat Champagne", "Fast Money Music", "Sweetheart", "Mr Ray", and "Shadazz". LP, Vinyl record album

A 70s indie club classic – and the only album we've ever seen from Maryann Farra & Satin Soul! The group have a sound that's equal parts Brunswick Chicago soul and New York early disco groove – a combination that's brought out even more by the production talents of disco maestro Tony Valor and Chi-soul genius Eugene Record! The tunes groove along in a really rich style of arrangement – often using sweeping strings over tighter rhythms – sometimes hitting the loping midtempo groove you'd expect from Brunswick records at the time, yet also going for some of the faster, freer rhythms that were cropping up on the east coast indies of the time. Some tracks have a tight dancefloor feel – like "Never Gonna Leave You", "Do Those Little Things", and "Just A Little Timing" – while others have a beautiful soul groove – like "You Got To Be The One" and "Living In The Footsteps of Another Girl" – which both have a sound that feels like it was lifted from a lost Barbara Acklin or Chi-Lites album! The set also includes a female soul remake of "Stoned Out Of My Mind" that's almost worth the price of the record alone! CD also features a bonus cut – the single version of "Never Gonna Leave You". CD