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Nine incredible albums from the legendary Serge Gainsbourg – all presented together here in a limited box set, with very high quality vinyl, and half-speed mastering that makes the records sound even better than ever before! The set begins with a number of key early albums by Serge – work that shows him emerging from the postwar left bank scene, and working in a mix of jazz and Latin styles, always with the sharp edge, wit, and offbeat approach to material that made his music so great! Next are two records with famous female co-stars – one record that has the lovely Brigitte Bardot working with Serge – getting some fantastic grooves in the process, and also pushing boundaries of sexual liberation in the 60s! That same mode follows in Gainsbourg's famous album with life partner Jane Birkin – barely an adult at the time of recording, but a fantastic muse for Serge's music! The set also features a record exclusive to this set – rare 60s material from singles and soundtracks – featuring some of Gainsbourg's famous cinematic performances! Other albums on the set include Du Chant A La Lune, Serge Gainsbourg No 2, L'Etonnant Serge Gainsbourg, Serge Gainsbourg No 4, Confidentiel, Gainsbourg Percussions, Initials BB, and Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg – and all albums come with their original artwork inside the slipcase! LP, Vinyl record album

Speed, space, and plenty more – all going on in the hands of a quartet led by drummer Masahiko Togashi – a Japanese player who's at his most youthfully creative on this album! Togashi was part of a new generation of musicians on his scene who were moving past conventional jazz modes – not just the free jazz styles that European improvisers were bringing to the music, but also maybe a more organic approach that was years ahead of its time, and not as widely recognized by the rest of the world until many years later. Togashi himself plays a big range of percussion instruments and vibes next to his drums – and the rest of the group features the great Masahiko Sato on piano, Mototeru Takagi on tenor and bass clarinet, and Yoshio Ikeda on bass – all moving effortlessly through a variety of modes of expression, on titles that include "Presage", "Speed & Space", "Expectation", and "Panorama". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the darker records to ever come out under the Moebius name – a set done in collaboration with legendary soundman Conny Plank and Mani Neumeir of Guru Guru – all key German talents of the 70s, ready to take on the new decade and beat them at their own game! There's lots of cold wave and post punk energy going on here – electronics that are more aggressive and sharp-edged than some of the earlier music that Moebius recorded – almost as if he knew all along that he could twist things a bit more heavily, which he definitely does here – on cuts that include "Speed Display", "Load", "Pitch Control", All Repro", "Search Zero", and "Recall". LP, Vinyl record album

32 nuggets from the farther reaches of the British scene in the early years of punk rock – music that goes past some of the bigger names of the time, and which presents an especially English take on the raw sounds that were shaking things up on both sides of the Atlantic as an antidote to the disco and AOR generations! The Cherry Red label was born during these times, and always had a great ear for some of the more unusual, offbeat work – including cuts by artists who were important, but who quickly disappeared from the scene – presented here in both classic 45rpm singles, and some even much more obscure and rare tracks too! The whole thing's got a short, sharp punch throughout – and titles include "Mucky Pup" by Puncture, "Hungry" by The Zeros, "Outside View" by Eater, "Peudo Punk" by O Level, "Chelsea 77" by Maniacs, "Speed Freak" by V2, "Safety Pin Stuck In My Heart" by Patrik Fitzgerald, "Teenage Treats" by The Wasps, "I Don't Want My Heart To Rule My Head" by Social Security, "Murder Of Liddle Towers" by Angelic Upstarts, "Just Another Teenage Rebel" by The Outcasts, "ACAB" by The Rowdies, "19 & Mad" by Leyton Buzzards, "King Of Kings" by The Pack, "Where's Captain Kirk" by Spizzenergi, "These Boots Are Made For Walking" by Pure Hell, and "Jilly" by The Pranhas. LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of funky electric albums from Stanley Clarke's mid 80s R&B years – 1984's Time Exposure, ''85's Find Out and '86's Hideaway – in a 2CD set! Time Exposure has a lot of 80s electro funk in the mix, particularly Clarke's impeccable bass lines, which are heavy throughout. Titles include "Play The Bass '10", "Heaven Sent You", "Speedball", "Future Shock" and the great title track. Find Out follows somewhat similar territory, an 80s synth funky set with a few surprising twists – including an electro/funk/old school rap cover of "Born In The USA"! Other tracks include "Find Out", "The Sky's The Limit", "Stereotypica" and "Psychedelic". Hideaway makes a move towards more delicate synth soul for Clarke – who assembles an impressive guest list that includes Stanley Jordan, Herbie Hancock and Stewart Copeland. Titles include a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed", plus "My Love, Her Inspiration", "Where Do We Go", "Old Friends" and "When It's Cold Outside". CD

Tremendous work by Lee Morgan – easily one of his greatest albums, and a soaring session of modal energy that easily rivals the best work of the Impulse era! The album's got a slightly different feel than usual for Blue Note – a sense of freedom, joy, and soaring energy that's totally great – explored by a crack group that features Morgan on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor, Harold Mabern on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – all coming together with a unique sense of creativity! The rhythm section is one of the key factors here – as Mabern, Cranshaw, and Higgins have a fluid groove that really sets the tone for the record – letting Morgan and Shorter stretch out to the height of their powers, and explore some incredible modal and soulful themes. Titles include the seminal 11 minute reading of "The Gigolo", plus "Yes I Can No You Can't", "Speedball", and "Trapped" – as well as an excellent reading of "You Go To My Head" that completely opens up the old standard! CD

A record that bristles with crackling energy right from the start – a self-released album from the contemporary UK scene, and one that's got all the best post-jazz elements that we've been loving from some of the bigger London names in recent years! The group's led by drummer Chiminyo, who's a hell of a deft talent on the kit – moving with a speed and dexterity that's really stunning – taking some of the more programmed London rhythms back into live instrumental territory – working in a core lineup that features Yelfris Valdes on trumpet, Amane Suganami on keyboards, and Luke Wynter on bass. Two cuts feature vocals – Temesgen Samuel on "Free Form", and Clara Serra Lopez on "Lost My Breath" – and other instrumental titles include "Raze", "Purple Green", "Elegua", and "SLK". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best CTI albums from the early 70s – and one of Stanley Turrentine's funkiest records as well! The album's got a sharper edge than most other Turrentine albums of the time – a quality that goes beyond Stan's already soulful approach to the tenor, and which brings in some tight changes and more pronounced rhythms that really give the best cuts a great groove! The group's a sextet – with Bob James on electric piano, Milt Jackson on vibes, Cornell Dupree on guitar, Ron Carter on bass, and Billy Cobham on drums – and titles include a monster version of Weldon Irvine's "Sister Sanctified" – a great funk tune that's probably best known as the sample for "My Philosophy" by BDP! Other tracks include "Speedball", "Cherry", and "The Revs". LP, Vinyl record album

Probably the most hyped hip hop album by rock critics of the last decade – but don't hold that against Stankonia, because these ghetto grooves from planet P-Funk were exactly what world needed in 2000! The millenium blowout party jam feel throughout is surely a nice change of pace from all the doom and gloom out there, but they still manage to spit out enough reality to keep things feeling true – particularly in the playful battle of the sexes showdowns. Dre, Big Boi and Organized Noize continue to innovate, even if they are at the top of the charts – and we can't wait to see where they take it all next! Tracks include "Gasoline Dreams", "So Fresh, So Clean", "Ms. Jackson", "Spaghetti Junction", "I'll Call Before I Come" featuring Gangsta Boo & Eco, "B.O.B.", "Xplosion" featuring B-Real, "We Luv Deez Hoez", "Humble Mumble" featuring Erykah Badu, "Red Velvet", "Gangsta Sh*t", "Toilet Tisha" "Slum Beautiful", and "Stankonia (Stanklove)". CD

A lost chapter in the career of Japanese pianist Ryo Fukui – a beautiful solo set recorded quite a few years after his famous early classics – but a set that shows Fukui still every bit as full of imagination as before! There's no bass or drums on the set, but many tunes have Ryo taking off with an inherent sense of rhythm that's really wonderful – lyrical leaps on the keys of the piano that just keep charming us all over again – both on tunes of his own, and favorites by Sonny Clark and Barry Harris! The sound quality is wonderful – and really gets at that subtle attack that Fukui can bring to the piano – on titles that include "Voyage", "Scenery", "Mellow Dream", "Nobody's", "My Conception", and "Nord". LP, Vinyl record album

A great bit of electric jazz from the Japanese scene of the 70s – an album that easily rivals the best CTI work in the US at the time! Trombonist Hiroshi Suzuki heads up a quintet here – one that's heavy on electric piano and keyboards, played in a stretched-out sort of groove that reminds us a lot of the energy on Freddie Hubbard's funkiest albums from the same period. The tracks are all quite long – and step out with a wonderfully rhythmic sensibility – spare at times, and very focused on the right rolling approach to the groove. Suzuki's trombone solos are matched by some equally great sax work from Takeru Muraoka – and rhythm is from Kunimitsu Inaba on bass and Akira Ishikawa on drums. Filled with great breaks and laidback jazzy grooves – and featuring tracks that include "Cat", "Walk Tall", "Romance", "Shrimp Dance", and "Kuro To Shiro". LP, Vinyl record album