Athens Of The North レコード& CD

Review: In the sales notes accompanying this latest slice of 7" gold from Athens of the North, boss man Euan Fryer admits that he spent a good "four or five years" trying to locate an original copy of "Time For Change" before finally tracking down original singer Benita. She was more than happy for him to reissue the record, which is one of the most inspired and well-made disco-soul records you're ever likely to hear (how it remained a lost classic, we'll never know). Benita's lyrics and vocals are superb, the horns are punchy, and the B-side "Hot Mix" contains one of the best slap-bass solos you'll ever hear. In a word: essential.

Review: North Carolina's Brief Encounter were one of the bands to define the 70's US soul sound but, unlike many of their peers, the group remained in the sights of crate diggers and specialists, straying away from significant commercial success. This particular single, for instance, wasn't even released officially and has remained the stuff of legends until now, so it's thanks to the reliable Athens Of The North that we're able to give it a spin on our turntables. Put simply, "Where Will I Go" and "Always" are two unmissable soul ballads that are simply impossible not to appreciate and get excited by - they encapsulate a particular note of optimism and romance that represented the 1970s in America, taking us on a journey into the past. Don't miss it!

Review: Little is known about Friction Band's hyper-rare 45" besides the fact it's a brilliant example of outsider, slightly experimental style of modern soul, it's passed hands for strong triple figures in recent years and it's just been injected with a whole new lease of life by Fryer. "Watchin' You" is a footloose boogie jam with unabashed use of freeform keys while "To The Sky" flips for a softer, more sentimental soul affair that's fringed by just the right amount of dreamy cosmicity. Another precision find by AOTN.

Review: Incredible late night smoochy stuff right here from one of the most decorated bassists of all time. A major figure in the bands of Miles Davis and Stevie Wonder, Henderson was also a killer solo artist amassing eight artist albums between 76-86. This AOTN "45 showcases his true breadth as "Let Love Enter" lilts on a soft bossa with rising horns, velvet backing vocals and an unabashed come-to-bed message. "Come To Me" gets even deeper under the sheets with as he goes toe-to-toe, cheek-to-cheek with Rena Scott with smoking results.

Review: The Athens of the North label is a blessing for those whose tastes in soul, funk, disco and boogie tend towards the obscure and ludicrously hard-to-find. Their latest re-issue fits into both categories. Seemingly the only single they ever released, "Confrontation" came out in 1981 on Arista but copies have since proved incredibly hard to find; so hard, in fact, that original 7" singles now change hands online for nearly L300. The title track, produced by A Taste of Honey's Perry Kibble, is brilliant, though, delivering a soulful, heartfelt disco-funk jam full of smooth backing vocals, bubbling clavinet lines and deliciously righteous horns.

Review: Athens Of The North strike again. A big spinner for the likes of Floating Points, this rare-as-pigs-shoes 1980 45 from Ohio troupe Love Company has gone for big sums in the past. It's not hard to hear why; "Love Tempo" raises the heat with an unrelenting disco beat, coastal guitar textures and harmonies to swoon to. "Somebody Help Me Be Fair" flips for a much more sentimental story as Love Company unravel the problems of a menage-et-trois. Steamy.

Review: While Luther Davis is undoubtedly best known for his sought-after disco smash "You Can Be A Star", many collectors and deep funk DJs have long insisted that the more obscure "Keep On Dancin" is even better. Thanks to Athens of the North's timely reissue of the latter, you can now decide for yourself. Certainly, it's a ludicrously infectious, full-throttle disco-funk affair whose extreme dancefloor intensity is helped by Davis and company's liberal use of studio effects, psychedelic backing vocals and some serious eyes-closed guitar solos. This reissue comes with B-side bonus soothing slow jam "You", which is a serviceable chunk of deep soul.

Review: Excavated from vaults of the Weiss Brothers' longstanding NYC imprint Old Time Records, Beverly McKay's gutsy tales have massaged soul floors for those lucky to have a 200 pound 45. "Say It With Feeling" hits with big backing vocal harmonies before breaking into a classic midtempo bluesy arrangement while "Conscience" strikes with a little more eastern allure, staccato strings and a cat-prowling narrative. Timeless soul.

Review: If this fine 7" is anything to go by, the crate digging and detective skills of Athens of the North founder Euan Fryer are as sharp as ever. The two tracks featured here originally appeared on a private press single that currently changes hands for large sums online. Fryer manager to track down the original writer/producer, Chicago-based George Riviera, who not only have his blessing to the reissue, but also sent over the master tapes. Stylistically, A-side "The Time is Right" sits somewhere between Latin soul, jazz-funk and sumptuous downtempo disco, with blue-eyed soul vocals and subtle vibraphone solos rising above superb had percussion. Fipside "Feelin' Funky" is a more up-tempo affair: an undulating chunk of jazz-funk/disco fusion laden with neat musical touches.

Review: Following the excellent excavation of the Miami band's unreleased album Best Kept Secret, AOTN's Fryer treats us to his two favourite cuts on a 500-only never-to-be-repressed 45. Seeped in powerful vocal harmonies, "Let Go" is rare groove gold with smooth sax and a dynamic that keeps on surprising while "Will You Be There" is an end of night soul shakedown with a tenderness that's tangible in every element. Don't sleep on this... Or the album. One of AOTN's most exciting releases this year.

Review: Athens Of The North represent one of Australia's finest soul exponents Renee Geyer. "Be There In The Morning" comes in two forms... The 1977 version will be recognised from her most successful album of the time Moving Along. An upbeat fusion of soul and funk with mild disco nuances, it comes with confident orchestration and an instantly infectious, ultimately emphatic chorus. The real coup here, however, is the softer, dreamier earlier version that's so rare it never left the confines of her native country. It's digging like this that makes the young-but-hugely-potential rare music label Athens Of The North a very exciting prospect for record collectors.

Review: Georgia troupe Star Quake gave the world just one record... And boy is it special. Slick pumping disco funk with focus, momentum and shimmering chimes on the chords as the track climaxes, there's an air of Stevie to the vocals and unashamed funk throughout. So good it comes in two parts, there's a reason original copies of this have passed hands for almost $2000 in the past.

Review: Christopher Sprains and The Strange Band recorded a whole heap of material in a hazy, drug-fuelled 19178, but their - surprisingly - never gained enough traction with the NYC disco crowd. Perhaps this work was too ahead of its time and, while it does share some qualities with the music of Rick James, it contains something dark, sexy, a little bit twisted and, of course, strange. The lead track "You" is a synth-heavy, electrifying boogie cut with a rugged percussion swing and an air of post-punk to its mix down, not to mention those utterly freaky vocals; our favourite, though, is actually "Space V", an insanely nutty electro cut that would have undoubtedly been on The Electrifying Mojo's playlist should it have landed on his lap. Totally recommended...