Review: This is another reissue of a record that remains an ongoing favourite. Original Gravity delivered again with the original pressing featuring two unique versions of 'Burning Spear'. Nestor Alvarez opens with a lively, Latin-inspired rendition filled with fluttering flute melodies, raw drum beats and vibrant dancing keys that radiate sunny energy. On the flip, La Machine D'Argent takes a more cosmic approach, smoothing the vibe and layering spaced-out sounds for a dreamy, immersive journey. This release showcases Original Gravity's knack for reimagining funk with flair by offering two distinct yet equally good takes on a timeless groove.
Review: The brilliant Room In The Sky All Stars presents a heavyweight roots reggae slab here with some serious steppers from guests Joseph Cotton, Laylah Arruda, Ashanti Selah and Rivah Jordan. This essential 12" includes two new tracks, each with four mixes that take the original into all new sonic realms. Rico from the renowned OBF Sound System and Dubquake Records does a fine job with his versions which spin out 'ever bless' into worlds of reverb and lyrical worship. 'Mother Nature' is another impassioned sound with swirling Latin vocals and florid melodies.
Ebony Evans - "Loving You Is All I Wanna Do" (4:38)
Lewzarius - "Step Up" (4:54)
Review: Ebony Evans is a superb soul talent who for this single worked with Manny Campbell who wrote and arranged. Originally recorded in 2004, 'Loving You Is All I Wanna Do' appeared on the Luv's Fire CD Maxi Single and later on a full album in 2006 through Coastal Records but now debut on vinyl thanks to Soul Direction. On the flip side, Lewzarius' 'Step Up" shines as a rich collaboration between Campbell and Haran Griffin, who is best known for 'Movin' Much Too Fast.' Atlanta-born Lewzarius recorded this track during his time at Coastal Records in the late 90s.
Review: Two more battle weapons handpicked from the eponymous UK armoury. Label motto ("You want this party started, right?!") and A-cut refrain ("la-di-da-di, we like to party"), converge in perfect sync here on this latest 7": the obverse samples Doug E Fresh & Slick Rick's 1985 mover, peppering slight but bright brasses over a punctuated beat mix. 'Tambou' on the B-side honours a historic canonical Swizz Beatz crunk bit with a re-edit of 'Tambourine', produced and released in 2006 for blase partystarter Eve.
Review: Five years on from their debut collaborative EP 'Frisina Meets Toco', modern Brasilian dance artists Gerardo Frisina and Toco return for a second faceoff, this time with liaising artist Luzia Dvorek serving as ringmaster. Centring on samba-infused jazz and deep house with mystical and folk influences, "deixa passar" translates from Portuguese to "let it pass", though the mood is certainly not outright passive. This delectably quartered slice of carnivalesque dance music is rather rich in sonic papaya juice, charting sustained vocal contrasts between Toco and Luzia against smoky and furnaced beats. Aperient track 'Deixa Passar' leans heaviest on languid piano, whilst dozier mists emerge on the B-side in the form of 'Ile' and its rework by Gerardo Frisina, bringing pan flutes, strings, breathy vocal counterpoints, cabasa shaker, and subtle bass undercurrents.
Curtis Baker & The Bravehearts - "Wooly Bully" (2:26)
Review: Across four artists and four versions, Original Gravity present 'Woolly Bully', a woollen repackaging of the longtime Sam Sham & The Pharoahs classic. Laid down in 1964, this terpsichorean prancer kept to a 12-bar blues progression, and made for the first American record to sell a million copies during the storied British Invasion. Its mixture of skiffly British rock and Mexican-American conjunto was an intentional blend, and a succesful one at that. Its enduring impact is now felt in these rollicking cover versions from Junior Dell, Donnoya Drake, Luchito & Nestor Alvarez and Curtis Baker, all roomy, costume vintage retrofits of the original. Listen closely to the lyrics for strange talk of a mythical creature: the original song's lyrics were so strange that some radio stations banned it for fear of popular befuddlement.
Review: Lion Vibes lives up to its name with his powerful release from Jamaica featuring the legendary Ini Kamoze and rising star Lila Ike. Produced by Kareem Burrell of XTM Nation, this heavyweight track was recorded at Anchor, 9soundclik and Tads studio with top reggae musicians bringing real authenticity to the sounds. The A-side mix by Veer Dhaniram delivers a stunning vocal cut that exudes island cool while the low-end swaggers. The B-side unveils a previously unreleased dub mix by Gregory Morris and the record comes in a beautifully designed picture sleeve by Juppi Juppsen.
Review: MessenJAH Movement is on a roll after its first three outings and this fourth is just as momentous as it explores conscious dub. The A-side showcases the unmistakable voice of King Lorenzo on 'Down Ya Inna Babylon', which is a heartfelt collaboration years in the making. It's backed by a militant yet soulful MessenJAH Movement riddim and a heavy dub version mixed in-house with stepping rhythms and shiny digital leads. On the flip, Black Swan marks a long-anticipated link-up between Locks MessenJAH and EverestDub, who has been a key figure in Bristol's dub scene since 2008. The track pays tribute to the roots and legacy of Bristol dub and is named after the iconic venue that shaped UK sound system culture.
Review: After releasing two 10" and 12" records in 2019 and 2020, Paris-based punk-jazz duo La Recre are back to complete their EP trilogy with this fresh 45 rpm. '137' brings together the worlds of jazz and electronica with shimmering, skyward and celestial synths bringing mysticism to shimmering jazz drums and warped synths. 'La Lune' is another intense and cinematic sound with spoken words from a spacecraft launch adding grandeur to the cascading melodies and ever-evolving beats.
Review: Lady Wray delivers a powerful two-sider here as she hooks up with Grammy-nominated producer Leon Michels of Clairo and El Michels Affair for another single as they put the final touches to her upcoming album. The A-side, 'Be A Witness,' features Nicole's soaring vocals gliding over deep drum machines and Nick Movshon's funky bass which makes it a smooth mid-tempo groove about destined love and good vibes. On the flip, 'Best For Us' explores love, commitment and perseverance with lush synths and harmonies floating over Homer Steinweiss' tight drumming. They provide the perfect setting for Lady Wray's standout voice and get us excited for the full length.
Review: Joseph Lalibela's collaboration with Vibronics and the Mafia & Fluxy Band delivers a powerful fusion of roots reggae and dub. Lalibela's vocals, rich and commanding, blend seamlessly with Vibronics' immersive production, while the rhythm section from the Mafia & Fluxy Band keeps the track grounded with a steady, hypnotic bassline. The track's balance between deep, atmospheric soundscapes and spiritual lyricism creates a captivating experience, offering listeners both groove and message in equal measure. This is a must for those who appreciate the timelessness of reggae and the expansive nature of dub.
Review: Rindert Lammers' debut LP is a kaleidoscopic suite in five movements; pelican wingspans of twinkly, retentive but then also generous jazztronica, centring on two distinct themes: Japanese cinema and YouTube confessions. Japanese culture is seen through a grateful lens, as theatrical titans such as Kirin Kiki are homaged; the B1 especially is inspired by a poignant moment in the actor's portrayal of Hatsue Shibata in the 2018 film Shoplifters. Seemingly firstly inconsequential digital traces are lent an upscale gravitas, meanwhile, as a voice clip from a YouTube comment on an algorithmically boosted Hiroshi Yoshimura video evolves into the ride-embellished upswell 'Thank You Hiroshi Yoshimura'. Mastering the art of appreciation from afar, Lammers brings a mood of gobsmacked reverence for Japanese enviro jazz and its offshoots, suspending us over an endless realm of forms circa 1989.
Review: Jennifer Lara delivered a rather oblique reggae record in the form of 'We Can Make It Work' in 1980 for Uptempo Records, who've today repressed and redelivered it to fresh ears. The Studio One maverick was a mammoth 7" releaser, but few of her records fell happily afoul of the flukily muted vocals heard on this one, which sound to serve Lara's voice in the manner of a wooing, gothic castle-haunting ghost. The subject matter of resuscitating a lost romantic cause helps in this regard: with offbeat bass bubbles and pitch-warped chords, the whole track feels haunted but still jocular, as if the singer-subject remains fixated on something largely dead, but still, on the off chance, revivable.
Review: Two fresh remixes of East Coast hip-hop classics by Large Combo acolytes Suckaside and Big Mac, hitting twicely as hard as a tandem-charge. First up is Suckaside with an improved remix of Ghostface Killah, Jadakiss and Comp's 'Run', which originates from Ghostface's Hidden Darts 2 mixtape from 2003; Suckaside underlays the track with a fresh instrumental composed of the Rocky Balboa theme tune, to unsurprisingly rousing, sumo-flooring effect. Then there's Big Mac with what sounds like a woofing Wu-Tang remix (of an otherwise obscure track), sacrificing the double bass stretchings of the original for a much harder rendition.
The Dave & Darrell Band - "True True Love" (instrumental) (2:20)
Review: Known for its apt inclusion in the soundtrack for the classic Northern soul genre biopic Good For The Soul by director Dean Chalkley, Tobi Lark's fast-paced classic 'True True Love' hears a worthwhile pairing alongside The Dave & Darrell Band's instrumental retake here on a new Kent Soul 7". Recalling the quick-footed fouettes of dancer Durassie Kiangangu, who in the film entrains himself to many variously heated - and often difficult to dance to - Northern Soul rhythms, this track flaunts Lark's distinctly gravelly Canadian gospel voice, set against quick-witted drumming from longtime collaborator Darrell; both were favourites of the influental but short-lived Detroit label Topper.
Review: This is one of a pair of new slabs of wax from Amsterdam's Sound System and label of the same name, King Shiloh. It features an array of modern dub and reggae talents and first up, Lavvosti & Black Omolo offer the modern sheen of 'Red Gold Green'. Kare's 'Better Days' rides the same rhythm but with more stylised and soulful vocal turns that empower with every bar. Jah Works dubs things out with a ton of effects and Tiger Simeon & Brada Jahziel layer in storytelling bars. Brasspect brings a fresh horn-led sound that is romantic and hypnotic and Roots Mechanic pairs things right back to an 80s sounding Jamaica dub vibe.
Review: Unsettled Scores Records presents the long-overdue release of the soundtrack to The New York Graffiti Experience 1976, a seminal documentary by Fenton Lawless. One of the earliest films to document NYC's graffiti culture, the project began in 1974-75 as a slideshow created by Lawless and producer Justine DiIanni and featured original photos as well as the track 'French Fry 97.' That song, along with other recordings from 1974 by Lawless and his band, now appear on this official soundtrack, which is previously unreleased. The music captures the raw thrill and creativity of a pivotal moment in underground culture so this is a vital piece of NYC history.
I Don't Know What It Is But Keep That Light Shining On Me (Keith Lawrence Refix version 1) (4:26)
I Don't Know What It Is But Keep That Light Shining On Me (Keith Lawrence Refix version 2) (4:32)
Review: Keith Lawrence is a DJ and producer from Brixton in South London with plenty of credentials, and here he serves up a pair of refixes of 'I Don't Know What It Is But Keep That Light Shining On Me', a reggae jam with an edge. The first one is laden with hooky guitar riffs and has soaring call-and-response vocals expanding the sound up top. The second is more raw and a little stripped back with a focus on the timeless rhythms and sounds. Two tunes that demand to be played loud and with bass - obviously - pushed to the max.
Review: Jarrod Lawson's latest release pairs his soulful stylings with the dynamic vocals of Raquel Rodriguez in 'Next Move,' a nostalgic yet fresh r&b slow jam. Channeling the feel of classic 90s ballads, the track explores a charged intrigue between two strangers with a blend of innocence and allure. Years in the making, this collaboration reveals each artist's strengths, weaving a groove that feels timeless. Released via Dome Records, 'Next Move' is set to be a highlight of this year, merging retro influences with contemporary energy.
Review: For over 50 years, The Legendary Beyons have captivated Portland with their music and now their work is finally documented in this high-fidelity LP. Accompanied by a detailed oral history and a booklet filled with archival photography, this release serves as a period piece for those unfamiliar with the group. The album features their only surviving 20th-century recordings, showcasing soulful harmonies in tracks like 'Dreaming You In My Mind' and 'There We Were, Here We Are'. This LP offers a deep dive into Portland's Black music history through the lens of The Legendary Beyons.
Review: Lemuria, the Hawaiian AOR project helmed by Kirk Thompsonian original member of the legendary Kalapanaireturns with a special 7" reissue featuring their a few of their favourite tracks 'All I've Got To Give' and 'Hunk of Heaven'. Thompson, a multifaceted talent as both a musician and producer, crafted timeless albums that captured the sun-soaked essence of island life. Originally released in 1978, Lemuria's music boasts top-tier production and songwriting, which has seen their songs covered by many artists over the years. Now, P-Vine revives two of their signature tracks on vinyl, offering DJs a dynamic slice of soulful, tropical grooves. 'All I've Got To Give' is a warm, melodic gem, while 'Hunk of Heaven' delivers a breezy, irresistible rhythm perfect for eclectic sets. This 45 is bringing the spirit of Hawaii's musical legacy back to the turntables.
Building on the triumph of Les Imprimes' inaugural album, Reverie, Big Crown Records presents two standout tracks from the album pressed onto this 7". For the A-side, Morten provides an edit and infuses the mix with an extra dose of depth reminiscent of Larry Levan's style. The result is striking and hits harder, igniting the dancefloor with its infectious rhythm while delivering a resonant message about the consequences of investing too much in the wrong relationships: On the B-side, 'You' bursts forth with a captivating crescendo, setting the stage for a sublime sweet soul melody. This beautiful declaration of love and reassurance is equally enchanting both musically and lyrically. Morten Martens' talent for arrangement shines through on both of these lovely tunes.
Review: Two formerly passed-over bonus tracks from two of Lettuce's earlier records, 2008's Rage! and 2012's Fly respectively. The US collective and Berklee College graduates, seasoned stalwarts of funk and soul, first featured 'Monorail 3000' and 'Star Children' as afterthoughts on their otherwise sprawling third and fourth records, both funded by Velour Recordings. The tracks alternate between dextrose sweetness on the light-rail A and cosmic rocketship B-side, demonstrating the great versatility of these all-heart alumni.
Review: Ijahman Levi is getting a lot of love from the Jahmani label out of Jamaica as they are reissuing plenty of his pivotal early works. This ultra-rare original version of 'Chariots of Love' was first released on the Organisation label in 1977. While later recordings exist, including a duet with his partner Madge, this remains the definitive take. A sought-after piece of reggae history, it captures the essence of the times with its soulful vocals and deep grooves. This killer track is now available again for the first time in decades so is sure to fly off the shelves and into the bags of those who know best.
Barbara Lewis - "Baby What Do You Want Me To Do" (2:36)
Tony & Tyrone - "Please Operator" (2:48)
Review: US American soul singer and songwriter Barbara Lewis had a smooth style that very much influenced rhythm and blues during her 60s heyday. She began writing songs at the age of just nine and as a teen, recorded with producer Ollie McLaughlin. Her best known tunes club high in Billboard charts and include 'Hello Stranger' and 'Baby I'm Yours' but here it is the swinging sounds and swooning stings of 'Baby What Do You Want Me To Do' which gets pressed up alongside Tony & Tyrone's Northern Soul gem 'Please Operator' which is more raw and urgent soul.
Review: This six-track EP, crated between the late 'Cloud rap' icon and producer Nedarb Nagrom, is a miraculous refind and repress. The EP originally dropped in 2016 during the early wave of Peep's rise to the broth cream of the etherground emo rap and SoundCloud scene. Peep was still in the thick of lo-fi, punk and emo experimentations, and fellow traveller Nedarb had already been a frequent collaborator. The Katy Perry song referenced in the title is a red herring, as these tracks are original internet artefacts through and through, bearing none of the same pop sensibilities; they're loose and aerated, packing slipshod 808s and drawly hooks from the pink-haired icon.
Review: Monika Linges' voice sways between jazz and bossa nova with a natural ease that makes it seem like she was born for this. But her latest track pushes things furtherigently drawing you in with a relaxed yet intricate arrangement, before layering in subtle harmonies and rhythmic flourishes. There's a warmth to the way she sings, each note spilling effortlessly into the next, hinting at a deeper emotional core. It's a performance that feels personal yet universal, bringing the complexities of her influences into a fresh light. By the time it fades, you're left with the feeling of something timelessia quiet reflection on both genre and soul.
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