Back catalogue:

Review: Conjunto Medialuna's latest album on Little Beat More is a direct trip to the heart of Bogota's rich cumbia scene. The record blends traditional rhythms with psychedelic influences driven by the Colombian accordion and ecstatic percussion that is so strongly associated with this style. These are two of the jams from it, but frankly you should also check out the full LP. It's a tribute to the guacharaca and the lively street parrandas where each song explores new interpretations of classic sounds. Featuring collaborations with N. Hardem, Mismo Perro, Son Rompe Pera, MC Hydro and Japanese-Latin percussionist Muupy, Noches de Medialuna, it transcends cultural boundaries and joins the dots between traditional and modern urban Latin music which is now so hugely popular around the world.

Review: Funk editor Mister Mushi finalises the latest fleet-dispatch by the eponymous factory known as Mushi 45. All housed on a distinctive yellow, large-innered 7" record (you know, the you need the metal spindle adapter for), every release on this label is a charm. Here the dotted line marks out a well-defined classic by Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock from 1998, 'It Takes Two', which in turn samples Lynn Collins' 'Think', after which this reissue is named and from which the now rather saturated vocal sample originates. James Brown's original production and backing "c'mon!" admonitions shine brightly, while Mushi's extra phattenings also serve to emphasise the mix without peaking it.

Review: How many people are too many people to be in one band? The answer is certainly not ten for ten piece Melbourne funk crew Mondo Freaks, who now offer up their debut EP. This lot originally started as a concept band playing late 70s and early 80s funk classics and they have since backed luminaries like Leroy Burgess and Evelyn "Champagne" King. The band is led by session bassist Luke Hodgson and drummer Graeme Pogson and has five talented vocalists who all shine: tracks like 'Find A Way' with Jade McRae's uplifting vocals and the Harvey Sutherland remix of 'Bells Are Ringing' are particular delights. Overall though, all of these fresh funk flavours combine live instrumentation and great songwriting to create a sound that goes well beyond homage.

Review: The wonderful new 'Womp In My Spirit' blends flashy 80s-inspired beats with smoothly delivered and rhythmic lyrics that together capture the essence of West Coast vibes with American Moniquea's distinctive vocals shining alongside masterful boogie beat maker XL Middleton's typically faultless contributions. Once again they have cooked up a gem for the modern funk scene and the instrumental version allows you to fully appreciate the depth of the production without the vocals. This one has already been getting bumped by renowned DJs like Walla P, Zackey Force Funk and Soul Clap and hits a perfect sweet spot between funk and hip-hop.

Review: A long-lost gem from drum legend Edison Machado finally sees the light of day: Edison Machado & Boa Nova, recorded in New York in 1978 but never released, reflects the work of the master muso-mountaineer at his peak, fusing North and South American jazz rhythmic traditions with groundbreaking samba innovations. Machado, a pioneer of "samba no prato" (samba on cymbals), redefined Brazilian jazz alongside Jobim and Gilberto. Forced into exile under Brazil's dictatorship, he later found new creative energy in NYC, leading an ensemble of top-tier musicians. The result? A daring, dynamic, and electrifying session, controlled but untamed. Alongside original contributions from Dom Salvador, Guilherme Vergueiro and Aloisio Aguiar, this 80-minute lost masterpiece singes our ears with its carpal flair.

Review: "Of all the many noble attempts of the prog rockers to create a grand compositional style which blended elements from classical music with rock, none, in my view, ever reached the intensity, complexity and raw savage excitement of the great Magma masterworks." When you make music that feels like the love child of a rock & roll musical, gospel choir, Frank Zappa and Ziggy Stardust, why should anyone expect you to be even remotely humble when describing your own back catalogue. Magma's 1974 epic is nothing short of batshit crazy in the true sense - bordering, perhaps sprinting well beyond, the point of genius and capable of rendering any room speechless. A stunning example of how wild, exploratory and experimental the music industry was once so proud to be.

Review: Lazaro Pla AKA Manteca is undoubtedly a Cuban musical legend - even if the bongo maestro only recorded a handful of albums as featured artist and bandleader. 1978's Rito Y Sabor, a percussive masterpiece made up almost entirely of drums, timbales and bass, is the most celebrated of these - and in general, one of the hardest to find. Created by Pla and a handful of musicians, it delivers an enticing mix of infectious Afro-Cuban grooves, sweat-soaked percussion solos, bold basslines and occasional (and often mixed-down) piano motifs. Highlights include Latin jazz dancefloor bombs 'Casas De Manteca' and 'Afro Funky', and the Incredible Bongo Band style brilliance of 'Abacua'.

Review: British Bantu visual artist and musician Zola Marcelle shares her debut album, an ingenious ten-track record of ancestral musings, ethereal sound-dreamscapes and narrative vignettes, informed by soul, broken beat, and the musics of Zimbabwean Shona and South African Sotho. A riveting journey back through bloodlines and future-past hopes, Marcelle brings an impressively playful vocal and etheric attitude; opener 'Highlight' is an invitingly tender funky jazz primer, against which Zola speaks, outlining eternally recursive goals for life; the latter half of the record is more quelling, with 'Kgotso' building on the Sotho word for "stillness" to convey the later feeling of loitering in God's waiting room, while the B-side builds 'Saturn Drive' and 'Beyond' circle back to softly intoned Afro-beatifics.

Review: The debut release from Hebrew Israelite vocalist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Margeeah Aharon was recorded in July 1983 with the Kingdom Sounds community band in Tel Aviv. This deeply introspective blend of jazz, soul, funk and reggae is guided by Margeeah Aharon's soothing yet resolute voice, imbued with a meditative graceidrifting between the searching melodies of 'Bring The People Home' and the deep-rooted spirituality of 'Rise Black Spirit', while 'Music Is My Love' glows with warmth and devotion. The reflective 'Daughters Of Zion' and the title track capture Aharon's gift for meditative storytelling, where faith and longing intertwine. Decades later, the album's messages of love and self-discovery are as vital as ever.

Review: 1997's Slow Traffic to the Right found Bennie Maupin navigating between cerebral jazz and deep funk with style and ease. Though generally known for his abstract leanings and serious musical demeanour, here he showed a lighter side - not least because he is actually smiling on the album cover - while diving into grooves shaped by his time with Herbie Hancock's Headhunters. With help from rhythm masters like Mike Clark and Paul Jackson, Maupin swaps out ECM austerity for signature Oakland bounce, so tracks like 'It Remains to Be Seen' and 'You Know the Deal' excel with newfound swagger without abandoning his jazz roots. It's a compelling pivot into accessible, funky and smart jazz soul.

Review: Charif Megarbane, the Beirut-based multi-instrumentalist and composer, stretches his sonic vocabulary on this sprawling new full-length, a genre-hopping journey that draws as much from the Lebanese coast as it does from the wider diaspora. Where his earlier work painted intimate portraits of local life, this one looks outwarditoward cultural entanglement, exile, and exchange. 'Hanadi' kicks things off with a sax-led, Somali-inspired groove, while 'Dreams of an Insomniac' drifts through hazy keys and fluttering violin. 'Al Dollarji' recalls his signature Mediterranean funk, full of ornate strings, but 'Al Bahriye' disrupts the flow with hip-hop motifs and vocal samples. Collaborations feel purposeful: 'Helia', with Swedish composer Sven Wunder and the Stockholm Studio Orchestra, layers lush cinematic strings into Megarbane's idiosyncratic palette. Even miniature pieces like 'Sfiha' or 'Preamble to the Conclusion' feel essential, punctuating the record's narrative of displacement with clarity and warmth. It's a collection that resists linearity, folding nostalgia and innovation into a rich, borderless soundian informal transmission between traditions, cities and moods.

Review: German funk heroes The Mighty Mocambos continue to prove that their funk is an ever-evolving force, navigating between the worlds of gritty, organic soul and cinematic experimentation with unapologetic energy. Their latest offering marks another step forward, refining the groove-laden formula that's earned them global acclaim while pushing into new territory. The opening track hits hard with orchestral flair on 'Road to Earth,' where the legendary Peter Thomas's arrangements lay the foundation for a full-on sonic odyssey. As they move through the album, tracks like 'It's the Music' and 'Hot Stuff' groove like a classic, with Afrika Bambaataa's presence lifting the energy and ensuring a tight vibe. But it's not all about party anthems. 'Not Get Caught' from DeRobert tells a story that's as gritty as it is soulful, capturing a narrative of crime with a raw, undeniable swagger. Even more dynamic is the standout 'Catfight,' which melds mysterious Eastern flavours with a tripped-out break, displaying a versatility that refuses to be boxed in. This is an album of triumphs, not just in the power of individual tracks but in the overall cohesion of sound and spirit, and by taking a step further into uncharted waters while keeping their infectious funk roots firmly grounded, The Mighty Mocambos challenge expectations and push boundaries. A showcase of a band in full flight, steadily rising.

Review: Sol - the new album from Paris-based Venezuelan music artists Raul Monsalve y Los Forajidos - hears the band merge Venezuelan rhythms, jazz, Afrobeat, psychedelic funk, and experimental electronics into an utter boundary-piercing hyper-stimulater. For fans of George Clinton, Herbie Hancock, and Nyege Nyege Tapes, the album plants some roots and uproots others, with next-gen collab explorers Emanative, Kiala Nzavotunga, and Gustavo Ovalles using the passed-down torch to both burn old bridges and light the way over new ones. Drawing on old Venezuelan ecclesiastical traditions such as the Saint John the Baptist festival, the album opens with 'Fuego al campanero', blending Venezuelan chants with futuristic sounds, and burns into 'Como el Sol' and 'Machete no hace piquito', devling into themes of strength and perseverance.

Review: In 1976 Anthony Howarth produced a documentary film about the Badabi tribe in Southern Iran. Each spring, this indigenous group would make the difficult journey across the Zagros mountains and valleys to ensure their sheep had new pastures to graze. Led by Jafar Qoli, the movie chronicles this epic trek and various events along the way. Taking breathers only for weddings and mediation between contacts, and grappling with torrential rain and perilous terrain, among other challenges, it's an inspiring odyssey to say the least. The music fits the bill perfectly, bringing together the legendary Persian songwriter, editor and singer Shush? Guppy and revered English singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Gerald Thomas Moore, transporting us to a time, place and people long-since committed to memory.

Review: Renowned DJ and selector MURO is a Jedi-level compiler and this new collection of his delves into Victor's extensive archives to spotlight a world of Japanese jazz, fusion and AOR. It take sin plenty of internationally known names like Yasuko Agawa on the sunset sounds of 'L.A. Night', Sadistics who offers the more psyched out guitar leans of 'On the Seashore', Yuji Ohno's neo-Balaeric bliss-out 'The Dawn of Seychells' and Hiroshi Fukumura's soul soothing Ry Ayres-style melodies on 'White Clouds.' These are luxurious sounds and timeless tracks with MURO's signature funky perspective making this a brillaint choice for brighter, warmer days.