LUCHITO レコード& CD

Review: More heat here from Original Gravity with 'The Harlem Bugalu' from Luchito and Joaquin Marquez. This is a 7" that soon transports you to boogaloo paradise with its feverish Latin grocers and non-stop drum funk. The A-side is laden with spoken words, zippy percussive sounds and mad bongo bubbles with lashing of horn-led exuberance. Flip it over and you will find the slightly darker and more menacing energy of Joaquin Marque's 'Mala Mania'. Get your shake on and drop this one this summer for swift dancefloor explosions.

Review: The Original Gravity label is back with more of its fully functional but also exceptionally flair-fulled funk sounds, this time with Luchito and Nestor Alvarez behind 'Tighten Up.' It is another choice reissue that has been dug carefully out of the vaults and comes in seriously limited quantities on 7". Luchito & Nestor kick off with the original version of 'Tighten Up' on the a-side and it's packed with high-tempo breaks and sung-spoken vocals. On the flip is a more fiery and explicitly Latin affair with the warming chords and florid horns of Nestor Alvarez's 'Just Add Vibes.'

Review: "Here we go again, yeah!" exclaim Luchito Rodriguez and Nestor Alvarez - Original Gravity's two core mainstays - who team up once again to evoke the undeniable spirit of a 'Boogaloo Party' for the ages. Channelling the sound of the inimitable Latin dance style, but also gradating it so as to be mixable in DJ sets, 'Ain't Nothing But...' delivers compelling call-and-responses and horn-swelling builds. 'Fiesta Bugalu' dubs things out for a reflection on the party just gone, retaining the tempo but relaxing things for extra percussive effect.

Review: Original Gravity, Luchito Rodriguez and Nestor Alvarez return with yet two more Latin groove versions of funk and soul classics, emulating two sounds not yet brought together enough. 'Dap Walk' is a shot-by-shot cover of the song of the same name by Ernie And The Top Notes - a slick and slippery interpretation that translates the original AAVE of the song's intro into Spanish. 'El Barrio', meanwhile, opts for 70s crime thriller vibes, instrumentally verging on expressionism via djembe, brass sections and vibraslaps.

Review: A stellar mix of DJ-able breakbeat and northern soul from Luchito Rodriguez and Nestor Alvarez, two of our favourite contemporary funk artists active today (as long as we're certain of their identities, that is). This limited 7" contains two versions of the same killer track: 'Soy Un Hombre' reincarnates the triumphant 'achievement' of manhood through carnal brasses and kettle drums, in a quiver-inducing cover version of Spencer Davis Group's classic track 'I'm A Man'.

Review: The Original Gravity label is dedicated to unearthing deep cover gems from across a world of funky grooves, and this time they're turning their attention to the work of Luchito and Nestro Alvarez. 'Fortune Teller' is a big beat 60s-style Latin stomper with more soul than a shoe shop, all tumbling drums and punchy brass. 'Para Que?' takes things in a smokier direction, letting the piano lead the way while holding down a tight groove that should go down smooth as silk on a jazz-minded dancefloor.