Funk / Reissue Recommendations October 2015

Review: Freestyle continue this delicious collection of deeply dug and fastidiously curated covers, versions and private presses. Highlights include a really sprightly take on "Brothers On The Slide" by a Texan organist Sonny Benton, an epic fully orchestrated college band take on Hathaway's "Valdex In The Country" and a heady Ozric Tentacles-level trippy jazz funk twist on Dexter Wansel's "Life On Mars". You'll know the tracks but we guarantee you've never heard most (or all) of these interpretations. Serious feelings.

Review: Weston's curatorial crusade continues as he unearths more criminally overlooked/under-pressed rarities from the golden ages; "Losing You" comes from Courtial and Errol Knowles outstanding 1976 soul jazz album. The most straight up soul joint from the album, it's an instant sweat-fest with real guts behind both the vocals and instrumentation. Flip for the jazz funk whirlwind that is "Getting Down". Taken from their eponymous, once-super rare ($1500 per copy rare) album (also released in 76), it's an instrumental hurricane led by strings, horns and bombastically swung drums. Powerful. DJ Support from DJ Spinna,Snowboy,Sadar Bahar,Dom Servini,Faze Action,Pete Jelly Jazz,Flea Market Funk,ParisDJs.com, Marc Hype,Nicola Conte, Volcov and more

Review: Taken from his debut album, released in 1976, Italian composer legend Presti's rawest funk roots are explored and celebrated to great effect right here. "Funky Bump" lives up to its name beautifully with very neat organ stabs and a relentless groove that's not dissimilar to Grace Jones' "Pull Up To The Bumper". Looking for a much dreamier, dewy eyed jam? Flip for the lavish whirls and swirls of "C. So Buenos Aires"... It couldn't be more 1976 (or Italian) if it tried.

Review: Two stone cold instrumental funk classics from Chicago troupe Young Holt. Everyone will instantly recognise "Soulful Strut" having been covered and sampled many times. Still beautiful in its original form, every collection is incomplete without. "Wack Wack" is (slightly) lesser known: Sprightly pianos and a really slinky fretless bass texture that still blows minds to this day. A proper piece of funk history right here.

Review: Dam-Funk recently took to Twitter to bemoan the disparity between the positive feedback he gets from listeners, and the largely disappointing reviews from music critics. It's certainly odd that critics have been sniffy about Invite The Light, his fourth solo full-length for Stones Throw, because it's arguably his most varied, accessible and attractive album to date. Packed full of proper songs, cheeky dancefloor workouts, and high profile collaborations - pals Q-Tip, Snoop Dogg, Computer Jay, Jody Whatley and Nite Jewel all lend a hand - it's an album that still sounds hugely futuristic, despite Dam-Funk's reliance on vintage synthesizers, drum machines, and '80s soul, funk and boogie influences.

Review: Some people love Willie Nelson, others prefer a half nelson. Now make way for Primo Nelson, a contemporary funk act from Southend On Sea weighing in at a cool 13 players. With such a strong squad it should come as no surprise that they punch hard: vocalist Dave Ambrose croons with real Lambert & Butler style croakiness while the band remains tighter than a bee's bundies, thumping at rapid tempo. "What's That?" nods to "Living In America" era James Brown with big Q&A dynamics between the vocals and horns while "Punched On The Train" is a sharper, pub-funk stomper with stern messages of anti-violence.