Review: A Skillz and Krafty Kuts are veteran names by now but at one option they were some of the hottest new DJs and producers in the game. They pioneered a breakbeat, cut-up and paste sounds 20 years ago that was high on energy and with plenty of character. Now they look to the roots of the sounds they used to draw from and serve up a new single on Jam City that is all about disco. 'Lit Up' has loose, jumbled drums and funk basslines with some great vocal flourishes up top from Gizelle Smith. A remix on the flip takes things into deeper new soul territory.
Review: The studio of Harry J's in Jamaica has turned out another pair of belters here. This limited edition and hand-numbered 7" features two killer 1969 tunes. The first is a bittersweet roots tune with a lead trumpet that does all the work. It's in conversation with the organ below and as they to and fro, expressing their pair, the bass rumbles and the percussion jangles. As well as that standout from Richard Ace, the flip-side has a super rare tune 'Candy Lady' by Hugh Black & George Ferris. It's another earthy tune with lovestruck vocals.
Review: On first spin, this 1968 rocksteady classic by Richard Ace, 'Hang 'Em High', instantly catches the ear. The electrifying combo of low-pedalled piano, bass bubble and monoized Hammond organ, all brought together under a dusty recording palette, wafts off a distinctly spaghetti-Western-dub aura. A Trojan Records favourite in its earliest heyday, it did well to launch the career of Ace, a lesser-cited Jamaican pianist whose talents nevertheless cropped up countless times across the catalogues of many of the nation's most esteemed dub imprints, including Studio One, Tiger and Coxsone. Just as it did on the original Trojan release, the song appears alongside the anthem 'Candy Lady' by Hugh Black and George Ferris, also produced by Ace's confidant for 'Hang 'Em High', Harry J.
Review: .5 Borough Breaks are back with another essential slice of 90s hip-hop nostalgia. Their latest 7" revives a 1995 Hot 97 favourite-a gritty, golden-era banger that once ruled the NYC airwaves. Handily pressed for both DJs and collectors, Blahzay Blahzay's 'Danger' captures the raw energy of East Coast rap at its peak. As always with this label, the flip side features the original sample source: a soulful gem 'Rockin Chair' from recently departed legend Gwen McCrae whose legacy shaped generations of soul fans and hip-hop heads. As such, this 7" combines deep digging with authentic hip-hop flair and pays tribute to both the beatmakers and the soul pioneers who inspired them. Essential wax.
Review: Jai Alai's latest release brings forth a collection of forgotten vinyl tracks that have been previously unreleased on 7" format or limited to CD-only albums. Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II, to give him his full name, was a pivotal figure in jazz history and a prominent trumpeter and flugelhorn player after his stint with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in the mid-50s. Collaborating with jazz icons like John Coltrane, Thelonius Monk, and Sonny Rollins, Byrd's journey evolved into experimenting with jazz fusion, African rhythms, and r&b by the late 60s. His transformative fusion work, notably with the Blackbyrds, reshaped the jazz-funk landscape, paving the way for dance jazz on disco floors and becoming a wellspring for hip-hop samples. These are two of his many great moments of soul-drenched goodness.
Christian Harmonizers - "Troubles Of The World" (3:02)
Gospel Travelers - "Jesus Is Watching You" (3:15)
Review: For those without an intimate knowledge of the private-press-dominated gospel scene of the 1960s, '70s and '80s, Greg Belson's forthcoming Divine Funk compilation of rare gospel-soul and gospel-funk offers a brilliant introduction to the sound - as does this sampler "45", one of a number being released ahead of the full collection. Christian Harmonizers' 'Troubles of the World', which sits on the A-side, is so rare and obscure that it has no Discogs entry. While that's no guarantee of quality, the track genuinely is sensational, sounding a lot like James Brown making gospel-funk rather than the sexually charged sweatiness he was known for. Turn to the B for another exceedingly hard-to-find treat: Gospel Travelers' more laidback, sweet, soulful and bluesy 'Jesus is Watching You'.
This latest is a reissue of a Congress Productions EP featuring their seminal 'Neptune'. The much-sampled early 80s jazz-funk classic comes in original form next to two unreleased cuts. The first is a rare boogie cut 'Live It Up' that has been extended for more dancefloor heft having first been dropped under the D'aile' alias as a B-side. Then comes 'Kevin's Funk' which is named in reference to Incognito trumpet player Kevin Robinson, who played as part of a Congress-associated line-up for this session.
Review: This latest is a reissue of a Congress Productions EP featuring their seminal 'Neptune'. The much-sampled early 80s jazz-funk classic comes in original form next to two unreleased cuts. The first is a rare boogie cut 'Live It Up' that has been extended for more dancefloor heft having first been dropped under the D'aile' alias as a B-side. Then comes 'Kevin's Funk' which is named in reference to Incognito trumpet player Kevin Robinson, who played as part of a Congress-associated line-up for this session.
Review: An extra special 45: Jack Costanzo's nickname Mr Bongo inspired the label's very name. One of the most prolific band leaders of his time, the drum-heavy "Jive Samba" was originally released on Tico in 1968 on his Latin Percussion With Soul album. For more percussive precocity flip for Al Escobar's take on Archie Bell & The Drells' classic northern soul anthem "Tighten Up". First released as The Modern Sound Of Al Escobar, original pressings have long since vanished or found a place in collections, making this an even more attractive release.
Review: Here's a cool concept... Originals have coupled up a funk classic and a tune that's sampled it. Cymande's chucklesomely titled "Bra" has been sampled by De La Soul, Raze, Chuck Chillout, Busy Bee and Rhythm Technicians, but it's Gang Starr who score the B-Side with their old school classic "Movin' On". Ironically that was later sampled by Chad Jackson in "Hear The Drummer Get Wicked"... This unique and highly collectable concept could go on forever!
Review: Originally released in 2017, 'All Night Long' now gets a well-deserved vinyl release on 7". A tribute to the golden era of funk and disco, this release perfectly captures the electrifying energy of the early 80s while keeping things fresh for modern dancefloors. 'All Night Long' is a shimmering fusion of funk, soul, disco and electro, dripping with nostalgia. The groove is infectious, with crisp drum machines, funky basslines and synth stabs that instantly bring to mind classics from the likes of The Whispers or Shalamar. It's the kind of track that oozes retro charm but remains undeniably timeless. On the flip, 'Funkin On The One' shifts gears into a deep funk workout inspired by legends like Zapp & Roger and The Gap Band. Heavy slap bass, talkbox vocals and tight rhythms make this a certified dancefloor bomb, embracing the spirit of 80s funk with authentic precision.
Funkin On The One (feat Funkin' On The One) (4:42)
Review: These are two proper old school dance floor heaters from DJ Friction - yes, the very same - who in 2017 debuted his boogie and modern funk project, Ground Control, with first album Boogie Some More via Sedsoul Records. The glorious tunes feature vocals from David Whitley, Tansy Davis, Adriano Prestel, Ciaan, and Talkboxers Sin2 and CJ and now two tracks from the album come on this exclusive 7". This marks the beginning of a new era for DJ Friction who launches Soulsonic Recordings. Both of these are two more colourful and charming neo-boogie bangers with rich licks, bold basslines and irresistible funk.
Kool & The Gang, Gene Redd - "Give It Up" (DJ Soopasoul edit) (4:04)
Aretha Franklin - "Rock Steady" (DJ Soopasoul edit) (3:30)
Review: Fast-fingered mash-up merchant and lauded scalpel fiend DJ Soopasoul can usually be relied upon to bring the goods. In fact, we've yet to hear an edition of his "Soopastole Edits" series that doesn't include the kind of sure-fire, party-starting fare guaranteed to get any DJ out of a dancefloor hole of their own making. Should you still doubt the validity of this statement, we suggest you check this timely reissue of the series' second volume, which has been going for serious bucks online. On side A you'll find a suitably punchy, funky and chunky revision of Kool & The Gang's Gene Redd produced 1970 jam "Give It Up" - the original source of one of hip-hops most familiar breakbeats - with a tight, club-ready revision of Aretha Franklin classic "Rock Steady" on the flip.
Kool & The Gang & Gene Redd - "Give It Up" (DJ Soopasoul edit) (4:04)
Aretha Franklin - "Rock Steady" (DJ Soopasoul edit) (3:29)
Review: Jalapeno jive maestro Soupasoul has been a busy funkateer this year. Not least with this impeccable edit series. Subtly resculpting funk standards and forgotten classics with full emphasis on the breaks they blessed us with, every single "45 has been a dancefloor riot... Not least this jam hot take on "Give It Up" and "Rock Steady". The former is full focus on the tight horn Q&A and those classic jazzy swoons on the chorus while the latter is all about Aretha's gutsy vocals and that killer breakbeat. Only 250 copies pressed... Soop soop!
Kool & The Gang - "Give It Up" (DJ Soopasoul edit) (4:02)
Aretha Franklin - "Rock Steady" (DJ Soopasoul edit) (3:29)
Review: Jalepeno Records regular DJ Soopasoul launched his amusingly titled Soopastole Edits series at the tail end of 2016, serving up a tasty seven-inch single that boasted rock solid re-rubs of a couple of party-starting classics. He's at it again on this follow-up. On the A-side, he takes his rusty scalpel to Kool & The Gang's meandering, 1970 instrumental cut "Give It Up", emphasizing the original's killer break and snaking saxophone lines. On the flip he takes a similar approach to reworking Aretha Franklin's peerless "Rock Steady", subtly tightening up the groove whilst emphasizing the bumping nature of the original beats.
Review: The first Island Disco 12", released earlier in the Spring, was something of a must-have for those who like their funk, soul and disco served with a healthy dollop of tropical flavour. Predictably, this second installment in the bootleg series is similarly essential. There's some Clavinet-heavy disco-soul swing in the shape of Duke's superb "Is It Groovy Now", a thrillingly percussive, Hammond-heavy boogaloo workout from Tremille & The Jamals, a frankly bizarre - but brilliant - fusion of Cajan violins and disco rhythms from Shadow, and a certified disco banger from Gerald PJ Browne (the hustlin' brilliance of "Sexy Lady"). All Killer, no filler.
Review: Africa Seven's A7 Edits offshoot has already proved to be one of the better re-edit series around, primarily because they consistently employ some of the best re-editors in the business, offering them the opportunity to select tracks they want to rework from the parent label's vast catalogue of licensed cuts. This edition - the seventh EP to date - is another action-packed winner. Rising star Alan Dixon delivers a lightly tooled-up, all-action revision of Gyedu Bley Amadou's tropical disco classic 'Highlife', before Barcelona-based John Talabot and Pional re-frame Ekambi Brilliant's 'Afrika Afrika' as a kind of Afro-post-punk/dub disco mash-up. Over on side B, Escapade dances through a bouncy disco-house take on Pasteur Lappe's 'Na Real Sekele Fo Ya', while Jacques Renault expertly rearranges Michael Amara's Afro-disco-funk staple 'New Bell'.
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