Back catalogue: Funk

Review: First featured on Body And Soul's ultra-rare 1971 album and now a coveted collector's item, these two standout funk beauties are available on 7" vinyl for the first time. Essential for any self-respecting soul and funk fanatic, this one captures the raw, vintage energy of a bygone era and still cuts through today. The A-side, 'In the Beginning,' serves up deep funk grooves and soulful harmonies reminiscent of Sly Stone's classic sound. On the flip, the band offers a vibrant, funk-infused take on Laura Nyro's 'Stone Soul Picnic' and reimagines the timeless track with bold rhythms and all-new and funky fresh flair.

Review: Moscow's premier instrumental outfit the Diasonics return with a limited clear vinyl 7" drawn from their forthcoming second LP Ornithology. The A's 'Oriole' locks into a crisp disco-funk rhythm, combining icy Soviet-era synth motifs with the kind of motorik groove that could've come straight off a 70s Eastern European library session, its minimalist melody mimicking the oriole's call while nodding to the Moscow commuter train of the same name. Flip it for 'Chickadee', all break-heavy thump, plucky bass and streetwise swagger straight from early 80s NYC.

Review: Like a veteran striker in his final season, GAMM has really captured some top form on late and now drops a fire premiere from Chicago's Emmaculate and legendary Basement Boys producer DJ Spen. Opener 'Step Into A Black Whole' is a genre-hopping 11-minute journey that moves from deep house to a hip-hop breakdown featuring KRS-One before morphing into a jazzy Afrobeat stomper. First heard by GAMM contributor Coflo during a wild house set, the track blew the roof off and always will. On the B-side, 'Boogie On Disco Woman' delivers a gritty funk, disco and soul rework with raw drums, clavinets and soulful vocals. Two standouts.

Review: Dancin' The Mambo (The Reflex Revision) grooves with infectious disco energy, seamlessly blending Chic-esque rhythms with early piano house vibes. The Reflex's revision injects new life into this 1980 gem, maintaining its French flair while adding modern twists. With its pulsating basslines and irresistible beats, this track is a testament to the timeless allure of disco music. Perfect for igniting dancefloors, its vibrant energy captures the essence of a bygone era while feeling fresh and exciting for contemporary audiences. Prepare to be transported to a world where disco reigns supreme and every beat compels you to move.

Review: The late great Ron Hardy had as much influence on DJing and club culture as anyone before or since. It's not just what he played, but how he played it that set the standard from his legendary residency at the Music Box - not least the fact that he often had the highs squealing out of his system because they were the frequencies that had most impact on him while he was high on heroin. His productions all reflect his approach in the booth, and this latest collection of classics is back with rising disco, rawness, low-slung funk and high-speed, feel-good disco bliss.

Review: Mushi 45 prompt a history lesson: Hailing from Paris in the early 70s, Lafayette Afro Rock Band forged a fusion of American funk and West African rhythms, producing grooves that stuck like thumbtacks through later genera such as hip-hop and electronica. Their track 'Darkest Light' stands out for its piercing, mussitating bari sax riff, famously looped on Jay-Z's 'Show Me What You Got'. Another essential cut, 'Deep Gully', delivers sharp guitar stabs over a crisp drum break, also a backbone for numerous hip-hop and jungle tracks. The group's sessions at Pierre Jaubert's Parisound studio yielded records like Soul Makossa and Malik, both cult classics rich in percussion and horn work.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


Bjorn Wagner's all-star tropical disco band, Magic Source, loves a cover version. The outfit's first EP boasted, as a bonus cut, a superb (and colourful) take on Tom Tom Club's 'Genius of Love'. On this belated sequel, they've gone one better by re-inventing A Guy Called Gerald's pioneering UK house classic 'Voodoo Ray' as a driving, all-live tropical disco jam. It's cleverly done, with all the key elements being replicated, sometimes in canny ways (the acid lines now become Clavinet lines, the synth-bass is now bass guitar, and so on). It's a fantastic cover all told and one that is far more than a smile-inducing novelty. Also superb is flip-side 'Interplanetary Bounce', a spacey jazz-funk/disco fusion cut rich in fuzzy horns, vintage synth sounds and shuffling drums.

Review: If you like your disco, funk and soul edits noodly, low-slung and spiritual, consider your options no further than Dave Maze's D&E imprint. Homegrown in Chicago - long fecundated Midwestern ground for all things dignified dance music - Maze cultivated D&E out of the local rare groove and soulful house scene in the city, going on to sign many an eminent on the circuit. But it's Maze himself here who shines, slaying the Minotaur to master a labyrinthine haul of tracks complementing an initial two 'Disco Yams' from October: these are root veg, groove prize-winners, plucked from the ground. Uncanny strings and digital disco progressions make for a rarely cold, inorchestral movement on the A, which develops quite assuredly.

Review: The third volume of the AfroColombia Remix series merges African and Colombian sounds with contemporary electronica. It's a collaboration between Colombian labels Galletas Calientes and Palenque Records that celebrates Palenque's 20+ years of activism and Galletas Calientes' two-decade legacy while honouring the late Abelardo Carbono with a remix of his track 'La PiNa Madura' by Voilaaa - it's a standout here with hints of funk, soul and disco all bringing the sunshine. The compilation also reinterprets Nigerian Igbo Highlife and Ekobe music thanks to producers Captain Planet, Uproot Andy and Caribombo. They bring new, funky energy to timeless classics while preserving the original cultural essence.

Review: The Owl label kicks on with another party-starting mix of edits and remixes that blend funk, disco and soul into pure heat. 'Gimme Your Thang' is a low-slung opener with a filthy bassline and James Brown samples bringing it to life. 'Freaky To You' reworks a g-funk classic into a lavish and bumping slow-motion seducer and 'Rock Me Again' brings chunky, rolling funk with more classic vocal samples. 'Future Shock' shuts down with a lovely falsetto vocal and some psyched-out guitars.

Review: REPRESS ALERT!: Edit master Scruscru rarely misses no matter what sounds he decides to put under his scalpel. For this one on his own superb Scruniversal label he turns his attention to the lush sound world of City Pop over in Japan. On one vital 12" the maestro cooks up six varied but equally vital sizzlers starting with the funky sounds and big brass of 'One For Xsuxsu' then taking in the blissed out disco and house beats of 'Kyoto Sunshine', jazzy keys of 'Horomi & Rikishi', funky bass twangs of 'Secret Dream' and jazz lunge excellence of 'Nippon Bossa' before 'Scrutinised Tune' closes out with brown beats and sunny chords. Scruperb stuff.

Review: DJ Paul Sitter is the don of Rostov On Don, a Russian outfit dedicated to supreme, sweatily serious breaks-rap cutups. En large comes 'Cha Cha Cha', with its angular piano hits and wide-panned, cowbell-topped, break-your-back breaks. 'Tambotito' contrasts with an obscurer breakbeat with drum tails whizzing like firecrackers, not to mention a sample of an original Panamanian vocal line hailing from a recording of a song in the titular genre.

Review: Sofian label Soul Dynamite sling a skilful slice over our way, assuring us of the finely appraised editing work of Plovdiv producer Skill. Flat caps, ochre-rimmed glasses and dug crates seem to surround Skill like bees to honey, as the self-professed "pioneer in the purveyance of soulful, funky and jazzy hip-hop" makes evident his own expertise in a monosyllabic name. Two seconds in and we already know that 'Tribute To The Godfather' refers to none other than James Brown; we hear his many rhythm-perfect funk "huhs" striating the a fearsome breaks opener. We conclude on the sax-furloughed 'Danger', which steers hip-hoppier, and sacrifices the original vocals from Brown for an unknown sample source, though the King Of Soul's reign is not lost on it.

Review: A limited red vinyl edition of Sofian producer Skill's skilful 'Tribute To The Godfather', a simple yet effective 7" breaks edit outlining just how much tension and suspense can be fleshed out of a James Brown drum sample. Mr. James Brown, undoubtedly the linchpin of funk, is said to have been so tyrannically dictatorial during recordings that he would fire session drummers in a flash if they were slightly behind. Only a man with gangsta-level gusto could have squeezed this breakbeat out of a young Clyde Stubblefield, signalled by a decided "hit it now" from our sequin-flared compere.

Review: A nice mix of funk, hip-hop and reggae influences go into the melting pot on the latest SuckaSide, with 'Even After All' proving to be a laid back, blunted jam that's backed up with some hard hitting, sturdy beat manouevres. On the edgier sounding flip, meanwhile, a female MC spits with impressive ferocity while a lovely warm - and somewhat familiar - analogue-edge loop works its magic. Both are key components for use at different points in the jam, some badly needed heavy weaponry that Donald Trump can't withdraw from service here.

Review: Tea Breaks comes through with the goods again here in the form of a killer hip-hop hit that comes from the legendary East Coast scene back in the mid-90s when, for our money, it was turning out its most vital artists and albums. 'CREAM (feat R & ID)' has familiar dark soul energy with strumming strings running across its face, dusty and deep beats and iconic vocals. On the flip of this tidy 7" is an instrumental version that strips things back to the core ingredients and lets your mind do the rest.

Review: Venice-based DJ and collector Zaffa is next up on the ever-superb Scruniversal label with a couple more delightful disco dancers. 'Trip Through The Galaxy' is a slow-motion cosmic trip that is vast in scale and high on soul thanks to the warm vocal that floats amidst funky riffs and glowing keys. Things stay just as sensuous and steamy on the flip with 'Supernova Child', another fluid and funky jam with oodles of synth magic and gentle grooves all soothing mind, body and soul. The real kicker is the vocal samples that add extra spaced-out funkiness.

Review: Abaete's self-titled 1977 LP remains one of Brazil's deepest cult treasuresian obscure gem of Bahian jazz-funk samba that now sees long-overdue reissue. Recorded during a creative high for Bahia's music scene, this sole full-length from the vocal trio blends masterfully layered harmonies with moody synths, groove-driven percussion and North Brazilian rhythmic signatures. There's almost no background info on the group, but the music speaks volumes. Highlights like 'O Rei Do Calang (Calangotango)' and 'Toca Nicanor' ripple with syncopated urgency, while 'Canto Sul' and 'Por Uma Razo De Amor' float with breezy melodic finesse. Mixed by Waldir Lombardo Pinheiroiknown for work with Tom Ze and Zeca do Tromboneithe album is full of freewheeling arrangements, grainy funk textures and subtle psychedelia. It's no surprise the trio also penned tunes for greats like Clara Nunes and Elza Soares. A rare window into an experimental chapter of Brazilian popular music, rediscovered in all its radiant groove.

Review: From Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana, Gyedu-Blay Ambolley returns with another simmering display of his self-styled Simigwa-funk-part highlife, part jazz, part proto-rap, all unmistakably his own. Still sharp at 77, Ambolley commands a tight ensemble through groove-led declarations like 'Wake Up Afrika' and 'U Like Or U No Like', riding swung basslines and crisp horn arrangements with the flair of a master bandleader. 'God E See You' finds him slipping into a smoky, Afro-soul register, while 'New Simi Rapp' stretches out into hypnotic territory, led by flutes, baritone sax and rhythmic mantras. 'Ochoko Bila' and 'If You Want To Know' are more playful cuts, full of bounce and quick-fire wisdom. The production, split between Ghana and the Netherlands, balances live grit with rich detail-everything breathes, nothing is wasted. As ever, Ambolley's voice is both storyteller and instrument: loose, commanding, and deeply rooted in diasporic sound. This is music that moves and means.

Review: The elusive De Frank Kakra remains a mystery, his real name unknown, and his current whereabouts unclear. But the music tells its own story: rooted in Ewe heritage, Kakra cut his teeth as a percussionist and backing vocalist in the fray of Ghana's 70s highlife scene, with stints with K. Frimpong's Cubano Fiestas and the Vis-A-Vis band. Eventually fronting his own groups, The Professionals and The Diggit Ways, he went on to record countless scintillating sides with labels across West Africa, and this new compilation brings together many of said wax etchings from Nigeria, Ghana and Ivory Coast, handled with care by Michael Graves at Osiris Studio. It's the debut release from a label founded in gratitude to Kakra's music and the healing it sparked. Liner notes and archival sleuthing aim to piece together his story, and the hope is that someone, somewhere, might know what became of him.

Review: Reggie Lucas assembled Sunfire in the early 80s, drawing from a deep well of experience as a guitarist, producer and songwriter behind era-defining hits for Stephanie Mills and Madonna. With Raymond Calhoun and Rowland Smith circum-pleting the trio, Sunfire's self-titled LP distilled their collective pedigree into a lean set of slick, synth-laced funk, whose rubber sound is as taut as liquid elastane. 'Young, Free & Single', their best known track, leads the charge with infectious bounce, flanked by 'Feet', 'Step In The Light' and 'Keep Rocking My Love', breaststroking between boogie, electro and disco-soul, all neatly fastened by the drum machine. Produced just before Lucas' work on Madonna's debut, the record glows with rawhide studio sheen and radio-ready confidence. This limited edition repress comes to just 750 copies on yellow "flamed" vinyl.

Review: Analog Africa has repressed the highly valued and long since sold-out Congo Funk! Sound Madness From The Shores Of The Mighty Congo River: Kinshasa/Brazzaville 1969-1982. It is a compilation that superbly shows off the raw energy and funkiness of the Congolese rumba scene. This is the country that spawned such as legendary bands as African Jazz, OK Jazz and African Fiesta and it is said that the concert ahead of the legendary Rumble in the Jungle boxing match between Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman is what really set young hopefully musicians on their paths, after they saw James Brown play live. The story of those artists and the labels they released on in the ensuing years is what is told so well here across four sides of vital wax.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged, slight surface marks on record***


This unique album is a bold reimagining of the iconic sweet-soul group, spearheaded by Delfonics' lead vocalist William Hart and infused with Adrian Younge's unique, hip-hop-informed perspective. While the album features elements familiar to Delfonics fans, such as the electric sitar, french horn and lush string arrangements, Younge's approach departs from traditional production, offering a more experimental and idiosyncratic take on the genre. Drawing influence from the eccentric strains of soul and r&b adored by crate diggers, Younge's arrangementsiincorporating harpsichord, glockenspiel and electric sitariimbue the album with a sense of campy psychedelia, yet manage to avoid veering into kitsch. Hart's crystal-clear falsetto remains a cornerstone of the album, with his voice serving as a bridge between the past and Younge's modern vision. Though much of the album sees Hart performing solo, a departure from the layered harmonies of classic Delfonics, it feels organic and fitting for the material. The pairing of Hart's legendary voice with Younge's analog-driven production creates a sound that feels both nostalgic and fresh. Tracks like 'True Love' and 'Stand Up' show how much care has been given to allow the original beauty to the focal point. A genius blend of old-school soul and modern sensibilities.