Review: Jazz Room reissue the infamous first mini-album by Abacothozi. Formed in 1973 by bassist Berthwel Maphumulo, Mac Mathunjwa on organ, Innocent Mathunjwa on drums, Joe Zikhali on guitar, Thema Maboneng was released in 1975, before being almost immediately forgotten. However, a recent rediscovery by diggers and curators Kon & Amir, for their lauded Off The Track Volume Two: Queens compilation, sparked a renewed interest; the South African four-piece shared equal responsibility in writing and arranging these six instrumentals, which are tight and full, and come replete with Hammonds, well-surrounded guitar, and cross-sticking snare hits.
Vamonos (feat Andy Cooper & Marietta Smith) (3:12)
Sometimes I Wonder (3:25)
Push Right Through (feat Andy Cooper & Marietta Smith) (3:26)
Treat You Right (3:22)
Take Another Look At It (feat Marietta Smith) (4:32)
Review: This is the sixth album by the Bristolian production duo The Allergies (DJ Moneyshot and Rackabeat), widely known for their funky, hard-hitting hip-hop originals. With cameos from the likes of Bootie Brown, Andy Cooper, and Dele Sosimi, their latest album 'Tear The Place Up' is a rollicking whirl, and has rightfully been touted as "hip-hop meets Tarantino", with many a cheesy thriller film reference and floor-shaking beat in tow.
Review: BCUC aka. Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness are a South African band working in a highly specific niche: political psychedelic music with an African twist. Six long, energetic opuses hear the collective band intone in multiple languages, embracing Babel, while paying due homage to the anti-apartheid movement, as well as indigenous peoples, through many an ecstatic, multifaceted, hedonic trance.
Review: Sol Set is a Detroit-based collective, an amalgamation of composers, musicians, artists and vocalists brought together by producer John Beltran, whose new label All Good Music chooses its debut album for its inaugural release. John Beltran and Shane Donnelly preside over seven sumptuous and confident slices of modern, sub-kissed soul and Latin sure to put a smile on anyone's face, even those of us faced with an altogether more British summer. Influences range from the Steve Wonder-style double vocals of 'Bliss Mode' to the South American 'Rhythm of the Sun', which echoes the beach bum haziness of Jorge Ben, but the vibe remains joyful and skillfully yet effortlessly executed throughout. Gorgeous.
Review: Rome label Maledetta Discoteca Records encouraged a bunch of talented local musicians to get together and play live, embrace spontaneity and do their improvised best. What results is this new record, which is funk at its core, but which is coloured by so much more around the edges. Recorded in the historic Auditorium 900 studios with sound engineer Fabrizio Piccolo, the record takes in everything from 70s instrumentals to progressive funk, Hispanic rock and more with all manner of wah wah guitars, synths and organ bringing each groove to life in tiles fashion.
Review: The godfather of soul found himself dipping into jazz on this classic but lesser-known album, Soul On Top (Verse By Request Series). Now getting a proper reissue treatment it is sure to convert many new fans to his abilities across the six sizzling tracks from this 1969 album, which includes the classic 'It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World' and a new version of 'Papa's Got A Brand New Bag'. Brown provides the vocals to a 18-piece big band set up that was led by drummer Louis Bellson and arranged by Impulse! star Oliver Nelson. Brown always said he was a jazzman at heart and this goes some way to proving that, with saxophonist Maceo Parker adding plenty of vital swing.
Review: Byron Lee was an important part of Jamaican music from his first appearance in the 60s and onwards. Amongst his bustling back catalogue is this cheery classic from 1980, which keeps the heart and soul of ska alive, with an emphasis on the soul. The rhythms are reliably skanking throughout, whether stopping by the melancholic 'Shoobe Doobe Doo' or the chirpy 'Bend Down Low'. This is ska in its truest sense, with an infectious energy which speaks universally to young and old, hip and square. You can also hear the strong US RnB roots of the music in Lee's songwriting, and it tugs at the heart strings in just the same way. Grab an immaculate album of honest, earnest songwriting magic with all the irrepressible joy of Jamaica coursing through its veins.
Explanation Of The Funk (feat Dre King & DJ Stylus) (4:08)
Three-Season Crank (feat Raja Kassis) (6:11)
Slip 'n Slide (5:22)
Alligator Confrontation (5:09)
Off The Rails (5:57)
Pull My String (4:50)
Bleeps, Sweeps, & Creeps (2:30)
What Happened To Yesterday? (5:07)
Black Bird Dub (4:47)
Review: Glenn Echo & Daniel Meinecke won plenty of acclaim with their last outing What Happened To Yesterday?! and now they quickly back it up with a third outing on MotorCity Wine Recordings What Happened To Yesterday? Vol 2 is another blend of heady, dubby sounds with cosmic dance vibes that span serval sub-genres with ease. 'World In My Head' kicks off with lo-fi and low-key depths, and further downtempo tracks like 'Explanation of The Funk' with Dre King's trumpet and DJ Stylus's cuts, and 'Three-Season Crank' with Raja Kassis's guitar further sink you into blissed-out beats. The flip side has dancefloor-friendly jam 'Off The Rails,' then moves into dubby, meditative territory and ends with the gorgeous 'Black Bird Dub' which allows Echo's eclectic production and Meinecke's keyboard mastery to shine.
Review: Formed in 1970 New York, The Fat Back Band are behind some of disco's most funky moments. They are also one of the scene's most prolific acts with no fewer than 22 albums to their name across the 70s and 80s. Yum Yum from 1989 is classed as a cult classic rare groove long player with nine cuts of synth-laden and squelchy body music. The band's smooth and characterful vocals light up each tune next to the tight bass riffs, the leggy drums and the general sense of celebration and party that oozes from their every arrangement.
Review: Admirable reissue imprint Comb & Razor Sound continues to unearth, license and re-print lesser-known gems from around the world. Their latest find is Fire Woman, the incredibly rare third album from little-known nine-piece Foundars 15. Interestingly, the album's tracks are not straight-up Afro-funk or Afro-beat workouts. Instead, they various take in Cymande style reggae/soul fusion, psychedelic '60s style pop, wild funk rock/Afrobeat fusion, Hammond-laden torch songs, and skewed Afro-jazz. It's a curious but hugely entertaining hotch-potch of styles that makes for hugely enjoyable listening from start to finish. Highlights include fuzzy, solo-laden closer "Ekele", the anthem-like "Simin Boogie" and Fela Kuti-ish "True Light".
Review: B. Bravo and Rojai return as Kool Customer with their sophomore album At Your Service, a ten-track offering of modern funk designed for sun-soaked poolside parties. Following their 2018 debut, the duo pushes their funk sound further, evoking the laid-back vibes of LA's rooftop hotel gatherings while blending boogie, g-funk, and club influences. From the opener 'Endless Summer' to the mellow space grooves of 'One Day At A Time', the album maintains an effortlessly cool, future funk energy. Tracks like 'Fly Away' and 'Learned My Lesson' will undoubtedly find their way into DJ sets from LA's MoFunk to San Francisco's Sweater Funk. With roots in NorCal and SoCal, the pair infuses their music with a cross-regional modern funk spectrum. B. Bravo's use of vintage synths like the Minimoog Voyager and Yamaha DX-100 anchors the project in boogie tradition, while songs like 'DX Heaven' and 'West Coast Livin'' showcase inventive twists on g-funk. Kool Customer's At Your Service is the epitome of smooth, effortless funk.
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