Back catalogue: Funk

Review: 'Jika Jika' is s super sassy version of Grandmaster Flash's iconic 'The Message'. This holy grail reissue from Vive La Musique has had a full remaster and features late, great South African artist Sipho Gumede in his 'Boogie Man' guise. For this one he worked alongside prolific 70s and 80s producer Greg Cutler with a Linn drum and Jupiter 4 synth recreating the famous basslines. Add in a mysterious rap vocal and you have a stone cold classic that will surely be well received in any setting. Flip it over for an extra jazzy synth version.

Review: Washington, D.C. label People's Potential Unlimited (PPU) snub the usual boundaries put upon most entities in dance music, attesting instead to the limitlessness of human musical potential. Here they set another example of such accumulative panache with 'Turn It Out', the very latest vinyl EP from roster producer Bravuda, hailing from the Russian Federation. 'Turn It Out' is Bravuda's re-recording of a demo also recorded for PPU by Terry Patton and Robbie M, entitled 'Tri-Fire'; Bravuda's version is a slimy, windowlicking electro-funk Janus mask, as 'Turn It Out' and its underside '1984' both bring almost equally grumbly and wily sleights of hand, their tiny room reverbs and crushed, sculpted piano chords being of special note.

Review: He may now have ditched the '16 Bit Orchestra' (as his sometime imaginary backing band was called), but Orlando Marshall AKA Buscrates is still a master of revivalist, boogie-influenced synthesiser workouts. For proof, look no further than 'Internal Dialog', a kind of deep house lover's take on the revivalist synth-funk sound of Dam Funk rich in dreamy chords, squelchy synth bass and sun-splashed lead lines. He takes this warming, picturesque, analogue-rich boogie-not-boogie sound further on flip side 'Early Morning', a sunrise-ready slab of laidback Balearic boogie that comes from a similar headspace as Sven Atterton's brilliant 2015 single 'The Cove'. In a word - beguiling!

Review: Through persistent questioning and doubting, Socrates challenged the norms and mores of his local Athens; through persistent flipping and releasing, BusCrates bucks the established trends and staid sounds of his local Pittsburgh. The synth wonder and beatmaker shares two new ones onto breakout translucent vinyl here, enlisting singer Anda for an embodied song on 'Drift', whilst DJ Epik joins on production duties. Meanwhile, 'Serenity' persists on the inverse side as an instrumental Minimoog meditation session.

Review: DJ Cat comes through on Scruniversal here as the young label continues to go from strength to strength early in its existence. This time he serves up some re-edits and reworks of old and rare records from Scru's friends' collections. Up first is 'Roots & Culture' which is a languid funk workout with Prince style vocals bring some libidinous vibes up top while sci-fi synths and raw claps and perc all flesh out the groove. 'Possibelle' then cuts loose on a much more laid back and steamy summer vibe with the sort of chords that have you laying back in the park and staring up at a cloudless sky.

Review: Emotional Rescue returns with the third (and final?) King Sporty & The Ex Tras releases with the first ever-official reissue of the highly sought after cult boogie jam Do You Wanna Dance? Coming as remastered vocal and instrumental, plus again featuring a special Discomix, this time courtesy of acid-disco slayer Felix Dickinson.

Appearing shortly after the success of the band's only album, Extra Funky, Do You Wanna Dance? pointed the way forward, moving further from Disco and closer to the rising electro-boogie sounds that were sweeping the dance floors. The confident up / jump electro drum programming, slap bass and trademark Sporty guitar chops are propelled by a monster swamp inducing synth arpeggio that sings the funk electric, while hip-hop-shout-outs ride the rhythm. If the vocals are too much for some, then the original Instrumental (dub) is also included for those just wanting that infectious groove.

As many will recall, Do You Wanna Dance? featured on Felix's "Originals" compilation for Claremont 56 back in 2011, so when the King Sporty reissue project was coming together there was only one name to be asked for the Discomix. With a long history of DJing and music production, as well the man behind the Recycled Records, Fools Gold, Urban Myth and Bastedos labels, as well many, many releases on the long running and aptly titled Cynic Recordings, his remix arrives on point.

Teasingly drawn out, his mix switches back / forth between versions, the interplay between vocals, guitar, bass and electro-glide synths hypnotically building, with Dickinson's deftly dubbing tripping it out, making the title's question irrelevant, as mind and feet involuntarily move.

Review: This delightful 7" features a collaboration between two Star Creature veterans from Northern and Southern California who deliver a raw, uncut boogie track. The wonderful 'Girl Ur Freaky' is both breezy and laidback but irritably dance. The vocal harmonies are heart-melting, the wispy synths bring cosmic cool and the drums and squelchy bass sit together perfectly. The vocal version really is where it's at with this one but if you want it more subtle then the flip-side instrumental is the one for you.

Review: For the 29th instalment in their ongoing series of seven-inch singles, Demon Singles Club has decided to offer up a 45rpm pressing of Komiko's 'Feel Alright'. First released on legendary disco-boogie imprint SAM Records back in 1982, the track has long been a favourite with boogie DJs and with good reason. Built around a memorable bassline, squelchy electrofunk synths and unfussy machine drums, 'Feel Alright' boasts a fine female lead vocal whose lyrics extolls the virtues of dancing all night with happy strangers. As it did back in 1982, the vocal mix comes backed with an instrumental take in which producer Darryl Payne's killer bassline and synths rightfully take centre stage. If it's not in your collection already, you need to grab one of these copies pronto.

Review: MIA's latest single, Crime of Passion, picks up where her last hit left off, delivering another dose of sultry funk with producer Gil Masuda. With deep bass and a groovy vibe, MIA's silky voice weaves a tale of compassion and desire over an up-tempo 80s-tinged boogie beat. The track's infectious energy is sure to get listeners on the dance floor, with lyrics like "Am I your shining diamond, baby, kryptonite?" enticing them further. On the flip side, 'Love Bug' offers a chill roller skating jam with lush Rhodes chords and warm synth tones, perfect for anyone who's ever been in love. Released on Love Touch Records, this single hints at the possibility of a long-awaited debut album from MIA in the near future.

Review: This is a brilliantly sleazy new single from the always inventive and original Payfone. A rugged and filthy groove is paired with punk-funk bass guitar and subtle electronic studio effects to make for a low slung sizzler. Vintage drums chug along at 120bpm with some characterful vocals that range from sensuous to packed with attitude and the whole thing will lock in any sort of crowd in just about any sort of setting. ID requests will go off the chain with this one. Flip it over for an extended dub

Review: Having come to the fore with a pair of boogie slammers on the Cosmic Chronic label, Mickey De Grand IV's Psychic Mirrors outfit ascend to parent operation People's Potential Unlimited with the excellent Charlene. Allegedly recorded with the help of a ten piece live band, both the title track and "Midnight Mirrors" are evocative of the sort of modern lo-fi funk that PPU corners the market in these days. Bringing the Miami heat, "Charlene" is a veritable dancefloor bomb, with a rugged boogie bassline the sort of flirtatious element that hips can't say no to. B Side cut "Midnight Mirrors" is more of a late night number with some exquisite synth work. Props to PPU!

Review: If you read these pages at all often, and specifically those dedicated to Peoples Potential Unlimited, you will know we're fully signed-up fans of this superb DC-based label. Lo-fi funk, soul and disco both new and old is its main trade and here we get another such gem from Dwight Sykes. 'Rock Steady' is a passionate sound with listing hi-hats cutting through the murky analogue airwaves as jumbled drums, bass guitar twangs and epic falsettos all tug at the heart. 'One Night Stand' (feat Jahari) is a slow and seminal soul sound full of yearning and romantic pain.

Review: The Vapor Caves hail from Austin and now land on Star Creature offshoot, Tug Boat Editions, with some deliciously sugary and sweet sounds. This is a superb follow-up of their cover version of the Rah Band's 1983's electrofunk classic 'Message From The Stars'. This time out they add their own signature sounds to a remake of a rare Detroit Boogie Grail 'Knock U Out which is huge on the West Coast funk scene. It's a real hip-swinging ass-shaker that will be as hard to find as the original in no time. On the flip, you'll find an equally effective instrumental that cannot be ignored.

Review: Peoples Potential Unlimited or PPU, is one of the freshest funk labels out there, whether serving up new funk sounds that sound old, or reissuing classic funk sounds that seem bang up to date. Often lo-fi in design but high in emotion, they make for party-starting gems with real swagger. This latest limited 7" is a reissue of a classic from The X-Man, who has apparently been locked away in the Detroit Psychiatric Hospital for the last 30 years. His aggressive funk style pairs driving drums and taught synths with libidinous vocal delivers and plenty of great guitar riffs. Here we have the driving 'That Body' paired with the more deep and bumping 'Fire Up'. Both bang.

Review: Rufus and Chaka Khan's final stretch balances the unfiltered funk of their live performances with the studio polish of their later work. Their live recordings deliver an electrifying set, reworking classics like 'Tell Me Something Good' and 'Sweet Thing' into extended, groove-heavy jams. 'Ain't Nobody' stands outinot just as the lead single but as a masterclass in electro-funk, pairing airtight drum programming with Chaka's soaring vocal for a career-defining moment. Their studio material shifts towards sleek 80s production, offering a more restrained but still soulful contrast. A dynamic farewell from an era-defining partnership.

Review: Mikko Mattlar, a walking encyclopaedia of Finnish electronic music, has been responsible for some killer compilations over the years, but 'Black Hole', his latest collection, may be the best yet. It focuses on exceedingly obscure 'culth synth disco music' produced in his home country between 1979 and '91 - mostly in the early-to-mid-80s - with every track either being an unreleased oddity of a genuinely uber-rare private press record. It's both eye-opening and extremely entertaining, with the included tracks doffing a cap to heavy disco-funk, underground gospel disco, bedroom-made late '80s synth-disco and quirky Scandinavian electrofunk.