Back catalogue: Funk

Review: Ice's early work captures a pivotal moment in funk's evolution, weaving together taut grooves and vibrant African-inspired rhythms. Recorded during the band's formative years, the music brims with raw energy and creative ambition. Polished basslines drive the tracks, while percussion bursts with a vitality that speaks to their Parisian influences at the time. Horn stabs and tightly wound guitar lines add layers of complexity, and the occasional vocal inflection injects a sense of urgency. With each listen, the production reveals new texturesismall details that elevate the record beyond its era.

Review: Popularly known to fans as "Ice" - a rare case of hypocorism in colloquial fan band nicknaming - Strut Recordings document a rare record from the vaults of the luminary Lafayette Afro-Rock Band, one that is arguably the closest in their catalogue to the signature sound defining their earlier work. Marked by an especially complex funk rhythmology, this record was pressed contemporaneously with the infamous Soul Makossa and Malik sessions; but compared to their earlier works, Afro Agban pushes deeper into jazz-rock territory. 'Ozan Koukle' has espceially become a known but coveted missing link for turntable taxonomists, who'll thank their lucky stars for the fact that it is now available in full.

Review: Marking its debut on vinyl, Jiro Inagaki's groundbreaking jazz-rock album introduces a bold fusion of new rock elements, featuring Inagaki's vocals alongside Sammy and Yasushi Sawada for the first time. Backed by a stellar lineup including Masahiko Sato, Kimio Mizutani, and Hiro Yanagida, this reissue by Nipponophone underlines Inagaki's status as a maverick in Japanese jazz. Originally released in 1971, the album blends heavy rock grooves with an enigmatic allure, resonating deeply with collectors of rare groove worldwide. Inagaki, renowned for his saxophone work and production skills, has left an indelible mark not only in jazz but also as a sought-after session player for legends like Stevie Wonder and Frank Sinatra. This reissue reaffirms his legacy, offering a glimpse into his influential jazz-rock era.

Review: Japan meets funky disco in an explosive fusion led by maestro Jiro Inagaki here on a classic album that gets a worthy reissue. In a particularly inspired year during which he also released Funky Stuff on Nippon Columbia, Inagaki masterfully reinterprets tracks by Quincy Jones, Commodores, Graham Central Station, B.T. Express, Kool and The Gang, Stevie Wonder, Sly and The Family Stone, Ohio Players, Ripple, and Billy Preston on this one. He does so in collaboration with Hiromasa Suzuki, a prominent name in Japanese jazz, and seasoned session musicians who add their own spice. Inagaki brings a fresh, danceable sound here with a broad mix of inspirations from jazz to city pop all shining through.

Review: Takeshi Inomata's Drum Method reissue is jazz-rock at its fiercest, transforming a drum instructional into a relentless groove machine. Inomata's legendary, boundary-pushing stick work shines, leading Sound Limited through a heady mix of originals and covers like 'Runaway Child' and 'Smack Water Jack.' The album, filled with dizzying solos and Norio Maeda's standout arrangements, is a masterclass in rhythm and energy, showing Inomata's unstoppable drive to reshape the genre. This reissue is pure, high-octane funk and groove at its finest.

Review: Takeshi Inomata is a pioneering drummer in Japan's jazz scene who launched the band Sound Limited in the late 1960s and set to work blending jazz and rock in a vibrant new direction. Influenced by the brass rock movement, Inomata sought to create music full of energy and free from the constraints of modern jazz. He brought together young, talented musicians to play with vitality and envisioned a large-scale sound. Their debut album, The Sound of Sounds LTD back in 1970, became a classic filled with dynamic performances, including the iconic 'Theme~Mustache,' a track that continues to define the band's legacy.

Review: Japanese jazz drummer Takeshi Inomata is a little-spoken-about figure in the jazz-rock scene; The Japan Jazz All Stars alumn, We 3 trio leader and Rhythm Clinic Center founder has made well over 300 recordings in his career - this being the third in a year-long trilogy enthusiastically and successively released under the Sound Limited name alongside Kimio Mizutani and Shigenori Kamiya - amongst others - largely influenced by European musicians like Donovan and The Beatles. A notable and funny inclusion is 'London Bridge is Falling Down', a quite literal jazz groove cover interpolating the famous nursery rhyme. Opening track 'Something' is a cracking piece of relaxing jazz, nothing eye-popping, just some glossy, well-played, easy listening. 'Hurdy Gurdy Man' is a fast-paced funk cut with striking psychedelic guitars over a frantic flute line - the project showed Inomata's vision for a more approachable and instantly catchy jazz rock that still retained a lot of character and left, evidently, lots of room for experimentation.

Review: Emerging from the vibrant but devilish Bermuda scene of the early 70s, Spacing Out stands as a gleaming instrumental lapis. The entirely self-taught band recombined the raw chi of OG instrumentation with pre-spirited arrangements by The Meters, The Temptations, Aretha Franklin and The Isley Brothers. This one cemented the Invaders as a finely polished instrumental ensemble, gilding the slabs for the retro-soul and funk scenes to follow, and which were in turn incubators of hatchlings Daptone and Big Crown. The reissue, a collaboration with the band and their full participation, comes complete with an expansive booklet by Jefferson "Chairman" Mao, offering an in-depth look at the group with rare photos. With expository, reverb-laden percs, ridin' breakdowns and low strung brasses, the record arouses a mood of loose-girdled passion.

Review:  A whole bunch of Weldon Irvine albums are being remastered and reissued at the moment, which will be music to the ears of spiritual jazz fans - literally. The American composer and pianists was one of the big names of his time and reals don labels like RCA and Strata-East as well as his own label. Young Gifted & Broke has never been on vinyl before as the recordings were only discovered in the early 2010s. It was a musical that was released in 1977 and inspired by the Black Civil Rights anthem 'Young, Gifted and Black,' which Weldon had written with Nina Simone. Talents like Marcus Miller joined the recordings which as can now be heard are magnificent to say the least.

Review: In 1970, Akira Ishikawa, a key figure in the jazz rock movement, ventured into bold new territory with his album Electrum. This ambitious project shows his innovative spirit, pushing jazz boundaries with its intense, precise grooves and the musicians' quest for new heights. The album features standout tracks like the tempestuous 'Electrum,' the complexly layered 'Revulsion,' and the tranquil 'Speak Under My Breath,' which captures the serene clarity of dawn. The presence of distinguished pianists and arrangers Masahiko Sato and Hiromasa Suzuki adds further depth and brilliance to this already vibrant work. Electrum is celebrated as a major achievement in Ishikawa's career and is a notable highlight within the Victor "Japanese Jazz" series. Its revival brings renewed attention to Ishikawa's groundbreaking exploration of jazz fusion.