Back catalogue: Funk

Review: King Storm and The Steadies share the bill on the new 7" label from Stix/Big Single - Killer Jamaica style remixes of Diana Ross and Isley Brothers - For fans of Stix etc.

Review: Part of a series of reissues by Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids. Once privately pressed, Rhapsody In Berlin is the result of an extensive exploration of Africa before returning to the German capital. Both sides are built around one hooky refrain as each player takes the lead and the momentum into brave new areas. With a robust support from the heavy funk guitar backline and overwhelmingly funky drums, it's all about range of horns (muted or otherwise), flutes and pygmy flutes that weave tightly into each other with a sense of natural chaos. As the name of Idris's San Fran dance troupe suggests, this is a bona fide cultural odyssey.

Review: Imperial Breed are a mystery funk band from Hamburg, Germany. The group has been put together by DJ/producer Falk "Hawkeye" Schacht and drummer Roberto Kien in an attempt to follow the seminal how-to-record-a-funk-band manual by Gabe Roth(Daptone) and Philip Lehmann(Soul Fire) from "Big Daddy" magazine step by step. This includes the use of karaoke mics, old school tape recorders and IKEA tambourines. The various musicians who made up the ever-changing Imperial Breed workshop are all well-known players from like-minded bands and projects but remain anonymus. Imperial Breed do not only use the cheapest and most outdated equipment, they also put the emphasis on instruments that were rarely used by old school funk bands. Instead of chicken scratch guitars or hammond organs, the sound of Imperial Breed is lead by ancient Arp and Moog synthesizers.

Review: Cleveland soul band The Imperial Wonders have a long and distinguished history, stretching back as far the mid 1960s. They were at their most potent in the early 1970s, when they enjoyed some success on the UK northern soul circuit thanks to a string of sizzling dancefloor hits. The two tracks showcased here were clearly recorded at a later date, but remain as hot and heavy as you'd expect. Choose between the restless electrofunk groove of "Love Me To The Music" and "I'm a Hostage", a slightly more traditional (but still synth heavy) soul growler that comes complete with a seriously urgent vocal.

Review: The Fryers sub-label of Jazzman Records come correct once again with this crucial 7" reissue from The Isley Brothers! With a career spanning some 50 years and covering R&B, Rock, Funk, Soul and Disco, it's fair to say The Isley Brothers have been one of the most influential groups on how 20th Century music turned out, yet few people actually know that their universally regarded 1973 hit "That Lady" was in fact a cover version of a track they'd previously recorded a decade earlier. Presented here in all its dusty glory, "Who's That Lady" is a jazzy doo-wop workout that will have the collectors out there running towards the turntables to find out whose version it is. On the flip is their wonderful version of the Blues standard "St. Louis Blues" which has been freshly pressed from the original master tapes!

Review: Juno exclusive with free additional wooden 45 adapter.This year, a number of labels - most notably Dynamite Cuts - have been digging in to the seemingly bottomless archives of much-sampled American-Trinidadian artist and producer George Semper, a man many consider to be "the Godfather of Bay Area soul". Here Mukatsuku gets in on the act by offering up a fresh pressing of Semper-produced funk band In One Piece's rare, self-titled debut the first time ever on a 45. The vocal version on side A is superb, and features Cindy Jones singing attractively over a bustling, loose-limbed, B-Boy friendly rhythm track and sweaty Hammond B3 solos from jazz organist Rodney Franklin. The latter's mazy, jazzy keys-work naturally comes to the fore on the flipside instrumental, which has never before been heard let alone released until now. A genuine must-have for funk fans and B-Boys searching for drum breaks alike....As played by Pete Rock...DJ Koco from Japan...DJ Spinna....DJ Muro...Mr Thing....Rob Life....Rob Manga....The Allergies....Smoove..Bobbito....Rich Medina... Evil Ed...etc

Review: The first release on Neon Finger found Dutch veteran DJ Overdose turning out a surprising blend of boogie on the Techno Hop LP, but for the second installment on the Spanish label the remit proves to be wide as Inkswel and lesser known The Jungle Sessions join forces for Secret River. This meeting of minds, recorded on a raft of vintage electro-funk equipment, culminates in a perfect slab of sweet, low slung grooves for every boogie enthusiast to engage with. There are instrumental delights aplenty, but also some welcome vocal cuts such as the essential "Sucka Free" featuring John Robinson on the mic.