Review: Bernard "Pretty" Purdie and his Playboys were an iconic funk group of the late 70s who had big hits with the likes of Gil Scott Heron on his seminal 'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised' single. A year later on the same label, Flying Dutchman, they served up the 'Heavy Soul Slinger' single which gets reissued here. It's driven by big drum breaks and funky hits, with plenty of lush chords and rolling basslines all taking you on a high class and sophisticated trip. On the a-side is Harold Alexander 's 'Mama Soul' from the same era, but with a much more experimental sound rooted in wordless ad libs and frantic flutes.
Review: Africa Seven's A7 Edits offshoot has already proved to be one of the better re-edit series around, primarily because they consistently employ some of the best re-editors in the business, offering them the opportunity to select tracks they want to rework from the parent label's vast catalogue of licensed cuts. This edition - the seventh EP to date - is another action-packed winner. Rising star Alan Dixon delivers a lightly tooled-up, all-action revision of Gyedu Bley Amadou's tropical disco classic 'Highlife', before Barcelona-based John Talabot and Pional re-frame Ekambi Brilliant's 'Afrika Afrika' as a kind of Afro-post-punk/dub disco mash-up. Over on side B, Escapade dances through a bouncy disco-house take on Pasteur Lappe's 'Na Real Sekele Fo Ya', while Jacques Renault expertly rearranges Michael Amara's Afro-disco-funk staple 'New Bell'.
Review: Mr Bongo's Brazil 45's series brings us two Brazilian classics: Rita Lee & Tutti Frutti's 'Agora E Moda' and Pete Dunaway's 'Supermarket'. 'Agora E Moda' from Lee's 1978 album Babilonia is a psychedelic disco-boogie groove highlighted by squelching guitar licks, funk drums, and cosmic vocals. Rita Lee, the former lead singer of Os Mutantes and a key figure in the Tropicalia movement, left a lasting legacy upon her passing in 2023. On the flip side, Dunaway's 'Supermarket' is a rare groove/AOR gem with a standout bassline, swaggering guitar, and lush strings, showcasing his talent as a composer and multi-instrumentalist. This release celebrates the enduring influence of Brazilian music.
Review: REPRESS ALERT!: New York producer P-Sol has hit on a super effective formula for starting the party, stitching together a selection of familiar samples and hooks, adding some beautifully dusty breaks and adding a final sheen of shiny production skills. Both sides of this 7" have a touch of raw 'two turntables' action about them, while remaining impeccably constructed and tight, with the A-side 'This Way' proving to be the slightly speedier and slightly more funk/r&b-flavoured, while 'Breathe & Stop (Abstract Blend)' is the one for the pure hip-hop heads. Both, however, are dynamite in the box, needless to say.
Review: Re-pressed for the second time through its original issuer Sunstruck, this humble admission of low stress tolerance from the obscure Detroit nexus band Pages (masterminded by Isaac Hayes keyboardist Travis Biggs) marks out a rare subject matter for a soul and funk fancy. Like its B-side 'Mack', 'Heartaches & Pain' has the textural tartness and piquancy of a well-squeezed lemon; its tight and yellowy instrumentation matches the breezy but repressive situation so described in the song, in which Biggs recounts the tale of having to guard his heart from pain, admitting only lightness in the process.
Review: Given the vastness of his back catalogue, you'd think there would be plenty of re-issue-friendly gold buried in Eddie Palmieri's discography. "Spirit of Love", first released as a single in 1978, certainly ticks a lot of boxes: the spiraling, disco-era chunk of boogaloo/jazz-funk fusion remains popular on specialist dancefloors - especially jazz-dance ones - and original copies frequently change hands online for well over 50 quid. Like the original 7", this edition of the singles also comes backed with the sweaty Brazilian style jazz brilliance of "Lucumi, Macumba, Voodoo", which also happens to be the title track of the LP that "Spirit of Love" was plucked from.
Review: There's not much to go on when it comes this latest release on trusted soul and funk outpost Epsilon. Whoever Pals & Gal were, their sound is rooted in the classic era of 70s soul even if the track was completed bang on the turn of the decade in 1980. There's a big band arrangement powering 'Lil' Bit Different' which was put together by Ron Foster, and there's as much focus on holding down the groove as different instruments coming to the fore to do their thing. The lyrics tell it straight - this is just a little bit different.
Review: Fresh from dropping another essential seven-inch with his regular Sound Combo band, Misha Paniflov has joined forces with fellow multi-instrumentalist Shawn Lee for a string of collaborative singles. This "45" sports two genuinely impressive cuts, each full to bursting with quality live instrumentation. It opens with 'Sigmund Jahn Bossa', a superb fusion of late 1960s library jazz (think Roy Budd's score for Get Carter and you're in the right ballpark), bustling bossa-nova and spiralling psych-funk. Over on the flip the pair continue to deliver lounge, influenced, tongue-in-cheek thrills via the cheap, Sideman drum machine rhythms, tumbling guitars, elongated Hammond organ chords and hazy backing vocals of 'Aquaria'.
Review: Earlier in the year Misha Paniflov impressed with a library music and laidback 1970s funk-rock-inspired soundtrack for a Janno Jurgens-directed movie called Rain. Both of the tracks featured on this "4e5" are taken from that soundtrack album. On side A you'll find 'Road Home', a relaxed and effervescent affair that fuses drifting, wordless female vocals, snaking saxophone lines and rising orchestration with grooves reminiscent of Roy Budd's work for the original Get Carter soundtrack. Over on the flip there's a chance to savour soundtrack album opener 'An Unexpected Journey', where Paniflov more expressively explores his easy listening and library music influences. It, too, is a calming treat for the ears.
Review: Following a near two-year absence from vinyl, the usually prolific Misha Paniflov is back on Funk Night Records with another nostalgic 45 rooted in deep funk, library music, cinematic soundtracks and psychedelia. The Estonian first offers up 'Dr Juvenal's Solution', a jaunty and genuinely heavy dancefloor work out marked out by sixties spy-movie guitars, bustling breaks, intergalactic synth sounds and warming bass. He opts for a more laidback, downtempo feel on side B, with stretched out, Peter Green style guitar solos and meandering Moog lines reclining atop a bittersweet backing track.
Review: This excellent 7" single from Athens Of The North boasts more desirable deep funk business. This time dusty-fingered digger Euan Fryer has secured the rights to a sought-after seven from Papa Bear & His Cubs, a long-serving combo whose sole "45" has long been a sought-after item amongst serious soul and funk heads. "You're So Fine" may sound like it was recorded in a cement mixer on a cheap portable tape recorder, but musically it's soul bliss - a wonderfully languid, loved-up song blessed with a superb lead vocal and languid instrumentation. "Sweetest Thing On This Side Of Heaven" is, if anything, even more dewy-eyed - a seductive slow jam whose saccharine lyrics are delivered with heartfelt passion.
Review: At first an obscure library music curio made by Keith Papworth under the aegis of Music De Wolfe - the brainchild of Dutch composer and oboist Meyer De Wolfe - Hard Hitter long flew under the radar as Papworth's unsung instrumental funk magnum opus, that is, until it was reissued in 2022 by Fat Beats, and again now by Dynamite Cuts. We'd wager that it was the Fat Beats reissue that really cemented the legacy of this gem, which placed its intensely sampleable funk breaks in the context of NYC hip-hop culture, cementing its legacy as a favourite sample source for beatmakers, not just a simple and enduring joy in the realm of hard-hitting library funk.
Review: It would be fair to say that Paris Holley is not one of the best-known purveyors of 1980s funk and soul, though the handful of releases he put out in the decade tend to be cherished by serious diggers and DJs. 1984 jam "I Choose You", which is here reissued for the first time since the '80s, is undoubtedly one of his standout moments. Hazy, super-sweet and laidback, the cut sees Holley adding his soulful, high octave tones to a blissful backing track rich in fluid piano lines, sun-kissed guitars and mazy synth lines. Arguably even better is synth-funk B-side "Punkin' Funkin", a fizzing workout that sounds like a more soulful, talkbox-free take on Zapp man Roger Troutman's trademark sound.
Review: French progenitors of the dance Paris Acid City keep the spark of French (disco-) house alive with their latest EP 'PA City Two'. A label / moniker seemingly dedicated to capturing the bustle and excitement of 80s-90s Paris, bottling it in disco-house music form, the likes of 'Falling Planet Earth' are glamorous ear-grabbers, the equivalent of bowling down a high-fashion Boulevard with a wad of cash in hand. Then comes a tribal detour on 'Hupendi Muziki Wangu' before we land touch down g-funky, P-Funky Los Angeles on '212 North 12th'.
Review: The Record Store Day releases are coming thick and fast already and Dynamite Cuts have got one of the more essential ones here. It features a pair of tracks from Steve Parks, who looks as cool as can be on the much loved cover. This is the first time the lead single has ever been put on its own 7" after first coming on his 1981 album. That is now mega-rare and a high value collector's item and surely this one will be too, soon enough. The mastering is high class, allowing the free flowing jazz funk goodness to really shine. On the reverse is a more intimate late-night romancer. What a pair of tunes.
Review: Ohio-based instrumental organ trio Parlor Greens, known for their blend of soul, funk and blues, return with a new 7" that follows their acclaimed debut from 2024. Side-1 features 'Driptorch', which is driven by crunchy drums from Tim Carman, funky guitar riffs by Jimmy James and Adam Scone's expressive Hammond organ. The track delivers a high-energy, groove-filled adventure. On Side-2 ,'200 Dollar Blues', introduces a fresh, mid-tempo instrumental. This blues shuffle highlights James' searing Stratocaster solos, complemented perfectly by Scone's soulful organ work. Their interplay exudes a raw, electrifying energy, while Carman's steady, dynamic drumming grounds the track, making this one for fans of deep soul and blues.
Review: The Acid Jazz label opens it archives to turn out this magnificent slice of northern soul from the legend that is Dean Parrish, a man who sold over a million records and worked with the likes of Jimi Hendrix. It's 10 years old but still bangs and is maybe one of the best records of his career. The psychedelic 'It's Time - Purple Mountain Majesty' is a hard hitting tune with layers of percussion, amour nines, bendy guitar riffs and soaring vocals that have female backings for extra richness. The version on the flip is more tense, steamy and rousing.
Review: Patchouli Brothers and GMGN combine their forces on this double a-side 45 which packs some serious disco heat. Patchouli Brothers go first with the searing and full flavour 'Burnin'' which is a cacophonous brew of bristling percussion and jangling rhythms that will fit right into one of the sets of someone like DJ Harvey. GMGN then takes care of the flip with the much less noisy and intense sounds of 'A Little Bit' which rides a rickety groove and is embellished with some nifty horn arrangements and lung-busting vocals plus some deft synth flourishes.
Review: Breakbeat Paradise's Toxic Funk series rolls out a ninth volume here with two more powerful cuts. These come from Paul Sitter and Crash Party who together cook up plenty of horn-lead action on 'Don't Touch Me.' It has old school bars and some retro synth work that all adds up to a full thrill funk banger. 'Wake Up' is another raw and raucous one with big rock guitars and slamming drums. A b-boy hip-hop vocal is paired with yelping female vocal samples and the crispy drums never let up. Two dynamite tracks for sure.
Review: Genre-bending artist PawPaw Rod finally unveils his highly anticipated EP, Doobie Mouth. Born in Hawaii and raised in Oklahoma City, the LA-based singer-songwriter Rodney Hulsey fuses rap, 60s soul and funk with hip-hop, sunny melodies and sophisticated lyricism that does a fine job of carrying Motown's legacy into the contemporary musical landscape. This seven tracker explores themes of love and self-growth all while managing to cook up lively and vibrant vibes that are rooted in funk with some interesting subtle detours. From the big open 'When I Get Home' to the catchy hooks of 'Cherry Tree' this is a potent new 12" for sure.
Review: The list of massive hits from the golden trio of Holland-Dozier-Holland is endless, but one of the standouts is this one from Freda Payne. It was recorded din 1969 and features a golden production touch that made it a hugely popular tune for sample-hunting producers in the hip hop world. The killer guitar hook intro is particularly popular and was most notably used by JVC Force in their 'Strong Island', tune. Now for the first time ever, the original gets pressed to 45rpm along with a never before released Tom Moulton remix.
Review: Penza Penza is one of many aliases used by funk-fuelled musical polymath Misha Paniflov. This "45" showcases two tracks from the project's recently released debut album, which added heavy funk vibes to a hallucinatory stew of flavoursome psychedelic rock. A-side 'Mad Madis Twist' is gnarly, rugged and impressively heavy, with Paniflov and company wrapping squally, Jimi Hendrix style guitar solos and flanged funk-rock riffs over a cacophonous, all-action rhythm track. 'Shulz' Thing' is a little tighter, more bass-heavy and undeniably funkier, though the wild guitars and acid-fried attitude remain front and centre.
Review: What's important is to spread confusion, not eliminate it: Estonian production master Misha Panfilov knows this as much, running a carefully-curated imagecraft cartel, in which his many aliases confound and bemuse us into believing his many works are the doing of someone else. Case in point: At first glance, we were well-duped into believing Penza Penza were some kind of exotic psych supergroup lost to time, but a deeper investigation as to the origin of the alias indeed reveals the singular force of Panfilov to be the artist behind these tracks. It's no wonder the A-sider is called 'Deep Dive', affirming our propensity for curious, almost forensic suspicion as to its true origins. A serene groove of just-intoned riffs and sizzlingly offbeat hits, this one's certainly a solid accompaniment for your next mescaline dabbling. Meanwhile, we're happy to award the B-sider with "banger of the year so far" - 'My Friend Ash' is an ecstatic mover, as deceivingly retro as it is beguiling, with stabbing counterpoints and wild toppers, as suitable for the club as it is would've been for some kind of 70s hoedown.
Review: Way back in 1970, People In The News released their sole single on Knap Town, a tiny label based in Indiana. Original copies of that funk "45" are notoriously hard to find, thanks in no small part to the quality of both cuts. Step forward Athens Of The North boss Euan Fryer, who has secured the rights to reissue the single for the first time. A-side "Color Me" is the real bomb: a down-low chunk of mid-tempo funk with politically charged group vocals, rasping guitar licks and hip-hop style drum breaks. Over on side B, "Misty Shade Of Pink" is the kind of rock solid instrumental funk workout you'd expect to hear from the Meters.
Review: Funk fans hold tight: Food City have licensed a reissue of a holy grain tune from 1969 that would usually cost you a month's rent to purchase. The People's Choice were a short-lived group from Grand Rapids, Michigan who only put out a handful of tunes but still managed to leave their mark. "Destruction" is a raw jam with a consistent funky groove as a baseline weaves its way in and out. Big and expressive, it's bound to get any dancefloor going. Flip side "Off-spring" that's led by some florrid flute playing is just as effective.
World Full Of People (instrumental - previously unreleased) (3:11)
Review: One of the most demanded vinyl from diggers, PEOPLE'S PLEASURE "Do You Hear Me Talking To You?" is still shining brightly in the rare groove scene. AP-VINE is proudAof releasing the super killer track "World Full Of People" and the instrumental version of the same song that was not released at the time in the original LP as reissue 7inch for the first time in the world!!AIn addition, this ep includes a special download code for the bonus track that is sung by the producer BILLY BROWN with the same instrumental track!A
Review: Octave Japan collaborate with legendary illustrator Hiroshi Nagai to oversee and handle the artwork for a rare single reissue. Sourced from the vaults of the OG T.K. Records, to whom Nagai has been listening since day dot, The Perfections' super rare 1973 cut 'Love Storm' is a swelling romantic soul sundry from the Milwaukee muses, with impressive vocal glidings from the band's lead singer Harold Stewart lending to an unexpected mondegreen - we first heard "can't keep living this lifestyle" as the incorrect lapsus of "can't keep living this love storm". On the B-side comes Funky Nassau's 'Bahama Soul Stew', a much-loved modern rarity first released in 2005, much-loved indeed thanks to its 4x4 swag-bag and mellifluous Hammond dexterities.
Review: The Perpetual Singers is a collective of gospel singers who hail from Amsterdam. They have linked up with producer Arp Frique for this tasteful new two-tracker via Unknownunknown. The 12" kicks off with 'Father Father' which has some brilliantly jazzy fingers dancing about a Rhodes piano and bringing great feels while a wordless ad-lib brings plenty of soul up top and some retro-future melodies bring a contemporary twist to this most bubbly of soul cuts. 'Elena' on the flip is a more driving grove with dusty drums and big guitar licks adding texture to the bright, shiny chords. It's a passionate sound with a catchy edge.
Review: Is there a more celebrated combination in all of reggae than Lee Perry & The Upsetters? The master producer and his iconic backing band laid down many of the genre's most vital sounds and helped subtly evolve it across the seventies and beyond. This single 'Jungle Lion' came right in the midst of that in 1974. An original 7" will cost you upwards of 500 quid, and that's if you can find one. Here it gets reissued on the young but already well-formed Skank & Groove label and is backed with a version by The Upsetters named 'Freak Out Skank' that gets even more warm, cavernous and dubby.
Review: An original of this is so hard to find that even on the most prominent second hand market site out there it hasn't been traded for more than a decade and a half. And it is certainly you now want to cop if you know what's up: Phase II's a-side delight 'Follow Me' is an adventurous synthed-out peak time boogie jam with spiritual levels of vocal magic. On the flip is a slightly more psychedelic disco stomper with freaky pads and wispy melodies over fast paced drum funk.
Review: It has now been three years since Matasuna Records unveiled a scorching Latin 45 showcasing two tracks by Venezuelan ensemble Phirpo y sus Caribes, led by Porfi Jimenez. Now, Matasuna is reissuing two more cuts from their sole album, Parrilla Caliente, this time on a 7" vinyl - a debut for these tracks in this format. The original 1972 album, a scarce collector's gem on Philips, holds official licensing from Jimenez's family. On the A-side, 'Y Esa Pava Que?' ignites with Latin funk fervour and is driven by robust drums, potent horns, and groovy, psychedelic keys and guitars. The B-side features 'Pa' Los Rumbero,' a vibrant rendition of Tito Puente's classic, showcasing Jimenez and his band's exceptional musicianship.
Review: Mocambo's best resident band Pigalle Connection share 'Flics Sur Peripherique' and 'Transit', two sick 7" funk laydowns best suited for time-travelling back into the 70s and dodging the cops. This twanging, whammied French funk band takes its name from the infamous Place Pigalle square in Paris, in which an infamous pleasure district resides. So too do sultry synths and brazen Barre chords brum in scattershot fashion on this record, representing the transitory allure of illicit downtown business.
Review: A veritable wall of soul sound comes from Pleasure, the Portland, Oregon band whose works were sampled by the likes of LL Cool J and Michael Jackson. 'We Have So Much' is an example of mega-falsettoing, climactic funk, urgently laying home the fact that 'it's now or never', and that, baby, 'it's time to talk about it'. Meanwhile the B-side cut, 'Joyous', meanwhile, hears the aftermath of said relationship's end. A gem from Sherman Davis and co.
Review: The Octoposse crew are big fans of Pleasure's cherished vintage funk, having already served up a re-rub of the 70s group's 'Bouncy Lady' instrumental on their first edit 7". Now they're back and going deeper into the Pleasure sound with two crisp, classic joints. Lifted from their 1975 debut album Dust Yourself Off, 'Straight Ahead' is on the A-side of this single, riding high on a bongo beat with wigged-out synth lines and some glorious sax flourishes which ping the track into jazz funk territory. 'Can't Turn You Loose' comes from their 1977 album Joyous, and it's a raunchier affair full of heavy, bass led vamps and all the pressure a dancefloor could possibly handle. In other words, pure fire.
Review: 'Practice What You Preach' is a standout track from the German funk band Poets Of Rhythm's debut record of the same name, first released on Soulciety in 1993. After a long hiatus on the albums front before a return to the limelight with a follow-up Ninja Tune LP in 2001, these guys nonetheless remained surely active on the 7"s circuit, which has sustained them since then. Little did we know or predict, however, that there existed a part two to the same track, which is essentially an instrumental version of the original 1993 track. On the B comes a fresh funker formerly released under the alias Mighty Continentals, with the band's Bo Baral laying down a rare solo guitar situation and singing about, well, god knows what.
Review: Nick and Astro, known collectively as Potatohead People, join forces once again on a tantalising teaser 7" from their upcoming album, Eat Your Heart Out'. Featured on 'Paradise' is the highly hyped Canadian artist Diamond Cafe, whose velvety vocals grace this early 80s-inspired blend of digital sex funk that will remind you of Sade, El Debarge, and Prefab Sprout. Describing his music as "bathing in a cloud of honey on a very foggy night," Diamond Cafe's performance is nothing short of magic here. On the flipside, Nick Wisdom puts his spin on the track, infusing it with dub elements and enhancing the bassline.
Review: A refreshing take on classic soul and its relationship with gospel music. Side-1 features a soulful party anthem with a gospel-influenced vocal performance that stands out with its raw emotion and energy, the unique voice of The Preacher adding a distinctive flair, making it a compelling listen. Side-2 delivers 'The Blessing', a funky groove that blends soulful rhythms with upbeat energy. The track has a lively, infectious vibe, showcasing a different side of The Preacher's versatility.
Review: This Precisions (Philly Group) were a different group to the Detroit Precisions.These two tracks come from when they were working with Philadelphia producer Marty Bryant. We can imagine that some Northern Soul DJs tracked down copies of the scarce original pressing of this fine 7" for B-side "My Sense of Direction (Is Blown)", a heartfelt soul shuffler with serious dancefloor chops. Arguably even better, though, is A-side "Take a Closer Look", a slower, simmering chunk of doo-wop influenced goodness that's as heartbreaking as it is sublime.
Review: Taken from his debut album, released in 1976, Italian composer legend Presti's rawest funk roots are explored and celebrated to great effect right here. "Funky Bump" lives up to its name beautifully with very neat organ stabs and a relentless groove that's not dissimilar to Grace Jones' "Pull Up To The Bumper". Looking for a much dreamier, dewy eyed jam? Flip for the lavish whirls and swirls of "C. So Buenos Aires"... It couldn't be more 1976 (or Italian) if it tried.
Review: Two of James "Gem" Prewitt's two early 80s disco-funk tracks, 'My Love Box' (1981) and 'Juicy' (1983), come courteously reissued via AOTN, raring a snapshot of his exceptional talents and entrepreneurial funk fastenings. Recorded in St. Louis, Missouri, 'My Love Box' marked the beginning of Prewitt's journey, with the 27-year-old attending Forrest Park Community College at the same time as establishing his own label, Keyes Production. Not only did he write, produce, and perform all these tracks, but local success with 'My Love Box' inspired him to team up with Loretta Mathison for the creation of 'Juicy', which ensues here as the orally honeyed slow jam of choice, and which picks up the pace at the midpoint through gospel operatics and wooing coos. This collaboration led to a two-year singing tour, firelighting them from beneath and propelling them from the Philippines to Germany.
Review: Connie Price & The Keystones team up with one of New York's finest, Apani B. Fly MC (collabs w/ Black Star, MF Doom, DJ Spinna) & Mardi Gras Indian Big Chief Bo Dollis Jr. (The Wild Magnolias). 'Uptown Rulers' is the perfect blend of Mardi Gras Indian funk from New Orleans and the flows and cadence from Hollis, Queens. Apani B. gives you a lesson in the blood, sweat, and tears that go into the masking culture, while Bo Dollis Jr. carries on his father's legacy with chants to the ancestors. For the B-side, Professor Shorthair leans further into the origins of hip-hop with a boom-bap backbone and scratches that give a nod to the OG Big Chief, Bo Dollis. Extended intro and outro for all you DJs out there!
For The Wicked (Professor Shorthair extended mix) (5:15)
Review: A unique smashing of worlds between funk and hip-hop, this fantastic, vibrant, red-and-black splatter 7" brings together a host of collaborating greats, all of whom have contributed in major ways to both sounds over the years. With Dan Ubick on guitar (Breakestra, Big Daddy Kane), Julius Augustus on bass (The Sandollars), Dan Hastie on organ (Orgone, Alicia Keys), Steve McCormick on dobro and Professor Shorthair on the cuts and edits - and mastered by Dave Cooley (J Dilla, Madlib) - this is a mournful yet masterful example of live-recorded battle breaks.
Come On Down (To New Orleans) (feat Fullee Love aka Soup Of Jurassic 5 & Haisizzle) (4:13)
Come On Down (To New Orleans) (feat Fullee Love aka Soup Of Jurassic 5 & Haisizzle - Professor Shorthair Bounce remix) (4:41)
Review: Connie Price & The Keystones team up with Fullee Love (aka. Soup of Jurassic 5) - as well as New Orleans' very own bounce king Hasizzle - to bring you the brand new second-line funk anthem 'Come On Down (To New Orleans)'. Patently referencing and working within the regional New Orleans hip-hop style known as bounce music, Price, Love and Hasizzle stick true to the soulful, syrupy and yet still hard-edged call-and-response style indicative of this 80s-90s stylistic cusp. Slacken lyrics, soul-tinged choruses, skrrt ad-libs and one-two-step antiphony predominate on this versioned A-B sider, as Professor Shorthair also provides a quintessential bounce demo mix on the B.
Fall In Love In Outer Space (Turbotito rework) (5:21)
Fall In Love In Outer Space (Blank & Jones Ride A Sunbeam rework) (5:00)
Fall In Love In Outer Space (Chuggin edits rework) (4:25)
Fall In Love In Outer Space (Those Guys From Athens rework) (4:32)
Fall In Love In Outer Space (Vibes4YourSoul rework) (4:37)
Fall In Love In Outer Space (HOLDTight rework) (5:19)
Review: Prime Time Band's 'Fall In Love In Outer Space' is one of the undoubted highlights of the latest Too Slow To Disco compilation - a quirky, 1985 curiosity that blends AOR, soft rock and spacey, synth-laden disco. Here the track is dragged into the 21st century by a sextet of remixers, most of whom treat the original with due reverence. Turbitto kicks things off by adding layers of tactile electronics and echoing effects to the obscure outfit's sumptuous, soft-touch vocals and instrumentation, before Blank & Jones re-imagine it as a dreamy Balearic disco chugger. The Chuggin' Edits tweak is tactile, groovy and super-slow, while Those Guys From Athens beef up the beats and add a touch of low-slung dub disco haziness. Meanwhile, 'Vibes4YourSoul' drop a warming, Rhodes-heavy interpretation and HOLDTight deliver slo-mo disco-funk vibes aplenty.
Review: Spiritual jazz fans are going to rather excited about this new one from the hard working people at P-Vine over in Japan: Chicago saxophonist Prince Billy Mahdi Wright's finest work, 'Summer Love', is now arriving on its own 7" for the first time ever. It is previously lost material that showcases his next level sound though here featuring mainly keyboard instruments as opposed to his more usual saxophone, but that only makes it all the more uplifting. On the flipside is a remix that is just as rare so this one really is an essential record for your collection.
Review: From the grave, Prince is serving up a banger just in time for Christmas fun this year in the form of a one-sided 12" on Warner. It found him working with his trusty New Power Generation and features the 'damn near 10 min' mix of the song 'Gett Off' which is sure to fire up any dancefloor. It was originally a single - also served up as a one-sider - to promote Prince's new band with a cover that boldly declared that "Nothing can stop Prince and the New Power Generation" and was only issued on 1500 copies, so this is a great treat for fans to own all these years later.
Review: Principles Of Joy, the dynamic French soul outfit, joins forces with Germany's Unique Records for their latest release, 'Mermaid's Tale.' Led by keyboardist and composer Ludo Bors, the band, fronted by the captivating Rachel Yarabou, delivers a potent blend of deep soul with psychedelic and hip-hop elements. The title track seamlessly blends fantasy and reality in a psyche soul mood. Yarabou's smooth yet intense vocals glide effortlessly over the lush instrumentation, including heavy bass, hip-hop-inspired drums, and dreamy Rhodes and guitars. Meanwhile, 'Kick Off The Road' picks up the pace with its bluesy verses and funky choruses, showcasing the band's Stax and James Brown influences. Yarabou's spirited delivery tells the tale of a girl determined to forge her own path, echoing themes of freedom and women's emancipation. With its dynamic arrangements and compelling storytelling, Principles Of Joy's collaboration with Unique Records is a refreshing addition to the soul music landscape, blending traditional and contemporary elements with finesse and flair.
Review: Proh Mic delivers his best work with this new single which sets the stage for an upcoming album that is sure to once more invite us deep into his unique disco-funk world. 'Special Request' is a dance floor anthem but also a tribute to the DJ that is sure to become a Modern funk classic. Produced by Liquid Pegasus, it's a party starter with funky-ass drums and big, irresistible claps under a retro-future vocal. The B-side, 'Free To Be', features Proh Mic singing and rapping about staying authentic in a world that tries to dull our shine. With soulful production by Vitamin D, the track blends fun with deep, life-affirming lyrics and has a truly timeless edge.
Review: We really have a soft spot for the Four Flies late out of Italy. Their mix of world, Latin, library, jazz and plenty of other cultured in-between sounds always brings a smile to our face and dancers to our dance floors. This new 7" takes the form of a second single to be taken from Psyche's (aka Naples collective Marcello Giannini, Andrea De Fazio and Paolo Petrella) debut long player which is due in May. It's a compelling cut that offers a rich exploration of rhythm and the movements of an imaginary ritual dance. Synths and drums, guitar and bass and percussion all interplay delightfully.
Review: Mickey De Grand IV and Psychic Mirrors are back with 'Charlene II', an updated live take on their cult classic, originally released via PPU. Fresh off their latest tour, this rendition adds new dimensions, capturing the wild energy and rich textures of their performance. On the flip, 'French Dip' teases what's coming in 2025islick, polished funk dripping with Miami cool, elevated by that unmistakable LA studio gloss. It's a preview of bigger things, but for now, this release solidifies Psychic Mirrors' status as genre-melting pioneers who aren't afraid to keep pushing boundaries.
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