Back catalogue: Funk

Review: For Fourth Wave Record Factory, MURO has put together a couple of new and exclusive 7" releases that feature two classic Japanese AOR tracks by artists who very much played a part in defining the sound. Firstly, Ginji Ito's smooth and soulful 'Heart and Soul,' originally from his tenth album, shines with mellow mid-tempo vibes and glossy vocals and melodies. On the flip side is 'Uwaki na Kare,' a beloved cover of a classic US disco track from Ritsuko Kazemi's third album that comes correct with a catchy, laid-back Saturday love groove. This release marks the first time these iconic songs have been pressed on 7".

Review: Wilfully skeletal, kitsch 80s disco-funk from the Rah Band, whose humble origins in England's County Durham proved no stumbling block for the successes that would follow, not least the classic 70s glam/disco oddity 'The Knack', complete with balaclava-clad Top of the Pops appearance . The assembling, productive hands of one Richard A. Hewson, and the syringeal sweetnesses of then-wife Liz Hewson, is what made 'Messages From The Stars' so great. This track emerged as a modest club hit - it was TikTok that ensured its longevity many years later, as well as support from the likes of Horse Meat Disco - and could be described an inchoate form of "bedroom" pop. Though it was made simply in Hewson's home studio on a simple Roland SH5, the efficacy with which Liz's nearly-half-hearted voice is super-effective: vocal elements play back through echoic highpass filters (and cut-up echoes on the B's 'Astro Mix'), while clever whistle melodies and sudden gated snares help embed the overall theme of astral sexuality.

Review: Rahaan returns with another scorching collection of disco edits, guaranteed to ignite dancefloors and satisfy even the most discerning disco devotees, featuring four blazing cuts, each one expertly crafted to maximize dancefloor impact. 'Repo Lady' kicks things off with an irresistible groove, its infectious energy and soulful vocals setting the tone for a joyous ride. 'Bodywork' keeps the energy high, its pulsating rhythms and funky bassline urging listeners to move their feet. On the flip, 'Woman Of The Party' delivers a dose of feel-good vibes, its uplifting melodies and soulful vocals creating a euphoric atmosphere. 'Go Dancin'' closes out the EP with a bang, its infectious groove and irresistible energy ensuring that the party continues well into the night. This limited-edition release is a must-have for any serious collector or DJ, a testament to Rahaan's mastery of the disco edit.

Review: It would be fair to say that Rahaan's Chicago Club Culture series, which here reaches its second instalment, is something of a passion project, inspired as it is by - in his words - "the golden age of Chicago club culture". Our reading of that is the 1970s and 80s, with all of the tracks on show being versions of cuts big on Windy City dancefloors in that period. The double-pack is heavy on tried-and-tested treats, from the expansive, Clavinet-sporting disco rush of 'Do You Like It' and the delay-laden, percussion-heavy brilliance of 'Columbian Dance' (all chanted vocals, punk-funk sax sounds, heavy electronic bass and layered Latin beats), to the crispy and crunchy, Chic-influenced excellence of 'Jealous For No Reason' and the low-down disco hustle of closing cut 'Can't Shake Your Love'.

Review: Chicago has had a strong re-edit culture since the days when Ron Hardy and Frankie Knuckles were defining house music culture in the mid 1980s. Rahaan, who has been one of the more storied members of the global re-edit scene for the last two decades, is undisputedly the Windy City's current scalpel-edit king - as his ongoing series of reworks on Hot Biscuit Recordings emphatically proves. Here he adds two more fine revisions to his bulging discography. A-side 'For Dancing & Singing' sees the veteran DJ/producer apply his Midas touch to a vintage 60s funk jam, making most of the sampler-ready breaks and groove, while flip side 'The Galaxy' - our pick of the pair - is a soaring and spacey 70s disco workout piled high with percussion, jaunty piano motifs and suitably intergalactic synth sounds.

Review: No one's edits and disco bombs slap quite like Rahaan's. The US master of all things soulful and funky can tap right into your core with his work and this new EP on Hot Biscuit is the latest example of that. 'Get Up' opens with retro disco favours, funky guitars and lung-busting vocals that bring the heat. 'Zombies' sinks into a nice silky sound with sliding cymbals and hi hats and knotted bass, then 'How' slows it down a bit for a more playful and seductive disco sound with nice horns and squelchy bass. Three real heaters.

Review: Skeme Richards of New York pioneers Rock Steady Crew returns to the Redropped series with a tour-exclusive 7" packed with two raw-edged flips. For this release, he's unearthed a pair of cosmic disco and jazz-funk originals from his bottomless crates and retooled them with heavier low-end and tighter edits built for modern rigs. The result? Deep cuts reimagined for today's selectors, shaped by Skeme's seasoned touch as both a dancer and DJ. Ahead of a confidently slated Skeme Richards x Oonops tour across Germany in May 2025, 'Galaxy Amonst The Stars' is truly a riotous cosmic soiree, made unforgettable by its kazooing sax and brilliantly bright beat novae.

Review: Funk maestros Rockid Sound Machine returns with yet more of their timeless and seductive instrumental funk sounds. They have turned out tons of it over the years on a steady and always high quality basis. This double A-side kicks off with 'Scorpio' featuring tight drums and wah-wah guitar smudges next to big horns. The track blends funk with soul and merges old-school vibes with modern energy. On the flip side, 'Stardust' ramps things up with prickly drumming and percussion, wet cymbal crashes and more bendy guitar work that brings psyched-out 60s vibes. Another great outing for Rockid Sound Machine's signature bristling beats.

Review: City Pop-era Japanese girl group Shohjo-Tai's 1984 EP with Red Bus Project (an alternative alias for their then synth-loving production outfit, Redbus), 'Escape', has long been a favourite amongst crate diggers - hence this handy reissue courtesy of Sound Metaphors offshoot Thank You. While the artwork has been refreshed, all three original tracks appear in freshly remastered form. On side A you'll find 'Forever', a body-popping slab of 1984 electro featuring Shohjo-Tai rapping in English over bubbly drum machine beats, squelchy bass, 'Rockit'-esque sounds and periodic horn breaks. Turn to the flip for Antal favourite 'Electric City', a driving City Pop-meets-Italo-disco club track blessed with a heavy and metronomic bassline, and the electro-goes-jazz-funk brilliance of 'Ku.Ro.O.Bi.Magic'.

Review: In celebration of 50 years in the performing arts, Idris Ackamoor presents Artistic Being for Record Store Day 2025-a powerful blend of jazz, spoken word and activism. Featuring the voices of acclaimed actor Danny Glover and stage legend Rhodessa Jones, this record captures highlights from the Underground Jazz Cabaret, which was performed during Black History Month 2024 at The Lab in San Francisco. Co-produced by Ackamoor's Cultural Odyssey, the release fuses poetic storytelling with evocative musical textures while reflecting on social justice, identity and resilience. Artistic Being is a profound statement from a visionary artist.

Review: Frederic Rabold's career, spanning over six decades, is celebrated in this deluxe double gatefold vinyl LP, which captures the essence of his significant contributions to modern jazz. Born in Paris in 1944, Rabold transitioned from violin to trumpet, influenced early on by his jazz musician father and the vibrant French jazz scene. His formative years included playing alongside his father and later establishing his own band, the Frederic Rabold Crew, in 1968. The Crew gained prominence within the German jazz landscape, leading to performances at major festivals and extensive tours through Eastern Europe. This collection features key tracks from Rabold's extensive discography, including rare recordings and previously unseen photographs. Notable highlights include 'Noon in Tunisia' and the 1970s album 'Flair.' Throughout his career, Rabold collaborated with jazz luminaries like Gunter Hampel and Lester Bowie, reflecting his versatility and deep-rooted passion for modern jazz.

Review: The RAH Band's iconic album Mystery celebrates its 40th anniversary with a reissue that finally fulfils plenty of demand for it. This marks its first vinyl pressing since 1985 after originally being created by producer Richard Anthony Hewson. The ageless album blends jazz, funk and electronic pop while placing great spotlight on Hewson's unique production style. With eight impeccably crafted tracks including the jazz-funk anthem 'Are You Satisfied?' and the chart-topping 'Clouds Across The Moon,' which reached #6 in the UK, the dreamy synth-jazz epitomised by 'Float' and the smooth sax of 'Out On The Edge' (which featured in Funkineven's DJ Kicks) ensure Mystery remains a timeless classic.

Review: On the debut EP 'We Are The Ones/Fire/Forever', Chicago DJ and all-out living legend Rahaan collaborates with an equally talented group of musicians: Marcus J. Austin on lead vocals, Nancy Clayton on backing vocals, Carnell C. Newbill (also known as Spike Rebel) on keyboards and backing vocals, Todd Swope on guitar, and Lou Terry on bass. Together, the outfit known as The Ones create an extended three-track EP of transcendent proportions, drawing on the avaricious world-passion for music and life heard in the joyous chasms between psychedelia, Afrobeat and disco. Bridging these precipices by way of a vast, suspensory dancefloor held together by firmly mixable kick drums serving as rivets, Rahaan produces and mixes a viscerally eye-popping set of devotionals here. From the impassioned beatitudes and thanksgivings of 'We Are The Ones', to the desirous chic-funk drum circle envisaged on 'Fire' and the eternal gospel-rock-tinged disco-soul ablution 'Forever' (a special favourite of ours), this is a holy chrism in record form.

Review: Four Flies has unearthed a long-lost gem: Gianfranco Reverberi's daring soundtrack to Rivelazioni, a notorious 1973 film by director Renato Polselli. Reverberi, known for producing legends like Lucio Dalla and Gino Paoli, initially distanced himself from the film's controversial themes by releasing the music under a pseudonym. Yet, Rivelazioni's score, with its driving rhythms and experimental edge, shines as a bold, innovative creation. The soundtrack features an impressive use of electronic instruments, including drum machines and spacey synths, alongside psychedelic flutes, piano and jazzy improvision. 'Psicolimite', originally released under the name Sharon Chatam, has become a coveted rarity, sparking excitement around the full soundtrack's reissue. Recovered from original 1-inch, 16-track tapes, the score has been remastered for both vinyl and digital formats. With a raw, relentless rhythm section and dark, atmospheric vibes, this soundtrack is an essential find for fans of Italian genre cinema and daring experimental music. Available now as a double LP with stunning artwork, Rivelazioni finally gets its well-deserved moment in the spotlight.

Review: This 180g swimming pool blue vinyl is a Record Store Day exclusive of an early 80s gem. Rhyze to the Top came in 1981 and marked the debut album by American funk and r&b band Rhyze. Listening back now it's clear the record captured the vibrant energy of early 80s sounds with lush synth work and nice Casio keys. That means it is a must-have for funk and r&b heads of any era and is why original copies often sell for over L50 on second hand markets. The album has remained out of print on vinyl for 43 years up to now but for this occasion has been fully remastered. Whack it on and take yourself back to a golden age.

Review: Laurin Rinder and W. Michael Lewis were amongst the most prolific producers of the disco era - a pair of jazz-trained eccentrics who not only embraced the disco sound, but did more than most to help develop it (they were particularly big fans of synthesisers, showcasing in their work as much as Giorgio Moroder and Patrick Cowley did). They also loved a concept - hence recording and releasing The Seven Deadly Sins, an album-length celebration of disco's sinful side, in 1977. As this Be With Records reissue proves, the album remains a rare beast: a largely instrumental disco album that sparkles from start to finish. For proof, check the seductive, electric piano-and-synth smothered grooves of 'Lust', the heavily electronic proto-techno of 'Gluttony', the solo-laden disco-funk heaviness of 'Pride' and the undeniably epic heaviness of 'Anger'.

Review: Get ready for the release of Curyman II, Roge's eagerly awaited album, arriving via Diamond West Records. This record has collaborations with esteemed musicians, blending the essence of Brazilian music with innovative elements. It promises to be both a homage and an evolution of Roge's distinctive sound. As a Latin Grammy-nominated and Brazilian Music Awards-winning artist, Roge has become a key player in the revitalization of Musica Popular Brasileira (MPB). Over his two-decade career, he has released seven solo albums, establishing his presence in the contemporary Brazilian music landscape. His U.S. debut, CURYMAN, released in 2023, was produced by Thomas Brenneck of the Budos Band, known for his work with icons like Lady Gaga and Beyonce. This album celebrated samba while conveying themes of resilience and redemption. With Curyman II, Roge aims to build on the momentum of his previous success, delivering even more dynamic samba rhythms and insightful lyrics.

Review: Alpha, a rare psychedelic-funk gem is set to return to vinyl for the first time in 50 years. Led by singer and keyboardist "Round" Robin Lloyd, The Round Robin Monopoly released the album and it is an eclectic fusion of funk, psychedelic pop, and R&B. Alpha initially flew under the radar but over time, however, the album gained a cult following among crate-diggers and DJs. With its standout track 'Life Is Funky' became a sought-after sample for artists like LL Cool J, Ice-T, Public Enemy, and The Chemical Brothers. The album's cinematic hooks, vibrant horns, and funky guitar riffs evoke the atmosphere of a 70s action film soundtrack, explaining its enduring appeal and influence in the music industry. The reissue of Alpha as part of Jazz Dispensary's Top Shelf series ensures that this underrated masterpiece gets the recognition it deserves. Remastered from the original analogue tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and pressed on 180-gram vinyl, the album comes in a tip-on jacket replicating the original art.

Review: Patrice Rushen's Prelusion marks her dazzling debut into the jazz world, originally released in 1974 on Prestige Records and now reissued on vinyl here in 2024. Before her r&b fame, Rushen showcased her talents as a jazz pianist on this album, backed by luminaries like Joe Henderson on saxophone. The record effortlessly blends post-bop with elements of jazz fusion, highlighting Rushen's versatility across acoustic and electric keyboard. Her performances on acoustic piano and electric keyboards reflect a strong influence from Herbie Hancock, evident in tracks such as 'Haw-Right Now' and 'Shortie's Portion.' Despite her shift to r&b in 1978, Prelusion stands as an early promise in jazz music.