Back catalogue: Funk Soul & Jazz

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: DJ Hunee afro monster gets an official repress for Hot Casa in France. Calling it massive would bit an understatement.

Review: After two 45s on Les Disques Bongo Joe, Dutch Afrofunk space cadets make their debut on Soundway with their first full EP. Hurling all their roots and inspirations into a heady, bewitching brew of west African, Columbian, Caribbean, Latin and all-round cosmic fusion, the results are four slabs of world funk gold. "Down In The Basement" updates highlife styles with a salubrious big-bottomed disco twist, "The Opposite" ups the tempo with a little more cumbia charm while "Continue The Fun" adds a dub mentality to the mix as we're chugged to oblivion with heads down introspection. Finally "Tuto Bay" closes somewhere on a Cuban beach with rum-warmed harmonies. Beautiful.

Review: F Spot kick off their year with a fresh new release from fresh new funk pushers, Mestizo Beat, emanative of the MagaNa Brothers's hillside studio in Topanga, CA.. Coming at the sound with a distinctive Afro-Cuban bent, this 7" flaunts the natural ends of their particular sound: 'She's A Rose' packs a beautiful brass section and charms the listener with it's extended pre-chorus section. 'Lotsapoppa', meanwhile, minimizes the sound with a simple kick, bass, and djembe groove to start with, before launching into a dynamic Afro-disco infection, the collaborative patients zero, one and two being Steve Haney of Jungle Fire on drums, Jason Cressey of the True Loves on trombone, and Jesse Audelo on arrangement.

Review: Edits in the hole! Two Afrofunk gems enjoy floor-primed refocuses: Steve Monite's Doing It In Lagos-featured "Only You" gets a little juice from Sofrito's Frankie Francis who really brings the bass out in proceedings. Meanwhile on the B Nick The Record and Idjut Boy Dan Tyler tweak the energy and sheen of Tabu Ley Rochereau's "Hafi Disco" as the drums are given a little more momentum and the chorus and horns are really brought to the centre of the action. Stunning.

Review: The latest of several new releases to top up the Funky French League repertoire, this latest sultry boogie strut from phallic philophonist Monsieur Willy is a real delight. The Parisian DJ and producer brings a distinct Afro-boogie update to an original song, 'A.I.E. A Mwana', which was originally recorded in 2003 and became an international sleeper hit. Now Monsieur Willy brings us three new interpretations, all carrying with them a message of love and peace.

Review: Voodoocuts returns to Matasuna Records with another officially licensed 45, this time putting his expert touch on two disco gems by South African legends The Movers. Active from the late 1960s through the early 80s, The Movers were instrumental in shaping the country's vibrant music scene. Voodoocuts tackles 'Soweto Disco' and 'Shanana,' two tracks from their late-70s catalogue, and gives them his trademark treatment with pinpoint precision. The result is a fusion of South African rhythms with international influences like jazz, funk, and disco, transforming the originals into dynamite for any dancefloor. These reworks elevate the raw energy of the originals while remaining true to the spirit of the band. 'Soweto Disco' pulses with infectious grooves, while 'Shanana' offers a more laid-back vibe, but both are packed with the flair and soul that The Movers were known for. A perfect blend of local and global, these edits are a must-have for any record bag, seamlessly mixing South African funk with universal disco sensibilities.

Review: 
A-grade diggers Kalita have a few top class releases on their hands this month and this is one of them: a first ever official vinyl reissue of Mpharanyana & The Peddler tunes 'Disco' and 'Freak Out With Botsotso.' This is worldly South African disco and funk from 1979 that comes with a super remix from Rotterdam-based DJ, producer and funk specialist Jamie 3:26. is version of 'Disco' is primed for modern dance floor with murky drums and the big vocal chants sure to get huge reactions. Meanwhile, opener 'Disco' keeps it deep and tropical with tumbling drums and a powerful bass riff, then 'Freak Out' ups the ante with more clipped disco funk o,

Review: South Africa's Letta Mbulu has put out a vast amount of quality material in her lifetime, and although the singer was based far away from Europe, her music was picked up by the London massive during the mid '80s at clubs like Dingwalls and featured heavily in the rare groove digs. The opener "Sweet Julu" is now a London two-step classic, while other tracks like "Nomalizo" or "The Village" are more on the disco side, all of them filtered with a distinctly tropical edge! A top reissue!

Review: KC

Review: Since it was first reissued a few years ago, Steve Monite's Only You album has gone from being a stupidly rare Nigerian boogie "holy grail", to an easy-to-access "must have" for anyone with even a passing interest in African disco and electrofunk. If you've yet to acquire a copy, we'd recommend picking up a copy of this officially licensed Soundway repress. It contains two different takes on the now anthemic 'Only You' - an infectious Lagos boogie delight - plus the pleasingly dubbed-out, piano-heavy electrofunk gem 'Things Fall Apart (Disco Jam)' (the original mix is also included at the end of side B), the slick and sweet 'Welcome My Love' and the more downtempo 'I Had a Dream'.

Review: Isle Of Jura's latest must-have reissue isn't a slept-on Balearic gem, but rather a turn-of-the-'80s disco-boogie classic from sadly departed Nigerian musician Harry Mosco. Many may know the breezy Afro/disco/funk fusion of opener "Sexy Dancer" and the hazy disco-funk genius of "Step On" (both have been reissued in the past), yet it's the lesser-known cuts - particularly the lolloping, Clavinet-heavy dub disco of "Peace & Harmony", spaced-out "Peaceful Dub" and sumptuous jazz-funk slow jam "Do It Together" - that really set the pulse racing. The reissue sounds superb, too, thanks to a killer re-mastering job, so it's no stretch to suggest that it's worth picking this version up rather than tracking down an original pressing.

Review: For their first full-length reissue, Canopy Records brings new life to Oppressor, a rare 1987 album by Nigerian artist Myke Moul. Long a cult favourite due to its genre-blending style and hard-to-find status, this remastered edition corrects past audio issues and gives the album the sound quality it always deserved. From the opening notes of the title track, Oppressor sets a tone that's both breezy and politically aware, a mid-tempo groove riding on synth-reggae rhythms with a soulful message woven in. The album, shaped in part by reggae icon Majek Fashek and later reimagined in France with a roster of versatile session players, stands out for its seamless mix of styles: island-leaning reggae, glossy boogie, and moments that feel like they could have soundtracked a Mediterranean sunset. "Shadows in the Rain" dips into an 80s synth-funk groove, while "Heading for the Top" is a shimmering, bass-forward boogie cut, setting the tone for a collection that flits back and forth between reggae, funk and boogie.