Heels & Souls レコード& CD

Review: After a debut release that got plenty of people talking, Heels & Souls now serve up a reissue 12". It explores the work of Frankfurt's under the radar production trio Manfred Holz, Michael Buchner and Jurgen Blomke who work under two different names here. The EP is a real treasure trove of gold for deep diggers, with obscure synth and electro disco flavours on the 80s tinged ''Steal It An Deal It'.' It comes as two different versions and both are hugely characterful. 'Amazonia' that draws on dreamy Italo house and Balearic bliss bout beats for a new age trip that is first class.

Review: This naive street soul gem is so rare, that - prior to its repress here by Heels & Souls - it was barely accessible anywhere save for a potential L500 re-flogging on eBay. Luckily, those with their best interests at heart do the glorious work of repressing the tracks 'Over You' and 'Shining Through' - as well as their slightly different dance mixes - to EP-length wax. You're lucky to be in the presence of some quintessential street soul here, featuring detuned vocals, crude plodding drums and digital strings that evoke shafts of evening light on city concrete. And if you're ever suffering a bad breakup, 'Over You' is the harsh remedy.

Review: On their latest deep dig into dance music culture's forgotten fringes, Heels & Souls has unearthed a suitably saucer-eyed chunk of late-80s soul from short-lived outfit Flair. It's a glassy-eyed number that joins the dots between Loose Ends style 80s soul, UK street soul and the sonics of sunrise-ready European deep house from the period (the latter aspect is unsurprising, given that all bar singer Janet Rose, now a Brit-Soul legend as JB Rose, were German). The vocal version is particularly potent and as sweet as they come, though the more stripped-back, experimental and groove-based Dub mix on the flip is also superb. Another essential reissue from one of the most consistent archival labels in the business.

Review: The fledgling Heels & Souls label has already won our hearts with its first few reissues releases and this latest one is another gorgeous fusion of disco, and UK street soul with hints of funk, boogie and r&b. Opener 'Tell Him I Became Your Lover' has a killer bumping drum machine rhythm with nice wet hits and an aloof but soulful male vocal backed by diffuse organ chords. 'Somebody's Got My Love' is an 80s-channeling delight with fat bass and cold drum snap and another sublime vocal full of r&b appeal. ''Who's That Boy' on the flip is a super slow jam full of love struck charm and vocal heart ache and 'I Like The Way You Love Me' is another heart melting lament that is full of synth richness.

Review: Fans of UK street soul from the mid-80s you need this one in your life as Heels & Souls Recordings returns with its eighth reissue and unveils some treasures by Elaine Vassell and 3rd Zone. In 1993, amidst the rise of house music, UK soul thrived, accompanied by its DIY street soul sibling as perfectly exemplified here by 'Never Give Up' which boasts a raw, breakbeat-driven groove, blending soulful house, hip-hop, and r&b, while 3rd Zone's 'You Stole My Heart' from 1991, later featured on their 1993 EP No Real Reason, offers a tender yet tough underground vibe. Both tracks showcase the era's spirit, proving that creativity trumps big budgets. Each side includes an alternate version for added depth and diversity.