Madmua レコード& CD

Review: Italian band I 5 Monelli dropped this obscure but brilliant bit of psyched-out-of magic in 1967. It has made its way onto many well-known compilations since then but has never before had an officially sanctioned reissue release. It is limited to 600 hand-numbered copies and features an insert that tells the story of the group for the first time. The tune itself is raw and potent, a driving tune with killer organs and vocals that takes you back to the 60s, riding a Vespa in a long green overcoat, even if you never did that before.

Review: Madmua Records was so keen to reissue this 1966 gem from Spain's "national pop" scene that they spent a best part of a year tracking down the singer behind the record, Pilar Espi AKA Sonia. Listening to the title track, an infectiously funky, Spanish Language cover of Rolling Stones' favourite 'Get Off My Cloud', it's easy to see why. That track, a faithfully fuzzy, swinging-sixties interpretation, is undoubtedly the highlight, but there's plenty more fun to be found across the EP. Check for example the American girl group-influenced stomp of 1964's 'Si Tuviera Un Martillo' and '1,2,3', a horn-heavy chunk of Detroit soul-influenced Spanish pop that first featured on the flipside of the original 1966 release of 'Aqui En Mi Nube'.