Mr Bongo レコード& CD

Review: In the early '70s, Cymande made a trio of killer albums that remain stone cold classics to this day. For this reissue 7", Mr Bongo has dipped into two of those albums - 1973's Second Time Around and 74's Promised Heights - and dug out two of the best-loved, most-sampled cuts. On the A you'll find "Fug", a low-slung, bassline-driven party full of killer drum breaks, righteous horn solos and, and conscious lyrics that call for global action against inequality (little, it seems, has changed politically since). It's one of those you should really own, as is the ever more familiar flipside "Brothers On The Slide", which boasts one of the most recognizable grooves in the history of dance music.

Review: Disco Dub Band's "For The Love of Money", a one-off collaboration between producer Davitt Sigerson and reggae musician Mike Dorane, has long been considered something of a classic by those who like their disco to come with a big dose of dub-wise flavour. Here the instrumental O'Jays cover, which originally appeared on the Movers label in 1976, is given the remix treatment by long-time fans Mr Bongo. The superb A-side, in which Dorane's instrumental talents take centre stage, naturally comes accompanied by the frequently played Dub interpretation, a typically wild and bass-heavy affair that sounds like it was mixed "live" in one take in true Lee Perry/King Tubby style. If it's not already in your collection, it should be.

Review: Mr Bongo's essential Brazil 45s series notches up release number 89 via a blast of heavy dancefloor pressure that touches on both Brazilian funk and samba-rock. On the A-side you'll find Golden Boys' 1975 gem 'Segura Na Cintura Dela (O Gaviao)', an irresistible slab of full-throttle, orchestra-sporting, Hammond-heavy samba-funk marked out by strong group vocals and some superb musical arrangements. Over on the flip you'll find another classic from the same producer (Milton Miranda), Silvio Cesar's 1971 carnival masterpiece 'Beco Sem Saida' - an infectious excursion that found fame in the 2000s when Drumagick sampled it on 'Sambarock'.

Review: Tim Maia's 1968 debut single, "What You Want To Be", has long been a favourite of dusty-fingered Latin music enthusiasts. Original copies, though, have long been out of the price range of most DJs and collectors. Happily, Mr Bongo has struck a deal to reissue it. The title track is something of a scorching dancefloor-treat - a boogaloo-era slab of Latin funk in which Maia and chums sing in English atop a bustling rhythm track and some seriously heavy horns. B-side "These Are The Songs" is a much more relaxed and laidback, samba-soaked affair, closer in tone to early 1960s U.S soul songs of the sort regularly covered by the Beatles early in the career.

Review: Mr Bongo's crucial Brazil series hits a 94th volume here with vocal and instrumental group Os Carbonos from Sao Paulo. The band had a long and fruitful career that started in the 60s and ran on into the 80s. This offering is a tune from later on in their time and it is a prime slice of Brazilian boogie with funk drums, vamping chords and hip swinging claps all designed to bring the good ties and the sunny vibes. The bass-driven a-side is the one, but the flip from Sandra Sa is a special kind of sentimental soul sound.

Review: Mr Bongo's Brazil45 series continues apace with this 95th entry, which carries two separate sides to keep any Latin-minded DJ very happy indeed. 'Mar Afunda' is a dancefloor delight from Os Novos Crioulos which originally came out on the group's self-titled album on Pirata in 1976. It's shuffling and sublime, sure to get a plethora of ID requests and shimmying moves from the people with their ears tuned in. On the flip we get Supersom TA's 'Brasileira Roxa', a sunny slice of samba fun which originally came out in 1972 and features more cuica flexing than you could ever dream of.