Review: Foremost contemporary funk label Peoples Potential Unlimited have another golden 12" on their hands here thanks to the work of Barnikle Freee. He is the current designer for the label, someone who hoards software and makes expert glitch funk as well as being a multi-string bassist. As ever with this label, it is lo-fi, subtle sounds and frayed edges that define the EPs lovely aesthetic, with roughshod grooves, tumbling kicks and scatter perc all making you want to cut loose and boogie. Part dream-scape, part hazy late night session, part live set, it's all good.
Review: Washington, D.C. label People's Potential Unlimited (PPU) snub the usual boundaries put upon most entities in dance music, attesting instead to the limitlessness of human musical potential. Here they set another example of such accumulative panache with 'Turn It Out', the very latest vinyl EP from roster producer Bravuda, hailing from the Russian Federation. 'Turn It Out' is Bravuda's re-recording of a demo also recorded for PPU by Terry Patton and Robbie M, entitled 'Tri-Fire'; Bravuda's version is a slimy, windowlicking electro-funk Janus mask, as 'Turn It Out' and its underside '1984' both bring almost equally grumbly and wily sleights of hand, their tiny room reverbs and crushed, sculpted piano chords being of special note.
Review: First released in 2009 through People's Potential Unlimited - the vintage funk and soul outfit operant out of Washington, D.C. - Cardell Funk Machine's 'Shoot Your Shoot' is a daring tease, dealing in candid soul thematics about taking chances, and/or asking, "what's the worst that could happen?". The first ever release by this alias of the avant-soul Chicago musician Cardell Harrington, 'Shoot Your Shot' was released in 2009 but may have been recorded even earlier; Cardell was said to have only been 19 at the time, allegedly laying it down in prominent soul producer Donald Burnside's studio. Backed by the 'lo-fi' halfstep number 'It's All Over', this is electric soul through and through, commanding a bare-boned but still brilliantly even, neon sonic keel.
Review: Electro Wayne's mid 80s-focused Circuitry project get busy on Peoples Potential Unlimited with two starlit synth boogie originals; "She's Just That Type Of Girl" is a playful east coast funk flex with a slight freestyle touch to it. Harmonies, light touches on the keys and exceptional drum production, it's a sassy slice that will warm-up any floor. "Under Pressure" lowers the tempo but thrusts up the sensual urgency with great percussion and come-to-bed spoken word. Authentically done.
Review: As far as the Juno Records review team care, the DC based Peoples Potential Unlimited have been on a run of 100% boogie heaters roughly since their inception in 2008. The latest transmission from Andrew Morgan's label sees a 12" presentation of disco funk holy grails from Milwaukee act Dazzle ahead of a PPU released long player Made In The Shade. Not to be confused with the Patch Adams and Leeroy Burgess fronted group of the same name, Dazzle was the work of Donald D. Smith and this 12" presents three tracks originally recorded in 1981. "Explain" is the outright jam here, heavily stacked with thick analogue leads and brisk funk riffs. All hail PPU!
Review: As always, Washington DC' Peoples Potential Unlimited have resurfaced another rare-as-hens-teeth boogie number and, while we are madly in love with this label, we need to appreciate more just how important they've been to the survival of funk music in recent years. This time, it's Donald Walker's only EP to grace their catalogue, an artist who went by the name of Dohnnie on his solo projects. "Dancin Is Your Love" exudes funk from every corner, backed by a badman bassline, some freaky guitar strings, and Walker's own seductive disco tone. It's a one-track EP precisely because this tune deserves to grace a whole side of a 12". Utterly unmissable, and heavily recommended.
Review: More quality grooves from Washington DC label specializing in reissuing obscure and unknown 70s and 80s dance music. This time around is Dreamcast who are Davon Bryant in conjunction with Swedish guy Sasac aka King Al. "Liquid Deep" is sexy late night deep funk the way it was always intended and Bryant's smooth as silk vocals are just like... Wow! So with Dreamcast on the vocals and Sasac on the beat, we are hoping there's more things on the way from this trans coastal duo in 2017.
Review: ** PPU REPRESS ** Following the killer Moon B album II, the peerless Peoples Potential Unlimited wind back the clock to bring us some unreleased late '80s material from Evans Pyramid. The alias of Boston musician Andre Evans, the disco and boogie project was the subject of an extensive retrospective a few years ago, but PPU have managed to uncover these two further gems regardless. "Where Love Lives" is the killer cut here, an "accelerated funk anthem" whose vintage synth bass sounds particularly relevant in today's retro-obsessed musical climate. On the B-side is "I Want Your Body", from Evans' side project Royale, a more classic disco number that still hits all the right notes.
Review: Shiny boogie reissue action from Peoples Potential Unlimited, the undisputed kings of disco digging. This label has to be recognised for what it's done, for the amount of material that it's made available to contemporary boogie addicts, and for the style with which they've done it. Here we have some glorious material from 1980-1981 by Mark J's Freeway project. If there truly is such as thing as 'blue-eyed soul', then this is your 'green-eyed boogie', a marvellous, uptempo collection of funky tunes with a subtle electro edge running through the lower ends of the mixes. Also, it'll surely appeal to a variety of 'soul' lovers, from the ones who like that slight electro edge to their disco, to others who are into their vocal solos, piano keys and yes, even some organs. All in all, this is a timeless piece of music which had been lost in the depths of time and into the pockets of the second-hand market cats. Don't miss it.
Review: Hands up, we're longtime fan boys of the Peoples Potential Unlimited label, Whatever they do - mostly heart aching lo-fi funk and soul from artists old and new - it's always class. Next up is a reissue of Glass Pyramid's Country Cowboy on a hand-stamped 12". It came originally on this label back in 2009 having been transferred from the original tapes which were recorded somewhere between 1982-1986 At Studio 7, Oklahoma City. It soon became a bit of a classic that still fetches above the odds on second hand markets. It's a gloriously feel good mix of disco and soul with instrumental grooves and belting vocals.
Review: The first in a new series of split 12 inch releases from the Peoples Potential Unlimited camp, with both sides containing some exceptional 80s boogie action. The piano heavy croon of Hill's ''Delicate Rose'' features on the A Side due to popular demand after featuring on the PPU DVD. On the flip current ABC Wisconsin news anchor Roshell Anderson gets a reminder of former soul glo glories.
Review: DC archival masters Peoples Potential Unlimited first shone the light on Dwight Sykes and his Jahari project on the must grip Situations cassette late last year, revealing the work of a key player in Michigan's underground boogie scene. Those selectors out there without the means to play tapes in a club setting will no doubt be very thankful to PPU for this 12" that brings together some unreleased demo cuts from Jahari along with a newly remastered version of the superb title track from that cassette. So up top you get two alternate takes on "Fire & Desire" with the studio version a real funk gem, whilst "Situations" sounds all the more sweet and soulful in newly remastered form.
Review: It's well known that People's Potential Unlimited boss Andrew Morgan has some serious crate digging skills. Even so, he continues to amaze with the obscurity and quality of the releases he chooses to reissue. Serious collectors have long sought out "Let's Ride" by guitarist Willie Lee Jnr under his occasional Junei alias. Originally released on 7" back in 1987, it's a killer chunk of synthesizer-heavy electrofunk blessed with some serious eyes-closed guitar solo action. Flipside "You Must Go On" - originally the A-side of the '87 release - is fantastic, too, offering a near perfect blend of sun-kissed Balearic attitude and smooth '80s soul grooves.
Come Inside (instrumental extended Fantasy World mix) (8:09)
Review: Peoples Potential Unlimited hits a rather noteworthy 99th EP with this new and debut single from King Pari. The now LA based foursome make lush bedroom sounds with all the usual proudly analogue production, frayed edges and lo-fi beats you'd expect from PPU. 'Come Inside' was written remotely and "is a reaction to some people's inability to make choices." It has an aching vocal hook front and centre, neat guitar sounds, an 808 knock off and Micro Korg action all adding the finer details. The Bassapella does what it says on the tin and an extended Fantasy World mix heads off into new territory.
Review: If you've ever got a few hours to spare, check out Legowelt's discography - the Dutch analogue fetishist is astonishingly productive (and, of course Legowelt is simply one of Danny Wolfers' many pseudonyms). Here, he adds another label to the growing list with a surprise appearance on Andrew Morgan's Washington D.C-based Peoples Potential Unlimited imprint. Unsurprisingly, Wolfers explores many of his favourite themes on Puzzles in Life, merrily skipping between melodic, bubbling deep house (the excellent title track), slo-mo Detroit futurism ("Video Phone To Space"), super-slo stargazing boogie (the superb "Cruise Till The Sun Shines") and woozy, intergalactic ambience ("Los Alamos Motel"). In many ways, this is an unusual turn from PPU, but it's a calculated gamble that's more than paid off.
Review: Peoples Potential Unlimited comes through with more reissue gold! Were you to invest in an original copy of "I Like The Way You Do It" you'd need a spare couple of hundred quid in the sky rocket. PPU present the original sultry boogie version and a Tom Noble edit either side of an orange stickered 12 inch.
Review: DC-based label Peoples Potential Unlimited aka PPU is a real favourite for us here. It's got a signature lo-fi funk sound and deals in perfectly ageless sounds with a big heart. Robbie M has been a frequent name in the label's catalogue and is back on this new 7" next to Midnight Express. The latter kicks off with big cosmic disco synths, hip-swinging claps and great vocals. Robbie M's brilliantly boogie-fried 80s electro-funk then appears in the form of 'I Need Good Lovin'' with its seductive vocals and catchy broken beats.
Review: Moon B takes it back to the old school that is PPU! Atlanta-based analogue funkateer Wes Gray made his debut proper as Moon B back in 2012 on People's Potential Unlimited, and has since found further acclaim with a killer EP for London label Going Good and releases as Vaib-R and Sean Sanders for Nous and Hot Mix. Andrew Morgan's PPU has always been something of a home base for Moon B material however, with several other cross format releases in recent times. The suitably titled II is the second Moon B long player and pulls eight tracks from the home studio recordings of Wes Gray made over the past few years with that signature "slank rhythms and cutting basslines you've grown accustomed to" present and correct!
Review: Moon B's next mini-LP offering to PPU, entitled III, is a varied affair. The a side offers up the older taped track "Realms", a semi-muted yet chuggy number for the dance floor overwrought with moon-roasted synth progressions that coat the ears. "Neither Here Nor Where" is an ode to forgotten spaces and places, wrapped tightly in synth bazz and creamed pads that emanate from Moon's favorite synth, the Alpha Juno 1. Flip the record to find Moon's most "instro-spective" offerings to date. "Art Direction" bottomed out tempo conjures up images of 1984 Prince replacing Appalonia with Inga Copeland as his motorcycle passenger after a neon lit love-making session. "Moonda"'s slow fluctuation and linn drum echoes paired with sorrowful yet hopeful chords attempts to warm you in the coldest of polar vortices. "Polywarp" rounds out the affair with syruppy vacillating instrumentation paired with unforeseen wobbly bits and foreign percussive hits. -
Review: Having come to the fore with a pair of boogie slammers on the Cosmic Chronic label, Mickey De Grand IV's Psychic Mirrors outfit ascend to parent operation People's Potential Unlimited with the excellent Charlene. Allegedly recorded with the help of a ten piece live band, both the title track and "Midnight Mirrors" are evocative of the sort of modern lo-fi funk that PPU corners the market in these days. Bringing the Miami heat, "Charlene" is a veritable dancefloor bomb, with a rugged boogie bassline the sort of flirtatious element that hips can't say no to. B Side cut "Midnight Mirrors" is more of a late night number with some exquisite synth work. Props to PPU!
Review: Mickey De Grand IV and Psychic Mirrors are back with 'Charlene II', an updated live take on their cult classic, originally released via PPU. Fresh off their latest tour, this rendition adds new dimensions, capturing the wild energy and rich textures of their performance. On the flip, 'French Dip' teases what's coming in 2025islick, polished funk dripping with Miami cool, elevated by that unmistakable LA studio gloss. It's a preview of bigger things, but for now, this release solidifies Psychic Mirrors' status as genre-melting pioneers who aren't afraid to keep pushing boundaries.
Review: Andrew Morgan's Peoples Potential Unlimited label may well have been founded to document the lost and forgotten funk, disco and boogie that peppered the DIY and private press labels of 1980s USA, but their contemporary releases are just as good. See 12"s from the likes of Legowelt, Beautiful Swimmers and Pender Street Steppers for evidence. Fried Chicken Skin adds to this small but deadly canon of contemporary PPU releases, presenting one of two records on the label from Stefan "Rekchampa" Ringer, a Stockbridge, Atlanta-based producer who got his break in late 2014 thanks to Kai Alce's NDATL label. "Fried Chicken Skin" is a bumping, rough US house delight replete with ad-libbing vocals from Ringer himself, whilst "Ride" sees him collaborate with Personal Trainer for a more reduced, deeper cut that will appeal to Sound Signature fans.
Review: PPU may have expanded its remit to issue contemporary acts like Pender Street Steppers and, soon, Beautiful Swimmers but the label is still digging through the soul and boogie archives of forgotten US acts. The work of George Franklin Smallwood has provided a source of much inspiration for Peoples Potential Unlimited over the years with the archivally minded label issuing several singles, a DVD and a Christmas album from the local Washington DC artist. Here PPU grant Smallwood's soul gem "You Know I Love" it's first 12" release having first surfaced at some unspecified time in the early '80s and is worth investigating for the drum machine heavy dub version on the flip!
Review: Softgrid, a longtime PPU favourite known for their retro-futuristic visuals and design flair, returns with the standout EP 'Knock'. This release includes 'FEELU', which has made its mark as part of the soundtrack to Bad Boys IV: Ride Or Die, starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. A dedicated Demoscene and Cracktro enthusiast, Softgrid's roots run deep in digital artistry, embracing ASCII and ANSI visuals while experimenting with SID and PAULA chip soundscapes. Their work draws from early Bulletin Board Systems, seamlessly merging old-school tech aesthetics with contemporary audio-visual storytelling.
Review: DC based imprint Peoples Potential Unlimited have really cornered the market in highly collectable reissued boogie funk rarities in 2010 and end the year on a high note with the three vocal cuts lifted from Real Love, a mid 80s mini album from Michael Soward that mixes new gospel dynamics and heavy synthesiser funk. Dam Funk fans will delight in the vintage sounds spread across this dinky 45 with the dusted groove of "He's Alive" particularly impressive.
Review: American label Peoples Potential Unlimited has cared out its own superb niche in the world of heart aching, lo-fi funk. But here a new catalogue number seems to suggest a new series. It kicks off with French collective Spaced Out Krew and their timeless, boogie driven disco funk. The music was written during 2020 by Spleen3000 and Marius Cyrilou of Ceeofunk and right from the first note of 'Doudou Bourbon' it is pure class. There are starry-eyed melodies, rasping basslines and curious vocals that all add up to a nice cosmic disco sound.
Review: Sporty Cat sykes delivers the album he always wanted to in the 80s. Laid down the traditional Tascam way, the talented Michigan multi-instrumentalist digs deep into soul palette with equal measures of organic and electronic instrumentation. Expect heavy waves of atmospheres, rich layers of funk and consistent levels of emotion as we glide and stumbled between each touching moment; the drifting sunset ballad "The Best Of My Love", the weeping keys and fluttering slap bass of "Togetherness", the cloud surfing dream boogie of "Sometimes", the rude synth bass and sultry R&B vocals of "If You Want Me", the list goes on...
Review: We cannot get enough of Washington, DC-based label Peoples Potential Unlimited. It deals in a particular brand of lo-fi funk and disco with a hit of the leftfield about it. This time out they unearth some lost recordings from Landyhill (Timex Social Club) Bay Area funk. It has the rude girl vocals of Jamie Vallo over crunchy beats, squeaking synth motifs and raw drum work. Word on the street is more demos have been found from the same era and are to be unveiled soon, but this previously unreleased jam is a great starter.
Review: Amidst recent praise from a variety of individuals including Ben UFO, Legowelt and the Juno review team, the Peoples Potential Unlimited label keep up the brilliant work with yet another killer disco boogie oddity from the early 80s. This Westwood / Cash twelve is the first of two twelve's from the Washington imprint to switch the focus to the career of Detroit producer Danaan Potts who can count on studying alongside a young Juan Atkins as well as spending close to 100 hours a week studio time alongside George Clinton as influences. Here he adopts the anonymous Westwood tag to add some bizarre P Funk to the delightful Orlando Cash jams "Psycho For Your Love" and "Work Those Joints". Additional PPU tweaks of both make this one of the labels best twelve's to date!
Review: Vancouver Dj/producer Yu Su has previously impressed via occasional contributions to the Mood Hut-affiliated Libra Mix series. This is the DJ/producer's debut solo release and boasts two high-grade cuts on one single-sided People's Potential Unlimited 12". Opener "Infi Love" is typical of the hazy, dusty and spacey Vancouver deep house sound - all soft focus intergalactic chords, vintage drum machine percussion, cut-up female vocal samples and undulating analogue bass. The jazziness continues on "Soon (MOA Mix)", where wonderfully hazy trumpet samples and horizontal chords trickle down over a bossa-inspired beat. As you might expect, it's seriously evocative and atmospheric.
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