Tramp Germany レコード& CD

Review: The soul, funk and disco 7" community are a strong one. Besides garage rock and psychedelic rock, there might not be another genre that is so beloved on the small but mighty 45 RPM format. So, it completely makes sense if you are a newer producer releasing music in these genres then definitely know your fan base. Cool Million is a Danish and German duo doing just that. Their track 'Stronger' is the track and the title of their sixth full length album from 2019. The album has gained such strong reviews that they put it now as a single along with the Dub version on the reverse side. 'Stronger' is a positive and upbeat anthem that is sure reign in the innocent bystanders to party. The Dub is a super-cool alternative version that reminds of us classic roller-skating funk track from Midnight Star or Kool & The Gang. Need a party starter? Get this!

Review: The mighty Tramp label is as good as it gets when talking about soul sounds. It has been serving them up for loans and has never allowed the quality levels to drop. This latest one is another superb 45rpm from Matter of Taste. This group originally released their debut album on the small German imprint Flame in 1979 and it had one standout cut which is the one presented here. 'Step By Step' is the sort of epic disco burner that lights up the club with its catchy claps, sweet vocals and funky riffs. On the flip is 'Haselief' which completely flips the script and offers an utterly different sound, but one that you need just as much.

Review: Tramp Records come at us with an exclusive, ninja-lethal wax, chucked squarely in our direction: the debut 7" single from Natural Life lays down two extra-special instrumental jazz-funk cuts for our pleasure. Never heard before on the tiny label, and with little background info out there to scour (we're pretty sure it's not the same Natural Life as the upbeat funk band active throughout the 1990s), all that's left is to use our ears. Both versions of the eponymous track are essentially an obverse and inverse of the same theme, except for the fact that one is funky in the fast, riveting sense; the other in the slower, sultrier sense. Both are nonetheless rapid, to-the-point heaters, and can be easily deployed and exploited in many a party - or afterparty - context.

Review: The super Tramp label has done it again here with another mighty soul 7" that packs an irresistible punch. These cuts are super hard to find and fairly pricey for anyone who manages to unearth them, though they have been out on the superb Feeling Nice Vol.4 compilation album. Donnie Sanders is in top form here with 'Shing-A-Ling Baby' starting with big raw horns perform a smooth and low slung bassline arrives and things get moving with swagger. 'Naptown USA' is a more upbeat and party starting funk cut with big organ chords.

Review: The wonderful and now reissued 'Bi Centennial 1976' by Frankie Staton & Speckled Rainbow encapsulates the essence of a pivotal moment in American history. Released during the nation's bicentennial celebration, the track embodies the spirit of unity and pride, blending elements of folk, rock and Americana in the process. With heartfelt lyrics and soaring melodies, it serves as both a tribute to the past and a reflection of the hope and promise of the future. A timeless anthem that will still resonate now as much as it did almost 50 years ago, few tunes capture the essence of a nation coming together to commemorate its heritage as ably as this one.

Review: German label Tramp continues pack a serious punch when it comes to funk with this newest 7". It is a standalone pressing of two superb cuts from the fourth volume in the Can You Feel It compilation series. Up first is the super cool funk of 'Steps On A Cloud' with its dynamic drums and indie male vocal all back with some neat and funky guitar lines and almost prog style guitar freestyles. On the B-side you will find 'Whispering' which has not yet been re-issued so makes an exclusive appearance here.

Review: The much loved Tramp label is mighty good at serving up the soul and this time it is the buttery smooth sounds of Stroke they turn to for this reissue. The original 45rpm is one of those rare as hens' teeth cuts that cost way too much to buy even if you do track one down. The A-side is the sort of wonderfully uplifting tune that brings life-affirming joy to your life. On the flip is something really quite different - a more rock-tinged funky stepper by the name of 'The Real Deal'.

Review: Tramp Records' Can You Feel It series, which here reaches its fourth instalment, has always been one of the more reliable sources of obscure, hard-to-find modern soul and boogie, with many tracks plucked from the vaults of tiny labels or private press releases. Naturally the selections this time round are spot on and will be unfamiliar to all but a handful of dedicated diggers. Highlights include (but are in no way limited to) the flash-fried, solo-heavy psych-funk of Vantage Point's 'All Night', the disco rush of Keith lowery's 'Super Dude', the low-slung, War-esque brilliance of 'You Shake 'Em Things' by Synod, the horn-heavy jauntiness of Street Life 80's 'Steps On A Cloud', and the killer boogie-funk badness of Ditto Memo's 'Upside Down'.