Wack レコード& CD

Review: Operant since 2006 as wonder-purveyors of everything funk and soul come battle breaks, Wack Records share their latest 7", a smattering of hip-hop flips met by the heated hands of resident producers Smoove and Suckaside. This time brought to two Philly-to-NYC hip-hop originals first laid down by the top-reg duo The High & Mighty (Mr. Eon and DJ Mighty Mi), Smoove and Suckaside first let the crackles and licks hang loose for a debauched drama on the A, before a tighter groove opens up further on the B-side's 'B Boy Document 25'.

Review: It's 25 years since the release of Main Source's Breaking Atoms album, one of the finest full-lengths of hip-hop's renowned "golden era". To celebrate this fact, Geordie producer Smoove has put together "Main Sourced", a two-part cut-and-paste tribute that incorporates elements from tracks sampled by the group across the celebrated set, alongside carefully selected rap samples. As you'd expect from a man of his talents and experience, it's brilliantly done, achieving a near perfect balance between the needs of the dancefloor, the dustiness of the original album, and the demands of Steinski style cut-and-paste productions. In other words, it's pretty darn good.

Review: Smoove is back with another of his magical conceptions. This is one of the most bold and adventurous projects he's ever undertaken on Wack Records and finds him layering up hundreds of samples taken from more than six full lengths by A Tribe Called Quest, and he's one of the best to ever do it. The result is a magnificent and mellifluous 7" that brims with soul, jazz, rich beats and vocal snippets that interplay so smoothly you'll be in awe. Both sides are alive and authentic and picking apart the pieces is all part of the fun.

Review: Jonathan Watson aka Smoove sees his version of "one of the greatest posse cuts of all time" - or so say reissuers Wack Records - re-pressed for the masses to hear. One half of the British funk and hip-hop edits duo Smoove & Turrell, the former of the two made, but never released, this wicked remix of Heavy D & The Boyz's 'Don't Curse' sometime in the late 2000s. Now released as though it were an official posse cut, it comes backed by a flip of Kool G's 'Rich & Famous', equally bouncy and decadent as they come.

Review: Smoove returns with his label Wack Records and delivers two killer cuts straight from the heart of Motown. Utilizing original multitrakcs from the home of Rick James and The Supremes, Smoove gets his swirv on and delivers two uptempo hip-hop bangers, curveball-tinged with the instrumental backings of Motown. On the A, 'Empty World', we hear an attention-grabbing Nas mashup ('Life's A Bitch'), while the aforementioned artists are equally as well fused on the much more positive B-side.

Review: Smoove AKA Jonathan Scott Watson brings us Bizarre Cut 'N' Paste Ride for the most recent Wack Records release. The producer is known for using his cut up style of east coast flavor. On the A-side, 'Bizarre Cut 'N' Paste Ride' uses Pharcyde tracks and edits them seamlessly like a DJ would. Focusing in on the original instrumentals, he creates a jazzy sound with them. 'Summer Cyde' expands upon this theme while using the all-time classic 'Passin Me By' in the mix. This is like having a dub plate of Pharcyde cuts to your own personal bag. Sounds like these will never get old.

Review: Smoove return with another finely tuned pair of edits, once again diving deep into the archives of Slave and reshaping their grooves with his signature touch. 'Blown' builds around heavy slabs of funk, expertly reconstructed and laced with Pharrell's unmistakable vocals, creating something that feels both timeless and refreshingly modern. The flip leans into a looser, more stripped-back groove, channelling a daisy-age hip-hop feel with crisp drums and effortless swing. It's another standout in the Wack series, reinforcing Smoove's knack for bridging eras while keeping the funk and hip-hop connection as vital as ever.

Review: Teaming up to deliver another scorching release on Wack records, Smoove and DJP take it back to the 80s, paying tribute to the iconic magazine, Hip Hop Connection - the longest running monthly periodical devoted entirely to hip hop culture and described by rapper Chuck D as "the best magazine in the world". The fitting late 80s artwork is perfectly tied to the tracks inside the sleeve. On the A-side, Smoove makes use of original multitracks from US r&b anthems for 'I Like It', featuring a legendary Brand Nubian rapper. On the flipside, DJP brings us his bright, groove-rich take on 'Vapors' - complete with a rock-solid beat and plenty of enticing piano hooks. These are two tracks you certainly won't want missing from your collection.

Review: Smoove's Wack Records is back with another sure shot 7" of boom bap hip-hop goodness, as the seasoned producer serves up a killer flip of Craig Mack's classic 'Flavour In Your Ear'. There's some serious weight to this version - a real neck-snapper with some big band sass thrown in for good measure. On the B-side, Frezidante steps up with a bold re-imagining of Eric B & Rakim's 'Technique', working some 70s soul tones into the mix to provide you with another party-starting anthem, no questions asked.

Review: Big week for Jonathan 'Smoove' Watson this week, with a reissue of his 2009 classic 'Beggerman' he created with regular partner in crime John Turrell, with whom since 2007 he has headed up a funk/soul/jazz band from North East England. Now he serves up this wicked funk edit on UK label Wack Records, a label he's very much synonymous with. On the A side we have the strong lyrical delivery of Biz Markie on 'Queensbridge', followed on the flip with the block rocking beats of Herma Puma's 'Brooklyn' (Smoove mix).

Review: Wack returns with "Mix Two Just Wack Here", another Wacked out release with more soul than a sandal. Funkier than a nappy recycle factory. Rockier than a rocking horse on a waltzer. It's all yours with a simple click of the mouse.

Review: Wack Records have specialised in bringing back the F-U-N-K to the breakbeat/hip-hop lineage, thanks to some pretty dextrous sampling by a whole loads of different artists. This time round, SMOV uses the famous "Hit the road Jack" vocals and hurls them down a jagged tunnel of crisped-out beats and snares. The flip sees Karash Slaughta work on "The Posse Is Large", a TRULY old-skool rap anthem choc-a-bloc with insistent drums and super-slick rewinds.

Review: Whilst previous Wack bumpers have come from Smov, The Breakbeat Junkie, DJ Rebel, Daytoner, and more, this 14th edition of tightly wrapped straight up party funk from the label is less forthcoming in the credit department. "Big Bird" is suitably named as it comes packing big drums, big hooks and a big build that's hugely reminiscent of Sly and his fam. Flip for "Heartbreaker" where The Allergies throw down a tweeter-tight rhythm and blues vibe. Super sweaty and highly charged with big claps and bigger riffs. Big indeed.