Today Only: Funk sale vinyl

Review: Legendary Bristol-based funk and breaks master Boca 45 is back with more of his battle-ready DJ tools. This 7" takes the form of a second volume of Tools on the Cold Beer Music label and it offers a brilliant brace of cut n' paste, surefire party starters and floor fillers. 'Kick That' has old school feels with classic piano chords from a certain Fatboy Slim tune that really will get the floor going mad. 'Unwind Your 909' taps into another iconic sample, this time from a sax, with break-neck breaks and plenty of chopped-up energy.

Review: Written by James Ernard, 'How Close' is a poppy funk track with as much history as killer synths. Written after his previous Ohio-based group Perfect Element declined opening for Prince on tour, Ernard left to set up his own label (which met a similar end as he and co-founder Kennith also had a falling out over creative differences). 'How Close' is a sensational piece of 80s American pop history, with a killer synth line and earworm vocals that'll have you shaking your hips before even realising. Side B has a nippy little remix by an undisclosed producer (which is sometimes the case with such niche pieces of history), that nonetheless breathes even more life into such a colourful track. It's often the 7" records that tell us the full history of the music industry behind the scenes at that time, and this release is no different - a perfect addition to that niche 7" collection you've been building up...

Review: Dancefloor Stompers was formed in Sardinia in 2009. They are a talented group of musicians who have a big love of mod jazz, black music roots and Italian soundtracks and library music classics from the 50s through to the 80s and all of that influences this new EP, Phuture Soul. Recorded and mixed at Solid Twin Studio between May 2021 and January 2022, it kick off with the title track which pairs rock guitars with funky basslines. 'Catch This Train' has a more playful pop-rock feel with big horns, 'Glass Tears' is a smoother groove and 'Not In My Name' closes on a more downbeat note.

Review: Lisa Decker makes a return with two new singles here that are taken from her upcoming album which is due in May of this year. It comes two years after her debut with the Japanese jazz trio Nautilus and marks something of a conceptual shift in her sound. 'Love & Hope' finds her turn in a stylish jazz vocal with funky bass loops and organic drums and percussion that straddle many different genres. 'Summer Child' then sinks into a nice smooth jazz-funk vibe with soft focus chords bringing a touch of class to her breezy vocals.

Review: Earlier in the year Misha Paniflov impressed with a library music and laidback 1970s funk-rock-inspired soundtrack for a Janno Jurgens-directed movie called Rain. Both of the tracks featured on this "4e5" are taken from that soundtrack album. On side A you'll find 'Road Home', a relaxed and effervescent affair that fuses drifting, wordless female vocals, snaking saxophone lines and rising orchestration with grooves reminiscent of Roy Budd's work for the original Get Carter soundtrack. Over on the flip there's a chance to savour soundtrack album opener 'An Unexpected Journey', where Paniflov more expressively explores his easy listening and library music influences. It, too, is a calming treat for the ears.

Review: Caito Sanchez lives in New York but was born in Panama and is a dedicated drummer who has spent years as a sideman. He's been honing his craft since the early 2000s and has played with the likes of Charles Bradley, Lee Fields and Brian Jackson. Now he finally makes the big step of going it alone and this debut single shows what he is capable of. He takes care of drums, but also bass, guitar and lead voice on a pair of nuggets that are heavy and psychedelic Spanish rock tunes full of fresh new wave sounds.

Review: Floridian musician Tedi Robinson specialises in what he calls "mellowfunkism" - a smooth, colourful, Prince-influenced take on retro-futurist soul that various draws inspiration from jazz-funk, '80s groove, contemporary R&B and P-funk. It's this attractive, effortlessly soulful trademark sound that's showcased on Robinson's second Six Nine Music "45" as Son of Pearl. Robinson's dazzling bass and smooth vocals take pride of place on A-side 'Wonderful', alongside head-nodding, hip-hop style beats, glistening guitars and twinkling electric piano sounds. Over on the reverse, 'The Other Side of Nowhere' boasts all manner of kaleidoscopic, P-funk-influenced synth sounds, crunchy R&B drums and more elastic bass courtesy of Robinson, whose vocals are once again superb.