Back catalogue: Soul

Review: The latest deep dive into Galaxy Sound Co.'s Black Hole series is another carefully dug out delight featuring three essential jazz-funk-psych cuts. Joe Pass' 'A Time For Us' opens with beautiful cinematic strings, sparse drums and ghostly guitar that has been famously sampled by J Dilla and the Slum Village crew, and sounds powerful in situ here. Milt Jackson & Ray Brown's 'Enchanted Lady' follows with hypnotic modal swing, again famously flipped, this time by Pete Rock, De La Soul and Knxwledge. Closing out is Archie Whitewater's 'Cross Country', which is a funky, soulful groove with brass and keys that have been immortalised by Kanye and Common, but remains a burner here in its original form.

Review: Two powerful soul sessions from Alice Clark's eponymous debut 1972 album. "Don't You Care" is a hard-hitting soul standard (that became very popular in acid jazz scene in the early 90s) where Alice opens her heart for all to see while her incredible band ebb and flow with Clark's emotions. "Never Did I Stop Loving You", meanwhile, languishes in sentiment at a slightly lower tempo that allows her to really dig deep for those low notes. The real fun happens as we reach momentum towards the end and every band member brings out their A-game and bounces off each other - backing up Alice every step of the way. You will care about this.

Review: Who doesn't love a bit of sophisticated soul? We certainly do and it's always good to hear some reworks of the soul great's finest cuts for the dancefloor. And that's what we have here on a new 7" that opens with a disco version of 'Nothing Can Come Between Us' and doesn't go hard, instead building in some gentle drums and lo-fi melodies, swooning vocals and a mystical late night sense of romance. On the flip, we get a lovers rock version of 'Cherish The Day' which adds plenty of lovely guitar lines to bring that island vibe while the shuffling drums lock you in gently.

Review: Back in 2018, artist Omar "El Oms" Juarez introduced the world to Marie and Necalli, then known as Thee Lakesiders. Sensing something special, he linked them with Big Crown's Leon Michels and The Shacks and together, they recorded 'Parachute,' a soulful gem that became a cult classic and sparked a new wave of modern soul. The original 7" sold nearly 10,000 copies and its music video racked up over 15 million views. To celebrate its seven-year anniversary, the label has now assembled this special edition of 'Parachute' and its instrumental version on transparent green vinyl, complete with El Oms' artwork and guaranteed no represses. Once they're gone, they're gone.

Review: This five-disc CD set has an impressively broad and satisfying journey through one of the most dynamic decades in popular music. From glam to disco, punk to singer-songwriter balladry, soul to soft rock, each disc brings together an eclectic mix of tracks that still feels essential. The opening tracks boast undeniable energy: Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now' and ELO's 'Mr Blue Sky' remain joyful anthems, while Blondie's 'Heart of Glass' and Gary Numan's 'Cars' introduce a touch of post-punk and synth-pop futurism. As the compilation moves into moodier and more socially charged fare, the inclusion of The Clash's 'London Calling' and Marvin Gaye's 'What's Going On' add depth and urgency, but there are moments of sheer beauty like Joan Armatrading's 'Love and Affection' and Justin Hayward's 'Forever Autumn' too. The disco era gets a full-bodied celebration with staples like Gloria Gaynor's 'I Will Survive', Chic's 'Good Times' and Earth Wind and Fire's 'September', each one carrying the rhythm and flair that defined dancefloors at the time. Meanwhile, soft rock and radio-friendly hits like 10cc's 'I'm Not In Love' and Bread's 'Make It With You' provide smoother, introspective tones. Nostalgic singalongs such as 'Sweet Caroline', 'Mull of Kintyre' and 'Tie a Yellow Ribbon' add a glimpse of warmth that remains from the 60s. Each track is a classic in its own right, but together they form a kaleidoscope of 70s culture.