Contemporary Funk Vinyl 258 Items

Record Kicks is proud to present POST MOMENTUM, the new EP by Italian cult combo Calibro 35 to be released on limited edition 12" vinyl. The extended-play comes 17 months after the acclaimed previous Calibro 35 album MOMENTUM, which – as the band stated: "represented a look at nowadays and a reflection about making music right in the time that we're living". The tour began right after the album release in January 2020, but it was soon interrupted when the whole world suddenly stopped because of the Pandemic. Now "POST MOMENTUM" represents a re-start and the first step towards the future, picking up where they left off.

Among the six tracks of the EP, while "Digi-Tails" and "Stars and Stripes, Chirps and Bleeps" express the unique musicianship of Calibro 35 as we have come to know over the years, "Being a Robot is Awesome" and "Artificial Black Moon" see the participation of a guest from the world to come: Sophia, the humanoid developed by Hanson Robotics capable of interacting autonomously with everything around it, reminding us how being a Robot could prove to be the best strategy to survive sometimes. The opening of the EP is an alternative version of the single "Stan Lee" enriched by two heavyweights of Italian rap: Ensi and Ghemon that don't make us miss Illa J. The EP ends with another alternate version of "Stan Lee", this time in all its instrumental glory.
Active since 2008, Calibro 35 enjoy a worldwide reputation as one of the coolest independent bands around. During their thirteen-year career, they were sampled by Dr. Dre on his Compton album, Jay-Z, The Child of lov & Damon Albarn; they shared stages worldwide with the likes of Roy Ayers, Muse, Sun Ra Arkestra, Sharon Jones, Thundercat and Headhunters and as unique musicians they collaborated with, amongst others, PJ Harvey, Mike Patton, John Parish and Stewart Copeland and Nic Cester (The Jet). Described by Rolling Stone magazine as "the most fascinating, retro-maniac and genuine thing that happened to Italy in the last years", Calibro 35 now count on a number of aficionados worldwide including VIP fans such as Dj Food (Ninja Tune), Mr Scruff and Huey Morgan (Fun Lovin' Criminals) among others.

The band started back in 2007 when Grammy award winner producer Tommaso Colliva (Muse), invited some of the best musicians from the Italian indie scene - Enrico Gabrielli (PJ Harvey, Mike Patton, John Parish), Massimo Martellotta (Stewart Copeland, Adrian Younge), Luca Cavina (Retox, Zeus!), Fabio Rondanini (John Parish, Daniel Johnston) - to record some Italian golden age soundtracks. What started as a studio b-side project evolved in a full time band able to release 7 heavily acclaimed albums. Their last album MOMENTUM came out on Record Kicks on January 24th 2020. "MOMENTUM" stood out as a new starting point for the project.

Menahan Street Band, a veritable supergroup of some of today's most prolific songwriters, arrangers, and producers return with this beat-forward, cinematic masterpiece.

Their unique brand of instrumental soul has not only been the foundation for some of modern hip-hop's most successful beats, it has also become the perennial soundtrack and veritable vibe-generator for countless parties, art shows, and restaurants throughout NYC and abroad.

While this album carries the aesthetic torch that MSB has skillfully woven into the tapestry of their DNA, it also delves deeper into the experimental, exotic sounds that fill many of the coveted Sound Library and Soundtrack LPs of the late sixties and early seventies - an amalgamation of moog synths, electric pianos, drum machines, and a bevy of analog instrumentation, that ebb and flow in lush swells of Morriconian grandeur.

You should all know by now I have collected a good few records in my time, hunting down that perfect beat. In search of that special piece I have found a deep love for the old soul ballads and funk that were for me great social statements, telling it just how it was. Growing up with these tunes and owning them I began to realise if someone didn't represent them to the next generation they would be long lost and forgotten. So please... enjoy this time capsule of music from another time... you'll hear nothing's changed! - Mr. G, 2018

Lonely Horizon is the 1st full length solo album by the talented funk musician and composer Michele Manzo. Drifting along a crest of lush chords, rhythmically driving vintage drum machines and rich, piercing bass lines Manzo has created a work which puts the mind at ease and compels the body to move.

Manzo’s Lonely Horizon was produced in his Italian studio and mastered by the legendary Dave Cooley of Elysian Masters in Los Angeles. With brilliant features from long respected Brooklyn MC J-Live and Mo’Funk Records resident boogie queen Moniquea, This 8 track vinyl is a must have for groove hounds, dance floor junkies and perpetual chillers alike.

In mid march of 2018 Manzo will be touring with UK soul staple Omar in promotion of Lonely Horizon’s record store day release. Two additional Italian vocal edits are included on the cassette recording and both cassette and vinyl are complete with exciting artwork which fits the sounds so closely that the lines between your visual and audio experience may feel blurred. Don't stress though, you’re just drunk on the funk.

DJ friendly 2xLP version, cut loud for your pleasure!

Harmonies is the new long player from underground super-producer Lord Echo. Hotly anticipated for the last few years by his growing entourage of fans, many were frustrated by his descent into obscurity in the industrial backwaters of New Zealand where he lived alone and went completely insane trying to complete the record. But those frustrations are finally at an end, and the wait was worth it - for fans at least.The new album solidifies his already distinctive mutations of reggae and rock steady with disco, African soul, techno and spiritual jazz. In other words, the Lord has returned from the wilderness with a bounty for his followers. Eat of the bread of life and enjoy access to his crazy World of Sound.

Taking influence from 1960's Thai funk - their name literally translates to "Engine Fly" in Thai - Khruangbin’s debut album ‘The Universe Smiles Upon You’ is steeped in the bass heavy, psychedelic sound of their inspiration, Tarantino soundtracks and surf-rock cool. The Texan trio is formed of Laura Lee on bass, Mark Speer on guitar, and Donald “DJ” Johnson on drums.

‘The Universe Smiles Upon You’ was recorded at their spiritual home, a remote barn deep in the Texas countryside where their first rehearsals took place. The band listened to a lot of different types of music on the long drives out to the country but their favourites were 60s and 70s Thai cassettes gleaned from the cult Monrakplengthai blog and compilations of southeast Asian pop, rock and funk. This had a heavy impact on the direction of the band, the scales they used and the inflection of the melodies; which coupled with the spaciousness of the Texan countryside culminated in Khruangbin forming their exotic, individual sound.

Repress on black vinyl in regular sleeve.

Gregory Porter's early works are finally made available on proper vinyl!

The unbreathable air saturated with moisture, the soggy soil that swallows every step like a starving death, the hostile nature and, finally, the remote swamp. The one they invested in composing Fire Eater. The one they left a few traces in. Tracks that can talk. Six men heavily armed with instruments, a seventh fastest, only weighted by a microphone. They left the inhospitable vegetation, leaving behind a succession of footprints. As we try to follow them, the afrobeat that made it easy to spot them now dissipates into a floating mist. So, we have to connect the radars and try to capture the vintage waves of equipment that emit more than one point but several. Be attentive to jazz solos and funk scarifications, as much as to what could chant and tap on the times of these tight rhythms. Because their blending has become a personal style as much as hybrid, and it is to avoid being watched by asphyxiation that they left the stagnant waters. Escaped from the car sound systems or plastered on the walls announcing their many concerts, it is in the city that they are now detected. Infiltrating them is a daunting task. A track where you have to avoid the vigilance of the electric and venomous keyboards, escape the copper flames and the guitar shears. Enter the choking groove to finally enjoy a purely instrumental passage, sneak in and dance. Progress outside the Afro mangrove, Running The Way nevertheless retains many cables still connected. The bottom of the jeans still ‘Roforofo’. ‘Muddy’ in Yoruba. Just 2 years after the first EP Fire Eater released in 2021, Radio Nova’s crush (title Helelyos enthroned 3 months in playlist), the Roforofo Jazz returns with the LP Running The Way, 8 tracks even more ambitious, with careful production, marking a clear progression in its quest for an increasingly more personal sound and writing. Putting the listener immediately in the tone of his atypical afro jazz rap fury, Love In Time and its sharp rhythmic appeal to the power of the music, in an ultra-energetic piece yet smelling with jazz via well-felt keyboard surges. Side To Side is a rearrangement of a piece by Togolese artist Bella Bello and Manu Dibango, yet glancing towards Motown and resonating like a anthem to life and directions to take to counter the negativity of our modern societies. Then on Stand Up in a more deepfunk US style like Breakestra or The Greyboy Allstars, MC Days (aka RacecaR) switches between fast flows and downtempo in an injunction to all fight for what we believe in. An epic piece concluded with a nod to Master Hendrix… Gas punctuates the A side with a light but saving rhythmic lull, coming closer to a nu-soul atmosphere and punctuated with an explosive refrain in which rap, rock and jazz clash, tending to prove as Days chants that by being more realistic our differences can only fade…Title Shawarma has nothing to do with a Kebab sandwich, although…! Life unfolds like a menu, in which everything is not always to our liking but which teaches us to accept judicious and juicy mixes, and combinations. The result is a joint with an oriental touch, almost ethio, a rhythm that perfectly matches the hip-hop flow and the Roforofo Jazz style.The Big Hustle is a UFO. Articulated around a 20 bars loop that gives it a communicative energy, punctuated by a bass line reminiscent of Fela Kuti’s Colonial Mentality, this title sounds like a highway for frantic breakbeat dancers; epic! From Here To Benin brings us back to the group’s Afro-inspired origins, while injecting a slight dose of well-felt pop music. A piece that encourages travel to learn to share, universally. And finally, Mode For DD, a cover of the instrumental title of the obscure jazz funk of The Awakening, with added voice of Days telling the meaning of life and its mysteries, our beliefs and certainties, as human beings as well as artists.

Things are looking up for The Harlem Gospel Travelers, who return here with a new album, a new lineup, and a new lease on life. Produced by Eli Paperboy Reed, Look Up! marks the group's first full-length release as a trio, as well as their first collection of totally original material, and it couldn't have come at a more vital moment. The music still draws deeply on the gospel quartet tradition of the '50s and '60s, of course, but there's a distinctly modern edge to the record, an unmistakable reflection of the tumultuous past few years of pandemic anxiety, political chaos, and social unrest. The songs are bold and resilient, facing down doubt and despair with faith and perseverance, and the performances are explosive and ecstatic, fueled by dazzling vocal arrangements punctuated with gritty bursts of guitar and crunchy rhythm breaks. Born out of an non-profit music education program led by Reed, The Harlem Gospel Travelers_singers Thomas Gatling, George Marage, and Dennis Bailey_released their debut LP, He's On Time, to rave reviews in 2019, with Pop Matters hailing the album's "musical transcendence" and AllMusic praising it as "dreamlike and joyous." The record charted on Billboard, earned the Travelers high profile fans like Elton John (who invited them to appear on his Rocket Hour radio show on Apple Music), and landed them festival slots everywhere from Pilgrimage to Telluride Jazz.

Canadian songwriter and producer Jeremy Haywood-Smith needed an escape from his state of mourning when he began working on Slingshot, his most recent LP as JayWood. After the loss of his mother in 2019, and a global standstill with multiple social crises throughout 2020, Haywood-Smith yearned for some forward momentum. "The idea of looking back to go forward became a really big thing for me _ hence the title, Slingshot." Feeling disconnected from his past and ancestry after the death of a parent, Haywood-Smith made a conscious effort to better understand his identity and unique Black experience living in the predominantly white province of Manitoba. Merging fantasy scenarios, personal anecdotes, and infectious pop and dance instrumentals, Slingshot is a self-portrait of JayWood at his surface and his depths. Musically, Slingshot reaches into sounds and styles Haywood-Smith has continued to explore throughout his catalog. "I think I made a really big deal to not pigeonhole myself," he explains. "Whatever is inspiring me at one point will work it's way into whatever I'm creating." Slingshot is an amalgamation of Haywood-Smith's many musical sensibilities, achieved with help from a crew of talented peers. Haywood-Smith wrote and performed a bulk of the track's instrumentations, but the LP has notable appearances from Canadian contemporaries Ami Cheon (on "Just Sayin") and Mckinley Dixon (on "Shine.") The album's penultimate track, "Thank You," was co-produced with Jacob Portrait of Unknown Mortal Orchestra. The song brings JayWood's sound full circle, offering something reminiscent of Haywood-Smith's earliest recordings, while flaunting that "The best is yet to come."

Circa 2022, Ozo's new songs, stronger-thanever brotherhood and the potent emotional impetus behind Marching On further cements the legacy begun with the band's 1998 self-titled debut. With musician/producer David Garza (Fiona Apple, Sparta) producing in Bpre-pandemic 2020 at El Paso's Sonic Ranch, Ozo were honored with esteemed musical guests who contributed to the 11-song album including B-Real (Cypress Hill), Guatemalan singer-songwriter Gaby Moreno, J.J. FAD (of "Supersonic" Fame) and Lisa Lisa (Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam.)

After their debut album Space Voyage for Warner Chappell, Eleven76 are back with a new album commercially available for the first time entitled Occhio Occhio. The album contains insect-themed outernational grooves with tropical and arabian flavours and smooth and buttered tunes with soulful vibes that are reminiscent of classic european library music. Vintage synthesizers and hot tape-recorded drums continue to lead Eleven76's mystique, with travels through funk territories and all the while frenzied percussion-heavy break beats keep b-girls and b-boys moving on the floor. Including the sold out first two singles "The Scarab’s Quest" & "The Hornet’s Nest" plus 3 exclusive tracks for this vinyl edition

Limited to 1000 copies, only available at HHV!

Simply calling Curtis Harding a soul man feels reductive. Harding’s voice conveys pain, pleasure, longing, tenderness, sadness and strength—a full gamut of emotions. Today his voice takes on an optimistic lilt with his his new album, If Words Were Flowers. If Words Were Flowers is Harding’s first new music since 2018, a follow up to his critically acclaimed ‘Face Your Fears” album. It features songs like “ Hopeful” , where Harding croons with devotion over a classic soul groove, textured with infectious horn playing, background singers and modern psychedelic flourishes. Harding fuels his psychedelic sound with the essence of Soul but isn’t bound by it. Instead, his songs convey an eclectic blend of genres leaping from the many musical lives he has lived from following his evangelical Gospel-singing mother on tour around the country as a child to rapping in Atlanta, forming a garage band with The Black Lips’ Cole Alexander to singing back-up for Cee Lo Green. Through these experiences he fully embraces life’s darkest intricacies and conjures dynamic, addictive melodies.

“The art of the remix has been around for several decades, from the fervid imaginations of JA pioneers like Coxsone Dodd, Duke Reid or King Tubby to the disco enthusiasts of New York, such as Tom Moulton, who bequeathed us the modern iteration of the remix and provided a template from which most remixers still work. Moulton's first commercial remix, a reworking of BT Express' appropriately-named `Do It 'Till You're Satisfied', which stretched it from three minutes to a luxurious five, assisted the band in securing its first Billboard R&B Number One, as well as providing a pathway for remixers like Walter Gibbons, Larry Levan, Richie Rivera and Tee Sott, to completely reinvent the concept of a remix (and in some instances, deconstructing the idea of what comprised a song). It has subsequently been used as a marketing tool, a dancefloor-devastator, a gimmick (both cheap and expensive) or even as a way of reaching a different audience (think Tori Amos' `Professional Widow'). Khruangbin are no slouches when it comes to the remix themselves. They've been reworked before, in 2016, with the highly collectible EP on Boogiefuturo. But this time, they're taking it a step further with an album dedicated to the art. Entering the tight-knit world of a Khruangbin song can be a little daunting. They have created this entire universe in which the trio seem to function telepathically in the way the music is composed, arranged and played. To mess with their delicate eco-system can invoke feelings similar to that of an unwanted guest crashing a good-time party. "We write our music to be interpreted; this is another wonderful interpretation of the music," reassure Khruangbin. "There is something very vulnerable about letting others work on your music. But through the correspondence with the different artists, we gained a bigger connection to the songs themselves." The choice of remixers for this album is neither arbitrary nor accidental. They're not names picked randomly out of a hat or chosen via a throw of the dice. All have some connection to the band, sometimes personal friendships, musical connections, or simply mutual musical appreciation. Harvey Sutherland and Ginger Roots have both toured with the band, Kadhja Bonet and Ron Trent had their own mutual fan club going on, Knxwledge sampled `White Gloves' on a recent mixtape, Natasha Diggs and Soul Clap's Eli's are recent buddy-ups, Quantic is a mutual friend of Bonobo (crucial in the KB origin story), while I've known Laura for number of years; plus she is also godmother to one of Felix Dickinson's kids. Doesn't get much more intimate than that, right? Some of these remixes were specifically made so you can dance your ass off while getting down to the Khruangbin sound, while some might better be appreciated horizontally with headphones on, wearing fashionably loose clothes. The choice is yours. But all were made with love and respect for Khruangbin. "A good remix deconstructs, recontextualizes, or simply extends a good time," say the band. Amen and out." - Bill Brewster

Somewhere along the way, I got the idea that Richard Youngs's `Sapphie' was all about a dead dog. I don't know if someone insinuated this idea in front of me or if I psychologically tethered the title to the tenderly printed dog paw on its cover. Either way, I've gone over a decade thinking this remarkable, windswept album of torch songs was about a dearly departed pet. And yet, as we approached a reissue of this Jagjaguwar classic and a new, reimagined version by artists Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Moses Sumney, Sharon Van Etten, and Perfume Genius, Richard Youngs was straightforward and unsentimental about its meanings. "The lyrics are not about anything in particular," Youngs wrote. The paw prints on the cover are, in fact, that of a friend's dog ("The first dog I ever loved," Richard said.), but there is no devastating loss at its center. And so, I want to tell Richard how this album has become a centering album for a great many of us, a transcendent and meditative piece of art. "What does `the mindfulness drill' have to do with it?" Richard asks dryly me in a note. It's about being relentlessly present, Richard. It's how when we listen to your album, we feel like a lonely traveler in a foreign country. How everything has a newness to it and there's no one to share it with but the you inside of you. And that fine, fine line is where `Sapphie' lives, Richard. Thank you for this, Richard.

Reginald Omas Mamode IV follows last year's self-titled debut album with 'Children Of Nu', set for release on 3rd November 2017.

The 20 track album draws influence from the world around us, everyday life. As we witness rising poverty, global events, political and ethnic divisions - these factors prompt some of Reginald's themes and call for humanity to recognise we are all interconnected.

We are all related. We're all brothers and sisters with common ancestry, common history and a common origin regardless of race, geographic location or belief systems. Love and compassion are universal feelings/practices we all should embrace and apply to all aspects of our lives, our interactions and our relationships, regardless of the kinship'. - Reginald Omas Mamode IV

'Children Of Nu' encompasses Reginald's musical and sonic influences - Afro Roots music through to jazz and soul. It draws from Africa as much as the west, an attempt to make a record that can exist in many contexts, the present, the future and past.

Recorded with freedom - most tracks remain from the first take - the process of creating 'Children Of Nu' was an open ended development from a natural, intuitive, starting point. Made with minimal thought of how tracks would end up, the music was led through the creative process. Born of a moment, each track is an attempt to capture that instance, mood, feeling or subject.

The mysterious Tuxedo Funk Crew drops it in full length in 2015!

Limited to 500 Copies!

20 years HHV: our team has selected an album from each of these years that is particularly relevant and precious to us. On a monthly basis we release exclusive and limited pressings of these records in collaboration with some of our favorite labels.

Originally released in 2011 with a limited pressing and repressed once a few years later in 2016. “Right now in cities across the globe, there are plenty of great Afrobeat revivalist bands aping the sound and groove of Fela Kuti’s legendary sound. Yet, surprisingly few of the new groups have strayed from an orthodox interpretation of the genre or done much real innovation. ..Ikebe Shakedown is here to change that. The band takes signature Afrobeat elements—big unison horns, slinky bass lines, tight little guitar licks—and blends them with tasty grooves culled from '70s-style horn-driven funk”. -Marlon Bishop, Wnyc

Ikebe Shakedown, the self-titled album and Ubiquity Records debut from the Brooklyn-based band, plays with elements of Cinematic Soul, Afro-funk, Deep Disco, and Boogaloo in all the right ways. Pushing their globally-informed sound and eclectic approach to tune-writing into new territory, “Self-titling the album is a way to introduce the audience to the many facets of the band -- to provide a more complete understanding of what we do,” bassist Vince Chiarito says. “Our sound has grown to incorporate our influences without overtly representing any one in particular. It just sounds like us," he adds.

The Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio may have this Kexp session to thank for much of the notoriety they have received since it first premiered. Since then, they've secured a record deal, a world renowned booking agent, a publishing deal, international sponsorships, and will be embarking on a national tour this spring. This session was released on vinyl for the first time for Record Store Day 2018, marking the first full Kexp session ever to be pressed on vinyl.

Monophonics cordially invite you to attend the grand re-opening of the once thriving, once vibrant establishment, the legendary Sage Motel. A place where folks experience the highs and lows of human existence. A place where big dreams and broken hearts live, where people arrive at without ever knowing how they got there. It's where folks find themselves at a crossroads in life. So join us as we examine where the stories are told and experiences unfold.....and sink into a soft pillow of soulful psychedelia.....down at the Sage Motel.

produced by Rick Rubin & Paul Epworth

Debut LP release of this group comprised of members of Orgone and Jungle Fire. Recorded in the San Fernando Valley just a stones throw away from the infamous Van Nuys Blvd. cruising scene, it's no wonder from the debut long player from The Rugged Nuggets hits hard and demands to be turned up loud with the windows rolled down. Delivering west-coast cool at it's finest. With swooning strings, breezy guitars and tough as nails drums, Odds & Ends epitomizes a mellow vibe, but is undeniably cool. FOR Fans OF Menahan Street Band, El Michels Affair, Khruangbin, BadBadNotGood.

Bybo Funk's interstellar and futuristic sound returns in the form of a brand new LP entitled "Black Eye Galaxy".

The debut album from Seattle's Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio. The group channels old-school organ combos like The Meters and Booker T & The MGs, but are making it fresh and feel new again! This LP is just killer from beginning to end and this is just the beginning for this group. We couldn't be more happy to be involved with such talented musicians.

The Moritz Von Oswald Trio opens a new chapter. There's a new configuration to the project, with Tony Allen joining original members Moritz von Oswald and Max Loderbauer. Tony Allen, the legendary drummer who's amassed a formidable catalogue both as a solo artist and as part of Fela Kuti's band, has taken over percussion duties from Vladislav Delay. Together, von Oswald, Loderbauer and Allen form something close to a dream team, two masters of the electronic sphere meeting an afrobeat pioneer. Allen had already established a rapport with the group before they entered the studio to record Sounding Lines - he's been touring with von Oswald and Loderbauer for more than a year, playing live shows around the world. There has been an evolution on each new Moritz Von Oswald Trio record, and Sounding Lines is no different. The album, which was mixed by Ricardo Villalobos, maintains the project's trajectory—a fearless exploration of dub techno, classical music and jazz—but the prevailing mood feels looser and more organic than ever before. Allen's imperious percussive work sits tantalisingly in the mix. His drums meet the electronics of von Oswald and Loderbauer in a way that renders the project in new, vivid colours. There are 4/4 tracks, beatless interludes and complex jazz structures, with propulsive recordings ("3") coexisting alongside more languid moments ("1"). Sometimes Allen provides flourishes of drums (notably on "4") while at other times spectral synths come to the fore (as on "5"). Von Oswald, a masterful composer and arranger with a deep understanding of space, paints the crevices of each composition on Sounding Lines with rich detail. Individually, von Oswald, Loderbauer and Allen are formidable and hugely influential musicians. As a trio, they've conjured something remarkable.

Triple LP version comes with bonus 7”, detailed liner notes (8 page full colour booklet) and free MP3 download.

Conceived by Colombian musician Mario Galeano, the force behind the band Frente Cumbiero, and English producer Will ‘Quantic’ Holland, Ondatrópica brings together an all-star cast representing both the classic and modern styles of la musica Colombiana.

Over 3 weeks in January 2012 at the famous Discos Fuentes studios in Medellín legendary figures from Colombian music joined a group of younger Colombian musicians that included members of both Mario’s band Frente Cumbeiro and Quantic’s Combo Barbaro. The plan; “to re-interpret the tropical musical heritage of Colombia with new approaches in composition, arrangement and production in a classic and mythical setting.”

For the recording Will and Mario were joined by Colombian legends including big-hitting saxophonist Michi Sarmiento, multi-instrumentalist Fruko and accordion-playing don and singer Anibal Velasquez as well as a new wave of Colombian and South American musicians such as Chilean MC Ana Tijoux and El Chongo, a young percussionist and beatboxer from the city of Cartagena on the Caribbean coast.

A mixture of well known and classic Colombian styles such as cumbia, porro, gaita and champeta clash head-on with boogaloo, ska, beat-box, hip hop, dub and funk on the record. The tracks range from straight-up timeless pieces with one foot in the 1960s and 70s to progressive and forward-looking recordings firmly rooted in the 21st century. Mario and Will also adopted a 100% analogue recording approach in tribute to a sound and feel that the studio had been lacking for some years now.

Soundway’s exploration into Colombian music began in 2007 with it’s much acclaimed compilation ‘Colombia! The Golden Age of Discos Fuentes The Powerhouse of Colombian Music 1960-76’. That compilation features many original works from the above-mentioned artists as well as some of the main session men of the day that also played on this new record. It’s fitting then that Ondatrópica came together in the legendary Discos Fuentes studios in Medellín.

Acid Jazz veröffentlicht die 'Soul Drops' Compilation: Eine seltene Sammlung von Vintage Soul Aufnahmen in einer wunderschönen illustrierten Hülle.

Here it is: the most anticipated soul album of 2012!

Runner-Up at Apollo Theater Amateur Night! Highly Anticipated Debut Album from a Major New Talent Set to Take the World by Storm Nao Yoshioka's first album, "The Light," was recorded by three teams in the U.S., the Netherlands, and Japan. The notable vintage soul artist Brian Owens from the U.S. handled the instrumental recording and vocal direction for three tracks. In New York, Dani Elliott and Orly collaborated on songwriting and provided tracks. In the Netherlands, Shirma Rouse, hailed as the No. 1 Soul Queen, also took charge of the instrumental recording and vocal direction for three tracks. The Japanese team featured top musicians from the scene, including Takuya Kuroda, a trumpeter renowned for his work with the José James Band. Soul music, connected through Nao Yoshioka, casts its spell from Tokyo to the world.

Evolutionary Soul Music Spun with Writers Who Supported The Roots and Erykah Badu The theme of her latest album, "The Truth," is the "truth" that she discovered while touring the world, feeling the music scene with her five senses and interacting with many fans and musicians, which she calls "the highest art (real music). The Truth is that "real music" connects people across barriers. The Truth" was produced by Khari Mateen, a Grammy nominee who has written songs for Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, and many others. The song "I Love When" was co-written with Music Man Thai, who has written songs for Alicia Keys, Nicki Minaj, and others. The album embodies evolved soul music with a hint of its roots in soul, jazz, R&B, and funk, while incorporating the sensibilities of producers active around the world. The long-awaited new album is now born, containing a new sense of being led by music and connected by sound, the power of music felt locally, and a borderless sensibility that removes all barriers.

New York-Based Japanese Singer Nao Yoshioka's Latest Work, Which Challenges the US Mainstream Head-On, Is Now Available in Analog Format Nao Yoshioka is a Japanese soul singer who moved to the US in 2018 and has been enjoying unprecedented success as a Japanese soul singer, reaching #32 on the Billboard Urban Adult Contemporary charts and receiving acclaim from Rolling Stone. Undeniable" is the latest release from Nao Yoshioka, who has moved to New York and released his first album in three years, and is a stunning fusion of organic and digital sounds that are timeless and in tune with the theme of "impulse". The album, which is his fourth album to break into the mainstream of US R&B, was co-written in New York, LA and Philadelphia with Eric Roberson, Carli Mateen, Devin Morrison, Keir Victoria and other up-and-coming young artists, and was reconstructed with a band including Kyriam Shakespeare. The band played in a reworking of the piece. Philly masters such as Larry Gold and Vidal Davis also lend their skills, resulting in an aggressive, sensitive, world-class album.

On Seeds, Georgia Muldrow takes a step back and leaves the beatmaking to Otis Jackson Jr., aka Madlib. As producers, Muldrow and Jackson are not worlds apart, so the switch requires no adjustment on the part of the listener. That said, this is one dense and tight set, barely over half-an-hour in length, and it's definitely in contention for Muldrow's most focused, funkiest, and (somewhat ironically) personal release to date. Throughout the record, the emphasis remains heavily fixated on her family as a unit of salvation and purpose. The most direct track of the lot is "Husfriend," where she honors her relationship with Dudley Perkins (a/k/a Declaime, who appears on “The Few”). Muldrow can't quite divorce the planetary and personal issues, heard vividly on "Best Love," which sounds just like a simple, sweet, straight-ahead love song until she starts asking her other half for money to build water wells on three continents ("We can make a difference if we try now"). Overall, Seeds is another left-field deviation in Muldrow's career: it's one of her most captivating and immediate front-to-back statements of purpose as a singer, but it's also the first album where she's handed over all the production duties to somebody else. In celebration of this album’s decenary run, Someothaship Connect is pleased to reintroduce an anniversary edition repress of this captivating release in partnership with Fat Beats.

Reggie B returns with his much awaited NBN release "Tinky's Jam." This is his first full length album since "Soulofunkaquarian" released with INnatesounds. The album was most definitely worth the wait. It takes the listener through a personal and musical journey inspired by the birth of his son, who he affectionately calls "Tinky," and the connection they share. Tinky was a major part of this album, oftentimes found in the studio during the conceptions of many of the songs. This album is unlike any other record released by the Kansas born producer, multi instrumentalist, singer and arranger. After the birth of his son, he was inspired and encouraged to get back into the musical game by the head of NBN, Onra. "Tinky's Jam" is something of a family affair with friends and old collaborators playing their part. Mostly instrumental and showcasing Reggie's many styles from the heavy bounce of "Futuristic Slow", to the George Clinton nod on "P For Life", and the crafted soul of "Gone Fishing" with Dominique Sanders to the cool street jazz feel of "Realize" with Donald Hates's sax adding flare as well as the beat of "Nose Dive" providing the nod factor for the heads. Closing out the LP "Tinky's Dance" - a raw soulful jam that lies somewhere between Prince and Larry Heard - for Reggie "the whole project felt like a gift to me and my baby boy Tinky! I wanted to let him know he's always in my heart and soul and I love my Tinky man infinitely! It's a children's album for the elevated child like Tinky!"

Mighty Eye Records is proud to present its debut release, the self-titled album by 10th Street. Comprised of some of the best NYC musicians to grace the music scene in the past 20 plus years, this ode to late ’70s disco, funk and boogie is sure to be a future classic!

Recorded at Soul Fire Studios (Williamsburg, Bklyn) over the course of two years, over two dozen musicians were involved in the making of this album, including members of El Michels Affair, Lee Fields & The Expressions, The Dap-Kings, Antibalas and more.

This eight track LP was produced and engineered by Jeff ‘Dynamite’ Silverman (Soul Fire Records, Truth & Soul Records, Aloe Blacc), assistant engineered by Lucas Goodman (Lion Babe), mixed by Chris Connors (Liam Bailey, Holy Hive) and mastered by Ryan Schwabe.

Notable contributions on 10th Street include Horn Arrangements by Michael Leonhart and String Arrangements by Leon Michels. Also including the ever talented Terri Walker (Lady) and Camille Sledge (Sister Sledge, Phoenix Afrobeat Orchestra) on vocals.

Limited to 500 copies. 2015 EP for the first time on vinyl for the collectors.

Longform Modern-Funk at it’s boldest - these two epic songs - diehard fan favorites officially mixed, mastered and commercially available for the first time only on DamFunk’s Glydezone Recordings. In just two tracks D-F creates over 30 minutes of his signature, sprawling, elegant Modern-Funk instrumental narratives. Mastered by the talented Matthewdavid (Leaving Records), this is the definition of ‘extended play’.

* The brand new record from Seattle’s own “Queen of Rap,” Gifted Gab
* Two distinct hip-hop sounds: An A-side of hard-hitting gangsta murder rap, with sweet R&B on the flip
* Pressed on clear red vinyl and limited to 1,000 individually numbered copies
* Cover design painted by Gifted Gab herself
* Specially mastered for vinyl by Adam Straney Fresh off a year playing the top music festivals in America--Austin City Limits, Bumbershoot, Heiro Day, House of Creatives and Music Tastes Good--Seattle's own "Queen of Rap," Gifted Gab, has dropped her latest project, "Cause & Effect."

It fittingly arrives on national weed holiday 4/20 and opens with a warning to stay away from that poor quality bam. This record is a premium strain ten-track opus, with no features, and one lone producer, Antwon Vinson. Spark your best blunt and play it loud, ‘cause this chronically high sound is gonna trip you out.

“Cause & Effect” shines a light on both sides of Gifted Gab’s singular style, mixing complexity with wit, confidence with seduction, bars-upon-bars with R&B melodies. Half of the album is hard-hitting gangsta murder music, while the flip side is effortlessly smooth, "for the after-party, the kickback. When you finally got the one you’ve been vibing with all night up close and personal," as DJ Mike Ramos describes in the liner notes.

This is uncompromising, in-your-face music free of bullshit. Gifted Gab's lyrical dexterity and street-smart prowess marries the '90s hip-hop sounds of female emcees Queen Latifah, MC Lyte and Bahamadia with Bay Area legends like Mac Dre and E-40. Fans familiar with her unrestrained rap style, wall-to-wall classicist flow and combative, codeine-dipped blunts, may be surprised on the B-side by singing and harmonies that even your mother might approve of. The entire album features a fresh sound supported by real ass musicians: Max Watters on guitar, Andrew Imanaka on bass, Medearis Dixon on keys and sax, DJ Vega on the Technics, and Antwon Vinson conducting the crew. And not only can the multi-talented Gifted Gab rap your ass off and sing sweetly, but the cover art is also an original painting by the artist herself.

Two singles from the album, “Eye on Em” and “That Way” are part of a Spring 2019 North America-wide college radio campaign mounted by Airplay Junkie radio promotions.

Seattle underground hip-hop label Crane City Music is proud to release a special, limited-edition vinyl version of "Cause & Effect" on transparent red vinyl. The record is the color of blood and love, both appropriate analogies for its twin sides. The vinyl edition is has been specially mastered by Adam Straney, has liner notes from DJ Mike Ramos and is limited to 1,000 numbered copies. (The record will be distributed worldwide by Light In The Attic.) Grab one before they're gone for good. The music is also available online on all major streaming services (iTunes, Google Play, etc.)

Gabrielle "Gifted Gab" Kadushin was born and raised in Seattle, WA's Central District. She's shared stages with DJ Quik, Rakim, Cam'ron, Slick Rick, Method Man, and Lupe Fiasco, and received accolades from hip-hop heavyweights XXL, VH1, and Dope. TIME magazine counts her amongst the top seven female rappers in America right now. In 2016, she curated & headlined her own eight-city tour. Her collaboration with Blimes Brixton, “Come Correct,” received viral attention and over 15 million video views. And let's not forget her stature as first lady amongst the many men in the Moor Gang, Seattle’s answer to the Wu-Tang Clan crew.

Twenty-eight years ago, pissed-off twelve-year-olds around the universe discovered a new planet, a Black Planet. Public Enemy’s aggressive, Benihana beats and incendiary lyrics instilled fear among parents and teachers everywhere, even in the border town of Laredo, Texas, home of the future founders of the Latin-Funk-Soul-Breaks super group, Brownout. The band’s sixth full-length album (out May 25th) Fear of a Brown Planet is a musical manifesto inspired by Public Enemy’s music and revolutionary spirit.

Chuck D., the Bomb Squad, Flava Flav and the rest of the P.E. posse couldn’t possibly have expected that their golden-era hip hop albums would sow the seeds for countless Public Enemy sleeper cells, one that would emerge nearly three decades later in Austin, Texas. Greg Gonzalez (bass) remembers a kid back in junior high hipped him to the fact that Public Enemy’s “Bring the Noise” is built on James Brown samples, while a teenaged Beto Martinez (guitar) alternated between metal and hip-hop in his walk-man, and Adrian Quesada (guitar/keys) remembers falling in love with Public Enemy’s sound at an early age. “When I got into Hip hop, I was looking for this aggressive outlet . . . and I didn’t even understand what they were pissed off about, because I was twelve and lived in Laredo . . . but I loved it and I felt angry along with them.”

Joseph Abajian (Fat Beats’ owner) must have sensed the deep hip-hop well lying beneath the versatile band’s Latin-Funk veneer. “I thought their sound would work covering Public Enemy songs,” Abajian says, and, “it was good to know they were P.E. fans . . . We came up with a track listing and they went to work.” Despite the band’s eagerness to work on new original material (an album of original songs is slated for next year), they couldn’t pass up the opportunity to pay homage to this iconic and influential posse.

Translating sample-based music to a live band turned out to be more of a challenge than they anticipated. Adrian tried to get inside the Bomb Squad’s [Public Enemy’s producers/beat-making team] head in order to find the inspiration to reinterpret P.E.’s songs: “imagine the Bomb Squad going back in time and getting the J.B.s [James Brown’s funky backing band] in the studio and setting up a couple analog synths and then playing those songs.” While some songs closely follow the original musical blueprint, others use the source breakbeats as jumping-off points later sweetened by Trombonist Mark “Speedy” Gonzales’ horn arrangements, synth wizardry courtesy of friend-of-the-band Peter Stopschinski, and DJ Trackstar’s turntable scratches. But don’t listen expecting to hear paint-by-numbers recreations of classic Public Enemy jams. “Our approach is never in the tribute sense,” Adrian explains. “We’ve always taken it and made it our own, whether it’s the Brown Sabbath thing or this Public Enemy thing.”

Coming off numerous tours as Brown Sabbath and even a stint backing the late legend Prince, Brownout is arguably the tightest and funkiest band on the road today and they’re psyched to bring this revolutionary music to the people. For a band without an overt political agenda, they collectively couldn’t resist the opportunity to play this music live, especially now. “If there’s any way that we can use the already political and protest nature [of P.E.’s music], we would like to try,” Beto says. “The album’s title, Fear of Brown Planet is definitely a relevant idea today and we’re not afraid to put it out there, because we want to speak out.” By reinterpreting these hip hop classics in their unique style and channeling the spirit of Public Enemy that first echoed around the world and captured their imaginations all those years ago, Brownout is doing exactly that.

Calling all fans of edbl! The Japanese debut from Tilly Valentine! Lending her voice to South London producer edbl on songs such as “Table For Two” and “Symmetry”, Valentine's star is quickly rising!

With high praise from The Oxford Mail and BBC Radio 6 music in her native England, Tilly Valentine has been making waves with her catchy hooks and mellow vocals. Her voice has crossed oceans, as her features on edbl’s South London Sounds have garnered high praise in Asia. Available only on this record is an acoustic version of “Retail Therapy” featuring edbl himself! With an obi-strip, this Japan-exclusive compilation of Tilly Valentine’s fantastic catalog is sure to be mellow, soulful, and groovy.

From label owner Terry Cole, "It was on March 16, 2020 that we closed up our storefront as the reality of a worldwide pandemic began to spread across the Midwest. We had no idea how it was going to impact our shop, our label, or the artists we represent. We were all fortunate to have our family members stay safe and healthy; however, the livelihood of many of our friends and artists were drastically and immediately impacted. No tours, no live performances, record shops closed, pressing plants shut down, etc. And while the level of uncertainty was unnerving, from that uncertainty came the idea for Brighter Days Ahead. We knew we wanted to continue to release new music, but proceeding with our heavy 2020 release schedule as planned seemed ill advised. So the idea was to release individual tracks from many of our artists on a weekly basis and as a musical family, we could all help shine light on each individual artist weekly. Strength in numbers! So throughout the summer and into the fall, that's what we did. We released several dozen tracks and the weekly announcements certainly garnered a strong sense of community for our artists and fans alike. We're very proud to present Brighter Days Ahead: a compilation from our talented stable of artists on both our Colemine and Karma Chief imprints."

dvsn have turned the page to a new chapter in their career with the release of their fervently anticipated third studio album, A Muse In Her Feelings, via OVO Sound. The album is a beautifully crafted body of work boasting an all-star cast of collaborators, including the likes of Future, PartyNextDoor, Popcaan, Buju Banton, Summer Walker, Jessie Reyez, Snoh Aalegra, Ty Dolla $ign and Shantel May. A Muse In Her Feelings brings R&B back to tropes that built the genre. Incorporating vulnerability, yearning and lust, the album draws inspiration from the early aughts with Daniel Daley's pen sharper than ever, coupled with Nineteen85' s cutting edge production. All while rooted in the tenets of golden-era R&B.

Finally the debut full length LP from Aeon Seven is upon us! After a production career going back to the year 2000, this French maestro has been a creative force in all areas of production, DJing and animation. First gaining some serious attention from the funk/breaks community worldwide with his exceptional Funky Furious EP (2005), he has gone on to produce a clutch of incredible mix tapes that beautifully reveal his deft touch on the turntables and in the studio, he's written a couple of singles for 45 Live Records and produced some slick DJ tools with the Thundercuts series on both 7" and 12". Throughout all this time Aeon Seven has been honing his craft both musically and visually. His love of the instrumental, and obvious love of soundtracks, psyche and jazz come through in all of his productions. From the downbeat and wonderfully eerie and atmospheric themes of "The Hidden Hand", the cosmic harp led soundscape of the opening track "Outer Space Illusion" to the uptempo and funky blaxploitation vibes of "Mankind Hunt", Aeon Seven's grasp of songwriting is mature and expertly executed.

Orgone takes on 13 funk and soul classics! Otis Redding, Funkadelic, The Meters, Aretha Franklin, Betty Wright, and Booker T are just a few of the artists Orgone cover on this mixtape collection with some help from friends as well! Expertly recorded and performed, you could make an argument for some of these being better than the originals, but we'll suffice it to say that it's a simply killer set from beginning to end!

Without a pandemic, you’d now be listening to an album wholly recorded in Cuba with local musicians. Back in 2020, everything was organised, so that in May 2021 we could get started. Yet, the sanitary measures proved to be a fierce adversary, so rather than giving up entirely we decamped to Dakar in October the same year – a compromise that ended up being a positive event in itself.
Cuba has a long African history. Under mass enslavement and the Transatlantic trade, Africans were forced from their homelands, against their will, taking their music along with them. Merging throughout the centuries, taking on European influences, led to the birth of a distinctive Afro-Cuban musical tradition. Highly percussive, brass-based, simmering, full of danceable rhythms. The spirit etched into thousands of recordings, forever turning towards Africa. The departure point here is not to keep things the same. Rather, a return to the source enacts a loop – much the same as those providing the foundations for hip-hop beats.
The flame when it’s re-lit illuminates everything. Thanks to the Senegalese musicians in Dakar, the Cubans who crossed the Atlantic to join us and my usual family of musicians, this music – a cross-section of covers and original compositions - exists as a homage to Afro-Cuban music. Made in Africa, in Senegal. Three worlds, three languages, three colours. Recorded over 17 days, non-stop, germinating the seed born in Cuba at the end of 2020 so that the most beautiful fruits might be cultivated in Dakar, 2022.
When the world doesn’t seem big enough, we look up to the sky where even the blackness is lit up, where those I loved who are now gone shine as stars, shining as brightly as all the others. Each time I think I’m not going to make it; I recall the star of my mother. Then the path becomes clear.
Pandemic, visa problems, cultural clashes, bank transfers that didn’t go through, a fractured foot – this project sometimes felt like a series of accumulated challenges. The only thing linking us, a shared love for the music, each of us invoking our personal star and all that we have overcome.
In this way, the music is born as a call to our stars.

Little Creatures are long running Japanese band formed in 1987 while still in high school by Takuji Aoyagi (Vo/G), Masato Suzuki (Bass/Key), and Tsutom Kurihara (Dr/Per). They gained popularity while performing street shows centered around Shinjuku and Shibuya and debuted with a single in 1990 “things TO Hide”. 2020 marks their 30th anniversary from their debut. In January of 2021, they released their 8th album, “30”, a masterpiece packed with advanced minimal pop music that can only be made by the current Little Creatures, which boasts overwhelming musicianship and career.

San Diego's own The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble is back with their sophomore LP “Out On The Coast”. Cinematic soul is the order of the day from this west coast group. Covering a lot of soulful territory here: deep funk, soul jazz, breakbeats, and more! The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble is a heavy, original, instrumental soul band based in San Diego. They draw influence from the masters of the style from the past and modern day, including: The Meters, Isaac Hayes, El Michels Affair, Mulatu Astatke, Budos Band, The Nite Liters, Menahan Street Band, Fela Kuti and The Poets of Rhythm. In June of 2015 they released their debut self titledalbum on Colemine Records. The band has shared the stage with Lee Fields and the Expressions, New Mastersounds, Monophonics, Kamasi Washington, and many other touring bands. They perform live regularly all over California and worldwide.