Contemporary Funk Vinyl 185 Items

With a little bit of research you'll realize that Ricky 1 actually didn’t come out on Bridge Boots but on thatmanmonkz imprint Shadeleaf back in 2015 and received loved from Matthew Dear and Sam Divine to name a few. A little over 5 years later and Caserta is back with the sequel! Contrary to popular belief Caserta doesn’t usually 'edit' (with the exception of Bb45003 release Diana). But he decided to bust out the ole’ Razor-N-Tape for the 40 year anniversary of this dancefloor classic! While anyone with party rock capabilities can improve on an already classic composition. 'Supa Engineer Caserta' made sure to take his time to take make sure the sonics went for 1981 to 2081. The flip side delivers more of the tried and true Bridge Boots formula people have come to love with a hard hitting deep house joint sure to light up the dance floor once we start to put Roni-19 behind us! Lastly...who the hell is Sheldon??

Repress! Returning after their Last Transmission collaborative album with Melvin Van Peebles, the Heliocentrics finish off their trawl through the vaults of tracks recorded at their old digs – Quatermass Studios – with psychedelic tinged funk and jazz instrumentals Rolling Stone describes as “…sprawling, with percussive patterns that suddenly morph into extraterrestrial sound blasts and opaque, detouring patterns.”

Shawn Lee’s classic Ping Pong Christmas album is now available for the first time on colored vinyl! The limited LP version is randomly pressed on red and green vinyl.

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

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.

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."

2020 first release from PPU laid way back to japan. undeniable electric soul from image cluv pioneer ryu tsuruoka. your talkbox vacation summertime anytime all the time tune.

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.

Big Crown Records is proud to present Do It Again the first single from Lady Wray’s new album Queen Alone. The 45 and upcoming album is produced by Leon Michels and Thomas Brenneck.

Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio-or as it is sometimes referred to, DLO3-specialize in the lost art of "feel good music." The ingredients of this intoxicating cocktail include a big helping of the 1960s organ jazz stylings of Jimmy Smith and Baby Face Willette; a pinch of the snappy soul strut of Booker T. & The M.G.'s and The Meters; and sprinkles Motown, Stax Records, blues, and cosmic Jimi Hendrix-style guitar. It's a soul-jazz concoction that goes straight to your heart and head makes your body break out in a sweat. The band features organist Delvon Lamarr, a self-taught virtuosic musician, with perfect pitch who taught himself jazz and has effortlessly been able to play a multitude of instruments. On guitar is the dynamo Jimmy James who eases through Steve Cropper-style chanking guitar, volcanic acid-rock freak-out lead playing, and slinky Grant Green style jazz. From Reno, Nevada is drummer Dan Weiss (also of the powerhouse soul and funk collective The Sextones). Dan's smoldering pocket-groove drumming locks in the trio's explosive chemistry. Founded by Larmarr's wife and manager Amy Novo, the trio started from humble beginnings in 2015, but since then has released two Billboard charting albums and toured the world to sold out venues. The trio returns now with their second studio album, I Told You So, with even heavier grooves and more confidence. It may have been several years since their most recent studio effort, but they haven't missed a beat.

Celebrating 15 years from the release of their debut album, Daptone's Royal Court from Staten Island delivers a truly epic collection of new material that finds the group further bridging the gap between the farfisa-fueled Ethio-Funk stylings of their early recordings, with the psychedelic, Sabbath-inspired hellfire of late.

“In some ways, it's reminiscent of our first two albums The Budos Band and Budos II,” says Tom Brenneck. “We branched off on Burnt Offering and Budos V. Now, we're still moving forward. You can play these songs on the dance-floor. We knew the horns had to stand out too. Thinking about hip-hop allowed us to put the bounce back into The Budos.”

This is evident from needle drop to final rotation. Heavy drum breaks, reminiscent of the BBoy approved grooves of their early output reign supreme, setting the stage for the pulsating, hallucinatory wall of organ, menacing horns, and rugged guitar riffs to permeate your soul - leaving the listener in a rhythmic wash of Budonian rapture.

Long in the Tooth represents the culmination of a 15-year journey by a band that has consistently carved its own distinct path through the grooves of history.

Ben Pirani & The Means Of Production are back with their first single from their newly built studio! Heavy dancefloor vibes with a punk attitude are the order of the day! Dig on Ben's new composition "More Than A Memory" with lush, soulful string arrangements from Ben and mix engineer Rafferty Swink!

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

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

In celebration of the 20 year anniversary of this classic album UMe will be reissuing it back on vinyl for this first time in almost 10 years, on limited edition white vinyl.

Big Crown Records is proud to present Adult Themes, the latest full length offering from El Michels Affair. This album takes the band's "Cinematic Soul" aesthetic literally and sends the listener on a journey through a whirlwind of moods and energies. With their 2005 debut album Sounding Out The City, EMA spearheaded an instrumental funk / soul movement that inspired a slew of bands and even lead to the creation of a few independent record labels. El Michels has since lent his signature sound to artists from Adele to Dr John, Lana Del Rey to Aloe Blacc, and a who's who list of others. In 2016 he co-founded Big Crown Records and has since produced the lion's share of its output. A short stint as the touring band for Wu Tang Clan in 2007 led to the cult classics Enter The 37th Chamber (2009) and Return To The 37th Chamber (2017). Adult Themes marks the long awaited, highly anticipated return to an album of original compositions from El Michels Affair. In 2017 in between producing, playing, and recording on other artists' records Leon Michels began creating compilations of short interludes intended to be sampled by hip hop producers. Some of these wound up becoming songs by Jay Z & Beyonce, Travis Scott, and Don Toliver. These minute-long snippets were inspired by the dense moody work of `60s composers like David Axelrod, and Francois de Roubaix, as well as Moondog's brand of classical jazz. Michels was having so much fun creating these instrumental / orchestral nuggets that he decided to expand on some of the ideas and create what would become the soundtrack for a movie that has yet to be made, an imaginary film entitled "Adult Themes." The album plays like the colors on an artists pallet. Songs like "Rubix" and "Villa" are densely orchestrated with the hard-hitting drums that El Michels Affair is known for. On "Life of Pablo", Leon's son makes his first appearance on record and intros a song with an epic arrangement and a moving mood. "Hipps" is a drum heavy ballad that could've easily fit on EMA's debut record, Sounding Out the City. Other compositions like "The Difference" and "Kill The Lights" are bare, melodic mood pieces with sparse drums and sophisticated chord movement. All of these tunes come together to make perfect backgrounds for dialogue and action. One of the beautiful things about instrumental music is that the listener can decide what the narrative is. With Adult Themes El Michels Affair has created a "choose your own adventure" in musical form.

Mmyykk’s Science EP arrives at a time when the world needs it. The eponymous title track is about recognising the power and connection that we all have to the cosmos - and it feels like no coincidence that this body of work arrives in 2021.

The EP balances universal themes with playfulness; asks hard questions relating to accountability and materiality whilst remaining musically cohesive and funky throughout. An exceedingly difficult artist to pigeonhole, Mmyykk (pronounced Mike) works concurrently within the realms of soul, jazz, hip hop, R&B and ambient; his sound equally indebted to his fellow west-coast natives Thundercat and Flying Lotus as it is to synth experimentalists Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder.

Whilst Mmyykk operates as the multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, producer & engineer across all 6 tracks, we can still hear the richness of improvisation musical collaboration involved in the making of this record, with numerous cameos from artists in Mmyykk’s adopted hometown of Minneapolis as well as a feature from London’s very own Demae.

The city of Minneapolis, whilst not addressed directly in the lyrics, provided a backdrop like no other whilst this album was coming together. Being at the epicentre of such a tragedy had a profound effect on the formation of the EP... “The City was literally burning...” Mmyykk recalls as he goes on to explain that tackling themes such as police reform, reparations and accountability in his work is his way of taking a stand in the fight for justice.

Despite the grief prevalent in the city, the EP exudes a complex “dopeness”, executed so effortlessly it belies the skill involved in the process - it’s precisely this nonchalant cool that defines what Science means to the artist.

Whilst we can dissect the inspirations and trace the lineage of this body of work- the result is singular. It’s clear that Mychal Fisher, aka Mmyykk is operating on his own terms, in a lane of his own - and making it look easy.

Lynda Dawn and XL Middleton collaborate on boogie 7" 'Roses' for Extra Soul Perception.
London soul singer Lynda Dawn returns with her first release since being tipped by The Guardian as one of their 'Ones To Watch' in 2021.
Following her participation in the first ESP writing camp in Nairobi 2019, 'Roses' was originally released on 'New Tangents…Vol. 1' EP alongside four other tracks with artists from the UK, Kenya and Uganda.
As part of the label's commitment to international collaboration, 'Roses' 7" brings two artists together for the first time, united by their love for boogie. To accompany the original, Lynda collaborated remotely with L.A. producer and record shop owner XL Middleton for an up-tempo flip, mixing g-funk and 90s RnB.
The 'Roses' 7" is Extra Soul Perception's second release of 2021, following on from 'Bad Meditation', the debut album from former Electric Wire Hustle frontman Mara TK.

Famed painter Jean Michel-Basquiat was one of the co-founders of the band Gray. This anthology features reissue of their previously limited self-release plus unreleased material, and remixes from: Todd Rundgren, Hank Shocklee, King Britt, Sal P (Liquid Liquid), Deantoni Parks, Tewz, Free The Robots, and The Gaslamp Killer, along with features from Amir Yaghmai and Kool Keith. 1979, Downtown New York, Gray was making industrial music with sound. Jean-Michel Basquiat played the guitar with a metal file, Michael Holman played masking tape and steel ball bearings, Justin Thyme abstracted the keys, as Nick Taylor played his guitar with historical restraint.

Following the mighty rendition of "I Want You", Soul Sugar (a.k.a. Guillaume 'Gee' Metenier) is back with another massive Soul-Reggae version, this time taking on Luther Vandross' "Never Too Much".
Fearlessly taking on such timeless classics is serious business, and Leo Carmichael delivers, once again, with a maximum dosage of finesse and feeling. Seductively delicate backing vocals from Carl Lee Sharshmidt and Karene Brown keep it as warm and intimate as one would hope, while Thomas Naim's tasteful guitar licks and Gee's minimal production allow the song to breathe and flow steadily on its own.
Recorded in Paris, Kingston, Miami and London, the resulting blend of Soul and Reggae riddims has rarely felt so natural. On the A-side, Gee's "Discomix" dubs a generous dose of the sultry backing vocals over a minimal, bassy groove that dips, dives and flows on into the sunset. UK producer Adam Prescott lets loose with an infectious 90's dancehall rerub, aiming straight for the dancefloor... ladies' choice! Finally rhythm legends Sly & Robbie drop the BASS with a heavy dancehall treatment, taking it low, letting it ride, while the vocals float on... Never Too Much!

Five albums, sixty tracks and still counting. Cool Million are back with a new album!
Ten years ago the euro soul duo Cool Million released their first album 'Going Out Tonight' on UK soul label Expansion Records. The album took the soul crowd by surprise, cause who were these guys that out of the blue, could recreated the soulful sound of the 80's hey day like no other?
The answer to that question is; Rob Hardt and Frank Ryle. One a super musician from Germany with skills you can only dream of. The other a Dj/musicfreak from Denmark with a masterplan – both of them with tons of dedication and passion for thier craft.
Thier passion and ambition have kept them in the came for a decade and they have worked with a long list of artists, some known some not, some forgotten some on their way up! The list include names such as: Jean Carne, Keni Burke, Shirley Jones, Eugene Wilde, Meli'sa Morgan, Rena Scott, Leroy Burgess, Peggi Blu, Yvonne Gage, Marc Evans, Alton McClain, Kenny Thomas, Lisa Stansfield, Tom Moulton, Joey Negro, Dimitri From Paris and John Morales, Glenn Jones, Marc Sadane, Tim Owens, Gavin Christopher, Michael Jeffries.
Cool Million tells that they feel privileged and humble when they look at the list of names they have worked with over the ten years. Futhermore they add; 'Who would have thought that two dudes from northern Europe would be able to create music with people that talented, we hope we could do it, when we started but that we actually done it, is amazing and wonderful'.
Reflecting on the first decade of Cool Million it's fair to say that Rob & Frank are two determined and ambitious gentlemen with extraordinary talent.
So what can Cool Million tell us abouth their new album? 'It's a classic Cool Million album where we work/collaborate with various artists, staying true to our original concept both in terms of genre and how we think a album works best. Having say that we think that our fans will be a little surprised with the fact that this is our slowest album to date. We believe we have more variety than ever and it's a fact that the music on the new album is slowed down in terms of more ballads and mid-tempo songs compared to our other albums'.
'The reason for this development is that we wanted to try something that was a little out of our comfort zone. Also we felt that we wanted to prove that we can do quality slow jams aswell. You could also argue that is's beause we both turned fifty this year.. haha'.

The Midnight Hour is Black excellence: an ode to the cultural sophistication that the Harlem Renaissance established for its people. The Midnight Hour is comprised of Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge, alongside a tight rhythm section and a full orchestra.

Last June, 2018, The Midnight Hour debuted their self-titled album to great reviews and toured the US extensively. “It was during that tour last year that we decided to record a live album, capturing this new experience. The music you hear in our studio album is how we mean it to sound. But it’s something totally different when we have an audience in front of us. This recording is us wanting to give people a chance to hear what they can expect when they see us live.” On February 22nd, 2019, The Midnight Hour performed in front of a live studio audience at Linear Labs. This was a direct-to-analog tape recording that 200 very lucky fans were a part of.

Adrian and Ali began working on the debut Midnight Hour album in 2013, but put the project aside as they would score the hit Netflix series Marvel’s Luke Cage. The Midnight Hour is a soul/jazz/hip hop album which continues the conversations started by yesterday’s jazz and funk pioneers; those that created the bedrock of samples for hip hop producers in the 80s/90s. The Midnight Hour is sophisticated hip hop that fans will enjoy, capturing their jazz rhythm section, and a full orchestra reminiscent of the maestros such as David Axelrod and Quincy Jones.

Limited to 500 copies. For the first time ever on vinyl Four new instrumental tracks, produced, recorded, composed & played by Dam-Funk. . Originally released on June 2nd 2015 as a free streaming promotional EP before the release of Dam-Funk’s sophomore album Invite The Light. Pitchfork described “Free” the EP closer “… distills his daily inspirational thoughts into a breezy, sun-kissed glow, delivered with his usual cool sincerity. Of course, the style is purely West Coast, but the message is universal: funk is freedom. And in Dâm's world, funk is the future.

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’.

When one thinks about a "Mirage," the first thought that likely comes to mind is the illusion of a well-hydrated paradise in the middle of a hot, arid desert. If you could spin that illusion into a full-on fantasy, a 32-bit utopia with a neon soundtrack, you would have the Mirage presented to you by Marcos Miranda & Ivan Redondo, collectively known as Paradise Phantoms.
In musical form, Mirage is deceptively eclectic - A collection of pulsating dance cuts with a pastel glow, rooted in retro funk, but cleverly spiked with rock and streamlined with pop. The result is a project with equal appeal for classic boogie funk fiends and contemporary dance music enthusiasts alike - Mirage could hit hard in Ibiza, yet sounds like it was purified in the waters of Lake Minnetonka. Indeed, one of the album's standout cuts declares with no uncertainty that "Prince Was Right." Uptempo drum machine hits collide with icy FM synths and slick bass grooves as if the year was 1988. Yet, the dynamic arrangements and modern production values remind us that this is brand new music - The type that sounds as if its creators never forgot a childhood spent playing Sega Genesis in a room lined with NPG & Max Headroom posters.
Mirage is also available in a vinyl LP package perfectly suited to the aural treats within - A limited edition picture disc.

Sheila was reborn in Detroit as one of George Clinton's fiercely funky Brides of Funkenstein. More than simple sex appeal and sass, Sheila sang on the seminalNever Buy Texas from a Cowboyas well as P-Funk hits like "Atomic Dog," making a name for herself alongside P-Funk collective greats. After this mothership connection, Sheila toured with Rick James in 1981 as an original Mary Jane Girl, wrote for Clinton's solo records in the mid '80s and even made a soul connection with Bruce Willis -- who inspired the singer to do her own thing. She then departed the P-Funk stratosphere for another planetary dimension, recording with Aurra, Civil Attack and Public Enemy.

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.

Within Melbourne's burgeoning cinematic-soul scene, which includes breakout acts Surprise Chef and Karate Boogaloo, mysteriously sit The Pro-Teens. Helmed by prolific drummer and percussionist Hudson Whitlock, who also plays in both aforementioned bands, this breakaway studio project involves an interchangeable collective of incognito, Melbourne-based, esteemed instrumentalists playing under outlandish pseudonyms such as "'Dead Honest’ Dean Amazing" and "Libby Clique-Baite". Symbolically led by keyboardist "Snooch Dodd", new album ‘I Flip My Life Every Time I Fly’ is the latest musical concoction from Whitlock's eccentric brain, marrying the soul/funk roots of sample culture with the principles of boom-bap hip hop.

Incorporating the colourful comic book stylings of MF Doom and Kool Keith, or the dark and exotic flavours of Gravediggaz and The Wu-Tang Clan, The Pro-Teens also take cues from their composing heroes Galt MacDermot, Richard Evans and Marc Moulin. The Pro-Teens bop, zip, whip and fling on this phantasmagorical journey - an unorthodox patchwork of cinematic soul, hip hop-guided funk breaks, vivid instrumental textures and film score-esque moods.

The Pro-Teens work on the same analogue recording model adopted by the tight-knit College Of Knowledge label, self-recorded and produced with the rag-tag crew of musicians putting tracks down live to tape in crammed attic studios and sharehouse recording spaces. The first limited pressing of 'I Flip My Life Every Time I Fly' was released on the 'College Of Knowledge' imprint in late 2020. It was one of the highlights of the year at Mr Bongo HQ who loved the concept and felt this tripped out masterpiece from Melbourne needed to be heard well beyond those lucky enough to have bagged those limited first copies.

Big Crown Records is proud to present Adult Themes, the latest full length offering from El Michels Affair. This album takes the band's "Cinematic Soul" aesthetic literally and sends the listener on a journey through a whirlwind of moods and energies. With their 2005 debut album Sounding Out The City, EMA spearheaded an instrumental funk / soul movement that inspired a slew of bands and even lead to the creation of a few independent record labels. El Michels has since lent his signature sound to artists from Adele to Dr John, Lana Del Rey to Aloe Blacc, and a who's who list of others. In 2016 he co-founded Big Crown Records and has since produced the lion's share of its output. A short stint as the touring band for Wu Tang Clan in 2007 led to the cult classics Enter The 37th Chamber (2009) and Return To The 37th Chamber (2017). Adult Themes marks the long awaited, highly anticipated return to an album of original compositions from El Michels Affair. In 2017 in between producing, playing, and recording on other artists' records Leon Michels began creating compilations of short interludes intended to be sampled by hip hop producers. Some of these wound up becoming songs by Jay Z & Beyonce, Travis Scott, and Don Toliver. These minute-long snippets were inspired by the dense moody work of `60s composers like David Axelrod, and Francois de Roubaix, as well as Moondog's brand of classical jazz. Michels was having so much fun creating these instrumental / orchestral nuggets that he decided to expand on some of the ideas and create what would become the soundtrack for a movie that has yet to be made, an imaginary film entitled "Adult Themes." The album plays like the colors on an artists pallet. Songs like "Rubix" and "Villa" are densely orchestrated with the hard-hitting drums that El Michels Affair is known for. On "Life of Pablo", Leon's son makes his first appearance on record and intros a song with an epic arrangement and a moving mood. "Hipps" is a drum heavy ballad that could've easily fit on EMA's debut record, Sounding Out the City. Other compositions like "The Difference" and "Kill The Lights" are bare, melodic mood pieces with sparse drums and sophisticated chord movement. All of these tunes come together to make perfect backgrounds for dialogue and action. One of the beautiful things about instrumental music is that the listener can decide what the narrative is. With Adult Themes El Michels Affair has created a "choose your own adventure" in musical form.

Described as "an audiovisual production and performance duo," Shiro Schwarz is truly a complete multimedia experience. The bright, 64-bit aesthetics of their visual style are a perfect compliment to their synth-heavy tunes, which blend elements of boogie funk, synth-pop, and new wave, while wrapping it all in an air of digital mystery, which lends deeply to the allure of their sound. This 12" maxi single includes "Electrify," originally released in 2015 on their "Street Beat" album, and "Breeze" from 2013's "Exoplanet Love." Originally pressed to wax in 2016, it sold out quickly and has become a scarce find in the aftermarket. This 2021 reissue includes a full picture cover with art designed by Pammela Rojas of Shiro Schwarz.

Come Inside b/w Sorrow Tears & Blood is the first single from the Chico Mann album "Double Life". The guitarist/producer is back at the helm with a fresh set of tunes under his "Chico Mann" moniker since his 2013 '80s electro-funk and boogie album "Magical Thinking". Founding the hard rock meets West African funk outfit Here Lies Man during his hiatus, his new effort seamlessly melds his dual musical personas which is inherent in the title of the album.

Starting out as a collaboration with bassist JP Maramba, "Come Inside" soon became one of the high points and an integral part of their live show with its frenetic energy. Conceptually, the music is an expression of the chaos and fast pace of modern life while extending an invitation to leave the door open to a new way to interface with the world that is more balanced and values authentic experiences over materialism.

On the flip, Fela Kuti's "Sorrow Tears & Blood" gets the psychedelic treatment. Being the first song from Fela's catalog that he'd heard, he was immediately hooked on the groove and power of the underlying message "The takeaway from that song for me is that it's of the utmost importance to ground myself in music and creative expression as a form cultural resistance. Therein lies beauty and determination in the face adversity."

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.

Following on from his previous debut album Tape 1/Tape 2 on Soundway, Felbm delivers Tape 3/Tape 4 : an intimate, emotional, lilting and melodic solo project. These 14 lo-fi, instrumental, jazz-infused sketches were written on guitar, with cascading keyboards, vibraphone and drum machine. Possessing a restorative and soothing quality, it goes some way to balancing out a chaotic year for the world at large. With echoes of the dreamier end of 1980s English indie-pop, minimal ambient music and Brazilian bossa-nova, Topper’s musical storybook includes touches of The Durutti Column, hints of Antônio Carlos Jobim and Baden Powell, whilst all set firmly in the summer fields of Germany and the Netherlands. The recording method used for the creation and recording of Tape 3 and Tape 4 follows the same as his previous release: all sketches were initially recorded onto cassette on a 4-track tape machine. Most notably a vibraphone finds its way onto almost every track fitting Topper’s sound-palette perfectly: warm yet distinctive, a percussive as well as sustaining sound that evokes some melancholy and a certain timeless nostalgia. Features that most certainly also apply to the other ‘new’ instrument on the tapes: mellotron flutes. Tape 3/Tape 4 navigates the space between quiet, open, meditative tunes and more solid instrumental works, reflecting his constant search for an optimal balance between stillness and movement.

NBN Records is very proud to introduce to you, Teddy Bryant, singer, composer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist from Conway, South Carolina.

Despite being his first solo album, Teddy Bryant is no rookie in the music industry, as he's been playing local shows with his Contemporary Jazz band called Urbyne since 1998 and releasing a Neo-Soul album in 2012 under the moniker of Moonlight Ora. Being the son of a Jazz player and after learning the piano at an early age, he soon realized he had unique musical skills : a boiling talent for composing melodies and harmonies and an unparallaled voice that could remind of none other than the legendary Marvin Gaye. Teddy does his own thing though, and he approached the label with the album already finished from top to bottom, including the artwork, made from an old analog poto of Teddy's mother.

On « In The Beginning » Teddy invites you to a trip around his world, at a cross between Contemporary Soul, Street Soul and R&B. « A dreamy concept of sonic realness is an ode to everlasting love and pays tribute to Sade, Marvin Gaye, Prince and Quincy Jones » as he describes it. Showcasing out-of-this-world vocal abilities and composition skills, Teddy sounds just as good as the all-time greats he got his inspiration from.

Up next in the Omena remix series we got Dee Tree from Minsk and four sparkling and effortlessly soulful re-makes from FloFilz, Harry Wolfman, Saine and Lipski. All bringing a beautiful and soulful touch to the bands soul-flecked originals.

Escort kicks off a new series of 7” releases with a bang!
On the A-side is 'City Life', a bubbling party starter of a track, which features disco royaly Fonda Rae on vocals, while on the flip ‘Fantasy’ blends echoes of 70s tropicalia with dubbed-out disco vocals for a super groovy trip.

Mayer music without his voice is still Mayer music!

Here comes the instrumental album to "The electronique Void".

We are proud to announce the creation of our label Discopathe Records! As our first release, we chose to defend Ginger Ale, the debut album from Soyouzz, a young band from Montpellier (France). This first EP influenced by modern jazz/funk vibrations was inspired by Herbie Hancock, Snarky Puppy, Vulfpek and Louis Cole.
Welcome aboard SOYOUZZ spacecraft. Let yourself be led into a unique and colorful retrofuturistic sound experimentation of 25 minutes and 5 steps to Ginger Ale. A collective of six musicians will be your captain. You will feel some pleasant turbulence during the flight, as you will go through deep bass sound with curls from brass instruments, going from a killer groove to a mind-blowing trance. Don’t panic, the spacecraft will stabilize by flirting blithely with electronic music.

Limited Edition for Record Store Day 2019! Montreal’s finest Dave Allison aka Ed Wizard & Disco Double Dee has been delighting dancefloors around the globe since 2009. With his signature brand of chunky disco dubs infused with hip-hop flavours and a slow mo house feel. “Funk Wit Me” is classic Ed Wizard and features the talents of Nebraska on the remix. LTD Edition Green Vinyl.

/ The Jive Turkeys Remix

Amazing instrumentals in best El Michel's tradition with a touch of Roots Music, straight from Canada - we love it.

The American producer Buscrates lands on Neon Finger with this magnificent 7″, showing his peculiar sound, loaded with groove that oscillates between funk, boogie, jazz or hip-hop. Acoustic drums, drum machines, synthesizers and vocoders are the ingredients of these jams. After his releases on labels such as Omega Supreme, Bastard Jazz or Voyage Funktastique, this artist has become one of the most important producers in the modern funk scene.

We are confident that she is the soul queen of a new generation! Berlin-based singer "J.Lamotta Suzume" went through blues, jazz, hip-hop, soul, self-produced beat making to her latest RnB feel. These 2 songs had been exclusively included as bonus tracks in Japanese edition of her 2nd album [Suzume] and now P-vine presents these as a 7 inch EP for the first time!

“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

In 2020 Brooklyn's Holy Hive introduced us all to something we didn't know we needed. Homer Steinweiss' thickly pocketed drumming paired with Paul Spring's floaty falsetto vocal produces a sound that's like a salve. It's been dubbed Folk Soul and Holy Hive not only expertly overlay the more apparent musical aspects of folk and soul-but they also draw from the more profound: being able to pull traditions from the past and make them their own. When Homer wasn't playing drums for Lady Gaga or Adele or Bruno Mars, he'd produce Paul's solo folk records. Along with original bassist and frequent collaborator Joe Harrison, these sessions proved to be Holy Hive's foundation. And their fi rst record, Float Back to You, expertly combined what each musician does best: Paul's heady, reflective approach to folk with Homer's universal classic soul sound. With their new record released on Big Crown, Holy Hive's beautifully simple-and-sparse Folk Soul sound is back-but updated. With new influences and the challenge of creating and capturing music during a global pandemic, this new self-titled album, is more personal, more reflective. They describe three distinct phases when piecing together Holy Hive: this first stage was pre-pandemic in California while traveling as a group, then-like the rest of us-they were separated, creating together but apart, and lastly an explosion of output once they reunited in New York. There is a natural but subtle evolution for Holy Hive on this record. Homer and Paul drew from new and maybe more obscure-yet-honest influences. It's still very much Folk Soul-how could it not be. But, like all artists, they've taken in what they've made and how they've made it, only to push it into new places. We know of Holy Hive's ability to lyrically convey the abstract and complex in poetic and palatable ways. But where the first record was soulfully silver-tongued with chill songs about love and affection, Holy Hive widens the lens with these novel influences, reflecting the points both Homer and Paul are in their own lives. Featuring musical contributions from Mary Lattimore, Robin Pecknold (Fleet Foxes), Anant Pradhan, Nick Movshon, Leon Michels (El Michels Affair), Shannon Wise (The Shacks), Dave Guy (The Roots), and Elliot Skinner.

Where will you hide when the world around you is closing in? On their latest LP, GFO invites you to close your eyes and take a dive into your subconscious. Strings and horns float around from ear to ear while their three sirens explore themes of isolation, fear of the unknown, and the fabrication of self-image. It's a soulful psychedelic journey that picks up sonically where "A Song For Paul" left off. The drums are heavier, the arrangements are more intricate, and the vocal harmonies soar over a bed of odd time signature grooves. This is an album that's meant to be listened to in the dark. So won't you join them? You're not scared.....are you?

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.

The debut full length from the East Dallas classic R&B disciples. Recorded at Niles City Sound in Fort Worth in the spring of 2019 with JOSH BLOCK (of LEON BRIDGES' fame) engineering and producing. The album resonates with the pulse of the southern R&B of the past and creates a joyous vibe with original soul joints rooted in a vintage sound. Fans of their 7" single will not be disappointed with the 10 original soul joints included here.

Within Melbourne's burgeoning cinematic-soul scene, which includes breakout acts Surprise Chef and Karate Boogaloo, mysteriously sit The Pro-Teens. Helmed by prolific drummer and percussionist Hudson Whitlock, who also plays in both aforementioned bands, this breakaway studio project involves an interchangeable collective of incognito, Melbourne-based, esteemed instrumentalists playing under outlandish pseudonyms such as "'Dead Honest’ Dean Amazing" and "Libby Clique-Baite". Symbolically led by keyboardist "Snooch Dodd", new album ‘I Flip My Life Every Time I Fly’ is the latest musical concoction from Whitlock's eccentric brain, marrying the soul/funk roots of sample culture with the principles of boom-bap hip hop.

Incorporating the colourful comic book stylings of MF Doom and Kool Keith, or the dark and exotic flavours of Gravediggaz and The Wu-Tang Clan, The Pro-Teens also take cues from their composing heroes Galt MacDermot, Richard Evans and Marc Moulin. The Pro-Teens bop, zip, whip and fling on this phantasmagorical journey - an unorthodox patchwork of cinematic soul, hip hop-guided funk breaks, vivid instrumental textures and film score-esque moods.

The Pro-Teens work on the same analogue recording model adopted by the tight-knit College Of Knowledge label, self-recorded and produced with the rag-tag crew of musicians putting tracks down live to tape in crammed attic studios and sharehouse recording spaces. The first limited pressing of 'I Flip My Life Every Time I Fly' was released on the 'College Of Knowledge' imprint in late 2020. It was one of the highlights of the year at Mr Bongo HQ who loved the concept and felt this tripped out masterpiece from Melbourne needed to be heard well beyond those lucky enough to have bagged those limited first copies.

Ending the season on a breezy note, our new VA 'Boogie Angst, Edition Three' delivers the ideal wares for a buoyant last stretch to an otherwise trying year. Spanning a brightly hued kaleidoscope of pop-infused house and mellifluous boogie, Edition Three pushes forth a selection of our choicest grooves from the past year as well as a batch of unheard and exclusive gems to keep you in the warmest, most positive mindset for the winter to come. Through fifteen cuts covering a wide but cohesive spectrum of balmy sonics, the compilation once again offers a much spitting image of what the label's been up to in recent times. High Høøps playful revamp of Secret Rendezvous' fresher-than-fresh RnB joint 'Back In The Day' sets the tone right away, followed closely by Moods & Two Another's lush coastal disco number 'Control' and Snacks & Eric Biddines neo-big band style house treat 'All Night' - a singular chunk of ballroom bop tinged with soulful blues tropes and Caribbean melodic accents, sure to have the dancers jiving without further ado. Here comes Inkswel's synth-splattered mix of 8-bit pixelation and Run DMC-esque hip-hop 'Too Late' (ft. Stan Smith) and Saux's dream folk excursion 'You're Not Wrong'. A highlight of the package and mesmerizing piece of wistful, kosmische-laced disco, Kraak & Smaak 'Centro De Placer' ushers us in a realm of velveteen ingenuousness and sun-streaked utopianism, steering us away from the tar-scented gloom of soulless metropolises into an all engulfing prism of hope, love and grace. Utrecht-based vibist Feiertag punches the clock with 'Encino Boogie' - a four minute-odd slab of buoyant funk sprinkled with laid-back house tropes and brass-heavy, loungey dub tonalities, perfect for drawing out the pleasure of dreamlike summer boogie sessions. Clear your mind and shuffle your feet to that solar-powered mix of fevered drums, slap bass and sensually aqueous groove. Next, Kraak & Smaak's add their easily identifiable, almost Beck-ian spin to Jean Tonique's lysergic pop hit-en-puissance 'Too Bad' whilst Bondax lo-slung remix of Moods' sense-awakening soul tune 'Slow Down' (ft. Damon Trueitt) eases you into a place of inviting suavity. Inkswel's funky robot chugger 'The People' (ft. Dave Aju) picks up the torch next, followed by Flevans, your go-to man for proper electroid floor traction. The UK-based producer has you covered with 'Everything I See' - a surefire, bass-driven roller inbound for severe club impact with its infectious mix of fiery riffs, mangled female vox slivers and racing groove. Next, Secret Rendezvous' sun-beamy ballad 'Your Love' takes us on a gently bouncy, romantic ride. Last but not least, Vhyce's smooth hybrid of synth-strewn RnB and lo-velocity funk 'Lose Our Minds' (ft. Yves Paquet), David Harks' metronomic disco-pop anthem 'Twice' and Saux's sleek-textured synthpop exponent 'Night Is All There Is' round off the package on a typically smooth and vibrant sentimental touch. For the wax heads out there, a limited 9-track vinyl sampler will be issued alongside the digital compilation, featuring some of the tracks on the album + a few alternative versions, and furthermore a vinyl exclusive of Kraak & Smaak's remix of Izo FitzRoy's 'When The Wires are Down', initially released only digitally via Jalapeño Records.

produced by Erykah Badu, 9th Wonder, James Poyser, Shafiq Husayn, Kariem Riggins, J Dilla, Madlib, Georgia Anne Muldrow. The Ankhh is backck!

Dark and yet still luminous, the new album of The Buttshakers, Arcadia remains true to the spirit of soul : hope out of struggle, light out of fear; even when the cracks expose the darkest side of humanity, soul music has always given us the assurance that out of this chaos, a better day will come. A philosophy on which they built their discography and their stage presence; founding principles that the group has always been faithful to: to awaken the listener, to ignite the fire, to bring the dance.

New Jersey born Clyde Kingrap (aka The Real Fake MC) is probably the freakiest MC on earth. His Flow is definitely influenced by old-school Hip-Hop masters, but The Real Fake MC declares that his major influence remain in P-Funk, Gogo and early Punk Rock.

For more than 15 years he’s been grabbing mics and spreading funky vibes on stage & in collabs all around the world. His two 12? out on Favorite Recordings, Live & Survive & Hunt Ya Sunshine, and his 1st LP Rock It Up were produced by French producer Patchworks aka Mr President.

These two musicians have been dropping some tracks together for more than a decade, with always the same target: educate their love for Hip-Hop with jokin lyrics and Funk inspired beats played live with instruments.

They’re back with a brand new LP, Future Funk Survivors out on Boogie Butt Records.

South London soul artist Andrew Ashong returns with his first full release since 2014 – an expansive six-track collaboration with Kaidi Tatham, the unrivalled underground virtuoso described as the UK's Herbie Hancock. Endorsed and supported by: Benji B, Gilles Peterson, Tom Ravenscoft, J Rocc, Alexander Nut, Jamz Supernova, Ross Allan, DJ Moxie, Funkineven, Taro (Jazzy Sport), Charlie Bones, Bradley Zero and many more...

A singularly talented man with an extraordinary voice and groove, an impassioned artist who has absorbed music influences of the most varied styles since a very young age: from Jazz, to Latin and Blues and beyond. For example, you can hear Marvin Gaye in the track “Why ft. Ra- chel Claudio, Erik Truffaz & Valérie Delgado”, J Dilla in his cover of Al Green’s “Simply Beautiful”, or Bobby McFerrin on the track “Good Morning”.

Austin Boogie Crew had to do something special for our first vinyl release of 2019, and with that we present H1NDS1GHT , a killer double 7” modern funk EP by the one and only XL Middleton! Hailing from Pasadena, California, XL has established himself as one of the premiere musicians, label owners (MoFunk Records), and tastemakers in the game. Using outstanding and mostly unreleased material from his archives as the foundation for this project (hence the name H1NDS1GHT), XL reimagined these songs and penned fresh lyrics specifically for the release. We divided the EP into two 45s, each with its own distinct vibe, and with the help of illustrator Austin Cashell and designer Rene Cardenas, created a unique album jacket that forms one image when the two records are held side by side. Viewed as a whole, this EP is an exceptional ride that will carry you from spring into summer!

Vol. 2 A: “Gamin’” (120 BPM) - Broken beat inspired drums and soaring chords lay the groundwork for this exceptional jam about approaching a woman with respect and care. With a sick solo and some vocoder peppered into the mix, this is a winner in more ways than one.

B: “Enjoyable Sunburn” (116 BPM) - XL crafts a playful yet smooth instrumental that would sound at home in an Outrun video game or on the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack. But it isn’t just the nostalgia factor that will keep you coming back to this one, it’s the compositional finesse, amazing synth sounds, and heart.

Austin Boogie Crew had to do something special for our first vinyl release of 2019, and with that we present H1NDS1GHT , a killer double 7” modern funk EP by the one and only XL Middleton! Hailing from Pasadena, California, XL has established himself as one of the premiere musicians, label owners (MoFunk Records), and tastemakers in the game. Using outstanding and mostly unreleased material from his archives as the foundation for this project (hence the name H1NDS1GHT), XL reimagined these songs and penned fresh lyrics specifically for the release. We divided the EP into two 45s, each with its own distinct vibe, and with the help of illustrator Austin Cashell and designer Rene Cardenas, created a unique album jacket that forms one image when the two records are held side by side. Viewed as a whole, this EP is an exceptional ride that will carry you from spring into summer!

Vol. 1 A: “Nervous” (112 BPM) - Making a lasting impression out the gate, “Nervous” is a modern funk anthem for anyone who’s struggled with the confidence to approach someone romantically. On top of the endearing and refreshing songwriting, the instrumentation on this one is crisp and way funky.

B: “Digital Devils” (113 BPM) - Originally featured on the 2014 cassette compilation Is This The Future?, this irresistible instrumental is long overdue for the vinyl treatment. The slapping drums and wet, punchy bass on this one immediately demand attention. With lovely changeups and 16-bit style leads, this is an ace in the hole on any dance floor.