Funk | Soul 307 Items

Soopastole is back with anaother pair of amazing jazz-funk-reworks!

An extremely rare and in-demand record from the disco-funk group has been unearthed and restored. The Movers enjoyed huge success in the 1970s, releasing album after album of ground-breaking sounds, including fusions of South African marabi jazz, funk, disco and jive. The line up of the band shifted throughout its existence - however this particular album produced by David Thekwane features musicians Jabu Sibumbe, L Rhikoti, Lloyd Lelosa and Sankie Chounyane.

Raised amid the rich musical culture and history of the San Francisco Bay Area, Monophonics proudly carry the torch through the generations into today’s musical landscape. Holding on to tradition, but by no means purists of any kind, they play their own brand of music known as “Psychedelic Soul.”

The 2012 release of Monophonics last album In Your Brain saw the band pulling influences from such acts as early Funkadelic, Sly and The Family Stone and the The Temptation's Norman Whitfield produced records. With the new album, Sound of Sinning (April 14, 2015 on Transistor Sound Records), the band has grown in all areas of record making and felt a need to explore other important in- fluences. While the group has come to cherish these inspirations, With Sound of Sinning they started venturing beyond, to the groups that were inspiring those soul acts to embrace the psychedelic sound of the 60's and 70's. Bands such as The Zombies, The Beatles, Beach Boys and Pink Floyd. Even with the experimentation of new musical territory, they display the sound that people know and love about Monophonics. Touching on Northern soul, doo-wop, rock and roll, Psych pop, and cinematic music, Monophonics show off their diversity while remaining true to their roots. Overall it's heartfelt music and old school vibes, without losing sight of the present. This is is music steeped in that timeless feeling when people could write and produce songs that you could listen to over and over again. Sound of Sinning was produced by Kelly Finnigan & Ian McDonald and recorded on an old Tascam eight-track 1/4” tape machine at Transistor Sound Studios in San Rafael, CA.

“The only time you wear a Tuxedo is when it’s time to party.”

So says legendary West Coast player Snoop Dogg on the opening track of “Tuxedo II”. The blessing of the Doggfather is of special importance to Mayer Hawthorne and Jake One, whose second album as a duo finds them at the forefront of a new wave of gangster boogie - one that owes as much to G-funk as P-funk.This is the territory of pre- and post-hydraulic low riders: a mélange of Cali boom-bap, analog synth bass and elegant disco that resonates truth and authenticity in an era where so many are faking the funk.

Bonding over a shared love of Chic, Parliament, and the other signs in the greater funk Zodiac, Mayer Hawthorne (Aquarius) and Jake One (Taurus) were early predictors of the sea changes that American music would undergo in 2016. Their first release of 2015 debuted at #1 on iTunes America’s RnB charts, christened as “Dance Floor Catnip” by the Boston Globe, and “Pure disco-funk hot fire” by Okayplayer. Considering their individual successes (Mayer’s four solo albums, Jake’s production work for the likes of Drake, Future, The Weeknd, and De La Soul) and five Grammy nominations between the two of them, it’s no surprise that their powers combined have yet again yielded a bevy of absolute slappers that are packaged perfectly for dance parties in 2017. The material here, while wholly original, is an exercise in honoring its forebears. “Tuxedo II” recalls the future funk wobble of Zapp, Gap, Jam/ Lewis and Junie Morrison, while nodding lyrically to Mtume, Jodeci and Cameo.The crystallization of the album’s concept comes courtesy of its message of universal love; thanks to the signature combination of soul and pop sensibility that have come to define Mayer’s hooks.

“You gotta do what you love...” says Mayer in a recent interview with Nordstrom’s style blog, one of the many fashion outlets to cover Tuxedo’s rise. After all - the transcendental ritual of the party and the rippling self affirmation of the funk are of one spirit: the spirit of self love...of self expression. “Tuxedo II” is a modern testament to unity and positivity in trying times. It is a reminder that the dance floor will always be there to welcome you, whoever you are.

Curtis Harding's new album Face Your Fear is out October 27 on Anti-. New York Magazine already named the forthcoming album one of their most anticipated fall releases lauding Harding’s “scorching voice” while Clash UK hails recent new track “On and On” as “a blistering slice of dancefloor soul that recalls prime Curtis Mayfield and late 60s Motown.” The new album follows 2014’s Soul Power, on which Rolling Stone called Harding an “artist you need to know.”
Harding fuels his psychedelic sound with the essence of Soul but isn’t bound by it. Instead, the 12 songs on the new album convey an eclectic blend of genres leaping from the many musical lives he has lived from following his evangelical Gospel-singing mother on tour as a child in Michigan 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 conjuring dynamic, addictive melodies.
Face Your Fear features production by Harding, Sam Cohen, and Danger Mouse and was recorded in New York at Danger Mouse’s 30th Century Studio.

120 gram vinyl in gatefold sleeve with download code!

After 14 years out of the spotlight, D'Angelo releases 'Black Messiah'. Lyrics from Q-Tip and Kendra Foster, and backing by Questlove, James Gadsen and Pino Palladino. All sexy as hell, like his previous work.

Finally back! This weird piece of estonian music reached silly prices on discogs already - better make sure not to miss it again!

Side A's cover of "Tearz" is as much an homage to the Wendy Rene sample as it is to the Wu-Tang Clan track. The song starts as a glazed over cover of "after laughter, comes tears" with Shannon Wise of The Shacks singing Wendy Rene's timeless mantra. Halfway through, the mood dramatically shifts and the drums and organ that drive the original RZA sample take over. A dubbed out Lee Fields taps in like only he can, and the song spirals into outer space.Side B finds EMA dipping into the deeper side of the Wu catalog with Raekwon's "Verbal Intercourse." Mixing the grimy, gritty production aesthetic of the original with elements of dubbed out reggae, El Michels Affair once again pushes the definition of a "cover" and truly makes it a tune of their own.

Always best selling Adele is back with a new set of heartfelt anthems.

What started as an idea 5 years ago now becomes reality with the release of SAIGON SUPERSOUND Vol.1, compiled by Jan Hagenkötter. A compilation about the story of a musical era in Vietnam that was almost lost, made of tracks from 1965 to 1975, the so-called “Golden Music” period in the south of Vietnam, where – under difficult circumstances – a lively pop culture had developed. This period is characterized by the fusion of Vietnamese music with western pop music. The compilation includes some tunes reissued for the very first time since they´ve been released originally. With the release of Saigon Supersound Vol. 1 on double gatefold vinyl and cd in May 2017 the story of this nearly unknown music will be reissued.
Jan Hagenkötter a music-lover and DJ who is also the mind behind the renowned music publishing company and record label INFRACom!, relocated to Saigon in 2012. In co-operation with the Vietnam based dOSe crew, Jan organized parties and shows, inviting guest and friends like DJ Spinna, Jazzanova, Alice Russell and many other artists. During this year as he was spinning tunes in Saigon and other parts of South East Asia the idea for this project was born. In 2013 Jan returned to Germany but has been swinging back and forth between Saigon and Frankfurt ever since.
In the following years he began to research and collect more seriously. He bought vinyl singles from around the world, often several copies of the same release, just to restore or rather “rebuild” one good recording from several sources. With the help of friends based in Saigon, he was able to navigate an almost impenetrable jungle of music websites. Thanks to invaluable support and translation assistance from Vietnamese friends, he came into contact with several collectors. The best recordings from this treasure hunt were then retouched, refined and remastered in the studio for this release.
Besides this amazing project, Vietnamese producers like Maqman from Saigon, DJ Yellow from Paris and others who also share roots in Vietnam have already started to work on edits and re-works of songs featured on Saigon Supersound Vol. 1. These will be released in a next step....the mission is not completed....it just started!

Two essential disco and soul cuts from Silvia Striplin orginally released in 1980. Produced by Roy Ayers.

A. 'Give Me Your Love' An umptemp disco groover for the more discerning dancefloor. Sylvia’s glorious vocals float over a sumptuous uptempo Roy Ayers tracj. Sampled by Armand Van Helden, Deepdown and Madd Rapper.

B. 'You Can't Turn Me Away' A soul breakbeat classic. Deep downtempo business, this shows Roy Ayers at the height of his powers and Sylvia more than does the track justice. Beautiful!

The instantly recognisable bassline was sampled by Notorious BIG/Junior Mafia on ‘Get Money’. Also sampled by Naughty By Nature and Backstreet Boys.

120 gram vinyl in gatefold sleeve with download code!

After 14 years out of the spotlight, D'Angelo releases 'Black Messiah'. Lyrics from Q-Tip and Kendra Foster, and backing by Questlove, James Gadsen and Pino Palladino. All sexy as hell, like his previous work.

Homgrown Syndrome is a strong 2 sided major label banger that has been heavily in demand (therefor expensive) for the last 8 or so years. A banging disco funk A side flipped with a deep quality 70s soul stepper, it's a no brainer. Tip for O.G heads: go for the Canadian press as they are vinyl and have the DOPE flip.

8 tracks of raw Arabic funk music, none of these have ever been reissued before. It took 2 years and countless trips to Morocco to find the artists family to license the release from them. Vinyl and CD edition come with liner notes, unseen live photos and lyrics translations.

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.

2023 re-issue of Nai Palm (of Hiatus Kaiyote)’s debut solo album.

The past few years have found Sean McBride, the artist behind Martial Canterel, in a state of flux, ebbing back and forth between material displacement and musical aestheticism. His expert pedigree in electronic sound and arrangement bridges the gap created by an undecidability between life at home and abroad His new album, Lost At Sea, is an attempt for the artist to locate this elusive common ground.The album's introductory track, Giving Up, has all of the hallmarks that Martial Canterel has utilized in the past_melodic chorus, upbeat rhythm and classic sequential dynamism. Where the song diverges is in its core theme of nature: nature's return to a period of restoration after the failures and recklessness of humankind.The slower pace of songs like Scampia and Puszta yearn for McBride's complex love affair with far flung destinations. Re-evaluating the political strife and social unrest in these historical locations, McBride delves deeper into political and geological reference points creating symbolic representations using mechanized percussion, white noise and various sine waves.The conceptual nature of Lost at Sea reaches even deeper depths within the waveforms of Astralize, a track based upon academic Donna Haraway's pre-civilized theories of human neglect after the `azstralization'.

Back IN Print 2022 Edition - Limited Edition of 300 copies Recorded Live in Hyattsville, MD 1975-2015. George really had no interest in releasing this record. "Seeing Is believing, they don’t need records, trust me I did that, today they getting it live". So this record is that, live tapes from the house, recorded on a government issued cassette recorder from National Library Service for the Blind. George calls these his practice tapes for songwriting, and performance warm-up, and never beyond his ears were they intended to travel. "You just got to see me live if you want to really see me.. so when we get there just plug me in, and point me at that crowd". Last time I saw George they had him wired to the club system. He unplugs his Yamaha keyboard, licks the tip of the power cord and taps a beat on it, finally plugging in, synth lights up, tones all at zero, beats at zero. Then he builds from there, counting blind through a preset one hunderd factory tones and rhythm patterns. "I gotta start off at zero, and go from there." After the Marshmellow Band disperesed, he got this Yamaha keyboard, same one he’s been playing since 1990, endless scrolling over the same presets, trying to make them fit, tempo down, tapping while telling the story and asking if that feels right to you. "This always gonna be different live."Some selections on this album are original material from home sessions prior to George’s 1980 self- released LP. The rest, just a sampling from the Smallwood mind’s library of classic song writers. - Andrew Morgan (Peoples Potential Unlimited)

As humans, we are aware of our inner beast and should therefore be able to control it. We understand our hard-wired primal urges and why they exist in an evolutional sense. We understand the relationship between mind and body. Highly evolved and intelligent, we should be able to recognize these genetic hangovers and control them as a means to act positively and move forward as a compassionate species. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Recent global eve...

Eight long years have passed since the previous S-Tone Inc.’s full-length (“Moon in Libra”, SCCD/LP 407) and, even if Stefano Tirone hasn’t released anything under his popular pseudonym until Spring 2017, the longtime collaboration and friendship with Tomas Di Cunto (a.k.a. Toco) has never expired: Tirone in fact produced Toco’s “Memoria” in 2014 (SCCD/LP 467), and since then has never stopped working with Toco, who’s the co-author of 8 out 10 tracks of this release.
As anticipated by the “Superbacana” EP (SCEP 479), the sound of the new album is widely influenced by the Brazilian soul-funk sound of the late ‘70s known as Black Rio. But there’s more, starting from the opening “Sands of Time”, an up-tempo groovy track with a lyrical cello melody and Manuela Ravaglioli’s dreamy vocals, and the mellow disco flavor of “Vontade de viver”, sung by Toco. Manuela is another historical S-Tone-Inc. artistic partner, together with Laura Fedele, who sings in the soulful downtempo “I can’t keep up with your love”. Barro and Qinho, two emerging singers from the new Brazilian scene, respectively perform in “Vale do mistério”, a downtempo tune that borrows some guitars from the alternative rock scene and cites Pirandello’s “Uno, nessuno e centomila” in its lyrics, and in “Chuva de verão”, with Qinho crooning over a track deeply influenced by Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield. The closing track, “Estrada real”, that features Luzia Dvorek on vocals, reminds of Sergio Mendes and Brazil 66 from the “Stillness” era, with its acoustic guitar-led groove and its silky flute performed by Carlo Nicita. The remaining tracks are three funky grooves from the “Superbacana” EP, featuring the Sao Paulo quartet of 4Maré, consisting of Toco, Luzia Dvorek, Bruno Morais and Kika.
Despite its various influences, “Onda” does not sound as a mere copy of what’s already been done at all: S-Tone Inc. took all the necessary time to produce a new record, and the result is a strongly original and personal effort!

As one of the most enigmatic figures of the 1970s Italian soundtrack and library music network Emma De Angelis and her short recording career provides thirsty fans of speedball psychedelic rock and drum heavy instrumental funk with a tight discography rivalling many of the long-standing bastions of the otherwise male-orientated business.
Born in Rocca di Papa, near Rome, into a flourishing musical environment, Emma was the younger sister of future award winning composers Guido and Maurizio De Angelis, a duo who, under names like Oliver Onions and Dream Bags, would write chart-topping lyrical theme tunes for a wide range of Italian crime, Giallo and Spaghetti Western films featured alongside full scores by Ennio Morricone and the Magnetic System composers (Bixio Frizzi Tempera).
With encouragement from her brothers, Emma, who would also write music under the pseudonym of Juniper, would record a tight clutch of solo-penned material and seldom credited studio contributions to Guido And Maurizio’s film commissions, such as the score for Giuliano Carnimeo’s ‘Simone e Matteo: Un gioco da ragazzi’ (aka ‘Convoy Buddies’). While simultaneously pursuing a career as an illustrator and set designer the De Angelis family contacts would lead Emma to the offices of Romano Di Bari, whose up-and-coming Flirt label was finding success providing custom-built mood music for use in TV and film. Alongside important composers like Alessandro Alessandroni, Gerardo Iacoucci and A. R. Luciani, the young Emma Di Angelis would record a small number of tracks for a compilation called ‘Underground Mood’ (credited in the small print to E De Angelis - not to be confused with Italian singer Edoardo De Angelis). It is from this rare LP that the record you are now holding is compiled. Within the Flirt family of labels Emma De Angelis would also share schedules with other important female composers such as Daniela Casa and Giulia ‘Kema’ De Mutiis - both of whom have appeared on dedicated Finders Keepers releases.
The tracks on this record provide us with a rare glimpse into Emma De Angelis’ short musical career before she became a full time visual artist. With an unknown personnel or studio date it is easy to speculate a potential family jam in Piero Umiliani’s Sound Workshop studio in 1972. One only has to take a listen to Guido And Maurizio’s instrumental theme ‘Gangster Story’ from Enzo G. Castellari’s 1973 thriller ‘High Crime’ (which later appeared on Tarantino’s ‘Death Proof’ soundtrack) or the trippy title theme to Paolo Poeti’s kinky 1976 drama Inhibition to spot the family resemblance.

You have to really search through the Doré catalogue to find the soul 45s, but when you do it is hugely rewarding. Its jewels have only been revealed to Northern Soul collectors over time and several are ridiculously scarce; Little Johnny Hamilton’s ‘Keep On Movin’’ and the Swans’ ‘Nitty Gritty City’ remain one-off disc discoveries. Guaranteed dancefloor classics abound, including Rita & the Tiaras’ ‘Gone With The Wind Is My Love’, Little Johnny Hamilton’s ‘Oh How I Love You’ and the Puffs’ ‘I Only Cry Once A Day Now’.

The Superbs’ ‘Wind In My Sails’ and Milton James’ mesmeric ‘My Lonely Feeling’ represent the funkier end of the Northern Soul sound, while tracks by Ray Marchand and the Shades Of Jade are subtle mid-tempo soul of the highest quality. Nearly all are rare, expensive and beautiful, while Kenard’s ‘What Did You Gain By That’ is highly imaginative, and the Fidels’ ‘I’m Givin’ You Notice Baby’ is just a classic 60s soul stomper.

All together on beautiful 12-inch vinyl, they are irresistible.

The 7" comes with a free Funky Chimes 45rpm adapter.

The Afro Soul Prophecy project welcomes the Spring of 2017 with a series of two exclusive 7-inch records, for a total of four fully instrumental new compositions. This second 45rpm of the series consists of the main track “Daddy’s Groove”, a catchy funky song with wah-wah guitars and a long middle sax solo part, paired with the romantic slow-paced “Let Me Be Your Lover”. Once again Alex Puddu has lent his creativity and put his music signature on these tracks, for an exciting and charming result!

The pop world lost one of the most important soul singers ever to grace the world on 1st April 1984. Marvin Gaye has left behind a series of fantastic hits plus a big handful of tracks which deserve the title of masterpiece, all Collected on this album.

Limited edition for Record Store Day 2017!

Check out this essential garage Zamrock/Soul/Funk single as the first official reissue of the celebrated band’s one and only album!

The musical style that became known as Zamrock came to embody the economic despair that followed the 1973-1974 oil crisis, which flung Zambia into recession and exacerbated a wide range of social tensions. Much of Zamrock also captured the controversy of wider politics in Africa and the world. Perhaps the finest example of this is Black Power by The Peace. - The Guardian The Boyfriends, from Kitwe’s Chamboli Mine Township, supplied the founding members for Zamrock’s most famous band, Witch, and kick started one of Zamrock’s best bands, Peace. Their sole Zamrock entry, “Black Power”, recorded at Malachite Film Studio circa 1973/4 and issued circa 1975, sounds like nothing else in the Zamrock canon: a lost message drifiting from the flower power era, imbued with a fiery Zambian voice.

This is the Linear Labs deluxe edition in cardboard sleeve. The release contains the full CD album and instrumentals including bonus tracks.

Adrian Younge is the next generation of soul music. A self-taught musician and recording engineer who has dedicated his life to the study of classic soul music, Younge finds himself at the center of a new soul renaissance with a vision for pushing the boundaries of the music itself.

For his current solo project, Younge envisioned a new sound that would revisit his earlier, more baroque instrumental work of Venice Dawn and mesh it with the deep, gritty soul of Black Dynamite, eventually deciding to bring everything full circle by releasing the material under the moniker Venice Dawn.

The two songs included in this 7-inch, “Spooky” and “Hurt So Bad”, directly come Andrea Balducci debut album “Bloom” (Schema Records, 2012, SC 459): two evergreen standards modernized and rearranged in a smooth, refined groovy soul key; a voice ins pired by crooners such as Frank Sinatra, Jamie Cullum and Michael Bublé, over music played by an exceptional team of musicians. These are songs that speak to the heart.

Check out this in demand Latin Funk floor fillers from the group that launched the careers of Eddie and Charlie Palmieri, two giants in the field of Latin fueled jazz fusion playing tohether with one of the most prolific players of the day Bernard Purdie, providing the drums appearing here on 7-inch for the first time in full length versions