Search "Six Organs Of Admittance" 238 Items

HHV Exclusive orange colored run of this fantastic album. Don't sleep.

Excellent French library music / soundtracks album from Saint Tropez Orchestra. Recorded at Studio Des Fontaines in just 25 hours and using the very Hammond organ owned by a former member of one of the house bands at the Zoom Zoom nightclub in Saint Tropez (which almost certainly would have been used onstage for such icons as Brigitte Bardot, Michel Polnareff, Jacques Dutronc, Serge Gainsbourg, Jane Birkin, etc) this album is all killer, no filler.

Inspired by the classic library music sounds of 1968-75 (think The Mohawks, or even Booker T & The MG's on acid) this is the kind of collection that crate diggers, rare library fiends, and psychedelic funk fans dream of finding in some dusty old store somewhere for a dollar!

The album itself is stuffed with the kind of heavy drum-and-percussion breaks that b-boys and girls go nuts for, and the sort of sample source material that producers are constantly searching for. It's a masterpiece and you need it.

Music, Sweet Music" sounds like a perfect little song with lovely summer vibes, a bit of vocal scatting and lovely organ licks from the multi talented Ellis Hall. We love the feel of this one that sounds like The Crusaders/Blackbyrds, and Stevie Wonder rolled into 2:38 of soulful pleasure. Flip it over and "Forward Motion" kicks off with some pretty generic 70's horn play, boom, rasping drums and melodies kick in with some fun interplay between Ellis , Patty Unitas and Pat Thomas on the background vox. The full line up from these recordings are Ellis Hall Jr (Keyboards/Vocals) Patty Unitas (Vocals) Pat Thomas (Vocals) David Fuller (Drums/Vocals) Michael Thompson (Guitar) Stanley Benders (Percussion)

The only album by the six-piece soul band led by the four Burton brothers, this album is known as the ultimate rare groove that any collector would want. Originally released in 1976 on the local Chicago label Stage Productions, original copies are rarely found on the second-hand market, and when they are, the selling price is always over Us$1000. The album itself continues to increase in value not only because of its rarity, but also because of its solid sound quality, especially the epic groovy funk ‘Open Soul’, which uses the entire B-side of the record and lasts over 20 minutes.

Drawing inspiration from the depths of late 70’s NYC proto-rap disco instrumentals, Nigerian boogie, Jamaican dub and modern jazzy house - The Lahaar is a Trans-Tasman collaboration between Julien Dyne, Horatio Luna and Surprise Chef’s Lachlan Stuckey, featuring Mara TK and Toby Laing on vocals. The EP embarks on a 5-track rollercoaster - kicking off with “Doin’ It”, fast-paced jazz-funk peppered with marimba and organ riffs, balanced out by the siren vocals of Mara TK. “Step 2” suddenly brakes and swerves into cruise mode, repurposing the trumpets and dub echoes - picking up tempo in the soulful melancholia of “Work Work Work”. In the last two tracks the organs and guitars make a frenetic comeback by way of disco-house, ending with a nod to 70s cop movie funk.

Limited to 300 copies.

Riding high on the success of Gentle Breeze, PIPER was eager to put out more new material. Keeping the same members and guest musicians, the band used its excitement and forward momentum – aided no doubt by its ever-growing experience and taste for experimentation – to produce its next album, Sunshine Kiz, within the tiny span of six months. And despite seeing no change in personnel for these latest efforts, PIPER’s musicality was constantly evolving.

Perhaps most obviously, Sunshine Kiz showed the band beginning to break away from its signature style. Instrumentals were no longer the focus as more vocal-centric tracks made their way to the fore. Sunshine Kiz turned out to be a “song album,” and its lyric sheet saw a substantial increase in the number of words. A Drumulator replaced the LinnDrums, and the programmed percussion suddenly sounded more natural. Some songs actually featured live drumming, abandoning programmed beats altogether.

It could be said that this all amounted to, at least partially, a return to PIPER’s roots. Or, maybe more accurately, it was something like PIPER circa 1981 filtered through the signature sound the band had forged with their two Breeze albums of 1983. The title track on Sunshine Kiz was released as their second-ever single – their first since “Far Away” from their debut album. And with this new single there even came a music video.

Introducing a new addition to Touching Bass" 12" dancefloor series. The series highlights mostly new artists who showcase the sounds of the Touching Bass dancefloor; packaged in their house sleeve." Shine" is an innovative case-in-point ofmachine funk turned soulful. Across six tracks, D"Monk - the London-based multi-instrumentalist, producer and selector - makes a strong claim for debut EP of the year, falling somewhere between warm-n-fuzzy electro, LDN broken beat, beatdown and the drunken, undefinable soul-dance of Detroit.

The Hammond Organ is lead singer on this soulful and orchestral journey about industrial decay and the death of the steel town. Deep from the rusted steel mills of Youngstown, Ohio, we bring you the much-anticipated reissue of the melting debut from the Scone Cash Players. It's the same organist that brought you the screaming organ on all those Daptone favorites from The Sugarman Three. Scone was behind that organ bench on the modern classics as follows. "Sugar's Boogaloo", "Soul Donkey", "Pure Cane Sugar", and "What the World Needs Now." Adam Scone entered the studio on Dunham Street in Brooklyn. He was wearing a blue Adidas jumpsuit. The studio had just opened. At the helm were his old compadres from The Dap-Kings. Namely Thomas Brenneck, Eric Kalb, Homer Steinweiss and lan Hendrickson-Smith. They make up the "Bliss Machine" behind Scones's groove. It was a truly rare moment to catch these masters of music and taste in between tours of Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley. Tommy put the mics around. Scone powered up the organ. The analog tape machine turned and turned until they couldn't turn anymore. These songs were recorded. We worked all day and all night. Tears were shed. Espresso was made. There was beer on tap. 3 days of life were taken to make this album. We will never get them back. They were distilled to 40 minutes of pure emotion. It's a tale of woe. It's a tale of leaving art for responsibility. It's a farewell to an era. It's a journey that the Hammond B3 organ wasn't accustomed to. You can't compare this album to any other organ record. Don't expect to hear what you want. Free your mind. Be open. Your world is going to feel the heat of the BLAST FURNACE! It never quite feels how you want it to. Don't get burned...FOR FANS OF: Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble, New Mastersounds, Soulive, Jimmy Smith, Khruangbin

Timeless soul, 'Cool Cool' is the standout title track from James Alexander Bright's recent album. It's an immediately enchanting gem, with tendermusicianship and a stripped back production highlighting James' voice, pitchedsomewhere between Eddie Chacon, Beck and Michael McDonald. Athens of theNorth's in-house band East Coast Love Affair add a delightfully psychedelic Balearicpiquancy with an beautiful dub version on the flip.
'Cool Cool' has been enjoying a plethora of worldwide support; seeing James insession for Gilles Peterson, suppling a Block Party mix for Huey Morgan, interviewedby Bandcamp Weekly, and played across tastemaker shows on stations includingBBC 6 Music, FIP, Jazz FM, Kcrw, Kexp, Les Inrocks, NTS, Soho Radio, Triple R,WDET, Wnxp.
The past six years has seen James release a veritable treasure trove of music:'Mallorca' and 'Strange Folk' EPs, debut album 'Headroom', joyous second 'Float', analbum of collaborations and reworks with cosmic Americana-disco DJ/producer duoFlying Mojito Bros, and a new project with Groove Armada's Tom Findlay as Bright &Findlay. 'Cool Cool', his third solo album since 2020, was released on 26th July 2024.

Six Nine Records Ltd. UK proudly presents another release from the
undisputed talkbox champion Winfree, first name David.
Out of Toledo, Ohio, comes this banging two-sider with the amazing
modern boogie funk tunes “Friday Night” (remixed by Yuki “T-Groove”
Takahashi) and “The Way She Makes It Bounce”. These fine compositions
will sound lush played from vinyl and preferably out on a big sound
system!
Definitely not to be missed as it is a limited UK press with full colour
printed picture cover!

LRK are excited to announce their latest limited edition 45 (lrk-28) release:

Dylan Chambers - I Can Never Get Enough/Comin' Up

Dylan Chambers is a vintage pop/R&B/soul singer, songwriter and guitar player from Arlington, TX. After graduating high school, Dylan got accepted to the Berklee College of Music in Boston but ended up moving to LA to work on his music career. He has since shared the stage and worked with numerous artists such as Haley Reinhart, Brett Young, Sabrina Carpenter, Gavin DeGraw, Dave Koz, Three Dog Night, etc. and toured around the country with ABC's hit television show "Dancing With The Stars" as a featured singer/guitarist on their 2014-15 National Winter Tour. For the past five years, Dylan has traveled around the world as a guest artist aboard the "Dave Koz and Friends" Live at Sea Jazz Cruise. As a songwriter, Dylan co-wrote jazz legend Herb Alpert's first single "Skinny Dip" off of his album, "Slow Down Turbo" for Indonesian rapper Rich Brian as well as country star, Brett Young's "Kiss by Kiss". Live TV appearances include the Radio Disney Music Awards, Access Hollywood, Hallmark's Home and Family, and The Today Show. Since 2020, he has released over a dozen singles as a solo artist which he co-produced with longtime friend and musical collaborator, Stefan Lit (Lil Nas X, One Direction, Andy Grammer). Throughout the years, he has shared the stage with Flatland Cavalry, Charley Crockett, Molly Tuttle, Haley Reinhart, Sabrina Carpenter, Delvon Lamar Organ Trio, and Prep. As a songwriter, Dylan has written tracks for UMI and Rich Brian, and he's also collaborated on singles with Cory Wong from Vulfpeck, G. Love and Special Sauce, and Alex Lambert

Curating and ordering the tracks for a Mr Bongo Record Club is always special. You’re reminded of the feelings you had when sitting at home with a cassette player on pause trying to compile the perfect mixtape to impress the latest object of your affection, or that friend with whom you share a musical kinship and spark off each other’s latest discoveries. Hearing old tracks for the first time or diving into the most upfront selections keeps the fires burning and passions alight.

Here, for volume six, we present recent finds and treasured classics from Brazil, Sweden, the USA, South Africa, Portugal, Japan, Trinidad and Tobago, and Canada. We have included selections by the Brazilian rising star Dora Morelenbaum as well as from heritage-Brazilian musicians and vocalists Haréton Salvanini, Copa 7, and Mirna. There’s also the wonderful Brazilian-not-Brazilian take of 'Ye Me Le' by Hazel Scott And The Braza Brasil, plus sublime gospel from the New York Community Choir. We’ve picked disco and soul rarities by General Lee and Ash Soul, Inc., and for the first time on vinyl, an incredible psych-pop song by the illustrious Matthew Tavares. There are cuts from some of our favourite contemporary Swedish musicians, Sven Wunder and Dina Ögon too.

This compilation is packed full of gems that are plucked from differing times and spaces, but somehow all gel together beautifully. We hope you love them too.

Music To Varnish Owls By. Does Geoff Bastow have a claim for the best album title of all time? It's certainly up there. It's also one of the hardest to find library funk records. But don't let the eye-catching name fool you into thinking this isn't serious business.

As a key member of Giorgio Moroder's team, the legendary Geoff Bastow shouldn't need any introduction. You'll be familiar with his singular brilliance as the brains behind the much-sampled boogie/disco classics "You Don't Like My Music (Hupendi Muziki Wangu?!)" and "Don't Stop", released by his group, K.I.D.

But 1975's Music To Varnish Owls By is where it all began for our hero.

It's packed with incredibly soulful, soothing music that - despite being utilised a few times by Knxwledge - remains still largely un-mined. So, beat-makers, get cracking. And instead of that hyper-rare original, spend that £300 on something else.

Born in 1949, Bastow was a Munich-based English songwriter and record producer. Originally working as a guitarist and pianist in dance bands around his home county of Yorkshire, he moved to London in the early 1970s and then Munich in around 1976. He was one of the main architects of the Munich disco sound of electronic innovator Giorgio Moroder and also released heaps of killer library records for legendary labels like Bruton (with brother Trevor), Impress, JW Music Library and the Munich-based Sonoton between the 1970s-2000s. Bastow died tragically young, in Berlin, Germany on 16 March 2007, at the age of just 57. But he left behind a truly incredible electronic music legacy. He deserves to be much better known and this reissue should bring him to a fair few more ears. Let's see why...

Light-hearted opener "The Rough With The Smooth" contains a killer open drum break and is basically guitar-drenched flute-laced piano-funk. However, the first genuine highlight, "Beautiful People", is just majestic. Reflective, pastoral and silky smooth - as the title suggests, it's just straight beautiful; a chiming, deeply soulful instrumental that has to be heard to be believed. Sampled by Knxwledge but nobody else of note, which is crazy. Slo-mo soul beat "Tumbleweed" is another stone cold track just desperate to be laced by a skilled MC. Laconic, lysergic funk with nostalgic overtones, the guitar is prominent but the flute and glock really elevate it to perfection.

"Bits And Bats" is clav-enhanced Blaxploitation-esque street-funk with tough bass and crunchy drums that, despite its hardness, manages to flirt with breeziness. All in all, sumptuous, pounding wah-wah brilliance. Another huge one, up next. The insistent piano-funk head-nodder "A Change Of Pace" is a total sleuth-funk jammer, with a wonderfully soft snare and more hypnotic, melancholic flute lines. Man, we'd love to hear Alchemist chop this up. It even sounds a bit like Bastow was keeping things thoro with this one. Closing out Side A, the bright and breezy Bossa of "Janelle" makes it a perfect run of six untouchable gems. As elegant as it is sleazy, it sounds like it could've been on the classic KPM greensleeve, Piano Viberations.

Side B opens with the Ramsey Lewis-inspired "Time And A Half", a deceptively simple bass, drums and piano workout, decorated with stylish percussion with some great chord changes and hints of drama via a great bass solo. The heavy "Supersplash" is a doped-out drama suite with fuzzy wah-wah guitars, electric piano and glock. "Fillet Of Soul" is a catchy wah-wah propelled shuffle with piano and vibes, super dynamic but also incredibly chill.

"Well Above Average" is exactly that, a funky instrumental that serves as a straight ahead guitar-soul workout. Oozing bass-driven class, it gets better with every listen. Some open drums for your delectation, too. The fuzzy clav-and-vibes funk of "The Clan" - also understandably sampled by Knxwledge - is a monster head-nod slow jam whilst, seeing us out, the uber-relaxed "Sing Song" rounds things off in bright fashion with its slow but insistent clav, electric piano and glock greatness. Swoon.

As ever, the audio for Music To Varnish Owls By has been carefully remastered by Be With regular Simon Francis, ensuring it sounds better than ever. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut whilst the records have been pressed to the highest possible standard at Record Industry in Holland. The original, iconic sleeve has been restored here at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue.

Retro soul is a sound that you know when you hear it, recorded at a point where soul music reached its zenith. It’s where the pioneers of the 60s had matured to a point that they could use the experiences of the past decade to create an incredible fusion that mixed R&B, gospel, funk and jazz and adorned it with expansive, sophisticated arrangements that allowed listeners to wallow in its depth and dance to its beat. Today this music soundtracks films and adverts, is mined for beats by clever producers and still sounds amazing when played in bars and clubs. This is music that urges you to get up on your feet.

The 12 tracks on “This Is Retro Soul” are an entry point into this mythical world conjuring up images of flared trousers, Halston dresses, Cadillacs with a “diamond in the back” and hair the size of space helmets. But the music conforms to no simple clichés, whether it was created by international superstars such as Isaac Hayes and Millie Jackson, cult heroes George Jackson and Darrow Fletcher or obscure one-off groups such as the Brilliant Korners.

This music is high class and always original.

Though she was Stax Records' Queen of Soul (and Otis Redding was her king), there was much more to Carla Thomas. In 1967, even while being promoted by the name of her most recent album, The Queen Alone, she was expanding her sound, developing a cabaret act that showcased a mix of genres and styles and that was built around her beautiful voice. She was exploring new vistas when these two sides were recorded. Isaac Hayes wrote "Loneliness". Carla's suave delivery evokes Diana Ross, and the shiny brass horns call out a Burt Bacharach arrangement as much as Stax. This is Carla with a nice polish on the groove. Labelmate and friend Deanie Parker wrote "If It's Not Asking Too Much". A sparer presentation, the organ drives the tango rhythm and also—a second keyboard, I think—swells behind Carla, everything entwining and deepening the song's brooding tone. This is the kind of side that can both start your night or finish it. Carla Thomas has got it all.

“There are many facets to Misha Panfilov's music. As a music lover himself, reflecting on his extensive catalog reveals numerous references in his harmonic palette, making it challenging to fully encapsulate. This septet's formation embodies his unique sound on this, their second album “To The Mesosphere And Beyond." The music is imbued with optimism, featuring airy, soothing space-age voicings reminiscent of Terry Riley and Raymond Scott, all revolving around jazz. The integration of the unconventional to the genre—such as lap steel guitar, inspired by cosmic country music--serves as an endless wellspring for new musical expressions, and assists Misha in exploring fresh schemes.
The alburn represents the culmination of a remarkable two-week creative marathon. During this period, the band rehearsed and delivered two dynamic live performances at Paavli Kultuurivabrik in Talinn and Fasching in Stockholm. Drawing inspiration from these shows, Misha swiftly composed new musical pieces within two days at a country retreat, bringing the septet together once more for a spontaneous two-day recording session. Remarkably, the entire album creation process spanned merely four days. The urgency arose because the drummer, Leonid Galaganov, had a flight scheduled back to the States-where he resides immediately after the late-night recording session. Despite the time pressure, they successfully managed to beat the clock and hit just the right notes!
On the first day of the studio recording, an unexpected incident unfolded as Misha and bassist Monika Erdman were en route to the studio with a cargo of musical instruments-an untimely tire blowout. However, fear not! Even though Misha lacked prior experience in roadside repairs and driving skills, he rose to the occasion, handling the tire change with the same grace that permeates his music.
Overflowing with anticipation, Volodja Brodsky made his way to the studio with his newly acquired Korg electronic piano, only to face the setback of realizing it lacked a necessary European adapter. Consequently, on the initial recording day, he had to improvise with a peculiar and inexpensive Bontempl organ, imparting the track "Mesosphere" with its distinctive charm. This organ remained partially open most of the time due to the need for constant tuning. Fortunately, on the following day, Volodja managed to acquire the adapter, enabling him to utlize his electronic piano fully on "New Orbits" and partially on "Mesosphere"
Both compositions on this album are structured into four vignettes, transporting listeners beyond temporal and spatial boundaries. "Mesosphere" begins with Misha's distinctive lap steel guitar motif, progressing with intricately layered melodies from the brass section. Volodja Brodsky introduces a minimalist organ melody that effortiessly lifts the listener’s thoughts to ethereal heights. Misha later transitions to an acoustic rhythm guitar to introduce a Brazilan musical aesthetic. Sasha Petrov enters with a heartfelt tenor saxophone solo, weaving poignant melodies through the air. The music briefly pauses before ascending to new peaks with a soul-stirring trumpet solo by Kino Toshiki, radiating with energizing fervor. Volodja returns with a stripped-down bossa nova melody, setting the stage for a rhythmic swell as Sasha and Kino engage in a mellifluous and heartening solo dialogue, accompanied by lush flute embellishments from Ilja Gussarov. Ilja's flute work is delicate yet authoritative, steering the musical narrative skillfuly as the track traverses its graceful path. As the composition nears its conclusion, Ilja shows his improvisational finesse while the primary theme lingers, gradually dissolving into infinity.
"New Orbits” opens with yet another of Misha's unmistakable and captivating chant-like melodies, drawing the listener in with its allure. Volodja Brodsky seamlessly merges his musicality with Monica Erdman on bass and Leonid Galaganov on drums, creating an enchanting harmony that channels the spirit of Getachew Merkuria. Misha's willingness to break free from genre constraints is boldly displayed once more. Sasha Petrov ignites the music with an impassio-nate and searing saxophone solo before returning to its earlier gentler, more subtle sound. The groove then takes an unexpected turn, transitioning into a more stripped-down sound, with Leonid and Monika establishing a head-nod-ding rhythm. The track delves into a mysterious, psychedelic realm, with Ilja Gussarov's captivating flute taking center stage, heightened by Volodja’s interstellar synthesizer sounds. The Septet envelops the listener in a Don Cherry-esque mantra, as if performing an incantation to commune with the earth spirit. Misha's excellent mixing skills shine as he gently guides the listener from a transcendent state back to the odyssey of exploring new orbits and venturing beyond.” -RRGEMS RECORDS, March 2024

Late night `60s R&B caught on tape at JimKirchstein's jack-of-all genres Cuca studio.Re- leased on minuscule pressings into theWiscon- sin wilderness, these 26 sasquatchraretracks uncover the soulful paths betweenthe Chicago, Milw aukee, Rockford, andRockford scenes. Featuring Harvey Scales,Step By Step, Betty Moorer, Seven Sounds,Twiliters, Birdlegs & Pauline, Esquires, Artie& The Pharaohs, and Fantastic Six, this 2xlptell s an alternate his- tory of soul music thatcould only happen in the Hinterl ands onHighway 12.

Side A. Reuban Wilson "We're are in love" sample flip sets the tone for Nas Memory Lane (Sittin' in Da Park) sampled and chopped by 1 only. DJ Premier sampled multiple elements from Wilson’s original composition, including the organ, percussion and distinctive wordless backing vocals. The seldom-sampled track is now irrevocably tied to this classic East Coast jam. Galaxy crew decided to give it a Re mastered rinse, chop up the intro break to back to life for 45 fans to appreciate.

Side B. Valdez In The Country by Donny Hathaway Re mastered Re edited . Sampled by Madlib back in 2010

Perhaps one of the most exciting and anticipated projects in the world of heavy instrumental music is Parlor Greens, a fresh organ trio on Colerine Records! You could say that Parlor Greens are greater than the sum of their parts.. however, the individual parts are simply stellar on their own. Tim Carman (ga-20) on drums, Jimmy James (True Loves, formerly Delvon Lamar Organ Trio) on guitar, and Adam Scone (Scone Cash Players, The Sugarman 3) on organ. Parlor Greens started off as an idea before it even had a name. Carman had been chatting with Colemine label boss Terry Cole about their shared love for organ combo records of yesterday on labels like Blue Note and Prestige. Cole said he'd love to have an organ trio be the first project at the label's new studio, Portage Lounge, located in Loveland, Ohio, So when Carman tapped James and Scone for the session, the stage was set. Carman and Cole had started work a day early to dial in the drum sound, so when the rest of this murderer's row arrived they hit the ground running. It was instant chemistry, Within the first ten minutes of everyone plugging in, a song was written and recorded, "West Memphis". And over the next three days, these three maestros conducted a beautiful and soulful symphony straight to tape. As natural and fun as three old friends getting together after a long absence, only this was the first time they had written and performed together. True magic. So this is the result of that session. Eleven outs. Ten originals. Two sides. All killer, no filler. Straight to the old reliable Tascam 3BB tape machine, mixed up nice and dirty for your enjoyment. Parlor Greens are proud to present their debut long player, in Green / We Dream.

After scoring a surprise hit in 2006’s red-hot 7” funk market with their cover of “C.R.E.A.M.,” El Michels Affair quickly turned around another smash 7” double-single of re-imagined takes of the Wu-Tang Clan. “Duel of the Iron Mics” sees the hypnotic piano hook of the “Liquid Swords”-classic elevated to intriguing heights with dramatic strings and Catch the blast of a hype version on the b-side, where “Bring Da Ruckus” is brought to life in imaginative ways not hinted at on the bulletproof original. The raw sample stabs and sub-bass of the stripped-down Wu-Tang stunner are replaced with mind-bending bass notes, and the re-played organ hook turned way up. Both of these tracks would eventually feature prominently on El Michels Affair’s landmark LP “Enter the 37th Chamber,” celebrating its 15th Anniversary in 2024.

Do It With Soul is back with another healthy dose of dancefloor fun featuring a pair of well-executed new edits. On the A-side of this limited edition 7" is 'Get Up Gaff,' a James Brown-inspired rework with some nice analogue 808s driving forward the raw vocal loops and jacked-up drum hits. On the flip, 'Mango In the Jungle' channels more James Brown energy as it collides 'Mango Meat' with 'Give It Up and Turn It Loose.' The result is a wild mix of funk breaks, squealing organs and soulful vocal details that keep things moving and grooving.

Psycho 2000 - A dark but funky theme that begins with an occulting Italian echo-oscillator drone that is soon followed by pulsating bass and breakbeat drums, leads to tremolo guitars, an ostinato on electric mandolas, strings climbing eloquent ladders, otherworldly electronics, and a cinematic finale. An evocation of a parade of wooden nutcracker soldiers elaborately dressed in gold-trimmed black uniforms down a wide avenue decorated with mardi gras beads and animal skulls upon golden cobblestones toward a tornado spiralling out purple-hued glissandos and curlicues of elephant smoke. White Spiritual - Head nod action, the twinkling of a late 60’s Vox Continental II with sickly transistors, the noodling matrix of an intergalactic telephone exchange carried on a bed of bouncy bass with a firm backbeat. The Johnny Guitar Watson-esque bite and sting of a ‘67 Teisco guitar preludes slabs of unison dark brown moog and organ giving way to the dance of fingers over the black naturals and white sharps of the Continental II.

In the late '70s Wild Fire was one of the more popular groups in Trinidad. Formed by Oliver “Stompy” Chapman back in 1962 the group was originally named the Sparks. By the disco era Wild Fire were the house band at night clubs like Disco Tracks and the Upper Level. The group was very influenced by disco, especially the famous British group, Hot Chocolate known for the classic disco hit ”You Sexy Thing.” Hot Chocolate’s chief songwriter, Tony Wilson was originally a Trinidadian native and also great friends with Oliver Chapman. The opening track on this compilation is "Try Making Love", a floor-filling track written by Tony Wilson in 1977 and recorded at Coral Sound Studio in Port of Spain. It was there that Oliver Chapman laid down the unforgettable bass line, solidifying its status as a surefire hit. The infectious tune held steady at the number one slot for six weeks in Trinidad and eventually climbed to the top of the charts in Barbados. Recorded at KH Studios, “Living On A String” with its unique disco synth sound by keyboard player Calvin Duncan was about the hard living of one trying to survive as a musician and hoping to one day partake in the material strappings of fame. “The Rebels” was more about the political struggle for the young in the country at the time. There was a lot of corruption in the government and a lot of young people out of work. The song called to stand up and rebel against the regime. And years later in 1990 it did happen when the Muslim group Jamaat al Muslimeen stormed the Red House (Trinidad’s Parliament House) and took cabinet members hostage. Wild Fire would go on to tour the Caribbean extensively including stops in Barbados, Antigua, St. Thomas and Guadeloupe. The group had a massive local hit with their track “Say A Little Prayer.” The group would disband in 1985 and Oliver Chapman would move to America. Wild Fire - Dance Hits is a collection of Wild Fire's more dance friendly material.

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.

The funky, atmospheric, evocative and sometimes downright weird output of companies such as DeWolfe, Cavendish, Burton and the ubiquitous KPM have always been a guiding inspiration for ATA Records, as evidenced in the spooky soundtrack works of The Sorcerers, the big band brass of The Yorkshire Film & Television Orchestra and even in the soul-jazz of The Lewis Express ('Theme From The Watcher').

It only seemed natural for the team at ATA Records to scratch their own Library itch and so last year's "The Library Archive Vol. 1" was born. Recorded over a series of sessions in the Alladins cave of vintage recording equipment that is ATA studios, it featured many of the stalwart musicians from the label who can also be found recording with The Sorcerers, Work Money Death and The Lewis Express.

Garnering praise from Library aficionado Shawn Lee("Holy F*$k this sounds great! ATA really smash the classic British Library sound. 10 out of 10") and the Don of British Library Music himsel fAlan Hawkshaw, "The Library Archive Vol. 1" was very well received and so a follow up was inevitable. Recorded during the Autumn of 2020, "The Library Archive Vol. 2" still has the golden age of European Library music squarely in it's sights, but this time the focus is drawn more to the wonky organ work of Italian quartet I Marc 4.

Each track has been lovingly crafted with a keen ear for authenticity and the same eye for detail shown on 'The Library Archive Vol. 1', recorded on the same instruments and equipment and with the same techniques as the music that inspired it.

The Library Archive is a labour of love for the label with more volumes planned.

"A Joyful Sound" is a future soul classic with all the elements of a classic R&B record, but simply with a joyful holiday lean. With an all-star supporting cast of who's who from the contemporary soul scene this record is truly a family affair with Kelly at the wheel. Featuring members of Durand Jones & The Indications, The Dap-Kings, Ghost Funk Orchestra, Monophonics, Thee Sinseers, Orgone, Ikebe Shakedown, Jason Joshua & The Beholders, The True Loves, Neal Francis, Jungle Fire, Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, Ben Pirani, The Jive Turkeys, The Harlem Gospel Travelers, Rudy De Anda, Alanna Royale, and more! Inspired by records like Phil Spector's "A Christmas Gift For You" and Rotary Connection's "Peace" this album will be a record that will appeal not only to lovers of holiday music, but lovers of Soul music in general!

This is Kelly Finnigan's third full-album production in just under two years, including his debut LP "The Tales People Tell" and Monophonics' most recent effort "It's Only Us". He is rapidly establishing himself as a key producer, songwriter, and performer in the current soul scene.

If you were around some 36 years ago, and you are still around today, then you will again enjoy three of the six hit songs that ruled the music airwaves in Nigeria's 80's, filling you with nostalgia. If you are of today's people, then you will be fortunate enough to enjoy three evergreen songs that will take you to cloud nine. Chuks Ejelonu, undoubtedly, Africa's answer to America's Stevie Wonder, at the age of 18, released an album on vinyl titled "Let's Make A Memory" in the mid 80's. It contained six hit songs that made great impact on the music scene. Selling thousands of copies in the West-African sub region it would go overseas months later, were copies of the album would hit the streets of London and New York. Despite being widespread in some regions, only a hand full of copies are located to this day.

Two luscious soul/folk/psychedelic funk crossover jams from LA born Shuggie Otis on Epic, reissued and remastered 45 years after their first release.
Shuggie's trademark soul-laden tones marry with dusty organs and strutting funk guitars to give two blissful slices of '70s gold. A collectable 7 Inch, remastered, reissued and finally available at a respectful price.

In the fall of 2012, Jones left his small-town in Louisiana for the foothills of Indiana. Alto saxophone in tow he enrolled in the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. “Being a singer was never part of the plan,” Jones admits. But soon enough he found his way in front of a rowdy rock-n-roll band belting out a rambunctious rendition of “Dock Of The Bay,” to a basement full of drunken undergrads. That rowdy band unfolded into The Indications—comprised of Aaron Frazer (drums), Blake Rhein (guitar), Kyle Houpt (bass) and Justin Hubler (organ).

Inspired by a handful of dusty and obscure 45s bearing names like The Ethics, Brothers of Soul and The Icemen, The Indications set out to make a record steeped in heavy drums, blown-out vocals, and deep grooves. Gathered around a Tascam 4-track cassette recorder and a case of Miller High-Life, the group spent their Sunday evenings recording into the early hours of the morning.

With comparisons from Charles Bradley and Lee Fields to Al Green, the only thing that separates this band from those greats is their youth. Having now taken their raucous live show all across the US, the band have galvanized a following that are ready to take them to the next level.

A permanent fixture in the world of Rhythm and Soul, James Hunter follows up five critically acclaimed albums with his latest recording, Whatever It Takes, for New York City’s renowned label, Daptone Records. At the height of his famed recording career, Hunter and Daptone co-founder and producer Bosco Mann recorded an elegantly crafted collection of 10 originals that are evermore poignant and compelling than the singer’s previous works. The James Hunter Six and Mann recorded Whatever It Takes straight to tape at Daptone's Penrose Studios in Riverside, California.

The first Brit to sign to Daptone Records, Hunter is revered by critics both in his native UK and stateside, with MOJO touting Hunter as “The UK’s greatest soul singer” and the Los Angeles Times praising his “extraordinary soul voice.” Of his prior recordings, Rolling Stone called his U.S. debut People Gonna Talk, “a treat not to miss” and his second album “unbelievably awesome,” while The New York Times noted of The Hard Way, Hunter’s “tight, slithery groove” and “sweet growl.” Hunter’s accolades include milestones of reaching #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart, a GRAMMY® Award nomination for “Best Traditional Blues Album”, years as a singer touring and recording with Van Morrison, and many TV appearances on Conan, Later…with Jools Holland, and other late night TV shows.

Subsequent to his acclaim as one of today’s renowned soul singers, Hunter’s restless genius penning emotive and captivating works results in his best written compositions to date on Whatever It Takes.

Latin funk at its finest. A kingpin player of Miami’s Cuban music scene, Ray Fernandez, brought together his ‘court’ for this sensational Afro-Cuban funk triumph. Largely a family affair, the album features his wife, two sons and a range of other talented musicians including Rickey Washington on saxophone, father of the contemporary jazz maestro Kamasi Washington. Originally released in 1973 on Manuel J. Mato’s iconic and collectible Sound Triangle Records, Ray & His Court is a dose of Miami heat fuelled by a Cuban fire, taking in salsa, soul, funk, calypso and Afro-Cuban rhythms.

A kaleidoscopic album that draws influence from a range of different genres and scenes blended together in true Ray Fernandez style. Side A, showcases an array of traditional Latin workouts including the addictive enticing opener 'La Señorita Lola' and the pulsating 'Lo Sabia' with its punchy horns and Ray’s wonderful, quirky bubbling organ groove. The tantalising ‘Venimos Acabando’ and bouncing organ stabs of ‘El Alacran’ are two further tickets to get a dancefloor vibing.

The B-side then steps things up, slipping a hit of heavy-weight Miami funk into the mix. Take the DJ favourite ‘Cookie Crumbs’ with its fiery bassline, tripped-out voiceovers and breakbeat drums. Or the amazing, memorable and truly unique funk instrumental ‘Soul Freedom’ with some mighty fine bass clarinet work courtesy of Gary Gottfried. Also featured is a seductive organ-led Cuban funk rework of Bobby Hebb's 'Sunny' (are there any bad versions of this song?), with a sumptuous female vocal that combine to serve up a seductive take us this much-loved classic.

'Ray And His Court' is a brilliant blend of Afro-Cuban gems and Miami funk heat from an influential group on Miami’s Latin music scene. A majestic and magnetic classic where every track is a surefire winner.

Why you'll love it...
Let’s start with the scream. We tend to define our singers by how “great” their voice is, how deftly they can ascend and descend major and minor scales, and how they can turn up and turn down the emotion inherent in their voices. But when considering Wilson Pickett, it begins and ends with his scream. He could take you on a journey, he could butter you up, he could make you feel things in your vital organs, but you don’t get a nickname like “Wicked Pickett” because you’re a crooner.

Pickett’s “Hey Jude” forms the spiritual centerpiece and title track of hisfinal trip up to the mountain-top, his last true masterpiece LP. He’d take forays to Philadelphia for the new sound of soul, and even go vaguely disco in the late ’70s. But for his final album of the ’60s, a decade where he dominated the soul charts, he’d unwittingly help start southern rock, and scream his way across one of the most recognizable tunes in the history of song. Not bad for 31 minutes and eight seconds worth of music.

A pillowcase filled to the brim with delectableHalloween treats from across the Numeroverse,Haunted Presence is a fun size mix of ghoulishgarage, skeleton-rattling soul, mutant protometal,and spine-chilling '60s kitsch. With awingspan of 20 tracks, this double LP is certainto liven up any costume party, séance, or monstermash. Warning: Prolonged exposure maycause ear decay.

Over a catalog of six albums, Native Harrow have produced a discography of “rich, engrossing records” and “instant classics” while single-mindedly following their own artistic code, acquiescing only to the exigence of the song: each song its own world with its own rules. Formed a decade ago, Native Harrow spent their first five or six years crisscrossing the United States and Canada on numerous tours, averaging more than 150 concerts per year in 47 states and 4 provinces, on the back of two self-released albums, Ghost (2015) and Sorores (2017). In 2019, they released Happier Now, partnering with London alt-country stalwarts Loose Records. The record garnered glowing reviews, with Rough Trade selecting it for its album of the month, writing “Beautifully soaring... rolling grooves ground languid and dreamy clearwater shimmers of sound.” The critical acclaim and Americana chart success of the album prompted three back-to-back UK tours in 2019 and early 2020, ultimately leading to a three-year stint living and touring in the UK and Europe. In this time, Native Harrow released two more critically acclaimed records with Loose; Closeness (2020) and Old Kind of Magic (2022), playing for audiences ranging from rock clubs in Norway and Sweden to opera halls in Portugal, and every stop in-between, as well as performing at festivals such as BST Hyde Park (supporting the Eagles and Robert Plant & Alison Kraus), Greenman Festival, Black Deer Festival, The Great Escape, Celtic Connections, Moseley Folk Festival, Sxsw, and many more. Following the eruption of its title track, Side A of “Divided Kind” transitions nimbly through hazy tremolo-laden dusty canyons, past an intimate soulful love letter, and towards a moody anthem of devotion buoyed by propulsive grooves, before ultimately settling on a gentle bird’s-eye-view of love and transcendence. Side B opens with the debut single, “Goin’ Nowhere” a soul transmission over incendiary bass and undulating layers of guiro, congas, tambourines, shakers, and handclaps that sidesteps into moments of infinite dial-toned burnished, Rhodes-propelled soul-jazz and self-assured blues rock à gogo before ending in a spectral folk reading on celestial meditation. “Divided Kind” was produced and recorded by the pair, in their home studio surrounded by the vintage acoustic and electric guitars, dusty semi-functional amplifiers, and out-of-date Rhodes, B3, piano, and assorted percussion they’ve grown accustomed to. Chicago-based Alex Hall was again drafted to add drums and to mix, and Philadelphia drummer and engineer Joshua Friedman mastered the record. London-based musician Joe Harvey-Whyte added the pedal steel to “Borrowing Time”, with all other voices and instruments being performed by Tuel and Harms. “Divided Kind” is available everywhere September 13 on Different Time Records.

The kaleidoscopic psychedelia of 1970s Japan captured a fragile and fertile moment as the country sought its future in funk grooves, heavy reverb and lyrical hallucinations. The follow-up compilation to Time Capsule’s Nippon Acid Folk, Nippon Psychedelic Soul takes myriad pathways into the tripped-out undergrowth of 1970s Japan. Finding their feet at home and looking for inspiration abroad, the musicians featured here were engaged in the communal soul-searching that followed the breakdown of the 1960s protest movements. Some made it big, others drifted into oblivion. The music they left behind shimmers with intensity.

At the core was Happy End, the first project of YMO’s Haroumi Hosono, whose distortion-heavy guitar and crisp back-beat laid the foundations for Japanese lyrics that flipped the paradigm of Japanese rock music on its head. With it came a new found sonic ambition, such as in the bold Philly-soul style arrangements of producer Yuji Ohno, whose work with occult wandered Yoshiko Sai shares some of the bittersweet grandeur of Rotary Connection or David Axelrod.

Then there was Jun Fukamachi, a pioneer of Japanese synthesis, whose debut album was a carnival of orchestral funk, euphoric horn lines and rich production, complete with soaring guitar solos, psychedelic organ and a truly cinematic finale. The first and only time Fukamachi would sing on record, ‘Omae’ rips like the ultimate end-of-nighter.

Influenced by giants of the US soul scene, maverick composer Hiroshi “Monsieur” Kamayatsu (otherwise known as ‘the Brian Wilson of Japan’) went one step further, enlisting Tower of Power to play on ‘Have You Smoked Gauloises?’ The B-side to Monsieur’s biggest-selling single, it coasts with sophisticated cool - a liquid bassline and suave keys comping under a roaring trademark ToP sax solo. No surprise it found favour once more on the Acid Jazz dance floors of ‘90s London.

Such was the spirit of experimentation that big studio productions and private press releases sat side-by-side, with the likes of Momotaro Pink and Kazushi Inamura, taking their hopes of success into their own hands with the resources available to them. More reflective but no less robust, theirs was a heavy, fat-backed drum sound, soaked in dramatic, soulful psychedelia.

If some were dreamers and others space cadets, none were further out than sci-fi writer, musician, activist and self-made scientist Tadashi Goino, who transformed his own fantasy novel Messenger from the Seventh Dimension into an operatic prog odyssey with few discernible musical reference points – a majestic and completely bonkers outlier even among company as strange and brilliant as that which is collected here.

Less a compilation of a scene, as a compilation of a sentiment, Nippon Psychedelic Soul is a wild ride from start to finish, shattering the narratives of the Japanese folk and rock tradition into a million tiny pieces.

With love from Northern Europe... Erotic Mondo's hidden treasure! Long-awaited analog reissue of two Monica Lassen album titles

A Wamono erotic work produced in Japan with the setting of ``A work created for the enjoyment of men and women by a Swedish female musician named Monika Lassen, who is also active as a sexual psychologist.'' Mondo's hidden treasure. This is a rare and unusual record, with sounds that overlap with the dazzling sounds of jazz, rock, lounge, psych, etc.

The sequel was released one year after the previous work ``woman'' was well received. It's an erotic Japanese groove that knows no bounds, with more moaning voices than the previous work, heavy fuzz guitar, piercing organ, and sexy scat! A total concept album consisting of the same song at the beginning and end of both sides.

Renowned Berlin-based music discovery platform ColorsxSTUDIOS will release their new vinyl compilation album, ‘MOVE:FEEL1’, just in time for the holidays.

The limited-edition double disc gatefold vinyl will feature 16 beloved A Colors Show tracks, both recent and from the archive, including London-based rapper Kwengface’s ‘Freedom’ that was released earlier this year, critically-acclaimed Malian artist Fatoumata Diawara’s ‘Nterini’ from 2019, and Dominican-Italian star YEИDRY’s breakout 2020 hit ‘Nena’.

The album is truly international—it will feature songs sung in six different languages (including English, Swedish, German, Bambara, French, Vietnamese, and Spanish) and represent artists from 15 different countries across the world.

‘MOVE:FEEL1’ reflects and celebrates the launch of Colors’ new ‘move’ and ‘feel’ playlists that are now available across all DSPs. Updated monthly, these playlists will curate Colors’ genre fluid output into cohesive listening experiences that cater for varying emotional states.

The songs on the ‘move’ playlist—and hence on the ‘move’ sides of the vinyl—are uptempo, bold, sexy and energetic, and aim to set the tone for daring and unapologetic enjoyment. In contrast, the tracks on the ‘feel’ playlist and discs are downtempo and emotive. They are for relaxation, and to help listeners contemplate their internal and external environments

Designed by Colors’ in-house creative team, the vinyl cover is mirrored, meaning its appearance adapts depending on the light and colors it reflects. This was an important decision to ensure the cover represents all of the featured artists, who all performed their A Colors ShowS against different colored backdrops. The mirrored material also enables the audience to literally (and hopefully metaphorically) see themselves in the album.

Each side of the mirrored cover is adorned differently: while the “move” side features embossed lines, stripes and slashes indicative of motion, the more introverted “feel” side is debossed with goosebump-like grooves. Even with their eyes closed, people will be able to feel which side of the album is which, adding an extra sensory layer to the listening experience. MOVE:FEEL1’s design also prioritizes sustainability, using no single-use plastics for its packaging.

* Rare Jazz-Soul-Funk Fusion From Milwaukee * Originally released as a private pressing in 1982 * First Ever Vinyl Reissue * Released in collaboration with the Numero Group * 180g Clear vinyl limited to 100 copies (lita Exclusive) * 180g Black vinyl limited to 500 copies w/obi strip / James Dallas is a talented producer, songwriter and saxophonist from Milwaukee. He started playing the clarinet in Junior High School at the age of thirteen, during this time public schools would loan students an instrument who could not afford their own. James originally requested an alto saxophone but none of those were available. In 1967 he got his hands on a baritone saxophone…and it became his main instrument for the next 15 years. Dallas decided to pursue a career in entertainment (influenced by his parents who allowed him to play in a professional R&B band at the age of 14) and was possessed by an exceptional drive to excel in music. James wanting to showcase his talents as a multi-instrumentalist led him to his pursuit in playing the flute, various forms of the piano…and of course all the saxes & clarinets. Soon he started playing with local bands and solo artists in the jazz & blues scene, he even participated on several recordings (mostly as part of the horn section)…but things really started to take of when James (together with his brother Chris and his cousin Kevin) started the outfit Heavy Weather. Most of the other bandmembers where his friends and would later become regular players on Dallas’ two solo albums ‘Life Forms’ (1982) and ‘Here And Now’ (1984). The album we are proudly presenting you today: Life Forms (1982) was James Dallas debut album. Recorded at Mauer Brothers’ Studio and completely self-funded with the help and encouragement of his peers and family. Dallas paid for all the recording time and the privately pressed 1000 copies of the album…back then he could not have imagined that decades later it would become a much sought-after collectible that fetches high prices. On Life Forms James Dallas is joined by a top cast of musicians such as Earl Thompson on percussion, Myron McClain and Noland Clark on drums, Rick Lacey and Robert Walls Jr. on guitar, Jake Simmons and Kevin Whitehead on bass. Kevin Whitehead (who is James’ cousin and known for his work with Ben Webster, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Sun Ra and Pharoah Sanders) also wrote a track for the album. The whole venture truly is a family affair because James’ brother Christopher can also be heard on keyboards and the album design was handled by his other brother Calvin. James Dallas surely deserves the title of ‘multi-instrumentalist’ because not only did he compose the majority of the songs (and produced the whole album) but next to his trademark soprano saxophone work, he also took care of playing the electric piano, flute, vocoder and keyboards. The six songs on the fantastic Life Forms album are a heavy mix of mind-blowing funk, fusion and Vocoder/Odyssey synth extravaganza. If you are a serious collector or a smooth jazz underground enthusiast, then this is the thing for you! Also included is the magnificent ‘Sidetrack’ song that was included on the Numero compilation ‘NuLeaf’ released in 2020. Tidal Waves Music (in collaboration with The Numero Group) now proudly presents the First ever vinyl reissue of this iconic Jazz-Funk-Soul fusion album (original copies tend to go for large amounts on the secondary market) originally released in 1982 as a private pressing and now finally back available as a limited 180g vinyl edition (limited to 500 copies) complete with the original artwork and obi strip.

Miles Davis: "I could definitely hear right away that this was going to be one of the baddest motherfuckers who had ever played a set of drums.”

The Tony Williams Lifetime's Emergency! is a furious, stunning, seminal album. In 1969, it's explosive sound divided critics in both jazz and rock but is now rightly regarded as groundbreaking. A musical statement so bold and irreverent that it was revolutionary, it's one of the most important records you will ever hear. With Emergency!, provocative percussionist Tony Williams unified the most vital sounds of the era and galvanised the creation of jazz fusion. A sprawling double LP that shattered the boundaries between jazz and rock, it forged fresh frontiers by unleashing dense, courageous and fantastically mysterious music.

The group was founded by Tony Williams, a member of Miles Davis’ radical 1960s quintet, out of his desire to fuse the influences of modern jazz and rock music. To effectively meld the scorching bop of Coltrane with the raging rock of Hendrix, in the process crafting, as Mojo put it, "jazz-rock's equivalent of Are You Experienced?". The album's urgent title was profoundly significant for Williams: “It was an emergency for me to leave Miles and put that band together (...) and I wanted to play an emerging music that was my own." The band he formed was one hell of a power trio, comprising nothing but raw virtuosity: Williams's colossal drumming, John McLaughlin's pioneering, aggressive guitar playing and Larry Young's freeform organ work.

The album's sound is incredibly fierce and inordinately intense. Indeed, the group were famed for playing “louder than rock’n’roll”, as Herbie Hancock said of going to hear them live in 1969: "This is something new...It was exciting and very arresting. It snatched you. It yanked you out of your seat.” Ian Carr, of Nucleus, was equally impressed: "The only other comparable band that existed ...They were incredibly loud, but we liked what they were doing. Fundamentally they had a different approach from ours, with some very highly arranged things that featured Larry Young's organ blending with the guitar, as well as intricate passages where Tony doubled the melody on the drums."

Like all the very best records, Emergency! takes multiple listens for your brain and body to decipher everything going on, to truly process and appreciate the details that our senses are throwing at us. It's a mesmerising, rough sound yet the intuitive interplay of all 3 musicians is super-tight. The tunes are strung out and jamming but retain a tight rhythmic focus.

The incendiary title track immediately presents jazz-rock’s chaotic birth. After Williams's ominous snare-roll signals the brewing storm, the snarling band blasts its way through the gate in truly breathtaking fashion, fuzzed-up wahed-out guitar riffs vying for prominence with gnarled, insistent organ. Thrillingly, Williams manages to both acrobatically crash over every element of his drum kit while keeping the whole groove undeniably funky. "Beyond Games" is a gloriously volatile freeform, featuring Williams' bugged out vocals, whilst the 12-minute "Where" is another deep, wild jam. It's disorientating and humid with weird rhythms, abrupt vibe shifts and semi-classical lines running between guitar and organ. It's like nothing else you've ever heard, absolutely vital.

With the buoyant “Vashkar”, we begin to experience jazz-rock's many angles; imaginative melodics, taut dynamics and as torrent of searing heat. Perhaps the most economical track on Emergency!, it's the most instant. In a recent retrospective review in Pitchfork, Emergency! received a monumental 9.0 ranking. The writer Hank Shteamer correctly gushed: "Driven by a tumbling Williams pulse, the trio dances through the complex stop-start theme, ending each iteration with a dramatic full-band rest. Then, in the middle of McLaughlin’s scrambling solo, Williams starts playing an embryonic version of an extreme-metal blastbeat, alternating snare and bass in rapid succession while rising precipitously in volume, as Young joins in with shuddering note clusters. During Young’s solo, the organist seems to incite Williams to repeat the move with his increasingly frenzied lines, and soon all three musicians are hurtling toward a supernova climax." WOW!

The laconic "Via the Spectrum Road", a brilliant pop-psych tune, was sampled by Showbiz & AG on their classic debut LP. It oscillates between a tranquil funk groove and strutting improv interludes. The pyrotechnic jam "Spectrum" wakes things up again with pure, molten jazz lava and crazy soloing from all involved. A breathtaking, kaleidoscopic 13-minute cycle through ferocious noise, "Sangria For Three" is a sublimely frenetic detonation of distilled (acid) jazz rock. To quote Shteamer again, "Don’t let the track’s breezy title fool you: As much as, say, “Sister Ray” the year before or “Fun House” the year after, this is punk before punk." Closer "Something Spiritual" finishes this jaw-dropping set with a driving, unrelenting heavy guitar and organ freakout, backed high in the mix by Williams's untamed funk before unsettled dissonance rides us out.

Listeners will be struck by the timelessness of Emergency!; dank, trance-inducing voodoo jazz that's intellectually challenging at the same time as viscerally thrilling. The blurred cover photo, whereby the convulsing vibrations of this sonic apocalypse ensure it looks exactly as the record sounds - out of focus - has been delicately restored at Be With HQ. Mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis and cut by Cicely Ralston for Alchemy at AIR Studios, the magnificent grit and spontaneity remains dizzyingly intact. If you're a jazz fusion fan and don't already have this, consider ownership of this record as an Emergency!

Keenly awaited vinyl reissue of Funkadelic’s 1975 “Greatest Hits” collection on Westbound Records.

Known as “the sheep album” for its unique cover art, it is a stunning selection of highlights from the George Clinton-led group’s first six albums.

Gathering 45 mixes, LP versions and a unique edit of the instrumental ‘A Joyful Process’, it is a perfect entry point into the world of Funkadelic.

The original 1975 release suffered from a slightly tinny sound, so we have remastered to give you the full force of the music.

Previously unreleased soul nugget from the the 1970's Richmond VA scene, two very mellow tunes full of cosmic organ lines, floating choruses and gentle vocal harmonies. If it's on Plut, it ain't a boot!

Originally released in 1975, the sole album from Indianapolis funk undectet (11 people!) Turner Bros. is filled to the brim with phat grooves and soulful vocals. As the name would imply, the Turner siblings (there are six of them in the group) form the foundation of the group, writing many of the songs with an impeccable ear for catchy hooks and danceable grooves. From mellow soul numbers (“Every Time I’m Near You”) to high-octane instrumental funk (“Please the People”), the Turner Bros. do it all! With members ranging in age from 12 to 27, it seems unlikely that this group could even exist - much less put out a funk gem like Act 1. Yet, the Turner Bros. defy expectations at every turn, with every song showing off a new facet of the Indianapolis group. Reissued for the first time ever with the original artwork, and a Japanese obi-strip, this record has never looked this good! Make sure to get yours now, only from P-vine Records!

Steve Moore's Lovelock is back with Washington Park, a gorgeous suite of instrumental lounge music that can only be described as synth exotica. A real departure for Steve, this is a more mellow, soothing sound and can be regarded as Lovelock's response to these dystopian times.

New York-based multi-instrumentalist/producer/film composer Steve Moore is probably best known for his synthesizer and bass guitar work as Zombi, together with Anthony Paterra. Yet his Lovelock alias has been quietly blowing minds and warming hearts for a decade plus now. His latest effort, Washington Park, was not initially meant to be a Lovelock album. But Steve was posting little snippets of his work on Instagram and people started asking him: "is this new Lovelock?" It was at this point that Steve had an epiphany, of sorts. "It occurred to me that Lovelock can be whatever I want it to be. So yeah, maybe this new lounge/exotica record is, in fact, Lovelock."

Washington Park creeped out in a very low-key, early lockdown fashion and there wasn't much of a reaction. Says Steve, "I just self-released it and all my usual suspects were down with it, but it didn't really make it outside of my own circle." Yet many of the Balearic heads in Europe were indeed on it and Be With were most certainly listening. So, when we struck a deal to do the vinyl version of Burning Feeling, we couldn't resist asking about Washington Park.

Gentle opener "It Means Love" grooves along in the laconic style, conjuring carousel innocence and complimented by dreamy, spiritual sax and syrupy synth strings over a digi-soul beats. Title-track "Washington Park" glides smoothly in much the same vein, almost like a slightly more acidic, squelchier version of the preceding track with more insistent organ. Swoon. Closing out Side A, steady ambient gem "We'll See" is all gorgeous, soft pads with plaintive guitar and organ giving way to soaring digital strings over that metronomic drum machine soul.

Flip for the eerily brilliant "Seduction", a track which starts like a minimalist slice of Tommy Guerrero-esque guitar and drum machine soul but soon takes on a more menacing bent as Steve leans into his long-held predilection for horror by creating a slow-mo haunted house jam. The tempo (and temperature) rises with "Center Square", a Latin rhythm section and a sensual sax rubbing up against hot and heavy organ and string action. Steamy! To round things off, the ominous creeping groove of "Rhythm 77" feels like exotica-in-excelsis.

Washington Park was recorded over the first few months of the pandemic, during the spring of 2020, against the backdrop of his kids being out of school which meant daily walks and bike rides through Washington Park in Albany. It was during these moments of family activity and gentle movements, trying to make sense of the chaos engulfing his world, that Steve formed the ideas that led to this album. To make it manifest, he used all his old Roland beat boxes (CR-78, Rhythm 77 and Rhythm 330, Rhythm Arranger) plus a Chamberlin Rhythmate for all the percussion. Basslines were usually performed with his Moog Source or Minitaur and for pads and brass he used his Sequential Prophet 600 and Roland Juno 60. Strings came via a variety of old stringers - Korg Polysix, Elka Rhapsody, Crumar Orchestrator and Solina String Ensemble - and he also used his Fender Strat and Yamaha Custom saxophone.

Steve is a huge fan of exotica and that's clearly where this album is coming from. The likes of Martin Denny, Les Baxter and Henry Mancini can all be discerned here. As Steve explained, "I spent a lot of time listening to that stuff in the 90s and I figured it was time to let those influences show." You're going to be glad he did.

Mastering for the Washington Park vinyl edition was overseen by Be With regular Simon Francis before being cut by Cicely Blaston of Alchemy Mastering at AIR Studios and pressed in the Netherlands by Record Industry.

Rare soul/funk album out of Oakland, CA. Featuring Marlon Hunter along with the Group The Standards Of Living. Six songs full of jazz/funk groove and Modern Soul atmospheres. First time released in 1980 as a private press this rare pearl represents a must have for diggers, djs and collectors

The sole album released in 1974 from this almighty group of nine musicians lead by Chicago native Danny Leake continues to turn up in the hands of the most determined collectors for good reason. Formed in the most unlikely of circumstances as a group of American military workers stationed in Germany, the band made one dazzling leap onto the frontline of soul before promptly disbanding and never looking back. As with all records that get marked with the coveted 'rare' status, what we don't know about the record outweighs what we do, but as the needle fits the groove on album opener "You Keep Coming Back," and the vocal and instrumental harmonies build into a frenzy, the addictive joy of the record takes hold for repeated listens. P-vine is delighted to be bringing this album back from the vaults for a limited pressing fitted with a unique Japanese obi strip.

After the opener rich with soul, "No More City, No More Country" changes pace with a psychedelic funk jam that blossoms into a piece of spiritual jazz and social commentary of 70s America. "Windy C" is an album highlight and kicks off the B-side with a lost funk classic where the individual talents of Steve Maxwell's organ playing, Leake's guitar and John Jackson's percussion all combine to make the deftest of touches count. The wealth of compositional talent behind the album contributes to its varied sound, and the might behind Marvin Daniels' vocals and trumpet playing joins Leake on the songwriting credits with producer Rick Hartung. Leake would later make his name as the trusted sound engineer of Stevie Wonder, but his roots as the mythical bandleader of 100% Pure Poison lives on in the books of rare record folklore.

Fay Hill has been based in LA since the 1980s and is best known for her 2nd album "Island In My Mind" which was released in 1987 with a rich selection professional musicians and engineers from LA. This, her debut album "This Is A Blessing", released six years earlier in 1981, is by comparison a much more raw and spontaneous affair which in turn spotlights her powerful gospel vocals, and the bustling funk and soul scene of LA in the early 80s.

"I Don't Know You" (m5) is an album highlight produced by Michael ORR who will be familiar to Rare Groove followers along with its wonderful cutting guitar line. "I Know Who You Should See" (m2) and "Any Load You Can Handle" (m7) were also released as single-cut 7 inches at the time and are still in high demand.It's an album truly full of killer tunes, and finally seeing its first reissue in the world!

The first new material from the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio in several years is coming in hot! They've been on the road for the last two years and just finished cutting their upcoming album for 2020 and plan on hitting the road again in a big way to support it. "Fo Sho" finds the trio right where they left off: super pocket funky organ jazz! Dig!

When Cobb's Corner nightclub owner Henry Normile was murdered, followed by the in-street shooting and death of Eddie Jefferson, the heart of the Detroit jazz scene was ripped apart. Through the advent of the Labor Day Montreux-Detroit Jazz Festivals starting in 1980, things picked back up measurably, but the club scene has never been the same. This live recording of the Lyman Woodard Organization, which was taped the day before Normile was killed in his next door apartment, more than any other album or event exemplified the never say die spirit of Motor City jazz. It also was a hallmark for a unique style of the music, an urban rhythm & blues infused contemporary jazz that stood tall for both listeners and dancers during the tail-end of the disco movement. Woodard was in his prime, determined that his idea was singular, and went beyond soul-jazz into a realm where only he could claim ownership. With guitarist Robert Lowe and saxophonist Allan Barnes, who would both go on to national acclaim as leaders, the Organization was a powerhouse in live performance not to be denied, and for sure a solid sending crowd pleaser. A much better recording than his studio cult classic "Saturday Night Special", this live set laid the groundwork for the continuation of Woodard's career for decades to come, and showed his fellow Detroiter's that better days lay ahead. Where the title track is happy and a bit more commercial than the rest with its slinky, straight, fingerpopping, sublime beat and seductive vocal line, "Disco Tease" prances along in a hard rock vein with conga accents from Lorenzo Brown and chicken scratch, dramatic guitar chords from Lowe. "Down Lowe" is a concrete, fatback groove from the guitarist, while "Djarum" turns the wick down in a slow, sexy nightshade visage, with Kerry Campbell's soprano sax expanding the horn section with Woodard's organ in stretched out phrases. The appropriately titled "Theme In Search Of A Sports Spectacular" is the killer track, as trumpeter Marcus Belgrave joins the band in an Olympic sprint, an irresistible melody that is catchy, infectious, memorable, and anthematic as any warrior clarion call to battle in the athletic arena. This driven, tenacious, forceful piece of music still stands the test of time for its ferocious attitude and champion-like strut. This recording documents not only the darkest days, but the bright hope a financially strapped Detroit offers to the rest of the world, and the determination Woodard always exemplified.

A n d w h a t i f t h e i n f a m o u s
UNDERGROUND and OVERGROUND
albums had a third psychedelic
chapter, still secret and unreleased
until today?
Yes, you heard correctly: this
SUPERGROUND LP is sonically akin to
the legendary pair for which composer
Sandro Brugnolini will always shine
worldwide, and ideally brings the
trilogy to a close. Composed and
recorded in two sessions between July
1969 and November 1970, the album
echoes the shocking 1969's Charles
Manson massacre, with tracks
dedicated to the villa at Cielo Drive, in
Hollywood, where Sharon Tate e Roman
Polanski lived for six months. Some
music was also used for an animated short movie signed by Pino Zac, “Radice Quadrata di 3”, a little art-film
gem about the consumer society.
The recordings have all in common the terrific line up, featuring MARC 4 members Antonello Vannucchi
(organ), Maurizio Majorana (bass), Roberto Podio (drums), along with Angelo Baroncini (guitar) replacing Carlo
Pes. An incredible groovy combo that plays a strange psychedelic rock and r’n’b with funky and prog flavor.
Another lost masterpiece from Italian golden age soundtracks finally rescued and brought back in life to see
the light of the wax for its very first time.