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RSD First, Limitation: 1250

For RSD Black Friday 2024, Soul Jazz Records is reissuing Tribe’s ‘Dedication’, a superb rare 1970s funk/soul/jazz album, as a one-off pressing special limited-edition Orange Vinyl edition, fully remastered with exact reproduction artwork.
In a similar vein to groups such as Mandrill, Jimmy Castor Bunch, The Blackbyrds, Pleasure, and Kool and the Gang, Tribe blend together elements of funk, jazz, rock, latin and soul music into a unique sound (their first album was aptly named ‘Ethnic Stew’). Dedication is a fantastic long-lost album of deep funk, soul and jazz from the group, originally released independently in 1977 and out-of-print for over 45 years.
Tribe was the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Earl J Foster, who put together the band along with producer Big Dee Ervin in 1974. Aside from Earl Foster the band features Clyde Jardine Powell on bass, Billy Soto on guitar, Jimmie A. Clapper on sax, Benjamin Taylor and Harold Clayton on vocals and Harold Davis on drums. The group made three albums, but ‘Dedication’ remains their tour de force, a fantastic slice of spaced-out funk, jazz and soul.

Lalomie Washburn is a US soul vocalist (*1941 – † 2004) from the Soul/Funk 70's band „High Voltage“ who released her solo album, „My Music Is Hot“, in 1977. Over decades she collaborated with many artists including Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones, Chaka Khan and Ray Charles. In 2005 she was inducted into the Omaha Black Music Hall of Fame. In 1992, she released several 12" singles including the independant hit „Try My Love“. This was the lead single to her second solo album (self-titled) in 1997. It became a huge Acid Jazz classic to be found on various compilations in the mid to the late 90s. Lalomie Washburn's Try My Love is a sophisticated blend of electronic, funk and soul, originally released in 1991. This album seamlessly merges acid jazz, soul, downtempo, and contemporary r&b styles. Side-1 features 'Try My Love,' an underground jam that highlights Washburn's ability to blend these genres into a classy, enjoyable track. Side-2 presents the 2024 Boogie Back remix of 'Try My Love,' which smooth's things out and transforms the original into a melodic disco groove. This remix adds a fresh, modern twist while retaining the soulful essence of the track. Now, 20 years later this song still got it all! The energy and musicality, the club appeal, especially with the addition of the 2024 „Boogie Back Remix“ on the flipside. DJs will have even more reason to spin this Boogie Bomb and prove their love for it...

Jaraguá (haa-raa-WAH) noun - a tall forage grass known for its resistance to adverse environments.

From a melting pot of influences and cultures, Mestizo Beat takes the lead, offering the next wave of instrumental West Coast Latin Funk to come out of Southern California. Their sophomore LP, "Jaraguá," highlights the group's dedication and resistance to keep pushing many boundaries while paying respect to the generation that came before them. Blending the sounds of early 70s Funk & Soul, Latin-Jazz, and Afrobeat, Mestizo Beat takes musicianship and production to their highest level, offering a complete package of masterfully crafted recordings and original compositions into a brand new, hot off the press, 12" LP.

Entirely self-produced and written by Aquiles 'Lito' Magaña and Agustin 'Gus' Magaña (The Magaña Brothers) along with core group members Jose Castro, Pedro Flores & chief horn arranger Jesse Audelo. The band has also enlisted a diverse array of additional skilled players to enhance the sonic elements required of each track. Contributions from other band members Doug Organ, Fabio De Souza and Max O'Leary as well as collaborations with horn player Jason Cressey and featured vocalist Jamie Allensworth, have transformed this LP into the embodiment of Mestizo Beat's vision. A true collective of musicians, all united by the common goal of delivering high-quality funk music.

From the cinematic opening of the title track 'Jaraguá' and the Blaxploitation-inspired single 'She's A Rose' to the groove-centric cuts like 'The Jaguar' and 'Black Bag,' Mestizo Beat's musical exploration knows no bounds. Venturing further with soulful burners like 'The Jaguar' and 'Two Eleven,' the group unleashes their full potential on 'II The Deepcyde,' featuring the renowned guest vocalist Jamie Allensworth. The album is rounded off with the Nigerian disco-funk inspired 'Lotsapoppa' and a foray into the Cumbia genre with 'Cumbia de Jaraguá,' all offering a diverse and exhilarating musical journey. Recorded and produced at the band's hillside Topanga, CA studio, SPC 166, each song showcases the unique talents of the ensemble. Remaining true to their sound and recording techniques, 'Jaraguá' was tracked to 1/4" tape and mixed by Sergio Rios at Killion Sound.

“If you like soul music, with a healthy dose of blues and funk thrown in…and if you like honest storytelling and songs that will lift your spirit, then you might want to check my music out,” ensures London by New Orleans soul revivalist Acantha Lang.

In a few short years, rising Robert Randolph collaborator Acantha Lang has swiftly become one of modern soul music’s best-kept secrets — building a dedicated fanbase through her "Standing On The Shoulders Of…" Soul series (currently over 9 million views across socials) where she honors past Stax and soul legends with spirited reimaginings of jukebox classics. Thus far, she's earned widespread praise across BBC Radio, earned over 1 million streams (and counting), and has been playlisted on top Spotify playlists including earning a spot on Spotify’s Best Retro Songs of 2021 and Best Funk Songs of 2022 playlist all without a debut album – until now.

Come June 30th, Lang will release her debut album 'Beautiful Dreams' a record that's destined to propel her from an undiscovered gem into the pantheon of modern soul greats. With Acantha's takes on Stax-inspired funk with Southern blues, she tells highly personal tales atop spirited, shimmering grooves. Acantha’s storytelling style harkens to age-old blues traditions while grounding itself in contemporary themes, delivering head-on lyrical attacks on fake news (the tell-all “He Said/She Said”), odes to motherly love in the wake of Katrina’s disaster (the gripping “Lois Lang”), and celebrations of Black strength and womanhood with confidence and pride.

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

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

Cosmic Analog Ensemble is the brainchild of prolific Lebanese music producer and multi-instrumentalist Charif Megarbane, a one-man musical force who writes, performs and produces all of its creative output. With a DIY music ethos, Megarbane has crafted an inimitable style of instrumental music, a melting pot of global sounds that effortlessly glides between 1960s Italian library music, Spaghetti-Western soundtracks, afrobeat, Middle Eastern psychedelia and hip-hop breaks. In little more than a decade, Megarbane has released over 100 albums, offering an experimental musical diary of his late-night improvised sessions, recorded across Beirut, Nairobi, Paris, London and Lisbon – the various cities he’s called home. Released under CAE and multiple other aliases such as Trans-Mara Express, Tapeman No.1, Free Association Syndicate and Monumental Detail, Megarbane’s vast discography is archived on his own independent label and digital platform Hisstology, a window into his expansive yet insular musical universe, in which he plays (almost) every part.

Since 2009, Megarbane has released 31 albums under the Cosmic Analog Ensemble moniker, through which he’s developed his trademark sound of abstract analog library music for the 21 st century, soaked in the golden sunshine of the Mediterranean coast. ‘Expo Botanica’ is CAE’s latest offering, due to be released on vinyl via Hisstology Records on June 24th 2022 with a global physical distribution through Big Wax Records. Expo Botanica completes a trilogy of CAE albums, following the critically-acclaimed LPs ‘Une Vie Cent Detours’ and ‘Les Sourdes Oreilles'. ‘Une Vie Cent Detours’, was dubbed by Pitchfork as 'A major landmark on Megarbane’s musical travels' . The 2017 full-length ‘Les Sourdes Oreilles’, CAE’s first vinyl release, was hailed by Bandcamp as ‘a crate-digger’s dream, a magnum force of infectious grooves and sample-ready melodies that feel rare and familiar at the same time.’

Fronted by an abstract painting by Megarbane, ‘Expo Botanica’ features 16 instrumental tracks, each one the theme for the imagined life of a plant. Capturing the carefree innocence of the playground in its meandering melodies, ‘Expo Botanica’ could easily be the soundtrack to a 1970s children’s film, harking back to an era when they were scored by legendary composers like Piero Umiliani. The album illustrates Megarbane’s mastery of beautifully simplistic melodies with the kind of hypnotic hook that sticks in the mind for days. An album of two parts, Side A sets a tranquil atmosphere with whimsical European-style cinematic soundtracks, while Side B serves up infectious organ grooves, funk-laden breaks and tumbling Oriental psychedelic pop melodies. A master sonic illusionist, Megarbane is the maestro of his own fictional orchestra.

Sault returns with a new album featuring Michael Ofo and Little Simz. NINE will be limited to a short press run of 16,000 units, never to be re-issued again!

Sault - Nine is the fifth studio album by the mysterious collective Sault, released in June 2021. Like their previous albums, Nine arrived with little prior notice or traditional promotion.
Nine continues Sault's tradition of blending genres like soul, R&B, funk, Afrobeat, and post-punk, but it has a darker, grittier, and more confrontational tone than its predecessors. The album delves deeply into themes of trauma, mental health, inner-city struggles, violence, and survival, with a particular focus on life in Black urban environments.

The sound of the album reflects this shift in tone, with raw, minimalist production that pairs heavy basslines and hypnotic rhythms with layered vocals, spoken word segments, and atmospheric soundscapes. The music feels urgent, intense, and emotionally charged, offering a stark contrast to the more celebratory tone of Untitled (Rise).

Key Themes: Nine paints vivid portraits of life in marginalized communities, particularly in cities like London, where systemic inequality, violence, and hardship are everyday realities for many. The album’s title, Nine, is believed to refer to Nine Elms, an area of London, although it could also symbolize the "nine lives" concept, reflecting the resilience and survival instincts of those in tough environments.

The album tackles a range of topics, including:

Trauma – Several tracks reflect on the lasting impact of violence, poverty, and systemic oppression on mental health.
Community – There’s a strong focus on community dynamics, exploring both the unity and tensions within these spaces.
Resilience and Survival – Like much of Sault’s work, Nine reflects the endurance and strength required to navigate difficult environments.
Key Tracks:

"London Gangs" – A hard-hitting track with a pulsating, tense rhythm, addressing gang culture, violence, and the survival mentality of growing up in tough urban environments.
"You from London" – Featuring British rapper Little Simz, this track offers a sharp, introspective look at identity and the contradictions of growing up in a city like London, where cultural pride and struggle are deeply intertwined.
"Fear" – This song explores the psychological impact of fear, particularly how it’s experienced by people living in environments shaped by violence and deprivation.
"Bitter Streets" – A slower, more reflective track that focuses on the emotional toll of life on the streets, with a hauntingly beautiful melody that contrasts with the bleakness of its subject matter.
"Alcohol" – A deeply personal track, this one touches on themes of addiction, self-destruction, and the attempts to cope with life’s hardships through substance abuse.
Spoken Word and Storytelling: Nine incorporates spoken word interludes that add to its storytelling dimension. These segments often feature reflections on life in inner-city London, painting vivid images of the struggles and dynamics in urban spaces. The storytelling aspect makes the album feel more documentary-like, giving it a raw and real-life feel.

Production and Collective Identity: As with all Sault projects, the production on Nine is minimalistic yet impactful, with tight, looped rhythms, bass-heavy grooves, and layered vocals. The collective continues to maintain their air of mystery, avoiding traditional credits and public appearances. Producer Inflo is believed to be a central figure behind the sound, with vocal contributions from Cleo Sol, Kid Sister, and others, although these aren’t always confirmed.

Nine was well-received by critics, who appreciated its raw honesty and the way it dealt with heavy topics. It was seen as a necessary exploration of trauma, violence, and mental health in marginalized communities, delivered with Sault's trademark blend of musical innovation and emotional depth.

In sum, Nine stands out as one of Sault’s most emotionally intense and thematically challenging albums, offering a stark but poignant look at survival, trauma, and community in urban environments.

In their 6 years on air, Flip The Script Radio has become the industry standard, the go-to radio show where fans and industry heads alike flock to hear the next hip hop superstars before they blow up. Steeped in the rich history of the scene, FTSR's focus on real MCs, genuine turntablism and their 'do it for the culture' approach has garnished them praise from every corner of the hip hop universe. To celebrate their 6 Year Anniversary, Flip The Script Radio has joined forces with Good For You Records and one of the greatest MCs of all time for a very special, limited edition 7" release. We are beyond excited to present this work of art by a cultural icon, one of the best lyricists of all time, Grand Puba. This special edition vinyl release revisits one of Puba's most beloved classics "I Like It", reinvented with an 8 piece band, an acoustic version, featuring freshly re-spit verses by the rap legend himself, breathing new life into this crowd favourite.

First Word Records is very proud to present a brand new EP from Yazmin Lacey - 'When The Sun Dips 90 Degrees'.
This EP follows on from her two recent singles, '90 Degrees' and 'Something My Heart Trusts', both of which are included here, along with three previously unreleased tracks, 'Heaven', 'Body Needs Healing' and 'Burn & Rise'. This set illustrates again Yazmin's candid songwriting delivered in her uniquely laidback soulful style, whilst a glorious fusion of neo-soul and jazz performed by Pete Beardsworth and her trusty band rides throughout.
In recent times, Yazmin has made live appearances on Jazz FM, BBC Radio 4, 1Xtra and NTS, & received widespread acclaim across the airwaves, including BBC Radio 2, BBC 6 Music, Worldwide FM and Mi-Soul, plus Spotify love from the likes of The Independent and heavy support from DJs such as Gilles Peterson, Jamz Supernova, Tom Ravenscroft, Huey Morgan and Jamie Cullum. Yazmin appeared heavily in The Guardian / The Observer's recent extensive feature on the UK's new Jazz movement too.
Initially a Brownswood 'Future Bubbler' graduate, Yazmin self-released her debut EP, 'Black Moon', last year. This lead to a Maida Vale session late 2017 with Jordan Rakei, Moses Boyd, Oscar Jerome and now label-mates, Children of Zeus. She kicked off the year with a performance at the Worldwide Awards with Skinny Pelembe, and has recently done shows with artists such as Ezra Collective, Tall Black Guy and Fatima. Yazmin has a UK tour scheduled for later in the year, as well as several festival appearances across Europe locked in. There's a lot more to come from this Notts-based Londoner yet.
In Yazmin's words: "'90 Degrees' is about that time of the day / night when there's a shift in pace and energy. When you decide to lock off from the 'outside' world and create your own atmosphere, take some time to give thanks for what's breathing love into your life and smoke off the fuckeries. Everyone needs a little routine for self preservation."
The 5-track vinyl & digital EP is released worldwide on June 15th.

Austin’s Brownout unleashed the “Brown Sabbath Vol. I” project garnering acclaim from outlets such as NPR (50 Best Albums of 2014), Pitchfork, hardcore Black Sabbath fans and most important of all Ozzy Osbourne himself, while staying true to their Latin Funk roots. Brown Sabbath Vol. II cranks up the level, rocking harder than the original with a brew of ballistic horns, pummeling guitar-riffs underscored by a funky, driving rhyhm section. Ghostland Observatory‘s Aaron Behrens makes a guest appearance sharing vocal duties with Brown Sabbath lead vocalist Alex Marrero.
Hitting harder than its predecessor and keeping closely in line with the original Sabbath material, “Brown Sabbath Vol. II” crosses over more to hard rock territory. Brownout’s powerful, signature full horn section, dual-guitar attack, funked-up drums and latin percussion return with a vengeance, adding even more weight and texture to create a dark hybrid sound that resonates with groove-laden intensity unique to their interpretation of Black Sabbath’s tome.
An 8-piece outfit formed ten years ago by members of Grammy Award-winning Latin revival orchestra Grupo Fantasma, Brownout has evolved into a musical force all its own. With a succesful tour of “Brown Sabbath” under their belt including Bonnaroo and Austin Psych Fest while earning their third Austin Music Award, the band has continued to produce music that is unflinchingly progressive, while evoking the classic influences of artists such as WAR, Cymande and Funkadelic. Brownout now has four albums under their belt including “Brown Sabbath Vol. I” (Ubiquity 2014), “Homenaje” (Freestyle Records 2008), “Aguilas & Cobras” (Six Degrees 2009) and “Oozy” (Nat Geo 2012).

Over 10 years ago, Leon Michels released his first full length record, Sounding Out The City. It was Michels' first full length record under
the moniker El Michels Affair. At the time, the budding retro soul scene consisted of mostly organ quartets a la The Meters and of course,
Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings were in the early days of their ascent to world domination.
Leon Michels, who was 18 when recording Sounding Out The City began, had just released Thunder Chicken, the first record by his high
school band The Mighty Imperials. At the time of SOTC, Michels was just discovering early rocksteady, afrobeat, and 60's garage rock,
which inevitably crept its way into the songwriting. He purchased a Tascam 388, an 80's 1/4" reel to reel 8 track intended for home
recordings, and began recording music in a 10x10 box with no windows that also doubled as his childhood bedroom. Along with fellow
Mighty Imperials Nick Movshon, Homer Steinweiss, and Sean Solomon, and Michael Leonhart, Thomas Brenneck, and some of the
musicians from The Dap Kings, Michels recorded the LP over a two year period.
Upon it's release, it received some rave reviews and the small deep funk community ate it up, but due to the lack luster promotion and
distribution the rest of the world was slow to catch on to the instrumental gems featured on SOTC, which Michels appropriately labeled
as "cinematic soul". However, in 2005 it found it's way into the hands of the people who were organizing a series of concerts for Scion
that paired bands with MC's. El Michels Affair was contacted about playing one show with Raekwon The Chef of Wu Tang Clan fame. The
show was such a success it led to a tour, and then to another set of concerts that featured multiple members of the Wu-Tang Clan. This
eventually led to the release of El Michels Affair's second record, "Enter the 37th Chamber" which introduced them to a much larger
audience and has been their most successful release to date.
Michels has since gone on to produce and co-produce numerous records for powerhouse soul artists like Lee Fields. He shares
songwriting credits with Adele, Jay-Z, Ghostface Killah, Aloe Blacc, and has played on records by Ray LaMontagne, Lana Del Rey, The
Black Keys and Dr. John.