Back catalogue: All genres

Review: 7th Wonder - "Daisy Lady" is such a special and in-demand tune that no matter how many times it gets reissued it always sells out. This latest pressing on Breaks & Beats is a hand-numbered and limited edition 7" that is backed with Blackbusters's 'Old Man'. It's a cosmic funk workout with some great synth magic drawn out and weaved into funky breaks with all the bells and whistles (literally.) But really that 7th Wonder jam is the one here with its pumping drums and lavish horn sections all making for a colourful and vibrant wedge of irresistible funk.

Review: Tom Browne's 1980 single 'Funkin' For Jamaica' has long been something of an anthem - a hybrid funk/boogie classic that remains a staple in sets of hip-hop, disco and soul DJs alike. Given its ubiquity, covering the song is fraught with danger, but remarkably Japanese producer Akiko and guest vocalist Mbanja Richy have successfully put a new spin on it. Their take is subtly tougher and more synth-heavy, with bilingual French/English vocals, nods to Zouk music and a bassline so squelchy it could have been lifted from a P-funk record. Over on the flip, the pair go mellow, deep and laidback on a pleasingly skewed hip-hop soul cover of Terry Callier's legendary vocal interpretation of Alex North's 'Love Theme' from 'Spartacus'. Inspired stuff all told.

Review: Love Touch Records has a devilishly simple game plan: to release brand-new revivalist boogie, electrofunk and synth-powered soul songs on seven-inch singles. Here, the label's very first release from late 2019- which, incredibly, sold out simply through social media hype - finally gets a wider release. It's well worth checking, because it's a terrific slab of smooth, spacey, talk box-sporting slab of synth-soul from vocalist Amalia, label regulars The Precious Lo's and modern boogie wizard Brian Ellis, who provides a killer synth solo rich in wavy, LFO-trigger action. Over on the flip T-Groove provides a "Smooth Mix" - a more thickset take built around warm chords and one of the most squelchy synthesizer basslines we've ever hard.

Review: Although operative in the early 1980s, the quality of B & The Family's boogie-era soul recordings only became evident five years ago when the Super Disco Edits label unearthed and issued a couple of their previously unreleased recordings. These two never-before-released jams come from the same period. A-side 'Count on Me' is simply superb: a squelchy and soulful electrofunk number of the kind that were frequently released in the early '80s by the Solar System and Salsoul labels. Flipside 'Magic' is a little fuzzier and hazier - in part because it was probably transferred from a partially damaged tape - but no less impressive, delivering an attractive blend of dewy-eyed male lead vocals, elastic slap bass, colourful synthesizer sounds and dreamy chords.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Record has very light surface marks, but otherwise in perfect working condition***


The Atlanta based B Boy Breaks series continues with another drop of serious cuts to get beat jugglers, sample diggers and just straight up funk lovers going hog wild over the lashings of drum breaks. First up on the A side there's some widescreen, expansive beatdowns taking place with the massive "Show Me The Funk Breaks" - a fela esque sax screaching ,hammond organ swirling classic you already know from the many times it's been lifted for its treasured sonic ingredients. "Harder Breaks" on the flip is another monumental jam, presented here in instrumental form most recently used for the theme tune of a UK TV show . The evergreen groove is just crying out for someone with the skills to drop some serious turntablism all over this one.

Review: Super limited new Stateside label that does what it says on the tin.Big drum breaks that work in their own right in instrumental form for these two massive dancefloor classics with the debut release for both tracks in a single 7 inch vinyl format .Heavy on the drums, heavy on the brass with driving instrumentation to take your dancefloor to B-Boy moves heaven. Saw the Allergies had been charting this for a while....Only 200 units !

Review: The Atlanta based B Boy Breaks series continues with another drop of serious cuts to get beat jugglers, sample diggers and just straight up funk lovers going hog wild over the lashings of drum breaks galore. First up on the A side there's some widescreen, expansive beatdowns taking place with the massive "Show Me The Funk Breaks" - a fela esque sax screaching ,hammond organ swirling classic you already know from the many times it's been lifted for its treasured sonic ingredients. "Harder Breaks" on the flip is another monumental jam, presented here in instrumental form most recently used for the theme tune of a UK TV show . The evergreen groove is just crying out for someone with the skills to drop some serious turntablism all over this one.

Review: Peak time dancefloor action with this 45 with the familiar classic b-boy sampling fodder coupled with an infectious r & b vocal club monster. It's never had a physical release till now. On the flip it's instrumental breaks galore for B-Boy/B-Girl back flips action from a sought after uk trio release now in handy 45 form with tuff breakbeats and smattering of electro vibe...Only 200 copies..

Review: It's landed! Two highly iconic and tricky-to-trace funk breaks from the 70s get the treatment from the mysterious new US series B Boy Funk Breaks. Blackrock's psychedelically twinged "Yeah Yeah" gets a slight shuffle and refocus while retaining the all the instrumental drama and swashbuckling drop that's led with JB-level bandleadership while the edit of Richard's People take us straight to church, front row centre. Again laced with another clean and killer break, this is powermove gold. Limited to 300 copies.

Review: Adam Mori aka B.Bravo is back like a thick gush of smoke filling up the dance floor, and the Brownswood-Bleep associate is in no mood to wait till the warm up set is done. These two new smokers for the Bastard Jazz imprint are pure class, every bit as sexy and seductive as we've come to expect from the producer, starting with the sultry claps and bass of the excellent "Im For Real", a sun-scorched killer of a tune, fit for riding shotgun and turing the rooftop down. On the flipside, Mr Carmack detunes "Stay The Night" down to a funky, mid-tempo level, and it's just about the grooviest of boogie tracks that we've heard in a while. Think Daft Punk meets Willie Hutch. Wonderful.

Review: Best Records do it again, dusting down a searing slice of robo-funk from the early 80s that will pop your lock every which way. B Funk was a one-off project from Mario Boncaldo and Tony Carrasco, best known for their incredible work as Klein & MBO. They released the "Magic Spell" album in 1983, and it was loaded with richly produced Italo disco and proto house sounds - there's a good reason the original release has been fetching such crazy prices on the second hand market. Now Best have cherry picked two of the finest cuts from the album, sought out the extended disco versions from Carrasco's vaults, and given them a glorious new pressing.

Review: B+'s B-Beat Classic is originally from 1983. It is an early hip-hop and electronic fusion with some great talk-box vocals and a loose-limbed mix of percussion and drums. It moves slowly and purposefully, with scratches over the top and unhinged funk soon permeating your body. Leftover tape was used to create the effects and original copies have a note that the tune was dedicated to a first generation Boston disco DJ named Jim Stuard whose career was cut short by the Everard Baths fire in New York City in 1977.

Review: Original pressings have been previously spotted passing hands for well over L1000: Big Apple Band's 1976 deep funk classic has been rarer than hen's teeth for most of its 41 year life. Its sought-after status accelerated by Keb Darge for last 15 or so years - that and the fact it's an out-and-out soul-stirring, honey-vocalled, low and slow funk burner - AOTN have finally unleashed it in it full length for all of us. And we should all be eternally grateful.

Review: Island funk and tropical soul collectors often speak in hushed tones about "Bahamas Gone Independent", a hard-to-find 7" single from obscure Bahamian group Babalu & His Headhunters. The good news is that the "45" has finally been reissued. The title track is joyously infectious and summery, with Babalu and his backing band delivering a fine mix of dancefloor-friendly Calypso rhythm, heavy bass, punchy soul horns and all manner of instrument solos to set the pulse racing. Arguably even better is "Calypso Funk", a heavyweight, full-throttle affair that delivers exactly what its title promises and then some.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Record ever so slightly warped with very light surface marks/scratches, but otherwise in perfect working order***


Given the recent passing of Ennio Morricone, it seems fitting that we're being treated to a reissue of Babe Ruth's "The Mexican", a scorching funk-rock number based on the late, great Italian composer's theme from "For A Few Dollars More". The band's cover of that can be heard on the B-side, but it's the five-minute A-side, which boasts lyrics calling out the misleading narrative of John Wayne western "The Alamo", that you need in your life. Full of killer funk breaks that became staples during hip-hop's foundational block party era, plus driving musicality and some of rap music's best-known hooks, the track is still capable of slaying dancefloors 47 years after it was first recorded.

Review: Given the recent passing of Ennio Morricone, it seems fitting that we're being treated to a reissue of Babe Ruth's "The Mexican", a scorching funk-rock number based on the late, great Italian composer's theme from "For A Few Dollars More". The band's cover of that can be heard on the B-side, but it's the five-minute A-side, which boasts lyrics calling out the misleading narrative of John Wayne western "The Alamo", that you need in your life. Full of killer funk breaks that became staples during hip-hop's foundational block party era, plus driving musicality and some of rap music's best-known hooks, the track is still capable of slaying dancefloors 47 years after it was first recorded.

Review: Consistently on-point and expertly dug, Originals continue to join the dots with creativity. Here we rewind to 1973 for Babe Ruth's biggest cut "The Mexican". Its lolloping, rolling bassline and spacious drums have been sampled by many but Organised Konfusion's use is definitely one of the best. Needle down and listen as Prince Po and Pharoahe Monche lay down lucid 1991 flows with a serious political agenda that's still just as resonant today. Timeless on both sides.

Review: The long-awaited Baby Charles debut single, "Back Of My Hand", is finally here! They counts among their fans notables such as Keb Darge, DJ Andy Smith and Mark Lamarr.

Review: Powerful belters from soul supernova Baby Huey. The only solo 45s he cut for Curtom Records before he passed away aged only 26, this was released posthumously and OG copies regularly go for over 200 pounds. Now reissued on Soul Brother, the two sides give you the full fat Huey; "Hard Times" hits with a raw Lee Fields style gravelly, story-telling delivery while "Listen To Me" shows Huey's deft ability to band-lead an all-out rock jam. Raw and emotional, Huey left this world far too soon.

Review: They're best known for covering hip-hop classics in their unique, funk band plus steel pans vibe, but Germany's Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band show there are spookier arrows in their quiver when the time of year demands it. Two special halloween themed cover versions grace this 7", the first a rendition of the theme from TV show of the moment 'Stranger Things', the second their version of the title theme from the film 'Halloween', originally penned by the master soundtrack maker himself John Carpenter. Both have a slightly cheeky, quirky and rather joyful atmosphere, tending more towards the cute rather than the spooky side of all hallows, but don't let their lack of scariness put you off, they're both delightful.010920

Review: The always excellently go slow and tropical sounds of Big Crown now look to Bacao Rhythm and Steel Band for covers of two classics. Up first is Grace Jones' nightclub classic "My Jamaican Guy" while on the flip is Erykah Badu's tribute to the legendary J Dilla, "The Healer". Both retain the essence of the original but come with loose hand claps, shimmering steel drums that bring coastal breezes, sand and sun into the equation and leave you laying horizontal. These are fine interpretations of top notch source material.

Review: Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band is an enigmatic steel pan collective from Hamburg that has a hardcore fan following around the world and a new album on the way that is superb. They are loved for their covers of hip-hop classics and last year served up a version of the Stranger Things theme tune but this time out we get 'Love For The Sake Of Dub' of 45 rpm. It is another pair of funky tunes with the signature brass sounds front and centre as the fat bottom rhythms roll deep and fleshy. Another gem from this leftfield outfit.

Review: Bjorn Wagner's Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band combo recently returned from a two-year hiatus with a killer new album, "The Serpent's Mouth". It's that set - a glorious fusion of funk, soul, disco, jazz and Trinidadian steel band music - from which these two top tracks are taken from. A-side "1 Thing" is particularly glorious. As one quick listen to the clips will confirm, it's a riotous instrumental cover of the Amerie R&B classic of the same name, which replaces the singer's vocals with ear-catching steel drums. The same killer combination of flash-friend funk guitars, bustling drums and tropical steel drum sounds can also be heard on B-side "Hoopla Hoop", which also boasts some suitably fuzzy horns.

Review: The Bacao Rhythm and Steel Band are one of the curious outfits who sound as if they're right out of the '70s, when in fact they are happily playing on their instruments in 2016, and making some serious burners. Their zesty ad energetic blend of horns, steel pan and live drums is the sort of African funk for those looking for some fresh and innovative rhythms in this day and age, with "Love Like This" providing exactly that - a bass-heavy, tripped-out kinda groove that spits quality from all angles. On the flip of this tidy 7", Cat Stevens classic "Was Dog A Doughnut" is taken on a more tropical flex, stripping down the groove and laying out one hell of a steel-pan concoction. Bless.

Review: Yes! A much needed new issue of Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band's sublime 50 Cent cover version arrives courtesy of the Truth & Soul crew! Originally released back in 2008 on Mocambo Records, the cover version was long thought to be the source material for Fiddy's steel pan anthem "P.I.M.P", with Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band's signature signature smashing drums and bass heavy groove somewhere between reggae, steel funk, and the Superfly soundtrack. If you missed out first time around, this new issue of "P.I.M.P" is a must grip, not least as it is complemented on the flip by the first BRSB original composition to make it's way to vinyl in the shape of the hard hitting breaks and pan melodies of "Laventille Road March".

Review: Still scorching from the heat of their debut album 55, Hamburg's mysterious steel pan handlers return with a dope little 45 that features one of the excellent covers from their album plus an exclusive that we guarantee will drive your next floor crazy... Dennis Coffey's "Scorpio" takes the lead with its instantly distinctive break and pace. Flip for Sugarhill's "8th Wonder" that's riddled with confidently swung drums, smoky trumpets and a groove so funky you might just have to drop it twice. Give the drummer some.

Review: Bjorn Wagner's Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band have put out several fresh albums and many great 7"s on Big Crown and 'Hotline Bling' is another one. The mysterious Hamburg outfit brings their famous steel pan sound and reaches new heights here as they again cover songs that span genres and range from mega-hits to album cuts. Their own unique approach is to mix up the traditional sounds of Trinidad and Tobago with the original source material to leave you ready to dance all night long.

Review: Coming off their latest long player Expansions on Big Crown Records which is due for release this July, the Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band returns. Using the steel pan sounds that are traditionally from Trinidad and Tabago is the draw and unique approach of the band, and Expansions will have a little bit of something for everyone, with several unique covers along with original tracks like 'Tough Victory'. Two brilliant tracks taken from the album here, with 'Dirt Off Your Shoulder' on the first side and 'I Need Somebody To Love Tonight' over on the flip.

Review: Big Crown is one of our favourite labels here at HQ. The funk and soul they serve up is perfectly aged yet never overly nostalgic and this new one is another case it point. It's the latest from the Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band and features two singles take from their latest and greatest album Expansions which landed back in June. As always they bring their own unique steel drum sounds and tropical Caribbean vibes to funk music. 'Raise It Up' is a deep cut joint with big horns and rippling steel drums puddles while 'Space' is a more lumpy groove with the drums more front and centre.

Review: Hamburg's Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band are as enigmatic and alluring as when they released their first single back in 2007, a tidy funk 7" that was to set the scene for a very particular sort of instrumental sound. "Jungle Fever", out on their own excellent Big Crown imprint, is a 2015 single that is truly hard not to play on repeat; the tune is a delicate yet funked-out blend of raw drums and tropical steel melodies, much like the name of the band already implies! The flipside "Tender Trap" is more broken and loose in its arrangement, something that makes it perhaps even more catchy and provocative than the title track.

Review: The Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band has become the latest jewel in the Big Crown. Lead by Bjorn Wagner, they have stopped several essential recordings not he label, all defined by their famous steel pan sound. Often they turn to covers of the classics such as they did back in March and this time around they take aim at the much loved and low slung hip-hop classic 'Nuthin' But A G Thang' by Dr Dre. In their hands it becomes something else entirely but still delightfully low slung and sleazy. This one is backed with 'How We Do' which is another loveably fresh sound.

Review: The Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band was founded in 1963 by brothers Cyril and Lionel Bishop. During the 60s and 70s they played the hotel and holiday resort circuit in Trinidad and Tobago and recorded a couple of albums for local labels with the usual staple of Calypso and lounge classics. "Look A Py Py", out on Melting Pot, features some great Meters classics.

Review: The Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band was founded in 1963 by brothers Cyril and Lionel Bishop. During the 60s and 70s they played the hotel and holiday resort circuit in Trinidad and Tobago and recorded a couple of albums for local labels with the usual staple of Calypso and lounge classics. "Look A Py Py", out on Melting Pot, features some great Meters classics.

Review: Danish nu funk artiste Badboe comes through with four cuts of cut n paste breakbeat that are primed for house party spillage. Proceedings open with a reshuffle of Gil Scott Heron, marrying his distinctive vocals to a taut funk groove augmented by plenty of B-Boy samples, whilst "Make The Floor Burn" slips classic hip-hop samples over a filtered disco loop backing. On the flip you get two versions of "I Believe", with the vintage disco subtleties of the latter Smooth Disco Mix proving to be most satisfying.

Review: This dinked 7" features extended edits of two break-digging funk faves. On the A-side, the un-credited re-editor takes his or her scalpel to "Hot Wheels", a relatively well-known cut by Angelo Badalamenti and Al Elias under the Badder Than Evil alias. Wisely concentrating on the killer drums, wah-wah guitar licks and rising horn lines, the edit extends the track in all the right places for increased dancefloor pressure. On the flip you'll find a hot-to-trot extension of The Chosen Few's 1976 single "Funky Buttercup", which wisely extends the breaks for hip-hop DJ use. The break extensions sound slightly tighter than the original version, but the track has lost none of its instinctive swing.

Review: Fingier is Acid Jazz's new sub label for the multifarious works of Argentinian producer Kevin Fingier. Fingier touches on soul, R&B, boogaloo and raw funk in his music, and that's true once again on this collaboration with Abdoulaye Badiane. Badiane is originally from Senegal but now based in Argentina, and he's been travelling the world for 20 years teaching African music. Now he brings his musical heritage to bear on Fingier's funk, and the fusion is incredibly sweet and soulful. 'Kairo Bancou Moulu' has a 60s touch, while 'Addis Ababa' naturally takes its cues from the incredible legacy of Ethiopian jazz.

Review: The lesser spotted Leggins returns with another pair of edit gems. Afro-focussed "Expensive Sheeeeet" comes with more switches than a cockpit as we flick between lolloping bass groove, deep tenor soul, rifle percussion and serious sprinkles of sunset magic. "Lando Disco" ventures west towards Brazil with rich orchestration, wondrous sweeping strings and a perfectly lamenting vocal. Sonic honey.

Review: Destination Martinique: Sofrito's Island Series gets lively to the sound of Michel Bagoe and the brilliantly named Les Hamsters. The former lays down a sublime carnival soundtrack with relentless drums and a highlife feel to the guitars while the latter develop the street party feel with rippling drums and tightly plucked guitars. Guaranteed to whisk your dance to another world, just like the rest of the Sofrito discography!

Review: Some high-grade re-edit action here, as dusty-fingered Chicagoan crate diggers Sadar Bahar and Marc Davis join forces with pal (and credited mixer) Rahaan on two fine tweaks of suitably obscure tracks. A-side 'Disco' is a groovy, funky, horn-heavy affair; a sumptuously string-laden, orchestrated blend of righteous gospel-soul, Philadelphia International style proto-disco and grooves reminiscent of those frequently employed on Steely Dan's most up-beat moments. 'Beat Down' meanwhile is a jaunty, percussive and sun-soaked slab of dancefloor-ready Latin jazz that speeds up as it goes along. The jazz dancers will love it!

Review: Afro 45's / Mr Bongo show no signs of stopping their tireless run of form and, 7" after 7", they just keep on producing the goods. There's yet more '70s goodness with this new little scorcher: the A-side is 1973's "Tessassategn Eko" by Bahta Gebre Hiwot, a pensive Ethiopian pop hit for all sorts of music fans to enjoy, but "Ayalqem Tedqem" by Alemayehu Eshete on the B-side is where it's at... just listen to that bass and you'll instantly recognize this wonderful little cover.

Review: Self-released on his Bay-Del imprint during the mid-70s, and consequently languishing in the realms of the super-rare, Billy Bailey tells two wholly different tales over these two sweet sides; "You Better Stop" is an energetic funk workout with squiggling guitars, heavy-handed piano slaps and Bailey's ballsy vocals. "Exchange Our Love", meanwhile, is a yearning bluesy soul ballad laced with dreamy harmonies and subtle instrumentation. Don't stop.

Review: Original Gravity have been carrying Curtis Baker and the Bravehearts for the past few years, slipping out a clutch of his hot and heavy blues tunes and covers. On this latest single, he's tackling the mighty 'Spoonful', originally written by Willie Dixon and first made famous by Etta James, Howlin' Wolf and eventually Cream. Baker more than does the track justice, hitting a note somewhere close to The Doors' groovy kind of psychedelia, locking in so hard it has to stretch over both sides of the 7".

Review: Lavern Baker was one of the ruling queens of Rhythm & Blues throughout the 1950s, a singer who had all the necessary requirements to be an R&B diva - a knockout voice, oodles of charm and feminine sass to spare. "Love Me Right" is an uptempo, swinging R&B number with big riffs and an irresistible vocal performance. "Tiny Tim" on the flip is a slinkier affair with jangly guitar and baritone sax riffs - well worth checking out.

Review: Kalita Records are proud and honoured to announce the first ever official reissue of the four choice tracks from Randolph Baker's privately pressed sought-after 1982 disco album 'Reaching For The Stars', plus an unreleased instrumental take of 'Party Life' sourced from the original 24-track analogue master tapes.

Originally recorded at Jim Morris and Rick Miller's Tampa-based Morrisound Studios, 'Getting Next To You' features both a mixture of both local Florida talent plus jazz superstar Nat Adderley and bassist John Lamb at their finest. Originally pressed in a limited run of just one-thousand copies, with no distribution and most copies being sold in the local city and on Randolph's own merchandise table at the back of live gigs, original copies have long been sought-after by both collectors and DJs alike, acknowledged as a true grail and masterpiece in the disco scene and deservedly demanding extortionate figures to those lucky enough to find their own.

Here, in collaboration with Randolph, Kalita Records have chosen to re-release the four choice tracks from the album: 'Getting Next To You', 'Jazzman', 'Callin' Me' and 'Party Life'. The former is an in-demand horn and chant-filled disco masterpiece, which, as Randolph explains, concerns unity and "everyone on the same level in other words, everyone just loving life". It is arguably the song that Randolph is most well-known for in the disco and funk scene and perfect for the modern discerning dance floor. 'Jazzman' is an instrumental track with prominent trumpet and saxophone solos working with funky basslines to produce a truly great jazz-funk groove. It was "a tribute to Nat Adderley and Duke Ellington's bass player, John Lamb, for being so generous and saying yes to the project". 'Callin' Me' is a soulful disco number featuring the lead vocals of Laurie Erickson and is "about being on the road and ensuring loved ones that you will always come back home no matter what. It was like a promise to ensure loved ones they didn't have to worry". Lastly, 'Party Life' is a joyous disco track with a strong funk bassline and horns. As Randolph recalls, it "was the joy like after an actor finishes a movie. There was nothing but joy. It's finished; let's celebrate big time. Where everyone in the studio yelled at the top of their lungs - The End!" Here, with access to the 24-track master tapes we have been able to include the original version plus an unreleased instrumental take, allowing us to focus on the infectious bassline and make it even more ready for the modern dance floor.

Accompanied by extensive interview-based liner notes and never-before-seen photos.

Review: Leng Records welcomes cosmic disco legend Daniel Baldelli back to the label a year after his much loved full length with Marco Fratty. This time out he serves up Alloteva, a first joint release with Marco Diongi for the label. Baldelli always manages to show a different look with each and every release and this one is no different - it offers big, cowbell laced cosmic disco with plenty of loose limbed drums and throbbing synths. 'Alloteva' opens up with a patter of toms and congas and squelchy bass, then 'Deflector' sinks deep and low, with seductive pads and balmy sunset sax lines. There are playful funk riffs underpinning 'Sonora' and leggy kicks and snappy hits making 'Time Is Plastic' a real chugger.

Review: A reissue of two historic, important cuts by The Ballistic Brothers. 'Blacker' and 'Cufabro Con Amigos' helped define the transitional crossover between early 90s funk and breaksy electronica in the UK. The Ballistic Brothers were the sonic thesis, antithesis and synthesis of Ashley Beedle and David Hill, both of whom later went on to work behind the scenes in the music industry, but whose earlier contributions are still duly noted. 'Blacker' appeared on their earliest album, The Balistic Brothers vs. The Eccentric Afros Volume 1, and was symptomatic of the sonic stirrings of breakbeat, acid jazz and broken beat at the time, channelling a string-laden suspense, and a wise, sampled vocal snippet from Gil Scott Heron. Heron's wisdom undercuts the track, and hears his musings on race and moral superiority.

Review: From the dedicated Neopolitan archivists Periodica comes a holy grail reissue of a deep cover, highly coveted release from 1983. The groove on Tonino Balsamo's 'Sta Guagliona Mo Dda' is an absolute neck-snapper, with the toughest drum machine beat carrying slinky b-lines and slick synth lines alike while Balsamo flows in a semi-rap style over the top. It's a monster given a fresh master to cut it with any modern jam you care to throw its way in the mix, and the instrumental is on hand for those who want to zero in on that throbbing arpeggio. Also watch out for the dirty beatdown 'Voglia E Mare', which lays the synths on even thicker.

Review: "Bring It Home" is the superb second single from The Bamboos new album "Rawville". The single features sassy soul vocals from Alice Russell. For this track The Bamboos wanted to create a rimshot-type groove like the James Brown track "Licking Stick"!

Review: ***B-STOCK: Record has light surface marks/scratches, but otherwise in working order***


2020 marks two decades since the Bamboos, Australia's premier deep funk combo, first made an impression in their home city of Melbourne. The Lance Ferguson-helmed outfit have been busy in the studio this year cooking up some suitably celebratory music to mark their 20th birthday, with this must-check "45" the latest missive to hit the streets. A-side 'Hard Up' is a typically raw and heavy affair, with regular vocalist Kylie Audist excelling herself over a typically tight-but-loose blend of hazy horns, Hammond motifs, crunchy drums and flash-fried guitar licks. Just as impressive is B-side 'Ride on Time', a surprise - but genuinely killer - heavy funk translation of Black Box's 1989 piano house favourite of the same name.

Review: 2020 marks two decades since the Bamboos, Australia's premier deep funk combo, first made an impression in their home city of Melbourne. The Lance Ferguson-helmed outfit have been busy in the studio this year cooking up some suitably celebratory music to mark their 20th birthday, with this must-check "45" the latest missive to hit the streets. A-side 'Hard Up' is a typically raw and heavy affair, with regular vocalist Kylie Audist excelling herself over a typically tight-but-loose blend of hazy horns, Hammond motifs, crunchy drums and flash-fried guitar licks. Just as impressive is B-side 'Ride on Time', a surprise - but genuinely killer - heavy funk translation of Black Box's 1989 piano house favourite of the same name.