Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Soul Jazz returns with another of its supremely assembled and vital compilations, and this one focuses on reggae. Down Beat Special offers a thrilling journey through timeless hits carefully selected from Jamaica's revered Studio One Records, the epitome of reggae excellence. From Michigan and Smiley's 'Nice Up The Dance' to Dawn Penn's 'No, No, No' and The Wailers' 'Simmer Down,' this collection pulsates with iconic tracks. Originally a limited edition 7" box set, this remastered edition boasts 18 rare gems, including works by The Skatalites, Bob Marley, and Horace Andy.

Review: Soul Jazz Records' new Miami Sound 2 is a superlative collection of 70s soul, funk, disco and boogie featuring tracks from legendary artists such as Betty Wright, Timmy Thomas, Gwen McRae, Milton Wright, T-Connection and many more, all released on the mighty TK Records musical empire based in Miami, Florida. Centring on the curatorial efforts of TK Records founder Henry Stone, who is credited by Soul Jazz as one of the tastemaking pioneers of boogie, after the early ferments of gritty funk and soul formed out of the arrival of disco in the mid-70s. This compilation snaps up a distinct, unforgettable moment in the pivot from disco into soul, with essential tracks from Betty Wright, to Timmy Thomas, to Raw Soul Express, to T Connection all in tow.

Review: Out of print for over 15 years, the Soul Jazz distributed Do It Yourself compilation offers up a bevy of both essential and niche acts from the realms of punk, post-punk, punk-funk, dance-punk and even further afield electronic experimentations where the term "punk" becomes utterly redundant. All UK artists recorded between the late 70s and 80s, the collection sonically details the aftermath of the British punk movement in real time, complete with legacy names such as Buzzcocks, A Certain Ratio and The Last Gang to Red Lorry Yellow Lorry and even Throbbing Gristle. Housed in a gatefold sleeve and spread across translucent orange vinyl 2xLP, the collection has been fully remastered and features extensive sleevenotes and photography as well as interviews with key behind-the-scene players, providing a unique insight into just how much the landscape of independent music changed after the advent of punk.

Review: Studio One Power Mix! is a vibrant and essential compilation from Soul Jazz Records that dives deep into the influential sounds of reggae, ska, rocksteady and more, focusing on the late 1970s, 1980s and beyond. This collection captures the essence of Studio One, the legendary Jamaican label founded by Clement 'Sir Coxsone' Dodd, which has been at the forefront of every major development in reggae music since the 1960s. By the late 1970s, Studio One had already established itself as the undisputed leader in the genre, nurturing the careers of icons like Bob Marley & The Wailers, Marcia Griffiths, The Skatalites, and Dennis Brown. During this period, long-standing artists such as Alton Ellis and Jackie Mittoo returned to the label, producing some of their most creatively fulfilling work. Meanwhile, new talents like Sugar Minott, Johnny Osbourne, and Freddie McGregor propelled Studio One into the dancehall era, pushing musical boundaries while honoring the label's roots. The compilation features a dynamic range of tracks that celebrate this golden era, from classic hits to hidden gems. Each song reflects the creativity, innovation, and unmistakable groove that have made Studio One a cornerstone of reggae history. Whether you're a seasoned reggae enthusiast or new to the genre, Studio One Power Mix! offers a great tracklist through the evolution of Jamaican music, celebrating the enduring legacy of one of its most influential labels.

Review: Soul Jazz have done it again with the Space Age Dub Special, compiling a selection of dub bits from the legendary Studio One label and its head honcho Clement "Coxsone" Dodd (Dub Specialist). One of the best producers and facilitators in the game, this comp is chock-full of the patented box delays and makeshift tinkerings that made Coxsone particularly famous in his day. Homing in on a space-age theme, one can expect an extra out-of-this-world FX palette here, with snippets of the original tracks' vocal channels phased in and out of their thoroughly effected instrumentals - like eclipsed satellites in orbit.

Review: Another work of Soul Jazz curatorial gold: Nigeria Soul Fever is a detailed gatefold trip into one of Nigeria's richest chapters in music. Heavy trade restrictions allowed them to develop their own style without too much US or European influence and the result is an array of national talent who largely remained legends within their own borders. The range is mesmerizing; the sinewy synth and playground vocal Q&A of Benis Cletin's "Get Up & Dance", the ballroom disco soul of Tee Mac's "Living Everyday", the soulful afrofunk folk of Jimmy Sherry's "Nwaeze", the gut-punching power of Arakatula's album finale "Wake Up Africa". This is a treasure trove of unreleased gems that capture a truly unique time.

Review: 'Reggae disco' might not be a very well-known style, but Soul Jazz are hardly intimidated by any sense of obscurity, especially when it comes to a fusion between their two most prized genres. Homing in on reggae disco versions of funk, soul and disco classics, this curt but precious compilation features reggae covers of classics by Michael Jackon, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Candi Staton, with coverers including Risco Connection and the Crashers.

Review: Soul Jazz Records' Boombox series is back with another crucial installment, this time focussing on the early days of hip-hop, electro and disco rap. These multicultural scenes have their roots in community centres, block parties and street jams that were appearing back in the Bronx. It's another fine and fulsome collection across six sides of vinyl and features some of the many innovative names from between 1979 and 1983. All of them are rare, classic and obscure tracks that come with stunning photography from Sophie Bramly who got rare access to document the early days of this scene in New York.

Review: Compiling a slew of tracks that are either impossible to find or which have never been issued, the legendary Jamaican label Studio One have put together a fresh selection of all the best songs recorded by its women artists over the years. Harkening all the way back to the early '60s and through to the '80s, this boundless, romantic blossom of lovers' bass and vox charts both covering and original hits from the likes of Marcia Griffiths, Rita Marley and Hortense Ellis.

Review: RECOMMENDED
Post punk and dance music can be perfect bedmates simply because they are so often one and the same thing. Or rather the former is a form of the latter, with post punk's audio iconography frequently involving a rolling approach to rhythms, subtleties given room to shine and a sense of constant build about the atmospherics. All of which are also cornerstones of electronic club sounds, too.

Here then Soul Jazz adds to its extensive and consistently-impressive back catalogue of genre-themed compilations with a collection of tracks that take their lead from electro pop, industrial, punk, techno and more. Featuring a host of contemporary artists, including LA DIYers Automatic, German sonic artists Toresch and Philippines-via-California cult hero Vex Ruffin, it's refreshingly modern proof of how vital this stylistic meeting point is.

Review: Back in 2017, Soul Jazz offered up a superb box set of seven 7" singles featuring a wealth of 1970s Nigerian afro-rock, afro-funk and afro-disco. Since then the box has been changing hands for significant sums online, so they've bowed to pressure and decided to reissue it as a gatefold double album. It features the same combination of tracks from the likes of Geraldo Pino, Tony Grey, The Wings and MFB, though this time they've been included in a different order. For those interested in raw, raucous and life-affirming Nigerian dance music from the period, it should be an essential purchase (providing, of course, they don't already own the previous box set).

Review: The soul, sound and spirit of America's most vital, volatile and explosive revolutions curated by Soul Jazz as part of an art exhibition at London's Tate Modern Gallery; Soul Of A Nation explores how the political movement was translated and reflected by the musical at the time. A hugely creative and radical decade where art fused expressionism, poetry and spirituality, from the fiery jazz of Carlos Garnett, the raw vocal soul Oneness Of JuJu and of course the iconic sounds and ideas from Roy Ayers and Gil Scott Heron this marks the start of conscious black music.

Review: It's been a while since Soul Jazz tapped into the seemingly bottomless well that is the Studio One archives. This latest trawl through "Sir" Coxsone Dodd's landmark label focuses on the Jamaican imprint's ska output in the "downbeat" period between 1962 and 1965. It was in this period that the ska movement, reflecting Jamaica's newfound independence from the UK, truly began to find its own voice. While that alone makes Studio One Ska Fever worthy of further inspection, it's the tracklist - heavy on early scene classics such as "Freedom Sounds", "Marcus Garvey" and "Mad World", as well as lesser known gems and early works from Lee 'Scratch' Perry and the Wailers - that makes is essential listening.

Review: The mighty Soul Jazz has done it again with this compilation - it features four sides of irresistible ska, soul, rocksteady, funk and dub that traces the history of Jamaican reggae and how American styles like funk and jazz had on it. The record is bursting at the seams with gold from crossover tunes like Tenor Saw's 'Ring the Alarm' to K.C.White's classic 'No, No, No' and Augustus Pablo's always iconic 'Rockers Rock'. Soul Jazz has done all the hard work in digging here so you don't have to.