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Review: There is nothing subtle about these mash ups. They are big tunes to blast mud from any sealer you can get your hands on. Block party starting rip snorters, each one draws on a wealth of hip hop standards from Slick Rick to Notorious BIG. Audacious, shabby hitting and full flavour, they are restless and energetic edits designed for nothing other than dance floor destruction. "Love Be Faithful" kicks off with big beats and flutes, iconic vocals and more, while "How We Rumpshake" is a slicker rap jam turned low riding bumper.

Review: Although he made his name beefing up disco and boogie tunes, Casual Connection has used his Edits imprint - a spin-off from his clothing brand of the same name - to showcase tasty reworks of hip-hop, R&B and New Jack Swing jams. He's at it again on this fourth "45" in the series. A-side, 'Juicy Tells Him' is particularly potent, with the Aussie rework king cannily combining a much-loved rap acapella with punchy electronic beats, sturdy electronic bass and the kind of Korg M-1 organ riff more often associated with bassline or '90s U.S garage jams. He opts for an even heavier, sleazier, and dirtier sound on 'Tasty Work', a next-level re-imaging of a Missy Elliot classic that's as on-point and club-ready as they come.

Review: Back here by popular demand, Les Disques Bongo Joe presents a fresh 7" release from Amsterdam's Nusantara Beat featuring, for the first time on wax, the infectious digital single 'Mang Becak' alongside a brand new and unreleased track. Marking their third collaboration with the label, the band reimagines two treasures of Indonesian music and merges their traditional rhythms with a modern edge that masterfully bridges the past and present. 'Sifat Manusa' has Indonesian vocals bringing sunny disposition and real soul over funky and jazzy drums. 'Mang Becak' is a funky groove with plenty of guitars that range from psyched out to more playful.

Review: This 45 delivers a perfect mix of late 80s hip-hop with a touch of fresh insight. Side-1 features an upbeat track that captures the energy and clever lyricism of vintage hip-hop. Its catchy hook and sharp delivery make it a standout in the golden era of rap. Side-2 shifts gears with a more laid-back, jazzy vibe paired with conscious lyrics. The track's introspective message adds depth and contrast to the more energetic side. Together, these tracks make for a cool, well-rounded 45, blending classic hip-hop sounds with a meaningful message that's sure to resonate with fans of the genre.

Review: Windy City collective Future Rootz are all about mixing up worldly electronic sounds, Latin, tropical bass and global jazz. This second volume in their new series does just that with two expressive remixes of iconic Afro-Colombian tracks. On Side A, Sound Culture delivers a modern take on Son Palenque's legendary 'A Pila el Arroz,' which was originally composed by Justo Valdez for Palenque Records. He infuses it with fresh and bubbly bass and hypnotic vocal chants. On side-B, Afroqbano reimagines 'Tropical Scenes' by adding a vibrant, rhythm-heavy twist to the original that sympathetically blends traditional Afro-Colombian sounds with electronic influences into a wiggling bit of irresistible and sunny global fusion.

Review: Curtis Mayfield's tender falsetto and political lyrical activations made him one of soul's most distinctive and influential figures of the 70s. Addressing civil rights, urban life, and Black identity with rare grace, it's little wonder that his catalogue has since proved a goldmine for reinterpretation, where 'Move On Up', 'The Makings of You' and 'People Get Ready' continue to inspire covers over generations. Here, howsoever the decision was made, do Soul Shepherds reshake a less-known Mayfield favourite in dub, 'Give Me Your Love', a dark-horse ode to good lovin', originally track 6 on the soul star's great soundtrack to the pimpin' 70s film Superfly. "It's true, you're such a gun / Make my lungs sigh" go the brusque lyrics, proving the sensuousness of Mayfield's broadly applicable approach to love.

Review: Edwin Starr's poignant and bright original funk number 'Time' gets a notable reissue via Soul Brother, once again casting a retrospective light on the American Motown boy wonder's advanced songwriting capabilities and out-the-box subject matters. Never one to shy from important messages, 'Time' perhaps rivals Starr's 'War' in its laser-focused singular theme, yet this time errs more existential and metaphysical than political; here Starr muses on father time and his obscurant curtain, pondering the fact that the ticking clock is indeed something that all human subjects feel, yet not all sense the gravity of until it's too late. On the B comes the comparatively righteous romantic march, 'Running Back & Forth', which by comparison lilts through jovial croons and lovestruck reveries.

Review: Diggers Dozen has got a superb vinyl exclusive here as they press up the glorious Tampa hit 'Don't Fight The Feeling' to 7" for the first time ever. The band formed in 1977 in Miami and was a popular house band in the Tampa Bay nightclub that mostly played covers as well as their own originals in an array of styles. One day the group ripened to an advert on a local radio station for forums to submit music to be inclined on a new comparison showcasing local talents and this is the track they sent it. It is one of only ten tunes to have made the cut and it's easy to see why - it's a fine and high-paced fusion of jazz, disco and soul that sweeps you off your feet. The Mighty Zaf edit on the flip distills things slightly into a track that's even more potent.

Review: Alice Taylor, a prominent session singer in the 1970s Philly Soul scene, recorded two tracks in 1974 under producer Emanuel 'Manny' Campbell Jr. and composer Charles R. Bowen at Sound Room Studios. The resulting songs, '(I'm In Love With A) Rock 'n' Roll Singin' Superstar' and 'Sounds Ridiculous,' showcase Taylor's vocal prowess. The former is a pop-soul track capturing the era's fascination with rock 'n' roll, while the latter delves into a girl's affection for a daydreaming boy. Despite the initial poor pressing quality in 1975, Soul Junction has remastered these tracks and included a newly discovered alternate mix of 'Superstar' in a three-track EP, preserving Taylor's legacy for soul aficionados.

Review: Australia's Choi Records drop their second release in the shape of two powerful cover versions either side of a devilish little 7" by The Traffic. The A-side, "White Lines", is a funky, horn-led reinterpretation of Grandmaster Flash's original tune : an instrumental brass ode to the original beast. On the flip, there's "Smack My Pitch Up", another mighty instrumental rework of The Prodigy classic, complete with a string of trumpets that imitate the original's inimitable vocal loop.

Review: Raised on gospel in Mobile, Alabama, Lynn White's path to soul stardom began in Ike Darby's record store, where her habit of singing along to the songs that boomed from the speakers spiralled into a recording deal, not to mention eventual marriage with the store owner. Her 1978 debut on Darby wove a string of local releases, but it was her smouldering 1982 single 'I Don't Ever Wanna See Your Face Again' that caught the attention of Memphis soul legend Willie Mitchell. Signing to Waylo, White spent the 80s carving out a distinctive place in Southern soul, with highlights like the modern soul favourite 'See You Later Bye'. This reissue brings together two standout tracks from her early 90s period: the Lanier & Co. assist 'I Don't Know Why' and a tender cover of George Jackson's 'The New Me'.