New releases last four weeks: All genres

Review: Mikal Asher, a scion of Jamaica's Morgan family dynasty, reunites with Chocolate Star Records here and does so with a collaboration with disco legend Gary Davis. Asher, akin to his brother Denroy Morgan, upholds the family's legacy of righteousness through music. Known as the Binghiman, he crafts captivating tunes with profound lyrics and has recorded in Ghana's Hustle Hard Studios and collaborated with industry pioneers in Kingston and Brooklyn, setting new standards in musical excellence along the way. Here, 'Wicked Ah Fi' transforms into a modern dub stepper, while 'Black Woman' offers a soulful, laid-back dedication to Davis' wife, Sonjia. This 7" also comes with innovative remixes from California-based DJ and producer Knoe1.

Review: The Great Revivers is a funk and library band with a focus on organ laced grooves that hails from Saint Petersburg, Russia. It was formed around a decade or so ago from members of bands Wake&Bake! and The Reggaenauts and has put out a steady stream of very danceable 7"s since then. 'Adventures Begin' is their latest and it comes on the Spasibo label with lashing of loquacious saxophone and some nice loose, live drumming. Flip it over for something more laid back and starry eyed - 'Estrellas' has a soothing late night feel and brims with musicality.

Review: Spasibo Records has been busy lining up plenty of great funk sounds that all seem to be dropping at once. One of them is this limited yellow and red marbled vinyl from The Great Revivers. The band hail from St Petersburg in Russia and these two instrumental tunes are perfect examples of their lush library funk sound. Both were recorded pre-pandemic back in 2019 at a vintage studio in an old church. The organs really shimmer and bring the heat to opening cut 'Adventures Begin' while 'Estrellas' dial down into a more late night and intimate atmosphere before the funky breaks and neat guitar riffs come on with full force.

Review: Available in extremely limited quantities, this new 7" from Burning Soul arrives in both black, or as we have it here, white, and it's another gem from Kidding that keeps up this fine Swiss label's high-quality output. The A-side bursts to life with 'Seriously,' a blistering funk anthem infused with Hammond-organ melodies, underpinned by a deep bass groove and gritty guitar licks. Flipping over to the B-side, 'Komet Ride' kicks up the tempo with even more vigorous drumming and exhilarating organ solos. It's a whirlwind of funk brilliance, underscoring Kidding's knack for delivering electrifying musical adventures.

Review: It's always a good day when a new Burning Soul 7" drops in our laps and this new one is another standout that comes in very limited quantities on either black or white vinyl. It's the great work of Kidding and opens with 'Seriously' which is a Hammond-organ laced and flame hot funk workout with low-slung bass and lots of great grit riffs. The flipside picks up the pace with 'Komet Ride' which has even more energetic drums and even more mad finger action on the organ. Frenetic funk of the highest order.

Review: The wonderful Mr K is back with more edit magic on his own Most Excellent label, this time adding his own spin to 'Wela Wela', a hard edge and raw funk cut from Black Blood, a band of musicians from central Africa but who were based in Belgium. This one was never a hit back in the day for some reason but is built on a killer groove that Mr K reworks and tweaks for more suitable dance floor deployment. It was formerly on his Grass Roots record but now makes its way to a handy 7". On the flip is 'Komi Ke Kenam (Fish & Funjee)' which has tough breaks and funk bass that will ensure 'floors get down and dirty.

Review: German funk act The Poets Of Rhythm have more than left their mark on a scene that wasn't so popular back in their heyday. They have got plenty of great albums to explore and several superb singles, of which this is one. 'Practice What You Preach' is a track from their debut album released on Soulciety in 1993. Despite a hiatus from albums until their return with a Ninja Tune LP in 2001, the band remained active in the 7"s circuit. Surprisingly, a part two to the same track exists, serving as an instrumental version of the original 1993 release. On the B-side, a fresh funk track, previously released under the alias Mighty Continentals, features Bo Baral delivering a rare solo guitar performance alongside ambiguous lyrical content.

Review: Alex Puddu is a versatile multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer renowned for his collaborations with luminaries like Edda Dell'Orso and Joe Bataan, and here he presents a debut double single that is sung in Italian. With tracks 'Pullover Grigio' and 'Texas Blonde,' he introduces a fusion of Italian funk-pop from the late 70s and early 80s and melds the with the pop and indie melodies of contemporary Italy. Also drawing on influences from soul to disco, Puddu's unique production style shines through with its most tender chords, seductive vocals and sunny sounds.

Review: Not long after a lovely 7" from Ryusenkei in the form of 'Spring Rain', CMT is back with more beguiling and beautiful sounds from the Japanese artists. As always she mixes up elements of jazz funk, city pop, disco and more next to swooning instrumentals while her delicate voice soars. 'Timemachine Love' has a nice upbeat disco feel and rolling bass that never lets up on on the flip of this special sealer vinyl is 'Rainy Cinderella (radio edit) which is a more slow and sentimental soul sound that has poised bass and melancholic horns.

Review: This is the third installment in the Local Sugar Diggers Series from Scruniversal in which old and rare records from the label head's friend's collections get reworked and edited. This one is a collab between ScruScru and an equally passionate digger from Cyprus known as Dwaal. Both tunes offer quite different looks but with great results. The first is the steamy and loose-limbed 'Destination? Funk!' with its squelchy bass and neat guitar riffs, while the flipside is a super deep and lush downtempo jam, 'Camelot Chill'. This one has romantic sax notes and gentle grooves with jazzy keys finishing it in style.

Review: SOLO 500 is back on their own self-titled label with the third entry in Galaxy Sound Company's series and again it digs deep into jazz-funk to turn out some killer breaks. Up first is the main theme from 1974's subway hijack movie The Taking Of The Pelham One Two Three and it is one with a funky, jazzy, high-octane sound that has been sampled by Company Flow, Mix Master Mike and many more. On the backside is an edit of a tune from Manfred Mann Chapter Three's self-titled 1969 LP. This one has been famously sampled by The Prodigy. Another great little 7".

Review: The Soul Surfers & Shawn Lee have linked their creative energies once more with a new pair of singles for the cultured Spasibo Records. Both tracks on this limited gold vinyl were recorded in 2018. One was captured at Moscow's Magnetone studio during Lee's visit for the premiere of a movie documenting his prior recording with The Soul Surfers, and the other was recorded remotely with The Soul Surfers at their Nizhniy Novgorod headquarters and Lee at his London studio, The Shop. The collaboration is a fruitful one with two sublime and timeless funk cuts featuring some bittersweet replaying of classic melodies.

Review: Spasibo Records introduces a new 7" vinyl by St. Petersburg outfit the Vicious Seeds, this time on yellow and green wax. In an unconventional move, vibraphonist Pavel Chizhik takes the spotlight and the result is that he truly enhances the band's signature sound. 'Village Hassle' offers a unique blend of rare groove and instrumental reggae-soul - the A-side highlights Chizhik's vibraphone prowess, intertwining it with a dynamic instrumental backbeat. On the flip side, 'Monthly Rainfall' delves into a soulful journey, characterized by cross-sticked snares and offbeat chord plucks which create an atmosphere reminiscent of slow-jammed soul with a contemporary twist.

Review: Originally part of the 2014 album I Hope You'll Be Very Unhappy Without Me, 'Hit 'Em Like Ali' stands out as a vibrant and infectious track in Australian artist Chelsea Wilson's collection. Its energetic and riotous vibe has earned it a place as an unheralded modern deep funk classic. Spasibo Records now grants it a well-deserved single release on nice coloured vinyl. Co-produced by Jake Mason of Cookin' On 3 Burners, the heavyweight instrumental backing track, making its debut on the flip side, showcases Melbourne's top funk musicians. With blistering breakbeats, heavy horns, flanged guitars, and weighty bass, it's a track designed to captivate.