THE SOUL SURFERS Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Sunsay & The Soul Surfers' cover of William DeVaughn's 'Be Thankful For What You Got' is a smooth and classy rendition of the 1974 original. The funk and soul influences are evident in the laid-back groove and sultry vocals, creating a timeless and sophisticated sound. With Massive Attack's 1991 cover also gaining recognition, this song has become a staple in the genres of funk and soul. The 7' vinyl reissue from 2024 remains faithful to the original release, capturing the essence of the track in its entirety. The B-side features the instrumental version, providing musicians and DJs with a versatile tool for sampling and remixing. 'Be Thankful For What You Got' serves as a reminder to appreciate the things we have, both big and small, and to find contentment in the present moment.

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: Montenegrin-French composer, arranger, conductor, keyboardist, percussionist, vocalist and producer (nuff skills!) Janko Nilovic & The Soul Surfers have already turned our ears this year with a super 7" on Funk Night. Now they're back with another limited bit of 45rpm heat on Broc. Noth sides of this one makes for impossibly funky listening, with skilled instrumental solos getting deep under your skin and making you move. They are packed with charm and mark another noteworthy outing for this outfit.

Review: The Soul Surfers share their debut 7" on Broc Recordz, following a promising entree working with various raw funk and soul greats, including with Jack Nilovic on his 'Maze of Sounds' compilation, not to mention appearing on the first volume of the recent Two Tales For The Mind V/A. 'High Roller' and its counterpart 'Big Slick' are two large, roomy, instrumental sonic gateau slices, on which an outsized four-string occupies the front and centre of both mixes, to megalomaniac, almost gluttonous effect. All else follows naturally; plucks, snares and FX licks resound, as we're left to contemplate the ingenious front cover by Italian artist Riccardo Bettazzoni.

Review: Spasibo welcomes Russian outfit the Soul Surfers who word on the street says have a studio full of vintage, Soviet-era gear. Using library music as their source, they bring their own psychedelic twist with deeply funky grooves and have done now for over a decade. Here they kick off with a seven-plus minute medley of 16 tracks that mix up soul from all eras with wah-wah sounds and real emotion. They repeat the same trick on the flipped with 17 tracks all featuring in a journey through space and funk that leaves you in awe.

Review: Come on, its 2016, of course there are soul bands from Russia. More specifically, there's soul bands from Russia that make absolutely incredible music, and The Soul Surfers are one of them. They've been busy over the last 6-7 years, and the Spasibo label have been instrumental in getting their sound across to the masses. "Vladimir's Groove" is deep, funky and wet, filled with an awesome slap-back bass, a trippy cascade of organs and just a general feeling of "yeah". "Igor's Groove" is slower, more laid-back and possibly even better and bolder, bringing out the best out of this band and solidifying them as serious contenders for best soul kings of the post 2000's. A band to watch - keep 'em peeled!

Review: The title 'Maze Of Sounds' is revealing enough; together in 2020, Janko Nilovic and The Soul Surfers built a musical labyrinth, with the Russian bandleader's instrument of choice (the keyboard) intended as a spiritual guide for navigation through what would otherwise be a rather difficult and surreal tribulation. A contemporary instrumental soul and funk album for those who like to set the scene with a glass of sherry and a dash of mystique, the cuts here - from 'Sweet Path' to 'It Never Ends' - are cinematic tools for relaxation, contemplation, and of-course, guidance.

Review: Fans of library music may have heard of Janko Nilovic, a veteran composer whose jazz, funk, soul and easy listening-inspired works of the sixties and seventies have been extensively sampled by hip-hop producers including Dr Dre. Now 80, last year he joined forces with Russian funk combo The Soul Surfers to record this surprise album. He still appears to have something of a Midas touch, because Maze of Sounds really is rather good. Starting with the heady breeze of 'Prelude', the set sees the Soul Surfers delivering impeccable instrumental cuts that variously draw influence from Hammond-laden downtempo grooves, string-laden easy listening soul, stripped-back down-low funk, sun-kissed Sunday afternoon jazz-funk and the deep back catalogue of Bob James.