Juno Recommends Funk / Reissues February 2021

Review: Having enjoyed a successful 2020, DJ Soopasoul strides into the new year in confident mood via a fresh Soopastole Edits release focused on the work of one of his favourite artists, the Godfather of Soul himself, James Brown. Interestingly, the legendary artist doesn't actually feature all that much on the A-side vocal mix of 'Boston Drop', with Soopasoul limiting his involvement to a few excited yelps, grunts and instructions to the backing band. That's not necessarily a bad thing though, because the musical accompaniment - which can be admired further on the tight, DJ-friendly instrumental take - offers an enticing mixture of hard, sun-bright guitar licks, heavy drum-breaks, handclaps and chunky bass. Like the rest of the series, it sounds like a guaranteed floor-filler.

Review: Dynamite Cuts is one of the most apply named labels of them all. Once again here it brings the serious funk heat on a tidy 7" from The 9th Creation. Both of these super sexy killers are taken from the mega rare Bubble Gum album and it's not hard to see why it has become such a highly sought after record. The title tune is only just over two minute long but has steamy spoken word vocals with Moog funk bass. 'Rule Of Mind' is longer at over five minutes, and the way the keys shimmy into your affections and the lead sax brings the lustre is second to none. What an EP.

Review: DJ P and the Breakbeat Junkie have been working together as Second Hand Audio for well over a decade, though this contribution to the Toxic Funk series - the fourth in total, fact fans - marks their first joint appearance on Breakbeat Paradise. In keeping with the series' party-starting ethos, A-side 'Dance to the Beat' sees them cannily combine chunky funk breaks with old school hip-hop snippets, vintage soul vocal lifts and jangly instrumental samples from what sounds like a breezy cover version of the Jacksons' 'ABC' (but probably isn't). The smile-inducing fun continues on flipside jam 'Treacherous Love', a slower, hip-hop-tempo number that peppers a head-nodding beat and funk-rock guitars with vocals from an all-star rap number.

Review: Sometimes known as Inokasira Rangers, Park Rangers are a Japanese band who have spent much of the last decade releasing inspired but unlikely instrumental reggae covers of massive rock, pop and disco hits. This 7" single boasts two of their most popular covers, starting with a ridiculously cheery and almost hilariously cheeky version of Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'. Built around a 1960s style rocksteady riddim, it's instantly recognisable thanks to the band's choice to track the tune of Cobain's lead vocal (which naturally isn't present) with a Hammond organ solo. On the flip you'll find a deep reggae-disco cover of Kool & The Gang classic 'Summer Madness'; it's good, but nowhere near as fine as the surprising A-side.

Review: Almost five years have passed since we last heard from X Ray Ted, a Bristol-based party starter and champion turntablist best known for his occasional outings on Ghetto Funk. He's in typically funky form on his first ever vinyl outing, offering up two killer cut-and-paste workouts via a cheery Bomb Strikes "45". Both cuts are carefully crafted from largely familiar loops and samples, but tastefully enough done to ward off any accusations of cheesiness. A-side 'Mirror Ballin' is particularly potent, with the West Country producer peppering a tooled-up version of a familiar mid-tempo disco-funk groove with all manner of much-loved vocal samples. Flipside 'Party Time' lives up to its title, strengthening an even fierier disco-funk groove with the kind of cuts and samples guaranteed to get any dancefloor rocking.

Review: The Apricot Ballroom crew are operating out of Sheffield and carrying the torch from the foundational work of David Mancuso's Loft parties and similarly spirited affairs like Lucky Cloud. Now they launch a label loaded with smoking hot edits that very much speak to the vibe of their parties - rich, warm 70s grooves that spring from the staple sounds of disco into cool, slick and psychedelic spheres. First up is Joi La Frique with the French flair of 'Family Rally', while Beard In Dust lays down some heavy slapping, cowbell toting funk with 'Calypso Boy'. On the flip, Nonna Fab ups the boogie mood with some nasty Moog action on 'Tension (Release Mix)' before Lancaster Bomber whips up a proto house storm with 'African Sauna'.

Review: The 11th in Del Gazeebo and Aldo Vanucci's much loved Soul Flip Edits series has been long delayed. Djar One is behind it - and thousands of other releases in the last year, it seems, with more to come, reportedly. The tunes here are high speed, hard hitting funk and breakbeat reworks with tempos well over 145 and 135bpm respectively. The a-side is Mary Wells' northern soul banger 'Can't You See You're Losing Me' remixed with extra bump and on the reverse is a re-souled Astors gem 'Uncle Willie Good Time.' These are as hard and fast as they are great.

Review: This tasty new 7" from Willie Tee is a real work of funk and soul genius. An original copy will cost you too much, basically (L4000) as it is one of the most sought after records in the world. It finds Tee retiring to a previous big hit but updating it with a New Orleans production sound straight for the 70s. The result is a modern soul anthem that is heart aching and sublime. And if you thought the a-side was good, the flip is just as strong, but with a more direct and raw approach, bustling drums and impassioned vocal delivery.

Review: The first release from the Ethiopian Brothers, 2019's 'Ashadwa', was a brilliant slab of Afro-funk that many erroneously believed to be a long-lost classic. In fact, it was the work of a contemporary producer associated with Jalepeno Records. Regardless, the record sounded authentically old and dusty, as does this equally as inspired sequel. 'Selassie (Part 1)' sets the tone, with the producer and his session musicians serving up a righteous Afro-funk workout rich in Tony Allen influenced drum-breaks, flanged guitars, raw tenor sax lines and killer bass guitar. Even more righteous is the flipside 'Part 2' version that showcases more snaking sax lines and some seriously infectious, chant-like vocals.

Review: If you're on the lookout for some hedonistic, party-starting fare, we'd highly recommend this bonus seven-inch from Ogogo's ongoing Oonop Drops series. The theme is "ruff cuts", with the Ruffcats setting the agenda on side A, joining forces with Allergies' mic man Andy Cooper for the jazzy funk breaks-meets-scratch-happy-hip-hop heaviness that is the Slick Walk remix of 'On The Run'. That comes accompanied on side A by a typically tight and heavy instrumental version. Over on the flip, 6th Generation take over with 'Remember Us', a jazzy, deep and bass-heavy instrumental hip-hop number of the type that Grand Central Records' used to champion, before Clockwerk and Birdmoves wrap things up via the smoky trip-hop head-nod that is 'Portisheadshop'.

Review: The latest edition in DJ Soopasoul's "Soopastole Edits" series looks like it may fly off the shelves, and with good reason. The lead cut is not an edit per se, but rather a crafty, clever and expertly produced mash-up that places selected rap flows from the acapella version of Beastie Boys classic "Ch-Check It Out" over a tightened up and fattened up rearrangement of MFSB's disco-era jam "People All Over The World". Sometimes these kinds of mash-ups can be messy, but this genuinely isn't, with the Beasties' vocals fitting the backing track like a glove. Over on side B Soopasoul shares his tweak of the MFSB track, which is entirely instrumental bar periodic use of the band's female backing vocals. In a word: ace!

Review: Way back in the dim and distant mists of time - most likely the early '70s - the Johnny Frigo Sextet recorded a now highly sought-after album with "electric jazz" specialist Gus Girdano. That set contained tons of great covers of now classic soul, funk, and jazz-funk jams, two of which are featured on this superb seven-inch. On the A-side Frigo and company deliver a Latin jazz-flavoured shuffle through War's 'Spill The Wine', where electric piano melodies, toasty bass and fluttering flute solos catch the ear. Over on the flip they tackle Dennis Coffey favourite 'Scorpio', wisely emphasizing the track's killer drum-breaks and weighty funk-rock riffs. It's a deliciously percussive, Incredible Bongo Band style cover that should find favour with turntablists across the world.

Review: Straight out of Bristol comes a brand-new label from Tom Friend, the avuncular vinyl obsessive behind the Friendly Records store and bar. The inaugural release on Friendly Recordings fittingly comes from a local talent, promising newcomer Claude Cooper. What's on offer very much taps into Bristol's post-punk history, with excellent A-side 'Tangerine Dreams' sounding like the sax-wielding mutant offspring of Rip, Rig & Panic and Maximum Joy - all bold, rubbery double bass, frenetic breakbeats and delay-laden horn solos. B-side 'Two Mile Hill', which was named in honour of a road in Bristol near Cooper's house, offers an extra-percussive and moodier variation on a similar theme. In a word: terrific!

Review: Should you be able to find original copies of the two dusty-fingered classics featured on this "45", your bank balance was be significantly smaller. Of course, just because something is rare and expensive doesn't make it good, but Jimmy Thomas's 1969 cut 'Springtime' is genuinely brilliant. Released when funk-rock was arguably at its height, it sees the legendary soul man belting out Alan de Roches' lyrics over a Hammond-heavy fusion of soul, funk and Hendrix-style heavy rock. This time round, it comes backed with a relatively hard to find - on vinyl, at least- chunk of reggae/soul/rhythm & blues from iconic Jamaican singer Owen Grey. It's superb, of course, but we still prefer the incendiary A-side.

Review: You won't find many funk and soul records quite like Makers' 'Don't Challenge Me', a celebrated but very hard to find 1972 single from a group of musicians headed up by producer Boris Midney. As this much-needed reissue proves, the track was hugely ahead of its time, partly due to its then unusual fusion of dub and soul, but mainly because of Midney and company's use of spacey early synthesizer sounds. The influence of dub can still be heard on the quirky flipside soul jam 'You're Shy', a horn-sporting number rich in layered female vocals, quirky synth riffs and trippy tape delay effects. Both tracks still sound ridiculously fresh and futuristic, despite their vintage. A genuinely must-have release!

Review: Back in 2010 composer and Latin jazz specialist Claudio Passavanti put together a scaled-down ensemble of Latin musicians and percussionists to record a salsa cover version of the Jackson Sisters disco classic "I Believe In Miracles". The seven-inch single was a riproaring success, with jazz and Afro-Latin DJs around the world turning it into a bona fide scene anthem. Happily, Passavanti has decided to reissue it on red vinyl to celebrate the track's tenth birthday. It's a superb cover all told and, somewhat surprisingly, "I Believe In Miracles" actually works really well as a Salsa record. Full of fiery horns, sing-along, Boogaloo style vocals and infectious percussion, we actually prefer it to the over-played Jackson Sisters take. Recommended!

Review: This Rare Changes LP is a gathering of singles Mayer Hawthorne realised between June 2019 and July 2020. There is a booklet with each ones unique covert art and the artist dedicates the record to "the brave people of planet earth who are holding hands and fighting for the rare changes." Musically it is a heartwarming slow motion funk affair, with gentle chords and sun kissed guitars over tumbling drums. Hawthorne's vocals soar up top and always manage to sound tender, vulnerable, and real. 'Over' is a short but sweet gem with 'Only You' coming on a hip hop leaning beat.

Review: The Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio are masters of the lost art of music that really makes you feel good without being cheap or cheesy. Making their sound so good is a careful mix of 60s organ jazz a la Jimmy Smith, some soulful strutting that Booker T would be proud of and plenty of sprinkles of Motion or Stax magic. The band is lead by Delvon Lamarr, a self-taught virtuosic musician who light sup each and every track, much like the warm, whirring organs that bring the funk. Expert drums and conversational playing styles all help make this one a real stand out.

Review: Californian artist Diamond Ortiz makes his Neon Finger debut and in doing so brings plenty of his homeland's sunny soul to the fore. This magnificent 7" brims with West Coast influences and low riding beats. The original version on the a-side, '4 Really Tho', is all filtered vocals and squelchy boogie bass that is impossible warm and smooth. Dazzling chords and big hand claps complete the vital cut and then the flip removes the vocal and allows the majestic chords and bass to really shine. This sure is an essential cop for all funk lovers.

Review: Few soul labels are quite as good at sniffing out previously unreleased material as Family Groove Records. Their tireless digging frequently unearths hidden musical treasure such as these two tracks, which date from the earliest days of Louisiana outfit Superior Elevation. Both tracks were apparently recorded in 1879 at Sea-Saint in New Orleands, the near mythical studio owned by Allen Toussaint. First up is 'Freaky With You', a breathlessly energetic psychedelic disco romp laden with sweaty hand percussion, flash-fried vocals, rubbery slap bass and eyes-closed funk-rock guitar licks. In contrast, 'Welcome to My World' is a slow and seductive, two-step style modern soul number that's as sweet as it is loved-up.

Review: Given the anger in the United States surrounding the antics of President Trump, it was almost inevitable that we'd see a cover version of Roy C Hammond and the Honey Drippers' Nixon-era funk bomb "Impeach The President" at some point. It's a great cover, too, with Fysah Thomas providing a sassy, venomous lead vocal over a fine, horns-and-drumbreaks-heavy funk backing track courtesy of backing band The Get Down Underground. On the flip they completely re-build the track, re-casting it as an authentic dub reggae workout complete with delay-laden vocal and horn snippets and an all new rhythm track. It's rather brilliant all told and arguably even better than the A-side version.

Review: Foremost contemporary funk label Peoples Potential Unlimited have another golden 12" on their hands here thanks to the work of Barnikle Freee. He is the current designer for the label, someone who hoards software and makes expert glitch funk as well as being a multi-string bassist. As ever with this label, it is lo-fi, subtle sounds and frayed edges that define the EPs lovely aesthetic, with roughshod grooves, tumbling kicks and scatter perc all making you want to cut loose and boogie. Part dream-scape, part hazy late night session, part live set, it's all good.