Juno Recommends Funk / Reissues June 2021

Review: Mushi 45 main man Mister Mushi is as close to an edit god as you can get, frankly He shows that again here on another of his superb 7"s. The a-side from the Japanese DJ and producer is as tight as they come. It adds many new layers to an iconic tune, with big horns, kicking hip hop drum work and a funky bassline that you hope will never end. It's action packed from front to back, and cannot fail to detonate any dance floor. ON the back is a version that is stripped of all the extra flair, but rolls deep and offers jazzy keys, snatched vocal snippets and a languid, slow-funk groove that still has plenty to offer.

Review: Black Hole's second release in the Sample Series finds Black Cash & Theo link up for a trio of heart breaking blue-eyed soul sounds, all served up as special remastered edits. 'I Ain't Got The Love' opens with the pained and yearning vocals over aching drum breaks with melancholic strings adding to the emotional turmoil. It's a beautiful tune where 'Ghettos Of The Mind' is a freaky interlude of looped vocals that are haunting and paranoid. 'Hurts So Bad' is a well loved soul gem that emerges on a rousing, heart bleeding vocal from slow, pensive moods to empowering highs and back again.

Review: Cornish funkateer Daytoner rarely fails to deliver the goods, with his semi-regular seven-inch missives being amongst his most potent releases. He's at it again here, delierving two confirmed party-starting workouts that combine live funk and soul style instrumentation topped off with classic hip-hop acapellas. He begins with 'Life's a Bitch', where fast crew rap flows lifted from a much-loved hip-hop cut ride undulating bass guitar, laidback funk breaks and glistening guitars. He flips the script a little on flipside '(It Ain't) No Good', delivering hip-hop tempo beats, deep bass, luscious electric piano motifs and smart use of one of the most celebrated R&B vocals of the 1990s.

Review: While Canadian composer/producer Galt MacDermot will always be most famous for composing the score to legendary musical "Hair", he was also responsible for some killer jazz, soul and funk records in his time, too. Take "Coffee Cold", for example. Originally tucked away on his obscure 1966 jazz-funk LP, Shapes of Rhythm, the track sees him adding fluid jazz-piano solos to a chunky breakbeat-driven instrumental workout. On the flip you'll find "Space", a jaunty - if strangely mixed - fusion of lolloping but crispy drum breaks and jousting Harpsichord and piano solos. The track is arguably best known for being sampled on Busta Rhymes's "Woo-Hah", though before that it featured on MacDermot's 1969 soundtrack album, Woman is Sweeter.

Review: 
The first release from Regulate Recordings sets out its stall in fine fashion. The tidy 7" brings together elements of funk, hip hop, party breaks and plenty more into a pair of authentic old school sounds. They come from a Manchester DJ, T2Funk, who used the extra time he had during lockdown to explore his record collection and link up with producers and turntablists to form a collective and release their own jams on 45s. 'Listen To The Sound' has a real 80s swagger with plenty of great mic work and scratching, then 'That Beat' is a more rolling bit of boom bap with big horns.

Review: One of Canada's most influential hip-hop protagonists Jorun Bombay returns to local Halifax label Black Buffalo, an imprint that launched in 2005 with a white vinyl limited 45 issue....Following his recent edit series comes this fantastic cover of RA in the form of "Revisiting The Sunshine". Authentic to its soulful core, the release is perfectly timed as we're all beginning to miss the summer moving into the colder months. It's backed by an equally sunny shakedown version of "Funky Sensation" getting a precision Bombay treatment. Sensational.

Review: This 7" is taken from Funkshone's sophomore long player, '2.' It is a hard breaking, funked up b-boy anthem that makes a long awaited appearance on 45rpm with Mike Bandoni's trademark drum grooves set against the usual Funkshone wall of sound. UK broken beat maestro Kaidi Tatham does his magical thing on the flute, too, for good measure. DJ Skeme Richards made the OG a big hitter on the scene after using it in his set at the Red Bull BC Boy Finals in Brazil in 2012. On this special release it gets a 'never-heard-before' b-boy cut up on the flip.

Review: Hilton Felton's 'Be Bop Boogie' is a delightful classic from the man originally from Norfolk, Virginia. The jazz organ player worked with the likes of Chuck Brown and The Soul Searchers as well as Eva Cassidy at points in his career, and his debut solo album from which this is taken is impossible to find these days. This rare groove jazz funk nugget was recorded in the same place as 'The Bottle' by Gil Scott heron and uses all of its seven minute play time to really get deep under your skin. On the flip is part 2, a rare Japanese 7" edition from 2011.

Review: Some 12 years after it first hit record stores, Favorite Recordings has decided to offer-up a new pressing of one of Bruno Hovart's finest singles as Mr President, Mr Day collaboration. In its' original form, the track is a cheery, summery and wonderfully mood-enhancing chunk of 1970s style funk-soul fusion rich in punchy horns, bustling breaks, loved-up vocals and boisterous bass guitar. Also worth a listen is the flipside 'B-Boys Edit', which concentrates on Hovart's superb instrumental backing track before adding oodles of breakdance-friendly hand percussion and Latin style drums. Like the A-side, it's simply superb.

Review: Jorun Bombay likes to muck about with all sorts of different beats, but he always does it with real skill and personality. That's made him one Canada's most revered hip hop stars and here he tackles the one and only Parliament. His version of "Knee Deep" with its extra bass weight and shrill synth lines bring the party vibes thanks to the feel good pianos. "Mothership Bonus Beats" on the flip is a late night, slow and sleazy jam to get you in the mood. The squelchy synth bass is to die for, the drawn out horns linger long in the air making it a perfectly steamy cut.

Review: Considered one of the essential Brazilian funk records of an era, Sandra Sa's Vale Tudo receives a much deserved reissue here on Mr. Bongo. Originally released in 1983, it was produced by Lincoln Olivetti alongside a who's who of musicians that were central figures on the scene at the time. From the disco boogie of 'Trem Da Central' featuring one amazing brass section, the heartfelt and romantic ballad 'Onda Negra' and the late night boogie-down vibe of 'Guarde Minha Voz' - they are the perfect backdrop for Sa's unique voice which really shines throughout. Although most prolific in the early '80s, Sa continues to work in the music industry to this day.

Review: Nautilus are a Japanese band named after the iconic Bob James song, which also tells you a lot about their style - which is a mix of modern rare groove that also embodies elements of jazz, funk, disco, soul and hip hop. In just five years they have built up a solid global fan base and this new single explains why. 'Move On Up' (feat Mizuki Kamata) is both filled with golden era acid jazz goodness, but also slick modern jazz tinged grooves that fit right in with the contemporary landscape. ON the flip, 'Track 2' is more slow and late night, a tender basement jam for cuddly dancing.

Review: Soon to be followed by two more from the mighty Ratio - ACR:EPC and ACR:EPR - EPA is the opening chapter in a triptych born from nothing. Or at least no fixed plan or specific agenda. A day spent jamming in the studio with close friend of the band and regular vocal collaborator, Denise Johnson, the recordings here and on the pair still to come represent the work they did that day, shortly before the world lost the woman in question forever.

Passing away in July 2020, well before her time, this is ACR paying tribute to another integral part of the Manchester music Factory. From the hypnotic and woozy 'Wonderland', where Donna Summer meets acid jazz, to the more straight-laced disco material - delivered with an edge you'd expect in terms of instrumentation and vocals - EPA is a fitting way to honour her legacy.

Review: Jorun Bombay is one of Canada's most influential hip-hop protagonists and his fantastic cover of the recently turned 80 year old Roy Ayers in the form of 'Revisiting The Sunshine' is one of his biggest tunes. A recent reissue on white vinyl sold out in quick time so now comes another chance to own it, this time on black wax. This one followed Jorun's recent edit series and is authentic to its soulful core. As summer fades away and autumn looms, keep the sunny vibes alive with this golden, heart warming version. On the flip is something just as sunny - a fine version of 'Funky Sensation' that gets a precision Bombay treatment.

Review: We all love a good fusion record but this one is truly special from Morton & The Uptights. Jazz, ska, funk, rock and soul all feature on the only two songs ever written by this outstanding band. It was lead by the American organist and pianist Scott Bradford alongside musicians from the Jess and James band, with the extra addition of Belgian jazz legend Philippe Catherine playing the guitar. 'Taurus' is a bubbling rhythm led by subtle horn stabs, with just a hint of samba, jazz keys and plenty of percussion all sprinkled into the mix. 'Montego' is another distillation of myriad different sounds and influences from around the world into a real dance floor heater.

Review: Second time around for Afro-Kreole artist Grace Barbe's surprise collaboration with Afrobeat legend Tony Allen, which was first released on seven-inch way back in 2016. Allen handled production and remixing duties on "Afro-Sega", a wonderfully humid and tropical number in which the late drummer's distinctive polyrhythms provide a killer base for Barbe's superb lead vocals and all manner of accompanying musical heat (think undulating funk bass, effects-laden Clavinet riffs and punchy sax). Just as good is flipside "Fatige", an even more colourful and vibrant affair in which the Seychelles Islander explores the tropical sounds of her home archipelago in serious sonic style. Only 160 of these have been pressed in total, so act fast if you want to secure a copy.

Review: Psych-funk specialists Delights has struck gold again with their latest release, which started life as a spontaneous recording session in 2018. The two tracks were polished up and finished off by one of the quartet of players involved, Grupo Modular's Markey Funk, who has helped turn them into cosmic, otherworldly and hallucinatory treats. The one for dancefloor plays is A-side 'Strain', a creepy, horror-influenced number that features crunchy, loose-limbed funk breakbeats, fuzzy bass, undulating synthesizer lines and bold electric piano stabs. Flipside 'Initiation' is another library funk influenced affair, with echoing synthesizer and electric piano sounds stretching out over a slow-motion beat and a hazy, alluring bassline. It's rather spaced-out all told, but that only makes it more attractive.

Review: Funk Night Records continues to showcase the music of newcomers John Reed & The Automatics, who here drop the third of three simultaneously released seven-inch singles. Inspired by the flanged funk records of the psychedelic era, 'On The Run' adds psyche-funk guitar sounds and trippy, effects-laden lead lines to a weighty, low-slung groove full of boisterous drum-breaks, booming bass guitar and wah-wah-heavy guitar riffs. They flip the script on 'Xmas', peppering a looser funk groove with squelchy bass, spacey synths sounds and psychedelic organ riffs. It's not quite as heavy as the A-side, but still rocks harder than Santa Claus after an all-night session with Keith Richards.

Review: Comet Records continue their Afrika 70 reissue series with more from the pioneering and visionary Tony Allen and The Afro Messengers. It focuses on his best material from the late 70s, remasters it all and presses it nice and loud. The No Discrimination LP is as relevant now as ever in terms of its messaging, and musically it also holds up. The lyrics are socio-politically charged. The drumming is tight as hell and though this marks Allen's first solo album away from Fela's band, it finds him in fine form as he takes afrobeat into the future.

Review: Vancouver-based DJ and producer Nick Bike is in a fine run of form with a number of slick 7" edits landing all in the same small timeframe. After recently tackling East Oakland rapper Too Short's 'Blow The Whistle' he now looks to Al Green's iconic 'Let's Stay Together.' He lets swooning strings open with a luxuriant vibe before a more driving back beat powers things along as the original vocal comes in. 'Award Tour' (Green mix) takes the original melodies and adds them to a rolling hip hop beat with some more contemporary rap styles delivered over the top.

Review: If you dig a decent cover or an essential edit, then you will be more than familiar with Jorun Bombay. The Canadian artist is a leader in his field and a prolific one, too, who puts out plenty of material in a constant stream. Here he takes on Parliament classics. His version of 'Knee Deep' with its extra bass weight and shrill synth lines bring the party vibes thanks to the feel good pianos. 'Mothership Bonus Beats' on the flip is a late night, slow and sleazy jam to get you in the mood. The squelchy synth bass is to die for, the drawn out horns linger long in the air making it a perfectly steamy cut.