Curtis Baker & The Bravehearts - "Fried Fish ’n’ Collard Greens" (2:40)
The Native Yinzer - "The Hip Strip" (2:33)
Review: The fourth edition in Original Gravity's Down In The Basement series, which gathers instrumental soul and swing cuts onto worthy 7" slabs, resounding the fervent 1960s decadal gap in which mod reigned supreme. With juleps flowing and kneecaps knocking, Abramo & Nestor bring newfangled electric pianistic swing with 'Dig It!', while a twinned "hit it!" injunction is heard from Floyd James & The GTs on the reissued 'Work That Thang'; James' voice is tubed and speed-delayed to terrific effect, achieving a sprung intonation. Curtis Baker brassifies the bonanza with the lively 'Fried Fish 'n' Collard Greens', while The Native Yinzer's exiting excitation 'The Hip Strip' quilts our ears with a mnemic, down-feathery Hammond-breaks bit.
Review: This 7" reissue of 'I'm So Proud' by Aswad and The Natural Band's 'There Was A Time' delivers a funk-filled gem originally released in 1972. Aswad's 'I'm So Proud' leads with a soulful blend of funk and soul, anchored by a strong vocal performance and tight rhythm section. On the flip, The Natural Band's 'There Was A Time' is a dynamic instrumental jam that showcases tight grooves and infectious rhythms, making it an essential track for any funk enthusiast. Previously fetching high prices on the second-hand market, this reissue is a great opportunity to experience these classic tracks without breaking the bank.
Review: Roy Ayers at his most transcendent. 'Everybody Loves the Sunshine' is more than a summertime anthemiit's a spiritual moodboard that's shaped jazz-funk, soul, r&b and hip-hop for nearly 50 years. Ayers, born in Los Angeles and raised in its fertile fusion scene, places the vibraphone at the music's heart, coaxing heat-haze tones from sparse chords, synths, and that honeyed chorus. Flip it over and the instrumental version unlocks a deeper layer: stripped of vocals, it becomes a pure groove, drifting and hypnotic. What lingers is the balanceibetween melancholy and bliss, rhythm and release. A rare track that feels entirely unhurried yet quietly radical, now preserved in a limited pressing that looks as golden as it sounds.
Review: This orange 7" is a miniature monument to one of soul's most quietly influential figures. Roy AyersiLos Angeles-born, jazz-schooled, funk-mindedicrafted 'Everybody Loves the Sunshine' not to dazzle but to dissolve. It moves with a drowsy clarity: shimmering synth, near-whispered vocals, and a lazily tumbling bassline that never quite lands. Released during a golden run of Ayers' mid-70s material, the track has since become shorthand for warm-weather introspection, equal parts ease and ache. The instrumental version on the reverse keeps the spirit intact, offering a meditative glide through the same terrain. Limited to 300 copies, this orange pressing pairs a low-lit groove with a deepening sense of legacyiAyers' influence isn't just heard, it's felt in the space he leaves behind.
Everybody Loves The Sunshine (instrumental) (4:39)
Review: 'Everybody Loves the Sunshine' represents a pivotal moment for Roy Ayers and Ubiquity, marking a departure towards a funkier and more laid-back sound in 1976. With its languid tempo and dreamy atmosphere, captures the essence of summer with its joyful lyrics and hypnotic groove. Ayers' vibraphone melodies intertwine seamlessly with the band's instrumentation, creating a mesmerizing sonic landscape that resonates with listeners. The song's universal appeal lies in its ability to evoke a sense of warmth and nostalgia, making it a timeless classic that continues to enchant audiences across generations.
Everybody Loves The Sunshine (instrumental) (4:36)
Review: 'Everybody Loves the Sunshine' represented a pivotal moment for Roy Ayers and Ubiquity as it marked a shift towards a funkier, more relaxed sound in 1976. It is one of his best-loved tunes as a result and always comes out when the weather warms up. That means it also often gets reissued, as it does here, as the track captures the essence of summer through joyful lyrics and a hypnotic groove. Ayers' vibraphone melodies intertwine seamlessly with the band's instrumentation while on the flip us an instrumental that offers a slightly different vibe. It all comes on nice yellow marbled vinyl.
Review: Few recordings capture the easy intensity of a summer afternoon like 'Everybody Loves the Sunshine'. Released in 1976 and wrapped in slow-drifting synths and soft falsettos, the track became a touchstone not just for Roy Ayers, but for 70s soul and beyond. Born in Los Angeles, Ayers helped define the jazz-funk crossover, placing the vibraphone at the centre of a sound both hazy and sharply detailed. The original vocal take on the A-side still melts under its own warmth; the instrumental on the flip uncovers the careful architecture beneath. Issued here on 7" black wax following Ayers' recent passing, this reissue feels like both a keepsake and a quiet honouring of an artist who shaped a whole way of listening.
Review: The third volume of this series delivers an irresistible blend of funk and 60s-inspired grooves. Side-1 kicks off with a surf-rock-infused funk jam packed with energy and retro vibes. Following that, a swinging 60s sound that combining catchy rhythms and pop sensibilities keeps the momentum going. Side-2 shifts gears a groove-heavy track led by a soulful organ that oozes vintage charm. Closing the collection, there is a gem that features smooth, funk-driven melodies, topped off by a standout sax solo and a subtle British flair. This compilation offers a vibrant mix of styles, perfect for fans of classic funk with a modern twist.
Review: Mountain Records are a new funk label, pushing 45's cut with new funk tinged with a modern production sheen. Two label mainstays decorate each side of this one: for the A, Double A asks 'You Feel Alright?' We certainly do, not least thanks to the artist's heavy locking down of sampled big boom drums, funky grooves and evil laughter. The Gaff meanwhile offers up a breakbeat banger to the altar, letting up on bass for a weird, flauting finish. 7"s collectors, watch out.
Review: Five years on from their debut collaborative EP 'Frisina Meets Toco', modern Brasilian dance artists Gerardo Frisina and Toco return for a second faceoff, this time with liaising artist Luzia Dvorek serving as ringmaster. Centring on samba-infused jazz and deep house with mystical and folk influences, "deixa passar" translates from Portuguese to "let it pass", though the mood is certainly not outright passive. This delectably quartered slice of carnivalesque dance music is rather rich in sonic papaya juice, charting sustained vocal contrasts between Toco and Luzia against smoky and furnaced beats. Aperient track 'Deixa Passar' leans heaviest on languid piano, whilst dozier mists emerge on the B-side in the form of 'Ile' and its rework by Gerardo Frisina, bringing pan flutes, strings, breathy vocal counterpoints, cabasa shaker, and subtle bass undercurrents.
Review: George and Glen Miller are undoubtedly best known for their West End Records released 1982 boogie-soul classic "Touch Your Life". They released plenty of other records that flitted between soca, reggae, disco, and - in the latter stages of their career - electrofunk. "Easing", which appeared at some point at the turn of the '80s on London label Third World, remains one of their most potent releases - and, in its original form at least, formidably hard to find. This Soundway reissue wisely replicates the track list of the original release, beginning with the title track - a deliciously percussive, musically intricate chunk of peak-time disco smothered in sharp, Afro-funk style horns and George and Glen Miller's lilting reggae-soul style vocals. The flipside "Version" strips out the vocals, allowing listeners to hear in greater detail the pair's impeccable arrangements and instrumentations (particularly the fine orchestration and rich groove).
Steve Monite - "Only You" (Frankie Francis Disco Jam edit) (7:55)
Tabu Ley Rochereau - "Hafi Deo" (Nick The Record & Dan Tyler re-edit dub) (10:15)
Review: Edits in the hole! Two Afrofunk gems enjoy floor-primed refocuses: Steve Monite's Doing It In Lagos-featured "Only You" gets a little juice from Sofrito's Frankie Francis who really brings the bass out in proceedings. Meanwhile on the B Nick The Record and Idjut Boy Dan Tyler tweak the energy and sheen of Tabu Ley Rochereau's "Hafi Disco" as the drums are given a little more momentum and the chorus and horns are really brought to the centre of the action. Stunning.
Review: In 1984, Jamaican-born producer Tony Williams gifted the British jazz-funk scene with two exceptional 12" records, both now rare gems. One of these, Nat King Cool's 'Checking Out,' showcases a fusion of MFSB's 'Mysteries of the World' with quintessential UK Brit-funk vibes. Originally released on the Tai Wan label, this single remains as fresh today as it did in 1984, with its captivating flip-side instrumental. Remastered from tapes, these essential 80s Brit-funk tracks are presented on pristine vinyl, adorned with bespoke repro-labels, and packaged in a groovy Soul Jazz/Funk Masters house bag, which means it looks as good as it sounds.
Come On Down (To New Orleans) (feat Fullee Love aka Soup Of Jurassic 5 & Haisizzle) (4:13)
Come On Down (To New Orleans) (feat Fullee Love aka Soup Of Jurassic 5 & Haisizzle - Professor Shorthair Bounce remix) (4:41)
Review: Connie Price & The Keystones team up with Fullee Love (aka. Soup of Jurassic 5) - as well as New Orleans' very own bounce king Hasizzle - to bring you the brand new second-line funk anthem 'Come On Down (To New Orleans)'. Patently referencing and working within the regional New Orleans hip-hop style known as bounce music, Price, Love and Hasizzle stick true to the soulful, syrupy and yet still hard-edged call-and-response style indicative of this 80s-90s stylistic cusp. Slacken lyrics, soul-tinged choruses, skrrt ad-libs and one-two-step antiphony predominate on this versioned A-B sider, as Professor Shorthair also provides a quintessential bounce demo mix on the B.
Review: The Tito Lopez Combo brings together some of London's finest musicians and here is led by the renowned drummer Harbans Srih, who gained fame for his performance on the iconic Starsky & Hutch theme with the James Taylor Quartet. On this one, 'Bostin ' Norton' gets going with some steamy and seductive sax notes which rise out of a bubbly funk brew. 'Play It Again Sam' los it don t more pensive and prying melodies which unfurl at their own pace of icy cymbals and deep drums.
Review: Riveting, super-punchy uptempo funk from Japan's Mushi 45 imprint, the label home of the band The Mushi Players, and whose wily curatorial wits are put on full display with this incredible new release shared with Super Eagles Band. The Players' fourteenth release, 'Sock It To Me' welcomes the newly formed Super Eagles for an enthralling sonic spectacle; part one on the A signals an unmatched taste for unisons and tightness, prepending singeing axes with gnarly vocal yaps and an overall unmatched fonk; the instrumental B-sider, meanwhile, eschews the various voxes and solos for a full-frontal exposing of the nude groove, evincing a strong taste for on-beat hat-batterings and firmly-held sax notes in their place.
At Midnight (Dr Packer Pianola dubstumental) (6:55)
Review: T-Connection was a late 70s funk and disco band from Nassau, Bahamas that moved to Miami. They had plenty of input into the early disco sound and have long been favourites for remixers. Which is why Dr Packer steps up here with two versions of their 'At Midnight' classic. It has some raw and guttural vocals and majestic horn leads with plenty of neat and funky basslines and loose-limbed percussive layers with hip-swinging claps. The Dr Packer Pianola dubstumental closes out with even more florid trumpets. Both of these are primed and ready for plenty of fun.
Review: This one is such an evergreen summer classic that it sells out whenever it reappears and gets reissued on a regular basis. Last time was last summer but now the rays are back in our lives we're glad it is available one more. Brazilian jazz vocalist Tania Maria is a true icon with a huge back catalogue of music behind her. Here, Soul Brother look back to her 1983 album Come With Me and lift a pair of pearlers for this vital 7". 'Come With Me' is a sundown slinker, with Maria's airy tone gliding over the sprightly piano chords while on the flip 'Lost In Amazonia' is a joyous, scat-powered slice of jazz funk with incredible slap bass flex. Essential summer grooves.
Pat Thomas - "Enye Woa" (LeonxLeon Keyed Up mix) (7:20)
Ebo Taylor - "Atwer Abroba" (8:14)
Ebo Taylor - "Atwer Abroba" (Leo Nanjo remix) (5:03)
Review: Comet's "Disco Highlife" re-edit series continues with an EP that draws together original tracks and reworks from two of the Highlife scene's biggest stars: Ebo Taylor and Pat Thomas. The latter can be found on side A, with the tipsy, synth-driven highlife-boogie fusion of "Enye Woa". This is in turn re-edited by LeonxLeon, who has not only extended the original track but also added some superb new spacey synth solos. Turn to the flip for Ebo Taylor's richly percussive, Hammond-laden disco-highlife bubbler "Atwer Abroba" and Leo Nanjo's brilliant remix, which re-imagines the track as a rubbery chunk of Highlife-house drenched in dub delays.
Review: This scorching 7" single features standout tracks from Chicago's Third Rail, who later became known as Maxx Traxx, and specifically for their monster hit 'Don't Touch It' (which has also been reissued by Star Creature and Numero before now). These tracks are drawn from the band's sole 1982 album, Reachin' For It, which is listed on Discogs for over L700, so not one for the feint-hearted. The single delivers high-octane, first-wave boogie with big bass, catchy choruses, energetic playing, and soulful vocals that infuse both tracks with joy and positivity. Limited import copies mean this will go pick and become pricey again so don't dally on it.
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.
Feel So Good Inside (extended Waxist edit mix) (6:51)
Feel So Good Inside (4:19)
Take Me To (New York City) (4:18)
Review: The result of a diligent digging quest since he heard DJ Klas drop it many years ago, Lyonaisse editor Waxist has finally track down his own copy of Lamar's 1980 disco soul love gem and given it some serious treatment. Extending the unfettered positivity of the original by almost two minutes (with special attention paid to that immense organ solo), it lives up to its name in every possible way. For authenticity's sake he's also included the original B-side "Take Me To New York". Still standing the test of time impeccably after 35 years, one tickle from the lolloping bassline and swooning keys and your dancefloor will be hooked.
Review: After debuting in 2020 on DJ Monchan's Dailysession Records, Tinker's Knob is back with a fresh five tracker on the new Pinehurst Music label. These are edits of stuff he has been working on dating back to 2017 - revisions of structure and arrangement that build on the solid bones of the originals. This is a package packed with heat, including 'Juice,' which is an early Tom Moulton mix that's been updated with strings, as well as the loopy boogie goodness of 'Thief' and a heartfelt tribute to the late Hamilton Bohannon in the form of 'Happy Air Dance.'
Review: The latest in the 'Superfunkanova' series hears Woody Bianchi unearth little-heard-before rarities in the genre, with two rather naive and lo-fi but ultimately delightful songs peeking through the fold. The deep-friend strings of 'Calif Curl Calif Gurl' by the Together Band helms up the A-side, while the inflammable, instrumental soul mass that is 'Firebolts Hustle' by The Firebolts comes hits us like a Flaming Moe on the B.
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: Now here's a traffic jam we're all happy to be in... Aussie funk super troupe The Traffic (comprising members of The Bamboos, Cooking On 3 Burners, Pickpocket and Punkawallahs) come correct with this follow up to their debut last year. Come for the awesome party-melting, wall-shaking Daft Punk cover on the A, stay for the groove-based soul-laced broken beat jam "Chasin' Feels". Both poles in their clearly broad and skilful musical scope, we can't wait to hear what they've got coming next.
Review: Melbourne, Australia based sextet The Traffic, headed up by Ivan 'Choi' Khatchoyan, serve up a special MJ feature funk 45. Presented in a special pressing in red vinyl with black splatter, we get awesome renditions of Michael Jackson tracks 'Beat It' and 'Thriller' from his iconic Thriller album from 1982. The big band energy of the players make these cover versions worthy your attention, with a killer horns section imitating the king of pop's falsetto to great effect.
Review: South London's Trambeat return with a double punch of funk and soul on LRK Records 13 years after first being formed by Graham Potter and Des James. The Croydon-based band brings classic Northern Soul energy with sharp modern flair to their latest 7", featuring 'Blow Up The Groove' and 'All Killer, No Filler'. Both channel dancefloor euphoria with turbocharged horns, breakneck grooves and bold vocals over strutting basslines and all-nighter anthems. Trambeat's shift from DIY collective to stage-commanding soul machine is great, and if their debut 'Don't Hold Back' teased their potential, this release kicks the doors wide open.
Review: Boogie and funk don Tim Tucker hails from Northern Cali and is half of the Love Cryme duo. He has been digging in his vaults to offer up two songs for this limited new vinyl release on Trusechool and they have both been reworked by Knoe1. First up is the brilliantly blissed-out boogie and retro synth work of 'U Cant Run' complete with a sultry vocal that soon gets under the skin. 'Disco Lights' (Knoe1 rework) then keeps it deep and smoochy with jumbled disco percussion and noodling jazz chords all topped off with some superb synth work. Two real gems here, then, on a mad-limited 7".
Review: A Black Man's Soul is an instrumental album by Ike Turner & the Kings of Rhythm from 1969. Turner wrote the songs with a host of other musicians and it showed off a side to him that hadn't been heard before. It was packed with traditional and simple funk that was as raw and lo-fi as you like, and one of the bigger tracks from it was "Getting Nasty" which has been synced to a number of films and adverts over the years. It's an authentic cut that bristles with gauzy textures and realness. On the flip, "Getting Nasty" (Conomark & Hong Kong edit) is more playful and funky.
Juan Pablo Torres - "Cacao" (Dan Tyler NAD Bulto version) (7:54)
Juan Pablo Torres Y Algo Nuevo - "Pastel En Descarga" (Dan Tyler NAD) (3:39)
Grupo Los Yoyi - "Paco La Calle" (Nick The Record re-edit) (8:11)
Review: Dan Tyler and Nick The Record's third installment in the Mr Bongo Edits series brings a bold twist to Cuban classics with three tracks that are equal parts cosmic and dancefloor-ready. On the A-side, Tyler extends two Juan Pablo Torres tracks from his reissued 1978 'Algo Nuevo' and 1977's 'Super Son.' First, Tyler reimagines 'Cacao,' a standout track from Torres' LP, giving it room to breathe and intensifying the percussive climax with swirling synths and spacey dub effects. It's a track that thrives on a big system, building tension as it goes, and works wonders in the right environmentijust ask anyone who caught it at La Paloma in Barcelona. Next, Tyler dials into 'Pastel En Descarga,' turning the Latin-funk fusion into a punchy, trippy dub with delay and drama, keeping the track's energy while taking it further into spacey, cosmic territory. On the flip, Nick The Record tackles Grupo Los Yoyi's 1977 'Paco La Calle,' taking a 2009 edit and expanding it into a longer, more hypnotic piece. The percussion pushes and pulls as the psychedelic synths swirl, creating a dynamic and ever-building groove. The 2025 version is elevated with new synth lines courtesy of Tyler, deepening the track's psychedelic richness. A cosmic whirlwind of reworks that bridges the gap between '70s Cuban innovation and modern dancefloor sensibilities.
Review: Original copies of T.Z Junior's bubblegum-boogie cut "Sugar My Love" are hard to come by outside of the artist's home country of South Africa. It's been that way since the single was first released on Roy B Records in 1985, hence this tidy reissue from the on-point Jamwax label. The title track remains a breezy, melodious, cheery and soul-flecked treat, with T.Z Junior delivering a brilliantly evocative lead vocal over bustling bubblegum synths, delay-laden machine drums and an inspired electrofunk bassline. "Are You Ready For Love", meanwhile, may not be quite as celebrated but is equally as impressive. It's the kind of sun-kissed "bubblegum" treat that would sound perfect blasting out of a soundsystem on a hot summer's day.
Thandi Zulu & The Young Five - "Love Games" (Luke Una edit) (11:14)
Lionel Pillay - "Plum" (Luke Una edit) (12:51)
Review: 18 months after a fantastic launch instalment courtesy of the mighty Danny Krivit, Mr Bongo's Edits series returns. This time round, it's Manchester legend and 'E Soul Cultura' specialist Luke Una at the controls. On the A-side he handles 'Love Games', an obscure slice of mid-80s South African disco by Thandi Zulu and The Young Five, cannily focusing on the warm, gently funky groove and the track's spacey synth solos. Over on the flip, the Electric Chair co-founder takes on Lionel Pillay's percussion, synth-and-organ classic 'Plum', stretching out the most dancefloor friendly sections before unleashing waves of solos and the original's saucer-eyed, sun-splashed instrumentation.
Review: This 1965 collaborative album brings together some of the international music world's finest talents. Featuring Nara Leao's soothing vocals, Edu Lobo's striking guitar and Tamba Trio's vibrant harmonies, 5 Na Bossa captures the essence of Brazilian bossa nova and jazz with a warm and sunny inflexion. With iconic tracks like 'Reza' and 'Zambi' bringing Latin jazz flair, and Edu Lobo's 'Estatuinha' offering more ruminative folk sounds, this is a brilliant album for those who like South American sounds in all their many guises. The album was recorded live at the Paramount Theater in Sao Paulo and is truly essential listening.
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