Back catalogue: Funk

Review: Last time out, back in 2021, Nassau Track Authority served up a swathe of previously unreleased instrumental mixes of songs recorded by Grace Jones at Compass Point Studios, Nassau. This 12" sees the shadowy collective once more dip into the archives of the legendary Barbados-based studio to recover more synth-laden, dub-wise disco instrumentals. They begin with 'Peanut', a Sly & Robbie-fuelled, vocal-free take on Gwen Guthrie's peerless Larry Levan fave 'Peanut Butter', before wallowing in the susp-enseful, slow motion boogie-dub brilliance of 'Adventures' (a take on an old Will Powers single). Over on side B, 'Seventh' is an infectious, musically detailed instrumental take on another Gwen Guthrie classic (the slap-bass propelled 'Seventh Heaven'), while 'Doctor' is a particularly dub-wise, slow-motion mix of 'Till the Doctor Gets Back' by guitarist, songwriter, longtime Marianne Faithful collaborator and Compass Point All Star, Barry Reynolds.

Review: New-gen rare groove band Nautilus, operating out of Japan, deliver their latest 7" record, 'Life'. Just two crisp, piquant, fresh, and bubbly uncorkings in sound - 'Life', featuring vocalist Emi Tawata, and the instrumental 'Master Blaster'- are here heard sprayed like buckshot across the stereo system. The former is a candid admission by Tawata of her fear of the dark and ghosts, one which compels the listener to ponder the song's spiritual metaphor - "I'd rather have a piece of toast, watch the evening news" being the lyric of note - while the latter is a comparatively muted four-to-the-floor funk inflammation, held together by a phat but tricksy drum line and overgirding Rhodes.

Review: Japanese jazz, funk and rare groove sensations Nautilus share their latest cover version, this time of Bobby Caldwell's 'What You Won't Do For Love'. This version stars Toshiyuki Saki on guest drums and vocalist Ruto Kasahara on vocals, bringing a digressional arc to Nautilus' usual sound. On the flip comes another rerub, this time of Nautilus' own 'Love Theme From Spartacus', from their latest album, remixed by producer Kenichiro Nishihara, which incorporates a light-hearted and feathery jazz-hop verve.

Review: With an irresistible blend of broken beat and nu-jazz grooves, 'Chameleon' is a enjoyable smooth jazz gem driven by funky basslines, strings, lively percussive and catchy keys. The arrangement flows effortlessly, creating a sound both sophisticated and danceableia perfect balance of complexity and accessibility. Flipping to the B-side, 'Losalamitoslatinfunklovesong' takes a more laid-back approach. Led by a warm, soulful organ, the track exudes chill vibes with its subtle funk underpinnings and jazzy finesse. The addition of a vocoder adds a playful, retro-futuristic charm, rounding out a composition that's as soothing as it is engaging.

Review: Prolific Japanese jazzers Nautilus - made up of drummer Toshiyuki Sasaki, keyboardist Daisuke Takeuchi, and bassist Shigeki Umezawa - present their latest 7" release 'A Story About You'. It's an emotive A-and-B-sider of mournful mood, with the A-side cemented by rolling pianos and a central lyric-melody performed by Mariko's talkbox, and B-sider 'Sweet Power Your Embrace' coming as a cover of the 1977 classic by James Mason. Signaling news of a full-length album to come - you'd better fasten your seatbelts.

Review: On this fresh disco 7", DJ Koco (aka. Shimokita) and DJ Kawasaki have re-edited and cut Nayutah's hit songs 'Keep It Up' and 'Stand Up' into an enduring pair of bright disco edits. Both Nayutah's original tracks really wanted us to keep it supine; Koco and Kawasaki act as commanders of this charge, not shying away from the ostensible stringy glitz of the original song. Kawasaki's edit skews funkier, employing live bass and rhythm guitar and adroit drumming to fit around Nayutah's agile, sisterly vocals, and drawing on his already extensive experience of working alongside Nayutah for her album, also called Keep It Up.

Review: Tony B Nimble's NeighbourSoul Edits Vol.4 is a journey through soulful rhythms and energetic grooves. Opening with 'Jesus,' Nimble sets the tone with gospel-infused house beats and a captivating bassline. 'Your Love exudes soulfulness with a great vocal, while 'Afrodemo' delivers an invigorating blend of funk and tribal beats, enhanced by captivating guitar riffs. Each track showcases Nimble's focus as a producer and we find the topic unique and refreshing in the world of house music.

Review: Trombonist Ira Nepps - a member of Hawaiian AIR classic Lemur who also recorded with the likes of Paul McCartney, Elton John, Leon Russell and BB King - released only one album and that was this one in 1979. Trombone Feeling is a seamless and soulful fusion of jazz and mellow styles with Brazilian sunshine flavours that brings to mind the work of the great Roy Ayers. It features such gems as the lush title track with its sublime female choses and the more low key and soothing sounds of 'Trickey Mickey' as well as plenty more. It has become a cult and hard-to-find album having only been pressed up 500 times back in the day, and it was popularised on the radio on the US mainland.

Review: With members living between Denver, Colorado, the UK and Spain, the New Mastersounds are currently centred on the British city of Leeds, and bring their adept keyboard instrumental Hammond funk and r&b chops to us receptive fans in the form of a new ten-track back-to-school album, Old School. Composed in a short breath in a studio situated in the heart of the English Peak District during a rainy week in July 2023, all tracks here showcase the earthy essence of the band via their signature vocabulary of uncomplicated funk, soul-jazz, classic r&b and reggae-infused grooves.

Review: It would be fair to say that The New York Disco Orchestra's 1978 album Reverie - Get Up and Dance is not the most celebrated set around, though it has long been on the radar of many well-funded record collectors. The album was the work of brothers John and Rocco Giamundo and was originally released in miniscule numbers in the US, Belgium and Japan. If you dig high-quality orchestral disco, it's well worth a listen. Particularly impressive is jazzy opener 'Reverie', a solo-packed dancefloor interpretation of a Claude Debussy composition, heavyweight disco-funk workout 'Get Up and Dance' and epic B-side opener 'The Wat We Were', a wonderfully lengthy and over-the-top orchestral disco number that's just the right side of cheesy.

Review: Underdog Records is continuing to reissue some of its most standout albums, and Janko Nilovic's Soul Impressions from 2015 certainly fits the bill. The Montenegrin-French composer and arranger, is a mad skilled keys and percussion man as well as singer and producer who was born in Turkey. He put out more than 35 albums from the late sixties onwards and this one is a raw fusion of prog rock, jazz, edgy funk, blues and east listening. It's unpredictable but hugely absorbing and comes pressed here on heavyweight vinyl.

Review: Broc Recordz's Cosmos Giants album is a celestial creation that stems from a monumental collaboration between Janko Nilovic, JJ Whitefield from Poets of Rhythm, and Igor Zhukovsky of the Soul Surfers. Together, they've sculpted a sonic world where genres meld seamlessly and offer a transformative auditory experience where funk, psyche, and soul all inform a jazz underbelly. The ensuing musical odyssey rather defies easy categorisation that is all about immersion in meticulously crafted tracks. From the laidback vibes of 'Inner Space' to the eerie and celestial melodies of '(Wind From) Mount Everest' this is a high-class record.

Review: Nomade Orquestra's long-awaited Terceiro Mundo marks the culmination of a conceptual cycle for the Sao Paulo collective. This fifth studio LP is a powerful journey of resilience, conceived during the challenges of the 2020 pandemic. The album's eight tracks weave together a sonic patchwork that merges revived older ideas with fresh, pandemic-era compositions. The record brings the trilogy of instrumental releases to a close, with grooves and energetic beats drawing heavily on funk and soul influences. Brass sections add intensity, while flutes and ethnic instruments infuse global flavour. It's a soundscape-driven experience, transporting listeners without ever leaving their surroundings. Released via Nublu Records, Terceiro Mundo reflects Nomade Orquestra's distinctive approach to Brazilian instrumental music. Their performance, recorded live, captures a raw, almost collage-like energy that defines the album's eclecticism. The title, inspired by third-worldism, mirrors their journey through adversity with a sense of hope and conviction, celebrating their past while looking towards new creative horizons.

Review: Soichi Noriki's debut album Noriki (1983) showcases a polished blend of City Pop and jazz fusion, characterised by lush production and smooth, professional instrumentation. The album hits all the right notes for fans of the genre and does not lack the adventurous spirit found in Noriki's later esteemed work like Dream Cruise. Tracks like 'You Need Me' and 'Anyway' feature Yurie Kokubu's excellent vocals. 'Do What You Do' also provides a opportunity for her talent to shine. 'Black Duck' adds an edge with its distinct bass and brass sections, while 'Rag Box' stands out with its brisk tempo. Overall, the album excels in technical mastery, offering slick solos and pristine arrangements. Noriki is an enjoyable listen with many moments of excitement.

Review: Amerigo's The Big Payback series finds him bring together some fantasy all stars for his "J.B. and The Soul Mates" tribute concept. Here, James Brown's music is reworked, edited and chopped together with the work of hip hop giant Notorious BIG. It results in speaker blasting, floor filling, ass wiggling jams that mash up all the most iconic verses and choruses from each singer with their most recognisable guitar riffs, drum breaks and samples. It's a colourful collage that is as fun as it is funky.

Review: On their debut album, 2016's the Tony Allen Experiments, Naples twosome Nu Guinea re-invented tracks by the legendary Afro-beat drummer as synth-heavy chunks of deep jazz-funk and nu-Balearica. For this follow-up - their first full length entirely made up of their own compositions - the duo serves up a set of jazz-funk, disco and boogie cuts rich in both their trademark colourful analogue synthesizer sounds and live instrumentation. It's a formula that guarantees a string of memorable highlights, from the sun-kissed peak-time brilliance of "Disco Sole" and rubbery, funk-fuelled "Je Vulesse" (a killer vocal number), to the wobbly downtempo trip of "A Voce E Napule" and Mizell Brothers fizz of closer "Parev Ajare", the album's most synthesizer-heavy cut.

Review: Headed up by the revered trumpeter and visionary composer Ian Carr, Nucleus have penned many a seminal album and Elastic Rock certainly is one of them. It was a real milestone for the jazz-rock fusion scene and marked a stunning debut in 1970 that has been hard to find ever since. Saxophonist Brian Smith, guitarist Chris Spedding - who wouold later go on to produce the Sex Pistols' first recordings - drummer John Marshall, bassist Jeff Clyne and sax, oboe and pianist Karl Jenkins all brought energy and invention in equal measure on this one with cuts like the title track offer lovely electric blues, '1916' featuring heavy drums and melancholic horns and 'Striation' being more serene. Be With have remastered this reissue from the original tapes.

Review: Not to be confused with the US electro outfit of the same name, Nucleus was - as many readers will know - a pioneering British jazz-rock outfit helmed by Ian Carr, whose releases frequently drew on a wide palette of influences (think funk, soul, pyschedelic and progressive rock). They made a lot of great albums during the 1970s, though few are quite as inspired as 'We'll Talk About It Later', a wonderfully laidback and atmospheric 1971 set that has now been given the reissue treatment by the consistently impressive Be With Records. The many highlights include - but are in no way limited to - the bluesy, slow-motion shuffle of 'We'll Talk About It Later', the wah-wah guitar sporting summer bliss of 'Sun Child', the gently unfurling brilliance of 'Oasis' and the pleasingly heavy jazz-rock pulse of 'Ballad of Joe Pimp'.