Back catalogue: Funk

Review: An exceptional, almost entirely unreleased jazz-funk LP from Roland Haynes Jr., previously known only for a single 45 released in 1983 (included here). If you're thinking undiscovered James Mason, you're on the right track. This LP is huge, even by the highest standards. Until now, that rare single was the only material trace of Haynes and his band. However, Haynes meticulously documented his musical journey, recording both packed-out live gigs and studio sessions. The tracks on this release come directly from Haynes' personal archive, offering an incredible glimpse into his unreleased, carefully crafted studio work.

Review: Pacific Express were an South African funk/jazz outfit with vibes of Stevie Wonder or Earth, Wind & Fire's music of the day and, originally released in 1979, this reissue showcases the band's pivotal role in shaping Cape Town jazz. Their blend of soul, funk, disco and r&b creates a seamless, groovy atmosphere, with the band's tight rhythm section and smooth instrumentation very much at the forefront. Tracks like 'Come True' highlight the excellent vocal performances and musicianship, with lush piano and string arrangements adding a lounge-like vibe. The standout ballad 'What Is The Answer' is emotionally charged, showcasing the band's depth. 'What I Feel' offers a catchy, upbeat groove, perfectly encapsulating the album's blend of relaxed yet funky vibes. Somewhat incredibly, this the album's first reissue, so our advice would be to jump on it.

Review: This compilation is a vibrant celebration of Gnonnas Pedro, the legendary Beninese composer and musician. Spanning his career from 1967 to 1985, it showcases Pedro's remarkable versatility and eclectic musical palette; featuring 21 tracks that traverse genres with ease, from the Afrobeat energy of 'Pas De Petard' and 'L'Indomptable Gnonnas Pop' to the salsa rhythms of 'Tembleque' and the soulful grooves of 'How Much Love Naturally Cost'. Pedro's music is a fusion of influences, blending traditional African sounds with funk, soul and Latin flavours and highlights here include the irresistible 'Dadje Von O Von Non', the funky 'Yiri Yiri Boum', and the soulful 'Bailando Mi Solo'.

Review: Analog Africa is back with a dedicated project celebrating Gnonnas Pedro, the king of Modern Agbadja, and they press it up on a marvellous double album that includes an eight-page booklet with a ton of extra info. This bumper pack features 16 of Pedro's best works, all of which captivated Africa at the time. His vibrant blend of Agbadja, Cuban fon, jerk, highlife and more unique styles, all of which come with vocals sung in Fon, Mina, Yoruba, French, English and Spanish, add up to one hell of a rich sound. A great testament to the artist's extraordinary legacy.

Review: Pellegrino & Zodyaco's skillfully intertwine Neapolitan disco, funk, jazz and world music while channelling a spirit of creative escape of this new album, which is inspired by Henri Laborit's 'Eloge de la fuite'. It explores conscious escapism as a return to authenticity and seeks a "common language" through sound by merging Mediterranean melodies with global rhythms, vintage instruments and ethnic percussion that all bridge past and present. Four years after his last outing, Morphe, Pellegrino is still in top form here with a soulful, genre-blurring portrait of modern Naples that reflects the fact that, in the city, musical traditions meet modern experimentation.

Review: Izipho Soul chart the best unreleased works of the band Phyrework, dousing the would-be disco-funk pyromaniac in freshly siphoned sonic fuel. The burst radii on these unissued mortar shells and peony whistlers are rather large, and their emotive impact warrants large curtilage zones; you'd better put up a whopping fence around this shoot site. Only a couple of tracks from the original and horribly undersung Phyrework LP from 1978 feature here, because this is a record built to refire the squibs that didn't make it past the licensers' firing line, not bask in the ash of those already fired. Contemporaries of Earth, Wind & Fire and Marvin Gaye, Phyrework bring complementary girandolas of P-funk on 'Never Felt Like This', and twirl fire through the air on the Afrobeat-tinged soul cut 'Make It Last'.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


A fresh compilation album documents the best of the late 70s disco-funk-jazz-everything band Phyrework, synthesising a pyrotechnist's hand and a cutting engineer's ear. The Texan group were signed to Mercury in 1978 and released a hotly acclaimed debut album, and while their talents matched the likes of Sly And The Family Stone and Earth, Wind & Fire, they remained criminally under-world, resulting in the band's disbandment after the release. So this is a salvaging effort worth your while; a whopping nine of the songs have never been heard before, and only a complementary two appeared on the original early 80s single. All produced by Michael Cooper of Con Funk Shun, the likes of 'My Funk', 'Never Felt Like This' and 'What Happened To Us' command an extra jerkiness and synthweight bolshiness not nailed by many of their much-more-famous contemporaries.

Review: Led by Luke Solomon, The Legion of Boogie Down returns with their second album, Powerdance II, eight years after the success of their debut The Lost Art of Getting Down. Since then the collective has evolved by adding more experimental sounds to their vision of nightclub and basement music. This album continues their journey of genre-blending with the addition of Chris Penny, rising star Josh Ludlow, and original members Alinka and Lance Desardi. Featuring wild synths, drums and percussion from Holly Madge, this left-of-centre record offers a trippy mix of disco, funk and house that leads to a cosmic musical adventure in some style.

Review: This release sees Connie Price & The Keystones bridging the gap between classic soul and contemporary hip-hop, delivering a collection of hard-hitting grooves that are both nostalgic and refreshingly modern. It features a stellar lineup of guest MCs, including Bootie Brown, Rakaa Iriscience, and Guilty Simpson, each adding their unique flavour to the mix. The A-side is a showcase of raw lyricism and infectious beats, with tracks like 'All Night (The Pharcyde)' and 'For The Wicked (Dilated Peoples)' capturing the essence of golden-era hip-hop while maintaining a distinctly soulful edge. On the flip, Professor Shorthair provides a series of remixes, adding a touch of dancefloor energy to the proceedings. From the extended mixes of 'All Night' and 'For The Wicked' to the bounce-infused reimagining of 'Come On Down (To New Orleans)', these remixes showcase the versatility of the original material and its ability to transcend genre boundaries. This is a must-have for fans of both classic soul and contemporary hip-hop, a testament to the enduring power of music to connect generations and inspire new creative expressions.

Review: The Purple One did a series of special live shows at the Miami Glam Slam Club in 1994 as part of a residency, and as they were recorded for live radio broadcast we can now relive them again with this reissue. The dynamic songwriter, singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer was in top form in the mid-90s and used this residency to further explore his blend of funk, rock and soul. With electrifying performances of hits and deep cuts, this album highlights his unparalleled musicianship and charismatic stage presence with plenty of classics all included from 'The Most Beautiful Girl In The World ' to 'I Believe In You.' A great slice of pop history.

Review: Reissued on Akarma after an untimely period of stagnation on the secondhand market, in which time it fetched unholy sharkers' prices, Chameleon Vol. 2 is an original Prince compilation album featuring a collection of demos, outtakes and studio sessions, culled from the legendary rock musician's actually existing Vault. Made up entirely of rare and unreleased tracks from the pan-chromic artist's catalogue, early editions of this one of course came out on limited transparent purple wax. Alas, this latest black vinyl pressing had to be done, to counter the secondhand scrimps. Notable tracks include an alternate dance mix of 'Come', an extended mix of the Love Symbol opener 'Thunder' and a closing menage-a-cinq and 'Five Women', written for Joe Cocker no less.

Review: Rock-A-Shacka enthuse the new, long-awaited third album from Prince Buster, one of the many leading lights of the early Kingston rocksteady movement. This treasure trove of 12 tracks covers Jamaican funk, rocksteady, and early reggae; over seven previously unreleased and/or alternative tracks (it's cleverly kept under wraps as to which are which), we've extended versions of 'A Tribute To The Toughest' (aka. 'Ghost Dance'), on which Buster pays tribute to his late rudeboy friends, as well as trad gems including an alt-take of 'Dark End Of The Street'. The are covers of James Brown's 'Bring It Up' and Beginning Of The End's 'Funky Nassau', and Lee "Scratch" Perry shows up in a resplendent, phone-a-friend cameo feature on 'Call On Me'. Cherry-topped by a version of Gregory Isaacs' 'Dancing Floor' and the stunning 'Black Soul' instrumental, this is as ultimate a companion to Buster's contribution to Caribbean music history as you're likely to ever get.

Review: This Price album was originally part of the 2023 Diamonds and Pearls Super Deluxe box set, but now the triple vinyl live recording arrives on standalone yellow vinyl in a fancy triple gatefold sleeve. It was initially captured on January 11, 1992, at Prince's Glam Slam club in Minneapolis and is a performance that showcases Prince and The New Power Generation at their creative peak, just ahead of their epic world tour. Spanning over 100 minutes and 14 tracks in all, the still electrifying set focuses on material from the Diamonds and Pearls era and includes a preview of the then-unreleased 'Sexy M.F.' to make for a fine snapshot of a new era in Prince's evolving sound.