Review: No one's edits and disco bombs slap quite like Rahaan's. The US master of all things soulful and funky can tap right into your core with his work and this new EP on Hot Biscuit is the latest example of that. 'Get Up' opens with retro disco favours, funky guitars and lung-busting vocals that bring the heat. 'Zombies' sinks into a nice silky sound with sliding cymbals and hi hats and knotted bass, then 'How' slows it down a bit for a more playful and seductive disco sound with nice horns and squelchy bass. Three real heaters.
Review: La Differencia, Dutch singer Hubertus Richenel Baars' 1982 debut, has long been considered something of a slept-on classic by those in the know. Charmingly lo-fi and homemade in feel, the cassette's 10 tracks - six of which are featured on this first ever vinyl reissue - brilliantly joined the dots between blue-eyed soul, spacey electro, disco, electrofunk and slap-bass wielding space boogie. As usual, Music From Memory has done a terrific job with the re-mastering; the tracks sound stronger than ever, if even they have retained some of the charming fuzziness of Baars' original production. All told, it's another essential reissue from Music Is Memory.
Review: Funk maestros Rockid Sound Machine returns with yet more of their timeless and seductive instrumental funk sounds. They have turned out tons of it over the years on a steady and always high quality basis. This double A-side kicks off with 'Scorpio' featuring tight drums and wah-wah guitar smudges next to big horns. The track blends funk with soul and merges old-school vibes with modern energy. On the flip side, 'Stardust' ramps things up with prickly drumming and percussion, wet cymbal crashes and more bendy guitar work that brings psyched-out 60s vibes. Another great outing for Rockid Sound Machine's signature bristling beats.
Review: In celebration of 50 years in the performing arts, Idris Ackamoor presents Artistic Being for Record Store Day 2025-a powerful blend of jazz, spoken word and activism. Featuring the voices of acclaimed actor Danny Glover and stage legend Rhodessa Jones, this record captures highlights from the Underground Jazz Cabaret, which was performed during Black History Month 2024 at The Lab in San Francisco. Co-produced by Ackamoor's Cultural Odyssey, the release fuses poetic storytelling with evocative musical textures while reflecting on social justice, identity and resilience. Artistic Being is a profound statement from a visionary artist.
Review: The RAH Band's iconic album Mystery celebrates its 40th anniversary with a reissue that finally fulfils plenty of demand for it. This marks its first vinyl pressing since 1985 after originally being created by producer Richard Anthony Hewson. The ageless album blends jazz, funk and electronic pop while placing great spotlight on Hewson's unique production style. With eight impeccably crafted tracks including the jazz-funk anthem 'Are You Satisfied?' and the chart-topping 'Clouds Across The Moon,' which reached #6 in the UK, the dreamy synth-jazz epitomised by 'Float' and the smooth sax of 'Out On The Edge' (which featured in Funkineven's DJ Kicks) ensure Mystery remains a timeless classic.
Ship Of The Desert - "Count Of Monte Thisgo" (6:00)
Frank Hatchett Dance Explosion - "Super Hero" (1:51)
Cherish - "For You" (3:26)
Jaze - "Wanna Get Down With You" (7:21)
The 21st Century - "One Of These Days" (5:23)
Porno Disco - "Go Down Moses" (4:19)
Cousin Ice - "Catch Your Glow" (feat Zack Sanders) (6:18)
Boobie Knight - "Juicy Fruit My Love" (6:27)
John Lamkin - "Ticket" (6:21)
Review: You can always count on Z Records to bring a deep-digging, dedicated approach to anything they put out, and that goes double for their flawless Under The Influence series. The 10th volume in the series sees them inviting the incredible Chicago-born DJ Rahaan to select some seriously headsy cuts from his collection, carefully cleaned up, de-clicked and remastered for the best listening experience. Given the nature of the series, don't expect the usual suspects, and instead savour the discovery of some of Rahaan's most treasured cuts, presented here on a double LP comp brimming with discoid magic.
Review: Trombonist Phil Ranelin alongside Wendell Harrison founded Tribe as a community enterprise and record label in Detroit in the 70s that went on to have a huge impact. Its musical legacy lives on through plenty of vital albums, not least Vibes From The Tribe. The Japanese Edition of the original album now arrives on Groove Diggers complete with an obi-strip and six spellbinding tunes that have all been remixed and remastered from the original multi-track tapes or lacquered directly from master tapes. It is as good as spiritual jazz gets, frankly.
Review: Freddie Cruger was once best known as 3 Foot People but since 2007 he has done great work as Red Astaire. He is a deep digging DJ with a penuche for neo soul, downtempo, hip hop and soul drenched late night beats that ooze lush vibes. His Nuggets For The Needy series is always a treasure trove of such sounds and the third volume is one of the best yet across two slabs of vital wax. The 12 red hot cuts are influenced by classic reggae, hip hop, R&B, downtempo and dub with standouts like the out of print 'Ghetto Hell' and an unheard version of his classic 'Follow Me.'
Review: In 1982 L.J. Reynolds released his second solo album Travelin', which was a split production between Reynolds and Don Davis. This classic soul album includes "Trust In Me", "Say You Will" and "Call Me", the latter being written by Aretha Franklin. Travelin' features guest performances by Bernie Worrell and William "Bootsy" Collins. A classic soul album for your ears' sultrier side.
Royksoop - "Ice Machine" (Exclusive Depeche Mode cover version)
FR David - "Music"
Prelude - "After The Goldrush"
Andreas Vollenweider - "Hands & Clouds"
Richard Schneider Jr - "Hello Beach Girls"
Byrne & Barnes - "Love You Out Of Your Mind"
John Martyn - "Small Hours"
Acker Bilk - "Stranger On The Shore"
This Mortal Coil - "Til I Gain Control"
Popol Vuh - "Aguirre I Lacrime Di Rei"
Benedict Cumberbatch - "Flat Of Angels" (part 2 - exclusive Spoken Word Piece)
Review: Given the wide-eyed, largely downtempo nature of their music, it's perhaps a little surprising that it took Late Night Tales this long to ask Royksopp to mix a volume in the long-running after-hours series. Royksopp are, of course, old hands at this kind of thing - they delivered an impressive Back To Mine comp back in 2007 - and use the opportunity to mix-up a typically heady selection of stoner soft rock (Little River Band, FR David), sparse dub-rock (Tuxedomoon), cinematic soundscapes (Johann Johannsen), psychedelia (Prelude), well-worn favourites (Acker Bilk) and folksy Balearica (John Martyn). Fans will be pleased to see a sprinkling of unreleased Royksopp fare, including intensely beautiful opener "Daddy's Groove".
Review: Patrice Rushen's album from1982, Straight From The Heart,' is a real landmark, It now gets presented as a definitive version by Strut. It was made during a period when the original label were striving to make 'sophisticated dance music.' Mission accomplished. This is an album packed with high class arrangements and disco and boogie stylings along with great musicianship. Patrcei's own vocals explore a broader range than ever before, and singles from the seminal album included 'Breakout!', 'Number One' and the most ionic of them all, 'Forget Me Nots'. The album overall had huge success, was a Billboard Chart hit and became a regular source for samples in the world of hip hop and R&B as well as picking up a Grammy nomination.
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