Back catalogue: Funk

Review: The Sextones are a four-piece soul band from Reno, Nevada, who blend elements of rock, pop, and funk with a deep and mournful soul primacy. Fitting squarely into that oeuvre is their latest 'Beck & Call', which recalls their dearest inspirations - the likes of The Moments, Baby Huey and Curtis Mayfield - for two equally powerful falsetto'ing slow jams. The title track is the more emotive standout, channelling a hefty drum forward plod, lilting strings, soul-foundational bass, and lyrics dealing with letting go of a lost cause. 'Daydreaming', meanwhile, is more of a haze, and notably utilises electronic drums and a prominent sitar.

Review: Don't be fooled by the volume of soul and funk reissues we have in stock. This limited clear 7" single is a completely new and original track, courtesy of The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble, who blend raunchy horn honks and boxy percs to ultimately concoct a geniusly blaxploitation-inspired, modern funk classic. The San Diego band have secured a big ole' ensemble - fuzz guitar, harpsichord and flute included - to pull of this swinging sonic scene. Watch out for the woozily high B-side 'La Fachada' too.

Review: 'City Heights' is the star funk and soul instrumental from Colemine Records' latest V/A compilation 'Starter Pack', which was a whopping 52 track compilation documenting all the best contemporary artists working in the sounds today. The track in question is masterfully put together and produced by the ultraband, with bare brasses and drabs of drums layered all together to produce a serene strut of a track. 'Strollin' Adams' on the B achieves a similar effect, homing further in on a psychedelicized trumpet part.

Review: Debuting on record last year with the Laying Low 45 on Timeless Takeover, San Diego funk troupe Sure Fire Soul Ensemble sounded very much like a band benefitting from the tightness that comes with regular gigs. With that 7" remaining in many funk selectors record boxes, the Sure Fire Soul Ensemble return with a second dinked offering on Midwest powerhouse Colemine Records which is likely to prove just as popular. There's a languid charm to "City Heights" that seeps through all aspects of the arrangement, be it the head nodding drums, the horn section or the guitar groove but don't think the Ensemble are any less tight than before!

Review: A nine-piece instrumental combo hailing from San Diego, California, The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble deliver a heady brew of jazz, funk and global rhythms on their latest offering. Recorded in their homebase of Lemon Grove, the album sees them expanding their sonic palette, drawing on library music, spiritual jazz and exotica. Tracks like 'Makin' Moves' and 'The Grifter' showcase the band's signature funk-driven energy, their tight grooves and soaring horns recalling the classic sounds of Earth, Wind & Fire and Tower of Power. But there's a more introspective side on display too, with tracks like 'Mother Earth' and 'Freddie' evoking the spirits of Freddie Hubbard and Phil Ranelin, their introspective melodies and atmospheric textures adding a layer of depth and complexity. 'Corporatocracy' is a standout, its extended tabla solo and modal funk groove demonstrating the band's willingness to experiment with unconventional sounds and structures. This adventurous spirit is a hallmark of The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble, a band consistently pushing the boundaries of their sound while remaining firmly rooted in the traditions of jazz and funk.

Review: The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble strut back onto familiar territory with their fourth LP for Colemine, following up smart on 2019's Build Bridges. That one landed the San Diego heavy funk group at number one on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz chart, and no doubt they'll be heading the same way again with their incisive response to the tumultuous times of the past few years. Bringing hope and uplift in the face of society's woes, the instrumentals hit with force and passion across this ten-track-deep righteous blast of cinematic soul, spiritual jazz funk and plenty more besides.

Review: The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble, a soul and funk nonnet from San Diego, have long blessed the Colemine modern funk sceptre with crumbled parfaits of funk topped with crumbly analog psychedelia and Afrobeat. With their new album, they ravage fresher sonic territories. Recorded between 2021 and 2024 in Lemon Grove, California, Gemini centres on their already-laid breakbeat-heavy funk-soul-jazz foundation, heard in tracks like 'Makin' Moves' and 'The Grifter', but they also draw influence from library music, spiritually-inclined jazz and exotica adjacents. Personifying the astrological Gemini - curiosity, versatility - 'Corporatocracy' stands out as special, welding an extended tabla solo to a wordless critique of the world's most egregious mega-firms.