Back catalogue: Funk

Review: Funkyjaws Music comes though with more of that lovely loose-limbed disco goodness that is never going to fail in energising a decent danc floor. Let's Dance Volume 4 is another various artists affair that launches with James Greenwood & Aniello's feel-good 'Look Of Love' which has it all - the sweet female vocal, the florid strings, the rolling bassline and big brass leads. Scruscru & Los Protos's 'Corason' brings some Latin flavours with a more deep and seductive groove and Jkriv and Love Drop offer up two b-side jams packed with soul and irresistible rhythms that effervesce with uplifting vibes.

Review: Tunes Delivery is a sub-label of Scruscru's Scruniversa and now it enters into the world with a fantastic first offering in the form of this six-track various artists EP. 'Hotmood' opens up with the feel-good disco-funk of 'Just Tonight,' Scruscru keeps it real with 'Funky Flute' which is a nice languid instrumental and Frank Virgilio up the ante with some big horn-laced grooves. The flip side then comes on strong with three more brilliantly musical grooves that brim with catchy riffs and fresh disco-infused rhythms. A great start to what is sure to be a great label.

Review: Scruniversal hit gold once more with this one from the label head Scruscru as well as Tony Lavurtz and DJ Pecan. This series is all about re-edits and reworks of old and rare records from Scru's friends' collections and first off is 'Pela Internet', a brilliantly sunny and percussive Brazilian number with great instrumentals and steamy Portuguese vocals. DJ Pecan steps up on the B-side with 'Marengo In Love' which is a more romantic sound for when the sun has gone down and you want to get up close and personal and gaze up at the stars while a sultry slow-motion funk groove unfolds.

Review: REPRESS ALERT!: You know that long hot days are fast approaching when it is Brazilian music that you crave. Thankfully the Scruniversal has got us covered with a second release that is as scorching as the first. It pairs MPB, samba and Latin flair with hard-edged hip-hop and funk stylings across a pair of tunes from Scruscru, each one a different collaboration. The first is alongside Tony Lavrutz and has gorgeous vocals and organic percussion paired with cut-up beats and jazzy keys that will ignite any floor on 'Rave Du Brazil.' It is Los Protos's jazz funk groover 'Primavera' that gets the good vibes going on the flip.

Review: REPRESS ALERT!: Edit master Scruscru rarely misses no matter what sounds he decides to put under his scalpel. For this one on his own superb Scruniversal label he turns his attention to the lush sound world of City Pop over in Japan. On one vital 12" the maestro cooks up six varied but equally vital sizzlers starting with the funky sounds and big brass of 'One For Xsuxsu' then taking in the blissed out disco and house beats of 'Kyoto Sunshine', jazzy keys of 'Horomi & Rikishi', funky bass twangs of 'Secret Dream' and jazz lunge excellence of 'Nippon Bossa' before 'Scrutinised Tune' closes out with brown beats and sunny chords. Scruperb stuff.

Review: A bumper package of six - count 'em - reworkings of disco grooves by Scruscru, offering a myriad of new takes on classic sounds. Beno, Bernardo Campos's 'Space Gruv' opens proceedings with a luxurious, soulful edge, while Tree Threes' 'Sunshine Miss' coasts along gracefully with more of a beefed up jazz house vibe. Manuel Kane's 'Disco Visions' throws more beautifully jazzy chord shapes and adds a devastating diva vocal for a proper peak time feel, Immersif's 'La Tournee Des Phares' employs more of a broken beat shuffle and 'Rebecca's Mystery Mood' by Punky Wash revolves around Latin beats and lilting guitar lines. Finally comes arguably the EP's jazziest moment of all, Justnique's 'Elevator Music', with some mighty impressive tinkling of the ivories. Authentic, gorgeous sounds overlaid on some sturdy 4/4 templates - pure DJ heaven.

Review: REPRESS ALERT!: The very first vinyl release from Blur Records features eclectic, talented Russian DJ and producer Scruscru, dropping a quartet of funky disco tracks on his brand new EP entitled 'Boss Of The Coast'. The title track kicks proceedings off, a fluttering flute holding sway over a nicely retro disco/house hybrid groove, before 'Frog Business' drops the mood to a more relaxed, chilled tempo, with smooth pianos, vocal snippets and languid jazzy brass embellishing the beat. 'Juicy Brass' is the EP's proper brassfest, as well as being blessed with a bouncing bassline and percussive frills, before 'Lucky Piper' sees us off with its irresistible bassline, smooth guitar riffs and more of those jazz-inspired flutes. One for fans of the early Talking Loud or Acid Jazz releases, perhaps, although it's hard to imagine anyone with a penchant for cutting a rug being able to turn this one down.

Review: This is the third installment in the Local Sugar Diggers Series from Scruniversal in which old and rare records from the label head's friend's collections get reworked and edited. This one is a collab between ScruScru and an equally passionate digger from Cyprus known as Dwaal. Both tunes offer quite different looks but with great results. The first is the steamy and loose-limbed 'Destination? Funk!' with its squelchy bass and neat guitar riffs, while the flipside is a super deep and lush downtempo jam, 'Camelot Chill'. This one has romantic sax notes and gentle grooves with jazzy keys finishing it in style.

Review: Local Sugar Diggers features re-edits & reworks of old and rare records from Scru's friends collections.
The series starts with two perfect tunes "Mostly Sunny" a mash-up of some German & Japanese 80's funk, and "Opyat' 25" an obscure Japanese jam spiced with some classic Roland 303 acid sounds.