New releases today: Funk

Review: Long buried and now finally pressed to 7", 'Drug Story' is a curious outtake from Joe Bataan's post-Riot! hot streak, recorded in the late 60s, when studio time came easy and inspiration even easier. Originally shelved by Fania execs, who balked at what they misread as an endorsement of drug use, the track sat forgotten until a reel surfaced in a New York thrift store and eventually made its way into Vampisoul's hands. First released on the eponymous Drug Story LP in 2022, it now appears in its firstly intended single format. The track unspools slowly, with Bataan on lead vocal and keys, eventually flipping into a looser Latin funk section with Bobby Rodriguez, Pete Quintero and William Howes Jr.

Review: One very handy 7" single and two monumental disco instrumental edits surely destined to get butts waggling on any given dancefloor. The A-side is swept along by a propulsive funk guitar line, neatly switching from classic 70s lushness to 21st century robotics and vocodered vocals and back again, while the flip goes for a more soul-driven vibe, the tight drums and bass pairing polished off by some delicately applied Rhodes piano, definitely the glitterball cherry on top. DJ weaponry so deadly it should probably be outlawed by some international treaty.

Review: Exaggerated disco ecstasies from Domenico Niki and his Echoes From Disco label, which accepts its mission to recall the lost gems of disco, boogie, and jazz by way of thoughtful re-edits. This latest one is a glamorous slab of Day-Glo disco gaud. 'Let's Get It On' opens with splendid flair, with twang guitars, talkbox tremolos and disco girl backing singer ad-libs, before 'Don't Give Up' follows with a deep-fried P-funk prance replete with transitory glissando. 'Makin' Love' and 'Get On Down' hear the EP wind down the pace, the latter track ending on an obscure edit of Suzy & Chas' Belgian 1978 rouser, 'Man I Dig Music'.

Review: As championed by DJ Koco......Mukatsuku Records keeps the spotlight on Japan once more here with a fresh 7" from SMOKIN' the JAZZ, a jazz-hip-hop trio made up of Sugames Japon on piano, guitarist Shu Fujiyama and NOBUdaDREAD, who is a turntable wizard. They've been working together since 2018 via their own Loud Minority Productions imprint and here they keep it deep and seductive with two laid-back, jazz-soaked instrumental hip-hop covers full of warmth and plenty of musical finesse. 'Gypsy Woman' is a delightfully gentle groove with conversational horns while an exclusive instrumental of 'Just A Lil Lovin' on the B-side is full of soulful, head-nodding goodness tailored for jazz heads, beat lovers and crate diggers alike.

Review: The Owl label kicks on with another party-starting mix of edits and remixes that blend funk, disco and soul into pure heat. 'Gimme Your Thang' is a low-slung opener with a filthy bassline and James Brown samples bringing it to life. 'Freaky To You' reworks a g-funk classic into a lavish and bumping slow-motion seducer and 'Rock Me Again' brings chunky, rolling funk with more classic vocal samples. 'Future Shock' shuts down with a lovely falsetto vocal and some psyched-out guitars.

Review: A nice mix of funk, hip-hop and reggae influences go into the melting pot on the latest SuckaSide, with 'Even After All' proving to be a laid back, blunted jam that's backed up with some hard hitting, sturdy beat manouevres. On the edgier sounding flip, meanwhile, a female MC spits with impressive ferocity while a lovely warm - and somewhat familiar - analogue-edge loop works its magic. Both are key components for use at different points in the jam, some badly needed heavy weaponry that Donald Trump can't withdraw from service here.

Review: Unearthed from the vaults of funk veteran Tim Tucker, this fantastic Got That Energy EP delivers two unreleased boogie gems from the 80s that have been reworked by SoCal DJ and producer Knoe1. A lifelong musician and unsung hero of the scene, Tim always brought raw authenticity, while Knoe1 sharpens the sound for modern dancefloors. Title track 'Got That Energy' is a high-octane ass-shaker packed with punchy bass and irresistible swagger. On the flip, 'Don't Hesitate' slows the pace by blending emotional vocals and synth-soaked soul. This is pure summer heat for a range of different settings.

Review: Venice-based DJ and collector Zaffa is next up on the ever-superb Scruniversal label with a couple more delightful disco dancers. 'Trip Through The Galaxy' is a slow-motion cosmic trip that is vast in scale and high on soul thanks to the warm vocal that floats amidst funky riffs and glowing keys. Things stay just as sensuous and steamy on the flip with 'Supernova Child', another fluid and funky jam with oodles of synth magic and gentle grooves all soothing mind, body and soul. The real kicker is the vocal samples that add extra spaced-out funkiness.

Review: Earth, Wind & Fire's debut album is a masterstroke of 70s soul and spiritual funk, recorded during the band's creative peak and released in 1975 as both a studio LP and soundtrack to the film of the same name, about a record exec whose white-only signing policies get the worst of a young black musician. Maurice White and Charles Stepney's production fused gospel uplift with jazz inflection, ungrounding cosmic themes in airtight arrangements and vocal interplay. The album opens with 'Shining Star', a swaggering, horn-charged affirmation that became their first US number one, winding through slow-burning ballads ('Reasons', 'All About Love'), celebratory grooves ('Happy Feelin', 'Africano') and expansive epics ('See The Light').

Review: The New Jersey group's fourth studio album marked a turning point: a dazzling fusion of streetwise funk and glossy r&b that would catapult Kool & The Gang into mainstream orbit. Across its eight tracks, the band strike a delicate balance-tight horn stabs and party-starting rhythms balanced by lush keys, jazzy bridges and the occasional philosophical curveball. 'Jungle Boogie' is the clear standout, a brash, swaggering anthem with wah-wah guitars and primal chants, while 'Hollywood Swinging' adds a slick sense of strut. 'Funky Stuff', too, bristles with raw energy-half percussion workout, half brass-led call to action. But the deeper cuts ('Heaven at Once', 'Wild and Peaceful') show they were never just party-starters. This is music built for block parties, dancefloors and smoke-filled basements alike-rough, joyful and utterly alive.

Review: Indianapolis' Rhythm Machine released their sole self-titled album in 1976, marking a rare bridge between late 60s and mid-70s funk eras. Formed by bassist James Boone and guitarist James Brantley from the ashes of cult group The Highlighters, the band delivered a blend of tight, soulful grooves, dynamic horn lines, and a fluid jazz digest. Its vibe flirts with Earth, Wind & Fire's elementalism, but drifts into looser, cosmic territories away from terrestriality, where dreamy synths and shimmering guitars float atop liquefied production. A soprano sax cuts through with a sharp edge: originally a tough find, this reissue from Now Again revives a funky, soulful journey ripe for chill late-night bar spins or for collectors seeking overlooked classiques.