New releases today: Funk

Review: This album is one that is always going to be reissued until the end of time. It's pure, raw, inescapably good soul music that was popularised in recent years by Floating Points and his Melodies International label. The 1976 debut album by Chicago soul, rare-groove and jazz-funk fusionists Tomorrow's People was led by the Burton Brothers. This reissue comes on red vinyl for the first time and is full of a dynamic blend of styles-from the sax-driven disco-funk of 'Let's Get Down With The Beat' to the doo-wop-tinged 'Hurry Up Tomorrow' and the fiery 'Hurt Perversion'. The 20-minute title track, Open Soul, is a mesmerising space-soul journey which kicks off this highly sought after gem in style.

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.

Review: Wayne Shorter's Native Dancer stands as one of his most essential and adventurous works of the 1970s. Blending Brazilian rhythms with lyrical jazz-fusion, the album featured legendary collaborators like Herbie Hancock on keys and Brazilian icon Milton Nascimento, whose vocals and songwriting elevate the album's lush and emotional palette. Tracks like 'Ponta de Areia' and 'From the Lonely Afternoons' radiate warmth, while Shorter's own 'Ana Maria' and 'Beauty and the Beast' showcase his compositional brilliance. With Airto Moreira on percussion, Native Dancer is a transcendent, melodic gem and both a celebration of cultural fusion and a cornerstone of Shorter's expansive catalogue.