Back catalogue: Funk Soul & Jazz

Review: America's Rocksteady Disco label returns for its second round up of delectable remixes and VIPs, with a continent clashing fusion of pan African vitality and cool house saunter across all four offerings. Ontario-based Igor B leads the release with a drum and sub bass heavy dancefloor reimagining of Moonlighter's iconic "Give Us Rain (Ah Mila)".before Blair French reworks Sol Power All-Stars' 'Every Time You Move', making the most of electric bass from Jazzanova's Paul Randolph, guitar by Frank Martin (Elcados, Shina Peters) and DC-based Besufekad Tadesse's baritone sax solo via the mixing desk controls. The flip goes even deeper, with Tokyo-based Dazzle Drums giving Eddie Logix's 'Sunday Palaver' the hi-fi Afro Tech treatment, perfect for those dingy after hours parties, before Logix's Balearic-esque reinterpretation of Nois Land's cult classic 'Big Kahuna' brings proceedings to a glorious close.

Review: Nephews of Phela debuted in 2005 with 'Mulah 2' but haven't done anything that we can find since. This mysterious outfit have now resurfaced with this vinyl-only limited edition 12" of fascinating electronic Afro sounds that are hypnotising and intoxicating. 'Innaghetto' opens with some hefty percussion over corrugated basslines and raw slapping hits. It's got a playful flute adding a little light to the otherwise mood vibes. 'Ozymandias' is a lively tune with twisted funk sounds and hints of Ethiopia in the magical melodies that lead you late into the night.

Review: New Digital Fidelity has been making sweet moves recently with a debut on the lauded Moods & Grovers label out of Detroit followed up by a single on his own Scopic Records. Now he brings his class to Crush On The Beachside and again shows off his love of Detroit house vibes. Opener 'Crush On The Beachside' is raw and intense with humid chords and jacked-up drums, then 'Shattered' brings more loose and jumbled beatdown grooves and 'Crush On The Beachside' (K15 remix) is then bubbly, jazzy and cuddly. 'Cracking' rounds out with more rich chord work and bristling drum funk.

Review: Last year, Wonderwheel Recordings founder returned to Turntables on the Hudson with The Remix Machine, a vast digital compilation (and eight-track vinyl sampler) featuring some of the countless reworks he's completed since the 1990s. This second 12" expands on that set, serving up six more of the New York-based producer's favourite re-rubs. There's plenty to set the pulse racing throughout, from the rolling Cuban house business of his Megablast tweak ('La Isla'), and a low-slung, d&b-influenced Latin breaks take on OVEOUS & QVLN, to a suspenseful slab of psych-funk-goes house (the New Yorker's tweak of 'Yiorti' by Antois Antonio), and even some bouncy, low-tempo Balkan beats (Balkan Bump's 'Codek America'). Hot global fusion business!

Review: This is a global single with a great story that starts with an afro-funk groove made by Italian Jah Sazzah. He wanted a vocal for it so turned to Nickodemus who handed his own touches and then sent it Grammy-nominated Colombian vocalist Jimena Angel. The result is a vibrant Afro tune with vivid melodies. Remixer Poirier is a legend in Latin music circles. The Montreal man has formerly been associated with Ninja Tune and is synonymous with lots of classy remixes and fresh takes on a modern Afro-Caribbean sound. This is another one that reworks the ring into a more bouncy and infectious sound with gorgeous vocals and a clean arrangement that allows the drums and perc to shine.

Review: Considering this track originally surfaced back in 1993, it's staggering how up to the minute it still sounds, not to mention setting the tone for the swathes of downtempo and broken beat that would flood out from the 90s and beyond into the 21st century. You simply can't measure the influence of "The Nervous Track" with its horn blasts and limber drum roll, and it proves that MAW were never just about tough New York house bump. Take your pick from any of the mixes, they're all classics in their own individual ways, and they'll set any listener adrift on a summery haze of soulful tones and magical drum patterns.

Review: Spanish label Saft has a fantastic catalogue of richly musical deep house and now one of its legals adds this fantastic jazz-funk-house effort. It is a cosmic soup of Rhodes chords, gorgeous percussion and glowing melodies that are as warm as toast and beautiful by design. Each track feels live, with some funky numbers like 'Find A Way' next to more overtly jazzy ones and perfect broken beat such as 'Escape On A Sunny Day.' It is a talented group of musicians who have put this one together and it's a timeless affair from front to back,

Review: Italian duo Nu Guinea has previously proved adept at creating humid, sultry deep house and tropical-infused electronics. Here, they focus a little more on the latter with a concept album based around the distinctive Afrobeat rhythms of legendary drummer Tony Allen. With his blessing, and that of the Comet label on which he's been releasing since the 1980s, the Early Sounds Recordings pair has cut-up and re-constructed Allen's drums, combining them with their own steamy electronics, vintage synthesizer lines and classic drum machines. It's an intoxicating and hugely entertaining blend that sits somewhere between their previous outings, Danny Wolfers' material under the Nacho Patrol guise, and the dreamy late '80s/early '90s work of forgotten Italian producer Mr Marvin.