Freestyle Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Freestyle 'Turn Up The Music' courtesy of this new 12" from Roy Hamilton, Cosmo Bowen and Dennis Palmer. The trio worked together way back in the 80s and back then it was as part of a nine-piece outfit known as Breeze. Anyone who attended the iconic Ronnie Scott's in London back then will probably have heard them play upstairs with the likes of Hi Tension and Gonzalez. In 1984 they decided to lay down this one and only 12" on the HBS label they ran. It's a stomper but a laid-back one that is now well in demand on the funk and soul scene.

Review: Freestyle take us back to 1984 with this fully licensed 12" repress of a vital bit of intense disco heat from Midnight Energy. The New Jersey outfit really get their machines working overdrive on the A-side as they bring electro-boogie funk vibes to a tune that is something of a cult classic and rather expensive to find in OG form. 'Front Line' is a brilliantly sleazy one with lots packed in and then the flip side tune 'Saving All My Love' comes in two forms and both are full of big vocal hooks and percolating funk drums.

Review: Freestyle delivers a gem from 1987 here with Purely Fizzycal's UK street soul sizzler 'Make A Move' , which was first released on their Pure Impact Productions label. Trish Langley of North London and Ash Kamat of South London first crossed paths in the mid-80s and came together over music with Kamat's programming and production inspired by London pirate radio sound of the time and and US influences like Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis also colouring their sound. Langley's vocals, shaped by her parents' reggae collection and brother's taste for artists like Brothers Johnson, Maze, and Janet Kay, merged with Kamat's raw drum machine sounds in perfect easy as heard here with this irresistible 12".

Review: This is a long overdue reissue of a lovely feel-good soul number from Sonja Richard. It is her one and only listed release on Discogs and landed back in 1987 on the Rock The House Records label. Why she didn't do more off the back of this one is anyone's guess but we wish she had: it's a lovely laid-back vibe with 80s electronic disco production, buffed metal chords, and naive melodies. As well as the standout original the flipside has a fine version that offers a slightly different look. A real must own for soul lovers.