Suchergebnisse: Dance Music

Review: Two long-overlooked cuts from New Jersey funk legends Kool & the Gang finally land on 7", pulled from a lesser-known chapter in their prolific catalogue. 'Rated X' is the clear highlight: a blistering, brass-soaked club weapon that's been doing damage on the right dancefloors for years, now finally pressed to 45rpm. Its groove is taut, funky and unfiltered, showing the group's rawest instincts before the crossover polish of later records. Flip it for 'North East South West', a looser, sun-streaked number built on syncopated horns and low-slung rhythm guitar-a snapshot of Kool & the Gang in full livewire form. Both tracks come from a time when the band were stretching funk's parameters, fusing tight musicianship with unrelenting energy. This release nails that moment perfectly - and it's a gift to have them cut for selectors at last.

Review: While Last Poets are rightly regarded as the 'godfathers of rap', others would insist that Hustlers Convention - a 1973 solo album from member Jalal Nuriddin under the Lightnin' Rod alias - had more influence on the birth of hip-hop. In part, that's down to the funk backing he received on the album from his chosen backing bands, which included the mighty Kool & The Gang. Here, Dynamite Cuts prove the point by offering two killer cuts from the set on 7" for the very first time. A-side 'Sport' is a Blaxploitation style delight - all ear-catching horn motifs, shuffling funk breaks, weighty bass, wah-wah guitar and languid spoken word vocals - while 'Four Bitches Is What I Got' sees our hero make merry over a more stripped-back take on the same backing track.

Review: Occasionally a single comes along that shows off a contemporary group's samplework. 'Hustler's Convention' from Dynamite Cuts is one. This new 7" recalls funk supergroup Lightnin Rod's album of the same name - originally released in 1973, it is renowned for being one of the major influences on hip-hop, bringing a sociopolitical commentary to black music at the time. Here the original track 'Sport', named after one of the album's protagonist hustlers, is blended with the B-side 'Four Bitches Is What I Got', which builds a smoke-filled narrative story involving poker tables and underworld czars around the funk backing.