Review: With some of the best DJs and selectors, there is a certain mysterious sound or underlying feeling which unites the music they play, regardless of genre, year or tempo. British DJ, producer and music maestro Luke Una is a master of telling a story through music and this compilation is a perfect example of his musical alchemy in action. The second volume in his E Soul Cultura series, Una's intriguingly woven pattern of new, old, rare and under-discovered music from around the world became the soundtrack to rejuvenated positivity and won him favour with record outlets.
The compilation isn't just peacocking his crate diving ability, but it's a sonical narrative that engages the ebbs and flows of salsa, nu-disco, psych rock and Balearic. It's a grab bag of sounds, and each one is as intriguing and groovy as the last. Here's to a hopeful trilogy.
Andi Otto - "Bangalore Whispers" (feat MD Pallavi)
Michael De Albuquerque - "We May Be Cattle But We All Got Names"
Pyranha - "Clepsydre"
Yargo - "Marimba"
Okyerema Asante & Black Fire - "Play A Sweet Rhythm On Them Drums" (feat Plunky)
Mr Scruff - "Giffin" (feat Nke - taken re-edit Speechless dub mix)
Isis - "In Essense"
Frank Hatchett - "Malibu Nites"
Review: A UK club culture icon for all the right reasons, Luke Unabomber has put in a helluva shift over the years bringing the best tunes to the best parties for decades upon decades. He might be just as visible these days as a social media raconteur-comedian, but his depth of knowledge is unfathomable and a compilation like this is the perfect vessel to realise just a little of what he possesses in his fabled record shelves. Away from direct dancefloor firecrackers, this is a chance for Una to show off some jaw-dropping mellow cuts spanning soul, jazz funk, spaced-out electro and scores more obscurities besides. It's a collection like no other, featuring fully fledged songs that will burrow into the soundtrack of your own life without even a shred of resistance.
Tim Cashion - "Shower Me With All Your Love" (3:18)
Julia Wu - "One In A Billion" (3:12)
Samuel Purdey - "Whatever I Do" (3:26)
Page 99 - "Nothing You Can Do About It" (5:14)
Anthony Strong - "You To Me Are Everything" (4:08)
Yakul - "Afraid Of Something" (3:48)
Bluey - "You Are The One" (4:32)
Workshy - "You'll Never Get To Heaven" (4:01)
Review: City Soul merges soul, AOR, and blue-eyed soul, and is akin to the enduring popularity of city pop among revivalists. Featuring ten carefully curated tracks from the extensive City Soul CD series-almost all making their world debut on analogue vinyl here-the new album from P-VINE caters to AOR fans with David Foster & Jay Graydon's rendition of Airplay's 'Nothing You Can Do About It,' and blue-eyed soul aficionados with Samuel Purdie's 'Whatever I Do.' Further tracks span 90s R&B revival to contemporary Japanese hits, so this will appeal to a diverse audience and also includes an insightful commentary by Akira Obuchi, offering a thorough exploration of the ongoing "city soul" scene.
Review: By now, we should all know what to expect from the popular Too Slow To Disco series, namely glassy-eyed, pitched-down disco, boogie, yacht rock, blue-eyed soul and AOR with a distinctive soft-focus flex. Naturally, there's plenty to savour on the series fourth edition, much of it either obscure or previously overlooked. Our picks of a predictably strong collection include the horn-totin', much-sampled Pleasure classic 'Nothin' To It', the lusciously loved-up cosmic soul of Prime Time Band's 'Fall in Love in Outer Space', the eyes-closed, Rhodes-sporting AOR soul of 'Stay The Night' by the Farragher Brothers, the slow release swell of Alan Price's 'Groovy Times' and the sun-splashed jauntiness of Max Leake's 'Tell Me The Reasons'.
Prime Time Band - "Fall In Love In Outer Space" (2:55)
Kenny Nolan - "You're So Beautiful Tonight" (4:50)
Peter Skellern - "Now That I Need You" (4:09)
Marc Jordan - "Generalities" (4:21)
Severin Browne - "Stay" (2:27)
The Faragher Brothers - "Stay The Night" (3:46)
Alan Price - "Groovy Times" (5:54)
James Felix - "Open Up" (4:19)
Hirth Martinez - "Altogether Alone" (3:55)
Max Leake - "Tell Me The Reasons Why" (4:41)
Stephen Encinas - "Music In Me" (3:54)
Eric Andersen - "Can't Get You Out Of My Life" (2:55)
Jimmie Spheeris - "Beautiful News" (2:43)
Jeanine Otis & Heikki Sarmanto - "Magic Song" (4:32)
Pleasure - "Nothin' To It" (4:06)
Review: Since launching eight years ago, Too Slow To Disco has now become the go-to compilation series for all those interested in AOR disco, glossy West Coast blue-eyed soul, yacht rock and slow-motion disco. This belated fourth instalment - volume three landed in stores five years ago - is every bit as alluring as its predecessors, with an even more obscurity-heavy track listing. Highlights are naturally plentiful, with our picks including the eyes-closed wonder of James Felix's deliciously loved-up 'Open Up', the low-slung shuffle of 'Music In Me' by Stephen Enchilidas, the synth-splashed Balearic rock haziness of Jimmie Spheeris's 'Beautiful News', and the quietly funky brilliance of Severin Browne's 'Stay'
Step By Step - "Ik Laat Me Niet Belazeren" (CD 2: bonus CD with Full Length tracks)
Monica Rypma - "Ik Hou Veel Van Jou"
Bloedgroep O - "Slow Motion"
Francis Verdoodt - "Tegelliedje & Herrie/Gevaarlijk" (Harde Smart edit)
Rob Glotzbach - "Hoofdstuk 1"
Noodweer - "De Toekomst Laat Me Koud"
Jan Hautekiet - "Nachttrafiek"
Peter Praet & Praters - "Enkel Proberen"
Omar & The New Sound - "Drugs"
Joost Belinfante - "Zonder Woorden"
De DIV - "Teken De Tijd"
MAM - "Ongelofelijk"
Cocododo - "Roekoe"
Kurt Van Eeghem - "Cool He, Jongen"
Nadagen - "Onder 4 Ogen"
Mensen Blaffen - "Braziliaanse Woud"
Wim De Craene - "Hoor"
Review: Five years ago, Sban Records unleashed Harde Smart, a fine collection of Flemish and Dutch records of the 1970s heavily influenced by Black American funk, soul, and dance music. This belated follow-up focuses on the 1980s, a decade in which the influence of American AOR, disco-rock, boogie, synth-pop and electro could be heard across plenty of releases by Dutch and Belgian bands. Highlights include the blue-eyed, synth-powered dreaminess of 'Drugs' by Omar & The New Sound, the P-funk-influenced flavours of Joost Belinfante's 'Zonder Woorden', the Zouk-splashed tropical boogie of De Div's 'Teken De Tijd', and the post-punk new-wave eccentricity of Nadagen's 'Onder 4 Ogen', which sounds like a Dutch take on Sheffield band Chakk.
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.