JOHN ROCCA 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: John Rocca cuts loose and taps into the more laidback side of his self on Reflections of the Sun, a collection of all-new material. If you didn't know, he is the Freeze band founder who wrote, produced, funded and released the jazz-funk classic that is 'Southern Freeez'. There is a much more reflective mood to this record with global influences drawn from a life in music and lyrics that touch on many of the dilemmas we face every day. His roots growing up in the 70s era when soul, jazz and funk were all at their best shine through, but so too his love of early 80s and 90s electronica.

Review: In its original 1984 form, 'I Want It To Be Real' was Freeez founder John Rocca's debut single a soulful slice of cutting-edge vocal electro that rocked clubs from Brooklyn to Bradford. This welcome new edition boasts a fresh rework from edit-not-edit specialist Late Night Tough Guy, who utilises some of Rocca's original elements the killer bassline, synth solos and so on while adding dreamy deep house chords and a restless 4/4 beat. It's rather good, but even better is Farley 'Jackmaster' Funk's flip-side 'Hot Piano' mix, which originally appeared on Rocca's 1987 set Extra Extra. A breezy, life-affirming chunk of early Chicago house brilliance with added extended piano solos, it's arguably the definitive mix of 'I Want It To Be Real'.

Review: Freeez founder John Rocca made these cuts between London and New York City from 1982 to 1987. Once Upon A Time in N.Y.C is a pioneering compilation of proto-electro and house cuts that, for this reissue, come on nice splattered orange vinyl. As well as the six standouts on the original abut, there is also a bonus 7" with two extra cuts, one of which is the international hit 'I.O.U.' Elsewhere, jams like 'Englishman In New York', 'I Dub U' and 'I Want It To Be Real' all still bang as brilliantly now as they did almost 40 years ago.