THE SOUL SURFERS 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: Fans of library music may have heard of Janko Nilovic, a veteran composer whose jazz, funk, soul and easy listening-inspired works of the sixties and seventies have been extensively sampled by hip-hop producers including Dr Dre. Now 80, last year he joined forces with Russian funk combo The Soul Surfers to record this surprise album. He still appears to have something of a Midas touch, because Maze of Sounds really is rather good. Starting with the heady breeze of 'Prelude', the set sees the Soul Surfers delivering impeccable instrumental cuts that variously draw influence from Hammond-laden downtempo grooves, string-laden easy listening soul, stripped-back down-low funk, sun-kissed Sunday afternoon jazz-funk and the deep back catalogue of Bob James.

Review: Spasibo welcomes Russian outfit the Soul Surfers who word on the street says have a studio full of vintage, Soviet-era gear. Using library music as their source, they bring their own psychedelic twist with deeply funky grooves and have done now for over a decade. Here they kick off with a seven-plus minute medley of 16 tracks that mix up soul from all eras with wah-wah sounds and real emotion. They repeat the same trick on the flipped with 17 tracks all featuring in a journey through space and funk that leaves you in awe.

Review: Come on, its 2016, of course there are soul bands from Russia. More specifically, there's soul bands from Russia that make absolutely incredible music, and The Soul Surfers are one of them. They've been busy over the last 6-7 years, and the Spasibo label have been instrumental in getting their sound across to the masses. "Vladimir's Groove" is deep, funky and wet, filled with an awesome slap-back bass, a trippy cascade of organs and just a general feeling of "yeah". "Igor's Groove" is slower, more laid-back and possibly even better and bolder, bringing out the best out of this band and solidifying them as serious contenders for best soul kings of the post 2000's. A band to watch - keep 'em peeled!

Review: Montenegrin-French composer, arranger, conductor, keyboardist, percussionist, vocalist and producer (nuff skills!) Janko Nilovic & The Soul Surfers have already turned our ears this year with a super 7" on Funk Night. Now they're back with another limited bit of 45rpm heat on Broc. Noth sides of this one makes for impossibly funky listening, with skilled instrumental solos getting deep under your skin and making you move. They are packed with charm and mark another noteworthy outing for this outfit.