Juno Recommends Funk / Reissues November 2021

Review: Heat Rock Records' latest double-dose of cut and paste madness is as incendiary as you'd expect, with both tracks adding elements of classic dancefloor workouts to fat beats and plenty of added percussion. Chicago's Altered Tapes handles side A, thrillingly re-imagining Dee-Lite classic 'Groove is In The Heart' by utilising more percussive elements (including a killer, cowbell-driven drum-break) from some of the tunes that the New York band originally sampled on their chart-topping house classic. B-Boys and B-Girls the world over will love it! On the flip, Bay Area native King Most combines the vocals from a Salsoul disco classic to a backing track that cleverly combines elements from a Ramsay Lewis style jazz number and a JB's-esuqe funk bomb.

Review: New release from Private stock is a double dose of boom bap funk! On Side A, DJ Zimmie recreates an iconic party break with all the OG elements. On Side B, Double A took a super funky classic and somehow added even more funk.

Review: Here's a pleasant surprise: a fresh set of remixes of killer cuts from the back catalogue of Melbourne-based band Surprise Chef, whose hard-to-pigeonhole take on cinematic soul contains numerous nods to classic jazz-funk and Brit-funk jams. Masters at Work give their take on 'Crayfish Caper', first joining the dots between Afro-beat, jazz-funk and West London style bruk on the 'Nuyorican Broken' mix, before delivering two house-style revisions - the squelchy, synth-bass-propelled 'Masters at Work Mix' and the tougher, more percussive 'MAW Dub'. The EP's other interpretations come from Harvey Sutherland, whose 'Weird Flex 12" and 'Weird Flex' revisions of 'New Ferrari' add the band's jazz-funk instrumentation and spacey synths to a warming, off-kilter deep house groove.

Review: Before making it big with Maze, Frankie Beverly was the man behind Raw Soul, a heavyweight, politically conscious band whose fuzzy, full-throttle sound sat somewhere between the J.B's and Sly & The Family Stone. The band's most famous moment was 1975 single 'Color Blind', which was originally recorded as 'What's The Color?' Here that never-before-heard recording is finally issued. Rich in fuzz-soaked horns, crunchy drum-breaks, weighty bass and clipped funk guitar licks, the track features some superb, James Brown style lead vocals from Beverly. Brilliantly, there's also a chance to savour the unheard Raw Soul instrumental version, which features an extended, DJ-friendly drum solo midway through. A slice of history that's well worth picking up. As played by DJ Koco....

Review: When it comes to crafting party-starting joints featuring classic hip-hop and R&B vocals, few producers can match the output of Gallic rework fiend Jerome Potin AKA Moar. He's in prime form on this ultra-limited "45" too. A-side 'H' crafts a rolling, 4/4 hip-hop tempo beats out of some classic disco licks and then adds Ol' Dirty Bastard and Kelis' vocals from one of the biggest hip-hop hits of 1999. It's a simple idea, brilliantly executed. Flipside 'HH' is equally as funky and accessible, with cut-up edit effects, rubbery slap-bass sounds, jangling acoustic guitar chords, warming synths and the lead vocal from a much-loved R&B jam. Tons of fun!

Review: When deciding on tracks to release on '45' for the first time, the Dynamite Cuts team seems to mine a mixture of sought-after sets, familiar favourites and overlooked obscurities. This single falls int the latter category, featuring as it does two killer cuts from Funk In Hell, a 1976 album by library music collective-turned-instrumental funk outfit Button Down Brass (a band founded by trumpeter and arranger Ray Davies). A-side 'Superstition' is simply superb: a down-low cover of Stevie Wonder classic 'Superstition' that sits somewhere between down-low library funk and Blaxploitation movie soundtracks, with a dash of big band funk thrown in. Instrumental flipside 'Shades of Hades' is equally as vibrant, with elongated electric guitar notes, heady hand percussion and spacey synth sounds combining superbly with spy-funk horns and weighty bass.As played by DJ Muro from Japan

Review: Ralph Lamb and his confrere Andy Ross are The Family Fortune. They serve up their own unique twists on sounds you would expect from James Brown with classic dance floor vibes and powerful vocals from the one and only Jessica Darling. This fresh new slice of funk gold comes on tasty 7" via the Skyline label. Both tracks are super short but super sweet. Up first is 'Andy Cafe '68' (part 1) with its prickly drumming, big horn work and playful swing. Flip it over and 'Andy Cafe '68 (part 2)' works the chords more but aside from that carries on where part one left off. Two tidy bits of funk of ever we did hear them.

Review: It's a while since we last heard from Malachi Trout and Ed Morris's Flying Fish outfit, whose party-starting, retro-futurist bombs were once a mainstay of breakbeat-powered funk dancefloors. In fact, 'Takin' Over' appears to be the outfit's first single for almost eight years. Featured in both vocal and instrumental mix forms, the track is a rolling and unflinchingly groovy affair that adds a little 1960s spy-funk flavour to a weighty bassline and heavyweight drums. It's the vocal version that really gets our juices flowing, not least because the lead vocal from former Basement jazz chanteuse Elliot May's is smoky, sultry and classic sounding in the best possible way. Excellent stuff all told.

Review: You likely haven't heard of Russian rare groove, until now. Moscow funk quintet Diasonics routinely lay claim to a sound they call 'Hussar funk', an "outernational" style of psych-funk that draws on their native Eastern European musical traditions. Continuing their recent slew of 7" singles comes a pair of slick instrumental covers, straddling Northern soul and US hip hop respectively. The A-side dedicates itself to an uptempo, chromaticized rendition of the Four Seasons' 'Beggin', while the B throws a noughties curveball - a stripped-back version of Outkast's 'Miss Jackson'. A brave yet no less enthralling soundtrack to your next Sunday afternoon.

Review: The first 45 from the Belfast-based Superfly Funk & Soul label - an offshoot of a long-running club night helmed by DJ Pete Brady - is something of a doozy. It comes courtesy of the Honeyshotz, a studio band set up by Ian Stevens (bass player with The Getiup and The King Rooster) as a vehicle for his own compositions. In its A-side 'radio edit' form, 'Loving You' is a Clavinet-happy chunk of jazz-funk influenced, 1970s dancefloor soul revivalism. It naturally boasts superb musicianship but also some stellar lead vocals from Sabina Challenger. Scene heavyweight Smoove handles remix duties, delivering a heavyweight dub that adds extra percussion, beefs up the bass and showcases almost every instrument in turn. It's a weighty, effortlessly funky revision.

Review: There are few post-punk anthems quite as dancefloor-ready as Shriekback's 1982 single 'My Spine (Is The Bassline)', a formidably funky number full of bongo-laced, disco-influenced drums, low-slung bass and stylish lead vocals. Here it gets a deserved reissue on marbled vinyl, with the intoxicating title track being joined by a trio of tracks from the same period. There's 'Tiny Birds', a deeper and woozier concoction that boasts hazy chords and squally guitar solos, spaced-out dancefloor dub number 'Feelers' and Prince-goes-post-punk disco number 'Accretions', which first featured on the band's first mini-album, Tench.

Review: Detroit rapper Valid's 'I'm Blessed', a bona-fide party-starter produced by DJ Dez Andres, was largely missed by most funk and hip-hop DJs when it first appeared on his limited-edition Mihaljo album back in 2019. Funk Night Records have decided it's time that the track found a bigger audience though and have pressed it onto a must-have '45'. The track itself is a bustling chunk of flute-sporting, funk-fuelled hip-hop that reminded us a little of the similarly-minded fare regularly served up by Bristol duo the Allergies. Over on the flip you'll find something deeper and more laidback: the slow and low sweetness of 'Bottled', featuring guest vocals from Elzhi and Jessica Care Moore.

Review: The ever-excellent Shotgun Records has got a funk gem on their hands with this red hot 45rpm. It leads with a new, extended version of Special Delivery's 'This Kind Of Love' which has a chunky, soul train disco-tinged groove pumping away down low with the stunning vocal soaring next to serene strings. Its uplifting message will warm the heart of anyone and this version features the male-female monologue which was edited out of the US original. On the flip is the more slow and sentimental soul swirler 'I've Got To Be Free' which has jazzy keys and a heartbroken male vocalist rueing his losses.

Review: The legendary GAMM is as reliable as the sunrise and sunset each day. It always comes through with the DJ freindly, party ready sounds from whatever genre it sees fit. Here it is Japan's Dai San who comes back to the label with a second EP that finds him heading off on a jazzy escapade. The three tunes take in dazzling disco-jazz, fantastic fusion-funk and deep rare grooves that touch you to your core. 'Sundance' opens up in busy, peak time fashion with plenty of Japanese influences over an Azymuth style carnival beat. The flip is for the deeper workouts including the spaced-out and highly melodic 'Nite Sprite'.

Review: The new batch from the bottomless edit archives of Danny Krivit is an uptempo, guitar-heavy excursion into two cuts of danceable rock from opposite sides of a decade. The sound is crisply remastered for club play, and stretched over the breadth of a 12-inch single. Both of these tracks are appearing on the long-format player for the first time.

Review: Legendary Italian drummer Tullio De Piscopo recorded the seminal soundtrack Concerto Per Un Film: L' Arma in 1978. Two of the devilishly delightful disco tracks from it now make their way onto this tidy 7" from Groovin, who are following up their much loved rare groove Italo 7" series in style. 'Black Star' is all about the knotted funk bass, with the patter of toms up top and mysterious leads taking you into the unknown. On the flip, 'Temptation'
has another exotic lead synth that takes you into a colourful world of psyched out disco sound.

Review: Since their birth in 2014 as an instrumental offshoot of Saskwatch, Let Your Hair Down has been a staple of the Melbourne soul scene without recording or releasing much music. Now boasting a new seven-piece line-up that contains members of fellow Victorian bands Karate Boogaloo and Surprise Chef, the band has finally got round to recording a long-promised second album. In keeping with their trademark sound, the set is an all-instrumental affair that casually joins the dots between cinematic soul, library funk, lounge and downtempo grooves. The arrangements are complex, the vibes laid back and the musicianship exemplary. In other words, it's another soon to be in demand album from the College of Knowledge crew.

Review: Kiefer is having a big month: he has just closed down his trilogy of EPs on Stones Throw with fantastic final offering, Between Days, which was inspired by thoughts of growing old and transition from one phase of life to the next. And now he offers up this splendid double 12". It is a masterful mix of pensive piano, jazz chord work and downtempo drums. There are lush, synth laced soundscapes for late night lovers, funk-fulled, sax-driven jams and then cosmic, starry-eyed mood pieces that encourage your mind to wander. It is another essential release from this fine talent.

Review: Growing Bin's reissues tend towards the overlooked rather than the super-rare, and this obscure album from jazz guitarist and fusion enthusiast Guy Maxwell certainly fits the bill. While hardly spoken about in glowing terms by obsessive collectors, it's a fantastic collection of mellow jazz-fusion, smooth jazz and borderline Balearic gems that contains more than a few nods towards blue-eyed soul classics of the 1970s. Highlights on this fully re-mastered reissue include 'Beautiful Day', a soft-touch treat full of hazy vocalisations, gentle samba beats and acoustic guitars, Boz Scraggs-style opener 'Watch Out Sally' and sumptuous closing cut 'There Is A Train Leaving'.

Review: Kiefer is having a big month: he has just closed down his trilogy of EPs on Stones Throw with fantastic final offering, Between Days, which was inspired by thoughts of growing old and transition from one phase of life to the next. And now he offers up this splendid double 12". It is a masterful mix of pensive piano, jazz chord work and downtempo drums. There are lush, synth laced soundscapes for late night lovers, funk-fuelled, sax-driven jams and then cosmic, starry-eyed mood pieces that encourage your mind to wander. It is another essential release from this fine talent.

Review: Perfect Toy's ongoing series of psychedelic funk and blue-eyed soul compilation, Down & Wired, has now hit volume six. As usual, this latest volume is piled-high with obscure, overlooked treats, most of which were made in the late 1960s and early '70s. Our picks of an incredibly strong bunch include Hercules & Black Majik's stellar psychedelic rock cover of Edwin Starr hit 'War', the punchy soul-funk fusion of 'Black Time' by Klaas Craats Six, the Meters-meets-Hendrix-uptown heaviness of Staff & Management's 'Fresh Dirt', a fiendishly wild wig-out from The Carolina Tikis ('Rap') and a bluesy slab of southern blue-eyed soul from Mike Peace & Filet of Soul ('Prisoner').

Review: NYC-based funk combo The DU-Rites is made up of Jay Mumford on drums, keys and bass guitar and Pablo Martin on guitar, bass guitar and keys. They've put out some fine albums since 2016, most recently 2020's A Funky Bad Time, while this tidy Pressure 10" is their first outing of 2021. It is a perfect embodiment of their sound which is a deep and dense fusion of funk, jazz and cinematic instrumental soul. Each track is laden with mellotron, Fender Rhodes, organs and synths that are accompanied by occasional spoken words and conversational riffs that sink you deep into a cosmic world of luscious sound.