Back catalogue: Funk/Reissues

Review: Produced and sleeked out at Opal Studios in NYC, back in 1975, Buari's self-titled LP has been a cornerstone of international highlife music since it was first released. The original is now an arduous item to find at a decent price, so we thanks the Be With label for having repackaged an essential Afro LP that is a must have for anyone into anything outside a constant beat drum. "Karam Bani" opens with a forceful helping of funk, percussive to to the max, and this same hypnotic groove formula is present across the entirety of the A-side, making this a sampler's dream come true. On the flip, "Iro Le Pa" is the stand-out tune for us, a rhythm that makes Theo Parrish's Ugly Edits seems kinda tame! Recommended.

Review: The Tele Music catalogue follows a long tradition of library music mores; stock patterned album art and themed series included. Originally from 1973, Rhythmiques functions as one of the label's most iconic releases. Written entirely in collaboration between French composer and percussionist Pierre Dahan and synthesist Mat Camison, it features tense funk, blunted jazz and heavy breaks all the way. It is considered the rightful sequel to Continental Pop Sound, and despite the origin as library music intended for TV and film, has endured as a vital album for producers and DJs.

Review: The man behind proto yacht rock anthem "Get It Up For Love", Ned Doheny's 1976 sophomore set is the stuff silky soul dreams are made of. Yet madly it's not been available on vinyl for almost its entire lifetime. Here newly emerged vinyl-revivalists Be With have reissued 500 copies. And it's pressed on 180g vinyl, allowing you to enjoy every gossamer nuance, from the glistening subtle slides on "I've Got Your Number" to the upbeat disco smoothness of "On The Swingshift". Sweeter than candy...

Review: Steve Leach's Ocean Potion, set for reissue on Be With Records, is a hidden gem of Balearic beach-funk from 1976, featuring Leachiknown today as Seasick Steveiin his earlier incarnation. Originally released exclusively in France on Philips, this LP is a funky AOR and blue-eyed soul masterpiece, brimming with vibrant, pop-funk energy. Recorded with the Crystal Grass Orchestra, the album boasts a lush orchestral sound that perfectly complements Leach's smooth vocals and the rich harmonies of a stellar ensemble of backing singers. The supporting musicians are legends from the French music scene, including Don Ray as arranger and synth player, Marc Chantereau on percussion, Slim Pezin on guitar, Andre Ceccarelli on drums, Christian Padovan on bass, and Pierre Halation on flute. Their combined talents create a groove that is both immediate and infectious, making it hard to believe this record has remained relatively obscure. The reissue by Be With Records has been carefully remastered by Simon Francis, ensuring the sound quality is impeccable. Cicely Balston's expert cutting preserves the record's integrity, while the original sleeve artwork, featuring a topless Leach reclining on a piano-laden flatbed truck at the beach, has been beautifully restored. This long-overdue reissue brings Ocean Potion back to the spotlight, where it rightly belongs.

Review: Not to be confused with the US electro outfit of the same name, Nucleus was - as many readers will know - a pioneering British jazz-rock outfit helmed by Ian Carr, whose releases frequently drew on a wide palette of influences (think funk, soul, pyschedelic and progressive rock). They made a lot of great albums during the 1970s, though few are quite as inspired as 'We'll Talk About It Later', a wonderfully laidback and atmospheric 1971 set that has now been given the reissue treatment by the consistently impressive Be With Records. The many highlights include - but are in no way limited to - the bluesy, slow-motion shuffle of 'We'll Talk About It Later', the wah-wah guitar sporting summer bliss of 'Sun Child', the gently unfurling brilliance of 'Oasis' and the pleasingly heavy jazz-rock pulse of 'Ballad of Joe Pimp'.

Review: Headed up by the revered trumpeter and visionary composer Ian Carr, Nucleus have penned many a seminal album and Elastic Rock certainly is one of them. It was a real milestone for the jazz-rock fusion scene and marked a stunning debut in 1970 that has been hard to find ever since. Saxophonist Brian Smith, guitarist Chris Spedding - who wouold later go on to produce the Sex Pistols' first recordings - drummer John Marshall, bassist Jeff Clyne and sax, oboe and pianist Karl Jenkins all brought energy and invention in equal measure on this one with cuts like the title track offer lovely electric blues, '1916' featuring heavy drums and melancholic horns and 'Striation' being more serene. Be With have remastered this reissue from the original tapes.

Review: Laurin Rinder and W. Michael Lewis were amongst the most prolific producers of the disco era - a pair of jazz-trained eccentrics who not only embraced the disco sound, but did more than most to help develop it (they were particularly big fans of synthesisers, showcasing in their work as much as Giorgio Moroder and Patrick Cowley did). They also loved a concept - hence recording and releasing The Seven Deadly Sins, an album-length celebration of disco's sinful side, in 1977. As this Be With Records reissue proves, the album remains a rare beast: a largely instrumental disco album that sparkles from start to finish. For proof, check the seductive, electric piano-and-synth smothered grooves of 'Lust', the heavily electronic proto-techno of 'Gluttony', the solo-laden disco-funk heaviness of 'Pride' and the undeniably epic heaviness of 'Anger'.

Review: At the time of his passing in 2017, the late, great soul star Leon Ware was working on a new album with long-time collaborator Taylor Graves. Although he never finished it, Be With has decided to put together a final posthumous album that contains the five songs he finished for the set - which, impressively, include cameos from the likes of Kamasi Washington and Thundercat - and six cuts from an obscure, Japan-only CD from 2013. It's a wonderful listen from start to finish, with the Latin-tinged soul-jazz of "For The Rainbow", the head-nodding boogie business of "Sigh" and the synth-laden, strangely swung brilliance of "Are You Ready" amongst the highlights.