Charly 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: Australian vocalist-guitarist Daevid Allen was part of a richly innovative sene in Canterbury next to the likes of Robert Wyatt and Pip Pyle. He moved to Paris in the 60s to form Gong and always blended smart music with a sense of off the wall humour. His debut album Banana Moon found him working once more with bassist Archie Legget and vocalist Maggie Bell amongst others. They cooked up daring music that blurs the line between psych rock and more riotous dadaism in a collection of innovate sounds that still sound form the future to this day, meany years later.

Review: Patrick Adams is the creative force behind plenty of next-level disco records from the late 1970s and early '80s. One of the most remarkable of the lot, though, is Cloud One's 1976 album Atmosphere Strut. Its title track is a stone cold dancefloor classic created by Adams with help from collaborator Peter Brown and it is a real space-synth odyssey with a deep disco groove. The album is 45 this year so it gets a special anniversary reissue featuring that tune with all the rest from the spacious 'Spaced Out' to the funky astral grooves of 'Charleston Hopscotch' and more star gazing and romantic jazz-funk of 'Dust To Dust.'

Review: The latest edition to the illustrious Charly catalogue - a re-release of Dillinger's most successful single from 1976, 'Cokane In My Brain' - marks a welcome return of this popular release to record stores. Listening to this release, it's easy to trace the figures the Kingston-born Dillinger has labelled as key inspirations in the sound he brings into existence - namely Dennis Alcapone and Lee "Scratch" Perry, the latter of whom he found himself under the guidance of following his big break in 1974 with the release of his single 'Dub Organizer'. There's a reason this achieved serious playtime - though not necessarily on the radio - worldwide following its release. A key release you certainly won't want missing from your collection.

Review: Formed in Rome way back in 1966, Musica Elettronica Viva are something of an enigma: an avant-garde collective whose exact line-up is shrouded in mystery (it changed over the years by all accounts but confirming who founded the group has proved difficult) and whose released works tend towards the experimental and undeniably out-there. The Sound Pool was recorded in 1979 and surfaced on vinyl a year later. It's an undeniably odd but defiantly impressive four-part work that blends tape loops, avant-garde noise, distant drumming, discording free-jazz horns and pots-and-pans percussion. It sounds like it was recorded live, in a gigantic, reverb-heavy room, and is as experimental and avant-garde as they come. An under-celebrated classic of its type.

Review: Kafunta was the second album PP Arnold released on Immediate and the last. It didn't reach the highs of the first one but remains a dramatic soul album that was defined by a tension between the singer and her label, whose founder Andrew Loog Oldham was in charge of produciton. His dream of establishing Arnold as a crossover commercial star was at odds with her own vocal talents as she fought to stay in her own unique r&b lane. Sometimes that conflict results in greatness like on 'Angel of the Morning'. 'God Only Knows' is also a highlight with its tight, tense, rousing marriage of trumpets and drums, making for real drama.

Review: The Techniques and The Zodiacs are two revered reggae groups renowned for their distinct sound and contributions to the genre's evolution. Both bands are synonymous with several classics and have left an indelible mark on music history. Now they are back on this new 45rpm with two coveted Jamaican rocksteady and ska gems as part of the celebratory launch of the new Treasure Isle Story series by Charly Records. First up is a masterful recording by The Techniques that epitomises Duke Reid's penchant for melody and tight harmony vocals. This rendition was originally penned by Curtis Mayfield for the Impressions. Next, 'Renegade' was recorded in 1967 by The Zodiacs. Initially released as the B-side to 'Duck Soup,' this track has since become one of the most coveted and sought-after Treasure Isle 45s.

Review: Allen Toussaint was a production, songwriting and performance great who had a vast impact on music until his passing in 2015. Whipped Cream & Other Delights is a special, limited edition 7" that commemorates his work and features some of his most well-loved songs and famous tunes. First up is 'Whipped Cream' by The Stokes (which went on to become a worldwide hit via Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass album), then comes 'Here Come The Girls' "Working In The Coal Mine' by Lee Dorsey and 'Fortune Teller by Benny Spellman', all written of course by the one and only Allen Toussaint.

Review: Soul lovers should be salivating at the prospect of this superb new collection from Charly because Smooth Sailing: A Rare Soul Adventure offers up some delightful sounds that aren't that familiar. Busting with Black talent, the likes of Freddy Briggs aka Coldwate Stone, plus the former Chicago Gangsters the Harmonics, the unknown Mary Mundy and many more all feature with mid-tempo, feel good and soul-stirring grooves alongside some more well-known names like Ohio Players and Grammy Award winner Al Jarreau. A glorious album to have for any uplifting Sunday morning.