Freestyle 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: Freestyle Records has been doing sterling work in sniffing out and reissuing rare boogie and jazz-funk releases from the early to mid 1980s, the majority of which initially appeared on tiny British labels. Their latest pick takes us back to 1983 and the largely unknown world of AGR Records. Boogie trio Bogaz only ever released two singles, with 'I've Got Love' standing out. Most won't have heard it before, but it's brilliant - a near-perfect slab of soulful electrofunk of the sort more commonly associated with labels in Los Angeles and New York. We get full vocal and dancefloor dub style 'instrumental' mixes, both of which feature a superbly squelchy synth bassline, tight machine drums (sometimes with bonus Latin-style percussive flourishes), gorgeous piano stabs, lusciously languid jazz guitar solos and warming horns.

Review: This is a crucial 45 from Freestyle Records which separates out two tracks from their recent Bunny Scott reissue project. It is a brilliant showcase of Scott's early-Black Ark debut LP with Blaxploitation-influenced funk track 'Kinky Fly' kicking off. It has backing band members from The Chi-Lites' on board as well as a nice horn section and Chinna Smith's wah-wah guitar. The whole thing is overdubbed with synths to add to the mood. 'Sweet Loving Love' is more upbeat, with sunny towlines and rolling rhythms.

Review: 'Hard Times' is a mega rare outing from Chequers which they dropped back in 1983 at the height of popularity for this sport of sound. It's irresistible electro-boogie that will get you in a spin in no time. The squelchy bass, r&b vocals and withering sci-fi disco synths all bring real colour. Flip it over and you will find the equally stellar 'If You Want My Love'. This is the first time this one has ever been reissued by its Freestyle label. Don't sleep on this surefire party starter and underground classic.

Review: Freestyle Records has got a brilliant and rather rare bit of boogie here in the form of Eddie Capone's 'I Wont Give You Up.' This is the first officially licensed reissue of this 1985 gem by the reggae, funk and soul mainstay of that decade. He played with various noted outfits such as Chairmen of the Board, Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come and Edwin Starr and was also in the short-lived band Casablanca. He founded the Treatment band in the early 1980s and played with a rotating cast of musicians. The tunes included on this 7" are some of them with Diane Jones providing vocals on the A-side, which is the standout gem.

Review: The Switch label was one of those classic early 80s Brit funk obscurities which has since attained cult status for diggers who can't enough of that boogie sound. Tony Jackson was a key player on the label, and his 'Steppin' Out On The Groove' has everything you could wish for - from twinkling piano to low down dirty Moog bass, chirpy brass and a groove that just won't quit. Second hand copies of this pearler have changed hands for some princely sums over the years, but now Freestyle are derailing the shark train and giving up the goods for all music lovers to enjoy.

Review: Brit-boogie obscurity alert! You might not be familiar with La Famille - a short-lived group established by jazz guitarist Alan Weekes, whose members also included then future Soul 2 Soul singer Caron Wheeler and a pre-fame Cleveland Watkiss - but in 'Dancer', they made one of the loveliest jazz-funk/boogie crossover records of the early 1980s. Originally a white label-only release and near impossible to find since, the record has long been crying out for a reissue. It has all the ingredients you'd expect - squelchy synth-bass, soulful vocals, leisurely jazz guitars, drum machine beats and an overriding sense of musical sweetness - and is presented in equally essential vocal and instrumental mix variations.

Review: Rare Groove Spectrum Vol. 2 on Freestyle back in January was a superbly well received collection of reworks and imaginings of soul classics. Now Lance Ferguson follows it up with a tidy 7" that features his take on 'Mango Meat' as well as his unique Latin soul cover of Gladys Knight's classic 'Got Myself a Good Man.' It's a bustling jazz-funk gem with glorious flutes bursting out of the mix and rollin drum rhythms. 'Mango meat' goes a litter deeper with its more rolling drum work and psyched-out guitars and big horns.

Review: Once more unearthing a rare and classic electro funk piece, Candy McKenzie's 'Remind Me' gets a proper 12" reissue, homing in on her classic cover of the Patrice Rushen original. Chugging, slick and wacky, McKenzie's vocals glisten and flit over a raw electro beat, heralding offbeat and Texan funk guitar, electrics and basses alike. As much is true for the 'Different Style' dub on the flip.

Review: One of the UK's most distinctive, consistent and authentic male soul voices returns with his eighth album in 27 years... And it's a serious piece of work. Rich in range, warmth, creativity and a keen eye on the dancefloor, everything about him feels refreshed and energised. Highlights include the Dilla-meets-Iz & Diz style "This Way That Way", the glistening Balearic charm of "Feeds My Mind", the syrupy organs and harmonies on "Insatiable". Winding down with the almost filmic narrative "Grey Clouds", it's one of those records that will have you leaping up, flipping to side A and starting all over again. Feel the love.

Review: Omar is a real British musical institution and as such it's surprising but also not so shocking, he has recently completed a stint on BBC soap Eastenders. This cheeky 7" is a reissue of the title track from his album The Man and a fine example of his perfectly soulful vocals and mellifluous melodies over nice broken beat and nu jazz sounds. It represents some of his best work and this contemporary take uses the final few bars of the original track as its starting point in a "part 2" style.

Review: Street soul is one of the many short lived but vital in between genres that have emerged from the studios of the UK over the decades. Pause was an early act who excelled at the form as two incredibly rare and hard to find tunes that are both being pressed up bony Freestyle this month prove. The first one comes on this 12" in the form of 'It's Just Amazing' with various different mixes. The vocal mix pairs lo-fi drum breaks with shards of 80s synth stabs and a gorgeous vocal harmony finished perfectly by a melancholic bassline. The two instrumental mixes are even more dusty and lo-fi but the vocal version is the one that will always stand out and get the floor in a tizzy.

Review: Two stone cold legends on one unforgettable 45": Courtney and Omar build on their recent Black Notes From The Deep live collaborations with a stunning original and killer cover. "Rules" is a funk-based track that jumps and sizzles with a fresh contemporary energy that you might not expect from either party while "Butterfly" pays a very special homage to another stone cold legend Herbie Hancock. A beautiful release. You might say there's nothing like it.

Review: Freestyle Records are dropping some super top-notch reissues this month, and the originals are mega rare and expensive so boogie and Brit funk fans couldn't be happier. This one by Private Funk-Shun was originally released in 1986 and for this 7" has been officially licensed, remastered and pressed in limited numbers. 'All That I Wanted Was You' has twanging bass riffs and electronic drums that really slap under singing leads and a super vocal. 'Fantasy' is a little more loved-up by no less sure to get you on your toes. Two lovely tunes whether or not you knew them first time round.

Review: This is a long overdue reissue of a lovely feel-good soul number from Sonja Richard. It is her one and only listed release on Discogs and landed back in 1987 on the Rock The House Records label. Why she didn't do more off the back of this one is anyone's guess but we wish she had: it's a lovely laid-back vibe with 80s electronic disco production, buffed metal chords, and naive melodies. As well as the standout original the flipside has a fine version that offers a slightly different look. A real must own for soul lovers.

Review: Last year, Freestyle Records reissued 'Tonight's The Night', the 1983 debut from West London outfit Take Three - a collaboration between production trio S.H.E (Steve Sinclair, Peter Hinds and Kevin Ellis) and lover's rock vocal harmony group Alpha (AKA Marlene Richardson and sisters Jackie and Jean Heron). 'Can't Get Enough', another gem from the band's vaults, dates from 1985 and was initially released as their final single. In keeping with the group's roots, it comes in two contrasting mixes: a gorgeously dreamy, glossy and glassy 'Soul Mix' powered forward by squelchy synth-bass, mid-tempo beats and jaunty, jazz-funk style keyboard riffs, and the 'Reggae Mix'. As the title suggests, this radically alters the tempo and groove of the track - it's basically synth-heavy, mid-80s lovers rock - whilst retaining key elements of the A-side soul version.

Review: T. J. Johnson's 'Pretty Lady' is a glorious sweet spot between disco, boogie and funk that came back at the heyday for that sort of sound back in 1982. It's been dug out of the Switch label vaults which was a UK label run out of Lansdowne Studios. T.J. Johnson was a well-versed guitarist also known as T.J. Bedeau and he is still working the gig circuit today. 'Pretty Lady' is a slick and smooth groover with florid horn stabs and the sort of lush vocals that bring the love. 'Come On Let's Do It (Let's Rock)' is more upbeat and strident but just as warm.

Review: Yet another 12" rarity from the annals of UK funk & boogie history - this time the 1985 cut 'Sexy Lady' from VeiraKrew. Carribean-born and British-raised pianist Elvis Veira moved to England alongside his pianist and music teacher mother at the age of two, quickly becoming proficient on piano, guitar and bass by his early teens. His love for playing music and singing in choirs propelled him on this musical journey, and his late teens to 20s saw him supporting acts such Heatwave, Wham, Katrina and the Waves and more. In 1983 he started working under the alias VeiraKrew, and a couple of years later in 1985 laid down this 12", backed up with the title track's killer instrumental version and the B-side 'Welcome to a Dream'. It was self-released by Veira, quickly becoming a collector's item with clean copies changing hands for up to 150 a piece. The instrumentals are fresh and filled with life, and 'Welcome to a Dream' is an incredible mid-tempo bopper. Well worthy of a repress, and is sure to be in demand - so don't delay!