Funk | Soul Preorder 233 Items

With 'Why Don't You Go Home' Fingier produces a monster Rhythm & Blues tune that will take you straight to the King and Federal R&B sound, and for the B side, 'Cocktail De Medianoche' is the perfect mix of Boogaloo and Northern Soul. Percussion, flute and horns will make this a Fingier favourite for lovers of Latin grooves and Uptempo Soul.

Two great versions of this soul dancer. "Bend a little" - The Supremes cut was released on a triple back cd and now first time on vinyl, perfect for all soul collectors Magic Disco Machine, offers a movin and groovin instrumental version, essential 7" double sider.
x600 copies only

Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the world’s No.1 disco – the high temple of Northern Soul – the legendary Wigan Casino, Lancashire.

Set against a backdrop of rampant inflation, the 3-day working week and national power cuts, Northern Soul emerged as an escape, a secret society, a haven for like-minded teenagers. Every Saturday night, for eight years, the faithful made the pilgrimage to the desolate mill town of Wigan to a broken down, pre-war dancehall on Station Road. It was a sanctuary, a special place of togetherness, elitism, and the catalyst for the music scenes longest enduring sub-culture… Northern Soul.

Our exclusive playlist highlights key records from the thousands played at the famed all-nighters by its original, founding, deejays, Russ Winstanley, Kev Roberts and Richard Searling.

Nashville soul brother Jimmy Church joined John Richbourg’s Sound Stage 7 label in 1966 under the guidance of his manager “Hoss” Allen who had just opened with his TV soul showcase ‘The !!! Beat’. Church regularly appeared on the show as part of the house band. At Sound Stage 7 he released only two singles but left a, largely unheard and forgotten, legacy of studio recordings including our chosen cuts, finally making their much deserved vinyl debut.

Featuring two fabulous Northern Soul sides available for the first time on 7-inch vinyl, exclusively from Charly Records. Recorded circa 1966 in Chicago for George and Ernie Leaner’s m-pac! label.

Featuring two stunning crossover classics from the 1978 ‘Time Wounds All Heels’ penned and performed by Los Angeles soul singer Gene Townsel’.

“Mr. Big Shot” by Gene ‘Duke-of-Earl’ Chandler was recorded in Chicago in the golden year of soul music, 1966. It was Chandler’s final 45 for Constellation Records completing an incredible run of outstanding releases that have powered the Northern Soul scene ever since including “Nothing Can Stop Me”, “Bet You Never Thought”, “(Gonna Be) Good Times” and “I Can Take Care Of Myself”. But, it’s “Mr. Big Shot” that has consistently filled the dance floors and is now possibly the “biggest” oldie of all-time.

Dee Clark is best known for his American #2 power-ballad hit “Raindrops” in 1961 for the Vee-Jay label. However, it is his 1964 non-hit “That’s My Girl” that caught the attention of the UK DJ’s and went on to become one of the key records during the Nineties resurgence of the Northern Soul scene.

"Love Can't Be Borrowed" by The Sextones produced by Kelly Finnigan - one of the soul albums of 2023 - gets a reissue on limited edition clear vinyl. 500 copies only, instant collector's item.

New 2024 reissue. From the LP 'Melody of Life' (Cat 2614).

Exactly the same as the original pressing but the cat on the label has yellow eyes as opposed to red.

Yet another solid Soul/Funk nugget lifted from the vaults of Miami's CAT Records (Another T.K. Disco subsidiary).

Often sampled, re-edited & re-jigged but never bettered! Gwen McCrae's all time classic "All This Love I'm Giving" finally see's a timely repress, just as God intended, on a dinked 45 with all original artwork intact! That's right, you may recognize this number from Cassius' 1999 hit "Feelin' For You" but this track has long been a staple of rare groove dances & sophisticated soul parties with discerning DJ's & selectors clamoring for the original 45 at any cost.

Backed here with it's original b-side slow jam "Maybe I'll Find Somebody New" this rare 45 has been re-mastered, re-pressed & brought back for 2015's dance-floors in conjunction & with the permission of T.K. Disco / Henry Stone Music, Miami USA.

Singer, songwriter and producer Johnny Burgos returns with veteran producer Jeremy Page (Kendra Morris, Czarface, MF Doom) for "Hit Me Like," the instrumental is dripping with retro soul nostalgia, serving up the drums and bass-forward and funky, under a blanket of buttery guitar chords. The production carries Burgos' silky smooth and heartfelt delivery effortlessly, offering a brilliant take on a timeless-sounding, soul-inspired love song.
Singer, songwriter, and producer Johnny Burgos returns with
veteran soul producer, Jeremy Page, (Kendra Morris, Czarface, MF Doom, That Handsome
Devil) for "Get Back." The fourth single off of the duo's upcoming album titled, 'All I Ever Wonder,' is a vulnerable retrospective of a love gone cold, with hopes of rekindling the
magic that once kept its flame alive. In true Neo Soul form, the song is driven heavily by the
drum and bass groove, distinctly reminiscent of an early 2000's J Dilla beat. Page's signature
colorful chords evoke the struggle in Burgos' story, as he confronts his inability to accept the fate
of his relationship and let go of the magic it once embodied.

Johnny Burgos is a Brooklyn - born singer, songwriter, producer & engineer. His brand of retro-soul embodies a
raw uncompromising sound revealing beauty from pain, hope from despair, and the will to keep fighting.
Influenced by his uncle and world-class percussionist, Andre Martinez, growing up Johnny developed a
fascination with the percussive rhythms of salsa and soul music, eventually manifesting into a devoted passion
for hip-hop production using an Akai MPC. With influences from Michael Jackson, OutKast, J Dilla, Lauryn Hill
and D'Angelo, Johnny's music draws upon the core principles of R&B, while encompassing elements of
hip-hop, funk, pop, salsa, and reggae. Collaborations include artists such as DJ Skizz, Mobb Deep & M.O.P.,
Marco Polo, Frans Mernick, and Liza Colby (The Gold Setting) and his band Bridge City Hustle, with whom he
toured nationally.

As a solo artist Johnny debuted with back-to-back brand endorsements from French's Mustard and Samsung
US, using them as a platform to launch his 2018 EP Love Through it All. In March 2021 his debut album Gone
Into The Grey received critical acclaim and has since been added to multiple editorial playlists by Spotify, Apple
Music and Tidal, resulting in an ever-growing listening fan base. In 2022, Burgos' song "Wild About You" was
then used as the soundtrack for Neiman Marcus' It's Your Moment global streaming campaign.

"Celestial Echo is thrilled to introduce the reissue of Brutal Force's revered classic, 'Dreams For Sale.' Originally released, this soulful gem has maintained its status as a sought-after treasure by DJs and electronic music enthusiasts for years. A favourite of Floating Points, Jeremy Underground and Frederika

With original copies becoming more and more elusive, and only released on poor quality styrene, the decision to reissue this soulful gem was an easy one.

Celestial Echo proudly presents the re- issue on a limited edition 7-inch vinyl re- cord, remastered and pressed on heavyweight vinyl for an authentic ana- log experience. This exclusive release is adorned with a striking picture sleeve and redesigned labels, adding a con- temporary touch to this soulful master- piece.

CER001 gained huge support from DJs such as Gilles Peterson, Craig Charles and Ross Allen, with more to be expected as the label grows."

Daisy Records are an award-winning midlands based label, not afraid of fusing genres, a mix of Hip Hop, Neo-Soul, Nu Gospel, Funk and Jazz - all with a christian ethos . We work with local musicians and producers and are blessed to collaborate with a myriad of overseas musicians and producers to create an eclectic and bespoke sound .Using digital mediums to promote an analogue sound !

Grammy nominated producer Gaudi (Steel Pulse, The Orb, Tricky, Lee Scratch Perry) joins forces with Italian Afro-funk band Savana Funk to revive the sound of "Cosmic-Disco" of the late 70s with this limited edition 7" vinyl. The terms "Afro-disco / Cosmic-disco" are used to describe various forms of African-influenced and Synth-based dance music with a particular method of DJing originally developed and promoted by a small number of DJs in Italy from the late 70s through the mid-80s, a freeform music-journey created with vinyl records, mixing and beat-matching a very diverse range of musical styles, from electro-funk to Brazilian-jazz, incorporating live percussion and effects. Pioneers such as DJ Mozart, Daniele Baldelli, Loda, Pery, Spranga, L'ebreo, Tosi Brandi, Lelli, and venues such as Cosmic, Baia Degli Angeli, Typhoon, La Mecca, Chicago, Arlecchino to name but a few, had truly expanded and helped the development of the club-culture in Italy and subsequently in Europe. In his youth, producer, and musician Gaudi was one of the punters who regularly attended these venues and followed the whole "Afro" scene, experiencing from the dancefloor that 90-110bpm hypnotic sound and subconsciously absorbing the essence of it. On the A side is the first single "Raha", driven by a solid "afro-cosmic" groove infused with an eclectic krautrock sound, very distinct and very psychedelic at the same time. A texture generated by analog synthesizers and "space-funk" riffs from guitar and bass. Raha means "Peace of mind" in Arabic, the native language of the Italian-Moroccan drummer Youssef, who also appears as a vocalist on this track. On the B side is the groovy and sexy "OREWA," a funk track to dance to on the beach surrounded by a psychedelic-colored sunset, with hypnotic guitar riffs that take us on a journey without time and space.

180 GRAM AUDIOPHILE VINYL
1984 ALBUM FEAT. THE SINGLES “SHOUT”, “TWENTY-FIVE MILES”,
“I WILL BE HERE FOR YOU” AND “MOVE”

REMASTERED AUDIO AT THE ARTONE STUDIO IN HAARLEM, THE NETHERLANDS
FEATURES GUEST PERFORMANCE BY DUTCH FEMALE GROUP MAI TAI ON
“I DON’T KNOW (ONE FOR THE PARTY)”

EXPANDED EDITION INCLUDING THE EXTENDED VERSION OF HIT SINGLE “MOVE”
AS BONUS TRACK

40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF 500 COPIES ON TRANSLUCENT RED COLOURED VINYL

Kalita are proud to announce the first ever 7" single reissue of what is possibly the most coveted gospel disco record in existence, the Al-Dos Band"s soulful masterpiece "Doing Our Thing With Pride". This iconic reissue is backed by the band"s previously unreleased recording "Love Jones Coming Down".At long last, Kalita revives this South Carolinian grail single, housed in a limited-edition picture sleeve.

MIA is back with her first single since “Love Me Right”. Her 2020 Gil Masuda-produced hit song has sold 3000 7” copies and garnered over 5 million online streams so far. It has become a bonafide funk anthem by top DJs in the West Coast and earned her an invitation to play at Funk Freaks parties and Hittin’ Switches festival. The song even made its way into the intro of a Silk Sonic Radio episode. Side A’s “Crime of Passion” reveals a sultry story around compassion. The song’s deep bass and groove pick up where “Love Me Right” left off. The up-tempo 80s-tinged boogie of producer Gil Masuda provides the backdrop for the Miami-born singer’s unmistakably silky voice. “Am I your shining diamond, baby, kryptonite?” It’s a line sure to lure you to the dance floor. Side B’s “Love Bug” is a chill roller skating jam with lush Rhodes chords and warm synth tones that will appeal to anyone who’s ever been in love. This release marks MIA’s first official single on Love Touch Records and perhaps hints at the possibility of her long-awaited debut album to come soon?

HHV Exclusive orange colored run of this fantastic album. Don't sleep.

Excellent French library music / soundtracks album from Saint Tropez Orchestra. Recorded at Studio Des Fontaines in just 25 hours and using the very Hammond organ owned by a former member of one of the house bands at the Zoom Zoom nightclub in Saint Tropez (which almost certainly would have been used onstage for such icons as Brigitte Bardot, Michel Polnareff, Jacques Dutronc, Serge Gainsbourg, Jane Birkin, etc) this album is all killer, no filler.

Inspired by the classic library music sounds of 1968-75 (think The Mohawks, or even Booker T & The MG's on acid) this is the kind of collection that crate diggers, rare library fiends, and psychedelic funk fans dream of finding in some dusty old store somewhere for a dollar!

The album itself is stuffed with the kind of heavy drum-and-percussion breaks that b-boys and girls go nuts for, and the sort of sample source material that producers are constantly searching for. It's a masterpiece and you need it.

Continuing Mr Bongo’s series exploring the wealth of material released through the record labels of Sonny Lester, 1977’s Funk Reaction finds Hammond B3 organ virtuoso Lonnie Smith at his most dancefloor-friendly. Dripping with groove and swagger, this album skates between jazz-funk, cosmic disco radiance, beat-laden slow-jams and conscious psychedelic soul.

Having played with the likes of George Benson and Lou Donaldson in the ‘60s, alongside releasing a string of albums on Columbia and Blue Note, Funk Reaction sees Smith move into late ‘70s disco-funk-tinged territory.

Originally released on Sonny Lester's Groove Merchant Records successor, Lester Radio Corporation, the album feels more like a collaborative band-orientated project as opposed to a solo artist outing. Featuring some elite session players of the time, including Steve Gadd on drums, guitarist Lance Quinn and bassist Bob Babbitt, the album is tied together expertly by songwriter, arranger and conductor Brad Baker.

It’s worth the price tag alone for the superb disco-funk nugget 'Funk Reaction’. Other highlights include the only Lonnie Smith penned track on the album 'All In My Mind', that shines with a beautiful Stevie Wonder-esque quality and the slick guitar-led floater 'When The Night Is Right’, written by and featuring guitarist Richie Hohenburger. Elsewhere, ‘For The Love Of It’ and the Brad Babbitt written ‘Babbitt's Other Song’ serve up classic jazz funk flavours, both featuring stellar tenor saxophone from Eddie Daniels.

As a whole, the album is a superb example of Lonnie Smith’s ability to merge jazz with elements of funk, soul, disco and beyond, experimenting with ideas whilst broadening the scope of both his audience and appeal. Fans of The Blackbyrds, the CTI / Kudu stable and ‘70s George Benson will dig this!

To celebrate the 15th anniversary of "Born in 69"", the album is reissued for the first time as a double vinyl!It features collaborations with The Sugarhill Gang, Shabba Ranks, Kevin Lyttle ant the renowned Awell. (Re)Discover the worldwide hits "La La Song", "Love you no more", "New new new" and "What a wonderful world"

Not so long ago Marlena Shaw was a forgotten figure. The talented vocalist had made several LPs for respected labels such as Cadet and Blue Note, and she'd performed regularly throughout the '60s and '70s. But she hardly had what you might call diva status. Falling into the unfortunate category that slips uneasily between soul and jazz, she was accepted - but not especially admired - by aficionados of either genre. Then came the '90s, and an open-minded enthusiasm for soul and jazz - and more importantly - everything in between - soon changed that. Marlena Shaw became an icon, and the diva status soon blossomed amongst her new-found soul-jazz fans.

Respect is a word that means much to any singer. The artist who stands up in the bright lights before an audience that has handed over their hard-earned cash has only their physical presence and naked voice to rely on. There is no hiding when you're on stage, you're the focus of attention and everybody is gawping at you. The singer yearns to communicate and entertain, and in return not only asks for appreciation and acceptance, but respect. To this end Marlena Shaw has endured decades of singing in the shadows, and she has only recently finally found her niche.

On Disc One we have 'California Soul', probably the most enduring and well-known of her many songs, but just a few seconds listening will tell you that it is much more than that. It's already a classic amongst those who have already seen the light and have danced and swayed to its timeless swing. Upon hearing it all lovers of soul, jazz – or any other kind of good music - will feel an aural glow as warm as the Californian sun. The song 'Liberation Conversation' on the flip was only ever available on her highly revered 1969 LP 'The Spice of Life'. This is where the 'Blues ain't nothing but a good woman gone bad' launches into an irresistible, relentless uptempo funk groove.

Disc Two showcases 'Wade in the Water', an ancient song rumoured to have been developed and popularised by slaves in the American south. The message is to pass on the notion that by fleeing in a bid for freedom through streams and rivers, the scent that bloodhounds use to follow their victims will be obscured. Marlena's version has long been a favourite dancefloor filler since its 45-only release back in 1966.

'Woman of the Ghetto' is one of her best-known songs and ends the set on the other side. The opening number from 'The Spice of Life', it's since been recognised for the classic it is, and as such has been afforded anthemic status. We release the original 45 version here, as used to promote the LP back in the day.

This special 2x7" product from Jazzman is dedicated to the memory of Marlena Shaw, b. 22 September 1939, d. 19 January 2024.

The Blackbyrds' iconic song "Mysterious Vibes," released in '77, has been given a 45trio-style update! With the use of the Talk Box, it has been skillfully crafted into a modern sound. A contemporary interpretation and cover of the renowned mellow jazz-funk masterpiece "Mysterious Vibes" by The Blackbyrds, widely acclaimed as a prominent source for sampling. The Talk Box, weaving through familiarly beautiful synth melodies in a Lo-Fi style, resonates with a mysterious vibe, creating a pleasantly atmospheric sound. On the B-Side, "A Little Spice," originally released by the UK funk group Loose Ends in '84, receives the 45trio treatment, infusing it with a generous blend of Jazz, Funk, HIP HOP, and Disco essence, resulting in a lively and intriguing masterpiece!

Roy Porter released two albums in the 70's, "Inner Feelings" and "Jessica", which are now highly sought after as important rare groove albums. After a brief absence from the scene, he entered the 90s and challenged the times with a new Sound Machine! The killer funk tracks "Panama" and "Party time," which have been featured as sampling sources on numerous occasions, have been reconstructed by Roy Porter himself, and brushed up to sound with the texture of the 90s. It is no exaggeration to say that this album embodies the fusion of jazz and hip-hop that Robert Glasper and others have shown since the 2010s, 20 years ago.

This is a 1999 album by Weldon Irvine, who gained new recognition with the rise of the hip-hop scene and the rare groove movement in the 90's and beyond, including appearances on Q-tip and Mos Def albums!　Now, for the first time ever, P-vine is releasing this historically significant work on LP, as the original CD is hard to find. Featuring guests such as Q-tip, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and other artists representing the street scene of the time, the jazzy and tight groove is a must-listen, with a crossover of 70s feeling and 90s sound!

Only Yesterday" was performed only in the 1977 musical "Young, Gifted and Broke" written by Weldon Irvine, and had it been included on the album at the time, it could have been as well received as "I Love You". If it had been included in the album at that time, it could have been as well received as "I Love You". Prior to the already confirmed re-release of the "Young, Gifted and Broke" album, P-vine is releasing this wonderful song for the first time in 7" format!

After the success of the Joy compilation album, MTMU’s reissue imprint ‘Music Take Me Back’ now brings us the 12” version including a DJ friendly extended version of Gospel anthem 'The Time Is Right, pressed on a full side. The b-side holds the equally strong 'He’ll Make Everything Alright' as well as a beautiful ballad taken from Joy’s first album in 1979, previously not included in the compilation.

Well before Shuggie Otis cut his debut album, musicianship and performance had long been a part of his life. The son of rhythm and blues legend Johnny Otis, Shuggie learned to play guitar as early as the age of two, and performed professionally with his father's band at eleven. Throughout his long and illustrious career he'd performed on records for the likes of Frank Zappa, Al Kooper, Etta James, and George Duke, to name a few. In spite of all this,widespread mainstream success eluded Shuggie for much of his career. His most famous release to date is his 1974 album Inspiration/Information, which would experience new resurgent life in the 2000s. Those willing to dig a little deeper however, would discover hidden gold in his earlier releases, especially in the album directly before Inspiration/Information, his sophomore 1971 release Freedom Flight. As with his debut, Freedom Flight was produced by Shuggie's father Johnny Otis, and built upon the distinct sounds of his debut album: lush, baroque, string section arrangements, paired with hard funk rhythms, and funky blues melodies, with the majority of the instruments once again performed by Shuggie himself. The album also features backing from premium session greats like George Duke and Aynsley Dunbar, and the track "Strawberry Letter 23" which became a monster hit for The Brothers Johnson 3 years later. Freedom Flight is a treasure of deft, technical skill, and virtuosic composition.

Betty Davis was a musical maverick with vision. Image, substance, sex, and grit combined with a badass band that could deliver the funk bed backbone to the sultry music between the sheets. After cutting two notorious discs for the Just Sunshine label (Betty Davis and They Say I’m Different), and Nasty Gal for Island Records, Davis went to work on her most personal and expressive record yet. After capturing 10 hard-hitting tracks in 1976 at the remote Studio In The Country (Louisiana), a creative difference with her then label caused the platter to be unexpectedly shelved. Davis would cut one final album and soon retreat from the music business, completely disappearing from the public eye.

Is It Love Or Desire is a little-known gem in the Davis catalog. Mastered from the original tapes, and untouched for over 30 years, this release features detailed liner notes, the originally intended artwork housed in a lavishly packaged digipak, rare photos, archival material, and recent interviews with Davis and her skin-tight band Funk House.

Never bootlegged, never released, never heard until now, the secret story of this lost album will finally enter the history books and cement this bold soul sisters contributions to music and popular culture. Its time to get down…

Long live Betty Davis!

Betty Davis was a musical maverick with vision. Image, substance, sex, and grit combined with a badass band that could deliver the funk bed backbone to the sultry music between the sheets. After cutting two notorious discs for the Just Sunshine label (Betty Davis and They Say I’m Different), and Nasty Gal for Island Records, Davis went to work on her most personal and expressive record yet. After capturing 10 hard-hitting tracks in 1976 at the remote Studio In The Country (Louisiana), a creative difference with her then label caused the platter to be unexpectedly shelved. Davis would cut one final album and soon retreat from the music business, completely disappearing from the public eye.

Is It Love Or Desire is a little-known gem in the Davis catalog. Mastered from the original tapes, and untouched for over 30 years, this release features detailed liner notes, the originally intended artwork housed in a lavishly packaged digipak, rare photos, archival material, and recent interviews with Davis and her skin-tight band Funk House.

Never bootlegged, never released, never heard until now, the secret story of this lost album will finally enter the history books and cement this bold soul sisters contributions to music and popular culture. Its time to get down…

Long live Betty Davis!

Rose in the Dark 12" Deluxe Vinyl with artwork.

Psychedelic sprawl, robo-drama, AOR emotion...

Originally From East Orange NEW Jersey

THE Exciting Williams Brothers Band GOT Their Start BY Their Father AND Mother MR. Roscoe Williams SR. AND MRS Esther Maude Walker Williams IN THE Late 60’s. They StartED OUT IN Gospel Music Like Their Father AND Family OF Brothers Before Them Whom YOU Will SEE Photos OF “the Original Williams Brothers” Throughout This Site From Time TO Time. THE Group From Oldest TO Youngest AT That Time Consists OF: Roscoe Williams JR. (lead Vocals) Eugene Williams (lead Guitar AND Background Vocals) Osbert Williams (bass Guitar AND Background Vocals) Alexander Williams ( Keyboard AND Background Vocals) AND Anthony Williams (lead Vocals) Anthony WAS THE Youngest Member OF THE Group AT That Time When ONE DAY While ON Their WAY TO Perform A Gospel Show ON MotherS DAY OF 1969, They HAD A Terrible CAR Accident Which Brought THE Family TO A Stand Still DUE TO Injuries AND Left Anthony Paralyzed TO This DAY. BY THE Time THE Exciting Williams Brothers Band Began High School They Asked Their Father IF They Could Play R&B Music. AT First Their Father WAS Against IT BUT When They Began PlayING Dances AND Clubs, SO Many People Began TO Book Them That Their Father HAD TO Install A Business Phone IN THE House TO Keep UP With THE Calls. IN 1975 THE Brothers Auditioned FOR A Beer Company Based IN NEW Zealand (the NEW Zealand Breweries) THE Company Came TO NEW York TO Audition American BandS AND THE Exciting Williams Brothers WON Against 12 Other BandS. THE Brothers Career Skyrocketed. They Toured FOR SIX Months IN NEW Zealand, Recorded A Record AND DID 3 Television ShowS IN NEW Zealand AND A Soft Drink Commercial FOR Sarsaparilla Soft DrinkS. When THE Brothers Came Back TO THE States Their Father Auditioned Them TO THE NEW York BookING Agencies AND That Began THE Group Touring IN THE United States. They Began 3 Months ON THE Road AND 2 Weeks Home AND They DID This FOR 8 Years. THE Exciting Williams Brothers Band Have Come Together TO Unleash A NEW Dimension OF EDM Music Through ESP. They ARE True Legends OF Music AND ONE OF Their RecordINGS Today Sell FOR Nearly $4000.00 PER Copy. THE Brothers USE There Roots IN Gospel Music TO Deliver Hard Hitting Jams AND Grooves TO THE LateST Dance Music Scene, “live” AS They Emerge AND Establish ThemSELVES AS AN Exciting Opening ACT FOR Major DJS.

After more than a decade of honing their prodigious improv chops, the Seattle trio enters the musical underground with their magnum opus, poised to be heard by true heads worldwide. Longtime Afrocop fans know, they are inveterate sonic chameleons. They’ve been fine tuning their chops for over a decade on the live circuit, playing everything from corporate gigs to psychedelic-music festivals to residencies at classy Italian restaurants and wine bars, and in many spaces in-between. No matter the setting in which they flex their dynamic creativity, keyboardist Noel Brass Jr., drummer Andy Sells, and bassist Carlos Tulloss flaunt an uncanny versatility: they can beautify the background like ambient masters, get up with it à la Miles Davis’ filthiest electric-era band, or fling you into deepest, fusionoid space on a nanosecond’s notice.

Fresh from his two full length releases on Broc Records (L’Obsession & Ritmi Moderni) the Italian born, Paris dwelling, composer and multi instrumentalist Louis Fontaine brings WST a

double wammy in the form of Enigma Part 1 & 2.

Inspired by Italian horror/mystery movies, progressive rock and Krautrock of the late 70s. The main theme is arranged in two different ways, like classic film soundtracks and library music. Side A is fast and dramatic with a motorik gait and side B is slower, more moody affair with a

nod to the classic library track ‘Night Moves’.

All tracks written, produced and performed by Louis Fontaine (Drums, percussions, bass, piano, Solina string machine, Arp Odyssey, Mellotron, Chroma Polaris Synthesizer)

Freestyle Records drop a killer UK soul/early street soul reissue LP from 1988, in the form of Rick Clarke's hard to come by 'Time Keeps Moving On' album.

"the Number ONE SET AND Sound" is musician Danny Balis (bastards OF Soul) and producer Jeff "skin" Wade teaming up to turn several of Balis' lockdown demos into grooves of 70's American R&B and West African funk with hints of afrobeat, jazz and Latin soul. Features Large Professor of Main Source, Adrian Quesada of Black Pumas, Uncle ROY & Spice (US!) and The D.O.C.

n 1969, a transformation in Albina was underway. Displaced by the Vanport flood two decades prior, an influx of Black residents had settled in the area after redlining practices among the city’s realty boards provided few other options. A local economy among Albina’s Black residents had flourished for a time, but soon declined due to chronic disinvestment by the city’s elites. As with many urban centers in America, the impending ghetto-ization of the neighborhood developed as the civil rights movement was in full swing. And the citizens of Albina had something to say about it.

During this time, Shades Of Brown came together at the Albina Arts Center - a community hub for practicing artists of all stripes. A product of the Model Cities initiative, the center was established to develop the cultural and intellectual resources in the neighborhood amid the protests and civil unrest of the times. Paul Knauls’ Cotton Club had shuddered its doors in the wake of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. Albina’s Black residents had been forcibly displaced from their homes to make way for urban renewal projects conceived by the Portland Development Commission. And Williams Avenue, the once-vibrant hub for Oregon’s jazz music with myriad Black-owned businesses lining the streets, was at risk of becoming a blighted shell of itself. Left to their own devices, Black artists were organizing to convey truth through their work and the Albina Arts Center was ground zero.

Rehearsing at the Albina Arts Center, members of the Shades Of Brown found one other as a variety of Albina’s musical acts were shifting, separating, reconstituting, and forming anew. The group would feature members of the Cavaliers Unlimited, Little Nolan & The Antoine Brothers, Youthsound, Upepo, and the Norman Sylvester Band. And as luck would have it, Free Meal Ticket - renowned soul singer Wilson Pickett’s group - would disband while on tour in Portland. This left director, composer, and future Grammy recipient Thara Memory en route to the Albina Arts Center. He was quickly recruited to become the bandleader for Shades Of Brown.

Equipped with the ephemeral resources flowing from the Model Cities initiative, Memory organized youth and adults into a variety of ensembles, and with a penchant for results-driven rigor he would furnish his pedagogy via musical boot camp with the Shades Of Brown. The band was required to read and write their music. Before a note was to be played, members were summoned to the blackboard to chalk out their parts on a musical staff. And it was not uncommon that rehearsals consisted of the band being drilled with marching routines, as was common in the tradition of Memory’s southern upbringing. This went on for months. When the results were in, Memory gave the green light for the band to perform. And the Shades Of Brown would have something to say about it.

Celebrating Albina Music Trust’s tenth vinyl release, the story of Shades Of Brown circles back to the label’s first outing, The Gangsters. Both records spotlight the impact of Thara Memory’s tutelage while highlighting the legacy of community-powered arts education in Albina. Even the label’s logo mark is an inspired interpretation of the Albina Arts Center’s motif.

Being the sole recorded output of Shades Of Brown, the album reflects the group’s sense of fellowship as well as the sentiments of its contemporaries in Albina - makers, dreamers, activists, and youth - under-resourced and confounded by the City Of Portland’s blatant disregard. As vocalist Gregg A. Smith lays bare on “Searchin’ For Love”, one can’t help but hold the image of this community and its cry for decency in light of limited services and harm. Over half a century later, we now have this document to ponder. What are we doing to prevent this from happening again?