The 2nd release on PPU’s Test Pressing series. Limited Edition 1995 Uku Kuut recordings from his years living in Santa Monica. This is feel good cali funk as only Uku Kuut can do it.
funk
DMX Krew – Cities In Flight [CPU00000100]
UK electro pioneer & Breakin Records label boss Ed DMX contributes to the binary catalogue with 7 tracks of dystopian electro funk
Leon Lowman – Liquid Diamonds [MFM001]
Music From Memory sets sail with a compilation of lo-‐fi beach funk and lazy synth jams from the Rhode Island keyboardist and ocean loving Leon Lowman. Something of a homage to his love of the local seashore and the women he was trying to woo there, the albums also express Leon’s pure love of the synthesizer sound and reflect his unique melodic wanderings. Along with previously unreleased material from the time, “Liquid Diamonds‘ highlights Leon Lowman’s unique blend of low fi synth funk and surf ambience.
Dwight Sykes – Songs Volume 1 [PPU044]
Dwight Sykes – Songs Volume One is a collection of material written, produced and recorded by Dwight Sykes on 4-Track Cassette, in his home studio L.U.S.T. Productions. He continues to write and produce songs on his Tascam 464 four track console. Although he uses other avenues to provide for the upkeep of himself and son, his love of music keep the hope alive that he will one day get that big break in the music business.
Theo Parrish & Tony Allen – Day Like This / Feel Loved [WHR001]
Wildheart Recordings is Theo Parrish’s new London-based label. “Sound Signature releases for the body, Wildheart is for everything else” is Theo’s pithy summary of his two labels’ aims and compatibility. Day Like This and Feel Loved are the first fruits of Parrish’s work with the legendary Lagosian, Tony Allen. Day Like This is masterful modern soul music. At the point where Parrish’s synth stabs into Tony’s groove beneath a swirl of falsetto vocals. Feel Loved goes deeper and for some will hit harder. An epic sweep of synth this time, around which Tony plays with growing freedom and excitement – showing again that he is the best drummer on the planet – before a majestic coda brings things to a close.
Analog Players Society – Coule’Ba [DSCVRY004]
Discovery Recordings is proud to release Coule’Ba by Analog Players Society, a collective melting pot of musicians lead by Amon. Coule’Ba draws from West African influences and features the incredible Missia Saran Diabate of Guinea on lead vocals.
VA – Supafrico Vol VI: The Sound Of Funky Africa [SF006]
Camp Supafrico return with the sixth edition of their highly acclaimed ‘Sound of Funky Africa’ series. Digging even deeper into the Afro-funk vaults, side A features the über-rare 1984 Shina Williams and His African Percussionists ‘Agboju Logun’. Grooving along for a massive eleven and a half minutes, this super-heavy Nigerian disco cut splices raw sounding horns with choirs and chants. Flip over for ‘Don’t Do It’ from Bongi Makeba, a mesmerising afro-funk workout with her powerful voice weaving in and out of the grooving bass and spaced-out sax. Last up is the sought-after ‘Mangous Ye’ from Black Soul. Originally the B-side of a 1976 release on tiny but top-quality NYC label Beam Junction, this Tom Moulton mixed slice of high-octane percussion-soaked afro-disco hit big on Italy’s Cosmic scene as well as the clubs of New York.
Mark Ernestus meets Ben Zabo – Démocratie [GBEP006]
The debut release by Glitterbeat Records is a limited edition 12 inch with two dubbed-up remixes by electronic music explorer, Mark Ernestus. The tracks are pulled from Glitterbeat artist, Ben Zabos self-titled and highly touted, 2012 debut album of frenetic, Malian Afro-rock.
Gramme – Gramme LP [GRAMMELP]
Gramme is the musically pioneering band that went missing in action sometime around 2000. Originally signed to Trevor Jackson’s Output label, the band emerged in the mid-nineties with a sound so out of step with the cultural milieu they found themselves swimming against the tide. Originally a five piece, the band formed around a shared love of the emotional melancholy now synonymous with Factory artists such as Joy Division, Section 25 and A Certain Ratio. Gramme were attracted by Manchester’s psycho disco of the early 80’s and NY’s subterranean proto punk-funk on 99 Records and bands like Liquid Liquid and ESG. The die was cast when, following a particularly intense Camden gig in 1996, the legendary DJ Nathan Gregory said the immortal words “ I love your band, but I dunno whether to dance or pogo?!”. The individuality of Gramme around ‘97 remains their lasting signature. Gramme 2012, now a streamlined four piece but equally as passionate and excited by the possibilities of their own music making. With three new 4 track E.P.s already on the shelves this year, reportedly selling out before the dust had time to settle. The next step is a 12 track long player scheduled for release in February on Tim ‘Love’ Lee’s Tummy Touch Records. The album represents about two and a half years of sporadic but intense writing, jamming, recording and editing and at least three complete fresh starts. The aim was finally to create something immediate and in the present but something that would also stand the test of time. It needed to work in the club, the car and the kitchen simultaneously.
Space Dimension Controller – Welcome To Mikrosector-50 [RS1303]
Renato Figoli – Funkoholic [AMAM025CD]
‘Ladies and gentlemen, we are going through an area of turbulence, we ask all passengers to remain seated, with your seatbelts fastened…’ Anyone who’s ever experienced the treacherous descent to Cagliari airport will totally understand Renato Figoli’s fear of flying, but in contrast to the loudspeaker announcement that introduces Funkoholic, the Sardinian producer’s album is anything but turbulent – the smoothest of takeoffs, superb in-flight entertainment and controlled touchdown make it an early contender for one of 2013’s most rewarding listens. Funkoholic allowings Renato the scope to fully realize his potential while setting out a musical doctrine that merges deep techno, funk, dub, jazz and ambience in a truly idiosyncratic manner. The album consists of nine tracks, each linked by elegantly crafted ambient transitions that leave the listener in a state of suspended animation. This constant alternation between inner space and outer space is one of the album’s defining features, balancing style and content in equal measures.
Cuba Gooding – The 1st Cuba Gooding Album: Love Dancer [EXP2CD22]
Former Main ingredient leader Cuba Gooding recorded two albums for Motown in the late 70’s produced by Lambert and Potter. The 1st album is the strongest and includes the dancers ‘Mind Pleasers’ and ‘Hold On To What You Got’, the mid tempo floater ‘Fool of The year’ and a good cover of Patti Austin’s ‘We’re In Love’. The highlight though is the 2 stepper ‘All I Can Give You is Love’. Expansion Records includes the two classic albums on one CD. The first Coba Gooding album Love Dancer.
Gmos27 – African Space Programme Mix
This is the soundtrack to the top secret African Space Programme, cosmic sounds for a funky exploration of deep space. Or something like that….
Mind Fair – So Strong [CHANNEL030]
Nacho Patrol – Cimmerian Funk [NJ002]
Nacho Patrol is Danny’s travels towards African Space travel. Where earlier Nacho Patrol records spent time exploring cosmic Ethiopia, this current incarnation adds a more sci-fi element to the mix, taking influences from Chicago house to Sun City Girls, this is purely original sounds from one of the best producers out there.
Robbie M – Let’s Groove [PPU042]
Robbie M, from the Midnight Express Show Band “Danger Zone” fame, finally releases tracks from his extensive RAM MUSIC PRODUCTIONS catalog. 10 titles total featuring 5 lost instrumental synth funk riders, and 5 classic club multi-tracks. Over 40 minutes to smooth your evening, lay back on and vibe. Robbie’s mood is infectious and delivers with every chord and melody. Prepare yourself for “Let’s Groove”.
Moon B – Moon B [PPU043]
Synth funk album by Atlanta Georgia artist Moon B released on Peoples Potential Unlimited. There’s a strong boogie presence across the 11 untitled tracks, but it doesn’t stop at your usual sleazy fare. There are also plaintive moments of refined introspection, and a constant display of production skills, albeit draped in the crust and charm of those archaic music-making means. If you’re a fan of the likes of Dam-Funk and can’t enough of that heady 80s funk flex, then this record should have you bumping and grinding for months to come.
CCO – In Memoriam [DIAR030]
Diamond Rec present the album “In Memoriam” by Italian artist CCO aka Cantamos Saltamos. The album includes 6 original Broken Beat/Nu Jazz/Nu Soul/House tracks and 2 remixes by Vincenzo Battaglia & Vinicio Melis and Tommy Ro.
Sadar Bahar – Soul In The Hole [BBE165CLP]
Few can match BBE when it comes to the funk and disco compilation stakes – the label’s been issuing killer compendiums curated by some of the finest and most eminently knowledgeable DJs and diggers since the mid 90s. Soul In The Hole sees them hand the controls to Sadar Bahar, Chicago based DJ described by BBE as the city’s “best kept secret”, one of the most sought after DJ’s in the world of soul, funk and disco. Together with Lee Collins he selected 12 tracks for this compilation, all rare treasures, traversing through a colourful range of funk, soul, disco and boogie, with Frederic Mercier’s “Spirit” a real gem.
Dez Andres – Culture Shock [AUDI004]
Although he started his career back in the early 2000s and has links with Moodymann’s Mahogani Music label, Andres’ profile has increased of late thanks to a string of brilliant EPs for M1 Sessions and his own La Vida . The time is surely right, then, to drop his first commercially available mix CD. As you’d expect, it’s firmly rooted in soul, effortlessly joining the dots between disco-funk, jazz, slow jams, global beats and summery Latin flavas. Opening with the Universal Robot Band’s impeccable “Dance and Shake Your Tambourine”, Culture Shock sits somewhere between a particularly good radio show and a dancefloor-bating mix-up, making it perfect for home listening. It also includes Gilberto Gil’s disco era samba classic “Toda Menina Baiana”, which is never a bad thing.
The Hipodrome Of Music 