Dennis Young is best known as the marimba player and percussionist for Liquid Liquid. After Liquid Liquid disbanded in 1985 he continued to record electronic music. He composes his own music, which combines influences from rock, jazz, dance, electronic and world music while incorporating unique rhythms and colorful musical textures. The “Primitive Substance” album’s timeframe ends in the year 2004 and the recordings have a jazz feel to it, yet still had dance music elements mixed in.
Cap’tain Créole – formerly known as Trenchtown Meditation – was a band formed in 1984 by Clément, José, Jean-Pierre and Serge. Cap’tain Créole was a pioneering creole-speaking French reggae band with the aim of exploring new musical horizons. With the help of 3 new members – among them a sax player and a trumpet player, both coming from the jazz scene, Cap’tain Créole recorded their unique outing, Ni Bel Jounin.
‘Jazzrock’ is an aggressive, percussion-heavy album with an energy that leaves jaws on the floor, killer funk breaks from 1972 by the mighty John Cameron. Breaks and beats for days with electric piano, bass loops, and pounding percussion. Funky jazz with a deep, tough, soundtrack feel.
‘Afro Rock’ was recorded at Morgan Studios by John Cameron and Alan Parker in London in 1973 as a collection of stripped-down African rhythms, virtuoso jazz instrumentation, fuzzed up wah wah guitars and spaced out library breaks. The percussion is effortlessly funky, and those flutes so melodic, it’s as if the LP was crafted with the beat lovers of the future firmly in mind. As Cameron himself described it in Unusual Sounds, this is “heavy duty drum-and-bass salsa music”.
Founded in Rome in 1964, ‘Il Gruppo D’Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza’ was a collective of noted and noteworthy composers who challenged the very structure and performance of music itself. Today the most celebrated of its members is the renowned film composer Ennio Morricone but each contributor has an intriguing history in Italian music. Drawing on Jazz, Serialism, Musique Concrete and other extended techniques, the group performed on many of Morricone’s experimental soundtracks of the 1970s including, A Quiet Place In The Country and Gli Occhi Freddi Della Paura). The collective improvised live (according to strict exercises) and in the studio (recording for RCA, Deutsche Grammaphon, General Music and others). In 1970 ‘Il Gruppo’ (as ‘The Group’) recorded The Feed-back (for RCA Italy), an insane amalgam of avant-improvisation and motorik Krautrock-influenced beats that understandably has become one of the most collectable ‘Library Music’ related LPs ever issued. In 1971 ‘Il Gruppo’ returned to the studio to record a sequel. This is that record. For reasons unknown Niente was never originally issued but one listen will convince that not only is it the sequel to one of the most sought after LPs of all time, but it is also by far its superior. Brain melting jams collide with unhinged intensity in a hothouse of Italian avant-improv. You have been warned.
Star Creature continuing it’s pursuit of bold LP’s, this time teaming up with Italian disco don, Giovanni Damico. With recent major dance floor releases on Lumberjacks In Hell & Kalakuta Soul, Damico shifts gears to his Italian roots to give us a modern funk twist on Italo & space time boogie.
Project Gemini is the brainchild of West London-based musician, producer and music journalist Paul Osborne. It makes its debut on Delights with a spooky library-influenced psych-funk double-sider, recorded by Osborne at his home studio, Gardens End, with contributions from the prolific Haifa-based producer Shuzin on drums, and the label’s main man Markey Funk on lead keys and production duties. With its otherworldly electronics, fuzz guitars, sinister cinematic groove and sharp funky drums, the new 7inch is ticking all the boxes that define the Delights label’s distinctive aesthetic.
Since childhood Serge Fabriano bathed in music, between his native Guadeloupe and Paris where he grew up. He attended the music conservatory, learnt how to play bass, played with many musicians and was ultimately angling for a career as a music teacher. During the mid-70’s, he alternated between teaching classes and live gigs, and performed in Germany with a funk band comprised of ex-GIs from the US Army. From 1978 onwards, Serge Fabriano devoted more time to music. He became a musician’s musician, doing studio recordings with rock bands and he also played with members of the Caribbean diaspora. Later the group Fabriano Fuzion was born. The band brought together some of the Caribbean’s most inspired musicians: Martinican-born Mario Canonge on the piano, Alain-Jean Marie on the synth, Labor brothers on saxophones, Claude Vamur on the drums, singer/percussionists Marie-Reine Lamoureux and Marie-Céline Lafontaine, Roger Raspail, Sully Cally and Hector Ficadière on Ka percussions. It is precisely the Gwo Ka – this ancestral “root” music deeply embedded in the heart of the Guadeloupe musician – which constitutes the rhythmic backbone of this first opus. The Gwo Ka, the jazz, the poetry and the spiritual vibe are gathered here to form a splendid album; one of the true masterpieces to emerge from the French West Indies.
From the opening drum pick up of ”Soul Fanfare #3” it is clear that The Mandatory Eight are here to make you move. With proud horn lines reminiscent of something that you might find in the Stax vaults, Soul Fanfare definitely takes it’s lead from backing bands such as the Barkays and the funkier side of Booker T and the MGs. One can imagine that this was definitely a set opener for the group, guaranteed to put foot to floor. Guitar and bass have a care free movement and feel, conjuring up tones of late 60’s summer soul hits. The B-side ”Turn It Out” has a darker, moodier feel to the previous side. Still a dance floor filling groove, the band take a direction more similar to below the radar funk outfits such as Amnesty or LA carnival. Biting minor horn lines set the tone backed by a bubbling bed of congas, rhythm guitar, unruly bass and drums which don’t dip below boiling for the duration. ”Turn It Out” features a manzarek-esque farfisa organ solo which sets the sonic tone of a band without funds but with plenty of soul in the bank. Both sides will reflect well for different moods on the same dance floor.
The skies are calling and its time to board our trusty jet for the 5th outing of Africa Seven’s premiere class compilation Africa Airways. For volume 5 its time to brace yourselves for 10 slices of Afro boogie goodness. There’s a slightly different feel to the latest instalment of the fantastic “Africa Airways” compilation series. While previous instalments have largely focused on heavy Afro-funk and Afro-soul, this fifth edition showcases material recorded during the disco and boogie era (1976-82). The ten included tracks are superb, with highlights including the fuzzy, Clavinet-driven thrills of “Sweet Sidney (Edit)” by Black Bells Group, the heavy grooves and dancing synth lines of Gyedu Blay Ambolley’s “Highlife”, the spacey Afro-boogie badness of Fotso’s “French Girl” and the flash-fried disco-funk celebration that is Jide Obe’s spacey, Moog-sporting “Too Young”. As the old cliche goes, this is all killer and no filler.
Volume Ten of the Mukatsuku label’s Afro Funk & Disco Gems series has two more tracks released for the first time on a 7 inch in their own right. First up is Peter Yamson’s 80’s afro boogie feelgood masterpiece ”Everybody Dance” taken from the Sun On Africa album (mispelt on discogs as Sun Of Africa by the way!) and licenced directly from the artist. Infectious chorus and funk groove with Roy Ayeresque vibes and punchy brass. On the flipside from 1981 we get Get Up Tchamassi from french African group Tala AM which is a funk drenched heavy slap bass boogie mostly instrumental affair with female vocals and great sax playing and catchy rhythm guitar.
Just say ‘Background Disco’ and you’re quickly reminded of the super-groovy sound that pervaded certain sequences of 1970’s Italian films, generally set in discos or clubs with a strong presence of music. Soul, disco, and funk tracks playing in the background, between a dance on the floor and a glass of J&B at the counter, that were supposed not to overcome the dialogues. Two of these jewels, signed by Alessandroni for the sexy comedy Frittata all’italiana (1976, Alfonso Brescia), are proposed in a new edit designed for the dancefloor.
Light Touches Records is devoted to shed a new light to hot rarities, unknown grooves as well as forgotten classics. The new 12′ brings three hot smoking tunes, from the killer acidic and hypnotic groove of ‘Flashed’, to the bass-driven funky roller of ‘Changes’. To round up the edges, ‘Do’ is a sweet conscious twostep jewel. All tracks have been carefully edited by Andrea “Passenger’ Di Maggio, without overdubs, in order to bring the spirit of classic disco manipulators to today’s dancefloors!
Volume 9 of Mukatsuku Afro series kicks off with ‘M’Ongele M’Am’ from Cameroon artist Eko Roosevelt Louis taken from his early 1980’s self-titled album and licenced for this 45 from Nubiphone & Africa Seven. Driving brass funk fuelled afro disco does not really get much better than this. On the flipside Georges Ouedraogo from Burkina Faso gives us us the dance floor bomb ”Deni” taken from his 1978 long player ”Gnanfou Gnanfou” also licenced from Africa Seven and also the first time ever on a single. Punchy brass offset by those hipnotic vocals and funky wah-wah guitar has a deserved place on the flip.
“Sweet Tea (With My Sweetie)” was originally destined for inclusion on Lucky Brown & The SG’s 2018 album “Mesquite Suite”, but for one reason or another ended up getting cut. Happily, Tramp Tapes has decided to make it available as a 7-inch single instead. As with previous Brown excursions, the title track sounds like it was recorded sometime in the late 1960s, with authentically fuzzy production, punchy horns, Meters style Hammond licks and sweet, eyes-closed guitar riffs riding a loose but punchy funk-soul groove. “More Sweet Tea” sees the assembled band offer up a jazzier, solo-heavy instrumental revision of the title track that’s even dustier and heavier than the A-side.
Nearly 6 hours recorded “live”, a selection that includes only Romanian songs from the last 50 years, songs that appeared only on vinyl … and some unrealized songs from the tape recorder.
Nearly 40 years after releasing two of the greatest funk 7-inches of all time, the breakbeat masterpieces “Space Funk” and “Midnight Theme,” the legendary Manzel is back on Fraternity Records with another sureshot double-sider. Originally comprised of Manzel Bush on keys, Larry Van Dyke on guitar and late Steve Garner on drums, the 2017 incarnation of the group adds powerhouse Jay Mumford, p.k.a. J-Zone, in the drum chair and is lean and funky as ever. “High And Tight” is a classic party jam, complete with chanted vocals and a couple drum breaks that establish the new man in the trio is no joke on the skins. “Standing On Mars” continues the favored space-related vibe of Manzel’s past releases, an uptempo jazzy instrumental dancefloor mover that simply cooks, with Manzel doing double duty on electric piano and organ.
For the last 20 years London-based author and party organizer Tim Lawrence has dedicated himself to excavating the history of New York City party culture and bringing some of the most powerful aspects of that culture to London’s dance scene, from where it has ricocheted around the world. Having conducted the first set of major interviews with David Mancuso, Lawrence started to put on Loft-style Lucky Cloud Sound System parties with David and friends in London in June 2003. In early 2004 he published Love Saves the Day: A History of American Dance Music Culture, 1970-79, which tracked the influence of the Loft on the wider New York DJ, dance and disco scene. In 2009 his biography of the iconic musician Arthur Russell became the first book to map the wider downtown music scene. These beautifully written and politically insightful histories have educated, inspired and celebrated the previously overlooked foundations of contemporary dance music. Lawrence’s most recent publication, Life & Death On The New York Dancefloor, 1980 – 1983, published in late 2016, shines a light on ‘one of the most dynamic and creative periods in the history of New York City’. Falling between the more regularly celebrated sounds of disco, house and techno, the period produced a uniquely hybrid series of sounds that never acquired a settled name. This led them to be largely ignored by historians and even DJs, yet the power of the period’s music and the scenes it birthed, Lawrence argues, remains undeniable. Met with a rapturous response, Life and Death On The New York Dance Floor saw Lawrence on the road for most of the next year as he spread the word about the characters, the records, the clubs and the bands that shaped the post-Disco, post-Punk, and burgeoning Hip Hop landscapes of New York City during the early 1980s—a period when freedom still ruled.
Rich, deep, percussive soulful folk album from master Togolese singer, Akofa Akoussah. The album moves through uptempo afro-folk-funk on ‘Tango’ to deep ballads of ‘Ramer Sans Rame’ and ‘I Tcho Tchass’ and lighter moments on ‘G Blem Di’ and ‘Mitso Aseye’. Akofa’s exceptional songs and soaring vocals are decorated with percussion, guitar lines, subtle backing vocals and horns to create a unique, rich sonic. The album was recorded for release by French label Sonafric in 1976.
The Hipodrome Of Music 