A Glimpse of the Past...

Johnny Hammond - Gears

By the mid-'70s, the embracing and assimilation of soul and funk elements into the jazz vernacular had come full steam. Artists and producers from both communities were exchanging ideas and sounds that once again challenged jazz purists' definitions of what jazz "should" be. These collaborations were often scoffed at by academics and critics attempting to pigeonhole and quantify jazz into an academic exercise ripe with songbook predictability and sonic parameters. Thankfully, the record-buying public at large had the good sense to politely ignore these people and continue purchasing records with these new sounds, largely concocted by the production team of Larry and Fonce Mizell. This time around, their subject was Johnny "Hammond" Smith who proves to be more than up to the task of playing around and inside the Mizell's string arrangements which foreshadowed the early days of disco. In fact, two of the cuts found on Gears -- "Fantasy" and "Los Conquistadores Chocolates" -- were played extensively at the early Loft parties hosted by legendary DJ David Mancuso, as well as at the club many consider to be the true home of disco, the Paradise Garage in NYC. Gears starts off innocently enough with "Tell Me What To Do," which could have easily found its way on to a Donald Byrd album from this period, but then kicks into full steam with "Los Conquistadores Chocolates," a six-and-a-half-minute tour de force of funk, soul, jazz and disco all rolled into one. Hammond is in fine form throughout with crisp playing; never over improvising, but playing only what's necessary to help the music move along at a brisk pace. This is unquestionably another jewel in a treasure chest already filled with so many for the Mizell production team, and a great performance by Hammond to keep up with his contemporaries who refuse to be held back by conventional wisdom.

Label: Milestone Records

Catalog#: MX 9062

Format: Vinyl, LP, Reissue, Remastered

Country: UK

Released: 1975

Genre: Electronic, Jazz

Style: Fusion, Jazz-Funk


01. Tell Me What To Do
02. Los Conquistadores Chocolates
03. Lost On 23rd Street
04. Fantasy
05. Shifting Gears
06. Can't We Smile

Source: Discogs, CDuniverse


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Superlongevity 5

Perlon round up 28 unreleased tracks from some of the world's most celebrated house and techno producers for 'Superlongevity 5'. Just one look at the tracklist will turn many a modern mnmlist to mush, because you just know that when Ricardo Villalobos, Bodycode, or Shackleton produce for Perlon, it's going to be some of their best gear. From the few listens we've had, a few tracks really stand out; Melchior Production Ltd's charmingly queer 'Vagabundo Nao'; the flustered fluctuations of Tobias' She'; a perky jacker from STL; Daniel Bell's dirty jack ting 'Deep Down'; the unterwelt drum ritual of Shackleton's 'Paper Throne'; the stunning rhythm dynamism of Villalobos' 'Guaguay'; Half Hawaii's spherical tech-house pop; the perpetual motions of Cassy's instantly infectious 'Magnificent Cat Won't Do'; the mournfully elegiac acid-house of Portable's 'Keep On'. Factor in loads more from Dandy Jack, San Proper, Soulphiction, Jabberjaw (Matthew Dear), Matt John and Margaret Dygas and it's bloody hard to ignore this set. The double CD set appears as a continuously mixed session.

Label: Perlon

Catalog#:PERL84

Format:7 x Vinyl, 12", 33 ⅓ RPM,Box Set, Limited Edition, Compilation

Country:Germany

Released:Nov 2010

Genre:Electronic

Style: House, Dub, Techno, Minimal

CD 1

01 Baby Ford - Harshmaro
02 Margaret Dygas - We're Not the Same
03 Dimbiman - SPF30
04 Fumiya Tanaka - Sorry Cucumber
05 Melchior Productions Ltd - Vagabundo Nao
06 Sonja Moonear - Desert Queens
07 Tobias - She
08 STL - Lost Somewhere
09 Matt John - The Tapedeckers
10 Jabber Jaw - Pop Bottle
11 Dan Bell - Deep Down
12 Dandy Jack - Show Me Your Tent
13 Shackleton - Paper Throne
14 Ricardo Villalobos - Guaguay

CD 2

01 Kalabrese - The 2010 Kitchen Session
02 Morane - Kalumpung A Kalimku
03 Stefen Goldmann - Les Augures
04 Narcotic Syntax - Mayaku Shintakusu
05 Audio Werner - Couched
06 Mara Trax - Sticky Fingers
07 San Proper - Lady Cop
08 Soulphiction - Circulate
09 Half Hawaii - Bring Back the Love
10 Sammy Dee - Lirum Larum
11 Pantytec - Zwolvis
12 Cassy - Magnificent Cat Won't Do
13 Markus Nikolai - The Clock Staring At Me
14 Portable - Keep On

Sources: Boomkat, Discogs

The Rapture - !K7 Tapes

With "Tapes", their first ever mix compilation, The Rapture join a prestigious line of celebrity guest compilers for !K7 Records including Carl Craig, Hot Chip and Ewan Pearson. Keen connoisseurs of house music, hip-hop and electronica, The Rapture have recorded with The DFA Soundsystem, Dangermouse and Timbaland. They have also toured with Daft Punk, The Cure and The Killers. At the dawn of the new millennium, this impeccably cool four-piece from New York City helped pioneer the dance-punk scenes and No Wave rennaissance that soon conquered the global club scene. "Tapes" is a treasure trove of rare grooves and cult classics spanning three decades, from the late 1970s to 2008. It is a testament to The Rapture's all-embracing musical tastes that "Tapes" features superstars like Ghostface Killah, Armand van Helden, Richie Havens, as well as underground cult heroes (Martin Circus, Vaughan Mason) and the cutting-edge electronica from the rising stars of today and tomorrow (Syclops, DJ Mujava). The Rapture have raided their record collections and produced a rich, deep, wide-ranging feast of simply fantastic music - smart, funny and funky.

Label: Studio !K7

Catalog#: !K7229CD

Format: CD, Mixed, Compilation

Country: UK, Europe & US

Released: 20 Oct 2008

Genre: Electronic, Funk / Soul, Hip Hop

Style: House, Afrobeat, Disco, Techno, Electro, Funk

01. The Undisputed Truth - Earthquake Shake
02. Ghostface Killah - Daytona 500
03. Junkyard Band - The Word
04. The Bar-Kays - Holy Ghost
05. Vaughan Mason & Crew - Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll
06. Northend - Tee's Happy
07. Don Armando's Second Avenue Rumba Band - I'm An Indian Too
08. Martin Circus - Disco Circus
09. Arcade Lover - Fantasy Lines
10. Thomas Bangalter - Club Soda
11. Kiloo & Phonique - The Passion (Phonique Mix Down)
12. Armand Van Helden - Flowerz
13. Cajmere feat. Dajae - Say U Will
14. Syclops - Where's Jason's K
15. DJ Mujava - Township Funk
16. Donk Boys - Cpstyre
17. Dances With White Girls - Everybody's Got To Make A Living
18. Alter Ego - Why Not?!
19. Paul Johnson - Get Get Down (Extended Mix)
20. Kid Crème - Austin's Groove
21. Richie Havens - Going Back To My Roots
22. Galaxy 2 Galaxy - Afro Arps And Minimoogs

Source: Boomkat, Discogs


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