At his best in this call-to-arms, originally released on Black Art in 1977; but it’s all about Lee Perry’s genius at the desk. Stunning dub.
Stone killer Californian funk from 1972, raw and banging, with juddering bass, two tough breaks, and desperately soulful, utterly compelling falsetto pleading.
A proper reissue this time around, courtesy of Ubiquity.
Recordings of an owls nest throughout a nesting season in the spring and summer of 1978, with Viktor himself telling the story of an owl family. Originally planned to fit on a 7” record, but never released till now. The booklet includes Danish and English translations of the original French narration, illustrated with a series of Viktor’s own photographs of the owls.
Beautiful, heart-wrenching, anti-war roots.
Sublime singing, led by Tony Tuff, over the kind of rhythm you could run for hours.
Sometimes considered the greatest soul recording ever made, this was in the news a few years ago because a copy of the UK release on London Records went for £14,543.
Sensationally, the flip delivers the previously unreleased instrumental version by the Funk Brothers — the Solid Hitbound in-house band including Rudy Robinson, Uriel Jones, Eddie Willis, Bob Babbit and Dennis Coffey.
A stunning complement to Theme De Yoyo!
Panou was an activist and actor, in Paris from Benin; he plays a refuse collector in Jean-Luc Godard’s Weekend. His texts here cross existentialism and Black Power like a knockabout Richard Wright, with an extra shot of anti-colonialism. Recorded by Pierre Barouh for Saravah, in the same months as its classic Comme A La Radio LP with Brigitte Fontaine, furthering the AEC’s rowdily brilliant elaborations of Leroy Jones’ Black Dada Nihilismus.
It’s a scorcher; hotly recommended.
Upsetters magic from the Black Ark, circa 1976. The story goes that only thirty copies were pressed, back in the day.
Irresistible mix of sublime, Impressions-style harmony singing, punchy horns supervised by Tommy McCook, soulful existentialism and rocking steady rhythm; beautifully presented by Far East Records.