UK

The Athens of the North label is a blessing for those whose tastes in soul, funk, disco and boogie tend towards the obscure and ludicrously hard-to-find. Their latest re-issue fits into both categories. Seemingly the only single they ever released, "Confrontation" came out in 1981 on Arista but copies have since proved incredibly hard to find; so hard, in fact, that original 7" singles now change hands online for nearly L300. The title track, produced by A Taste of Honey's Perry Kibble, is brilliant, though, delivering a soulful, heartfelt disco-funk jam full of smooth backing vocals, bubbling clavinet lines and deliciously righteous horns.

Rarest of the rare and holy grail are terms often thrown around all too easily. In this case both apply, incredibly rare and sought after as well as being a quality piece of music on both sides, you won't get higher up the disco food chain than this.A few weeks ago we brought you 2 unreleased track from the same band but these 2 might as well be unless you have $4000 sitting around for an O.G copy, IF you can find one.Strictly Limited and no repress on this as per our deal so get in fast.

Huge package from West End of exclusive or never before released versions of one of the highlights from their illustrious catalogue.... Arthur Russell's Loose Joints... Is It All Over My Face?Kon (King Of Nothing!) sourced the original stems to completely re make the track utilising both the female and male vocal parts in his outstanding "Duet" mix.Also included in the barnstorming 13 minute original version that's never seen the light of day... its significantly and dare we say on par with the original version! Finally included is the rare as hens teeth original Female Vocal 3:10 7" version that was only ever released as a promo at the time.Huge release that's set to cause ever lasting ripples in the disco music community!

Gatefold 2xLP + 2xCD Strut follow up their hugely successful Marshall Allen-curated "In The Orbit Of Ra" compilation with a newly curated set from the immense 125 LP back catalogue of jazz maverick, DIY philosopher and self-professed member of an "angel race", Sun Ra. 'To Those Of Earth... And Other Worlds' is a hand- picked selection from BBC 6 Music DJ Gilles Peterson. “Sun Ra and the Arkestra were the original DIY group. What went on in 1970s punk with self-pressed records and hand-drawn artwork – Ra was doing that in the ‘50s and ‘60s. The music was phenomenal - Sun Ra was the man, the ultimate artist for any vinyl collector.“ Gilles Peterson Strut follow up their hugely successful Marshall Allen-curated ‘In The Orbit Of Ra’ compilation with a newly curated set from the immense 125 LP back catalogue of jazz maverick, DIY philosopher and self-professed member of an “angel race”, Sun Ra. ‘To Those Of Earth… And Other Worlds’ is a handpicked selection from BBC 6Music DJ Gilles Peterson, long-time champion of Ra’s music and the UK’s leading tastemaker for jazz-based sounds. It serves as perhaps the best introduction yet to the music of Sun Ra for a whole new generation of converts.Sun Ra was a one-off in the annals of jazz. As author Robert L. Campbell describes, “He claimed to be the last of the swing band leaders, yet dosed classic songs with LSD. He wrote poetry about the “coming space age” and claimed to be a citizen of Saturn. He dressed himself and his band in goldlame and lectured on the Creator’s message to the cruel and deceitful Earthman. He named himself after an Egyptian God. Was this guy for real? Sun Ra was very much for real.”For the CD version, Peterson picks personal favourites, classics and unreleased tracks and weaves them into a flowing piece across 2CDs, showcasing the incredible variety of Ra’s work. Alongside the familiar tones of ‘Love In Outer Space’, the modal classic ‘Sleeping Beauty’ and a heavy version of ‘We Travel The Spaceways’, he brings in the off-kilter croon of ‘Dreaming’, a 45 given to him personally by the late John Peel, alongside an unreleased 1987 bossa take on ‘Astro Black’, the experimental dub ambience of ‘Adventure-Equation’ and the defiant anthem, ‘Blackman’.The 2LP features full length versions of selected tracks from the mix while the digital version features a full unmixed selection with Peterson’s mix available within the album bundle. Sleeve notes on physical formats come from Gilles Peterson with a full Ra career biography by author Robert L. Campbell. The album also features previously unseen photos from the archives of Val Wilmer and Jorg Brecker alongside full musician line-ups and session details.