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Second in a series of reissues from Pierre Jaubert’s Parisound studio archive on Strut Record IS Lafayette Afro Rock Band's elusive funk/Afro original album, 'Soul Makossa' originally released in 1973.Black vinyl LP In 1971, an undocumented seven-member Afro-American ensemble known as the Bobby Boyd Congress made a transformative journey from the United States to France. Bandleader Frank Abel recollects, "We sensed that the soul and funk market was saturated back home, and our original plan was a brief 6-month stint in Paris. Surprisingly, we ended up staying for a decade." Upon lead singer Bobby Boyd's return to the U.S., the group rebranded as Ice and crossed paths with independent producer Pierre Jaubert, a seasoned studio professional with credits on groundbreaking recordings alongside Charles Mingus, John Lee Hooker, and Archie Shepp, among others.Drawing inspiration from Motown's work ethic, Jaubert initiated regular rehearsals with Ice. He recalled, "I didn't want to mimic Berry, but with seven talented musicians collaborating daily, something unique emerged." The band, residing in Paris and immersed in the African-dominated Barbesse district, began infusing African elements into their music frequently performing with Paris-dwelling Camaroonian and legendary composer Manu Dibango.Rechristening themselves Lafayette Afro Rock Band, the group's musical direction shifted towards predominantly instrumental compositions, characterized by a weightier, more intricate Afro-funk sound. Their debut recording under this new moniker, 'Soul Makossa,' made a powerful impact with a dynamic rendition of Dibango's classic, coupled with the intense break of 'Hihache' and the contagious 'Nicky.' Initially released by Musidisc in France and later in the U.S. via Editions Makossa, the album omitted the title track due to publishing clearance issues.Despite modest sales upon its initial release, the album's enduring influence became evident as hip-hop culture surged in the '80s, establishing it as a primary source for samples and riffs. The iconic 'Hihache' break found fame in Biz Markie's 'Nobody Beats The Biz,' and tracks from the album were lifted by LL Cool J, The Beatnuts, Kruder & Dorfmeister, and numerous others.

First in a series of reissues from Pierre Jaubert’s Parisound studio archive on Strut Record IS Lafayette Afro Rock Band's elusive funk/Afro original album, 'Malik,' originally released in 1974. Black vinyl LPIn 1971, an undocumented seven-member Afro-American ensemble known as the Bobby Boyd Congress made a transformative journey from the United States to France. Bandleader Frank Abel recollects, "We sensed that the soul and funk market was saturated back home, and our original plan was a brief 6-month stint in Paris. Surprisingly, we ended up staying for a decade." Upon lead singer Bobby Boyd's return to the U.S., the group rebranded as Ice and crossed paths with independent producer Pierre Jaubert, a seasoned studio professional with credits on groundbreaking recordings alongside Charles Mingus, John Lee Hooker, and Archie Shepp, among others.Drawing inspiration from Motown's work ethic, Jaubert initiated regular rehearsals with Ice. He recalled, "I didn't want to mimic Berry, but with seven talented musicians collaborating daily, something unique emerged." The band, residing in Paris and immersed in the African-dominated Barbesse district, began infusing African elements into their music frequently performing with Paris-dwelling Camaroonian and legendary composer Manu Dibango.Under the new moniker Lafayette Afro Rock Band, the group's music transitioned to predominantly instrumental compositions, featuring a denser Afro-funk sound. Their inaugural recording with the new name, 'Soul Makossa,' included a compelling rendition of Dibango's classic and the impactful break in 'Hihache.' The subsequent release a year later, 'Malik,' refined their sound with the percussive Afro party jam 'Conga,' the atmospheric vocoder and piano-led piece 'Djungi,' and the robust funk of 'Darkest Light.' Despite a limited impact upon its initial release, 'Malik' found appreciation as hip-hop culture flourished in the '80s, establishing itself as a rich source of samples and riffs. 'Conga' was featured in the 'Ultimate Breaks And Beats' series, while the opening horn line from 'Darkest Light' became a pivotal hip-hop motif, employed by Jay-Z, Public Enemy, Wreckx 'N' Effect, and many others

Over the last three decades Ron Trent has been carefully building a discography very few can match as a purveyor of impeccably produced and beautifully detailed high-end house music. With ‘What Do The Stars Say To You’ he turns his attention to slick late seventies and early eighties fusion, helped by some of the genre’s greats.⁣When you think about it Trent going full jazz funk makes perfect sense, having operated at the highest level of musicianship for more than a quarter of a century now, expertly weaving jazz, soul and funk elements into the house sounds he initially became known for. Call it natural progression towards the source.⁣⁣Opener ‘Cool Water’ (with Rush Hour regulars Lars Bartkuhn and Azymuth master drummer Ivan 'Mamão' Conti) sets the tone nicely, moulding spaced-out early eighties-style synthpop, sun-drenched yachtrock-not-yachtrock and a glorious fusion theme into an ecstatic groove that continues on the equally spaced-out sci-fi soundtrack vibes of ‘Cycle of Many’ and the wondrous new age jazzfunk amalgam that is ‘Admira’ (with Venetian electronic music innovator Gigi Masin).⁣⁣‘Flowers’ is another Rush Hour store favorite thanks to Venecia’s heartbreaking bittersweet vocals, as is the Alex Malheiros-led ‘Melt Into You’, but it’s electronic violin God and master synth and sequencer manipulator Jean-Luc Ponty stealing the show here with his unmistakable sound, although most attention will probably go out to Trent’s collaboration with high profile groove dealers Khruangbin on the excellent ‘Flos Potentia (Sugar, Cotton, Tabacco)’. It’s all good, since there’s not a single weak moment on this post-modern masterpiece. (Rogier)⁣⁣Black Vinyl Version,gatefold sleeve - Featuring Khruangbin, Azymuth, Jean-Luc Ponty and morePackaged in gatefold sleeveIncludes download codes for the François Kervorkian Continuous Mix and full unmixed tracks as MP3 / FLAC / WAV.