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Berlin-based duo Snacks drop an infectious four tracker on House Of Disco this October.Forming Snacks in 2014, New Zealand's Rene Corbett and Germany's Aljoscha Babel have been joining the dots between funk-fuelled disco and sultry house with releases landing on Pusic Records, Boogie Angst, hafendisko and Mule Musiq. As DJs they've been transforming dancefloors into all out bedlam with their upbeat and eclectic performances, whilst their party-focused productions have found a home in the record crates of Ben UFO, Detroit Swindle, Prosumer and Beats In Space's Tim Sweeney.‘Burnin' inaugurates the package by dropping a laidback drum rhythm, piercing chords and soulful vocal loops topped with a fuzzy bassline. 'Matinee' then takes things into deeper territories with organic percussion, blissful synth swells and uplifting choral patterns, before 'Deep Fry' generates a compelling groove with smooth bass licks and rich string harmonies. In demand Dutch duo Fouk, who've appeared on HOD as well as Razor-N-Tape and Heist, deliver an offbeat take on 'Deep Fry' with delicate melodies, opulent pads and cosmic nuances resonating throughout.

Tale Of 2 Cities (or T.O.2.C for short) is the culmination of what was just a whim of an idea from label owners Mike & Justin. It's the first of its kind for us & anyone who knows anything about Kolour LTD should know that we shall leave no stone un-turned on a release of this magnitude. This 14 track, 3x12 vinyl compilation is a smooth journey throughout the realms of deep house, mid-tempo grooves, funk/soul, with an edit (or two) for good measure.Disc #1 features the incomparable talents of Jimpster (under his Franc Spangler alias), Admin, Ugly Drums & Lady BlackTronika, Henry Wu, and The Hue ft. Kissy Asplund.Disc #2 features the FOUK boys, Frank Booker, Vincenzo de Bull & Halve Soul, & Inkswel.Disc #3 features the talents of Eddie C, Napoleon, Sleazy McQueen & VinylAddicted, Patchworks, and LeBlanc.3 x LP in a Trifold sleeve & Poster.

Jovonn returns to London's Dogmatik imprint with another fine 12" delivering two new tracks with Jovonn's distinctive new jersey influenced sound.

Susso, aka bassist / producer Huw Bennett, creates music inspired by, and directly sampling, the magnificent sounds of the Mandinka people, recorded during a recent trip to Gambia. Initially travelling with the aim of gaining perspective as a musician and to discover a new world of music first hand, Huw found himself humbled by such a welcoming community of artists, mostly belonging to the celebrated Suso and Kuyateh griot families.The tracks are composed entirely from original source material, field recordings and Huw's talents as a multi-instrumentalist, performing tuned percussion from the region including the Mandinka Balafon, Kutiringding drum, as well as drawing on his skill as a professional upright / electric bassist.The music produced has a contemporary electronic sound, whilst still paying homage to a traditional Gambian aesthetic. Keira (meaning peace) guides the listener through Huw's journey up the River Gambia, being welcomed into remote dusty villages, where your people are the most important thing in life.

BBE present the ultra rare funk classic Taking Care Of Business from the Ted Coleman Band.We're delighted to announce the reissue as this ultra-rare LP, originally issued on JSR Records back in 1980. Heavily influenced by the likes of Bobby Hutcherson and Roy Ayers, 'Taking Care Of Business' is full of positive, uptempo soul/jazz gems, featuring Ted Coleman's wonderful vibraphone playing throughout. Not only did Coleman both sing and play piano, synth and vibes on the record, but he also designed the artwork himself, a true DIY LP if ever there was one. This DIY ethos even extended to the New Jersey label JSR who originally pressed the LP, describing themselves as: "a new company that helps working club bands that can sell their own records. JSR artists spend no money for recording or production costs, and there are no recording contracts." This could well explain the album's rarity, with original copies selling on Discogs for eye-wateringly high prices.Ted Coleman cut his teeth playing local clubs and venues in his hometown of Pittsburgh, where his skills on vibes and mallet percussion quickly earned him popularity in the local area. 'Taking Care Of Business' was his very first studio album, blending latin rhythms with smooth jazz and soul stylings. The musicianship on the record is striking, the vocals mellow and soulful, the lyrics warm and tender: put simply this album is designed to warm the heart. Still writing and recording at 'Joyful Noise', his Metuchen New Jersey studio, Ted Coleman also performs across the US with his "Good Vibes" band. We hope you find as much joy in this scarce and remarkable debut LP as we do.

Natural is the latest collaboration between musical travellers and kindred spirits Nicola Conte and Stefania Dipierro, the culmination of a relationship rooted in a shared belief in the spiritually healing powers of music. The Italian duo is set to take 2016 by storm with a sensual, sumptuous and highly accomplished record, firmly anchored in the traditions of Brazilian bossa nova, samba and jazz.Stefania and Nicola first came together as members of the seminal 90s musical collective Fez, with Nicola leading the group. This period, one full of inspiration and discovery, laid the seeds for Natural. Though Stefania lent her enviable vocal talents to many bands over the years and Nicola went on to an illustrious production career, outside of a handful of tracks from Nicola’s album Jet Sounds, it was not until now that the stars aligned again, allowing these two mercurial talents to merge their musical sensibilities once again to access the deep spirituality that is at the core of their approach to sound. Stefania’s ongoing musical journey has ensured that her connection to, and understanding of jazz runs deep, as she resoundingly demonstrates throughout Natural. With Nicola once again in the production seat, the album serves as the defining showcase for her inimitable vocal talents.Nicola first achieved international acclaim for his signature style of samba-influenced acid-jazz, which also drew inspiration from 60s and 70s Italian film soundtracks. Alongside his production work Nicola has laid out his musical vision through his guitar playing and songwriting, with numerous studio albums including 2004’s Other Directions, released on Schema, a French Subsidiary of Blue Note Records. His compilation series Viagem, all 5 volumes of which have been released on Far Out, provide an insight into the sounds of the past that have inspired his music of today, a peerless collection of lost bossa and samba jazz from the swinging Brazilian 60s.On this new collaborative release for Far Out, Conte’s forward thinking production cleverly compliments and contrasts with the warmth of Dipierro’s laid back inflection and gloriously rich timbres. Natural is aptly named, considering the ease with which Stefania and Nicola have re-assumed the roles of muse to one another, a musical relationship providing the deepest access to the poetry within their sound. The album’s title track and first single is a perfect introduction to their world, a masterful blend of global influences in which a propulsive Afro-rhythm bolstered by a searing funk guitar, whilst soothing Rhodes chords provide a distinctly Brazilian warmth and Stefania’s vocals offer up an enriching melody to soothe the heart and engage the mind. Alongside original compositions from Nicola and others, Natural also tantalisingly promises some inspired re-interpretations of classic Brazilian and jazz pieces: Trio Tenura’s exemplary bossa groove A Gira and Steve Kuhn’s beautiful The Meaning of Love are among the tracks respectfully imbued with an updated resonance. The scintillating blend of jazz and bossa alongside a contemporary sensibility makes for a debut collaboration. A timeless example of the special places Brazilian music can go with a beautiful voice and a smooth groove, marking out Dipierro as a natural talent of the highest order.

An exquisite slice of psychedelic jazz-funk, Funk Factory was criminally overlooked upon release but became a crate-diggers classic over time. Yes, the LP is most famous for containing the peerless dusty groove of "Rien Ne Va Plus", heavily lifted by the Beastie Boys for their Paul's Boutique standout "Car Thief". Yes, you'd be correct to assume said gem is worthy of the price of admission alone. Yet, to those in the know, Funk Factory represents so much more than a Dust Brothers sample-source. Indeed, the entire album represents a space-aged opus, featuring tripped-out keys, tight drums and baked synths, all laced by Urszula Dudziak's ethereal vocals drifting around the exceptional instrumentation.Funk Factory were boldly led by brilliant Polish violinist and saxophonist Michal Urbaniak and vocalist Dudziak. Two additional, accomplished Polish musicians were involved: virtuoso keyboardist Wlodek Gulgowski and singer Bernard Kafka, founder and leader of great Polish vocal group Novi Singers. To augment this solid foundation, a sensational American rhythm section was assembled, with bassists Anthony Jackson and Tony Levin, drummers Steve Gadd and Gerald Brown and guitarists Barry Finnerty and John Abercrombie.Legend has it that Urbaniak created this seminal record in response to his American colleagues' claims that Eastern European musicians were not "funky". Funk Factory demonstrates that Urbaniak and his cohorts could play funk as well as any American musician. As sophisticated and multi-layered as the best of the genre, it deserves to be as canonical as the greatest works of Herbie Hancock and George Duke. Accomplished and utterly unique, this intoxicating blend of crack musicians created an irresistibly heady dose of transportive funk that sounds every bit as vital today as it would have in 1975.Original copies are prohibitively expensive so this officially licensed 180g version enables a wider audience to now discover its genius. Dovetailing neatly with the recent interest in forgotten Eastern European grooves, this timely release of a true lost treasure is sure to be one of the year's essential vinyl reissues.

One of the most pivotal figures in the history of Malian music is Sorry Bamba. His work spans five decades and his music bridges the gap between Mali's cultural traditions and new the music which arose from the musical cross overs which occurred in Mali's post-Colonial period. Bamba was born in 1938 in Mopti. This is dissected by both the Niger and Bani rivers and known for its rich cultural diversity. Bamba's father was a distinguished veteran of Emperor Samory Toure's military and a nobleman in Malian society, however, this meant young Sorry was forbidden to make music, as under the nation's caste system, music was an art form reserved for the Griots.At the age of 10, Sorry's parents died and in traumatic times that followed the young teen found solace in music. He first taught himself to play am African six-holed flute. As he progressed he began to absorbed the rich tapestry of music of his surroundings, traditional Malian music, highlife from Ghana, local accordion master Toumani Toure, European singers and musicians. In 1957 Sorry formed his first band, Group Goumbe, named after a popular Ivory Coast dance style. In 1960 Mali gained independence from France, Bamba and his group benefited from a new openness toward local music on the state-run radio network Radio Mali. Sorry then went on to form two award-winning, further collectives Bani Jazz and later the Kanaga Orchestra. They fused Latin jazz, Western R&B, Psychadelic and funk, and traditional Malian styles made them a favourite in Mali and beyond.In 1979 Sorry produced his third LP for the Paris based Sonafric group. Long out of print Africa Seven is pleased to be re-issuing the LP with the authorization of the newly reformed Sonafric group. The re-issue benefits from extensive restoration and re-mastering to a spectral analysis level, bringing and polishing long lost and distorted sounds.The six track masterpiece opens with "Mayel". It blends Afro-space grooves, cowbell and swirling organ with psych guitar and punchy horns. "Kanaga 78" was named after his band of the time. Sounding as fresh (if not more so) in 2016 as it did in 1979 the hypnotic bass, expansive drums, twisting organ and snakelike fuzz-guitar all combine to create a masterpiece of African psychedelia. "Bayadjourou" closes off Side A of the LP with its pulsating, incessant organ hook-line and driving tom drums while adding in layers of Malian vocal from a female chorus and Sorry himself.Side B opens up with "Tjamantie Kolo" which is powered by driving conga and drums layered with traditional vocals and distorted picked electric guitar lines. "N'Nebakaidi" focuses on the song writing skill and delivery of Sorry who delivers a masterful vocal over grooves which somehow manage to sound melancholy but somehow also forlornly uplifting at the same time. The LP closes with "Nani Nani" which is a brass driven wall of African sound.Stay tuned for further re-issues of Sorry Bamba's first and second albums soon on Africa Seven.