LP

FloFilz, connecting musical worlds on "Speakthru". FloFilz has been one of our favorite producers for a while. Heading from the small town Aachen in the far west of Germany he's been mastering the sound of sample based hip hop productions for some time now. At the same time he's a professional orchestral musician & violin player. Being limited to one type of music just ain't his thing.Over the course of the last couple of years he has gained a very strong following. Nearly 40.000 people are following his soundcloud channel & majestic.com has posted a handful of his productions.Speakthru, his first album on Jakarta Records, is a testament to the connective power of music. Transcending musical boundaries, Flo managed to bring together a wide range of MCs to feature on his tracks such as LA's own Blu and Co$$ up to Norway's Ivan Ave and London's Barney Artist, including a half-dozen of powerful instrumentals sprinkled in between."Basement Jazz" the first single off the album has been featured on a wide selection of blogs suchs as okayplayer.com, 2dopeboyz.com, egotripland.com, pigeonsandplanes.com, juice.de and many, many more.Look out for the video for "The Verb" feat. Barney Artist too which was recently shoot in London.https://soundcloud.com/jakarta-records/flofilz-basement-jazz-feat-blu

Bluestaeb is one of the key figures of the new generation of up and coming beat producers from Germany. Equally influenced by Pete Rock, J Dilla and Kaytranada, he shouldn't be labelled. Neither as "future" nor as "oldschool", since he maneuvers in between those sounds effortlessly. His production is an unusual display of versatility, ranging from classic BoomBap to synth to 808-based beats.The 24-year-old was born and raised in Berlin and started making his own music at a very young age. Ironically, a birthday present his dad received dragged him into producing instrumental HipHop: Madlib's "Shades Of Blue". Soon after, the entire catalogue by the L.A.-legend and naturally Dilla, too, had formed his idea of aesthetics and grooves. Aside, he spent years studying African drum techniques such as Djembé and Daruka. Gradually, he found his sound identity and began to release his music plus producing beats for various MCs, such as Juju Rogers or Teknical Development. After forming Oldschool Future Tribe collective alongside his mentor Figub Brazlevic and a group of international producers, he released his debut LP "1991 Extraterrestrial" in 2013. This year, he dropped his experimental EP "B.L.U.E. Friday", a song series featuring a broader scale of styles. On November 6th, Bluestaeb releases his sophomore album "Rodalquilar" via Jakarta Records, still carrying his distinctive concept of diversity. The work is dedicated to a Spanish village going by the same name, where Bluestaeb spent most of his summers since early childhood. In his parent's summer cottage, he was enabled to evolve and concentrate on his music, mostly influenced by surrounding nature and light. "Rodalquilar" LP aims to embrace this atmosphere by including sound drafts, samples and ideas collected throughout last summer's stay in Rodalquilar. The vinyl version comes with a photo booklet including the complementing visuals to the said journey that initially began in the mid 90s.

Tala AM (or Tala Andre Marie to give him his full and proper name) was born in Bandjoun in Cameroun in 1950. Talas life initially wasn't easy, he becomes blind at an early age and has lost both his mother and father by the age of 12. He then went on to make his first guitar by hand and form his first band "The Rock Boys" by the age of 17. Shortly after he meets the powerhouse of Camerounian music at the time Manu Dibango, a pivotal moment. With help, he re-locates to Paris and signs a contract with Fiesta Records. The first fruit of those labours is his debut album "Hot Koki".The lead track (and highlight of this compilation) is "Hot Koki" it is a powerhouse of funk guitar, soul and infectious afro rhythms. Fast forward to 1974 and the famous "Rumble In The Jungle" fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. The story goes a little something like this... At an accompanying musical event we find James Brown and Tala AM. JB Hears Hot Koki and creates a remarkably similar sounding track "The Hustle" (check it out side by side if you have the time).Fast forward another 40 years. Time to take a look back on the funkier moments of Tala. This is not a "best of" Tala, that has already been done. Want to get into Tala's famous Tchamassi sound or do some "bend skin" beats... well check out the other compilations. Here at Africa Seven (and in this case) we are headed for destination funk. The musical topic inevitably leads us to the 70's and we borrow our super slick source material mainly from the albums Tala made for Fiesta Records from 1973 to 1978.We open up the bombastic brass, swinging basslines and all out groove of Hot Koki (well after a little intro ditty gem). Then its on to the one of the highlights of "Arabia" album "Black Gold". This track swoons groove. Layers of picked and choppy guitar and on point drumming. "Sugar Lump" is next which sticks to the formula of the previous track but adds in catchy vocals.Mining into the cave of delights that is the 1978 "Black Woman" album we then follow up with the driving afro beat grooves and stabby brass of "Gotam" and the boogie flowing grooves of "Black Woman" and the frenetic and driving grooves of "Ma Ka La". We round things off with the stabby clavi-funk of "Nom Te Ma" and the ultimate groovy funk-riff closer (and ear worm) Tcham Tcham.So there you some slices of pure funk from a master. Tala's role of awards and achievements is long and impressive (check his Wikipedia), Knight of Valour of Cameroun, SACEM awards and his opening of a music school in Douala... However.. we feel these musical masterpieces are right up there with his finest achievements.. A true man of music.

Incarcerated funk has no right to feel this free. Musical convicts and actual convicts from across the Commonwealth, The Edge Of Daybreak's membership wrote and recorded Eyes Of Love while serving out sentences of six to sixty years. Set to tape inside Powhatan Correctional Center on the outskirts of Richmond, Virginia, these intimate 1979 sessions unlock the prison gates and peer into a collective consciousness concocted by a core of four confined artists. Assembled from distant love ballads and fanciful odes to freedom, Eyes Of Love is a prison letter composed by committee, recorded hastily, and circulated regionally amongst adventurous clientele willing to take a chance on these felonious talents.

The subject of Music From Memory’s latest compilation release is the elusive and mysterious Philadelphian musician Napoleon Cherry (aka Cool Waters). Oddball funk biz TIP! In the late 80’s and early 90’s Cherry privately released two LP’s and an EP which form the basis of this retrospective, alongside an unreleased cut ‘When You Had The Chance’ which was recently released on 12” in collaboration with US label PPU.Recorded with a very DIY aesthetic and a strong presence of gospel and RnB, Cherry’s unique take on soul and funk music, reflect a rawness that stands in contrast to the slick, over-produced soul of that era. With appearances by jazz musicians such as the late celebrated saxophonist Byard Lancaster, who coincidentally played with MFM’s previous compilation subject Vito Ricci, Napoleon’s music seems to defy any clear categorisation.From cocktail jazz funk to intergalactic synth workouts to melancholy bedroom soul, Napoleon’s use of synths and drum computers, though perhaps unknowingly, also seem to strongly echo elements of early house music.

The second half of previously unreleased Aurra recordings produced by Slave-founding member Steve Washington. The Album was recorded in 1983/84 just after the Salsoul years with his wife Sheila who had just finished writing and touring with The Brides Of Funkenstein. Plans were made for it’s release on Quincy Jones’ newly formed Qwest Records, but legal troubles complicated it’s release. No one was quite sure what happened to the master tapes, not even Steve himself. Body Rock represents the final chapter in the Aurra catalog. This is Electronic Funk and R&B at it’s finest, recorded during a pivotal year in Modern Funk music. Post-Disco, right at the beginning of Hip-Hop’s finest hour when Boogie and Electro music was making the scene in New York. Making this an important milestone in music and documenting the inception of the drum machine. The grooves smoke, as Washington delivers the Dayton Funk style. Mean and lean basslines, irresistible hooks & towering vocal riffs with crisp, tight dance rhythms.- Produced by Steve Washington (Slave, Civil Attack, George Clinton)- Featuring vocals by Sheila Brody (Brides Of Funkenstein, Public Enemy) & Mark Stevens (Taka Boom, Chaka Khan)- Liner notes by Dam-Funk- Full Analog production from the original 2”” tapes recorded in 1984

Kohsuke Kindaichi is a famous fictional Japanese detective created by Seishi Yokomizo. This LP contain parts of a Kohsuke Kindaichi TV serie.

Limited Edition Reissue GatefoldRecorded on July 20 and August 4, 1970. Originally released on Victor (SMJX-10104) in 1970.

Originally Released in 1975.2015 Japan Reissue

Originally Released in 1975.2015 Japan Reissue