US

Back in 1971, Coming From Reality was Rodriguez’s last gasp, the follow-up to Cold Fact and the final album he was allowed to record for the Sussex label. Unearthed, once again, by Light In The Attic Records, it’s another treat for fans new and old, designed – at the time – as Rodriguez’s vision of a perfect pop album. Check!Coming From Reality found Rodriguez decamping from Detroit to London’s Lansdowne Studios, where the album was recorded with some of the UK’s top talent including Chris Spedding (Sex Pistols, Dusty Springfield, Harry Nilsson) and producer Steve Rowland (The Pretty Things, PJ Proby and the man who discovered The Cure), who recalls Coming From Reality as his favourite ever recording project.Highlights include the super-poppy “To Whom It May Concern”, the “Rocky Raccoon”-inspired “A Most Disgusting Song” and period piece “Heikki’s Suburbia Bus Tour”. The CD reissue also includes three previously unreleased bonus tracks recorded in Detroit in 1972 with Cold Fact collaborators Mike Theodore & Dennis Coffey, representing the last thing they ever did together.Meanwhile, the Rodriguez story keeps gathering pace. A Swedish documentary company are working on a feature length documentary about the enigmatic performer’s life and music, and Rodriguez is planning to bring his live show to the UK and Europe come Spring/Summer 2009, along with further North America touring.“It’s an extraordinary trip,” says Rodriguez of his new lease on life. “It feels like Picasso, Monet. All these exciting new thoughts coming at me. It’s global. I’m lucky to have this second chance. It’s very real and totally unexpected.”Sixto Rodriguez, then. Still coming from reality, and bigger than ever before.

New Zackey Force Funk on Hit+Run, including productions from Egyptian Lover, Brian Ellis and Tom Noble! The wax is all colored SILVER and housed in a silver metallic ink hand-screenprinted jacket by Hit+Run featuring artwork by UK graffiti legend SheOne. Check!!

Shanti Celeste steps up with a full EP after her amazing "Strung Up" track from the recent Future Times compilation Vibe 3. BIG TIP! She uses the full A side for the killer "Being," a nasty dancelfoor cut that balances sleek, precision drum patterns with cool, showerdown melodies that haunt the feet AND the mental. The B Side starts off like a lost CBS Slow Burn cut with "Good Spirits," an exercise in machine romance, and ends with an ambient mix of the A side, to drift off into space with. Shanti is ON.

Sol Power Sound is proud to present the Color Soul EP by Obas Nenor. After a huge year with releases on legendary Strictly Rhythm and Moodymann's Mahogani Music, the Tel Aviv producer blesses Sol Power Sound with a four-song EP of thick Afro-disco, bumping house, and twisted techy grooves.The EP opens with Let's Go, a brawny peak-time banger with chugging drums, rolling bass, spooky synths, and a few dusty samples.Hotel Room started in, you guessed it, a hotel room in Accra, Ghana with a suitcase full of newly acquired Ghanaian percussion instruments. Obas Nenor finished it off with catchy vocal chops, synth melodies, guitar, and chatted vocals by Soma. It's an infectious mid-tempo groove and a Sol Power favourite.NoNooZa is a deceptively rugged Afro-disco / house hybrid full of heavy Sonics and texture. After a gradual build, NoNooZa morphs into a tough-as-nails dance floor bomb. Obas Nenor fittingly describes Tribe Tribute as Afro-tech. The EP closer is packed with deeeeeeep late night vibes that will move a heady room well into the morning.

Suave Parisian scalpel-botherer Dimitri From Paris continues to churn out top notch re-edits, slightly altering his famous production persona from label to label. Here, he delivers a second 12" for Razor 'N' Tape under the Dimitri From Brooklyn alias. Like its' predecessor, it features a couple of stone cold bangers. "Right My File" offers a thunderous, housed-up take on a lesser-known cover version of Dan Hartman's grandiose disco smasher "Relight My Fire" - all vocal breakdowns, big builds and big-lunged sing-along moments. As for "I Want Your Back", it re-casts Dimitri as The Reflex, laying down a version of The Jacksons' "I Want You Back" that sounds like it was done from the multi-track parts. It is, of course, dancefloor dynamite.

Ras G is one of the definitive producers of the Los Angeles beat scene, a co-founder of the Poo-Bah label, and hip-hop beat-maker who digs probably deeper than any into the worlds of free jazz, jazz fusion and afrofuturism.The prolific producer currently has two albums on Brainfeeder, two released by Poo-Bah, and several on Leaving Records, including the beat tape series Raw Fruit. As with Volumes 1&2 in April of last year, Volumes 3&4 have been combined into a double LP for release this November.

Tender Trap is a hard hitting number starting off with touch of Dilla and changing into a BRSB sureshot.The B Side is a killer cover of the Chakackas classic dance floor number “Jungle Fever”This is a limited pressing on Plane Jane. The BRSB full length “55” will be out next year on Big Crown Records.

Introducing the super sassy, ultra sweet SUGARZ with her single 'CITY OF LIGHTS'.Produced by Benny Badge, the string-puller behind various other Modern Funk affairs including Freekwency, Nite Class and Silver Linings and recent collaborations with Tom Noble and Magic Touch. Backed by the acidic saturation of Melbourne beatdown weirdo BOOSHANK with his shining B side remix (featured previously on FIRECRACKER RECORDS).Private press vibes on this for the real heads, boogie aficionados, acid house reminiscers and just fans of the left of centre.