MINT

Strut present a new reissue of Walter Gibbons’ ‘Jungle Music’ compilation LP, the definitive collection of Gibbons’ groundbreaking remixes during the heyday of New York’s disco era.Walter Gibbons remains one of the most important and unheralded DJ / remixers in New York dance music history, a pioneer of reel to reel edits and the art of the remix and a tangible link between early hip hop and disco through his quickfire turntable skills developed during the mid-70's.At his famed residency at Galaxy 21 (alongside a then young percussionist, Francois Kevorkian), Gibbons perfected his turntable prowess, mixing two copies of records seamlessly at a similar time to Kool Herc's famed block parties across town in the Bronx in 1975. He was among the first to make his own reel to reel edits of tracks, extending breaks and restructuring tracks specifically for the dancefloor. As a direct result, he was the first DJ to be granted access to multi-track tapes as Ken Cayre's Salsoul Records brought him in to re-work Double Exposure's 'Ten Percent' in '76, a mix that would set the blueprint for disco, the 12" format and all future dance music mixes.This compilation focuses on some of the more adventurous and ground-breaking mixes that Gibbons produced during the disco era including a freeform treatment of Dinosaur L's 'Go Bang', Paradise Garage favourite 'You Are My Love' by Sandy Mercer and underground disco rarity, 'I've Been Searching' by Arts & Craft.- Reissue of the definitive compilation of 12” mixes by Walter Gibbons- Features rare and acetate-only mixes released widely for the first time- Includes full Walter Gibbons biography by author Tim Lawrence + rare photos- Original LP release in-demand and now fetching large sums on Discogs

Things are happening. It’s a perpetual truth and something of a mysterious, even ominous, sentiment as it applies to XL Middleton’s follow up to “Tap Water.” Fittingly, the content of “Things Are Happening” strays down darker or more cynical paths than its predecessor, and in doing so takes the modern funk ethos as a whole beyond tried and true formulas such as love songs or spiritual anthems. The grooves remain uptempo, the synth work is still warm and percussive. But, there’s a heavier story to tell, and greater truths to face. The album opens with the uptempo, lowrider-ready “Never Have Too Many Freaks.” Upon frst glance it’s a hedonistic ode to maintaining multitudes of willing women for carnal conquest, but further listens reveal the story of a man in search of love, let down too many times and thus led away from the pursuit of romance. “Look Who’s Talkin’” details the strenous nature of socializing as an introvert, with tongue-in-cheek lyrics seated atop a warbly electro-funk instrumental. This theme is explored again, in a more introspective fashion, on the album’s closer, “They Don’t Wanna Leave.” On “Better Friend” (feat. Moniquea), XL plays witness to those who would invade social circles for personal gain - an all too common sight in the music business, perhaps foreshadowing a future hip hop album by dropping a few bars before the song sizzles to a close. Him and Zackey Force Funk team up on “Paradise Of Pavement,” an anthem for the highs and lows of living in LA, framed by cosmic chords and grinding synth bass tones. “Purple Sheets” resonates with a slow Linn drum bounce as XL’s vocoder fnally offers a moment of unbridled love/lust, adding a dimension to the album more akin to “Tap Water” than anything else on the project. Some might argue that the internalized nature of “Things Are Happening” is badly timed, with the hyper-politicized environment we are now living in almost demanding social commentary in art above all else. However, this album is a reminder that, no matter who the president is or what global woes we are facing, we also exist outside of the collective mind and have our own individual stories to tell.

Names You Can Trust teams up with spacey synth wiz Donatinho and his father, the legendary João Donato, to release an exclusive 7-inch single from the duo's fantastic new album, Sintetizamor. While the full-length is only available in Brazil, this crisp single, mastered especially for vinyl, will be reaching stores in the US and around the world this summer.Included are two cuts that set modern boogie funk fans alight when they leaked out online: "Lei Do Amor," with a sophisticated slinky groove that brings to mind a Brazilian Kashif, and the talkbox feature "Surreal," a knowing nod to Herbie Hancock's classic "I Thought It Was You" with all the hip touches the Rio de Janerio Donato duo do so effortlessly.The single comes housed in a custom screened NYCT company sleeve with a full color postcard reproduction of the album cover art, a spectacular image crafted by Allan Jefferson of D.C. Comics.

Al Johnson came from the 60s Washington group The Unifics, then in 1978 he released a debut album "Peaceful" on an independent label. It featured the original version of "I've Got My Second Wind" that would later be re-recorded and become a popular song from his 1980 CBS album "Back For More" and is featured here. The song “I’m Back For More” was a duet from the album featuring Jean Carn which is released in its full length version here on Expansion for the first time. Both songs timeless moern soul classics.Two tracks originally from Curtom Records, neither previously issued on 7” vinyl.