Considered by many to be a classic B-boy anthem, this sublime slice of laidback rare-groove funk from Philadelphia’s Pieces of A Dream was released in 1982 and was taken from the album We Are One.

A trippy excursion into disco, boogie and electro, ‘Mt Airy Groove’ has been sampled by the likes of Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five and DJ Shadow.  Carrying one of the most instantly recognizable breaks in rap, this dreamy and delightful track is still cherished by B-Boys and B-Girls all around the world.

Pieces Of A Dream – Mt. Airy Groove (instrumental)

Released in 1984, Funk Deluxe self-titled record was one of the last long players album released on the legendary Salsoul imprint. Brainchild of former Brass Construction and Skyy musician Randy Muller, Funk Deluxe’s “This Time” is a timeless excursion into slick 80s boogie and funk.

Carrying shades of Sharon Redd’s “Beat The Street” with its elastic bassline and tough yet slightly shimmery vocals, this little gem should be as highly regarded as the aforementioned Redd classic.

Funk Deluxe – This Time (Original 12 inch Mix)

Best known for his scores to cult Euro crime classics such as “Roma a mano armata” (Rome Armed to the Teeth), “Napoli violenta” (Violent Naples) and the hilariously camp rip-off of The Exorcist,  “Chi Sei?” (Beyond the Door)*, Franco Micalizzi is one of the finest yet slightly overlooked Italian composers of the seventies. If you’re a newcomer to his works, then his score to Gianni Paradisi’s 1979 film Stridulum is the perfect place to start.

Without going on about the film too much (you can read about the utterly bonkers plot here), Micalizzi’s deep euro funk and disco soundtrack seeps through the craziness on screen with effortless aplomb. The undisputable highlight is the stirring epic “Running Away From Jerzy”, which has the right balance of dramatic melodies and some serious funky flute action.

Franco Micalizzi – Running Away From Jerzy

Described by their label as being one of the finest purveyors of “bunga bunga funk”, Italy’s disco luminaries Phreek Plus One are back with a new album due for release next week. Hurrah!

Phreek Party features tracks off their classic Compost Black Label EPs, including “Bikini”, “Astro Boogie”, “The Model” and a few other corkers.

Anyway, you can have a hear glimpse of the album with today’s track, “Sottocosto”. With some nice ‘n’ heavy synth keys and a deep disco bassline, the track shimmers with a Balearic glow which is just perfect with today’s sunshine and all.

As I mentioned earlier, the LP is out next week, so make sure you try and track it down!

Phreek Plus One Myspace

Compost Black Label

Sorry for the lack of post action this month, my neck has been a right pain in the ne-…oh. Alongside the ice packs and chiropractor appointments, the sweet sounds of Curtis Mayfield’s forgotten disco track  Tell Me, Tell Me have been aiding my recovery rather nicely.

This rather rare track from The Gentle Genius was released in 1979 and was produced by Ron Tyson and Norman Harris. The former Salsoul and MFSB duo provide a soft funk backdrop to Mayfield’s easy and sumptuous vocals, wiping away any neck aches and worries. Ahhh… That’s the stuff.

Curtis Mayfield – Tell Me Tell Me (How Ya Like To Be Loved)

Taken from his 1977 album Cosmic Wind, Mike Theodore is one of the unsung soul and funk music heroes of the seventies and eighties. Working with the prolific Dennis Coffey on the classic Westbound hit, CJ & Co’s Devil’s Gun and many more, the duo’s working relationship is one of disco’s finest.

Anyway, one of the strongest cuts off the record, ‘Moon Trek’ is a bumpy yet cosmic funk-fuelled driver. Mellow synths and horns combine wonderfully, helped probably by the exquisite mixing skills of a certain Mr. Tom Moulton. If this doesn’t melt away your Tuesday blues then I’ll have to take a trek to the moon myself.

Mike Theodore – Moon Trek

Shango was one of many solo guises of the legendary Afrika Bambaataa, a lo-fi and early electro cult classic, ‘Shango Message’ was released in 1983 and was produced by Bill Laswell. A Celluloid Records staple,  it combines Bambaataa’s wizardry with some fresh breaks ‘n’ beats resulting in a sparse yet funk-fuelled breaker’s anthem. Shango!

Shango – Shango Message (edit/instrumental)

Released on Champion records in 1985, this is a super-duper slice of funk fuelled soul from Rene and Angela.  A popular underground hit, ‘Secret Rendezvous’ is a swirling and gorgeous track, which kinda glamorises infidelity. Oo-err.  A favourite of DJ Spinna (who included the track on his fantastic Strange Games and Funky Things compilation for Barely Breaking Even in 2001), this is a irresistible and timeless song that will unleash your inner 80’s jazzy soul groove!

Check out those keytars!!!

Rene & Angela – Secret Rendezvous

Mixed by the one and only Francois Kevorkian, Forrrce’s ‘Keep On Dancin’ (Phase II)’ was released in 1980 on Mel Cheren’s ubiquitous West End Records.  A personal favourite of Mel’s, it’s a sure-fire party track where liquid funk meets reverb-filed disco with added cowbells and sound effects thrown in for groovy measure.

FUNK!!

Keep On Dancin (Phase II).mp3

Since I took a leap into the unknown yesterday with some “new” music, I thought I would carry it on today with an out of this world track from The Simonsound.

Having produced one of my favourite albums of the year so far with their debut Reverse Engineering, sound scientists Simon James and Matt Ford have created a mind bending space-funk record. Recalling the likes of Mort Garson, BBC Radiophonic Workshop and ‘50s and ‘60s library music, the duo cunningly combine all these influences with a cosmic dose of funk and breaks.

If you love modulated synths and anything analogue like I do, then you’ll probably enjoy the trippy and slightly psychedelic track Baker’s Dozen. So have a listen below.

So, come on space cadets, take an aural adventure into the funkiest realms of the Galaxy with The Simonsound!!

The Simonsound – Baker’s Dozen

Grab the album (go on!) and find out more here:

http://thesimonsound.bandcamp.com -

http://www.firstwordrecords.com/artists/the-simonsound/