sales + specials - VinylCDs-alpha

Elite disco collector and Million Dollar Disco kingpin Al Kent goes for another round of super rare soul & disco on BBE with the third Disco Love compilation. Just like the previous volumes (and his MDD releases) this album focuses on those overlooked and hard-to-come by underground disco gems that only someone with the deepest of crates (or a big bankroll) will have to offer - and that someone is Al Kent! His affection for classic disco sounds definitely shows on this set of extra soulful disco cuts that range from uplifting dancefloor jams, gritty back alley recordings, and funky burners. He's even gone ahead and re-edited many of them, leaving only the juiciest tidbits to set your soul on fire. Take a listen to the party energy of "I Want To Be With You" by Gregory Andre & Two Plus Three, "Disco Music" by Sil Austin, the super soul of the Mighty Gents' "Mighty Gents," the uptempo groove of "Disco Fever (Round 3)" by Rhond Durand, or the feel-good vibes of "Human" by Neo Experience - it's obvious wonder why he's Dimitri From Paris and Joey Negro's favorite disco DJ, and why dudes like Kon, Rahaan, and Theo Parrish are always after his edits. The double CD version also includes a bonus CD featuring all the tracks blended together in one seamless mix by Al himself! 8 unmixed tracks on 2LP and 15 unmixed tracks on the CD total for the deep disco aficionados.

• music label: BBE Disco 2013

reviewed by Joey Coco 02/2013

Producer extraordinaire Geoff Barrows of Portishead fame steps out on his own to form a band of non-conformists standing in the shadows of Kraut pioneers Neu!, Conrad Schnitzler, and Amon Duul. 2012's ">>" was a lab favorite getting loads of play from the staff. Barrows having his foot in many door ways never sticks to a particular style for very long. The one unifying factor is that regardless of what genre he creates, it's always spot on and done inexplicably well. The latest from Beak> comes in 7 inch form with two tracks that continue the more straight forward approach of ">>". 'Mono' takes a synth lead with a Klaus Dinger-esque Motoric beat that recalls distant memories of driving down the autobahn. 'Kenn' is pure dirge psychedelia! Sludge drums, overdriven bass guitar, that builds to an epic freak out. The 7" comes house in full color pic sleeve and is pressed on black vinyl. Recommended

• music label: Invada Records 2012

reviewed by gene jacket 1/2013

Impressive debut release from Drive Me Home on Citinite. Though this is the first we've heard from Drive Me Home, the high production value and slick arrangement make me feel like this is an alias for a producer we've heard from before or DMH has been doing this for a while. Just check the prime 80's r&b funk style on "Fast Life" with Olivier Daysoul (the vocalist from Onra's "Long Distance") rocking a very convincing Rick James vocal style. So good! But the funk doesn't stop there, on "Blah Blah Blah" DMH teams up with South African hip hoppers Spoek Mathambo and Riky Rick for a piece on futuristic disco rap, while "Hook It Up" and "Don't Play Around With That" show he can rock the spot instrumental style as well. For remixes, Machinedrum gives "Blah Blah Blah" a brilliant uptempo house rework and Computer Jay shoots "Fast Lane" up with some of that gangster-ish Master Blazter funk on the "Skeezer Mix". Pic sleeve.

• music label: Citinite 2011

reviewed by: Snackmaster 11/2011

A couple of remixes from In Flagranti's most recent full length courtesy of DFA's Shit Robot and Moullinex. The title track "Worse For Wear" gets pumped up by Shit Robot who channels the sleazy disco vibe into more of a bouncey throwback house jam. Moullinex take "Latter Day Methods" and add percolating percussion and big shiny synths to the mix for a funky electro house romp. 

Night Slugs co-founder and Mad Decent representer L-Vis 1990 lends his touch to Mr Mageeka's "Different Lekstrix. The original track is a minimalist UK Funky jacker with hypnotic synths and abstract bass bloops to move the crowd, but L-Vis turns up the intensity adding some heavy wonk to tear down the walls. Another winner from Numbers! Plays at 45.

• music label: Numbers 2010

reviewed by: Von Bee 09/2010

Welcome repress of Nite Jewel's full length debut. Nite Jewel has certainly come a long way since 2008's Good Evening, from collaborating with West Coast funk master Dam-Funk to putting out material on Mexican Summer and Italians Do It Better. With her recent material being much more developed and produced, it's cool to see where it all started. Our original review from 2008: Loving the sweet, lo-fi sounds of Nite Jewel. After her release on Italians Do It Better, I was wondering where I was gonna find more from the LA singer/producer/composer. Luckily we got in this LP on Gloriette which seems like a small-press kinda deal that would be pretty hard-to-find. "Good Evening" is part shoe gaze, part new disco, part old school r&b, and part freestyle(?) all composed on a portable 8-track cassette deck with layered tape edits (hence that authentic low tech sound). It's a beautiful thing in these days of over-done tracks. Check the joints that made it to 12" on IDIB ("What Did He Say" and "Let's Go") or go for the deep RnB funk of "Weak For Me," the slow jammy goodness of "Artificial Intelligence," or space-out to the sound of "Suburbia" or "Universal Mind." 10 tracks total now with free MP3 download. Recommended.

• music label: Gloriette 2012

reviewed by TKB 12/2012

Osborne re-vitalizes his self-titled album on Spectral with this diverse, and very creative batch of remixes from producers that share Osborne's fresh vision. The collection opens up with Bullion's afro-electro-psych rework of "Afrika." The UK beatsmith shows why he's one of the most sweated producers in the game right now with this track. Next up is Bogdan Raczynski's kooky remix of "Ruling." He really switches it up as this sounds nothing like the uplifting original, and more like one for the abstract minimal heads. Next up Werk Discs' Lukid flips "There" from a "dreamy New Order nod" to an instrumental hip-hop nodder as well as putting his spin on "Junk Food."

• Ghostly International / 2010

reviewed by snackmaster 02/2010

Two excellent tributes to the late great Gil Scott Heron from Patchworks on Heavenly Sweetness. There's no doubt that GSH had a huge impact on modern music, from hip hop and soul to pop and rock, and here Patchworks does an proper job honoring his memory with the deep and emotional "RIP with John Coltrane" and "Spirit Music." The tracks recalls GSH's mid-70's work with Brian Jackson with tender melodies and soaring flute work.

• music label: Heavenly Sweetness / 2011

reviewed by Von Bee 08/2011

Debut release from Runaway's new On The Prowl label. The NY duo of Jaques Renault and Marcos Cabral has had releases on every hip label from DFA, Rekids, I'm A Cliche, Chinatown, etc. (even a forthcoming remix on Money Studies), and now they have their on label to do whatever they want on... And apparently what they want to do is wreck the dance floor with deep and minimal house grooves that nod to the old school while looking forward. Take "Poltergeist" with it's dark, acidic bass bloops and seemingly random vocal chops that get taken deeper with old school key stabs. "Don't Block The Box" goes even deeper, with hypnotic layers of synth pads and percussion topped off with dubbed out jungle sounds (Puma growls anyone?) to set your mind adrift while your body takes control. 

• music label: On The Prowl / 2009

reviewed by snackmaster 08/2009

When it comes to early 80's punk funk, Sexual Harrassment kept it hot and sexy. Sadly the career of these Prince-loving freaks was short-lived, though they did manage to release a 6 track album and the electro sleaze classic "I Need A Freak". To do their tracks justice, Citinite Records has curated this EP of re-interpretations from modern artists that carry the same sex-fueled funk attitude. LA boogie-man Dam-Funk, kicks it off covering "You Are My Sexual Connection" with Lil Kenny on the outer limits of uptempo funk, while UK funkster Jimmy Edgar teams up with G.Rizo for slap bass frenzy on "Exercise Your Ass Off" that'll get you up off your ass in a second. You also get an electrified cover of "I Need A Freak" from Sweat.X, plus an insane, raw dog version of "If I Gave You A Party" from Robert O Dell that will turn any party into an all out freak fest.

• music label: Citinite

reviewed by snackmaster 04/2011

Rounding out All City's LA Series with volume #0 (aka #11) is 2/3rds of the SA-RA Creative Partners, Shafiq and Om'Mas Keith! Shafiq kicks things off with "DNA," an intense workout in cut-up A.D.D. beats, split into three easy-to-digest parts. The track is a melting pot of LA styles, from chopped up hip hop and funk, lo-fi experimental noise, and diced radio vocals, all assembled to make heads nod from coast to coast and beyond. Om'Mas Keith's side switches gears into quirky leftfield r&b territory on "Girl Is A Player." Sounds akin to James Pants and D-F with a hint of 80's Prince. Instrumental included.

• music label: All City

reviewed by Von Bee 09/2011

Soul Jazz digs into the Studio One vaults once again for another wicked compilation of reggae gems. Unlike previous compilations that focus on specific styles or eras, Studio One Ironsides offers the wide scope of the legendary reggae label. Here you get both classics AND rarities in a variety of styles ranging from roots, dub, early dancehall, ska, and rocksteady from the finest artists in the Studio One roster. Check the expertly curated selection fo tracks from Freddie McGregor, Prince Jazzbo, Lone Ranger, Marcia Griffiths, Alton Ellis, Johnny Osbourne, Cornel Campbell, Don Drummond, and many more. You really can't miss with this one! Oh and for those wondering about the title... "Studio One Ironsides refers back to a time in the 1960s and 1970s when Clement Dodd was at the height of his powers, releasing so much amazing music that Studio One had to invent new label names to trick radio DJs, wary of playing too much music from the legendary studio, into playing records. These creatively titled new label names included Ironsides, Money Disc, ND Records, BongoMan, Forward and more." Heavyweight double vinyl pressing in deluxe gatefold sleeve with extensive liner notes.

• music label: Soul Jazz 2013

reviewed by Von Bee 02/2013

Holy mother! This is one brain melting face burner of a punishing house track right here. It feels like Erol Alkan got Switch to get out of his post Major Lazer haze and tap into his roots in jacked up house music for "A Sydney Jook." This ish is tough! Bok Bok stretches out the 808 a little more and gives the track a signature Night Slugs rub down, making it perfect for a massive sound system. WT label boss Willie Burns, who's recent L.I.E.S. release has been a staple in Alkan's recent sets, rounds out the release with a more melodic take on the affair. Limited edition acid splash vinyl.

• Music Label: Phantasy Sound 2012

reviewed by Michu Meszaros 09/2012

Of all the "Yonkers" remixes floating around, Lil Silva's version is least likely to piss off the Golf Wang leader because, well, it is really good. Starting off with subtle dubstep touches, the young London producer fully unleashes his future bass arsenal at around the 1:10 mark, and the track becomes more vicious and aggressive than Tyler's lyrical attack on B.O.B. (what exactly did he do?). Can't see this whitelabel staying around for too long, so act quick! 

• music label: white

reviewed by nakinboots 06/2011

As Lab customers, you know that when major label compilations advertise themselves as "rare grooves," it's not always true. That is most definitely not the case here. I don't even know where to start with this one. Here's the story: Rhino recently released a 4CD box set with an insane number of rare soul and funk tracks from the vaults of the Atlantic, Atco, Josie & Warner labels. What we have here is the companion set: a super limited edition (5,000 copies worldwide!) custom boxed set featuring 25 of the rarest tracks from the compilation, remastered and pressed in their original 7" formats, complete with their original B-sides. This thing is done proper, with reproduction sleeves and stickers just like the originals, but without the ridiculous price tags. At record shows or on eBay, you could expect to pay anywhere from $10 to $100 for mint copies of these 45s (with the majority here landing in the $20-$40 range), so while the price tag may look intimidating at first, it's actually a true bargain. Not to mention the music itself! Though you may know some of the names here already (The Commodores, Wilson Pickett, Little Richard, The Meters), the tracks selected for the big name artists are certainly not the most obvious or popular in their catalogs. This ain't no best-of. To dissect this thing further would take a very, very long time, but some of the highlights include: Funkadelic axeman Eddie Hazel with a stunning cover of The Mamas & The Papas' "California Dreamin'," The Gaturs' sunny "Cold Bear," Tony Alvon & The Belairs' blaxploitation soundtrack joint "Sexy Coffee Pot," Titus Turner's "His Funeral, My Trial" and The Beginning of the End's classic "Funky Nassau," parts 1 and 2. Comes in a custom-made 45 box with a handle and locking metal hinge. 

• music label: Rhino / 2006

reviewed by Chris Lemon-Red 11/2006

Sophomore full length for Van She on Modular. The Australian electro-pop outfit is well known around the office for their awesome cover of Daft's "Around The World" from a few years back, but on Idea Of Happiness they prove they're well adept at crafting original material of an equally jamming nature. Just skipping around the album and you'll be hard pressed not to move in your seat from the uber-catchy synth melodies and hooks that seems to be flowing in abundance on every track. The 80's synth pop influence runs deep on tracks like "Idea Of Happiness," "Jamaica," "Tears," and "Coconuts," but with a slick modern shine to the arrangement and mix. Basically throw this album on and you're immediately transported to a beach party on some remote island where the beats are tight and vibes are right. 12 tracks with free mp3 download included.

• music label: Modular 2012

reviewed by TKB 12/2012