This is certainly an acquired taste for those who have a very experimental ear. These guys from a an inspired Chic B side classic “Sao Paulo” in Brazil, weave a musical web of varied influences. It mixes up jazz, funk, reggae ,dub, rock and fusion with abstract proportions. Many of the tracks start of with a steady groove then without notice, go off on a 45 degree right angle with some pretty intense rock guitar solos. Some of the lesser obscure and straight funkier cuts include the latin salsa interchanging “Samurai”,  a hammond organ and drum rim tapping “Sonhos De Tóquio” and a vocal ad-libbed funky horned “Bedum”. One of the Marmite tracks on the album is “Morning Birds” with an enchanting flute and marimba solo that goes awol briefly at the halfway mark into an impromptu on the ears rock guitar solo. There is an 11 minute slow and journalistic “Venus” instrumental sounding very ambient and in contrast an uptempo rhythmic ska meets latin percussive “A Vida Vem Em Ondas”. Curious as to how this one will be received.

This is one of those random guilty pleasures that arrives from somewhere in the outer hemisphere.Multi instrumentalist from Germany Bjorn Wagner founder of the Mighty Mocambos was inspired from a visit to Trinidad and Tobago with the steel pans. So with crisp hip-hop drum break beats amongst the 16 cuts, are several classic hip-hop funk RNB, reggae and electro covers. These including 50 Cent’s “Pimp”, The Chakackas “Jungle Fever”, Dennis Coffeys’ “Scorpio”, Faith Evan’s “Love Like This” and Cat Stevens’s fabulous “Was Dog A Doughnut”, John Holts “Police In a Helicopter” and Hi Tek “Round & Round”. He manages to capture the 70’s feeling with “Port Of Spain Hustle” and “Goodbye Feeling” and retain some melodiousness on “14 Laventille Road March”. If your looking for something different of the version excursion kind, you need look no further than this.

Considering the soundtrack achieved triple platinum sales, a number one R&B album of 1975 and third best pop selling album, the film flopped more than the popular athletic one named after Dick Fosbury. I spy with my cynical eye that the film nose dived because it really exposed how much the idea of “freedom and equality via the American Dream”, was really a smoke screen for it being America’s reality in the music industry nightmare. Harvey Keitel plays Buckmaster a cool Caucasian as a street wise edged, ears to the ground of the perfect sound record producer. He does however naively work for a scrupulous syndicated corporate music label. His vision is to make the locals talent of black musicians “The Group” played by Earth, Wind & Fire, a national crossover act, without selling out their integrity and natural essence of making good music.

The film shows the high flying ruthless head of the label juggling to keep his immediate boss an Italian Mafia mogul’s, content to continue his licence to print money payola and jukebox operations active. The discrimination and racism is blatant in how the Italian’s flexed their visible and invisible muscle, and would rather cater to the white audience with second rate  “poop music”, from an all American clean living imaged talentless white act “The Pages”. This is preferred to the indigenous talent of the real “Shining Star” “black artists “The Group “ with no regard whatsoever for their welfare. The main “Reason’ being that the record company had them under a legally binding recording contract. Buckmaster (Harvey Keitel) is also under contract and is riddled with a not so  “Happy Feelin’” to be working with “The Pages”, and realises he is compromised, and in one way or another he is damed whatever he does. The film is quite fast moving so don’t blink or you’ll miss some of the subtle key turning points of the films outcome.

This film does examine lots of dubious elements of control and legal documents, very much in the way America thrived during those hedonistic activities at the height of the “Africano” Slave trade. There is no disparage, if you check out the similarity. The human trafficking of an artist being regarded as personal property with legal papers to do as you wish exploiting their labour, is nothing less than swapping the cotton fields for the music industry arena. The ruthlessness means that Buckmaster is faced with succumbing  to his bosses blackmailing demands, into shelving “The Group” to push the Pages into the global music stratosphere.

All the subliminal hurdles faced by the, more talent in one little finger, super band, “The Group”, are not even remotely visible for the no talent in all three bodies combined of “The Pages”. Velour “The Pages” ambitious female vocalist sets her amorous sights on young Buckmaster, who himself can “See The Light” of an opportunity in embracing her flirtatious prowess towards him. He’s tried to appeal to a few he respects better senses on what is right from wrong ethically and within the industry, but Buckmaster is now “Yearnin’, Learnin” and debating at the same time, how not to lose his integrity for what he has worked hard to preserve. Realising “Thats The Way Of The World “ he lives in, will Buckmaster sacrifices everything in his “All About Love” for the music plan to remain an honest man and take control of his and “The Group’s” destiny? It’s a very insightful film, that’s poignant in so many ways regarding the legacy of Maurice White and Earth, Wind & Fire, who just naturally play themselves. There is some very cool and intelligent piece of acting skills coming from Harvey Keitel and great production and direction from Sig Shore (Superfly fame). Written and inspired by the soundtrack song titles done in the Spirit of EWF.

This takes me “Back To School” like Bunny Wailer in 1978 freaking out in the school premises with the killer bass line and the strings of “Keep Your Body Working”, on repeat in my disco boogiefied mind. This anthology does capture a majority of the Kleeer catalogue minus a few I would have personally included. Naturally singles of the first album “Keep Your Body Working”, “Tonight’s The Night” and “I Love To Dance” are on here. I’m most pleased that the silent album sleeper, the sophisticated mellow boogie bullet “Happy Me” from the debut album’s is included . Also on CD 1 are the two major tracks off the second album “Winners” and the astral travelling “Open Your Mind”. Showing Kleeer’s diversity I was always partial to the rollocking funk boogie groove of “Get Tough” and the funk rocker “De Kleeer Ting”. Wayne Dickson who complied this opens on CD 2 with a favourite of mine, so much so I have the 7 inch, 12 inch with instrumental and album versions of “Taste The Music”. My question to you Wayne, with a smile I may add is, how could you leave off “I Shall Get Over” Wayne?  This certainly journeys through Kleeer’s evolution of change as the years roll on, so by the 4th “Get Ready” album in 1982 their sound becomes slightly more psychedelic. There is a touch of ‘punk funk’ on the 12 inch cut of “She Loves Me” featuring Rick James on synths.  By this time Woody Cunningham’s lead vocals are now a prominent feature and evident more so on the “Intimate Connection” album. With the exception of the funky “Break”, “Next Time It’s For Real”, the vocoder voiced “Tonight”, The inspiring “Go For It” and “You Did It Again” represent the mid 80’s moog classic 6th album. Kleeer’s final lucky 7th album showcases them embracing electro funk further, finishing of with “Take Your Heart Away”, my album fave “Never Cry Again” and a mellower “Lay Ya Down EZ”. Interviews with the remaining co founders Paul Crutchfield and Richard Lee document the east coast “Kleeer Ting” ethos with a heartfelt tribute to Woody Cunningham and Norman Durham who passed a year apart a few years ago. This certainly is a “Get Tough” anthology to have in your collection.

Eshe one of the gospel singing sisters family group The Escoffrey’s who sang “Look Whose Loving Me” on Atlantic, is sounding exceptionally good on her forthcoming debut solo single “Reazon”. She has for over 2 decades hiding in the background but comes to the forefront for 2016. It’s a mixture of world music African rhythms, ambient yet subtle drum and bass with a touch of spiritual soul. Eshe’s esoteric vocals and mystical vibes go on an inspiring rampage altering her octaves throughout the compositions 5 minutes of enjoyment. “Reazon” was released 19th December 2015 on Rebeat and is digitally distributed worldwide via iTunes, Amazon and Emusic. It’s producer is Phil Walters aka Simon Templa who‘ll be responsible for the forthcoming soul version to appear on Eshe’s forthcoming EP “Life Live Be Here”. Bringing her music to the masses with the force of mother nature and the universal language of soul sonic vibrations, Eshe gives you a “Reazon” to tap into that realm.

In the 1970’s just before and after the advent of “Star Wars” there was a futuristic space boogie disco sound that was championed by a few outfits like Magic Fly and Mandre that resonated with the club sonics of that period. Kim And Buran have regressed quite successfully in 2016 making that formular sound hip today. Strap on your seat belts for the albums take off with “Delayed Flight” taking you on an East To West “Voyage”, which incidentally is the title of track number four. Exploring jazz, soul, disco and electronic dimensions the awesome foursome have got it spot on with this predominantly instrumental album. Out of the 15 stand out cuts are “Breeze”, “Jet Disco”,  “Taxi”, 80’s electro boogie “Modern Music” with vocoder at the ready. Good response on my “21st Century Intergalactic Black 2 Da Future Show” so get on this space boogie ship and “Glide” like Pleasure.

BBR release one of Chaka’s finest early 1980’s albums with a least 5 silver surfing bullets on there and 3 bonus cuts. It features various elements of Chaka’s dynamic range and musical tapestry. There are three covers. The first a Beatles classic “We Can Work It Out” and the second titled cut “What Cha Gonna Do For Me” written by The Average White Band’s Hamish Stuart. Track three is  the boogie bullet “I Know You I Live You” with a reprise and a bonus remix included from her 1989 remix album. The third encounter of the cover kind is a brilliant rendition of Dizzy Gillespie’s “Nights In Tunisia” actually featuring Dizzy Gillespie. In the vein of her early Rufus, I’ve always loved “Any Old Sunday”. Alternative funkiness can be heard on “We Got Each Other” and the Stardust classic’s inspiration “Fate” is one not to sleep on. As bonus two B sides single cuts “Only Once” and “Lover’s Touch” showcase Chaka’s classy primal screaming octaves .