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If you zoom in on the hype sticker, you’ll find it mentions genres like Psychedelia, Funk, Tropicalia, Jazz, and Alternative when describing this release. Everything the Mr. Bongo label typically covers in its rich catalog. What it doesn’t advertise, however, is that this is a new band and new record. Not a re-issue or something mined from a lost tape but new kids interpreting the old grooves in their own unique style. You could throw out a number of adjectives to try and pin this record down but it really defies any one sort of genre. Let’s put it this way: if you like groovy world music, you’ll like this too. If you like Khruangbin or the Bay Area’s own Sitka Sun, you’ll like this too.

Actually, the jacket nor the sleeve says much of anything about who these guys are. But if you check out the Mr. Bongo website (https://us.mrbongo.com/collections/kit-sebastian) you’ll read the duo fronting the group have an intriguing background. Kit Martin lives and plays between London and France and the Turkish born Merve Erdem studied film in Rome, now lives between the U.S. and U.K., and is also a visual artist.

Our first batch of these sold out before they even hit the bins – no joke. The second batch just arrived and is now available in shop. We have a feeling these won’t last very long either.

It’s truly an exciting time for music on vinyl. So much stuff is being released it’s hard to keep track of it all. Of particular interest in our shop are the things that are being unearthed from back in the day. Old artists whose work, for one reason or another, was never properly released. Maybe because they were too regional, maybe they were too ahead of the curve, or maybe behind it.

In the case of Chicago’s Four M company, recently issued by Family Groove Records, their 1979 6 track E.P. was recorded in a legitimate studio but never released. The group, which formed in high school, may have been a bit early for the Boogie wave. Generally considered as soul music from 1980 -1985. The cuts on this range from the dance floor shakers to slow groove burners, with nice synths and harmonies. Check the SoundCloud teaser here: https://soundcloud.com/family-groove-records/the-four-m-company Limited to 500 copies world-wide, of which we have a few. Once these are gone, they’re gone for good.

Germany’s Dezi-Belle Records has been putting out quality instrumental HipHop since 2015. They follow a Do-It-Yourself approach since they record, master, cut, and distribute all their releases. Yes, they cut each and every release themselves in real-time from virgin wax. That’s why each of their LPs is limited to 100 copies (50 for each 45). You got to have a whole lot of respect and passion for the art form to do it like that!

This latest batch contains five titles, mostly of a chill, lo-fi leaning sounds. Peep their BandCamp for audio snippets: https://dezi-belle.bandcamp.com/music. The Raw Suppliers is a comp that features up-and-coming beat makers. A good tool to sound the depths of the ever-changing European hiphop scene.

Back-stock copies of Galt MacDermot’s Ripped Open by Metal Explosions 45 just landed in the shop. Out-of-print since 2001, this has to be one of the funkiest things Galt ever composed. And the man’s catalogue is mostly funky tunes. This cut features Idris Muhammad on drums and was sampled by the Artifacts for their classic HipHop single C’mon Wit Da Get Down.

United Artist first released this track in 1970 as part of an LP comprised as what could be called “alternative” takes to the Hair Soundtrack. Egon and company printed the track on 45 in 2001 as they dug through Galt’s archives. Around the same time, they unearthed new material (Up from the Basement Vol. 1 and Vol. 2) and reprinted two of his most collectible records Shapes of Rhythm and Woman Is Sweeter. Both laced with classic rap samples.

Belgian beatmaker FloFilz has been a shop favorite ever since Melting Pot Music put out his first solo project in 2014. 5 years and several releases later, the producer is still making some of the illest beats around. Lush, jazzy, late-night, golden era throw back stuff. For example, check out his remix of Afu-Ra’s Whirlwind Thru Cities. Blasphemous as it is to say, his might just be better than Primo’s.

The aesthetic of each of Flo’s releases on Melting Pot is enhanced by the cover photography of Robert Winter. Saturated black and whites of the European urban landscape – beautiful tile geometries, subway tracks, and overpasses. All first presses include a booklet with more of Winter’s photos. Unfortunately, the second issues of “Cenario” and “Metronome” don’t have the books but the beats hit just the same. Makes us want to watch Europe go by from a train window with Flo in our ears.

Mac Dre, along with Too Short and E-40, was one of the earliest to shape the Bay Area rap sound. His first album, Young Black Brotha, dropped in 1989; the same year as De La Soul’s 3 Feet High and Rising. His early albums have long been out-of-print in any format. The material released by the Strictly Business label never really left the region and rarely surfaces from the collections of rap nerds. In fact, we’ve only had the originals twice in 5 years.

City Hall Records has been been printing some of Mac Dre’s later catalogue – mostly material previously available on CD but never on vinyl. But now they are dipping into his early stuff, which has never got its just reprint on vinyl. This collection covers all the big hits and classic collaborations with other Bay greats like Mac Mall. Check Nuthin But Love on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkU93ZW2d-0 A must have for anyone getting into that Bay sound.