The Gerogerigegege - Uguisudani Apocalypse

Juntaro becoming increasingly idiosyncratic and unpredictable with each new Gero release, here playing sperm-dripping funk/lounge jazz/cheesy Japanese pop and an out-of-the-blue crust metal anthem in the middle! 2019 LP on The Trilogy Tapes.

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Dur Dur Of Somalia ‎– Volume 1, Volume 2 & Previously Unreleased Tracks

Classic Somalian disco band from the 1980s. 2018 2 X cd on Analog Africa.

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Various ‎– Mogadisco (Dancing Mogadishu - Somalia 1972​-​1991)

Compilation featuring Somalian disco, funk and soul from the 70s-90s. 2019 2 X cd on Analog Africa.

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United Power Soul - Moving Fast 4 U

Another one of my totally blind purchases is this one I made in Manchester a month ago while I was there on work and I visited Affleck's to check out Mars Tapes. I got this there along with a Gregorian chants tape that sounds chewed up. Dude, shouldn't you be checking the tapes you sell?

Anyway, this is a Canadian band playing modern soul/fun/r'n'b with big doses of new jack swing and a few reggae influences. If you dig the synthetic funk sound of the 1980s and beyond - and jump at the new jack swing reference if it had been your favorite radio station on GTA: San Andreas - then you're gonna like this. 2018 tape on Zaftig Records.

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Idris Muhammad ‎– My Turn LP

For something completely different, here's a latter-day LP of legendary jazz fusion/funk drummer Idris Muhammad, whose 1974 LP Power Of Soul is one of my five favorite jazz albums of all time. Apart from Idris's always amazing groovy drumming, this album marks a return for Bob James (yes the composer of "Nautilus" from Grand Theft Auto San Andreas) on keyboards (who also conducted Power Of Soul and wrote the great second track on there "Piece Of Mind") and stellar saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr., who also played sax in 1974 and wrote the classic "Loran's Dance." Of course, this isn't exactly 1970s-styled funk/jazz, but has a more modern flavor, with elements of r'n'b and soul, but also slightly latin hints; however, the most jamming moments, such as the latin-tinged "There Is A Girl," are excellent. 1990 LP on Lipstick Records.

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Various ‎– Spiritual Jazz 5 - Esoteric, Modal And Deep Jazz From Around The World 1961-79

The fifth installment of the Spiritual Jazz series features progressive jazz from all around the world, from countries such Israel, Turkey, Jamaica and Argentina. My favorite tracks are the Indian Louiz Banks's heavy funky raga jazz, Oladepo Ogomodede's gritty cover of Dave Brubeck's "Take Five," and Hideo Shiraki's koto-and-flute based dark, subdue jazz. 2014 cd on Jazzman/Spiritual Jazz.

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Shake That Booty For Jesus: Good God! Apocryphal Hymns

 

It's the start of the Holy Week in the place where I live so this post would be quite fitting, although Evangelicalism is not the brand of Christianity that dominates this place. This is a compilation of 1960s and 1970s African American psychedelic soul/gospel music singing in praise of their god. When I think of modern music singing for Jesus, I can either think of yuk emo hardcore/metalcore, some decent hardcore bands like Zao and Living Sacrifice, and Eric Cartman's timeless Christian rock band Faith + 1 in the South Park classic "Christian Rock Hard." In a sense, the music compiled here is a serious version of Cartman erotic verses for Jesus, as it contains intimate, sometimes sensual soul devoted to the dude (check out Spiritual Harmonizers' "God's Love" or Sensational Saints' - oh the name - "That's All I Need") filled with Fender Rhodes bliss, funky falsetto vocal stylings and fuzzy guitar wah. It's all like going for late night cocktail drinking and coke snorting after a good ol' evening ceremony. Yes, all this sounds corny, but, it could be an empirical statement that African Americans is the most talented ethnic group when it comes to the modern arts (most of my favorite novels have been written by black authors), and their presence has defined American art and culture in the 20th century, so even when they're doing Evangelical music, you can't go wrong. Highlights include the very psychedelic and lysergic "Walk With Jesus" by Otis Johnson, Shelton Kilby's "Poor Wayfaring Strangers," Jonah Thompson's "Get Involved," and "It'll All Be Over" by the Supreme Jubilees. 2013 cd on Numero Group.

As a further token of my love for everything related to African American culture and Black Power, I'll also share the rest of the compilations on the Numero Group Good God! series, which are even wilder as they're infested with coke-stained booty-shake-inducing Evangelical disco/funk, plus a totally unrelated compilation called Good God! Heavy Funk Covers Of James Brown From All Over The World 1968 - 1974, that bears no relation to the rest, apart from the title, and which was released by Guerrilla Reissues. Last but not least, the Numero Group bandcamp has a wide selection of cult compilations that are really worth checking out, especially the insane Seafaring Strangers: Private Yacht cd containing synthetic yacht rock awesomeness.

Download Apocryphal Hymns
Download Gospel Funk Hymnal (256k)
Download Born Again Funk
Download Eccentric Soul
Download James Brown (vbr)