Needle Time

  Cortex - Troupeau Bleu [TVLP9 FRA 2020 24-Bit FLAC] As Anglo-French political relationships reach their lowest ebb since Waterloo, I thought I'd pull out another repress by early French funky-jazz masters, Cortex. Originally released as a somewhat rare original press in 1975, in recent years Troupeau Bleu has been reissued many times due to the growing interest in the genre - likely aroused by the number of hip-hop artists who have sampled this record. Much like your average hirsute seventies soft-porn soundtrack, Cortex lay down some serious jazz grooves, mingled with bossa-nova and feel good funk. This 2020 pressing comes on especially dirty white vinyl combined with all the flaws associated with all the usual careless attention to detail we unfortunately come to expect. Don't let that put you off. this is a fine album with the title track, the very familiar  Mary Et Jeff and the seriously funky  Madbass doing more than enough to stand out. A1 La Rue A2 Automn...

  Cortex - Vol.2 [TVLP10 FRA 2013 24-Bit FLAC] Originally released on Disques Espérance in France during 1977. Back in the mid-late eighties when I was expanding my musical tastes, I happened upon an original copy of this album in a Guildford second-hand record store. Attracted by the title of the second track on side one, I snapped it up for a song. That copy has sadly been sold on, however French label, Trad Vibe repressed it for the first time back in 2013 and after a bit of deliberation, I made a re-purchase. This album is best known for the number of samples 'borrowed' by hip-hop artists in recent years. Hard to believe these young gangstas found inspiration from a couple of balding French guys complete with chest hairs & medallions, turning out jazzy lounge-funk. Just check out the immense work-out that is Hurluberlu and that superb bass on Datura . Cortex are much revered in the nu-disco and the disco-edit scene these days, here's your chance to find out why. ...