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Strut
Review: Risco Connection, a late 70s disco covers band put together by producer and reggae drummer Joe Isaacs, never released an album during their lifetime, despite having several hit singles. The cream of their output was, however, gathered together on an eponymous 2020 compilation on the Musica Paradiso label - an extended version of which now gets reissued by the mighty Strut. Including their takes on 'Good Times', 'I'm Caught Up (In A One Night Love Affair)' and 'Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now', it's an album that's perhaps largely of historical interest, but worth picking up for those moments when the band's Jamaican roots are showing, such as on the Dub Version of 'Sitting In The Park'.
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STRUT264D
01 Jul 22
Funk
01 Jul 22
Funk
Review: Keeping with their run of reissuing lost or overlooked classics from legendary DC label Black Fire, Strut presents the first full international release of Southern Energy; the only album ever recorded by the R&B, jazz, funk and soul collective, Southern Energy Ensemble. Recorded in 1977 and featuring the likes of trumpeter Marvin Daniels, disco drummer and percussionist William Johnson - to a host of other names worth looking up like Nat Lee, Adolphus Maples and vocalist Judith Spears - Southern Energy Ensemble presents a funky, freeform and a peak time lounge expression of jazz funk energy. Check out "Open Your Mind", "See Funk" and album highlight "Third House".
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STRUT 254D
21 May 21
Broken Beat/Nu Jazz
21 May 21
Broken Beat/Nu Jazz
Review: Plunky J Branch and his band Oneness Of Juju have been plying their unique blend of jazz, funk and soul with Afro and Cuban rhythms since time, starting out in San Francisco in 1970 but based since the mid-70s in Plunky's hometown of Richmond, Virginia. Here, Strut reissue their 1980 album 'Make A Change' (also later released as 'Every Way But Loose'), now adding extended versions of five of the original album's six tracks, as well as bonus cuts 'Time' and 'Plastic'. Spanning reggae, jazz-funk, soul and more, there's much to enjoy here - the raw funk of the aforesaid 'Every Way But Loose' in particular.
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STRUT 257D
14 May 21
Funk
14 May 21
Funk
Review: Until now it was perhaps only the more discerning collectors that were up with the legacy that jazz funk and go-go group Experience Unlimited may well have left us with Free Yourself. Exploding out of 1970s Washington DC, Free Yourself presents the band - which went on to release with majors like Virgin - with its debut album on the legendary Blak Fire label that Strut have been invigorating over the last 12 months or so. From the psychedelic funk trip of album closer "Funky Consciousness" to the straight up funk and go-go of its dynamic opener, "It's All Imagination", relive a classic album from a band considered pioneers of the 'go-go' sub-genre of dance and funk music from the times.
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STRUT 253D
05 Feb 21
Funk
05 Feb 21
Funk
Review: Formed in 1970 and fronted by J Plunky Branch, Oneness Of Juju have gone through numerous personnel and name changes over the decades but are still peddling their Afrocentric take on funk and jazz to this day (currently as Plunky & The Oneness). This collection from Strut, though, focuses on their golden years in the 70s - and it's heavy stuff! While one or two tracks would fit nicely into straight-up funk sets, adding a little world flava, others explore model jazz, spoken word, Nyabhingi drumming and other more esoteric musical pastures. Imagine yourself surrounded by righteous dashiki-wearing dudes at a Panthers meeting in 70s Harlem and you'll get the general vibe...
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STRUT 233D
17 Jul 20
Funk
17 Jul 20
Funk
Played by: Sam Redmore
Review: With the years Strut has spent cataloging modern times music with the countless amount of compilations and reissues, curated or otherwise, the label now dips into something from the current day, and nevermore have we needed the positivity of sun-drenched polyrhythms! Add bright and vibrant future electronic percussion intertwined with traditional afro-folk, chant and spoken word, ONIPA's debut LP breathes new life and brings a carnival atmosphere to the revival we're all looking forward to this spring.
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STRUT 217D
20 Mar 20
International
20 Mar 20
International
Played by: Sam Redmore
Review: Galaxy were leading lights of the Nigerian funk and Afrobeat scene in the late 70s, delivering nine albums in the years 1976-1983, no fewer than four of which were, somewhat confusingly, simply titled 'Galaxy'. What we have here is a single-track reissue of the closing cut from their 1977 long player of that name, which starts out as a languid, horn-led Afro-jazz jam, then gets progressively more frenetic as it builds into a fast and furious dancefloor workout that'll put even the most dedicated b-boys and jazz dancers to the test.
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STRUT 189S 2
17 Jan 20
International
17 Jan 20
International
Review: Onipa are a London-based four-piece outfit centred around the duo of K.O.G and Tom Excell (of Nubian Twist). Both are of Ghanaian extraction and the music of west Africa is their stock-in-trade, with a string of EPs released via Bandcamp. This latest outing on Strut is made up of two tracks: 'Onipa' is a midpaced affair that lollops along while a chanted, African-language female vocal and some plangent six-string work play out on top - think a 'Yeke Yeke' or 'Sweet Lullaby', but at today's lower tempos - while the accompanying 'Makoma' is one for the highlife purists.
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STRUT 217S
29 Nov 19
International
29 Nov 19
International
Review: Known in world music circles as "the Golden Voice of Africa", Pat Thomas is a Ghanaian highlife veteran who released his first long-player way back in 1974. Now based in Canada, he recently celebrated his 73rd birthday but shows no sign of slowing down, as this new album for Strut demonstrates. It's a bit late in the day to be expecting any radical new tricks, but fans of highlife and African music generally will find plenty to enjoy, with occasional hints of reggae, funk and jazz to help maintain the listener's interest and some truly splendid horn-playing.
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STRUT 201D
04 Oct 19
International
04 Oct 19
International
Various
Review: Though located just off the African coast, the population of Madagascar are descended from African and southeast Asian (and more specifically Malaysian) roots in equal measure. Being an island with such an ethnically distinct population naturally led to the emergence of distinct local musical styles such as salegy and soukous, and this compilation explores what happened when those styles collided with western funk, soul and pop in the 70s and 80s. Hammond organs, 6/8 rhythms, vocal chants and high, cascading guitar lines ? la West African highlife are the dominant themes - world music lovers, dive in to find out more!
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STRUT 207D
06 Sep 19
International
06 Sep 19
International
Various
Review: The Strut disco detectives have been hard at work again to bring you another collection of unearthed musical gems from the African continent. Released as part of the label's 20th anniversary celebrations, this is the fourth album in the 'Nigeria 70' series and the first in eight years, meaning that fans of the sound will a) have a good idea of what to expect by now, and b) be eagerly anticipating a re-up of fresh tunes. Highlights include Felixson Ngasia & The Survivals' reggae- and jazz-influenced 'Black Precious Colour' and Etubom Rex Williams's suitably wigged-out 'Psychedelic Shoes'.
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STRUT 197D
29 Mar 19
International
29 Mar 19
International
Played by: Juno Recommends Funk
Review: With a new album on the way before the end of the year on Strut, their new home, Nubiyan Twist unleash two tracks to whet the appetite. 'Tell It To Me Slowly', featuring the almost crooner-style vox of Nick Richardson, is a near-broken soul-jazz workout that's likely to find favour with the likes of Gilles Peterson and Snowboy, while the Nubiya Brandon-sung 'Sugar Cane' takes us into laidback, late-night jazz pastures. Both cuts may be a little polite-sounding for mainstream club tastes, but the specialist spots - and the jazz-dancers - will lap them up.
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STRUT 198S
16 Nov 18
Funk
16 Nov 18
Funk
Review: It's third time around for this classic album, which Strut first reissued back in 2002. The band known at different times as Juju, Oneness Of Juju, Plunky & The Oneness Of Juju and eventually just Plunky & Oneness have been an institution on the funk, soul and jazz scene from the early 70s right through till the current decade, but this their debut long-player from 1975 arguably captures their distinctive blend of funk, jazz and Afro influences at its rawest and most hard-hitting. This release also now includes the slightly different single version of the title track, plus bonus cut "Afrobeat".
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STRUT 188D
21 Sep 18
International
21 Sep 18
International
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STRUT 186S
06 Dec 17
Funk
06 Dec 17
Funk
Various
Mulatu Astatke & The Heliocentrics - "Phantom Of The Panther" (taken from Inspiration Information) - (2:21) 152 BPM
Cornell Campbell meets Soothsayers - "We Want To Be Free" (taken from Nothing Can Stop Us) - (4:08) 76 BPM
Mulatu Astatke & The Heliocentrics - "Esketa Dance" (taken from Inspiration Information) - (4:09) 129 BPM
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STRUT 131CD
18 Dec 14
International
18 Dec 14
International
Review: Contemporary Afrofunk doesn't get more authentic or progressive than this: The Heliocentrics have teamed up with Nigerian legend Orlando Julius to revisit some of his past creations and lay down some of Julius's earliest work that has never been recorded before! The result is a timeless sound that carries all the hallmarks and urgency of the '70s while dynamically reflecting modern dancefloor arrangements and production standards. Peppered with psychedelic twists, raw analogue grit and an infectious funk that can't be denied., this is a proper schooling from two Afrofunk and modern jazz pioneers, old and new.
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STRUT 112CD
08 Sep 14
International
08 Sep 14
International
Various
Alan Hawkshaw & Keith Mansfield - "Theme From 'Dave Allen At Large'" (with KPM All Stars - live at Jazz Cafe) - (2:37) 97 BPM
Alan Hawkshaw & Keith Mansfield - "Beat Boutique" (with KPM All Stars - live at Jazz Cafe) - (2:59) 95 BPM
KPM All Stars - "That's What Friends Are For" (feat Emma Kershaw - live at Jazz Cafe) - (3:29) 104 BPM
Alan Hawkshaw - "The Champ" (with Kirsty Hawkshaw & KPM All Stars - live at Jazz Cafe) - (3:10) 103 BPM
Review: Strut have a strong record in delivering excellent, thoroughly researched compilations, and this is one of them. This album collates the best from the vaults of KPM's public library music collection - music made by expert musicians but never intended to be publically available. Of course everyone from Jay-Z to Doom have sampled these previously hard to find gems, but now we can all enjoy the flute-disco whimsy of Alan Parker's "Unlimited Love", the carnival freakout of Barry Morgan & Ray Cooper's "Samba Street" and the very familiar loungey jazz of Francis Coppieter's "Cross Talk".
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STRUT 106CD
01 Apr 13
Funk
01 Apr 13
Funk
Review: Following last year's long overdue 'best of' collection, Ghanaian highlife guitar legend Ebo Taylor returns to Strut with a brand new full-length. Named after a landmark in his hometown, Appia Kwa Bridge features both Tony Allen and Berlin-based band Afrobeat Academy. With Taylor's sweet guitar solos and emotive vocals to the fore, it's a thoroughly enjoyable set. The songs and grooves are traditional enough to impress authentic highlife fans, but suitably new enough to breathe new life into the genre. There are, for example, a couple of great acoustic moments (check, in particular, "Yaa Amponsaah") amongst the celebratory dancefloor jams and high-on-life anthems.
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STRUT 089CD
16 Apr 12
Funk
16 Apr 12
Funk
Various
Review: Factory Records has always been a source of fascination for music historians and reissue merchants, though their focus has usually been on the label's indie credentials. Here crate-digging experts Strut take a different approach, shining a light on the label's contribution to dancefloor culture in the post-punk years. Largely steering clear of the biggest anthems, FAC Dance offers a good mix of familiar tunes ("Love Tempo", "Confusion", "Cold As Ice" etc), long-forgotten gems (see the alt electro-funk of A Certain Ratio and Marcel King's E'd-up Hacienda anthem "Reach For Love") and genuine curiosities (check The Duratti Column's dubbed-out proto Balearica, the piano-laden Latino vibes of Quando Quango's "Genius" and Biting Tongues oddball post-punk Afro-fusion). A fitting tribute to a truly visionary label.
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STRUT 087CDX
24 Oct 11
Funk
24 Oct 11
Funk
Review: On the back of his recent surprise studio album for perennial crate diggers Strut, original funk guitarist and Motown house band member Dennis Coffey drops a new single. As you might expect, "Ubiquitous" is a pretty heavyweight jam - all hard-wired funk rock grooves, hectic drumming and, naturally, some seriously full-on guitar trickery. It's got heaps of natural funk, of course, as well as a large dose of caffeine-fuelled anger. For those with funk coursing through their veins, it's essential stuff. One-time cut-and-paste hero turned marketing man Steinski provides the obligatory remix, layering Coffey's white hot guitar playing over some more dubbed-out beats.
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STRUT 075S
17 May 11
Funk
17 May 11
Funk
