The funkiest album ever recorded by Lyn Collins – one of the few soul divas working with James Brown who got a chance to cut a full LP, Think About It. All produced to funky perfection by James Brown, with backing by the JBs! Think, a funky sample cut that never gets old, still remembered for the "Woo! Yeah!" and "It takes two to make a think go right" loops in Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock's It Takes Two which is composed almost completely from samples of Think including a few lines of Collins' vocals.

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Summers almost gone, so to start off September here's a nice slab of summer shimmering funk from Sly and the Family Stone, classic. Hot Fun in the Summertime is a 1969 hit single recorded by Sly & the Family Stone. The single was released in the wake of the band's high-profile performance at Woodstock, which greatly expanded their fanbase. 

It reached #2 on the U.S. pop chart. Thematically, the track was intended to be included on the in-progress album with Everybody Is a Star but the LP was never completed, and three tracks including this were instead included on the band's 1970 Greatest Hits LP, released between Stand! and There's a Riot Going On.

The track was covered by The Beach Boys on their commercially and critically disastrous 1992 album Summer in Paradise. And it was also covered in 1995 by The Manhattan Transfer featuring vocals by Chaka Khan.

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Au Revoir Simone's latest album of remixes (released last month) is a solid quality listen, called Night Light, the compilation is a remix album of Still Night, Still Light LP and features remixes from the likes of Neon Indian, Jensen Sportag, Silver Columns, Aeroplane, cocknbullkid and many others. The iTunes version incudes 20 tracks. I featured the Neon Indian remix of Another Likely Story back in December last year (check it out here). Clock Opera's remix of Tell Me is quite a wild departure from the original version and the pick of the LP for me.

Like this? Try: The XX, Dirty Projectors, Neon Indian, Little Dragon, Ladytron

Buy it on iTunes, Bands place in MySpace

Swiss jazz guitarist Pierre Cavalli wrote a number of TV themes in France during the 1970s, including this scorching soundtrack to the television show Un soir chez Norris. Uptempo psychedelic guitar funk with echo bass breaks, obscure retro-cool and fairly rare on these shores.

Like this? Try: Jean-Claude Vannier, Piero Umiliani, Armando Trovajoli, David Holmes

Picked up this CD in Earwax record shop in Williamsburg in Brooklyn, although it's got nothing to do with USA. Sarolta Zalatnay (born Charlotte Sacher 1947) is a Hungarian singer from Budapest (better known to her fans as Cini) in her home country Cini is something of the superstar. This track is from a reissue by Finders Keepers Records in 2007. It's full of Kitsch 60's pop music put through a mangle of distorted guitars, heavy percussion and fractured electronics. There are so many breakbeats on here for hip hoppers to pillage from. Like a Serge Gainsbourg penned Eurovision hit with Jimmy Page on guitar together with the Meters as a backing band. Sarolta's vocals soaring above all the Psychodelia.

Like this? Try: Serge Gainsbourg, Maryla Radowics, Marta Kubisova

Originally at hit Men without Hats way back in 1983, this version has been dug up from J Dilla archives, on a new EP Donut Shop, 2 discs with six J Dilla tracks consisting of three previously unreleased instrumentals selected by J.Rocc – Safety Dance, Sycamore, Bars & Twists – and three unreleased instrumental versions of Dilla's production for Mos Def, Q-Tip and Busta Rhymes, each remastered by Elysian Masters who mixed and mastered J Dilla's Donuts, The Shining and Ruff Draft albums. I like this track, sound dated but fresh.

I'm still playing Gonjasufi's hallucinogenic debut album loads since it's release earlier this year, A Sufi And A Killer is highly recommend if your looking something different to listen to. The Gaslamp Killer produced much of Gonjasufi's LP, so I've been digging the crate for more of the producer and global purveyor of cosmic bass. This is a cracking track from his EP - My Troubled Mind from last year, taking in some mad Bollywood spaghetti western soundtrack vibes. Crazy shit, I love it. The Gaslamp Killer (Born William Benjamin Bensussen) based in Los Angeles released My Troubled Mind on Brainfeeder, the record label of Flying Lotus.

Like This? Try: Gonjasufi, Hudson Mohawke, Flying Lotus

South Londoner Roots Manuva and all round greatest rapper from the UK, has teamed up with producer Wrongtom to release 'Duppy Writer', an album of reworks. It includes tracks from the Root's four biggest albums, songs from 'Dub Come Save Me' and 'Alternately Deep', as well as a few new collaborations with Roots Manuva and Ricky Ranking.

Wrongtom approached this project by imagining each song was an original version from a previous decade. This is a great tune!

Matthew Dear follows up 2007's Asa Breed LP with Black City. His new album sets off into a somewhat darker place from where Asa Breed left off. Darker and definitely stranger, but this is a good thing, Dear's vocals have matured and fit in with warped avant-techno beats with a new confidence. The album starts off with the moody and chilling Honey, then kicks in with the infectious synth loops and wonky organs of I Can't Feel [heard here]. Third track, Little People (Black City) is an absolute epic (9:21) and dominates the LP as your ears are taken through multiple key changes with ease, keeping the same captivating vibe. First to be released is the brilliant Soil To Seed, which possesses a magic beat and melodic baseline. You Put a Spell On Me and Monkey both pack in more strange noises and lush arrangements that are an absolute delight. A slow euphoric closer, Gem is a piano led ballad with a glitch-pop heart. Matthew Dear’s Black City can’t be found on any map. It’s a composite, an imaginary metropolis peopled by desperate cases, lovelorn souls, and amoral motives. Powerful stuff and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Like this? try: Matias Aguayo, Neon Neon, The Juan MacLean, Mux Mool

Matthew's official website, buy it on iTunes

Banging new dance hall EP from Major Lazer (a.k.a. American producer Diplo and British producer Switch) featuring brand new songs and remixes of tracks from the original 2009 release, Guns Don’t Kill People…Lazers Do. Even Thom Yorke contribute's a remix of Jump up. But I'm really feeling this track, K.L.A.M. remix of Can't Stop Now. Wack the bass up!

Not available on the UK iTunes yet, listen at the Major Lazer MySpace page.

New Yorker's Holy Ghost return with new EP Static on a Wire and it sounds good. Plenty of retro funk influence on this as usual but also with a definite nod to the 80's. So far so good then for Holy Ghost the duo of Alex Frankel and Nick Millhiser, signed to (LCD Soundsystem's) James Murphy's independent dance label DFA Records. looking forward to a full LP from these two.

Bands place in MySpace

Ambient delight

Cleveland trio Emeralds have released a vast array of music over the last four years or so, but none with such beauty and richness as their latest offering, LP - Does It Look Like I'm Here. A fantasy soundscape that's completely captivating like a soundtrack to the most visually stimulating movie you've never seen. This is a particular beautiful tune led by the waltz of folky guitar. Well worth checking out the full album for a relaxing listen, perfect for long plane journeys, close your eyes and dream of magical places.

Emeralds is the trio of Mark McGuire, Steve Hauschildt, and John Elliott.

Like this? try: Fuck Buttons, Hawkwind, Tangerine Dream, Brian Eno

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CMYK (four track) EP is the third release from the prodigious London producer, still only 21, James Blake crafts intricate music that's both deeply retro and futuristic. Snipets of soul and jazz chords and twisted vocals snag and blip through mid-tempo beats that glide together with synthesised sub-bass with handclaps. This track CMYK (the EP's title track) subtly draws on both Kelis' Caught Out There and Aaliyah's Are You That Somebody. Interesting music.

Like this? Try: Mount Kimbie, Joy Orbison, Floating Points

Bands place in MySpace, Buy it on iTunes

Norwegian prog-disco anyone?!

Oslo-based producer Joachim Dyrdahl unearths his new LP titled En Fin Tid (a happy time) this month and it's been picking up good reviews. Like fellow Norwegians Lindstrøm and Prins Thomas - Diskjokke enthrals us into deep hypnotic spacey disco fever. This album sits very comfortably next to Lindstrøm and Prins Thomas' collection but also has a style of it's own. While the compositions have deep penetrating groove they still sound light and airy with a happy heart and magical melodies. Norwegian prog-disco never sounded so good, another one for your late summer nights.

Buy it on iTunes, Diskjokke's place in MySpace

The ever engaging Brooklynites School Of Seven Bells first single Windstorm is taken from the forthcoming album Disconnect From Desire, released 12/07/10 on Full Time Hobby. This remix takes to original track in an altogether darker place while retaining the beautiful background harmonies of sisters Claudia and Alejandra Deheza and adding a banging kick drum. I actually think this is better that the album version, excellent.

Like this? Try: Their first album Alpinisms

Pure summer skate-punk lo-fi pop from California. Wavves release a new LP - King of the Beach in August, this is the first single and what a belter! The rest of album is much the same vein, and a they have certainly hit a rich vein, scuzzy lo-fi guitars battle out every note with expectation that it will all fall apart any minute, like the Beach Boys jamming with Bleach era Nirvana at Jane's Addiction's house. A much cleaner sound than previous self-titled LP this is absolutely Superb!

Bands place in MySpace, Pre-Order on iTunes here

Los Angeles' HEALTH's last LP Get Color gets the remix treatment on Disco 2 LP, following the trend of their first remixed album DISCO. Pick of the remixes for me is this Tabacco remix of Die Slow (Which is an epic track anyway!) search HEALTH for more of their stuff here on neoloop. 

Like this try: Joy Division, Atlas Sound, Wavves, My Bloody Valentine

Bands disco place in MySpace, Bands place in MySpace

M.I.A's highly anticipated new album comes out next week, called /\/\/\Y/\. Reviews have been fairly mixed. There are some pretty experimental self indulgent moments on the album. XXXO remixed version with Jay-Z is a killa tune, but I keep playing this one, perfect vibe for a very hot summers day, Rum and Coke anyone?!

MIA's place in MySpace

Cool new tunes courtesy of The Roots new long player - How I Got Over - their ninth album, released this week. This track, Right On features an old Joanna Newsom track Book of Right-On, which appeared on her 2004 LP The Milk-Eyed Mender and bounces along to one of the best beats I heard in ages ?uestlove's drumming is outstanding all over this album. How I Got Over was recorded during The Roots' tenure as the house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. The quality control button is firmly set for excellence and the guest list is equally impressive - John Legend, Monsters of Folk, Dirty Projectors and Raw Dice particularly shine bright in a very upbeat and easy-going hip-hop extravaganza. Lashings of downtempo neo-soul and splashes of folk blend in perfectly with Black Thought's vital raps and ?uestlove's beats. A sure-fire contender for the album of the year stakes come December. Get yourself over to iTunes now, listen and buy, or just buy it and enjoy in full from the start, you won't be disappointed. OUTSTANDING - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Buy it on iTunes, Official site

Categories: Hip Hop

Loving the vibe of this, very chilled summer groove to soundtrack the current heatwave. A little sunshine soaked disco-reggae beat and a choir of soul divas sounds just perfect, just add your own sunshine. Belgium duo Aeroplane's brand new single is out this week on Wall of Sound.

Buy it on iTunes, Bands place in MySpace