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The summer seems to be well and truly here now, especially in the UK were we’ve managed almost 3 or is it 4 weeks of unbroken sunshine and hot weather and what better soundtrack to go with it than this collection of sizzling soul, jazz, funk, house and disco complied by DJ Mike Thompson for www.soulunsigned.com/
The album is a real melting pot of global artists delivering some great old skool sounding tunes. First up is Dutch DJ Leyo with ‘Barcelona Boogie’, a great slab of early '80s sounding Brit funk. If you like groups like Hi Tension, Beggar & Co, or Freeze then you’ll love this. That early ‘80’s funk theme continues with ‘Boogie’ from Uptown Funk Empire taken from their excellent album of last year ‘Empire Strikes Back’. French songstress Clarisse Albrecht takes off on a sultry Latin groove for ‘Você Me Dá’ a song that’s so cool it’s hot! Duane Williams gets all sensual with ‘Yes My Love’, an '80s feeling soul ballad, before Canadian Maiko Watson gets the groove back with ‘Some Kinda Love’ from her album ‘Sweet Vibration’.
Cool Million are a Danish German duo and their tune ‘Back for More’ features the vocal talents of Eugene Wilde, whom some may remember him gracing us in 1984 with the ballad "Gotta Get You Home Tonight". This time though the tempo is upped for a fresh and movin’ vibe. The DJ Danny Hybrid led Soopasoul bring ‘Do Me Wrong’ to the table from the album ‘Twin Stix’. It’s more of a JB inspired funk workout this with the horns reminded me in parts of ‘Mr Big Stuff’. Afro Funk appears on the menu next from New Zealander Fredericks Brown who is now based in New York he goes all Fela Kuti for the mightily rhythmic ‘Betrayal’.
Despite the title of this album proclaiming It’ self as 2010 some of the tracks are from last year but Marilyn Ashford Brown’s gospel soul ‘Jesus In Me’ takes 1st prize for oldest track and is from her 2007 album ‘Still Standing’. Despite this with all the tracks on the compilation having that old skool sound anyway you’d never know and it fits in just fine. Following on from Marilyn is Cornell Stone with a piece of Luther Vandrossish - 2step heaven and ‘Fairy Tale’ from his 2008 album ‘Have You Ever Heard’. Liverpool based musician George Mcshane’s alter ego Judderbass then bring us back to today though still very much with funk from the past on ‘Everybody Knows’. The original version appeared on Unsigned Vol2 but its here again though this time remixed by compiler of this album Mike Thompson. Canadian producer Sasha Proctor and singer songwriter Alana Bridgewater make up the next act Kwality Kontrol with their uplifting 2008 dance floor filler ‘Don’t Stop’. DJ Dealer’s ‘Cool Loving’ featuring Lisa Millet receives some Ralf Gum treatment on what is a thumpin’ energy, disco house, scorcher. Finally closing things down nicely is London‘s FLOetic Lara and ‘Under Love’. This is house, soul, jazz, poetry of the highest order that leaves you wanting to put this whole album back so you can start all over again.
It’s hard to tell when you listen to this album that you are in fact listening to a compilation of tunes from the last 3 years and not some mix tape from the mid ‘80s, one thing is for sure though if you like a bit of nostalgia for Caster Soul Weekenders, Day-Glo tops and tiny shorts, while blowing hard on your whistle then this is for you. I also don’t know what it is about this type of music that always makes me think of summer and parties even more than reggae, but just like ice cold Pimms this makes a perfect summer party accompaniment.
Check out the soulunsigned web site for more classic sounds.
www.soulunsigned.com/
The album is a real melting pot of global artists delivering some great old skool sounding tunes. First up is Dutch DJ Leyo with ‘Barcelona Boogie’, a great slab of early '80s sounding Brit funk. If you like groups like Hi Tension, Beggar & Co, or Freeze then you’ll love this. That early ‘80’s funk theme continues with ‘Boogie’ from Uptown Funk Empire taken from their excellent album of last year ‘Empire Strikes Back’. French songstress Clarisse Albrecht takes off on a sultry Latin groove for ‘Você Me Dá’ a song that’s so cool it’s hot! Duane Williams gets all sensual with ‘Yes My Love’, an '80s feeling soul ballad, before Canadian Maiko Watson gets the groove back with ‘Some Kinda Love’ from her album ‘Sweet Vibration’.
Cool Million are a Danish German duo and their tune ‘Back for More’ features the vocal talents of Eugene Wilde, whom some may remember him gracing us in 1984 with the ballad "Gotta Get You Home Tonight". This time though the tempo is upped for a fresh and movin’ vibe. The DJ Danny Hybrid led Soopasoul bring ‘Do Me Wrong’ to the table from the album ‘Twin Stix’. It’s more of a JB inspired funk workout this with the horns reminded me in parts of ‘Mr Big Stuff’. Afro Funk appears on the menu next from New Zealander Fredericks Brown who is now based in New York he goes all Fela Kuti for the mightily rhythmic ‘Betrayal’.
Despite the title of this album proclaiming It’ self as 2010 some of the tracks are from last year but Marilyn Ashford Brown’s gospel soul ‘Jesus In Me’ takes 1st prize for oldest track and is from her 2007 album ‘Still Standing’. Despite this with all the tracks on the compilation having that old skool sound anyway you’d never know and it fits in just fine. Following on from Marilyn is Cornell Stone with a piece of Luther Vandrossish - 2step heaven and ‘Fairy Tale’ from his 2008 album ‘Have You Ever Heard’. Liverpool based musician George Mcshane’s alter ego Judderbass then bring us back to today though still very much with funk from the past on ‘Everybody Knows’. The original version appeared on Unsigned Vol2 but its here again though this time remixed by compiler of this album Mike Thompson. Canadian producer Sasha Proctor and singer songwriter Alana Bridgewater make up the next act Kwality Kontrol with their uplifting 2008 dance floor filler ‘Don’t Stop’. DJ Dealer’s ‘Cool Loving’ featuring Lisa Millet receives some Ralf Gum treatment on what is a thumpin’ energy, disco house, scorcher. Finally closing things down nicely is London‘s FLOetic Lara and ‘Under Love’. This is house, soul, jazz, poetry of the highest order that leaves you wanting to put this whole album back so you can start all over again.
It’s hard to tell when you listen to this album that you are in fact listening to a compilation of tunes from the last 3 years and not some mix tape from the mid ‘80s, one thing is for sure though if you like a bit of nostalgia for Caster Soul Weekenders, Day-Glo tops and tiny shorts, while blowing hard on your whistle then this is for you. I also don’t know what it is about this type of music that always makes me think of summer and parties even more than reggae, but just like ice cold Pimms this makes a perfect summer party accompaniment.
Check out the soulunsigned web site for more classic sounds.
www.soulunsigned.com/
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