VA - David Mancuso Presents The Loft Vol 2

These comps are now long out of print and are fetching 'big bucks' on the used market with some prices I've seen exceeding £200 for a CD! That is a lot of money but almost understandable since a lot of the tracks on this are pretty hard to come by and Nuphonic going bankrupt obviously didn't help. Whats also sad is that these Loft comps were the best selling items in their catalogue supposedly. Sav (one of the owners) went on to start Tirk Recordings however, which is carrying on in the same tradition as Nuphonic and is/has been releasing some excellent stuff which I highly recommend you check out. If you've never heard about David Mancuso, The Loft or some of the great artists/music on these comps before, then hopefully this is a great introduction to go & find out more about them. Enjoy.

Early - CD 1
01 Fred Wesley - House Party (Full Length Version)
02 Geraldine Hunt - Can't Fake The Feeling (Original 12" Mix)
03 Demis Roussos - L.O.V.E. Got A Hold On Me
04 D-Train - Keep On (Vocal)
05 Jah Wobble, Jaki Liebezeit & Holger Czukay - How Much Are They?
06 Barrabas - Woman
07 Sandee - Notice Me
08 Johnny Hammond - Los Conquistadores Chocolates
09 Tamiko Jones - Can't Live Without Your Love (Full Length Version)
10 Eddie Kendricks - Girl You Need A Chance Of Mind

Late - CD 2
01 Nuyorican Soul - The Nervous Track (Ballsy Mix)
02 Soulboy - Harmonica Track (Generation Mix)
03 The Salsoul Orchestra - 212 North 12th
04 Dinosaur L - #5 (Go Bang!)
05 Willie Colon - Set Fire To Me (Latin Jazzbo Version)
06 Joe Gibbs - Chapter Three
07 Holy Ghost - Walk On Air (Sun And Moon Mix)
08 Steve Miller Band - Macho City
09 The Orb - Little Fluffy Clouds
10 Dorothy Morrison - Rain

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VA - David Mancuso Presents The Loft

As you know already, I like 'borrowing' other peoples reviews (mainly because mine are shit) . This review on Discogs sums it up nicely: "Both Loft compilations (Vols 1 & 2) are essential pieces of Dance music history containing a wealth of amazing records spanning Disco, Soul, Funk, House, Dub, Disco Not Disco, Electronica, African Funk....They have exposed me to so many artists that I wouldn't have even contemplated or considered coming under the banner of Dance music. That's probably what was so amazing about clubs like The Loft and DJs such as David Mancuso, Larry Levan etc they played and broke great records regardless of their genre. They just had a philosophy of great music that you could dance to. They could drop music with guitars and get people dancing. There is too much pigeon-holing of music these days, going to a club just to check a DJ that plays one narrow style of music, no matter how great he/she is. There is so much fantastic music across the board that clubs should take a leaf out of the Loft's book and get back to basics playing great music regardless of the genre! RESPECT to David Mancuso, Larry Levan and all the DJs who followed in their footsteps."

Tracklisting - CD 1
01 Risco Connection - Ain't No Stopping Us Now
02 Loose Joints - It's All Over My Face
03 Patti LaBelle - The Spirits In It
04 The Winners - Get Ready for the Future
05 Dexter Wansel - Life On Mars
06 Crown Heights Affair - Say a Prayer for Two (US Remixed Version)
07 T.W. Funkmasters - Love Money
08 Manfriday - Love Honey, Love Heartache (Larry Levan Vocal Mix)
09 Ednah Holt - Serious, Sirius Space Party (Club Version)

CD 2
01 The Resonance - Yellow Train
02 Fingers INC - Mystery of Love (Instrumental)
03 Ten City - Devotion (Bam Bam's House Mix)
04 Karma - High Priestess
05 Manu Dibango - Soul Makossa
06 War - City Country City
07 Ashford & Simpson - Stay Free
08 Sun Palace - Rude Movements
09 Brian Briggs - Aeo (Pts 1 & 2)

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VA - Serie Noire 2: Dark Pop And New Beat

Compiled and mixed by Mo & Benoelie (aka The Glimmers).

Tracklisting
01 Boytronic - Bryllyant
02 Savage Progress - My Heart Begins To Beat
03 Blancmange - The Game Above My Head
04 The Nick Straker Band - Straight Ahead (Instr. Reprise)
05 Green Fridge Music - Da Best
06 Precious - Definition Of A Track
07 Adonis - No Way Back
08 Crash Course In Science - Flying Turns
09 Green Velvet - Coitus
10 Die Warzau - Strike To The Body (Lil Louis' Body Blow Mix)
11 Fingers Inc. - I'm Strong (Instr.)
12 Liaisons Dangereuses - Peut Etre ... Pas
13 Giorgio Moroder - Evolution
14 Easy Going - Fear
15 Bobby O - She Has A Way
16 Sandy Steele - Mind Your Own Business
17 P.I.L - Death Disco (Megga Mix)
18 Rheingold - Dreiklangsdimensionen
19 The Passions - I'm In Love With A German Filmstar

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VA - Serie Noire: Dark Pop And New Beat

Another personal favourite of mine. A superb compilation of Italo-Disco, Electro, Synth-Pop and New Beat compiled & mixed by Mo & Benoelie (aka The Glimmers) & Dirk (Eskimo) . "Serie Noire, an ongoing collection of groundbreaking electronic dance music from the [recent] past, is here to reinstate the value of long-lost dance collectives, producers and bands who once [or repeatedly] hit the mark and proved to be hugely influential for generations to come. Culled from different timezones and non-aligned scenes, the tracks all have the same brooding, ominous feeling about them...fusing cold Kraftwerkian robotic beats with primitive funk, or pasting sinewy squelches onto calculated rhythm patterns, a batch of wayward musicians devised the kind of music that felt strangely detached but couldn't help but get under everyone's skin." Part 2 coming soon.

Tracklisting
01 Logic System - Unit
02 The Pool - Jamaica Running
03 Will Powers - Adventures In Success
04 Alan Parsons Project - Mammagamma (Instrumental Version)
05 A Split Second - Flesh
06 Snowy Red - Euroshima / Wardance
07 Section 25 - Looking From A Hilltop
08 Jump - Funkatarium
09 Metro Area - Miura
10 My Mine - Hypnotic Tango (Instrumental Version)
11 Grauzone - Film 2
12 Vicious Pink - 8.15 To Nowhere
13 Executive Slacks - The Bus
14 John Carpenter - The End
15 Kissing The Pink - Big Man Restless (Original Extended Version)
16 Carlos Peron - Nothing Is True, Everything Is Permitted
17 C Cat Trance - Shake The Mind

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VA - Grass Roots: Ashley Beedle - Musical Influences and Inspirations

One of my favourite compilations. Every track on this is a killer. I highly recommend purchasing it if you like it since both the packaging & liner notes are also excellent. A SGM classic.







Tracklisting
01 Windy City - Introduction (Windy City Theme)
02 Gil Scott Heron & Brian Jackson - The Liberation Song (Red, Black and Green)
03 Rufus with Chaka Khan - Sweet Thing
04 Rare Pleasure - Let me Down Easy (12" Disco Version)
05 Four Below Zero - My Baby's Got ESP (Special Disco Version)
06 Blue Magic - Welcome To The Club
07 Stan Ivory And His Omnificent Orchestra - Stan's Theme
08 Freddie Hubbard - Gibraltar
09 Lafayette Afro Rock Band - Hihache
10 Son Of Bazerk Feat. No Self Control + The Band - J Dub's Theme
11 Canned Interlude
12 Gwen McCrae - Doin' It
13 Grace Jones - Feel Up (Original U.S. 12" Version)
14 Will Powers - Adventures In Success (Dub Copy)
15 Tullio De Piscopo - Stop Bajon... Primavera

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VA - Gilles Peterson Presents Petit Dejeuner Au Lit!

One of a limited edition series of compilations made for Habitat by various artists. "As important as it is to have a wholesome breakfast in the morning, music plays an equally important role in your day's commencement. I need space and calm, I need folk and song. Included here is a collection of tunes that enhanced my breathing these last few turbulent London months". Gilles Peterson '05

Tracklisting
01 Micatone - Nomad
02 Me'Shell Ndegéocello - May This Be Love
03 Anthony Johnson - Man Is The Baby
04 Tunng - Tale From Black
05 Doves - Someday Soon
06 Liz Wright - Old Man
07 Phoebe - Looking For A Man
08 Roger Robinson - Dream Keepa
09 Elmore Judd - Kinky
10 Urbs - So Weit
11 Dante & Dhula - Why Do The Wicked Ones Rule
12 Felix Laband - Minka
13 Quintessence - Ballad In 6/8 (The Masters)
14 Alberto Favero - Tercer Movimento
15 Hocus Pocus - J'aimerais (Ijkl...Nop)

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VA - Journeys By DJ Present Gilles Peterson & Norman Jay: Desert Island Mix

A legendary mix CD compiled by Gilles and Norman back in '97. I believe it was re-released a few years ago though so is easier to come by. Some great tracks on both CD's but I think I'd have to choose Norman Jay's disc 2 mix over Gilles' since the tunes are mostly classics anyway which always stand the test of time better.



Tracklisting - Gilles Peterson CD 1
1-01 Mark Murphy - Dingwalls
1-02 Letta Mbulu - What's Wrong With Grooving
1-03 Pnu Riff - Comfy Club
1-04 Juryman v Spaceman - Submersible
1-05 Ballistic Brothers - Love Supreme
1-06 Buscemi - Yves Eaux
1-07 Jazzanova - Fedime's Flight
1-08 Kevin Yost - One Starry Night
1-09 Los Quatros Diablos - Carnival Supreme
1-10 Roy Davis Jr feat. Peven Everett - Gabriel
1-11 Blaze - My Beat
1-12 Bel-Air Project - Jazz With Altitude
1-13 Breakbeat Era - Breakbeat Terror
1-14 Roni Size - It's Jazzy
1-15 Priest - Disorientation
1-16 I-Cube - Ding Ding Ding
1-17 Drop Zone Productions - Wondering
1-18 Rotary Connection - Black Gold Of The Sun

Tracklisting - Norman Jay CD 2
2-01 Carl Davis & Chi-Sound Orchestra - Windy City Theme
2-02 Patti Jo - Make Me Believe In You
2-03 Voices Of East Harlem - Wanted Dead, Or Alive
2-04 Red Cloud & Digital Hemp - Afro Latin Concrete
2-05 Family Tree - Family Tree (Disco Version)
2-06 Key-Matic - Breakin' In Space
2-07 Most Wanted - Calm Down
2-08 Hall & Oates - Maneater
2-09 Brooklyn Transit Express - If It Don't Turn You On
2-10 Voices Of East Harlem - Little People
2-11 East Harlem Bus Stop - Watermelon Man
2-12 Anorak Trax - Jammin' To The End Of Time
2-13 Alexander Robotnick - Love Supreme
2-14 Nerissa - Stars
2-15 Ballistic Brothers - Blacker Revisited
2-16 Denzil Dumpy Rice - De-Funky Dumpy
2-17 The Truth All Stars - The Truth

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VA - Talkin' Loud Sampler

Heres an old but great compilation (sampler to be precise) that I've been feeling again. From 1999 but still remarkably fresh sounding. More excellent GP compiled stuff to follow.







Tracklisting
01 MJ Cole - Sanctuary
02 Femi Kuti - Truth Don Die (Nu Yorican Soul Mix)
03 Incognito - Fearless
04 U.F.O - Flying Saucer (Kings Of Tomorrow Remix)
05 Raw Deal - Thief's Hour
06 Krust - Second Movement
07 Innerzone Orchestra - Blakula
08 Terry Callier - When My Lady Danced

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