music

Coastlines is the self-titled long player from the new Japanese production unit of DJ and producer Masanori Ikeda and solo artist, session musician and Cro-Magnon keyboard player Takumi Kaneko. Masanori and Takumi have been part of the Japanese dance music scene for years and Coastlines was born out of their working together on soundtracks for video projects. The pair wanted to make laid-back listening music for now, laying Takumi’s playful keys over Masanori’s widescreen balearic jazz-fusion to conjure beautiful and breathtaking “coastlines”.

Recorded in Tokyo and released in 1979, it features a collection of Kasai’s silken reinterpretations, from Herbie Hancock’s own disco monster ‘I Thought It Was You’, and a butter smooth rework of ‘Sunlight’, to the sun-drenched ballad ‘Butterfly’, and a bubbling version of Stevie Wonder’s timeless ‘As’.

The latest must-check reissue from the admirable Be With label offers up a particularly obscure - but undeniably impressive - library music release from 1983.

When Mason teamed up with vocalist Butch Dayo in 1983 to cut Feel My Love, a five song EP, he crafted another roller-disco number in “Rollalong Songs.” Full of rubbery bass, phased snares and handclaps, and a chant urging you to lace up your skates and grab a partner, it seemed like another sure shot for the rink. But that track couldn’t replicate the magic of his first hit. Within a year, the once-mighty disco imprint Salsoul Records would shutter, and the sound of boogie was soon overtaken by hip-hop and house. (Mason turned his attention to the latter under the name Raze.)

They Say: “Driving brass and sax ensemble over funky rhythm section, playing tracks of various feel and style”.We say: From the Lincoln Continental that memorably adorns the cover to the tranquil funk contained within, this glowing ode to the grooving force of 70s American soul music is ice cool all over. With brilliant contributions from the Three Key Alans™ (Hawkshaw, Parker, Tew) as well as Mike Moran, Les Hurdle and Keith Roberts, this is driving music for only the vibiest cats.Originally released in 1976, The All American Powerhouse is one of the very best of the Themes library releases. It’s killer. A feast of dramatic jazz, horizontal, melodic funk and bouncing sunshine-y West-Coast feels throughout, there also lurks an intense injection of the Blaxploitation sound. Understandable, given the subject matter and year it was released.

The Label says: “Composite themes and incidental cues for dramatic application”. We say: Well, it’s definitely dramatic.

They Say: “Descriptive scores for scenes of visual impact”.We say: Arguably the single greatest album in KPM history.

"One Step Ahead" is a song by American soul singer Aretha Franklin. The single containing the song was released by Columbia Records in 1965. "One Step Ahead" was the A-side of the single, and peaked at #18 on the Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles chart. The B-side, "I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby's Face," was taken from her 1964 album Runnin' Out Of Fools. The single was released two years before Aretha achieved stardom when she joined Atlantic Records.

Breakwater’s earth-shattering “Release The Beast” is unquestionably the standout song from their 1980 funk masterpiece LP Splashdown. It also came out as a now-hen’s-teeth-rare 7" in the same year and when it came to putting it out as a 7" again we just had to do it in a miniature version of the Splashdown sleeve. It’s got to be one of the best album cover shoots of all time.

Funky soul-jazz organist Caesar Frazier crafted superior Hammond funk. 75, his second LP, is a rare gem. It's comfortably his greatest artistic statement.