fantastic voyage continues to bring the sugar series to vinyl, with 32 standout tracks selected by stuart colman from the 75-track 3cd set sassy sugar. sassy sugar is the successor to the thoroughly-recommended fantastic voyage compilations, heavy sugar (fvdv051) and savvy sugar (fvdv059). whereas those releases were devoted to new orleans and the west coast respectively, sassy sugar focuses on music city, nashville.

mr. k gets jazzy on this new 12-inch from most excellent unlimited. the breakdown of the smooth r&b staple -street life- stands out with a steady four-on-the-floor pulse that contrasts with the funk backbeat of the verses. working exclusively with this portion, krivit teases out six-and-a-half slinky minutes of sophisticated groove, weaving percussion and vocalist randy crawford s ad-libs in and out of the mix in tantalizing fashion. as a dj, danny krivit is renowned for his willingness to throw a funky curveball into the mix, and for the b-side of this single he gives us a peek at one of his secret weapons. a year after yusef lateef released his hit version of -nubian lady- in 1972, pianist roy meriwether was at a small club in dayton, ohio with his trio and laid down a sprawling live take that covered the entire side of a album, including a bridge that pushed the languid tempo of the original to a sassy upbeat workout. mr. k s edit focuses on this section, leaving us with nine minutes of gritty, get-down funky jazz complete with thunderous drum break. whether working as a surefire party starter or a clever changeup, -nubian lady- is a dancer.

repress available! soundway records present a new compilation of twenty rare and mostly unavailable tracks from the slick and sassy world of nigerian pop music and club culture of the early 1980s. comes on triple 12 inch + bonus 7 inch vinyl, download code and 8-page booklet in gatefold sleeve.

fresh again, silks favorite dunce-dance diva, maria minerva, tries on a new wardrobe with her bless ep. busting out with sweet n swingy single black magick, minerva caters her classic la-la lyrics about an occult/joke-cult romance over a new waif, schneider-esque pop-rock lobsta beat. space 4 u slips echo-drone vocal monologues over a laface-style rnb booty bumper, while symbol of my pleasure sneers with a walk this way funk lick, both reminding fans of minervas naughty/playful creep-creativities. rounding out the ep are soul searchin – a sleazy, down-tuned, junk-jungle comatose doser – and lady blacktonikas black magick garage trippin remix – a layer cake of luscious tush pushin and an ode to another sassy lady, miss kier herself. confidence is key, and this is maria minerva struttin,’ on and off key, through her newest collection of wand songs.

this record is just so wooow it hurts to close the gap. it s like it says on the tin of cliches: >the definition< is giving you a concise description of where soul clap, the humorous boston-based house duo, is heading. well, not quite: more where they have arrived, actually. they have found their style. eleven out of ten! this is light years away from the sick >puppy crack< anthem that left you with wobbly legs. get ready to be completely overwhelmed as the sassy producers beamed themselves into futuristic groove heavens while staying firmly grounded on the proto 90s floor. right on!