Skyline 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: These two tracks from Mike Bandoni and Chip Wickham have been a long time coming. The two stablemates from the 'Craig Charles Fantasy Funk Band' have been discussing a collaboration for years and now; and it's finally in the bag! Mike brings his trademark killer funky drums (recorded by the legendary Malcolm Catto), percussion, Rhodes, bass and vintage guitar vibes to the party, whilst Chip delivers some sublime and highly complimentary work on sax and flute. 'Infinity Pool' sounds like a long-lost Bobbi Humphrey-meets-Bob James composition, with the flute taking centre stage - underpinned by what can only be described as mammoth funk grooves on every other instrument - while 'Get It!' is a cool number, channelling a phenomenally infectious groove and hook, both of which remain in the brain for days.

Review: Here's a cover which can't fail to please a huge crowd, as Betty Black takes on Eurythmics' eternal 'Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)'. Black has been hitting her stride as a modern day soul diva after moving on from her accomplished roots voicing some iconic UK garage tunes, and her cover of 'Cry Me A River' is no joke either. Backed up by The Family Fortune and bringing an undeniable 60s sass to her performance, she makes the track her own. As well as the full vocal version on the A-side, the B-side has the slightly edited, dubbed out 'Work Out' version for when you want to work up a sweat.

Review: A new single release from the amazing Betty Black, following her first two releases 'Cry Me A River' and 'Sweet Dreams', both also available on Skyline Recordings. Whereas the first two releases were covers, the label now delivers a wholly original slice of Betty material, 'Lonely Man'. This single-sided soul stomper is a veritable wall of sound, in which Black sings of emotional miserliness, rainy days, bleeding hearts and missed opportunities against a lively backing, making for a sure-to-be hit.

Review: Betty Black's 'Gypsy Heart' is a sassy, driving dancer, brimming with flair and powerful vocals. The track marries Rhythm and Blues under the watchful eyes of Gospel and African-American Spirituals. It's mystical and cinematic, yet gutsy and funky - a true Roots Revival Soul with a sophisticated twist, perfect for the dance floor. On the flip side, 'Sweet Beautiful Lies' blurs the lines between Motown, Latin Soul, and Funk. Betty is surrounded by a Phil Spector-inspired wall of sound, delivering a 60s aura as she recounts a young woman's encounter with a smooth-talking man. Backing vocals echo the timeless theme with a modern touch. The track boasts fat backbeat drums, roaring bass, a full Latin percussion section, and horns, all crammed into the studio to accompany Betty.

Review: Ralph Lamb and his confrere Andy Ross are The Family Fortune. They serve up their own unique twists on sounds you would expect from James Brown with classic dance floor vibes and powerful vocals from the one and only Jessica Darling. This fresh new slice of funk gold comes on tasty 7" via the Skyline label. Both tracks are super short but super sweet. Up first is 'Andy Cafe '68' (part 1) with its prickly drumming, big horn work and playful swing. Flip it over and 'Andy Cafe '68 (part 2)' works the chords more but aside from that carries on where part one left off. Two tidy bits of funk of ever we did hear them.

Review: This 7" is taken from Funkshone's sophomore long player, '2.' It is a hard breaking, funked up b-boy anthem that makes a long awaited appearance on 45rpm with Mike Bandoni's trademark drum grooves set against the usual Funkshone wall of sound. UK broken beat maestro Kaidi Tatham does his magical thing on the flute, too, for good measure. DJ Skeme Richards made the OG a big hitter on the scene after using it in his set at the Red Bull BC Boy Finals in Brazil in 2012. On this special release it gets a 'never-heard-before' b-boy cut up on the flip.