Ring The Alarm playlist, August 17

George Benson - World is a ghetto
Ghetto Kitty - Stand up and be counted
Patti Jo - Make me believe in you
Laura Lee - Crumbs off the table
James Brown - There it is pt1
Jr Walker Allstars - Shake and fingerpop
Bill Doggett - Honky tonk pt1
Aaron Neville - Why worry
Aretha Franklin - Jump
Cameo - Soul army
Peaches and Herb - Roller skatin' mate
Brides of Funkenstein - Disco to go
Bronx River Pkwy - La valla
La Lupe - Fever
International Observer - Friday afternoon dub
Salmonella Dub - Problems (SonSine mix)
Unitone Hifi - Juicy (Juicy NDS mix)
Adi Dick - Jah jah is coming
Diabolocal Liberties - Interplanetary children
Theo Parrish - Footwork
Brassroots - Good life
The M-Tet - Express yourself
Recloose - Dust
Soul Surfers and Shawn Lee - Jose Chicago
Clifton Chenier - Black gal
Leonard Charles - Neil's rainbow

Ring The Alarm playlist, August 10

Lord Shorty - Vibrations groove
Melodica Teens Band - Mwekuru muthao
Bell'a Njoh - Ebolo
Phoenix Foundation - Evolution did (Shes So Rad disco rework)
Opensouls - They don't even know
Julien Dyne - Scissorhands
Feelstyles - Su'amlie
Ermehn - Stranded in the city
The Lewis Express  -Stomp your feet
Eric Boss - Closer to the spirit
Marvin Gaye -You're the man (alternate version)
Jo Ann Garrett - Foolish me
Mitty Collier -Pain
Maurice McAllister - Baby hang on
The Knight Bros - City life
Terry Callier - Ordinary Joe
Amanda Love -You keep calling by her name
Brenton Wood  -Some got it, some don't
Cannibal and the Headhunters - Land of a thousand dances
Eddie Platt - Tequila
Guts - Senou Menm
Skatalites - Collie bud
E's E - Scratch's skank pt1
Buju Banton - Boom wha dis
Super Beagle - Dust a sound boy
Khruangbin - Four of five
Lennie Hibbert  - Village soul
Vin Gordon - Styler man
Jackie Mittoo - Hang em high
Eddie Kendricks - Keep on truckin'

Ring The Alarm playlist, August 3

Prince - Pop life (Fresh dance mix)
Chaka Khan - I feel for you
Stevie Wonder - I wish
Commodores - Machine gun
Funkadelic - Let's take it to the stage (Amp Fiddler mix)
Soul Sugar - Never too much (Sly n Robbie remix)
Love Grocer - Salute to Sam
Farm Fresh Sound System - Still lifted
Overproof Sound System - Got to be  a way
Damian Marley - Move!
Herbs - French letter dub
The Yoots  -Tutira mai
Fat Freddys Drop - The raft (Steppers dub)
Unitone Hifi - Juicy fruit
Khruangbin - Rules (Scientist dub)
Ramsey Lewis - Hey Mrs Jones
Manu Dibango - Out of score
Archie Bell and the Drells - Count the ways
Charles Wright - One two three four five six
Detroit Emeralds - Do me right
The Impressions - Rhythm
Gladys Knight and the Pips - Letter full of tears
Dionne Warwick - Just being myself
William Florelle and Bahia - Make it right
JJ Whitefield - Yellow sari
Mauskovic Dance Band - Foam nights
Ronin Arkestra - Stranger searching (radio edit)

William Florelle & Bahia - Make It Right

That 2nd track Make It Right is some cool, swirling sonic soup...

"William Florelle’s debut Two & Three EP on WotNot caused an impressive stir for a newcomer. His collaboration with Lua was a thick soup of bumpy jazz and soul-inflected tracks that earned him a 9/10 in DJ Mag, airplay on BBC 6Music and 1Xtra, coverage on Stamp The Wax, Bolting Bits and Ransom Note, as well as Resident Advisor track features for both of the remixes.

This new release, written and recorded at The Docks Studios (nestled in the Total Refreshment Centre), continues where he left off. However, this time William Florelle includes his own vocals, and Swedish vocalist Bahia (Zed Bias, EVM 128, Elliphant) lends an irresistible, sensual R&B edge to the tracks, leaving them finely perched between the underground and mainstream.

One of the artist’s best abilities is to distill his featured artists to their very best, while maintaining his own strong sense of style. FSG, or Feels So Good, opens with a murky swirl of Rhodes-like chords and a wash of vocals, launching into a bumping, sexy, half-time R&B roller, allowing Bahia’s singing to recall Erykah Badu while remaining undeniably Florellistic.

Make It Right’s sleazy guitar fills and wobbling keys betray the influence of Steve Lacy, with a lurching drum loop performed by Joe Wood from psyche-poppers Mellow Gang, creating a counterpoint to Bahia and Will’s tender vocals." Out now on WotNot.

Ring The Alarm playlist, July 20

DL Jones and DJ 2nd Nature  -Whoa Bobby
Bohannon - South African man
Watts 103rd St Rhythm Band - Do your thing
Darondo - My Momma and my Poppa
Preston Love - Cool ade
The Believers - Mr hot pants
Marva Whitney - I'm tired I'm tired I'm tired
Fred Wesley and the JBs - You can have Watergate but gimme some bucks and I'll be straight
Prince - Raspberry beret (12" version)
Man Parrish - Hip hop be bop
52nd Street - Cool as ice
Ballistic Bros - Prophecy reveal
George Faith - Turn back the hands of time
Joe Tex and U Black - Standardisation
Wrongtom meets Deemus J - Wa do dance

Jackie Mittoo - Stereo freeze

Dee Felice Trio - Nightingale

Music Inc - Abscretions

Bishop Norman Williams -  Billy's ballet

Mark de Clive Lowe and the Rotterdam Jazz Orchestra - Money (Don't let it catch ya)

The 100 Knights Orchestra - Soul fugue (Daptone's 100th 45)

Donnie Elbert - Sweet baby

El Michels Affair - Tearz

The Imports - I'm not ashamed of loving you

The Family Daptone - Hey brother

Manu Dibango - African pop session

Nathan Haines - Epiphany (Julien Dyne remix)

Ring The Alarm playlist, July 13

The Parliaments - Sgt Peppers lonely club band inst take 3
Roger and the Gypsys - Pass the hatchet
Irma Thomas - Don't mess with my man
Wild Magnolias - Soul soul soul
James Brown - Shoot your shot
Watts 103rd St Rhythm Band - The joker
The Impressions - Fool for you
Dusty Springfield - Stay awhile
Otis Redding - Hundreds and pounds
Mabel John - Running out
Staple Singers - Everyday people
Roy Ayers - Running away (12" version)
Gwen Guthrie - Getting hot (12" mix)
Sister Sledge - Thinking of you
Chaz Jankel - Whisper
Lee Scratch Perry - International broadcaster
Colm K - Dancing skulls
Farm Fresh Sound System - Roots once again (Max Rubadub mix)
Footsie - Cus cus (Footsie dub)
Junior Murvin - Cool out son
Toots and the Maytals -54-46 was my number
African Head Charge - Dobbyn joins the head charge
Trinity Roots - Just like you (Max Maxwell and Bluey version)
Salmonella Dub - Johnny (DLT remix feat Mighty Asterix)
Jules Issa - Dangerous game
Soul Sugar with Leo Carmichael - Never too much (discomix)
AceTones - Rolling like a trojan

Ring The Alarm playlist, July 6

Lord Echo - Sweetest meditation
Julien Dyne - Incredulous
Pitch Black - Soliton (Borrower and Lender remix)
Bjorn Torske - Dub vendors
Sade - Soldier of love
Charles Wright - Doing what comes naturally
Darondo - How I got over
Barbara Lynn - Don't be cruel
Edwin Starr - Who is the leader of the people
Chi-lites - Stoned out of my mind
Mr Clean and the Soul Inc - What's going on
Ike and Tina Turner - Can't you hear me callin'
Donny Hathaway - Come little children
Nina Simone - Work song
Sharon Jones and the Dapkings - Sail on
Mabel John - Running out
Jean Knight - Do me
The Dramatics - Get up and get down
Staple Singers - We the people
Sly and the Family Stone - Dynamite!
Ann Winley - Watchdog
The Lewis Express - Stomp your feet
Eric Boss - Closer to the spirit
African Vibration - Hinde (Julien Dyne rework)
Dengue Dengue Dengue - Semillero (Nicola Cruz remix)
Nicola Conte and Gianluca Petrella feat Bridgette Amofah - Imani river
Miles Davis and Robert Glasper feat Stevie Wonder - Right on brotha
Dee Felice Trio - Nightingale

Ring The Alarm playlist, June 22

Stevie Wonder - As
Ray Barretto - Pastime paradise
El Chicano feat Ersi Arvizu  - I'm a good woman
Willie Bobo - Spanish grease (re-edit)
Bobby Valentin - Yo
Pete Rodriguez - I like it like that
Mongo Santamaria - We got latin soul
Curtis Mayfield - (Don't worry) If there's a hell below, we're all gonna go
Major Lance - Little young lover
Darondo - Legs
El Michels Affair - Detriot twice
Jr Walker and the Allstars - Shake and fingerpop
Fontella Bass abnd Bobby McClure - Don't mess up a good thing
Lonnie Mack - Memphis
Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels - Little latin Lupe Lu
Gene Faith - Family man
The Mob - Give it to me
Tina Turner - Whole lotta love
Jackie Stoudemire - Invisible wind  (Shoes re-edit)
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble  - Sankofa
Ramsey Lewis - Fishbite
African Vibration - Hinde (Julien Dyne rework)
Neneh Cherry and The Thing - Dream baby dream (Four Tet remix)
ESG - Moody
Tom Tom Club - Genius of love (extended version)
Che Fu - Without a doubt (Chong Nee remix)
Lewis McCallum feat Mara TK - The almanac
Shogun Orchestra - Jacmel

Guts - Kenke Corner video

Been enjoying the latest album from French producer Guts (came out in March), this is the single off it, a mean slice of Ghana-inspired groove. Check Bandcamp fpor LP/CD/digital

Ring The Alarm playlist, June 8

Howling Wolf - Smokestack lightning
Bob Diddley - Another sugar daddy
Willie Mitchell - Sugar T
Hank Ballard and the Midnighters - It's love baby (24 hours a day)
Chubby Checker - You better believe it baby
Freddie Scott -You got what I need
Ramsey Lewis - The in crowd
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble - Sankofa
Fuzz Against Junk - Latino (Nicola Conte remix)
Colman Brothers - El Nino (cha cha mix)
Cal Tjader - La bamba
Idris Muhammad - Hey pocky way
Aronas - Culture tunnels
Donald Byrd - Stepping into tomorrow
The Delegates - Pygmy pt1
Esquires Now - Think
Chris Williams and the Austral Funk Mac - The funky get down
King Leo and the Champions - Chicken scratch
Helene Smith - You got to be a man
Lyn Collins - Give it up or turn it loose
Betty Davis - Anti love song
Aretha Franklin - Rocksteady
Black Heat - Love the life you live
Elektro Hafiz - Mega Hafiza 2 (with Grup Ses)
Scrimshire feat Georgia Anne Muldrow - Thru you

Mauskovic Dance Band - Foam nights

Guts - Voyaging bird

LSK and Adrian Sherwood  - The way of the world

Fat Freddys Drop - Hope (Sonsine remix)

Tony Allen - Ole (Moritz von Oswald remix)

Ring The Alarm playlist, June 1

Julien Dyne - Teal

P-Bass Expressway - Easyride (Downtown Brown remix)

Lord Echo - That's right

Manuel Bundy - Jazzy bizz

Urban Disturbance - Robert Jane

IQU - Witchcraft

Scratch 22 - Shivani strut

Fat Freddys Drop - Flashback (Jazzanova mashed bag remix)

Mephisto Jones - Chocolate hot sauce

Benny Tones feat Mara TK - On my way

Untone Hifi - Hang on (UHF remix of the K.E.N remix)

Mr Reliable - Lucky dub

Plastic Junk - King prawn

Salmonella Dub - Problems (Sonsine remix)

The Yoots - E papa waiari

AceTones - Rolling like a Trojan

Jahlicious - Something (Beatlicks remix)

Riot Riddum Sound System - Homegirl

Nash Chase - Gimme a little sign

Leonard Charles - Clean as Mana

Some Daptone 45s to celebrate their 100th 45...

Sharon Jones and the Dap-kings - I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in

Saun and Starr - Blah blah blah blah

Menahan St Band - Make the road by walking

3 Titans - Life of a scholar

Como Mamas - Move upstairs

Charles Bradley and the Inversions - Watcha doing to me

Bob and Gene feat the Inversions - I can't stand these lonely nights

The Frightnrs - I'd rather go blind

Keeping soul up - Daptone 100

From the mighty Daptone family... one ridiculously cool 45...

"It is with great pride that we celebrate this milestone with you. This, Daptone's 100th 45rpm release, features an unprecedented collaboration of talent from our legendary roster of artists.

The A side, 'Hey Brother' is a song written by The FRIGHTNRS and originally performed on their acclaimed rock-steady LP, Nothing More to Say. In the wake of the tragic loss of their singer, DAN KLEIN to ALS just before the album's release, we felt it to be a fitting tribute as well as an ideal composition to re-imagine as a soulful collaboration between all of our dynamic vocalists.

Here we have SAUN & STARR, The FRIGHTNRS, JAMES HUNTER, NAOMI SHELTON, DUKE AMAYO, LEE FIELDS, and of course the late great monarchs of our family, CHARLES BRADLEY and SHARON JONES, all performing shoulder to shoulder on record for the first and only time, singing a message of righteousness and brotherhood over a groove sewn seamlessly together by members of The DAP-KINGS and MENAHAN STREET BAND.

On the flip, 'Soul Fugue,' is an epic battle between two massive orchestral armies composed and arranged obsessively by BOSCO MANN based on the Fibonacci series and the number 100. From the left speaker, a battalion made up of all of Daptone's many brass players is lead by the great DAVE GUY on first trumpet to the beat of Dap-King legend HOMER STEINWEISS on drum set. From the right, all of our woodwind players charge into battle behind IAN HENDRICKSON-SMITH on lead alto saxophone with Dap-Kings stage drummer BRIAN WOLFE pounding the kit.

With current and past members of The DAP-KINGS, ANTIBALAS, The BUDOS BAND, MENAHAN STREET BAND, The EXTRAORDINAIRES, The SOUL PROVIDERS, and The DAKTARIS, The 100 KNIGHTS ORCHESTRA crammed into the studio on the rarest of days, February 29th, 2016 to absolutely devour this gargantuan instrumental.

What started as an ambitious thank you to you, our beloved fans, has now also become a loving tribute to the brothers and sister we've lost since it's inception: Charles Bradley, Dan Klein, Cliff Driver, and our eternal Queen, Miss Sharon Jones. So, thank you, friends, for all the years you've helped us to "Keep Putting Soul Up". May this disc forever live as a token of our gratitude, and keepsake of the times when our departed loved ones shared the stage with us."

Out June 28, preorders here

Ring The Alarm playlist, May 25

Ramsey Lewis - Back in the USSR
Headhunters - God made me funky
Visioneers - Apache (battle dub)
Betty Wright - Clean up woman
David Batiste - Funky soul pt1
United 8 - Getting up to get down
Ozel Turkbas - Ozel's dance routine (Mr Thing re-edit)
Mauskovic Dance Band - Things to do
Dengue Dengue Dengue - Semillero (Nicola Cruz remix)
Reble - Sweetest taboo
Scrimshire feat Georgia Anne Muldrow - Thru you
Sly n Robbie meets Dubmatix - Burru saturday
Michael Prophet - Been talking
Ranking Joe - Don't follow Babylon (BAF meets Wai Wan remix)
Joe Gibbs - Chapter 3
Groove Corp meets Twilight Circus feat Luciano - What we gotta do now (G Corp remix)
International Observer - Minicell
Unitone Hifi feat Bobbylon - Turn around
DLT feat Che Fu - Chains (unreleased mix)
Ladi6 - Diamonds
Khruangbin - Dern kala
Marta Ren - Worth it
Eric Boss - Get next to you
Gene Dudley Group - Hilo Bay halfway (disco mix)
Mckay - Rising tide
Luke Vibert - Officer's club

Ring The Alarm playlist, May 18

Ronin Arkestra - A love supreme
African Vibration - Hinde (Julien Dyne rework)
Damon Locks & Black Monument Ensemble -The colours that you bring
Bobby Womack - Please forgive my heart
Marvin Gaye  -The world is rated X (alternate version)
Merchant - Rub a dub soka
Los Silvertones - Tamborito swing
Original Tropicana steel band - Calypso rock
The Revolution of St Vincent  -The little you say
O'Jays - For the love of money
George McCrae - I got lifted (Mischief Brew edit)
Joe Dukie and DJ Fitchie - Midnight marauders (El Head version)
Sound Foundation - Ram dancehall
Wrong Bus - Rub a dub love style
Phase 5 - Mothman skank (wasabi wakeup mix)
Myele Manzanza  -7 bar thing
79.5 - Terrorise my heart (Tall Black Guy bounce remix)
Dizzy Gillespie - Manteca (Funky Lowlives remix)
James Blood Ulmer - Are you glad to be in America?
Soul Surfers and Shawn Lee - Jose Chicago

Grup Ses & Elektro Hafız drop album of mad fruitiness

Some mad funky Saz psyche rock outs... who doesn't love that?

"Zel Zele to release their first LP, ‘Varyete’ is the new collaborative album from Istanbul’s producer extraordinaire Grup Ses and Cologne-based electric-Saz player Elektro Hafız.

Travelling from deep Anatolian psychedelic grooves to dirty electronics, playful beats and hiphop, ‘Varyete’ is an adventurous ride of genre-bending music. Across the first side of the album, the duo take forays into soundscapes, psych, acid and electronics with remixes from Berlin’s producer Onofon and Istanbul’s acclaimed hip hop producer and MC Da Poet adding yet more layers.

Blurring the lines between artist and archivist, prolific crate digger and sampling wiz Grup Ses is armed with the perfect source material for ‘Varyete’.

Elektro Hafız signature sound mixes eastern and western musical styles, and his provocative style is complemented by a healthy dose of humour. His diverse compositions are influenced by his Anatolian roots, which are reflected in his instrument of choice, the microtonal electric Saz."

Out 5th July on Zel Zete