Soul-Funk

Betino Records has released a new record by Parisian band The Big Hustle, "The Tokyo EP". This is the result of a meeting in Tokyo between of French bass player, composer, producer Sébastien Levanneur and Japanese musicians. It's an ambitious work that incorporates a wide variety of musical styles, as well as plenty of Japanese elements, elevating it to pop. Several Japanese top musicians are guests on the record, trumpet player/vocalist jazz legend Toku, the modern city pop singers Junk Fujiyama, Michael Kaneko.The selection offers various grooves from classic city pop to funky instrumental, AOR with lush strings and synths, airy ballad spiced with some koto added on top. If you never been to Japan here's your easy way to get a glimpse of it.

The duo Nu Genea return on their own imprint, NG Records, with a brand new single: Sciallà. Infused with the unmistakable Nu Genea signature: groovy, sun-drenched, hypnotic, and irresistibly up-tempo. “Sciallà” is both a soft touch and a burst of energy. Sung in Neapolitan dialect and inspired by the rich musical tapestry of the Mediterranean and beyond, it’s a feel-good anthem crafted to ignite summer dancefloors with warmth, rhythm, and soul. Alongside the original cut, the 7" record features an exclusive 'Ritmo' version, born from a late-night jam at NG Studios, which resulted into a wild fusion of percussion mayhem and swirling synths, pure rhythmic madness.

395 copies hand numbered

Isle of Jura teams up with French digger Switch Groove on the next compilation titled ‘Archipelago – Cosmic Fusion Gems from France (1978-1988)’.Switch Groove explains the concept “When I seriously began to search for and collect records, I was mostly interested in sounds from african-american, afro-latin and UK contemporary scenes. Sounds from distant territories, faraway from my native Massif Central, a highland region in the middle of France. The grass is always greener, I guess however, as I was digging in fleamarkets in the early sunday morning light, as well as spending regular sessions in second hands record shops, I began to discover hidden treasures, underground gems and side-projects of an unknown French musical repertoire.French music is often reduced to its most famous musical forms, characters and signatures : French songwriting and voices, 60s yéyé, prog rock concept albums and soundtrack explorations, 80’s indie rock scene or more recently electronic French touch. All these sounds have a common feature : a geographical link, forged on mainland French territory, following the contour of the so-called Hexagone, the border that shapes the grounds for an homogeneous cultural expression. But beyond this showcase lie more complex, hybrid and global French productions. From French Caribbean Antilles to Parisian suburbs - especially during the ‘Sono Mondiale’ era -, in French areas outside urban cultural centers, musicians have created fusion and cosmic musical expressions. As the mid-seventies meant a greater freedom to make and record music, a wider use of electronic instruments like synthesizers and drum machines helped to deliver some magical projects you could only find lost in the middle of cheap records during a sunny record digging session. I selected these tracks, in an attempt to shape an ARCHIPELAGO that highlights significative contributions of African diasporas and ultramarine territories into French musical borders. It is the map of a land I have gradually drawn, thanks to deep listening of amazing cosmic and fusion tunes. I hope you enjoy the journey.”

We no longer need to introduce the Cortex group and its leader Alain Mion! So here's the double single in 45rpm format from the “Inedit' 79” project, which came out of the drawers in 2006 and features recordings from 1979 and 1981 that were unpublished before 2006. The track “I Heard A Sigh” has been sampled by a number of hip-hop artists, while “Where Do You Come From” will not appear on the LP due out at the end of April 2025.

Jambonne make their return to Space Grapes with two fierce dancefloor cuts! A studio moniker for label mainstays Another Taste, their previous single “Carpet Ride” has been a firm favorite for many with a more peculiar taste. This time around they’re sure to bring the flavor once again. Jam on, Jambonne!

Heated compilation of 81-1990 rarities."Club Méduse’s Charles Bals joins forces with Norman Gervais of Bayetë fame to deliver a 10-track melange of languorous seaside serenades and beach-kissed AOR slow burners/bangers.Each song evokes wave glimmer and synthetic textures on this first drop by Beirut-via-Saint Tropez label Pocket of Light, one for the listener that’s crossed the last frontier of the registry and needs just a little more.Is it the Baleares or the Caribbean? Is it hopeful anguish or mature happiness? And with captains like this, does it matter at all…?”