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ISLE OF JURA

A one-off 12” from New York’s early 80s boogie underground, "Hustlin’ Time" was the only single released under the name American Steel. Originally pressed in 1983 on the small but cult Silver Screen Records label, it’s become a rare find for collectors and a secret weapon for DJs in the know.

Built around a strutting bassline, tight drums, and soulful vocals, "Hustlin’ Time" captures the essence of the boogie sound at its peak, equal parts funk, disco and electro. The 12" delivers four distinct takes: the full vocal, a shorter edit, a stripped-back instrumental, and a Dub mix courtesy of Aldo Marin under his S.U.R.E. Shot alias. Marin would go on to become a fixture in NYC remix culture, and his early touch here brings a raw dancefloor edge.

A 140 gram pressing in 3mm spine black disco sleeve with labels and sticker designed by Bradley Pinkerton.

TRACK LISTING

Hustlin Time (short Version)
Hustlin Time (long Version)
Hustlin Time (dub Mix)
Hustlin Time (instrumental Mix)

Daniel Monaco Band is an international group led by Italian bassist Daniele Labbate. Blending jazz, funk, house and disco with live energy, their debut EP ‘Get Naked and Fly’ captures years of collaboration and experimentation. The result is a warm, analog-driven sound crafted by seasoned session musicians who’ve toured the world and are now channeling their creativity into original music as a group.

Lead track ‘Love Ago’ delivers modern disco with the authenticity of the golden era, ‘Mimouna’ has a psychedelic edge, with the WHODAMMANY remix taking the original into a more electronic direction. ‘The Devil Left Dancing’ takes a subtly off centre path, nodding to Brazilian influences, while the title track ‘Get Naked and Fly’ is raw and instinctive blending live instrumentation with electronic sensibilities.

The project is a testament to what happens when musicians trust each other enough to explore freely without chasing perfection. A live band speaking house, funk and jazz with one voice — analogue, soulful, and free.

Personnel : Percussion by Yannick Van Ter Beek, Drums by Robin van Rijn, Sax by Alessandro Russo, Guitar by Simone Cesarini and Bass by Daniele Labbate.

Designed by Bradley Pinkerton.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: More heat from Naples (see: Bassolino, also out this week). They just don't stop! Catchier than a bout of the clap during fresher's week, with some impressive musicianship to boot.

TRACK LISTING

Love Ago
Mimouna
Minouna (WHODAMANNY Remix)
The Devil Left Dancing
Get Naked And Fly

Producer, DJ, multi-instrumentalist and live performer Alek Lee returns with his second LP, an immersive instrumental journey shaped by his raw, smoky, guerrilla-style production. "Cold Feet" invites you deep into the Alek Lee universe, rich with swirling synths, layered percussion, Balearic guitar lines and dub-infused horns.

From the psychedelic, Sade like grooves of the title track and “Too Soon,” both steeped in cinematic mystique, to the sun drenched energy of “Pino Pino” and “The Right Thing,” which shimmer with Balearic disco flair, the album glides effortlessly across moods and tempos. A highlight arrives with the summer dub anthem “Was Was Was,” featuring long time collaborator and former Shame On Us bandmate Yovav Arzi on electric guitar.

The journey winds down with “Illusions,” a sultry, downtempo banger laced with an oriental twist, before dissolving into the final track “Cold Feet Desert”, a return to stillness, barefoot on white desert sand beneath a star strewn sky.

With a career spanning over two decades, Alek Lee has carved out a unique space in the global music scene. Known for his long, genre defying DJ sets and dynamic live performances, he moves fluidly between dub, house, and his own idiosyncratic productions. As a solo artist and through projects like Shame On Us and Project Runaway, Alek has played some of Europe’s most respected venues and festivals, including Sisyphos, Kater Blau, Glastonbury, Garbicz and Fusion. His releases have earned radio play from BBC6’s Iggy Pop and NTS’s David Holmes and featured on Peggy Gou’s Boiler Room and France’s legendary Radio Nova.

Now based in Athens, Alek continues to evolve his distinctive sound with "Cold Feet", his most expansive statement yet.

TRACK LISTING

Cold Feet
Pino Pino
The Right Thing
Too Soon
Was Was Was
Illusions
Cold Feet Desert

Following on from the 2023 reissue of Shiva featuring Leon Ware and Jo Ann Harris, Isle of Jura revisits 1983’s 20 Minute "Workout" LP once more with the "Aerobic EP". This time, four more tracks are unearthed from the original album sessions, all produced by Andy Muson, a seasoned session bassist whose credits include work with Yoko Ono, James Taylor, and Ringo Starr. Originally brought in to play bass, Muson stepped into the producer role at the suggestion of composer Ira Newborn (best known for scoring Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Blues Brothers), who helmed the rest of the Shiva recordings.

IOJ label boss Jura Soundsystem is back on the controls, having previously reworked "Never Gonna Give You Up" into a limited one-sided 'Special Version' as part of the original reissue campaign. This new 12” sees him return to the Shiva project once more, delivering four extended versions that tease out the key elements and pull back on the occasional over the top disco indulgence from the originals. The result is an EP of refined early 80s disco that acts as a fitting addendum to the original 12”s.



STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: IOJ allstars Shiva return, with Jura Soundsystem again on board for remix duties. We know what to expect by now - unmissable tropical disco and sunshine-laded Balearica, tailor made for whiling away the hours in a paradisiacal setting.

TRACK LISTING

One More Way
Show Me
One Hand Clapping
Sweet N Nasty

This rare Brit funk 12” was originally released in 1984 and is now officially reissued for the first time. Licensed from producer Lindel Lewis, the 12” was heavily influenced by US boogie and disco and there’s a dub influence at play as Lindel was also producing a lot of reggae around this time, most famously ‘Night Over Egypt’ by Mystic Harmony.

The 12” includes a previously unreleased Dub Version of ‘I Need You’ and was produced on two analogue classics, Lindel says “I used a Linn Drum for the drums and played all synth parts using a Roland 106. I’m a classically trained musician and also a sound engineer, I worked at Mark Angelo Recording Studios for 18 years and have produced a great many artists. Steve Jones real name is Steve Myers, but I didn’t like the surname so changed it to Jones which felt more soulful. The name The Fat Boys came about because of the big bellies of myself the flute player Mike Appoh, my trainee engineer at the time. Ray Carlass played the sax solo, they have both now sadly passed”.

This long overdue reissue revives a standout moment in Brit funk history, making it an essential addition for fans of classic boogie and disco. A 140 gram pressing in 3mm spine disco sleeve with labels and sticker designed by Bradley Pinkerton.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Classic Brit funk with a touch of street soul and lovers rock - Isle Of Jura is getting very good at these excavations! Totally new one on us here and sounding very, very nice indeed.

TRACK LISTING

Steve Jones - I Need You By My Side
Steve Jones - I Need You By My Side (dub Version)
Fatboys U.K. - The Challenge

Originally released in 1986 ‘Power’ was the work of Philly producer Derrick Graves and vocalist Terrance T. The machine lead production on ‘Power’ was part of an emerging wave of post disco producers embracing a dub aesthetic that proved to be the precursor to the emergence of house music. The vocal harmonies from Terrance were influenced by Cameo and Prince and combined with the powerful production results in a dancefloor bomb in the Larry Levan style, stripped back and dubby with a strong song at its core. This level of musicality and production was no fluke, Derrick was a seasoned session musician who worked extensively with the likes of Sister Sledge, Dexter Wansel & Donny Hathaway. Derrick had a clear understanding of emerging studio trends “Music production was evolving into a new phase where home studios were developing and it was becoming more possible for real recordings to be made! From there, I eventually enhanced my production skills by learning how to compose using sequencers, computer software (DAWs), and midi instrument implementation in the 80's and 90's. I went from a 4-track to eventually a 24-Track 2" tape machine setup!”.

The fully remastered 12” includes the essential instrumental mix.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Isle Of Jura reissue a classic slice of mid-80s boogie which, though not in the £200+ club, will have remained pretty illusive for most. It's all about that cracking drum machine programming and beautiful interplay between guitar, synth and vocal. A perfect example of raw boogie power!

TRACK LISTING

Power (Extended Vocal Mix)
Power (Extended Instrumental Mix)

The long awaited official reissue of ‘She Wants’, one of the first UK street soul singles originally released in 1985 by The NM Band.

The NM Band was an alias for UK lovers' rock band Natural Mystic, responsible for a number of hits in the late 70’s and early 80’s most notably ‘Runaway Love’ and ‘Groove Rocking’. They released a string of acclaimed reggae LPs and toured extensively throughout the UK, but by 1985 wanted to try something away from their trademark roots reggae sound. Influenced by the availability of affordable hardware the band set about fusing reggae and soul using an Akai drum machine, Yamaha DX7 and Roland sound module. ‘She Wants’ is one of the forebearers of UK street soul, raw machine drums paired with an incredibly soulful vocal from Ashley Sommers. The band created their own imprint Mixdown to release the single, but it slipped under the radar, despite strong radio play from Choice FM and the then pirate station Kiss. The 12” is backed with dub version ‘She Wants (More)'.

A 140gram pressing in 3mm spine black disco sleeve with metallic sticker designed by Bradley Pinkerton.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Phwwoooarr! Isle Of Jura really know how to treat us. Unearthing and repressing this absolute GEM of a street soul jam from The NM Band. Rich with the duo's reggae heritage but exercising those (then modern) drum machines and FM synths with all the excitement that new equipment brings! A true holy grail.

TRACK LISTING

She Wants
She Wants More

Originally released in 1990 ‘Voaria’ was written by Benjamin Nhassavele and produced & arranged by the late Tata Sibeko, the revered South African producer and member of Kabasa. Taken from the LP of the same name ‘Voaria’ was released at a time when early house music was emerging as a key influence in the South African musical landscape, an evolvement of the Bubblegum pop sound that had fused disco and boogie with township funk. Characterised by Roland kick drums, Yamaha DX7s and Juno Synthesisers the Kwaito sound is the musical heartbeat of ‘Voaria’.

As well as being in Novidade, Benjamin toured the world extensively as part of Alec Kaholi’s Umoja and ‘Voaria’ is a song about his desire to go back to Maputo, his hometown in Zimbabwe. Featuring Benjamin on lead vocals ‘Voaria’ comes in 2 versions, a main House mix on the A side and the Clubhouse mix on the flip which switches up the arrangement placing more emphasis on the magical groove. The 12” is housed in a full sleeve jacket by Bradley Pinkerton based on the original release design.


TRACK LISTING

Voaria (House Mix)
Voaria (Club House Mix)

House Of Assembly

Hot Rock

Originally released in 1988 ‘Hot Rock’ was the final single from Pennsylvanian based roots reggae band House Of Assembly. The band, comprising main songwriter Norman Bailey, Marc Campbell, Claver Campbell and Louis Putman, grew up in the Water House area of Kingston, Jamaica bonding over their shared love of Dub & Reggae. The 4 members moved to Pennsylvania in the US in the early 80’s and released one album ‘Confusion’ on the local Meadowlark label, touring throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and becoming stalwarts of the Pennsylvanian roots scene.

The band started their own Concrete label in 1988 releasing ‘Hot Rock’ complete with a Dub Version possessing a potent combination of punchy 707 drum programming, killer rolling bassline, stripped back lead guitar and a rising synth line. For the official reissue there’s an added ‘Rockapella’ version not found on the original 12” and a new full sleeve jacket designed by Bradley Pinkerton.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Isle Of Jury continue to gift us overlooked moments of musical brilliance. Here they focus on House Of Assembly, the unlikely Pennsylvania reggae band who had modest local success but never really broke the big time.

TRACK LISTING

Hot Rock
Hot Rock (Rockapella)
Hot Rock (Dub)


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