Phenomenal soul/funk 2-sider which has deserved a repress so badly. "Bi-Centennial - 1976" has been comped on the fourth volume in the "Can You Feel It" compilation series. The flip side, "Love One Another", was featured on "Countdown To... Soul 2". Now available on a good old 45 RPM single re-issue.

TRACK LISTING

1. Bi-Centennial - 1976 (feat. Speckled Rainbow)
2. Love One Another (feat. Speckled Rainbow)

"Steps On A Cloud" was featured on the fourth volume in the "Can You Feel It" compilation series. "Whispering" has not been re-issued so far and is exclusively available on this sweet 45 RPM single.

TRACK LISTING

1. Steps On A Cloud
2. Whispering

Two superrare & heavy funk cuts from Donnie Sanders. "Shing A Ling Baby" can be found on the incredible "Feeling Nice Vol.4" compilation album. "Naptown USA" is completely unknown and waits to be discovered.

TRACK LISTING

1. Shing-a-Ling Baby (feat. Don Juans)
2. Naptown USA (feat. Don Juans)

"Matter of Taste" released their debut album on the small german Flame label in 1979. "Step By Step" is a monstrous Disco track while the flip side ("Haselief") is completely different and certainly surprises the listener. First time on 7"!

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Two classics by Matter Of Taste that have been painfully, unavailable on 7" until now.. a no brainer for funk and soul fans.

TRACK LISTING

1. Step By Step
2. Haselief

"Without Your Love" is a wonderful, uplifting modern soul tune which was recently comped on "Praise Poems Vol. 9". The original 45 RPM single is ultra-rare and extremely hard to find, so this reissue is here to please a lot of music lovers.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Tramp continue to deliver the goods this week, offering up rare-as-hen's-teeth tracks on tasty 7". An original of this smoochy and fiery double header would set you back a cool two ton.

TRACK LISTING

1. Without Your Love
2. The Real Deal

After almost two years of extensive research "Can You Feel It?" compilation series is here. The majority of the artists originate from the United States, however Tramp records are extremely proud to present a couple of German bands too. The one quality these tunes all share is that they, once again, will make you get up, get down, and get ready for some more highly underrated Modern Soul, Disco and Boogie that you can feel!

Obscure but brilliant Modern Soul, Disco and Boogie grooves of which all songs have not been compiled anywhere else. Enjoy your guided tour back into the late 1970s and 80s Disco era.

TRACK LISTING

1. Matter Of Taste - Step By Step
2. Vantage Point - All Night
3. Kim McCrae - I'm Feeling It Too
4. Frankie Staton - Bi-Centennial - 1976 (feat. Speckled Rainbow)
5. Kathy Lowery - Super Dude
6. Royal Touch - What Am I Gonna Do Baby
7. Synod - You Shake Them Things
8. Pat Carpenter - Love You Use To Be So Easy
9. Swankk - If It Takes All Night
10. Ocean Orchestra - Skinflint
11. Street Life 80 - Steps On A Cloud
12. Jackie Berns - I Still Love You
13. Tory Wynter - Real True Voices
14. Chatham - I'll Be Good To You
15. Sool - Stepping Out Of Line
16. Dalton Reed - Giving On Into Love
17. Panama Gold - Gettin' Lucky
18. Ditto Memo - Upside Down
19. Ditto Memo - Feel The Heat

The story of the invention of the term, 'deepfunk' is probably only known among fans and practitioners of this niche-genre. In short, it all started in the 1990s when DJs like Keb Darge, Mark 'Snowboy' Cotgrove and others began spinning obscure and feral Funk 45 RPM singles from local American bands, ostensibly generating another sub-category branch off of the mighty Northern Soul tree. The dance-club phenomenon inevitably spilled over to contemporary groups on the funk scene which immediately tried to record their music the way their idols did. The 'rare groove' and 'acid jazz' movements had run their course and there was a concerted effort to reinstate primitive idiomatic styles and techniques into the music, most notably by 90s funk collective The Poets of Rhythm. As more years passed by the number of bands steadily increased (although in tiny numbers, compared to the mainstream market). Almost every country had a representative with the majority of them coming from the United Kingdom. The deepfunk sound was still a niche, however a very few bands made it onto the mainstream charts, most notably Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings.

At the height of the retro-soul movement a questionable development took place. As more bands arrived on the scene, the production became more and more polished and pop-ish. Some of that squeaky-clean tidiness began to creep into the recordings, encouraged in part by the signature sounds of the digital recording technology available at that time. Some bands even tried to jump onto the possibility of promoting their music as 'deepfunk' although they were actually playing slick, funky pop music. This way some people who thought they were listening to raw, energetic funk actually felt quite ambushed when hit with real deepfunk. In fact, a certain percentage of funk music produced within the past 20 years does not deserve to be described as 'deepfunk' at all. Fortunately there were (and are) some pleasant exceptions which did not just imitate but actually rendered amazing funk music just like some of the finest funk combos of the 1960s and 70s.

One of those creative minds is without a doubt Joel Ricci aka Lucky Brown. Originally from Seattle, Washington, USA, he has enriched the deepfunk community since the mid-2000s with his stellar abilities. He is not only an amazing musician playing multiple instruments, but also a brilliant composer, arranger, and producer too. But for us here at Tramp he is much more, a close friend and remarkable human being. Whenever we were struggling, whether with the label or in private life, Joel and his musical work helped us to overcome everything and to keep going our path.

So here we are in 2023. The songs you are listening to right now are the complete Space Dream collection, split into two parts, representing the two living-room recording sessions from which his 2011 Tramp Records debut was compiled. Each fully remastered album contains unreleased material and comes with brand new, beautifully reimagined artwork by Ricci himself, housed in an authentic 1960s tip-on cover. A first class product from a first class musician for the discerning funk enthusiast.

TRACK LISTING

1. Lucky Seven (feat. Lucky Brown)
2. Potatocakes (feat. Lucky Brown)
3. Izzy Come, Izzy Go (feat. Lucky Brown)
4. Scatterbrain (feat. Lucky Brown)
5. Deal With It (feat. Lucky Brown)
6. Don't Go Away (feat. Lucky Brown)
7. The Fresh One (feat. Lucky Brown)

Representing Seattle Funk. The Oscillators' debut 45 RPM single is deep, raw and energetic. Led by drummer oLLi kLoMp, the line up features members of the polyrhythmics, Rippin' Chicken, the Pulsations, Lucky Brown, the Trueloves, 45th Street Brass, The S.G.'s, and more...

This 45 RPM single is limited to 300 copies and contains two non-album tracks.

TRACK LISTING

1. Cosmonaut
2. Off The Clock

Representing Seattle Funk. The Oscillators' debut album is deep, raw and energetic. Led by drummer oLLi kLoMp, the line up features members of the polyrhythmics, Rippin' Chicken, the Pulsations, Lucky Brown, the Trueloves, 45th Street Brass, The S.G.'s, and more...

As of yet, as these words were written, the Oscillators is not a band. the Oscillators is an experimental recording collaboration that turned out swimmingly.

Our gauge was this: "Do we like it?" No agenda or goal. The main mode being simply; create what we like out of thin air. Yet the air was heavy therefore create what we like out of thick air. Magical, gravy-thick air. Molecules, olli'cules. Alchemically thick. Apparently, we needed to sample something out-of-the-ordinary… the process is called, "stackin- phat". Minimal gear, maximum vibe. In fact, this process and this gear would make most educated sound engineers cringe but the players know.

Pushing the tape…yes, tape! 4 track to be exact, pushing the tape to it's edge. First, stack two drum tracks. bounce them to one primal track. Sometimes one drummer, sometimes two; "a great drumbeat already contains melody." This is your first layer of phat. Generally, unless the muse says otherwise, you wanna bring in your bass player next, gently caress guidance and encouragement (maybe a beer or a hit a grass), then he or she can stack the next layer of phat. The next few layers are where things really take off. Maybe it's guitar then horns, maybe keys. Maybe just horns. Whatever the tune calls for. Whatever the muse "calls" for. Everyone stacking is simultaneously inspired, while hindered, by the previous layer; "constricted genius" works of magic from thin/thick air.

Most of the time the players weren't in the same room at the same time, and in some cases, haven't seen each other in years, but it sounds like a family and feels like a band. Create what we like.

The natural unfolding of this creation was affirming, in that the process of creation proved most relevant. An expression of faith and appreciation of the experiMENTAL process with no preparation for something else. Beyond fortunate for the allowance of time. "never underestimate the power of positive thought"

TRACK LISTING

1. Track Suit
2. Packet O' Cheese
3. Good News
4. Let's Get There
5. Spanish Monster
6. Intersextion
7. Spinning Species
8. Emulsify
9. Flip Flap
10. Pull One Down
11. Filterface
12. Elaborate
13. Trees In Space

Tramp fans certainly remember the name Nolla Mainor whose band Nola & The Soul Rockers contributed their song "Reach Down & Get It" for the second volume in the Feeling Nice series. This is her other 45, equally rare and for some people this two sider beats the quality of The Soul Rockers disc.

TRACK LISTING

1. This Is A Song
2. Ease It To Me