Now That's What We Call A Compilation!

It was the sound of post-independence Nigeria, a time of celebration and wealth but, ultimately, of political oppression. 

Lost in the soot and fallout from Youngstown, Ohio’s infamous Black Monday steel industry collapse was Tony March’s cross-generational Tammy label.

Atlanta’s original Eccentric Soul labels, Jesse Jones’ Tragar and Note concerns captured critical regional R&B, soul, and funk from 1968-1976.

Soul Jazz Records' new Nigeria Soul Fever is their first release to explore the vast wealth of Nigerian music recorded in the 1970s.

Hot on the heels of Mordechai, the critically acclaimed third album from US psych-rockers Khruangbin, the Texas trio become the latest act to present their own Late Night Tales in the popular, long-running musician-curated album series.

Wewantsounds continues its collaboration with Bob Shad's venerable jazz label Mainstream Records, and present a selection of 12 turntable-friendly tracks recorded between 1971 and 1975 and showcasing the label's superb blend of Spiritual Jazz, Funk and Soul.

Disco from a label that digs for Japanese jazz, funk, soul, rare groove and disco music.

30th Anniversary edition of Above The Rim (The Soundtrack). This is the first time the full 21-song tracklist is available on vinyl.

After “Afro Exotique – Adventures In The Leftfield, Africa 1972-88” was enthusiastically embraced by heads, collectors and core Africa Seven enthusiasts alike, we dived back down into the vaults, and hope we’ve come up with another volume of listenable esoterica from roughly the same period.

Funkadelic's wild fourth album remastered from the original tapes for the first time in 15 years.

Above all, he is celebrated for his prolific output in the genres of Dub, Lovers Rock, Reggae and more through his own Ariwa label and south London recording studio boasting an impressive catalog of over 300 releases, among other notable achievements.  A few years back, Melodies stumbled upon this outstanding Lovers Rock and Dub album which had a very unique raw sound and felt like a whole experience when listened to from start to finish. Alternate versions of the same tracks with different performers in varying styles, tape rewinds, it had us all wonder why it hadn’t gained wider recognition amongst Mad Professor's other releases.  When Melodies finally had the pleasure of meeting Neil at his recording studio, he revealed that this album was one of his earliest works. It was born out of a birthday gift from his wife—a four-track recorder that inspired him to venture into music-making after years of repairing and building electronics and audio equipment. When we asked him if he would be making music if not for that gift, he confessed that it was highly unlikely (!)  Mad Professor further explained that this album, originally released in 1984, is a compilation of tracks recorded between 1979 and 1981, representing the nascent stages of his recording and production career, when the idea of establishing a studio and the Ariwa label were just beginning to take shape. He set up all his gear, including his first homemade four-track mixing desk, in the front room of his house in South London. With no prior studio experience, he positioned microphones where he thought they should fit and invited local musicians to collaborate. Errol Sly, Ranking Ann, Sergeant Pepper, Deborah Glasgow, Victor Cross, Sister Audrey, his backing band the Sane Inmates and a host of other talented local artists, some of whom would go on to become stalwarts in their respective genres, all contributed to this album, capturing the raw essence of Mad Professor and Ariwa's early sound.

Released over six years ago, NYC producer Thornato's debut album "Bennu" was a milestone here at Wonderwheel.

Featuring musical contributions from El Michels Affair, The Shacks, Fleet Foxes and more.

Blue Note Re:imagined returns this year with a new 16-track compilation featuring fresh takes on music from the illustrious Blue Note vaults recorded by a heavyweight line-up of the UK jazz, soul and R&B scene’s most hotly-tipped rising stars.

Blue Note Re:imagined II once again infuses the spirit of the new UK jazz generation into the legendary label’s iconic catalogue.

Re-issue of the 1987 Profile Records holiday compilation in a red and white split colored pressing, with songs by Run-DMC, Dana Dane, Sweet Tee, The Showboys, The Surf M.C.s, Spyder-D, and more.

Circles is the sixth and final studio album by Mac Miller. Conceived as a sister album to 2018's full length Swimming, the album was completed with the assistance of Jon Brion, with whom Miller worked on Swimming and had been working together on Circles at the time of his passing.

The Austrian music duo Kruder and Dorfmeister, consisting of Peter Kruder and Richard Dorfmeister, launched a world career in the 1990s.

"Destination Unlimited" triumphs in pushing artistic boundaries, leaving an indelible mark in the vast expanse of musical expression. An essential experience for avid music explorers.

Reissue of Bonobo's Dial 'M' for Money from 2003. Simon Green aka Bonobo presents nine perfectly formed tracks on a perfectly formed album. 

After a brief ambient introduction from Pépe’s Life Signs, Disclosure keep the energy high, in a mix that showcases the wonderful malleability of a house beat in the right hands.

Django Reinhardt devised an astonishing new technique of playing guitar built around the two fingers on his left hand that were left with full mobility after a devastating fire and, together with Stéphane Grapelli, he was responsible for defining the gypsy jazz genre.

Best of Doo-Wop!

fabric, the iconic hub of electronic music culture, proudly announces its latest addition to the fabric mix series: fabric Presents The Streets.

The Hamburg-born producer and DJ Helena Hauff has been revolutionising the sound of techno and electro since her emergence on the scene at the turn of the 2010s.

Featuring 17 chart-topping hits from the legendary band Earth Wind and Fire, this album is a must for any collector.

Delve into the Dutch jazz scene of the 1950s and 1960s with a selection of classic and rare hard bop and cool jazz tracks from artists like Herman Schoonderwalt, the Diamond Five, Wessel Ilcken and Tony Vos.

Volume 4 of the Hot Sauce compilation LPs dedicated to the Trojan related UK labels between 1965 and 1975.

In celebration of the 21st Anniversary of this popular Christmas double album, Jeepster and War Child are releasing It’s A Cool Cool Christmas on vinyl for the first time. Originally released on November 20th 2000 as a CD only release, it will now be available on vinyl on November 19th 2021.

The sound of the night drums and the cry of the horns empower you!

Strut and Art Yard present the culmination of a 5-year project researching the archives of author, DJ and activist John Sinclair with the first ever retrospective of the influential Detroit Artists Workshop spanning 1965 to 1981.

A treasure-trove of rare and unusual recordings from East Africa.

The seven-track album, which omits the 1979 hit single 'My Forbidden Lover' and replaces it with 'Chic Cheer' and also combines three 7-inch edits and one extended 12-inch mix with three album versions, was the only compilation to be released during the band's six years on Atlantic.

The immediate successor to ska, the soulful, melodic sound of rock steady first developed during the long hot Jamaican summer of 1966 and reigned supreme thereafter for two glorious years before finally being superseded by the more energetic style of reggae.

London Brew is inspired by Miles Davis’ album, Bitches Brew. Recorded in December 2020 at the Church Studios, this three-day recording session brings together 12 London-based artists

Lost In Translation was the soundtrack to Sofia Coppola’s Academy Award winning movie of the same name.

In the mid-70s, Bob Shad’s cult New York Jazz label Mainstream Records turned to the burgeoning underground disco scene and released a handful of great singles produced by the likes of Tommy Stewart, Jimmy Roach or Bert DeCoteaux.

Label Two-Piers release new compilation Music Against Misogyny, released for International Women’s Day 2023. 

In Ghana “to chop” is to eat, so the phrase No Funk, No Chop quite simply means; deliver afro funk and disco bombs, or no one will eat today.

The songs were recorded sometime between 1970 and 1975 at either Harmonic Sounds Studio or at the home of studio co-owner Clem Price in Columbus.

Wewantsounds is delighted to present the first retrospective of Saravah Records, one of the most influential French labels founded in Paris by singer, songwriter and producer Pierre Barouh in 1966.

Fela Kuti lives on! This is the 10th Anniversary reissue of the classic tribute album pressed on opaque banana yellow and opaque red vinyl benefiting the Red Hot organization. 

High quality music to be enjoyed by many people all around the world, no matter where they are' Andreas Brunner-Schwer, MPS Records

Have you ever felt sad about the times you are living in? You may not always be able to work it out, but you can sprinkle a little sugar on your sadness with songs like these.

Wewantsounds is delighted to release 'Sharayet el Disco' a selection of Egyptian 80s Disco and Boogie tracks curated by Egyptian DJ Disco Arabesquo from his vast collection of cassettes.

A sonic snapshot of America’s steel capital, developed in the prosperous cavern between the departure of the Jackson 5 to Motown and the collapse of U.S. Steel, Skyway Soul is a love letter to Gary, Indiana.

Studio One Roots 2 delves deep into the vaults of the legendary Jamaican Reggae label and features rare and classic roots as well as an unprecedented seven unreleased tracks that up till now had never seen the light of day.

Studio One Soul 2 takes us further into Jamaican musics fascination with american soul and funk music.

In the 20 years since hip hop culture broke over-ground with the arrival of the Fatback Band's King Tim III and the massive international success of the Sugarhill Gang's Rapper's Delight, rap music has moved to becoming the premier sales arm of the US record industry.

The Queen of The Blues, a title that she bestowed upon herself as she clambered to the top, was something else.

In Craig Charles' own words ‘The Craig Charles Trunk Of Funk Volume 3' features "19 of the finest slices of super slinky soul, boot shaking blues and boogie, dazzling discofied ditties and fine funky rump shakers!”

Abacothozi were formed in 1973 by bassist Berthwel Maphumulo, formerly of the Elite Swingsters.

Debuts on Black Friday. Never issued in this form. The compilation features a collection of small run releases and private press releases. All long out of print and impossible to find. 3000 pressed worldwide. Now-Again’s follow up to one of its most well-loved compilations, Forge Your Own Chains, and this, as the title hints, a recollection and rumination of what might befall the human race made especially salient by the past year’s trials and tribulations as performed by prison funk ensembles, Krautrock legends, Turkish teenagers, Icelandic prog-rock bands and even E-40’s uncle, the man to first distribute No Limit, and the creator of this album’s title track, St. Charles “Chucky” Thurman.

 Contains 12 Jamaican reggae chart hits from 1969-1972. 

Here is our Hot Sauce Volume 5 showcasing some seriously groovy and rare Rocksteady, Boss and Reggay tracks mixed expertly for yet another thrilling early Reggae experience on vinyl.

First time on vinyl, highly sought after by fans and frequently bootlegged.

Dick Dale's surf-guitar provided the memorable title theme ("Misirlou"), for Quentin Tarantino's 1994 smash, and although that sound runs throughout the soundtrack (along with bits and pieces of dialog from the movie), this is a pretty eclectic bunch of really terrific songs.

Music That Inspired Buena Vista Social Club

The esteemed scribe, proper DJ, and discreetly deft twiddler Bill Brewster, drops the latest instalment in his ‘After Dark’ series, for Late Night Tales.

IF Music owner Jean-Claude turns his attention to Dutch record shop Klinkhamer Records for the latest in his “An Introduction To…” series on BBE Music, inviting owner Michel Veenstra to compile a special selection of music to represent the store.

2019 marks the 60th year of Motown, and this anniversary is commemorated with a brand new Greatest Hits compilation featuring tracks from across the label’s unique history.

Praise Poems Vol.10 presents sixteen (almost) forgotten rare groove gems, all released between the years 1970 and 1984. One of the many highlights is the opening track: "Fields of Laughter" by Color Me Blu - originally released on an acetate only of which two copies exist worldwide.

This collection not only celebrates Henri Debs’ unmatched legacy but also offers a snapshot of Caribbean music’s golden age, cementing Disques Debs as a cultural institution.

Rare Seventies Big City Street Soul

Floating Points’ personal collection of global soul, ambient, jazz and folk treasures form the latest in the warmly revered Late Night Tales series.

A counterculture movement united by an expansive, experimental and deeply soulful sensibility, Japan’s rebel protest music challenged the status quo and changed the country’s music industry in the process.

Bessie Smith, “The Empress Of The Blues”, a uniquely powerful, soulful and uncompromising blues singer, was an originator and a star.

Motown producer and songwriter Norman Whitfield assembled The Undisputed Truth to further explore the psychedelic soul he had been developing with the Temptations on songs like ‘Cloud Nine’ and ‘Psychedelic Shack’

Following the already classic Wamono A to Z trilogy, we are delighted to present an exceptional collection of jazz funk / rare groove tunes recorded in the mid-seventies at the Nippon Columbia studios by three giants of Japanese music: arranger Kiyoshi Yamaya, koto legend Toshiko Yonekawa and shakuhachi master Kifu Mitsuhashi.

A part of Gilles Peterson’s expanded network, Future Bubblers is backed by Arts Council England, which continues to focus on uncovering unsigned talent and growing the audience for innovative, experimental music.

Cuba: Music and Revolution: Culture Clash in Havana: Experiments in Latin Music 1975-85 Vol. 1 is the new album compiled by Gilles Peterson and Stuart Baker (Soul Jazz Records).

Some crate-digging compilations are often the result of someone hand-picking their choice favourites from another country’s musical history, perhaps unaware or uninvolved with its cultural lineage in the process.

The Psychedelic Scene, a compilation of various artists, brings together some of the pivotal pieces that shaped the unique energy of the psychedelic era.

All in all, a rare treat composed of, er, rare treats. Thoroughly recommended.

In this collection, we have curated new finds alongside old, treasured tracks that hold a special place in our hearts, selecting music inspiring us from the Brazilian, Latin, soul, disco, gospel, cosmic, dancehall and downtempo genres.

Restoring, reissuing and contextualising iconic tracks from Ousmane Kouyate & Ambassadeurs Internationaux, Rail Band, Les Messagers du Mali, Mystere Jazz de Tombouctou and many more, the second compilation in this series dives ever further into the richness of post- independence music emanating out of Mali. One in which traditional foundations and instrumentation, blended with modern musical advances and influence.

Put the needle on the record, turn up the volume and dig right now into the Wamono sound - the cream of the Japanese jazz, funk, soul, rare groove and boogie music developed throughout the years since the sixties in Japan!

“Her voice is gutsy, earthy and coarse, but at the same time there is a beauty, sensitivity and control to everything she does.” Big Mama created tension without harshness, excitement without strain. She can make you weep.

Chet Baker Re:Imagined, a collection of songs recorded by a varied selection of international talent to celebrate the legacy of one of the most unique, charismatic and influential figures in the history of jazz.

The Endless Coloured Ways is a collection of songs by legendary singer / songwriter, Nick Drake, performed and recorded by over 30 incredible artists from a range of different backgrounds, genres, age groups and audiences.