FF010 LEGENDS OF LIBRARY - SYD DALE

Part 1 - http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?lp1plast433u5a3

Part 2 - http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?71f61f6fzfasnwz

Part 1

Track 1 - Disco-Tek

Track 2 - Quite Contrary

Track 3 - Knock On Wood

Track 4 - Let Me Take You There

Track 5 - March On The Run

Track 6 - Secret Service

Track 7 - Night Raider

Track 8 - Miss World

Track 9 - The Hellraisers

Track 10 - The Explorers

Track 11 - Lucky Seven

Track 12 - The Washington Affair
Track 13 - Portobello Market
Track 14 - Piece Worker
Track 15 - Sunshine Express

Part 2

Track 1 - The Penthouse Suite
Track 2 - London Life
Track 3 - Boogaloo Blues
Track 4 - Not So Private Eye
Track 5 - Walk In A Nightmare
Track 6 - Minor Crisis
Track 7 - Number One Spy
Track 8 - Come One Come All
Track 9 - Looks Like Trouble (B)
Track 10 - Base Line
Track 11 - Impending Danger
Track 12 - Beauty Parade
Track 13 - The Groupie
Track 14 - Forewarning (C)
Track 15 - Shank's Pony

There is no questioning Syd Dale's place amongst the legends of library music. From his days at KPM through to the founding of Amphonic, his lavish big band inspired compositions were quickly brought to the public's attention through their use in countless t.v shows and advertisements. Much of his work could be classed as easy listening however Dale was also adept at incorporating elements of funk and spy jazz. This collection has been put together using tracks found on his Amphonic releases along with several soundtracks and compilations ( a number have been sourced from the excellent "Crime Jazz Vol.9: Syd Dale In Action" which was put together by THXjay at The Crime Lounge ).

Having listened to this again the first part is more orientated towards easy listening while the second has a number of excellent spy / soundtrack style numbers. The one thing these 30 tracks have in common is a dedication to grooviness and a keen sense of what works musically. I'll be posting a number of Syd Dale related albums in the coming months. I hope you enjoy this compilation as much as I did putting it together. For more Syd click here.

PIERO UMILIANI - PERCUSSIONS

http://rapidshare.com/files/364482981/Umi_Percu.rar

Track 1 - Jeunesse Problematique

Track 2 - Jeunesse Problematique N°2

Track 3 - Sous Marine

Track 4 - Bongos En Suspens

Track 5 - Dynamique En Beat N°1

Track 6 - Dynamique En Beat N°2

Track 7 - Contraste Rythmique

Track 8 - Percussions Speciales

Track 9 - Protestations Juveniles

Track 10 - Timbales Statiques

Track 11 - Timbales En Mouvement

Track 12 - Marasme

Track 13 - Timbales

Track 14 - Rythme En Swing N°1

Track 15 - Rythme En Swing N°2

This percussion themed album by legendary composer Piero Umiliani is worth downloading purely for the wild beats on "Dynamique En Beat N°2". However there is plenty more of interest as Piero adds his usual quirky flourishes to the mainly jazz and cinematic themed tracks. There are some truly out of control moments on "Jeunesse Problematique N°2" while "Contraste Rythmique" and "Marasme" exhibit African style rhthyms and the mysterious "Timbales Statiques" sometimes disappears completely into silence.  This record should hold equal interest for fans of library music, Piero Umiliani and experimental percussion. The track listing above is in a different order to that which appears on the rip. Thanks to the original uploader.

KPM 1102 - ELECTROSOUND

http://www.mediafire.com/?gnwyglhgv1g

Track 1 - Glass Dance

Track 2 - U.F.O

Track 3 - Song Of The Wire

Track 4 - Industrial Jungle

Track 5 - Bottling Plant

Track 6 - Slow Song

Track 7 - Syncopot

Track 8 - Enzymes In Your Ear

Track 9 - Troglodyte

Track 10 - Slow Sprinkle

Track 11 - Organ In The Clouds

Track 12 - Duck Figures

Track 13 - Electric Barbed Wire

Track 14 - Commuter

Track 15 - Car Crusher

Track 16 - Sky High

Track 17 - Duet For Choir And Tunnel

Track 18 - Spirograph A

Track 19 - Spirograph B

Providing another link between early pioneers such as Raymond Scott and artists like Kraftwerk, Ron Geesin's "Electrosound" proves to be a memorable and truly strange listening experience. Dark and sombre, cinematic and spacey, mysterious and abstract...many adjectives come to mind when faced with such fascinating work. For the most part the tracks are sparse, elements of musique concrete flow through "Industrial Jungle", "Duet For Choir And Tunnel" and "Car Crusher" while tape manipulation also plays a part in several pieces. It's certainly a world away from the playfulness exhibited by songs on the "Electronic Toys" compilations and it's also difficult to imagine the context in which this library music could be used. Regardless, it is an electronic tour de force and in many respects light years ahead of it's time ( "Industrial Jungle" could easily be a track from the 1994 album "ISDN" by Future Sound Of London ). This is a musical journey well worth taking.

MOUNTAIN MOCHA KILIMANJARO - SELF TITLED

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?1gw6l6qgg0gsx85

Track 1 - Time Has Come

Track 2 - Yellow Soul Force

Track 3 - The Changes

Track 4 - The Bunch

Track 5 - Interlude

Track 6 - Baggy Pants

Track 7 - Don't Touch, Just Watch Me

Track 8 - D.F.T

Track 9 - Interlude 2

Track 10 - Big Pig Affair

Track 11 - Blues Of The Kilimanjaro

Track 12 - Black Dog, Black Cat, Black Bird

Track 13 - Eastwood Magic City

Track 14 - Why Am I Standing Here?

Here is a bio from Last.FM -

"From the outskirts of Tokyo, from the most unknown prefecture in the country, comes the most exciting and brightest hopes in funk ever.

The six-piece phenomenon, the nasty groove-making cats, the deep-dapping and history changing dogs call themselves the Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro. Well dressed, slick but playing some of the rawest and deepest funk that would shake anyone’s booty, and add that with furious energy of a rock and roll band, and you have these amazing gentlemen. Playing around relentlessly across clubs of all sizes in Japan, as well as rocking a packed house at Fuji Rock Festival 2008 and countless festivals around the country, they have built a reputation as one of the finest funk units kicking it today.

Signed to the prestigious P-Vine label in Japan, they’ve also had a release through the highly regarded Jazzman label, as well as a release in Australia through Instrumental Recordings. Recently, they toured the east coast of Australia, becoming crowd favorites at renowned festivals such as Woodford Folk, Peats Ridge, Sydney Festival, Mona Foma and selling out the legenday Basement.

These young groove merchants are bound to take on the world. And your soul."

Nuff said.

BRUTON BRH 15 - STREET LEVEL

Download here

Track 1 - Ultra Violet Sox
Track 2 - Street Level
Track 3 - Stringfellows
Track 4 - Oh Boy
Track 5 - Roxy
Track 6 - FM Radio
Track 7 - Laser Rock
Track 8 - Pumping Iron 1
Track 9 - Muscle
Track 10 - Antibiotics 1
Track 11 - Antibiotics 2
Track 12 - Mowave
Track 13 - Sunshine Taste
Track 14 - Mindless
Track 15 - Hero

"BRH 15 Street Level" finds Warren Bennett, Les Hurdle, Frank Ricotti and others going all out to capture the pop sound of 1981. As the title suggests the music is designed to appeal directly to the hip "street level" crowd and the results are so incredibly fun that it's impossible to resist. In fact at least one of the tracks is a direct rip off of a hit song from that year ( "Stringfellows" is unashamedly fashioned from "Girls On Film" by Duran Duran. Sadly this song has glitches and cuts short, if anyone has a copy they can send me I'd be most thankful ). I sense it's not the only track that is influenced by a pop hit, I'm sure some of you will be able to identify elements that are familiar to you within "Muscle", "Sunshine Taste" etc.

I hadn't given this record a proper listen until yesterday and I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed it. As with others in the BRH series there is a hefty dose of retro cheese but this is the best sounding cheese I've heard in a long time. I beg you to download it and let me what you think! Thanks to the original uploader.

KPM 1240 - ACTION WORLD

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?daq28hb34g61a7z

Track 1 - Classical Action A

Track 2 - Classical Action B

Track 3 - Classical Action C

Track 4 - Classical Action D

Track 5 - Classical Action E

Track 6 - Classical Action F

Track 7 - Accelerator A

Track 8 - Accelerator B

Track 9 - Accelerator C

Track 10 - Accelerator D

Track 11 - Accelerator E

Track 12 - High Speed Action

Track 13 - Muscle A

Track 14 - Muscle B

Track 15 - Muscle C

Track 16 - Winning A

Track 17 - Winning B

Track 18 - Winning C

Track 19 - Winning D

Track 20 - Winning E

Track 21 - Winning F

Track 22 - Winning G

Track 23 - Winning H

Track 24 - Energy Source A

Track 25 - Energy Source B

Track 26 - Energy Source C

Track 27 - Power Source A

Track 28 - Power Source B

Track 29 - Power Source C

Track 30 - Progress Report A

Track 31 - Progress Report B

Track 32 - Action Report A

Track 33 - Action Report B

Track 34 - Action Report C

Track 35 - Action Report D

Track 36 - Danger Zone A

Track 37 - Danger Zone B

Track 38 - Danger Zone C

This is a real treat for lovers of 80's era library music. Produced by Keith Mansfield in 1980 it is a companion piece to KPM 1241 "Technology And Movement" and it covers the same themes of activity and action while using mostly electronic instruments ( the main exception being the rock guitar grooves on the "Winning" tracks ). From the frantic "High Speed Action" to the synth and piano combination on "Progress Report A", it's hard not to let your imagination run riot thinking about the possible uses for such emotive production music. Obviously there are many shorter cues based on the full length tracks but these also hold interest as you get to hear various manipulations of the main piece. I will post KPM 1241 sometime in the near future.

STROBOSCOPICA VOL.1 - VARIOUS ARTISTS

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?w2zzggiyujzt4d9

Track 1 - Matto Grosso / I Marc 4

Track 2 - Dopping 2000 / Freedom Power

Track 3 - Duo Balls / I Gres

Track 4 - Affanno / F.Micalizzi

Track 5 - Hyde Park / I Marc 4

Track 6 - Voleur / I Gres

Track 7 - Vortice / Freedom Power

Track 8 - Leyla Theme / Pulsar Music Ltd.

Track 9 - Restless / I Gres

Track 10 - Reaction / Freedom Power

Track 11 - Walking At Sunrise / Pulsar Music Ltd.

Track 12 - To Jimmy / I Gres

Track 13 - Cat Theme / Pulsar Music Ltd.

Track 14 - Love For Sale / Freedom Power

Track 15 - Il Porto / A.Alessandroni
Track 16 - Altalena Party / F.De Masi

Finding a perfect middle ground between library music and cinematic grooves, Stroboscopica Vol.1 delivers an extremely strong set comprising tracks from Pulsar Music Ltd., I Gres, Freedom Power and I Marc 4. With a lineup like that it's no wonder this collection spawned 2 sequels. For those of you who like nice heavy beats you can't go wrong with "Affanno", "Dopping 2000" and "To Jimmy". If you're more into soundtrack music then the last few songs are well worth the wait ( "Love For Sale" in particular is sensational ).  In case you missed the links posted in Stroboscopica Vol.2, Freedom Power's album can be found here, I Marc 4's here and the "Milano Violenta" soundtrack by Pulsar Music Ltd. is here.

STROBOSCOPICA VOL.2 - VARIOUS ARTISTS

http://rapidshare.com/files/40148140/Stroboscopica_Vol_2.zip

Track 1 - Running To The Airport / F.Micalizzi

Track 2 - Sigla R.P / Freedom Power

Track 3 - Intimate Conversation / Puccio Roelens

Track 4 - Soho / I Marc 4

Track 5 - Sixth Dimension / Steffano Torossi

Track 6 - Rhythms In Suspense / Gino Marinuzzi Jr.

Track 7 - Dark Suspense / F.Micalizzi

Track 8 - Coast To Coast / Steffano Torossi

Track 9 - Metropolis / Giovanni Tommaso

Track 10 - Palude / L.Michelini

Track 11 - Rash / Lash, Mirot

Track 12 - Rincorsa Prima / Ennio Morricone

Track 13 - Feasing / Freedom Power

Track 14 - Plancton / I Gres

Track 15 - Piccadilly Circus / I Marc 4

Track 16 - Pensiero Stupendo / Ennio Morricone

Track 17 - To Mendes / I Gres

Track 18 - Regent Street / I Marc 4

Track 19 - Trip Free / Freedom Power

Track 20 - Jeanette / I Gres

Track 21 - Simpton / Lash, Mirot

Track 22 - Movimento / L.Zito

Track 23 - Freedom Power / Freedom Power

Volume 2 of this great series features a massive 23 tracks from the cream of the 1970's Italian soundtrack / library music scene. Once again the main performers showcased are I Gres, I Marc 4 and Freedom Power but they are complimented by excellent pieces from Steffano Torossi and soundtrack legend Ennio Morricone. The general mood is rare groove with some cinematic jazz thrown in, several cuts also have a crime funk vibe which adds further interest. It's impossible to pick highlights out of such a strong selection, anyone who has even a passing interest in Italian soundtracks, library music or rare groove should find themselves more than satisfied. I can't recommend this compilation more highly, it's awesome. You can download albums by Freedom Power and I Marc 4 here and here.



STROBOSCOPICA VOL.3 - VARIOUS ARTISTS

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?v3kaor7l2idvbaz

Track 1 - Asfalto / V.Nadalin
Track 2 - Domenica In Riviera / Alessandro Alessandroni
Track 3 - Smooth And Manly / Puccio Roelens
Track 4 - Supermarket / Sandro Brugnolini
Track 5 - The Taste Of Repeat / Puccio Roelens
Track 6 - Giuggi / Sandro Brugnolini
Track 7 - Time Turf / Giuliano Sorgini
Track 8 - Calcolatore Elettronico / Rino de Filippi
Track 9 - Glamour / Lash, Mirot
Track 10 - Joy Bells / L.Sordini
Track 11 - A Silness Song / Puccio Roelens
Track 12 - Zed / Giuliano Sorgini
Track 13 - Carter / Mingross
Track 14 - Rotaie / Rino de Filippi
Track 15 - Clessidra / Giuliano Sorgini
Track 16 - A Little Sad / Alessandro Alessandroni
Track 17 - Vance / Mingross
Track 18 - Malcontento Popolare / Alessandro Alessandroni
Track 19 - Daina Pinky / Francesco Tamponi
Track 20 - Bike / Lash, Stepchild

Another great compilation of Italian library music / rare groove that once again taps the considerable talents of Giuliano Sorgini, Puccio Roelens and Alessandro Alessandroni amongst others. The tagline for Volume 3 is "70's Jazzy Orchestral Latin Strobo Sounds" which goes some way to describing what you can expect here. If you are after breakbeats or cinematic grooves then you wont be disappointed by this collection. The tracks by Roelens are especially good, whether it be the down tempo organs on "Smooth And Manly", the jazz funk of "The Taste Of Repeat" or the blaxploitation stylings of "A Silness Song". they are all winners.

There should be enough variety on offer to keep the discerning listener interested and it certainly does the Stroboscopica series proud. If you would like to hear more by Giuliano Sorgini you can find it here. Volumes 1 and 2 will be posted in the next couple of days.

KRAFTWERK - TOUR DE FRANCE

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?o436tlasqooaeys

Track 1 - Prologue

Track 2 - Tour De France Etape 1

Track 3 - Tour De France Etape 2

Track 4 - Tour De France Etape 3

Track 5 - Chrono

Track 6 - Vitamin

Track 7 - Areo Dynamik

Track 8 - Titanium

Track 9 - Elektro Kardiogramm

Track 10 - La Forme

Track 11 - Regeneration

Track 12 - Tour De France

I know it's probably not cool to admit this but "Tour De France" is my favourite Kraftwerk album and "Aero Dynamik" has been on high rotation ever since I saw them perform it on an MTV music award show several years ago. It was created in 2003 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Tour and has since been re-released in 2009. The title track was actually put out in 1983 and reached a respectable 22 on the U.K singles chart, other songs of note include the hypnotic, pulsing "Tour De France Etape 2" and "Chrono". Whether it succeeds in evoking images of cyclists punishing themselves on the roads of France is debatable but as far as ambient techno goes you can't go wrong with this. You can find another Kraftwerk related album here.

KPM 1042 - JAZZ GRAPHICS AND THE SPY SET

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?vfpv9nq8stpw831

Track 1 - Jazz Graphics No.1

Track 2 - Jazz Graphics No.2

Track 3 - Jazz Graphics No.3

Track 4 - Jazz Graphics No.4

Track 5 - Jazz Graphics No.5

Track 6 - Free Jazz

Track 7 - International Espionage

Track 8 - International Excitement

Track 9 - International Incident

Track 10 - International Situation

Track 11 - International Swinger

Track 12 - International Link 1

Track 13 - International Link 2

Track 14 - International Link 3

Track 15 - International Link 4

Track 16 - International Link 5

Track 17 - International Underscore

Track 18 - International Intrigue

Track 19 - International Tension

Track 20 - International Dossier

Track 21 - International Danger

Track 22 - International Suspense

Track 23 - International Shock

Track 24 - International Stab

Track 25 - International Retreat 

A very cool KPM from 1969 by Peter Thomas, Derrick Mason and featuring one track from Bryan Daly. As the title suggests the mood is slinky and mysterious with the early songs having bass, drums, organ, sax and flute playing the main roles. "Free Jazz" by Bryan Daly is quite an epic piece in terms of library music, clocking in at 6mins 11secs. It's a fantastic number aswell. However it is the "International" series of tracks by Peter Thomas that will hold the most interest with his freewheeling, off the wall style on full display, ranging in length from 40 seconds to 1min 30secs they pack a lot of punch into such a small amount of time and are highly satisfying. There is even a little of the electronic playfulness that many of us have come to identify Thomas with. It's certainly one of the more unique KPM's and I would highly recommend giving it a listen.

QUESTLOVE - FUNKY DRUMMER VOL.3

http://rapidshare.com/files/152207153/hhir_qlove_funkydrummer_03.zip

Track 1 - She's Always In My Hair / D'Angelo
Track 2 - Fell In Love With A Boy / Joss Stone
Track 3 - Change Your World / Anthony Hamilton
Track 4 - Loving Me 4 Me / Christina Aguilera
Track 5 - Tug Of War / Nikka Costa
Track 6 - War / Dilated Peoples
Track 7 - Hold Tight / Skillz
Track 8 - I'll Be Dat! / Redman
Track 9 - Sexual Revolution / Macy Gray
Track 10 - I Can't Wait / Jaguar Wright
Track 11 - Maybe / N.E.R.D
Track 12 -Be Still My Beating Heart / The Randy Watson Experience
Track 13 - Jimi Was A Rock Star / Common

This 3rd collection of tracks that feature Questlove's drumming or production is filled with gems. The most commercially well known songs would be the awesome "Maybe" by N.E.R.D and "Fell In Love With A Boy" by Joss Stone but there is plenty more quality in the form of delightful soul number "Change Your World", the stomping "Hold Tight" and the Funkadelic style groove of "I Can't Wait". It certainly highlights the influence that Questlove has had over the soul / hip hop world in the last 10+ years and if you would like to hear more of his work you can download it here and here.

ROGER ROGER - SPORTS PLEIN AIR 10

 

Download here

Track 1 - Stadium Marche

Track 2 - Jeunesse Ardente

Track 3 - Sporting Games

Track 4 - Defile Des Champions

Track 5 - Rugbymen

Track 6 - Basket Jumpers

Track 7 - Sports Et Plein Air

Track 8 - Match Nul

Track 9 - Cinq A Deux

Track 10 - Medaille Olympique

Track 11 - Jeu d'Enfer

This is a pleasing and very jazzy library album by the legendary French composer Roger Roger aka Cecil Leuter. It's good fun from start to finish and "Rugbymen" has cropped up previously on the "La Guepe Vol.2" compilation. "Stadium March" sounds like something you might hear on the t.v show "Curb Your Enthusiasm" but it is the laid back "Basket Jumpers" that really steals the limelight with its jazz nightclub vibe. Thanks to pixel_face who sent me this record.

TEDDY LASRY - SELECTED TRACKS FROM HIS PATCHWORK RELEASES

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?3r2kt2ldnokca3v

Track 1 - Automation

Track 2 - Candences

Track 3 - Challenger

Track 4 - Contina

Track 5 - Downtown

Track 6 - Economy

Track 7 - Highway

Track 8 - In The Gutter

Track 9 - Productivity

Track 10 - Reflection

Track 11 - Rush

Track 12 - Sky

Track 13 - Squaw Valley

Track 14 - Stress

Track 15 - Traffic

Track 16 - Workmen Choir

Track 17 - Los Angeles

This exciting set of tracks by Teddy Lasry is sourced from Patchwork Library releases 24, 44 and 59 while the final song can be found on one of the La Guepe comps. I'm struggling to find a good description for the music, maybe cinematic rare groove? It's really typical of French library music in terms of not being tied down by conventions or one particular genre. There is a bit of a fusion rock vibe on "Highway", probably the funkiest number would be the organ and bass groove of "In The Gutter" and "Productivity" provides a reminder that most of this work was created between 1979 and 1981. The one thing that is constant through this collection is the attention to detail and the high level of quality. It truly is excellent. Many thanks go to the compiler and original uploader.



JOSEPH KOO - WAY OF THE DRAGON OST

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?z48im5mjm5sqs6w

Track 1 - The Way Of The Dragon (Title)
Track 2 - The Dragon Arrives In Roma
Track 3 - The Dragon's Way Of Fight
Track 4 - Sharp Shooting
Track 5 - The Way Of The Dragon
Track 6 - The Big Guy
Track 7 - The Threat
Track 8 - The Trap
Track 9 - Big Fight At The Colosseum
Track 10 - The Way Of The Dragon (Finale)
Track 11 - The Way Of The Dragon (Instrumental)
Track 12 - My Way Of Kung Fu

Joseph Koo's score for "Way Of The Dragon" is somewhat typical of your average Hong Kong film soundtrack from the same period - lots of piercing strings and rolling drums mixed in with fight sound effects and rather pointless dialogue passages. When we get the chance to just relax and enjoy the music things pick up, "The Big Guy" is very nice cinematic funk and includes a bit of electronic work, "The Way Of The Dragon (Instrumental)" is also excellent and seems to give more than a glancing nod towards American cop show theme music. It's a soundtrack that will obviously appeal more to those who have seen the film but if you haven't it might still be worth checking out as a bit of a curio.

THEMES INTERNATIONAL (TIM 1008) - DRAMATIC ACTION

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?v27mjl0gajvr2bo

Track 1 - Interplay / David Lindup
Track 2 - The Observer / David Lindup
Track 3 - The Aggressor / David Lindup
Track 4 - The Long Safari / David Lindup
Track 5 - Soul Survivor / David Lindup
Track 6 - No Time To Hide / Johnny Pearson
Track 7 - Long Way To Go / Johnny Pearson
Track 8 - Work Force / Johnny Pearson
Track 9 - Action Point / Johnny Pearson
Track 10 - Action Assignment / Jim Lawless

This super release on the Themes Internation label has a really nice mix of jazzy funk, there are some killer drum breaks on tracks like "The Agressor" and "Work Force" but the highlight for me is the genre swapping delight of Johnny Pearson's "Long Way To Go". "Work Force" is another of Pearson's most engaging compositions with horns and bass playing the lead roles. Jim Lawless almost seems to appear on this record in order to fill the numbers but "Action Assignment" actually delivers in spades and could easily be classified as crime jazz. All in all I would recommend this record highly. I hope you enjoy.

MARIE "QUEENIE" LYONS - SOUL FEVER

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?1wi2zvg80o8511y

Track 1 - See And Don't See
Track 2 - Daddy's House
Track 3 - You Used Me
Track 4 - Your Thing Ain't No Good Without My Thing
Track 5 - Snake In The Grass
Track 6 - Your Key Don't Fit It No More
Track 7 - Fever
Track 8 - I Don't Want Nobody To Have It But You
Track 9 - We'll Cry Together
Track 10 - I'll Drown In My Own Tears
Track 11 - I Want My Freedom
Track 12 - Try Me

Not much is known about the mysterious life of Marie Lyons. For a period she was a backing singer for James Brown, released a number of 45's, then this wonderful album before disappearing from the spotlight completely, never to be heard from again. Marie had an incredible soul voice and the music is damn funky, her covers of "Fever" and Brown's "Try Me" are top notch. Maybe you could look at this as a female version of "Skull Snaps" in terms of its mystique within the vinyl hunting community. Thankfully it is now on CD and everyone has the opportunity to discover this brilliant record.

HOWARD SHORE - CRASH OST

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?1isjxgzinp0e2a3

Track 1 - Crash
Track 2 - CineTerra
Track 3 - Mechanism Of Occupant Ejection
Track 4 - Mirror Image
Track 5 - Where's The Car?
Track 6 - Sexual Logic
Track 7 - Road Research Laboratory
Track 8 - Mansfield Crash
Track 9 - Chromum Bower
Track 10 - A Benevolent Psychopathology
Track 11 - Two Semi-Metallic Human Beings
Track 12 - Triton
Track 13 - Accident, Accident
Track 14 - A Crushed Convertible
Track 15 - Prophecy Is Dirty And Ragged

Here is a review from Amazon by Joseph Lanza - "Howard Shore's music for Crash is among those truly rare times when a film composer and his subject matter achieve optimum intercourse. Every electrified guitar wail and steely screech, every wistful woodwind and haunting harp, and each melancholic violin conspire to provide a soundtrack perfectly suited for, yet independent from, its movie. Shore no doubt adds a darkly romantic logic to David Cronenberg's screen adaptation of J.G Ballard's literary meditation on the eroticism of car crashes. Instead of being obvious or trendy (e.g., songs by the Crash Test Dummies), he opts for a singular combination of electronic overlapping and echo delays that are both metallic and oddly melodic. Highly Recommended."

I saw this movie back in my film school days and it had a hell of an impact on me, as did the book. The soundtrack perfectly conveys the dark and disturbing themes of the plot. There's a sadness to the music along with a sense of fear and resignation. It's pretty heavy stuff but well worth the trip.

I'M BACK!!!

Hi folks. I have just experienced a very frustrating 24 hours where Blogger would not allow me to post anything. Thankfully Google finally came to the rescue. Sorry for the break in transmission, it was probably the first day I haven't posted since I started back in November. Just to let you know I will be on holidays for 5 days starting Thursday but I will set the blog up to automatically post in my absence. If you leave a message during that time it wont get published until late Monday / early Tuesday.

Until next time, keep it funky.

BRUTON BRM 06 - BUILDING TENSION

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?k7b1cbo8o7b4637

Track 1 - Search 2 Alt End

Track 2 - Search 2

Track 3 - Search 1 Alt End

Track 4 - Search 1

Track 5 - Forewarn Alt End

Track 6 - Forewarn 2

Track 7 - Forewarn 1

Track 8 - Whirlpool 2 Alt End

Track 9 - Whirlpool 2

Track 10 - Whirlpool 1 Alt End

Track 11 - Whirlpool 1

Track 12 - Forewarn 1 Alt End

Track 13 - Brute 2

Track 14 - Soft Suspense

Track 15 - Brute Pts. 1+2

Track 16 - Fear Alt End

Track 17 - Soft Suspense 6

Track 18 - Soft Suspense 5

Track 19 - Soft Suspense 4

Track 20 - Soft Suspense 3

Track 21 - Soft Suspense 2

Track 22 - Crime Alt End

Track 23 - Fear 1

Track 24 - Crime

Track 25 - Building Tension Alt End

Track 26 - Building Tension

Track 27 - Brute 1

Track 28 - Soft Suspense 7

Track 29 - Fear 2

Track 30 - Soft Suspense 9

Track 31 - Unease

Track 32 - Soft Suspense 8

A Bruton for the occasions when you are walking through an abandoned warehouse, on a dangerous stakeout or about to commit a terrible crime. Well, that's what it sounds like to me at least. I quite like the BRM series with its pared back orchestration and dark themes. Unsurprisingly out of the 32 tracks there are a lot of short cues but of the full length numbers "Brute Pts 1+2" and "Search 2" probably speak to me most. This record will appeal primarily to those who enjoy moody, pensive film scores. I doubt the track listing above is correct, it's more likely to be the order they appeared in my itunes after I opened the rip. Having the cues jumbled up a bit kind of works though, I wouldn't worry about it too much.

DRAMATIC FUNK THEMES VOL.1 - VARIOUS ARTISTS

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?dhsw75zs0oq2lgf

Track 1 - Soul Train / Les Hurdle

Track 2 - Flashpoint / Alan Hawkshaw

Track 3 - Flying Squad / Kenny Salmon

Track 4 - Sweeney Todd / Alan Parker

Track 5 - The Observer / David Lindup

Track 6 - Get Up And Go / Kenny Salmon

Track 7 - High Driver / Alan Hawkshaw

Track 8 - Soul Slap / Alan Parker & Madeline Bell

Track 9 - Override / Keith Roberts

Track 10 - El Zoro / Mike Moran

Track 11 - Scenechange 6a / Alan Tew

Track 12 - At Risk / David Lindup

Track 13 - Work Force / Johnny Pearson

Track 14 - The Heavies / James Clarke

Track 15 - Oddball / Alan Hawkshaw & Brian Bennett

Track 16 - Headlights / Alan Tew

Track 17 - Speed Run / Alan Hawkshaw

Track 18 - Inside Information / David Lindup

Track 19 - The Pick Up / Mike Moran

Track 20 - The Investigator / Alan Hawkshaw

"Dramatic Funk Themes Vol.1" digs into the famous Themes International music library and comes up with a bunch of tracks which sound like they've been lifted from the coolest 1970's crime film imaginable. If you enjoy action packed and drama filled library music then this is close to perfection. Themes was co-founded by Alan Hawkshaw and Alan Parker so it's no surprise to find some of their finest tracks featured on this compilation along with other tasty nuggets by David Lindup, Alan Tew, James Clarke and Johnny Pearson. Parker's "Sweeney Todd" is a standout and "Soul Slap" deserves a mention for being one of the few vocal tracks to crop up within the genre. Just like Volume 2 the song selection is spot on and there isn't a weak track to be found. I've listened to this record several times while putting this post together and my appreciation for it grows each time. It's a Grade A winner!

SKULL SNAPS - SELF TITLED

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?5fe3bbkjcpcbnsx

Track 1 - My Hang Up Is You
Track 2 - Having You Around
Track 3 - Didn't I Do It Too You
Track 4 - All Of A Sudden
Track 5 - It's A New Day
Track 6 - I'm Your Pimp
Track 7 - I Turn My Back On Love
Track 8 - Trespassing
Track 9 - I'm Falling Out Of Love
Track 10 - Al's Razor Blade
Track 11 - Ain't That Loving You

With the plethora of soul and funk recordings put out in the early 1970's it was easy for quality albums to fall through the cracks and "Skull Snaps" is one such example. Formed from the remnants of successful vocal group The Diplomats, Skull Snaps only released one record and a couple of tracks as singles but their legacy has been wide ranging with a huge amount of hip hop acts sampling these songs. Included in that list are Das FX, GangStarr, Luke Vibert, Public Enemy, Naughty By Nature, Prodigy, Heavy D, Pharcyde, Digable Planets, DJ Shadow and...Alanis Morissette. Most of this is due to the awesome drumming of George Bragg who lets fly with some wicked breakbeats.

At it's heart this is a soul album but certainly a very funky one. "I'm Your Pimp" and "Trespassing" are probably my favourite two tracks however there isn't any filler to be found. The legendary status of Skull Snaps is deserved and I'm sure people will be enjoying this record for a long time to come.

LE JAZZBEAT VOL.2 - VARIOUS ARTISTS

http://rapidshare.com/files/45601764/Le_Jazzbeat_Vol_2.zip

Track 1 - Devil's Anvil / Eddie Warner

Track 2 - Funky Kid / Eddie Warner

Track 3 - Brutas Drums / Eddie Warner

Track 4 - Shut Up / Eddie Warner

Track 5 - Zone Y / Eddie Warner

Track 6 - Titus / Eddie Warner

Track 7 - Knock It / Roger Morris

Track 8 - Black Power / Eddie Warner

Track 9 - Night Fight / Eddie Warner

Track 10 - Check Point Charlie / Eddie Warner

Track 11 - Electronic Track / Cecil Leuter

Track 12 - Come / Eddie Warner

Track 13 - Hard Labour / Roger Morris

Track 14 - Stop Stottering / Eddie Warner

Track 15 - Organic / Eddie Warner

Track 16 - Eccentric Trick / Eddie Warner

I'm not sure where the "Jazz" part of this compilation comes into play because it's actually full of library funk and cool electronic tracks. Eddie Warner provides most of the material and his affinity for bombastic percussion is on full show with "Brutas Drums", "Titus", "Night Fight" and "Eccentric Trick" all exhibiting crazy beats. Mixed in are deep bass lines, fuzzy guitars and a smattering of nice organs. From the non Warner tracks "Knock It" and "Hard Labour" by Roger Morris have a bit of a blaxploitation vibe and Cecil Leuter's "Electronic Track" will be of interest to those who enjoyed the "Electronic Toys" compilations. Highly recommended stuff.

JEAN-PIERRE DECERF - PULSATIONS

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?5tulk6w9zn971pw

Track 1 - Pulsations

Track 2 - The Dodge

Track 3 - Soft Blow

Track 4 - Zoom

Track 5 - Trackstar

Track 6 - Bumpers To Bumpers

Track 7 - Focus

Track 8 - Moon Waxing

Track 9 - Space Authority

Track 10 - Naked Light

Track 11 - Contours

Track 12 - Reving The Hell

Track 13 - Zontrell

Track 14 - Private Service

Track 15 - Toss And Turn

I love this record. There's is so much going on, the instruments used don't vary much from track to track but the mood created is different every time. "Soft Blow" is an orgasmic prog / pop / synth masterpiece that I can't get enough of, "Trackstar" has an equally memorable quality that reminds me a little of Kraftwerk and "Space Authority" is purposeful and forthright with not a note out of place. The real joy from this music comes when you think you know where a track is heading only for it to disappear off into another world altogether. Maybe I identify with this record because it was created during the early 80's when I was just becoming aware of the world around me and I think there is a certain curiosity, a  playfulness and desire for exploration in these compositions that make it the perfect soundtrack for such a period. I hope you enjoy it too.

G15 PRESENTS - GENT INTERNATIONAL

http://rapidshare.com/files/125690508/gent_international_-_g15_presents__squeaky___2001_.rar.html

Track 1 - La Bomba
Track 2 - Jetstream
Track 3 - Mini Coopers
Track 4 - Capricorn
Track 5 - Stereo Checkout
Track 6 - Honey Pie
Track 7 - Really Norty
Track 8 - Cha Cha Cha
Track 9 - Faster Faster
Track 10 - Tongues Dance
Track 11 - Lie Down
Track 12 - Moongas

G15 take their interest in library music and Italian soundtracks, add some hip hop beats and samples to produce a sound that is somewhere between Pepe Deluxe and Mr.Scruff. Some of the tracks work better than others, "Honey Pie", "Faster Faster", "Jetstream" and "Tongues Dance" all succeed in giving the library source material a good working over without losing the funkiness that made the music so cool in the first place. Some purists might cringe at hearing classic KPM cuts being mashed and distorted but the results aren't too bad and the whole package is well worth a listen. Thanks to the original uploader.

BRUTON BRL 07 - MUSIC MACHINE

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=L6X5ETLE

Track 1 - Autopower

Track 2 - Heavy Industry

Track 3 - End Credit

Track 4 - Hot Seat

Track 5 - Optimism

Track 6 - Pro-motion

Track 7 - Technicolour

Track 8 - Thrust Forward

Track 9 - Drive On

Track 10 - Insistence

Track 11 - Press On 1

Track 12 - Press On 2

Track 13 - Press On Alt End

Track 14 - Proud Industries

Track 15 - Rhythm Pattern

This Bruton release from 1981 is pretty lightweight but there are enough tracks of interest to make it worthwhile. The first half of the record is by Alan Hawkshaw with some of the highlights being "Heavy Industry", "End Credit" and "Hot Seat". It's synthy and upbeat for the most part and this vibe continues into the Brian Bennett and Dave Lawson composed Side B. "Proud Industries" is a lovely track and "Rhythm Pattern" and "Press On 1" just scream early 80's. I guess you need to keep in mind that this is production music and was never meant to be more than background sound, despite this it's still better than a lot of the pop music put out during that period!

WOODY ALLEN - THE NIGHTCLUB YEARS

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?kok8dg430dcjsoe

Track 1 - The Nightclub Years Pt.1
Track 2 - The Nightclub Years Pt.2
Track 3 - The Nightclub Years Pt.3
Track 4 - The Nightclub Years Pt.4

Here is a change of pace for Funky Frolic. Before his film career took off Woody Allen was a very funny stand up comedian and this is a collection of his performances between 1964 and 1968. There is much neurosis to be had, with Woody taking aim at his family, his ex wife and ofcourse himself. It is a credit to his skill that 40+ years on much of the material presented here is just as funny. Jokes about owning a pet ant, his attempt at moose hunting, being employed to "look Jewish", being mistaken for a Klan member and becoming a Vodka spokesman all hit the spot. There is another album called "Standup Comic" which has better sound quality and much the same material but is broken up into various bits and this hampers the flow of the performances a little.

SHAWN LEE'S PING PONG ORCHESTRA - MUSIC & RHYTHM

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?lbjqo2fpwkk3p8d

Track 1 - Sexy Beast
Track 2 - Bollywood
Track 3 - Bongo Fury
Track 4 - Swamp Samba
Track 5 - Dirty Birdy
Track 6 - El Duce
Track 7 - East West
Track 8 - Italian Stallion
Track 9 - King Conga
Track 10 - Friday The 13th
Track 11 - Drum Monkey
Track 12 - Spytown
Track 13 - Organ Grinder
Track 14 - Scorpion
Track 15 - Sammy's Theme
Track 16 - Rose
Track 17 - Boss Bossa
Track 18 - Das Booty
Track 19 - Monterey Jack
Track 20 - T's Theme
Track 21 - The Descent
Track 22 - Pasta Cowboy
Track 23 - Axel Grease
Track 24 - Brooklyn
Track 25 - Pyschadelic Sambai

Here is a real treat, especially for those who are not familiar with the work of Shawn Lee. He is an incredibly talented musician and composer who has released over 20 records in the past 15 years as well as providing music for t.v shows such as CSI: Miami, Desperate Housewives and Lost. His work with the Ping Pong Orchestra mainly revolves around taking the genre of library music and giving it a 21st century update. The songs on this album are straight ahead and super tight ( ranging in length from 2min 01 to 2min 32 ), there are elements of crime funk, afro, go go, samba and Italian soundtrack vibes throughout. One track I noticed in particular was "Sammy's Theme" which has more than a passing resemblance to "Hard Hitter" by Keith Papworth.

Percussion is the key element to a lot of this music and you don't have to wait long for the breakbeats to flow. Lee provided some of the music for "Ocean's Thirteen" and I can definitely hear some parallels between his work and David Holmes who scored most of the tracks in that film series. If that doesn't whet your appetite I don't know what will. This is a must have!!!

CHAPPELL DANCE & MOOD MUSIC VOL.4 - VARIOUS ARTISTS

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?v6km18lw850x2ef

Track 1 - Moomin
Track 2 - Continental Gallop
Track 3 - Elizabethan Serenade
Track 4 - Hydro Project
Track 5 - Mannequin Melody
Track 6 - Prelude To Doom
Track 7 - Nurseryland
Track 8 - The Challenge
Track 9 - 5:52 From Victorloo
Track 10 - China
Track 11 - Practice Makes Perfect
Track 12 - A Lonely Affair
Track 13 - Tear It Up
Track 14 - Waving Corn

This collection mainly revolves around playful orchestration that is in the same mould as the music used in Looney Tunes cartoons, "Practice Makes Perfect" is also very familiar to me but I can't place where I've heard it before. Quality is maintained throughout and it's a whole lot of fun. Strangely there appears to be two different records that claim to be "Dance & Mood Music Vol.4", you might be able to read the track titles on the cover image and see they don't match up to those on the rip I have. Also what I suspect to be the original is by Paul Piot but the tracks listed above are by Clive Richardson, Walter Scott and Charles Williams amongst others. Does anyone have the lowdown for me? Whatever the story it doesn't diminish from the enjoyment contained within this record.

QUESTLOVE - FUNKY DRUMMER VOL.4

http://rapidshare.com/#!download|526l33|143951705|hhir_qlove_funkydrummer_04.zip|89397

Track 1 - A Song For Assata / Common (Feat. Cee Lo)
Track 2 - Africa / D'Angelo
Track 3 - Hey Young World / Macy Gray (Feat. Slick Rick)
Track 4 - Water No Get Enemy / Various Artists
Track 5 - Ominira / Angelique Kidjo
Track 6 - Lift Your Fist / Guru (Feat. The Roots)
Track 7 - Burnin' And Lootin' / Bob Marley (Feat. The Roots)
Track 8 - Between Me, You And Liberation / Common (Feat. Cee Lo)
Track 9 - Lesson No.4 / The Philadelphia Experiment
Track 10 - Green Eyes / Erykah Badu

More funk, soul and hip hop tracks that feature Questlove either as drummer or producer. "Water No Get Enemy" is the key number, a 10 minute long afro funk dream that features Femi Kuti, Macy Gray and D'Angelo amongst others. It's also nice to hear a bit of Angelique Kidjo and Erykay Badu but purely on a hip hop level I can't go past "Lift Your Fist" by Guru. It's a nice compilation with plenty of familiar names however it isn't as good as "Instrumentals".