p Funk

Recorded direct-to-tape on an 8-track recorder at London's iconic analog haven Toe Rag Studios, S.P.A.C.E. is the fifth studio album by Italian cinematic funk titans Calibro 35. Trading in their signature gritty Italian poliziotteschi crime-thriller aesthetic for vintage synthesizers and retro-futuristic soundscapes, the Milan combo crafts the ultimate groovy soundtrack to an imaginary sci-fi film. Produced by Tommaso Colliva, the record orbits through cosmic afrobeat ("Ungwana Bay Launch Complex"), lunar funk ("Bandits On Mars"), and eerie organ-driven psych ("Serenade For A Satellite"). Warm, raw, and relentlessly tight, S.P.A.C.E. solidifies the band's status as world-class pioneers of retro library grooves.

Funk Or Walk is the electrifying debut album by the powerhouse vocal duo The Brides of Funkenstein, originally released on Atlantic Records in September 1978. Comprising the brilliant Lynn Mabry and Dawn Silva—both seasoned veterans of Sly and the Family Stone before entering the P-Funk collective—the group earned well-deserved Record World Awards for Best New Female Artists and Best New R&B Group in 1979. Masterfully helmed by funk visionary George Clinton, the album boasts an legendary lineup of backing musicians including Bootsy Collins on bass and drums, Bernie Worrell on keyboards, and Michael Hampton on guitar, with sweeping orchestral flourishes provided by the Detroit Symphony. Anchored by the smash hit crossover anthem Disco To Go, co-produced by Collins and Clinton, the record delivers an infectious blend of deep interstellar rhythms, cosmic soul ballads, and high-energy dancefloor grooves, cementing it as an essential cornerstone of the Parliament-Funkadelic canon.

Funk Classics: The 70's Vol. 2 is an incredibly potent, high-energy compilation released by Rebound Records in 1997, capturing the definitive, party-starting heavy grooves of a golden decade for urban dance music. While a few selections appear in their tight, edited radio versions—such as Rick James' explosive "You & I"—the collection holds nothing back elsewhere, serving up the monumental, full-length 15-minute masterpiece version of Funkadelic's "(Not Just) Knee Deep". Spanning across raw street funk, sophisticated horn arrangements, and infectious disco-funk crossover hits, the tracklist reads like a hall-of-fame roster of rhythm. From the classic grit of James Brown's "The Payback" and Fred Wesley & The JB's "Pass The Peas" to the dancefloor-filling grooves of the Commodores, Ohio Players, and Kool & The Gang, this stellar compilation remains an essential historical archive and the ultimate soundtrack to liven up any rare-groove collection.

Released in 2006 on the San Francisco-based Hammondbeat label, The Living Eye is the heavy-hitting third album by Swiss mod-jazz and soul-funk quintet Men From S.P.E.C.T.R.E. Steeped in the gritty 1960s and '70s cinematic spy-thriller aesthetics, cinematic funk, and psychedelic jazz-rock, the band delivers a high-octane vintage groove driven by Mario Janser's roaring Hammond B3 organ, Fender Rhodes, and vintage synths. Paired with Gerry Germann's fuzz-toned guitar riffs and a relentless rhythm section composed of bassist Rolf Keller, drummer Stefan Saurer, and percussionist Robert Ebler, the 11-track set is packed with relentless grooves, tight breakbeats, and retro soundtrack atmosphere. Standout tracks like "Black Tank," "The Luck of Teela Brown," "Electric Tiger Shake," and the sprawling, hypnotic title track "The Living Eye" make this an indispensable release for fans of modern Hammond funk, Boogaloo, and Euro-cinematic jazz-rock.

Funkadelic‘s 1971 classic Maggot Brain, regarded as one of the best if not the best album in the P-Funk discography, is getting a new reissue via Org Music and Westbound Records. The album has been newly remastered and cut directly from the analog master tapes. Maggot Brain mixed styles in ways nobody had really done before. “That album blew my mind,” Andre 3000 told The Guardian in 2006. “It made me want to learn to play guitar, and its huge range of styles – funk, bluegrass, country, opera – helped build our sound. Everyone was doing funk back then, but nobody has ever sounded like Funkadelic.”

Released in 1990 on the HDH label, Rhenium is an illuminating compilation that documents the pivotal late-1960s and early-1970s Invictus Records era of George Clinton's legendary funk institution, Parliament. Bridging the gap between their origins as a Detroit doo-wop vocal group and their full-blown transformation into acid-soaked P-Funk titans, this collection captures the group experimenting with a groundbreaking hybrid of soul, gritty funk, rhythm and blues, and psychedelic rock. Produced under the guidance of Motown songwriting royalty Holland-Dozier-Holland, these recordings allow listeners to hear the intricate studio textures and raw grooves in pristine digital clarity. Highlights include the spacy guitar riffs of Breakdown, the torrid energy of Red Hot Moma, and the scandalous funk workout I Call My Baby Pussycat. The album also features intriguing, unconventional stylistic detours such as the country-influenced Little Ole Country Boy and the atmospheric flute-led balladry of The Silent Boatman. Essential for P-Funk completionists and crate diggers alike, Rhenium offers an indispensable historical look at the vital evolutionary foundation upon which the entire Parliament-Funkadelic empire was built.

Can it get any better? If aliens came down needing to know what funk was all about, in all its talented, embrace-anything-and-everything, screw with your head and get your butt down glory, then this is a prime candidate for what to give them. The man, his voice, his bass, the backing of a prime core band including his guitarist brother Catfish, Fred Wesley, and Maceo Parker leading the brass – beautiful, hilarious, and just plain great. This one-disc collection could easily be a two-disc or more if one wanted to include every last highlight from Collins' up-down-all-around career – his work with James Brown alone is beyond the bomb – but when it comes to solo work, this is as perfect a place to start as any. Drawing mostly on the albums done with the active help of George Clinton in the late '70s, Back in the Day is a model for what a good compilation should be. Sound is excellent throughout, while full details on who plays what and where, along with where everything came from in the first place, all appear in exhaustive detail. The liner notes, meanwhile, come from longtime funk road manager (Brown, Prince, plenty of others) Alan Leeds, explaining every step of Collins' wonderful story.

The Resurrection of Funk is a bold declaration that a seemingly-abandoned genre has been reborn, delivered by a master storyteller. Fresh and timely, Andre Cymone is redefining his space in the Funkmosphere (in much the same way he and his earliest collaborator Prince did with The Minneapolis Sound). Cymone once again breaks new ground with his own style of bass playing, as a colorful character known as The Funk Forecaster guides listeners through a journey into the world of Funk. With all songs written, performed and played by Cymone himself, this collection of tracks is as musically pure and concentrated as it gets.

Funked Up: The Very Best Of Parliament is a dynamic sixteen-track compilation released in 2002 by Mercury Records, celebrating the iconic legacy and cosmic grooves of George Clinton's legendary P-Funk collective. Spanning nearly eighty minutes, this essential collection gathers digitally remastered highlights from Parliament's legendary Casablanca Records era along with rare gems and live cuts. The album features quintessential funk anthems including Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker), Flash Light, Aqua Boogie, Up For The Down Stroke, Chocolate City, and Mothership Connection (Star Child). Showcasing heavy basslines, signature synthesizer riffs, infectious vocal harmonies, and intricate horn arrangements, the compilation captures the group at the peak of their creative powers. Highlights also include the rare Fantasy Is Reality and a roaring live performance of Let's Take It To The Stage. Digitally restored with exceptional clarity, this collection serves as an indispensable single-disc primer and definitive retrospective for P-Funk, soul, and classic funk enthusiasts worldwide.