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Tati’s Traffic jams
When thinking about what sort of music would be used to score a film by French madcap Jacques Tati , what immediately comes to mind is some zany Raymond Scott -style spin on Parisian musette. There’s some of that on Charles Dumont ‘s just-reissued soundtrack to Tati’s flick Trafic (Universal) from 71, but there are also a few outrageously rough funk joints typical of the period. Definitely worth investigating for scroungers of oddball sample sources and more adventurous selectors.
Attic discovery
What? You’ve never heard of Kenneth Higney ? That makes two of us. But there was something strangely compelling about the Xerox-quality cover image of the shaggy outsider hombre on the Attic Demonstration (Kebrutney) disc and its song titles like No Heavy Trucking, Children Of Sound and Funky Kinky that insistently mumbled, “Buy or else.” If you’re intrigued by the concept of a hairier Jandek reinterpreting the hippie redneck songbook of Jim Ford , then Attic Demonstration could be your new favourite disc.
Sleazy does it
Don’t be fooled by the title of the Rustlers ‘ new comp of vintage 7-inch flea market finds, Roots Of Funk (Invisible College) – there are no James Brown-inspired booty bumpers here. Nope. This is packed with the sort of sexy, sleazy instrumental R&B scorchers from artists like the Fabulous Georgia Soul Twisters , Banny Price , King Cobras and the Blockbusters that set up the funk explosion of a decade later. Fans of the Las Vegas Grind series will find lots to dig.
Heavyweight hiphop
The second mix disc of old-school hiphop jams circa 88 put together by DJ Ivory of the notorious P Brothers – issued without a track listing, to wind up the trainspotters – Hear No Evil Vol. 2 (Heavy Bronx) is a scratch-happy reminder of how creative DJs and MCs were back in the fat gold chain era before Vanilla Ice and MC Hammer changed the game forever. Cameos by DJ Moe Love , Cash Money and Percee P add to the non-stop kicks.
