Jeff Floyd
Don't Leave Me

Viento Sur by Various ArtistsLet yourself go with the overwhelming musical output of Argentina’s very own Melopea Discos, in a selection of songs that explore fusion with an air of mystery and a side of exquisite sensitivity across 11 carefully curated leftfield synth pop, experimental folk and ambient tracks.“Viento Sur” has been compiled by Argentine DJs and collectors Bárbara Salazar and Alejandro Cohen (dublab) based in Buenos Aires and Los Angeles respectively.Most of the songs are reissued here for the first time and many of them were previously unavailable on vinyl.Includes a 4-page insert with liner notes and photos. Remastered sound.

Four Flies keeps digging into the secret archives of Alessandro Alessandroni to bring hidden treasures back to light. After two successful releases - the EP Afro Discoteca and the compilation album Lost & Found -, it is now the turn of a new 7’’ single featuring two tracks with a strong soul-funk influence, sung by the Maestro’s beloved Cantori Moderni in a typically Italian harmonizing style, poised somewhere in between gospel and disco music. Both tracks are previously unreleased and were recorded in the same 1976 sessions that birthed Sangue di sbirro (Knell / Bloody Avenger), his most blaxploitation-inspired soundtrack.“Shine On”, on Side A, is a disco-funk anthem driven by a killer rhythm section, with heavy drum breaks and bass lines enhanced by a powerful brass section, string interludes and Fender Rhodes phrasings with a distinctly jazz-funk flavour. In the same vein, “Prohibition” on Side B is a mid-tempo funk floor-filler built on a super groovy bass line on top of which are layered prominent brass and Wurlitzer passages. This is another great find that expands the known horizons of Alessandroni’s discography. And it won’t be the last one...

Originally released in 1983, this 12’’ from French-Haitian saxophone player Ulysse became cult – and extremely rare – within the French boogie niche. Both tracks wonderfully succeed in mixing political statements with dance-floor delights.Boogie-pop track “Naïma” seems to be a love song at first, but actually says the impossible resilience of a woman who has grown up in war.The heavy digital reggae song “Tiers Monde” warns us about the abandonment of Third World children.This maxi single, where each track is instantly followed by its instrumental version for greater DJ use, is an authentic snapshot of the Paris mixed club scene of the 1980s. Really hard to find for a very long time, it’s a great pleasure for Stima Records to make this music available again, in order to reach a well deserved new audience nearly 40 years later!

Sensational by Erika de CasierSensational expands the universe of Erika de Casier’s 2019 self-released debut album Essentials. Where Essentials dealt more with the infatuation stages of love, Sensational has more of an attitude, aiming to dismantle the stereotype of single women looking for love, tackling relationship dramas and the toxicity of dating. It was a chance to rewrite scenarios in ways that empowered her, fantasising about what could’ve been.Sensational was produced by de Casier and Natal Zeks and is a breath of fresh air to anyone with a passion for music in all its genres, as much influenced by Aaliyah and Janet Jackson as house, garage and techno. With hushed, pillow-soft vocals and production that references turn-of-the-millenium sounds, de Casier’s sound surveys the past while looking to the future.