45-1064 :: CARLTON JUMEL SMITH

Keep On Swinging b/w Hope

Original soul man Carlton Jumel Smith and the infamous Mocambo crew hook up for a double sider 45 of the highest order. The A-side “Keep On Swinging” is a slab of tough street funk with real-life storytelling about persistence and not giving up, hitting heavy on the one. Carlton’s message of positivity and encouragement continues on the flip side, “Hope”, an uptempo sweet soul hitter with a strong gospel vibe over urgent breakbeats.
Recorded on 8-track tape featuring members of the Mighty Mocambos and Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, this single is equally at home at breakdance battles as it is at soul allnighters, and whether you’re in a gangster limousine or in church – turn it up! “Long live soul music”.

45-1065 :: MONA & HAMMERBROOK SOUND MACHINE

Moya Vode b/w instrumental

Stunning outernational funk for the psych breaks dancefloor featuring the mesmerizing vocals of Ukrainian jazz singer Mona. Sung in her mother language, “Moya Vode” is about the “ancient ritual to put a spell on water and remove all negativity through its power”.

Mona and MC Fame, a well-known Ukrainian hiphop producer and activist, both left their hometown Kyiv last year and found a new home in the Hammerbrook district of Hamburg, Germany, where they quickly connected with the lively funk scene of the city. Together with the Mocambo crew they set off to work out some magic by combining universal funk grooves and Ukrainian folklore.
Mona’s mystical soulful vocals are backed by the “Hammerbrook Sound Machine”, a group featuring members of Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band and the Mighty Mocambos, with instruments like the Tsymbaly or Drymba added on top. The “folk-funk” continues more electronically on the instrumental flip side when MC Fame takes over the lead on Moog synthesizer. Dive into this spell!

45-1063 :: HEROES OF LIMBO

Watch Out Now b/w Try Again

Heroes Of Limbo strike again with two stunning interpretations of hiphop and R&B staples on one 45. The mystery funk collective took the scene by storm last summer with their flips on Eric B. & Rakim’s ‘Don’t Sweat The Technique’ and Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth’s ‘T.R.O.Y.’, moving all copies on release day. Here the reimagine the Beatnuts unmistakable ‘Watch Out Now’ and Aaliyah’s smash hit ‘Try Again’ in a their hypnotic, polyrhythmic afrobeat-inspired style. A sure shot double sided slice of musical pineapples.

45-1062 :: THE MIGHTY MOCAMBOS

Breaker b/w Let The Music Play

Two killer breakdance bangers by Germany’s funk champions on one 45. The brand new exclusive studio cut ‘Breaker’ is a fierce b-boy battle anthem – imagine an electro track performed on organic instruments, like only the Mocambos would do it. Cracking drums, a relentless bassline, a Hohner Clavinet through a stereo phaser and tuned cowbells are topped with a horn section featuring gralla, a Catalan double reed horn with a siren-type sound, ready to ring the alarm. Featured on the flip side is their stunning cover version of Shannon’s ‘Let The Music Play’, standout track from their much celebrated live album ‘Scénarios’, now available on 45 to the great delight of all DJs.

45-1061 :: HEROES OF LIMBO

45-1061Don’t Sweat The Technique b/w T.R.O.Y.

Heroes Of Limbo rework two hip-hop staples with stunning afrobeat arrangements. Eric B. & Rakim’s ‘Don’t Sweat The Technique’ and Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth’s ‘They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)’ are stripped to their instrumental essence with polyrhythmic drums and percussions, powered up by a massive big band brass section and going bonkers altogether. A sure shot double-sided winner for all DJs that want to leave their crowd guessing whether they’re taken to the streets of New York or to the Shrine in Lagos, Nigeria.

45-1060 :: THE MIGHTY MOCAMBOS

The Take Off – Part 1 b/w The Take Off – Part 2

Donut chiefs The Mighty Mocambos return with triumphant funk workout “The Take Off” out on limited edition 45.

On the instrumental A-side, crunchy drums and percussion set off into a 7-minute breakbeat extravaganza where dramatic horns and psychedelic, fuzzed-out guitars build up to an epic finale.

On the flip, Nichola Richards chants soulfully before passing the baton to Brooklyn MC JSwiss, whose spoken word poetry takes the listener to another level, ready for take-off!

Another sure-shotwinner from the Mocambo camp, for all funk DJs and aficionados.

45-1059 :: PAVEL CHIZHIK & THE VICIOUS SEEDS

Agent Sentimental b/w Postcard From Bangladesh

The Vicious Seeds from St. Petersburg have been putting out 45s with their blend of raw cinematic grooves and deep funk instrumentals for a while, here they introduce us to vibraphonist Pavel Chizhik, who adds his midas touch to the group’s well seasoned rhythm section. Reminiscent of early CTI recordings and – of course – Roy Ayers, the band delivers their own version of summer jazz dope beats, with sample-friendly drumbreaks, funky basslines, psych guitars and lush vibes. With communication to the group largely cut off or heavily censored, we leave it to the music to do the talking and spread the band’s message. “Make records, not war”.

45-1058 :: SUSAN AVILES

susan avilesEine schöne Welt b/w Versuche zu versteh’n

Mocambo Records is proud to present an official reissue of this uberrare piece of German psychedelic soul! Susan Avilés’ epic ‘Eine schöne Welt’ from 1970 is one of the toughest 45s to get hold of. With its dope wah-drumbreak-intro, lush orchestration and powerful vocal performance, the tune has deservedly turned from an obscure sleeper into one of the most wanted European rare grooves. On the flip side is the orchestral folk soul ‘Versuche zu versteh’n’ – an uptempo number with breakbeat drumming hidden behind a wall of sound that has become an obscure b-boy favourite.

Originally recorded for Abi Ofarim’s PROM Production and released by Philips with high hopes to establish Susan as a new star of an upcoming scene of young singers, ‘Eine Schöne Welt’ and the two follow up singles failed to chart – despite (or maybe due to) the extravagant production, socioconscious lyrics and the unique mix of psychedelic soul, bigband funk, chanson, folk & schlager.

Little is known about Susan Avilés. Born to a German mother, schlager lyricist Utta de Avilés, and a Spanish father in 1945, she started performing at an early age and released a few singles in the 1960s under the name Suzie Marcus. She had been romantically involved with Abi Ofarim at the time of the recordings in the early 1970s. After they parted ways, she had a brief stint with Donna Summer and Tony Gregory in the group Family Child, spent the rest of the 1970s in relative obscurity, returned with two chanson albums in the early 1980s and then vanished from the scene completely. Susan Avilés passed away in 2016, but we could get in touch with her husband Oliver Avilés-Lehnert, who encouraged us to do a re-release of these songs to ensure her legacy and bring these lost treasures back to the light of the day.

The record comes in a picture sleeve with original photos from the era – a picture showing Susan holding a copy of her own single and a shot for an autograph card to support the original release.  Artwork & label design: Lasse Singlemann. The original recordings have been carefully remastered for this limited vinyl run by Michael Schütz. All audio and photography licensed from the family estate of Susan Avilés.

45-1057 :: ELEVEN76

eleven 76The Scarab’s Quest b/w The Hornet’s Nest

Sci-Fi and library funk specialists Eleven76 return with an otherworldly breakdance double-sider. Their debut album ‘Space Voyage’ for Warner’s music library covered extra-terrestrial spheres and found its way into many films, TV programmes and documentaries. The scarce promo vinyl copies on Mocambo Records are already priced collector’s items among DJs. This 45s contains two hot slices of insect-themed outernational grooves with tropical and arabian flavours. Vintage synthesizers and hot tape-recorded drums continue to lead Eleven76’s mystique travels through unknown funk territories, all while frenzied percussion-heavy break beats keep b-girls and b-boys moving on the floor.

45-1056 :: THE DIASONICS

45-1056Sirocco b/w Nymphea

The Diasonics from Moscow, Russia bring two dope sides of what they describe as “hussar funk” – a style that seamlessly blends infectious deep funk instrumentals, east european flavours and psychedelic echoings. On this 7inch, their mystique vibe is complemented by a Koto – a japanese zither – that adds a samourai flic twist to the sovietsploitation groove of the band. File under “outernational” or “unusual funk”.