Unreleased 80s psychedelic funk rock out of Boston, MA. Influenced by Funkadelic, Sly Stone and James Brown, to name a few.Sherman Williams Started playing and writing music at age seven, he played through middle school.Travelled with a group, called Total Eclipse, throughout the East Coat during his high school years. He was on a mission to be a professional musician/singer/songwriter, of a band – he wanted heavy rhythms to match his huge guitar action, this is how Black Axess came about. "I badly wanted to record the music that I helped to create with the Black Axess so paid out of pocket for the studio time." - Sherman Williams From that session one single, "Tonight" was released on 7" but the lost album "The Golden Seal" sat on tape almost lost to time. That was until Robert Garcia and Daniel Mathis spoke to Sherman while tracking the "Tonight" Single, and discovered the lost LP we have here, credit to them both for sorting out and hooking us up and special thanks to Daniel for saving the tapes when UPS almost lost them, which might have been the end of it! Lay back, light one up, and listen on loop.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Carolina funk obscurity alert! "Migraine" by North Carolinian musician Dennis Garner, together with Dennis O., is a deep, rare slice of local funk magic. This 45 has always been a bit of a frustration—the cutting engineer accidentally left the lathe test tone running for a few seconds.mid-track, which made it tough to play out. We've finally fixed that issue, and now this killer cut is ready for some proper funtime.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Lost Gospel Gem - Exitiment "Rap For Jesus" by Columbus Native Kenneth Jordan Rediscovered Nearly 40 Years Later. Columbus, GA — In the late 1980s, Columbus native Kenneth Jordan was such a powerhouse on the local music scene that talent shows had to rewrite their rules. His voice was so captivating (and his wins so frequent) that some claimed the competitions were rigged. Jordan, deeply rooted in the city's thriving R&B circuit, eventually turned his creative energy toward faith-based music. Teaming up with several local musicians, he recorded "Excitement (Rap For Jesus)", a gospel-infused rap track that aimed to connect with a younger audience enthralled by the sound of hip-hop. His goal was simple: to give youth something uplifting to rap about and listen to. In 1985, following a personal health scare and a period of reflection, Jordan transitioned from R&B to gospel music. "I took it as a sign from above that it was time to make a change," he later shared. Though his lyrics found new purpose, his signature soulful style remained unchanged. Fast forward to December 2022 in Little Rock, Arkansas, where record collector and producer Brian Sears stumbled upon a well-loved copy of "Excitement (Rap For Jesus)" while purchasing over a thousand vinyl records from the trunk of an SUV in a Lowe's parking lot. Struck by the track's energy and message, Sears went into "detective mode" to uncover the story behind the voice—and the man—on the record. Today, Kenneth Jordan continues to share his gift with his community, leading spirited performances every Sunday at his local church in Columbus. Nearly four decades later, his music and message still resonate with the same joy and conviction that first made him a hometown legend.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Two slices of brilliant, Gospel disco from Reginald O'Neal Cuie. Originally released on 33rpm 7" (not the most wonderful format), Athens of the North scut the tape onto a loud 12 inch for the first time. A strong two sider, (500 12" only)

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Insane authentic 90s Vaporware Jazz created for The Weather Channel by Paul Coleman , a Chicago band leader in the 60s & 70s, and bands, Fabulous Epics, Rasputin's Stash & Crystal Winds. "A Weather Channel exec was going with Corky Brown's daughter and promised a very large sum of money if I could write and submit original material to The Weather Channel. I immediately went into Superman mode and started writing and programming a song per day. I worked day into night creating these songs as quickly as I could possibly do. They got played a few time before The Weather Channel got bought over. but we never got paid." - Paul Coleman 2025

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Jacksonville finest, The Fruit band's unreleased disco LP was released a few years ago on Athens but after many requests we are dropping a couple of 45s. 'Say It' is their best track, floaty disco goodness of the highest order, and the track that sent me out to find the band, a stone-cold killer. On the flip is the previously unreleased (before we did the LP) 'Space' Lady, an almost funkadelic disco number that catches my ear every time I go back to it, so decided to cut to 45 for the first time. Do it.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

A native of Shreveport, Louisianan, Fred Moss has been a lifetime professional musician, doing Session work and touring with many large artists, teaching and mentoring other artists. Surprisingly, During Fred's time working it turns out he was recording some rather brilliant unreleased Modern Soul music, the first single of which Athens of the North is very proud to present here.'Stay Away' is a gospel-tinged floater of the highest order, up there with the finest modern spins of the last 40 years, essential. On the flip, a funky 70s syncopated dancer that's going to be a big hit with forward-thinking northern crowds. Two brand-new mixes done in the Athens of the North studio from the original multitracks. This one is a little pricier than usual, but a lot of work went into getting it right, and we all gotta eat. This one is worth every penny, as good as any £1000+ modern rares and a two sider was well.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Dynamic, multi-limbed house outfit Girls of the Internet have collaborated with Athens of the North for a special, limited edition two track tour 12", with the remaining few copies now available. Sampling a mystery gem from the AOTN catalog, Girls of the Internet create a proper party record with A side 'Somewhere Someone'. Smiles on faces all round this summer. On the B, James Alexander Bright's 'Your Love' (from '24's amazing LP 'Cool Cool' Dynamic, multi-limbed house outfit Girls of the Internet have collaborated with Athens of the North for a special, limited edition two track tour 12", with the remaining few copies now available. Sampling a mystery gem from the AOTN catalog, Girls of the Internet create a proper party record with A side 'Somewhere Someone'. Smiles on faces all round this summer. On the B, James Alexander Bright's 'Your Love' (from '24's amazing 'Cool Cool' album) gets flipped into Gospel-tinged house track 'Where Is Your Love', a song that's been going down a storm on ts 'Your Love' (from '24's amazing 'Cool Cool' albumheir recent tour together.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

This was Don Thigpen's first recording as an artist, but he was no stranger to the studio. In fact he was the individual behind many heavy tunes that came out of the Jackson area. He and good friend Sam Anderson also cut a record on his CJR labelb (Capitol Jackson Records) called "Shirley Baby", also a highly coveted record if you got a copy to sell or record let us know). The name "LEO" became Dons preforming pseudonym. Leo was also his zodiac sign, which he deemed edgy enough to marquee this electro heavy track "Fee Fi Fo Fum". The inspiration for the song came from the computer craze of the 80s. Much like Zapp & Roger's track "Computer Love" an inanimate object is worshipped and then romanticized by a love affair. The song literally depicts a computer falling in love with a woman and attempts to communicate with her by seductively flashing the words "Fee Fi Fo Fum" on the screen.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

This was Don Thigpen's first recording as an artist, but he was no stranger to the studio. In fact he was the individual behind many heavy tunes that came out of the Jackson area. He and good friend Sam Anderson also cut a record on his CJR labelb (Capitol Jackson Records) called "Shirley Baby", also a highly coveted record if you got a copy to sell or record let us know). The name "LEO" became Dons preforming pseudonym. Leo was also his zodiac sign, which he deemed edgy enough to marquee this electro heavy track "Fee Fi Fo Fum". The inspiration for the song came from the computer craze of the 80s. Much like Zapp & Roger's track "Computer Love" an inanimate object is worshipped and then romanticized by a love affair. The song literally depicts a computer falling in love with a woman and attempts to communicate with her by seductively flashing the words "Fee Fi Fo Fum" on the screen.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Two early 80s slices of disco funk, from the taleted James (Gem) Prewitt, "My Love Box" was recorded recorded in St Louis, Missouri in 1981 and "Juicy" 1983. James Prewitt, a 27-year-old attending Forrest Park Community College in St Louis, took a leap and established his own label called Keyes Production. He demonstrated his remarkable talent by writing, producing, and playing on all of his releases.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

How about this little slice of joy, crisrails brilliant "November 18, 1983" sounds like some lost funky Cure record and on 45 for the first time - 500 ONLY NO REPRESS, (HAND MADE RISO SLEEVE)

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

L.A. Boogie super rarity by the elusive, Ben White. The 12" is known among many Disco and Boogie collectors and was reissued as a 45 by AOTN a while back. The much rarer (and better) 45 has remained in the hands of a few lucky or wealthy deepfunk collectors. This recording actually came from our good friend Andy Noble, who has helped us out on a lot of musical mission missions. Two sides of brilliant modern soul / boogie.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Sonlight were originally known as The Elements, formed at Patrick Henry Junior High school, Cleveland, ohio. in the late 60s. The Band leader was Mark Anthony, with members Ulysses Barnes, Enos Scott, and Ronald Sims. Mark sang and wrote most of the songs with help from the band members. They cut their first single for Del-Nita Records in 1970 after which moved to Soul Collector favourite Saru records, recording a few nice singles for the label. In 1974 they released "Spinning Top" on Atlantic Records under the band name Moving Violation, after which a another name change leads us to Sonlight and this single which was originally recorded released on the Spearhead label. Modern Soul, Disco heads have always coveted this rare single, reissued here for the first time, in hand made sleeve for this press only.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Jacksonville finest, The Fruit band's unreleased disco LP was released a few years ago on Athens but after many requests we are dropping a couple of 45s. This 45 comes in a hand made folder cover with help from an original press shoot of the band we had on file. One-time press with the picture sleeve, beautiful. Disco royalty.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Derwin Daniels, Soprano Sax player and composer, made this little R&B 45 in 1989. Recorded with vocals by the unfortunately passed away La Donna Wells who brings a Mary J Level performance 3 years before "What's The 411" hit the streets. Slick, deep R&B that's soulful enough for modern soul and disco sets, what's not to love. Flipped with some Jazz Bizznes from Derwin, utter gold!

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Killer wonky modern soul / disco out NYC written by Producer Alan Jones. Rathen than put the instrumental on the flip same as the og, we opted to put a mix with a lower vocal on the B-side, mostly because we wanted a mix to play out ourselves, killer modern 45, do it!

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Lost Gospel Gem - Exitiment "Rap For Jesus" by Columbus Native Kenneth Jordan Rediscovered Nearly 40 Years Later. Columbus, GA — In the late 1980s, Columbus native Kenneth Jordan was such a powerhouse on the local music scene that talent shows had to rewrite their rules. His voice was so captivating (and his wins so frequent) that some claimed the competitions were rigged. Jordan, deeply rooted in the city's thriving R&B circuit, eventually turned his creative energy toward faith-based music. Teaming up with several local musicians, he recorded "Excitement (Rap For Jesus)", a gospel-infused rap track that aimed to connect with a younger audience enthralled by the sound of hip-hop. His goal was simple: to give youth something uplifting to rap about and listen to. In 1985, following a personal health scare and a period of reflection, Jordan transitioned from R&B to gospel music. "I took it as a sign from above that it was time to make a change," he later shared. Though his lyrics found new purpose, his signature soulful style remained unchanged. Fast forward to December 2022 in Little Rock, Arkansas, where record collector and producer Brian Sears stumbled upon a well-loved copy of "Excitement (Rap For Jesus)" while purchasing over a thousand vinyl records from the trunk of an SUV in a Lowe's parking lot. Struck by the track's energy and message, Sears went into "detective mode" to uncover the story behind the voice—and the man—on the record. Today, Kenneth Jordan continues to share his gift with his community, leading spirited performances every Sunday at his local church in Columbus. Nearly four decades later, his music and message still resonate with the same joy and conviction that first made him a hometown legend.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Carolina funk obscurity alert! "Migraine" by North Carolinian musician Dennis Garner, together with Dennis O., is a deep, rare slice of local funk magic. This 45 has always been a bit of a frustration—the cutting engineer accidentally left the lathe test tone running for a few seconds.mid-track, which made it tough to play out. We've finally fixed that issue, and now this killer cut is ready for some proper funtime.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

This was Don Thigpen's first recording as an artist, but he was no stranger to the studio. In fact he was the individual behind many heavy tunes that came out of the Jackson area. He and good friend Sam Anderson also cut a record on his CJR labelb (Capitol Jackson Records) called "Shirley Baby", also a highly coveted record if you got a copy to sell or record let us know). The name "LEO" became Dons preforming pseudonym. Leo was also his zodiac sign, which he deemed edgy enough to marquee this electro heavy track "Fee Fi Fo Fum". The inspiration for the song came from the computer craze of the 80s. Much like Zapp & Roger's track "Computer Love" an inanimate object is worshipped and then romanticized by a love affair. The song literally depicts a computer falling in love with a woman and attempts to communicate with her by seductively flashing the words "Fee Fi Fo Fum" on the screen.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Unreleased 80s psychedelic funk rock out of Boston, MA. Influenced by Funkadelic, Sly Stone and James Brown, to name a few.Sherman Williams Started playing and writing music at age seven, he played through middle school.Travelled with a group, called Total Eclipse, throughout the East Coat during his high school years. He was on a mission to be a professional musician/singer/songwriter, of a band – he wanted heavy rhythms to match his huge guitar action, this is how Black Axess came about. "I badly wanted to record the music that I helped to create with the Black Axess so paid out of pocket for the studio time." - Sherman Williams From that session one single, "Tonight" was released on 7" but the lost album "The Golden Seal" sat on tape almost lost to time. That was until Robert Garcia and Daniel Mathis spoke to Sherman while tracking the "Tonight" Single, and discovered the lost LP we have here, credit to them both for sorting out and hooking us up and special thanks to Daniel for saving the tapes when UPS almost lost them, which might have been the end of it! Lay back, light one up, and listen on loop.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Over the past few years, London based DJ and curator Sam Don has shone new light into the Reggae sub-genre of Lovers Rock with his comps 'For the love of You'. His deep, yet deeply accessible selections have opened the ears of many to the genre. With this new compilation 'Just A Touch' Sam shines his torch even deeper, this time through crates of UK Underground Soul. He painstakingly researched and tracking down each producer to bring you some of the sweetest soul cuts that will ever grace your eardrums. Sam Don explains: Whilst the US is most well-known for soul music, the UK has created its own take on the genre, due to the melting pot of cultures and musical styles that makes the UK so special. I didn't 'set out' to make a compilation like this, but one night an idea came to me, and I sketched it out at home with my record collection. When I saw how well these sounds came together, I started my mission to find the people involved with them and 'Just A Touch' was created.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Two slices of brilliant, Gospel disco from Reginald O'Neal Cuie. Originally released on 33rpm 7" (not the most wonderful format), Athens of the North scut the tape onto a loud 12 inch for the first time. A strong two sider, (500 12" only)

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

Insane authentic 90s Vaporware Jazz created for The Weather Channel by Paul Coleman , a Chicago band leader in the 60s & 70s, and bands, Fabulous Epics, Rasputin's Stash & Crystal Winds. "A Weather Channel exec was going with Corky Brown's daughter and promised a very large sum of money if I could write and submit original material to The Weather Channel. I immediately went into Superman mode and started writing and programming a song per day. I worked day into night creating these songs as quickly as I could possibly do. They got played a few time before The Weather Channel got bought over. but we never got paid." - Paul Coleman 2025

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

UK producer Tom Carruthers returns with a scorching 5-tracker for Skylax Records, diving headfirst into the primal roots of jackin’ house, proto-italo, and early machine funk. Known for his raw MPC-driven grooves on L.I.E.S., Clone Jack For Daze, Syncrophone, and Craigie Knowes, Carruthers channels the energy of the underground circa ’86—pure drum machine soul for the dancefloor faithful. Side A kicks off with the title track “Neutralise”, all sharp snares, warped synths and hypnotic repetition—a jack track in the truest sense. “Deep North” follows with ghostly pads and relentless drum programming, while “No More” brings metallic tension and stripped-down funk with a heavy nod to Chicago’s original blueprints. On the flip, “Pascals” weaves cosmic arps through rugged percussion, merging italo sensuality with bleep-era minimalism. The closer, “Cosmic Ride”, is exactly that: a journey through spacey chords, dusty rhythm boxes, and that unmistakable feeling of warehouse euphoria at 4 a.m. Neutralise EP is a raw, timeless record that strips dance music down to its essence—jacking, emotional, physical. To match the sonic purity and timeless aesthetic of the release, we enlisted the iconic H5 studio—a name synonymous with visionary design in music and culture. Known for their groundbreaking work with Daft Punk, YSL, and numerous award-winning visual campaigns, H5 brings a level of artistic sophistication that elevates this EP into a complete sensory object. Their clean, modernist design echoes the stripped yet futuristic vibe of Tom Carruthers’ sound—a perfect fusion of form and function, underground and high art. Vinyl only. No digital. No compromise. For fans of: Virgo Four, Baby Ford, Larry Heard, early Warp, Mr. Fingers, and Beppe Loda.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More

180 Gram, 2025 REPRESS

This album was recorded in 1978 in Paris and released only in France in 1981.

That was the first meeting between Don Cherry and Indian percussionist Latif Khan and the result is an incredible mixture of jazz and Indian music. This unsung album is only known by hardcore fans of Don cherry who considered it as one of his best efforts.

Don Cherry, armed with a voracious musical appetite and boundless imagination, first made a name for himself — though not always fully understood — alongside Ornette Coleman, playing trumpet or cornet. In Los Angeles and then New York, he stood at the heart of a revolutionary approach to improvisation based on melody rather than harmony, later baptized "Free Jazz," the final structural development of American jazz. Over time, he became a champion of improbable fusions — gradually integrating into his style a whole array of “exotic” instruments, and more importantly, the cultures from which they originated. Among them: India, Brazil, Africa, Indonesia, and even China.

The time had come for the emergence of “world music”: in hindsight, a patchwork rich in imagination and seduction, but once the novelty wore off, often lacking in substance. In Don Cherry’s case, however, the commitment ran deep — tied to his personal engagement with a global vision of art and the human condition. Nothing anecdotal. One might speculate on how his family background shaped this extraordinary openness of spirit. But the talent? That was entirely his own.

Ustad Ahmed Latif Khan, from the Delhi gharana (a musical lineage), was part of a new generation of accompanists — percussionists, sarangi players, flutists, etc. — who had extended both the technical and conceptual possibilities of their predecessors to gain recognition as soloists and soon to venture onto the international scene. Among them, Latif stood out for his taste for irregular, highly syncopate d rhythmic patterns — rich in variety and originality.

Don and Latif had never met before the recording session, but the two quickly recognized one another as kindred spirits — calm, focused… and full of laughter. Don clearly knew what he wanted to create, and nothing seemed to pose a challenge for Latif, who grasped the American’s intentions immediately, warmed up his fingers at astonishing speed, and with his perfect pitch, naturally took on the role of tuning Don’s diverse instrument collection to match whatever was found in the studio — from concert piano and Hammond B3 organ to chromatic orchestral timpani.

Sicherheits- und Herstellerinformationen / safety and manufacturer info (GPSR)
WAS - Word and Sound Medien GmbH
Liebigstrasse 2-20
DE - 22113 Hamburg
Germany
Contact: [email protected]More