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1998 in a nutshell ...
1998 proved to be a pivotal year for music. It marked the explosion of rediscovery of original seventies music, mostly jazz, funk and the underground spacey disco. The famous Spaced Out compilation, the Loft Classics series and Jumping compilations are among the best disco compilations while BBE is famous for sixties and seventies early funk revival. Digging deeper 1,2,3 explore the jazzfunk side of the seventies music scene. But this is only the beginning! Numerous people are digging for highly collectable items from Brass Construction, Fatback, Herbie Hancock and so much more examples of the foundations of todays music. In fact, the richness of the seventies music puts todays music in the shadow and drives the standards for new releases much higher. Artists can no longer fool real music enthousiasts with cheap disco samples. The feel of live instruments is slowly becoming a prerequisite for all of todays true artists. With this in mind, it looks like '99 will be another interesting year... (ez boy)

Outspan Say Vegin Howie EZ Boy
   
  OutspanEssentials1998
12" maxi's: 1. HERBERT never give up (Phonography 002)
Here it is : my 12" of the year. A slow deep house tune with live bass, superb Herbert-beats and kicks, a tempo that is way too slow for those fake house-beatmixes out there and a heavenly voice that makes your spine shiver. Too fat for words. Check the album if you haven't heard this track, there are only 750 12" out there.
2. GLENN UNDERGROUND the fish fry (Mush 004)
GU goes laidback. And it's a winner. Part 1 is pure jazz-tribute, Part 2 slo-mo deep house and Part 3 features moogs with the emotional content only our King of The Deep can come up with. All-out spacy to Mars and back.
3. KEVIN YOST dawn approaches (I-records 132)
A hard-to-find maxi by this groove-talent that deserves his name mentioned in the hall of porn-kings like GU and Herbert (indeed, see above). Features the classic 'Spring Time' alongside some other original deep tunez with melodic guitar and gay vocals. The pure, uncomprimising stuff for those groovy dex and ears out there.
4. GLENN UNDERGROUND musical high (Defender DJ promo DJD001)
Why, oh why did the people of Defender 'forgot' to include this mythical GU-track on the Future Parables album ? We will never know. Fact is that this 'Musical High' is as GU as one can get. The man pulls all moogfilters open to maximum. Musical high, costing less than 2,5 grams of dope. But much harder to find.
5. JIMI TENOR venera ep (Warp 109)
The Master of Whatever Genre That Wasn't Invented Before He made It Up Himself strikes again. This one's hard to find too, limited and all that bullshit. What we care about however, is the music : the trippy 'Door to Paradise', the electro-distorted 'Kallio', the fucked up jazz-brass composition 'Tigershark' and the slow 'Midsummernight' that turns from a cheesy ballad into a Tenor-typed laidback experience. Every track is another genre, another world. That how we see 'musical pluralism' and 'cross-over': through the eye of a camera lens...
   
Albums: 1. STREET CORNER SYMPHONY no running, no bombing, no petting (Street Corner Records)
The best album of 1998 by far. Most of these tracks appeared on maxi before, but the album really shows the plurality and quality of this band : eighties-type grooves, smokey jazz trips, juicy disco and a fantastic mid-tempo reinterpretation of Ingram's disco-funk classic 'mi sabrina'. No running, bombing or petting, just funking. Yeah.
2. THE HEADHUNTERS AND SPECIAL GUESTS return of the headhunters (Hancock Records)
Do the names Bennie Maupin, Mike Clark, Bill Summers and Paul Jackson ring a bell -better : sound a moog ? These funkateers formed Herbie Hancock's band during the '70s and early '80s and return after 20 years under their original name The Headhunters with more spaced-out jazzfunk than one planet can take. Herbie himself joins in from time to time, but the first prize goes to the fusing of old and new when they team up with N'Dea Davenport and some British MC in 'Watch Your Back (Headhunters On Attack)'. Funk has come back to stay.
3. HERBERT around the house (Phonography)
It's been quite a productive year for our phat brother from the U.K. After moving to the German Phonography label (what happened to the Phono label of his friend ? - We don't know, maybe Phonography is just the new Phono ?) he released lots of 12" and 10", the best of them are featured on this album and reveal that Herbert has changed his style to something more modern, more sophisticated. The childishly cheesy days of 'Part I, II and III' are over, so it seems. Maybe too bad, those tracks (who must be about eight years old now) remain the purest deep shit the man has ever made.
4. DOWN TO THE BONE urban grooves - album II - (Internal Bass)
Worthy follow-up to their 1996 massive seller 'From Manhatten To Staten', this album contains those housy tracks again which only add up to the value of their grooves. The best track, however, is the aptly titled slo-mo-trip 'Yo Man, It's Herbie'. How did they come up with THAT?
5. DOM UM ROMAO rythm traveller (Mr. Bongo)
Recorded in Rio De Janeiro. What more can one ask when looking for some fresh music on an icy Belgian afternoon ? Traditional 'campfire' ballads left aside, this album really swings like Brazilian carnival on a Chicago tip. The flute, the congas, the vibraphone and some thriving bass - this is South America in deep.
   
Compilations: 1. THIS IS ACID JAZZ (Instinct)
Not to be confused with the popular 3CD compilation, this compilation features fantastic salsa grooves, soulful jazz, smooth deep house and steamin' jazzfunk, all on 2 LPs. Tracks by JTQ, The Exodus Quartet andSwing Machine show Groovemusic in all of its meta-forms. Comes in a simplepackage but provides you with essential funky gems. Simply stunning.
2. DIGGIN' DEEPER volume 3 'the roots of acid jazz' (Columbia)
A wonderful collection of jazz, latin and funk goodies from the '60s and '70s. Essential. Many originals like Lalo Schifrin 'Theme from Jaws' and Tom Scott 'Sneakin' in the Back' with the bouncy bassline that has been sampled by Massive Attack, Therre Thaemlitz, Dj Krush, Alex Cortiz, etc. Coming from the other direction are smokey interpretations of classic compositions : Dave Pike plays the Brazilian tango 'Besame Mucho' so smooth and deep it leaves you startled. Willie Bobo plays 'Always There', originally recorded by Freddie Hubbard and shamelessly sampled by Incognito (who put a bassline by Fatback underneath). Dig deep. Really deep.
3. EASY 2 'another compilation of contemporary jazz hip hop fusion' (Eightball Records)
But not "just another". Lots of variations on one groove : The jazzfunk groove. Vocal tips and African percussion. Smooth sax and fat bass. There's more juice where that came from.
4. HOT SAUCE 'the chili funk saga' (Chili Funk)
Apart from some mediocre tracks, it hits your ears with a fresh combination of deep house grooves and Latin instruments. Exceptional tracks are Restless Soul with their 'Samba Phreek Mix' of After Ours, D.S.L. with really deep bass on 'Soothe your Mind' and for a real Latin stomper : 'Feel It' by East Side Connection. Tasty instant funk.
5. STY WARS a collection of pork medallions (Pork records)
The patented pork sound in all of its plurality. Triphop beyond triphop. Spaced-out experimentalism. Jazz of the year 2019.
   
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  Say VeginEssentials1998
12" maxi's: 1. HERBERT never give up (Phonography 002)
the re-invention of deep-house
2. DANIEL IBBOTSON
new stories (REEL 001)
the essence in melancholic melodies
3. JIMI TENOR
venera EP (WARP 109)
a mix of eclectic beats blended with crossover jazz
4. GLENN UNDERGROUND
blue ep (Three to Five 002)
the man himself delivering a deep-house masterpiece, as usual
5. BUSINESS CITY ORCHESTRA
the spirit of lahti (Sähkö-PUU 10)
jazzy house, driving house & chill-out with the same theme
6. NEW SECTOR MOVEMENTS
groove now (People 002)
vibes & vocals, the perfect combination
7. GLENN UNDERGROUND the fish fry (Mush 004)
GU goes slow & jazzy, I want more of this!
   
Albums: 1. BOARDS OF CANADA music has the right to children (WARP 55 - SKAM 1)
childish vocals + atmoshperic beats = super spacey chill-out
2. HERBERT
around the house (Phonography LP1)
sophisticated atmospheric deep-house
3. STREET CORNER SYMPHONY no running, no bombing, no petting (Street Corner LP1)
90s disco-funk with a 70s touch
4. DOWN TO THE BONE
from manhattan to staten -the album- (Internal Bass)
very warm acid-jazz with deep-house influences
5. GLOBAL GOON
cradle of history (RePHLeX LP058)
atmospheric tracks with weird melodies and experimental rhythms
6. ATJAZZ
that something (DIY / Diversions LP4)
dreamy afterhours deep-house
   
Compilations: 1. STY WARS a collection of pork medallions (Pork 050)
2. LOFT CLASSICS 1 & 2 music for those who know (Dotan)
3. EASY 2 contemporary jaz hip-hop fusion (Eightball LP102)
4. JUMPIN' 1
classics from the disco underground (Harmless 002)
5. DIGGIN' DEEPER 1, 2 & 3
the roots of acid jazz (columbia)
6. BONESHAKERS 2
kickass boneshaking phat choons (Internal Bass LP5)
8. WARP FACTOR 1
a firin' selection of space funk and cosmic jazz beats (KingKladze 001)
7. BONESHAKERS 3
compiled by down to the bone (Internal Bass)
   
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  HowieEssentials1998
House /
Deep House:
Aqua Bassino Pools (F-Communications)
Aqua Bassino
Wave (F-Communications)
Atmosfear
Internal Stimulation (Discfunction rec.)
Bob Sinclar
Paradise (Yellow)
Boo Williams
Many Forms of House (Formaldehyd rec.)
Brandy presents:
Enjoy Life (Promo) / WGW-003 (Wally's Groove World)
Atmosfear
motivation Dimitri from Paris remixes Motivated respect (Disorient)
Crazy Penis
Get it on (Paperecordings 26 )
Dino & Terry
Freestyle (20:20 vision)
Dino and Terry present
Karla Brown Get another love (mixes by Joey Negro & Crash) (Z Records)
Funk D'Void
Herbie on rhodes (Soma)
Glenn Underground
U-Topia-O-Disco (Guidance nr.48)
Glenn Underground
Blue (3 to 5 records)
Glenn Underground
The Soul Servivors (Pan)
Glenn Underground
The Fish Fry (Mush)
Glenn Underground and Mikkiel's
Fly with me (Guidance nr.42)
Groove Armada
Northern Star (Tummy Touch)
Herbert
AROUNDTHEHOUSE (Phonography)
Hot Sauce
C'est bon, trés bon (Sähkö rec.)
Ian Pooley
Meridian (V2 rec.)
Julius Papp & Dave Warrin
Come Morning (I records)
Kenny Hawkes
Sleaze Walking (Paper rec. 27)
Latino Bump (Trevor Loveys)
Album Sampler Nr.1. (House of 909 / ALO)
Loft Classics Volume 6.
Solar Flight (Loft Classics)
Lorca Little Comuter
People (F-Communications)
Marius
Plainsim EP (Promo) / WGW-006 (Wally's Groove World)
Mateo & Matos
Night Moods (Large)
Mateo & Matos
Keep on dancin' (Remixes) (Glasgow Underground)
Peter Dildo
Soundtrack (Track Down)
Rick Preston
Future paradise (Glasgow Underground)
Shazz
El Camino Part.2. (Yellow)
Shazz
El Camino Part.1. (Yellow)
Soul Ascendants
Rise (Nuphonic)
Stardust
Music Sounds Better with you (Roulé)
Street Corner Symphony
No running, No bombing, No petting (Street Corner rec.)
SUN
Ceci n'est pas une compilation (Columbia)
Sun Palace (Loft Classic !!!!)
Rude Movements (Passion)
Super Discount
Prix Choc remixes VOL.2 (Different)
The Business City Orchestra
Lahti by night (Sähko)
The Rurals
Cool Chillies (Ideal)
Various
Moving House VOL.3 (SSR Crammed)
Various
Nuphonic O1 (Nuphonic)
Various
Warp Factor 1 (KingKladze)
Various
The best of Schatrax (Schatrax)
Voices from beyond
got more soul EP (House of 909)
World of Apples
Chroma EP (Giant 45)
Yusuf Loveys
Only House Music (House of 909)
   
Bizarre Stuff: Bola Soup (Skam)
Daniel Ibbotson
Souped UP (Clear)
Daniel Ibbotson
New Stories (Reel)
A Reminiscent Drive
Mercy street (F-Communications)
Café Del Mar (Ibiza)
Volumen Tres (React)
Frederic Galliano
Plis Infinis Nr.2. (F-Communications)
Global Goon
Cradle of History (Rephlex)
Morpheus vs Bassbin Twins
The future isn't what it used to be (SSR Crammed)
Seba
Planetary Funk (looking Good rec.)
Various Warp
'release 100' (Warp)
   
Techno: Robot EP1 (Neuton)
Steve Bug
Drives me up the wall (Raw Elements)
Sven Väth
Fusion (Virgin)
   
CD's: Café Del Mar Volumen Cinco Various (1 CD Mercury)
Earth Volume Three
LTJ BUKEM (1 CD Good Looking rec.)
Electric Grooves
Various (1 CD IRMA (Molto Jazz))
Free Zone (5)
Various (2 CD SSR / Crammed)
Legendary Deep Funk ''Volume 2'
Keb Darge (1 CD BBE)
Loft Classics ''Volume 1'
Various (1 CD Dotan)
Loft Classics ''Volume 2'
Various (1 CD Dotan)
Mad styles and Crazy Visions Mixed by
Little Louis Vega (3 CD BBE)
Megasoft Office'98
Various (1 CD F-Communications)
Music has the right to children Boards of Canada
(1 CD Warp / Skam)
Salsoul Classics
Various (2 CD Salsoul)
Versatile Various
(1 CD Barclay / Versatile)
't hof van Commerce :
en in izegem (Kinky star)
Glasgow Underground
volume one (Glasgow underground)
kid loops
time quake (filter)
   
Oldies: Barry White and Love Ulimited Love Songs (Arcade)
Gladys Knight & The Pips
Visions (CBS / Columbia)
Herbie Hancock
Secrets (Columbia)
Herbie Hancock
Mr..Hands (CBS / Columbia)
Herbie Hancock
Sextant (Columbia)
Herbie Hancock
Head Hunters (Columbia)
Jean Michel Jarre
Oxygene (Polydor)
Jerry Peters
Blueprint for Discovery (Mercury)
Kraftwerk
Radio-Aktivität (Electrola)
Kraftwerk
Trans Europa Express (Electrola)
Kraftwerk
Autobahn Vetigo (Kling Klang)
Kraftwerk
Man Machine (Capitol)
Kraftwerk
Musique non stop (Kling Klang Music)
Mike Sharpe
The Spooky sound of Mike Sharp (Liberty)
Pucho and the Latin Soul Brothers
Super Freak (Ubiquity)
Roy Ayers
In The Dark (Columbia)
   
Outspan Say Vegin Howie EZ Boy
       
  EZ BoyEssentials1998
12" maxi's: Aqua Bassino : All around me (Wave EP) : F-Comm
French top quality smooth jazzhouse
Atmosfear :
Invasion : Discfunction
Infectious rereleased spacefunk
Frederik Star :
Nu Dub : I Records
Ultradeep subbass driven phat groover
Glenn Underground :
Blue EP : 3 to 5
GU jives the moog and makes you shake your rump
Korsakow :
Korsakow EP : Neuton
An EP of diversity, from ero soundscape to eighties synth funk
Attaboy :
Busted Wagon : Toko
Funked up melodic deephouze track
Bougie Soliterre :
Miles away : People
Percussive latinojazz housescape
Glenn Underground :
Jaz love #2 : Guidance
GU testing the limits of some extreme subbass generating equipment
FUG :
Sola Sonique : Session Recordings
Mad precussive spacey jazzfunk
The discowoys :
Légère : Dessous
Easy tempo laidback french jazzhouse
   
Albums: Street Corner Symphony : Nu running, no bombing, no petting : Street Corner Records
Reviving the seventies with brilliant reworks, adding to the originals instead of downstripping
Headhunters : Return of the headhunters : Hancock Records
The remarkable return of the heroic Herbie Hancock crew with polished jazzfunk
4 Hero : Two pages (page one) : Talking Loud
Page one is standard setting acoustic triphop
Tatsuya Oe : Encounter with ... Captain Funk : Sublime Rec
Exploring pure funk : nineties dressed eighties funk ranging from downtempo to uptempo.
Groove Armada : Northern Star : Tummy Touch
Another great Tummy Touch release, wicked and often experimental seventies revival
   
Compilations: V.A. : Boneshakers 3 : Internal Bass
Remarkable UK label, with a classy laidback jazzhouse sampler
V.A. :
Sty wars, A collection of Pork medaillons : Pork
Absolute masterpiece in future laidback acid jazz sounds
V.A. :
Megasoft office 98 : F-Comm
The definitive chillout compilation. This '97 upgrade is strongle recommended
V.A. :
Abstract Jazz Lounge II : Nitegrooves
Nice set of danceable deep uptempo jazzhouse tracks
V.A. :
Hot Sauce : Chilli Funk
Percussive funkhouse compilation you cannot resist to move to.
   
Record Labels: Pork
Throughout '98, Pork proved it remains the leader in chilly laidback and atmospheric acid jazz
Loft Classic
The label with music for those who know... No comment.
BBE
BBE had a remarkable breakthrough in '98 with a huge collection of collectable sixties and seventies retro jazz & funk compilations, especially the Keb Darge releases
Internal Bass
Exceptional UK label with focus on high quality very funky acid jazz
People
Every People release is different, and yet, it always has the People touch. Thumbs up!
I Records
In 1998, I Records was almost standard setting for quality deephouze
Toko
Bringing an early eighties funk sounds in a nice nineties house dressing
Session Recordings
New label with overjazzed funkhouse. Only a few releases but top quality!
   
Outspan Say Vegin Howie EZ Boy