Escape was a groundbreaking album for San Francisco's Journey, charting three singles inside Billboard's Top Ten, with "Don't Stop Believing" reaching number nine, "Who's Crying Now" number four, and "Open Arms" peaking at number two and holding there for six weeks. Escape flung Journey steadfastly into the AOR arena, combining Neal Schon's grand yet palatable guitar playing with Jonathan Cain's blatant keyboards. All this was topped off by the passionate, wide-ranged vocals of Steve Perry, who is the true lifeblood of this album, and this band. The songs on Escape are more rock-flavored, with more hooks and a harder cadence compared to their former sound. "Who's Crying Now" spotlights the sweeping fervor of Perry's voice, whose theme about the ups and downs of a relationship was plentiful in Journey's repertoire…

12" 80's Dance Groove Classics stands as an essential two-disc archival compilation gathering twenty-four defining extended 12-inch single versions, electro-funk classics, and post-disco club anthems that dominated global dancefloors throughout the 1980s. Released in 1998 by the respected UK reissue imprint Sequel Records, this two-hour-and-seventeen-minute collection captures the pivotal technological evolution of dance music, spanning early-80s boogie, synth-driven R&B, hip-house, and early acid house sampling culture. Featuring legendary vocalists, pioneering electro groups, and powerhouse funk ensembles—including Luther Vandross, Aretha Franklin, Herbie Hancock, Womack & Womack, Salt 'N' Pepa, Cameo, and Mantronix—the anthology highlights the transition from traditional disco orchestration to drum machines and synthesizer-driven dance grooves. Key highlights across the two discs include Mantronix's hip-house classic Got To Have Your Love, Herbie Hancock's electro milestone Rock It, Womack & Womack's sophisticated soul anthem Teardrops, Colonel Abrams' garage-house classic Trapped, Cameo's funk staple Candy, and early UK house/sampling landmarks like Bomb The Bass's Beat Dis and S'Express's Theme From S-Express. Sourced from original high-fidelity master transfers alongside high-bitrate MP3 options, complete with EAC sector logging verification, track cue sheets, full retail artwork scans, and pristine audio clarity, this 2-CD set is an indispensable centerpiece for 1980s dance purists, electro-funk collectors, and club DJ archives.

The Anthology stands as a definitive two-disc archival retrospective gathering the complete, landmark Salsoul Records recordings and legendary 12-inch remixes of master Afro-Cuban percussionist Cándido Camero. Released in 2005 by premier UK reissue imprint Suss'd Records, this two-and-a-half-hour collection brings together Cándido's explosive late-1970s Latin-disco LPs alongside the rare extended club mixes that redefined the dancefloor era. Disc 1 presents his two foundational Salsoul studio albums produced by Joe Louis and Vincent Montana Jr.—Dancin' & Prancin' (1979) and Candi's Funk (1979)—featuring full-length album cuts driven by Cándido's virtuosic conga polyrhythms, driving basslines, sweeping strings, and electro-funk synthesizer hooks. Disc 2 gathers the definitive 12-inch mixes, dubs, and club reworks crafted by iconic DJ pioneers and remixers, including David Rodriguez, Shep Pettibone, Joey Negro, Todd Terry, and Joe Louis. Essential highlights include the epic extended club anthems Jingo, Thousand Finger Man, Dancin' And Prancin', Candi's Funk, and Samba Funk. Sourced from original high-fidelity lossless master transfers alongside high-bitrate MP3 options, complete with EAC sector logging verification, track cue sheets, full retail artwork scans, and pristine audio clarity, this 2-CD set is an indispensable centerpiece for disco purists, Latin-funk collectors, club DJs, and electronic dance archives.

This five-disc, 116-track box set presents a sweeping history of the blues from its emergence in the early 1900s clear through to its various contemporary guises, and includes samples of country blues in all of its regional variations, as well as cuts from string bands, jug bands, jazz combos, gritty Chicago blues outfits, and a look at how rock artists like Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix incorporated the blues into their distinctive styles. Intelligently gathered and arranged, it treats the blues both from a historical perspective and from a working assumption that the form is still alive and well, continually morphing and transforming itself. There simply isn't a better or deeper survey of the blues on the market.

Pianist Ray Bryant solidified his reputation with this outstanding 1957 trio release. It displayed his facility with the blues, speed, gospel influence, and interpretive abilities on such songs as John Lewis' "Django" and Clifford Brown's "Daahoud." It also contained Bryant's funky originals "Splittin" and "Blues Changes," and was punctuated by Ike Isaacs' careful bass work and Specs Wright's loose, in the groove drumming.

A wild, freewheeling, and ultimately successful attempt to merge psychedelia with jazz-rock, Soft Machine's debut ranges between lovingly performed oblique pop songs and deranged ensemble playing from drummer/vocalist Robert Wyatt, bassist Kevin Ayers and organist Mike Ratledge. With only one real break (at the end of side one), the songs merge into each other - not always smoothly, but always with a sense of flair that rescues any potential miscues. Wyatt takes most of the vocals, and proves himself a surprisingly evocative singer despite his lack of range. Like Pink Floyd's The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, Vol. 1 was one of the few over-ambitious records of the psychedelic era that actually delivered on all its incredible promise.

Going by the title, the Retro: Active series from Canada's Hi-Bias label sounds like it could be a nightmare of new wave and '80s-alternative singles remixed by modern producers to put a new spin on old favorites. Thankfully, the label has simply plucked extended versions and remixes from previously existing 12" singles - like the ones you might have sitting in your closet, or the ones you heard in clubs or even on the radio.
A-ha, Erasure, The Cure, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Alphaville, Duran Duran, INXS, New Order, Peter Schilling and many more.

Keith Barrow stands as a self-titled debut landmark from Chicago-born soul vocalist and songwriter Keith Barrow, whose extraordinary countertenor and falsetto range established him as one of the most distinctive male vocalists of the late-1970s disco and soul era. Originally released in 1977 on Columbia Records and given a pristine remastered CD reissue in 2011 by the premier UK archival label Big Break Records, this expanded release captures Barrow's seamless blend of soaring falsetto leads, elegant Chicago soul, and infectious uptempo disco-funk arrangements. Produced by legendary arranger and producer Bobby Martin (celebrated for his landmark work with Philadelphia International Records and MFSB), the album showcases Barrow's exceptional songwriting talent and expressive vocal delivery. The nine-track original album program features the infectious uptempo funk hit Mr. Magic Man, the smooth soul groove Teach Me (It's Something About Love), the lush mid-tempo cut I Put The Twinkle In Your Eye, and the dramatic disco-soul highlight Precious. Capping off this definitive BBR reissue is a rare bonus full-length extended version of Precious alongside comprehensive archival liner notes. Sourced from original high-fidelity master transfers alongside high-bitrate MP3 options, complete with EAC sector logging verification, track cue sheets, full retail artwork scans, and pristine audio clarity, this album is an essential centerpiece for 1970s soul purists, disco collectors, and male falsetto vocal archives.

Life On Mars & What The World Is Coming To stands as a landmark two-album 2-in-1 archival release celebrating the seminal mid-1970s electronic jazz-funk and cosmic disco masterworks of legendary keyboardist, arranger, and Philadelphia International Records mastermind Dexter Wansel. Reissued by UK archival label Edsel Records, this seventy-eight-minute collection pairs Wansel's foundational 1976 debut album Life On Mars with his ambitious 1977 follow-up What The World Is Coming To on a single CD. As one of the key architects of the "Philadelphia Sound," Wansel pioneered the blending of rich Philly soul orchestration with futuristic ARP synthesizer soundscapes, heavy funk basslines, and jazz-fusion complexity. The seventeen-track program contains some of the most sampled and celebrated cosmic grooves in music history, including the seminal synth-funk Title Track Life On Mars, the heavily sampled breakbeat classic Theme From The Planets, the lush galactic funk of Rings Of Saturn, and the sophisticated soul-jazz fusion of First Light Of The Morning and Disco Lights. Sourced from original high-fidelity master transfers alongside high-bitrate MP3 options, complete with EAC sector logging verification, track cue sheets, full retail artwork scans, and pristine audio clarity, this release is an essential centerpiece for jazz-funk purists, space-disco collectors, hip-hop producers, and Philly soul archives.

Thousand Finger Man stands as an explosive, hard-hitting Afro-Cuban jazz-funk masterwork led by the virtuosic master percussionist Cándido Camero. Originally recorded and released in 1970 for Solid State / Blue Note Records, and given a pristine CD reissue in 1999 under Blue Note's archival series, this thirty-seven-minute album captures the legendary Cuban conguero at the height of his powers, seamlessly bridging Latin percussion, fiery jazz improvisation, and funk rhythms. Backed by a stellar lineup featuring guitar virtuoso David Spinozza, legendary bassists Chuck Rainey and Gerry Jemmott, drummer Herbie Lovelle, pianist Frank Anderson, and a powerhouse brass horn section, Cándido transforms each track into a masterclass of polyrhythmic energy. The six-track program features dynamic renditions of Booker T. & the M.G.'s Soul Limbo, the syncopated funk jam Jump Back, and the title track Thousand Finger Man—a relentless Afro-Cuban groove that later became a seminal club classic championed by Larry Levan at the Paradise Garage and David Mancuso at The Loft. Sourced from original high-fidelity lossless master transfers, complete with EAC sector logging verification, track cue sheets, full retail artwork scans, and pristine audio clarity, this album is an essential centerpiece for Latin jazz purists, jazz-funk collectors, and Afro-Cuban percussion archives.

The Garden Of Love stands as a landmark 1978 Euro-disco and space-disco masterpiece arranged and produced by electronic pioneer Raymond Donnez (better known as Don Ray) alongside Euro-disco icon Marc Cerrone. Originally released in 1978 on Malligator Records and reissued on compact disc directly from the original master tapes in 1994, this thirty-seven-minute album is widely celebrated as one of the definitive peaks of the late-1970s European electronic dance movement. Featuring sophisticated studio arrangements, driving synth basslines, sweeping orchestral strings, and infectious percussion, the album seamlessly bridges space disco, funk, and early electronic synth-pop. The six-track program opens with the extended dancefloor anthem Got To Have Loving, famously co-written with Cerrone, alongside timeless club classics like Standing In The Rain and the euphoric title track Garden Of Love. Sourced directly from original high-fidelity master tape transfers alongside high-bitrate MP3 options, complete with EAC sector logging verification, track cue sheets, full retail artwork scans, and pristine audio clarity, this album is an indispensable centerpiece for Euro-disco purists, space-disco collectors, and 1970s electronic dance archives.

Brothers By Choice stands as an ultra-rare, highly prized late-1970s sweet soul and disco-funk treasure by the California-based vocal ensemble Brothers By Choice. Originally released in 1978 on ALA Records and given an expanded, pristine remastered CD reissue in 2014 by the Japanese archival imprint KTI, this forty-four-minute collection captures the lush, horn-laden studio polish and vocal harmony tradition of late-70s West Coast soul. Arranged by soul stalwarts Clay Drayton and David Blumberg, the album seamlessly bridges sophisticated uptempo disco-funk grooves with sublime, romantic sweet soul ballads. Highlights across the original eight-track LP program include the two-part mid-tempo groove She Puts The Ease Back Into Easy, the infectious club cut Baby, You Really Got Me Going, and the lush vocal showcase Take A Little More. This expanded edition is further bolstered by three sought-after non-album single bonus tracks: the sublime 1979 7-inch cuts Oh, Darlin and Why Can’t You Make Up Your Mind, along with their soul-stirring 1980 cover of Ambrosia's How Much I Feel. Sourced from original high-fidelity master transfers alongside high-bitrate MP3 options, complete with EAC sector logging verification, track cue sheets, full retail artwork scans, and pristine audio clarity, this release is an essential centerpiece for rare groove collectors, 70s soul purists, and sweet soul archives.

With this new album the award-winning Latvian Radio Choir conducted by Sigvards Klava is turning its attention to the music of Alexander Grechaninov (1864–1956), one of the masters of Russian liturgic music. Grechaninov’s All-Night Vigil is a fitting continuation to the choir’s albums of sacred music by Sergey Rachmaninov and Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Together with the two latter names, Grechaninov’s All-Night Vigil, completed in 1912, belongs to the central repertoire of Russian liturgic music. Unlike the Vigils by Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky, Grechaninov’s work was written primarily for concert use. Grechaninov’s All-Night Vigilis a bright, optimistic work full of light.

In 1996, the label Musique en Wallonie published an album with works for Lute by Jacques de Saint-Luc (c. 1616-1708). These pieces were brilliantly performed by Stephen Stubbs. Recent studies allow us to affirm that the present release, the second to be devoted to works by a Saint-Luc, consists of music, not by Jacques, as it was wrongly mentioned in the first album, but by his son Laurent de Saint-Luc (1669 – after 1708). In addition to two traditional suites, the present programme offers two ensembles of pieces either chosen from certain suites or free-standing – including the mournful allemande in G minor – all taken from manuscripts of lute pieces preserved in Vienna or Prague.