Various Artists - Italo Funk Vol. 2 (Various Artists)

Various Artists - Italo Funk Vol. 2 (Various Artists)'Cast your mind back to the parties in 90s Rimini, or the Tunnel Club or Magazzini Generali in Milan. Cruising in your tiny Fiat hire, drenched in that balmy Mediterranean vibe of a scene and the best looking Italian house and funk party you'd ever experienced. But Italy has had a long relationship with funk and soul well before the 90s, that stemmed from American R&B artists appealing to Italian audiences way back in the 60s. In 70s Italy the Umbria

Ron Trent or Laurent Garnier and Carl Cox for Aurora Borealis

commercial jingles and various studio rarities

combining hard rock riffs with catchy pop melodies

It's music both traditional and experimental

aviation and power grids

" Original copies of this 7" are scarce and fetch as high as $350 on collector's sites

and the energy felt from the audience's thrill of experiencing live music again is unmistakable

New vocalist Nick Holleman impressively showcases what he has learned in the past years and proves that he is indeed one of the best in his field

'Antithesis' (2008)

Nevada is drummer Dan Weiss (also of the powerhouse soul and funk collective The Sextones)

soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy

in the same vein as a Pete Rock or a Hi-Tek but with a sonic stamp all his own