Sue Barker
Sue Barker

Zenit is a jazz ensemble from Krems in Lower Austria, founded in 1976 by Hannes Treiber and Willi Langer. Their music was celebrated locally, but to reduce them to their local fame would be misleading: After all, their first two LPs, Stimmungswechsel (Change of Moods) and Früchte (Fruits), quickly gained them a much wider audience of discerning listeners. Arguably, however, Zenit’s third and final LP Straight Ahead is the most special of their records. It initially came out in 1986 on the producers label Spray Records, and is today one of the hardest-to-find Austrian jazz records. Its centrepiece is the infectious slow-motion disco piece “Waiting,” with vocals by American jazz singer Linda Sharrock. Effortlessly bringing together pop, soul and new age vibes, this is a record that is as unique as it is difficult to date. Does it sound like from the 80s? We’re not sure. To our minds at least, it could also be from the future.

Paint A Picture are incredibly pleased to announce news of their first release: a fully remastered, licensed reissue of rediscovered British 7” Funny Situation recorded by Reflex - a band put together by drummer David Humphrey (Public Image Ltd., Sparks, Mike Oldfield) and privately released on his Star Records back in 1981. With the original record now changing hands for in excess of £200 and just in time for a 40th anniversary release the reissue - remastered and cut by Frank Merritt at The Carvery - will include updated original artwork whilst also containing an insert providing further details and context on the release.Recorded a few months after seminal Britfunk tune "Southern Freeez" at the very same Vine Yard Studios and with the same engineer Simon Sullivan - the release unfortunately suffered from a lack of marketing and proper distribution but almost forty years later the record is now receiving the attention it deserves and with a price tag to match. The A side presents a beautiful mesh of funk and soul styles with influence from other Britfunk bands of the time but with a more overt jazz and rock feel fusing a tight rhythm section with smooth vocals and climaxing in a guitar and saxophone duel.The instrumental Version Two provides a fresh approach with the addition of dub FX and Indian percussion with the use of a tabla added to the mix.

Miss D used to work as a model in New York. That she ended up in Vienna was sheer coincidence. That she became a recording artist was never planned, either. She moved to the Austrian capital with a well-known commercial producer in the mid-1980s, and soon she found herself recording TV ads for ice cream manufacturers. One day in the recording studio, someone had the brilliant idea of making a proper record with her. The outcome was the highly sought-after disco oddity "Moving", most copies of which were destroyed due to a lack of commercial success. Now getting a second chance, "Moving" is as strong as Austrian disco productions from that era come: slow, bouncy, full of personality and consistently surprising. So, three cheers to coincidences and random ideas in recording studios. This is a most memorable 7".

Reissue of the legendary album of Janko Nilovic , sampled by Dr Dre, Pop Smoke ... and more! This album recorded in 1972 with around 40 musicians making up the cream of the studio orchestras of the time, remains a centerpiece of the composer's work.

Brazilian Disco Boogie Sounds, is a compilation that brings together nine of the most important and obscure hits of the Brazilian Funk-Boogie-Disco scene during the years of 1978 to 1982. Jùnior Santos is a Carioca drummer since his 15 years old, and is today a respected vinyl collector and music researcher. More than anything, he is carried on by the love of Brazilian music, which has never been forgotten.Favorite Recordings initiative of seeking a unique project with Brazilian music carried Jùnior on to dig into old record companies’ files and bring out pearls from what he sees as the end of the Samba-Rock period. At that time musicians and arrangers such as Lincoln Olivetti, Robson Jorge, and Oberdan Magalhães along with Banda Black Rio, were responsible for the new music scene. They had dominated the studios with sophisticated and original arrangements that have forever transformed Brazilian musical perspective. This music, at that point, had gained a new style and great world respect that has remained till the contemporary times. Brazilian Disco Boogie Sounds pays tribute to this great era, coming out in a deluxe vinyl edition with old-school tip-on jacket and innersleeve including notes and original artworks.