Music supervisor David Hollander handpicked each track and cue from the vast reservoir of 1970s British library music, originally created for film and television. Maestros Alan Hawkshaw, Brian Bennett, and Johnny Pearson lay down exquisite and precise funk, but the bulk of the material comes from Alan Tew’s celebrated Drama Suite series (as heard on The Hanged Man and The People’s Court). Wax Poetics Records presents an authentic package with original artwork by Maceo Leatherwood.

Purchase the digital album.

Purchase the long player.

Multi-instrumentalist Adrian Younge makes his debut on Wax Poetics Records with his original score to the Michael Jai White comedy Black Dynamite. Inspired by the great blaxploitation soundtracks of the 1970s, Younge commands the Rhodes electric piano, Hammond organ, Hohner Clavinet, harpsichord, synthesizer, vibraphone, guitar, bass, flute, sax, cello, and drums, crafting with a singular vision. Whether it’s the witty vocal of “Jimmy’s Apartment” or the lowdown bass line of “Rafelli Chase,” the entire album is deeply authentic.

Purchase the digital album.

Purchase the long player.

Track Listing

Side A

1. Black Dynamite Theme
2. Cleaning Up the Streets
3. Man with the Heat (Superbad)
4. Shine
5. Jimmy’s Dead
6. Shot Me in the Heart
7. Black They Back

Side B

1. Gloria (Zodiac Lovers)
2. Anaconda Malt Liquor
3. Jimmy’s Apartment
4. Jimmy’s Dead (Interlude)
5. Chicago Wind
6. Rafelli Chase
7. Jimmy’s Dead (Instrumental)
8. Dynomite (Suckapunch Re-edit)

Taking electro-fusion to the next dimension is no easy job. But Tokyo-based futurists 9dw aren’t afraid to gaze beyond the limits of the Milky Way, riding on a celestial quest toward a world where the atmosphere is analog and the beat of a neon ocean washes against a beach of synthesizer sand. Building their sonic landscape on an arsenal of vintage instruments and technology, the music of 9dw is a refreshing mix of jazz instrumentals, skilled guitars, fresh breakbeats, and funky keys. With an ear to the past and their eyes on the future, this band of the Rising Sun heralds a return to the 1970s heyday of jazz originality and flavor. Not since pioneers the likes of Bob James, Herbie Hancock, or Joe Zawinul has jazz-fusion sounded this good.

Although 9dw’s self-titled debut has been available in Japan for sometime now, it has yet to see any form of stateside release. That’s why we here at Wax Poetics Records have decided the time is right to bring 9dw into the U.S. soundscape with a limited vinyl run of 9dw. This, the sixth release from Wax Poetics Records, will come as a double-LP set pressed on high quality 180-gram vinyl.

Until now, Wax Poetics Records has been strictly in the business of reissuing rare, overlooked, and long-lost albums from the past. But with 9dw, we’re proud to be, for the first-time, reissuing a contemporary album worthy of the Wax Poetics seal of approval. So while we still pride ourselves on being an authority when it comes to soul, funk, and jazz music’s lesser-known players of yesterday, we’ve also got our ears tuned to the sounds of tomorrow. Be it in Wax Poetics Magazine or on Wax Poetics Records, you can rest assured that we’re digging the underground, wherever we find it.

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Buy the digital album.

Track Listing

Side A

1. stone and fruits
2. balancer
3. migrant
4. find your love

Side B

1. posse
2. farside
3. begin to sing for appetite
4. tony

Side C

1. black coffee
2. synthetic avenues
3. thinking makes a mistake

Side D

1. s.e.v.
2. walk the diorama

Although Detroit is best known for fostering the musical talents of countless Motown artists, the Motor City played host to a spectrum of scenes. While the Jackson 5’s “Dancing Machine” was incinerating dance floors nationwide, an accomplished organist name Lyman Woodard was putting the finishing touches on Saturday Night Special, a unique amalgamation of organ funk, sophisticated soul, and straight-ahead jazz, which has garnered an enormous cult following in the years since its release.

Unlicensed reissues have been circulating for years, each suffering from low-fidelity confines of a single LP and rendered by recording the original record. Now, in full cooperation with Lyman Woodard and Strata Records, Wax Poetics has remastered the original tapes, unlocking the sonic brilliance of these legendary sessions for the first time on this double LP.

Saturday Night Special is the fifth release by Wax Poetics Records, which, like its sister publication, is quickly becoming the authority on soul music’s unsung heroes.

Buy the digital album.

Track Listing

Side A

1. Saturday Night Special
2. Joy Road

Side B

1. Belle Isle Daze
2. Creative Musicians
3. Saturday Night Special (alternate take)

Side C

1. Cheeba
2. Allen Barnes

Side D

1. On Your Mind
2. Help Me Get Away

The late ’60s were an explosive time in America. Flower power was blooming, civil rights were in full swing, and while American soldiers were fighting in Vietnam, American musicians were creating several brands of rebellious music back home. One such musician, a trombonist/conga player from Pontiac, Michigan, had grown weary of his nation’s volatile political climate. In the wake of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, Melvyn Price set sail for Sweden where he immediately began gigging with Scandinavia’s jet-set jazz musicians. In 1974, after a pair of primarily percussive albums intended to aid dance instruction, Price composed and recorded his masterpiece, Rhythm and Blues, released on his own Mel-Dor label. The music was simple, yet inspiring, pairing Sweden’s disciplined session players with imported Latin American percussionists. Rhythm and Blues was never widely distributed abroad, and has, in recent years, fetched top dollar at auction.

This reissue is the fourth release by Wax Poetics Records, who, like their sister publication, is quickly becoming the authority on soul music’s unsung heroes. This unique album, available on CD and 180-gram vinyl, includes all of the original artwork, as well as in-depth liner notes and rare photos exclusive to this release. As an incentive to the record-buying public, every vinyl purchase will include a free download of Price’s “The Subway” from his impressive 1971 release, Rytmer II.

Track Listing

1. Voodo Love Dance
2. Toward Brazil
3. Behind Kungsträdgården
4. Happiness Is…
5. Five O’Clock Traffic
6. Lost Train

A construction job can lead to anything. In Kingston 13, Jamaica, “anything” might include a studio session, if you happen to have the right boss. “I knew my boss had an ear for music,” explained Earl Zero, then just twenty-two years old. “One day, I started to sing the first lyrics to ‘Righteous Works.’ That night he asked me to sing it for him again, and I did. I convinced him to get some studio time, so we went to Channel One and recorded it.”

Thus spawned the recording career of one of reggae’s most prolific vocalists. Now, nearly thirty years later, Wax Poetics Records is proud to reissue two of Zero’s most popular recordings, “Righteous Works” and “Hearts Desire,” both presented in discomix fashion, achieved by blending a psychedelic dub version seamlessly with the vocal. The single, “Righteous Works,” is drenched in Rasta consciousness and rife with social commentary. “Heart’s Desire,” recorded with producer Alan “Jah Wally” Campbell, is a softer, more melodic complimentto the roots-heavy fare on the A-side.

This vinyl-only release is the third release by Wax Poetics Records, who, like their sister publication, is fast becoming the authority on music’s unsung heroes. This limited edition 12-inch comes with newly designed cover art, inspired by the simple yet iconic graphic design of reggae’s past. In order to complement this historical pair of tunes, we include liner notes by Wax Poetics contributor Seb Carayol, who interviewed Earl Zero for the occasion.

Track Listing
Side A

1. Righteous Works

Side B

1. Heart’s Desire

In 1965, Freddie Perren and brothers Larry and Fonce Mizell recorded a promotional 7″ with hopes of gaining exposure via local radio stations. Although the record went relatively unnoticed, the Mizell brothers would later achieve great notoriety for revolutionizing soul jazz music alongside their musical mentor Donald Byrd. “Baby I Want You/Pray for Me” showcases a little known side of this musical team, resulting in a pair of sweet soul gems that provide some insight into the musical roots of this enigmatic combo.

“Baby I Want You/Pray for Me” captures the youthful innocence of these gifted young talents. The songs are instantly nostalgic and evoke a timeless feeling of young love. Few original copies of this record have ever surfaced, making “Baby I Want You” an even more unique offering.

This limited edition 7-inch is packaged in an attractive, full color sleeve and includes extensive liner notes by Wax Poetics contributor Ronnie Reese.

Track Listing

Side A

1. Baby I Want You

Side B

1. Pray for Me

In 1971, in the midst of America’s conflict in Vietnam, the U.S. Army held a show-band contest and showcased the two winning bands in a promotional album. East of Underground, the gritty runner-up, managed to capture the spirit of America with their sweet-soul covers of Sly Stone, Curtis Mayfield, and Funkadelic.

The quality of the recording is superior, as is the musicianship: the falsetto harmonies, the gritty guitar, the devouring drums. But song choice is just as responsible for the success of the album.

Unlike other obscure-funk reissues and compilations, East of Underground is immediately familiar, instantly gratifying, and endlessly playable. And especially poignant today.

Only a handful of original copies known to exist, the album is now reissued for the first time on CD.

Track Listing

1. Higher
2. Smiling Faces
3. Hell Below
4. People Get Ready
5. Getting Over
6. Bet ‘Ya Never Lose My Love/California Dreamer
7. Popcorn/Santana
8. I Love You
9. Java Girl
10. Walk On By