LIGHT OF THE WORLD :: UK STREET SOUL

Formed in London in 1978, Light of the World included Maunick, drummer Everton McCalla, bassist Paul "Tubs" Williams, guitarist Neville "Breeze" McKreith, percussionist Chris Etienne, keyboardist Peter Hinds trumpet playerKenny Wellington and on sax David "Baps" Baptiste.



The band's moniker was inspired by the title of Kool and the Gang's 1974 DeLite album Light of Worlds, which included "Summer Madness" and "Higher Plane." Signing with Ensign Records, the band had dancefloor hits with "Swingin'," "Midnight Groovin'," and "London Town." Etienne died while the band was on a promotional tour for their first album. A 12" single "Time" (Remix) b/w "London Town" was reissued by U.K. label Old Gold. Nigel Martinez, Gee Bello, and Nat Augustin joined Light of the World just in time for the release of their second LP, Round Trip, produced by Augie Johnson of Side Effect (disco hit cover of Ronnie Laws' "Always There," number 56 R&B, summer 1976). The band split up in 1981. Baptiste,Wellington, and McKreith formed Beggar & Co., and Maunick, Hinds, and Williams formed Incognito. In 1982, EMI released a Light of the World album,Check Us Out, that featured Bello, Tubbs, and Augustin, and the singles "Famous Face" b/w "Get on Board," "Ride the Love Train" b/w "Get on Board," and "I Can't Stop" b/w "Check Us Out." In 1998, EMI issued a limited edition vinyl pressing of the Check Us Out album.



In the '80s, Wellington played with Wham! (&"Wake Me up Before You Go-Go").Peter Hinds became a successful producer with hits by Scottish pop-soul trio the Chimes ("1-2-3," "Heaven") on Columbia Records, and plays keys on Incognito's albums (1991's Inside Life, 1992's Tribes, Vibes and Scribes, 1994'sPositivity, 1995's 100° and Rising, 1996's Beneath the Surface), Maysa's self-titled 1995 album and Inner Shade's 4 Corners, released on N2K Encoded Music in April of 1999. Gee Bello released an '80s solo album on Capitol produced by Jonah Ellis (The Gap Band, Yarbrough and Peoples) that included the single "International Lover," and in the '90s sang vocals on CDs by the jazz-funk band Shakatak. "Are You Ready (For Love)," a track from Nigel Martinez's album So Good, is on the 1999 compilation Jazz Steppin' from Instinct Records.


LIGHT OF THE WORLD - LONDON TOWN 1980

FUTURE SOUND :: AN UNDERGROUND ELECTRONIC MUSIC DOCUMENTARY

Future Sound is a short documentary that looks into a small cross section of London's forward-thinking underground dance music scene, exploring some of the things that define and affect it as it moves into a new age of digital innovation.

EGLO RECORDS - LONDON

Funkineven and Fatima are making some major noise on the Eglo Records Label based in London. Spine TV talks with the group of friends putting out music there way in the ever so demolishing Independent record label.

PEVEN EVERETT IN LONDON

SOUNDS SO GOOD LIVE

NORMAN JAY IS OUR HERO

LONDON: Norman Jay - The most popular videos are a click away

FUNKENIVEN 1956

STEVIE J AKA FUNKENIVEN OUT OF SOUTH EAST LONDON IS GOING TO TAKE THE WORLD BY STORM. REMEMBER WHERE YOU HEARD THIS 1ST.

So sometimes we get sent an MP3 straight out of the blue. You know something from an artist we’ve never heard before, that actually turns out to be pretty sick. This would be one of those cases in point. Full respect to Alex Nut at All Young Kings for this one, whose new kid on the block, Eglo Records, have been causing quite some damage in DJs records boxes of late, courtesy of its quality roster of talent incorporating the likes of rising stars Floating Points, Fatima and Shuanise.

With this two track release, FunkinEven AKA Stevie J is the latest addition to that family and enhances the UK label’s already burgeoning reputation as one to watch when it comes to futuristic soulful beats. Currently residing in West London, the beat maker, hot stepper and provider of the funk Stevie J (who in homage to his home land, the cosmic location Funkineven 1956, has taken on its title for his current incarnation) fuses the electronic sounds of house with hip hop, soul and rare groove to bring you a true melting pot of future dancefloor funk.

Both tracks offer something different but both breathe quality (which sad to say is becoming a thing of the past with the current vogue of MP3 throwaway culture). ‘Mad Swing’ is a straight up synth-laden, funk infused hip hop track with female (possibly Muhsinah?) vocal refrains layered deep in the mix. “You!” on the otherhand is a little more uptempo, with a glitchy feel and snatches of that 80s sound (reminds me kind of what Pepe Bradock could do if unleashed on a Dam Funk record). All in all a killer two tracker. Cop both tracks in question below for a limited time only.


FUNKENIVEN 1956 - YOU
FUNKENIVEN 1956 - MAD SWING

SOUL JAZZ RECORDS PRESENTS "BABYLON"

REGGAE - DANCEHALL - DUBSTEP - JUNGLE - SOUL - FUNK
+ AN EXCLUSIVE SCREENING OF SEMINAL BRITISH REGGAE FILM

BABYLON:
SUNDAY 12TH JULY
CAFE 1001, TRUMAN BREWERY, 91 BRICK LANE, E1
2PM - 11PM (SCREENING 2.30)
FREE ENTRY - ARRIVE EARLY !





This month Soul Jazz Records launches the first in a series of FREE classic Reggae film screenings as part of the ever popular 100% DYNAMITE parties on Brick Lane. Then after the film the Soul Jazz Sound System will be playing the finest selection of Reggae, Dancehall, Funk, Soul, Old Skool Jungle and Dubstep dance floor killers across two rooms.



Cafe 1001 is a fantastic, laid-back, warehouse style venue right in the heart of East London with loads of outside tables and a brand new Funktion-One sound system. So get there early and bring your friends to the on-going party that is 100% DYNAMITE - we're there every second Sunday of the month.





This Months Official Film Screening:

BABYLON

Directed by Franco Rosso in 1980, Babylon is a raw and incendiary film employing an effective mix of music and social commentary to recount the everyday experiences of a small group of working class black youths living in South London in the early 1980s.

Driven by a musical score composed and arranged by legendary reggae guitarist, former member of Matumbi and record producer Dennis Bovell, with additional songs by Yabby U, I-Roy, Aswad and many more, Babylon is a brilliant, breathlessly energetic, neo-realist snapshot of what it was like to be young, poor and black in early 1980s Britain. The film is rightly regarded as a cult classic and remains as socially relevant today as when it was made almost 30 years ago.

We will be screening a fully restored and digitally re-mastered copy of the film on a huge cinema screen, coupled with a Funktion-One sound system, in the main room at Cafe 1001 at 2pm. This is an amazing chance to catch a classic piece of UK Reggae history in one of the best screening locations in London. This event is totally FREE so please arrive early to ensure you get a space on the sofas.

PANIC - IM THE DJ, IM THE DJ, IM THE DJ, HAM THE DJ

JOIN THE CAST

IF YOU ECLECTIC, THEN I SUGGEST YOU SELECT IT

FABRIC PODCAST