classix: Cymande

Appropriate for the holidays, Cymande (pronounced sah-mahn-day) is derived from the calypso word for dove, signifying peace and love. The name is fitting since most of their members originally hailed from Caribbean islands like Guyana, Jamaica, and St. Vincent. This seemingly forgotten nonet of 70's self-taught British funk-a-holics released only three albums, all in the span of two years, before calling it quits.

And what happens to nearly all forgotten funk bands? They get sampled 20 years later. You might recognize Cymande from Spike Lee's Crooklyn, the Fugees title track from The Score, or De La Soul's "Change in Speak" from 3-Feet High And Rising.

Cymande - Bra [from their 1972 self-titled debut]

holiday: Soul Messengers from Dimona

"Black Hebrews"

Some funky ish for all you Jews fasting and atoning for this past years sins. The best black-American-Hebrew speaking-Gospel-Funk ever. A Numero must own.

Between 1975-1981, a group of American ex-pats took their native sounds of Detroit and Chicago and intermingled them with the messages of the Black Hebrew culture. The results are a heavenly mix of spiritual soul and jazz with an undercurrent of gospel psychedelia. Featuring the Soul Messengers, the Spirit Of Israel, Sons Of The Kingdom, and the Tonistics, Soul Messages From Dimona is the only living document of a thriving community at both the center and fringe of the world.

Soul Messengers- Savior In The East
Soul Messengers- Equilbrium
Soul Messengers- Heaven of Heavens

Snag it here on Wax.

mix: Maurice Fulton - Futureboogie

"Straight From The Heart"

Maurice Fulton has been producing super-funky, futuristic retro disco from outer space since the mid 90s, and this mix he put together for the Futureboogie booking agency is one of the best we've heard in the genre, right up there with Morgan Geist's Unclassics and Murphy and Mahoney's masterpiece, Fabriclive.36. So if you are into of either of those two albums, then do yourself a favor and give Maurice a spin. Above all else, this mix is a lesson in pacing; it has a laid back yet energetic vibe throughout, and subtly uses tension and release to give it that extra boost. Of course, it also features some incredible, obscure disco cuts, but that kind of goes without saying. Download below.

Maurice Fulton - Futureboogie Mix

classick viddyo: Soul Train

"We wish you love, peace, and SOUL"

There are very few things in this world that we here at the Bobka appreciate more than a well-executed dance move. The physical manifestation of the rhythm divine is a thing of beauty in and of itself, to say nothing of the joy that an exuberant dance party spreads to those involved (and even to those who prefer to stay on the sidelines). This is why we've always held a special place in our hearts for Soul Train, the legendary dance show that taught white people all over America how to properly boogie down.

And now, in what is perhaps the greatest dance video ever assembled, we present you with a highly-abridged "Best Of The Soul Train Line" retrospective. For those who don't remember, The Soul Train Line is the segment of the show where dancers strut, spin, gyrate, bounce, kick, and/or slide their way through a gauntlet of fellow revelers. This segment gave birth to some of the flyest dance moves ever to hit the airwaves, and a lot of them are captured in this video. Our personal favorite is the dude at the 2:58 mark -- you just don't see that kind of creativity nowadays.

mix: Heavy Cosmic Groove

"Now visualize yourself sitting in the midst of infinite space"

Rocktits! DJ Collective head honcho Russell Alexander originally dropped the Heavy Cosmic Groove mix last October, and we've been seriously digging on it ever since. Using computer software to assist in the beatmatching process (Ableton and MixMeister to be exact), Russell blended 60 psychedelic stoner-rock and funk jams into a stunning and seamless mix that will make you want to pump your fist, spin in circles, and do the chicken dance. Yeah, it's like that.

Rocktits! Heavy Cosmic Groove mix (Full tracklist can be found in the comments)

classick viddyo: 1982 Detroit Dance Party

People Don't Dance No More

Instead of Souljaboy and his oh-so-lame choreographed dance moves, we need to be exposing our youth to real videos, like the one above. In this circa 1982 clip from the Detroit-based show The Scene, couples work their way through the dance gauntlet while strutting their funkiest moves to the classic beat "I'm Ready" by Kano. "I'm Ready" is one of my all-time favorite disco/funk cuts, and was heavily sampled by the middle shool dance anthem "Whoomp! There It Is" by Tag Team. But for some reason, I don't remember my middle school dances being nearly as funky as The Scene.

electro-hop: Eliot Lipp

"Jermaine Dupri meets Aphex Twin"

Where would Eliot Lipp be today without his trusted Korg MS-20? This vintage snyth (pictured above), along with his Sequential Circuits gear, has helped to define his signature sound, a heady mix of underground rap, classic electro, 70's fusion, drrty funk, and 90's techno, just to name a few.

Born and raised in Tacoma, Washington (and since a resident of Chicago, San Francisco, LA, and now Brooklyn), Lipp got his break in 2004 when Scott Herren (aka Prefuse 73) happened across his demo. Soon after, Lipp's self-titled debut hit the streets on Herren's own Eastern Developments label, earning much deserved critical acclaim. Since then, Lipp has released LPs on Hefty Records and Metatronix, while in the meantime creating a slew of EPs and mixtapes and touring relentlessly.

To get an idea of his original sound, check out the tracks posted below and then head over to his MySpace. Purchase Eliot Lipp albums here.

Eliot Lipp- Live from the Trilogy Lounge (recorded March 17, 2007)
Eliot Lipp- Flashlight (from the Steele Street Scraps EP)

Tommy Guerrero

"Golden Gate Indie-Hop"

Tommy Guerrero is no stranger to shredding. When the man is not busting a sicky gnar ollie (or some other absurd skating term) in the park, he can usually be found in the studio ripping it on his guitar. Guerrero has been a professional skateboarder since 1985, but over the years has maintained his passion for music.

Guerrero's music is not afraid to show its San Francisco roots, blending together a variety of sounds that portray a breezy West Coast vibe. It is hard to categorize his music since he is adept at a variety of styles, all of which he layers together with ease. Strains of hip hop, jazz, 'world music', and funk are apparent, but not one single style is overbearing. Categorizations aside, this music begs to be played on a hot, lazy summer day.

Guerrero's latest album, 2006's "From The Soil To The Soul" is available courtesty of Quannum Records.

100 Years (from 2000's "A Little Bit of Somethin'")
Salve (from "...Soil")
1966 (from "...Soil")