MIXMay17

Use My Body by Mavis John

Sweaty groove from Mr Bongo’s Record Club Volume One compilation.

It’ll Never Be Over For Me by Timi Yuro

Northern soul classic pick from the exceptional, yet rarely mentioned, belter.

Hawaiian Caravan by Roy Kawasaki

Funky Sakamoto-esque tune from NuNorthern Soul’s retrospective series.

I & I by Lone Watti

Dub-treading thumper salvaged from Reggae Rula, a collection of Spanish reggae songs that sound wouldn’t be misplaced in a turn of the century Benidorm all inclusive.

Yellow Story by Kiki Hitomi

Big boom digital sleng teng from London via Japan.

Macumba by Claudia

Another catchy Brazil release from Mr Bongo.

Freio Aerodinamico by Marcos Valle

Hard grooving Brazilian break from Light In The Attic’s reissue of Mr Valle’s 1970 self-titled album.

Dancing Star by Mimi Izumi Kobayashi

Cosmic J-Pop disco opening theme from hit anime, Urusei Yatsura.

Genius Of Love by Tom Tom Club

Hypnotic mover from Talking Heads side project, as featured in Stop Making Sense and It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia.

Melon Soda by Tricot

Single from Tricot’s great new release, named for the impossible-to-find-in-the-UK beverage.

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MUSIC GET! Searching for sounds in Japan

In November 2015, I went to Tokyo for the first time and I learnt two things. First, that there is a limit to how much sushi you can eat before your organs rebel against your body, and second, Japan is the holy land for socially inept geeks, a.k.a. the majority of record collectors. As a socially inept geek, I had found my true home. On the plane back to England, I was already planning when I could return and rescue the dozens of records I had to leave behind in the racks due to baggage constraints. Thankfully, 18 months later and I was back on the plane, ready again to plunder the loot of the land of the rising sun.

This trip would not only take me back to Tokyo, but on to Kyoto and Osaka. After a long, cramped flight and an unforgettable experience (in the same way that having your finger nails pulled out with tweezers is an unforgettable experience) in a capsule hotel, my first base camp of the trip was established and I fired up Google Maps to pinpoint the best record shops in Tokyo.