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Before Daptone, there was Desco. Before Desco, there were The Poets of Rhythm.

We explained the whole Desco thing it all in French way back in 2005 in our review for the 'Majectic Collection' anthology of Soul Fire Records, released by Truth & SoulThe Poets Of Rhythm, Pure, Desco, Soul Fire, Daptone, Truth & Soul - what's the connection? The 'deep funk' also known as 'garage funk' revival starts in France in 1991 with the Pure Records label, launched by Aldo Rosati and Philippe Lehman a.k.a. Bando, who releases some compilations of obscure raw funk and soul. The following year, The Poets Of Rhythm start putting out 45s of their own raw funk productions in Germany. A few years later in 1995, Bando leaves for New York where he met Gabe Roth. In 1997 they launch the Desco Records label and collective. In the footsteps of The Poets Of Rhythm, Desco tried to revive the sound of old funk. Read the whole story there. In 2000 Desco closed, Gabe Roth set up Daptone Records with Neil Sugarman. The Soul Providers became The Dap-Kings. Bando set up Soulfire Records with Jeff Silverman. In 2003 Soulfire stops when Bando leaves and in 2004 Jeff Silverman and Leon Michels launch Truth & Soul Records to release the El Michels Affair album. To round things up Daptone Records reissued the first Poets Of Rhythm album in 2006.

So to make it quick, the godfathers of deep funk truly are The Poets Of Rhythm and the whole thing restarted in Europe in the early 90s. Then in 94 The Greyboy Allstars collective from California added some improvisational music to that funk format revival. Then in 97 the whole Dap-Kings scene from New York landed. Here's an anthology of The Poets Of Rhythm, spanning over the last two decades. Essential and historical music. Raw & groovy as hell too. Including one unreleased track… And to conclude this recap with some great news, expect not one but two new exclusive mixes on Paris DJs from one of the Poets, Karl Hector himself, to be published early september!!

The Poets Of Rhythm Anthology.jpg
The Poets of Rhythm - Anthology: 1993-2012
(CD/2LP) Daptone Records DAP030, 2013-10-11

Tracklisting :
01. Funky Train (from 'Funky Train' 7 inch, 1992 / Hotpie & Candy)
02. South Carolina (from 'Augusta Georgia (Here I Come)' 7 inch, 1993 / Hotpie & Candy)
03. Augusta, Ga (from 'Augusta Georgia (Here I Come)' 7 inch, 1993 / Hotpie & Candy)
04. More Mess On My Thing (from 'More Mess On My Thing' 7 inch, 1993 / Hotpie & Candy; also on 'Practice What You Preach' album, 1993 / Soulciety)
05. North Carolina (from 'Practice What You Preach' album, 1993 / Soulciety)
06. It Came Over Me (from 'More Mess On My Thing' 7 inch, 1993 / Hotpie & Candy, also on 'Practice What You Preach' album, 1993 / Soulciety)
07. 50 Yards Of Soul (from 'Ooh Ooh..! - Hotpie & Candy Records Original Raw Soul Vol.1' compilation, 1995 / Soulciety)
08. Santa's Got A Bag Of Soul (from 'Santa's Got A Bag Of Soul' 7 inch, 1994 / Hotpie & Candy)
09. The Donkey (from 'Into Space & Time - Hotpie & Candy Records Original Raw Soul Vol.II' compilation, 1997 / Soulciety)
10. Choking On A Piece Of Meat Pt.2 (from 'Ooh Ooh..! - Hotpie & Candy Records Original Raw Soul Vol.1' compilation, 1995 / Soulciety)
11. Serengeti Stroke (from 'Serengeti Stroke' 7 inch, 1996 / B.M.J)
12. Rhodesian Girl (from 'Serengeti Stroke' 7 inch, 1996 / B.M.J)
13. Wallow In The Myrrh (from 'Wallow In The Myrrh' 7 inch, 1997 / Sloppy Joe)
14. Summerdays (from 'Summerdays' 7 inch, 2003 / Gomma)
15. Ham Gallery (from 'Discern/Define' album, 2001 / Ninja Tune)
16. Smilin' (While You're Crying) (single edit) (from 'Smilin' (While You're Crying)' 7 inch, 2002 / Quannum Projects)
17. Discern/Define (from 'Discern/Define' album, 2001 / Ninja Tune)
18. Path Of Life (previously unreleased)



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Press Release :
Before Daptone, there was Desco. Before Desco, there were The Poets of Rhythm.

Back in the ‘90s, a time when most of our ears were filled with the alternating din of angsty grunge and synthesized pseudo-soul, a couple of German kids unearthed a raw sound from our own backyard that we hadn't even remembered bur ying. Though for a time they reveled in the borrowed nostalgia of bell-bottoms and fur coats, their style was always in spite of fashion, not because of it. They drew from the sound of old funk records, not as a mold, but as inspiration, understanding that sound would always be an origin of their music, but unlike many ‘soul revivalists' to follow, they never settled for it as a destination.

As homage to the undeniably funky frontrunners of the modern soul movement, we are proud to present the definitive collection of Poets tunes, respectfully curated by Daptone staff and the band themselves. It's been twenty years since their first recording session, and this anthology celebrates their decade-long journey from the raw exuberant rebellion of ‘Funky Train', to the moody hypnotic explorations of Discern/Define, and for the first time EVER on wax, the eerie, relaxed groover ‘Path of Life' - A journey that truly earns them their name: The Poets of Rhythm.


Original post on Paris DJs