Needle Time

  Freeez - Southern Freeez [BEG 51T UK 1981 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC] A few years before they persuaded Arthur Baker to remold and update their brit-funk sound, John Rocca and Peter Maas were responsible for one of the brightest, tightest and funkiest singles ever to come out of the London dance scene. Signing with Kingston-Upon-Thames indie record shop label Beggars Banquet Records gave the band extra credibility among many who initially used to shy away from dance music. A1 Southern Freeez B1 Southern Freeez (Version)

Freeez - Southern Freeez [BEGA 22 UK 1981 24-Bit FLAC] On the inner gatefold of this 1981 Beggars Banquet pressing, the label proudly declare Freeez as "new wave jazz funk". You can never be sure if they are trying to sell the band as the new wave of jazz-funk, or the label's highly regarded new wave, post-punk attitude. When you realise that this is actually a repress of the the band's self-released 1980 debut, you delve deeper into what Freeez were about. In reality, the original incarnation of Freeez dressed in a close cropped, Fred Perry -styling closer associated with the mod or ska scenes ....in fact they were bloody cool. Whereas the jazz-funk tag may be enough to scare away any post-punkster, it's the latter's attitude rather than the dull genre which shines through here.  This is the cool groove which A Certain Ratio attempted (and possibly failed) in 1982-1983, this is the style and virtuosity which Level 42 abandoned in search of ma...