Now-Again Re:Sounds Vol. 1

They Say...

Review by Marisa Brown, All Music Guide

Now-Again Records, an affiliate of Stones Throw, has been putting out previously hard-to-find funk and soul, mostly on vinyl, since 2001. On Now Again Re:Sounds, Vol. 1, labelhead Egon (aka Eothen Alapatt) got a selection of mostly Stones Throw artists -- though people like Kenny Dope and Cut Chemist also make appearances -- to remix or reinterpret some of these songs, or in some cases, write their own new ones entirely ("Trouble Will Remain" by Amnesty, some of whose members are also in the Mighty Imperials and the Dap-Kings, and "Free Your Mind" by Sound in Light, whose drum loops are provided by Koushik, who also contributes to two other tracks). A lot of what's included has never been released before, in any format, and the rest of it has only been made available on 12"s or 7"s, which makes Re:Sounds a pretty alluring collection for the hip-hop/funk fan who either doesn't have a turntable or doesn't want to spend the bucks on all the separate releases (related side note: the vinyl release of this compilation is actually completely different from the CD; it's a collection of 7"s, and only some of the tracks coincide), and there is some pretty great stuff here, like the always impressive Percee P on "Reverse Pt. 2.5" and "Cold Beats," Todd Terry's remix of the Kashmere Stage Band's "I Wish" (which has some moments that sound remarkably like Michael Jackson's "Bad"), and Guilty Simpson's Detroit hip-hop version of the Heliocentrics' "Before I Die," which fits his rough delivery perfectly. The album's a great mix of rap, California psychedelic soul, and deep funk, beat-heavy and fun, and a must-have for any fan of either Now-Again or hip-hop's more musical side.