Sure Fire Soul Ensemble - Step Down - Cream - VINYL LP

Vinyl LP pressing. The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble is a 9 piece heavy, instrumental funk band from San Diego, CA. Their influences are vast and include Hip Hop groups like Wu-Tang Clan and A Tribe Called Quest, as well as funk and soul masters like Isaac Hayes, The Meters, and James Brown. Their last two LPs debuted in the top 15 on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Chart. SFSE is equally at home in the studio as they are on the stage, where their original songs transform and take on new life through live performance.

The Sure Fire Soul Ensemble are definitely on a roll coming off of their third LP, Build Bridges, which debuted at #1 on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Chart. Their new and fourth LP, Step Down, is a direct reflection of the heavy times they were written and recorded in. Covid-19, two Presidential impeachment trials, the George Floyd murder and resulting social unrest, a seditious attempt to subvert the democratic process at The Capitol... With titles like Step Down, The Other Side, Time To Rebuild, Omnificent, Love Age, and In Common, SFSE uses their music to beautifully paint a picture of societal woes, but also points toward the solution and a better world. Heavy Cinematic Soul, spiritual Jazz-Funk, upbeat Afro-Funk, and deeply introspective rare-groove cuts lace this ten-track transmission vessel. SFSE is deeply defined by the sum of their influences, but always have their eye focused beyond the horizon as well. We think this album will capture your heart immediately, but also provide the depth for discovery upon repeated listens. SFSE have made a true statement here, and we are very proud to present Step Down to the world.

Released in 1970, Funkadelic's self-titled debut was a radical collision of psychedelic rock, gospel, blues, and soul - a chaotic, genre-defying statement that redefined the possibilities of Black music. Where Motown aimed for Polish and crossover appeal, Funkadelic dove headfirst into distortion, improvisation, and spiritual ambiguity, offering a sound as gritty and unpredictable as the era itself. Backed by a ferocious young band - including Eddie Hazel, Billy Bass Nelson, Tawl Ross, Tiki Fulwood, and Mickey Atkins - the album rejected convention in favor of raw groove and existential noise. Tracks like InchI Got a Thing...Inch and InchWhat Is SoulInch pulse with menace and joy, bookended by surreal monologues that echo both street philosophy and space-age gospel. As part of Org Music's Westbound Records reissue series, this edition restores the album's full impact across multiple formats. The deluxe double LP, mastered at 45RPM directly from tape by Dave Gardner at DSG Mastering, offers the highest fidelity to date. Gardner and restoration specialist Catherine Vericolli archived and restored the original master tapes at 54 Sound Studios in Ferndale, Michigan, with assistance from in-house engineer Nick King. A single LP edition, cut from high-resolution tape transfers, is also available, alongside CD, cassette, and digital formats. A sonic revolution in it's time and a lasting influence ever since, Funkadelic remains a groundbreaking testament to music without rules and freedom without limits.