Various - Psych-Funk 101 (1968-1975) (CD)

Psych-Funk 101 (1968-1975) is the debut release from World Psychedelic Funk Classics and presents itself as 'a global psychedelic funk curriculum', complete with a 'course description' and 'supplemental listening' in its copious notes (found either on the handsome gatefold sleeve of the vinyl or the 36-page booklet of the CD). The title may be a little misleading since some tracks contain funk and some contain psych with a geniune melding of the two not always apparent, but nonetheless this is chock full of amazing and eye-opening stuff. The only names I was previously familiar with were Ethiopian jazz legend Mulatu Astatke (who doesn't quite reach his usual heights here) and French Zeuhl dudes Eskaton (who do) but I'll certainly be investigating the others further, particularly Turkey's Husnu Ozkartal Oskestrasi and Italy's Armando Sciassia whose bassy grooves pretty much blew me away. Hopefully there are many more of these to come..