Retro soul
Early 1990s – today, United States
Background[edit]
Retro Soul started in the late 1990s in New York City, with the vintage focused recordings from Desco (now Daptone Records). Hip hop producers craved sampling material, and the small label presented vinyl recordings emulating the style of 1960s and 1970s soul and music. This music was initially released to represent that the music may be rare or lost recordings that were somehow unearthed, although they were technically brand new recordings. The popularity grew, finding the music being played frequently on US college radio. In addition, some of these recordings were used as material for sampling in hip hop and electronic recordings.[2]
Success[edit]
This music was brought to mainstream popularity in the second album material of artist Amy Winehouse in 2006. Her Grammy Award-winning Back to Black record production included vintage soul style, and featuring the rhythm section and horn players from Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings. Subsequent releases by artists Sharon Jones,[3] Mayer Hawthorne, Adrian Younge, Raphael Saadiq, Lee Fields, Shoshana Bean and Charles Bradley continued in this tradition.[4]
Characteristics[edit]
The musical style is recognized by both the arrangements and instrumentation from classic soul music of the 1950s until the 1970s. It is largely non-electronic. The instrumentation includes drum kit, electric bass, percussion, electric piano, electric guitar, Hammond organ, piano, saxophone, trumpet and trombone. The music is both instrumental and with vocals. The repertoire includes ballads, mid tempos and uptempos. The rhythms can include Motown, funk, and Sentimental ballad.[5]
Desco Records (Brooklyn, 1996–2000)
Daptone Records (Brooklyn, 2004–present)
Truth & Soul Records (Brooklyn, 2004–2016)
Colemine Records (Ohio, 2007–present)
Stax Records (Memphis, 2007–present)
Stones Throw Records (Los Angeles, 1996–present)
Now-Again Records (Los Angeles, 2002–present)