Barry Morgan & Ray Cooper – Percussion Spectrum (Themes) LP Be With Records (UK)

They say: “Exploring the wide range of moods and sounds produced by percussion.” Be With Records say: “MPCs at the ready because this does exactly what it says on the tin, to devastating effect.” Originally released in 1979, Percussion Spectrum was produced by the legendary percussionists Barry Morgan and Ray Cooper. With dope beats taking in diverse styles, from funk and soul and jazz through to Latin, Brazilian, samba and Afro-Cuban, this is an amazing sample source filled with killer drum-breaks and percussion flares. This library LP is a mix of short themes of single beats, short breaks and some longer, more fully-formed DJ-friendly tracks. Of all the 34 tracks Be With’s favorites include opener “Impulsion”, a percussive masterclass with drum upon drum making it feel like a neat prototype to the percussive underscores of Peter Lüdemann and Pit Troja‘s eternal The Now Generation LP. And the dramatic “Fast Action” is exactly that, racing along on a rapid roll of congas, cymbal crashes and throbbing kicks. “The Chaser” is classic library cop-funk with dilapidated drum figures, and the outrageously funky “Heat On” is the perfect accompaniment to your wild action sequences. A real highlight is “Runaway”, and not just because it sounds like nothing else on the record. Here are drums and percussion in that tight funk style that just cries out to be sampled. “Percussion Power” is an extended, near three-minute suite of funky drum solo after funky drum solo that just aches to be looped. “Shivers” is a tense, apprehensive underscore with shock stabs that builds to a climax whilst “Drums On Parade” is a showcase of head-nod drums and cymbals in march time. “Samba Street” is riotous, authentically drawn samba that sounds like it’s been beamed straight in from Rio in full flow. The simple, innocent “Child’s Themes” (all five of them) provide a nice, sweet respite from all the funk. Nursery sounds tinged with only a touch of melancholy. The gentle marimba solo of “Tropical Peace” only adds to the sense of serenity we get from the relatively calm second side. The album closes out with a veritable toolkit of tom toms, snare drum rolls, timpani, vibraphones and chiming bells. Percussion Spectrum is a joyous collection of sounds, as bright, beaming and downright funky as the vibrant cover. Original analog tapes remastered for vinyl by Simon Francis. 180 gram vinyl.