Review: VA - Thirty Years Of Freerange Vol.3 (Freerange Records)

30 years is a long-time and in Freerange Records timezone they're celebrating with 30 tracks from 30 artists on 5 EPs - and VOLUME THREE is now here!

Keeping up with a birthday party at 3 out five as we reach mid-point in this seriers of Freerange's celebration with the artists and musical values that have defined the label's journey. 

To recap, 30 Years Of Freerange brings together 30 exclusive tracks from 30 artists, released across five EPs before culminating in a beautifully curated box set; Vol. 2 HERE and Vol. 1 HERE. 

Volume 4 balances established label favourites with fresh collaborations and future classics, once again exploring the rich spectrum of house music that has become synonymous with the Freerange sound: timeless grooves, musical depth and soul in abundance.

Kicking off with long-time friend of the label, Atjazz ('Love You Day 1'), Blue Method's 'Agora', ultra busy Megatronic (also see Razor N' Tape - review HERE) with 'Questions' featuring Mona Lee and other 'old' names'  Andre Lodemann ('For Those Who Care' and Manuel Tur ('Key Race Alert') along with our favourite, James Kumo's 'Jazz Dimensions'.

This series has to be the best of the year and in 5 volumes, Freerange has captured not only what is great about Freerange Records but what's good about music! 

BUY LINK / PRE-ORDER: Music | Freerange Records

Artist: Various Artists

Release: Thirty Years Of Freerange Vol.3
Release Date: 24th July, 2026
Label: Freerange Records
Catalog Number: FR318
Format:   Vinyl / Digital / BANDCAMP

Review: James Kumo - Motivate Your Mind EP (Freerange Records)

'Motivate Your Mind'.. "and your ass will follow" as wise men might have said in the world of 1970s Funkadelic - they'd probably say the same thing today.

Struck as we are by San Francisco's Coflo  and his Who The Frequency EP' (coming out on Freerange Records soon but we've got to sort this one out first,

Kumo is a DJ/producer based in Manchester and runs his own Wayout Records that went 'Space Funk' mad in 2021 with releases that featured Byron The Aquarius (as last seen on Igor Jadranin's 'Contemporary Outdoors' -see review HERE).

No need for BTA here as 'Deep Inside' is the jazzy keys dub banger that'll take the rest of the summer on the wall ('Band' or otherwise)  It's not hard to imagine Ron 'Lift Off' Trent on this one in the Bowl at We Out Here Festival as it's getting late; or early morning for that matter. 

You don't have to have a Reiki Master's fire head massage to 'Motivate Your Mind', the title track that's also on the dubby side but take's more influence from Lonnie Liston Smith's expanded mind of Cosmic Echoes. 

But the big tune, is the opener 'Loosen Up' which has the best elements of the other two tracks with "rolling conga" and some big strings in support.

Jamie Odell (Jimpster) at Freerange is on such a roll at the moment, as this falls between the Coflo EP (as mentioned above) and Black Loops, Milton Jackson & Brian Kage's 'Fire Emoji' (see review HERE) and the Lisbon City to City (see review HERE). 

Definitely time to loosen up and motivate your mind, and your cosmic dream will follow.

BUY LINK: https://jameskumo.bandcamp.com/album/motivate-your-mind-ep

Artist: James Kumo

Title: Motivate Your Mind EP

Release date: 15th August, 2025

Label: Freerange Records

Cat. No: FR308 

Format:  Digital / Bandcamp