IF MUSIC PRESENTS YOU NEED THIS: EASTERN EUROPEAN SOUNDS (1970-1986) [LP] (LIMITED TO 800, INDIE-RETAIL EXCLUSIVE) (RSD 2016)

With two sterling exclusive Record Store Day compilations in its discography - If and If 2.0 - from 2013 and 2014 respectively (not to mention the incredible Annabel (lee) album By the sea... and other solitary places), the London institution If Music is back with another killer selection of glorious obscurities, this time highlighting a fistful of treasures from Eastern Europe: If Music presents You Need This: Eastern European Sounds (1970-1986).Compiled by If Music's figurehead Jean-Claude Thompson and Adrian Magrys, the six tracks span infectious Polish disco grooves (Wojciech Karolak and Andrzej Korzyn?ski); bustling break-heavy jazz from the Polski Jazz Ensemble and the Russian-born Prince Igor Yahilevich; heartwarming spiritual jazz stylings from Hungary's Binder Quintet feat. John Tchicai; and Alojz Bouda's awesome oddball Slovakian synth banger 'Random' from 1980 also features.Mastered by Barry Grint at Alchemy and cut on heavyweight 180g vinyl. Art direction by longtime friend of If Music - Ali Augur.Trust us, you need this.If Music has long been a beacon for discerning customers both young and old, as well as artists, DJs and collectors. It's one of the UK's best, most singular independent record stores, founded by the tireless impresario and quality music champion Jean-Claude Thompson. A symbol for Soho as a cultural hub (particularly for independent record shops), Jean-Claude has weathered the digital storm and rising rents that strangled a string of Soho's fine independent record emporiums in the noughties and he stands defiant in the face of Soho's regeneration-cum-homogenisation opposed by many including campaigners under the Save Soho banner.