With our FUNK FACTORY special covering some of the baddest bands on the planet (Dap-Kings, Breakestra, Whitefield Brothers, Lefties Soul Connection, Cookin’ On 3 Burners & Malcolm Catto of the Heliocentrics) and our focus on PLANET MU, whether we’re cold lampin’ with the original funki dred JAZZIE B or sweating to the tropical rhythms of GWO KA and TUMBELE in Martinique and Guadeloupe, SHOOK #07 goes deep in the science of rhythm. The launch of HOMEGROWN, the first major exhibition of UK hip-hop, is our excuse to go back in time with London Posse, Demon Boyz and many more. We get the DATA REDUCTION from ZOMBY and gOnj@$ufi. MAX ROMEO tells us how he almost burned down the offices of Island Records, HUDSON MOHAWKE talks about making tracks for Rihanna, while Stefan Lakatos remembers learning to play the trimba from MOONDOG. For all you jazz heads, CARL CRAIG, MARCUS BELGRAVE and WENDELL HARRISON give us the rub on the resurrected TRIBE RECORDS project; we get a dose of Ancestral Soul from BODDHI SATTVA; Guilty Simpson, Black Milk, Dilated Peoples, Planet Asia and more salute HEX MURDA; we smoke Cohibas in Cuba with GILLES PETERSON and blaze blunts in LA with GASLAMP KILLER, SAMIYAM, HOUSESHOES & RHETTMATIC. Plus TERENCE BLANCHARD explains all about his difficult choices post-Katrina. Elsewhere, we feature FELA! THE MUSICAL, we surprise NNEKA, find out all about the CANDY MACHINE, travel the world with DREPH, celebrate the release of STILL BILL and raise a toast to 30 years of VAGUE. So shut yourself away this Christmas with a copy of SHOOK and a bottle of brandy, and be a soul adventurer, travelling to places and spaces far and wide in the musical omniverse.

Oh, and we’ve got some very special subscriber offers this time around so make sure you check out our store for details.