Asha Puthli - The Devil Is Loose (Black Vinyl)

Asha Puthli – The Devil Is Loose returns on black vinyl through Mr Bongo, bringing one of the most distinctive records in psychedelic disco, cosmic soul and orchestral funk back into circulation. Originally released in 1976, the album captures a singular artist moving confidently between styles that were rarely placed together with such freedom. Puthli had already crossed paths with Indian pop, psychedelic rock, free jazz and European studio music; here, she turns that wide experience into a glamorous, strange and deeply atmospheric album.

The record is best known for “Space Talk”, a drifting disco-funk classic built around elastic bass, sweeping strings and Puthli’s weightless vocal performance. Its influence has continued far beyond its original release, finding admirers among DJs, collectors, producers and listeners drawn to left-field dance music. Yet the album is much more than one celebrated track. “Flying Fish” opens with infectious motion, while the title song creates a cinematic, almost supernatural mood. “Say Yes” expands into a choir-like affirmation, and “Our Love Is Making Me Sing” shows the warmth and directness beneath the record’s elaborate arrangements.

Across nine tracks, Puthli’s voice remains the centre of gravity. She can sound intimate, theatrical, playful or celestial without losing her identity. The orchestral writing, disco rhythms and rock-inflected instrumentation give each song a vivid setting, but the performances never feel overburdened. Instead, the album unfolds like a self-contained world: luxurious, futuristic and slightly mysterious.

This Mr Bongo pressing is ideal for anyone discovering Asha Puthli through “Space Talk”, as well as collectors replacing a worn original or earlier reissue. Presented as a single black-vinyl LP, The Devil Is Loose remains a striking example of an artist refusing to be confined by genre. It belongs comfortably beside adventurous disco, soul, funk, jazz-fusion and globally minded pop, while still sounding unlike anything else in those categories.