David Penn & Sex-O-Sonique - "I Thought It Was You" (5:59)
Sex-O-Sonique - "I Thought It Was You" (Full Intention remix) (5:15)
Review: London Records and Central Station come together for this, the first in a series of new EPs they will put out together. It finds the top selling artist David Penn offering up a big remix of Michael Gray & Jon Pearn aka Sex-O-Sonique's 'I Thought I Was You' in much the same way he has done with several other big hits before now. It's the sort of impossibly and instantly feel good house record that brims with soulful synths and hand in the air chords, smart little vocal sounds and chunky, funky drums. The original was already a big hit in the clubs and this new version is likely to be just as widely loved.
Review: Berlin's Cocktail d'Amore and Tokyo's Ene Records have come together once again to present the music of Solidair. The duo of Cocktail alumni Luigi Di Venere and Jules Etienne present three tracks aimed to induce a dance floor hypnosis. Orgonite (Riding the Waves) does just that, a slow build awash in the ebb and flow of acid tinges, just enough to wet your whistle on a Saturday night. The original mix keeps the skeletal support but throws in a life preserver of 8 bit gaming synthesis. Frisky arps call and respond to each other before making way for sinewy pads to lift off. Tiger's Eye sets itself onto cruising speed incorporating elements of late 90's acid techno with the sleek and smooth clubbing aesthetics of modern day Berlin.
Dimitri From Paris & DJ Rocca - "Days Of A Better Paradise" (5:57)
Saucy Lady - "Passport To My Love" (5:52)
Misiu - "Love Me Do" (5:59)
Clive From Accounts - "It's Not That I Don't Care" (5:16)
Review: JKriv & Co. at Razor N Tape serve up possibly their biggest release yet, if this one is anything to go by. The first edition in the label's brand spanking new Family Affair series features the pairing of legends Dimitri From Paris & DJ Rocca on 'Days Of A Better Paradise' kicking off the A side, before Saucy Lady's late night boogie-down biz on 'Passport To My Love'. Flip over and you're treated to a seriously lo-slung cosmic disco dub on Misiu's 'Love Me Do' and finally Clive From Accounts tells it straight up on the acid jazz joint 'It's Not That I Don't Care'.
DJ Deviant & Swamburger - "Get On The Floor" (3:33)
DJ Deviant - "Where's The Party" (3:47)
Review: DJ Deviant and Swamburger join forces for a double-sided serving of feel-good hip-hop and r&b on this 7" release. 'Get On The Floor' is a surefire party starter, its infectious beat and catchy hooks practically demanding movement and setting the tone for a night of good times. The track is a vibrant blend of classic hip-hop elements and contemporary production, with DJ Deviant's cuts and scratches adding a layer of turntablist flair. On the flip, 'Where's The Party' sees DJ Deviant flying solo, keeping the energy high with a smooth groove and feelgood vibes that are reminiscent of 90s r&b classics. The ever enduring appeal of hip-hop and r&b in full effect.
Review: Japanese talent DJ Koco aka Shimokita is a hardcore 45rpm devotee. They are his chosen tools as a beat-juggling DJ who can do logic-defying things with his grooves. He is a regal on Bloom and already dropped serious heat in January with 'World Famous'. This time he is back with a fresh take on 'Made In New York' which is a 1985 classic by renowned Brazilian funk and jazz pianist Tania Maria. He brings his signature hip-hop flair and creativity with his trusted crew, 45trio, and enlists the dynamic saxophonist King TJ (DA-Dee-MiX) to elevate things further.
DJ Korekaranokinkyusaigai & DJ Disappointed - "Acid Flow" (5:54)
Driven By Attraction - "Weaponize" (7:52)
Shcuro - "Fuel" (4:41)
Decent Damage & Shawn Cartier - "TD Playa" (5:30)
Review: Steffi's Klakson label is one of the few real creams of today's electro landscape; inviting only the very best of the best artists, few of its contemporaries can really say they've managed to achieve the same feats in the same space of 20 years or so. The latest V/A EP to grace their rolling stocks, 'Weaponized Fuel On The Acid Playa', looks ostensibly like it could be homage to old-school UR or its many Dutch copycats, but in sound, it hears back completely differently, feeling like a future electro hellzone in which all manner of evil mutant experiments remain on the loose. By far the best-produced electro EP we've heard in recent months, you won't be disappointed by the likes of Shcuro's 'Feel' or Driven By Attraction's 'Weaponize'.
Mike (Agent X) Clark - "Where You Get Your Funk From?" (5:13)
Sillygirlcarmen - "Good Times" (4:41)
Review: House of eFunk is back with another home to the legends of Detroit with Efunk Detroit Volume III. It is the one and only DJ Minx who kicks off with the stripped-back and low-slung dusty house depths and drive of 'Sweet'. Marcellus Pittman then offers another of his brilliantly raw, spare cuts in '888 In The Groove' with its swirling pads and raw hi-hats, then Mike (Agent X) Clark asks 'Where You Get Your Funk From?' by layering up smudgy pad swirls and prickly analogue beats under chopped up vocals. Sillygirlcarmen's 'Good Times' shuts down with a more steamy and sensuous sound topped with emotive vocals.
Review: Having already introduced us to many of their regular 'pals' - re-editors specialising in Balearic and cosmic oddities - Manchester's Drum Chums crew now wants is to meet their 'percussion pals'. They operate within similar sonic territory if this first multi-artist missive is believed, albeit with more of a penchant for dubbed-out drums. There's plenty to set the oulse racing throughout, from the metronomic dub-chug of Spice Route's incredible 'Gruler Dub' - a fine re-edit debut from the long-serving Bristol selector - and the expertly dubbed-out space disco trip that is DJ Pouffsouffle's 'Totally Manic'. Elsewhere, Manc stalwart Neil Diablo delivers the ultra-slow weird-wave pop of 'Starry Night', while Hysteric's 'Pinball' is a blue-eyed soul treat.
Review: DJ Ryow aka Smooth Current is a Japanese DJ and producer known for his hip-hop and r&b remixes. 'Re:Strain Of Stairs', as the title suggests, reinterprets the song 'Strain Of Stairs' by Japanese rock band The Pillows on the A-side, bringing a loose-hipped drum workout to the ordeal. On the B, meanwhile, Ryow goes all out on a new original featuring Kim Hill, 'Ain't Even Like Me', a song which first debuted online a least four years ago - it's an impressively-made production in contemporary r&b, with exquisite harmonies from Hill.
Review: Inhale Exhale bring six full new circular round-trip breaths to the fold, focusing on heartwarming and soulful summer deep house tunes. Intended mostly for outdoor disco BBQs, 'INEX 017' packs a fruitful punch. Opening proceedings on the A come 'Make It Right', 'Understand U' and 'Tears Of The M1', a power-of-three intro tracking a vibeful descension from crystalline waters, synth organs and high string samples down to the chillest of vinyl-crackly, primal mini tech moods. Then there's the unmissable mirror image on the B, podding 'Everytime', 'Clyde' and 'Keep The Stabs', the last of which is an especially delicious, refractive groove.
Review: Acido Germany has pulled together a serious selection of artists for The House Of Web: Reworked Vol 2, which is a collection of eight new takes on music made by Takuya Sogimoto for this label back in 2020 and 2022. The inimitable DJ Sotofett kicks off with 'Track 1,' a lithe and twisted acid jacker with mad machine rhythms slowly working you into a funk. Dynamo Dreesen & SJ Tequilla's 'Track 2' is an icy electro workout full of kinetic dance floor energy and DJ Gizzard keeps it freaky with his popping electro jam 'Track 3'. DJ Yoav B shuts down with the rhythmically playful and off-kilter 808s of 'Track 4'.
Review: The latest 12" from long-running Sahko offshoot Keys Of Life is the first of two split 'Balearic' releases from Sex Tags man DJ Sotofett and SUED co-founder SVN.. Sotofett's "Current 82" is a thing of rare beauty; an ambient house inspired chunk of lucid, mid-tempo dreaminess full of fluid chords, subtle, loved-up melodies and early Italian deep house bottom end. SVN continue the deep theme whilst doffing a cap to techno on flipside "Dark Plan 5". Their chords and pads are every bit as life-affirming as Sotofett's - even if they are a touch on the bittersweet side - but the accompanying up-tempo rhythm has a more ready-made dancefloor feel. Either way, both tracks are superb.
Review: Considered "the absolute Don of Italo piano house", Don Carlos is up next on esteemed NYC label Razor N Tape with an EP of rare vintage house from the archives - 30 years old in fact. For the uninitiated, Don (Carlo Troya) and S-Tone (Stefano Tirone) released two records on Italian imprint Calypso in the early '90s under the alias Montego Bay. Features the emotive, late-night garage of 'Music All Night' (Deep In Milano mix) followed by the low-slung dancefloor heater 'Keep Dancing The Boogie' on the A-side. The flip offers the life-affirming vocal cuts 'Waited So Long' and 'Gotta Keep Dancing' respectively which perfectly capture the zeitgeist of house music's golden era in the early '90s.
Doni & Leo Young - "Rebelion In The City Of Gangia" (6:03)
Pastaboys - "On & On" (Panna mix) (6:32)
Hiver - "Magic Crusade" (5:51)
GPM, Steve Mantovani, Dan-E-MC, Daniele Mad - "House In Full Effect" (9:21)
Feel Fly - "Armaduk" (6:08)
Review: Rebirth is thrilled to announce the release of three bonus parts of the 'Ciao Italia. Generazioni Underground' album in 2023, available on limited edition vinyl. 'Ciao Italia' Bonus Quattro, Cinque and Sei continue to connect two generations - the trailblazers of the early 90s and those continuing the legacy today, with a futuristic perspective and renewed energy. Bonus Sei includes classic tracks from legends like Doni & Leo Young, Pastaboys, G.P.M., Steve Mantovani, Dan-E-Mc, Daniele Mad, along with unreleased material from newer Italian artists such as Hiver and Feel Fly.
Review: Novaj Records presents its second vinyl release - 'Space Energy', an electrifying compilation EP inviting listeners on an interstellar journey through a wide array of sonic cosmologies, in good stead with the nascent trend of space-age acid house emergent of late. Lauching into the boundless realms of space, the likes of Donnie Cosmo's 'Venus Transit', MLink's 'Frequencia' and Sunaas' 'Flash Dancer' are all as enchanting as they are out-of-body-experience-inducing.
LaTrece - "I Want To Thank You" (Dr Packer edit) (6:40)
Shuya Okino - "Still In Love" (feat Navasha Daya - Dr Packer remix) (6:41)
ATFC - "Bad Habit" (feat Lisa Millett - Dr Packer remix) (6:41)
Soul Rebels - "I'll Be Good" (feat Lisa Millett - Dr Packer remix) (6:31)
Review: Defected's disco-minded Glitterbox offshoot has decided to dip a toe into the choppy waters (sorry) of the re-edit scene. The man at the control is fun-time rework specialist Dr Packer, an Australian scalpel specialist who has spent the last few years contributing tidy edits to a variety of well-regarded labels. First, he adds a little late '80s house shuffle to a soul-fired, boogie-era disco classic, before turning the equally familiar "Still in Love" into a bouncy, club-ready chunk of disco-house full of swirling strings and Chic-style guitars. On the flip the good doctor gets his hands a much-sampled electrofunk workout, retaining the drum delays while adding a touch of nu-disco swagger, before brilliantly dubbing out and tooling up the synth-heavy swagger of 1985 hit "I'll Be Good".
Soulsearcher - "Can't Get Enough!" (Dr Packer remix) (6:34)
The Shapeshifters - "Lola's Theme Recut" (Dr Packer remix) (6:35)
Johnny Corporate - "Sunday Shoutin'" (Dr Packer remix) (6:49)
Cleptomaniacs - "All I Do" (feat Bryan Chambers - Dr Packer remix) (6:49)
Review: UK disco sensation Glitterbox light the touch paper on another fizzy summer with four gossamer smooth edits of four seminal house classics. Gliding us through time to soulful house's golden era with a sassy, loose groove shine to each edit; Soulsearcher's 96 anthem "Can't Get Enough!" gets respectfully plumped, Shapeshifter's 2003 sing-along bomb "Lola's Theme" is stripped back to a stark funk groove while Johnny Corporate's 2000 hit "Sunday Shoutin'" gets flipped into slinky bassline wriggler. Finally one of the best covers Stevie Wonder has ever had gets a luxurious rub down as Cleptomaniacs' 2000 swoon-fest enjoys the full Packer treatment. Summer starts here.
Review: More quality grooves from Washington DC label specializing in reissuing obscure and unknown 70s and 80s dance music. This time around is Dreamcast who are Davon Bryant in conjunction with Swedish guy Sasac aka King Al. "Liquid Deep" is sexy late night deep funk the way it was always intended and Bryant's smooth as silk vocals are just like... Wow! So with Dreamcast on the vocals and Sasac on the beat, we are hoping there's more things on the way from this trans coastal duo in 2017.
Review: Dreamlogicc and SW are two standouts in the outlier world of leftfield house music, and they find a perfect home on the equally out-there label that is Kimochi. This is the first time they have been on the same bit of wax (though both have been here many times as solo artists) and hopefully, it won't be the last. There is plenty of unusual rhythm work here with wonky grooves that are enriched with a world of superbly futuristic sound designs. All of these hard to define cuts are serious curveballs that bring a great element of WTF to any set, so do not sleep and add them to your arsenal ASAP.
Review: Drumcode presents the second iteration of their soon-to-be-long-running 'Elevate' series, which in their usual audacious fashion features no less than eight label debutantes take the reigns on huge room techno production duties. The compilation's manifesto is simple: platform a broader range of emerging artists on Drumcode and help elevate the next generation to make strides in their careers. With that, we have the delight of selecting our picks of the bunch (all personal preference, of course, though you can trust our picks are educated guesses): in this case, it's got to be the slightly wonky and out-of-the-ordinary ones, those being Simina Grigoriu's 'Global Soldier' and Marie Vaunt's 'ADSR'.
Review: Senking and DYL reunite after their notable collaboration back on 2020's EP Uniformity Of Nature, this time going long on their first full-length, Diving Saucer Attack. This new work spans a total of six tracks, two of which have been produced individually and so highlight their shared passion for dub-heavy and adventurous electronic music while also bringing out the subtle differences in their styles. The album opens with 'Six Doors Down', a track featuring throbbing bass and haunting synths while subsequent cuts like 'A7r380R' explore intricate soundscapes before culminating in the sombre closing piece, 'Not Just Numbers.'
Review: It's coming home, it's coming home - house music is coming home! A second instalment of the Groove Access: series Chicago Is Home offers us five fresh tracks from the windy city landing in a glorious cavalcade of razor edged snares and hypnotic jack house. Ed Nine & Kid Enigma's 'Bandleaders' opens side one in spectacular fashion with spoken mantras lying deep in the mix, distinctive phasing arpeggios, poking keyboard riffs and ringing cymbals. JSquare's 'Get Wicked' kicks with even more power, tribal rhythms bouncing of bleepy melodies, before 'Move' by Geto Mark rounds off the side with the strutting, beautifully brutal 'Move', a proper 3AM peak time pleaser. Steve Noah's 'The Hater' opens side two, a wily acid line worming its way across a raw, stripped down backing before exploding into serious gnarliness when you least expect it. AFTR's 'Undercover' rounds things off with another knuckle duster of a tune, leaving no doubt that Chicago is still the place to be when it comes to house.
Review: FOXBAM INC is back to build on the momentum of their first EP with a second one that packs a mighty punch. This one kicks off with EBY, who this year has been cooking up acid for 40 years and here offers the warped low ends and garage-techno power of 'Goldtooth'. Foxtrot vs Ma Bla then mashes up old school samples with earth-shattering bass on 'Deep Down Inside' and bRz vs Stije is a double-time hard techno stomper with warped synths and twisted bass that is inspired by and named after ISCO, a concept from Einstein's general theory of relativity that makes predictions about the dynamics of black holes.
Review: Following a surprisingly extended hiatus of three years, the admirable Earthly Measures imprint is ready to unleash the fourth volume in their Earthly Tapes series. This time round, they've not only chosen to showcase the work of more female artists, but also producers and musicians with "native roots connected to five countries in South America and Europe". Musically, it furthers the label's "electronica plus nature" ethos, flitting between deliciously dubbed-out ambient chuggers (Manu Ela), Latin-tinged slow motion dub disco (Barda), percussion-rich wooziness (Shigara), locked-in low-slung house hypnotism (Sahale & Samarana), tropical house sunshine (Carla Velenti) and chugging Balearic dreaminess (NoN Project).
Review: The Brazil 45 series from Mr Bongo bursts through the picture with yet another rocking 7" fire starter by two vintage pop greats - we have to say, their format simply works. First up is Elis Regina, a Brazilian singer who released a countless pop records back in the '60s, and "Ye Me Le" is a soft, seductive Brazilian soul warmer complete with blasting trumpets and that inimitable South American percussion swagger. Turkey's Senay features on the flip with "En Buyuk Sansin Yasiyor Olman", an incandescent lover's ballad that makes a welcome change to the more widely heard Turkish psych sound of the '70s.
Review: Disco lovers Leng enlist enduring disco wizard and studio genius The Emperor Machine for a big new single here that was made alongside Severine Mouletin. It comes as two versions on this new 12", with the extended vocal going fist. It's a steamy and tropical bit of disco with feathery, whispered and seductive French language vocals over squelchy synth bass and hip swinging claps. Cosmic twinges finish it in style and on the flip side it gets a little more wild and tropical. An eco-system of synth daubs and neon colours bring the groove to life in a more interplanetary way.
Review: Andrew 'Emperor Machine' Meecham and French vocalist Severine Moultin enjoyed working on their first collaborative single, 2021's 'Dance Par Amour', so last year reunited in the studio to record a follow-up. 'Your Own Style' follows a similar sonic template, with Mouletin singing in accented English atop a typically analogue-heavy Meecham backing track laden with bubbly bass, delay-laden electric piano motifs, layered percussion and the producer's trademark synth squiggles (a feature of his work since the days he was working with Dean Meredith as Chicken Lips). The song is presented in three variations: the stretched-out and pleasingly loose 'Alternative Mix'; the sparse, effects-laden and mid-80s influenced 'Dub Vocal'; and the warmer, subtly funkier 'Fun Dub'.
Review: It's been a while since we last heard from Kinfolk, but the broad-sweeping label with cosmic chuggery in its bones is back with this powerful dose from Ess O Ess and Saulrichards. "Totem" is an epic track that rolls around in the muck somewhere between shoegaze extravagance, post-rock heaviness and psyched-out electronics. The "Swamp Crawl" version of the track keeps the guitars bedded deep within the mix, but there's space for more expressive synth work. Hardway Brothers take the track on a similarly rockist journey, but take their time building up to a climax. Otologic wrap things up with a deadly dub that will have low tempo trippers rubbing their hands with delight.
Farayen & Liam Parkins - "Where Do We Go" (Jamie Unknown remix) (5:04)
Dan Newman - "Movin'" (5:05)
Dean & Di After - "Wicked Dreams" (5:06)
Shade Guevara - "Ted Or Dead" (4:07)
Review: Warehouse Tools takes listeners on a nostalgic journey through the vibrant world of UK house music, showcasing the iconic sounds of Hooj Choons. Opening with Farayen & Liam Parkins' 'Where Do We Go (Jamie Unknown Remix)', the track blends high-energy euro house with New York-style house rhythms, offering a dynamic trip back to the early 90s. Dan Newman's 'Movin'' follows with a melodic Balearic progressive house gem, featuring heavenly piano moments paired with a serious beat that creates a dynamic vibe. On the flip side, Dean & Di After's 'Wicked Dreams' brings retro energy to the forefront, evoking the essence of house music's early days while offering a fresh perspective. Finally, Shade Guevara's 'Ted or Dead' delivers a piano-driven breakbeat, showcasing a vintage sound that encapsulates the roots of house music. This compilation is a well-crafted tribute to the genre, perfectly balancing nostalgia with contemporary energy.
Review: Analog Concept Vol. 3 delivers a striking collection of forward-thinking deep techno, blending electro, acid, and sci-fi elements to push boundaries across its four tracks. Fasme opens with 'Crying Robot', a standout acid electro monster that's both raw and energetic, setting the tone with its sharp, robotic intensity. CCO's 'Solar Sail' follows, bringing a darker, sci-fi edge to the mix. Its blend of EBM and new beat creates a timeless, futuristic trip that feels immersive and cinematic. Side-2 kicks off with Unwonted's 'Frontier', a high-energy electro track laced with trance elements, adding a hypnotic, rave-ready vibe. Serge Geyzel closes the compilation with 'Flash', a heavy-hitting deep electro cut that dives into darker, alien soundscapes. Its deep techno undercurrents enhance the track's sense of foreboding and mystery. Overall, Analog Concept Vol. 3 captures a thrilling array of deep, futuristic sounds. Take a journey through techno's more experimental and atmospheric realms with this Russian label. Each track stands strong on its own while contributing to the cohesive, forward-thinking vision of the compilation.
Roman Flugel - "More Is Not Enough (Heaven Or Hell?)"
Lauer - "Hector"
San Laurentino - "Final Landing"
Tuff City Kids - "People Is A Crackhead" (Tuff Hamlet riddim)
Review: Established as a record label some four years ago, Live At Robert Johnson have really come to the fore as representing the best of contemporary European deep house alongside the likes of Dial and Running Back. Here, the Frankfurt institution returns to their recent triumphant Lifesaver compilation with this addendum 12" release featuring the productions from Roman Flugel, Lauer, San Laurentino and Tuff City Kids. Flugel opens proceedings with the rough and moody "More Is Not Enough" which brandishes a beat that can't help but get in your face. This is complemented by the calmer, sumptuous New Beat stylings of Lauer's "Hector" and the richly colourful "Final Landing" from San Laurentino. "People Is A Crackhead (Tuff Hamlet Riddim)" is not only the best track title in a hot minute but yet another original dancefloor slayer from Gerd Janson and Lauer's Tuff City Kids, opting for the Germanic digi dub meets tuff house route.
Review: Swirl People revisit their roots with a nostalgic four track EP from their early days as Fortune Cookie. This collection - which is their third release on L.I.T.S. - features carefully selected tracks from their original 1996 releases on Marguerite, a small label run by a friend. Nearly three decades later, these still much sought-after tracks are finally being reissued. The EP opens with 'Glitter Girls,' which is characterised by a catchy bassline, followed by the deep groove of 'Um Bongo.' On the B-side, 'Galactic Snackbar' offers a retro-futuristic feel, while 'Frisko Heaven' wraps up the EP with classic disco-filtered house energy. Timeless tackle, for sure.
Review: Mr Bongo's gold-standard Brazil-45 series turns up more irresistible musical goodness here with steamy underground bubbler 'Quero Ver Voce Sambar'. This is thought to be the only ever recording by Homero Franca and it came originally on a 7" in 1976. It's warm, soulful, quite deep for Latin music and has great vocals. On the flipside is the more fiery Silvinha tune 'Mas Nao Deixe De Ir' with the raw vocals and big horns all making for a great call and response chorus with soulful samba sounds to spare.
Review: Some Trans-Atlantic collaborative action here, as New York deep house and techno don Fred P joins forces with London-based French producer Smbd (formerly known as Simbad) for the very first time. Given both producers' undoubted abilities and musical approaches, you'll be unsurprised to discover that 'When The Mantras Return' blends deep, jazzy and intergalactic sounds with beats that variously reference jacking house, broken beat and intergalactic techno. Highlights include the jazzy, deep space house of 'Be Your Self', the acid-fired heaviness of 'Conscious Feedback (Part 1 & 2)', the dubby, spaced-out house excellence of 'Rawness', and the ambient techno meets broken beat wonder that is 'Innerspace'.
Review: Kaninchenbau's main collaborators Sokur and The Funk District helm this latest intergalactic journey in the form of 'All Over You'. It's a superbly tasteful and deep disco joint with lush synth work and the sort of groovy drums that make every head to the floor and get down. Next to the original is a classic 'House Mix' version and then comes two epic remixes on the flip. Both are from accomplished and ever busy Razor-N-Tape producers Nenor and DJ Vas who bring a real touch of classic to their work and offer a different look than the A-side.
Review: Soul Supreme is a master keyboardist best known for his covers of classic hip-hop songs by the likes of Mos Def, MF Doom and A Tribe Called Quest. Here side-steps his covers duties to handle remix productions for two of his contemporaries in the Netherlands neo-soul scene - Gallowstreet, LYMA, Shamis and Rebiere. The A side lends a wonky future house feel (a-la GoldLink, Crackazat) to '52 North', Gallowstreet's ode to the city of Amsterdam. The B tune strips it back to a lo-fi soul bapper, fleshing out its theme of loneliness in parenting.
Golden Boys - "Segura Na Cintura Dela (O Gaviao)" (2:38)
Silvio Cesar - "Beco Sem Saida" (2:21)
Review: Mr Bongo's essential Brazil 45s series notches up release number 89 via a blast of heavy dancefloor pressure that touches on both Brazilian funk and samba-rock. On the A-side you'll find Golden Boys' 1975 gem 'Segura Na Cintura Dela (O Gaviao)', an irresistible slab of full-throttle, orchestra-sporting, Hammond-heavy samba-funk marked out by strong group vocals and some superb musical arrangements. Over on the flip you'll find another classic from the same producer (Milton Miranda), Silvio Cesar's 1971 carnival masterpiece 'Beco Sem Saida' - an infectious excursion that found fame in the 2000s when Drumagick sampled it on 'Sambarock'.
Review: Expert reissue label Soundway look to 1980s Trinidad & Tobago for their latest rare gem. Two cuts of "Parang" - a sort of South American folk music originated from Venezuelan and Colombian immigrants and later infused with Caribbean rhythms, disco and soca vibes. As such both tunes are impossibly sunny, uplifting and loose groovers that will work dance floors into a spin at any time of year. Colleen Grant's take on the style is driven by a neat funk baseline coupled with her glorious vocals, while Sandra Hamilton's is more down and dirty with rump wiggling drums.
Review: The Yummy imprint springs back into action with its third EP and as we expected, its a right corker. Newbie David Gunther comes through with "Lemonad", a distinctly tropical twist consisting of charming flurries of exotica, a delicate kick pattern and pseudo-steel pan melodies. Shakarchi and Straneus drop "Hissmusik" on the B-side, a seductive and r&b-flavoured party tune, whereas Local Talk's HNNY remixes it into a considerably housier affair with the help of a kick and a few swings of percussion.
Review: It's difficult to imagine an entire genre of music taking revenge, not least since it begs the question as to what object or upon whom vengeance is being taken. Confusingly but endearingly still, Gusto's 'Disco's Revenge' from 1995 is actually more caught between UK funky house and speed garage than anything resembling disco. But we could happily entertain the idea that the former two genres are simply more strident variations on the many-faced humours of 4x4 dance music. It makes sense, since it's hard to imagine any essential disco song soundtracking a brawl or secret vindictive plot. First released on Bumble Beats Records, 'Disco's Revenge' was funky enough to attract multiple reworks even back then, and this is apparently still going strong, with Kiss Klassics' new reissue apposing the original revenge plot with one rework and one original from producer Sam Tweaks. Whatever kind of revenge Gusto initially hoped to enact, we can say with certainty that it's not the best, cold kind; since both renditions by Tweaks are hot as hell.
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