Review: Sundries' Disco Goodies series, which rounds up the best of the label's digital releases and presents them on multi-artist EPs, reaches its fourth instalment. It hits home hard from the start, where Berobreo's 'Soul Driven Dynamics' provides an attractive mix of 1970s orchestral soul samples and rubbery deep house beats. Experienced re-editor Oldchap brings the goods with a lightly tooled-up and beefed-up rework of an orchestra-sporting disco gem ('Coloridos'), before X Gets The Crest delivers a percussive, hot-stepping and filter-smothered re-wire of a much-loved Cymande classic ('Still Come Home'). Over on side B, Alexny's heavy disco-funk re-edit ('People Says') is joined by a hazy and horn-heavy revision courtesy of Sould Out ('City Gal') and the pitched-up disco loop-funk of 'Since You Came' by Workerz.
Mark Brickman & Yam Who? - "Shined On Me" (feat Venessa Jackson) (7:30)
Wayfaring Strangers - "Get Your House In Order" (6:12)
Platinum City - "Holy Spirit" (7:35)
Yam Who? & Brian Lucas - "Yah Mo B There" (6:16)
Review: House music's roots are in the church and this new a celebratory various artist collection pays homage to that. The grooves are laced with soulful vocals, churchy chords and big strings that make for grand architecture and grander feelings of joy. Mark Brickman & Yam Who? open with a vocal gem that cannot help but bring a smile, while Wayfaring Strangers pump it up a little more with some funky disco house before Platinum City get you locked in a nice loose, long legged groove that is resplendent with lush keys and big vocal turns. 'Yah Mo B There' has an irresistible 80s vibe and big sing along choruses that will get hairs standing on end.
3kelves & We Are Neurotic - "Laguna Reservoir Funk" (4:00)
Naux - "Foxxy Cleopatra" (6:18)
Partner Music - "People Should Romance" (5:15)
Review: Moiss Music is dropping two slabs of heat this month - their sixth and seventh EPs overall. Both are various artists' collections with plenty of 'floor-facing disco fun. Mathew Ferness opens this one with 'Paradisio' which has plenty of inspiration taken from late afternoon dances somewhere like Ibiza. 3kelves & We Are Neurotic get you working your feet with the busy percussive grooves and squelchy synth funk of 'Laguna Reservoir Funk' while Naux brings lots of loopy fun and throwback vocal goodness to his steamy 'Foxxy Cleopatra.' Partner Music rounds out the EP with the most energetic and busy of the lot - the restless melodies of 'People Should Romance.'
Review: Lol Hammond is a former member of Spiral Tribe and early live techno act The Drum Club who now makes music on his own as Wah Wah Planet. Back in 1990 is when he penned this fantastic five track Balearic house EP alongside Russell Crone and with female vocal contributions from Lucy Sian. It very much lay out an early blueprint for UK street soul and the opener on the A-side 'Jewel' explores a romantic theme with hooky pop lyrics. Things get more left of centre on the 'Love FXU' with three trips into a smoother sound world perfect for sun kissed island dancing and with influences ranging from early breakbeat and trip hop to elements of dancehall music.
Review: Originally part of a 1975 charity compilation LP raising money for environmental charities in California - which later became a collectors artifact changing hands for silly money (which didn't fit well with the Deja Vu Kid team) - so this Balearic nugget, the crown jewel of the album, was released on 7". More in keeping with its original spirit, not to mention its exquisite sound, there's no better way to share it again than on it's own 45 release at a fair price. 'Metropolis' and its B-side, 'Before I'm Gone', are pristine, hi-fi wilderness folk ditties, both of which evince an incredible mood of streamside Americana.
Review: A top value for money opportunity here, as Moiss Music deliver the latest in their sweet and sticky Jam series of various artist 12" line ups, bringing you no less than six bubbling, vivacious disco triumphs from six artists. Khemir's 'Disco Bandit' kicks off proceedings, a production that sounds like it was made by a band of around 45 musicians, a proper cavalcade of strings, brass, brazen disco thump and beautifully bold vocals. Wurzelholz's 'Prince' goes for a bit more economy but with a slinky funk bassline like that - not to mention the occasional exclamation from the purple overlord himself - it's equally devastating in dancefloor terms. Among the other highlights, 'Golden' by I Gemin has the feel of a lost Daft Punk flip tune and Cosmocomics' 'Glamorous Garcon', boasting 70s-style synth bubbles that are as cute as they are retro. Tasty as ever.
Review: During a record digging trip to South Africa a year or two back, Rush Hour co-founder Antal stumbled on an obscure local cover of Klein & MBO's Ron Hardy and Larry Levan favourite, "The MBO Theme". The Warrior version, which was recorded at some point in the early '80s, is a little slower and breezier than Klein and MBO's original, with even finer fretless bass flavours and the track's famous melodies re-played on some particularly spacey synthesizers. Helpfully, the Klein & MBO version is on the A-side, so you can easily compare the two: Warriors' little known cover is definitely our pick of the pair.
Sanctuary - "Disconnect" (extended Disco instrumental) (6:25)
Willie J & Co - "Boogie With Your Baby" (extended Disco mix) (6:21)
Unknown Tape - "Familiar Time & Place" (Chicago mix) (7:05)
Unknown Tape - "Familiar Time & Place" (Detroit mix) (7:09)
Review: The shadowy Edit & Dub crew don't talk about their releases, so it can be difficult to ascertain whether the tracks they're showcasing are long-lost originals, or new edits of ridiculously rare records. Either way, the label's latest EP features versions of some seriously hard to find treats, starting with a fine 'extended disco instrumental' of Sanctuary's 'Disconnect', a fine disco-boogie jam from 1980. They then deliver a (we think) previously unreleased 'extended disco' mix of Willie J & Co's killer 1976 disco-funk gem 'Boogie With Your Baby'. On the B-side we're treated to two takes on the mysterious 'Familiar Time and Place' by Uknown Tapes: a 'Chicago Mix' which sounds like late 80s Windy City acid house smothered in spacey deep house chords and intergalactic electronics and the mid-80s techno-tinged 'Detroit Mix'.
Walter Whisenhunt Orchestra - "Love Is A Hurting Thing" (feat Gloria Ann Taylor) (7:18)
Review: Sometimes, incredibly rare and expensive records don't live up to the hype. We can safely say that Gloria Ann Taylor's "Deep Inside You"- a superb, disco-era chunk of sexually charged soul - is not one of those records. Very few original copies were pressed, which not only explains the eye-watering second-hand prices but also the numerous bootlegs that have appeared over the years. This, then, is the record's first licensed reissue. It's worth picking up, not only for the sublime title track, but also for bonus cuts "What's Your World" - a laidback, super-sweet chunk of laidback West Coast soul - and the lushly orchestrated "Love Is A Hurting Thing".
Review: Following the recent dip into the Theo Parrish archives that was The Twin Cities, Phil Weeks' Robsoul imprint looks to another one of Detroit's adopted sons in the form of Rick Wade. Like that recent Parrish reissue, Weeks re-releases another three tracks from Wade's bulging discography. The upbeat disco loops of "Players Theme" was originally released on French label Funky Chocolate in 2002 and still sound fresher than anything being plied by the Soundcloud dwellers today, while "Can't You See" from 2003 provides a more soulful take on house music. On the flip, the tracky funk and cascading string melodies of "I Feel Good" originally graced Wade's own Harmonie Park imprint in 1998, but sound no less vital today. Essential.
Review: Niklas Wandt is a Berlin-based man of many talents including drumming, singing, playing synth and percussion and DJing, as well as crafting delicious techno depths such as those on this latest EP from the fledgling Viscera Transmissions. Initially, 'Mehr Phett' veers towards hi-tek soul a la early Detroit with its surging pads and sleek percussion. 'Feuerwerk Der Rhythmen' is another quick and kinetic cut but one with great meaning in the musical synths. 'Subcutaneous Dance' then gets more wild and free with layers of synth pulses, scintillating drum programming and a driving bass line that will lead to dancefloor lift-off. Eden Burns remixes the opener into a tropical, dubby, elastic house workout with an off-balance bassline.
Review: A sophisticated blend of electronic, funk and soul, originally released in 1991 and back here in 7" form. Side-1 features 'Try My Love,' an underground jam that highlights Washburn's ability to blend these genres into a classy, enjoyable track. Side-2 presents the 2024 Boogie Back remix of 'Try My Love,' which smoothes things out and transforms the original into a melodic disco groove. This remix adds a fresh, modern twist while retaining the soulful essence of the track.
Review: Miles Away Records are proud to introduce their latest single to land on the label: the cosmic soul gem 'Super Star' by Ruth Waters and the State Of Mind Show Band. Ruth 'Silky' Waters was best known for her two disco-infused albums Never Gonna Be The Same and Out In The Open, produced by the late, great John Davis. 'Super Star', however, was released on the tiny independent KMBA Recordings label in the late 1970s, and draws on the twin wells of modern soul and gospel, lending both a touch of cosmic goodness. On the flip, there's 'Super Star Pt.2', which plunges deeper into the cosmic essence of the track by way of both extended guitar and synth solos; both tracks are stupendios in their own rights, making this a hotly versatile release for a far-and-wide DJ demographic.
Review: One-off masterpiece release of German minimal synthpop from Gutersloh, Germany in 1984. Recorded in a DIY recording studio in a former prison for the mentally ill, located on the outskirts of a forest near the artists' homes, aptly named Prison Studio, in 1984, the release was privately pressed on 7" by the band itself, distributed in limited quantities and has changed hands only a few times on public marketplaces since its original release. Wave Shape's Transmission has always been as rare as it is good, to quote Basso. Now, the release is made available again to collectors and DJs as the first release on Average. Included in this 12" repress are two stunning new remixes by virtuoso producers and friends Alexander Arpeggio and Aradea Barandana, each bringing their own flavour to the table.
Review: Chicago outfit Wavelength tap into the funk traditions of bands like Parliament here with a seductive and rather sleazy new EP for Soulistic 360. The whole thing has been arranged by Windy City soul innovator Rahaan and comes on white marbled vinyl 12". Opener 'Can You Handle This Funk' is slow, steamy, sensuous with its languid kicks, live, raw drums and drawled vocals all luring you into the groove. The remix is a subtle teak of the original and on the flip is 'Kemetic Dance Party' which brings more Afro style drums and some bold sax lines to get things going in a more energetic way.
Review: The newly formed Silum Records' is back with a superb second release that features Zurich collective Wavetest. They have previously released on the likes of Phantom Island and Drumpoet but this might be their best work. It is music inspired by the alpine landscape of the collective's native Liechtenstein but it also has one eye on the dance floor. These are bright, shiny disco-house cuts with happy arps, lush cosmic chords and accessible grooves that simply make you feel good. 'Gritsch' in particular is awash with warm chords and singing leads that will work in a wide variety of settings.
Review: Waxwood generally likes to keep his identity on the down low, though it was confirmed recently that he's a Brooklyn-based Russian with a penchant for cosmic and spiritual music from around the world, as well as layered ambient experimentation and intoxicating house and techno beats. All of these traits come to the fore on "Kama", which sees him pepper a rolling, head-nodding hypno-house groove with simmering strings, relaxed electronics and chiming melody lines. It's rather good, all told, as is the more obviously Balearic flipside revision by Swiss crew Fuga Ronto, which adds guitars, electric bass and new backing vocals for an even wider-eyed listening experience.
Hoochie Coo Strut (Andy Smith Reach Up Disco Wonderland remix) (5:25)
Hoochie Coo Strut (3:34)
Review: UK based production team Weekend Sun is made up of Phil Smith and Chris Tarn. Here their loose and inviting 'Hoochie Coo Strut' tune gets presented on a limited edition 12" with a pair of killer mixes. The original is all deep cut, slow motion disco grooves, spangly guitar riffs and big horns. It is a cacophony of sound that gets dialled right back by Al Kent. His take is a low slung groover with jazzy chords given plenty fo room to breath and neat little riffs filing in the spaces beyond. Andy Smith Reach Up Disco Wonderland remix is a big one for full floors.
Review: Amidst recent praise from a variety of individuals including Ben UFO, Legowelt and the Juno review team, the Peoples Potential Unlimited label keep up the brilliant work with yet another killer disco boogie oddity from the early 80s. This Westwood / Cash twelve is the first of two twelve's from the Washington imprint to switch the focus to the career of Detroit producer Danaan Potts who can count on studying alongside a young Juan Atkins as well as spending close to 100 hours a week studio time alongside George Clinton as influences. Here he adopts the anonymous Westwood tag to add some bizarre P Funk to the delightful Orlando Cash jams "Psycho For Your Love" and "Work Those Joints". Additional PPU tweaks of both make this one of the labels best twelve's to date!
Review: Stefan Schwander is known for aliases like Harmonious Thelonious, A Rocket In Dub and Antonelli Electr and now strikes once more with his third EP, 'While My Sequencer Gently Bleeps'. Entirely crafted on Elektron's Monomachine, this one delivers deep basslines, ravey bleeps, piano chords and synth melodies that evoke the sounds of Jamaica, UK and Chicago while looking toward the future. The EP opens with the groovy 'Title Track' followed by the minimal, dub-influenced 'Sublime' with shuffling beats and a smooth synth line. On the flipside, 'Definition Of ...' combines deep bass, lively percussion and subtle melodies that are both danceable and storytelling.
Review: Less of a whisper and much more of a future bellow; these 1979 disco boogie gems still shine with such an effortless synth class they sound as if they could strut out of a studio almost 40 years later. "Keep On Lovin' Me" is all about that slinky, molten bassline while "Turn Me Out" fixes our focus more on the Californian band's epic harmonies. Another premium excavation from Be With, we'll keep on lovin' this for a long long time to come.
Review: Ben White - not the same Ben White that plays as a defender for Arsenal - was just 25 when he was brought by Eddy Bongo Brown of the Funk Brothers to the Motor City to play with Marvin Gaye. It was five years after that when he lay down this single - his only one, although it is said there are some lost tapes featuring a full album on them out there somewhere. We hope it is found as this is excellent - 'I Would Have To Be A Fool' is a super smooth soul with nice funky rhythms and a hint of disco energy. 'Just Give Love A Try' is a more slow and lavish groove with choral backing and fancy piano.
Review: Ralph White's early ventures into disco are finally gathered in one place with the first official anthology of his 1978 recordings at Sydney's Albert Studios. Better known at the time as a session player and producer in the city's studio scene, White was tapped by M7 to craft four disco pieces aimed at an emerging dance market. Over just two days in the studio and a small group of local players - including a young Tommy Emmanuel - he recorded four standout cuts, together which remain some of the most refined Oceanian disco ever put to tape. Though the original 12"s saw limited success domestically, M7's distribution push into markets like Canada, India and Argentina helped cultivate a quiet cult following. Now remastered and housed in a deluxe spot-UV sleeve with inserts featuring new liner notes and White's biography, this reissue shines overdue light on a forgotten chapter in Australian dance music.
Review: The fifth release on the rather mysterious Wicked Disco encapsulates the dazzling spirit of classic disco, channelling the soul of the late 70s with a sound that feels vintage but also revitalised. This one-sided edition bursts to life with a bold horn section that immediately grabs attention, paired with shimmering strings that weave a lush, cinematic backdrop. Add a deeply emotive vocal performance that elevates the groove into something truly joyous and layers of vibrant rhythms and intricate instrumentation and bang - you'red transported to an era of glamorous nightlife.
Review: The shadowy Wicked Disco crew have already turned heads with their floor-focused revisions of classic cuts, particularly August's garage-house re-dub of Whitney Houston's cover of 'I'm Every Woman'. Each 12" so far has been limited to just 100 copies - an insanely low number given their quality - and this missive is no exception. On 'I've Just Learned To Live With It', the crew gives its take on a dewy-eyed, orchestrated soul classic from the 1970s (we think), lightly dubbing it out and extending it to dancefloor length (six minutes) while retaining all or the original's sublime lead and harmony vocals. It's something that will not only work in both soul and disco clubs, but also as a "send 'em home happy" end of night tune.
Review: Wicked Disco demonstrate that they really have gotten no rest, sharing a new remix-remix of Whitney Houston’s version of Chaka Khan’s ‘I’m Every Woman’. While the original disco numbers, both in Khan and Houston’s incarnations, are much smoother-edged and naturalistic, Wicked Disco bring a choppier and more staccato garage house beat to the table, lending tasteful pepperings of dub delay and bass-boosting to a mix that we didn’t know needed it. A touch of generalised femininity is thus lent to the quintessential disco dancefloor, adding much extra umami to this already felicitous freakout.
Review: Who can resist a lovely one-sided, blue-marbled 12" that is mad limited? Well it depends on the tune, of course, and the good news is this one from Wicked Disco on the newly minted eponymous label is superb. 'Too Late Is What You Are' is an action-packed fusion of Afro soul, organic percussion, disco grooves and wet finger clicks topped off with a soul-drenched vocal and some big horns. The arrangement is fulsome but never over-loaded which means this one has it all, basically, and will bring great times to any dancefloor.
Review: During the "rare groove" boom in London during the 1980s, Linda Williams' 1979 album track "Elevate Our Minds" became something of an anthem. Curiously, it was never released as a single at the time, making this surprise 7" edition something of a bonus for those still searching for the track. It remains a fine song, with Williams' brilliant vocals rising above bossa-influenced beats, warm bass, luscious boogie orchestration and gentle Latin style horn lines. The flipside features "City Living", the title track from the very same 1979 LP that "Elevate Our Minds" was taken. It's far funkier and more elastic in feel, with horn arrangements and a chunky groove reminiscent of some Teena Marie tracks from the same period.
Review: Destination 78/79: Expansion take us deep into the illustrious back cat of revered boogaloo fusionist Willie Bobo for two of his many fiery delights. Side A is his feel-heavy cult instrumental take on Ronnie Laws' disco classic "Always There" while Side B throws us into the heart of his 1979 album Bobo with gutsy raw soul power (and just a few cheeky funk slap bass twangs for good measure) Two stone cold classics together for the first time on 45.
Doug Willis - "The Mighty Douglas" (Doug Godbizniss mix) (6:39)
Roland Wrightangle - "In Your Blood" (feat Darcus - Ron Basejam mix) (7:19)
Jakatta - "American Dream" (Atjazz remix) (7:20)
The Pockets - "Work It Out" (Dave Lee rework) (6:45)
Review: Dave Lee's Z Records continues to fly the flag for disco-tinged house, or house-tinged disco, from new school artists and old-school mainstays. One thing you can be sure of with music n this label is that it will be big, crowd-pleasing tackle that never forgets its roots. There is real religious rapture in the thrilling Doug Godbizniss mix of 'The Mighty Douglas' which gets the EP underway in fine style. After that is a sumptuous, string-laced house classic from Ron Basejam, a lush mix of the wonderfully ethereal 'American Dram' from lounge-y house don Atjazz and classy, hip-swinging vocal house bomb from Dave Lee himself.
Review: Insatiable funk lovers rejoice! One of the most sought after top vocalist/songwriter Lee Wilson who's known to dominate house music dance charts week after week delivers this time a boogie banger 'Do Better'. The feel-good Original Mix on the A-side boasts a thick boogie synth bassline and uplieing chords that carry Lee's captivating vocals inspiring us with a strong message of positive self-image and self-improvement. The B-side features the monolog remix by multi-instrumentalist Yuki Kanesaka playing all vintage analogue instruments himself bringing that heavy funk to all diggers of sick grooves. Both tracks are upbeat, uptempo and ready to heat the floor.
Review: Repping Sugar Records and Tanum Sounds, Winsome comes through with three really interesting perspectives. 'Tab' is a unique and highly springy piece of work as it works and wriggles its away around some well sculpted table drum hits and sub plunges. '24gb' takes us down a much dreamier pathway, sitting somewhere between Indian Ropeman and Chicken Lips. Finally 'Who' closes this stunning EP with a faraway drone. Intense.
Review: As head of the Diskokaine imprint, Wolfram Eckert has graced the public with the delightful sounds of Sally Shapiro as well as maintaining a wonderfully infuriating website - you need to check this out! In a production career that has seen the Swede trade under a surfeit of aliases for labels such as Creme, Gomma and IDJ Gigolos, Eckert has focused on the Wolfram name to deliver a stellar album forthcoming on Permanent Vacation. Entitled Marflow, the album features a stellar cast of guests including Legowelt, Shapiro, House of House, disco legend Paul Parker and mid nineties one hit wonder Haddaway. Permanent Vacation indulge in some appetite whetting here with another collaborative effort between Wolfram and Andy and Kim Ann of Hercules and Love Affair, notable for some fine remixes from fellow Swedish icons Tiedye and Axel Boman, with the former's balearic rock cover version most ingenious.
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