MR K Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Remarkably, superior re-edit, remix and rework imprint G.A.M.M is approaching its 150th release. We'll hear more about what they have in store in the weeks and months ahead, but first the Swedish stable has decided to offer up something suitably special: a pair of previously unreleased edits from the king of the rusty scalpel rearrangement, Danny Krivit AKA Mr K. If it's percussion you're after, we'd heartily recommend insatiable A-side "Batutastica", a riotous revision of a drum-heavy Brazilian batacuda workout that's little more than densely layered waves of sweaty, carnival-ready percussion. It's an absolute dancefloor beast, as is the similarly hectic, intense and celebratory flipside drum workout, "Jungle". In a word: essential!

Review: Another credit to the edit by one of the true masters of the art here. Danny Krivit adds another worthy resplice to his long running series on Most Excellent Unlimited out of New York City. This one features Rotary Connection's "I Am the Black Gold of the Sun" which was originally released in 1971 and most famously covered by Masters at Work back in 1997 under the Nuyorican Soul moniker. Krivit's edit is respectful as always, simply tightening it up and remastering it on 45 for the first time. Over on the flip, you've got a version of Steve Wonder's 'Pastime Paradise' which just adds a subtle intro that uses the tambourine rhythm to lead into the body of the song - perfect!

Review: Danny Krivit aka Mr K, that veteran of the Roxy and Paradise Garage, turns his attention to the 80s for his latest Mr K edits aka brush ups for the sound systems of today. 'Pleasure Boys' by Visage epitomised the new wave crossover sound when was released in 1982, and Krivit would eschew the vocal, using two copies to concentrate on and extend the thunderous synth bass break in his sets instead. Here he recreates the trick - a bare bones riff that still sounds enormous on a club system.

For the flip, Krivit goes a little deeper with his edit of 'Emotional Disguise' by Peter Godwin again ditching the overwrought new wave vocal in favour of the atmospheric synth stylings of the instrumental, which he recalls being a big tune with hip-hop crowds at the Garage and Roxy alike.

Review: You know what you're getting with Mr K - "high-powered disco intensity" as he says himself, in this case in the form of two neglected cuts rescued and fully refurbished by the master. On the A-side comes the Dynamic Superiors' essential gay disco classic 'I Can't Stay Away (From Someone I Love)', boiled down to its most concentrated form, reshaped as a hard-charging, peak time disco climax with their proudly out singer Tony Washington - an influence on the soon-to-emerge Sylvester - setting the tone of pride and liberation.
Flip it over for the slap bass and brass of the frenetic 'Hit and Run', first released by the obscure Opus 7 in 1979 but overshadowed at the time by the slower, funkier 'Bustle'. Eliminating everything but the transcendent ride out, which is extended to a glorious eight minutes in order to fully enjoy its pumping bass and Philly-style group harmonies, Mr K ensures both sides of this are killer club weapons for the serious DJs and dancers alike.

Review: Mr. K (Danny Krivit) transports us to the golden era of David Mancuso 's New York Loft with two disparate but equally heavyweight classics from the Mancuso oeuvre mastered and cut loud, deep, and clear for club play. First up is an edit of a track that embodies the spirit of early '80s downtown NYC. Originally released in 1982, 'Konk Party' was Konk's calling card and first hit and represented their multicultural, no wave, hip-hop/disco hybrid perfectly, the opening sax riff itself a giving sly nod to Wild Sugar's breakbeat classic 'Bring It Here' that the Beastie Boys would later sample. It was considered such a Loft staple that the video was even filmed there, as well as being played widely across the influential clubs of the day. The easy-going groove, heavy percussion and low-slung bass, complimented by bilingual lyrics from Angel QuiNones, still sounds ready for action, especially In this new edit from Mr. K. On the flip, 'Hold On To Your Mind' was first released in 1970 by Northern Irish rock group Andwella, is a heavy, psychedelic tour de force. Mr. K outdoes himself with his new mix, a supercharged blend of extended percussion breaks absent on previous 7-inch mixes, plus driving vocals, and fuzz guitar.

Review: Mr K (Danny Krivit) is back once again with another vital selection of his edits kicking off with the title track 'It Should Have Been Me' a lazy and heart wrenching soul jam with deep cut bass, guttural female vocals that are as raw as you can imagine and some lush strings. It's a great vision of a stone cold classic that will never fail in any setting to get tears going. On the flipside, 'Brand New Lover' picks up the pace with a silky disco-funk-soul groove to carry you into a lovely headspace.

Review: The inimitable Mr K lands once more on the Most Excellent Unltd label with more of his a-grade edits. He kicks off with a signature disc-funk sounds that could be from any ear in the last forty years. The bass licks really get you up on your toes as the dangling chords and leggy drums heighten the groove. A steamy female vocal then flips you out. On the backside is 'World Famous' which is a cut up groove with some great scratching, old school electro-boogie in the cords and a nice lush lead piano line that brings the joy.

Review: There is a good chance that the K in Mr K stands for Knife, surely, because of how good this man is as crafting his own studio edits? Next up he tackles the frankly already very brilliant Stevie Wonder gem 'If You Really Love Me' but somehow he manages to improve it for modern club play. The horns are bigger, the drums are that bit more house-y and the whole arrangement is beefed up for a big impact. 'I Know You I Live You' on the flip is a disco dazzler with lucid horns and big soulful vocals for an all out good time.

Review: It was certainly unpredictable that a legendary jazz drummer would record one of spiritual disco's most revered songs twenty-three years into his career, but that's exactly what happened when Idris Muhammad laid down the epic "Could Heaven Ever Be Like This" in 1977. Hailing from New Orleans, Muhammad always had more than a touch of funk to his rhythms, and by the late '70s his collaborations with master engineer Rudy Van Gelder on recordings for the CTI and Kudu labels had gelled perfectly with the reigning jazz-funk sound of the day. Arranger Dave Matthews (famously part of the James Brown stable) collaborated with lyricist and former Long Island record store clerk Tony Sarafino on writing the song, which on the original recording unfolds over a nearly 9-minute build. Appearing at the crest of the disco movement, "Could Heaven Ever Be Like This" was an immediate hit with David Mancuso and the attendees of his loft parties, quickly spreading to other venues and even making a small climb up the Billboard R&B charts. For this new issue on Most Excellent Unlimited, Danny Krivit, whose own career as a dancefloor orchestrator from the DJ booth has paralleled the timeframe of the song's existence, has replaced the original loose introduction with a mix-friendly steady groove that maintains the unstoppable pulse of the song while maintaining the cathartic mid-song break and giving the track potential for even more momentum.

Another percussionist is responsible for our flip side track, "Magic's in the Air." Vince Montana was not only an in-house arranger and producer for Philadelphia International and other Philly soul labels, but was an accomplished vibraphone player. His talents are on display and doubly emphasized by Mr. K in this overlooked cut from Ronnie Walker, a falsetto singer who draws a rather strong comparison to the best songs of fellow Philadelphians Blue Magic with this uptempo, subtly synthy 1975 track. Never having appeared on a 12-inch, and indeed never having appeared even on a full-length album, Krivit's edit is the first extended mix of "Magic's in the Air" to date. Alongside "Could Heaven Ever Be Like This," itself notoriously difficult to find in 12-inch form, this latest from MEU's long running series with Mr. K is a bonafide must-have for the discerning DJ.

Review: For this entry in the ever-expanding series from the master Danny Krivit, we turn to two productions from the legendary Lamont Dozier. Both songs are artfully rearranged by Mr. K and appear here on 12-inch vinyl for the first time.

Review: The new batch from the bottomless edit archives of Danny Krivit is an uptempo, guitar-heavy excursion into two cuts of danceable rock from opposite sides of a decade. The sound is crisply remastered for club play, and stretched over the breadth of a 12-inch single. Both of these tracks are appearing on the long-format player for the first time.

Review: Mr. K is back with a killer double-sider of African funk and Latin disco. Loud and cut for the dancefloor on a small-hole 7-inch, it's another Mr. K sure shot!

Review: Legend Danny Krivit takes on two different disco moods for his latest edit on 45. This one is of Tony Orlando's 'Don't Let Go', a rarity originally released in Japan in 2012 that immediately became a much sought-after, hard to find rarity, with Krivit's creative edit utilizing a DJ-friendly instrumental intro. Like previous editions in the series, these unique selections from The New York City legend's personal archives are cut on a loud 7-inch pressing.

Review: Mr. K and Most Excellent Unlimited are back once again and this time featuring a lowdown and stomping disco gem from Minnie Riperton. Her 1977 single 'Stick Together' rather sticks out in her discography of smooth modern soul, but that's not to say it isn't great. The second half to the original is what has been reworked in this edit and so we are treated to a lengthy exploration featuring keyboardist Sonny Burke (laying down some irresistible keys. Flip it over for his take on 'Body Language,' an album cut on the Jackson Five's last Motown album and here served up with an iconic bass line that just doesn't quit.

Review: A - A true top-five peak record at The Garage, this Thelma Houston burner from 1977 was "a highlight whenever Larry played it," Danny Krivit recalls... "and he played it a lot!" Danny's edit is a homage to Larry and Frankie Knuckles - in particular, a reel to reel edit that Frankie did back in the day and shared with Krivit. "Reels were problematic, & when I tried to get it again from him, unfortunately he had lost it too." The song (a clear attempt by Motown to capitalize on the previous year's monster hit "Don't Leave Me This Way"). What sets "I'm Here Again" apart though, is the incredible second half, not surprisingly also the main focus of Mr. K's edit, along with a new straight to the point intro. Over a vicious groove reminiscent of the Originals' "Down To Love Town" breakdown (Michael Sutton wrote and produced both "Love Town" and "I'm Here Again") Houston delivers soul-stirring ad libs as the band crackles with electricity behind her, the piano chasing a descending string riff so eagerly it almost trips over itself. Pure dancefloor peak energy!

B - This band was a departure from the usual Motown session guys, and was comprised of a group called the Young Senators from Washington, DC. Who later formed the nucleus of Chuck Brown and the Soul Searchers. Motown was finalizing its move from Detroit to Los Angeles, and this 1972 Eddie Kendricks session was among the last to be recorded at the famed "Snake Pit" aka Studio A in Detroit. According to Young Senators percussionist Jimi Dougans, "Girl" was recorded at three o'clock in the morning, which perhaps accounts for some of the heavy vibe and distinctly different sound than the typical Motown pop style the label was known for. In a time before 12-inch singles, this was one of those first "made for a club" proto-disco records that could hold its power and even shine on a big system. In fact, Larry Levan used it to test the sound at the Garage. When he got "Girl" sounding good, Danny says, "he knew the system was really pumping and anything else he played would sound good too." The original album cut "was typical of a lot of records, where producers fade out right when the record is climaxing," Danny says. "On a dance floor where people absolutely love the record... they'll just look at the DJ like, 'Why'd you fade it out?'" Taking matters into his own hands, Mr. K edit again aims at the climactic back half of the song, engineering a nearly 7-minute climatic dance floor filler.

Review: Reaching deep into the earliest foundations of his voluminous collection, Danny Krivit presents a psychedelic pop classic rearranged for today's sound systems and setlists. Recorded in the Beatles' Abbey Road studio at the height of the Summer Of Love, the Zombies' "Time Of The Season" is firmly linked in pop culture to the late '60s and the Vietnam era, although it almost never made it out to a wider audience. Ignored on its initial release, it was given a second chance by the label as the last gasp from a band that had officially split up a year before. This time around the song steadily gained fans and word-of-mouth plays in the U.S. and by the summer of 1969, two years after it had been recorded, "Time Of The Season" was ubiquitous and well on its way to being firmly enshrined as an emblem of the era.

Krivit's edit highlights the parade of lush sonic textures that ornament the hip composition, from the iconic, exquisitely echoed bass-clap-exhale riff that opens the song to the cascading Hammond organ solos of Rod Argent. Naturally, this MEU issue keeps the audio quality at its highest level, the better to appreciate these nuances. "It's a song from my childhood that really struck a chord," Danny says. "Over the years I often played a rough edit which always seemed to go over great. The song seemed to get better and better, and age like fine wine." We agree!

From flowers and incense, we move to glass and steel. "Theme For Great Cities" envelops us in a soaring, intense groove, as emblematic of the post-punk no wave style of 1981 as "Time of the Season" was to its own era. Produced by Gong's Steve Hillage, this futuristic instrumental is a bit like Bowie's wordless works with Eno, with an added downtown edge. "The original really struck me," Danny recalls, "especially at Roxy in the early '80s hip hop nights, on that Richard Long sound system... It really blew me away with its atmosphere!"

Danny's edit combines the lean and mean original with a trackier remixed version, cleanly lifting off on an epic ride that clocks in at nearly ten minutes. With the revised rhythm section and its quick-punched low end sandwiching the meat of the original's punishing drums and aggressive, picked bass line, Mr. K gives us the best of the expanded sonics of the remix without losing the atmospherics of the original take.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Very slight surface marks on the records, but otherwise in excellent working condition***


Reaching deep into the earliest foundations of his voluminous collection, Danny Krivit presents a psychedelic pop classic rearranged for today's sound systems and setlists. Recorded in the Beatles' Abbey Road studio at the height of the Summer Of Love, the Zombies' "Time Of The Season" is firmly linked in pop culture to the late '60s and the Vietnam era, although it almost never made it out to a wider audience. Ignored on its initial release, it was given a second chance by the label as the last gasp from a band that had officially split up a year before. This time around the song steadily gained fans and word-of-mouth plays in the U.S. and by the summer of 1969, two years after it had been recorded, "Time Of The Season" was ubiquitous and well on its way to being firmly enshrined as an emblem of the era.

Krivit's edit highlights the parade of lush sonic textures that ornament the hip composition, from the iconic, exquisitely echoed bass-clap-exhale riff that opens the song to the cascading Hammond organ solos of Rod Argent. Naturally, this MEU issue keeps the audio quality at its highest level, the better to appreciate these nuances. "It's a song from my childhood that really struck a chord," Danny says. "Over the years I often played a rough edit which always seemed to go over great. The song seemed to get better and better, and age like fine wine." We agree!

From flowers and incense, we move to glass and steel. "Theme For Great Cities" envelops us in a soaring, intense groove, as emblematic of the post-punk no wave style of 1981 as "Time of the Season" was to its own era. Produced by Gong's Steve Hillage, this futuristic instrumental is a bit like Bowie's wordless works with Eno, with an added downtown edge. "The original really struck me," Danny recalls, "especially at Roxy in the early '80s hip hop nights, on that Richard Long sound system... It really blew me away with its atmosphere!"

Danny's edit combines the lean and mean original with a trackier remixed version, cleanly lifting off on an epic ride that clocks in at nearly ten minutes. With the revised rhythm section and its quick-punched low end sandwiching the meat of the original's punishing drums and aggressive, picked bass line, Mr. K gives us the best of the expanded sonics of the remix without losing the atmospherics of the original take.

Review: Gospel music has had a long relationship with the underground dance floors of New York and New Jersey, sharing an emotionally charged spirituality that is central to devotees of each. Sitting at the nexus of these worlds is "Stand On The Word," a praise song that opens an album privately pressed by the First Baptist Church of Crown Heights in 1982. Who exactly recontextualized the churchly platter for the spiritual dance floor is a matter of some contention. Was it the born-again Walter Gibbons, a member of the congregation who lived nearby at the time, and then perhaps Tony Humphries, who worked at a local record store that carried the LP? But in an ocean of gospel dance music, this one distinctively sticks out as an underground dance classic. For this special release, Mr. K has trimmed his rare Japan only "Stand On The Word" 12" release from the crystalline intro to the beloved standout vocal lines to an ear-catching alternate piano outro, making it readily attainable on 7-inch for the first time. An astounding acapella fills the flip side with crackling handclaps and thundering foot-stomps, sounding as if it was recorded at church, or the final hour of the 718 Sessions (same thing). A better example of the sacred and secular crossover connection would be difficult to find.

Review: Rejoice all serious disco edits heads, we have another batch of highly sought after treatments from the mighty Danny Krivit available here for your delectation. First up is "One Step Back, Two Steps Front", a powerful '80s jam that splits the difference between prime-time soft rock, disco and soul - the power lies in the stirring impact of the vocals to create a truly spellbinding dancefloor moment (as soon as you have the chance to experience one). "Funk It" is a more classically funky work out with a smattering of Hi NRG histrionics to match the heavy boogie of the rhythm section.

Review: Scalpel-wielding re-edit legend Danny Krivit has reworked one of his all-time favourites, Rene and Angela's 1981 boogie classic "I Love You More". He has previously reworked the track, but the edits here are brand new. On the A-side you'll find his fresh vocal extension and rearrangement, which naturally rolls out the killer groove - all liquid synth-bass, cascading lead lines, clipped guitars and ear-catching piano motifs - before unleashing the original's deliciously glassy-eyed and soulful vocal. Over on side B he's revisited his original instrumental re-edit, further emphasizing the cut glass strings, spacey synth solos and infectious groove. It's as loved-up as they come and arguably even better than his vocal take.

Review: Once again here edit king Mr. K turns his attention to one of the many hits penned by New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint. This time it's a 1978 tune from The Pointer Sisters that they still use as a concert opener whenever they play, despite the fact it didn't chart that well on release. That didn't stop it becoming a dance floor hit though, here the synths are polished up and drawn out with an added acappella and the whole thing dazzles. On the flip is an excellent edit of Gene Harris' cover of Stevie Wonder's transcendent "As", fine-tuned for 2019 and beyond with emphasized percussion and a sinewy extension that cuts the bulk of the lyrical intro and lets Harris's electric piano and the all-star choir shine.

Review: Best known to the world at large for their disco evergreen "Lady Marmalade," the powerhouse trio of Sarah Dash, Nona Hendryx and Patti LaBelle are revered in the deeper dance underground for a couple of epic soulful rock workouts that have been known to provoke life-changing moments on the dance floor. With New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint producing and leading an all-star band with the Meters at its core, "What Can You Do For Me" and "Messin' With My Mind" crackle with energy and rise to thunderous crescendos that rival a gospel revival. Mr. K's edits acknowledge these songs' long history in NYC DJ culture, dating from the Gallery and the Loft in the mid-'70s and running unbroken to today, with masterful extensions that push the inherent energy even further without ever becoming repetitive or obvious. Most Excellent Unlimited is proud to present these sure shots on loud and carefully mastered 7-inch pressings, an essential addition to any gig box or collection.

Review: Most Excellent Unltd continues to delve into the reel-to-reel edit archives of Mr K, AKA legendary New York DJ Danny Krivit. This 12" contains two more heavyweight bombs. First up in "Love The Life You Live", a hustling chunk of Blaxploitation era disco-funk from Kool & The Gang that Krivit brilliantly builds into a frenzy of sweaty drunk breaks, relentless horn lines and fuzzy bass guitar. Over on the flip, the native New Yorker takes his scalpel to a little known cover version of Beatles' favourite "Drive My Car", stripping out the vocals to leave heaps of percussion, a killer bassline, rousing horns and hard-wired funk guitars that sound like they've had a few tabs of acid. The resultant edit is a seriously heavy dub-disco treat that bears almost no resemblance to the "Rubber Soul" classic (or the Gary Toms Empire's version that he edited up, for that matter).

Review: Supreme edits from the one and only Mr K: "Boogie Land" explores the insane P-Funk gold of Ike Strong with full emphasis on the obese walking bassline, gutsy backing vocals and layered riffs, all extended with hypnotic glory. "Lady, Lady, Lady" is a dramatic rearrangement of the instrumental version of Boogie Man Orchestra where the pianos and strings are placed centre stage and squeezed for every ounce of drama and disco theatre. Insanely good.

Review: Only Krivit has the balls, clout and creative skills to bring a breakdown to life in the way he's magically revisioned "Street Life". Extending the smooth string sweeps, gliding bass and Crawford's vocal freestyles into a majestic work of its own, it's one of Krivit's most demanded secret weapons. Flip for a swashbuckling honkytonking piano slapping take on Roy Meriwether's "Nubian Lady" where the groove is pushed well into next year with a perfect rolling break. Sheer edit magic.

Review: When it comes to the disco edit, few names fill you with an immediate sense of confidence as Danny Krivit. The New York-raised DJ and producer has more edit credits to his name than you've had hot dinners, and a sense of quality exudes through his rich body of work. This new DJ-friendly 12" hones on the Krivit vault of secret edit weapons and selects two that will nice up any dancehall. Up first is an extended tweak of "Life & Death In G & A", an early funk strutter from Abaco Dreams that still sounds very, very fresh some 45 years on! Just as good is the B-side where the K man tackles the Sergio Mendes version of Tropicalia classic "Viramundo", with this edit focussing on those percussion breaks. Delightful stuff!!

Review: Stone cold edit gold from the man like Danny Krivit. Tagged up with Joey Madonia, the pair deliver two blisteringly soulful versions. "Give It Up" hits us smack dab in the heart with its gutsy instrumentation, floating harmonies and raw sense of funk. Meanwhile on the flip Joey switches up "Please Come Home" with a very neat instrumental transformation that retains the big backing vocals. Don't sleep on this.