VARIOUS Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Detroit's Truth Manifest Records is helmed by Malik Alston, one of the city's principal music producers, vocalists, performers and DJs working in the mode of soulful house. 'Outside Of The Box compiles some of his brightest works into a four track showreel: snappy and happy comes '5th Element', which needs anything but more cowbell (and on which saxophonist Dave McMurray shows off hard). 'What God Has For Me', meanwhile, brings in vocalist Maurissa Rose to back up what might be one of the hardest swung house bits we've heard in years.

Review: In 2009, longtime collaborators Frankie Knuckles and Eric Kupper made their production partnership official via the Director's Cut project. This epic retrospective gathers together the best tracks and remixes the duo completed prior to Knuckles' death in 2014. Disc one offers up original productions, including ear-catching re-makes of some of Knuckles' most famous early works (we're particularly fond of the versions of "The Whistle Song", "Your Love" and "I'll Take U There"). On the second disc you'll find the best of their remix work, with standouts including a sublime take on Candi Staton's "Hallelujah Anyway" and a storming, previously unreleased version of Lou Rawls' "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine". As a bonus, the third disc mixes the best of the lot together in one suitably gorgeous, non-stop journey.

Review: Gerd Jansen's first collection of autobahn-inspired "ambient-not-ambient" cuts, released back in 2012, was something of an overlooked triumph. If anything, this second volume in the series - once again packed with exclusive, never-before-heard material - is even better. There are glistening, far-sighted excursions from Leon Vynehall, Shan and Orson Wells, a brilliant chunk of shuffling dancefloor hypnotism from Joy Orbison, and some vintage, low-slung ambient fare from Dutch veteran Orlando Voorn. Meanwhile, Disco Nihilist's "Melancholy" is formidable emotive - unsurprising, given the Detroit and deep synth-pop influences - while Lauer's "Autofahrn" is a thrillingly authentic Kraftwerk tribute.

Review: RECOMMENDED
The DJ Kicks series has managed to outlast the vast majority of other DJ mixes we can think of - the good, the bad, the populist, and the plain cash cow. Even the mighty fabric compilations have rebranded and rethought, bringing the original legacy, FABRICLIVE included, to a respectful end at 200 outings. Strange, then, to think, that !K7's mighty offering to the world of "What should we listen to at the afters?" has arguably managed to become more relevant as the years have flown by.

There was a time when the series existed at the lighter end of club fare, with some examples barely even matching that description. These days, though, there's often a dance floor heaviness central to the selections, with Jessy Lanza's broken, bass-driven set a case in point. Pointless attempts to describe the music, and lazy track list namedropping aside, this is energy-packed, heads down, futurist stuff packed with infectious percussion.

Review: Since launching five years ago, Groove Culture has established itself as an essential outlet for groovy, musically rich club cuts that frequently blur the boundaries between disco, deep house, soulful house, jazz-funk and nu-boogie. It's this hybrid, party-hearty sound that founders Micky More and Andy Tee slickly showcase across this two-disc, fifth anniversary mix. It's funky, hip-shaking fare from start to finish, with some of the many highlights including the pair's sax-sporting remix of Jestofunk's 'Say It Again', the rousing horns and Dave Lee style disco/house fusion grooves of their Angela Johnson collaboration 'Time', the string-drenched disco-house swell of Serge Funk's 'Can't Get Enough' and the Idris Muhammad-sampling joy of 'Subway' by Right To Life.

Review: The inimitable Santonio Echols/Next Generation have penned many a great soulful house hit and one of them is 'Bad For Me' which now arrives as a remix package on the NCM Label out of Detroit. First up is Eddie Fowlkes's dub which brings nice warm, smeared chords and allows the vocal to pop out of the mix and bring the sunshine. Ron Carroll's club mix has a little more direct energy in the drums, then the Emanuell Groove mix is a funky one with steamy sax notes up top and nice loose drums. Last of all, the Mannywya Deep dub mix slows things right down to a late-night crawl.

Review: Seminal 2002 mix CD from Theo Parrish featuring tracks from Frankie Valentine, Amp Fiddler, Peven Everett, The Gap Band and more.

Review: All-round powerhouse Ransom Note - label, promoter and publication - are veterans on the scene, having promoted nearly every facet of the dance music scene since the early 2010s. This new compilation hears the Ransom Note core outfit team up with Richard Sen, an equally battle-scarred DJ and producer active since the late 80s. The project is Sen's tribute to the UK rave scene of the early 1990s, featuring rare and obscure tracks by artists not normally cited among nostalgists: Centuras, Bandulu, Strontium 90, Orr-Some, Biff'um Baff'um Boys, Epoch 90, Mind Over Rhythm, Dream Frequency, As One and UVX. Techno, house, breakbeat, acid and hardcore collide to synthesise a sonic zeitgeist, which occupied a brief but spectacular four-year period in dance music's early golden decade.

Review: Pete Herbert is back with another tasteful assembled and escapist compilation. This one focuses on slowed-down, low-slung sounds for the golden hour when love is in the air and the vibes and blissful. Balearic mainstays feature throughout with Max Essa's 'Warm Enough' a delightfully humid and synth-laced deep house jaunt, Fernando's 'Moon Rocks' full of shimmering synth lushness and Pete Herbert's remix of Mantas & Vencla's 'Sun' offering some piano laced fun to rouse the 'floor.

Review: A comprehensive snapshot of the GU label's penchant for expertly curated mixes that blend deep electronic textures with driving rhythms. The opening track, 'Pulse of the City,' moves with a slow, deliberate groove, gradually building momentum as layers of percussion and synths draw you in. As the compilation unfolds, it transitions smoothly between moments of hypnotic, bass-heavy depth and bursts of euphoric melody, encapsulating the energy of a live set. Every track feels intentional, each shift in mood purposefulithere's an undercurrent of excitement throughout, but it's never forced. A polished, immersive journey that reinforces Global Underground's reputation for precision and style.

Review: Global Underground's' Select' series acts as a kind of annual nod to all the club-focused and after-hours music they love, mixed together by an un-credited DJ or studio engineer to keep things moving. 2024's edition - the ninth to date - is naturally packed to the rafters with tasty tracks from both established producers and rising stars. That means an attractive, immersive and frequently emotive mix of ambient-tinged deep electro (Pablo Bolivar & Nacho Sanchez), evocative tech-house (Dixon re-working Nandu's 'Around', Guy J's hypnotic, acid-flecked 'State of Trance'), pitched-down neo-trance dreaminess (Joris Voorn editing Solee), grandiose big room workouts (Fur Coat & Lexur), 21st century acid house (Phunkadelica remixing Damon Jee) and uplifting progressive house (D-Nox).

Review: Set your phasers to chug - Multi Culti are back with a new compilation which follows their astrologically charged series from 2021's Multi Culti Solstice II. As ever, the Canadian label deals a strong line in globally-informed dance music with cheekiness in its bones and an inherent spirituality, faithfully upheld by their assembled disciples. Across the eight tracks there are many highlights, but a few for us include Jamie Paton's sinewy 90s dub house workout 'Sub Ritual' and Kunturi's rhythmically-elevated ritualistic acid joint, 'Eclosion'. Strap in for another wild ride far and wide with the most adventurous label in town.

Review: Brixia Sonora is a musical tribute to the Brescian scene, featuring 12 tracks by various artists who explore different genres and styles. The album is part of the 2023 annus mirabilis of Brescia-Bergamo, designated Capitals of Culture in Italy. The album showcases the creativity and energy of the local musicians, who blend rhythm, melody, empathy and telluric motions into a vibrant sonic collage. Brixia Sonora is a Rebirth Records project that celebrates the diversity and identity of a city and its atmosphere.

Review: It's all change on the 14th edition of Compost's long-running Future Sounds of Jazz series, with the baton being passed to two new curators: Permanent Vacation bosses Benjamin Frolich and Tom Bioly. It was perhaps a wise move, because the duo - compiling a disc each - have taken a much more liberal approach to "jazz" as a concept. The result is a hugely entertaining two-disc trawl that variously takes in immaculate deep house (Isolee, Marcellus Pittman), inspired electronica (The Abstract Eye), acid-flecked jazz-funk/house fusion (Tee Mango), hypnotic techno and spacey tech-house (Matt O'Brien, Aubrey, Herzel), synth-Balearica (Jex Opolis, I:Cube remixing Jose Padilla), ambient (Move D, Luke Abbot) and, of course, proper contemporary jazz (Yusuf Kamaal, Roman Flugel).