Disco Recommendations August 2014

Review: Purveyors of fine underground music, Joe's Bakery, present undiscovered balearic beats, cosmic curveballs and obscure oddities from around the world. The first two releases feature edits by a mysterious collective of music enthusiasts and record diggers by the name of Diavol. Music to be played by the pool or under the discoball

Review: Founded back in 2010, James Holroyd's Begin project has garnered near cultish status over the course of it's six releases to date, effectively offering an update on the Northern Sulphuric Soul template where funk and hip hop are replaced by house, Balearica and disco. Just over a year on from the last Begin transmission, Holroyd resurfaces with this ace three track 12" that will suit all dancefloor orientated situations over the summer months. As the title suggests, a sumptuous electronic bassline forms the centrepiece of lead track "Bassballs" gently coaxing out a sultry vocal line and wonderfully delayed saxophone and twilight keys. It's matched by the final track "Drop" in the wow stakes which will delight anyone that's been digging that Gigi Masin retrospective on Music From Memory.

Review: The ignition switch for a superb trio series that pays homage to NYC's Mangiami restaurant... An authentic nightspot that did far more than serve great food. Open from 2006-2012, it was frequented by some of the most inspiring creative minds you can imagine. Naturally the soundtrack was equally inspiring, as this series (crafted by an editor who wishes to remain anonymous) suggests. "How We Do In NYC" is as low swung and sleazy as it gets. Awash with slippery wah wahs and vibrant horn flurries, it celebrates the whole city and not just the restaurant. "Lonesome Edit Blues", meanwhile, takes Waylon Jennings to groove pastures he never could have imagined.

Review: Dark Entries' series of leftfield Italo-disco reissues continues with a double-header from prolific Italo disco session vocalist Helen (AKA Elena Ferretti), whose early excursions on obscure Italian labels Out Records and Discomagic have previously been the sole preserve of dusty-fingered crate-diggers. This EP brings together two of her finest EPs; 1983's scarce "Witch" - an exercise in bubbling, synth-pop inclined Italo-disco - and 1985's arguably better-known "Zanzibar". It's arguably the sparse, cowbell-laden "Afro Mix" - think Cosmic Club era Daniele Baldelli - of this track that steals the show, though all four tracks are shot through with that European strangeness that often marks out the best early Italo cuts.

Review: Legendary producer, groove craftsman and one half of the agenda-setting M&M production outfit, anything from Morales is bona fide disco dynamite and likely to have been sought after for at least 25 years. This celebration of Motown's leading ladies is certainly no exception... Teena Marie's "I Need Your Lovin" enjoys both a stately extension and an equally lavish instrumental, Ross's "Boss" gets a full instrumental construction that's as immersive as it is glistening and Tata Vega's "Get It Up For Your Love" goes back to the original stems for a rebuild that allows us to acquaint ourselves with each and every precision played instrument. Finally we jet right into the mid '80s for Val Young's soft-rock-tinged "If You Should Ever Be Lonely". If you're not leaping around in camp histrionics to the thundering bassline and sizzling guitar twangs, you've got it at the wrong speed. Serious Morales gold.

Review: Jose Marquez returns to Basic Fingers with two fine examples of fine-tuned vocal-focused Afrohouse fusion. The lead sees him polishing Sassouma Kouyate's "Niani". Allowing the mesmerising natural rhythms of the vocals to take centre stage, Jose complements it with a soft but well-bodied kick that will warm up the iciest of floors. Flip for Afel Diallo's "Yele Kae Ye". Driven by a deep tribal drum dynamic and an arrangement where the flutes mirror Afel's every lead, Jose's rearrangement has realised the dancefloor potential the original always had.

Review: Part two in EditChannel's three-piece dedication to Mangiami restaurant, one of New York's most creative nightspots in the last decade. As with the inaugural release, the identity of the editor will remain a mystery, but if you research just who was present at the restaurant on the regular you'll know this isn't some two bit editing chancer who's handy with a cut and paste function. "All Day" is a fuzzy, dubbed out Afrocentric groove while "Trocin" dusts off the disco strings for a dramatic point and strut session of epic proportions. Both of them rep at the highest possible levels.

Review: Is It Balearic...? recordings latest is the Reflextion EP from Baldelli & Rocca. 3 electronic disco bombs and a quality remix from Ray Mang. Reflextion is a driving synth Italo disco stomper. Mr Mang adds a little acid and a touch of house. Side B's first track is a classically Italo disco dancefloor gem - lots of synth action and a flappy percussion give this a hypnotic quality ready for some smoke drenched dancefloors. Out To Lunch is a more quirky take on the same theme like a lost maxi 12 b-side of an Italian electro pop track from the late 80's. Great EP.

Review: The third and final slice of edit pie, served up fresh from New York's coolest restaurant. Now sadly departed - but clearly not forgotten - Mangiami was home to some of the finest gatherings NYC ever saw on a Monday night. The entire three part tribute reflects the soundtrack consummately, but this finale piece does so with the most breadth... "Music Take You" plays the role of the feel good warm up set. Mild highlife guitars shimmer in the background under dubby horns and a sumptuous swing. "And Your Point", meanwhile, is much more of a late night affair. A subverted Floydian saga that undulates with heavy reverb and insistent loop magic, it acts as a poignant dark finale to an excellent trilogy.

Review: Latest release of balearic wizardry from Magic Wand

Review: Strictly limited, hand stamped, individually numbered, no digital.

Review: If you've spent some time in the nightclubs of Amsterdam, you will probably have shaken a leg to the selecting skills of Mr. Mendel. You'll find him often spinning side by side with Rahaan, who's releasing Mr. Mendel's edits on his third installment of Street Edits. Including a respectful dance floor take on 'Mind Power', the island disco stomper 'Boogie With The Channel' and a gospel-like hypnotizing version of 'Spirit, The Power'. This soulful 12" will certainly light up some dance floors around the world...

Review: Up next on Craig Bratley's Magic Feet label is The Vanity EP.

This release is aimed at the vinyl enthusiast and features four remixes which have so far been unreleased or received a digital release.

The EP contains three remixes by Craig, Catalepsi's 'Quartz Giaponese', The Souls 'Tonight' and Four Walls 'No Use'

as well as the sought after Sean Johnston remix of 'Obsession'.

Review: Swedish artist Farbror Resande Mac debuts on Is It Balearic..? following Newcastle duo Last Waltz' first appearance on the label in April. It's a full and complete debut featuring four tracks with remixes from Futureboogie's Christophe Rockers and Bear Funker Max Essa. The title-track is indeed the highlight as spacey arpeggios, sprinkles of keys and whooshing white noise hover above slow motion beats and a phat bassline. Rockers ups the tempo, adds some vocals and creates a burner for the strobe-lit dancefloor, while on the B-side Farbror Resande Mac again dips back into swirly ethereal territory with a new-agey, guitar kissed "Drakryggen". Max Essa then completes this 12" by treading a similar path to Rockers by upping the ante to provide a very groovy and chilled out reinterpretation.

Review: As Headman gears up to release his sixth album it appears he's having something of an identity crisis... Is he Headman? Or is he, as his mother named him, Robi Insinna? Either way, he's one of disco's most daring of producers and, monikers aside, anything he releases is well worth your attention. Especially this first sampler from the album 6. A collaborative affair, each track sees him teaming up with kindred spirits and friends to forge new groove paths and re-position old references. "Work" takes a Kraftwerkian recipe and stretches it like a well made pizza dough, "Barbarism" dusts off the cosmic guitars for an enlightened star-gazing session, "Der" sits happily between Black Strobe and Jeff Wayne while "Sleep Red" cruises towards DFA City Limits in a cowbell Escalade. Each one of them will have you hankering for the album. Guaranteed.

Review: The hirsute disco professors best known as Beard Science break their 12 month release silence with an eight 12" that brings together names old and new. Christened the Listen With Mother EP, this 12" features the talents of Beard Science veterans Hardway Bros the 45 Badger, who share space with label newcomers Scratchandsniff and Tokyo Matt who hail from Glasgow and Hong Kong respectively. It's Scratchandsniff that calls shotgun with a precision trim of some 80s funk rock on "Driver's Seat", whilst the 45 Badger channels the early Balearic days with the laidback and rather sensual "Circles". Face down "Higher & Higher" is a straight up disco burner from Otaku Soundsystem's Tokyo Matt whilst "Heatray" sees Sean Johnston channel early doors A Love From Outer Space vibes with superb results.

Review: Arthur Russell and Nicky Siano... You'd donate a crucial limb to be in the studio when these were conjured, right? Expertly extended with full emphasis on the groove, Sleeping Bag have treated the heritage with the utmost respect. The guitar and horn noodles and dynamics of "Tiger Stripes" are given heaps of space to do their thing while the percussive groove takes on an even more hypnotic edge. Meanwhile on "You Can't Hold Me Down", the scratchy, unrelenting guitar rhythmic backbone remains the main focus while more attention has been paid to the drums, most notably the weightier kicks. A very respectful revisitation.

Review: Vinyl-only, 250 copies, no repress... Freedom Sessions certainly know us how to get excited. They've got the vibes to back up their air of exclusivity, too. Each of these four cuts are well-polished deep house cuts the shimmer and shake with the perfect balance of jazz, soul and disco. Native content for the Russian label comes from Buzz Compass (bubbling bass, dreamy chord swoops and a killer loop) and Petr Serkin (filtered bliss that builds and builds). Flying further afield, Italian Riccio dusts off his meanest slap bass while Belarus's Funkyjaws lays down an ultimately timeless lesson in jazz-licked filtered dynamism. Limited and lush... All boxes ticked here.

Review: The word Balearic is, and always has been, thrown around far too lazily. But Francesco Puccioni (AKA Mike Francis) epitomises the Mediterranean-flavoured genre through and through. Lush evergreen textures, major chords, early electronic explorations, cosmic connotations and soft focussed soul that's so warm and physical you can feel the sand between your toes. This Puccioni collection comprises some of his, most rare, most sought after and most celebrated releases including the extended club mix of "Features Of Love", the stunning cover of Bill Withers "Lovely Day" and the Amazonian spiritual serenade "On & On".

Review: There's something rather special about this surprise return to Golf Channel from Mark E, this time under the Project E alias with occasional production partner Nate Woodcock. Inspired by a famous Ibizan beach and holiday resort, "Denbossa" is a surging, rush-inducing slice of loopy, hypnotic, melody-rich brilliance; like "Seuno Latino" re-made by Steve Reich and Aquarian Foundation, with T-Coy on mix duties, it seemingly floats between the speakers on a cloud of warm, humid air. Flipside "Miramola" - a kind of new beat-goes-Balearic excursion with looped Latin keys and a typically blissful vibe - is almost as good. Both tracks are pretty darn special, though; expect to hear them a lot this summer.

Review: Midnight Riot up the anticipation ante for their forthcoming album with this quirky quad of modern day disco floor-firers. Late Nite Tuff Guy amplifies the teasing nature of this EP as he stretches and extends "Boogie Wonderland" in a way that's almost cruel... Looping up the bassline and vocal snippets for what seems like an eternity, he finally unleashes the full hook. And does so with evangelistic effect! 80s Child follows with a synth-heavy re-edit of The Whispers' "Contagious" where the bass is so fat it should come with its own health warning. Further on TV's "Disco Scene" employs some classic Akai action, playing merry hell with a vocal sample of a loopy percussive groove. Finally Digital Human closes the curtains with the synth-boogie strutter "You're My Last Chance"

Review: Having appeared in one form or another on labels as varied as Eglo, Neroli, Wildheart Recordings and Berceuse Heroique recently, Dennis 'Dego' McFarlane adds Drew Lustman's Blueberry Records to his evergreen CV with the excellent Nuts! EP. Such a signing by the producer known as Falty DL should not be a surprise to anyone that considers themselves a real fan of Lustman's work with Dego regularly touted as a strong influence on the New Yorker's musical output. Rich in musical flavour and heavy in rhythmic impact, all three cuts from Dego here really slam home how accomplished he is as a producer with the wonderfully bugged out "Fancy A Burger" and the rugged, dusted down swing of "Celestial Ditton" vying for first place in our affections. The latter track gets a rather nice rework from Falty DL too!