New releases last two weeks:

Review: Nick Bike has been at it again, crafting high-grade club cuts that always make an impact. These two have already been well road-tested with great effect. 'Party People (Night & Day)' is the first and is a brilliant collision of some funky, soulful disco classics into one new and strident sound with irresistible claps and vocal hooks. On the flip is the scorching 'Every Night (Hold Me Tight)' which is just timeless and super smooth disco-funk with a persuasive charm. Two no-brainers here that will bring next-level fun to any set.

Review: Take It Easy! We need more taglines like these in such trying and self-recriminatory times, where the stresses of a part-imagined urgency prevent us from decompressing in the way our social lives really should allow for. But is dance music, whose traditional motto is to "jack", compatible with such a mantra? DJLMP shatters these apparent antinomies of relaxation and danceability with three new edited heaters here, designed for triumphant joie de vives of the kind that do not poke, prod or demand too much from us. A later Diana Ross sample is put on heavy opening rotation on 'Diana's Loop', while similarly echoic verboffs are exchanged on 'Spring Touch', where dub delays haze the mix into something a little more convulsive. Space for wonky downtime is reserved on the B's 'Reggatronic', in a rare case of hip, lo-fi breathing room reserved for a dance record.

Review: After a quiet return via Neroli, Domu comes full circle to 2000black with a final statement after 25 years of sonic highs, lows and plenty of reinvention. Haunted by the echoes of jungle's past, Domu steps away for good, he says, with this final outing, which leaves behind three deeply personal tracks. 'A Madness' brims with urgent, sample-heavy energy and signature keys. 'Not Him Again' is a jam with longtime collaborator Robert Marin that plays with tempo and hip-hop norms. 'Them Things' then seeks to capture an elusive feeling and closes an EP that is Domu at his most reflective and raw. The end of an era. Don't let it pass you by.

Review: Reagan Grey is a Toronto-based producer who impresses with this cultured new outing on Selections. 'What You Came Here For' is pure vibes - a house cut with old-school organ stabs and hints of US garage drum shuffle, all topped with a nice hooky vocal cry from Kayenne. Kai Alce's NDATL mix layers in some jazzy keys that take things to the next level and 'Undertones' then keeps the soul quotient high with some molten chord work and dusty drum loops that are warm and heartfelt. 'Don't Stop' shuts down with a heavier basement house vibe and more smart synth work.

Review: Detroit's Robert Hood returns to vinyl with a techno triptych that distils his vision into something sharp, agile and impossibly refined. Though long synonymous with minimalism, he hasn't sounded this raw in yearsi'Art Form' arrives like a jolt, all jacking 909s and acidic flickers that feel urgent and alive. It's his first straight techno release since 2024, and it pulses with a kind of stripped-down euphoria, framed by Hood's ear for clean lines and stark rhythmic discipline. 'Art Class' deepens the tone, winding through heavier acid modulations that buzz beneath a more spacious arrangement, less confrontational but just as potent. On the B-side, 'Art School' leans into the cinematic mode, pairing sci-fi synth washes with grinding low-end pressure, rolling somewhere between introspection and propulsion. Though the tracks first landed digitally earlier this year, hearing them sequenced here offers a deeper read into Hood's blueprintiacid as method, groove as design. In his own words, M-Plant is about "only what is essential", and these three cuts prove just how much feeling can be encoded in that minimal frame. It's a statement of intent, executed with absolute clarity from one of techno's true architects.

Review: Toronto's Icons Of Hip Hop follow up their inaugural 7" with a heavy second B-boy drop, pairing a titan of rap over an unmistakable funky 70s soul loop. The A-side delivers a vocal-led version that marries sharp bars with dusty horn chops and a butter-smooth rhythm section, channelling the crate-digging spirit of golden era production with modern flair. Flip it for the 'Touch The Sky' Funky Soul Instrumental Edit, where the sample's full groove comes into focusigritty drums, warm basslines and shimmering soul textures that nod to the track's roots while inviting DJs to get playful. Limited stickered dinked 45, this is essential heat for anyone still chasing that raw, loop-driven magic.

Review: JR Disc has already become a firm part of the Detroit new school with his two previous outings on this label. Once again here he shows off his raw but emotionally poignant style and knack for a catchy groove. 'Bust' has rusty hi-hat sounds and deep, cavernous bass with rough edge drums a la Omar S. 'Wonder Traxx 1' then picks up the pace with heavy but inviting kicks that are again all frayed and dusty while some jazzy melodies bring a cheeky and playful twist. Pure Motor City gold if you ask us.

Review: Brazilian hip-hop star Laiz follows her breakthorugh Ela Partiu album from last year with a multilingual, percussion-heavy tribute to Jorge Ben Jor & Quarteto Em Cy, threading Brazilian hip-hop through Latin groove, Afrobeat and free jazz. Recorded at Nima Studio in Hildesheim with her 20-strong band dubbed the New Love Experience, the album sits between languages and borders, echoing Laiz's own migration from Jundiai to Europe in 2019. Shaped as much by cultural dissonance as it is by Babylonian joy, the record is sung in seven languages, leaning on lyrical mysticism and transitive instrumental interplay, telling particular stories of heritage, upheaval and diasporic unity.

Review: Harri Pearson is referred to as 'the Most Balearic Man in The World' and goes someway to prove that here on Magic Wand. 'Sweet Machine' is a lively disco cut with plenty of raw machine sounds, elements of peak-time party flavours and fat synths. 'Drums Of Fire' flips the script with a much more chilled out and exotic downtempo offering and 'Acid Reign' is a real dreamy excursion on bongo-laced drums. 'Trash Dubbing' brings a little grit and sleaze to close.

Review: A bumper package of six - count 'em - reworkings of disco grooves by Scruscru, offering a myriad of new takes on classic sounds. Beno, Bernardo Campos's 'Space Gruv' opens proceedings with a luxurious, soulful edge, while Tree Threes' 'Sunshine Miss' coasts along gracefully with more of a beefed up jazz house vibe. Manuel Kane's 'Disco Visions' throws more beautifully jazzy chord shapes and adds a devastating diva vocal for a proper peak time feel, Immersif's 'La Tournee Des Phares' employs more of a broken beat shuffle and 'Rebecca's Mystery Mood' by Punky Wash revolves around Latin beats and lilting guitar lines. Finally comes arguably the EP's jazziest moment of all, Justnique's 'Elevator Music', with some mighty impressive tinkling of the ivories. Authentic, gorgeous sounds overlaid on some sturdy 4/4 templates - pure DJ heaven.

Review: Who doesn't love a bit of sophisticated soul? We certainly do and it's always good to hear some reworks of the soul great's finest cuts for the dancefloor. And that's what we have here on a new 7" that opens with a disco version of 'Nothing Can Come Between Us' and doesn't go hard, instead building in some gentle drums and lo-fi melodies, swooning vocals and a mystical late night sense of romance. On the flip, we get a lovers rock version of 'Cherish The Day' which adds plenty of lovely guitar lines to bring that island vibe while the shuffling drums lock you in gently.

Review: The third full-length from London nine-piece Soul Grenades distils over a decade of performance into slick, high-impact modern funk. Their sound - sharp brass, syncopated rhythm, deep-pocket bass - owes as much to the horn-driven grooves of the Meters as to the tightly orchestrated grit of early 2000s revivalists. But it's the band's songwriting, honed through years of gigging, that carries the weight here. 'Dopamine' is an instant opener, kinetic and bright, while 'Jealousy' draws from vintage soul drama with horn stabs and raw vocal flair. On 'Star Gazin'' and 'Be Mine', they shift into a softer register without losing rhythmic tension. 'Death At The Disco' ups the stakes, laced with cinematic flair, and 'Suga Mama' punches through with high-speed strut. Elsewhere, the slow-burn closer 'A Better Day' leans into gospel-funk catharsis, building tension in restrained waves. Everything is dialled in - arrangements tight, solos concise, vocal harmonies blended without fuss. While earlier records mapped out the group's energy on stage, this one moves with the confidence of a studio band in full control. As far as raw pleasure goes, they've hit the brief.

Review: Tribute To House Masters launches its homage to talented producers from the foundational days of house and disco with a first volume featuring some real heavyweights. Each of the originals has been remixed by St David who begins with swinging and delightful deep house depths on 'The Underground.' His Gentle Re-Touch of Patrice Rushen leads to some chunky and full flavour disco house fun, the Club Re-Diss of Armando is jacked up and peak time house with a retro flair and lastly Groovylizer Magic dub brings some silky and soulful flourishes to a Salsoul Orchestra classic.